What do you think?
Rate this book
Just Shadows
From the murky depths of a summer lake to the echoing halls of an insane asylum, evils both supernatural and mortal lie in wait for potential victims. Those innocent might escape by a hair’s breath, if they’re lucky. Then again, they might not. Just Shadows is a collection of disquieting stories; some horror, others suspense, ranging from classic haunted houses to murder to the apocalypse, and everything in between. Root for the victim or villain, its up to you. Justice is blind, and sometimes the sword falls where you’d least expect. The shadows are waiting for you. Dare you step into the darkness and be judged?
- GenresParanormal
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2012
1 person is currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Tara Fox Hall
88 books449 followersTara Fox Hall’s writing credits include nonfiction, horror, suspense, erotica, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. She also coauthored the essay “The Allure of the Serial Killer,” published in Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone: Being and Killing (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). Her first full-length action-adventure novel, Lash, published in April 2012. Her vampire series begins in June 2012, with the 1st novel Promise Me. Tara divides her free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 27, 2022
This was a collection of short horror stories. Most of them where pretty good! I would check out this author again.
March 14, 2012
Originally posted at: http://lasrmystery.blogspot.com/2012/...
Do you like being scared? If you do, this short story collection full of horror stories, many with wicked endings, might be your cup of tea.
This author was a new one for me and her writing grabbed me from the first story. I was not expecting such frank, uncensored evil in a very short story. Her descriptions take you into the story and hold you right there until you have to see how she handled the tale.
The stories range from tales about the end of the world, to monsters in the closet, to tales of vampires and life threatening situations. They are very succinct and succeeded in getting my attention quickly. Some stories could have been fleshed out more and contained more detail, which would have spaced out the horror and made the endings more of a shock. Still this author can write a good, edge-of-your-seat tale with a scary ending in amazingly few words.
Ms. Hall takes your worst nightmares and makes them come true on these pages. R. L. Stine writes “scary” stories for young adults, but I prefer this author’s style. She makes them sound believable even though you know they are fantasy. They are subtle, but grab you by the guts.
If you wish to share this with a young adult, I’d recommend it’s a mature young adult who won’t have nightmares. And, if you have nightmares, you might not want to read it either. True fans of the type of book that makes you hide under your covers will enjoy this anthology.
Do you like being scared? If you do, this short story collection full of horror stories, many with wicked endings, might be your cup of tea.
This author was a new one for me and her writing grabbed me from the first story. I was not expecting such frank, uncensored evil in a very short story. Her descriptions take you into the story and hold you right there until you have to see how she handled the tale.
The stories range from tales about the end of the world, to monsters in the closet, to tales of vampires and life threatening situations. They are very succinct and succeeded in getting my attention quickly. Some stories could have been fleshed out more and contained more detail, which would have spaced out the horror and made the endings more of a shock. Still this author can write a good, edge-of-your-seat tale with a scary ending in amazingly few words.
Ms. Hall takes your worst nightmares and makes them come true on these pages. R. L. Stine writes “scary” stories for young adults, but I prefer this author’s style. She makes them sound believable even though you know they are fantasy. They are subtle, but grab you by the guts.
If you wish to share this with a young adult, I’d recommend it’s a mature young adult who won’t have nightmares. And, if you have nightmares, you might not want to read it either. True fans of the type of book that makes you hide under your covers will enjoy this anthology.
January 25, 2012
A Superb Collection of Creepy Tales
Just Shadows
Very few writers can do justice to the short horror story, which is surely one of the most difficult of literary forms, but Tara Fox Hall is a master of the art.
Here we have, for the first time, an anthology of her stories collected in one volume. And is it a humdinger! Seventeen delightful vignettes for the horror connoisseur, each one different, each one chilling.
There is the little girl used as vampire bait, the nasty death in the tanning room at the health spa, the demons in the department store and the futuristic vision of a dying world.
Perhaps the most impressive is the very short tale, 'Innovation.' A masterpiece in a few words!
