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There Are Monsters Here
In my family, we each have our own monster. They don’t always show their ugly faces to us. Sometimes we’ll have a day that is fine. Nice and quiet. Other days, one of us will see our monster peeking around a corner, its grin ghastly and wide.
I would tell the story of how I saw my monster for the first time, but I don’t really remember it. As far as I know, I saw it the day I was born. It was in the eyes of my mother, in the freefall of my father, in the cold heart of my sister, in the emptiness of a family so scared, the very fabric under its feet was coming undone and letting every demon through.
No, this isn’t the story of how I first saw my monster. This is the story of how I killed it.
I would tell the story of how I saw my monster for the first time, but I don’t really remember it. As far as I know, I saw it the day I was born. It was in the eyes of my mother, in the freefall of my father, in the cold heart of my sister, in the emptiness of a family so scared, the very fabric under its feet was coming undone and letting every demon through.
No, this isn’t the story of how I first saw my monster. This is the story of how I killed it.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2017
10 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
About the author
Cameron Chaney
8 books2,166 followersCameron Chaney was born and raised in a small Ohio town you’ve never heard of. He spent his childhood roaming his family’s six-acre property and devouring one spooky book after another. He now enjoys writing spooky stories of his own in his home library and talking about all things spooky on his YouTube show, Library Macabre. Cameron also works as a youth services librarian aboard his local bookmobile. He currently resides in yet another small Ohio town you’ve never heard of. Don’t feed him after midnight . . .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 30, 2018
Cameron approached me this morning and asked if I could read his short story for free in exchange for an honest review.
I had some available time this morning so I was able to jump on it right away. What a treat! This is an immediately compelling narrative style that drew me in with its imaginative prose. I loved that the author chose to leave some ambiguity to the story so that the reader is able to decide for themselves the reality of a family plagued by monsters.
I'm impressed with Chaney's ability to transcend genre as this could be an attractive story to fans of speculative fiction, poetry, horror, dark fantasy or magical realism.
I enjoyed this and I'll be looking forward to other writings from this author.
I had some available time this morning so I was able to jump on it right away. What a treat! This is an immediately compelling narrative style that drew me in with its imaginative prose. I loved that the author chose to leave some ambiguity to the story so that the reader is able to decide for themselves the reality of a family plagued by monsters.
I'm impressed with Chaney's ability to transcend genre as this could be an attractive story to fans of speculative fiction, poetry, horror, dark fantasy or magical realism.
I enjoyed this and I'll be looking forward to other writings from this author.
October 30, 2024
An enjoyable dark novella, perfect for a comfortable fright
In this one sit read, we follow the MC from childhood to adulthood while he battles his Monster.
This story has a literal monster that taunts and plagues the MC, but if you've ever battled your inner demons, this story could easily be a figurative monster...I certainly identified with the war within.
This story was written pretty well and was able to pull me in. Short stories are also difficult to round out sometimes but the author did an excellent job making this feel complete. I took off a star for some of the writing but I will definitely read the next book.
In this one sit read, we follow the MC from childhood to adulthood while he battles his Monster.
This story has a literal monster that taunts and plagues the MC, but if you've ever battled your inner demons, this story could easily be a figurative monster...I certainly identified with the war within.
This story was written pretty well and was able to pull me in. Short stories are also difficult to round out sometimes but the author did an excellent job making this feel complete. I took off a star for some of the writing but I will definitely read the next book.
May 30, 2019
Great Story
I found Cameron Chaney by watching his YouTube videos where he discusses horror books and the occasional movie. I have a lot of fun watching his videos so I thought it was time to read his novella.
I wasn’t disappointed. At all. I was, in fact, surprised. The basic premise is a family that is cursed with seeing monsters that haunt them individually. What There Are Monsters Here does is capture real life horrors of abuse, alcoholism, and mental illness and give it a monster’s face. These two elements, real life verses the fantastic, blend well together where the protagonist is forced to face his demons in a life or death battle. It’s very aware of what it’s trying to accomplish and I think that it does so very well.
I recommend reading There Are Monsters Here. It’s very short and very good!
