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The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales Brief & Sinister
A collection of thirty-six eerie, mysterious, intriguing, and very short short stories presented by the cabinet’s esteemed curators, otherwise known as acclaimed authors Stefan Bachmann, Katherine Catmull, Claire LeGrand, and Emma Trevayne. Perfect for fans of Alvin Schwartz and anyone who relishes a good creepy read-alone or read-aloud story. Features an introduction and commentary by the curators, and illustrations and decorations throughout.
496 pages, ebook
First published May 27, 2014
121 people are currently reading
2666 people want to read
About the author
Stefan Bachmann
12 books563 followersStefan Bachmann is a bestselling author of books and short stories. He was born in the United States and spent most of his childhood in Switzerland, where he graduated from the Zürich University of Arts with degrees in music composition and theory. His debut, The Peculiar, was published to international acclaim when he was nineteen years old. His work has gone on to be named a Publishers Weekly’s best book of the year, a VOYA Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year, a New York Times Editor’s Choice, and a Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award finalist, among others. In 2017, he was chosen for the Aarhus 39, a selection of the best young writers in Europe, presented at the International Hay Festival in Denmark. He has written for radio, film, opera, magazines and newspapers, and his books have been published in over fifteen countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
June 28, 2020
This was such a great little collection of stories! I adored the way it was all put together with different drawers and doors exploring each a different theme. It was quite original and I’ve never read a collection of short stories put together that way before, it made for such a unique experience. I loved most of the stories but it’s inevitable that in a collection featuring 36 stories, some of them were misses. Overall there were more hits than misses for me though so it was a win all around. This collection definitely is for a bit more of a middle grade/YA audience but it is still spooky and my 29 year old self loved it nonetheless!
May 21, 2014
I received a sneak copy thingie from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest sneakpeak review.
I wanted to read this one because I kinda like Middle Grade/Horror anthologies, and this one, despite it only showcasing 3-4 stories, did not disappoint. For some reason, I liked the little that I've seen way better than the Young Adult ones I've read recently. Perhaps it's the fact that the protagonists (or antagonists?) are children... that they are narrated by children and they themselves experience horrors not easily explained... but whatever the reason may be, they definitely have that creepy factor done right.
There's really not much to say, as not much were seen. Still, though, this anthology has a lot of promise. If the 3-4 stories were enough to send the hairs at the back of neck standing, what more the others? Such a tease, this book, only giving us quite a few to satiate our thirst for horror. SO mean!
I wanted to read this one because I kinda like Middle Grade/Horror anthologies, and this one, despite it only showcasing 3-4 stories, did not disappoint. For some reason, I liked the little that I've seen way better than the Young Adult ones I've read recently. Perhaps it's the fact that the protagonists (or antagonists?) are children... that they are narrated by children and they themselves experience horrors not easily explained... but whatever the reason may be, they definitely have that creepy factor done right.
There's really not much to say, as not much were seen. Still, though, this anthology has a lot of promise. If the 3-4 stories were enough to send the hairs at the back of neck standing, what more the others? Such a tease, this book, only giving us quite a few to satiate our thirst for horror. SO mean!
July 10, 2014
Review originally posted at Views From the Tesseract: http://shanshad1.wordpress.com/2014/0...
Ready to be chilled, thrilled and left a little uneasy about the dark? Four talented authors and one atmospheric illustrator combine their talents to produce a collection that will do just that.
Anthologies of short stories in children’s fiction are not all that commonplace. While back a few decades ago there seemed to be dozens of them, in the past ten years the number of anthologies seems to have dwindled substantially. (You can see more about short stories in my posts here and here .) And short stories are such a wonderful format for young readers to encounter! Bite- sized offerings that can entice even a reluctant reader to stick with the length, bubbles of ideas and situations that do not require novel-length arcs to express. They can offer a range of styles and events for a single theme, or explore the variety in one genre. So it is with great delight I delved into this new collection of strange and sinister stories. Four authors have put forth their talents to provide these tales. Stefan Bachmann, author of steampunk-styled The Peculiar series, Katherine Catmull, who penned the magical quest tale, Summer and Bird (Dutton Juvenile, 2012), Claire Legrand; creator of The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls (Simon & Schuster, 2012) and The Year of Shadows (Simon & Schuster 2013), and Emma Trevayne, writer of young adult series Coda, and middle grade fantasy Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times (Simon & Schuster, May 2014). Add in the striking artistic talents of Alexander Jansson and this is something to spend some time reading–though preferably during the day.
