Melon Head Mayhem

Killer VHS #1

by Alex Ebenstein

Have you ever wanted to live inside your favorite horror film? Prove you have what it takes to fight Freddy? Destroy Jason? Mangle Michael? Cousins Carson and Sophia are in town for their grandma's funeral and are, unknowingly, about to live out the nightmare that is every horror fan's dream. After they find an old unfamiliar VHS tape tucked away in grandma's house, they figure the worst that can happen is a few cringeworthy moments and 90 minutes wasted. Instead, the video summons the movie monsters-local urban legends called melon heads-into their very real lives! The destruction caused by the blood thirsty melon heads has Carson and Sophia fighting to survive and sets them on a deadly path to the shores of Lake Michigan, home of the devilish beasts. They vow to destroy every last one of the melon heads and make sure these monsters never get a sequel. Will they survive? Would you fare better? It's a creature feature. It's a throwback. It's... MELON HEAD MAYHEM!

Genres: Horror, Novella, Fiction, Science Fiction, Halloween, Monsters, Thriller

152 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2023

Reviews

[Joey Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most enjoyable reads I have had in a long time. I had an itch for a creature feature read that had a monster(s) that were different and not just your typical werewolf or vampire. Melon Head Mayhem delivered! I can just say I read this book so quickly and enjoyed every sentence of it. I also enjoyed Ebenstein’s approach to the origin story of the monsters. He didn’t just go with run of the mill stuff.

I appreciated how the story was structured, the pacing, and the overall plot. This story was action packed from start to finish. Ebenstein has me hooked and I look forward to reading more of his works, especially Reanimated Rex.

If you like horror or fun or both, READ THIS BOOK! It’s short and goes down easy, no reason to leave this book on a shelf!

I would recommend if you like:

80s Horror movie vibes
B movie vibes (I mean that in the best possible way)
Fast paced fun
Easy to follow plot line
Fresh duo dynamic
Unique characters
Original monsters
Good twists that only creature features can provide

I would caution you if:
Find horror movies campy
Are looking for a complex plot line
Like a longer involved story with several arcs

[Brendon Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melon Head Mayhem is all around fun! What made me read it in the first place is that awesome cover art and the title. I can say the book itself lives up to cover and the blurb.

The story follows Carson as he returns to his hometown following the death of his Grandmother. Carson and his cousin Sophia are horror movie junkies and have bonded over this during there childhood. As Carson is cleaning up his Grandmothers house he comes across a VHS of a low budget movie about Melon Heads. The problem is after watching the movie they realise the Melon Heads are real and they are hell bent on keeping their existence a secret by any means necessary.

What follows is Carson and Sophia attempting to stop the ramange of the creatures and figure out where they came from. Lots of 80s references, horror movie talk and quick paced action sequences. It's not to be taken overly seriously and is a fun novel in the vein of the B movies of the 80s such as Critters, Ghoulies, Hobgoblins and the like. The writing is great and the characters are likeable heroes who you are hoping will survive the bloodbath. It looks like this Killer VHS line is going to be a series that I will definitely continue to read.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! I love 80s throwback stuff in horror, and this really delivered with the whole "cursed video tape" vibe coupled with these weird, nasty little Melon Head creatures. I was a bit surprised with how fast the Melon Heads showed up in the story, because I feel like creature features don't usually get into the thick of it that fast, but it worked well with how it all played out.

I do wish there had been more backstory — I didn't love how little explanation was given for any of what was happening. This wasn't a new favorite, but it was a fun, messy, action-packed little novella that I had fun with. I'll definitely be checking out more books by this author in the future.

Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the gifted copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Content warnings for: violence, gore, body horror, death, fire, brief mentions of disabled children

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[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't need to write a review do I? I know that you know that I know you are not even gonna read it, like me, you are a feral unhinged book goblin and have saw *that* cover and gone 'yes please' Just buy this. If you're a fan of the type of book that gives you that comforting horror nostalgia of the 80s/90s, then this is for you!, this felt like a cinematic experience on page, the love for B-movies shines through, I absolutley loved this and you will too! Its a fast paced ridiculously fun creature feature read that is self aware in its absurdity, this author should be on everyones radar!
I have ordered the paperback because *that cover* 😍 but it has a long shipping date so I read it on kindle straight away because I simply couldn't wait

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW/CW: Language, mourning, grieving, loss of family member, smoking

