Skull Daddy

by Stephanie Anne

After a year of hardship, Cass and Jade are ready to put it all behind them. With the help of Cass’s mother, Vera, they’re finally able to move into a new home and get that fresh start they so desperately need. Most importantly, the new environment will be perfect for raising their rambunctious daughter, Willow.

But when October comes around, so does Skull Daddy. After displaying this new Halloween decoration in her room, Willow becomes obsessed with the thing. She cares for her new imaginary friend, and in return he shares his dark secrets with her.

Surely, this is just a harmless game of make believe. Or is it? Thanks to their daughter’s never ending obsession with Skull Daddy, and the horrifying gifts he brings, Cass and Jade are about to find out just how dangerous a Halloween decoration can be.

Genres: Horror, Lesbian

ebook

Published June 1, 2024

About the author

Hi, my name is Stephanie Anne!

I’m an oddball extraordinaire, and I love all things strange and monstrous. Specializing in disturbing and domestic horror, I enjoy making people uncomfortable.

My stories may not be scary in the “jumpscare” sense, but after reading one of my books you’ll never look at certain every-day things the same way again. If you like unsettling tales of torment and trauma, you're in for a treat.

My writing assistants are Minerva, Finn, Bubs, and Janey. Unfortunately, these free-spirited felines like to sleep on the job. That is, when they aren’t stepping on my keyboard and adding extra words to my books.

Stay Spooky!

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually had to take breaks from reading this novella because it was so upsetting... in the best way! The descriptions were so vivid, you can almost hear the screams of the little girl ringing in your ears, and the oppressive atmosphere of the home clinging to your skin. Do yourself a favour and wait for a stormy night, grab this book and prepare to be horrified! 5/5

[Natalie Erjavec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy! Weird! Queer! Very well written

[Trisha Tropiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jade and Cass, along with Cass’s Mom Vera and their daughter Willow have moved into a new home looking for a fresh start. When they bring home some thrift store finds for Halloween, there’s one decoration in particular that Willow becomes attached to - a black ram skull. She names it Skull Daddy and hangs it in her room, and the events that follow are horrifying! Dont make Skull Daddy mad.

I was hooked from the start and finished it in a day! The characters are so well-written and the story held my attention right to the end. Definitely recommend picking this one up!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very good! A completely chilling story so well written I completely disappeared into the horror of it! Frightening once the story gets going, made worse by the fact that a young child is involved. Really well written story with interesting & well developed characters. A completely chilling & absorbing read! I do recommend!!

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually had the privilege of meeting the author of this novella at a convention, and had a nice chat with her and purchased a copy of the book. Which makes writing this review all the more difficult -- it's hard to give negative feedback to a person you've met in real life! But I feel that not giving honest critique would be disrespectful, so I have to be honest and say that this was a creepy little novella that chilled me as I read... but that felt curiously lacking in some areas.

Cass and Jade have finally moved into a new apartment with Cass's mother, Vera, and their daughter, Willow. As they prepare to decorate for Halloween, they discover a ram's skull among the decorations... and Willow promptly names it Skull Daddy and demands it be hung in her bedroom. The longer Skull Daddy hangs on the wall, however, the stranger Willow's behavior becomes... and soon it becomes chillingly clear to Cass and Jade that their daughter is under the control of a terrifying entity who could very well destroy their lives.

From a writing and atmospheric point of view, this book is excellent. It gave me the heebie-jeebies as I read, blurring the lines between hallucination and reality and weaving an atmosphere of unease that kept me unsettled to the very end. The writing is good, drawing me into the lives of the characters, and the ending was a gut punch that left me troubled for days afterwards.

But... I found the characterization to be fairly thin. I don't feel I learned enough about Cass or Jade or even Willow to empathize with them or care what ultimately happened to them in the end. We get some nuggets of information about Cass's relationship with her parents, but not much beyond that. And some elements feel thrown in not to serve the story but simply for grossness' sake -- Willow's obsession with dead bugs feels thrown in just for the ick factor.

Skull Daddy isn't a perfect novella, but it's certainly a creepy read that will get under your skin. I would say it's perfect for Halloween, and honestly we need more queer horror out in the world.

[Shelby Denison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This horror novella is short but delivers a fun and creepy experience that hooks you from the very beginning. The story follows a family who picks up a ram skull while shopping for Halloween decorations. What they think is a simple holiday prop soon reveals itself to be far more malevolent and haunting. As the eerie events unfold, the novella does an excellent job of building suspense and keeping you on the edge of your seat.

I found myself wishing for a full-length novel because just as the story reached its peak, it came to an end. The tantalizing glimpse into this dark, chilling world left me craving more. Despite its brevity, this book is a fantastic quick read that any horror enthusiast would enjoy. It’s the perfect tale for those who appreciate a good scare and a touch of the supernatural.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

🦚Genre: Horror Novella
🦚Themes: Halloween 🎃 & Demon
🦚Page #: 101
🦚 Author: Stephanie Anne
🦚Series: No

Synopsis:
Cass buys a bunch of thrift shop Halloween decor but when she gets home there’s an old ram’s skull that she doesn’t remember buying. She doesn’t think much of it until her daughter starts having sinister conversations with the skull.

Review:
This was great. I love a good horror novella. There’s no beating around the bush - the story just gets straight to the point.

I also felt the characters were developed which is hard when you have so little pages to work with.

I’d recommend this if you want a quick, anxiety-inducing horror.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

A friend gave this to me before I moved after he had met the author and bought the book directly from her, so I have a signed copy woohoo! He was planning on going back and purchasing a few more copies for himself and some friends. It was much better than I anticipated, and while a quick read I enjoyed it. There were times I wanted a little more exploration on characters and I wanted the teensiest bit more from the ending. But all in all this was a page turner and a great first horror pick for this Halloween season! Excited to have this on my shelf. And the matching bookmark is SO cute.

[MK Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. The horror in this story starts out gradual and builds to out of controls proportions. Skull Daddy is a pretty cool horror character and I wouldn't be surprised if we haven't seen the last of him. I for one, hope not. This is a fairly short read that would be perfect for a night while vacationing. Super entertaining and scary.

[hels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely fun read, perfect length for the story that was being delivered, and would love to read more about "Skull Daddy" in the future if possible. I really enjoyed the progression of the story, pacing was on point and the payload was even better. Bonus points for having similar tones to my fav. horror movie of all time, I won't say which one because of spoilers but definitely a great little read. Thank you for always giving me the creeps Steph!

[Daniel Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fantastically written. I could feel the emotions flowing out of the words. The characters felt alive and grabbed my attention from the first chapter, making me want more and more. The only reason I am not rating this 5 stars is because it needed something. Maybe a sequel would be able to answer all the questions I have.

[Emilea Slonosky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun little novella! I love the authors way of surprising you with these little bursts of gruesome horror, and the entire concept was a great read. The ending was, honestly, exactly what I wanted. I love an ending that doesn’t go the way I thought it would!

[Thea N · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ Creepy, really dark and ended in a way I wasn’t expecting.
Told in chapters that are a month at a time, for a year in this family’s life.
Terrible psychological horror, sapphic relationship, supernatural horror.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great. So creepy.

[Kimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Taz Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice quick easy creepy read - perfect to get a chill down the spine during a heatwave.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I friggin love creepy kids.