I’ve been a librarian long enough to know that every group of kids that comes into the library has at least a handful who ask for “spooky” stories. Many of these readers will likely dive into adult horror genre in years to come, but right now they need something comfortably younger to read. They aren’t looking for happy endings or safe stories–they’re looking for relevant scary fiction that grips them by the throat and makes them jump at shadows. Good stories of this sort are not so easy to find. Even harder to locate are good anthologies. Most often I’ll send my readers in search of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Scholastic, c1981) by Alvin Schwartz and its sequel volumes. But what do kids read after that? What do I hand my fifth and sixth grade audiences who want something more? After reading this anthology, I have my answer.
Now if you’ve read my post, A Word on Anthologies, you know I have a list of criteria for these short story collections. So let’s go down the list.
First off, does this anthology have a clear theme? Do the stories reflect that theme?
Yup, that’s a definite affirmative. Like creepy? Like weird creatures, strange adults, awful revenges and deadly curses? Carnivorous trees, cursed cakes, dark futures, whispering mirrors . . . it’s all here. I’d say there’s something for everyone, but that’s not precisely true. There’s something for every child who likes sinister tales and ghost stories. For those who do not like to be scared or prefer happy endings, this is probably not the right choice. But for those hungry horror fans who are looking for something new? Now you can drop thirty-six new stories into their waiting hands. There’s no question what the theme is here, and no doubt of our authors and stories staying on theme.
Does the book showcase a variety of tales within that theme?
Under the banner of the sinister, there’s plenty of room for variety. We have ghost stories, monster stories, dark fantasy, and grim science fiction. There are tales that are sharp and bitingly to the point, and others that unroll slowly, casting their chill. Of course with so many tales to choose from, I can’t reflect on them all in one review, but I’ll pull up a few of my favorites.
“Fairy Cakes” by Emma Trevayne is the opening piece for this collection, as well as the first story in the teaser preview. It might just be my favorite work in the whole collection. A creepy sort of “fairy tale” that instantly evokes the visual thrill of the setting–and the chill of ever having these sorts of fairies visit. It’s short and sweet and to the point. And I guarantee it’s bound to hook in many a reader!
“Lucky, Lucky Girl” by Katherine Catmull introduces us to a girl who is very lucky indeed . . . but her luck has its price. And it’s a price that’s paid by everyone around her. A nicely open-ended sort of tale that’s creepy without monsters or direct magic. Luck is in the eye of the beholder. Katherine, like Emma has a real flair for the short-short story.
“Rhapsody in Doom” by Claire Legrand is one of the longer stories of this collection, a dark fantasy story with a wicked villain and a magical song. It’s a more classic kind of story and balances well against the shorter, stabbier sort of tales.
“Mabel Mavelia” by Stefan Bachmann is also from the teaser preview. Like most of Stefan’s writing, the stories have a deep and abiding oddness to them, a kind of horror that lurks beneath a veneer of strange absurdity. This one is the story of a girl unhappy with her new home whose impulsive actions have a terrible consequence.
These are just four such tales, but there’s plenty more to explore.
Is this collection well balanced with a thought-out anchor stories? Does it show a care and concern to the placement and framing?
Cabinet of Curiosities is a curious endeavor in and of itself: rather than one editor spearheading the process and a dozen or more authors contributing, four authors have put their heads together to craft this collection. Instead of delivering this run of stories in a straightforward one-after-the-other, these curators have framed the entire affair with letters and notes about their collection. On top of the fictions of the stories themselves, a greater fiction encompasses them all in the shape of this text-based “cabinet”. Our authors become intrepid adventurers in search of the prize curiosities for this collection. It makes the book not just a delivery system for short stories, but pulls them into a greater whole.
These thirty-six stories have all been allocated to different “drawers” of the collection. Stories about Cake, or Luck or Fairy Tales for example. There are Eight drawers in all. Some tales are introduced with an additional letter by one of the Curators who “discovered” the story. Throughout the entire volume, Swedish artist, Alexander Jansson’s black and white illustrations pop up at regular intervals to punctuate the text, and add to the overall appeal of this work as a complete volume. His talents and style fit well with the tone of his anthology, as well as in the remarkable cover art. There is a great deal of care and attention going into this framework, and I think it pays off.
Readers will feel there is a powerful intent to this anthology. How it was created, how the authors/curators were involved, and the process of organizing them. Each tale is purposely placed within a particular drawer for the reader to discover. I admit I’m fairly hard on anthologies, but this one stands up well against my concerns and was a real delight to read. My only complaint with the collection may lie in the fact that the way the drawers were arranged meant most of the longest pieces wound up towards the second half of the anthology, but it’s a fairly small quibble with what I think is an admirable labor that had to require quite a bit of cooperation between all parties involved.
