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Horrific Holidays
In this first volume of HORRIFIC HOLIDAYS, Merchant tells of cannibalistic grocery baggers, violently jealous lovers, pain-bringing cultists, and more.
HORRIFIC HOLIDAYS features five short stories and promises to be a gruesome ride.
Early Praise:
“… as soon as I read the first few pages, I was too immersed to stop...goodness, was it ever hard to put this book down...this is a must for the shelves of horror lovers!" (Amanda Turner via Goodreads)
“I finished reading it in one sitting and not just because it's short, but because these stories are truly gripping ... very enjoyable ... full of gore and blood ..." (Syeda Sumayya Tariq via Goodreads)
“… heavy on gore ... the violence is described in excellent detail ...” (Hayla Richards via Goodreads)
“I read this gripping collection in one sitting … thankful to see Merchant taking risks in publishing this horror-only collection which differs from his previous books.” (Cassandra Vella via Goodreads)
HORRIFIC HOLIDAYS features five short stories and promises to be a gruesome ride.
Early Praise:
“… as soon as I read the first few pages, I was too immersed to stop...goodness, was it ever hard to put this book down...this is a must for the shelves of horror lovers!" (Amanda Turner via Goodreads)
“I finished reading it in one sitting and not just because it's short, but because these stories are truly gripping ... very enjoyable ... full of gore and blood ..." (Syeda Sumayya Tariq via Goodreads)
“… heavy on gore ... the violence is described in excellent detail ...” (Hayla Richards via Goodreads)
“I read this gripping collection in one sitting … thankful to see Merchant taking risks in publishing this horror-only collection which differs from his previous books.” (Cassandra Vella via Goodreads)
82 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2020
3 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Aiden Merchant
37 books73 followersAiden Merchant is the author of more than a hundred stories spanning numerous collections, including Sickness is in Season, Documenting Dreadful Existences, Dead as Soon as Born, Kill for Them, and his extreme horror debut Horrific Holidays. He is also the author of several novellas and screenplays. In late 2021, he published and edited Milk Teeth by Andrew Post, as well as a dark fiction anthology Blackberry Blood, which he worked on with author Julia C. Lewis. His short fiction has appeared in Wild Violence, Pulp Harvest, and Slice of Paradise.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 8, 2021
If you’re a fan of Splatterpunk, you’re going to LOVE Merchant’s gore-infused Collection, HORRIFIC HOLIDAYS! As you dive into this collection, the gore amps up, so have your waders at the ready—you’re in for a bloody ride.
The following are snippets from each story and my immediate thoughts after reading each one:
‘Fresh Start, Fresh Blood’ – Love the ending!
‘Have you ever drunk yourself to a comforting abyss? I save all my urges for New Year’s Eve. That may sound odd, but it intensifies the experience for me. I look forward to it more than any other holiday. My new girl, however, has a different urge she staves until December 31st. I don’t know what it is yet – she wants to surprise me. . . ‘
‘Love You Like Hell’ – Bloody Hell!
'Sometimes you just know, am I right? It’s the way he looks at you. The way he says your name. Kisses your neck. Nibbles on your earlobe. The way he fucking breathes. That’s how it was with Adam.'
'House of Eggs’ – Love This One!
The lights were momentarily blinding when Newman opened his eyes for the first time in the pastel blue house. After wishing and blinking away the spots that danced before his eyes, the parlor room came into view . . . Looking about his unfamiliar surroundings, he realized everything that surrounded him was at least that much bigger than it should have been. It was as if he’d shrunk in size and become a toy miniature.’
‘Nummy Fingers’ – Not for the squeamish, but creepy good. Love the ending!
'I don’t know what I should get this Halloween. I’m not much for candy myself, so shopping for the stuff isn’t exactly fun or easy. Those variety packs seem to be my best friend. But sometimes I think of switching things up. Not use candy at all. Maybe I’ll just hand out human fingers instead . . . .’
'Stuff the Turkey’ – Love the ending!
Sadly, for me, Thanksgiving falls flat in every way. That’s why I stopped celebrating it. Now, don’t get me wrong – I do have my own tradition for this time of year. But it’s not Thanksgiving. I call it STT, or Stuff the Turkey. It’s kind of like a game. . . .’
'Awful Gifts’ – Creepy Good
'Apparently, the Reece’s even had a reputation beyond the neighborhood borders. People knew of them all over town. Sam didn’t take well to their harassment. We knew he disliked them – we all did – but we didn’t realize just how deeply his hatred ran until winter rolled through.
***Trigger Warning – ‘[P]lease refer to the back of this book for warnings we’ve listed per the individual story.’
Thank you to the Author, Aiden Merchant, for providing me with an eBook of HORRIFIC HOLIDAYS in request for an honest review.
The following are snippets from each story and my immediate thoughts after reading each one:
‘Fresh Start, Fresh Blood’ – Love the ending!
‘Have you ever drunk yourself to a comforting abyss? I save all my urges for New Year’s Eve. That may sound odd, but it intensifies the experience for me. I look forward to it more than any other holiday. My new girl, however, has a different urge she staves until December 31st. I don’t know what it is yet – she wants to surprise me. . . ‘
‘Love You Like Hell’ – Bloody Hell!
'Sometimes you just know, am I right? It’s the way he looks at you. The way he says your name. Kisses your neck. Nibbles on your earlobe. The way he fucking breathes. That’s how it was with Adam.'
'House of Eggs’ – Love This One!
The lights were momentarily blinding when Newman opened his eyes for the first time in the pastel blue house. After wishing and blinking away the spots that danced before his eyes, the parlor room came into view . . . Looking about his unfamiliar surroundings, he realized everything that surrounded him was at least that much bigger than it should have been. It was as if he’d shrunk in size and become a toy miniature.’
‘Nummy Fingers’ – Not for the squeamish, but creepy good. Love the ending!
'I don’t know what I should get this Halloween. I’m not much for candy myself, so shopping for the stuff isn’t exactly fun or easy. Those variety packs seem to be my best friend. But sometimes I think of switching things up. Not use candy at all. Maybe I’ll just hand out human fingers instead . . . .’
