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The Messy Man #2
The Hungry Ones
At the outskirts of Maple City sits the Crossroads Motel, a throwback to the days when the motor lodge was king. Two years ago, the motel was the site of an act so brutal that its buildings were left to rot.
Jessie Voss, however, sees promise in the Crossroad's bare bones and buys it up, determined to breathe new life into the place.
When the Larson family shows up on her doorstep, road-weary and desperate for a break, Jessie offers them lodging, even though her grand opening is still a week away.
But the arrival of guests awakens the motel, and Jessie soon finds herself host to both the living and the dead.
Jessie Voss, however, sees promise in the Crossroad's bare bones and buys it up, determined to breathe new life into the place.
When the Larson family shows up on her doorstep, road-weary and desperate for a break, Jessie offers them lodging, even though her grand opening is still a week away.
But the arrival of guests awakens the motel, and Jessie soon finds herself host to both the living and the dead.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2019
383 people are currently reading
843 people want to read
About the author
Chris Sorensen
66 books156 followersChris Sorensen spends many days and nights locked away inside his own nightmare room. He is the narrator of over 200 audiobooks (including the award-winning The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix) and the recipient of three AudioFile Earphone Awards. Over the past fifteen years, the Butte Theater and Thin Air Theatre Company in Cripple Creek, Colorado have produced dozens of his plays including Dr. Jekyll’s Medicine Show, Werewolves of Poverty Gulch and The Vampire of Cripple Creek. He is the author of the middle grade book The Mad Scientists of New Jersey and has written numerous screenplay including Suckerville, Bee Tornado and The Roswell Project.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
September 11, 2019
3.5! Rounded up for Goodreads. Review originally posted to Cemetery Dance on August 8th, 2019
If you enjoy keeping up with all the new releases in horror, then no doubt you heard about 2018’s The Nightmare Room by Chris Sorensen. Book #1 of the Messy Man series received a warm welcome from the horror industry with glowing reviews across the board from multiple sources, including me! I loved The Nightmare Room. having this to say about it:
…a really well written haunted house story that’s easy to follow and scary enough to leave the light on or read during the day. I loved it! This is a must have for your horror collection.
For me, part of the excitement of picking up The Nightmare Room was knowing that it was the first book in a series. I love the idea of a good horror series that spans over several books. It’s fun to anticipate a return to a storyline I enjoyed or revisit characters to see what will happen to them next.
Book #2, The Hungry Ones, continues the Messy Man series. This is where I’m going to make the recommendation that readers must read The Nightmare Room first, as I don’t believe that The Hungry Ones makes for a standalone novel. There is so much crossover from the first book with little to no flashbacks or anything to help refresh a reader’s memory. I made the mistake of just jumping right in having not read Book #1 in about a year. Also, this book spoils some pretty big reveals from The Nightmare Room.
The first part of the book introduces some new characters and starts telling the story of a woman named Jessie Voss.
Jessie, with the help of a lively and hilarious friend named Steph, invests some money in an abandoned roadside motel that has seen better days and was the location of a brutal act of violence. I have a real affinity for “fixer-upper” stories. I love reading stories about people renovating a neglected farmhouse or giving a new lease on life to a dilapidated business, so this part of the book, where Jessie is painting, cleaning and restoring this old motel, was a huge hook for me. There are several teasers of something residing at the motel, maybe even suggesting that the motel is haunted, but Jessie is the kind of girl that isn’t easily rattled.
A few characters show up while Jessie is preparing for her grand opening. I didn’t immediately catch on that some of the characters who ask to rent a room from Jessie are from the first book—this made for some missed opportunities for me early on and later, when I finally figured it out, I actually had to go back to re-read from when they first make an appearance and then catch up again to where I left off. So again, I will highlight the importance of reading The Nightmare Room.
Towards the middle of the book, I found that I was questioning myself quite often. Wondering if I was forgetting some important details from Book #1 because, as I continued reading, I couldn’t shake the feeling like I was missing something. I was a little confused and disoriented. There were these isolated chapters written in italics that interrupted the flow of the present day drama unfolding and each time I read through one of those chapters, I would feel more confused.
There was also a storyline about these strange phone calls that would come in on a landline and the characters would have these odd, choppy conversations with the person on the other line. Every time this would happen I felt like maybe this was a clue or something from the original plotline that I missed. But apart from some clunkiness due to my forgetfulness, I had an awesome time at the Crossroads Motel. Chris Sorensen’s wheelhouse is writing authentic, realistic encounters with the paranormal. The Hungry Ones is full of unsettling scenes with people in real life coming face-to-face with unexplained phenomena. The careful, descriptive details are what make these scenes so chilling and engaging.
I absolutely love Sorensen’s narrative style. So even though I found book two to be difficult to navigate and I had trouble finding my footing, all of the things that make Sorensen a great writer kept me turning the pages until the end. I’m excited to read book three, The Messy Man, which was advertised in the back of the book. More Whisper and more Mr. Tell. Yes!
If you enjoy keeping up with all the new releases in horror, then no doubt you heard about 2018’s The Nightmare Room by Chris Sorensen. Book #1 of the Messy Man series received a warm welcome from the horror industry with glowing reviews across the board from multiple sources, including me! I loved The Nightmare Room. having this to say about it:
…a really well written haunted house story that’s easy to follow and scary enough to leave the light on or read during the day. I loved it! This is a must have for your horror collection.
For me, part of the excitement of picking up The Nightmare Room was knowing that it was the first book in a series. I love the idea of a good horror series that spans over several books. It’s fun to anticipate a return to a storyline I enjoyed or revisit characters to see what will happen to them next.
Book #2, The Hungry Ones, continues the Messy Man series. This is where I’m going to make the recommendation that readers must read The Nightmare Room first, as I don’t believe that The Hungry Ones makes for a standalone novel. There is so much crossover from the first book with little to no flashbacks or anything to help refresh a reader’s memory. I made the mistake of just jumping right in having not read Book #1 in about a year. Also, this book spoils some pretty big reveals from The Nightmare Room.
The first part of the book introduces some new characters and starts telling the story of a woman named Jessie Voss.
Jessie, with the help of a lively and hilarious friend named Steph, invests some money in an abandoned roadside motel that has seen better days and was the location of a brutal act of violence. I have a real affinity for “fixer-upper” stories. I love reading stories about people renovating a neglected farmhouse or giving a new lease on life to a dilapidated business, so this part of the book, where Jessie is painting, cleaning and restoring this old motel, was a huge hook for me. There are several teasers of something residing at the motel, maybe even suggesting that the motel is haunted, but Jessie is the kind of girl that isn’t easily rattled.
A few characters show up while Jessie is preparing for her grand opening. I didn’t immediately catch on that some of the characters who ask to rent a room from Jessie are from the first book—this made for some missed opportunities for me early on and later, when I finally figured it out, I actually had to go back to re-read from when they first make an appearance and then catch up again to where I left off. So again, I will highlight the importance of reading The Nightmare Room.
Towards the middle of the book, I found that I was questioning myself quite often. Wondering if I was forgetting some important details from Book #1 because, as I continued reading, I couldn’t shake the feeling like I was missing something. I was a little confused and disoriented. There were these isolated chapters written in italics that interrupted the flow of the present day drama unfolding and each time I read through one of those chapters, I would feel more confused.
There was also a storyline about these strange phone calls that would come in on a landline and the characters would have these odd, choppy conversations with the person on the other line. Every time this would happen I felt like maybe this was a clue or something from the original plotline that I missed. But apart from some clunkiness due to my forgetfulness, I had an awesome time at the Crossroads Motel. Chris Sorensen’s wheelhouse is writing authentic, realistic encounters with the paranormal. The Hungry Ones is full of unsettling scenes with people in real life coming face-to-face with unexplained phenomena. The careful, descriptive details are what make these scenes so chilling and engaging.
I absolutely love Sorensen’s narrative style. So even though I found book two to be difficult to navigate and I had trouble finding my footing, all of the things that make Sorensen a great writer kept me turning the pages until the end. I’m excited to read book three, The Messy Man, which was advertised in the back of the book. More Whisper and more Mr. Tell. Yes!
December 18, 2019
THE HUNGRY ONES is the second book in THE MESSY MAN series. I read it immediately after finishing the first. I'm so glad I did! Reading them back to back kept all the characters fresh in my mind.
The action starts at a motel which shut down after a gunman went crazy and killed a bunch of customers. I imagine it must be hard to rent rooms after such a tragedy. New characters are introduced as the motel is sold and then renovated. Not long after though, Peter, Hannah and their son come to stay and all hell breaks loose for them. Again.
I admit to being a bit confused at first regarding one of the characters, but as the story progressed, I got the hang of what was going on. It's much more complicated than it first appeared to be in THE NIGHTMARE ROOM. I enjoyed the heck out of the new characters introduced here, most especially Jessie. I was also very happy to see Ellen return from the first book. She's a quirky character and reminds me a bit of Holly from Stephen King's trilogy that started with MR. MERCEDES.