A great read for precocious fourth graders and fifth and sixth graders who don’t mind a good scare and enjoy stories full of creepy and sinister subjects. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for younger audiences, given that some of the stories are quite disturbing–and even older, more sensitive readers may want to consider what kind of stories they will encounter. I quite enjoyed it as an adult and would have eaten this up in a heartbeat as a child. (I probably would have spent some nights with all the lights on and covering up mirrors and windows and things, but that’s what spooky stories are about!)
Find this book and read it–if you dare!
Note: An advanced reader copy was provided by the publisher.
Ready to be chilled, thrilled and left a little uneasy about the dark? Four talented authors and one atmospheric illustrator combine their talents to produce a collection that will do just that.
Anthologies of short stories in children’s fiction are not all that commonplace. While back a few decades ago there seemed to be dozens of them, in the past ten years the number of anthologies seems to have dwindled substantially. (You can see more about short stories in my posts here and here .) And short stories are such a wonderful format for young readers to encounter! Bite- sized offerings that can entice even a reluctant reader to stick with the length, bubbles of ideas and situations that do not require novel-length arcs to express. They can offer a range of styles and events for a single theme, or explore the variety in one genre. So it is with great delight I delved into this new collection of strange and sinister stories. Four authors have put forth their talents to provide these tales. Stefan Bachmann, author of steampunk-styled The Peculiar series, Katherine Catmull, who penned the magical quest tale, Summer and Bird (Dutton Juvenile, 2012), Claire Legrand; creator of The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls (Simon & Schuster, 2012) and The Year of Shadows (Simon & Schuster 2013), and Emma Trevayne, writer of young adult series Coda, and middle grade fantasy Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times (Simon & Schuster, May 2014). Add in the striking artistic talents of Alexander Jansson and this is something to spend some time reading–though preferably during the day.
I’ve been a librarian long enough to know that every group of kids that comes into the library has at least a handful who ask for “spooky” stories. Many of these readers will likely dive into adult horror genre in years to come, but right now they need something comfortably younger to read. They aren’t looking for happy endings or safe stories–they’re looking for relevant scary fiction that grips them by the throat and makes them jump at shadows. Good stories of this sort are not so easy to find. Even harder to locate are good anthologies. Most often I’ll send my readers in search of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Scholastic, c1981) by Alvin Schwartz and its sequel volumes. But what do kids read after that? What do I hand my fifth and sixth grade audiences who want something more? After reading this anthology, I have my answer.
Now if you’ve read my post, A Word on Anthologies, you know I have a list of criteria for these short story collections. So let’s go down the list.
First off, does this anthology have a clear theme? Do the stories reflect that theme?
Yup, that’s a definite affirmative. Like creepy? Like weird creatures, strange adults, awful revenges and deadly curses? Carnivorous trees, cursed cakes, dark futures, whispering mirrors . . . it’s all here. I’d say there’s something for everyone, but that’s not precisely true. There’s something for every child who likes sinister tales and ghost stories. For those who do not like to be scared or prefer happy endings, this is probably not the right choice. But for those hungry horror fans who are looking for something new? Now you can drop thirty-six new stories into their waiting hands. There’s no question what the theme is here, and no doubt of our authors and stories staying on theme.
Does the book showcase a variety of tales within that theme?
Under the banner of the sinister, there’s plenty of room for variety. We have ghost stories, monster stories, dark fantasy, and grim science fiction. There are tales that are sharp and bitingly to the point, and others that unroll slowly, casting their chill. Of course with so many tales to choose from, I can’t reflect on them all in one review, but I’ll pull up a few of my favorites.
“Fairy Cakes” by Emma Trevayne is the opening piece for this collection, as well as the first story in the teaser preview. It might just be my favorite work in the whole collection. A creepy sort of “fairy tale” that instantly evokes the visual thrill of the setting–and the chill of ever having these sorts of fairies visit. It’s short and sweet and to the point. And I guarantee it’s bound to hook in many a reader!
“Lucky, Lucky Girl” by Katherine Catmull introduces us to a girl who is very lucky indeed . . . but her luck has its price. And it’s a price that’s paid by everyone around her. A nicely open-ended sort of tale that’s creepy without monsters or direct magic. Luck is in the eye of the beholder. Katherine, like Emma has a real flair for the short-short story.
“Rhapsody in Doom” by Claire Legrand is one of the longer stories of this collection, a dark fantasy story with a wicked villain and a magical song. It’s a more classic kind of story and balances well against the shorter, stabbier sort of tales.
“Mabel Mavelia” by Stefan Bachmann is also from the teaser preview. Like most of Stefan’s writing, the stories have a deep and abiding oddness to them, a kind of horror that lurks beneath a veneer of strange absurdity. This one is the story of a girl unhappy with her new home whose impulsive actions have a terrible consequence.
