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Slender Man
Lauren Bailey has disappeared.
As her friends and the police search for answers, Matt Barker begins to dream of trees and black skies and something drawing closer.
Through fragments of journals, blog posts and messages, a sinister, slender figure emerges and all divisions between fiction and delusion, between nightmare and reality, begin to fall.
The urban legend of the Slender Man has inspired short fiction, viral videos, and a feature film. Gathered from online whispers, Matt's story reveals the true power of the internet's most terrifying creation.
As her friends and the police search for answers, Matt Barker begins to dream of trees and black skies and something drawing closer.
Through fragments of journals, blog posts and messages, a sinister, slender figure emerges and all divisions between fiction and delusion, between nightmare and reality, begin to fall.
The urban legend of the Slender Man has inspired short fiction, viral videos, and a feature film. Gathered from online whispers, Matt's story reveals the true power of the internet's most terrifying creation.
329 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2018
154 people are currently reading
2388 people want to read
About the author
Anonymous
791k books3,374 followersBooks can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:
* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 498 reviews
September 18, 2019
The Slender Man- by Anonymous is a 2018 Harper Voyager publication.
The Slender Man, as most people know, is an internet generated supernatural meme, which took on a life of its own back in 2009.
This story is based on that legend. Because I was only vaguely aware of the mythology surrounding the Slender Man, I decided to read this book because of another book I had queued up, which was allegedly influenced by the SM. So, I thought it might be a good idea to learn more of the basics surround the original SM sensation.
This story is centered around high school student, Matt, and his good friend, Lauren. Matt is having horrendous nightmares, so graphic and disturbing his parents put him in therapy. But, when Lauren goes missing, Matt’s nightmares become more intense and more frequent. Meanwhile, it is widely speculated that Matt might have played a role in Lauren’s disappearance. But Matt has a terrible idea he knows where his friend is, and it is up to him to save her.
This story uses several creative means in which to relay the story, such as police interviews, recordings, and Whatsapp conversations, for example. Ordinarily, I have mixed feelings about this approach, finding it more of a distraction than anything else. However, because this story got its start on the internet to begin with, and because it certainly appeals to the young adult audience, the format is fitting, and even effective to some extent. However, despite its unconventional style, the story is easy to follow and because of the unique setup, it is a super- fast read.
Although Matt’s nightmares are lurid and vivid, the book lacks consistent atmosphere. However, the conclusion certainly was climactic and very unsettling.
Overall, this is a short horror story that would fit nicely into your Halloween reading list. It is thoroughly innovative and is definitely a contemporary tale that has all the makings of a future classic.
4 stars
The Slender Man, as most people know, is an internet generated supernatural meme, which took on a life of its own back in 2009.
This story is based on that legend. Because I was only vaguely aware of the mythology surrounding the Slender Man, I decided to read this book because of another book I had queued up, which was allegedly influenced by the SM. So, I thought it might be a good idea to learn more of the basics surround the original SM sensation.
This story is centered around high school student, Matt, and his good friend, Lauren. Matt is having horrendous nightmares, so graphic and disturbing his parents put him in therapy. But, when Lauren goes missing, Matt’s nightmares become more intense and more frequent. Meanwhile, it is widely speculated that Matt might have played a role in Lauren’s disappearance. But Matt has a terrible idea he knows where his friend is, and it is up to him to save her.
This story uses several creative means in which to relay the story, such as police interviews, recordings, and Whatsapp conversations, for example. Ordinarily, I have mixed feelings about this approach, finding it more of a distraction than anything else. However, because this story got its start on the internet to begin with, and because it certainly appeals to the young adult audience, the format is fitting, and even effective to some extent. However, despite its unconventional style, the story is easy to follow and because of the unique setup, it is a super- fast read.
Although Matt’s nightmares are lurid and vivid, the book lacks consistent atmosphere. However, the conclusion certainly was climactic and very unsettling.
Overall, this is a short horror story that would fit nicely into your Halloween reading list. It is thoroughly innovative and is definitely a contemporary tale that has all the makings of a future classic.
4 stars
October 24, 2018
I have read a couple of books this year that have tipped their hat to the legend of Slender Man. First with Mister Tender's Girl and also with The Tall Man. While those other books deal with teens that commit murder in their undying belief of Slender Man/Mister Tender this is the book that asks the reader to consider what if Slender Man is, in fact, real.
And, Bravo! I don't know who the Anonymous author is but I am a fan of yours whoever you may be.
This book can easily be read within a few hours due to the unique format that it takes. You have journal entries, social media postings, emails, police interviews, private recordings, text messages which all make for an incredibly quick and effective read.
Matt Barker is a wealthy kid that attends a private school in NYC. Unlike his fellow students he's a quiet kid that yearns to become a writer even though his bloodline demands him to be a lawyer. He's never been one for the "in" crowd and basically just keeps to himself. (Side note: I adore Matt!)
Then, Lauren Bailey, a student that attends his school goes missing and it rocks the world of everyone around him. Everyone is left to speculate as to what would make this young and promising girl walk out of her NYC apartment building just past 3am to never be seen again.
What many people at school didn't realize is that Matt and Lauren were very close friends. They had known each other since they were just wee tots as their mothers went to college together. They have maintained their friendship through the years and texted each other frequently. Often giving each other advice and just being a solid support system for one another.
Matt has been experiencing nightmares for quite some time and he is starting to think that they are linked to Lauren's disappearance.
"I think that maybe there are deep things, things that you can't explain with science, that you can't make sense of when the lights are on and you're warm and safe. I think there are wild things in the dark."
Is Matt losing his mind? Will Lauren ever be found? You'll have to read it to find out.
Absolutely perfect for Halloween! Highly recommended!
A huge thank you to Andrew Gibeley @HarperCollins who was kind enough to send me a finished copy in exchange for my honest review!
And, Bravo! I don't know who the Anonymous author is but I am a fan of yours whoever you may be.
This book can easily be read within a few hours due to the unique format that it takes. You have journal entries, social media postings, emails, police interviews, private recordings, text messages which all make for an incredibly quick and effective read.
Matt Barker is a wealthy kid that attends a private school in NYC. Unlike his fellow students he's a quiet kid that yearns to become a writer even though his bloodline demands him to be a lawyer. He's never been one for the "in" crowd and basically just keeps to himself. (Side note: I adore Matt!)
Then, Lauren Bailey, a student that attends his school goes missing and it rocks the world of everyone around him. Everyone is left to speculate as to what would make this young and promising girl walk out of her NYC apartment building just past 3am to never be seen again.
What many people at school didn't realize is that Matt and Lauren were very close friends. They had known each other since they were just wee tots as their mothers went to college together. They have maintained their friendship through the years and texted each other frequently. Often giving each other advice and just being a solid support system for one another.
Matt has been experiencing nightmares for quite some time and he is starting to think that they are linked to Lauren's disappearance.
"I think that maybe there are deep things, things that you can't explain with science, that you can't make sense of when the lights are on and you're warm and safe. I think there are wild things in the dark."
Is Matt losing his mind? Will Lauren ever be found? You'll have to read it to find out.
Absolutely perfect for Halloween! Highly recommended!
A huge thank you to Andrew Gibeley @HarperCollins who was kind enough to send me a finished copy in exchange for my honest review!
January 9, 2021
If you're here you likely don't need me to go into the origins of the Slender Man creepypasta. He's the most enduring and most loved internet horror story... and confession time, the only one that honestly unnerves me a bit. I read a lot of horror and much worse than the stories about the internet's Boogeyman, but there's something about Slendy that genuinely bothered me when I first discovered him online. Maybe it's the idea of how he gets into people's heads, maybe its that first (quite impressive) Photoshop image that introduced him to the world... who knows? He's the sort of figure though that lingers in the back of my head, that I'll forget about for some time and then remember the moment I need to go to the restroom at 3AM.
This novel (written in the form of diary entries, chat logs, text messages, extracts from a story and various other forms of media) tells the story of Matthew Barker, a bit of a loner high school student whose friend Lauren goes missing. He begins his own investigation into her disappearance and discovers several strange pictures on her computer... things get worse.
