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Hawkins Horrors (Stranger Things): A Collection of Terrifying Tales
A wonderful new book is coming from Random House Children's Books.
A wonderful new book is coming from Random House Children's Books.
A wonderful new book is coming from Random House Children's Books.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2022
60 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Matthew J. Gilbert
49 books22 followersRecently named a New York Times Bestselling Author, Matthew J. Gilbert has written several licensed books for some of the world’s biggest franchises, including Stranger Things, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Some of his most notable titles are: the best-selling Little Golden Book, “I Am Jack Skellington,” “Hawkins Horrors: A Collection of Terrifying Tales,” and the official junior novelizations for Netflix's Stranger Things. He is also the co-author of the popular “Classroom 13” chapter book series. In addition to his author life, he’s a former Nickelodeon staff writer, an amateur screenwriter, and a poet when the mood strikes him. He currently lives in far-too-sunny California with his wife, and his loyal cat sidekick, Pepe.
You can follow him on Instagram at @mattgilbertwrites and find him on YouTube as well.
Some of his most notable titles are: the best-selling Little Golden Book, “I Am Jack Skellington,” “Hawkins Horrors: A Collection of Terrifying Tales,” and the official junior novelizations for Netflix's Stranger Things. He is also the co-author of the popular “Classroom 13” chapter book series. In addition to his author life, he’s a former Nickelodeon staff writer, an amateur screenwriter, and a poet when the mood strikes him. He currently lives in far-too-sunny California with his wife, and his loyal cat sidekick, Pepe.
You can follow him on Instagram at @mattgilbertwrites and find him on YouTube as well.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
July 21, 2022
Fun, quick, creepy read for those wanting more ST while we wait for S5. Short stories...the kids getting into more adventures. It's simple but fulfilling. The one thing that bothered me was Nancy's dialog. It just didn't seem like her at times. Still entertaining and enjoyable though! Another one all my fellow ST fans!
June 22, 2024
Hoy les traigo una antología ideal para los amantes de la mítica serie, aunque algunos de los relatos son bastante insulsos, la mayoría lamentablemente 😌 y con unos finales demasiado bruscos y precipitados.
A pesar de ello se lee prácticamente de una sentada, son historias ligeras, entretenidas y plagadas de esos toques de humor tan característicos del grupo, ideales cuando no quieres comerte la cabeza con tramas más trabajadas o profundas 😉, y a mi por lo menos me ha gustado mucho reencontrarme con la famosa pandilla protagonista de Stranger Things.
Consta de nueve relatos independientes, sin continuidad con respecto a la serie. Aunque realmente son siete ya que el primero es más una introducción donde los amigos se reúnen y, en un apagón que les pilla desprevenidos en el videoclub, aprovechan para contarse historias de terror ocurridas en Hawkins.
Este da paso y se enlaza con el siguiente relato llamado "Una vocecita", y el último titulado "En un destello" que es el cierre y consta apenas de dos páginas.
Cada una de las historias está narrada por uno de los personajes de la mítica serie; Dustin, Steve, Mike, Max, Nancy, Erika, Robin y el resto de la pandilla.
Historias, ¿terroríficas?, que ellos aseguran que han tenido lugar en Hawkins; el psiquiátrico Pennhurst, el bosque aledaño al laboratorio, o simplemente en cualquier casa del pueblo.
Nunca se sabe lo que se esconde tras la puerta de cualquier vecino...
Estos son los relatos que contiene ⤵️
1️⃣ 11:58 p.m.
2️⃣ Una vocecita.
3️⃣ Lanzar uno de veinte lados.
4️⃣ El lago de los enamorados.
5️⃣ Las chicas solo quieren divertirse.
6️⃣ No te pongas pesado.
7️⃣ Dos almuerzos.
8️⃣ Teddy responde.
9️⃣ En un destello.
En ellos encontraremos historias muy variadas. Desde jóvenes brujas, pasando por extraños sueños con juegos de rol de por medio, ositos de peluche que parecen adorables pero que esconden algo oscuro en su interior, lagos en cuyo cieno se esconden criaturas de pesadilla, son solo algunos ejemplos de lo que se pueden encontrar.