These are just four such tales, but there’s plenty more to explore.
Is this collection well balanced with a thought-out anchor stories? Does it show a care and concern to the placement and framing?
Cabinet of Curiosities is a curious endeavor in and of itself: rather than one editor spearheading the process and a dozen or more authors contributing, four authors have put their heads together to craft this collection. Instead of delivering this run of stories in a straightforward one-after-the-other, these curators have framed the entire affair with letters and notes about their collection. On top of the fictions of the stories themselves, a greater fiction encompasses them all in the shape of this text-based “cabinet”. Our authors become intrepid adventurers in search of the prize curiosities for this collection. It makes the book not just a delivery system for short stories, but pulls them into a greater whole.
These thirty-six stories have all been allocated to different “drawers” of the collection. Stories about Cake, or Luck or Fairy Tales for example. There are Eight drawers in all. Some tales are introduced with an additional letter by one of the Curators who “discovered” the story. Throughout the entire volume, Swedish artist, Alexander Jansson’s black and white illustrations pop up at regular intervals to punctuate the text, and add to the overall appeal of this work as a complete volume. His talents and style fit well with the tone of his anthology, as well as in the remarkable cover art. There is a great deal of care and attention going into this framework, and I think it pays off.
Readers will feel there is a powerful intent to this anthology. How it was created, how the authors/curators were involved, and the process of organizing them. Each tale is purposely placed within a particular drawer for the reader to discover. I admit I’m fairly hard on anthologies, but this one stands up well against my concerns and was a real delight to read. My only complaint with the collection may lie in the fact that the way the drawers were arranged meant most of the longest pieces wound up towards the second half of the anthology, but it’s a fairly small quibble with what I think is an admirable labor that had to require quite a bit of cooperation between all parties involved.
A great read for precocious fourth graders and fifth and sixth graders who don’t mind a good scare and enjoy stories full of creepy and sinister subjects. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for younger audiences, given that some of the stories are quite disturbing–and even older, more sensitive readers may want to consider what kind of stories they will encounter. I quite enjoyed it as an adult and would have eaten this up in a heartbeat as a child. (I probably would have spent some nights with all the lights on and covering up mirrors and windows and things, but that’s what spooky stories are about!)
Find this book and read it–if you dare!
Note: An advanced reader copy was provided by the publisher.
September 9, 2014
“And sometimes inane,” should be added to the parenthetical title of this promising short story collection which completely bungles its potential. The framework to the stories is supposed to be our authors risking life, limb and sanity to collect oddments and the resulting tales of their quests. But some stories only slightly relate to this theme and some not at all. The disconnection doesn’t make them bad stories, necessarily (some of them are actually very badly written), but its failed foundation could agitate readers, even ones who might enjoy nonsensical journeys. Alice’s adventures in Wonderland are seemingly random, but they do have a flow and interesting wordplay. None of that here. Readers can easily escape the disorientation by choosing something else to read. Buy a replacement copy of Half-Minute Horrors or any of David Lubar’s humor-horror weirdness instead of this.
January 26, 2018
Thirty-Six Clever Stories
Have you ever wanted to read a novel where many different worlds consisted in a single well written book? In the story “The Cabinet of Curiosities”, you will read 36 tales about cake, love, luck, tricks, flowers, travel, song, and fairytales. Most of these stories convey a theme of being thoughtful of one's’ actions, because they will hurt many if selfishness occurs. In one story called “A Cake Made Out of Teeth”, a very self-entitled and bratty boy wants a different cake for his birthday. Just to be clear, his mom spent the whole morning making this cake for him, and he called it “an ugly heap of eyeball pus”. Will this rude child ever learn his lesson? Will he ever have to face the consequences of his selfishness, or is he still an imprudent boy like before?
What about the story of a greedy king and a thoughtless civilian, a tale called “The Iron Rose”. If the Iron Rose is picked, it creates devastation and havoc, created by an old wizard who first planted the rose in the middle of this tiny cut off island. The old wizard knew that someone would eventually pick it, so he bewitched the rose to show the consequences of the person’s selfishness. There is similar short story titled “A Tale of Two Towns” in which there is a town that is very rich and kind of happy, and there is a town that is very poor and is very happy. The rich town takes “pity” on the poorer society, and tries to lend them a hand. How many negative consequences will it have with both the towns? Nothing good comes from thoughts like these, and the ending of the story shows the gloomy outcomes of being selfish.