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Cousins Carson and Sophia are in town for their grandma’s funeral and are, unknowingly, about to live out the nightmare that is every horror fan’s dream.After they find an old unfamiliar VHS tape tucked away in grandma’s house, they figure the worst that can happen is a few cringeworthy moments and 90 minutes wasted. Instead, the video summons the movie monsters—local urban legends called melon heads—into their very real lives!The destruction caused by the blood thirsty melon heads has Carson and Sophia fighting to survive and sets them on a deadly path to the shores of Lake Michigan, home of the devilish beasts. They vow to destroy every last one of the melon heads and make sure these monsters never get a sequel.
Release Date: July 11th, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 120
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Cover is amazing
2. Vcr vibes
3. Liked writing style

What I Didn't Like:
1. Spelling errors & wrong words for sentences
2. Ending was just okay

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

I'm loving the friendship between cousins Carson and Sophia. Their banter is great so far.

Can't they just buy a charger? They are literally in the parking lot of a store.

The plot to this book doesn't make any sense. They said;

"That they made a movie and the movie made the urban legend real. But now the Melon Heads are real and they want to survive and you two seeing the movie threatens that threatens them you're a liability now.

"
How would that make sense then? Wouldn't The Melon Heads need them alive to prove their existence? Wouldn't someone have to know they exist on the world for them to exist? If no one knew their existence how can they exist?

Love that Carson and Sophia dried Isaac into this but then the second Isaac goes out the door and gets attacked Carson just shuts the door behind him and locks it. He doesn't even try to make an effort to save the dude. He's just like "well he's dead" .

Why did they call the police if they didn't want the police to talk to them? Do they think that the police were just going to show up and not say anything to them?

The Melon Heads attacked the crew when they finished filming but somehow VHS' were copied and sent out too? How does that make sense? Why didn't the Melon Heads just destroy the tapes? Why didn't they just kill the crew during filming?

Ending felt too convenient.

Final Thoughts:
I was very interested in reading this book because I'm from Cleveland Ohio so I've grown up with the legend of Melon Heads. The Michigan lore isn't too far from the Ohio lore.

Things that are not explained to us;
a. How the Melon Heads talk to Ryan/Arnie
b. How the Melon Heads know someone watched the VHS

The book was just okay to me. I think if you have a mature 13+ year old they would be okay to read this book. The language is minor but there.

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[Lizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like goosebumps but slightly aged up. Lighthearted and humorous tone with simplistic writing, cheesy/predictable plot, guaranteed 'happy' ending...

I feel someone would need to be in a very specific mood to thoroughly enjoy this lol

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delivered - nostalgia, B movie vibes and the “don’t think too hard about it, just have fun” plot.

[Escapereality4now · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all love a good creature feature, especially one from the 80s. What if the monster came out of the movie to terrorize you? 👀

Cousins Carson and Sophia are in town for their grandma's funeral. They find an old VHS tape tucked away in Grandma's house and watch the unfamiliar movie. The short film summons the melon heads.

“Melon Head Mayhem” , by Alex Ebenstein, makes my 80s loving heart happy. There are plenty of references to movies from my favorite decade: Slumber Party Massacre and Critters. The book is a complete vibe with VHS tapes, video stores, and bloodthirsty creatures.

This fun, well-paced story had gore. There is. o shortage of action, from kicking down doors to tossing and breaking furniture. These little creatures are brutal. Carson and Soohia set out to destroy the melon heads with a highly entertaining story.

[Paul Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was a lot of fun. I just want to rewind the tape and play it again.
Mullets, convertibles, and a creepy local guy warning you about the abandoned mansion. 80’s horror movies are the best; campy, low budget special effects, and bitey creatures…and that is just the movie that kickstarts the heart of this book.
Cleverly written with great characters that will have you grinning and wanting to join in the fight. However, you don’t want to go losing your head because the Melon Heads are here to cause mayhem.
Dude, fun quickly turns to RUN! As these honeydew noggin bad boys full of teeth realize you know about them. You can only rely on yourself when the danger is so crazy that no one will believe you.
“Carson had barely enough time to call 9-1-1, which was no help anyway because he made the mistake of telling the truth.”

[unstable.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shortwave Books consistently publishes books that are such a great time. This story was all you could ask of a VHS style horror.

[Brittni | semi-hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is campy fun horror done right.

Melon Head Mayhem is the first in a series of short novels, the Killer VHS Series. I mostly picked this up because the cover was really appealing - an 80's horror VHS-style cover with our starring monsters, the Melon Heads, front and center.

Though a quick read, this is super fun. It's very meta - like Scream meets Goosebumps, but purely for adults. Our main characters, Carson and Sophia, watch a curse VHS tape and star in their own B-movie creature feature as a result. The plot is fast, as it should be since there are only 120 pages, and along the way, familiar horror tropes act as way-points on the journey.

