More Horowitz Horror

June 1, 2007
Gr 6-9-A hearing aid that picks up the thoughts of a murderer. A boy who unwittingly gets into an elevator full of cannibals. A cell phone that receives calls from the dead. A haunted cottage with a deadly curse. These are just a few of the topics covered in the nine spooky stories written by the bestselling author. The selections are more creepy than hide-under-the-covers scary, but each one has a twist that readers will enjoy. This collection is sure to be in demand."Michele Capozzella, Chappaqua Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2007
In " Horowitz Horror" (2006), the author of the Alex Rider series proved himself as adept at writing short horror stories as he is at writing novel-length thrillers. This second go-round, which includes nine new tales, cements his reputation in the horror genre by once again yanking young readers out of their safe, familiar world. As in the previous collection, the prose remains plain, and the stories are fashioned around the ordinary: a cell phone, an elevator, a trip on an airplane. Yet however trite seeming the literary mechanism Horowitz uses, he always manages to give it a fresh twist. The last story is more puzzle than literary construct, but it's tantalizing enough to convince even jaded readers to work out the devilish message spelled out in the text. With first lines such as "This is how Linda James dies" and "Howard Black didn't see the bus that ran him over," this collection won't stay on the shelf for long.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)