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Horrorstör

Grady Hendrix (Goodreads Author),

Michael Rogalski (Illustrator)

3.62 · Rating details · 21,424 ratings · 4,062 reviews

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour ...more

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Paperback, 248 pages

Published September 23rd 2014 by Quirk

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· 21,424 ratings · 4,062 reviews

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Nov 13, 2014 karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: death-is-not-the-end, live-through-this

this book is a hoot. it gets five stars for concept and design, and a solid 3.75 for execution. i didn't realize when i started this book that the author was guy who wrote yeti vs. bear in Tall Tales with Short Cocks Vol. 4, which was one of the funnier stories in that collection, and has one of the best opening scenes in the broader collection of "stories ever written."

this book is set up like an IKEA catalog, and walks that line between humor and horror without ever putting a ring on either ...more

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Jan 10, 2015 Nick rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, mystery, 2015, fantasy

4 CREEPY STARS!

You can find the full review and more about this book on my blog!

First of all,as always,I want to talk about the cover,the design of the physical book in general.I must say this is the most unique book I have ever seen.The pictures inside,the front and the back cover,the maps and the furniture,they are all perfectly made and they raised the book's awesomeness.So greatly done:)

Horrorstör is a dark horror creepy novel with suspense and hell of scary moments.I warn you,if you are

...more

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Oct 17, 2018 Emma Giordano rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

Horrostör is one of those books that’s just “fine.” It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t spectacular. It was just fine.

CW: death, ghosts, floods (idk other spooky stuff)

I love the concept of this book. It is so unique – I’ve never read a book like it and believe I’m unlikely to stumble upon another. I feel it’s pretty much what you would expect from a novel pitched as a horror parody of IKEA. I’m a hoe for that Swedish furniture store and the story fed my home décor-loving heart.

I listened to the audiobook Horrostör is one of those books that’s just “fine.” It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t spectacular. It was just fine.

CW: death, ghosts, floods (idk other spooky stuff)

I love the concept of this book. It is so unique – I’ve never read a book like it and believe I’m unlikely to stumble upon another. I feel it’s pretty much what you would expect from a novel pitched as a horror parody of IKEA. I’m a hoe for that Swedish furniture store and the story fed my home décor-loving heart.

I listened to the audiobook version which was also fine. The narrators did a good job, and I appreciated the distinction between the main character's POV and the item descriptions from ORSK. When listening to the audiobook, you do miss the visual diagram of each item which plays a role in the story, but a quick flip through the physical book gave me the info I needed. I particularly liked how the catalogue portions of the book actually felt like I was listening to a radio commercial as opposed to just another paragraph from the narrator.

I enjoyed the characters well enough. There’s a fairly eclectic, diverse main cast that was actually given more development than I expected for a story such as this. I enjoyed getting to understand the backgrounds of the characters and how that fuels their motivations. I wouldn’t consider myself attached to any of them, but the main cast propelled the story in a positive way.

One element I felt was promised to me yet lacking was the humor? Horrostör is often referred to as a “comedy horror” novel, yet I can’t recall laughing even once? It’s not that the book is a drag or uninteresting, I just didn’t find it all that humorous.

As for the horror aspect, I would also deem it “fine.” It was entertaining, but I feel it bordered more on “strange” than “scary.” Paranormal horror can be a hit or miss with me personally and I didn’t fully connect with it. It was unique and interesting, but I didn’t feel terrified or scared at all. It was more intrigue than fear and for that reason, it almost fell a little flat for me.

I don’t have a ton to say about Horrostör. It just wasn’t a very substantial read for me. I’m not at all sorry I read it, I just don’t feel very impressed. I am definitely interested in reading from Grady Hendrix in the future, though! My Best Friend’s Exorcism is still for sure on my to-read list.
...more

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Sep 06, 2014 Melki rated it really liked it

Shelves: parody, horror, humorous-fiction, pop-culture

I worked in retail for ten years, every job from the good (B. Dalton Bookseller), to the bad (Pearle Vision Center), to the really, really ugly (Sear's Outlet - where someone tried to return a used vibrator). The one thing all these jobs had in common? After the customers have gone home and the store is closed and the lights are turned low...it's rather creepy.