I found Cameron Chaney by watching his YouTube videos where he discusses horror books and the occasional movie. I have a lot of fun watching his videos so I thought it was time to read his novella.
I wasn’t disappointed. At all. I was, in fact, surprised. The basic premise is a family that is cursed with seeing monsters that haunt them individually. What There Are Monsters Here does is capture real life horrors of abuse, alcoholism, and mental illness and give it a monster’s face. These two elements, real life verses the fantastic, blend well together where the protagonist is forced to face his demons in a life or death battle. It’s very aware of what it’s trying to accomplish and I think that it does so very well.
I recommend reading There Are Monsters Here. It’s very short and very good!
January 28, 2018
4.0 Stars
This is an wonderfully imaginative, well written novella filled with deep rooted emotions, thematic symbolism and, of course, creepy monsters!
The monsters in this story are purposely ambiguous, leaving the reader to speculate on the true nature of these creatures. The monsters may represent the figurative "demons" or darkness that leave inside of people. Depending on your interpretation, this story could be considered magical realism, dark fantasy, light horror or even literary fiction.
I recommend this novella to anyone looking for a memorable story that will stick with you long after you read the last sentence.
This is an wonderfully imaginative, well written novella filled with deep rooted emotions, thematic symbolism and, of course, creepy monsters!
The monsters in this story are purposely ambiguous, leaving the reader to speculate on the true nature of these creatures. The monsters may represent the figurative "demons" or darkness that leave inside of people. Depending on your interpretation, this story could be considered magical realism, dark fantasy, light horror or even literary fiction.
I recommend this novella to anyone looking for a memorable story that will stick with you long after you read the last sentence.
July 6, 2019
Cameron Chaney's writing debut might be a short 35 pages, but wow, does it pack such a punch!
This is the type of horror that I love most. It's horror that's based off of our real fears, the real-life things within ourselves that are crushing us.
The premise of the novella is simple. Everyone has their own monster that haunts them at night. Each one looks different, and terrifies each person in a different way.
For a piece of writing to receive 5 stars from me, it has to give me a gamut of emotions. And undoubtedly, that's hard to do for a 35-page novella, but make me emotional this story did. There Are Monsters Here is atmospheric and compelling, and I would be lying if I said this didn't make me tear up at a certain point. So recommended for anyone who likes dark fiction with a strong emotional element. And I'd read anything else Chaney writes in a heartbeat!
This is the type of horror that I love most. It's horror that's based off of our real fears, the real-life things within ourselves that are crushing us.
The premise of the novella is simple. Everyone has their own monster that haunts them at night. Each one looks different, and terrifies each person in a different way.
For a piece of writing to receive 5 stars from me, it has to give me a gamut of emotions. And undoubtedly, that's hard to do for a 35-page novella, but make me emotional this story did. There Are Monsters Here is atmospheric and compelling, and I would be lying if I said this didn't make me tear up at a certain point. So recommended for anyone who likes dark fiction with a strong emotional element. And I'd read anything else Chaney writes in a heartbeat!
March 11, 2021
This was a really quick read as it was only a 53 page long novella, but boooooy did it pack a punch.
There Are Mosnsters Here follows a family who all see strange "monsters". Only the individual can see their monster, and cannot see anyone else in the family's monster.
There is no explanation as to what these monsters are and why this family can see them, but that just adds to the mysterious feeling within the book.
This novella had exactly the right amount of creepiness that I always look for in horror-type books. I read it really quickly as it was so captivating and luring.
Even though the story is short, you get an understanding of each character and their personalities. Everything is written in such a tragically romanic way that it grips your heart and makes you hungry to find out what happens next.
If you're looking for a quick spooky read, this will definitely do the trick!
There Are Mosnsters Here follows a family who all see strange "monsters". Only the individual can see their monster, and cannot see anyone else in the family's monster.
There is no explanation as to what these monsters are and why this family can see them, but that just adds to the mysterious feeling within the book.
This novella had exactly the right amount of creepiness that I always look for in horror-type books. I read it really quickly as it was so captivating and luring.
Even though the story is short, you get an understanding of each character and their personalities. Everything is written in such a tragically romanic way that it grips your heart and makes you hungry to find out what happens next.