I rated this 4 stars because there's a bit too much hand-wavy explanation in this - I would have preferred the author go full B-movie and make up some mysticism or science or other over-the-top mumbo jumbo to really send it home. I also found there's an odd level of detail on very mundane things, which does a great job at setting the scenes but can feel kind of like it's detracting from the horror.

I'm excited to read the next two in the series! Pick this up if you want some short summer fun.

Horror Hodgepodge Blog Post Here

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Finally getting her attention. “What are you doing?”
“Looking for a weapon,” she said quickly. “Did Gran have a gun?”
“A gun? What? Why?” He watched her body tremble once more, then an air of remarkable resolve settled in across her face. “They’re here.””

Campy, scify channel-esque, 80’s style monster novel: that about sums up Melon Head Mayhem.

You’re definitely going to get cheesy dialogue and lots of thrills with this story.

I loved the cover on this book, it is so retro and eye catching, a perfectly hideous looking tale to add to your shelves.

Thank you to the author & BookSirens for a copy!

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this series out of order and having loved books #2 and #3, I decided to circle back to the first book. Even though this is set in present day, it really did feel like a cheesy 80s horror movie with the melon heads terrorizing our protagonists. The story was entertaining, but it didn't grip me as much as the other two books in the series. This was your run-of-the mill monster story so there were no major surprises. I just needed a little more oomph and depth to the story. Overall, if you like 80s horror movies such as Killer Klowns from Outer Space, you’ll probably enjoy this book.

[Jamedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

Melon Head Mayhem is the first novella in the Killer V/H/S series, written by Alex Ebenstein and published by Shortwave Media. In this standalone, we have a fun homage to 80s serie B movies with touches of slasher, following two horror movies junkies cousins that stumble upon an unknown urban legend.

Cousins Carson and Sophia are in their hometown for their grandmother's funeral; what they can't imagine is that watching an unknown VHS found in their grandma's house will unleash a nightmare for them, as it will bring to life the urban legend featured in there, the tiny assassin monsters calling melon heads that will persecute them to kill them.

With a fast pacing, we are drawn towards the situations where the cousins will be forced to fight together if they want to survive this menace and find the home of the creatures near to the Lake Michigan. Ebenstein puts the focus on the bond that existed between the two cousins, taking advantage of that nostalgia associated with somebody you've known for a long time; all while creating hilarious situations that remembers us to that low budget horror films, never shy of the gore to compensate for the lack of resources.

While I feel this novella could have benefitted from a few more pages, I have to say that Ebenstein has pulled a banger, that has kept me glued to the pages until the end. An excellent first instalment for this Killer V/H/S series.

[MM · Rating 4 out of 5]

it reminded me of a good ole 80s horror film, cheesy dialogue with a cheesy plot but loved the cousin/family relationship

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carson and Sophia decide to hang out since they are both in town for their grandma’s funeral. The two decide to watch an old VHS tape they found in the attic. Harmless fun until the movie somehow brings these creatures from an urban legend to life.

The cover is what first attracted me to this book. I’m a sucker for the 80s vibe. It plays out much like a B movie and overall was a fun read. The characters were likable and there is no shortage of action as they battle the Melon Heads. The pacing is great. It will keep you engaged and on the edge of your seat. I’d recommend this to horror lovers that enjoy creature features, the nostalgia of the 80s and campy horror.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[mo • lesmotsdemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had such a fun time reading this novella. It goes straight to the point and I absolutely love that. The plot is quite original and is very visual — I would for sure watch a movie adaptation. I had no problem imagining the scenes in my head as the story went. The characters are also good and we get to really know them, and their relationship dynamic as well. And also, the cover’s vibe is spectacular, I have rarely seen a cover like this and I don’t usually pay attention to covers, but this one is on point. And it matches the story’s vibes so well.

Thank you to BookSirens for an e-copy in exchange for a honest review.

[Justin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and fast creature feature about cousins who watch a VHS tape that lets loose some monsters- if any part of that sounds like fun, check this out. This one doesn't get bogged down with the details and the feral freaks show up early and often. Reading it FELT like watching an 80's horror movie (though it's not set in the 80's) and I'm not sure I can pay a higher compliment than that. Definitely checking out this author's other work after this.

[michelle ࣪ ִֶָ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun!

[ajreadsfiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect 80s horror movie vibes. Love a baddass FMC ❤️

[❀ Kylie-Ree ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quick read, a day's worth of reading while at work, but it was a hell of a lot of fun! It was cheesy just like all B-Rated/80s horror movies are, which it was going for so it hit the mark lol.