'Stuff the Turkey’ – Love the ending!
Sadly, for me, Thanksgiving falls flat in every way. That’s why I stopped celebrating it. Now, don’t get me wrong – I do have my own tradition for this time of year. But it’s not Thanksgiving. I call it STT, or Stuff the Turkey. It’s kind of like a game. . . .’
'Awful Gifts’ – Creepy Good
'Apparently, the Reece’s even had a reputation beyond the neighborhood borders. People knew of them all over town. Sam didn’t take well to their harassment. We knew he disliked them – we all did – but we didn’t realize just how deeply his hatred ran until winter rolled through.
***Trigger Warning – ‘[P]lease refer to the back of this book for warnings we’ve listed per the individual story.’
Thank you to the Author, Aiden Merchant, for providing me with an eBook of HORRIFIC HOLIDAYS in request for an honest review.
January 17, 2021
I really enjoyed this collection of holiday themed horror stories. My favorites were Love You Like Hell, House of Eggs and Stuff the Turkey. There’s plenty of gory goodness in these stories to satisfy any horror reader. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Merchant’s work!
Note: trigger warnings for cannibalism, necrophilia, and animal abuse.
Note: trigger warnings for cannibalism, necrophilia, and animal abuse.
January 24, 2020
Who doesn't love holiday horrors? Each of the five stories in this collection focused around one holiday, so no matter which is your favorite holiday, you're sure to be horrified when you read about it's dark side. I planned to intersperse reading this with some other books I am currently reading, but as soon as I read the first few pages, I was too immersed to stop; therefore, this was read in one sitting. Goodness, was it ever hard to put this book down!
FRESH START, FRESH BLOOD- I thoroughly enjoyed this story; although, Jay really should have seen the red flags and left Nova before the night even began. Due to this, I found him to be a character that I was internally yelling at throughout the story. I found my dislike for the main character to also be what invested me so much in the story. After about half way through, I was just hoping something bad would happen to him because, frankly, he deserved a punishment for his stupidity; and, believe me, he does get a pretty satisfying end.
LOVE YOU LIKE HELL- At first, I wasn't really feeling this story. However, about half way through, I was turning pages faster than my hands could move...then came the open ended conclusion. This one will leave you wondering what happens to the characters. I could see this one becoming a novella of it's own.
NUMMY FINGERS- I live for the gore in this story. This has to be one of my favorites of the collection. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it centers around my favorite holiday, Halloween! Plus, I always love characters who seem to lead such normal, mundane lives and are actually hiding something intensely dark and disturbing.
STUFF THE TURKEY- This story was not what I was expecting at all, but I loved it. It tells the tale of a man with a very unconventional Thanksgiving tradition. This is another one for those of you who don't mind an open ended story that begs you to fill in the pieces.
AWFUL GIFTS- Why did I enjoy this Christmas tale? I'm not going to lie, I found parts of it satisfyingly predictable, and I may have let out a giggle here and there. One boy's quest for attention and love from his family leads him on a mission to give them the best gifts they could ask for...truly awful gifts.
This is a must for the shelves of horror lovers! I can imagine people will be breaking this horrific collection out and reading stories around their corresponding holidays to get them in the spirit of the festivities.
**Thank you Aiden Merchant for providing me for an ARC in exchange for a truthful review!**
FRESH START, FRESH BLOOD- I thoroughly enjoyed this story; although, Jay really should have seen the red flags and left Nova before the night even began. Due to this, I found him to be a character that I was internally yelling at throughout the story. I found my dislike for the main character to also be what invested me so much in the story. After about half way through, I was just hoping something bad would happen to him because, frankly, he deserved a punishment for his stupidity; and, believe me, he does get a pretty satisfying end.
LOVE YOU LIKE HELL- At first, I wasn't really feeling this story. However, about half way through, I was turning pages faster than my hands could move...then came the open ended conclusion. This one will leave you wondering what happens to the characters. I could see this one becoming a novella of it's own.
NUMMY FINGERS- I live for the gore in this story. This has to be one of my favorites of the collection. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it centers around my favorite holiday, Halloween! Plus, I always love characters who seem to lead such normal, mundane lives and are actually hiding something intensely dark and disturbing.
STUFF THE TURKEY- This story was not what I was expecting at all, but I loved it. It tells the tale of a man with a very unconventional Thanksgiving tradition. This is another one for those of you who don't mind an open ended story that begs you to fill in the pieces.
AWFUL GIFTS- Why did I enjoy this Christmas tale? I'm not going to lie, I found parts of it satisfyingly predictable, and I may have let out a giggle here and there. One boy's quest for attention and love from his family leads him on a mission to give them the best gifts they could ask for...truly awful gifts.
This is a must for the shelves of horror lovers! I can imagine people will be breaking this horrific collection out and reading stories around their corresponding holidays to get them in the spirit of the festivities.
**Thank you Aiden Merchant for providing me for an ARC in exchange for a truthful review!**
November 23, 2020
I received an e-Galley ARC of Horrific Holidays Volume One from the author, Aiden Merchant, below is my honest review, freely given. I am thankful for the opportunity.
I rated this collection 5 stars.
Holiday horror is your chance to get weird, IMO, and volume one here delivers. I read the first two stories before falling asleep last night. When I got up about 0330 I thought I would read one more, just a little treat to help me fall back asleep. I stayed up to read the WHOLE collection! It’s a good thing I already knew my husband was the one getting up with the children, or I would have had a rough morning ahead.
FRESH START, FRESH BLOOD
Great opening to a new collection, starting with New Years Eve. Gave me Cabin in the Woods (2011) vibes, but without the comedic breaks.
LOVE YOU LIKE HELL
I’m pretty sure if we dug around for a headline to match the crime in this story, we could find one; wouldn’t even have to be from Florida. That’s true horror right there folks.
HOUSE OF EGGS
My favorite, this was crazy from start to finish. I love that there was no explanation, and that the author kept the outcome grounded in reality. No hallmark ending here.
NUMMY FINGERS
Gotta love dedication to a new hobby, no matter how rocky the start, or how doomed the attempt. Thinking of you sis, and that time you thought church singing was you future talent.