If you're looking for a quick spooky read, this will definitely do the trick!
February 16, 2019
"I had set my own shadow on fire and watched it burn."
Our toughest fight is with our own monsters.
Our toughest fight is with our own monsters.
June 24, 2019
There Are Monsters Here took me by surprise, I expected a cheesy monster story and instead this
was a raw and honest look into what the real monsters that haunt us look like. Each individual has his or her own, and Cameron Chaney understands this and clearly writes from either a place of experience or deep consideration.
For such a short story, it succeeds in thrusting the reader into a feeling of unease, forcing them to consider what monsters they may be plagued by. However, this also strives to finish with a grander feeling of hope and optimism, that we have the power to grab the bull by the horns (or the monster in this case) and face it head-on, to overcome what we're dealing with and move forward to brighter future.
A very strong first entry and I'm very keen to see what else Cameron has to offer in the future.
was a raw and honest look into what the real monsters that haunt us look like. Each individual has his or her own, and Cameron Chaney understands this and clearly writes from either a place of experience or deep consideration.
For such a short story, it succeeds in thrusting the reader into a feeling of unease, forcing them to consider what monsters they may be plagued by. However, this also strives to finish with a grander feeling of hope and optimism, that we have the power to grab the bull by the horns (or the monster in this case) and face it head-on, to overcome what we're dealing with and move forward to brighter future.
A very strong first entry and I'm very keen to see what else Cameron has to offer in the future.
July 13, 2017
AMAZING!!
Everything about this was perfect. It was so dark and creepy I loved every second of it!!! I absolutely can't wait to read more by Cameron.
Everything about this was perfect. It was so dark and creepy I loved every second of it!!! I absolutely can't wait to read more by Cameron.
August 4, 2019
“I would tell the story of how I saw my monster for the first time, but I don’t really remember it. As far as I know, I saw it the day I was born. It was in the eyes of my mother, in the freefall of my father, in the cold heart of my sister, in the emptiness of a family so scared, the very fabric under its feet was coming undone and letting every demon through.”
There Are Monsters Here by Cameron Chaney surprised me — in a good way. It’s a quick read (I read it in one sitting) about a family that has their own monsters that only they can see. It’s a metaphor for their own personal demons, leaving the reader to wonder throughout the story if this family is suffering from mental illness. It’s well-written and the ending doesn’t disappoint. Thumbs up on this one.
There Are Monsters Here by Cameron Chaney surprised me — in a good way. It’s a quick read (I read it in one sitting) about a family that has their own monsters that only they can see. It’s a metaphor for their own personal demons, leaving the reader to wonder throughout the story if this family is suffering from mental illness. It’s well-written and the ending doesn’t disappoint. Thumbs up on this one.
March 28, 2019
I tend to do long reviews for books, but this one, since is a short story, I will be very brief.
Plot/Development: The story tell us the story about a family who have always lived with their own monsters, but each one can only see their own. Not the others. The story moves very fast, in a few pages we can see how the author describes the life of our main male character, who has to fight not only against the monster, but with his own emotions.
I think the development is really good. The story is mostly about who we are and what we fear, so the monsters might be real, but is because we are afraid to fight against them. I think we do not have enough time to process what we are reading, but each part of the book moves to something else that makes you focus on that.
Use your imagination that is the key role in this story and you will find it amazing.
Characters: The main character is well described and for certain moments I could feel that we could all feel like he does: scared and without knowing what to do. About the monsters, they are well described, I could really feel the intentions they had in regards of expressing emotions. Instead of being scary because they are monsters, they scare you because they actually represent the human mind and that sometimes, even when you try, is hard to make them disappear.
With this book, you learn that monsters stay with you forever.
Ending: The ending was proper for the story, but I would have liked to see what happened how he is living after the last events.
Writing: The author is very creative and has a lot of imagination, which I could see in this book, but what I liked the most is that when the male character was sad, I could feel sad too.
Genre: Horror book that is perfect for a quick read.
Plot/Development: The story tell us the story about a family who have always lived with their own monsters, but each one can only see their own. Not the others. The story moves very fast, in a few pages we can see how the author describes the life of our main male character, who has to fight not only against the monster, but with his own emotions.