One of my favorite retail stories (and I may have told this one before - I'M OLD, so I'M ENTITLED!) is the night when Sue and I were I worked in retail for ten years, every job from the good (B. Dalton Bookseller), to the bad (Pearle Vision Center), to the really, really ugly (Sear's Outlet - where someone tried to return a used vibrator). The one thing all these jobs had in common? After the customers have gone home and the store is closed and the lights are turned low...it's rather creepy.

One of my favorite retail stories (and I may have told this one before - I'M OLD, so I'M ENTITLED!) is the night when Sue and I were closing the bookstore. You had to turn out the lights at the breaker in the back room, then walk all the way to the front of the store to exit. We were about a quarter of the way to the front when something crashed to the floor behind us. We didn't turn around, just took off running for the door. There is no doubt in my mind that had Sue fallen and couldn't get up, I would not have stopped to help her. And I'm sure she would have left me in her dust as monster chow had I dropped, as well. Two women in their thirties, running like bats outta hell, frightened by a noise.

See what retail does to you?

Poor Amy has become something of a slacker. Forced to drop out of community college, she's been working for retail giant, ORSK. She hates her job, most of her coworkers and especially her supervisor, Basil. But weird things have been happening in the wee hours when the store is closed. Though the security cameras have captured nothing, employees arrive each morning to broken and damaged merchandise. Basil drafts a few "partners" to stay all night and help him catch the vandals. Amy is one of them, and if she thinks her current job is mind-numbing and repetitive, wait until she gets a load of how she may end up spending eternity...

The first half of the book is terrific. The author does a fantastic job of mocking retail culture, motivational slogans and by-the-book managers. Then it takes an abrupt turn, all humor disappears, and the tale becomes a fairly standard horror story. It's almost as if the second half was written by a different author.

So, yes, this is definitely a case of style over substance, but oh, oh, OH! what style! The layout of the book, with its featured products - products that get more and more disturbing as the story advances, mission statements, employee reviews and order forms is DEAD ON. The whole book is clever and innovative...almost like a piece of inexpensive, ready-to-assemble furniture or a store designed to force you to visit EVERY department.

Just don't forget your magic tool.

description

You'll need it! ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 Mort rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

***AMENDED REVIEW***
I am man enough to admit when I am wrong. As my wife so rightly points out during an argument, it gets easier when you make so many mistakes.
Still, no furniture were hurt during the writing of this review.

For more than a year now, the name Grady Hendrix kept popping up from GR friends, either with a reading, rating, review or recommendation. HORRORSTOR is my virgin dive into the author’s mind. And I will admit, there were a few things I was worried about:
1. I’ve never been ***AMENDED REVIEW***
I am man enough to admit when I am wrong. As my wife so rightly points out during an argument, it gets easier when you make so many mistakes.
Still, no furniture were hurt during the writing of this review.

For more than a year now, the name Grady Hendrix kept popping up from GR friends, either with a reading, rating, review or recommendation. HORRORSTOR is my virgin dive into the author’s mind. And I will admit, there were a few things I was worried about:
1. I’ve never been in an IKEA, so would I get it?
2. Looking at his profile picture, would I like the humor?
3. Was I expecting too much because everybody raves about him?