"The best SM stories are always about his effect on normal people, rather than actually about him."
It's best to keep this quote in mind going into this book. Those looking for a story where Slender Man actively pursues our protagonist through the woods, or can be seen every morning on his way to school or some such will be disappointed. That's not to say he's not there. No. He's always watching, even if you don't see him.
Every.
Page.
I give the book points for this. There is a tension through the messages. Those of us who may have had an obsession with Creepypastas at one point in our lives (*Waves back to 20 year old Tim*) know immediately where some of this is going... but part of the fun of creepypasta was always seeing how the same ideas were reused. This is very much a creepypasta in novel form and a pretty well written one.
Did I have issues with it? Oh yes. I'll need to put this in spoilers though.
Complaints aside, the book is atmospheric and has some nice touches. The use of an "anonymous" author seems a bit overboard, though I get that it's trying to capture the creepypasta anonymous online post feel, but at the same time giving some credit would be nice. Overall it's a quick paced and enjoyable time killer. Not the best and not even up to some of the rather amazing stories created on the internet about Slender Man, but still a fun read. 3/5 stars.
As an aside, I've seen this novel labeled as YA. While there is indeed a high school protagonist, I don't really pick up a lot of YA-vibes from this. It feels like a fairly standard horror novel, that just so happens to feature a younger lead. I don't know if this is a marketing thing now, or if every book with a younger lead is somehow required to be YA (if so, Stephen King has been a YA author for decades based on some of his books) but the label honestly confuses me a bit. As a heads up for anyone thinking it's a good read for teenagers, be ready for some violent content and quite a bit of strong language.
This novel (written in the form of diary entries, chat logs, text messages, extracts from a story and various other forms of media) tells the story of Matthew Barker, a bit of a loner high school student whose friend Lauren goes missing. He begins his own investigation into her disappearance and discovers several strange pictures on her computer... things get worse.
"The best SM stories are always about his effect on normal people, rather than actually about him."
It's best to keep this quote in mind going into this book. Those looking for a story where Slender Man actively pursues our protagonist through the woods, or can be seen every morning on his way to school or some such will be disappointed. That's not to say he's not there. No. He's always watching, even if you don't see him.
Every.
Page.
I give the book points for this. There is a tension through the messages. Those of us who may have had an obsession with Creepypastas at one point in our lives (*Waves back to 20 year old Tim*) know immediately where some of this is going... but part of the fun of creepypasta was always seeing how the same ideas were reused. This is very much a creepypasta in novel form and a pretty well written one.
Did I have issues with it? Oh yes. I'll need to put this in spoilers though.
Complaints aside, the book is atmospheric and has some nice touches. The use of an "anonymous" author seems a bit overboard, though I get that it's trying to capture the creepypasta anonymous online post feel, but at the same time giving some credit would be nice. Overall it's a quick paced and enjoyable time killer. Not the best and not even up to some of the rather amazing stories created on the internet about Slender Man, but still a fun read. 3/5 stars.
As an aside, I've seen this novel labeled as YA. While there is indeed a high school protagonist, I don't really pick up a lot of YA-vibes from this. It feels like a fairly standard horror novel, that just so happens to feature a younger lead. I don't know if this is a marketing thing now, or if every book with a younger lead is somehow required to be YA (if so, Stephen King has been a YA author for decades based on some of his books) but the label honestly confuses me a bit. As a heads up for anyone thinking it's a good read for teenagers, be ready for some violent content and quite a bit of strong language.
October 7, 2020
Well it’s official, this book has started me on a new obsession, Slender Man. I now need to read anything even slightly related and I went into a deep google dive on the subject. It’s absolutely fascinating how a myth can become so real for some and result in a cult following and actual murder. I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning, reading this book in a single sitting because I just couldn’t get enough of it, I NEEDED to know what was happening and how it played out. I really loved the way it was written too, with a variety journal entries, texts, interviews, articles and what’s app group texts to tell the story. I thought it was the perfect way to tell this story and it completely sucked me in! Long story short, I freaking loved this book.
October 13, 2020
The brief history of Slender Man is he is a meme created on creepypasta by Eric Knudsen in 2009. He was 'created' for a photoshop contest where users were challenged to create paranormal images. While Slender Man is undoubtedly creepy, a tall thin black-suited character with an oval white face without eyes, nose, mouth, or facial hair, he is nothing more than a fictional character.
Over time Slender Man's 'reality' grew with people, particularly children, stating they saw him in the dead of night, usually amongst the trees where his outline blurred with his surroundings. Some say he whispered to them, some say they felt his presence but nothing more but most said they felt some form of attraction to him. Horrifically this culminated in the 2014 Wisconsin stabbing of Payton Leutner by her two closest friends. Their defence in court being that they were urged by Slender Man to prove that he was real. The two perpetrators were twelve years old at the time and were sentenced to 25 and 40 years, respectively, in a mental institution after they were found not guilty by mental disease or defect. Thankfully, Payton recovered from her 19 stab wounds in hospital.
THE BOOK does not touch on anything associated to Slender Man in real life although it leans heavily on the premise of his ability to be alluring to those who believe. The story takes place in an exclusive part of New York City, in the area adjacent to Central Park.
The novel is told more or less in social media form. Almost like the literary version of The Blair Witch Project, it reads as large chunks of blogging, texting, email, and the main character's electronic journal which he writes at the request of his psychiatrist. He does not believe he needs his weekly sessions with the Doctor but feels it was forced on him by his parents because it is seen as the wealthy thing to do, send your child to therapy. He also attends the local wealthy private school with his friends that form the social media bubble he belongs to.
As the story rolls along there is one particular event that has the book take a nasty turn - or stage two as I like to call it. I split this novel up into three 'stages'. Stage one is the first 110 pages where there seems to be a 'feeling out' of the story and it's characters and, to be honest, is quite slow and bordering on boring. Stage two, after the event, and for the bulk of the book is as creepy as hell. As with traditional Slender Man myths, he isn't a character you hold a conversation with. Obviously, he has no mouth but he is more of a presence, he is seen but even more so felt. He almost has a flowing form where he glides and shifts through the landscape, appearing where he was not just moments ago. He is only heard by the air passing around him, not by footstep. There is no gore here or any real horror but it can make your goosebumps rise.
Then there is stage three, the ending. OMG, how was that allowed? The book builds to a creepy premium and then collapses into an obvious and disappointing ending, not unlike a Trump vs Biden debate. So if you want to read a creepy story and can handle a looooong slow start then this is for you. Stage two is well worth the read and who knows, perhaps the ending will hold more for you. Also Stephen King geeks, myself included, will get a small kick out of some of the names used in the social media chat.
Over time Slender Man's 'reality' grew with people, particularly children, stating they saw him in the dead of night, usually amongst the trees where his outline blurred with his surroundings. Some say he whispered to them, some say they felt his presence but nothing more but most said they felt some form of attraction to him. Horrifically this culminated in the 2014 Wisconsin stabbing of Payton Leutner by her two closest friends. Their defence in court being that they were urged by Slender Man to prove that he was real. The two perpetrators were twelve years old at the time and were sentenced to 25 and 40 years, respectively, in a mental institution after they were found not guilty by mental disease or defect. Thankfully, Payton recovered from her 19 stab wounds in hospital.
THE BOOK does not touch on anything associated to Slender Man in real life although it leans heavily on the premise of his ability to be alluring to those who believe. The story takes place in an exclusive part of New York City, in the area adjacent to Central Park.
The novel is told more or less in social media form. Almost like the literary version of The Blair Witch Project, it reads as large chunks of blogging, texting, email, and the main character's electronic journal which he writes at the request of his psychiatrist. He does not believe he needs his weekly sessions with the Doctor but feels it was forced on him by his parents because it is seen as the wealthy thing to do, send your child to therapy. He also attends the local wealthy private school with his friends that form the social media bubble he belongs to.
