What do you think?
Rate this book
Scare Me If You Can
About the Book At a spooky themed resort in Mahabaleshwar, best-selling author Sivan Singh conducts a workshop on advanced horror-writing. On its final day, the nine participants, influenced by their eerie experiences during their stay, along with an enigmatic writer, go all out for the story narration competition ‘Scare Me If You Can’. Jump on-board this thrilling rollercoaster which promises a screamy ride with mysterious prophecies, sinister sequences and brutal revenges. Let your head spin around, as you see everything going wrong and horror becoming a reality!!! Author Sid Kapdi masterfully crafts a unique backdrop and blends in ten Immaculately written, fast-paced Indian stories based in different cities, the horror quotient rising with each story. Go ahead and take up the Scare Me If You Can challenge! Review Unrelenting dose of horror from the first page to the last - Neil D'Silva, bestselling author of Yakshini and Maya's New Husband About the Author An avid reader and a movie buff, Sid Kapdi started his professional journey as a writer in mid-2018. His forte lies in providing an edge-of-the-seat roller-coaster ride to his readers, via his unique and creative tales in the horror and crime genres. His short story Day One at Pamperium, The Spa won a place in India’s first anthology on urban horror, titled ‘City of Screams’ published in 2019. His horror story 'The Mud Ghost' got published in the HBB Micro Fiction Anthology in 2020. Sid's scary story 'The Black PC' on Wattpad.com was highly appreciated. Sid is an alumnus of WIT and NMIMS. He has spent over two decades in the IT industry leading transformational projects and presales for strategic deals. Sid is based out of Mumbai; he loves exploring scenic places and unique cuisines. For more information, do check his website www.sidkapdi.com
158 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2021
6 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 15, 2021
As a child of the 80s, i grew up watching horror shows in regional languages as well as the creepy english ones of the 'evil dead' variety. Indian horror shows/movies meant 'blood and gore' and english were mostly zombies and exorcism. Clichéd. But yeah!
When i picked this book, I had higher expectations, from a storyteller of this genre, especially with Indian Characters.. Was keen to see how much had changed.
The book was a good read, but dissapointed me a bit, because the stories within were clichéd. The spark or thrill of reading a horror/paranormal genre was missing. It did remind me of the story we grew up hearing, told and retold with added masalas. So there was a nostalgic tone to it.. But do honestly wish it had that plus factor.
When i picked this book, I had higher expectations, from a storyteller of this genre, especially with Indian Characters.. Was keen to see how much had changed.
The book was a good read, but dissapointed me a bit, because the stories within were clichéd. The spark or thrill of reading a horror/paranormal genre was missing. It did remind me of the story we grew up hearing, told and retold with added masalas. So there was a nostalgic tone to it.. But do honestly wish it had that plus factor.
April 16, 2021
This is the second horror book I read this week. Sid has succeeded in spooking me! I jumped many times while reading the smaller stories in the book. Some were a tad long but each one was very well-written. Sid writes very well, his language is simple and easy to understand. I never expected that horror writing could be so visual! Right from the film awards function, till the cab ride I went along, heart beat rising, slightly tensed...waiting for the next spook to come. And I realized Ajgar is still alive and out in the world! Whoa!
Man, this is one helluva scary book! Do read it without any delay.
Man, this is one helluva scary book! Do read it without any delay.
May 27, 2021
Book Title: Scare me if you can
Author: Sid Kapdi
Format: Kindle
My Thoughts:
This book is a collection of horror stories, each one described by a writer who participates in a get together of the writers organized by Sivan, the famous writer in the town at a resort. The resort itself is a character in the story as the look and explanation will create horror in a reader's mind. To know more about the resort and its setting, one must surely read the book.
From chapter one till chapter 10, the whole setup, the excitement, entertainment, and thrill every page gives the reader is interesting. The stories don't become scary suddenly, but like slow poison, the horror element seeps deeper.
What to expect from the story?
'Scare me if you can' by Sid Kapdi is an anthology of short stories in the horror genre. The novel starts with the protagonist Sivan, the bestselling Author, who conducts a workshop in advanced horror writing in a resort. As said, the resort itself creates a mood. After a four-day workshop, each participant reads out their stories. Besides these nine people, who are the participants, it is observed that there is an outsider who also renders his story and that story turns out to have an interesting twist. The collection has a good range of diversity regarding the degree of scare, thrill and locations. It's interesting to observe the presence of subgenres within the main genre of horror.
Who can read?
This book pleases those readers who read gore, blood, crime, and torture without any hesitation. While few stories are okay to read, few are very intense. Therefore though the language used is not obscene, the plotline in few stories is raw and brutal. Thus, weak-hearted people and teenagers may skip the book.
How good are the characters?
From Sivan to the writers who participate in the workshop in the story, the resort's owner and many other characters have enough space, clarity and strength. Every character is crafted well with deeper details. There is an underlying mystery in every character's introduction, and as the story progresses, many layers unfold in a single character through their story narration.