I think this book requires a bit more of the reader than the first one did, which was fine with me. There were more characters to deal with and there were a lot more scary scenes and boy, did I enjoy those! I also enjoyed the big cow and couldn't help but chuckle a few times. (You'll see if you read this.)
All in all, I enjoyed this tale. It was fast paced and kept me on my toes the entire time. For that reason, I highly recommend it! (I also recommend reading THE NIGHTMARE ROOM first.)
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2PxTZvy
*Thanks to the author for the paperback ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
The action starts at a motel which shut down after a gunman went crazy and killed a bunch of customers. I imagine it must be hard to rent rooms after such a tragedy. New characters are introduced as the motel is sold and then renovated. Not long after though, Peter, Hannah and their son come to stay and all hell breaks loose for them. Again.
I admit to being a bit confused at first regarding one of the characters, but as the story progressed, I got the hang of what was going on. It's much more complicated than it first appeared to be in THE NIGHTMARE ROOM. I enjoyed the heck out of the new characters introduced here, most especially Jessie. I was also very happy to see Ellen return from the first book. She's a quirky character and reminds me a bit of Holly from Stephen King's trilogy that started with MR. MERCEDES.
I think this book requires a bit more of the reader than the first one did, which was fine with me. There were more characters to deal with and there were a lot more scary scenes and boy, did I enjoy those! I also enjoyed the big cow and couldn't help but chuckle a few times. (You'll see if you read this.)
All in all, I enjoyed this tale. It was fast paced and kept me on my toes the entire time. For that reason, I highly recommend it! (I also recommend reading THE NIGHTMARE ROOM first.)
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2PxTZvy
*Thanks to the author for the paperback ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
June 9, 2019
4.0 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/qzQFuyRpkWo
Chris Sorensen is the only horror author to make me love - not one, but TWO - haunted house stories.
I have said so many times that I don’t like reading about haunted buildings and that still remains true with the exception of one series: The Messy Man. I don't just like these books, I really love them. Yes, they still have a lot of the classic tropes of the subgenre, but they also draw on other forms of supernatural horror that hook me in the story. I would love to say more, but I really think it’s best to experience horror of the Messy Man for yourself.
There are so many reasons to love this series. First, the author has writing chops. His style is easy to read, yet descriptive enough to help me picture the events unfolding on the page. The main characters are all quite likeable and often funny. The stories are well paced with the right balance of tension and relief to keep the narrative moving forward. Horror fiction is notorious for having disappointing endings, but Sorenson always nails his finales. No spoilers here, but I will say that both books build towards exciting and satisfying conclusions that I personally really enjoyed.
The Hungry Ones could technically be read as a standalone, but I personally recommend starting back at the beginning of the series because you will get so much more out of the story. The Nightmare Room is a fantastic debut and is well worth your time. If you intend to read the entire series, you should read them in publication order since book two will spoil major plot points from book one.
Needless to say, I would highly recommend The Messy Man series to just about any horror reader. There is something in these books for just about everyone's reading tastes. Once you have read The Nightmare Room, you should absolutely jump into The Hungry Ones. I look forward to reading more of the Messy Man books in the future.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/qzQFuyRpkWo
Chris Sorensen is the only horror author to make me love - not one, but TWO - haunted house stories.
I have said so many times that I don’t like reading about haunted buildings and that still remains true with the exception of one series: The Messy Man. I don't just like these books, I really love them. Yes, they still have a lot of the classic tropes of the subgenre, but they also draw on other forms of supernatural horror that hook me in the story. I would love to say more, but I really think it’s best to experience horror of the Messy Man for yourself.
There are so many reasons to love this series. First, the author has writing chops. His style is easy to read, yet descriptive enough to help me picture the events unfolding on the page. The main characters are all quite likeable and often funny. The stories are well paced with the right balance of tension and relief to keep the narrative moving forward. Horror fiction is notorious for having disappointing endings, but Sorenson always nails his finales. No spoilers here, but I will say that both books build towards exciting and satisfying conclusions that I personally really enjoyed.
The Hungry Ones could technically be read as a standalone, but I personally recommend starting back at the beginning of the series because you will get so much more out of the story. The Nightmare Room is a fantastic debut and is well worth your time. If you intend to read the entire series, you should read them in publication order since book two will spoil major plot points from book one.
Needless to say, I would highly recommend The Messy Man series to just about any horror reader. There is something in these books for just about everyone's reading tastes. Once you have read The Nightmare Room, you should absolutely jump into The Hungry Ones. I look forward to reading more of the Messy Man books in the future.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author.
October 4, 2019
This one had so much more dimension than the first one!
December 5, 2019
THE HUNGRY ONES picks up soon after the events that tortured the little family in THE NIGHTMARE ROOM and adds a new setting and several new characters. I read the Nightmare Room in July 2018 so it’s been awhile and my memories are a tad bit fuzzy. I was able to follow along but wish I had read them back to back so things would’ve been fresh in my head.
Jessie, recovering from a breakup with her fiancé – he with the roving penis, as well as a traumatic injury, decides to start anew and purchases Motel Hell! I’m only sort of kidding. There aren’t any people being turned into sausages here (damn because that fiance might've deserved it) but she has purchased a rundown motel where a crazed man shot down several people two years prior. Now I want to be the next Norma Bates as much as the next slightly unhinged person, but I think even I might think twice about this decision!
The motel is not quite open yet but Jessie has a few guests needing a place to rest their weary heads including the Larson family from the previous book who are on the run after their last ordeal. But fleeing the things that haunt them isn’t as simple as hopping in a car and driving away. The arrival of people seems to awaken something within the walls of the motel and the Larson boy, who has already endured so much, now has to battle supernatural forces. Poor kiddo. I really felt for him and his parents. I also enjoyed meeting Jessie who is a resilient, strong and decent person. I know she’s not real but if she were she would be someone I’d like on my side.
Though this is a different book than The Nightmare Room, which was a slow build of creeping dread, it had enough chills to keep me happy and I enjoyed revisiting the characters and meeting the new ones. If you’re an action fan and love a story that moves, you’re going to find a lot to like here. There’s also some “eww” inducing body horror that involves a sliver that just won’t leave and that kind of stuff always makes me cringe also makes me very happy.
The Hungry Ones is a strong entry in The Messy Man series that builds up its world and keeps things fresh. Go grab yourself a large mug of whatever, a comfy blanket and settle in with both books. I’m sure you deserve it!
Jessie, recovering from a breakup with her fiancé – he with the roving penis, as well as a traumatic injury, decides to start anew and purchases Motel Hell! I’m only sort of kidding. There aren’t any people being turned into sausages here (damn because that fiance might've deserved it) but she has purchased a rundown motel where a crazed man shot down several people two years prior. Now I want to be the next Norma Bates as much as the next slightly unhinged person, but I think even I might think twice about this decision!
The motel is not quite open yet but Jessie has a few guests needing a place to rest their weary heads including the Larson family from the previous book who are on the run after their last ordeal. But fleeing the things that haunt them isn’t as simple as hopping in a car and driving away. The arrival of people seems to awaken something within the walls of the motel and the Larson boy, who has already endured so much, now has to battle supernatural forces. Poor kiddo. I really felt for him and his parents. I also enjoyed meeting Jessie who is a resilient, strong and decent person. I know she’s not real but if she were she would be someone I’d like on my side.
Though this is a different book than The Nightmare Room, which was a slow build of creeping dread, it had enough chills to keep me happy and I enjoyed revisiting the characters and meeting the new ones. If you’re an action fan and love a story that moves, you’re going to find a lot to like here. There’s also some “eww” inducing body horror that involves a sliver that just won’t leave and that kind of stuff always makes me cringe also makes me very happy.
The Hungry Ones is a strong entry in The Messy Man series that builds up its world and keeps things fresh. Go grab yourself a large mug of whatever, a comfy blanket and settle in with both books. I’m sure you deserve it!
June 11, 2019
Last year I had the pleasure of reading book 1 of this series, and I loved it. However, I read a lot of books in a year, and by the time this one arrived at my door, many of the details in book 1 had faded. So I'm going to suggest that you definitely read book 1 first, mostly because this book picks up right where that book ended, but also because it's a really good read. You don't have to read book 1 to enjoy book 2, but who reads a series out of order, am I right?
The first book was about a haunted house, and book 2 picks up the story with a haunted motel. New characters are introduced, but the same characters in book 1 are just as important in this story as they were in the first book. There are details in this book that caused me to go back and read the last few chapters in book 1 so that I could make sure I remembered exactly what happened and understood everything. Ultimately, if for some reason you have both books and have an opportunity to read them back-to-back, I think that would be the best way to read this story, because there are details you will miss if you haven't read the book in a while.