I loved every one of them and could hardly believe it when I came to the end so quickly.
I look forward to reading many more of Ms Hall's stories and recommend her to all lovers of the genre.
Jenny Twist
Author
Just Shadows
Very few writers can do justice to the short horror story, which is surely one of the most difficult of literary forms, but Tara Fox Hall is a master of the art.
Here we have, for the first time, an anthology of her stories collected in one volume. And is it a humdinger! Seventeen delightful vignettes for the horror connoisseur, each one different, each one chilling.
There is the little girl used as vampire bait, the nasty death in the tanning room at the health spa, the demons in the department store and the futuristic vision of a dying world.
Perhaps the most impressive is the very short tale, 'Innovation.' A masterpiece in a few words!
I loved every one of them and could hardly believe it when I came to the end so quickly.
I look forward to reading many more of Ms Hall's stories and recommend her to all lovers of the genre.
Jenny Twist
Author
February 3, 2012
Just Shadows is a deliciously creepy and juicily unsettling read. Each vignette is well written, like a collection of disturbing sculptures -- what at first appears to be an ordinary situation quickly becomes the completely unexpected. Murderers, demons, and ghosts jostle each other for prominence among the pages of Tara Fox Hall's vision of a world turning upside down, sparing only random individuals, as life often does. Reading her anthology over lunch hours was equally a treat as was devouring them at home on my couch. Fans of Stephen King should add Just Shadows to their personal libraries of horror/fantasy fiction -- it's not to be missed.
June 6, 2022
Format: audiobook
Narrator: S W Salzman
I don’t like the ‘mood’ sound effects, I think they are distracting and It’s not necessary to hear the crash of a door breaking or the gun shot.
I suspect these very short stories would be more creepy just reading them rather than this audio.
Narrator: S W Salzman
I don’t like the ‘mood’ sound effects, I think they are distracting and It’s not necessary to hear the crash of a door breaking or the gun shot.
I suspect these very short stories would be more creepy just reading them rather than this audio.
March 9, 2013
*Note from Author* This is a review from Night Owl reviews that I am reposting here. To see this at Night Owl Reviews, click here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Re...
Score: 3.50 / 5
When I originally started reading Just Shadows, I believed it to be a full novel. I was not aware it was a collection of short stories or even novellas until well into the first chapter. While well written and easy to read, the stories themselves had little connecting each of them to the others. Each was entertaining and truly enlightening, in that they all hint that what lies in shadow is not always what each individual believes it to be. The writing itself was clear and concise, and lent a vivid mental picture of the scene to the reader. One issue I had with the collection is that a few of the stories were too short, and all of them left me wishing there was more. The author is a tremendously gifted wordsmith. Overall, this book is a tremendous collection of what I would consider short stories, but may not be appropriate for every reader.
Active Date: Jan 24, 2012
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Re...
Happy Reading,
Hitherandthee
The Night Owl Reviews Team
WEtap Media, LLC
2459 SE TV HWY, #153
Hillsboro, Oregon 97123
http://www.nightowlreviews.com
Score: 3.50 / 5
When I originally started reading Just Shadows, I believed it to be a full novel. I was not aware it was a collection of short stories or even novellas until well into the first chapter. While well written and easy to read, the stories themselves had little connecting each of them to the others. Each was entertaining and truly enlightening, in that they all hint that what lies in shadow is not always what each individual believes it to be. The writing itself was clear and concise, and lent a vivid mental picture of the scene to the reader. One issue I had with the collection is that a few of the stories were too short, and all of them left me wishing there was more. The author is a tremendously gifted wordsmith. Overall, this book is a tremendous collection of what I would consider short stories, but may not be appropriate for every reader.
Active Date: Jan 24, 2012
http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Re...
Happy Reading,
Hitherandthee
The Night Owl Reviews Team
WEtap Media, LLC
2459 SE TV HWY, #153
Hillsboro, Oregon 97123
http://www.nightowlreviews.com
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews