Nightmare Soup: Tales That Will Turn Your Stomach

by Jake Tri, Andy Sciazko (Illustrator)

Inspired by classics like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps, Nightmare Soup is a collection of 30 short horror stories meant to terrify both kids and adults. Each story is accompanied by a ghastly illustration from the mind of Andy Sciazko... the kind of illustrations that will disturb you in the best way possible.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2017

Reviews

[Quanisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved the ‘scary stories’ trilogy growing up you definitely should read this! ☺️

[Joshua Hair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nightmare Soup is perfect homage to Alvin Schwartz's incredible Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The tone is just right, the illustrations are extremely creepy, and the stories themselves, while quite short, pack a lot of power. Snap up a copy as quickly as you can, but beware: nightmares are guaranteed.

[Shannon Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark so when I seen there was a newer series I definitely jumped on it! This book brought the same chills and scary stories like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Couldn’t put it down!

[Joseph Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read for fans of creepypasta, folklore, urban legends. Nightmare Soup 2 might be slightly more appropriate for juvenile age readers, but I'd probably let my kids read Nightmare Soup around age 12/13. Art is fantastic, unique. Would recommend for all of us who wished there were more Scary Stories books in the 90s. My favorite stories were easily the boy who undermined the party clown's performance, and the titular tale which told of the horrors that may be found within foreign cuisine.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoyed the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books, you will love this! I wish some of the stories were a little longer, but Jake Tri and illustrator Andy Sciazko nailed the tone, writing, and visuals in their homage to the original books.

[Amanda Passalaqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book if you enjoyed the series scary stories to tell in the dark. it had creepy drawings to go with the stories.

[Tiffany Spencer]

Nightmare Soup: Tales That Will Turn Your Stomach
I was going through my very long list of reviews and saw that I needed to polish Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark. Only some series that are made up of a bunch of short stories are kinda hard to post thoroughly because no matter how much you try to shorten it the review can be pages long. So, I did that one and then I was looking at the other two Scary Stories books and saw that I didn’t have a review for them at all. I thought had I even *read* those. I couldn’t imagine I didn’t having a best friend who is CRAZY about this series. I wanna say vaguely I even remember having some of the audio books (somewhere). Then I realized I must have because in (More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) I remember “Wonderful Sausage” VERY WELL! And ironically there’s one in Nightmare Soup that mimics that one.

I was looking for the other two (More Scary Stories and More Tales to Chill Your Bones) to review and I came across these on Internet Archive. A hidden secret is a lot of the books sometimes come up as you can’t borrow them because they’re print disabled. BUT there is a form you can fill out and it doesn’t take long to get acess to these if you have a visual disability.

I didn’t know how similar they’d be. I just went off the titles alone and thought they sounded interesting. But its obviously clear from the first page where the influence came from. I will even say that I liked this first one even more than Scary Stories because there wasn’t a story in it that I *didn’t* like and want to skip through. The illustrations were in the same style (creepy). My favorite was the hand-burger. It reminded me of an image I had in my head for my own story. So, I really REALLY enjoyed this! So, much so that I gave my friend all 3 books in the series as a Halloween present. I think that anyone who enjoyed Scary Stories will absolutely LOVE these!

Rating: 10

[Shiv (The Horrorlander) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a book that embodies the artwork of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark really well, while simultaneously having some creepy urban legend stories, give this a quick read.

Some of my favorite stories included I Hate Clowns, story about a kid who steals some party equipment from a clown performing at his best friend's birthday party, only to have some revenge pit against him.

Imaginary Friend is a scary one about a boy who blames his misbehavior on his best friend called Charlie (believe me, you don't wanna meet this maf****)

Pyre is the best one imo and needs to adapted into a movie or something. It's an urban legend about anytime a housefire or inferno breaks out that burns unfortunate victims, a 7-foot tall all-black demonic man with no features (other than an abnormally large grin) appears. What this thing does involving fires is horrific stuff.

[Sky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start, this book was so freaking fun to read! I LOVED how it gave me that nostalgic feel like when I reread Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - reading this book reminded me of when I was a kid and would curl up under my blanket on Halloween night with a flashlight, and scare myself half to death. Younger me would’ve been on the floor had I found these two amazing books at the same time. These stories were so creepily fun, and the illustrations were phenomenal. My fave stories I read are as follows (& in no exact order): I Hate Clowns, The Short Cut, Pretty Pumpkins, The Pyre, Drip Drip, and Soon. I felt like a little kid again, and I couldn’t ask for better.

Now time to read the next 5 books in the anthology!

[JASON QUALLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't help but reflect on all of the works of nursery rhymes, fairy tales, folklore, and urban legends, that have dark origins themselves and have entertained countless generations. And also The Tales from the Crypt comic books that I would read by flashlight in my closet. And of course, the scary stories to tell in the dark books. I feel that the Nightmare Soup trilogy is a continuation of that nostalgia. I'm extremely excited to read the new scary stories. I'm sure many young folks are going to enjoy reading these bizarre but amazing scary stories and be inspired to write their own series of scary stories. Thank you for helping to keep horror alive and thriving, my friend.

[Emmy]

Does pretty much what it sets out to do (kudos!), but a bit too gruesome for my taste. I'd say that this is a worthy successor to Alvin Schwartz's chilling tales, but the updated mood for a modern audience means that the tales are a little harder to stomach. I might be a horror fan, but this was a little too much for me. However, I could be convinced to try this one again.

[Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to imagine how I might have felt about this book at a young age. It certainly has the same feel as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I believe some of the stories were pretty solid, but the illustrations were the real kicker. I can't tell if it's my age or bias that wins out with the simple three stars, but I did enjoy it.

[Dope Ghost Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tries desperately to recapture the magic of Alvin Schwartz Scary Stories books, but the stories here aren't as good and the illustrations aren't as iconic. That being said, the stories we get all range but for the most part, I enjoyed a majority of them. I also enjoyed the artwork that was provided. A chilling collection for kids and nostalgic adults!

[Cherie Cheriri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark when I was a kid, and if you want that I recommend reading this. Sure some stories seem too short, while others ridiculous, but honestly it’s great. The illustrations add on to the atmosphere, so read at night, under a warm blanket and lock your door. Fall back to how you read scary stories as a little kid

[Gabrielle Cogar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the nostalgic feeling from this book. However, I feel it could use better editing. There was a lack of the use of appropriate commas. Great story lines. I feel that the stories were ended well. I love the illustrations. It does give off self published vibes. Nothing wrong with that! I, myself, am self published. I will definitely have these in my collection of twisted children's books.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tribute to the books "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark." Many of the stories were short, but it felt close. Both the stories and images were spot on. Just wish several of the stories were a little longer to help build suspense.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings me back to Scary Stories to tell in the dark!

I've always loved reading the Scary Stories to tell in the Dark Series and this just brings a similar montage to the series. Creepy, Good picture graphics and alot of Nostalgic vibes! 5 STARS

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories are scary, disturbing, and sometimes downright gross (in the best way). Andy Sciazko’s illustrations are creepy as hell and perfectly matched to each story. If you're into bite sized horror with a side of unsettling vibes, this collection is a must.

[Tanzia Trujillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My daughter and I read this together. These stories were soooo creepy and the illustrations were so hauntingly beautiful. I absolutely loved this book and will definitely reread this! Definitely buying number 2!

[Stella L.Tuifao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read for Halloween 🎃

I love a good scare and nightmares. So read it in the dark, or with a scary music with it. If you.... Dare 😨😨😨😨😨😨😨😨

[Jesse Bollinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great Collection and a great tribute to the scary stories series. This had some very unique stories in it and I loved every bit of it.

[Michelle M. Medley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesomeness

Of I want some scary tales at like 3am or just late at night this book is definitely got you!

[ᥫ᭡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember our teacher reading this to us. It wasn’t as scary as the Stories to Tell in the Dark, but we enjoyed it.

[John Meszaros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Folks who grew up in the late 80s/early 90s will remember well Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories To Tell in The Dark. Well, mostly people will remember- and are probably still haunted by- the books nightmarish illustrations by Stephen Gammell. As far as I know, no other kid’s horror book since then has really been able to precisely capture the raw hiding-under-the-covers-all-night fear of that book and its stories. But Nightmare Soup, written by Jake Tri with illustrations by Andy Sciazko, digs its twisted, ghostly roots dug pretty deep into that world.

The tales in Nightmare Soup are short and simple, like creepy tales kid’s would tell each other while sitting around a lone flashlight in a dark room (kids still do that, right?). The stories are all original but clearly drawn from contemporary horror and urban legends such as monstrous clowns, aliens and ominous, lurking Beings From Elsewhere like Slenderman and The Rake. There are also several works dealing with creepy real life animals- skin-burrowing botflies and the tongue-replacing sea louse Cymothoa exigua- that have gained infamy thanks to the internet. Many of these tales have the feel of Creepypastas, the internet’s answer to old campfire tales.

Andy Sciazko’s creepy black-and-white drawings are very clearly done in the spirit of Stephen Gammel’s illustrations. While some of the pictures are quite effective, I can’t help feeling like the art is trying a bit too hard to gross out the reader or project that nightmarish shock that Gammel’s art had. That is not to say they aren’t good. Indeed, the illustrations often compliment Jake Tri’s stories quite well. And some of them can be extremely eerie. But it’s the difference between finding a room with blood and innards splattered all over the walls and ceiling versus coming across an otherwise clean room with a few small crimson drops leading to the basement door.

There are some excellent stand-out stories in this book. I particularly like the poem The Sloth. I would not normally have thought of these slow, sleepy xenarthrans as being horror material, but this poem makes them into a particularly creepy predator that stalks its prey slowly, but inevitably catches them. The accompanying artwork is effectively macabre and unsettling.

I am also fond of the tales Full Moon Guests and Mr. Wilson, Their twist endings feel as if they’ve been pulled right out of old EC horror comics. And, of course, I can’t help but enjoy the story Tongue- because really who can resist a story featuring the ghoulish charm of the aforementioned Cymothoa exigua?

If there is a flaw in Nightmare Soup it is that it seems to be trying to emulate the look and feel of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark without having enough of its own identity. I do genuinely admire the attempt to capture that nostalgic fear that Alvin Schwartz’s original books spawned in so many kids. I think this anthology will be most effective on modern kids who don’t know Scary Stories and will get the chance to experience that squeamish fear for themselves.

[Ericka annamarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This long awaited unofficial sequel to a world favorite, and one of my personal childhood favorites as well, did not disappoint. Its pages of 30 scary stories and equally eerie art is a must have for any Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark fan. I will say some of the stories fell a touch shy of its predecessors but the art was a spot on match for the classic art by Stephen Gammell. Andy Scizko should be proud and deserves praise for his terrifying designs .

I would like to highlight my favorite story, Pretty Pumpkins. It was without a doubt the creepiest story in this collection. The description used in the story made it so easy to visualize the scene and feel as if you are really there and interacting with its characters. It also has the benefit of having that classic Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark feel, luring its audience in with subtle cues to the horror that waits its main character.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good spook or is just a fan of the original horror trilogy!

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, not as memorable as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark but still a great read your children will enjoy. The artwork is good and you could get through these tales in a sitting.

[Ryan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A call back to the days of Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Jake Tri and illustrator Andy Sciazko definitely hit the "nostalgia" factor I believe they were shooting for. While obviously geared towards a younger audience (my little cousin absolutely loved it) even adults such as myself will be able to appreciate the stories and especially the phenomenal illustrations. Definitely recommend for someone who wants a nice quick read, or for kids who enjoy creepy, campfire type stories.

[Robert Gaulson · Rating 1 out of 5]

A little disappointed after all that wait to find a self-published feel.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. It was a good nostalgia trip.

[Shana Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very creepy😳😳

I loved this book! Excellent read for horror fans!! Definitely will read more books by this author in the future.