Scary Out There

by Jonathan Maberry (Editor)

Multiple Bram Stoker Award–winning author Jonathan Maberry compiles more than twenty stories and poems—written by members of the Horror Writers Association—in this terrifying collection about worst fears.

What scares you? Things that go bump in the night? Being irreversibly different? A brutal early death? The unknown?

This collection contains stories and poetry by renowned writers such as R. L. Stine, Neal and Brendan Shusterman, and Ellen Hopkins—all members of the Horror Writers Association—about what they fear most. The stories include mermaids, ghosts, and personal demons, and are edited by Jonathan Maberry, multiple Bram Stoker award winner and author of the Rot & Ruin series.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Young Adult, Anthologies, YA Horror, Mystery Thriller, Teen

498 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2016

About the author

JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of more than 50 novels, 190 short stories, 16 short story collections, 30 graphic novels, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. His 2009-10 run as writer on the Black Panther comic formed a large chunk of the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His bestselling YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin is in development for film at Alcon Entertainment; and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, is developing Jonathan’s Joe Ledger Thrillers for TV. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include The Pine Deep Trilogy, The Kagen the Damned Trilogy, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, Shadows & Verse, and others. His comics include Marvel Zombies Return, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Wolverine: Ghosts, Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die, Bad Blood and many others. Jonathan has written in many popular licensed worlds, including Hellboy, True Blood, The Wolfman, John Carter of Mars, Sherlock Holmes, C.H.U.D., Diablo IV, Deadlands, World of Warcraft, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Karl Kolchak, and many others. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com

Reviews

[Karl]

This edition is an uncorrected proof from Stoker Con 2016 and is signed by 15 of the books contributors -

001 - Introduction by Jonathan Maberry
007 - Brenna Yovanoff, “The Doomsday Glass”
039 - Carrie Ryan, “What Happens to Girls Who Disappear”
065 - Cherie Priest, “The Mermaid Aquarium”
088 - Ellen Hopkins,“As Good As Your Word”
149 - Rachel Tafoya, “Invisible Girl”
170 - Zac Brewer, “Death and Twinkies”
195 - Linda Addison, “Secret Things: Poems”
201 - Josh Malerman, “Danny”
233 - Madeleine Roux, “Make It Right”
258 - Lucy A. Snyder, “Shadowtown Blues: Poems”
263 - Nancy Holder, “Beyond the Sea”
285 -Tim Waggoner, “The Whisper-Whisper Men”
313 - Neal & Brendan Shusterman, “Non-Player Contract”
327 - Marge Simon, “Falling Into Darkness: Poems”
335 - Christopher Golden, “What Happens When the Heart Just Stops”
365 - Kendare Blake, “Chlorine-damaged Hair, and Other Pool Hazards”
385 - R. L. Stine, “The Old Radio”
406 - Jade Shames, “Rites of Passage: Poems”
413 - Rachel Caine, “Corazón Oscuro”
445 - Steve Rasnic Tem, “The Boyfriend”
464 -Ilsa J. Bick, “Bearwalker”

After each story there is a short biography of the author of that story.

[Jennifer Y. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who grew up devouring the spooky books of R.L. Stine and others, I was very excited to read this anthology of YA horror stories.

This collection of short stories and poems about what scares us may not necessarily be what one thinks of when they see or hear the word “horror.” The collection is thought-provoking and a little fear-inducing with authors answering the question, “What scares you?” Everybody is afraid of something and everyone reacts differently when confronting their fears as this collection shows.

Each author uses their own unique style to highlight a variety of different fears including death, being unloved, life after death, things that go bump in the night, and more. The authors did a wonderful job of demonstrating there are many types of fear and that fear can be found anywhere…even in places you wouldn’t expect.

Each story or poem is definitely unique and I enjoyed the various settings and topics the authors used in telling their stories. Several really hit home and made me contemplate some of my own fears. And like with all anthologies, there are stories and poems that stood out more to me than others. Stories that I will definitely re-read and wish were longer. I was especially impressed and touched by Tim Waggoner’s “The Whisper-Whisper Men” and Rachel Tafoya’s “The Invisible Girl.” Both are new-to-me authors, but I hope to read more of their work.

Overall this collection was pretty interesting with enough spookiness to leave this horror fan satisfied. So if you want stories or poems that makes you think twice about sharing info online or changes the way you look at the stranger sitting next to you, then this book is for you.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Levi Poirier · Rating 2 out of 5]

None of the stories in here gave me a thrill, or any bit of a scare, which is what I was hoping for. Maybe if you're just beginning to get into horror, then this is a good beginning book. But for me, it just didn't make the cut.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the introduction of Scary Out There, we're told that not all fear is the same, so what may scare one person won't scare another. Being that that is the case, horror stories can be an exciting way to see what sends chills down your spine, and just what type of fears you may not have know about yourself.

Do I feel that Scary Out There did it for me?

Unfortunately...no.

Out of 21 different stories in this one book, Danny by Josh Malerman was the only one to really give me chills.

In Danny , fifteen year old Kelly is looking to try out her first baby-sitting gig, having found it in an ad. Though her father is extremely reluctant for her to take on such a job, with the full support of her mother, he eventually caves. Kelly's initial call to the parents of the child is strange, but just when the father appears to be turning her down, he asks her to show up at a designated time.
When Kelly makes it to the house, she meets the Donalds, a strange and aloof couple who explain to her her duties when taking care of their child.
But then, when you think that's all, they hit Kelly with a bombshell about Danny, and the events leading from that point on is what really shot up the chill factor! This story was definitely awesome to me, and I'll have to be sure to check out more from Josh Malerman, especially if they're anything along the same vein as Danny !

Now, the writing and the stories in this book weren't bad at all, and some were actually pretty entertaining, but personally, I just couldn't get past the fact that I wanted to be scared. I wanted to be creeped out, and it just disappointed me that only one story did that for me.

I won't go so far as to not recommend this, cause who knows, other horror fans might actually find these stories terrifying, and I wouldn't want my lack of fright to deter you.

[David]

a collection of 21 stories by a lot of great writers aimed at a YA audience, though not exclusively. unique to this bunch (to me at least) is the inclusion of poetry, some dark, others extremely dark, but all of it really makes to think. editor maberry says in his forward that the authors were asked to explore what scares them, what they're afraid of, which creates stories that includes everything from an old radio with twilight zone-like twist to it (from r.l. stine), to a strange occurrence with a dark stranger at a mermaid aquarium in the 1950s (cherie priest), to the downright murderous happenings with a culture consumed by virtual reality zombie first-person shooter games and the one person who can stop it all (neal & brendan schusterman).

i've noticed that others weren't as scared as they'd hoped, that it didn't push their buttons, but most of these stories are exceptionally well written. i suspect there may be a subset of readers for whom horror = buckets of blood, and for those readers this collection will probably disappoint. but if you are open to stories about things not being what they seem, and well-crafted, give it a spin.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: SCARY OUT THERE

Edited and introduced by author Jonathan Maberry, SCARY OUT THERE collects stories of fears--which, as Mr. Maberry points out, are precise and individualized. In these stories and poetry, tour a wide variety of fears, as penned by these accomplished authors. Perhaps you'll find your own.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating and Review for The Old Radio by R.L. Stine and Corazon Oscuro by Rachel Caine Only

The Old Radio
3 Stars
Not a bad story, but what the heck was up with that ending?? I need/want more!!

Corazon Oscuro
5 Stars
I love this author and this story did not disappoint! I did not see the ending happening the way it did. Great short story!

[Megmar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cue up the movie, crack open the book; Gasp and shriek and forget the world. It's scary, so scary out there.

Scary out there? Not so much.

I was pretty disappointed with this collection, overall. The forward promises to terrify me, that fear is not the same for everyone, and I settled in for a collection of horror stories, fully prepared to be spooked, if not flat out terrified.

What I got is a collection of depressing real-life tales that all kind of blended together after a while, despite some really talented authors being featured in this collection.