As the story rolls along there is one particular event that has the book take a nasty turn - or stage two as I like to call it. I split this novel up into three 'stages'. Stage one is the first 110 pages where there seems to be a 'feeling out' of the story and it's characters and, to be honest, is quite slow and bordering on boring. Stage two, after the event, and for the bulk of the book is as creepy as hell. As with traditional Slender Man myths, he isn't a character you hold a conversation with. Obviously, he has no mouth but he is more of a presence, he is seen but even more so felt. He almost has a flowing form where he glides and shifts through the landscape, appearing where he was not just moments ago. He is only heard by the air passing around him, not by footstep. There is no gore here or any real horror but it can make your goosebumps rise.
Then there is stage three, the ending. OMG, how was that allowed? The book builds to a creepy premium and then collapses into an obvious and disappointing ending, not unlike a Trump vs Biden debate. So if you want to read a creepy story and can handle a looooong slow start then this is for you. Stage two is well worth the read and who knows, perhaps the ending will hold more for you. Also Stephen King geeks, myself included, will get a small kick out of some of the names used in the social media chat.
February 7, 2023
"I believe that there are things that live in the darkness, and I believe those things have teeth."
I didn't know about Slenderman until the SM stabbings that took place in 2014. That was when I was brought face to face with the faceless being that lurked in the shadows. SM is a supernatural being that will make you run for your life if you ever spot him. 2014 brought an entirely new creepy boogyman to the world and we have been haunted ever since.
I'm shocked. This was a pretty decent read. I wasn’t expecting much out of this and I was pleasantly surprised. Usually, books about these types of phenomena can really jump off the deep end and wind up overdone but this was original. Really loved the style and layout of this and I think that helped me enjoy this even more. I wish there were more SM books out in the world.
I didn't know about Slenderman until the SM stabbings that took place in 2014. That was when I was brought face to face with the faceless being that lurked in the shadows. SM is a supernatural being that will make you run for your life if you ever spot him. 2014 brought an entirely new creepy boogyman to the world and we have been haunted ever since.
I'm shocked. This was a pretty decent read. I wasn’t expecting much out of this and I was pleasantly surprised. Usually, books about these types of phenomena can really jump off the deep end and wind up overdone but this was original. Really loved the style and layout of this and I think that helped me enjoy this even more. I wish there were more SM books out in the world.
December 5, 2024
this was just too intriguing to not get at b&n, anonymous writer, and the book is comprised of either journal entries, audio clips, or other forms of documentation???
October 30, 2018
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/10/30/...
The origin of Slender Man as a creepypasta internet meme that gained traction on an online forum before becoming viral and exploding into a worldwide phenomenon has always fascinated me. It’s perhaps one of the best modern examples of how a legend or myth might come to life, its genesis and spread happening in real time for all to observe, especially following a series of violent related incidents widely covered by the media. The surreal nature of this now iconic horror figure is what immediately drew me to this book, simply titled Slender Man by an author whom, in a very meta touch, has been kept anonymous, which should clue you in as to the style and mood of story you’re in for…
In basic terms, Slender Man is an epistolary novel comprised of journal entries, emails, text messages, voice transcripts, and other forms of documentation surrounding the life of high school student Matt Barker, who is on a mission to discover the truth of what happened to his friend and classmate Lauren Bailey. The popular teen girl from Riley, an elite New York City high school, went out one night and never returned. Within hours, rumors were flying all over Riley speculating on her whereabouts, though secretly, Matt knows Lauren well enough to know the majority of them have no basis in fact. While the two teens never ran in the same circles at school, they have maintained a close friendship that neither of them advertised publicly, keeping most their correspondence through texts. Lauren had an obsession with dark subjects that, as far as Matt knew, he was the only one she ever shared with, sending with him gruesome stories and pictures that she found online that she thought were funny or interesting.
After days go by with no headway on the police investigation into the disappearance, Matt decides to take matters into his own hands, uncovering a series of strange photoshopped images on Lauren’s cloud drive, proving irrefutably that she was drawn to the legend of Slender Man. Given how the stories go—that any attention given to Slender Man is in fact a foolhardy way to summon the creature or draw its notice—Matt believes his friend is in serious danger, and the terrifying dreams he has almost nightly seem to confirm his bad feelings.
Due to its format, I suspect Slender Man will not be a book for everybody, and if you have struggled with epistolary novels in the past, it’s possible you may run into similar issues with this one. The style itself is limiting in certain situations, especially when the story calls for descriptive action. Often you end up with awkward moments where the character resorts to oral dictation and info-dumping, ludicrously stating out everything he/she is doing, and we have a few instances of this here where the forced narrative pulled me out of the immersion. One other thing to note is that the book is very Young Adult-oriented—which may end up being a disappointment to those who were hoping for a good scare out of this. Slender Man is at times deeply atmospheric and plays with your mind a bit, but for a horror novel, I did not find it scary or even that creepy. The characters’ personalities also fit in with the overall YA tone of the story, so expect a certain level of teen angst and other genre clichés like disdainful attitudes towards healthcare workers and law enforcement (or just adults in general).
Despite these caveats, I did have a good time reading the book. While the epistolary style does not always lend itself well to character development, I thought the author did a good job painting Matt Barker as a convincing and sympathetic figure, due to the fact his journal entries make up the bulk of the novel. Matt’s emotional state is strongly felt in these entries; we get a good depiction of his confusion, the genuine concern for Lauren, as well as the crushing sense of helplessness and fear as he realizes what he must do to save her. I also enjoyed the creative use of documentation to tell the story, not to mention the sheer variety of sources ranging from newspaper clippings to the Riley school letters sent out to faculty and parents, and even snippets from Whatsapp group chats and Reddit discussion forums. I thought they were a nice touch to give the situation a more “authentic” feel, and the eclectic mix also made this a super quick and addictive read.
All too soon, the book was over, and honestly, if I have one complaint about the ending, it’s that it felt rushed and the conclusion was left a little too open. But for a story of this nature about Slender Man, perhaps there was no other way around this issue. The character became a horror phenomenon precisely because of the mystery and ambiguity surrounding its motives, and the novel’s ending seems to reflect this limitless potential for speculation and the role of reader imagination. If you don’t mind the vagueness, then you’ll probably enjoy the enigma, and certainly the unknowns added greatly to the general atmosphere of the story, which was top-notch and was a counterpoint to some of the book’s minor weaknesses. Overall a fast and fun read if you’re looking for a bit of mood reading for the spooky season!
The origin of Slender Man as a creepypasta internet meme that gained traction on an online forum before becoming viral and exploding into a worldwide phenomenon has always fascinated me. It’s perhaps one of the best modern examples of how a legend or myth might come to life, its genesis and spread happening in real time for all to observe, especially following a series of violent related incidents widely covered by the media. The surreal nature of this now iconic horror figure is what immediately drew me to this book, simply titled Slender Man by an author whom, in a very meta touch, has been kept anonymous, which should clue you in as to the style and mood of story you’re in for…
In basic terms, Slender Man is an epistolary novel comprised of journal entries, emails, text messages, voice transcripts, and other forms of documentation surrounding the life of high school student Matt Barker, who is on a mission to discover the truth of what happened to his friend and classmate Lauren Bailey. The popular teen girl from Riley, an elite New York City high school, went out one night and never returned. Within hours, rumors were flying all over Riley speculating on her whereabouts, though secretly, Matt knows Lauren well enough to know the majority of them have no basis in fact. While the two teens never ran in the same circles at school, they have maintained a close friendship that neither of them advertised publicly, keeping most their correspondence through texts. Lauren had an obsession with dark subjects that, as far as Matt knew, he was the only one she ever shared with, sending with him gruesome stories and pictures that she found online that she thought were funny or interesting.
After days go by with no headway on the police investigation into the disappearance, Matt decides to take matters into his own hands, uncovering a series of strange photoshopped images on Lauren’s cloud drive, proving irrefutably that she was drawn to the legend of Slender Man. Given how the stories go—that any attention given to Slender Man is in fact a foolhardy way to summon the creature or draw its notice—Matt believes his friend is in serious danger, and the terrifying dreams he has almost nightly seem to confirm his bad feelings.