Well, let me address each worry seperately:
1. There isn’t an IKEA in the country where I live. Like the town whore, I only know it by reputation from what I’ve heard from others. I use that analogy because I heard that (like the town whore) their merchandise is cheap but of low quality.
* Thanks to my friend Mike, I see that was was completely wrong in my assumption of IKEA merchandise with the things I have heard. We all know know that assumption is the root to all fuck-ups, so there you have it. Instead of changing what I said, I just want to tweak it a little - the analogy will still stand, I believe.
"Town whore" needs to be changed to "high class prostitute" - sadly, I can still use by reputation only.
And the merchandise is not really cheap and of higher quality than you might expect, perhaps even an experience that will last more than 30 seconds. (I'm paraphrasing, of course).
If I have hurt any feelings with my previous statement...well, you need to get a life, actually.
Look, I can’t slam a store I know nothing about. In fact, I think that I might have been a big fan of IKEA – to me, when something is working and doing its job, I really couldn’t care less what it looks like. This is a quality that annoys my wife to no end. Before she bought me a FOSSIL watch as a wedding gift, I used to wear watches that were cheap enough to throw away at the first sign of trouble.
And, to come back to the story, I think Hendrix did a good enough job to inform me of all I needed to know about Orsk.

2. Despite his picture, this guy can write very, very well. It was strange and funny, but without actual jokes...can you even understand what I mean when I say that? Now, I am not educated in English beyond high school, but I read a lot, so I think I’m a little above average with the language. However, there were a few words in there that I had to look up (yes, I’m that kind of geek) – I had no idea what pareidolia or panopticon meant.
And Drittsekk might be my new favorite insult!!
So, yes, don’t judge him by the goofy pic.

3. It was worth every single great review that it got. This was a horror story that took you in and threw you into a maelstrom of madness – it got my heart rate up more than once. Can you think of anything scarier than an asylum with torture devices that would have made the Inquisition jealous? No, I’m not giving too much away, you will still need to take the journey yourself to find out.
Loved the furniture with descriptions at the beginning of each chapter!

I highly recommend it to all horror fans! ...more

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Dec 24, 2015 Justin Tate rated it it was amazing

This deliciously quirky novel brings scares to one of the happiest places on Earth—an IKEA-esque furniture superstore. After days of mysterious occurrences like broken light fixtures and smashed wardrobes, the employees of ORSK stay after hours to investigate. Dun dun dun!

This novel taught me that any setting can be the groundwork for a spooky good time. It is also textbook perfection on how to blend horror and humor. Hendrix clearly has a blast describing overworked and underpaid employees and ...more

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Jun 03, 2015 Mohammed Arabey rated it really liked it

Horrorstör ; A Plot like an average-rated, Cliché Horror Movie about Haunted Places..

Creatively mixed into more Realistic issue that face millions around the world;
Working in Retail.
And uniquely presented in a Novel shaped like the same Retail Catalog..
So..Welcome to Orsk

A cheap clone of IKEA..at one of its branches by a highway road, will start a series of a Paranormal Events..

With 5 very different characters, their only common thing is working retail, But their personalities variety.. The 'Not ...more

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Oct 28, 2014 Carmen rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Horror Fans

Shelves: horror, traditionally-published, he-says, fiction, published2014

Well, this book was just amazing.

Orsk, an Ikea rip-off store, is hell. Retail hell - something Hendrix seems to be very familiar with.

Here are the opening paragraphs:

It was dawn, and the zombies were stumbling through the parking lot, streaming toward the massive beige box at the far end. Later they'd be resurrected by megadoses of Starbucks, but for now they were the barely living dead. Their causes of death differed: hangovers, nightmares, strung out from epic online gaming sessions, circadian ...more

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Aug 02, 2015 Wigs rated it did not like it

Absolutely an abysmal reading experience. Incohesive, immature, unfinished.