Two more stories that show these negative repercussions are called “Rhapsody in Doom” and “The Storytellers Shadows”. “Rhapsody in Doom” is a story of a want-to-be magician that envies people with actual magical abilities. He is so greedy that he steals children’s magical powers to use as his own. This puts a whole town of magical people close by at risk, and how many more people will he take? Will he ever turn around and realize the problems that he caused with his selfishness of taking what was rightfully other’s property? Will the children be saved? “The Storytellers Shadows” is a tale of a narrator who shows his magical stories in a play sort of form. At the end, he doesn’t ask for any payment, but all will pay eventually. If you leave payment, you will not have to pay in unknown and ominous ways later. Those who don’t pay at all will settle their debt soon in a very painfully costly way. This storyteller knows that those who are selfish deserve their treatment back at them. Nothing ever good comes out of being selfish or ungrateful, it will always hurt one or others. This book shows the reader the consequences of being selfish and greedy, in order to convey a theme of its effect on lives. It shows it in many different ways, in sometimes fantastical stories that capture the imagination of the reader and make a lasting memory of a book you want to read over and over again.
Have you ever wanted to read a novel where many different worlds consisted in a single well written book? In the story “The Cabinet of Curiosities”, you will read 36 tales about cake, love, luck, tricks, flowers, travel, song, and fairytales. Most of these stories convey a theme of being thoughtful of one's’ actions, because they will hurt many if selfishness occurs. In one story called “A Cake Made Out of Teeth”, a very self-entitled and bratty boy wants a different cake for his birthday. Just to be clear, his mom spent the whole morning making this cake for him, and he called it “an ugly heap of eyeball pus”. Will this rude child ever learn his lesson? Will he ever have to face the consequences of his selfishness, or is he still an imprudent boy like before?
What about the story of a greedy king and a thoughtless civilian, a tale called “The Iron Rose”. If the Iron Rose is picked, it creates devastation and havoc, created by an old wizard who first planted the rose in the middle of this tiny cut off island. The old wizard knew that someone would eventually pick it, so he bewitched the rose to show the consequences of the person’s selfishness. There is similar short story titled “A Tale of Two Towns” in which there is a town that is very rich and kind of happy, and there is a town that is very poor and is very happy. The rich town takes “pity” on the poorer society, and tries to lend them a hand. How many negative consequences will it have with both the towns? Nothing good comes from thoughts like these, and the ending of the story shows the gloomy outcomes of being selfish.
Two more stories that show these negative repercussions are called “Rhapsody in Doom” and “The Storytellers Shadows”. “Rhapsody in Doom” is a story of a want-to-be magician that envies people with actual magical abilities. He is so greedy that he steals children’s magical powers to use as his own. This puts a whole town of magical people close by at risk, and how many more people will he take? Will he ever turn around and realize the problems that he caused with his selfishness of taking what was rightfully other’s property? Will the children be saved? “The Storytellers Shadows” is a tale of a narrator who shows his magical stories in a play sort of form. At the end, he doesn’t ask for any payment, but all will pay eventually. If you leave payment, you will not have to pay in unknown and ominous ways later. Those who don’t pay at all will settle their debt soon in a very painfully costly way. This storyteller knows that those who are selfish deserve their treatment back at them. Nothing ever good comes out of being selfish or ungrateful, it will always hurt one or others. This book shows the reader the consequences of being selfish and greedy, in order to convey a theme of its effect on lives. It shows it in many different ways, in sometimes fantastical stories that capture the imagination of the reader and make a lasting memory of a book you want to read over and over again.
August 31, 2016
This is one of my favorite books because of the suspense in every page. I could not put this book down. Story after story they amazed me and creeped me out at the same time. Every story was just as great as the last. The Cabinet of Curiosities has 36 short stories, with many different topics and settings. Each story introduced new characters and themes.
Some of my favorite stories were Dark Valentine, Footprints, The Tin Man's Price, Johnny Knockers, Just a Little Graveyard Game, Quicksilver and the Stranger, Plum Boy and the Dead Man, and The Hive. I love how each author had a unique style of writing, and how each story left your wheels turning and you wondering. This was an amazing book that I really enjoyed reading.
A lot of the stories really kept me wondering and that is one of the things that I loved about this book. I think that this book can be for almost anyone, as there is not just one plot line to follow, so you don't have to remember what happened in the story.
In the "tale," "The Hive," a boy wakes up to his apartment completely quiet. When he gets up and walks around, his parents and his sister are missing. As he walks around the house, he notices things that are "out of place" and there were "plates" covering windows and nails in the door. When he picks up the phone, all he hears is static... except for a metallic voice... and this voice tells him to do something he would never think to do...
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read creepy, suspenseful stories and want a book they can't put down.
