Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

May 18, 2015
In this gruesome collection of horror stories, 14 authors including Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, and Carrie Ryan take inspiration from movies, books, songs, and television, twisting, reworking, and combining them to create something terrifying and new. Some references are expected (Frankenstein leaves its mark in several stories), while others are less so—All Quiet on the Western Front, or songs by Nirvana and Mudvayne. Urban legends and ghost stories rub elbows with disturbing romances and bloody tales of revenge. Tucholke’s “The Flicker, the Fingers, the Beat, the Sigh” pays homage to classic teen horror films, right down to the tragedy on a rainy night; Cat Winters’s “Emmeline” is a haunting story of love and loss in wartime. Danielle Paige’s “The Dark, Scary Parts and All” adds romance to a mashup of two very different horror films, and Jay Kristoff’s “Sleepless” puts the knife to a disturbing online relationship. With both variety and familiarity at play, there’s nary a clunker in the collection—this is satisfying, disturbing horror for the modern YA audience. Ages 12–up. Agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media.

June 15, 2015
Murderous neighbors, creepy bathtubs, and lots of blood. Everywhere. Tucholke's horror anthology is full of thrills and chills-some better than others. A teen girl, murdered by her stepfather, plays with death in an action-packed race against time in Megan Shepherd's stellar "Hide-and-Seek." Humor and rage take over when a no-nonsense plus-sized bully takes matters into her own hands after zombies invade her school in Jonathan Maberry's "Fat Girl with a Knife." Readers will most likely be haunted by the creepy, haunting March Hare in Carrie Ryan's blood-soaked "In the Forest Dark and Deep." Even the son of Mephistopheles himself makes an eerie appearance in the guise of a hot hipster boy. Each installment references its inspiration at the end; these include classic tales, films, and songs-even some Nirvana lyrics. The anthology includes many standouts, but a fair handful come off as half-baked, confusing, or both. Readers should take warning not to get too close to any of the characters here, as many of their life hours are shorter than their respective stories' page counts. Gross, creepy fun. (Horror short stories. 13-17)

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July 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-This solid anthology brings together high quality fiction from some of the best young adult writers in the field. All of the 14 entries were inspired by horror stories drawn from literature, television, film, and music, creating a unique spin on classic tales of terror (and at the end of each story, the writer indicates the source of their inspiration). Selected by the author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Dial, 2013) and its sequel, these chilling tales are full of suspense and dread that will haunt readers long after the last page has been turned. The diversity of content and the variety of writing styles makes this collection a top choice for fans of horror and supernatural. Many of these stories could easily be expanded into a novel; most noteworthy are "Hide-and-Seek" by Megan Shepard, "Stitches" by A. G. Howard, "Verse Chorus Verse" by Leigh Bardugo, "Sleepless" by Jay Kristoff, and "The Dark, Scary Parts and All" by Danielle Paige. VERDICT Worth checking out, but not for the faint of heart.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

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