Due to its format, I suspect Slender Man will not be a book for everybody, and if you have struggled with epistolary novels in the past, it’s possible you may run into similar issues with this one. The style itself is limiting in certain situations, especially when the story calls for descriptive action. Often you end up with awkward moments where the character resorts to oral dictation and info-dumping, ludicrously stating out everything he/she is doing, and we have a few instances of this here where the forced narrative pulled me out of the immersion. One other thing to note is that the book is very Young Adult-oriented—which may end up being a disappointment to those who were hoping for a good scare out of this. Slender Man is at times deeply atmospheric and plays with your mind a bit, but for a horror novel, I did not find it scary or even that creepy. The characters’ personalities also fit in with the overall YA tone of the story, so expect a certain level of teen angst and other genre clichés like disdainful attitudes towards healthcare workers and law enforcement (or just adults in general).
Despite these caveats, I did have a good time reading the book. While the epistolary style does not always lend itself well to character development, I thought the author did a good job painting Matt Barker as a convincing and sympathetic figure, due to the fact his journal entries make up the bulk of the novel. Matt’s emotional state is strongly felt in these entries; we get a good depiction of his confusion, the genuine concern for Lauren, as well as the crushing sense of helplessness and fear as he realizes what he must do to save her. I also enjoyed the creative use of documentation to tell the story, not to mention the sheer variety of sources ranging from newspaper clippings to the Riley school letters sent out to faculty and parents, and even snippets from Whatsapp group chats and Reddit discussion forums. I thought they were a nice touch to give the situation a more “authentic” feel, and the eclectic mix also made this a super quick and addictive read.
All too soon, the book was over, and honestly, if I have one complaint about the ending, it’s that it felt rushed and the conclusion was left a little too open. But for a story of this nature about Slender Man, perhaps there was no other way around this issue. The character became a horror phenomenon precisely because of the mystery and ambiguity surrounding its motives, and the novel’s ending seems to reflect this limitless potential for speculation and the role of reader imagination. If you don’t mind the vagueness, then you’ll probably enjoy the enigma, and certainly the unknowns added greatly to the general atmosphere of the story, which was top-notch and was a counterpoint to some of the book’s minor weaknesses. Overall a fast and fun read if you’re looking for a bit of mood reading for the spooky season!
September 30, 2018
Another Slender Man novel for 2018 (there was a film this year too). Unlike
The Tall Man
and Mister Tender's Girl, this story doesn't take the real-life murder case as inspiration, and is better for it. The narrator is Matt, a student at an elite, cliquey New York high school – the Gossip Girl type that's filled with the kids of celebrities and the very well-off. The plot mainly centres on the disappearance of Matt's friend Lauren, though from the start we are fed hints that something will likely happen to Matt too. The narrative is a montage, composed of various sources: Matt's diary, reports from his therapist, group chats, Reddit posts, interview transcripts and articles. The supernatural element is largely restrained, which works well.
What this most reminded me of was not anything in the horror genre but the thriller Reconstructing Amelia, which is another patchwork narrative and which also investigates the life of a girl attending an elite New York school. Like that book, it feels very much like a 'guilty pleasure', but a superior example of one. I wonder whether the anonymous author is a newcomer or someone who's previously been published – either way, they've done a sterling job with the source material.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
What this most reminded me of was not anything in the horror genre but the thriller Reconstructing Amelia, which is another patchwork narrative and which also investigates the life of a girl attending an elite New York school. Like that book, it feels very much like a 'guilty pleasure', but a superior example of one. I wonder whether the anonymous author is a newcomer or someone who's previously been published – either way, they've done a sterling job with the source material.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
October 8, 2018
"Some things that are fictions are also real. Stories can take on lives of their own. Things that are made up can still hurt you."
I first heard about the upcoming Slender Man book at the very beginning of this year when Books in the Freezer talked about new releases on their podcast. I immediately requested a copy, and the book release kept getting pushed back. This month I received an e-mail from the publisher asking if I wanted to review it, and I was so excited!
I am happy to say that I had a lot of fun reading this book. This is an epistolary novel, which I tend to enjoy. I have not seen the new movie yet, but I was able to tell from other reviews that this book is not connected to the movie storyline. It's mainly set at a fancy high school in New York, so it has a bit of a Gossip Girl vibe, which I liked.
At some points, the diary entries are do feel a bit drawn out and long, but I never lost interest in the story. This book is not perfect, but it's an enjoyable YA horror/mystery novel. I wish there would have been a little more of the actual Slender Man character in the novel, but it was still a good read.
I first heard about the upcoming Slender Man book at the very beginning of this year when Books in the Freezer talked about new releases on their podcast. I immediately requested a copy, and the book release kept getting pushed back. This month I received an e-mail from the publisher asking if I wanted to review it, and I was so excited!
I am happy to say that I had a lot of fun reading this book. This is an epistolary novel, which I tend to enjoy. I have not seen the new movie yet, but I was able to tell from other reviews that this book is not connected to the movie storyline. It's mainly set at a fancy high school in New York, so it has a bit of a Gossip Girl vibe, which I liked.
At some points, the diary entries are do feel a bit drawn out and long, but I never lost interest in the story. This book is not perfect, but it's an enjoyable YA horror/mystery novel. I wish there would have been a little more of the actual Slender Man character in the novel, but it was still a good read.
November 27, 2018
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2018/1...
OK, this is one seriously addictive and creepy read, and is a perfect pick for Halloween (or any other time of year if you are in the mood). The atmosphere is fantastic, and I love the epistolary style its told in. Fragments of journal entries, text messages, reddit posts, police interviews and recordings are used to lead the reader through a suspenseful mystery. It also makes for a much quicker read, which can be a positive thing when you are anxious to find out what is going on.
The protagonist Matt is our main character and we get a good chunk of the narrative from his journal entries, but we also get information from an assortment of other sources such as text messages, news articles, as well as notes from his psychiatrist to his parents about their sessions.
Matt attends a private school in Manhattan and aspires to be a writer. However, he feels incredible pressure from his dad to become a lawyer (following in both his parents’ footsteps). He has an interesting relationship with a childhood friend, Lauren, who is now a very popular girl at his school (he’s not popular in case you wondering). They don’t exactly intentionally “hide” their on going friendship, but they don’t advertise it either, so almost no one realizes they are still friends. They chat through texts regularly and I think they each have parts of themselves that they only show to each other. I enjoyed the fact that these childhood buddies remained close (in a completely platonic way) despite their very different interests and social circles in their “regular” lives.
When Lauren goes missing, Matt is impacted very deeply. Much more so than anyone realizes. His nightmares, that were already bad, intensify to a point where the question becomes, are these nightmares more than just dreams, is there something super natural going on here that is haunting and terrorizing Matt? And if so, is it possible the same thing happened to Lauren? I was not familiar with the Slender Man urban legend, but the book did a great job of bringing me up to speed and tying it in with Lauren’s disappearance and Matt’s nightmares. The book also captures the high school gossip experience, with online speculation and opinions about everything showing up in chat sessions, teenagers jumping to wild conclusions and spreading their opinions as facts. Actually, that doesn’t seem to just be high school any more, I guess that’s real life in an online world these days. If this type of drama doesn’t work for you, you might not enjoy the book.
If I had to find a criticism, it might be that there were certain passages that seemed to go on longer than I’d have liked. I found myself too anxious to know what happens next to sit patiently through every word, and I am torn on if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, it does show that I was so into the story that I couldn’t wait to get to the details on where the story was headed and that is a huge, huge plus, one that I think out weighs any real negative here. But then I also wonder if that perhaps the balance or order of building suspense versus providing information were a bit off? If there might have been a way to provide both, but structured slightly different so I would not feel a level of impatience in parts of the book? (I’m not a writer or an editor, so I might not be accurate or know what I’m talking about, it’s just a thought).