I'm not sure about why he actually did write it but it felt like he came out of IKEA one day and was like Whoaaaaaa dude it's so totally like a prison in there. And then wrote a nanowrimo about it. Barely 250 pages with large font (though thank god it's not any longer, I couldn't bear to suffer through any more of it), it's a shallow whirlwind through random imagery that doesn't even fit together. Shallow characters. ...more

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Oct 29, 2014 mark monday rated it liked it

Recommended to mark by: Carmen

Shelves: horror-modern

haunted house tale set in an Ikea-ish hellmouth. perfectly accomplished satiric horror, plus actual horror. and redemption! design of book is highly impressive. book is reminiscent of Bentley Little's various horror novels set in various institutions; Hendrix's story is ultimately more heartfelt and his writing glossier, more accomplished while Little remains superior in the depth of his anger at various institutions and his willingness to dive into Kafka-esque surrealism. overall a minor work ...more

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Apr 02, 2018 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, shelf-inflicted, humor, library-books

Posted at Shelf Inflicted

“You don’t want to go out on the floor? Tough titty, said the kitty. I don’t want to go on the floor, either, but having a job is all about doing things you don’t want to do. That’s why they pay you money for it. Life doesn’t care what you want, other people don’t care what you want. All that matters is what you do.”

I really enjoyed Paperbacks From Hell, so was eager to read another book by Grady Hendrix. This one appealed to me, because I have a weakness for haunted ...more

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Jun 10, 2018 Heidi The Reader rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, horror

Amy has a cash-flow problem and a desire to transfer to a different Ikea-like furniture store. If she can just stay on the boss' good side for a few more days, she'll be out of here.

So she was on her best behavior while her transfer request made its way through the system. She arrived on time each day. She smiled at customers and didn't blink at last-minute schedule changes. ... She fought her natural tendency to talk back. And, most important, she steered clear of Basil, determined to stay off Amy has a cash-flow problem and a desire to transfer to a different Ikea-like furniture store. If she can just stay on the boss' good side for a few more days, she'll be out of here.

So she was on her best behavior while her transfer request made its way through the system. She arrived on time each day. She smiled at customers and didn't blink at last-minute schedule changes. ... She fought her natural tendency to talk back. And, most important, she steered clear of Basil, determined to stay off his radar." pg 17, ebook.

But the store has been under performing and, each morning, things are misplaced, wrecked or smeared with foul-smelling gunk. Someone has been in the store and Basil, the manager, is going to figure out what's going on.

"I've asked you here because I need your help. I have an extra job for tonight. A side project. And I need you to keep quiet about it." pg 27, ebook.

He'll make sure Amy's transfer papers go through if she stays overnight with Basil and a few of her co-workers. What could possibly go wrong?

Horrorstör is elevated from a typical horror novel because of its setting, which is really quite clever, and the way Grady Hendrix, the author, weaves the store manual into the narrative.

The haunting itself is spooky enough to give you chills, but doesn't really cross the line into nightmare territory. At least, it didn't for me.

"Churches are built where saints were martyred. A bridge requires a child in its foundations if it is to hold. All great works must begin with a sacrifice." pg 96, ebook.

Amy is a strong female protagonist. She fights for what she wants, her coworkers and her sanity in this story. I liked how her character develops from entitled to vengeful.

Basil, Ruth Ann and Amy's other coworkers are well-written too. As I read, I could imagine this cast of characters actually working at a store. There's the tightly-strung manager with a heart of gold, the maternal push-over figure who may be tougher than she looks, and more.

Recommended for readers who enjoy some thrills and furniture-related chills. If you're into Ikea, you may never look at your home furnishings the same way again. ...more

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May 22, 2014 Audra (ouija.doodle.reads) rated it it was ok

Shelves: horror

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

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Jun 08, 2017 Sadie Hartmann Mother Horror rated it it was amazing

Let me gush about this book to you for like three or five minutes. Give me five, tops! First of all, let me just explain how much fun this book is. Starting with the cover, have you ever seen a more eye catching, hilarious cover?
(Your answer is no)
My husband and I have been to IKEA several times, like every time we move. Most notably the last time was when we outfitted our camping trailer. It was a weekend. We wound our way through the entire Showroom and it was, quite literally, a Horrorstor!
...more

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Jan 31, 2015 Sam Quixote rated it it was ok

Here’s the plot summary: haunted Ikea-like store. That’s it.