Some of my favorite stories were Dark Valentine, Footprints, The Tin Man's Price, Johnny Knockers, Just a Little Graveyard Game, Quicksilver and the Stranger, Plum Boy and the Dead Man, and The Hive. I love how each author had a unique style of writing, and how each story left your wheels turning and you wondering. This was an amazing book that I really enjoyed reading.
A lot of the stories really kept me wondering and that is one of the things that I loved about this book. I think that this book can be for almost anyone, as there is not just one plot line to follow, so you don't have to remember what happened in the story.
In the "tale," "The Hive," a boy wakes up to his apartment completely quiet. When he gets up and walks around, his parents and his sister are missing. As he walks around the house, he notices things that are "out of place" and there were "plates" covering windows and nails in the door. When he picks up the phone, all he hears is static... except for a metallic voice... and this voice tells him to do something he would never think to do...
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read creepy, suspenseful stories and want a book they can't put down.
October 29, 2018
Ostensibly a collection of middle-grade stories, neither of my middle-grade readers wanted to hear about “The Cake Made Out of Teeth” or “Just a Little Graveyard Game.” These very short stories are truly creepy and weird, definitely not for sensitive readers (not all of the kid-characters make it out alive!).
And yet there’s such a gleefully macabre quality to the stories, which are lush and disturbing in the ways of old fairy tales. In “Johnny Knockers,” a boy found inside a whale brings great luck to a whaling ship…only whether it’s good luck or bad luck is uncertain until the end. “The Sandman Cometh” to lead a boy through several nightmares, with surprising results. Surprises are also in store for naughty “Mabel Mavelia,” who finds a secret garden in her attic, as well as for the sisters who discover “The Wolf Inside.” You don’t even want to know what happens with “The Other House,” which has…gulp…spider legs.
I adored this book. Each story was more inventive and creepy than the next. I loved the interstices, too, written as correspondence in which the Curators of the Cabinet describe their journeys to find their stories. If you’re a fan of Coraline or the Nightmare Before Christmas, this book’s for you.
And yet there’s such a gleefully macabre quality to the stories, which are lush and disturbing in the ways of old fairy tales. In “Johnny Knockers,” a boy found inside a whale brings great luck to a whaling ship…only whether it’s good luck or bad luck is uncertain until the end. “The Sandman Cometh” to lead a boy through several nightmares, with surprising results. Surprises are also in store for naughty “Mabel Mavelia,” who finds a secret garden in her attic, as well as for the sisters who discover “The Wolf Inside.” You don’t even want to know what happens with “The Other House,” which has…gulp…spider legs.
I adored this book. Each story was more inventive and creepy than the next. I loved the interstices, too, written as correspondence in which the Curators of the Cabinet describe their journeys to find their stories. If you’re a fan of Coraline or the Nightmare Before Christmas, this book’s for you.
April 23, 2014
I received a sneak peek copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I love spooky middle grade stories. When I saw this, I immediately got intrigued (I mean, look at that cover!) and the contributing authors are all well known. I definitely am glad I got to peek into this book. I wish all 36 tales would've been included in the ARC, but I definitely will be buying a copy when it's released.
The main reason I loved this was because of how scary it is. I know scary isn't normally a description I use for middle grade/young adult novels. I mean, I am an adult...and I don't think I've ever really gotten genuinely creeped out by a novel like this. So when I read it late at night and got kinda jumpy, well I was delighted! I mean, what a surprise!
The stories are all very short. Id say no more than 5 or so pages each. And there are plenty of amazing and sinister illustrations too, which is always a bonus. If you're in the mood for an atmospheric book that has a bunch of scary short stories, you need to pick this one up. But, if you're buying this for a child - be warned, may give them nightmares ;)
I love spooky middle grade stories. When I saw this, I immediately got intrigued (I mean, look at that cover!) and the contributing authors are all well known. I definitely am glad I got to peek into this book. I wish all 36 tales would've been included in the ARC, but I definitely will be buying a copy when it's released.
The main reason I loved this was because of how scary it is. I know scary isn't normally a description I use for middle grade/young adult novels. I mean, I am an adult...and I don't think I've ever really gotten genuinely creeped out by a novel like this. So when I read it late at night and got kinda jumpy, well I was delighted! I mean, what a surprise!