El relato titulado "El lago de los enamorados" me ha parecido una copia cutre del sublime relato titulado "La balsa" del gran Stephen King, el cual podemos encontrar en su breve antología "Dos historias para no dormir."
En "No te pongas pesado" conoceremos a un exterminador que inevitablemente me ha recordado al villano de la primera película de "Men in Black". Hasta el coche que usa tiene un bicho gigante encima 😅
Es muy entretenido. Nos ha tenido bastante intrigadas.
"Teddy responde" es una versión moderna de Chucky, el muñeco diabólico, pero en versión osito de peluche. Ha sido de nuestros favoritos junto con el que tiene lugar en el psiquiátrico de Pennhurst: "Una vocecita."
En general nos ha faltado más factor sorpresa y originalidad en las tramas.
Pero no ha estado del todo mal conocer que más secretos esconden los habitantes de Hawkins.
Me parece una antología muy recomendable para los fans más acérrimos de la serie, sobre todo para los más jóvenes es una lectura ideal.
De hecho, lo he leído con la mayor de ocho años y ella los ha disfrutado muchísimo más, salvo el titulado "Dos almuerzos", literalmente dice que le pareció una 💩 🤣 y no puedo hacer otra cosa que secundar sus palabras.
Por otro lado, la maquetación es maravillosa, los elementos de la portada con el título en relieve, así como los detalles al inicio de cada capítulo 🖤
"Después de todo, cualquier cosa podría pasar ahí afuera. Vivir en Hawkins ya era bastante aterrador."
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?i... 🖤📖
A pesar de ello se lee prácticamente de una sentada, son historias ligeras, entretenidas y plagadas de esos toques de humor tan característicos del grupo, ideales cuando no quieres comerte la cabeza con tramas más trabajadas o profundas 😉, y a mi por lo menos me ha gustado mucho reencontrarme con la famosa pandilla protagonista de Stranger Things.
Consta de nueve relatos independientes, sin continuidad con respecto a la serie. Aunque realmente son siete ya que el primero es más una introducción donde los amigos se reúnen y, en un apagón que les pilla desprevenidos en el videoclub, aprovechan para contarse historias de terror ocurridas en Hawkins.
Este da paso y se enlaza con el siguiente relato llamado "Una vocecita", y el último titulado "En un destello" que es el cierre y consta apenas de dos páginas.
Cada una de las historias está narrada por uno de los personajes de la mítica serie; Dustin, Steve, Mike, Max, Nancy, Erika, Robin y el resto de la pandilla.
Historias, ¿terroríficas?, que ellos aseguran que han tenido lugar en Hawkins; el psiquiátrico Pennhurst, el bosque aledaño al laboratorio, o simplemente en cualquier casa del pueblo.
Nunca se sabe lo que se esconde tras la puerta de cualquier vecino...
Estos son los relatos que contiene ⤵️
1️⃣ 11:58 p.m.
2️⃣ Una vocecita.
3️⃣ Lanzar uno de veinte lados.
4️⃣ El lago de los enamorados.
5️⃣ Las chicas solo quieren divertirse.
6️⃣ No te pongas pesado.
7️⃣ Dos almuerzos.
8️⃣ Teddy responde.
9️⃣ En un destello.
En ellos encontraremos historias muy variadas. Desde jóvenes brujas, pasando por extraños sueños con juegos de rol de por medio, ositos de peluche que parecen adorables pero que esconden algo oscuro en su interior, lagos en cuyo cieno se esconden criaturas de pesadilla, son solo algunos ejemplos de lo que se pueden encontrar.
El relato titulado "El lago de los enamorados" me ha parecido una copia cutre del sublime relato titulado "La balsa" del gran Stephen King, el cual podemos encontrar en su breve antología "Dos historias para no dormir."
En "No te pongas pesado" conoceremos a un exterminador que inevitablemente me ha recordado al villano de la primera película de "Men in Black". Hasta el coche que usa tiene un bicho gigante encima 😅
Es muy entretenido. Nos ha tenido bastante intrigadas.
"Teddy responde" es una versión moderna de Chucky, el muñeco diabólico, pero en versión osito de peluche. Ha sido de nuestros favoritos junto con el que tiene lugar en el psiquiátrico de Pennhurst: "Una vocecita."