I liked the opening story, The Doomsday Glass by Brenna Yovanoff and Danny by Josh Malerman - both stories were the first pieces of writing I've read by these authors, and I found them interesting and mildly spooky. The Doomsday Glass gave me solid characters and a well-built video game world, and Danny surprised me with its creepiness surrounding a pretend child that may not be pretend.

Towards the end of the book, the stories improved. I liked the Shustermans' take on the "evil" video game a lot, Non-Player Character and Kendare Blake created a bizarre little tale of swimmers and teenage angst in Chlorine-Damaged Hair and Other Pool Hazards. Christopher Golden managed to show me a sliver of a post-apocalyptic dystopia in What Happens When the Heart Just Stops, even though ultimately the story felt a little chopped out of what should be a longer, full-fleshed novel.

R.L. Stine gave me a story reminiscent of the Goosebumps series with The Old Radio that made me smile rather than chill me, but Rachel Caine came back with Corazon Oscuro, which was one of my favorite stories in the book. Madeleine Roux's tale Make It Right was also cool, giving me a neat little twist at the end that I wasn't actually expecting.

However, between these interesting and creative stories were several stories that fell a little flat, or dragged, or felt boring and depressing rather than legitimately spooky. These I found myself skimming, especially the poetry, and ultimately brought the collection down a few stars. There were three or four poems in this collection, most of which fell pretty flat for me, even though typically I'm a fan of poetry.

Would I recommend this? Probably, especially if you like your horror a little less horrific and a little more grounded in the modern day. The stories that I enjoyed made the collection worth reading, even though the collection was also peppered with confusing poems and other tales that dragged, and it did introduce me to a few new authors that I'm excited to try out.

[Blake Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book like I wanted to. The beginning chapter Jonathan Mayberry talked about how scary this book is supposed to be and he talked about fear. This book as a whole only scared me once. Some stories were just entertaining and not scary and others were so boring that It was tedious to finish. I was looking forward to this book and I really wanted to feel fear and be scared. This book did not accomplish that for me unfortunately.

[ElphaReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

It's always a gamble when I pick up a short story collection. While I've had pretty good luck as of late, I'm always waiting for my luck to run out. You could either have a pretty solid collection of stories, or you could find yourself with one or two stories that stand out, and then a bunch of duds. Sadly, SCARY OUT THERE is a collection that skews more towards the latter category.

SCARY OUT THERE is a short story collection put together by Jonathan Maberry, written by a number of horror authors that aim their stories at teens. There are stories about ghosts, about monsters, about things that go bump in the night, and also the things that could be scary in real life as well. As I like to do with my short stories reviews, I will pick a few stand outs, and then explain the overall feelings I had towards the book.

Danny by Josh Malerman

Kelly, desperate to prove to her parents that she's a responsible teenager, answers an ad for a babysitter. When she meets Mr. and Mrs. Donalds, they tell her that she is going to be babysitting their son Danny.... Though he doesn't really exist. They just want a child so badly they pretend he does, and want her to babysit a child who isn't actually there. Kelly, thinking it's free money, agrees. But as she sits in the house, she starts to wonder if she's really alone. This story was hands down my favorite of the collection, as Malerman takes the slowly building ambiguity he brought to the fantastic BIRD BOX and injects it right into this book. Are Mr. and Mrs. Donald deranged? Is there something in the house with Kelly? Which would be worse? This one deeply unsettled me.

Death and Twinkies by Zac Brewer

Jeremy is a depressed and suicidal teen who feels no love at home. On the night he is setting out to kill himself, he meets a mysterious teenage boy who starts up a conversation with him as he looks to jump to his death. As they talk, Jeremy realizes that he's actually talking to Death. This was one of the more melancholy books in the collection, far less scary and far more sad. I liked the banter that Jeremy and Death had together, and I liked the ever lingering question of will he or won't he when it comes to the suicide. In a collection that felt a need to serve up a number 'ah ha scared you!' moments, this story was oddly sweet and charming.