I love the haunted house subgenre of horror, I’m a big fan of Douglas Coupland (the overall design aesthetic of the book reminded me of novels like Microserfs and jPod), so I really thought Grady Hendrix’s Horrorstor was going to be a good read. My expectation was that it was going to be satirical/funny with a little bit of drama to balance things out. Wrong! It’s all written completely straight - Hendrix is actually trying to be Here’s the plot summary: haunted Ikea-like store. That’s it.

I love the haunted house subgenre of horror, I’m a big fan of Douglas Coupland (the overall design aesthetic of the book reminded me of novels like Microserfs and jPod), so I really thought Grady Hendrix’s Horrorstor was going to be a good read. My expectation was that it was going to be satirical/funny with a little bit of drama to balance things out. Wrong! It’s all written completely straight - Hendrix is actually trying to be scary. And, unfortunately, he does a terrible job!

Twenty-something Amy works at a cheap furniture store called Orsk. She gets roped into doing a dusk-til-dawn shift with her middle-aged co-worker Ruth Anne and highly motivated manager Basil (who’s also younger than she is). They’re on the lookout for whoever’s been wiping the display furniture with poo and scrawling graffiti across the walls after-hours. Also, someone is texting “help” to everyone with a store mobile. But they gotta catch whoever’s doing it soon because corporate’s coming down for an inspection, first thing in the morning!

Our cast of characters are extremely dull. Amy is your average drifting young woman who’s treading water until she makes a move towards something she actually wants to do. As it is, she’s very apathetic towards her work, and that’s fine, but it’s not interesting to read - why should we care about her again? Why is she the main character?

Ruth Anne is a wallflower who shows a little bit more character later on, Basil’s a corporate stooge who isn’t as secure as he seems, and there are some others but they’re not worth mentioning. They’re basically all as flat as the flat-pack furniture their store sells.

The story starts slowly as we get to know our unremarkable cast and set up the main story: characters walking around a dark store. I was ready to fall asleep every time a chapter started and they were still stumbling around in the dark. Is this the “scary” part? What am I supposed to be feeling besides boredom?

We finally get to the supernatural disturbances and they’re a joke. I mean, they’re played totally real but they’re just a glob of horror story cliches. It’s the Indian burial ground-type setup, tedious monologues about never getting out and being punished forever and ever. Even the villain in this is tedious!

There’s more stumbling around in the dark, some characters die, and it’s over. I was very disappointed/sleepy and not at all scared.

Horrorstor could’ve lent itself well to satire/comedy - the Ikea store as a modern day nightmare, designed to entrap consumers with their never-ending layouts until they empty their wallets, etc. - but Hendrix crapped out and went the banal and wholly unoriginal route of characters being chased by spookies in the dark.

I suppose Hendrix did sort of imply something along those lines by turning Orsk into a ghostly version of the nightmarish prison where people went insane and were tortured. And I did like the Coupland-esque graphics, designed to look like an Ikea catalogue. But generally I felt Hendrix didn’t do enough with the concept and incorporated too many cliches with excessive blood and physical harm, grasping hands from walls, characters separating, and a one-dimensional villain.

Horrorstor is a very unmemorable and uninteresting haunted house story that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. For good haunted house novels, check out The Shining by Stephen King, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and Hell House by Richard Matheson instead. ...more

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Sep 27, 2014 Sarah Churchill rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own, received-for-review

I'm rounding this up to 5 stars, because anything it lost in predictability it more than made up for in presentation. I'm talking about the overall catalogue look, the product ads that slowly turn sinister... everything down to the ad at the very end, after the epilogue that leaves you hanging without spelling it all out for you.

I was creeped out. Majorly creeped out. I won't be visiting Ikea around closing time, EVER.

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May 01, 2014 Kimberly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: first-reads

4.5 stars, rounded up for sheer originality in layout/concept!