How good is the narration?
The narration in every story is flowing, shocking, disturbing, fascinating and haunting. The attractive point of the story is in the initial pages of the story. The story is so engaging from the initial pages itself, and as the readers turn the pages, they will get involved in the collection of stories with a proper backdrop immensely. The situations explained that happen in reality in every part of the world hooks the readers' minds. The evilness and the sadism are vividly explained.
How good is the Author's writing style?
With a simple writing style, author Sid Kapdi tried covering a varied and wide range of topics with a subtle message in some of the stories. The aspects of romance, reincarnation, premonition, cruelty towards animals, serial killings, etc., have been the muses of the plotline. He has also experimented with forms of writing in one particular story, which makes it an interesting read. There is a good amount of detailing with regards to the character and place in each story. The evil virtues of a human are very well presented.
How good are the language and grammar?
The language used in the story is effective. The basic English language elements are used finely.
How entertaining is the book?
The book revolves around one writing workshop in a hill station resort with Nine people and ten stories. From the setup till the story's climax, Sivan's journey with Ajgar is an entertainer.
Final Verdict
Thrilling and exciting horror stories!
Rating:
4/5
Author: Sid Kapdi
Format: Kindle
My Thoughts:
This book is a collection of horror stories, each one described by a writer who participates in a get together of the writers organized by Sivan, the famous writer in the town at a resort. The resort itself is a character in the story as the look and explanation will create horror in a reader's mind. To know more about the resort and its setting, one must surely read the book.
From chapter one till chapter 10, the whole setup, the excitement, entertainment, and thrill every page gives the reader is interesting. The stories don't become scary suddenly, but like slow poison, the horror element seeps deeper.
What to expect from the story?
'Scare me if you can' by Sid Kapdi is an anthology of short stories in the horror genre. The novel starts with the protagonist Sivan, the bestselling Author, who conducts a workshop in advanced horror writing in a resort. As said, the resort itself creates a mood. After a four-day workshop, each participant reads out their stories. Besides these nine people, who are the participants, it is observed that there is an outsider who also renders his story and that story turns out to have an interesting twist. The collection has a good range of diversity regarding the degree of scare, thrill and locations. It's interesting to observe the presence of subgenres within the main genre of horror.
Who can read?
This book pleases those readers who read gore, blood, crime, and torture without any hesitation. While few stories are okay to read, few are very intense. Therefore though the language used is not obscene, the plotline in few stories is raw and brutal. Thus, weak-hearted people and teenagers may skip the book.
How good are the characters?
From Sivan to the writers who participate in the workshop in the story, the resort's owner and many other characters have enough space, clarity and strength. Every character is crafted well with deeper details. There is an underlying mystery in every character's introduction, and as the story progresses, many layers unfold in a single character through their story narration.
How good is the narration?
The narration in every story is flowing, shocking, disturbing, fascinating and haunting. The attractive point of the story is in the initial pages of the story. The story is so engaging from the initial pages itself, and as the readers turn the pages, they will get involved in the collection of stories with a proper backdrop immensely. The situations explained that happen in reality in every part of the world hooks the readers' minds. The evilness and the sadism are vividly explained.
How good is the Author's writing style?
With a simple writing style, author Sid Kapdi tried covering a varied and wide range of topics with a subtle message in some of the stories. The aspects of romance, reincarnation, premonition, cruelty towards animals, serial killings, etc., have been the muses of the plotline. He has also experimented with forms of writing in one particular story, which makes it an interesting read. There is a good amount of detailing with regards to the character and place in each story. The evil virtues of a human are very well presented.
How good are the language and grammar?
The language used in the story is effective. The basic English language elements are used finely.
How entertaining is the book?
The book revolves around one writing workshop in a hill station resort with Nine people and ten stories. From the setup till the story's climax, Sivan's journey with Ajgar is an entertainer.
Final Verdict
Thrilling and exciting horror stories!
Rating:
4/5
May 17, 2021
Horror and mystery thrillers have always been my preferred genres as they have the potential to bind one's attention like no other. Its unfortunate that Indian writers dont come up with too many horror tales but whenever they do , generally they are nothing short of a spectacle. Haven't heard of a novel cum anthology kind of a book and hence this particular novel intrigued me even more.
Bestselling author Sivan Singh conducts a workshop on advanced horror writing in a resort and nine members take part in it . During their stay all of them encounter some strange spooky happenings and hence every writer crafts his tale around the specific experience which he goes through. On the concluding day everyone narrates their stories and to their surprise there comes an outsider who also tells a tale with interesting twists which shocks everyone.
The fascinating thing about the book is the detailing of each event . Also the stories are not similar in any way .The backdrop in which they are set is different and also the element of scare depending on who wrote it. It made the stories less creepy but more realistic.
Some of the tales make you quite nostalgic as we the 90s people are quite use to hearing or watching such stories. Though if you are picking it up purely for experiencing that scary vibe or spine chilling horror you might get a bit disappointed depending on his or her past experiences with this genre.