Corazón Oscuro by Rachel Caine

A doctor and her daughter are driving through the desert at night when they come upon a car wreck on the side of the road. When the daughter goes to call 911, she doesn't get through to emergency services, but something else. Soon they realize that something is in the desert, watching them and coming closer. This was a genuinely scary and well done ghost story, with all the themes you want from it (Death, despair, revenge). I really had no clue where it was going, and the imagery that Caine came up with was freaky as hell. Definitely liked this one a whole lot.

Non-Player Character by Neal and Brendan Shusterman

Darren is a teenager whose parents are obsessed with an online RPG. He basically fends for himself and runs the house their obsession runs so deep. Then he sees a girl on the screen. He's told she's just a Non-Player Character, just part of the game. But Darren is so entranced he needs to play. And when he starts speaking to her, his own dangerous obsession begins. Shusterman is a heavyweight in the YA genre (and his son is his co-author this time!), and this story was one of the bleaker and more upsetting ones, for many reasons. Between parental neglect to the obsession with the game to the CRAZY ending, I was mighty impressed by this story. Shusterman is someone you really can't go wrong with.

Unfortunately, that's only four of twenty one stories. And the rest weren't really much to write home about. They either weren't scary at all, were very hamfisted in what they were trying to get across, or had some potential, but then managed to fall flat or feel like they were wrapped up too quickly. There were many times where I sort of huffed to myself as I finished a story. It's disappointing, because I KNOW that this could have been done better. The awesome SLASHER GIRLS AND MONSTER BOYS is a fabulous YA horror collection, so I don't really know what went wrong here. Whatever it was, it left SCARY OUT THERE a pretty big disappointment for me.

I am going to give this a 2.5, because the four stories I highlighted were VERY good and I don't want to make it seem like this was all a dud. Those four are awesome. The rest...... Not so much.

[brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a pretty good collection of stories. Some of them weren't that scary. The book was more depressing stories with a few scary ones mixed in.

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a pretty good collection of creepy short stories (and Poems). There were a few misses, but that happens in any anthology. I definitely like that it was put together by the Horror Writer's Association; I'd love to see them put out more collections for ya readers.

The best stories included:

"The Doomsday Glass," by Brenna Yovanoff-this was a fun story with some amazing creepy set pieces set in a video game world. The ending was a little downbeat for my taste, considering the story's arc, but otherwise it was a great start to the anthology.

"The Mermaid Aquarium: Weekie Wachee Springs, 1951," by Cherie Priest-I wish this one could have been longer. It had a wonderful, strange atmosphere, compelling characters, and I liked that it was a period piece. I just wish there had been more of it. I felt the ending left me hanging a little bit too. I would love to Cherie Priest turn this into a longer story or a novel.

"Chlorine-Damaged Hair, and Other Pool Hazards," by Kendare Blake was deliciously strange. Weird and dark and pretty gory. I loved it!

"Corazon Oscuro," by Rachel Caine was a creepy story of a mother and daughter stranded in the desert, trapped between a chilling creature and a mysterious man. I would have loved for it to be a little longer and the backstory more fleshed out, but it was still one of my favorites.

Other highlights were "The Old Radio," by R. L. Stine, who is always a fun ride, the creepy "Danny" by Josh Malerman, Madeleine Roux's "Make It Right," Steve Rasnic Tem's "The Boyfriend" (clowns are always creepy), and Itsa J. Bick's sad but suspenseful "Bearwalker."

The only thing that really didn't work for me were most of the poems, but that could just be me. A couple of Lucy Snyder's contributions were pretty good, but overall I just wasn't feeling them.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.95 stars

An overall very fun and varied anthology; a lot of it felt more heavy than scary (self-harm [cutting], gore), although there were a few in here that gave me actual chills. Definitely some authors in here I'll be visiting again, though some really questionable stories in here as well.