On another note, I got a kick out of the Reddit conversations, complete with the negative trolls popping in, some people posting nothing useful (and getting downvoted accordingly). Not to mention, some of the usernames were good. Like KJ_Parker_Is_God. It’s a minor thing, but actually added a bit of levity to the story for me, it was a welcome bit of tension relief from time to time to fall into the familiar pattern of reddit conversations. I also want to mention this story was published anonymously and I am quite curious who the author is. They are obviously a fan of the fantasy genre, they are also quite familiar with reddit, so I feel like maybe I might “know” of them from some thing other than this story and I’d love to make the connection. Particularly if they’ve written anything else.
So, overall, I found this to be a great read that was suspenseful and a bit mysterious. I quite enjoyed the style it was told in, and really find my largest complaint is that I don’t know who wrote it.
OK, this is one seriously addictive and creepy read, and is a perfect pick for Halloween (or any other time of year if you are in the mood). The atmosphere is fantastic, and I love the epistolary style its told in. Fragments of journal entries, text messages, reddit posts, police interviews and recordings are used to lead the reader through a suspenseful mystery. It also makes for a much quicker read, which can be a positive thing when you are anxious to find out what is going on.
The protagonist Matt is our main character and we get a good chunk of the narrative from his journal entries, but we also get information from an assortment of other sources such as text messages, news articles, as well as notes from his psychiatrist to his parents about their sessions.
Matt attends a private school in Manhattan and aspires to be a writer. However, he feels incredible pressure from his dad to become a lawyer (following in both his parents’ footsteps). He has an interesting relationship with a childhood friend, Lauren, who is now a very popular girl at his school (he’s not popular in case you wondering). They don’t exactly intentionally “hide” their on going friendship, but they don’t advertise it either, so almost no one realizes they are still friends. They chat through texts regularly and I think they each have parts of themselves that they only show to each other. I enjoyed the fact that these childhood buddies remained close (in a completely platonic way) despite their very different interests and social circles in their “regular” lives.
When Lauren goes missing, Matt is impacted very deeply. Much more so than anyone realizes. His nightmares, that were already bad, intensify to a point where the question becomes, are these nightmares more than just dreams, is there something super natural going on here that is haunting and terrorizing Matt? And if so, is it possible the same thing happened to Lauren? I was not familiar with the Slender Man urban legend, but the book did a great job of bringing me up to speed and tying it in with Lauren’s disappearance and Matt’s nightmares. The book also captures the high school gossip experience, with online speculation and opinions about everything showing up in chat sessions, teenagers jumping to wild conclusions and spreading their opinions as facts. Actually, that doesn’t seem to just be high school any more, I guess that’s real life in an online world these days. If this type of drama doesn’t work for you, you might not enjoy the book.
If I had to find a criticism, it might be that there were certain passages that seemed to go on longer than I’d have liked. I found myself too anxious to know what happens next to sit patiently through every word, and I am torn on if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, it does show that I was so into the story that I couldn’t wait to get to the details on where the story was headed and that is a huge, huge plus, one that I think out weighs any real negative here. But then I also wonder if that perhaps the balance or order of building suspense versus providing information were a bit off? If there might have been a way to provide both, but structured slightly different so I would not feel a level of impatience in parts of the book? (I’m not a writer or an editor, so I might not be accurate or know what I’m talking about, it’s just a thought).
On another note, I got a kick out of the Reddit conversations, complete with the negative trolls popping in, some people posting nothing useful (and getting downvoted accordingly). Not to mention, some of the usernames were good. Like KJ_Parker_Is_God. It’s a minor thing, but actually added a bit of levity to the story for me, it was a welcome bit of tension relief from time to time to fall into the familiar pattern of reddit conversations. I also want to mention this story was published anonymously and I am quite curious who the author is. They are obviously a fan of the fantasy genre, they are also quite familiar with reddit, so I feel like maybe I might “know” of them from some thing other than this story and I’d love to make the connection. Particularly if they’ve written anything else.
So, overall, I found this to be a great read that was suspenseful and a bit mysterious. I quite enjoyed the style it was told in, and really find my largest complaint is that I don’t know who wrote it.
October 7, 2020
I thought I'd follow the October trend and start the month off with something creepy 😁
I remember playing the 'Slender Man' game on my laptop when I was in high school. The game was viewed from a first person perspective and you had to run around a dark forest and find pages that were hidden in various places. I never managed to find more than 2 or 3 before I got caught by SM. I tried a few times, but it seemed to me that my efforts seemed pretty futile despite how fast I ran or in what direction. This is the vibe that I got from this novel.
Slender Man is written in a very creative way, composed strictly of journal entries, blog posts, text messages, voice recordings, newspaper columns and interviews. I wasn't expecting much when first flicking through the pages, but to my surprise, it actually works. By subjecting the reader to these first hand accounts, it feels like the events are happening in real time and we are reading through it as it happens.
Did I find it scary? No not really. Creepy would be a better word. Most of my enjoyment came from they way this book was written and knowing that this slender man figure, though ficticious, has caused young people to kill others for its 'cause' in recent years. That gave this story more depth.
I would recommend this book for any readers who like to be left wirh more questions than answers
I remember playing the 'Slender Man' game on my laptop when I was in high school. The game was viewed from a first person perspective and you had to run around a dark forest and find pages that were hidden in various places. I never managed to find more than 2 or 3 before I got caught by SM. I tried a few times, but it seemed to me that my efforts seemed pretty futile despite how fast I ran or in what direction. This is the vibe that I got from this novel.
Slender Man is written in a very creative way, composed strictly of journal entries, blog posts, text messages, voice recordings, newspaper columns and interviews. I wasn't expecting much when first flicking through the pages, but to my surprise, it actually works. By subjecting the reader to these first hand accounts, it feels like the events are happening in real time and we are reading through it as it happens.
Did I find it scary? No not really. Creepy would be a better word. Most of my enjoyment came from they way this book was written and knowing that this slender man figure, though ficticious, has caused young people to kill others for its 'cause' in recent years. That gave this story more depth.
I would recommend this book for any readers who like to be left wirh more questions than answers
October 4, 2018
I just blew through this whole book in about two and a half hours and WOW.
The beginning bored me to no end and I had a lot of issues but I couldn't put it down at all AND THE ENDING OHMY. It was so creepy to me and I'm so glad I read this!
RTC.
The beginning bored me to no end and I had a lot of issues but I couldn't put it down at all AND THE ENDING OHMY. It was so creepy to me and I'm so glad I read this!
RTC.
September 26, 2018
Gripped me in the beginning due to the unique format of the story. However as it the book progressed I found my interest wavering, and I realised that I had lost hope that this was going to deliver a good scare, the book just wasn't horror to me. Not nearly enough slenderman in a book named after him.
March 8, 2019
I loved the inventive way that the book was written. Seeing the story unravel through diary entries, transcripts, recordings, text messages and newspaper clippings to name a few was very fun.
Unfortunately it’s the actual story that lets the whole thing down. It’s rather generic and I didn’t really find it overly scary at all. Still, it’s a really fast paced read and still a bit of fun.
Unfortunately it’s the actual story that lets the whole thing down. It’s rather generic and I didn’t really find it overly scary at all. Still, it’s a really fast paced read and still a bit of fun.
October 24, 2019
Really enjoyed this. It didn't have the scare factor I was after so I don't feel I can rate if five because I went in wanting to be scared. But it did have that creepy vibe and I really needed to know what was going to happen next. It was like a mystery with a supernatural twists and I really loved the formatting.
January 20, 2019
This was pretty cool. I was vaguely aware of the Slender Man phenomena but also kind of glad I didn't know every little thing about it, so this maybe enhanced my enjoyment of the book.
Written in a kind of patchwork narrative comprised of journal entries, text messages and interview transcripts, we observe the incidence of missing teenage girl Lauren, primarily through the eyes of Matt. We get to witness his mental unraveling and this really ramps up the tension. This was a quick read and very much a tale for the modern age, offering something a little different.