STUFF THE TURKEY
This went tits up real quick for the MC.
AWFUL GIFTS
This is another one that I could see actually happening, and it was a big weight on my mind, which surprised me. I was happily reading horror and then I was staring across the dark bedroom, having heavy thoughts, listening to my cat snore. Crazy stuff.
I as always enjoyed the author’s notes, giving the reader insights to how the story came to be and what changed over time in the rewrite process. It adds that little bit extra.
I rated this collection 5 stars.
Holiday horror is your chance to get weird, IMO, and volume one here delivers. I read the first two stories before falling asleep last night. When I got up about 0330 I thought I would read one more, just a little treat to help me fall back asleep. I stayed up to read the WHOLE collection! It’s a good thing I already knew my husband was the one getting up with the children, or I would have had a rough morning ahead.
FRESH START, FRESH BLOOD
Great opening to a new collection, starting with New Years Eve. Gave me Cabin in the Woods (2011) vibes, but without the comedic breaks.
LOVE YOU LIKE HELL
I’m pretty sure if we dug around for a headline to match the crime in this story, we could find one; wouldn’t even have to be from Florida. That’s true horror right there folks.
HOUSE OF EGGS
My favorite, this was crazy from start to finish. I love that there was no explanation, and that the author kept the outcome grounded in reality. No hallmark ending here.
NUMMY FINGERS
Gotta love dedication to a new hobby, no matter how rocky the start, or how doomed the attempt. Thinking of you sis, and that time you thought church singing was you future talent.
STUFF THE TURKEY
This went tits up real quick for the MC.
AWFUL GIFTS
This is another one that I could see actually happening, and it was a big weight on my mind, which surprised me. I was happily reading horror and then I was staring across the dark bedroom, having heavy thoughts, listening to my cat snore. Crazy stuff.
I as always enjoyed the author’s notes, giving the reader insights to how the story came to be and what changed over time in the rewrite process. It adds that little bit extra.
January 11, 2020
This is a collection of 5 horror shorts, all centered around different holidays (talk about doubling the suffering! 🤭). I finished reading it in one sitting, and not just because it's short, but because these stories are truly gripping.
"Love you like hell" was my favorite of this collection. I really enjoyed the way it was told and ended. I like open endings and I cannot lie. I kept thinking about all the ways this story could continue.
"Awful Gifts" was kinda cute, I mean, what do you do with annoying neighbours, but turn them into awful gifts 🙊.
"Stuff the turkey" very enjoyable, the ending especially. Did I mention I like open endings? Although it wasn't quite an open end, the last line kinda summed it all up (in my opinion) and that's what I liked most about it.
"Nummy fingers" was very heavy on gore and that was the best part of it, I couldn't make much of how it ended.
"Fresh start, fresh blood" my least favorite of all, I mean a dude that stupid has it coming already, and probably serves him right 😬. This strongly reminded me of Dr. Sleep.
All in all it was a very enjoyable short read, full on gore and blood. Thanks to the author for providing my with the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"Love you like hell" was my favorite of this collection. I really enjoyed the way it was told and ended. I like open endings and I cannot lie. I kept thinking about all the ways this story could continue.
"Awful Gifts" was kinda cute, I mean, what do you do with annoying neighbours, but turn them into awful gifts 🙊.
"Stuff the turkey" very enjoyable, the ending especially. Did I mention I like open endings? Although it wasn't quite an open end, the last line kinda summed it all up (in my opinion) and that's what I liked most about it.
"Nummy fingers" was very heavy on gore and that was the best part of it, I couldn't make much of how it ended.
"Fresh start, fresh blood" my least favorite of all, I mean a dude that stupid has it coming already, and probably serves him right 😬. This strongly reminded me of Dr. Sleep.
All in all it was a very enjoyable short read, full on gore and blood. Thanks to the author for providing my with the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2020
4.5 Horrific Holidays is a collection of five horror stories themed around the holidays. The stories are well-written with dark humour and plenty of gore. They feature ordinary characters who find themselves in extraordinary situations - sometimes of their own choosing. I found it wildly entertaining!
A girlfriend’s secret plan for her boyfriend on New Year’s Eve leads to the dark side in "Fresh Start, Fresh Blood". A man recounts a tale of his romance gone awry on Valentine's Day in "Love You Like Hell". Secret ingredients are prepared as treats for Halloween in "Nummy Fingers". "Stuff The Turkey" features a different kind of Thanksgiving; action-packed and full of surprises. Finally, "Awful Gifts" brings an unexpected surprise on Christmas morning. This is my favourite story in the collection!
As a note, there's an animal death in "Awful Gifts" but it’s mentioned only briefly. If you’re looking for some twisted, gory horror I recommend this collection!
Thank you to the author for an eARC for review purposes.
book blog | twitter | instagram
A girlfriend’s secret plan for her boyfriend on New Year’s Eve leads to the dark side in "Fresh Start, Fresh Blood". A man recounts a tale of his romance gone awry on Valentine's Day in "Love You Like Hell". Secret ingredients are prepared as treats for Halloween in "Nummy Fingers". "Stuff The Turkey" features a different kind of Thanksgiving; action-packed and full of surprises. Finally, "Awful Gifts" brings an unexpected surprise on Christmas morning. This is my favourite story in the collection!
As a note, there's an animal death in "Awful Gifts" but it’s mentioned only briefly. If you’re looking for some twisted, gory horror I recommend this collection!
Thank you to the author for an eARC for review purposes.
book blog | twitter | instagram
January 10, 2020
This collection is different than the other books Merchant has written in that it contains solely horror stories; and gruesome ones at that.
I appreciated the content warning the author added to his author’s note at the start of the book - had that not been present my reading experience would have been impacted in a negative way as the book contains scenes of animal cruelty (which is something I hate to read).
Fresh Start, Fresh Blood is a story that fans of Ketchum will enjoy as it is light on plot and heavy on gore, as the few of his books I’ve read tend to be.
Love You Like Hell is a classic Merchant - exploring the horror in human emotions and I’m here for it!