I won an advance copy of this book through the Goodreads "First-Reads" giveaway.

Horrorstor has an incredibly unique layout that immediately drew my attention. It is meant to look like a furniture store catalog, complete with diagrams of the available furniture, and write-ups about the functions, colors available, and positive ways each item could be utilized in your home. What impressed me the most with the use of this concept, is how ...more

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Dec 09, 2014 Sesana rated it liked it

Shelves: horror

There were a few things that drew me to this book. A haunted house that's really an Ikea-like store is an interestingly unique idea. The idea alone appeals to me. I also liked the idea that it would take visual cues from Ikea catalogs (each chapter is headed with an item description). I did my time in retail. And it's set in Cuyahoga County, near where I grew up.

Hendrix uses his retail setting very well. If you've worked retail, you'll recognize the store, the displays, the corporate ...more

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Feb 11, 2019 destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries] rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult, rtc, owned-physical, horror, 2019tbr, 2019-reads

That was absolutely fantastic, delightfully creepy, and most of all, SO MUCH FUN. Wow, Grady Hendrix is a genius. RTC! ...more

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Aug 05, 2019 Shaina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, art, borrowed, eerie-spooky-gothic-weird-creepy, review-of-the-year, thriller-suspense, ebook, kindle, favorites, library-loans

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

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Nov 05, 2014 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy, horror, ghosts, netgalley

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/12/01/4...

Horrorstör scratched a really great itch. When it comes to the Horror genre, I’m an unabashed fan of ghost stories and books about hauntings. Thing is, because so many of them follow the same formula and use the same familiar tropes, it’s really hard find something that truly stands out. I was therefore quite excited about this novel, which is a memorable and real quirky take on your classic haunted house story.

Protagonist 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/12/01/4...

Horrorstör scratched a really great itch. When it comes to the Horror genre, I’m an unabashed fan of ghost stories and books about hauntings. Thing is, because so many of them follow the same formula and use the same familiar tropes, it’s really hard find something that truly stands out. I was therefore quite excited about this novel, which is a memorable and real quirky take on your classic haunted house story.

Protagonist Amy is a disgruntled employee of furniture superstore Orsk, which is essentially a clever parody of our real world IKEA (the author has nailed it all down, everything from the proprietary magic tool to the delicious meatballs in the cafeteria). There’s something strange about this particular Orsk store though. Every morning store partners arrive at work to find damaged and vandalized goods, not to mention the creepy “HELP” messages that randomly shows up on everyone’s cellphones.

To get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all, store manager Basil recruits Amy and fellow employee Ruth Anne for an overnight shift. Expecting to find some innocuous and mundane reason for all the strange things going on, they are totally unprepared for the horrors awaiting them on showroom floor in the dead of night.

I really enjoyed this book, and its story is one that will stay with me for a very long time. After all, how often does one come across a haunted house story that takes place in a big box chain store? Old mansions are typically your go-to settings for these kinds of stories, but before I read this book it has never really occurred to me how creepy a place like your local Best Buy or Home Depot can be after store hours when all the customers have gone home and the lights go off. I certainly wouldn’t want to be locked inside all alone.

And while I’ve had experience in retail, they were all gigs in small businesses or independently owned establishments. I have never worked in a big box chain store so I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure (or misfortune, depending on your outlook) of experiencing that kind of unique environment or culture. Still, I don’t think you have to have worked in that capacity to recognize some of the “retail-speak” that gets poked fun at a lot in this novel (“It’s not just a job, it’s the rest of your life”, “communicate knowledge to visitors with maximum sales competence”, “contribute to an environment where Orsk culture is a strong and living reality” and other such gems), some of which are just downright hilarious especially through Amy’s jaded eye.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the core selling points of the physical copy of Horrorstör – the fact that it comes published in the shape and size of a glossy mail order catalog, along with product illustrations and descriptions, “coupons”, order forms and other such documents. Sound like a gimmick? Yeah, probably. But hey, it works. I give this packaging decision 10/10 for presentation and creativity.