En general nos ha faltado más factor sorpresa y originalidad en las tramas.
Pero no ha estado del todo mal conocer que más secretos esconden los habitantes de Hawkins.
Me parece una antología muy recomendable para los fans más acérrimos de la serie, sobre todo para los más jóvenes es una lectura ideal.
De hecho, lo he leído con la mayor de ocho años y ella los ha disfrutado muchísimo más, salvo el titulado "Dos almuerzos", literalmente dice que le pareció una 💩 🤣 y no puedo hacer otra cosa que secundar sus palabras.
Por otro lado, la maquetación es maravillosa, los elementos de la portada con el título en relieve, así como los detalles al inicio de cada capítulo 🖤
"Después de todo, cualquier cosa podría pasar ahí afuera. Vivir en Hawkins ya era bastante aterrador."
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?i... 🖤📖
October 27, 2022
Reseña próximamente
June 25, 2022
This collection is set between Season Three and Four. The Party is gathered at Family Video in a blackout telling scary stories when their movie night gets ruined. So I'm going to review each short story along with the book itself. This is one of the stories within a story, so this will be a review within a review!
A Little Voice (4 Stars)
There was no way I wasn't going to like a story set in Pennhurst. The asylum setting already sets it up to be creepy as all get out. I was a hundred percent ready for his to be a ghost story. What I wasn't expecting was the twist at the very end. Which I think was more creepy than an actual ghost haunting some poor guy. This was a great story to kick this collection off with it, even if Nancy isn't my favorite character. I'll give her this, she told a good ghost story. I still think she's kind of the worst though...
Do or 20-Sided Die (2 Stars)
Oh Dusty-Poo, why did you let me down! Of the Party, Dustin is my favorite character. But, this story was just not for me. I got bored pretty quickly. It had potential, and I loved that his story had a cursed 20-sided die. But, yeah I kept getting distracted by other things instead of focusing on the story. It bummed me out that Dustin's story fell short. And maybe I'm a little bummed that we could have gotten an Eddie cameo in this story, but was denied this for another Dungeon Master.
Lovers' Lake (5 Stars)
Steve and Robin for the win! I'm a sucker for a scary story that features a lake monster. For me, nothing is creepier than was lurks in the water. I like this story was almost a Hawkins Urben Legend as well. Something that Steve and Robin had heard growing up. The story was solid, gross, so very gross, and a hundred percent Robin and Steve. I love that they stopped their own story to argue about what it was in the lake. I loved everything about this.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (4 Stars)
Max taking us back to Hawkins Lab and bringing us all the way back to season one. I do miss the Demogorgons, they were creepy AF. Their height, the oversized limbs, the flower petals with teeth, and the noise they made! I'd love to see more of them in the current season, but it was great to see them pop in one here. I thought the story was solid, nothing is more creepy than the dark, especially when you are stuck in the woods with a creature after you. Mad props for the mention of the satanic panic and the 20/20 special that helped spur the chaos. It was almost a small nod to The Craft in places, which I appreciated. I enjoyed this one.
Don't Be a Pest (3 Stars)
Oh, Erica! I'm so glad this character got a larger role after season two. Her story was told in the vein of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark. Definitely very creepy for younger readers, but just a classic spooky tale for older ones. I enjoyed this one and its main character. I'm not a huge fan of bugs, so it hit the gross factor for me. I also really liked how clever it was, especially toward the end. Because for half a second I thought the killer might be the mom!
Two Lunches (3 Stars)
Lucas' story was also solid. I really liked that everything kept coming back to Pennhurst in some way. This was the third story to center around the inmates at Pennhurst. This was a classic spooky store of two brothers, and being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It definitely feels like a story Lucas was told as a bedtime story by his dad, or around the campfire. The best part of this story is how it ends because it doesn't really.
Talk Back (4 Stars)
While personally the Wheeler's are my least favorite characters of this show, both Mike and Nancy had solid stories. This one plays on my theory at all Furbies and Teddy Ruxbins are evil, but also with a little hint of Chucky. This one was definitely on the creepy side with a solid wrap-up. There's a sort of 80's horror movie vibe to it which I liked considering when the show is set. This was the prime horror movie era.