Nummy Fingers was a little bit hard to read as the violence is described in excellent detail, but I so enjoyed the ending. Do cannibals get their just desserts? Read it and see! (Pun intended, btw).
Stuff The Turkey is my favorite of the collection. I’m not going to risk spoiling it for you because the fun is in the unexpected twists.
Awful Gifts is the only one in the collection that I did not care for at all. It happens to be the one with the animal cruelty but I also felt like it left off in the middle of the story and never wrapped itself up. Maybe this is another ongoing story?
My honest rating is around 3.4 stars. I’m still a huge fan of Merchant’s writing but I prefer his other books to this one.
Thank you so much to Merchant for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review 🖤
I appreciated the content warning the author added to his author’s note at the start of the book - had that not been present my reading experience would have been impacted in a negative way as the book contains scenes of animal cruelty (which is something I hate to read).
Fresh Start, Fresh Blood is a story that fans of Ketchum will enjoy as it is light on plot and heavy on gore, as the few of his books I’ve read tend to be.
Love You Like Hell is a classic Merchant - exploring the horror in human emotions and I’m here for it!
Nummy Fingers was a little bit hard to read as the violence is described in excellent detail, but I so enjoyed the ending. Do cannibals get their just desserts? Read it and see! (Pun intended, btw).
Stuff The Turkey is my favorite of the collection. I’m not going to risk spoiling it for you because the fun is in the unexpected twists.
Awful Gifts is the only one in the collection that I did not care for at all. It happens to be the one with the animal cruelty but I also felt like it left off in the middle of the story and never wrapped itself up. Maybe this is another ongoing story?
My honest rating is around 3.4 stars. I’m still a huge fan of Merchant’s writing but I prefer his other books to this one.
Thank you so much to Merchant for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review 🖤
November 4, 2020
Aiden Merchant was asked for something bloodier and boy did he deliver in Horrific Holidays Volume 1! After I finished each tale, I immediately thought “HO-LY!”
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also purchased a copy.
Per usual with short story collections, here are my notes about each tale.
Fresh Start, Fresh Blood – 5/5
Holiday: New Years Eve
While a man is set on ringing in the new year going on quite the bender, he’s soon about to realize that his girl has other much darker ideas. Phew, this tale was BRUTAL! Oh my god, the passage about this man’s cheek and then the “carving”… what a tale to kick this collection off with! And that last paragraph of the authors note for this story… I love this so much.
Love You Like Hell – 5/5
Holiday: Valentines Day
In this tale our main character is jumping back and forth to one, talk about his story in the present while he’s in jail, and two, retelling a story from the past that lead him to where he is today. As the reader you clearly knew something bad happened and with his controlling nature I was already fearing the worst. This one was nuts!! Another tale with so much horror and quite the dash of brutality! The controlling and paranoia really spooked me as I had a boyfriend that was super toxic in a stalker-like controlling way. Seeing the tale play out was super eerie for me, but I still loved it!
House Of Eggs – 5/5
Holiday: Easter
There’s nothing more exciting than participating in an Easter egg hunt! That is… unless you wake up naked, painted pastel colors, in a setting straight out of Honey I Shrunk The Kids, and realize you’re being hunted… This was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING! This is certainly an original tale! I love that this story left the readers just as shocked and confused as the characters were. And the gore… it was shocking with each occurrence!
Nummy Fingers – 5/5
Holiday: Halloween
The story is about a man who does some thing a bit more… creative this year for Halloween. It’s a thousand times more dark than his norm. But after all, it’s Halloween and no one‘s gonna second-guess what you’re doing. Phew! And other absolutely brutal one but very real world horror! I could never guess what was going to happen next. This one will make your stomach cramp up!
Stuff The Turkey – 5/5
Holiday: Thanksgiving
This character is prepping for Thanksgiving, but rather than a turkey in the center of the feast, this man provides a human. But just how does he find his dinner? We’re about to find out! Brutal! And my gosh, that last line!!
Awful Gifts – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Hooooooly. This tale!!! I don’t want to even hint at what this one is about. I’m just say two things. One, the level of nonchalance that the narrator brings to this by telling the readers what happened while jumping ahead to bluntly explain the end results was unsettling. And two, the level of joy that is included in the video diaries was such a great element to add in! It was SO creepy!
My Final Thoughts
I’m obsessed with holiday horror. Each of these stories were incredibly captivating and I loved every single one. I’m so pumped for a second volume!!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also purchased a copy.
Per usual with short story collections, here are my notes about each tale.
Fresh Start, Fresh Blood – 5/5
Holiday: New Years Eve
While a man is set on ringing in the new year going on quite the bender, he’s soon about to realize that his girl has other much darker ideas. Phew, this tale was BRUTAL! Oh my god, the passage about this man’s cheek and then the “carving”… what a tale to kick this collection off with! And that last paragraph of the authors note for this story… I love this so much.
Love You Like Hell – 5/5
Holiday: Valentines Day
In this tale our main character is jumping back and forth to one, talk about his story in the present while he’s in jail, and two, retelling a story from the past that lead him to where he is today. As the reader you clearly knew something bad happened and with his controlling nature I was already fearing the worst. This one was nuts!! Another tale with so much horror and quite the dash of brutality! The controlling and paranoia really spooked me as I had a boyfriend that was super toxic in a stalker-like controlling way. Seeing the tale play out was super eerie for me, but I still loved it!
House Of Eggs – 5/5
Holiday: Easter
There’s nothing more exciting than participating in an Easter egg hunt! That is… unless you wake up naked, painted pastel colors, in a setting straight out of Honey I Shrunk The Kids, and realize you’re being hunted… This was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING! This is certainly an original tale! I love that this story left the readers just as shocked and confused as the characters were. And the gore… it was shocking with each occurrence!
Nummy Fingers – 5/5
Holiday: Halloween
The story is about a man who does some thing a bit more… creative this year for Halloween. It’s a thousand times more dark than his norm. But after all, it’s Halloween and no one‘s gonna second-guess what you’re doing. Phew! And other absolutely brutal one but very real world horror! I could never guess what was going to happen next. This one will make your stomach cramp up!