I enjoyed every second of reading it, and I loved the Goosebumps for grown-ups' feeling that it gave off.

So I will definitely be giving he second book in these series a read!

[Oakley Roynon · Rating 1 out of 5]

i saw the cover and fell in love. i’m an 80’s horror movies fan and love reading horror books. i was excited to get into it, but i should have DNF’d this one. i was uninterested from near enough the get-go, but wanted to give it a fair chance. 1/3 of the way through i thought “maybe it will get better”. it didn’t get better, but then i thought “i have come this far…”.

bottom line is the story was was predictable, the characters were one-dimensional, and tedious. there were SO many conveniences.

“sophia hits a monster with a bat/broomstick, and carson sets it on fire and defeats it”, rinse and repeat a ridiculous amount of times. they defeated the monsters way too easily. i know it’s a short story, but this fell flat at every chance, for me.

[Luke Crum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was into this until about halfway through when, for me, the momentum just died. I love me some schlocky monster mayhem and silly plot twists and unbelievable curses or cursed tapes so this seemed right up my alley. And the cover, top notch.

I don’t feel like I say this often, but the dialogue felt excessive—which is odd cause I love talky, monologue driven movies…but when it comes to a B-movie inspired sci-fi horror novel, not so much.

Kudos for pulling me in with the first half and for the monster action that’s there—that’s all fun, if you are a fan of that (like I am) of course. Yet, as short as this is, I feel like it could have been even shorter.

[Chloë-Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this one mostly because I want to read the second one, but this was slightly off putting.

Ask anyone, I love a silly campy horror movie, one of my favourites is about a haunted armchair (trust me).

This just felt like, despite being a novella, and as such already short, it could have been shorter to remain interesting, I found myself avoiding reading this at times just because there were other things on offer that were more entertaining.

Unsure whether I'll still pick up the next but we'll see.

Additionally, the Melon Head's are described as white in the book so the cover art doesn't match the description, so I don't get that.

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The perfect blend of horror movie nostalgia and video tapes

This is a fun romp that pays homage to the horror movies of the 1980s while also good-naturedly lampooning them. It is well written, with more blood and gore, and heart, than I expected. While neither as funny or bizarre as I wanted, it is entertaining and keeps you reading to find out what happens next. I look forward to reading more from the author, and I will be sure to check out the other books in the series.

Also a shout out to the wonderful cover by Marc Vuletich and Alan Lastufka. It really drew me in and got me excited for the book.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two adult cousins - Carson and Sophia - watch a bootleg 80s horror movie called Revenge of the Melon Heads!. Low budget, predictable, but satisfying as those things go. Then the two discover...the melon heads are real! And they're hunting Carson and Sophia, a hunt to the death.

Like the movie it emulates, Melon Head Mayhem is a quick, fun little read, with a few good moments of splatter and gore. The idea of the monsters from a shitty little monster flick invading the real world is a fun premise.

[Ridge Tilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and charming little throwback to classic 80's creature features. A little over a 100 pages, it was a quick and easy read. The characters were endearing enough, the villains goofy and cartoonish while still being menacing, and the dialogue was so campy that I was smiling the entire time I was reading. My only gripe was I was wish there was more carnage in the story to really solidify it being a true 80's throwback. But that's only a minor complaint. The references were fun and I thought the cliches it threw in were genuinely hilarious. Overall, I had a great time. 4 stars.

[Brooklyn Attic Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the throwback feel of a good Goosebumps/YA horror that's 80's themed yet somehow doesn't take place in the 80s, I feel like it was missing a few things. For one, comedy. This is a light-hearted monster feature style novella, it should have a lot more comedy in it.

It paced well and the story was pretty well thought out. And I learned about a new urban legend (Michigan Melon Heads), who knew.

Fun but maybe a bit longer than needed to be.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[L.C. Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full-on B-movie fun! A quick read to cleanse the palet and lighten my reads without sacrificing the horror I love so dearly. I'm not a huge fan of creature/monster horror, but this book is based on an existing legend in Michigan, so that's intriguing (note to self: don't venture into the woods in Michigan). An enjoyable, quick, entertaining read with a great balance of pace, gore, and suspense.

[David Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re picking up “Melon Head Mayhem,” don’t expect anything more than an adult version of a Goosebumps book. It’s a light, entertaining read that pays homage to 80s horror movies. The story is shallow but fun, offering a nostalgic treat for those who grew up reading kids’ horror. Just sit back, enjoy the ride, and don’t overthink it.