In all, I enjoyed this one. It was a fun read after shifts to wind down, and a great way to fill the time until volume two got released.
A Little Voice (4 Stars)
There was no way I wasn't going to like a story set in Pennhurst. The asylum setting already sets it up to be creepy as all get out. I was a hundred percent ready for his to be a ghost story. What I wasn't expecting was the twist at the very end. Which I think was more creepy than an actual ghost haunting some poor guy. This was a great story to kick this collection off with it, even if Nancy isn't my favorite character. I'll give her this, she told a good ghost story. I still think she's kind of the worst though...
Do or 20-Sided Die (2 Stars)
Oh Dusty-Poo, why did you let me down! Of the Party, Dustin is my favorite character. But, this story was just not for me. I got bored pretty quickly. It had potential, and I loved that his story had a cursed 20-sided die. But, yeah I kept getting distracted by other things instead of focusing on the story. It bummed me out that Dustin's story fell short. And maybe I'm a little bummed that we could have gotten an Eddie cameo in this story, but was denied this for another Dungeon Master.
Lovers' Lake (5 Stars)
Steve and Robin for the win! I'm a sucker for a scary story that features a lake monster. For me, nothing is creepier than was lurks in the water. I like this story was almost a Hawkins Urben Legend as well. Something that Steve and Robin had heard growing up. The story was solid, gross, so very gross, and a hundred percent Robin and Steve. I love that they stopped their own story to argue about what it was in the lake. I loved everything about this.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (4 Stars)
Max taking us back to Hawkins Lab and bringing us all the way back to season one. I do miss the Demogorgons, they were creepy AF. Their height, the oversized limbs, the flower petals with teeth, and the noise they made! I'd love to see more of them in the current season, but it was great to see them pop in one here. I thought the story was solid, nothing is more creepy than the dark, especially when you are stuck in the woods with a creature after you. Mad props for the mention of the satanic panic and the 20/20 special that helped spur the chaos. It was almost a small nod to The Craft in places, which I appreciated. I enjoyed this one.
Don't Be a Pest (3 Stars)
Oh, Erica! I'm so glad this character got a larger role after season two. Her story was told in the vein of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark. Definitely very creepy for younger readers, but just a classic spooky tale for older ones. I enjoyed this one and its main character. I'm not a huge fan of bugs, so it hit the gross factor for me. I also really liked how clever it was, especially toward the end. Because for half a second I thought the killer might be the mom!
Two Lunches (3 Stars)
Lucas' story was also solid. I really liked that everything kept coming back to Pennhurst in some way. This was the third story to center around the inmates at Pennhurst. This was a classic spooky store of two brothers, and being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It definitely feels like a story Lucas was told as a bedtime story by his dad, or around the campfire. The best part of this story is how it ends because it doesn't really.
Talk Back (4 Stars)
While personally the Wheeler's are my least favorite characters of this show, both Mike and Nancy had solid stories. This one plays on my theory at all Furbies and Teddy Ruxbins are evil, but also with a little hint of Chucky. This one was definitely on the creepy side with a solid wrap-up. There's a sort of 80's horror movie vibe to it which I liked considering when the show is set. This was the prime horror movie era.
In all, I enjoyed this one. It was a fun read after shifts to wind down, and a great way to fill the time until volume two got released.
October 10, 2025
This was a fun little return to Hawkins and some creative, scary stories told by my favs while they all huddled together at Family Video one night when the power went out. It's not groundbreaking or particularly creepy as far as scary stories go, but I loved hearing the character commentary and who told what story, etc. It was a fun read for any Stranger Things fan!
September 1, 2022
Aburrido, repetitivo y serio escalofriante. Lo positivo es el formato, un grupo de amigos contando historias de “terror” en un ambiente tenebroso, era corto y al ser relatos se leía rápido. De resto, deja mucho que desear. Las historias no me parecían muy escalofriantes como dice el libro, y cada historia seguí el mismo patrón. Esperaba que tuviera escenas más misteriosas o una narrativa que te envolviera más, pero no sentí que fuera así.
August 20, 2022
I’m a huge Stranger Things fan and I love reading some canon stories.
This book was cute and had most of the main cast camped out in the video store during a blackout telling scary stories that supposedly happened in Hawkins, although most are made up by the group.