Stuff The Turkey – 5/5
Holiday: Thanksgiving
This character is prepping for Thanksgiving, but rather than a turkey in the center of the feast, this man provides a human. But just how does he find his dinner? We’re about to find out! Brutal! And my gosh, that last line!!
Awful Gifts – 5/5
Holiday: Christmas
Hooooooly. This tale!!! I don’t want to even hint at what this one is about. I’m just say two things. One, the level of nonchalance that the narrator brings to this by telling the readers what happened while jumping ahead to bluntly explain the end results was unsettling. And two, the level of joy that is included in the video diaries was such a great element to add in! It was SO creepy!
My Final Thoughts
I’m obsessed with holiday horror. Each of these stories were incredibly captivating and I loved every single one. I’m so pumped for a second volume!!
December 17, 2020
Every Christmas I devour holiday horror. I love reading Halloween stories at Halloween, but there’s something about horror with other holidays that are typically “feel good”.
This short story collection was no exception as there was a story for every holiday, even the elusive Thanksgiving. I don’t see much horror around Thanksgiving, but this was the exception with the short story ‘Stuff the Turkey’.
‘Stuff the Turkey’ is a brand new holiday especially for psychopaths. What could be more fun?!
My favorites from the collection were ‘House of Eggs’ and ‘Awful Gifts’ for very different reasons.
I have never read a more horrific account of an Easter egg hunt in my life. The little boy was an absolute monster. But I was left wanting to know the back story. How did this happen? Without spoilers I’ll just say if you’ve ever imagined having your head bitten off like a chocolate bunny then this is the story for you!
I loved ‘Awful Gifts’ for a much simpler reason. I’m a sucker for teen psycho stories. And of course the shock of the family when their kid does something crazy is hilarious.
Great holiday horror for the season!
This short story collection was no exception as there was a story for every holiday, even the elusive Thanksgiving. I don’t see much horror around Thanksgiving, but this was the exception with the short story ‘Stuff the Turkey’.
‘Stuff the Turkey’ is a brand new holiday especially for psychopaths. What could be more fun?!
My favorites from the collection were ‘House of Eggs’ and ‘Awful Gifts’ for very different reasons.
I have never read a more horrific account of an Easter egg hunt in my life. The little boy was an absolute monster. But I was left wanting to know the back story. How did this happen? Without spoilers I’ll just say if you’ve ever imagined having your head bitten off like a chocolate bunny then this is the story for you!
I loved ‘Awful Gifts’ for a much simpler reason. I’m a sucker for teen psycho stories. And of course the shock of the family when their kid does something crazy is hilarious.
Great holiday horror for the season!
February 12, 2020
Fresh start, fresh blood (New Year’s) everyone loves to party for the new year but what happens when your girlfriend doesn’t approve?!
Love you like hell (Valentine’s Day) obsession/ stalker love story perfect with valentines day which is just around the corner.
Nummy fingers ( Halloween ) I mean what kind of mischief can we get into, maybe make some treats for the kiddies! I really enjoyed this story and I didn’t see that ending coming!
Stuff the turkey (thanksgiving) A man has a yearly ritual of stuffing the turkey. This year he uses his ritual for revenge!
Awful gifts ( Christmas ) What happens when you move in to a house and your neighbors are so awful that the whole town and beyond knows they are a bunch of c*nts! I dunno but the family is getting a special gift this Christmas!
I really enjoyed these short stories! Holiday themed horror stories are awesome and I would have loved to see what he would have done with the other holidays. Maybe one day he will give us more to chew on than lady fingers. 5/5🌟 review.
December 27, 2020
I love reading stories written for specific holidays. I actually have a book shelf dedicated to Christmas, Halloween, Easter, New Years & birthday reads.
I must apologise to Aiden for not reading this book sooner. It got lost in my emails back in October & when I stumbled across it just the other day I just had to start reading it immediately.
I have always enjoyed Aiden's work but thought there was something lacking from his earlier stories. I felt he could go darker and add more gore. Well the readers got what they were hoping for, the gore factor is most definitely in this book and the ideas of each story are brilliant!
Fresh Start ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jay has a special New Years tradition, drink himself stupid and travel from party to party. It's the best night of the year for Jay.
His new girlfriend Nova has her own New Years tradition but is keeping it a secret until the special night. Jay is definitely in for a treat.
House Of Eggs ⭐⭐⭐💫
Newman, Sam, and Lily wake to find themselves naked, painted bright colours and in a giant house. Have they been shrunk? I found this story a little drawn out. I think it could have been more exciting if it was shorter. In saying that it was unlike anything I'd read before and was still a great read.
Nummy Fingers⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a bloody fantastic Halloween story!
Anthony is bored with his life. He's bored with his cheating girlfriend and bored with his job. The more bored he gets the more his mind starts to wander. He has dark thoughts circling his mind and decides it's time to act on them. It's time to carve a pumpkin!
Stuff The Turkey⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The narrator isn't much of a fan when it comes to Thanksgiving. He has his own tradition of feeding those in need but first he needs to hunt down some "special meat".
Awful Gifts⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sam and his family have the neighbours from hell. They complain so much even the police aren't interested. This Christmas Sam wants to give his family the best gift possible but with the neighbours on vacation their Christmas prayers have already been answered. Sam sits back with a smile on his face waiting for the big Christmas reveal to top anyone's expectations.
I find the little author notes at the end of each story so fascinating. It gives insight to what inspired the story or its origins.
A big thank you to Aiden Merchant for sending me a copy of this book which has not influenced my review in any way..
I must apologise to Aiden for not reading this book sooner. It got lost in my emails back in October & when I stumbled across it just the other day I just had to start reading it immediately.
I have always enjoyed Aiden's work but thought there was something lacking from his earlier stories. I felt he could go darker and add more gore. Well the readers got what they were hoping for, the gore factor is most definitely in this book and the ideas of each story are brilliant!
Fresh Start ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jay has a special New Years tradition, drink himself stupid and travel from party to party. It's the best night of the year for Jay.
