I read this book last year, in the hope that I would have reviewed it by then. Alas, I completely forgot until now!
Scary Stuff!
I just want to make clear as well this is not part of my 50 book challenge of 2015 as I read it last year. however I still want to review it as I'm quite liked it.
So this is my review of horror start by Grady Hendrix.
The thing about this book was its ability to go from very normal and subtle, to amplified horror and moments of well...shock. I think that's what I liked about it the most. There was this subtle build-up to the main event and that's why this concept worked well. Hendrix manages to pull the reader in close, only to let them fall seconds later.
Something which is faultless with the book is the design of the main body. It is laid out like a actual IKEA book/ catalogue; this includes diagrams and makes a number of references to Ikea. Both in the design and in the narrative of the story.
The narrative of the story follows a young woman working at a place not too dissimilar from Ikea, a place called Orsk. After some strange under goings at night, her boss asks her to work a late shift. As suggested above, not all goes well. When I first began reading this book I enjoyed how the reader could relate, and I could actually picture myself in a shop like this With a story like this I don't want to give away too much, that's what makes it work so well as you don't expect some of the surprises.
However, one of my main concerns for this book was a lack of character development, I didn't feel like I could connect with the character Amy. There just wasn't enough back story behind her, despite her being the main protagonist. As well as the other characters, there was nothing behind them and I didn't feel the urge to protect them or encourage them to go futher.
This is a difficult book to review as so much of it is carried on the design of it which contributes to the story greatly, it did however give me chills and kept me awake at night. I don't know if I would suggest it to other people, as it's a difficult one to judge. Yet, I know some people would like it, it's a niche market for books like this. It's certainly not for a younger audience though, as it has mature content. For a book that kept me awake at night it does surprisingly well in its presentation but lacks a momentum to keep things fresh.
Rating: 4/10 (Based on design, story and presentation. Would have been higher with more character development and less chilling moments!)
Love, Gracie xxx