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Vacations from Hell (Short Stories from Hell)

by Libba Bray (Goodreads Author), Cassandra Clare (Goodreads Author), Claudia Gray (Goodreads Author), Maureen Johnson (Goodreads Author), Sarah Mlynowski (Goodreads Author)

3.51 of 5 stars 3.51 · rating details · 2,443 ratings · 247 reviews

Life's a beach . . . and then you're undead?

In this must-have collection, five of today's hottest writers—Libba Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty), Cassandra Clare (City of Bones), Claudia Gray (Evernight), Maureen Johnson (13 Little Blue Envelopes), and Sarah Mlynowski (Bras & Broomsticks)—tell supernatural tales of vacations gone awry. Lost luggage is only mildly unp...more

Paperback, 280 pages

Published May 26th 2009 by Harper Teen

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Jul 25, 2010 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of creepy, horrific short stories

Shelves: anthology, fantasy, young-adult, owned-copy, all-things-summer-challenge, horror, harmful-sensation, vampire, witch-sorcereress-healer, faustian-bargain, asian-hero-or-heroine, black-african-or-aa-heroine, favorites, thriller-suspense

Lessons learned from reading this book:

1)Do not go on a cruise for your vacation...There might be vampires aboard.
2)Be aware of childhood rivals that you go on family vacations with...They might be evil witches.
3)Never spend your vacation in the French countryside, and by all means, avoid striking up a conversation with a garrulous Frenchman...It could very well be deadly to you and yours.
4)If you go to Jamaica, avoid the strange house with mirrors on it...Just take my word for it.
5)Never, ever...more Lessons learned from reading this book:

1)Do not go on a cruise for your vacation...There might be vampires aboard.
2)Be aware of childhood rivals that you go on family vacations with...They might be evil witches.
3)Never spend your vacation in the French countryside, and by all means, avoid striking up a conversation with a garrulous Frenchman...It could very well be deadly to you and yours.
4)If you go to Jamaica, avoid the strange house with mirrors on it...Just take my word for it.
5)Never, ever take a backpacking trip through strange European countries with even stranger names like Necratul. Trust me on that!

This turned out to be a very good short story collection. I was kind of worried at how the first story, "Cruisin'", by Sarah Mlynowski, started. I thought, "Crap. This is like the CW teenie-bopper shows I avoid like the plague. Young girls out to get laid, 17 going on 35." I'm glad I kept reading. Just when I was about to give up, it got interesting. I have to admit that she threw me for a loop with the unexpected twist. Nicely played, Ms. Mlynowski. 4 stars.

"I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" by Claudia Gray took an interesting look at childhood rivalries between two girls whose mothers are both initiating them into their lives as witches. Cecily is a by-the-book girl, following all the rules of the Craft faithfully. Kathleen, her nemesis, has no problem breaking one of the first rules of witchcraft, not using your power to influence others. And to make it even worse, she's using it over her sweet boyfriend, Scott, who Cecily has a crush on. Cecily is out to see justice done. This was a pretty good story. Not really a subject I'm that interested in, but it kept my interest. 4 stars.

"The Law of Suspects" by Maureen Johnson struck me as such a well-done story. It starts out so funny in a completely sarcastic way. I was laughing out loud at Charlie's observations of her trip to France. And then, suddenly this story became as creepy as heck! Imagine being stranded in a country where you barely speak the language, and there is a weird French guy telling you an incredibly unsettling story. You know something is Just Not Right about this guy. Then, there's a very cute French guy who shows up. He tells you that you and your sister's lives are in danger. What do you do? What do you do? Man, this was a suspenseful story. I had no idea how it was going to end. Was Gerard telling Charlie the truth? Argh! I was holding my breath! When it ends, there's still this lingering fear. Is it over? What a good story. 5 stars.

"The Mirror House" by Cassandra Clare unnerved me, enthralled and riveted me. Ms. Clare used her prose very skillfully, creating a story that was beautiful and sinister. Despite the sunbleached brightness of the Jamaican beach, there was a dark undertone to everything. Along with Violet, I feared for young Evan. I had no clue initially what the threat was, but when I found out, I really liked the direction that Ms. Clare took. Brimming with atmosphere and intensity, this was a 5 star story for me.

"Nowhere is Safe" by Libba Bray. Man, oh, man. I'd rather have the most boring summer on earth than have the vacation from you know where that this group of friends had. I couldn't believe how scary this story got. Imagine going to a town where the townspeople had a pact with the Devil, sacrificing their children for prosperity for many years. They haven't done that in over one hundred and fifty years. But, some traditions aren't easily forgotten. I loved that the main character was half-Asian. He was subjected to prejudice because of his heritage, but he is heir to a special ability that may very well be the saving of his friends. He's sweet on his best friend, Izzy, whose parents were Haitian refugees, and who understands very well being a stranger in one's own land. Can he and his friends survive the nefarious plans of the villagers on their last Feast before their village is uprooted to build a power plant? Boy, this was not an ideal story to read before bedtime. Although the ending was a bit rushed, I still give it 5 stars for really scaring me, and for the hidden themes of prejudice and identity that I think it handled very well.

I was very happily surprised with this story collection. It was a quick but fulfilling read. I didn't expect these stories to be quite so scary, but it was, and in the best ways! Although this is a young adult collection, I think a lot of older readers would enjoy it too.

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.

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May 30, 2010 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-story, ya, library-book

I liked this collection of short stories. Some I thought were a little weaker than others, but overall I pretty much enjoyed them all. Cruisin is short and clever, however a little too rushed. I really enjoyed I Don't Like Your Girlfriend. I would definitely love to revisit Cecily's world. The Law of Suspects was interesting and creepy but a little confusing. The Mirror House was my favorite, I loved the ending and felt Ms. Clare did a fantastic job of creating such a rich world and a complete s...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Bibek Thapa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology

Here are my ratings for the individual stories from this anthology

1. Cruisin’ by Sarah Mlynowski (3 stars) - The story was funny, cute and had a weirdly surprising ending.

2. I Don’t Like Your Girlfriend by Claudia Gray (3 stars) - I liked the story but the ending was sort of 'Meh'.

3. The Law of Suspects by Maureen Johnson (4 stars) - This story is my second favorite in the book. I loved this psychological/mad-man thriller.

4. The Mirror House by Cassandra Clare (3 stars) - Since it's Cassandra C...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Marina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, chick-lit, paranormal, young-adult

This was an enjoyable and easy reading. I think my review is gonna be more serious than the stories themselves, but here I go anyway:

Cruisin': The worst story in the book. It seems to be written by a YA instead of being addressed to them. The main character was flat and prepubertal, except for the "sex" talk, she could have well been 12 years old. Not even the shocking ending can save the story, basically because: 1) it came too late, I'd been hating the story for too many pages already, 2) it c...more This was an enjoyable and easy reading. I think my review is gonna be more serious than the stories themselves, but here I go anyway:

Cruisin': The worst story in the book. It seems to be written by a YA instead of being addressed to them. The main character was flat and prepubertal, except for the "sex" talk, she could have well been 12 years old. Not even the shocking ending can save the story, basically because: 1) it came too late, I'd been hating the story for too many pages already, 2) it creates inconsistencies to the text.

I Don't Like Your Girlfriend: It was light and simple, but well fun and lovely. I liked the characters (her mum was lovely) and the lists. The ending was not shocking, like all of the others, but it was satisfactory.

The Law of Suspects: This one was creeeeepy. I thought the horror story was smart and scary, and I really loved the end and the intention behind it. The problem for me was that the beginning didn't make any sense. Surely there are more belieavable ways of planting two teenage girls alone in a country house! It was all to farfetched; who would not want to spend August in Paris? wtf? They came all the way from USA to NOT see Paris? Are you serious? Maybe it could've been set in the States. It's not like you need to be French to talk about the French Revolution, anyway it's not like it's a recurrent topic nowadays in France. I really think that if it weren't for that the story would be great. Gerard was lovely, and the fact they made out in the darkness with a dead body at their feet and an injured sister in the basement just makes it better.

I just can't seem to stop saying lovely and well.

The Mirror House: I enjoyed parts of it, I am not sure about the whole. The setting was really cool and the villain (wait for it) well scary. I was not comfortable with the abusive stepfather situation. It is not something to be comfortable about, obviously, I'm just not sure I like how it was handled. The fact either Evan or Violet never interceded was uncomprensible for me, and made me like them less. The ending was great, but rushed. Although I see the appeal on finishing with this sinistre vibe, I think an epilogue or "some weeks after" would've been nice. To see what happened with Evan and her mother and which cause of death invented for Philip.

Nowhere is Safe: THAT WAS GREAT! I wanna marry Libba Bray! I loved every bit on it: it was scary as hell (yes I'm being serious), funny, adorable, more or less believable (you know what I mean). I loved the structure (a YouTube video!) and the characters. Poe and Izie and Baz were amaaazing, and I feel I would read a series of novels with them hunting demons and things. In this case, I did like how she handled serious issues (racism and the WWII, so great to show the not so heroic side of the Americans) and I thought the people talked like real people, unlike in Cruisin'. Anyway, I'd recommend this story to paranormal fans, even if you're not YA. (less)

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Mar 25, 2009 Alice Anne marked it as to-read

Shelves: 6-anthology-sup

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 21, 2013 Maddie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Vacations from Hell review

I read this on a plane, which is a fitting setting for this book. The stories are so short you don't feel too invested before they're over- with one exception. It pulls away and wraps up pretty quickly. It's underwhelming. With one redeeming story. Let's break it down by author.

Libba Bray- good, spooky, but a bit disappointing. She's the reason I bought this book. If you slap Libba Bray's name on anything, I will buy it. Thems the rules. However, I didn't get sucked in...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Joy Rathman rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am not a huge fan of short stories, so this book probably wasn't the smartest thing to read. However, I do find supernatural things interesting, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Most of the stories were pretty obvious and you could almost guess what was going to happen in the end. Even though I didn't like how "teenager-y" these stories were, I did like that I was able to see how different authors had different ways of writing and I was able to have a sort of sample of their styles. Basi...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Thea Liwanag rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: noteworthy-all-time-faves, crime-suspense-thriller, favorites, horror-ya-action-ghosts, vampires-werewolves-demons, witches-warlocks-magic

A collection of paranormal short stories. I initially thought this would be a waste of my precious reading time, turns out I was wrong. I enjoyed reading each of the short stories but there were a few that really stood out.

First story - Cruisin'

I liked the way the author created this one. It gave me the initial feel of wariness from Haylie. I absolutely liked the twist and the ending. I actually craved to read more of this story.

