Ever read something and thought "Eh...that was okay but moving on", and then realize a minute, hour, day, or week later that you actually had been mindfucked by what you read? Well, that's exactly what happened to me with this book. I initially thought "ugh pick a damn horror movie and stay with it" because it felt like parts from different movies had been pieced together...then it just kind of stuck with me and I was like whoa...let's reevaluate. SPOILER ALERT!
The main protagonist of the book is Ivy, but you get a different chapter from a different character's perspective, which actually makes the book fly by. It opens with us learning Ivy's parents were killed by a serial killer and she was saved by the 5-0 showing up just in the nick of time. Now she wants to stop living in fear that the killer will return for her despite the fact she feels someone watching her and leaving her presents that only someone from her former life would know about...cause she's been relocated and her identity changed. So yeah...he's stalking you girl!
Enter an email from the Nightmare Elf promising a fun filled scarefest if you just submit your deepest, darkest fear. The Nightmare Elf is one of those movie series like Nightmare on Elm Street where the villain just won't fucking die...same premise here only the Nightmare Elf gets into your dreams and makes that shit reality...much like Freddy. Think Chucky meets Freddy and you've got the Nightmare Elf. So now...7 strangers have been picked to live in the cabin where the Nightmare Elf does his dirty deeds and let's watch the scare begin. Think Real World meets horror movie.
Anyway...I was like blah blah blah for the first bit of it (luckily, like I said it moves quickly) and for me it didn't start getting good until you start learning everyone's fears because guess what...they have to face that shit in this book. Now...I have several fears but one of them is snakes...and I can tell you right now...fuck having to face that! I'm NOT going to do it. I'd have a heart attack and die. Suffice it to say, people start dropping like flies when they face their fears and finally it's time for Ivy and her love interest to face theirs and woot woot we have victory...BUT WAIT...PLOT TWIST...does the love interest really survive his fear...he lied in his submission after all. Is Ivy really done with facing her serial killer fear? Is he still after her? Did he orchestrate all of this? Is the Nightmare Elf truly real? SO MANY QUESTIONS! It left me mindfucked! Luckily, Stolarz has Return to the Dark House coming out this year in July and yes I will be buying it and reading it immediately because damnit, I NEED ANSWERS!
If you like horror movies and cliffhangers, this book is for you. I'm not big on horror movies because I don't like things jumping out at me. Psychological thrillers I can do (like Silence of the Lambs) but the movies where you have to scream DON'T GO UP THE FUCKING STAIRS don't really do it for me and they legit scare me. So...reading it is a whole lot better for me. I'm ready for July...I don't like being left in the dark feeling confused and wondering what the monkey is going to happen next. Curse you Laurie, curse you! (By curse you, I mean damnit you're good).
No comments:
Post a Comment