I think the development is really good. The story is mostly about who we are and what we fear, so the monsters might be real, but is because we are afraid to fight against them. I think we do not have enough time to process what we are reading, but each part of the book moves to something else that makes you focus on that.
Use your imagination that is the key role in this story and you will find it amazing.
Characters: The main character is well described and for certain moments I could feel that we could all feel like he does: scared and without knowing what to do. About the monsters, they are well described, I could really feel the intentions they had in regards of expressing emotions. Instead of being scary because they are monsters, they scare you because they actually represent the human mind and that sometimes, even when you try, is hard to make them disappear.
With this book, you learn that monsters stay with you forever.
Ending: The ending was proper for the story, but I would have liked to see what happened how he is living after the last events.
Writing: The author is very creative and has a lot of imagination, which I could see in this book, but what I liked the most is that when the male character was sad, I could feel sad too.
Genre: Horror book that is perfect for a quick read.
April 6, 2019
Men of monsters
I didn't know what to expect going into this novella, I only knew that I enjoyed watching the author review other books on YouTube. But, I can honestly say that I enjoyed this tale. Our protagonist Chris has grown up in a family plagued by monsters. No one can see each others monster, just their own (hello life). Chris' family have all seemed to destroy themselves, though, on the horns of their own particular monsters. Chris decides to take on his monster face-to-face, no more hiding.
Are the monsters real? Or is this entire story a view of Chris' mental instability. I like how it doesn't seem to matter if it is all real or just a tormented mind. The insights are real - the emotions are real. And that is enough.
Good yarn...
I didn't know what to expect going into this novella, I only knew that I enjoyed watching the author review other books on YouTube. But, I can honestly say that I enjoyed this tale. Our protagonist Chris has grown up in a family plagued by monsters. No one can see each others monster, just their own (hello life). Chris' family have all seemed to destroy themselves, though, on the horns of their own particular monsters. Chris decides to take on his monster face-to-face, no more hiding.
Are the monsters real? Or is this entire story a view of Chris' mental instability. I like how it doesn't seem to matter if it is all real or just a tormented mind. The insights are real - the emotions are real. And that is enough.
Good yarn...
December 22, 2018
A short story about the monsters in our life. In this story, it's about real monsters...or it could be allegorical ones. That's the beauty of it. Each person can only see their own monster, and each person can decide how much impact the monster will have on their life. Reading a lot into the story, it can be a story about how much of our life we have control over. The story is only 30 some odd pages but there's so much to think about - I might write a better review after thinking about it for a few days, but I think I'll be too lazy to do it.
Turns out I did have more to say, at the beginning of the podcast.
Turns out I did have more to say, at the beginning of the podcast.
March 7, 2021
I've been a subscriber of Cameron's YouTube channel for a couple of years, and I had been wanting to read his stories for a while. I went into this novella not knowing anything about it. I guess I expected a young readers, Goosebumps-type story. Instead, there is a very deep, powerful story in There Are Monsters Here that really packs a punch when you are done with it.
July 27, 2018
Well I wasn't expecting to feel FEELINGS while reading this, but I sure did. The writing is wonderfully evocative and immersive. The story is sublime, and I do mean that in the gothic sense. It's at once creepy and real. Your heart might break a little bit, but it's worth it in the end.
August 20, 2018
An extremely compelling debut novella! Something everyone can relate to: The monsters that plague us all. This book is like taking a peek from underneath your fingers in the dark, or looking underneath your bed!
I look forward to more from Cameron Chaney and congratulate him on this very moving short story.
I look forward to more from Cameron Chaney and congratulate him on this very moving short story.
August 25, 2019
There's a reason I've never become a writer. Maybe it's because I lack the drive to actually go for it, for as much as I've always wanted to try. Another reason is that I never found myself all that good at trying to convey my thoughts to words, and make them sound good. But reading this short story (novella?) by Cameron Chaney just may have inspired me to give it a try sometime.
I interpreted this story as a metaphor. We all have our own monster, whether it be addiction, depression, anxiety, self consciousness, etc... and the more severe cases of said issues, I suppose the bigger and uglier the beast of which has manifested from those issues. It's a shame that you can only see your own monster and not anyone else's. It would give you a better perspective on others, just by the size and vileness of the creature shadowing them.
But as stated in the beginning, this isn't a story about how he found his monster, or how it came to be. It's about killing that monster. Translate that to real life, it's about conquering your fears, conquering your problems, analyze yourself and find a way to make things better. The bigger and scarier the monster, the tougher and stronger you'll need to be to defeat it.
I interpreted this story as a metaphor. We all have our own monster, whether it be addiction, depression, anxiety, self consciousness, etc... and the more severe cases of said issues, I suppose the bigger and uglier the beast of which has manifested from those issues. It's a shame that you can only see your own monster and not anyone else's. It would give you a better perspective on others, just by the size and vileness of the creature shadowing them.
But as stated in the beginning, this isn't a story about how he found his monster, or how it came to be. It's about killing that monster. Translate that to real life, it's about conquering your fears, conquering your problems, analyze yourself and find a way to make things better. The bigger and scarier the monster, the tougher and stronger you'll need to be to defeat it.
April 10, 2017
A beautiful allegory for the monsters that haunt us all.
This story hit me hard. Insightful and emotional in a way that allowed me to see myself in its pages, I tore through it barely taking a breath. The writing is gorgeous, perceptive, and vivid. There Are Monsters Here is a must read short story that will stay with you long after you read the last sentence!
This story hit me hard. Insightful and emotional in a way that allowed me to see myself in its pages, I tore through it barely taking a breath. The writing is gorgeous, perceptive, and vivid. There Are Monsters Here is a must read short story that will stay with you long after you read the last sentence!
July 20, 2019
There Are Monsters Here by Cameron Chaney is not only a tale about monsters that live in the minds of a family, but a tale about these monsters when they come to life.
The writing was wonderful. It was pretty unsettling but also quite beautiful. It was creepy where it needed to be creepy, it was raw and honest, and it really packed a punch.
The premise itself was so interesting! There was also a bit of ambiguity with this tale that leaves the readers wondering long after the tale ends.
There were a few tough subjects that came to life in these monsters; alcoholism, abuse, and depression. Each one affected the family member in its own dark way and each was very haunting.
My Favorite Passages:
That’s the thing; nobody in my family can see anyone else’s monster but their own. It’s just the way it has always been.
No this isn’t the story of how I first saw my monster. This is the story of how I killed it.
I don’t know exactly, to be honest. Something just broke. It was like a tree, how it slowly grows more beautiful from summer to autumn, then finally wrings its skeletal hands of the leaves it once held close. I was one of those leaves, and I was falling to the ground with no one to catch me.
I had set my own shadow on fire and watched it burn. I was a lost boy no longer. I was free.
It was what it was. Something new was waiting for me, something good.
My Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this read! It totally sucked me in and I couldn’t stop reading until I had reached the last sentence!
This is a read that I would recommend to a wide variety of readers! This is just one of those books that could fit into various genres; magical realism, slightly dark fantasy, light but unsettling horror, literary fiction… It even had a bit of a poetic feel.
If you enjoy quick novellas that pack a punch, this one is for you.
The writing was wonderful. It was pretty unsettling but also quite beautiful. It was creepy where it needed to be creepy, it was raw and honest, and it really packed a punch.
The premise itself was so interesting! There was also a bit of ambiguity with this tale that leaves the readers wondering long after the tale ends.
There were a few tough subjects that came to life in these monsters; alcoholism, abuse, and depression. Each one affected the family member in its own dark way and each was very haunting.
My Favorite Passages:
That’s the thing; nobody in my family can see anyone else’s monster but their own. It’s just the way it has always been.
No this isn’t the story of how I first saw my monster. This is the story of how I killed it.
I don’t know exactly, to be honest. Something just broke. It was like a tree, how it slowly grows more beautiful from summer to autumn, then finally wrings its skeletal hands of the leaves it once held close. I was one of those leaves, and I was falling to the ground with no one to catch me.
I had set my own shadow on fire and watched it burn. I was a lost boy no longer. I was free.
It was what it was. Something new was waiting for me, something good.
My Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this read! It totally sucked me in and I couldn’t stop reading until I had reached the last sentence!
This is a read that I would recommend to a wide variety of readers! This is just one of those books that could fit into various genres; magical realism, slightly dark fantasy, light but unsettling horror, literary fiction… It even had a bit of a poetic feel.
If you enjoy quick novellas that pack a punch, this one is for you.
April 9, 2018
I was very impressed by this novella. The characters in the story are haunted by their own
"monsters" that only they can see. I loved that the monsters could be a metaphor for the personal demons that people have. This story was surprisingly poignant, and I can see how this story could fit into multiple genres.
"monsters" that only they can see. I loved that the monsters could be a metaphor for the personal demons that people have. This story was surprisingly poignant, and I can see how this story could fit into multiple genres.
July 23, 2019
Delighted to finally read this. I watch Cameron on YT and was so happy to hear this was published. A very interesting discussion of monsters, family, trauma and just where does one evil end and another begin.
June 20, 2017
I really enjoyed Cameron's writing style, I just wish this story was longer and had more to it. But that is on me, as I rarely read short stories for that reason.
February 24, 2019
it was surprisingly good for a first novela from cameron, i follow him on youtube as well
very happy for him...so many elements he can explore further in a full length novel
it was spooky and metaphoric in the best way
very happy for him...so many elements he can explore further in a full length novel
it was spooky and metaphoric in the best way
May 14, 2019
Review
Very haunting and a great short read! The writing was beautiful and very fast paced. Makes me wonder what truth my monster would reveal to me. Highly recommended!
Very haunting and a great short read! The writing was beautiful and very fast paced. Makes me wonder what truth my monster would reveal to me. Highly recommended!
July 19, 2019
4.5, it is a good short story.
March 27, 2019
So I stumbled on this short novella advertised at the end of one of Mr. Chaney's YouTube videos and thought that it sounded interesting. So, I took a chance and bought it today, adding it to my to be read mountain. After downloading it to my kindle, I talked myself into having a peek at the writing style. You see, I'm also an author and I love seeing how other's write.
I started with the first page and was hooked. The story was impossible to put down. The descriptions and emotions.... Holy Cheese, Batman! This author is going places. My only disappointment? Realizing there were no other books or stories by this author.
So I beg of you, Mr. Chaney - Please release something soon!
I started with the first page and was hooked. The story was impossible to put down. The descriptions and emotions.... Holy Cheese, Batman! This author is going places. My only disappointment? Realizing there were no other books or stories by this author.
So I beg of you, Mr. Chaney - Please release something soon!
April 12, 2018
"Home is where the monsters are"
As a debut novella I was blown away by how beautifully poignant this was. The writing had style, the premise was creepy and despite the brevity of the story I really felt for the main character, not an easy task to achieve in a such a short read.
I also loved the possible subtext depending on how you interepreted the story. This could be a straightforward monster story or an allegory for how we all carry personal demons and must one day face up to them. Whichever camp you place yourself in when reading this, you will not be disappointed.
Can't wait to see what else Chaney has up his sleeve!
As a debut novella I was blown away by how beautifully poignant this was. The writing had style, the premise was creepy and despite the brevity of the story I really felt for the main character, not an easy task to achieve in a such a short read.
I also loved the possible subtext depending on how you interepreted the story. This could be a straightforward monster story or an allegory for how we all carry personal demons and must one day face up to them. Whichever camp you place yourself in when reading this, you will not be disappointed.
Can't wait to see what else Chaney has up his sleeve!
February 23, 2019
A gorgeously written novella about our inner monsters/demons and the damage they can do to us. The prose are just lovely and are almost poetic in a way. I read it out loud to my husband and he said it was very good too. Can’t wait for more from the author.
April 20, 2019
Great quick read
I loved the imagery, and I enjoyed it for being a quick read that is was with a lot of meaning.
I loved the imagery, and I enjoyed it for being a quick read that is was with a lot of meaning.
April 28, 2019
Captivating!
Very well written! Definitely was pulled into this short story from the start! I would absolutely recommend this to fans of the genre.
Very well written! Definitely was pulled into this short story from the start! I would absolutely recommend this to fans of the genre.
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