Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Spine

Rate this book
Listen closely. A creak, almost too light to be heard…was it the shifting of an old house, or footsteps down the hallway? Breathe softly, and strain to hear through the silence. That breeze against your neck might be a draught, or an open window.

Beneath innocent appearances lurk twisted minds and scary monsters, from soft scratches behind the wall, to the paranoia of walking through a crowd and knowing that every single eye is locked on you. In this world, voices lure lost souls to the cliff’s edge and illicit drugs offer glimpses of things few should see. Scientists tamper with the afterlife, and the strange happenings at a nursing home are not what they first seem.

So don’t let that groan from the closet fool you. The monster is hiding right where you least expect it.WHAT THE READERS ARE ★★★★★ Excellent Horror Collection!★★★★★ Delightfully scary!★★★★★ Fantastically Frightening!★★★★★ Edge of your seat!★★★★★ Stories which keep you enthralled!★★★★★ Twisted, Really Twisted!

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2015

231 people are currently reading
254 people want to read

About the author

Steven Jenkins

34 books198 followers
Born in the small Welsh town of Llanelli, Steven began writing stories at the age of eight. His inspiration came from his love for ‘80s horror movies, and novels by Stephen King and the late Richard Matheson.

During Steven’s teenage years, as well as being a black-belt kickboxer, he became a great lover of writing dark and twisted poems – six of which gained him publications with Poetry Now, Brownstone Books, and Strong Words.

Over the next few years, and after becoming a father and a husband, Steven's passion drove him towards writing short stories, gaining him further publication with Dark Moon Digest: an American horror magazine. His terrifying tales of the afterlife and zombies gained him positive reviews, particularly his story, Burning Ambition, which also came runner up in a Five-stop-story contest.

Finally, in 2013, after years of hard work (and countless rejection letters), Steven got his debut novel, Fourteen Days, published by Barking Rain Press.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
100 (31%)
4 stars
112 (34%)
3 stars
91 (28%)
2 stars
13 (4%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Profile Image for Peter.
4,077 reviews805 followers
March 12, 2020
Interesting and sometimes eerie set of 8 stories. In 'The Our-Side' you come to know that ghosts are real and that evil spirits remain on earth while the good ones go elsewhere. 'Crawl Space', my favourite, shows Henry hearing a scratching in the wall. What is it? The author has a fine, heck of a twist in store for you. 'All Eyes On Me' is about Mark who feels himself watched by other people. Who is different? Himself or the others? 'It's A Wonderful Death' depicts a suicide. 'The Devil's Apprentice' has a demon, not a bat, cast out of hell. 'Watch Over Me' has a patient being frozen in for a couple of years until a remedy is found for his disease. But how long was he really frozen in? 'The Home' gives credit to everyday action in a home for the elderly. Why is Nancy met by so many deceased residents? 'One Pill For Perfect Vision' is about taking of drugs. The author knows how to come up with a uncanny story and is able to give his tales uncanny twists. Really enjoyed those horror treats. Recommended!
Profile Image for Cheryl .
2,404 reviews80 followers
August 2, 2019
This is a 3.5 star read.

Wonderful collection of creepy short reads. Some were better than others which invariably happens in a collection. My favourite by far was The Home, one of two longer short stories, about working the night shift at an old age home. I'm loving the horror/zombie novels by this newish author for me!

I received a free ecopy of this collection directly from the author. I have voluntarily chosen to review the book and the gifting in no way influences my review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Kaisersoze.
740 reviews30 followers
May 5, 2016
A short collection of short horror stories from a new-to-me author, Steven Jenkins, Spine contains the usual gaggle of variable tales, some good, some okay, and a couple that were not at all to my taste.

Of the former, It's a Wonderful Death nicely straddles the line between allegory for depression and true possession story, Watch Over Me strikes an uncomfortable chord for anybody who has dealt with a terminal disease personally or by proxy through a loved one, and One Pill for Perfect Vision sets up an intriguing world in which a particular drug allows people to communicate with the dead and briefly explores what the fall out of such a drug might be.

The Our-Side, by contrast, feels like a quality set-up for an excellent novel but abruptly ends having barely scratched the surface of what could have been, while Crawl Space is very middle-of-the-road and offers nothing new while taking up an enviable amount of space in this 104 page collection. Likewise The Devil's Apprentice proves overly predictable, and All Eyes on Me does nothing to make itself stand out in its relativity short page count. But the most disappointing story is the longest. The Home has a great deal of potential as it details one carer's experiences at a nursing home for the dying, yet it too often descends into cliché without delivering any notable scares.

Though the writing is technically quite good, and I would be happy to return to another collection of stories by Jenkins, all in all, I would be hoping for something more consistent across the board if I were to do so.

3 Perfectly Cognizant, Eternal Waits for Spine.
Profile Image for Perry Lake.
Author 28 books96 followers
April 27, 2015
Jenkins' new book, “Spine”, is a slim collection of short spookers. There's not much heft to this book but there's a lot of good horror in a small space.

The first story, “The Our-Side”, by itself, is a nice inventive short story about a world where no one believes in ghosts—because they don't have to believe. Science has proved they're real. 5/5. By the way, this is a great premise, worthy of an entire book on this theme.

The next tale, “Crawl-Space”, is the story of a frightened teenage boy, told in several tiny chapters. Unlike the first tale, no one believes him when he says his attic room is haunted. It's a story that's been told before, but this is very effective and has a nice scary ending. 5/5.

“All Eyes On Me” is a tale of paranoia. It begins well, it's compelling, and it's as well-written as any other story in the book. But the ending is ambiguous. Is the doctor telling the truth or not? We never find out. 3/5.

“It's a Wonderful Death” is a twist on the old Jimmy Steward classic, a tale of impending doom and, oddly enough, a kind of redemption. 5/5.

In “The Devil's Apprentice” a cast-out demon laments his fate. We've seen this sort of tale before, notably from John Collier, and funnier. But this ends with a clever twist that I didn't see coming. 4/5.

“Watch Over Me” is another take on the theme of cryogenics. It's about the common fear we all have of losing control and it comes to a nice ending. 4.5/5.

The longest story in the book, “The Home”, takes place in a place few of us want to visit, let alone work. And certainly not live. And that's a rest home. But Nancy does work there and eventually has to stay there all night, alone. Well,... she's not alone. 5/5.

The last story, “One Pill for Perfect Vision”, shares some of the themes of the first story. You can see dead people if you take one little pill. These two, semi-related tales make perfect bookends for a terrific collection. 5/5.

Jenkins has assembled a very nice collection of short horror pieces, showcasing his considerable talent in the field. I liked his first novel, but this book shows he's got an excellent grasp on shorter stories. It's harder to write a short story than a long one.

Because of constraints, I was forced to read these scary stories by daylight. Do yourself a favor: Read “Spine” at night.
Profile Image for CARLEEN.
178 reviews7 followers
March 17, 2020
GREAT SHORT READS

Enjoyable short reads of terror. I was able to figure out some of the twists as I read the stories . The stories are all intriguing, A worthy collection of tales.
Profile Image for Sue.
62 reviews52 followers
May 11, 2015
I just finished another short story collection from this author – Rotten Bodies – and absolutely loved it, so I couldn’t wait to dive into this one. As with the other collection, these stories were well-written, thought-provoking, and utterly creepy! Steven Jenkins is a fantastic author and I can’t wait to read more of his work.

I’ll summarize each of the 8 stories here:

The Our-Side: A very short yet incredibly creepy tale in which science has proven the existence of ghosts and has made it possible for the living to see them. The end of this one gave me the shivers, and I don’t get creeped out very easily. 5 / 5

Crawl Space: A teenage boy is terrified of what he believes is hiding in the crawlspace of his attic bedroom, but nobody, including his parents, seems to believe him. 4.5 / 5

All Eyes on Me: A man with extreme paranoia is convinced everyone around him has been taken over by aliens and that they’re now coming for him. He seeks out a psychiatrist for help but may not receive the type of treatment he bargained for. 4 / 5

It’s a Wonderful Death: A despondent woman grappling with her innermost thoughts contemplates suicide in this dark and twisted take on the 1946 Jimmy Stewart classic. 4 / 5

The Devil’s Apprentice: A high-ranking demon has been cast out of Hell for an act that even the Devil himself found repugnant. An interesting story with an unforeseen ending. 4 / 5

Watch Over Me: Against his family’s wishes, a dying man opts to have his body cryogenically frozen until such time as science can find a cure for his disease, which will be just a few short years away according to his doctor. 4.5 / 5

The Home: While performing her late-night rounds alone, a nurse at a retirement home encounters more than just the elderly residents in the hallways. A very creepy tale of retribution with a startling ending. 5 / 5

One Pill for Perfect Vision: Science has created a pill that allows us to communicate with our deceased loved ones for brief periods of time. Just how much would we be willing to sacrifice for one last moment with our dearly departed? A thought-provoking, compelling story and the perfect complement to The Our-Side at the start of this collection. 5 / 5
Profile Image for Netanella.
4,743 reviews40 followers
April 24, 2017
Spine is a creepy collection of short-stories by new-to-me horror author Steven Jenkins. The book was on a promo-freebie list from one of the email newsletters I subscribe to, and the cover of the creepy kid with glowing eyes caught my notice right away. Did I mention I'm a cover whore? Yes, I proudly am!

Overall, I enjoyed these short stories, reading late past the witching hour last night. There are ghosts, demons, and gholies in the crawl space. Jenkins is technically sound in his writing, with not a flaw noticed by my bloodshot eyes last night. Some of these stories were really good, such as "One Pill for Perfect Vision", which was not just perfect vision, but a perfect ending to complement the opening but less perfect short, "The Our-Side." However, some of the stories did not do much for me, as they ended on a cliche or some other obvious device. I felt this way with "The Crawlspace," "The Devil's Apprentice," and "The Home." I particularly liked the paranoid tale of "All Eyes on Me," which reminded me of the old black-and-white Twilight Zone or Outer Limits tv serials. Nicely done, and I will read more by this author.

Profile Image for Elke.
1,905 reviews42 followers
June 15, 2015
A collection of spine-tingling stories:

The Our-Side
Easily my favorite story of the collection. 5 stars

Crawl Space
Creepy with a mean ending, though this could have been even longer with background on the thing from the crawl space. 4 stars

All Eyes On Me
With a nice little twist at the end. 3 stars

It’s a Wonderful Death
Ok, but I didn't really care about it. 3 stars

The Devil’s Apprentice
Fun to read, especially the ending. 3 stars

Watch Over Me
Scary vision of a possible future. 3.5 stars

The Home
Great ghost story, also with a surprise ending. 4 stars

One Pill For Perfect Vision
My least favorite story, just couldn't get into it. 2 stars

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
Profile Image for Dale Robertson.
Author 6 books35 followers
May 31, 2020
A solid collection of short stories. Enjoyed all of them.
Profile Image for Petrina Binney.
Author 13 books24 followers
April 23, 2021
This spine-chilling collection contains eight stories: each of them, absolutely cracking. I loved this book. The writing is delicate but powerful, the characters three-dimensional and sound, the stories are truly scary and in no way contrived - I expect the echoes to stay with me for some time. The pacing, which is so desperately important in horror stories, was exceptional. I found myself charging ahead, desperate to get to the gore, just to put myself out of my misery, but the writer had such restraint and talent for holding me in place, that every ounce of ghostly gooeyness was played out for all it was worth.

For example:
“Only the twisted, sadist, tormented spirits get left behind. There is no light for them. No Hell. No judgement. There is only the earth, to wallow in their mistakes, their misery, their self-pity.
"But we see them. Every last one of them. And every day we watch them gain strength, power. Hatred. You can run, but they’ll catch you. You can hide, but they will find you. The dead are always near, always watching.”
6%, The Our-Side, Spine: A Collection of Twisted Tales by Stephen Jenkins

My heart near stopped. Excellent stuff. I’ll be sure to look out for more from this author in future.
Profile Image for Jason Darrell.
40 reviews15 followers
July 3, 2024
Angst and potential, but little finesse

There are many original ideas in this anthology, but several of the stories just seemed to suddenly end. It's almost as if seeds were planted, but some of the flowers were pruned before they had chance to get past the bud.