Introduction (Jonathan Maberry): preface

The Doomsday Glass (Brenna Yovanoff): Fear (as I interpreted it): Sexism. VR videogame world where a girl encounters sexism. I'm sure it was supposed to be a girl-power story or whatever, but there was exactly one sentence that amounted to any sort of standing up, and the rest of the story was just heavy, oppressive, all about a girl being bullied by one of her classmates just for being a girl. 2/5

What Happens to Girls Who Disappear (Carrie Ryan): Fear: Grooming. Girl is wooed and seduced by a stranger over the phone and willingly gets in the car with him. This one isn't scary in a horror sense, more so in an oh God this could actually happen sense. Still, well-written and well handled. 3/5

The Mermaid Aquarium: Weeki Wachee Springs, 1951 (Cherie Priest): Fear: Drowning. A group of girls in the '50s with a job as fake mermaids at a tourist attraction; the MC's crown ends up being some sort of fae relic. Really interesting, fun, and even if I wasn't too fond of the climax (simply because I wasn't looking for any fae elements), still an great story. 5/5

As Good as Your Word, poems (Ellen Hopkins): Fear: Life after death. After the suicide of a close friend, a girl debates whether she should end her own life in the light of her broken promise to him. He seems to be working to persuade her to join him, until she finds herself following through, when his message changes entirely. Multiple poems connecting into one story, reading in short bursts, this was an intriguing one and I actually really liked the plot twist. 4/5

The Invisible Girl (Rachel Tafoya): Fear: Being invisible/ignored. A girl finds herself turning invisible, bit by bit. The disappearing ends up being how severely she is cutting herself. Very heavy, but well-handled and interesting (God I sound so bland but I'm exhausted and I'm sorry). 5/5

Death and Twinkies (Zac Brewer): Fear: Missing out. A boy considering ending his life meets a stranger and realizes the thing he fears about killing himself is what he could be missing had he lived. Absolutely fantastic, well-handled, interesting, absolutely loved this one. 5/5

Secret Things, poems (Linda Addison): Fear: Being alone. Four unrelated poems, discussing cutting, kidnapping (I think?), suicide, and the aftermath of an abusive relationship, all centered on the fear of being alone. Really good, but they felt too short and abrupt to put much across than the most basic of notions. 4/5

Danny (Josh Malerman): Fear: Madness, ghosts, the things you can't see. A girl gets a mysterious babysitting job...butthere's no kid...or is there? Chilling and tense, one of the few that actually, truly felt like horror. 4/5

Make it Right (Madeleine Roux): Fear: Racism. A girl is relocated to her uncle's place by child services, and hates it there; however, she meets someone who makes it worth it. He demands vengeance on his behalf, and she delivers. I loved this one; actually decently scary, with an ending that deserves fanfare. 5/5

Shadowtown Blues, poems (Lucy A. Snyder): Fear: The meaninglessness of life. Three unrelated poems, the first just sort of complaining about life, the second one a real piece of work (in the best way), the last a werewolf story that fell short for me. 3/5

Beyond the Sea (Nancy Holder): Fear: Guilt. After her best friend's death, a girl carries the guilt of believing herself to be the cause, and so attempts suicide for herself. Really interesting, and of course I can't complain about the second chance. 4/5

The Whisper-Whisper Men (Tim Waggoner): Fear: Deceased loved ones being alone at or after their death. A girl's repeated nightmare becomes reality, and she has to confront her fears. I wasn't into this one until the very end, but after that it definitely felt powerful. 4/5

Non-Player Character (Neal and Brendan Shusterman): Fear: The world's future with VR. Game-addicted, neglectful parents are kept alive by their son, one of the few living in the real world. However, the game beckons to the boy and he finds his own way to play. 4/5

Falling into Darkness, poems (Marge Simon): Fears: Hospitals, murder, dangerous strangers, zombies, and the dangers of huffing. I don't feel like summarizing these because they were blips on my radar and I legit don't remember them but I must have enjoyed them at the time because my notes say 4/5

What Happens When the Heart Just Stops (Christopher Golden): Fear: Losing family. In an apocalyptic fantasy world, night means death, but the MC's mom suffers a heart attack and she and a crew of skids need to take the woman to the hospital despite the danger. 4/5