THE HUNGRY ONES is haunted creepy fun. Sorensen introduces a new haunting, and I especially liked how the new characters in this book contributed to fighting that haunting with the characters from book 1. This is not a typical ghost story, and I liked that the entities were unique and the haunting was something a bit new for this subgenre. There are definitely ghosts in this book, but not in the typical haunting fashion.
I'm not going to go into the plot or any spoiler territory. Honestly, if you read book 1, you don't need to be told to pick up book 2. Sorensen has delivered another creepy tale filled with dark entities that manipulate people to do their bidding. The Messy Man is back.
The first book was about a haunted house, and book 2 picks up the story with a haunted motel. New characters are introduced, but the same characters in book 1 are just as important in this story as they were in the first book. There are details in this book that caused me to go back and read the last few chapters in book 1 so that I could make sure I remembered exactly what happened and understood everything. Ultimately, if for some reason you have both books and have an opportunity to read them back-to-back, I think that would be the best way to read this story, because there are details you will miss if you haven't read the book in a while.
THE HUNGRY ONES is haunted creepy fun. Sorensen introduces a new haunting, and I especially liked how the new characters in this book contributed to fighting that haunting with the characters from book 1. This is not a typical ghost story, and I liked that the entities were unique and the haunting was something a bit new for this subgenre. There are definitely ghosts in this book, but not in the typical haunting fashion.
I'm not going to go into the plot or any spoiler territory. Honestly, if you read book 1, you don't need to be told to pick up book 2. Sorensen has delivered another creepy tale filled with dark entities that manipulate people to do their bidding. The Messy Man is back.
July 11, 2019
"Oblivion would be better than this hell."
The Hungry Ones is the sequel to The Nightmare Room, which was one of my favorite books last year. This book has two main characters, and one of them is the same main character from the last book (it took me a minute to realize this, though).
If possible, I would recommend reading the two books together. I was a little confused at times because I had a tough time remembering everything that happened in The Nightmare Room. This book begins where the previous one left off, and there isn't really a refresher on information (which is fine; I'm just giving you a heads up).
I had a difficult time getting into The Hungry Ones. It's entertaining, but unfortunately, I don't feel like it really stands out from other haunted location novels. There were a couple spooky scenes, but I never really felt drawn into The Hungry Ones, or convinced of the scariness of the hotel. I found the ending to be a bit confusing, but we know there's a third book coming, so everything will be ironed out. This is not a bad book at all, and this is a very fun haunting series. I'm looking forward to book 3.
The Hungry Ones is the sequel to The Nightmare Room, which was one of my favorite books last year. This book has two main characters, and one of them is the same main character from the last book (it took me a minute to realize this, though).
If possible, I would recommend reading the two books together. I was a little confused at times because I had a tough time remembering everything that happened in The Nightmare Room. This book begins where the previous one left off, and there isn't really a refresher on information (which is fine; I'm just giving you a heads up).
I had a difficult time getting into The Hungry Ones. It's entertaining, but unfortunately, I don't feel like it really stands out from other haunted location novels. There were a couple spooky scenes, but I never really felt drawn into The Hungry Ones, or convinced of the scariness of the hotel. I found the ending to be a bit confusing, but we know there's a third book coming, so everything will be ironed out. This is not a bad book at all, and this is a very fun haunting series. I'm looking forward to book 3.
June 19, 2019
My review of THE HUNGRY ONES can be found at High Fever Books.
For as much as I dug Chris Sorensen’s debut last year with The Nightmare Room, I wasn’t quite sure about its series potential, how Sorensen would stretch this premise out over multiple books, or what directions it could be spun in. Getting into a series requires a degree of blind trust from the reader — you have to hope that the author knows what they’re doing, that they have some kind of plan in place for future installments, and have faith in them to deliver on your goodwill. You also have to trust they won’t kick off a strong series with interesting characters only to abandon it once they’ve gotten you hooked (à la Dean Koontz’s Christopher Snow series, for instance). The author, meanwhile, is asking you to invest both time and money, not just once, but twice, maybe three times, possibly more if it’s a series with long-term expectations. They have to deliver on the goods over and over and over in order to keep readers invested and to feel both rewarded at the end of the latest installment and excited to keep going with the next book. Honestly, series are a pain in the ass, y’all. There’s a lot of give and take involved, a degree of commitment that’s necessary in developing a new relationship. It can be smooth sailing, or it can be downright messy.
Thankfully, The Hungry Ones is pretty smooth sailing, at least for readers. The characters, however, find themselves in some particularly messy situations. Sorensen takes an interesting route in this follow-up, presenting a sequel to The Nightmare Room that is ostensibly, in some ways, a reboot to the series following the prior novel’s climax.
We’re given a sort-of sideways re-entry into the world of The Messy Man with its focus on new characters and the reintroduction of the Larsen family in a new context. Jessie Voss is the new owner of the Intermission Motor Lodge, née the Crossroads Motel, the site of a murder spree two years prior. Although she’s aware of the Maple City Massacre, she has little understanding or belief in just how profane the grounds have become as a result. Added into the mix are the Larson family, who make the motel their base of operations so Peter can visit his dying mother and, possibly, move his family into the home purchased by his father. Their son Michael, though, carries more than just the baggage of his recent battle with cancer, and soon finds himself in the cross-hairs of supernatural forces seeking to possess him.
Sorensen takes the Go Big Or Go Home route to this sequel. Whereas The Nightmare Room involved a single entity haunting a family home, The Hungry Ones has an entire motel’s worth of the unruly dead to play with. There’s not just one ghost making life miserable for Voss, but a few handfuls of creepy things that go bump in the night. If you dug The Nightmare Room, then you already know Sorensen is adept at writing creeptastic scenes that’ll have you looking over your shoulder. However, If you haven’t read The Nightmare Room yet I highly suggest you do so first. And even if you read book one, you still might want to skim through it again or read the last couple chapters before diving into The Hungry Ones. I’ve read at least a hundred books in between these two Messy Man entries, so I was a bit fuzzy on some of the details surrounding the Larson’s and their current state of affairs. Although Sorensen spares you the details of a long-winded recap via infodump, it wasn’t long before I was able to get back into the thick of things and get a few pings on my recollection radar.
Although there’s good a deal of spooky ghostly encounters, it’s the living characters that have the biggest impact. I really dug Jessie a lot; she’s a cool, tough, determined heroine whose recent hospitalization allows her to form a natural bond and friendship with young Michael Larson. Given the events in The Nightmare Room, it’s only natural that Michael take on a more central focus in the proceedings while his parents move into the background of the narrative. Without spoiling things, though, I will say that one of the more fascinating aspects of this book is makeshift found-family unit that forms around Michael, Jessie, and Peter, with the two adults going to great lengths to protect the boy.
One of the hallmarks of a successful series is whether or not you’re open to the next installment by the time you reach that last page. Are there still avenues left to explore, adventures that you want to be a part of? Or have you seen enough? Are you bored and ready to bail? Me, I’m still open for more, especially since Sorensen ends The Hungry Ones on a note that promises to spin this series sideways yet again. The author has injected a particular element into the proceedings that allows for a certain malleability from book to book, and this novel’s ending indicates that Sorensen will be shifting focus once more come book three. As with the ending of The Nightmare Room, I’m not entirely certain where Sorensen is planning on taking things or what other tricks he has up his sleeve, but I’m more than ready to see what he has in store for us with The Messy Man. Hopefully that book comes out soon, because I’ve got questions and curiosities that need answering, and the sooner the better!
For as much as I dug Chris Sorensen’s debut last year with The Nightmare Room, I wasn’t quite sure about its series potential, how Sorensen would stretch this premise out over multiple books, or what directions it could be spun in. Getting into a series requires a degree of blind trust from the reader — you have to hope that the author knows what they’re doing, that they have some kind of plan in place for future installments, and have faith in them to deliver on your goodwill. You also have to trust they won’t kick off a strong series with interesting characters only to abandon it once they’ve gotten you hooked (à la Dean Koontz’s Christopher Snow series, for instance). The author, meanwhile, is asking you to invest both time and money, not just once, but twice, maybe three times, possibly more if it’s a series with long-term expectations. They have to deliver on the goods over and over and over in order to keep readers invested and to feel both rewarded at the end of the latest installment and excited to keep going with the next book. Honestly, series are a pain in the ass, y’all. There’s a lot of give and take involved, a degree of commitment that’s necessary in developing a new relationship. It can be smooth sailing, or it can be downright messy.
Thankfully, The Hungry Ones is pretty smooth sailing, at least for readers. The characters, however, find themselves in some particularly messy situations. Sorensen takes an interesting route in this follow-up, presenting a sequel to The Nightmare Room that is ostensibly, in some ways, a reboot to the series following the prior novel’s climax.