Second story - The Law of Suspects

At first, I really had no idea o...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Molly Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-books

I loved this collection! It was a perfect "read in one sitting" book. It's nice to have a book like that every once in awhile, something you don't have to think about in too much detail.

Sarah Mlynowski's story is the first in the book. It was also the first time I had read anything by her. I really enjoyed the story, and totally didn't predict the twist at the end. Her characters were instantly likable and the story moved at an excellent pace. Claudia Gray's came next, and I love her even more t...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read Vacations from hell in the evening time to night time (not suggested), this book was more then expected. It was creepy, scary and disturbing. I suggest this book for older readers. I enjoyed each of the short stories just as much as each other.
Sarah Mlynowski 'Cruisin'' took a very surprising turn, however this was a light start to the book of short stories. It was followed by Claudia Gray 'I Don't Like Your Girlfriend' which was well written and looks at the magical side of paranormal....more

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Jun 27, 2011 Sara Oestreich rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit

This is a collection of short stories about what happens when your vacation goes wrong. Because really, who wants to hear about a trip where someone sat on a beautiful beach? I only want to hear about that trip if I was on the trip, or I’m about to go on that trip. However, if I am sitting on my couch…amongst my laundry and a carpet that needs vacuumed…I want a vacation where something goes wrong. Like, vampires-on-your-cruise wrong, a curse-in-the-French-countryside wrong, spell-gone-wrong, wro...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Jenna Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

short stories from this book entertained and FREAKED ME OUT!

For starters, "Cruisin'" by Sarah Mlynowski first impression on me was "what could be unique in this story? BECAUSE I ain't feelin it!". However, the ending was the HITCH up! I was like "soooo..that was the TWIST huh?". SIZ-ZZZZLLE.

"i Don't like your girlfriend" by Claudia Gray entertained me. It was simple and had the usual happy ending but I love Claudia Gray, and it was cool. However, I did not expect Scott to be a weirdo guy. (:

On t...more short stories from this book entertained and FREAKED ME OUT!

For starters, "Cruisin'" by Sarah Mlynowski first impression on me was "what could be unique in this story? BECAUSE I ain't feelin it!". However, the ending was the HITCH up! I was like "soooo..that was the TWIST huh?". SIZ-ZZZZLLE.

"i Don't like your girlfriend" by Claudia Gray entertained me. It was simple and had the usual happy ending but I love Claudia Gray, and it was cool. However, I did not expect Scott to be a weirdo guy. (:

On the other hand, things were getting SPICIER. "The Law of Suspects" by Maureen Johnson made me not want to meet a FREnchman anytime now. I didn't say NO forever, JUSt not now.(: I commend Johnson for writing in a witty and funny sarcastic manner that I enjoyed reading it..UNTIL things got thrilling and suspense was hovering in the air. Truly truly wretched the bravity out of me! Its the kind of psychological thriller story where the ending left you smiling because YOU didn't see it coming. crazy! I love stories that surprises me! 5 stars! STILL..You won't see me lurking near France, especially the countryside these days.(:

I was sooo excited to get to this part. (:. Cassandra Clare. Cassandra Clare. Hmm.. One particular thought riveted my mind when I was in the middle of the story. CLARE has aN ISSUE with sibling love., you know sibling falling in love with each other. In this case, they were stepsiblings (if there even is a word). But anyway, the ending was really sinister if you imagine it (Violet spooning Phil right into the witch's mouth) still...if you think about it..probably a FAIR ending..

"Nowhere is safe" by Libba Bray. I don't know what to think of this book but IT all started with happy ending. NOT that the last 3 stories didn't have happy endingss but they totally CREEPED me out! Particularly this last story. I couldn't sleep well last night even after playing lots of games on my iTouch and listening to godly music to soothe my soul...STill the evil creepiness cradled me to my 1st stage of sleep. Anyway, back to the STORY. RANDOM THOUGHTS about it: It was unique that the main character was an Asian guy..I didn't like that someone died in their trip...I didn't like that a lot of them died in the end. BUT again, the book kinda rubbed it in my face that the endingsss of stories doesn't always follow what you want AND they, well most of them ended UNEXPECTEDLY.

WELL, OVERALL. I learned ONE thing, WHEN ON VACATION: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, BE CAREFUL. BE VERY CAREFUL. and DON'T FORGET TO ENJOY!(less)

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Sep 11, 2010 Kerstyn M. rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves a good scare.

Shelves: favs-of-2010, strong-emotional-reactions, summer-reads

Okay, I must say that I have always been a fan of creepy short stories, ever since I was a kid. I was hoping that this book would be a valuable addition to my collection. I was not disappointed. This book, which was said to range from "light and funny", to "dark and creepy" did just that, and I loved almost every second of it.

The first story, "Crusin'", did not seem very promising at first, because I thought that it seemed too predictable. Two girls alone on a cruise ship who hear rumors of st...more Okay, I must say that I have always been a fan of creepy short stories, ever since I was a kid. I was hoping that this book would be a valuable addition to my collection. I was not disappointed. This book, which was said to range from "light and funny", to "dark and creepy" did just that, and I loved almost every second of it.

The first story, "Crusin'", did not seem very promising at first, because I thought that it seemed too predictable. Two girls alone on a cruise ship who hear rumors of strange disappearances. I soon found out I was wrong. This is one of those stories that looks like it has one obvious outcome but, at the very last second, throws something totally jaw-dropping at you. I actually had some trouble getting to sleep right away, after reading it. I have never before read anything from Sarah Mlynowski, but if this is any indication to her typical style, I may just start.

The second story, "I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" was definitely the "light and funny" story of the book, about a girl who is jealous of her childhood enemy's seemingly perfect boyfriend. The twist? Both girls are witches, and some sinister magic may be involved. I laughed at this story's outcome, and I think that I may want to look into some of Claudia Gray's work after this.

Ah, "The Law of Suspects". This story was the main reason I bought this book in the first place, in my insane quest to read every published story from Maureen Johnson. I was expecting a lot from it, and was not even slightly disappointed. This is by far my favorite story in the book, if not one of my favorite short stories ever, and I have gone back to re-read it several times. I have told many of my friends about the book, just to get them to read this story, about teenage Charlie who accompanies her psychologist-in-training sister on vacation to a remote cabin somewhere in France. It is deliciously creepy and twisted in all the right ways, and at a few points, it even made me go as far as to gasp in shock, scream in terror, and drop the book in a state of sheer panic. Wonderful.

"The Mirror House" is the fourth story in this collection, and was the only one that I did not immediately fall in love with. About a girl who hates her new stepfather and feels a burning attraction towards her new step-brother. Although I liked this one, it did not have the wow-factor I was hoping for, but then again, that always seems to happen with me, when I pick up one of Cassandra Clare's books. However, if you are a fan of Clare, then this story would probably be worth checking out.

"Nowhere is Safe", is most definitely the most "dark and creepy" story that this book has to offer. It`s the kind of story that can cause paranoia and nightmares in even the bravest individual.
It also holds a special meaning to me, because of something my father told me once: "The world around you is as safe as you make it. If you rely on your gut instinct, your first intuition, and get out of any place or situation that your intuition is telling you feels wrong, you will probably lead a pretty safe life. Always listen to you instincts, no matter what."
That is essentially what Poe, the main character of this story, tells you. He and his friends went against their instincts, and traveled into a tiny, secluded village in the middle of nowhere, and may just end up paying the ultimate price.
This story is very dark, as to be expected from Libba Bray, author of "A Great and Terrible Beauty", which I had had the pleasure of reading about a month or two before I found this book.
However, this story also contains some elements that may be seen as disturbing by some, so if you don`t like something that is hardcore freaky, then you may want to skip this one. I, however, enjoyed it immensely.

So basically, I think that all the stories in this book are pretty worthwhile. Unfortunately, my family never travels, so I did not get a chance to read this while away on vacation, but if the opportunity presents itself to you... Well, don`t miss out. Also, if you are like me and stuck at home wishing for some kind of getaway, then this book is an excellent escape to a creepy vacation adventure.
I hope that you found this review helpful!

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Feb 27, 2013 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski ***
I liked that you don't find out what's really going on until the end, but the way the main character acted annoyed me. She acted like a thirteen year old that just learned about sex. Like everything that could be a taboo intrigued her. Wasn't a story, just a bad main character.

I Don't Like Your Girlfriend by Claudia Gray *****
I always like a story about witches and this one was like a teaser for something more. If Ms. Gray decides to run with this story, then I'm...more Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski ***
I liked that you don't find out what's really going on until the end, but the way the main character acted annoyed me. She acted like a thirteen year old that just learned about sex. Like everything that could be a taboo intrigued her. Wasn't a story, just a bad main character.

I Don't Like Your Girlfriend by Claudia Gray *****
I always like a story about witches and this one was like a teaser for something more. If Ms. Gray decides to run with this story, then I'm all for it. Though I guessed a lot that would happen, I still loved it. I want to read more about this world and about Cecily. It would be cool to see if she ever finds a man to trust with her secret, and the events that follow.

The Law of Suspects by Maureen Johnson *****
Usually, I can't stand creepy stories, but Oh.My.God! This story creeped the hell out of me, but I couldn't stop reading! The ending was great, I wish I knew more. I love all the twists and mystery in this one. It kept me interested and scared at the same time! I'll have to look this author up for more!

The Mirror House by Cassandra Clare ****
Is anyone else seeing a pattern in Ms. Clare's writing? What is with the whole I'm-in-love-with-my-brother-whom-is-not-acttually-my-brother-but-technically-that's-how-everyone-sees-it-so-we-are-forbidden-to-be-together theme? Yeah, its a little weird. Doesn't make her stories any less interesting, but definitely weird. I liked this story, but I felt it was incomplete. There has to be some kind of wrap up for Violet and Evan, right? You can't just leave us hanging! Geeeez.

Nowhere is Safe by Libba Bray *****
Another chilling story! Maybe I should try more stories that are cold, because apparently I like them now! I would probably have been just as stupid as these teens in this story if I were given the chance to explore another country. America isn't as old and sacred as the land over seas, so a lot of Americans find old myths and tales just another challenge accepted. When given an opportunity to experience something supernatural, we don't exactly think it through because its not a common thing here. Not really, anyways. You can get that from this story while reading it. I mean, its a YouTube video for crying out loud! We are spoiled in this day and age. We forget what our ancestors believed and lived through. I loved how Ms. Bray put that in this story and used it for her plot. Brilliant! The twists were unexpected and scary. Loved every minute and will most likely pick up more of Libba Bray's books.

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Mar 27, 2010 Shul rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-horror

If I could give it a 3.5 I would... I really liked three out of five of the stories, kinda liked one of the other ones, and really didn't care too much for the last.

Sara Mlynowski's writing was new to me. I thought it was a bit similar to Gray's 'Evernight' book with an 'oh btws, what we didn't explain this in the beginning? oh sorry!' The story was interesting, but not a strong start to a short story collection.

I was pleasantly surprised by Claudia Gray's story. I've read the Evernight books an...more

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Aug 25, 2009 Vanessa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Not every vacation is just a walk in the park. We find that out first hand with these tales of terror by five exceptional authors of today. Starting out with Sarah Mlynowski's "Crusin" - a story of two girls on a cruise that is more than anyone bargained for - this book dives in with a captivating start. Convinced she is ready for big things this vacation season, Kristin asks her friend Liz to help her meet the perfect guy. Upon finding him, Kristin throws caution to the waves... Meanwhile in "I...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-story, paranormal, young-adult, anthology, urban-fantasy, romance, supernatural, fantasy

"Vacations from Hell" is an anthology of short stories dipping into the paranormal realm from an assortment of well known young adult authors, some of which may be recognized from their contributions to a stream of series. But I'll admit that it was my first experience reading all of the authors, so I judged the works contained not from the series they've done, but rather the pieces themselves.

In terms of quality, all of the stories are worth reading once, though I had mixed opinions coming out...more "Vacations from Hell" is an anthology of short stories dipping into the paranormal realm from an assortment of well known young adult authors, some of which may be recognized from their contributions to a stream of series. But I'll admit that it was my first experience reading all of the authors, so I judged the works contained not from the series they've done, but rather the pieces themselves.

In terms of quality, all of the stories are worth reading once, though I had mixed opinions coming out of the collective anthology. I'll break down my thoughts on each story to show you my reaction to each of the five stories contained within.

The first story "Crusin" by Sarah Mlynowski, was an interesting story of a group of teenage girls vacationing on a cruise ship that might be haunted by vampires, or so the weary Kristin believes. But things aren't quite what they seem to be as the story unfolds, and I think those who take the story in just one plane may find themselves fooled by the end. I liked it, though I saw the twist coming before it hit me, so I didn't enjoy it as much as someone who might've had the "a-ha" moment when it came.

The second story, "I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" by Claudia Gray, was probably my favorite story in the anthology, telling the perspective of a young witch hiding her identity at a gathering one summer. Cecily meets a perfect boy who somehow seems to be going with her most ultimate rival, but things aren't always what they seem to be when Cecily decides to dig a bit deeper. I think the part of it that appealed to me was not only the connection Gray establishes with the young protagonist, but also the attitude of the piece feels vibrant and charming, even if it isn't dark like a few of the pieces contained within.

The third story, "The Law of Suspects" by Maureen Johnson, appealed to me for it's eerie qualities and inventive way of establishing a curse. Charlie is a young woman visiting France with her Psychology-studious sister, but she realizes that things aren't what they seem when murder and a cursed document comes into the picture. I was surprised by the ending of this because it seemed like something I'd read when I was younger in the Goosebumps/Fear Street territory, and it definitely captures the spirit of the anthology in a dark way.

Fourth story featured is Cassandra Claire's "The Glass House", which has its own brand of eerieness when a rocky family decides to visit the beach and a witch with her own motives resides within a house with mirrors said to imprison souls. Violet realizes that she's the only one who can save her stepbrother Evan, and what occurs after that might raise a few eyebrows as to how the encounter comes across. I liked the tone and the dark justice handed within the piece. There were a few inconsistencies/mistakes that I saw (such as the fact that Kingdom Hearts 2 was not a two player game and that it wasn't released on the Xbox), but other than that, it was a decent story.

Last offering was "Nowhere is Safe" by Libba Bray, and if I had to say it, this was the weakest offering of the collection of short stories, not so much for the story contained, but the way it was written. Very few people can pull off the charm of a character breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly when they're in danger, but I don't think Bray sequenced it well enough to carry what was otherwise a decent story about a young Asian boy caught with his friends in a riff with otherworldly creatures. The way it was written was too scattered in spurts. There were times I liked the character voices within, even from the protagonist speaking, but the majority of the time, it didn't seem to grip on the matter as much as it could've if it'd been sequenced differently. I do think there are teens who would enjoy the story for what it is, but I would warn that it may not necessarily swallow well as a read.

"Vacations from Hell" is a decent collection, not so much to make those who read it with as much chilling factors, but definitely those that could engage those who like paranormal stories, even those who that might make you think in a different way about how things are seen in various eyes.

Overall score: 3/5(less)

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Nov 15, 2010 Catalina Sennett rated it 3 of 5 stars

"cruisin" is about two teen girls who are on a cruise ship together to help one of them have her "first time". They scope out all the potential guys she can be with, and meet a girl who is too into the stories about vampires being on cruise ships, killing passengers. When passengers start to dissapear, the girls are highly suspicious of this one guy....but there is a really big twist ending. haha.

In "I don't like your girlfriend" there are witches, who come together every few years at this summe...more "cruisin" is about two teen girls who are on a cruise ship together to help one of them have her "first time". They scope out all the potential guys she can be with, and meet a girl who is too into the stories about vampires being on cruise ships, killing passengers. When passengers start to dissapear, the girls are highly suspicious of this one guy....but there is a really big twist ending. haha.

In "I don't like your girlfriend" there are witches, who come together every few years at this summer house to teach thier daughters about the craft. When one of the daughters shows up with a boyfriend who is pretty much the most perfect guy for our MC, she starts getting suspicious of what exactly is going on, and she thinks he is under a spell, so she decides to find out.

"The law of suspects" is about two sisters, charlotte and marylou, who travel to France to hang with their cousin. They meet this guy down the street who is acting really fishy and tells them a story..and than they meet Gerard, who warns them away from henri and his story, saying that whoever listens to the story ends up killing someone close to them. Only thing is, both charlotte and mary have heard the story, so they need to keep away from each other before they kill each other.

"The mirror house" is about a newly married couple who are on a honeymoon, with their two teen kids, who happen to have feelings for each other. When Evan starts acting weird and is spending too much time at the neighbors house, stepsister Violet decides to find out what is going on, and put a stop to it, before Evan is taken away forever.

In "Nowhere is safe' a group of friends are backpacking through europe when they decide to spend the last few days at this village where it is said, back in the day, they worshipped the devil and sacrificed their children. When they start encountering weird ghosts, and freaky stuff starts to go down, they decide to get the heck out of there with their new village teen friends, but will they be able to leave?

I liked these short stories, they were all kind of different, and weird, but entertaining. (less)

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May 30, 2012 Zarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Acceptable as a time-waster but nothing pops out as actually really GOOD. Individual ratings goes as follows:
Cruisin/Sarah Mlynowski - I have read chick-lit by Sarah before, and I loved those. I've never tried her YA books though, and I'm thinking that's good because while her writing is good, the story is beyond weak and the wrap-up is just dumb. 1½ stars.
Claudia Gray/I don't like your girlfriend - More of a YA-book all round, and it's kinda funny, kinda sweet, kinda interesting at times. Sli...more

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May 07, 2010 Travis Pearson rated it 4 of 5 stars

1. Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski
Cruisin' is about a girl named Kristin who goes on a cruise with her best friend, Liz. Kristin vows that she will lose her virginity by the end of the three day cruise, and Liz vows to help her out. Kristin finds a guy who may be "the one", but there are also rumors of vampires killing people on cruises...
This was my least favorite story in the anthology. The story was predictable, and the characters were flat. Not much else to say about it, except I'm glad the an...more 1. Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski
Cruisin' is about a girl named Kristin who goes on a cruise with her best friend, Liz. Kristin vows that she will lose her virginity by the end of the three day cruise, and Liz vows to help her out. Kristin finds a guy who may be "the one", but there are also rumors of vampires killing people on cruises...
This was my least favorite story in the anthology. The story was predictable, and the characters were flat. Not much else to say about it, except I'm glad the anthology picks up after this one.

2. I Don't Like Your Girlfriend by Claudia Gray
This story is about Cecily, who shares her mother's abilities as a witch. Her family takes an annual trip to the beach to meet with her mother's coven, which happens to include Cecily's nemesis Kathleen. This year, Kathleen brings a boyfriend, and he's everything Cecily wants in a guy. So what's he doing with the evil Cecily?
This story is split into four parts, and each part begins with a list Cecily has made. It wasn't necessary, but I enjoyed them. I liked every part of this story, and it mixed a little humor with the light story.

3. The Law of Suspects by Maureen Johnson
Charlie and Marylou leave for a vacation in Paris to stay with an estranged cousin in the city. Upon their arrival, he informs them that they'll be staying in a remote village to experience an authentic French way of life. Unfortunately, he has to stay in the city for work, so they are sent by themselves. Everything is quiet, although boring, so Charlie decides to take a walk to see who or what she can see. She stumbles upon a distant neighbor who is a little too fascinated with murder, and everything goes downhill from there.
Ahh. Maureen. It's no secret that I love her, and this is definitely one of the best stories in the anthology. It's full of twists and turns, and injected with the touch of humor that is characteristic of Maureen Johnson. The story is comically far-fetched, and is so awesome that I would be happy if it were the only story in the book.

4. The Mirror House by Cassandra Clare
Violet's mom just married Phillip, who happens to be the father of Evan, Violet's biggest crush. The new family goes for a vacation in Jamaica for the honeymoon and to get to know each other better. While out on the beach, Evan and Violet meet a woman who lives nearby, and she asks Evan to help her fix her car. Evan continues to spend time with her throughout the vacation, and also starts to look sickly. Violet needs to find out what's going on, before it's too late.
The anthology gets darker as it goes, and this one is pretty dark. That's not saying it's bad. No, no, It's VERY good. One of those that stays with you for a while. Honestly, there's enough going on here without the supernatural element. It's so rich that it could be an entire novel. It doesn't feel like a short story.

5. Nowhere is Safe by Libba Bray
Poe has just graduated high school, and decides to go backpacking through Europe with three of his friends. The hit the big cities, but blow through most of their money in the first month. Instead of going home, they decide to forgo Amsterdam and instead visit a small village dubbed "The City of the Damned" for an annual festival that may or may not be celebrating Satan.
I'm torn with this story. While I loved the story and the awesome setting, the characters annoyed me. The way the story is told (by Poe and like he is talking to a youtube video) bugged me, and I didn't like his voice. The very end of the story was rushed and felt kind of sloppy. So while I really enjoyed it, I wouldn't call it a favorite.

I would definitely recommend this book if you like any of the authors, or you just some short stories to break up your reading.(less)

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May 04, 2012 Alexis rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-would-pass, vamps-werewolves-oh-my

This book is a collection of 5 short stories from, so I have been told, 5 currently hot teeny bopper writers including Cassandra Clare. The first story, Cruisin', by Sarah Mlynowski, is quite frankly one of the worst short stories I have ever read. It was lame, stupid and boring. The second story, I Don't Like Your Girlfriend, by Claudia Gray, was a notch better than the first story but it was honestly below the reading level of my 11 year old niece. It was beyond hoakey and totally juvenile.

Mo...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, pn-witches, pn-vampires, paranormal-general, short-stories, young-adult, horror, gothic

3.5 stars

"The Law of Suspects" by Maureen Johnson - 4 stars To my great surprise, this was my favorite of the short stories. I've always liked stories where people are trapped in a place with a crazy person a la The Shining, and this one was a great YA horror version. It captured the feeling of intense horror and was a bit twisted all at once. I haven't read anything by this author before, but I'm looking forward to doing so now. I liked the writing style and the feel of the French countryside a...more

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Jun 12, 2009 Violet rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal, sci-fi, 5-stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay this one was MUCH better then the last one (Love is Hell). In fact this one was as good, if not better, then the first one (Prom Nights from Hell).

The first one was Cruisin' by: Sarah Mlynowski. At first it was just like a normal teen book. What with one person pushing the other to do it. I thought the paranormal twist was going to come from the fact that vampires were killing people on cruises (straight from the National Eagle), and they were going to come in contact with these vampires. B...more Okay this one was MUCH better then the last one (Love is Hell). In fact this one was as good, if not better, then the first one (Prom Nights from Hell).

The first one was Cruisin' by: Sarah Mlynowski. At first it was just like a normal teen book. What with one person pushing the other to do it. I thought the paranormal twist was going to come from the fact that vampires were killing people on cruises (straight from the National Eagle), and they were going to come in contact with these vampires. But the twist really was that they were the vampires and doing it was sucking blood and killing someone for the first time. It was really unexpected and cool!!!

The next one was I Don't Like Your Girlfriend by: Claudia Gray. It was okay and a good story. It was unexpected that Scott was not only under a controling spell but Kathleen had also changed his personality. But other then that, there's really nothing else to say. I like it and it was good that that's it....

The next one was The Law of Suspects by: Maureen Johnson. That was a freaking one. I know it sounds lame but the story really was like a rollercoster ride. One second you thought someone was the crazy killer, and then next you thought someone else was really the killer and then the next someone else and so on. It was really weird and creepy. For a whole half hour after I finished I was saying "Weird. That was weird.." What? It really was WEIRD!!

The next one was The Mirror House by: Cassandra Clare. I liked this one. Why? Well the main charater has my name!! And my name is a rare one so having a charater in a story or a movie that has my name is rare. Another cool thing is that that charater is like me. She likes books and it kind of a loner. It was sad, in the fact that she was in love with her newly found stepbrother and that her new stepdad is a wife beater. But everything worked out in the end. I loved the details in here. The mirrors and all those bright colors. It sounds so beautiful! I now want to go there.

The last one was Nowhere is Safe by: Libba Bray. Now I've heard some really good stuff about this author so I was expecting a good story. It was a good story. It was exciting and frightening. There were some flaws in the plot, things that could have been explained better, but over all it was a good story. Another thing about the story that I liked was that one of the main charaters died! I'm so tired of the main charaters getting away and none of them ever dying. But in this one, one of them did. Although that part went fast and I thought they would morn his death a little bit more, but it was good. Another thing was that there was the open ending. Again like in Prom Nights from Hell, open endings call for a series. And yes, there could be a series, but that open ending also made is a good ending. It made you wondering about the charaters and what they would do next and what they would encounter. It was good.

Now for the stories from worst to best (gosh this is going to be very hard): I Don't Like You Girlfriend, The Law of Suspects, The Mirror House, Nowhere is Safe, and Cruisin'. For the record, I like them all and DON'T have a favorite. I'm only doing this because I did it in the other reviews of this series and kind of have to do it for this one.

So that's it....See you next year. "Next year?" you ask. Well I found out that one of these books comes out every year. So the next one of this series will come out next year. SO...see you next year.....(less)

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Apr 24, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

ordered in description from my favorite to my least favorite.

Nowhere is Safe by Libba Bray
Four friends, freshly graduated from high school, are backpacking through Europe and stumble upon an old town in the guidebook - a cursed town in fact. And of course they go. The town is protected by a line of salt to keep the demons away. I don't want to give away too many details...but I can tell you this...this story is the reason to pick this anthology up at your store/library/online retailer. I LOVED I...more ordered in description from my favorite to my least favorite.

Nowhere is Safe by Libba Bray
Four friends, freshly graduated from high school, are backpacking through Europe and stumble upon an old town in the guidebook - a cursed town in fact. And of course they go. The town is protected by a line of salt to keep the demons away. I don't want to give away too many details...but I can tell you this...this story is the reason to pick this anthology up at your store/library/online retailer. I LOVED IT! Great intensity and it ended too quickly.

The Mirror House by Cassandra Clare
Cassie brings us a kissing brother and sister and an evil father once again. I'm starting to wander if these are childhood influences are just her favorite forbidden topics. In this story, a newly married mom and dad with (hiding it from parents) kissing step brother and step sister starts off their reign with a joint honeymoon beach location. The beach is deserted in this area - private local and all. New (hiding and kissing) brother and sister sneak away on the beach, make out, and then brother spots a beautiful local, who lures him in (sister gets jealous of course) - only she's really immortal and evil and hates all men. It's all very typical in plot sense, but I liked the development that was made in Clare's version.

Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski
Friends Liz and Kristin are going on a cruise. Liz is the "experienced" gal and has make it Kristin's mission to lose her virginity on the cruise. She has three days to find the perfect guy. Oh and there's gossip about a vampire on the loose. As the cruise comes to a close, Kristin gets closer to the deed, but can she follow through? An interesting take (that includes vampires) and it'll throw you for a loop.

I don't like your Girlfriend by Claudia Gray
This is a four part story about Cecily. In her world, the women are witches and it is forbidden for the men to know. She hates this girl, Kathleen, whom she has to see every summer when her Mom's college coven meets up for "summer vacation". This year she is even more irate to see that Kathleen has brought a boyfriend, who Cecily thinks is perfect for herself. Cecily begins to test her witch developing ways and this story is a decent attempt to show the difference between wants, desires, obligations and the maturity to sift through the differences of each.

The Law of Suspects by Maureen Johnson
This story involved two sisters on vacation in a BFE section of France, a story that is a curse to hear, and keeping hold of yourself under all the suspicion. I didn't love this one. Call me crazy, but making out descriptions after a murder just took place (while they're still in the same room as the bloody body and/or standing right beside it) is just way too weird, even for me.

Overall - its a 4 out of 5 stars for the entire collection. Great job, ladies.(less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Ana Luisa. rated it 2 of 5 stars

En mi opinión las escritoras de las historias de este libro podrían haber dado más. No se que les pasó con esto, creo que no les va escribir cosas cortas.

"El crucero" de Sarah Mlynowski.
No me pareció buena hasta el final que la historia da un giro. Pero no me gustó nada en general.

"Tu novia no me cae bien" de Claudia Gray.
Es la historia mas "estúpida" y de nivel infantil de todas. Tampoco me gustó.

"La ley de los sospechosos" de Maureen Johnson.
Algunas cosas eran interesantes e intrigantes, pero...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Nici rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: anthology, young-adult, witches, vampires, urban-fantasy, paranormal, horror, humour, e-book

Sarah Mlynowski – Cruisin’

Liz and Kristin are on a cruise ship to find a man for Kristin. Along the way they meet Hailey, a girl who tells them that she read an article about disappearances on cruise ships.

Funny vampire story. Nice twist at the end Ms Mlynowski!

Claudia Gray – I Don’t Like Your Girlfriend

Every year Cecily and her family meet up with her mom’s college girlfriends and their families in North Carolina but this is not a normal family vacation. Cecily’s mom and her girlfriends use it...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Cristy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: compilation-anthology, magic, paranormal-supernatural, vamps, witches-warlocks

Compilation books are always a bit of a risky read, but VACATIONS FROM HELL (Short stories from hell) is a decent set of stories with contributions from some pretty popular and strong writers; but like any group of shorts, some of the tales are better than others.

Surprisingly enough, even though I’m a huge Cassandra Clare fan, two of the stories I found the most enjoyable were from authors I was previously unfamiliar with. For me, Sarah Mlynowski’s CRUISIN’ and Maureen Johnson’s THE LAW OF SUSPE...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-from-library

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this compilation as much as the others. I think it had to do with the fact that this compilation is more horror than romance. This is not to say that the book is all bad, it's just not my preference.

I think out of all 5 stories, I enjoyed "I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" by Claudia Gray and "The Law of Suspects" by Maureen Johnson best. The other stories were good as well, but like I said before, not my type. I Don't Like Your Girlfriend is about a childhood rivalry...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Care rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, ya-general-paranormal

So without spoiling anything....

Cruisin by Sarah Mlynowski:
It was an entertaining short story about vampires and cruise ships. It was cute even if it wasn't too hard to figure out the ending.

I Don't Like Your Girlfriend by Claudia Gray:
I liked this one more than the first story. It was a cute short about witches and enemies. This is probably one of my favorites shorts in this book.

The Law of Suspects by Maureen Johnson:
The story itself was interesting. Not my favorite of the book, but ok none...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Kimberley Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, anthologies, english-review

This collection is really a must have.
It's perfect for a summer vacation, no matter if you are really going abroad or just staying in balconia.
The five authors are all really talented and I honestly can't say which of them has the best writing skills. There is a story for everyone, so I'm sure If you don't like most of the stories one is definetly shining out for you.
I personally liked them all but loved "Nowhere Is Safe" by Libba Bray. The whole book deserves a re-read this summer and is goi...more

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About Libba Bray

What is it about writing an author bio that gives me that deer-in-headlights feeling? It's not exactly like I'm going to say "I was born in Alabama…" and somebody's going to jump up and snarl, "Oh yeah? Prove it!" At least I hope not.

I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor....more

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A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1)

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