Recommended.
Written in a kind of patchwork narrative comprised of journal entries, text messages and interview transcripts, we observe the incidence of missing teenage girl Lauren, primarily through the eyes of Matt. We get to witness his mental unraveling and this really ramps up the tension. This was a quick read and very much a tale for the modern age, offering something a little different.
Recommended.
October 15, 2018
I have been fascinated with the Slender Man phenomenon for quite some time. It's amazing how something that started as a contest turned into something oh so real for some crazy individuals... resulting in murder, cult like following and just plain paranoia.
Recently watched the Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story and so far it's my favorite film re SM. Deliciously creepy and I highly recommend. I was hoping to get that same creep factor in this book but alas, it is YA Horror - though even some YA Horror can give me the chilly bumps. This book took just a little too long to get into the meat of the main part. I realize this is pretty much how the phenomenon happens in these Slenderman sightings to straight crazy journey... I just wanted more SM!!
I loved the way this story was told via different types of entries, interviews, whats app messaging, articles, etc. It made for a quick, entertaining and fascinating read. Ultimately I knew I as going to like this before I even turned the first page.
If you're a lover of Slenderman and have been following this phenomenon in any capacity, I think you're going to enjoy this read.
Thank you to HarperVoyager for this copy!
Recently watched the Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story and so far it's my favorite film re SM. Deliciously creepy and I highly recommend. I was hoping to get that same creep factor in this book but alas, it is YA Horror - though even some YA Horror can give me the chilly bumps. This book took just a little too long to get into the meat of the main part. I realize this is pretty much how the phenomenon happens in these Slenderman sightings to straight crazy journey... I just wanted more SM!!
I loved the way this story was told via different types of entries, interviews, whats app messaging, articles, etc. It made for a quick, entertaining and fascinating read. Ultimately I knew I as going to like this before I even turned the first page.
If you're a lover of Slenderman and have been following this phenomenon in any capacity, I think you're going to enjoy this read.
Thank you to HarperVoyager for this copy!
November 3, 2018
This was a very fitting selection from the October My Book Box. It is a story about a missing teen toward via journal entries and texts. It is a House of Leaves set in today of media.
The action centers around Matt who is concerned for his missing friend and classmate, Lauren. Lauren is a popular girl and Matt, not so much. Of course, Matt’s outsider status makes him something of a suspect to certain members of the school population, and then there are his nightmares.
Nightmares that may or may not have to do with Slender Man.
The book works because the horror of the book isn’t the idea of Slender Man and his possible real existence, but how society views and treats people. The way that Matt’s high school classmates are drawn is extremely well done. Though there are bits of the book that are a bit, well strange – who is Brad and why would his mom need anti-depressants because of him? But it is an engrossing and extremely quick read. I started reading it and the only reason I put it down was that, quite frankly, a hyper seventy-pound dog who doesn’t get his work is more frightening than Slender Man.
This really does what House of Leaves does but in a less, convoluted, and more real way.
The action centers around Matt who is concerned for his missing friend and classmate, Lauren. Lauren is a popular girl and Matt, not so much. Of course, Matt’s outsider status makes him something of a suspect to certain members of the school population, and then there are his nightmares.
Nightmares that may or may not have to do with Slender Man.
The book works because the horror of the book isn’t the idea of Slender Man and his possible real existence, but how society views and treats people. The way that Matt’s high school classmates are drawn is extremely well done. Though there are bits of the book that are a bit, well strange – who is Brad and why would his mom need anti-depressants because of him? But it is an engrossing and extremely quick read. I started reading it and the only reason I put it down was that, quite frankly, a hyper seventy-pound dog who doesn’t get his work is more frightening than Slender Man.
This really does what House of Leaves does but in a less, convoluted, and more real way.
October 4, 2019
I eventually enjoyed this book.
The start bored me to death but stick with it it gets better.
Through fragments of journal's, blog posts and messages you unvail the story.
Between fiction and delusion, between nightmare and reality where does one begin and end.
The start bored me to death but stick with it it gets better.
Through fragments of journal's, blog posts and messages you unvail the story.
Between fiction and delusion, between nightmare and reality where does one begin and end.
December 3, 2018
Terrible.
Pretty much NOTHING scary happened until the last half of the book, and what did happen was weak-sauce.
Slender Man is, most effectively, a visual horror myth. Part of what makes him scary is noticing him in places you don't expect to see him. This is why movies and games work so well in adapting the legend: Coming across him accidentally or seeing him slinking around in the background without the main character noticing is what works with this character.
What DOES NOT work is having a 300+ page book made up of interviews, transcripts, and text-bubbles talking about stuff that is largely nothing to do with Slender Man. We see NOTHING- it's all relayed to us via the characters, and it's not relayed in a way that's especially frightening or eerie. We see no pictures, even though pictures would NOT have been out of place in a book like this where social media accounts for a significant part of the narrative.
Makes me wonder if 'anonymous' had some copyright restrictions on them. Or at least I hope they did, because that would be the only excuse for being so unimaginative as to NOT include photos for a book about an internet myth for whom photoshopped pictures are a major medium. ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT IN THE BOOK.
Also, just... The characters are nothing. The MC is a cynical little douchebag, and that's about the depth of the character we get from him. As for the others?I cannot stress this enough: Literally Nothing. I can't even call them one-dimensional- This is zero dimension we're talking about. They are the flimsiest, weakest characters I think I've ever seen. There is nothing about these characters that makes me care for them. NOTHING.
Also, author? "Anonymous"? A little tip?
You wasted a lot of time in this book.
So much.
Not even funny.
The whole crux of this book is "SLENDER MAN'S TAKEN LAUREN, OH NO!"
But this entire premise fails if you fail to make me give a shit about Lauren. And boy oh boy, I did not give a shit about Lauren. Random girl with no personality goes missing. Boy she knows is upset and wants her found. Goes to Slender Man to get her back because he took her for some... Reason? Who the fuck knows?
You spent the majority of your time establishing your main character as a cynical little dickhead who, at several points in the book reminds us that he's a "straight white dude with privilege even though you didn't actually come right out and say it" (hence why he used to believe police officers were anything more than racist assholes, because only Straight White Males do).
If I didn't know better, I'd swear that you were wasting time virtue-signaling when you were supposed to be telling a monster-story. I'd swear that you were wasting lines on reminding us about banal shit that has nothing to do with ANYTHING when you should have been writing about Slender Man, the character I actually paid to read about. You write an ACTUAL DAMN STORY about the topic you set out to write about, and preaching between the lines becomes aggravating, but ignorable because there's a story to distract me. I am hyper-focusing on this because you have given me nothing else of interest to focus on.
Next time, if you're gonna write a story and SELL IT, remember what the actual topic of your story is and stick to it.
Pretty much NOTHING scary happened until the last half of the book, and what did happen was weak-sauce.
Slender Man is, most effectively, a visual horror myth. Part of what makes him scary is noticing him in places you don't expect to see him. This is why movies and games work so well in adapting the legend: Coming across him accidentally or seeing him slinking around in the background without the main character noticing is what works with this character.
What DOES NOT work is having a 300+ page book made up of interviews, transcripts, and text-bubbles talking about stuff that is largely nothing to do with Slender Man. We see NOTHING- it's all relayed to us via the characters, and it's not relayed in a way that's especially frightening or eerie. We see no pictures, even though pictures would NOT have been out of place in a book like this where social media accounts for a significant part of the narrative.
Makes me wonder if 'anonymous' had some copyright restrictions on them. Or at least I hope they did, because that would be the only excuse for being so unimaginative as to NOT include photos for a book about an internet myth for whom photoshopped pictures are a major medium. ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT IN THE BOOK.
Also, just... The characters are nothing. The MC is a cynical little douchebag, and that's about the depth of the character we get from him. As for the others?I cannot stress this enough: Literally Nothing. I can't even call them one-dimensional- This is zero dimension we're talking about. They are the flimsiest, weakest characters I think I've ever seen. There is nothing about these characters that makes me care for them. NOTHING.