We’re given a sort-of sideways re-entry into the world of The Messy Man with its focus on new characters and the reintroduction of the Larsen family in a new context. Jessie Voss is the new owner of the Intermission Motor Lodge, née the Crossroads Motel, the site of a murder spree two years prior. Although she’s aware of the Maple City Massacre, she has little understanding or belief in just how profane the grounds have become as a result. Added into the mix are the Larson family, who make the motel their base of operations so Peter can visit his dying mother and, possibly, move his family into the home purchased by his father. Their son Michael, though, carries more than just the baggage of his recent battle with cancer, and soon finds himself in the cross-hairs of supernatural forces seeking to possess him.
Sorensen takes the Go Big Or Go Home route to this sequel. Whereas The Nightmare Room involved a single entity haunting a family home, The Hungry Ones has an entire motel’s worth of the unruly dead to play with. There’s not just one ghost making life miserable for Voss, but a few handfuls of creepy things that go bump in the night. If you dug The Nightmare Room, then you already know Sorensen is adept at writing creeptastic scenes that’ll have you looking over your shoulder. However, If you haven’t read The Nightmare Room yet I highly suggest you do so first. And even if you read book one, you still might want to skim through it again or read the last couple chapters before diving into The Hungry Ones. I’ve read at least a hundred books in between these two Messy Man entries, so I was a bit fuzzy on some of the details surrounding the Larson’s and their current state of affairs. Although Sorensen spares you the details of a long-winded recap via infodump, it wasn’t long before I was able to get back into the thick of things and get a few pings on my recollection radar.
Although there’s good a deal of spooky ghostly encounters, it’s the living characters that have the biggest impact. I really dug Jessie a lot; she’s a cool, tough, determined heroine whose recent hospitalization allows her to form a natural bond and friendship with young Michael Larson. Given the events in The Nightmare Room, it’s only natural that Michael take on a more central focus in the proceedings while his parents move into the background of the narrative. Without spoiling things, though, I will say that one of the more fascinating aspects of this book is makeshift found-family unit that forms around Michael, Jessie, and Peter, with the two adults going to great lengths to protect the boy.
One of the hallmarks of a successful series is whether or not you’re open to the next installment by the time you reach that last page. Are there still avenues left to explore, adventures that you want to be a part of? Or have you seen enough? Are you bored and ready to bail? Me, I’m still open for more, especially since Sorensen ends The Hungry Ones on a note that promises to spin this series sideways yet again. The author has injected a particular element into the proceedings that allows for a certain malleability from book to book, and this novel’s ending indicates that Sorensen will be shifting focus once more come book three. As with the ending of The Nightmare Room, I’m not entirely certain where Sorensen is planning on taking things or what other tricks he has up his sleeve, but I’m more than ready to see what he has in store for us with The Messy Man. Hopefully that book comes out soon, because I’ve got questions and curiosities that need answering, and the sooner the better!
June 12, 2019
Review to come next week on Sci Fi and Scary!
Here it is! Thanks to the author for sending me a copy for review consideration.
I fell in love with The Messy Man series last summer with the publication of The Nightmare Room. I actually read it twice, to be honest. Sorensen’s twist on a haunted house was refreshing and absolutely captivating. I wanted book 2 IMMEDIATELY. When the author announced this book I was stoked, but also worried. What if it went the route of other sequels and diminished this world I had come to love? What if, what if, what if? Friends, I needn’t have worried. Think of your absolute favorite sequel, no matter the franchise. Got it in mind? This is what Sorensen has accomplished for me with The Hungry Ones. Read on, please.
“It was probably a hell of a mess. Blood. Bone. This is where he started, you know.”
From the beginning, the reader is immersed back in the world of The Nightmare Room, but yet it is its own entity. There is no clunky info dump explaining or summarizing where the series left off. We, as readers, are right in it again with one of the most captivating introductory chapters I’ve read. Do you NEED to read book one in order to “get” this one? Absolutely. There is so much I think a reader will miss out on if they read this one without having experienced the other. Sorensen does a superb job of weaving this tale and awakening the memories of readers who might’ve read the first book over a year ago. It is organic, well written, and just a joy to experience. Quick note: after chatting with a friend who also read this, I realized that I missed something! If it’s been a year or so, like it has been for me and others, a quick reread of the last three chapters of The Nightmare Room may help.
“She didn’t want to go, didn’t want to be numb. Pain? Screw it. Fear? Screw it twice.”
Jessie Voss is one of the main stars of this book. She’s the kind of female character I’d be proud to know in real life. She is tough without becoming a “tough girl” stereotype, vulnerable without becoming a simpering damsel in distress, and I really think Sorensen obliterates the idea that men cannot write great female characters. I cannot think of one instance in this story that made me sit back and say “no way she’d do that”. This is a character and arc that I’d be happy to hold up to my students as an example of character writing done right.
“The coal blackness enshrouded him, digging its claws in deep. There were rules to staying alive, rules negotiated over what seemed to be eons of nights…”
There is so much more I could say about this book. Sorensen has proved, yet again, that he can be trusted as a writer to not only provide a great story, but to seamlessly craft a world that readers cannot extricate themselves from. I find the series thus far to be excellently written, well plotted, and wholly unique within the horror genre. To say that I am looking forward to the next installment is a vast understatement. I highly recommend this book and Sorensen takes his place as a favorite author of mine, without question.
Here it is! Thanks to the author for sending me a copy for review consideration.
I fell in love with The Messy Man series last summer with the publication of The Nightmare Room. I actually read it twice, to be honest. Sorensen’s twist on a haunted house was refreshing and absolutely captivating. I wanted book 2 IMMEDIATELY. When the author announced this book I was stoked, but also worried. What if it went the route of other sequels and diminished this world I had come to love? What if, what if, what if? Friends, I needn’t have worried. Think of your absolute favorite sequel, no matter the franchise. Got it in mind? This is what Sorensen has accomplished for me with The Hungry Ones. Read on, please.
“It was probably a hell of a mess. Blood. Bone. This is where he started, you know.”
From the beginning, the reader is immersed back in the world of The Nightmare Room, but yet it is its own entity. There is no clunky info dump explaining or summarizing where the series left off. We, as readers, are right in it again with one of the most captivating introductory chapters I’ve read. Do you NEED to read book one in order to “get” this one? Absolutely. There is so much I think a reader will miss out on if they read this one without having experienced the other. Sorensen does a superb job of weaving this tale and awakening the memories of readers who might’ve read the first book over a year ago. It is organic, well written, and just a joy to experience. Quick note: after chatting with a friend who also read this, I realized that I missed something! If it’s been a year or so, like it has been for me and others, a quick reread of the last three chapters of The Nightmare Room may help.
“She didn’t want to go, didn’t want to be numb. Pain? Screw it. Fear? Screw it twice.”
Jessie Voss is one of the main stars of this book. She’s the kind of female character I’d be proud to know in real life. She is tough without becoming a “tough girl” stereotype, vulnerable without becoming a simpering damsel in distress, and I really think Sorensen obliterates the idea that men cannot write great female characters. I cannot think of one instance in this story that made me sit back and say “no way she’d do that”. This is a character and arc that I’d be happy to hold up to my students as an example of character writing done right.
“The coal blackness enshrouded him, digging its claws in deep. There were rules to staying alive, rules negotiated over what seemed to be eons of nights…”
There is so much more I could say about this book. Sorensen has proved, yet again, that he can be trusted as a writer to not only provide a great story, but to seamlessly craft a world that readers cannot extricate themselves from. I find the series thus far to be excellently written, well plotted, and wholly unique within the horror genre. To say that I am looking forward to the next installment is a vast understatement. I highly recommend this book and Sorensen takes his place as a favorite author of mine, without question.
May 28, 2019
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
2018 was a banner year for indie authors, at least from my point of view. It may have been partly because I became significantly more involved in the community, but I think that played a small role in it.
As the releases kept coming, more and more indie authors pumped out fantastic release after fantastic release.
When all was said and done, Chris Sorensen’s release The Nightmare Room: Book 1 in The Messy Man Trilogy remained high on my list of top reads. It received universally high praise and even wedged itself into the Stoker considerations and rightfully so.
Book 2 now arrives and from all my interactions with Chris, it would be safe to say he is excited but also nervous. When a book delivers as The Nightmare Room does, who wouldn’t be nervous about its follow up? We’ve all seen the sophomore slumps in music before.
I finished The Hungry Ones last night and I can assure you all that Book 2 delivers in buckets.
For most of us voracious readers in the horror community, The Hungry Ones will be a one sit reading. I ended up reading it over a few days as I was trying to also finish two other books this weekend, but truth be told – almost any other time, this would be a 3-hour thrill fest for me.
