First of all, this book is a charity anthology raising money for a charity close to Marian Elaine's (one half of the MoM podcast!) heart! Donate Life America! So, if you needed an excuse, other than the absolutely incredible line up and the amazing cover that will look real pretty on your bookcase, that's it! Buy it to raise funds for amazing people in need! 💚
I loved all the stories in this book, there are lots of different genres and takes on the classic nursery rhymes, as well as some new ones and a couple of poems too! All dark, disturbing and delightful with sinister undertones, just like all the great fairy tales!
My favourites were, THE APYTOX, YOKAI, WHERE IS THUMBKIN, REPULSAL, and my very fave was THEY TELL THIS SHIT TO KIDS? 💜
As always, I will write a few words for each, to try and tempt you into the garden of depravity and darkness……
💚JACK BY JAY WILBURN💚 This story immediately opens with blood, brutality and a high energy narrative, drawing you straight into it. A barbaric twist on Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack fends off murderous intruders in order to save his Mum, but when he stumbles on the Giant's world, this takes a nasty turn, more than once…
Bloody, chilling and twisted.
💚THE APYTOX BY EDWARD LEE💚 Granger is stopped at the airport, and whilst the TSA guy inspects his goods, he happily inspects the female goods around him. He's somewhat of a 'professional' perv, transporting some extremely valuable eye candy. When a woman and her baby sit in the seat next to him on the plane, he's furious, he hates babies. But this baby is different, very different, in fact, he's quite the little demon…. He has ways to make Granger a billionaire, if he so wishes, but of course, it will cum at a price….
Gross and disturbing, but fun!
💚THEY TELL THIS SHIT TO KIDS? BY CHRISTINE MORGAN💚 Waking up in a room full of strangers, not knowing the how, why or where, is bad enough, but to also be dressed as a mouse?! It seems everyone has some sort of fancy dress outfit on and they are all in a kind of display case. This all makes for a confusing, scary time for the characters, but a hilarious one for the reader. It turns out they're all nursery rhyme characters and they're about to play a game….
Kids stuff in horror is some of the most chilling stuff, especially when you look into the true meanings behind some of the nursery rhymes of old. This was just that. Eerie and creepy as all hell….
Fast paced, sinister fun!
💚YOKAI BY MIKE ENNENBACH💚 Beautifully poetic words depicting sheer horror and fearless cunning!
Magnificent! 💜
💚THE FAIRY PRINCESS BY BRIAN KEENE💚 All Eryn wants is to be a princess for Halloween, but her Mum feels otherwise, her Mum has taken her feminist beliefs to the extreme and doesn't want her daughter to be stereotyped. When Eryn and her Dad stumble upon a fairy garden while out trick or treating, could this be just the thing that Eryn needs to cheer her up. Her Dad thinks it will make a nice change for her, and it certainly is that, in ways he could never imagine….
A strong Halloween atmosphere, creepy, chilling and haunting!
💚NUMBER THREE RAINBOW LANE BY RUTHANN JAGGE💚 Mallory is a real estate agent, looking for adventure. The latest house to catch her eye though, comes with a warning about the owner, Ella, and her strange pet. A warning Mallory decides not to heed, to her detriment, and things go downhill fast once she is inside..
A clever Wizard of Oz take, like a horrifically vivid fever dream.
💚NO SLEEP BY ALLISHA MCADOO💚 A poem of a Mother's despair and a love for her devil child! 🖤😈🖤
💚WHERE IS THUMBKIN BY CARVER PIKE💚 Beatrix is a born performer, born into the life of showmanship, she excels, until her Daddy dies and she has to go and live a 'normal' life with her Grandmother! Or that's her dream anyway, in reality, her Dad is still very much alive, but he's nothing special at all. Her friends are always there for her though, her finger friends, her only real friends as she's deemed 'weird' by others. She's good with her hands though, if nothing else, and when she's forced to attend a Halloween party she doesn't want to be at, they come in very handy! She's an empath, she feels what others feel, feels FOR others, strongly, overpoweringly, and when her finger friends go quiet and a darkness takes over, so do her thumbs, and things get very dark and very disturbing!
Extremely descriptive and completely creepy!
💚BEFORE THE BOOGEYMEN COME BY KRISTOPHER TRIANA💚 In this story we meet The Underbeds. The monsters that live under the bed, until their chosen child outgrows them that is, and then the Boogeymen will take over! Time is running out for them to succeed in their terror mission, will they keep their child in fear, or will the boogeyman intervene?
I enjoyed how the story switched from monster to child's POV, it was really good fun.
💚GOOD LITTLE BOYS BY MEGAN STOCKTON💚 A brilliantly chilling little poem!
💚REPULSAL BY CHRIS GRINDSTAFF💚 In the midst of Black Toad Forest stands a tower, surrounded by skulls on spikes and within its walls, a prisoner. Noone ever comes out of the forest alive, but one day, whilst starving, the temptation and desperation is too much for Alexander and his family and they venture forth, into deadly horrors. Years later, Alexander returns to get vengeance for his family and to rescue the prisoner in the tower, but things quickly take a horrific and grotesque turn, with dire consequences.
A great twist!
💚BAREFOOT BEN BY LUCAS MILLIRON💚 Ben is the local mail carrier, but there's a storm brewing on the lake today that's going to delay him, and he's warned against going. But he feels people need him and so he doesn't heed the warning. And later, when he needs shelter, he finds it in the most horrific and bizarre way, which turns into an emotional rescue of his own!
An atmospheric end of the world feel. Poetic. Beautiful 🖤
💚QUEENIES NURSERY RHYMES FOR SHIT HEADS, PERVS AND SHEEP-FUCKERS BY DANI BROWN💚 🥚Humpty Dumpty🥚 WOAH!! 😂 The trenchcoat clad creep in the bushes wants rid of Humpty, he doesn't like sharing his park with anyone, especially when they are doing what Humpty is doing with those sprinkles 😲 Completely sick and nauseating but hilarious too!
🕷️ITSY BITSY🕷️ As the irritating child next door continues to sing, so too does the creature coming out of the drain…. Chilling and gross!
🐑LITTLE BO PEEP🐑 Single Welsh men in drag trying to outwit the farmers so they can have a game of sheep tail lifting…. Hilarious!
💇THE MUFFIN MAN💇 Do YOU know the Muffin Man? Or the Mullet Man? It's probably best that you don't, but I hear he's all business at the front, and party at the back! 😉
💚THE MAN WHO TRIED TO CATCH HIS DEATH BY RUSSELL HOLBROOK💚 First of all, the characters here seem very familiar 😉
Mick and Melody are completely devoted to each other, totally and utterly in love with one another. When Melody is robbed several times, despite being scared and angry, they are thankful that they still have each other, that means so much more than any possessions. But the thief keeps taking, until there is no more left to take….
Heartbreaking! 💔