Prepare for an exhilarating journey in 'Play with Me' by B.J. Edwin. This gripping tale will keep you hooked with its thrilling suspense and unexpected twists. Join our courageous protagonist as they navigate a treacherous game where nothing is as it seems. With vivid storytelling and heart-pounding action, Edwin delivers a captivating read that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Get ready to dive into a world of mystery and danger that will leave you breathless!
Härligt skruvade noveller samlade i en förträffligt snygg bok. De enskilda verken kopplar referenser till bland andra H. P. Lovecraft och Junji Ito. Det känns som att läsa en riktig skräckklassiker av svensk kaliber. Novellsamlingen innehåller noveller som skrämmer, upplevs makabra, ruskar om en och/eller slukar en hel.
Här finns något för varje skräckfantast. Novellernas ordval är mästerligt utvalda. De korta dialogerna i kombination med detaljerade beskrivningar av atmosfär och situationers skeende tycks likaså vara av hög klass som ett litterärt verk.
Särskilt uppskattat är hur morbid en berättelse kan ge uttryck genom, samtidigt som karaktärerna upplevs förståndiga (i viss mån). Sambandet mellan galenskap, moral och reell/illusorisk berättelse är beundransvärt underhållande och en fröjd att läsa och filosofera kring. Rekommenderas varmt!
[leseeksemplar] Dette var en bok jeg var utrolig spent på å lese, mest på grunn av omslaget til boka, which I love! Bokomslaget skriker creepypastas, og som en som elsker creepypastas, gleda jeg meg veldig til å lese.
𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘦 er en skrekksamling bestående av 16 skrekknoveller. Novellene leses som historier man ville fortalt på en mørk og dyster campingtur, rundt et stort bål, for å skremme hverandre. De er korte, ikke lenger enn 15 sider hver, og handler om alt fra eldgamle forbannelser til morderiske edderkopper.
Edwin kommer med en rekke gode ideer, og jeg likte godt flere av novellene. De er stemningsfulle og spennende, kreative og interessante. Jeg er veldig glad i insektskrekk, og novellen 𝘗𝘦𝘴𝘵, en historie om et par som skal pusse opp et falleferdig hjem, som vel… ikke går helt etter planen, for å si det sånn, gjorde litt ekstra inntrykk på meg. 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘯 var også ubehagelig og skremmende, og 𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 var også interessant og skrekkinnjagende! Her er det veldig gode, og skremmende ideer!
Dessverre blir novellene veldig hindret av språket. Det er veldig tydelig at engelsk ikke er forfatterens morsmål, og novellene er fulle av merkelige setningsoppbygninger, ordvalg og, ja… rar grammatikk rett og slett. I tillegg blir det byttet mellom perspektiver uten noen markering på at det skjer ganske ofte. Språket i boka trekker den derfor veldig ned, ettersom at det hadde en ganske sterk negativ påvirkning på min fornøyelse av boka. Jeg ble derimot mer og mer vandt med språket jo mer jeg leste, men ble stadig dratt ut av historien på grunn av språket.
Her er det mange gode ideer, og jeg er spent på hva Edwin kommer med i fremtiden. For dette kunne vært en veldig god samling, men novellene har også behov for en skikkelig språkvask. 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘦 får av meg 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝟑!🎲
The debut of Swedish author B J Edwin is a collection of scary stories, fifteen in total. I call them "scary stories" - as opposed to "horror stories" mainly because they remind me of the things I read as a kid; from real bangers like Richard Matheson's I am legend and James Herbert's Lair to more "age appropriate" collections found in my middle school library.
Of course some of those stories and novels were horror by definition - and that obviously applies to some of the stories in this collection as well. But overall, they have more in common with the kind of story you'd tell your friends by the fire under a gibbous moon or maybe huddled with your friends under a blanket with a flashlight on the floor of a dormitory at a summer camp by a crystalline lake, than with the stories you might find yourself in, if you happen to be one of those storytellers. (How's that for a meta perspective, huh!?)
Comparing this to horror anthologies aimed to middle classers might sound like a bad thing, but it's not. It took a bit of getting used to it, though. Partly because I hadn't really expected this kind of classic storytelling - for classic it is. But I had to come halfway through before I finally understood the mood Edwin was aiming for. And when I did, it enhanced the stories greatly.
My only real issue is with the language. For one thing, I find it apparent that Edwin's native language isn't english (it's actually swedish). On more than one occasion I find myself thinking that a phrase or choice of wording has been directly translated from swedish, rather than written in english/for an english speaking audience. On the other hand, this might be something that only bothers the swedish reader. (It would be nice to see this addressed by english goodreaders in upcoming reviews.)
That said, I did enjoy this book. Even if it could have been nastier. ;)
This is officially one of my favourite horror books I've read. It made me rethink many aspects of life with a new unsettled feeling. I usually guess twists but in this book I didnt. Within a few sentences of each chapter I was fully submerged into the world he had created. I love that he touched on many normal things within life and stains them with darkness. I would happily read this book again and let the author give me nightmares! It's so hard to even choose a top chapter as they all had me stunned into eerie silence. Can't wait to reach his future work, I know this is just the beginning with this author. I know an author has done a good job when I'm still lingering in his horrors days later and I feel I'll be stuck in his haunting for alot longer!