***ATTENTION: I’m a killjoy. That is all.***
I love scary and weird stories, so when I come across a collection, I’m all for it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the majority of stories. Maybe it’s because I felt some were too short, or because most seemed to revolve around sex (a subject I’ve gotten so bored reading about) or have a lot of lip chewing, or are just meh stories.
Overall I think the narrator did a good job. There were times when he’d add emphasis to a word for whatever reason that I couldn’t pick up on. I’d listen to him again.
I’ll probably come across as a prude for this comment (oh well) but starting a story with two characters having sex is one thing, but when they’re “f*ucking” and the word is repeatedly used with the narrator adding emphasis to I, all within the first five minutes of the story? It just seemed a bit crass to me. I don’t know how to describe it but I wasn’t a fan.
“Ghost Music” 1/5
“It was as if their genitals were meant for each other.” Seriously? I can’t think of how many times an author has referenced a male and female character, whether it’s their bodies matching up (like a puzzle piece) or their neither regions. This is a reason I avoid strictly romantic stories. I’m so over this description. Bring on something new! This is a perfect reason as to why I’m tired of reading sex scenes… they’re all the same. As for the story itself? I honestly wasn’t even sure what was going on.
“Hell and Back” 2/5
This might have been a good story, but it was way too short.
“Our Lady of the Sea” 1/5
Sorry, but this story bored me.
“World’s Colliding” ?/5
I wasn’t sure how to rate this one. I felt it was all over the place and confusing, weird (in a bad way). I did find it funny that the author thinks a female (with a v*gina) can pee out semen. Please tell me why that doesn’t work, why it’s not possible? LOL
“Video Inferno” 1/5
Again, I was bored.
“Offerings” 5/5
I found this one to be the most interesting and entertaining of the batch.
“Hayride” 1/5
I didn’t think there was much to this story.
“Worm Magic” 1/5
I didn’t understand what was happening.
“Occupy Babylon” 4/5
This was the next best story. I honestly wasn’t 100% what was happening, but I love zombies!
“World Asunder” 1/5
This story made me think of the movie “Spit on Your Grave” with the young, “special” fella who hangs out with the a**holes of the town. They get into trouble, this time wanting to rape a female. They force the “special” guy to do the deed even though he doesn’t want to. Afterward, he lies in the fetal position and cries because it was so traumatizing for him; the other guys laugh, of course. Anyway, the fact he ends up getting his nose shattered and acts as though nothing happened? Yeah…
“A Killing Back Home” 3/5
There was a description around the part when the female protagonist goes to visit her father. She describes the air as smelling like semen due to some type of pear. Can I ask why when male writers write about a female character, there’s usually sex involved, or overly graphic descriptions used for her, or what she does is described in a sexually manner? No? I didn’t think so. My comment has me thinking about an article I read recently in which a female writer was questioning the descriptions some male writers tend to use when describing scenes with female characters. Picture this: a woman is running for her life. She’s heading to a man (the main protagonist) who is waiting for her on the other side of a field. He’s watching her scream in terror, crying, and of course trip. “She was a beautiful woman. Her large jugs bounced as she ran in my direction.” Yeah… nothing wrong with that description.
“Waters of Ruin” 2/5
I wasn’t really sure how I felt about this story. A part did catch my… ear though. “The cries came from above. The bathroom light flowed faintly from above like the sun above the sea.” Tells me what’s wrong?
“The Last Easy Rider” ?/5
Again, I have no clue how I felt about this story. What was the point of it exactly? I’m not always the best person when it comes to reading into something. To me, it was about a girl who dreamed about her gay (or something gay/bi) friend.
I received a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.