Nothing too exciting but also not too bad either.
The stories were an odd mix of actual eerie and middle school level scare - it made it difficult to really enjoy the book all the way through.
My favorite stories were the pest story Erica told and the insane asylum one Nancy told. The rest were pretty basic.
This book is a nice addition to my Stranger Things collection but nothing to really rave about.
3/5 ⭐️
This book was cute and had most of the main cast camped out in the video store during a blackout telling scary stories that supposedly happened in Hawkins, although most are made up by the group.
Nothing too exciting but also not too bad either.
The stories were an odd mix of actual eerie and middle school level scare - it made it difficult to really enjoy the book all the way through.
My favorite stories were the pest story Erica told and the insane asylum one Nancy told. The rest were pretty basic.
This book is a nice addition to my Stranger Things collection but nothing to really rave about.
3/5 ⭐️
November 23, 2025
I really liked this, and it was actually pretty creepy!!!! yay!
the only thing i didn't like was when a girl stabbed a demagorgan with a little knife, and it fled cause it hurt so bad. which didn't make any sense cause in stranger things shooting a demagorgan doesn't do anything to it. soooooo unrealistic. ANYWAY. good book!
the only thing i didn't like was when a girl stabbed a demagorgan with a little knife, and it fled cause it hurt so bad. which didn't make any sense cause in stranger things shooting a demagorgan doesn't do anything to it. soooooo unrealistic. ANYWAY. good book!
February 10, 2024
nawet dobrze mi się czytało
December 4, 2022
This was so much fun. It’s obviously not canon compliant, but to see the characters we know and love and tighter and just sharing spooky stories, it was so much fun. A couple of the stories genuinely creeped me out too, and I wanted more of a few of them! It was kind of like Goosebumps but in Hawkins. I’d love it if there were more ST books that came out like this!
October 26, 2023
I did this to myself. I was missing Stranger Things, and I wanted to spend time with those characters again, and this audiobook gave me an opportunity to do that. I also liked that it was short.
Hawkins Horrors has a good premise: the Hawkins kids crew, minus Eleven, Will, and Jonathan, go to the video store to watch some horror movies. Their plans are derailed when a blackout takes out the power. The kids are not ready to go home yet, so they decide to utilize the darkness and a flashlight to tell campfire tales. The strongest stories are "A Little Voice," which takes place in an asylum, and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," which was a bit of a nod to The Craft. "Lover's Lake" would have been a strong story, if I had not read something like it before.
The problems with this collection are:
1) I am not sure who the intended audience is. The stories range from middle grades to young adult, and "Lover's Lake" borders on adult horror.
2) "Lover's Lake" is too derivative of Stephen King's "The Raft". It changes some elements from King's story, but it is mostly the same.
3) Some of the stories were too rushed to really have an impact.
I would recommend this to young readers who like Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? I would just caution parents to read or listen to "Lover's Lake" before they let their young ones read it.
Hawkins Horrors has a good premise: the Hawkins kids crew, minus Eleven, Will, and Jonathan, go to the video store to watch some horror movies. Their plans are derailed when a blackout takes out the power. The kids are not ready to go home yet, so they decide to utilize the darkness and a flashlight to tell campfire tales. The strongest stories are "A Little Voice," which takes place in an asylum, and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," which was a bit of a nod to The Craft. "Lover's Lake" would have been a strong story, if I had not read something like it before.
The problems with this collection are:
1) I am not sure who the intended audience is. The stories range from middle grades to young adult, and "Lover's Lake" borders on adult horror.
2) "Lover's Lake" is too derivative of Stephen King's "The Raft". It changes some elements from King's story, but it is mostly the same.
3) Some of the stories were too rushed to really have an impact.
I would recommend this to young readers who like Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? I would just caution parents to read or listen to "Lover's Lake" before they let their young ones read it.
August 21, 2022
Situada entre la tercera y la cuarta temporada estamos ante una serie de relatos de terror que suceden en Hawkings, el pueblo de Stranger Things. Esta colección cuenta con 7 relatos escalofriantes en dónde nos encontramos con nuestros personajes favoritos de “Stranger Things”. Me gusta mucho el estilo general del libro y mientras lo leía podía ver a los personajes en mi cabeza. Es un libro perfecto para amantes de la serie que quieren que llegue la nueva temporada lo antes posible. Mientras esperan no se pueden perder “Horrores de Hawkins: una colección de relatos escalofriantes”.