Almost all of the stories are told from the perspective of an angry, bitter youth. I get that it's horror, but you catch more wasps with honey than with vinegar. If you've no affinity with angry young men, such a tirade of angst can come across as petulant ranting. Give me something to love about the protagonist (anything), and I'm more likely to empathise...
Profile Image for Marcus.
764 reviews4 followers
March 19, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is exactly what the title depicts: a collection of twisted tales. The stories depict characters that are a little sad, grieving, pathetic, or down right scared. The stories open up possibilities of things that go bump in the night, things we can't see, and things that are immersed in a person's sub consciousness. A good book to read to use up an hour.
Profile Image for Wesley B. Caldwell.
68 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2021
Pretty good short stories...

I enjoyed this, because it was different enough, and each story was a quick read, and though some could have used a little more work, I read them before bed, so my mind would re-create them in my dreams and they were pretty good. If you like short stories that are quick and fun, then you will enjoy these. Can't wait to read more from this Author.
Profile Image for Tehnehn Kaijaah Edwards.
343 reviews5 followers
July 12, 2021
Really good collection

The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I didn't like the endings of two stories. Not that they were bad, just cause they seemed rushed and/or unfinished. The other stories were near perfect and I really enjoyed them. Are they scary!? No. But are they spooky and entertaining. Heck yes.
47 reviews2 followers
April 25, 2022
Brrr….!

You guys are going to love this book. Stories are just long enough and all have great endings! A couple just weirded me out (in the nicest possible way!) they were so, well, just so scary because they seemed so possible. I’ll definitely be reading more from Steven Jenkins.
Profile Image for Mrz.
Author 2 books2 followers
January 1, 2019
Interesting collection of short spooky/thriller stories. Not to scary but it was a decent read. Every story had a different aspect to it. Two story's I didnt particularly care for but I won't ruin it for anyone else. Read this and see what you think yourself..
Profile Image for Lisa Swearengin.
63 reviews9 followers
March 5, 2020
Holy crap balls...

Ok..I haven’t even read page one yet because that freaking nightmarish cover that I am looking at on my IPad is creeping me out! I love it!!!!

Ok ok...gonna start reading and will update when I am done. But that cover!!!!!
Profile Image for Ami.
2,405 reviews14 followers
July 1, 2017
I love a wickedly good horror story and there are several in this little book.
206 reviews7 followers
January 1, 2018
Steven Jenkins is another new author for me.

My only problem is that I don't care for short stories..but as short stories go, these did what they were supposed to..scare the stuffin out of me.

Profile Image for Shivangi.
571 reviews4 followers
January 20, 2018
Aside from the book cover, nothing was actually scary about this book but the stories were very twisted... Like *yikes*
Profile Image for nickiknackinoo.
663 reviews9 followers
August 15, 2018
Another book full of creepy,scary stories. Really well written and designed to frighten and creep out! I only read these at night........
Profile Image for Leslie Wiederspan.
224 reviews1 follower
November 15, 2018
A nice collection of short stories. Some were rather gory, but for those that like that, you should enjoy these. I liked how each story ended with it's own little twist.
Profile Image for Paulita.
43 reviews1 follower
January 4, 2019
I enjoyed the read, some of the stories creeped me out. My favorites were The Devil's Apprentice, Watch Over Me and The Home. Steven Jenkins knows how to scare.
Profile Image for Barbara Andrews.
322 reviews4 followers
March 9, 2020
Twisted tales

This was a collection of short twisted tales.read on a day, good stories. Enjoyed this collection and want to read more from this author.
126 reviews1 follower
March 20, 2020
Good read

I enjoy reading this book kept wanting to read the whole thing. The stories were interesting and will make you want to keep reading
Profile Image for KDM.
7 reviews
March 20, 2020
Interesting and creepy

Well written, interesting stories. I finished the whole book before I put it down. My first read from the author but won't be my last.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.