JC Michael is a new to me author and I was pleasantly surprised by this collection, and somewhat amused by the title. While it would not seem to be a typical title for a horror collection, it is the title of the opening story, “Everything’s Annoying”, which resonated with me far more than I am willing to admit. The main character is Terry Donaldson, who is just your typical guy, going about his typical life. He works in an office as an analyst, forecasting performance figures and creating reports that nobody reads and that nobody cares about. He lives in an ordinary house on an ordinary street. There is nothing remarkable about him or his life at all, except his level of annoyance at trivial things, everyday things annoy him, little things annoy him, but most of all, other people annoy him. He simply wishes other people would just disappear. That is all he wants most in the world. When his wish is somehow, miraculously granted, with no explanations, things take an unexpected turn. I loved everything about this story, especially the way that I am sure everyone will be able to relate to this story, as most of us have probably felt this way at one time or another.
In another story, “There was a Girl”, a man wakes up only to realize that he has been buried. Confused, and scared, he bangs on the lid of a padded wooden box screaming for help until he passes out from exhaustion and despair. Several times he wakes up and he repeats his cries for help in-between trying to remember what has happened and where could he be? His memory comes to him in flashes, there was a girl. He had been driving home from a late shift at work and she flagged him down. Another flash of memory, of changing her tire, of her standing too close behind him and then? “There Was a Girl” is a chilling tale with bite. Short and sweet and I truly wished for more when it ended.
Another chilling stand-out story was “Daddy” which I found deeply disturbing and left me a bit confused by the horror that unfolded and the questions that were left unanswered. A couple, most likely at their lowest moments in life, addicted to crack, living in filth and far too stoned to know what is going on, have a problem. They have become convinced their daughter is evil, possessed by a witch that crawled out of the TV. The father is not sure what to do or even if what they saw had been real but the wife is convinced that their daughter is possessed. Addiction, fear, and manipulation all play a role as this story unfolds, while the ending leaves you guessing as to what really did happen.
Each story was well-written and speaks to the plight of the human condition, showcasing mankind at its worst, driven by fear, by poor choices, by addiction or weakness, and the chilling outcomes that such things often bring with them. I enjoyed this collection of stories and I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2021Format: Kindle
- Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2021Format: Kindle
Top reviews from other countries
- NatalieReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2021
A collection of twists and turns
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Well, as soon as I saw the cover art and title, how could I say no? J.C had me hooked within the first story; he takes standard horror/fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads. One such story, a girl, caught me completely off guard as I assumed this would be a standard buried alive esk story. But as I kept reading, it was revealed to be a vampire origin story which I loved. He also taps on some pretty tough subjects, such as in Daddy with substance abuse, whether the illusions can override a father's instincts caused by drugs. Story after story, I found myself being surprised by the outcome, and some stories left me wanting more. That being said, I would have loved a bit more from a couple of the stories, though that is a personal preference for me as the two in question weren't the kind of subjects I'd usually go out of my way to read. However, I believe there are some readers they would instantly grab in a heartbeat. The story Ninehams Arrogance sticks in my mind. It hid a crafty little Jack the Ripper style story with some intense scenes and great descriptions that made me consider my writing style. Ascalon was a twisted story with an incredibly well-done structure. I loved the bounce between the terrorist dialogue and the police chief who is investigating. It was easy to follow, and the change in language for both characters was a great touch. Not one point did I find it hard to follow, and the fact that you even get an insight into the terrorist organisations themselves was a significant bit of insight. The collection of different styles and different stories made an excellent addition to the shelf. Because I'm more than happy to revisit this collection at my leisure, so if you like stories with grit and surprising twists and turns, pick up this beastie today. Remember ghoulies drugs are bad, and avoid strange ladies on the side of the road.NatalieA collection of twists and turns
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2021
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