Chlorine-Damaged Hair, and Other Pool Hazards (Kendare Blake): Fear: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. A used girl carves out her revenge. Splatter horror, not my thing, but one of the stories that felt most like actual horror. 3/5

The Old Radio (R.L. Stine): Fear: Getting caught. Some boys get an old radio to fiddle with. Felt a little campy, but interesting and well-written nonetheless. 5/5

Rites of Passage, poems (Jade Shames): Fears: Getting older than those who died young, gangs, the loss of culture. Didn't feel like horror, but the poems were good and I enjoyed the bitter prose. 3/5

Corazón Oscuro (Rachel Caine): Fear: What people are hiding. A mother and daughter driving through the desert come upon a crash and meet a monster beyond imagining. So, so good, I absolutely adored this one, plus it actually made my stomach drop. 5/5

The Boyfriend (Steve Rasnic Tem): Fear: Clowns. A girl's mom's boyfriend is a clown for a living, and good God does he check the "terrifying entertainer" box. 5/5

Bearwalker (Ilsa J. Bick): Fear: Evil? A girl's neighbor was murdered, and she sees her ghost with the help of some Native magic. Fun and tense and totally worth it.

[deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.75

As an overall work, I found "Scary Out There" to be not quite a run-of-the-mill horror collection, but a pretty interesting look at fictional depictions of what these 21 authors thought to be real fear, and although I think there were unimpressive bits, this collection of stories is a good read for any teen horror lover.
Some of the stories were really well done, like Josh Mallerman's "Danny", and Tim Waggoner's "The Whisper-Whisper Men"- those two were probably my favorite. Additionally, the larger concepts and worlds of "The Doomsday Glass" by Brenna Yovanoff and "What Happens When the Heart Just Stops" by Christopher Golden were REALLY interesting- I'd've loved a longer work of both of those!

Many of the other ones were unsettling, both because of the subject matter ("What Happens to Girls Who Disappear") but there were a couple I thought to be a bit lame ("Non-player Character"). I think a couple stories just needed more thought, better writing, and movement. There is a LOT of wasted time in some of these tales.

It's a kooky collection of stories. Good for a atmospheric, Halloween-ish read.

[The Library Ladies · Rating 2 out of 5]

(originally reviewed by thelibraryladies.com )

During one of our recent book club meetings, our fellow member Aimee mentioned to me a book of short stories she was reading for a book committee she was on. That book was “Scary Out There”, and as the resident (and kind of lone) horror buff she felt that this might be a good fit for me. I’ve read horror short story collections for teens before. One of the very best ones I’ve read is the FABULOUS book “Slasher Girls and Monster Boys”, and knowing that there are some great horror authors out there for young adults, I was pretty intrigued by “Scary Out There”. The problem with short stories collections is that sometimes you may have a set of stories that may have some stand outs, but are, as a whole, a dud. And unfortunately, “Scary Out There” pretty solidly fell into this unfortunate trap.

But I will talk about the stand out stories first. Because there were a few that I really liked.

“Danny” by Josh Malerman

Josh Malerman is the author of the incredibly creepy and completely ambiguous “Bird Box”, so when I saw that he had a tale of terror in here I had high hopes. The man did NOT disappoint. This story is about Kelly, a fifteen year old girl who wants to start babysitting, even though her parents aren’t sure she’s up to the task. After some convincing on their part, she answers an ad for The Donalds, who need a babysitter for their young son Danny. After her Dad drops her off for the job, the Donalds come clean. They don’t actually have a son, but really, really wish that they did, so could she just go through the motions of acting like she’s babysitting their nonexistent while they go out for the night? Kelly, wanting to seem responsible and not get an ‘I told you so’ from her folks, agrees. But is she actually alone in the house? HOW SCREWED UP, but also, how Josh Malerman. This story really hit all the right notes, as you spend the majority of this book wondering if the Donalds are totally insane (scary enough on it’s own), or if there is actually something else in this house with Kelly. I was completely unsettled and freaked out by this one, and Malerman did a great job of building suspense slowly, and being deliberate in turning the screws on the reader.