His new girlfriend Nova has her own New Years tradition but is keeping it a secret until the special night. Jay is definitely in for a treat.
House Of Eggs ⭐⭐⭐💫
Newman, Sam, and Lily wake to find themselves naked, painted bright colours and in a giant house. Have they been shrunk? I found this story a little drawn out. I think it could have been more exciting if it was shorter. In saying that it was unlike anything I'd read before and was still a great read.
Nummy Fingers⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a bloody fantastic Halloween story!
Anthony is bored with his life. He's bored with his cheating girlfriend and bored with his job. The more bored he gets the more his mind starts to wander. He has dark thoughts circling his mind and decides it's time to act on them. It's time to carve a pumpkin!
Stuff The Turkey⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The narrator isn't much of a fan when it comes to Thanksgiving. He has his own tradition of feeding those in need but first he needs to hunt down some "special meat".
Awful Gifts⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sam and his family have the neighbours from hell. They complain so much even the police aren't interested. This Christmas Sam wants to give his family the best gift possible but with the neighbours on vacation their Christmas prayers have already been answered. Sam sits back with a smile on his face waiting for the big Christmas reveal to top anyone's expectations.
I find the little author notes at the end of each story so fascinating. It gives insight to what inspired the story or its origins.
A big thank you to Aiden Merchant for sending me a copy of this book which has not influenced my review in any way..
December 14, 2020
New Year’s Eve - Fresh Blood, Fresh Start 4.5⭐️
Jay takes his new girlfriend Nova along with him to drunkenly celebrate his favorite holiday, New Year’s Eve. Nova, however, celebrates a little differently. A thrilling and definitely gory story. I cringed a little at one point.
Valentine’s Day - Love You Like Hell 4⭐️
Jack is recalling to his cell mate Gent about what landed him in prison. A Valentine’s Day date with his boyfriend has gone horribly wrong. I loved the structure of this one, getting into Jack’s mindset.
Easter - House of Eggs 5⭐️
Newman, Sam, and Lily have found themselves trapped in an oversized world, painted and naked. I don’t want to say too much about this story, except read it!
Halloween - Nummy Fingers 5⭐️
Oh, this one was fun. Anthony spends most of his days daydreaming about killing people and eating them. One day, Halloween, he decides to act on it. Too bad he’s not the only psycho out there. This story was a classic horror story with a little extra bit of ✨spice✨.
Thanksgiving - Stuff the Turkey 4.5⭐️
The narrator doesn’t like Thanksgiving (neither do I) and decides to serve humans to those in need instead (I don’t do that). I absolutely loved the ending to this one.
Christmas - Awful Gifts 5⭐️
You ever have neighbors you just can’t stand? Sam takes it into his own hands to give his family the best gift he can think of. I really enjoyed this one too! Sam is kind of a gray character here and I enjoy that.
Overall, what a great collection! Aiden made this one real bloody, my favorite. I’m rounding this one up to 5 stars for general enjoyment. Giving this a 4 would feel wrong.
Thank you Aiden for sending me a copy to review!
Jay takes his new girlfriend Nova along with him to drunkenly celebrate his favorite holiday, New Year’s Eve. Nova, however, celebrates a little differently. A thrilling and definitely gory story. I cringed a little at one point.
Valentine’s Day - Love You Like Hell 4⭐️
Jack is recalling to his cell mate Gent about what landed him in prison. A Valentine’s Day date with his boyfriend has gone horribly wrong. I loved the structure of this one, getting into Jack’s mindset.
Easter - House of Eggs 5⭐️
Newman, Sam, and Lily have found themselves trapped in an oversized world, painted and naked. I don’t want to say too much about this story, except read it!
Halloween - Nummy Fingers 5⭐️
Oh, this one was fun. Anthony spends most of his days daydreaming about killing people and eating them. One day, Halloween, he decides to act on it. Too bad he’s not the only psycho out there. This story was a classic horror story with a little extra bit of ✨spice✨.
Thanksgiving - Stuff the Turkey 4.5⭐️
The narrator doesn’t like Thanksgiving (neither do I) and decides to serve humans to those in need instead (I don’t do that). I absolutely loved the ending to this one.
Christmas - Awful Gifts 5⭐️
You ever have neighbors you just can’t stand? Sam takes it into his own hands to give his family the best gift he can think of. I really enjoyed this one too! Sam is kind of a gray character here and I enjoy that.
Overall, what a great collection! Aiden made this one real bloody, my favorite. I’m rounding this one up to 5 stars for general enjoyment. Giving this a 4 would feel wrong.
Thank you Aiden for sending me a copy to review!
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December 20, 2020
An amazing collection of holiday horror. It has a very interesting twist on 6 different holidays. I will never look at Easter the same :) I strongly recommend this book for horror lovers because it's not for the light hearted. There are trigger warnings. I will be looking into more books from Aiden Merchant.
May 16, 2021
Fun stories. Gorehounds will enjoy them but those with weaker stomachs might want to steer clear of this one. I liked most of the stories, although the first one, the Christmas-themed, “Awful Gifts,” featured a cat death, and animal death always bothers me.
The longest story, “House of Eggs,” is Easter themed and the most original and creative of the bunch. A bunch of people find themselves painted bright colors and trapped in a giant house while a giant toddler hunts for them as if they’re Easter eggs. This one was truly wild and imaginative and probably my favorite story in the collection.
Overall, Horrific Holidays is a fast, fun read, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Merchant’s work.
The longest story, “House of Eggs,” is Easter themed and the most original and creative of the bunch. A bunch of people find themselves painted bright colors and trapped in a giant house while a giant toddler hunts for them as if they’re Easter eggs. This one was truly wild and imaginative and probably my favorite story in the collection.
Overall, Horrific Holidays is a fast, fun read, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Merchant’s work.
October 28, 2020
Bloody adventures!
Here we are! I just finished one the bloodiest, gory, cannibalistic set of stories I’ve ever read. 10/10 on the buckets of blood and torture scenes and yet Mr. Merchant can do something else then turn your stomach, he can write a hell of a story! Yes the stories are violent but it’s what’s hidden underneath you need to pay attention too, madness, grief and so much more. Humor? Yes.. some like a psychopath with a secret joke, it’s there. I recommend this book for the horror readers that like their stories to run red. You will not be disappointed! Aiden Merchant is one of my favorite authors so please look him up and add him you your TBR!