Because of how the book looks, along with its spoofy nature, I admit I went into this thinking it would be more humor than horror. My mistake. This is a horror novel through and through. Yes, the story has its lighthearted bits and funny laugh-out-loud moments, but things quickly turn grim and spooky once the plot gets moving. There were parts that seriously gave me the heebie-jeebies and freaked me the hell out. And I confess, I loved being caught off guard like this.

What more can I say, but Horrorstör is a great addition which would add a little fun and eccentricity to any Horror lover’s library. I also think it would make a rather unique gift, especially if the recipient knows nothing about the book beforehand. The whole IKEA catalog look of it will no doubt lead many to believe it’s a joke/humor book, but what a surprise they’ll get when they crack open the cover and give it a read. Definitely a novel that will give you more than you bargained for. ...more

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Aug 29, 2019 Ellen Gail rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, read-in-a-day, horror

Another 5 star read! My definition of a productive week.

Look, I will totally admit to being worried about this book being too gimmicky. Sure, it intrigued me. But an author I hadn't read before, writing a book styled like an Ikea catalogue? Fun gimmick, sure, but an actual quality read? What were the odds?

Okay, so it's pretty fucking gimmicky. But so were movies with sound when they were first introduced nearly 100 years ago. A gimmick doesn't mean something's bad. Matter of fact, I'll argue ...more

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Jul 10, 2019 Justin rated it liked it

Man, I loved We Sold Our Souls, but Horrorstor was more style over substance for me. Hendrix creates a novel that is basically an IKEA catalogue, complete with advertisements, coupons, and product descriptions. Hell, the “About the Author” section on the back flap is written on a nametag and a short employee bio. The book is put together very creatively with plenty of attention to detail, but it just felt like too much work was put into how the book was designed, and not enough time and Man, I loved We Sold Our Souls, but Horrorstor was more style over substance for me. Hendrix creates a novel that is basically an IKEA catalogue, complete with advertisements, coupons, and product descriptions. Hell, the “About the Author” section on the back flap is written on a nametag and a short employee bio. The book is put together very creatively with plenty of attention to detail, but it just felt like too much work was put into how the book was designed, and not enough time and attention was put into actually writing a good story.

As a satire, this is great, and maybe it would have worked better if it just stayed in the same style of the first few chapters. Little pokes at capitalism, a manager whose memorized the company values and rules, al of that was fun. The spooky path the story goes down is fine, and it’s light and not really scary at all, but it just felt like contrived and underdeveloped. All of the extra fluff makes the actual story relatively short though, so it never really overstays its welcome.

I’m glad I started my Grady Hendrix journey with We Sold Our Souls rather than starting here. I think he does a swell job (yes, that’s right, I said “swell”) of combining humor and horror, and he’s demonstrated that in each of the books I’ve read from him. He doesn’t ever seem to take himself too seriously, and I can appreciate what he was trying to do with Horrorstor. There’s just not a lasting impression, and I’ll likely forget most of it except for “oh yeah it’s the haunted IKEA book”. That’s how I will pitch it to people.

“You like IKEA? No?”
“You like Scooby Doo? No?!”
“You like satire? Kind of?!”
“You like ghosts? They aren’t real???”
“Oh my God, maybe this isn’t the book for you after all. Go read Tolstoy or something since you’re so much better than everyone else. I don’t wanna take up any of your precious time with some low brow haunted IKEA book... wait... that sounds interesting to you? Oh, you should read Horrorstor!” ...more

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Jul 16, 2014 Mir rated it liked it

Recommended to Mir by: karen

The retail-horror aspect was a lot more interesting than the horror-horror, which was pretty generic.

