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Horrorstör
by
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 dusk-ti ...more
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-ti ...more
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Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Published
September 23rd 2014
by Quirk Books
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Nov 13, 2014
karen
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
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 o ...more


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
...more
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 ...more
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 ...more

**4.5-stars rounded up**

I was so excited when my friend, Shannon, and I made a spur of the moment decision to Buddy Read, Horrorstor.
Love that for us.

I have owned a copy of this since it was first released and have heard such great things about it since. I would often stop, pick it up, flip through the pages and consider reading it, but for some reason never did.
The whole package of the book is hella unique. Made to resemble an IKEA catalog, each chapter begins with a picture of a specific piec ...more

I was so excited when my friend, Shannon, and I made a spur of the moment decision to Buddy Read, Horrorstor.
Love that for us.

I have owned a copy of this since it was first released and have heard such great things about it since. I would often stop, pick it up, flip through the pages and consider reading it, but for some reason never did.
The whole package of the book is hella unique. Made to resemble an IKEA catalog, each chapter begins with a picture of a specific piec ...more

***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 ...more
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 ...more

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 clos ...more
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 clos ...more

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
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

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. Shal ...more
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. Shal ...more

I didn’t really like it. The end!

Mel 🖤🐺🐾 ...more

Mel 🖤🐺🐾 ...more

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

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

Oct 28, 2014
Carmen
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Horror Fans
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
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

Have you ever worked retail? I have and it is truly a horror story. Anyone that has ever worked in customer service knows one thing really well: The customer ISN'T always right. So to base a book, a horror book no less, on a haunted version of IKEA or Orsk as it is named in the book is such a brilliant and unique concept.
However, that is where my enjoyment ended.
This book is neither funny nor scary. The cast of characters were all annoying and acted like 14 year old kids rather than the adults ...more
However, that is where my enjoyment ended.
This book is neither funny nor scary. The cast of characters were all annoying and acted like 14 year old kids rather than the adults ...more

Oct 29, 2014
mark monday
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
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 b
...more

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!
Al ...more
(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!
Al ...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

Oct 12, 2020
Pat (not getting friend updates currently)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Oh that was priceless. Comedy horror - who knew it was such fun (yes Mort, I know you did)? That was a rhetorical question by the way. The story is set in the ORSK store in Cleveland, Ohio. But this particular store is something else. Every morning when the staff arrive they find damage - smashed glassware, wrecked wardrobes, strange and revolting smells in the bathrooms and other inexplicable phenomena. The cameras are not picking anything up. So store manager, Basil, knowing the bigwigs will b
...more

Posted at Shelf Inflicted
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 haunte ...more
“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 haunte ...more

May 22, 2014
Audra (ouija.reads)
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
trope-ghosts,
horror
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
2.5 Stars
Remember back in the olde days of yore when you used to be able to leave your house and go do things that weren’t “essential”???? Yeah, me either. Just kidding. But here’s what I did back in those olden times . . . .
Go inside the IKEA for a book pic? Hell to the motherfuggin nah . . . . .
Or actually buy something from there? Yeesh . . . .
Using only an Allen wrench for 27 hours to assemble something until you ...more
2.5 Stars

Remember back in the olde days of yore when you used to be able to leave your house and go do things that weren’t “essential”???? Yeah, me either. Just kidding. But here’s what I did back in those olden times . . . .

Go inside the IKEA for a book pic? Hell to the motherfuggin nah . . . . .

Or actually buy something from there? Yeesh . . . .

Using only an Allen wrench for 27 hours to assemble something until you ...more

We’ve all been there. IKEA’s walkabout. Have you ever observed people in there? Those trying shortcuts only to be turned around and looking disoriented when ending up where they began? Everyone following the arrows like zombies? How confused and almost panicky they look when there is no next arrow (because someone stands directly under the projector for example)? The underlying aggression from the fighting couples and the running children annoying all the others thus furthering the cycle of micr
...more

***SPOILERS HIDDEN***
The haunted-house horror cliché gets modernized in Grady Hendrix's freaky Horrorstör. Anyone who's shopped at Ikea, or even just seen pictures, will be able to picture Hendrix's Ikea twin, Ӧrsk. In Horrorstör, this mega home store, with its numerous staged rooms, doesn’t feel so homey after hours.
Events unfold over the course of 24 hours. The main character is Ӧrsk employee Amy, a cynical college dropout who struggles to pay rent and get along with her uptight boss, Basil. H ...more
The haunted-house horror cliché gets modernized in Grady Hendrix's freaky Horrorstör. Anyone who's shopped at Ikea, or even just seen pictures, will be able to picture Hendrix's Ikea twin, Ӧrsk. In Horrorstör, this mega home store, with its numerous staged rooms, doesn’t feel so homey after hours.
Events unfold over the course of 24 hours. The main character is Ӧrsk employee Amy, a cynical college dropout who struggles to pay rent and get along with her uptight boss, Basil. H ...more

Sep 27, 2014
Sarah Churchill
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
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. ...more
I was creeped out. Majorly creeped out. I won't be visiting Ikea around closing time, EVER. ...more

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 attentio
...more
![destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1614916030p2/15335689.jpg)
That was absolutely fantastic, delightfully creepy, and most of all, SO MUCH FUN. Wow, Grady Hendrix is a genius. ♥ RTC!

Sep 18, 2020
Bradley
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
horror,
2020-shelf
My initial impression of this novel and my post-reading impression are perfectly aligned. :)
A cool idea of setting a soul-less Ikea with a massive haunting and a crazy satire about the modern-day service industry is EXACTLY what I got.
In other words, I enjoyed my B-Movie experience. I chortled, groaned, and felt like I was One with the Corporate Narrative which is One with the batshit crazy Experimental Prison Culture.
I really enjoyed it for what it is. :)
A cool idea of setting a soul-less Ikea with a massive haunting and a crazy satire about the modern-day service industry is EXACTLY what I got.
In other words, I enjoyed my B-Movie experience. I chortled, groaned, and felt like I was One with the Corporate Narrative which is One with the batshit crazy Experimental Prison Culture.
I really enjoyed it for what it is. :)

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
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

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 tha ...more
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 tha ...more

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

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!
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lettori sui generis: Mini GdL: Horrorstör di Grady Hendrix | 17 | 14 | Dec 01, 2020 01:39AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix - Starting October 10th, 2020 | 6 | 15 | Oct 19, 2020 09:27AM | |
Challenge Corner: Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix --> Starting October 9th, 2020 | 9 | 7 | Oct 18, 2020 03:09PM | |
Madison County NC...: Ikea CAN be terrifying..... | 1 | 3 | Aug 06, 2020 07:15AM | |
Horror Aficionados : Horrorstor- Grady Hendrix Buddy Read | 36 | 69 | Feb 06, 2019 09:36AM |
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 the author of We Sold Our Souls, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and the upcoming (July 13!) Final Girl Support Group!
He's also the jerk behind the Stoker award-winning Paperbacks from Hell, ...more
He's also the jerk behind the Stoker award-winning Paperbacks from Hell, ...more
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Let's talk books, shall we? As you can imagine, Goodreads editors are voracious readers and there's nothing we like more than talking shop....
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“Let's make sure it's really raining before we worry about floods.”
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