Need a Good Scare? Check Out 'Slasher Girls and Monster Boys'

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys

Multiple Authors

Goodreads / Amazon

For fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Lois Duncan, and Daphne Du Maurier comes a powerhouse anthology featuring some of the best writers of YA thrillers and horror

A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke.

Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill.

Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors:

Stefan Bachmann
Leigh Bardugo
Kendare Blake
A. G. Howard
Jay Kristoff
Marie Lu
Jonathan Maberry
Danielle Paige
Carrie Ryan
Megan Shepherd
Nova Ren Suma
McCormick Templeman
April Genevieve Tucholke
Cat Winters

I'm going to rate these stories from the best to the worst. And, on top of that, I'll add in a Chills-n-Thrills meter for each story to judge its scariness. (Which will be easy since I'm easily scared.) I'll be rating each story on a one to five scale with five being the scariest and one being easily manageable.\

1. Stitches
2. The dark, scary parts and all
3. In the forest dark and deep
4. Hide and seek
5. Verse Chorus Verse
6. Emmeline
7. The girl without a face
8. The flicker, the fingers, the beat, the sigh
9. Snow
10. M
11. Fat girl with a knife
12. Sleepless
13. Birds of Azalea Street
14. On the I-5

The Birds of Azalea Street

Uhm. This was a bit boring. It felt like the story was too short. I didn't get any chills or thrills.

In the Forest Dark and Deep

Ooh. This one was creepy. I liked it. I always liked 'Alice in Wonderland' retellings. The story ('Alice in Wonderland') is about madness, and retellings portray it differently. That's why it's been retold a lot. And the whimsical aspect too.

I'll definitely be looking out for white rabbit ears when I pass forests.

Emmeline

Wow. That was haunting and sad. Definitely not a horror story, though.

I loved it. It was beautifully told. A lonely girl. An American boy.

Quite amazing.

Verse Chorus Verse

Leigh Bardugo has done it again. I got chills. I got thrills. This one was creepy. The type of creepy that makes your spine tingle. I think it's the unknown that does it. You don't know what the weird whine is. Your imagination is left to wander.

Amazing work.

Hide-and-Seek

I liked this one. It was a cool action story. It definitely wasn't scary or anything, though. I liked the idea and the execution. Pretty awesome action short.

The Dark, Scary Parts and All

Oh my gosh. I loved this. So much. I loved the storytelling element. And I really want more. Danielle Page, please continue this!

The Flicker, the Fingers, the Beat, the Sigh

I thought this was a beautifully told story. Haunting and creepy but without being scary. Definitely interesting.

Brownie points for mentioning 'Carrie' in the story itself.

Fat Girl With a Knife

Ooh. A revenge story. Awesome. This could actually be brought out to be a whole novel.

This doesn't mean I liked it, though.

It could have been better.

I liked the ending, though. You don't know what will happen next.

Sleepless

Wow. That took a surprising turn. It was definitely creepy.

M

Wow. This was actually really cool. It was like a short murder mystery. Pretty awesome.

And the children do see all.

The Girl Without a Face

Man. One word. Creepy. And an interesting revenge plot. A little disappointed since I adore Marie Lu's writing. It didn't feel very Marie Lu to me.

But not bad.

A Girl Who Dreamed of Snow

This can really be brought into a full novel. It was a cool idea. Being able to call forth darkness. Where did she learn how to do that? How did she practice? What's the Hunter going to do to her? All these questions. I do want more.

Stitches

Wow. This was so sad. I loved the storytelling, though. Yet...it was so sad. I want to have more. I want a novel made of this story.

Please?

On the I-5

What did I just read? Was she undead? Was she a vampire of some sort? I'm so confused...

Rating: (For the overall compilation)

4/5