The story picks up shortly after Book 1, but I need to let you all know this – Chris does such a fantastic job with this book that if you haven’t read The Nightmare Room and overlooked the trilogy description you’d be just fine. This is a sequel that works well as a standalone. It’s obviously connected through the trilogy storyline and all of the key characters from Book 1 are here, but the new setting and new characters introduced all play such a vital role that you’ll be just fine if you’ve missed part 1.
The story centres on Jessie and her purchasing of a motel. The motel played host to a horrendous rampage two years prior that resulted in numerous brutal deaths. So brutal that the spirits of those snuffed out still linger.
We get little rumblings of things to come at the beginning but when the Larson family from book 1 (Peter, Hannah and son Michael) arrive, things awaken and come into the light from out of the darkness.
Sorensen has this ability to keep you firmly on the edge of your seat throughout that you’ll need to stop and remember to breathe time and time again. As the action picks up and the puzzle pieces begin to fall in place Chris does a magnificent job of maintaining horror and scares while also building the emotional connections again that were so prevalent in Book 1.
I do need to point out that by moving the setting to a hotel, Chris is able to continue adding in new areas of creepiness. Motels have always been a staple of the horror world, but I didn’t feel like I was reading a book I’ve already read. It felt fresh and speaks to Sorensen’s ability to drive a haunted house narrative with possession themes in new exciting directions.
The ending was incredibly satisfying and answered a number of questions that Sorensen had asked earlier in the book. I enjoyed again that the ending closed the book but also gave an inkling into where Book 3 might head. I sure hope Jessie and Steph remain characters that play a role in Book 3 as they were both fun players added into this game. Jessie and Michael’s connection was really well done and I’d hope that Chris closes out some of their own stories in Book 3.
This was an easy 5-star read and I’ve already noted it on my spreadsheet as a book that will fall into my top reads of 2019. The anticipation for Book 3 will remain until it arrives on my Kindle. Here’s hoping we get to see it arrive in early 2020.
2018 was a banner year for indie authors, at least from my point of view. It may have been partly because I became significantly more involved in the community, but I think that played a small role in it.
As the releases kept coming, more and more indie authors pumped out fantastic release after fantastic release.
When all was said and done, Chris Sorensen’s release The Nightmare Room: Book 1 in The Messy Man Trilogy remained high on my list of top reads. It received universally high praise and even wedged itself into the Stoker considerations and rightfully so.
Book 2 now arrives and from all my interactions with Chris, it would be safe to say he is excited but also nervous. When a book delivers as The Nightmare Room does, who wouldn’t be nervous about its follow up? We’ve all seen the sophomore slumps in music before.
I finished The Hungry Ones last night and I can assure you all that Book 2 delivers in buckets.
For most of us voracious readers in the horror community, The Hungry Ones will be a one sit reading. I ended up reading it over a few days as I was trying to also finish two other books this weekend, but truth be told – almost any other time, this would be a 3-hour thrill fest for me.
The story picks up shortly after Book 1, but I need to let you all know this – Chris does such a fantastic job with this book that if you haven’t read The Nightmare Room and overlooked the trilogy description you’d be just fine. This is a sequel that works well as a standalone. It’s obviously connected through the trilogy storyline and all of the key characters from Book 1 are here, but the new setting and new characters introduced all play such a vital role that you’ll be just fine if you’ve missed part 1.
The story centres on Jessie and her purchasing of a motel. The motel played host to a horrendous rampage two years prior that resulted in numerous brutal deaths. So brutal that the spirits of those snuffed out still linger.
We get little rumblings of things to come at the beginning but when the Larson family from book 1 (Peter, Hannah and son Michael) arrive, things awaken and come into the light from out of the darkness.
Sorensen has this ability to keep you firmly on the edge of your seat throughout that you’ll need to stop and remember to breathe time and time again. As the action picks up and the puzzle pieces begin to fall in place Chris does a magnificent job of maintaining horror and scares while also building the emotional connections again that were so prevalent in Book 1.
I do need to point out that by moving the setting to a hotel, Chris is able to continue adding in new areas of creepiness. Motels have always been a staple of the horror world, but I didn’t feel like I was reading a book I’ve already read. It felt fresh and speaks to Sorensen’s ability to drive a haunted house narrative with possession themes in new exciting directions.
The ending was incredibly satisfying and answered a number of questions that Sorensen had asked earlier in the book. I enjoyed again that the ending closed the book but also gave an inkling into where Book 3 might head. I sure hope Jessie and Steph remain characters that play a role in Book 3 as they were both fun players added into this game. Jessie and Michael’s connection was really well done and I’d hope that Chris closes out some of their own stories in Book 3.
This was an easy 5-star read and I’ve already noted it on my spreadsheet as a book that will fall into my top reads of 2019. The anticipation for Book 3 will remain until it arrives on my Kindle. Here’s hoping we get to see it arrive in early 2020.
June 20, 2019
Move over Bates Motel, we have a new rundown joint to stay at when we need our terror fix. The Hungry Ones is a follow up to Sorensen's wonderful debut novel, The Nightmare Room. No sophomore jinx here. In fact, The Hungry Ones ups the ante with more scares, mystery and flat out horror.
The book starts with a literal bang(s) at The Crossroads Motel, an opening drenched in blood and madness. Cut to two years later and we find Jessie Voss trying to build a new life for herself. What better way to do that than by purchasing and remodeling a massacre motel? The renovations and presence of warm bodies awakens something dark and sinister within the walls of the motel. Get ready to strap yourself in for this ride.
The Hungry Ones is an excellent summer read...or fall read...or winter...you get the point. I can't wait for the next chapter in the Messy Man series!
The book starts with a literal bang(s) at The Crossroads Motel, an opening drenched in blood and madness. Cut to two years later and we find Jessie Voss trying to build a new life for herself. What better way to do that than by purchasing and remodeling a massacre motel? The renovations and presence of warm bodies awakens something dark and sinister within the walls of the motel. Get ready to strap yourself in for this ride.
The Hungry Ones is an excellent summer read...or fall read...or winter...you get the point. I can't wait for the next chapter in the Messy Man series!
November 6, 2019
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You can check out my full video review HERE, but overall I loved this book even more than the first one. While The Nightmare Room is a relatively simple haunted house story (with a fresh twist), this sequel dives even deeper, presenting a weird Barker-esque tale that promises even more thrills to come. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in Sorensen's Messy Man series! This is a horror event that should not be missed.
4.5 stars. Highly recommended!
You can check out my full video review HERE, but overall I loved this book even more than the first one. While The Nightmare Room is a relatively simple haunted house story (with a fresh twist), this sequel dives even deeper, presenting a weird Barker-esque tale that promises even more thrills to come. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in Sorensen's Messy Man series! This is a horror event that should not be missed.
4.5 stars. Highly recommended!
June 10, 2019
I'm going to caution and encourage you read book 1 before reading this one. Caution you, because I do think you need the background to truly enjoy this. Encourage you because book one is fabulous and you should love it.
In this return to the Messy Man series, the author brings us chills, scares, and a bit of heartbreak. I loved our characters and was so worried for them!
Yes, the story gets a bit gruesome at times, but it's also a lot of fun!
And, honestly, even if you don't choose to read book 1 first, you should enjoy the chills here.
A wonderful read and waiting anxiously for another book, please!
In this return to the Messy Man series, the author brings us chills, scares, and a bit of heartbreak. I loved our characters and was so worried for them!
Yes, the story gets a bit gruesome at times, but it's also a lot of fun!
And, honestly, even if you don't choose to read book 1 first, you should enjoy the chills here.
A wonderful read and waiting anxiously for another book, please!
December 13, 2021
3.5
There is A LOT going on in this one. I can see how some people would find it too confusing. I liked it. It has the characters we know and love and some new ones. I didn't like it as much as the first book, though. There are some really scary scenes in this book. Sister is terrifying! I lined book 2 and 3 up together so I could listen to them back to back. The audio books are read by the author himself. I like when author's read their own books. On to book 3 to see how this all ends.
There is A LOT going on in this one. I can see how some people would find it too confusing. I liked it. It has the characters we know and love and some new ones. I didn't like it as much as the first book, though. There are some really scary scenes in this book. Sister is terrifying! I lined book 2 and 3 up together so I could listen to them back to back. The audio books are read by the author himself. I like when author's read their own books. On to book 3 to see how this all ends.
January 22, 2022
I really enjoyed his previous book, “The Nightmare Room”, but this one a little more. It’s sequel and it doesn't disappoint. We visit some of the characters from the first book again but see them in a different light. You really do need to read the first book before this one...but this one can stand well on its own with new characters and plot twists. Basically...without giving too much away... Jesse buys a hotel that was a scene of multi murders. I guess she didn't expect anything strange to happen. As you have more than likely guessed... she was wrong. You can find out how wrong and meet the new characters which includes a smart little boy...a psychic... and a cow. Just for the record, the cow is totally innocent.
