Wolf Girls: Dark Tales of Teeth, Claws and Lycogyny Edited by Hannah Kate

Synopsis:

Feral, vicious, fierce and lost... the she-wolf is a strange creature of the night. Attractive to some; repulsive to others, she stalks the fringes of our world as though it were her prey. She is the baddest of girls, the fatalest of femmes - but she is also the excluded, the abject, the monster.

The Wolf-Girls within these pages are mad, bad and dangerous to know. But they are also rejected and tortured, loving and loyal, avenging and triumphant. Some of them are even human...

Wolf-Girls is a collection of short stories about she-wolves. No two are the same. They range in writing style, emotion, and themes. But one thing remains the same – bloodlust.

I am not a big reader of werewolf (or she-wolf) tales, so I had to go into this one with an open mind and no expectations.

By doing so, I actually started to enjoy the stories as I got through more and more of them.

The writing in each of the stories was decent. Some of them seemed to drag on more than others, and some seemed to go really quick. It is definitely a grab bag of stories which made it a bit more exciting. I never felt like I was reading the same thing twice.

I never really felt attached to any on character or story, but they were super short so there wasn’t much time for that to happen and grow. This made it easy to set it to the side and pick up another book instead of just finishing it all at one time since it is relatively short.

For those interested in this genre of books, I would say give it a try.

3/5 stars.

Alice in Wonderland by Nancy Christie

Books can take us to a whole new place. A world beyond our most wild imaginations. They provide a place to escape from reality.

That is what Alice relies on in this short story.

Alice has obligations at home that she does not want to deal with. She uses her books to escape from her reality and transport her into a whole new place.

I feel like Nancy Christie puts the reader inside the mind of Alice and you experience the insanity she is feeling.

It has a dark, heavy tone.

There were some parts where I wasn’t very sure what was going on, but the tone and the writing made me want to keep reading to find out how it ends.

3.5/5 stars

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If you haven’t read Nancy Christie’s other short story Annabelle, read my review here

Annabelle by Nancy Christie

Annabelle is a very hauntingly dark short story. So, obviously, I was thrilled to read it.

Annabelle is the daughter of a painter. Her father’s artwork means everything. So much so that it controls the family.

Annabelle’s mother is her father’s model. She receives all of the attention because as I said before, the art is everything.

Annabelle becomes jealous. She wants to be noticed. She wants to be wanted.

When the twist in the story is revealed, everyone’s life is turned upside down and it becomes more dark and disturbing than I had originally thought it was.

There is not much I can say without giving away the whole story. Go read it!

4/5 stars. It was a little slow in places, but the story was good and I was able to read it in one sitting. 

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Fundamental Problems by Michael J. Tobias

Fundamental Problems is a collection of short stories that challenges the reader to think outside of the box.

Since they are short stories, it reads very quick.

It opens up with a story about our planet Earth being destroyed by alien creatures. What a nice welcome story.

After that the stories get progressively better. I feel as though there is something for everyone hidden within the pages of this short story compilation.

The writing style keeps you engaged until the last page. It is also very short, so it will not take up a lot of your time. I was able to finish it in one sitting, so if you have an open afternoon and enjoy reading short stories, I would recommend getting your hands on this book and enjoy getting lost in another world for an hour or two.

4/5 stars just because the opening story and the ending story were the weakest ones to me. I would expect them to be the best ones. 

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Homo Saywhaticus by Lance Manion

Homo Saywhaticus is a collection of short stories and it fall under the genre of Adult Humor. Very adult…

The book sort of reads like a blog, which makes sense because Lance is a blogger. I don’t read many comedy or humor books, but I felt myself enjoying this one.

It can get very raunchy at times, and at other times you are not even sure what it even going on. But, I think that is the point. It is a book that doesn’t make you think a whole lot. It could be a break from reality if you are having a stressful day. Just pick it up and read one or two of the short stories, and they may make you laugh.

I found myself laughing out loud a few times, wincing a few times, and utterly confused at other times.

It was quite the journey, but a fun one.

4/5 Stars. 

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The Students Sold Us Secrets Volume One by Lee Mavin

The Students told us secrets is a collection of short stories that are written in the form of journal entries by students.