Also, author? "Anonymous"? A little tip?
You wasted a lot of time in this book.
So much.
Not even funny.
The whole crux of this book is "SLENDER MAN'S TAKEN LAUREN, OH NO!"
But this entire premise fails if you fail to make me give a shit about Lauren. And boy oh boy, I did not give a shit about Lauren. Random girl with no personality goes missing. Boy she knows is upset and wants her found. Goes to Slender Man to get her back because he took her for some... Reason? Who the fuck knows?
You spent the majority of your time establishing your main character as a cynical little dickhead who, at several points in the book reminds us that he's a "straight white dude with privilege even though you didn't actually come right out and say it" (hence why he used to believe police officers were anything more than racist assholes, because only Straight White Males do).
If I didn't know better, I'd swear that you were wasting time virtue-signaling when you were supposed to be telling a monster-story. I'd swear that you were wasting lines on reminding us about banal shit that has nothing to do with ANYTHING when you should have been writing about Slender Man, the character I actually paid to read about. You write an ACTUAL DAMN STORY about the topic you set out to write about, and preaching between the lines becomes aggravating, but ignorable because there's a story to distract me. I am hyper-focusing on this because you have given me nothing else of interest to focus on.
Next time, if you're gonna write a story and SELL IT, remember what the actual topic of your story is and stick to it.
December 14, 2024
I'll be honest, I mostly picked this one up because I was intrigued that there was no author credited for writing it, which I have never seen before for a physically published book. Didn't hurt that I got a decent read out of it too!
This book is 100% epistolary, made up of emails, reddit threads, text messages, office letterheads, subtitled voicemails, and newspaper clippings, which is a gimmick that will work on me every single time and this was no exception. The only exception here is that it felt more genuine than I've seen it done in the past: teenagers don't use overexaggerated "LOL omg"-type text messages and instead send each other legible, understandable sentences. And the reddit threads use the actual formatting and even match the sometimes supportive, sometimes oddly hostile interactions you come across on there.
Regarding the content and story itself, this is a very self-aware book that knows and addresses the titular mythos head-on (hell, Marble Hornets itself gets directly name-dropped twice, which I appreciated), and the characters dance around it in a believable way. I felt the book was better serviced in handling it like that, rather than ignoring the history of Slenderman that a reader might have going into this book; I appreciated that this built upon my real-world knowledge rather than attempting to be a completely novel and isolated take.
The ending was appropriately ambiguous and while I'm never crazy about teenage protagonists, Matt could've been a lot worse. Try this as a surprisingly quick palate cleanser in-between longer reads.
This book is 100% epistolary, made up of emails, reddit threads, text messages, office letterheads, subtitled voicemails, and newspaper clippings, which is a gimmick that will work on me every single time and this was no exception. The only exception here is that it felt more genuine than I've seen it done in the past: teenagers don't use overexaggerated "LOL omg"-type text messages and instead send each other legible, understandable sentences. And the reddit threads use the actual formatting and even match the sometimes supportive, sometimes oddly hostile interactions you come across on there.
Regarding the content and story itself, this is a very self-aware book that knows and addresses the titular mythos head-on (hell, Marble Hornets itself gets directly name-dropped twice, which I appreciated), and the characters dance around it in a believable way. I felt the book was better serviced in handling it like that, rather than ignoring the history of Slenderman that a reader might have going into this book; I appreciated that this built upon my real-world knowledge rather than attempting to be a completely novel and isolated take.
The ending was appropriately ambiguous and while I'm never crazy about teenage protagonists, Matt could've been a lot worse. Try this as a surprisingly quick palate cleanser in-between longer reads.
November 14, 2019
https://viaggiatricepigra.blogspot.co...
Questo personaggio non lo conoscevo quasi per niente. So che è nato dalla rete e ha creato molto scompiglio, ma non mi ero mai presa la briga di andare ad indagare ulteriormente. Occasione ghiotta per non buttarmi a partecipare a questo evento, così da finalmente capire chi è davvero.
Ammetto che sono rimasta leggermente delusa, ma andando ad informarmi poi meglio online ho capito che la scelta fatta dall'autore/ice è ottima.
Perché questa precisazione? Semplicemente perché è anonimo, non si sa chi ci sia dietro.
Due paroline sulla trama.
Abbiamo una voce narrante principale, anche se non sarà l'unica, ed è Matt Barker. Un ragazzo nella media, non particolarmente socievole, sta per i fatti suoi e vive bene così. Da qualche tempo ha incubi ricorrenti e la psicologa che lo ha in cura lo obbliga a scrivere un diario ed è tramite questo che lui ci parlerà, dandoci inizialmente una panoramica sulla sua vita e quotidianità, accennandoci di Lauren, la sua migliore amica. Hanno un rapporto molto particolare: non si frequentano assolutamente a scuola, ma per messaggio si dicono ogni cosa. Per cui per Matt crolla un po' il mondo attorno quando Lauren scompare nel nulla dopo esser uscita di casa nel pieno della notte.
A complicare le cose, gli incubi assumono connotati sempre più angoscianti e sembrano puntare ad un unico soggetto, che non vuole lasciarlo in pace, nonostante non esista...oppure si?
Questa un'infarinatura molto veloce di cosa si sta per andare a leggere.
A spezzare la narrazione in prima persona tramite questo diario di Matt ci sono tante trovate interessanti. Ci sono screen di messaggini. Articoli di giornale. Chat online. Registrazioni vocali. Indagini di polizia.
Insomma, davvero tante cose diverse che insieme stanno alla perfezione e regalano una storia davvero molto interessante.
Una nota strapositiva: alcuni frammenti di descrizione ti tenevano incollato alle pagine, trasmettendo immagini nitide di quello che stava succedendo insieme alle sensazioni del protagonista. Una cosa davvero molto rara quando si deve far paura al lettore e/o fargli venire la pelle d'oca.
Non ho avuto paura, ma ammetto che riuscivo ad immaginare tutto come se fossi stata lì, e qualche brivido me lo ha strappato. Narratore/ice strepitos@!
Un libro all'apparenza banale, ma che nasconde molte sfaccettature diverse che lo rendono qualcosa di unico, interessante e davvero ben fatto. Si, mi sto ripetendo, ma non ho altre parole se non WOW.
Una pecca è stato un po' il finale, che lascia l'amaro in bocca.
E come dicevo inizialmente, questo personaggio che resta sempre nell'ombra. Non c'è una vera e propria spiegazione... Ma, appunto, fa parte del mistero che lo circonda.
Una lettura non per deboli di cuore, assolutamente. Può apparire dalla copertina (e dal tema trattato) che punti ad un pubblico giovane, ma non è così scontato. Anzi, viste alcune scene abbastanza inquietanti, forse almeno 15 anni si dovrebbero avere per leggerlo.
Dipende sempre dalla sensibilità personale, in ogni caso.
Se vi incuriosisce la figura dello Slender Man e siete appassionati di horror, con tracce di thriller e fantasy, potrebbe piacervi molto.
Questo personaggio non lo conoscevo quasi per niente. So che è nato dalla rete e ha creato molto scompiglio, ma non mi ero mai presa la briga di andare ad indagare ulteriormente. Occasione ghiotta per non buttarmi a partecipare a questo evento, così da finalmente capire chi è davvero.
Ammetto che sono rimasta leggermente delusa, ma andando ad informarmi poi meglio online ho capito che la scelta fatta dall'autore/ice è ottima.
Perché questa precisazione? Semplicemente perché è anonimo, non si sa chi ci sia dietro.
Due paroline sulla trama.
Abbiamo una voce narrante principale, anche se non sarà l'unica, ed è Matt Barker. Un ragazzo nella media, non particolarmente socievole, sta per i fatti suoi e vive bene così. Da qualche tempo ha incubi ricorrenti e la psicologa che lo ha in cura lo obbliga a scrivere un diario ed è tramite questo che lui ci parlerà, dandoci inizialmente una panoramica sulla sua vita e quotidianità, accennandoci di Lauren, la sua migliore amica. Hanno un rapporto molto particolare: non si frequentano assolutamente a scuola, ma per messaggio si dicono ogni cosa. Per cui per Matt crolla un po' il mondo attorno quando Lauren scompare nel nulla dopo esser uscita di casa nel pieno della notte.
