Twisted Winter

by Catherine Butler

A chilling collection of terrifying winter tales for the darkest nights.This sinister collection of short stories encapsulates everything human beings fear about the dark half of the year. A Halloween costume party attracts uninvited guests; the long evenings bring out creatures from the deepest darkness; a perfect snowfall brings pure terror. Spine tingling, eye opening and genuinely horrifying - prepare to be scared!By a stunning line-up of Susan Cooper, Katherine Langrish, Liz Williams, Frances Hardinge, Frances Thomas, Rhiannon Lassiter and Catherine Butler.

Genres: Short Stories

145 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2013

About the author

I'm an academic and writer, currently working as Professor of English Literature at Cardiff University, though living in Bristol, where I've been based since 1990.

I have published numerous books, including children's and young-adult fiction and literary criticism, some under the name Charles Butler.

Reviews

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The other day, we found a cute (and really nice) Happy Holidays bag from the local library inside one of our favourite Street Libraries, and found a copy of this book inside.

After really enjoying the spooky introduction, I got stuck into the stories...

· DARK by Katherine Langrish:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story of an unhappy boy, the bully terrorising him, and the unwanted dog that changes his life.

Really enjoyed this well written, spooky story featuring a cemetery and the creepy glow of streetlights.

· THE PARTY by Susan Cooper:⭐⭐

A Halloween party for young and old turns into a spooky situation when everyone is wearing masks.

This one was just okay for me. I liked the message behind not disturbing the trees, but the creepy factor lacked intensity.

· THE GATES by Liz Williams:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Hannah moves to the country with her mum, she doesn't expect to find the mythological gates of the dead.

Loved this one! Not only did Hannah's lovely and honest voice hook me in, but her wondrous experience was a delight to share.

· FLAWLESS by Frances Hardinge:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chloe spends most of her day cleaning hotel rooms to help her mum and looking after her annoying little brother. Until an encounter in the snow changes everything.

Another great and creepy story because this one actually destroyed a lot more than I was expecting. Pretty dark. Love it!

· LOSERS by Frances Thomas:⭐⭐

Brad is a jerk and a bully with a cruel plan.

Spending time in his head wasn't a nice experience.

· A DOG IS FOR LIFE by Catherine Butler:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nell's brother is a wild troublemaker, she just didn't realise how wild he really is.

Oh. I enjoyed this one because it's so darn twisted. I didn't expect that to happen to her brother. 😳 Bittersweet ending, too.

· HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Rhiannon Lassiter:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story of Persephone is sad and melancholy. It's also one of my favourites.

And this version is exquisite. Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. Wonderful and so very cruel. The writing is lush, full of dark imagery and the confused thoughts of a girl whose life was stolen from her. Absolutely loved this!


This turned out to be such a great collection.

Like all anthologies, some tales were better than others and I had my favourites--The Gates and Home for the Holidays--but it was interesting, spooky and intriguing.

I also loved that all seven stories were written by women. And I love the cover.

[Am Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 7 short horror stories by different authors. The best ones are at the beginning, then they start to get not so compelling. The last one, in fact, I wouldn't call "horror" at all (and it's unoriginal either, being based completely off the tale of Persephone and Hades). A few stories weren't so much "scary" as "unsettling". But overall I had an enjoyable reading experience, and will be looking out for more works by Katherine Langrish and Susan Cooper.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little twists in the short stories. Makes me want to read other works by the authors within the book.

[Indiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this because I knew Susan Cooper had a short story in it and that a character from "The Dark is Rising" makes an appearance. It wasn't anyone I expected - none of the children or any adult character you might think of. And the story has nothing to do with "The Dark is Rising". But it was still a worthwhile read as is anything Susan Cooper writes. An absolutely perfectly chilling Halloween read set at a Halloween party.

The other stories ranged in quality but all were interesting quick reads that again were perfect for this season as we transition over to winter. Some were more winter themed, others more fall, and there was one delightful story about Persephone and her journey from the summer harvest down into Hades.

Many of the stories had children or teenagers in them and at first I found myself thinking of this more as a children's or YA collection. But then when I really looked at the stories and thought about them I realized most were actually quite dark with some serious violent bullying and attempted murder. Yet still I enjoyed reading them and I rarely ever enjoy reading dark or violence. So it was quite doable and I think despite the actions of some of the characters this collection remains more in the PG 13 range.

Giving this 3 stars because I did enjoy reading it. Some stories were more 4 stars and at least one of them was a 2 for me. But most were a 3.

[Dru · Rating 5 out of 5]

great fun! If spooky stories can be great fun. A variety of tales, all well told, and with some surprising and ingenious things.