July 24, 2019
This is the sequel to The Nightmare Room, and I read them both in a two-day crazy haze of nightmare-fueled goodness. Sorensen is taking the haunted house trope to the next level, and I couldn’t be more here for it if I tried. Lucky for me, he is winding out the series with a third book, coming soon!
Interestingly, I think you could read this book as a standalone novel, but what really makes it sing and gives it a whole ’nother dimension is knowing how it connects to the events of the first book. Believe me, this series is worth the ride.
Having read them back-to-back, I think I might actually have enjoyed this one more than the first one—though they are both so excellent it’s hard to pick sides. To me, The Hungry Ones felt wholly original and so dynamic—plus I loved main character Jessie and her no-nonsense, get-sh*t-done attitude.
Whereas in the first book, there was a more underlying sense of creeping dread throughout much of the book, this one is balls-to-the-wall from page one. In the prologue it lets you know exactly what to expect—and it gets bloody.
This isn’t a normal sequel. The supernatural element skims the line of a sci-fi/Twilight Zone type narrative, and though it is a bit tangled, I think Sorensen does a fairly neat job of guiding the reader through without just spelling it all out on the page. He trusts that if we keep reading, we’re going to understand what’s going on, and I appreciate that.
I was also happy to see my favorite character from the first book come back toward the end. 😊
My thanks to the author for sending me this one to read and review.
Interestingly, I think you could read this book as a standalone novel, but what really makes it sing and gives it a whole ’nother dimension is knowing how it connects to the events of the first book. Believe me, this series is worth the ride.
Having read them back-to-back, I think I might actually have enjoyed this one more than the first one—though they are both so excellent it’s hard to pick sides. To me, The Hungry Ones felt wholly original and so dynamic—plus I loved main character Jessie and her no-nonsense, get-sh*t-done attitude.
Whereas in the first book, there was a more underlying sense of creeping dread throughout much of the book, this one is balls-to-the-wall from page one. In the prologue it lets you know exactly what to expect—and it gets bloody.
This isn’t a normal sequel. The supernatural element skims the line of a sci-fi/Twilight Zone type narrative, and though it is a bit tangled, I think Sorensen does a fairly neat job of guiding the reader through without just spelling it all out on the page. He trusts that if we keep reading, we’re going to understand what’s going on, and I appreciate that.
I was also happy to see my favorite character from the first book come back toward the end. 😊
My thanks to the author for sending me this one to read and review.
June 13, 2019
I was once in a UH-1 (a Huey) flying from Keesler AFB to Camp Shelby and the main rotor seized. The pilot had to auto-rotate the thing to the ground and I was convinced we were going to die. Up until finishing The Hungry Ones, that was the wildest ride of my life.
One of the most gripping and mile-a-minute thrilling first chapters I've read...
But let me start off with the one negative thing, since you'll need to know it before tackling this book. Although you could read this as a "stand-alone" novel, you're going to miss a lot if you don't read the first book in the series, The Nightmare Room. And I confess that I had to stop about 25% of the way through and go back to The Nightmare Room for a quick skim to get the characters and background refreshed in my head because I had the sneaking suspicion I was missing something--but I read it more than a year and a half ago and I do a great deal of reading. Plus, I'm getting older, so there's that.
Anyway, it helped me considerably.
After that quick refresher, I was back--deep into the next "Messy Man" tale and loving it.
This novel introduces some new characters and does it extremely well--everyone is fleshed out just enough so that the reader is familiar with them but not so much that you're saying, "Yeah, yeah, so her eyes were 'ultramarine'--what's that go to do with anything?" The concept of "enough" is lost on a lot of writers, but not on Sorensen. No overkill. At least not with character descriptions.
There's plenty of overkill in the thrill sequences and it works beautifully. You'll read a chapter, finish it, go "Whew...", start the next chapter, and think to yourself, Damn, I need a nap! You cannot pick up The Hungry Ones as a casual read--it won't let you. It's balls-to-the-wall and fire-in-the-hole spooky action with almost zero downtime so you can catch your breath.
To me, one of the most important things in fiction, especially horror fiction, is to care about the major players and that's what you get here. They demand empathy and you'll give it. And the converse is true of the bad guys even though sometimes the line is blurred because of... can't do it--it'd be a spoiler.
If you're looking for something that'll keep your interest, keep you guessing, make you nervous, scare you silly, and make you hungry for more, you've found it.
But do yourself a favor and read The Nightmare Room first--and don't wait too long after that to hit The Hungry Ones.
One of the most gripping and mile-a-minute thrilling first chapters I've read...
But let me start off with the one negative thing, since you'll need to know it before tackling this book. Although you could read this as a "stand-alone" novel, you're going to miss a lot if you don't read the first book in the series, The Nightmare Room. And I confess that I had to stop about 25% of the way through and go back to The Nightmare Room for a quick skim to get the characters and background refreshed in my head because I had the sneaking suspicion I was missing something--but I read it more than a year and a half ago and I do a great deal of reading. Plus, I'm getting older, so there's that.
Anyway, it helped me considerably.
After that quick refresher, I was back--deep into the next "Messy Man" tale and loving it.
This novel introduces some new characters and does it extremely well--everyone is fleshed out just enough so that the reader is familiar with them but not so much that you're saying, "Yeah, yeah, so her eyes were 'ultramarine'--what's that go to do with anything?" The concept of "enough" is lost on a lot of writers, but not on Sorensen. No overkill. At least not with character descriptions.
There's plenty of overkill in the thrill sequences and it works beautifully. You'll read a chapter, finish it, go "Whew...", start the next chapter, and think to yourself, Damn, I need a nap! You cannot pick up The Hungry Ones as a casual read--it won't let you. It's balls-to-the-wall and fire-in-the-hole spooky action with almost zero downtime so you can catch your breath.
To me, one of the most important things in fiction, especially horror fiction, is to care about the major players and that's what you get here. They demand empathy and you'll give it. And the converse is true of the bad guys even though sometimes the line is blurred because of... can't do it--it'd be a spoiler.
If you're looking for something that'll keep your interest, keep you guessing, make you nervous, scare you silly, and make you hungry for more, you've found it.
But do yourself a favor and read The Nightmare Room first--and don't wait too long after that to hit The Hungry Ones.
June 3, 2023
4.5 Stars
This was a fantastic follow up to book 1, The Nightmare Room. I actually liked it more. This story takes the first book and turns and flips and winds everything around just enough to make your head spin and then smooths it out for you. So much so, that if you read book 2, then book 1 didn’t happen. Confused? Yeah, I was too at some parts of the story but I kept reading and it was worth it.
In this twisted tale we still have the Larson family but instead of focusing on the parents, we now pan in on their son Michael. Also, in place of the creepy house, we now have an even creepier hotel. Within the hotel are malevolent creatures that are looking to feed and they are very hungry.
I would highly recommend reading this one soon after the first book. I didn’t and really wish that I would have. I think it would’ve made the story less confusing. Even if you are confused, stick with it. It all comes together in the end.
This was a fantastic follow up to book 1, The Nightmare Room. I actually liked it more. This story takes the first book and turns and flips and winds everything around just enough to make your head spin and then smooths it out for you. So much so, that if you read book 2, then book 1 didn’t happen. Confused? Yeah, I was too at some parts of the story but I kept reading and it was worth it.
In this twisted tale we still have the Larson family but instead of focusing on the parents, we now pan in on their son Michael. Also, in place of the creepy house, we now have an even creepier hotel. Within the hotel are malevolent creatures that are looking to feed and they are very hungry.
I would highly recommend reading this one soon after the first book. I didn’t and really wish that I would have. I think it would’ve made the story less confusing. Even if you are confused, stick with it. It all comes together in the end.
April 15, 2020
‘The Hungry Ones’ is the second book in ‘The Messy Man’ series. I may be stating the obvious here, but for those of you tempted to read it as a standalone, don’t.
To be entirely fair, you could go ahead and read it as a standalone.
But why would you?
I guarantee you will have a better experience if you read ‘The Nightmare Room’ first.
So, you’re a writer and your debut horror novel is a hit. The #bookstagram community won’t stop raving about it—life is good!
Now comes a tougher challenge. Will the second book live up to the expectations?
I can only imagine how hard it must be to release a follow-up book, cross your fingers and hope for the best.
In my opinion, Chris Sorensen managed to come up with a great follow-up to what was a fantastic first book.
'The Hungry Ones' was devoured (ba dum tss) in one sitting. It's safe to say that I had a grand time during my stay at the Crossroads Motel.
As for Peter, Hannah & Michael...
The Messy man is back.
I can’t wait to read the third book!
Thanks a lot for sending a copy of the book my way, Chris.
To be entirely fair, you could go ahead and read it as a standalone.
But why would you?
I guarantee you will have a better experience if you read ‘The Nightmare Room’ first.
"...the arrival of guests awakens the motel, and Jessie soon finds herself host to both the living and the dead."
So, you’re a writer and your debut horror novel is a hit. The #bookstagram community won’t stop raving about it—life is good!
Now comes a tougher challenge. Will the second book live up to the expectations?
I can only imagine how hard it must be to release a follow-up book, cross your fingers and hope for the best.
In my opinion, Chris Sorensen managed to come up with a great follow-up to what was a fantastic first book.
'The Hungry Ones' was devoured (ba dum tss) in one sitting. It's safe to say that I had a grand time during my stay at the Crossroads Motel.
As for Peter, Hannah & Michael...
The Messy man is back.
I can’t wait to read the third book!
Thanks a lot for sending a copy of the book my way, Chris.
September 27, 2019
When I first read THE NIGHTMARE ROOM by Chris Sorensen, I was struck at what a powerhouse debut it was. The pacing was just right, the building tension getting tauter and tauter as the story progressed, and the ending blindsided me and blew me away. I was LITERALLY astonished, and it remains to this day as one of the best "ghost stories" I've ever read. I knew from the start this was going to launch a series, as it was subtitled THE MESSY MAN SERIES, Book 1. This struck me as interesting because as much as I adored The Nightmare Room, I just couldn't see how the story could progress and go further.
I needn't have worried. In the more than competent hands of Sorensen, the sequel to his hit debut, this one titled THE HUNGRY ONES, the story not only goes forward but does so in new and interesting ways. Here, we have a lady who's purchased a dilapidated motel which was the sight of a brutal shot-gun massacre two years before. She's about a week away from opening when the family from the first book stops by and she rents out a room to them, and unkowingly awakens something sinister lurking on the grounds of her motel. Actually, SEVERAL somethings.
Where Peter and his wife were the main focus of the first book, they take a bit of a back seat in this outing. They still have significant roles, and the version of Peter who is now part of The Messy Man is integral to the story, the real focus here is on his son Michael and the motel owner Jess.
Sorensen structures his books much like an onion, and as we dig into the tale, layers are peeled back one at a time, revealing more and more to us, drawing us in with mystery, and then surprising us with another great finale.
I was privileged enough to be able to read the first couple of chapters of this for Chris many months ago when he reached out to ask if I'd look them over and give him some feedback. The opening is focused on The Maple City Butcher, who is looking for a drink desperately late at night. This is the same guy who shoots up the motel, and here we get a bit of a look into the man that sets everything in motion for this story. I was captivated by this character and instantly wanted to know more. Then after this sinister opening, we meet Jess as she's readying her new motel for business. Again, I was instantly struck with how her character connected with me, like a very sweet person who saw me standing on the street, nervous and confused, and took my hand to lead me where we needed to be. And ultimately, I was hooked. When the couple of chapters Chris sent over for me to peruse were over, my heart sank knowing it would be some time before I'd get to finish this tale.
It was worth the wait. While not quite as fresh and without as big of a twist ending as the first, this was still a terrific sequel. And it IS a sequel, one where the reader will certainly need to have read the first book to understand what's going on. There aren't any lengthy recaps to catch us up on previous events, but there are plenty of spoilers to the first book, so if you're reading this and interested in getting this book, stop, go buy THE NIGHTMARE ROOM, and read it first, THEN get this one. It's the only way to consume this work.
I was initially a bit confused by certain sections that jumped back in time, retelling events from the motel from the past, but soon I caught on and ended up quite enjoying these leaps in time, which filled out the story nicely. Like in the first book, the pacing is spot on and the tension keeps winding up tighter and tighter until the chain snaps in a violent whipcrack at the end, setting us up for yet another sequel to come. Now that I've seen Sorensen's deft handling of a story I was convinced couldn't work beyond a single book, I'm more than eager to see where this story goes from here. And speaking of sequels, this one has all the elements of the very best ones: MORE. More ghosts, more characters, more seedy situations. It really ups the ante nicely.
I'm not a huge "ghost story" fan in general. I've liked a good bit of them, but it isn't the subgenre I typically am drawn to. But Chris Sorensen's pair of books display the height of the genre, hitting all the right notes at just the right tempo with just the right amount of passion. For this reason, I can heartily recommend THE HUNGRY ONES to anyone who enjoys a good supernatural suspense yarn. There's very little gore in either of these books, so the squeamish should be fine, but be sure to have a Xanax handy because this story will put your stomach in knots.
Just do me (and yourself) a favor: read THE NIGHTMARE ROOM first. If you don't, you'll be lost, confused, and in dire need of explanation. Plus, you don't want to spoil the ending to that first book before reading it. It's just too perfect.
THE HUNGRY ONES is the very best kind of sequel, returning us to characters we already love, introducing us to new ones we can cheer for, and takes the story in new and interesting directions. Just remember to hang on for one hell of a ride.
I needn't have worried. In the more than competent hands of Sorensen, the sequel to his hit debut, this one titled THE HUNGRY ONES, the story not only goes forward but does so in new and interesting ways. Here, we have a lady who's purchased a dilapidated motel which was the sight of a brutal shot-gun massacre two years before. She's about a week away from opening when the family from the first book stops by and she rents out a room to them, and unkowingly awakens something sinister lurking on the grounds of her motel. Actually, SEVERAL somethings.
Where Peter and his wife were the main focus of the first book, they take a bit of a back seat in this outing. They still have significant roles, and the version of Peter who is now part of The Messy Man is integral to the story, the real focus here is on his son Michael and the motel owner Jess.
Sorensen structures his books much like an onion, and as we dig into the tale, layers are peeled back one at a time, revealing more and more to us, drawing us in with mystery, and then surprising us with another great finale.
I was privileged enough to be able to read the first couple of chapters of this for Chris many months ago when he reached out to ask if I'd look them over and give him some feedback. The opening is focused on The Maple City Butcher, who is looking for a drink desperately late at night. This is the same guy who shoots up the motel, and here we get a bit of a look into the man that sets everything in motion for this story. I was captivated by this character and instantly wanted to know more. Then after this sinister opening, we meet Jess as she's readying her new motel for business. Again, I was instantly struck with how her character connected with me, like a very sweet person who saw me standing on the street, nervous and confused, and took my hand to lead me where we needed to be. And ultimately, I was hooked. When the couple of chapters Chris sent over for me to peruse were over, my heart sank knowing it would be some time before I'd get to finish this tale.
It was worth the wait. While not quite as fresh and without as big of a twist ending as the first, this was still a terrific sequel. And it IS a sequel, one where the reader will certainly need to have read the first book to understand what's going on. There aren't any lengthy recaps to catch us up on previous events, but there are plenty of spoilers to the first book, so if you're reading this and interested in getting this book, stop, go buy THE NIGHTMARE ROOM, and read it first, THEN get this one. It's the only way to consume this work.
I was initially a bit confused by certain sections that jumped back in time, retelling events from the motel from the past, but soon I caught on and ended up quite enjoying these leaps in time, which filled out the story nicely. Like in the first book, the pacing is spot on and the tension keeps winding up tighter and tighter until the chain snaps in a violent whipcrack at the end, setting us up for yet another sequel to come. Now that I've seen Sorensen's deft handling of a story I was convinced couldn't work beyond a single book, I'm more than eager to see where this story goes from here. And speaking of sequels, this one has all the elements of the very best ones: MORE. More ghosts, more characters, more seedy situations. It really ups the ante nicely.
I'm not a huge "ghost story" fan in general. I've liked a good bit of them, but it isn't the subgenre I typically am drawn to. But Chris Sorensen's pair of books display the height of the genre, hitting all the right notes at just the right tempo with just the right amount of passion. For this reason, I can heartily recommend THE HUNGRY ONES to anyone who enjoys a good supernatural suspense yarn. There's very little gore in either of these books, so the squeamish should be fine, but be sure to have a Xanax handy because this story will put your stomach in knots.
Just do me (and yourself) a favor: read THE NIGHTMARE ROOM first. If you don't, you'll be lost, confused, and in dire need of explanation. Plus, you don't want to spoil the ending to that first book before reading it. It's just too perfect.
THE HUNGRY ONES is the very best kind of sequel, returning us to characters we already love, introducing us to new ones we can cheer for, and takes the story in new and interesting directions. Just remember to hang on for one hell of a ride.
August 6, 2021
video review - https://youtu.be/eg4MGy_OG1w
June 2, 2019
Full Review to follow on Kendall Reviews.
The Hungry Ones is the classic sequel. There's more of everything, more ghosts, more action, more set pieces, more gore, more violence, more fun.
Gone is the slow burn of the original and fans of the poignancy of The Nightmare Room may be disappointed but for me The Hungry Ones is a brilliant and worthy follow up.
Chris Sorensen yet again proves he can hook a reader. Chapters are skillfully written, tempting you to read just one more.
The initial scares are wonderfully subtle and I'd possibly prefer a little more of that to have occured before the story reveals it's full hand. This is a big, brash, exciting, action packed story that hurtles towards a satisfying conclusion whilst teasing Book 3.
Sister is a glorious creation as are the rules Chris has placed within this world. This has legs to run beyond a Trilogy. Situations introduced in The Hungry Ones proves Chris is not afraid to flip a few tables and in Ellen he may have struck the motherload. A sassy character that I'd love to see more of.
As I've mentioned on Twitter, If The Nightmare Room is Chris Sorensen's Star Wars then The Hungry Ones is absolutely his Empire Strikes Back.
The Hungry Ones is the classic sequel. There's more of everything, more ghosts, more action, more set pieces, more gore, more violence, more fun.
Gone is the slow burn of the original and fans of the poignancy of The Nightmare Room may be disappointed but for me The Hungry Ones is a brilliant and worthy follow up.
Chris Sorensen yet again proves he can hook a reader. Chapters are skillfully written, tempting you to read just one more.
The initial scares are wonderfully subtle and I'd possibly prefer a little more of that to have occured before the story reveals it's full hand. This is a big, brash, exciting, action packed story that hurtles towards a satisfying conclusion whilst teasing Book 3.
Sister is a glorious creation as are the rules Chris has placed within this world. This has legs to run beyond a Trilogy. Situations introduced in The Hungry Ones proves Chris is not afraid to flip a few tables and in Ellen he may have struck the motherload. A sassy character that I'd love to see more of.
As I've mentioned on Twitter, If The Nightmare Room is Chris Sorensen's Star Wars then The Hungry Ones is absolutely his Empire Strikes Back.
September 19, 2019
Loved the sequel to the Messy Man series, highly recommend the audiobook read by the author, so good!
August 28, 2023
A step in the right direction for the series.
I wasn't too sure about the Messy Man trilogy after book 1. This second book takes the strangest parts of the first and RUNS with them - in a good way! Especially the supernatural and time-travel elements. I'm very glad I read the second book shortly after the first. There are so many recurring characters and references to other timelines that would be near impossible to follow as a standalone story. That being said, I found this to be a fun ride. I loved seeing familiar characters and familiar stories distort into something new and unfamiliar.
Thank you for the chance to read this for free as part of the trilogy ARC. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
I wasn't too sure about the Messy Man trilogy after book 1. This second book takes the strangest parts of the first and RUNS with them - in a good way! Especially the supernatural and time-travel elements. I'm very glad I read the second book shortly after the first. There are so many recurring characters and references to other timelines that would be near impossible to follow as a standalone story. That being said, I found this to be a fun ride. I loved seeing familiar characters and familiar stories distort into something new and unfamiliar.
Thank you for the chance to read this for free as part of the trilogy ARC. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.
October 2, 2019
The Hungry Ones is a super creepy gem! Filled with horrors that will make your skin crawl and make you think twice about staying at that reopened motel. If your looking for some ghostly goodness the ones lurking in these pages are sure to fuel your nightmares long after you turn the last page. Highly recommended!!
February 22, 2020
I LOVED this book! I read The Nightmare Room last year and it was one of my favorites, but I think I liked this one just a little more. All the different POVs was a bit confusing at first but WOW! The twists in this one were kinda crazy in such a good way. Hope this isn’t the last in the series!
August 8, 2020
#confusingstory
Read
August 30, 2021(Review to come.)
October 6, 2019
*I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.*
Chris Sorenson is back with Book 2 in “The Messy Man” series with The Hungry Ones, another action packed, terrifying page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is no sophomore slump, but a strong, gut churning, terror filled second act in Sorenson's chilling haunted house Opus.
At the outskirts of Maple City sits the Crossroads Motel, a throwback to the days when the motor lodge was king. Two years ago, the motel was the site of an act so brutal that it's buildings were left to rot.
Jessie Voss, however, sees promise in the Crossroad's bare bones and buys it up, determined to breathe new life into the place. When the Larson family shows up on her doorstep, road-weary and desperate for a break, Jessie offers them lodging, even though her Grand Opening is still a week away. But the arrival of guests awakens the motel, and Jessie soon finds herself host to both the living and the dead.
This book was another 5 star read, easy. Chris Sorenson did not slack with The Hungry Ones, which definitely delivers and matches it's predecessor in every way. This is not quite a sequel, so it can be read as a stand alone. It would more accurately be thought of as a prequel to the first book, but my reviews are spoiler free, so I will just leave it at that!
All of the characters from Book 1 are present, but Sorenson introduces some great new characters, and they are definitely the stars of this show! However, the emotional connections between the characters from Book 1 are still prominent.
Sorenson now moves the setting from a house to a motel, which gives him more room to explore the different areas of creepiness and still keeps a form of originality to it. The author keeps the book moving with his fast paced narrative and the sly cheekiness of ending each chapter with a cliffhanger.
The characterization was fantastic, just like book one. The reader will already be well acquainted with the majority of characters as they were in the previous book, but two new characters that stood out were Jessie and Steph. Both fleshed out, flawed people, making them more human, believable and likable and also sympathetic.
Just as he did with Book 1, Book 2 leaves an opening for a third installment. Sorenson, I'm sure, has a whole new handful of atrocities waiting for us in his dark and twisted foray into the haunted house sub genre.
With The Hungry Ones, Chris Sorenson solidifies his skills at manipulating the haunted house narrative into horrifying and chilling new directions. Full of twists and turns that will leave your head spinning, The Hungry Ones is as dark as it is intense and captivating. Sorenson is not just telling scary stories, he's crafting a haunted world out of blood and bone. Chris Sorenson is not the next anything. He can stand on his own just fine with these two wondrously terrifying books under his belt and a third on it's way that I have every confidence will be a frightfully fitting tale that will match or even better it's predecessors.
Chris Sorenson is back with Book 2 in “The Messy Man” series with The Hungry Ones, another action packed, terrifying page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is no sophomore slump, but a strong, gut churning, terror filled second act in Sorenson's chilling haunted house Opus.
At the outskirts of Maple City sits the Crossroads Motel, a throwback to the days when the motor lodge was king. Two years ago, the motel was the site of an act so brutal that it's buildings were left to rot.
Jessie Voss, however, sees promise in the Crossroad's bare bones and buys it up, determined to breathe new life into the place. When the Larson family shows up on her doorstep, road-weary and desperate for a break, Jessie offers them lodging, even though her Grand Opening is still a week away. But the arrival of guests awakens the motel, and Jessie soon finds herself host to both the living and the dead.
This book was another 5 star read, easy. Chris Sorenson did not slack with The Hungry Ones, which definitely delivers and matches it's predecessor in every way. This is not quite a sequel, so it can be read as a stand alone. It would more accurately be thought of as a prequel to the first book, but my reviews are spoiler free, so I will just leave it at that!
All of the characters from Book 1 are present, but Sorenson introduces some great new characters, and they are definitely the stars of this show! However, the emotional connections between the characters from Book 1 are still prominent.
Sorenson now moves the setting from a house to a motel, which gives him more room to explore the different areas of creepiness and still keeps a form of originality to it. The author keeps the book moving with his fast paced narrative and the sly cheekiness of ending each chapter with a cliffhanger.
The characterization was fantastic, just like book one. The reader will already be well acquainted with the majority of characters as they were in the previous book, but two new characters that stood out were Jessie and Steph. Both fleshed out, flawed people, making them more human, believable and likable and also sympathetic.
Just as he did with Book 1, Book 2 leaves an opening for a third installment. Sorenson, I'm sure, has a whole new handful of atrocities waiting for us in his dark and twisted foray into the haunted house sub genre.
With The Hungry Ones, Chris Sorenson solidifies his skills at manipulating the haunted house narrative into horrifying and chilling new directions. Full of twists and turns that will leave your head spinning, The Hungry Ones is as dark as it is intense and captivating. Sorenson is not just telling scary stories, he's crafting a haunted world out of blood and bone. Chris Sorenson is not the next anything. He can stand on his own just fine with these two wondrously terrifying books under his belt and a third on it's way that I have every confidence will be a frightfully fitting tale that will match or even better it's predecessors.
October 3, 2022
3.5 stars / 5
The Hungry Ones reminded me a bit of The Sundown Motel. As book two in The Messy Man series, I didn't like this one quite as much as the first book. There were just too many different characters and storylines that it got confusing at times.
It was also hard to really connect with any of the characters with so many changes in POVs. I think I would have enjoyed it alot more if it just focused mostly on Jessie without all the extra side plots.
The Hungry Ones reminded me a bit of The Sundown Motel. As book two in The Messy Man series, I didn't like this one quite as much as the first book. There were just too many different characters and storylines that it got confusing at times.
It was also hard to really connect with any of the characters with so many changes in POVs. I think I would have enjoyed it alot more if it just focused mostly on Jessie without all the extra side plots.
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