The stories are all very short. Id say no more than 5 or so pages each. And there are plenty of amazing and sinister illustrations too, which is always a bonus. If you're in the mood for an atmospheric book that has a bunch of scary short stories, you need to pick this one up. But, if you're buying this for a child - be warned, may give them nightmares ;)
October 4, 2018
Some of those tales are very dark for middle grade stories/book. I love when authors go for the horror genres written for kids, but some were limit to young reader. Anyway, those stories have all (or mostly) one good thing, the idea behind them is most of the time very good (crazy ideas!!), but the problem was that they were not poorly, but not well either, written (but its middle-grade so part of it is understandable) and (and this is the main problem) rapidly forgettable. You finish one and you say to yourself «That was a good.» and after 30 minutes or so you just don’t remember or care about it. Maybe young reader would have a different perspective over it, but as an adult, these stories were too much alike and too easily forgotten to make this one a great book. It’s still a decent weird/horror anthology for kids, with very short stories which can be read one or two every night and for a while because there are a lot of them in the book. Not a bad book, but it lack the «wow effect» to reach the four stars, but a good three for this one is well deserve.
May 15, 2019
More like a 3.5.
I’m not usually someone who reads a whole book of short stories all at once, but this book kept my interest. Some of the stories were really fun and weird. Others could have used a bit more editing. Like, for example, in “The Sandman Cometh,” the main character is interchangeably called Harvey and Henry. I think the author must have originally opted for Henry, later switched to Harvey, and neglected to go back and make all of the necessary changes. I thought that was a bit odd.
Anyway... I enjoyed this overall.
I’m not usually someone who reads a whole book of short stories all at once, but this book kept my interest. Some of the stories were really fun and weird. Others could have used a bit more editing. Like, for example, in “The Sandman Cometh,” the main character is interchangeably called Harvey and Henry. I think the author must have originally opted for Henry, later switched to Harvey, and neglected to go back and make all of the necessary changes. I thought that was a bit odd.
Anyway... I enjoyed this overall.
June 4, 2016
Overall, I enjoyed this! I liked how short each of the stories was. I think that's probably the right choice for horror. Just enough to freak you out. (Okay, they mostly weren't too scary for me, but I'm all grown up and stuff.)
I do think the book was maybe a little too long. Maybe something like 20 ot 25 stories would've been better?
I do think the book was maybe a little too long. Maybe something like 20 ot 25 stories would've been better?
June 23, 2015
I must definitely say: the description of this totally breath-taking book is certainly not good enough. I have read it twice maybe three times and still havent got enough of it. My mind goes blank when I recall this book and all I want to do right now is to read it again!!!! This is my best book yet, and I think it will be in that number one position for, like, EVER. (Unfortunately, Im not very accustomed to over-using the capslock key and I guess that is why this review is mostly caps-less and the capslock doesnt extend to more than seven letters but...) WOW I still love this book so much... :P I think the review of this book is my longest review yet. Another :P !! I will give this book the max-of-the-max rating I can ever find!!!!!
January 28, 2020
3.5
Some of these really went for the creepy factor and I loved it. Some others were just okay.
All in all, I enjoyed this.
Some of these really went for the creepy factor and I loved it. Some others were just okay.
All in all, I enjoyed this.
June 26, 2019
Absolutely fantastic! I think this is one of (it not the) best short story collections I have ever read. I just loved the premise and the way it was set up. And each story was so creepy and strange and completely enjoyable to read. I really hope these authors team up again because they created a very pleasing collection of curiosities indeed ^_^
June 29, 2024
As good as I remember !!!! Tbh horror for children kinda fucks
October 12, 2023
This whole book is amazing. The letters describing where they went and exactly how much danger they were in was fantastic. The stories were wonderful. Even after I thought I was used to it, they caught me by surprise and sometimes made me want to puke. In an good way!!!!!!
The best story had to be Sandman Cometh. That was brilliant. I loved it soo much I wish it was a whole book by itself.
And not only did I find Sandman here but Dudley and Pitch Black the Bogeyman. Pitch showed up in Jack's Shadow and holy cow that was good. Thank you!
Too some this all up, this book was so good I want to buy it. I don't usually like buying books and just get them through the library. But this was so good I want to buy it.
~2nd Read~
Still amazing as ever.
November 15, 2014
I'm hoping to finish this book at some point. But my daughter has absconded with my Kindle and I don't hold out much hope. She started reading one of the stories over my shoulder and then kept reading, and reading, through most of a 5 hour car trip. She loves "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark", and this one seems to have captivated her in the same way. Now I need to get a physical copy for her. This one seems destined to be passed around at school, and read to each other on camp outs.
There are a very large number of stories for a kids anthology, and they really are very different from each other. The use of multiple authors leaves you guessing how each story is going to end. You're never sure if the hero is going to come out on top or buried under ground.
Highly recommended. My daughter loves scary stories and is in 3rd grade, but I wouldn't have been able to handle these as a kid until 5th or 6th.