May 7, 2022
It was fun to catch up with the kids in Hawkins. Definitely not for the faint of heart. A quick fun read.
January 20, 2023
The stories were not scary at all. Giving the book 3 stars because it has most of the main characters from Stranger Things and it was an easy read.
November 16, 2025
Every one of us Stranger Things fans are gearing up for the final season of the show, and I was surprised to find this book in the YA section at HPB. I know that there are Stranger Things novels and I have slowly been tempted into buying them as we draw to the close of an era.
Set between seasons 3 and 4, there are mentions to other characters and easter eggs and nuggets and gems of 1980s nostalgia in the other seasons. A planned movie night at the Family Video where Steve and Robin work is turned upside down when the power goes out in Hawkins. Taking it in stride that it has nothing to do some big bad but just a normal blackout, the tweens and teens decide to go for telling scary stories instead.
The stories are of course, centered in Hawkins with weird rumors of the past before the series began.
Nancy's Story "A Little Voice": A young nurse named Christina is working at Pennhurst Asylum in 1969 and doesn't think a certain patient is dangerous until she hears him talking to a voice one dark night.
Dustin's Story "Do or 20-Sided Die": Dustin tells of how he swiped a D&D game piece from a magic shop in town and how each roll brought about disaster in not just the latest Hellfire Club campaign but the real world as well.
Steve and Robin's Story "Lovers' Lake": A group of college students go to the lake and are hunted down by something lurking in the depths.
Max's Story "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun": a high school girl is asked to join a group of older girls at Hawkins High who call themselves The Daughters of Darkness but doing magic in the woods of Hawkins has its price...
Erica's Story "Don't Be a Pest": a young boy in a wheelchair is trying to discover if his new stepfather is a killer hiding bodies in the shed where he keeps his exterminator chemicals.
Lucas' Story "Two Lunches": a boy tries to discover why his younger brother asks for two lunches to be packed each day. The answer is nothing he could ever imagine...
Mike's Story "Talk Back": A boy holds on to the Teddy Talk-back that belonged to his dead sister but what was once just a reminder of happy times turns to terror...
Nancy's story is genuinely creepy because well a hospital full of crazy people and insane criminals is terrifying. Dustin's story is amusingly entertaining but not actually scary.
Steve and Robin take turns on the story and bicker about it being more horror or sci-fi and whether it deserves an R rating since Erica is present. Getting a lot of Stephen King "The Raft" vibes yet once Robin takes hold of the story, it is disturbing.
Max's story is basically "The Craft" but set in the 1980s and incorporates the real terror in the woods being the Demogorgon and Hawkins Lab. Unsettling given everything we come to know when Season 4 arrives.
Erica's story is actually quite creepy despite the sort of "Boy Who Cried Wolf" scenario but for the character being ten or eleven it has more edge than Dustin's story by far. Lucas starts out his story strong, but it becomes very predictable and loses its edge that all of his friends are crying foul at its ambiguous ending.
Mike's story takes a terrifying turn toward the end, but the beginning is actually a more tragic tale of a family dealing with grief and loss. Taking into account that El and Will both just moved away from Hawkins, and everyone thought Hopper was "dead" is a fear far more relatable. It also doesn't help me not be scared since as a child, I always thought those freaking Teddy Ruxpin dolls were scary as hell!
Hawkins Horrors is a good starting point to get the toes in the water of Stranger Things with its more Goosebumps approach with Lucas, Dustin and Erica's stories and more of an Are You Afraid of The Dark? vibe when it comes to Nancy, Mike, Max, Steve and Robin's stories.
Set between seasons 3 and 4, there are mentions to other characters and easter eggs and nuggets and gems of 1980s nostalgia in the other seasons. A planned movie night at the Family Video where Steve and Robin work is turned upside down when the power goes out in Hawkins. Taking it in stride that it has nothing to do some big bad but just a normal blackout, the tweens and teens decide to go for telling scary stories instead.
The stories are of course, centered in Hawkins with weird rumors of the past before the series began.