The narrator is an anonymous teacher who received these texts and compiled them in the process of evaluating student behavior of the generation. Behavior against each other, and behavior towards those in power such as teachers.

While this is a work of fiction, it is horrifying that many students, I’m sure, actually have the thought processes close to the ones in this collection. The stories themselves are full of horror, suspense, and gore, but the fact that these are not too far off from reality makes them even more terrifying.

I love short stories. There is just something about the way that they have to be told in such a limited amount of pages that makes them difficult. They can either be really good and well written, or you can leave them with the sense that you didn’t receive the full story and there is something missing.

Lee Mavin did a very good job of putting these stories together in a way that they flowed well together. I felt as though I received all of the details necessary to put the story together. It was well written, and it was a very interesting read.

5/5 stars

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Snow Day by Dan Maurer

Snow day is a novella that is told like a spooky campfire story told to children. It also reads like it could be a child’s nightmare.

I really enjoyed the writing of this novella. Mr. Maurer did a wonderful job of setting the tone of the story. It was spooky throughout the whole story and had a hint of doom around each corner.

It tells the story of one snow day. Usually snow days are days that children love more than none other. What could beat getting out of school for the day and being able to play in the snow? Not much!

But when things go in a horribly wrong direction that leaves the main character haunted for life, snow days aren’t something to be excited over anymore.

Some parts are a little silly, and some parts are very gorey (the ending for sure!). But, there is just something about this story that keeps you holding on until the very end. It captivates your mind by drawing very explicit mental images, and I think that is where the skill of the writer comes in.

If you are into spooky and somewhat unsettling novellas, this one is for you!

5/5 stars. Kept me hanging on until the end, and Dan Maurer did a wonderful job with descriptive writing. 

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Broken Christmas by David Henderson

Broken Christmas is a compilation of short stories centered around Christmas.

Each story has its own feel and its own details that make them special in their own ways.
These stories are heartwarming and also heartbreaking all at the same time.

It is a great Holiday read though. It makes you grateful for what you have.

Now that it is the day after Christmas, and some of you have gotten some new reading tablets, I would suggest taking just a moment to relax and read this book. The stories are short, so it won't take long, but it will be worth it!

5/5 stars. All three stories were interesting, and none of them stood out more than another, they were all great.

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Horrorism by Scott M. Goriscak

Horrorism is a collection of short stories that are either gruesome and filled with gore or haunted by the paranormal. Instead of spreading out the reviews for each story, I will post them all in this one post. Get ready!

The Game

Warning: This is not for anyone who cannot handle some gore.

This story is about a sick game that takes a turn for the even sicker. It starts out as a game made up by a bunch of teenage boys looking to cause trouble. They want to run over small animals with their cars.

After the competition heats up, the game becomes more than any of them thought it would, and gets out of control.

What lengths would you go to to be the point leader?

Scott Goriscak’s writing is very interesting, and I look forward to seeing what the next story holds.

5/5 Disturbing. Very, very disturbing. But, very well written and remained interesting throughout the whole journey. 

Home Sweet Home     

       

Have you ever thought there was an odd presence in your home?

Your thoughts come alive in this story. A man and his wife plan on getting divorced. When the woman finds the man a house to live in, she gets herself into more than she can handle.

The house is a rat-infested mess, and has a dark history.

When the man discovers the truth behind this residence, he becomes a little too comfortable.

Then, at the end, a huge twist is thrown at you.

It is a very creepy story, but I enjoyed it a lot. Well written, the characters were well developed, and the story was interesting.

5/5

Peepers

This story was very… odd. I shall explain why.

A man and his family decide to move from the city into the country.

When he decides he wants to fix something up in his daughter’s room, he discovers little creatures that will ruin his life.

Now, usually little creatures with extremely sharp teeth and claws would be terrifying, but I could not take it seriously, because as soon as I read it, I pictured the little worm from The Labyrinth.

Remember this little guy?

It made the whole story funny – in a sick humor sort of way.

That being said, it had a very eerie vibe to it – which proves good writing to me even though I could not take it seriously, and the end was actually pretty creepy.

4/5 Stars. The plot of little furry monsters ruining someone’s life is a little too out there for me, but it was good nonetheless.