“Corazón Oscuro” by Rachel Caine

This one is definitely an old school, nightmare fuel ghost story, with horrifying imagery and revenge. When Zenobia and her doctor mother are driving in the desert at night, they come upon a car accident. While her Mom goes to help, Zenobia calls 911, but instead of connecting to help, she connects to something else. Shortly thereafter they realize that they are not alone in this desert scape, as illuminated eyes and strange noises can be seen in the darkness. Help in the form of a man in a pickup truck comes to them, and he tells them about the ghost of a girl covered in scorpions. Zenobia and her mother get caught up in the unfinished business of this girl. I loved this story. It had a taut and scary plot, really creepy moments, and hit all of my ‘NOOOOOPE’ bingo squares with the description of the girl ghost (strange movement, sounds, AND scorpions?! YIKES).

“Death and Twinkies” by Zac Brewer

This one stood out mainly because it’s more sad and melancholic than it is scary. Jeremy is a depressed teenager who is on a quest to kill himself to get away from his terrible life. But when he goes to jump off a bridge, a mysterious teenage boy is there. They start talking, and Jeremy realizes that he’s talking to Death. As they talk, Jeremy starts to wonder if he can go through with what Death should want him to do. I liked this one because, oddly, it was one of the more tender stories in this book. Definitely not scary or unsettling, but kind of sweet and hopeful. Plus, Death is a fun and snarky character, as any personification SHOULD be, in my opinion.

“Non-Player Character” by Neal and Brendan Shusterman

Neal Shusterman is just a powerhouse in the YA world, and this time his son came along for the ride! Darren is a teenager whose parents are obsessed with an online video game. Darren pretty much cares for himself they’re so far gone, and cares for them too. But then he sees a strange girl inside the game, a non-player character. Darren is compelled to pick up the controller and play too, if only to get closer to her. But as he does get close to her, his own dangerous obsession begins. This one was upsetting on a few levels. The first is that Darren’s parents are the absolute worst in how they neglect him. The second is all about the power of the game itself, and what it can make people do. The end was screwed up beyond belief, and I loved that about it.

But guys. These are just four stories out of twenty one. The rest didn’t really do it for me. They were either boring, pointless, or ended abruptly and felt haphazard. There were multiple times that I would feel like the story built up so much that it didn’t work where it ended, feeling incomplete and unfulfilling. Other times there would be such hamfisted ‘issues’ stories that could have used horror as a good metaphor, but ended up falling pretty damn flat. OR, they ended on a cliffhanger and that was it. Come on! I don’t want so many stories to end with a big ol’ question mark, or a ‘she ran away but doom was certain… but was it?’ kind of resolution.

So while four of these stories were pretty damn awesome and I shall sing their praises to hell and back…. the rest were rather disappointing. If you can find these mentioned stories on their own, definitely do. But if you want want a more well rounded book of horror short stories for teens, I would say definitely go with “Slasher Girls and Monster Boys”. “Scary Out There” just doesn’t have the balance.

[Bethzua · Rating 3 out of 5]

La mayoría de las historias son buenas con ideas interesantes. Lamentablemente todas quedan inconclusas, lo que me deja insatisfecha, con ese sentimiento de 'me faltó algo' y bastante fustrada.

Las mejores y altamente recomendadas:

~ 'Danny'. Es espeluznante de principio a fin. Tuve que meterme bajo las sábanas. ¡No la lean por la noche!
~ 'The Old Radio'. Muy intrigante, la idea es fascinante y terrorífica. Lástima del final en cliffhanger del cual nunca tendré respuesta.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the stories were pretty good. Will be a full review on Lisa Loves Literature tomorrow!

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great anthology of short stories! To me the spookiest story by far was Danny by Josh Malerman, couldn't even read that one at night!

[Kiki]

Didn't finish. A couple of the stories were interesting but I found I was skimming more than half of them.