Here we are! I just finished one the bloodiest, gory, cannibalistic set of stories I’ve ever read. 10/10 on the buckets of blood and torture scenes and yet Mr. Merchant can do something else then turn your stomach, he can write a hell of a story! Yes the stories are violent but it’s what’s hidden underneath you need to pay attention too, madness, grief and so much more. Humor? Yes.. some like a psychopath with a secret joke, it’s there. I recommend this book for the horror readers that like their stories to run red. You will not be disappointed! Aiden Merchant is one of my favorite authors so please look him up and add him you your TBR!
January 27, 2020
Horrific Holidays is the first book I've ever read by Aiden Merchant. It is a collection of gory, and bloody holiday-themed short stories.
Fresh Start, Fresh Blood is centered around New Year's Eve, as we follow Jay and Nova from party to party. This short will really get your blood flowing, no pun intended. I enjoyed it, but at the end I was ready for Jay to get hurt, because he should've known something wasn't right with Nova from the beginning. I mean, who is that blind towards someone obviously insane?
Love you like Hell, is a Valentine's Day story centered around an obsessive man who ends up in prison. At first I was kind of confused what was going on, but I quickly caught on and it turned out to be a really good short story.
Nummy Fingers is a super gory Halloween story with cannibalism. The author described everything in such detail, I felt myself being really grossed out by it. If you like gore than you'll love this one. I wasn't really sure what to make of the ending though.
Stuff the Turkey, is as you might have guessed a Thanksgiving themed story. This one was enjoyable, and the open ending was pretty cool!
Awful Gifts is not your typical holly jolly Christmas story. It's about a boy, who tries to make his family's holiday perfect in every way. I did not care for this one, mainly due to the animal cruelty, which was mentioned by the author in the introduction by the way. So, it wasn't like I was blind sighted.
If you love gore, horror and everything bloody, you will surely enjoy this book!
3 out of 5 stars.
Thank you Aiden Merchant for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Fresh Start, Fresh Blood is centered around New Year's Eve, as we follow Jay and Nova from party to party. This short will really get your blood flowing, no pun intended. I enjoyed it, but at the end I was ready for Jay to get hurt, because he should've known something wasn't right with Nova from the beginning. I mean, who is that blind towards someone obviously insane?
Love you like Hell, is a Valentine's Day story centered around an obsessive man who ends up in prison. At first I was kind of confused what was going on, but I quickly caught on and it turned out to be a really good short story.
Nummy Fingers is a super gory Halloween story with cannibalism. The author described everything in such detail, I felt myself being really grossed out by it. If you like gore than you'll love this one. I wasn't really sure what to make of the ending though.
Stuff the Turkey, is as you might have guessed a Thanksgiving themed story. This one was enjoyable, and the open ending was pretty cool!
Awful Gifts is not your typical holly jolly Christmas story. It's about a boy, who tries to make his family's holiday perfect in every way. I did not care for this one, mainly due to the animal cruelty, which was mentioned by the author in the introduction by the way. So, it wasn't like I was blind sighted.
If you love gore, horror and everything bloody, you will surely enjoy this book!
3 out of 5 stars.
Thank you Aiden Merchant for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 24, 2020
"...boredom has taken me down some dark roads as of late. I'm often daydreaming at work, and not about the typical shit. For me, daydreaming has become violent. As I'm bagging people's groceries, I imagine body parts in my hands being arranged neatly around blocks of cheese and loaves of bread..."
Horrific Holidays is a clever collection of gory, short stories honoring the year's most popular holidays: New Years Eve, Valentines Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I read this book over two days and found myself thinking about the plots and characters even when the book wasn't in front of me. Aiden crafts a perfect balance of engrossing plot, character development, and carnage to keep you turning the page. I don't normally seek out gore or body horror, but I really enjoyed the level of gory detail in each of these short stories - just enough to make you feel a little squeamish, but not too much. My favorite short was "Nummy Fingers" where we meet a 34 year old grocery bagger whose goal is to seek revenge (in a grotesque manner) against a couple teenagers who egged his house on Halloween a couple year ago; I won't spoil the rest, but I can say you'll really enjoy it. Horrific Holidays is a must read and will be available on 2/14. I wont be hesitating to add a physical copy to my personal collection once its available. Thank you, Aiden, for sending me an advance copy of this book to review; I adored it!
Horrific Holidays is a clever collection of gory, short stories honoring the year's most popular holidays: New Years Eve, Valentines Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I read this book over two days and found myself thinking about the plots and characters even when the book wasn't in front of me. Aiden crafts a perfect balance of engrossing plot, character development, and carnage to keep you turning the page. I don't normally seek out gore or body horror, but I really enjoyed the level of gory detail in each of these short stories - just enough to make you feel a little squeamish, but not too much. My favorite short was "Nummy Fingers" where we meet a 34 year old grocery bagger whose goal is to seek revenge (in a grotesque manner) against a couple teenagers who egged his house on Halloween a couple year ago; I won't spoil the rest, but I can say you'll really enjoy it. Horrific Holidays is a must read and will be available on 2/14. I wont be hesitating to add a physical copy to my personal collection once its available. Thank you, Aiden, for sending me an advance copy of this book to review; I adored it!
January 28, 2020
I don't usually review, because what can I bring to the table that many others can't? However, I like to try and review certain things, mainly advanced copies of books that authors send me. Aiden sent this one to me a few weeks back, and I just got to finishing it. Overall I quite enjoyed it. The conceit of telling a horrific tale around certain holidays is great, and I don't think there's enough of that in horror. There is some truly gruesome stuff in this short collection, which I really enjoyed. I didn't know what to expect on the gore/blood level, and I was pleasantly surprised. Much like the author, I don't much care for forced warnings and things like that in front of horror experiences, but if you read these five stories, you better be able to stomach some decently stomach-churning brutality and torture against people and animals. My only real gripe is that all five stories are from the first person perspective so it makes them all feel a bit similar. My favorite was "Nummy Fingers". What a deliciously horrible tale that's infused with some midnight-black humor. Overall I'd definitely suggest this collection for horror fans looking for short, disturbing, gross horror centered around the holidays
January 19, 2020
As a debut for a horror-only collection, this was quite the enjoyable holiday read I was hoping for, gore included. I read this gripping collection in one sitting and already have friends asking for recommendations.