Nancy's Story "A Little Voice": A young nurse named Christina is working at Pennhurst Asylum in 1969 and doesn't think a certain patient is dangerous until she hears him talking to a voice one dark night.
Dustin's Story "Do or 20-Sided Die": Dustin tells of how he swiped a D&D game piece from a magic shop in town and how each roll brought about disaster in not just the latest Hellfire Club campaign but the real world as well.
Steve and Robin's Story "Lovers' Lake": A group of college students go to the lake and are hunted down by something lurking in the depths.
Max's Story "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun": a high school girl is asked to join a group of older girls at Hawkins High who call themselves The Daughters of Darkness but doing magic in the woods of Hawkins has its price...
Erica's Story "Don't Be a Pest": a young boy in a wheelchair is trying to discover if his new stepfather is a killer hiding bodies in the shed where he keeps his exterminator chemicals.
Lucas' Story "Two Lunches": a boy tries to discover why his younger brother asks for two lunches to be packed each day. The answer is nothing he could ever imagine...
Mike's Story "Talk Back": A boy holds on to the Teddy Talk-back that belonged to his dead sister but what was once just a reminder of happy times turns to terror...
Nancy's story is genuinely creepy because well a hospital full of crazy people and insane criminals is terrifying. Dustin's story is amusingly entertaining but not actually scary.
Steve and Robin take turns on the story and bicker about it being more horror or sci-fi and whether it deserves an R rating since Erica is present. Getting a lot of Stephen King "The Raft" vibes yet once Robin takes hold of the story, it is disturbing.
Max's story is basically "The Craft" but set in the 1980s and incorporates the real terror in the woods being the Demogorgon and Hawkins Lab. Unsettling given everything we come to know when Season 4 arrives.
Erica's story is actually quite creepy despite the sort of "Boy Who Cried Wolf" scenario but for the character being ten or eleven it has more edge than Dustin's story by far. Lucas starts out his story strong, but it becomes very predictable and loses its edge that all of his friends are crying foul at its ambiguous ending.
Mike's story takes a terrifying turn toward the end, but the beginning is actually a more tragic tale of a family dealing with grief and loss. Taking into account that El and Will both just moved away from Hawkins, and everyone thought Hopper was "dead" is a fear far more relatable. It also doesn't help me not be scared since as a child, I always thought those freaking Teddy Ruxpin dolls were scary as hell!
Hawkins Horrors is a good starting point to get the toes in the water of Stranger Things with its more Goosebumps approach with Lucas, Dustin and Erica's stories and more of an Are You Afraid of The Dark? vibe when it comes to Nancy, Mike, Max, Steve and Robin's stories.
April 22, 2023
Entretenido pero no horroriza 😂
Me ha gustado mucho la narrativa por la cual los protagonistas van contando historias, mezclándolo con sus comentarios y añadiendo nuevos escenarios a Hawkins. Los relatos no dan nada de miedo, pero si tienen elementos y giros interesantes.
Es un libro sencillo, muy entretenido y rápido de leer. Perfecto para fans que disfrutan simplemente con la ambientación. 🚲
Me ha gustado mucho la narrativa por la cual los protagonistas van contando historias, mezclándolo con sus comentarios y añadiendo nuevos escenarios a Hawkins. Los relatos no dan nada de miedo, pero si tienen elementos y giros interesantes.
Es un libro sencillo, muy entretenido y rápido de leer. Perfecto para fans que disfrutan simplemente con la ambientación. 🚲
August 19, 2022
En general las historias me gustaron mucho, unas mejores que otras pero en general se mantienen en buenas.
Me gustó que logre sentir la esencia de los personajes de la serie contándome dichos relatos.
Me gustó que logre sentir la esencia de los personajes de la serie contándome dichos relatos.
July 3, 2024
A collection of short stories from Stranger Things. Picked this up from my local thrift store and read it in an hour or two. This was a mix of Goosebumps and Tales from the Crypt. Perfect for teen/YA readers. It kept me mildly entertained for a little while.
