Susan Rich (1)

Nope, nope, nope, nope. I picked this up because I'm a sucker for short stories (in this case flash fiction, which is fascinating when done right), because of the dazzling array of authors, and because (I'm only a little ashamed to admit this) about all I can handle in the way of horror is that meant for younger readers. I am also intrigued by the recent popularity of "two-sentence scary stories," which can also be too much for me, but which, even I have to admit, are kind of genius.

But right from the get-go these stories were horrible and disturbing, more so than the relatively tame and somewhat silly cover art predicted. If 33-year-old me can't handle this, I know for a fact 10-year-old me would have begged my parents to take it back to the library immediately so that it didn't darken my house any longer than necessary. The stories in this collection are much better suited to the YA crowd because of their gruesomeness and intensity.… (altro)