"Fresh Start, Fresh Blood" starts the book off with a unique swing into the New Year.
"Love You Like Hell" dives into the emotions in an easy to follow multi voice fashion.
"Nummy Fingers" caught me with its gruesome detail but kept it exciting with an almost Burton-like twist.
"Stuff The Turkey" took me by surprise. I'm really into how this wild ride went all the way to the end.
"Awful Gifts" was my favorite with its take on how a boy finally found some joy in Christmas.
Thankful for the content warning the author included in the beginning noting types of violence and gore (including animal cruelty) to showcase what I was actually diving into. Especially thankful to see Merchant taking risks in publishing this horror-only collection which differs from his previous books. But also very thankful for experiencing this with an ARC from Aiden Merchant himself.
"Fresh Start, Fresh Blood" starts the book off with a unique swing into the New Year.
"Love You Like Hell" dives into the emotions in an easy to follow multi voice fashion.
"Nummy Fingers" caught me with its gruesome detail but kept it exciting with an almost Burton-like twist.
"Stuff The Turkey" took me by surprise. I'm really into how this wild ride went all the way to the end.
"Awful Gifts" was my favorite with its take on how a boy finally found some joy in Christmas.
Thankful for the content warning the author included in the beginning noting types of violence and gore (including animal cruelty) to showcase what I was actually diving into. Especially thankful to see Merchant taking risks in publishing this horror-only collection which differs from his previous books. But also very thankful for experiencing this with an ARC from Aiden Merchant himself.
March 19, 2020
This is a collection of short horror stories that take place during the following holidays-New Years Eve, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Love You Like Hell- Valentine’s Day
Awful Gifts- Christmas
Stuff The Gifts- Thanksgiving
Nummy Fingers- Halloween
Fresh start, Fresh Blood - New Years Eve
My favorite was Nummy Fingers. Maybe because I am already partial to Halloween, but maybe because it was the thought of the trick or treaters unknowingly eating something they shouldn’t!
I really enjoyed all of these stories. They were graphic. A few times I wanted to throw up myself. I am just being real here. That’s why we read this stuff!! The author nailed it! It’s horror after all. It’s supposed to be gory. There is cannibalism, necrophilia, and a brief mention of animal death in Awful Gifts.
Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Love You Like Hell- Valentine’s Day
Awful Gifts- Christmas
Stuff The Gifts- Thanksgiving
Nummy Fingers- Halloween
Fresh start, Fresh Blood - New Years Eve
My favorite was Nummy Fingers. Maybe because I am already partial to Halloween, but maybe because it was the thought of the trick or treaters unknowingly eating something they shouldn’t!
I really enjoyed all of these stories. They were graphic. A few times I wanted to throw up myself. I am just being real here. That’s why we read this stuff!! The author nailed it! It’s horror after all. It’s supposed to be gory. There is cannibalism, necrophilia, and a brief mention of animal death in Awful Gifts.
Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2022
Wild and gruesome
Definitely an extreme collection of horror...blood and gore galore! Covers New Year's Eve, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Easter.
Definitely an extreme collection of horror...blood and gore galore! Covers New Year's Eve, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Easter.
December 2, 2020
94. That's the number of times Aiden Merchant used the f-bomb in Horrific Holidays. That's a lot, considering this collection of shorts consists of 186 pages. Now I'm not offended by profanity, and tend to use it in my own speech, but not to the extent of Merchant. But when half of the pages of your book contain the f-bomb alone, let alone other profane words, it's hard to not notice it as a crutch. The English language is full of countless other words to describe situations, reactions, and people.
I was lucky enough to get this book, along with three other Merchant books, for free on Black Friday after noticing a tweet from a horror fiction fan account. I'm a sucker for free stuff and I had no clue who Aiden Merchant is before diving into this tome, so this may entirely be his way of writing, and given that I'm the only one-starred review here on Goodreads, he has his fans. With Thanksgiving just ended and Christmas coming up, I was hoping for some good holiday horror, but I felt the collection was extremely lack-luster. Two of the stories (Nummy Fingers and Stuff the Turkey) had a premise around feeding unsuspecting (and needy) people human remains, which makes up two-fifths of the stories contained and three of the five stories could have taken place at any other time of the year and not have effected the plot whatsoever.
The collection starts with a comment about a reader wanting more blood and gore, which honestly weren't what made me dislike this book, but rather the uninspired language, unlikable characters, and ultimately the absence of consistency. A few of the stories have no real ending, and after reading the author's comments about how he and his editor altered some of the endings, I can't help but feel more edits were necessary.
I was lucky enough to get this book, along with three other Merchant books, for free on Black Friday after noticing a tweet from a horror fiction fan account. I'm a sucker for free stuff and I had no clue who Aiden Merchant is before diving into this tome, so this may entirely be his way of writing, and given that I'm the only one-starred review here on Goodreads, he has his fans. With Thanksgiving just ended and Christmas coming up, I was hoping for some good holiday horror, but I felt the collection was extremely lack-luster. Two of the stories (Nummy Fingers and Stuff the Turkey) had a premise around feeding unsuspecting (and needy) people human remains, which makes up two-fifths of the stories contained and three of the five stories could have taken place at any other time of the year and not have effected the plot whatsoever.
The collection starts with a comment about a reader wanting more blood and gore, which honestly weren't what made me dislike this book, but rather the uninspired language, unlikable characters, and ultimately the absence of consistency. A few of the stories have no real ending, and after reading the author's comments about how he and his editor altered some of the endings, I can't help but feel more edits were necessary.
February 16, 2022
This is a great collection of disturbing and bloody things happening around the holidays. I really liked every story, but my favorite was House Of Eggs!
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