Nonetheless , on the part of author , plot is tightly knitted, cover is perfect and loved the way sub-genres are adjusted in each tale without making it feel forced.
Bestselling author Sivan Singh conducts a workshop on advanced horror writing in a resort and nine members take part in it . During their stay all of them encounter some strange spooky happenings and hence every writer crafts his tale around the specific experience which he goes through. On the concluding day everyone narrates their stories and to their surprise there comes an outsider who also tells a tale with interesting twists which shocks everyone.
The fascinating thing about the book is the detailing of each event . Also the stories are not similar in any way .The backdrop in which they are set is different and also the element of scare depending on who wrote it. It made the stories less creepy but more realistic.
Some of the tales make you quite nostalgic as we the 90s people are quite use to hearing or watching such stories. Though if you are picking it up purely for experiencing that scary vibe or spine chilling horror you might get a bit disappointed depending on his or her past experiences with this genre.
Nonetheless , on the part of author , plot is tightly knitted, cover is perfect and loved the way sub-genres are adjusted in each tale without making it feel forced.
March 20, 2021
One writing workshop in a hill station resort. Nine people and ten stories.
‘Scare me if you can’ is a novel that has a feel of an anthology of short stories in the horror genre. The novel starts off with the protagonist Sivan-a best-selling author, who conducts a workshop in advanced horror writing in a resort. After the four-day workshop, each participant reads out their stories. Besides these nine people, there is an outsider whose story turns out to have an interesting twist.
The collection has a good range of diversity with regards to the degree of scares and locations. It’s interesting to observe the presence of sub genres within the main genre of horror. In his simple style of writing, the author covers a range of topics with a subtle message in some of the stories. This includes romance, reincarnation, premonition, cruelty to animals and serial killings.
He has also experimented with forms of writing in one particular story which makes it an interesting read. There is a good amount of detailing with regards to the character and place in each story. Themes of power, ego and revenge are touched upon here.
Amongst these diverse stories, my favorite pick is Ajgar which blew me away with its twist. Overall, ‘Scare me if you can’ is engaging and atmospheric in some sense.
April 14, 2021
Scare me if you can by @authorsidkapdi @treeshadebooks is an interesting pick if you're looking for something to give you a scare mixed with a healthy dose of thrill, suspense, romance, comedy and drama.
My favourite stories from this book were the spooky occurrences that the guests experienced at the horror themed resort, Kavita's story the prophesy and I am scared Mom by Rocky.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the choice of names of the different venues in the resort like the Deadly dungeon, bloody swimming pool, devil's cottage, etc.
The theme of the novel in which the amateur horror writers narrate their stories at a writer's workshop hosted by a master horror story teller Sivan is also very unique and enjoyable.
There's an unusual twist at the end which keeps us glued to the story till the very last page, much to Sivan's horror.
Overall a delightful spooky read that will give you the right amount of scare coupled with entertainment.
Thank you @authorsidkapdi for a copy of your wonderful book.
My favourite stories from this book were the spooky occurrences that the guests experienced at the horror themed resort, Kavita's story the prophesy and I am scared Mom by Rocky.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the choice of names of the different venues in the resort like the Deadly dungeon, bloody swimming pool, devil's cottage, etc.
The theme of the novel in which the amateur horror writers narrate their stories at a writer's workshop hosted by a master horror story teller Sivan is also very unique and enjoyable.
There's an unusual twist at the end which keeps us glued to the story till the very last page, much to Sivan's horror.
Overall a delightful spooky read that will give you the right amount of scare coupled with entertainment.
Thank you @authorsidkapdi for a copy of your wonderful book.
March 23, 2021
While I have watched numerous horror movies, reading a book in this genre was a first for me. I could not believe how horror which is such a visual art can be captured in words so effectively. However, Sid Kapdi has convinced me that with the right details, diversity and freshness it can be put in a book with equal scare. I loved the various horror themes covered in each story that makes it such a good collection. Each story depicts a sub-genre in itself which was wonderful and everything tied to a central theme. Kudos Sid for this brilliant work and keep up the good work.
February 16, 2021
Scare Me If You Can is a cocktail of interesting, terrifying and uncomfortable stories. There were far more hits than there were misses, and a handful of these stories will stay with me for a good long while.
My favourite stories were 'Boss is always right' and 'I am scared, Mom'. The climax of the book is brilliant and I can't wait to see its screen adaptation.
My favourite stories were 'Boss is always right' and 'I am scared, Mom'. The climax of the book is brilliant and I can't wait to see its screen adaptation.
March 23, 2021
Meticulously written....
The sequences that unfold with every new story engulf you completely.
The author should venture deep in horror genre More improvised version of this would be apt for a movie script.
The sequences that unfold with every new story engulf you completely.
The author should venture deep in horror genre More improvised version of this would be apt for a movie script.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews