Original review posted here

So this collection of short stories.. it packs a mean punch. I mean right out of the gate, Joyce Carol Oates slams her readers with a story about “innocent” young girls and the horrific acts they can commit. Seriously, people, I have goosebumps just thinking about the story and it’s been a few weeks since I read it.

One after another, each story hits where you least expect to be hit. From showing the darker side of charity, the immense pain of loneliness, the all-too-human fears we face in moments when we should be thinking of other things, it’s all contained within this book.

I’ve only recently become a fan of short stories – I’ve come to appreciate them for how quickly I can become immersed in the story and also appreciate just how much of a workout my imagination gets from the (sometimes abrupt) endings. I’m positive I’ll be checking out more of Joyce Carol Oates books, just because I have a think for powerhouse female writers – but I will say this…

The last story in this book I couldn’t read all the way through. I was just too grossed out, and for that I blame my active imagination – although the story was pretty damn twisted.

If you want the perfect Halloween read, look no further. This book will take you beyond paranormal and sometimes silly scary stories into the very corrupt and twisted mind of some very “normal” people.