July 6, 2022
Characters-5
Atmosphere-5
Writing-4
Intrigue-4
Logic-3
Enjoyment-4
Atmosphere-5
Writing-4
Intrigue-4
Logic-3
Enjoyment-4
March 2, 2023
Here are my expressions with emojis:
😯👀😶🌫️🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🥲😩😆🤔🤔🤔🙄😑😑😑😑😑😮😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕
Overall: 😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕
I like Stranger Things better
😯👀😶🌫️🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🥲😩😆🤔🤔🤔🙄😑😑😑😑😑😮😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕
Overall: 😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕
I like Stranger Things better
March 15, 2023
1.75 / 5
mid
mid
June 28, 2023
⋮☰:: 3/5 ✰
it was def something else
it was def something else
August 11, 2023
Nawet nie wiedziałam że pluszowy miś może być tak przerażający 💀
October 25, 2024
Tiene relatos interesantes, pero varios se sienten flojos o con finales que no convencen
December 19, 2024
Well it wasn’t what I expected but it was entertaining
Read
December 14, 2025not a bad time! the lovers lake story was literally just the raft though.
September 17, 2022
Relatos interesantes y entretenidos de leer, junto a entrañables personajes que ya conocemos de esta serie.
November 22, 2024
Creo que no hace falta que diga que soy fan de Stranger Things. Es mi segunda serie favorita en todo el mundo, después de Supernatural, que ninguna podrá superarla. Pero tenía mucha emoción por poder leer más libros ambientados en Hawkins y en estos maravillosos personajes a los que quiero tanto.
Son relatos que tienen en común los lugares que ya conocemos, contados por los personajes, ya que se han quedado atrapados en el videoclub por un apagón, junto a Robin y Steve, dos personajes que son de los más queridos. Algunos relatos podrían ser mucho más mejorables, pero como no puedo ser objetivo con el libro, es imposible que os diga que no me gustó.
¿Me esperaba más? Sí. ¿Lo he disfrutado? También. Esperaba que fuese de sobresaliente, pero no ha sido así. Los relatos podrían haber sido mejor contados y más originales. Hay algunos errores que también me han sacado un poco de contexto. Los que somos muy fans nos dimos cuenta en seguida. A Max, la hermana de mi querido Billy Hargrove, la tratan de chico en algunos momentos. Seguramente por culpa de la traducción, ya que parece un nombre de chico.
Otro de los fallos, es que Dustin no habla con la Z, como siempre hace este mítico personaje. Y es algo que te saca un montón de lo que siempre fue su personaje. Claramente, es por lo que más se caracteriza. Pero bueno, no todo van a ser cosas malas, ¿no?
Es divertido, se lee en un suspiro y añade más lore de Hawkins y sus leyendas. Lo cual, nunca está de más. Se mantiene bien la temática y la ocupación de sus personajes, al igual que sus roles dentro de la serie. Y como los echo tantísimo de menos, me ha gustado poder reencontrarme con ellos.
Son relatos que tienen en común los lugares que ya conocemos, contados por los personajes, ya que se han quedado atrapados en el videoclub por un apagón, junto a Robin y Steve, dos personajes que son de los más queridos. Algunos relatos podrían ser mucho más mejorables, pero como no puedo ser objetivo con el libro, es imposible que os diga que no me gustó.
¿Me esperaba más? Sí. ¿Lo he disfrutado? También. Esperaba que fuese de sobresaliente, pero no ha sido así. Los relatos podrían haber sido mejor contados y más originales. Hay algunos errores que también me han sacado un poco de contexto. Los que somos muy fans nos dimos cuenta en seguida. A Max, la hermana de mi querido Billy Hargrove, la tratan de chico en algunos momentos. Seguramente por culpa de la traducción, ya que parece un nombre de chico.
Otro de los fallos, es que Dustin no habla con la Z, como siempre hace este mítico personaje. Y es algo que te saca un montón de lo que siempre fue su personaje. Claramente, es por lo que más se caracteriza. Pero bueno, no todo van a ser cosas malas, ¿no?
Es divertido, se lee en un suspiro y añade más lore de Hawkins y sus leyendas. Lo cual, nunca está de más. Se mantiene bien la temática y la ocupación de sus personajes, al igual que sus roles dentro de la serie. Y como los echo tantísimo de menos, me ha gustado poder reencontrarme con ellos.
June 22, 2022
Very good anthology with well known characters ! I loved all the short stories.
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