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Jun 21, 2014 Kala Glass rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Rating: YESSSSSSSSSSSSS
Odds of Crying: 0
Odds of Having Nightmares: 1/4
Will I binge read this book?: Yes, it's a fast read
Is this a series?: Nope.
Is this an IKEA catalog: No, but it sure does look like one
This book is for you if you like: to be scared, really cool book design, original ideas/concepts

Spoiler Free Summary!

Grady Hendrix - where have you been all my life?!?!

Hendrix is clearly a genius. This story is set in Orsk, which is basically the American version of IKEA. It starts out very ...more

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Oct 28, 2018 Ashley Daviau rated it it was amazing

Well it’s official, Grady Hendrix has become one of my all time favourite authors and I will buy anything and everything he writes! This isn’t my absolute favourite out of his work but it’s still absolutely brilliant and I loved it! The premise is so bloody great, it’s quite unlike anything I’ve read before and manages to be both hilarious and terrifying at the same time. I really love the layout too, it’s so fun and original and really makes this a treat to read! And I don’t think I’ll ever be ...more

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Jan 14, 2019 Latasha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, library-books, ghosties, tosh-s-picks-2019

Oh Grady Hendrix!! I loved this book! Who knew a furniture store could be so scary? Well, it is! The characters were real & believable. The story is great and could easily be read in one sitting. The illustrations are fun. I think I have 1 more by this author left to read but I’m right on top of that Rose! I can not wait to see what’s next! ...more

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Oct 12, 2016 Lynn rated it really liked it

I read this very quickly because it was fun to read, a bit scary, and a great idea for a book. The text is peppered with box store slogans, product presentations, and mission statements. One character is a true believer in the corporate ethos; everyone else is a wage slave. One night, they face a haunted, hypnotic IKEA-like store together. I'm not much of a shopper, so I never considered the way showroom stores trap and wear customers down in a maze. I also discovered a bizarre prison design: ...more

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Jul 15, 2014 Chihoe Ho rated it it was ok

It's a pity this fell victim to your typical run-of-the-mill horror clichés - hundreds of hands reaching out of iron grates, rats swarming around, creepy crawlies of nightmares that come to haunt, fingernails pulled out in torture. "Horrorstör" started off with a quirky introduction and took almost half the book laying some groundwork before things turned nasty for the characters (exciting for me). I was genuinely rattled at that point and was hoping it would keep up, but then it just descended ...more

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Apr 30, 2017 Evans Light rated it liked it

Shelves: cheap-from-used-bookstore, have-it, horror

The design of the book, the illustrations and the concept were all top-notch. The story told in the midst of this well-coordinated design? Fair-to-middling.
It started off rather well with some solid character building that introduced the store's quirky corporate philosophy and the employee's interpersonal dynamics, but once Pandora's box was opened, so to speak, the story never really recovered.
Taking its cues from Poltergeist, everything from pretty much the 100 page point on is running and ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Dürt Würkers: Horrorstör	3	8	Sep 26, 2019 06:59PM
Horror Aficionados : Horrorstor- Grady Hendrix Buddy Read	36	61	Feb 06, 2019 09:36AM
Madison Mega-Mara...: #93 Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix	1	7	Oct 08, 2018 05:22PM

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About Grady Hendrix

Grady Hendrix

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Want a look at my newest book, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires? Then enter now for an ARC giveaway. You could get your blood-soaked paws on one of these books before anyone else on your block!

Grady Hendrix is the author of the novels Horrorstör, about a haunted IKEA, and My Best Friend's Exorcism, which is like Beaches meets The Exorcist, only it's set in the Eighties.

He's also ...more

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“Let's make sure it's really raining before we worry about floods.” — 27 likes

“The problem was the liars. They said she could do anything she set her mind to, they told her she should shoot for the moon because if she missed she’d be among the stars, they made movies tricking her into thinking she could achieve heroic things. All lies. Because she was born to answer phones in call centers, to carry bags to customers’ cars, to punch a clock, to measure her life in smoke breaks. To think otherwise was insane.” — 12 likes

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