Shadows of the Night

I have to say, this is the weakest link of the series so far.

It is about a man that has to take a roadtrip for business and winds up in a ghost town that was abandoned after a government experiment.

Things are not as they seem to him, and he begins to be haunted by the dead residents of the town.

While it may seem like the premise for a good story, it runs pretty dry throughout.

It also ends pretty abruptly, but you don’t really see that ending coming.

3/5 it was  okay, but not as good as the others. 

Parenting – Not For the Faint of Heart

This story started off with a very scary beginning, but then it evolved into something else.

It became a story of love – laced with losing limbs and eyeballs… but a story of love nonetheless.

When parents of an adopted child are forced into a situation they were not prepared for, they must learn how to cope with it, because it is their child.

It is really a great story. I found myself really enjoying it.

Oh, and there are werewolves involved.

5/5 great story. Love, blood, and violence. HOORAY!

Congratulations

WHAT DID I JUST READ.

Okay, back up.

A man is given a great promotion at work. His co-workers decided it would be a great idea to take him out to the bar at lunch time and get him completely drunk. He decides he is okay to drive after blacking out in the parking garage.

What he experiences next is something that no person should ever go through in their entire life. That is where I am going to leave you, because there is no way I can give away the ending to this one.

WHAT DID I JUST READ.

This story was so emotional I was on the verge of crying while reading that. Not many stories affect me in that way – especially short stories. But, wow.

5/5 even though I almost cried, and the story line was terrible (terrible as in very depressing) it was a great story. 

Blinded by the Light

This story was very interesting.

A man is killed by a secret experimental weapon that two fools were messing around with. To avenge his death, he begins to torment one of the men responsible.

It is sort of entertaining for a while with how he uses his abilities to get back at the man.

I wasn’t expecting the ending. It was a bit extreme, but it was pretty emotional.

4/5 It was odd, but interesting.  

Pet Co-Dependent

And I thought I was a cat person….

This story takes the “cat lady” term to a whole new extreme.

This story is about a man and his wife, and the cat that destroys the man’s life. It was sort of humorous because it seemed like it was mocking cat ladies, but to a gruesome extreme.

The end was pretty shocking as well.

5/5 It was silly, but it was also kind of scary

Playing with Dolls

This one was really creepy. Dolls in general are creepy to me after seeing the movie Dead Silence. This story reminded me of that movie in a way.

A man reconnects with one of his old girlfriends. As they begin to hang around each other more, he learns of her dark hobby. She places dark magic into the dolls she creates and sells to people.

He begins to distance himself from her, and once she sees him on a date with another woman, she decides to make his life a living hell.

This story was very interesting. It kept my attention the whole way through because I did not know what was going to happen next.

5/5 stars. Super creepy, but entertaining as well.  

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Read ahead for spoilers!

Charted Waters by Nick Wisseman

Book two:

This is a story of a boy named Ryan. We meet Ryan on a mysterious beach, and his body is scarred. He has a knife, but we aren’t sure why. Has he hurt himself? Or was he defending himself?

Reading further, we learn that he was on a ship of some kind and there is a mysterious Thing that has negatively impacted the journey.

This is about all we get out of this story.

3/5 for this one. I like the writing style of this, but I couldn’t get into the story. 

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Outcasts by Nick Wisseman

Outcasts is a collection of short stories written by Nicholas Wisseman. They come from different backgrounds, and all have different stories. They will all take you on a journey. Put on your seatbelt; this will be a crazy ride. 

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Tortured Minds by Sue Mydliak

This collection of short stories was very. . . odd I guess would be the best word for it.

It it’s a collection that contains short horror stories. Which, in theory, should be very interesting. But,  for the most part, I was completely lost while trying to read them.

Though, there were definitely some that were better than others, and they seemed to get better as it went on.

The stories are not connected to one another, they are all independent. I feel as if the stories would have been a lot more powerful if, instead of being written in story format, they were written as poems. Some of them actually had the feel of a poem, but they were written as a story.

It is something you could pick up around Halloween and enjoy, but it wasn’t my favorite.

2.5/5 stars. I was lost most of the time. But I actually enjoyed a few of them. 

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