[Ash Mustard · Rating 4 out of 5]

my favorite scary story was Old Radio by R.L Stine

[Jan Sandro · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few of the stories were worth more than two stars but, as a whole, the book was just okay.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF; I honestly lost interest and I just don’t want to see it on my “currently reading” anymore

[Gino Alfonso · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some stories were okay. My favorites were Death and Twinkies and Danny.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this collection of stories and poems. There were a few that deserved five stars overall-as well as their own completed novels. But, there were a few others I just couldn't get into, hence the 3 star rating. Also I had not expected to go on a feels trip with some of them.

If you're expecting a true collection of horror stories that will make you jump at every noise as you read it alone in your house, you're going to be surprised just as I was. Instead, many of the pieces in this collection get at more complex fears rather than cheap horror thrills. There are a few that make your heart race (which were in fact my favorite), but the majority will get under your skin and gnaw at your thoughts instead. Definitely pick it up!

[♥Rome♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of all the 21 short stories in this book, only two of them scared me: Chlorine-Damaged Hair and Other Pool Hazards by Kendate Blake and Corazón Oscuro by Rachel Caine. Maybe because each of us has our own notion of what 'scary' is. We have our own fear and our own demons.

This was a fast read for me, just took me a couple hours. Most of the stories are dealing with mental issues, something that other people can't see. Some felt like suspense/mystery novels(which I love). I've enjoyed most of them, except for the poems (sorry, I'm not much into poems) and I hope the ones I enjoyed can be developed and be written as a novel-length, stand-alone mystery/suspense story (like Make it right and The Old Radio).

[Ivan Magnus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories in Scary Out There aren't exactly terrifying but some were done well, but also others delayed me from reading the next story because they are kind of confusing and "eh". I specifically enjoyed stories like The Invisible Girl by Rachel Tafoya and Death And Twinkies by Zac Brewer, the mix of Mental Illness and Horror is something I haven't read before, I think they covered it well compare to a full length novel that ends up romanticizing it. Another story I really enjoyed is Danny by Josh Malerman, it's creepy and "what the the fucking hell is going on?!?" in a fantastic-horror way, if that makes sense. I did also enjoyed The Old Radio by R.L. Stine but found it very brief, kind of unsatisfying and I wanted more.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Doomsday Glass- 2 stars
What happens to girls who disappear- 3
The Mermaid Aquarium: Weeki Wachee Springs 1951- 2 stars
As good as your word- 4 stars
Invisible girl- 5 stars
Death and Twinkies- 2 stars
Secret things- 4 stars
Danny- 3 stars
Make it right- 3 stars
Shadowtown Blues- 4 stars
Beyond the Sea- 3 stars
The Whisper-Whisper Man- 4 stars
Non-player Character- 5 stars
Falling into Darkness- 4 stars
What Happens when the heart just stops- 4 stars
Chlorine-Damaged hair and other pool hazards- 2 stars
The Old Radio- 2 stars
Rites of Passage- 4 stars
Corazón Oscuro- 4 stars
The Boyfriend- 4 stars
Bearwalker- DNF

[Meg Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good collection! It featured a significant amount of woman authors, which unfortunately isn’t usually the case. There wasn’t really a story in it that I disliked. That said, the poetry entries were not my favorite, even though I usually love poetry.

Stand-outs for me were: Brenna Yovanoff’s Doomsday Glass, Rachel Caine’s Corazón Oscuro, & Ilsa J. Bick’s Bearwalker. Would recommend.

[Cameron Motsinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the most consistent anthologies I've ever read. There weren't too many stories that stood out as being terrible, but also not too many I found to be amazing. Nothing really scared me like I hoped it would, but there were some stories that I did really enjoy. Everything was a pretty good length and overall I think it was a very successful anthology.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but agree with many of the other reviews that it wasn’t necessarily scary - most stories took more of a psychological scare direction. However, I rated it 4 stars because it was a great opportunity to discover new YA authors to me and see if I liked their style. I will definitely be reading more from Josh Malerman as a result.