There are a very large number of stories for a kids anthology, and they really are very different from each other. The use of multiple authors leaves you guessing how each story is going to end. You're never sure if the hero is going to come out on top or buried under ground.
Highly recommended. My daughter loves scary stories and is in 3rd grade, but I wouldn't have been able to handle these as a kid until 5th or 6th.
Read
September 23, 2018 Lovers of ghost stories and dark tales will have a feast day (or two!) with The Cabinet of Curiosities. The stories are short and have a classic ghost-story-around-the-fire feel to them. Their mysteriousness gives them a natural tension that plays on classic fears. The collection is structured so that you can pick and choose stories or read them as a "cabinet."
There's more to our review. Visit the the Reading Tub website to see why we recommend this book. You can add your review, too.
There's more to our review. Visit the the Reading Tub website to see why we recommend this book. You can add your review, too.
June 18, 2019
This is a good book to read in electronic format. The stories are easily picked up when you need to fill a moment and easily left until needed again. Additionally this book would make an interesting companion to an adolescent sleepover. The stories in this collection are equal parts creepy, terrifying, and spooky and would make the young or the young at heart wonder what goes bump in the night.
May 25, 2014
Although I only read a sneak peak into the actual novel itself, I found the few stories very creepy.
People who are into eerie stories & fairy tales would like this.
I really want to read the other stories to see what happens next.
All the authors did a great job in working together to get the creepy factor rolling.
People who are into eerie stories & fairy tales would like this.
I really want to read the other stories to see what happens next.
All the authors did a great job in working together to get the creepy factor rolling.
April 23, 2019
DNF at 42%
This book stressed the crap out of me.. I enjoyed some of the ideas here but nothing felt complete
Once i start feeling something for a story it ENDS. Leaving me feeling furious.
If the book had less number of stories and the authors focused on them with building more and give the story a chance to develop i think it would have been a lot better..
This book stressed the crap out of me.. I enjoyed some of the ideas here but nothing felt complete
Once i start feeling something for a story it ENDS. Leaving me feeling furious.
If the book had less number of stories and the authors focused on them with building more and give the story a chance to develop i think it would have been a lot better..
September 5, 2020
4.5 stars.
A very good collection of creepy tales. Some are bone-chilling, some are okay. But I love most of the stories in this book. So good!
36 stories, perfect for those of you who don’t have a lot of time to read but still want a quick creepy story to read during this autumn season :)
A very good collection of creepy tales. Some are bone-chilling, some are okay. But I love most of the stories in this book. So good!
36 stories, perfect for those of you who don’t have a lot of time to read but still want a quick creepy story to read during this autumn season :)
November 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this collection of creepy stories, geared more towards the middle school reader, but even adults would get a kick out of! Pretty SPOOKY :D
October 12, 2017
Solids three stars. I really enjoyed a lot of these stories, while some were just alright.
June 14, 2019
I appreciate the thought and work that went into this, and think it'll be a great book for my daughter, but it didn't work for me all that much.
January 15, 2021
Little creepy, still great!
July 22, 2021
For a book being for middle school students it's absolutely amazing
November 15, 2020
This was such a wonderfully curated collection of short stories. I didn't love them all, but I was fascinated by them, and I was inspired for my own writing.
June 29, 2014
I would have liked these stories more if I had read them with a month or two between them. That way I'd forget the plot of the first one before I read the next one. As it was, I read the book over a couple of days and realized the same thing kept happening in most of the stories. Strange things happen, a person sees the cause of the strange thing (fairies, a walnut-headed "thing", a dead person, etc.), and the person who saw it dies,or exchanges bodies with the thing, or disappears. I wanted to tell each character to read the story that came before. That way they could avoid the same fate because they'd know what was coming.
So often, things just happened to the characters. They rarely tried to fight back. Only in the story about luck in a candy tin did the boy and his father fight back against the evil. One girl threw away a mirror that was causing trouble, but that was a lame attempt at saving herself. The dancing princesses were tough but ended up with a man coming to their aid. Most just died or disappeared without any character development.
That said, the words themselves were funny and often clever. I didn't dislike the book. I'd just like to see more originality in the plots and character development. And I'd like to see characters who are tougher, who try to save themselves rather than just die.
So often, things just happened to the characters. They rarely tried to fight back. Only in the story about luck in a candy tin did the boy and his father fight back against the evil. One girl threw away a mirror that was causing trouble, but that was a lame attempt at saving herself. The dancing princesses were tough but ended up with a man coming to their aid. Most just died or disappeared without any character development.
That said, the words themselves were funny and often clever. I didn't dislike the book. I'd just like to see more originality in the plots and character development. And I'd like to see characters who are tougher, who try to save themselves rather than just die.
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