Horrorstor: A Novel

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With 5 very different characters, their only common thing is working retail, But their personalities variety. Amy is about to lose her home due to late rent and is feeling the desperation of not having anywhere to go. I loved how Grady Hendrix turned a 'haunted-house' story on its head and into a dark, creepy, stinky, big-box nightmare. I wouldn’t consider myself attached to any of them, but the main cast propelled the story in a positive way. Oh haha there's furniture named Balsak and Arsle and Splooge haha you're laughing right isn't that funny?

Apparently this summary is a spoiler, though I wasn't really aware that the whack back-story was a plot twist. I warn you,if you are not used to horror,or don't like the genre,that you should consider again reading this book,because it might give you nightmares. I have owned a copy of this since it was first released and have heard such great things in the years since. It did creep me out, especially the last few chapters, but admittedly: 1) I am a scaredy cat, and 2) I read it all one night I was alone in an airport because I had a flight at dawn, and let me tell you, the author nailed the feeling of “wrongness” when there’s nobody around in places designed to be full of people. I give “Horrorstör” by Grady Hendrix a 4/5 as it was everything I expected going into a novel written by one of the best horror authors out there today.

Our protagonist is so normal, so average I felt like the author and I have worked with the same kind of people in retail. I loved the ending and I felt that the last chapter of the book, which explores the effects of trauma but also rises out of it with a sense of purpose and courage (and a new creep factor), elevated the whole book.

Instead, the book gets a bit lost in its own concept, and the writing style did not hold my attention. He's also the jerk behind the Stoker award-winning Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the 70's and 80's horror paperback boom, which contains more information about Nazi leprechauns, killer babies, and evil cats than you probably need. I could really relate to all the retail tropes in the lead up as well, I think we can all place ourselves in Amy's shoes at one point in our lives or another. who were told you were part of a family, and then forced to sit at the kiddie table with juice boxes and pbj.

He's also the author of We Sold Our Souls, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and the upcoming (July 13! Amy nearly succumbs to the temptation to continue Worth's treatments, as his earlier treatment had nearly convinced her that her life is worthless, but she fights off the urge after seeing Trinity put through a similar torture treatment. Sometimes the layout of a book can severely detract from the story being told, but Horrorstor is the perfect example of a book that uses the layout to its advantage to enhance the storytelling experience, drawing you further and further in through the imagery, ads, and satire.