A complicare le cose, gli incubi assumono connotati sempre più angoscianti e sembrano puntare ad un unico soggetto, che non vuole lasciarlo in pace, nonostante non esista...oppure si?
Questa un'infarinatura molto veloce di cosa si sta per andare a leggere.
A spezzare la narrazione in prima persona tramite questo diario di Matt ci sono tante trovate interessanti. Ci sono screen di messaggini. Articoli di giornale. Chat online. Registrazioni vocali. Indagini di polizia.
Insomma, davvero tante cose diverse che insieme stanno alla perfezione e regalano una storia davvero molto interessante.
Una nota strapositiva: alcuni frammenti di descrizione ti tenevano incollato alle pagine, trasmettendo immagini nitide di quello che stava succedendo insieme alle sensazioni del protagonista. Una cosa davvero molto rara quando si deve far paura al lettore e/o fargli venire la pelle d'oca.
Non ho avuto paura, ma ammetto che riuscivo ad immaginare tutto come se fossi stata lì, e qualche brivido me lo ha strappato. Narratore/ice strepitos@!
Un libro all'apparenza banale, ma che nasconde molte sfaccettature diverse che lo rendono qualcosa di unico, interessante e davvero ben fatto. Si, mi sto ripetendo, ma non ho altre parole se non WOW.
Una pecca è stato un po' il finale, che lascia l'amaro in bocca.
E come dicevo inizialmente, questo personaggio che resta sempre nell'ombra. Non c'è una vera e propria spiegazione... Ma, appunto, fa parte del mistero che lo circonda.
Una lettura non per deboli di cuore, assolutamente. Può apparire dalla copertina (e dal tema trattato) che punti ad un pubblico giovane, ma non è così scontato. Anzi, viste alcune scene abbastanza inquietanti, forse almeno 15 anni si dovrebbero avere per leggerlo.
Dipende sempre dalla sensibilità personale, in ogni caso.
Se vi incuriosisce la figura dello Slender Man e siete appassionati di horror, con tracce di thriller e fantasy, potrebbe piacervi molto.
October 16, 2018
3.5+/5 Stars
First off, I want to thank the publisher and author (who shall remain nameless) for an advanced reading copy of Slender Man in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC does not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.
Are you familiar with Slender Man? This fictional supernatural character originated online as a creepypasta internet meme and just continued to grow from there (books, video games, movies, etc.) Stories of this modern bogeyman typically feature him stalking, even abducting, people, particularly kids. But it isn’t all fun and games as some readers of his fiction have been connected to violent acts, like for instance, the near-fatal stabbing of a 12-year old girl in Wisconsin.
But enough about Slender Man’s roots.
This book is about a young man named Matt Barker; I say about, but it is more of a first-hand account through his many journal entries, audio recordings, police interrogations, newspaper articles, and online chat sessions. His friend, Lauren Bailey, has disappeared, which has set the rumor mill amok throughout their school and pushes Matt to find answers. Through these multiple story fragments, the realization that Matt is dealing with a supernatural being hits home quickly and the only choice he has is to go after Slender Man head-on.
I rather liked that this was written as an epistolary novel, which makes for quick and easy read. It truly brings our modern culture into focus, with use of text messages, phone apps, and reddit to bring multiple points of view into the story without having to give each individual character a thorough story arc. In other words, it gives just enough life to secondary characters to make it believable. To be honest, I’m sort of glad those secondary characters didn’t get a ton of the spotlight as most of this felt like Gossip Girl in a horror setting (and yes, my wife watches Gossip Girl so I’m aware of what it is). Rich teens, richer parents, and gossip being spread like butter on toast. All that being said, Matt’s audio recordings had me eating every bit of this book. The author does a phenomenal job inserting raw emotion/fear into each and every minute of the recordings, perfectly capturing the emotional, and physical, toll SM has on Matt.
Those that are looking for a novel that is all about Slender Man won’t find it here. Those that are looking for a tie-in novel with the movie(s) are also sadly mistaken. But if you want a novel that will chill you right down to the marrow, leaving you gasping for breathe, its perfect.
Though it was quite a slow-burn, slogging a bit in the beginning until all of the supernatural elements culminate into a super creepy, goosebump-inducing ending, it makes for a fantastic Halloween read. It probably isn’t enough to have you keeping the lights on at night, but it’ll make you think twice about camping out in the woods.
First off, I want to thank the publisher and author (who shall remain nameless) for an advanced reading copy of Slender Man in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC does not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.
Are you familiar with Slender Man? This fictional supernatural character originated online as a creepypasta internet meme and just continued to grow from there (books, video games, movies, etc.) Stories of this modern bogeyman typically feature him stalking, even abducting, people, particularly kids. But it isn’t all fun and games as some readers of his fiction have been connected to violent acts, like for instance, the near-fatal stabbing of a 12-year old girl in Wisconsin.
But enough about Slender Man’s roots.
This book is about a young man named Matt Barker; I say about, but it is more of a first-hand account through his many journal entries, audio recordings, police interrogations, newspaper articles, and online chat sessions. His friend, Lauren Bailey, has disappeared, which has set the rumor mill amok throughout their school and pushes Matt to find answers. Through these multiple story fragments, the realization that Matt is dealing with a supernatural being hits home quickly and the only choice he has is to go after Slender Man head-on.
I rather liked that this was written as an epistolary novel, which makes for quick and easy read. It truly brings our modern culture into focus, with use of text messages, phone apps, and reddit to bring multiple points of view into the story without having to give each individual character a thorough story arc. In other words, it gives just enough life to secondary characters to make it believable. To be honest, I’m sort of glad those secondary characters didn’t get a ton of the spotlight as most of this felt like Gossip Girl in a horror setting (and yes, my wife watches Gossip Girl so I’m aware of what it is). Rich teens, richer parents, and gossip being spread like butter on toast. All that being said, Matt’s audio recordings had me eating every bit of this book. The author does a phenomenal job inserting raw emotion/fear into each and every minute of the recordings, perfectly capturing the emotional, and physical, toll SM has on Matt.
Those that are looking for a novel that is all about Slender Man won’t find it here. Those that are looking for a tie-in novel with the movie(s) are also sadly mistaken. But if you want a novel that will chill you right down to the marrow, leaving you gasping for breathe, its perfect.
Though it was quite a slow-burn, slogging a bit in the beginning until all of the supernatural elements culminate into a super creepy, goosebump-inducing ending, it makes for a fantastic Halloween read. It probably isn’t enough to have you keeping the lights on at night, but it’ll make you think twice about camping out in the woods.
September 29, 2023
I think my initial reaction to the very existence this book may well have been the same as many others' - why, or even how, would a novel about Slender Man be at all interesting enough to earn a decent rating? In this case, I discovered that it's because it was done really, really well.
But how on earth did it manage to do that?
Simply put, this book is hardly at all about Slender Man, but rather a character study told against the backdrop of a missing persons case, with a touch of speculative horror creeping in between the seams.
Told in an epistolary fashion for the 21st century, this is a collection of text messages, WhatsApp chats, police interrogation and phone recording transcripts, Reddit posts and messages, e-mails, and the occasional old-fashioned newspaper article, letter, and even in-novel fiction excerpt. This not only makes the events seem more three dimensional and "verified," but also like the events herein are so much more realistic for the modern technological age.
Seasoned horror fans will immediately spot and eat up any possible hints of what's going on, but the book never falls into heavily cliché- or trope-heavy territory. Instead, it elegantly continues to stay focused upon the matter at hand: someone has gone missing, and its moody protagonist is the only person who seems to be seeing the bigger picture at work.
Matt Barker is a deeply sympathetic and unhappy high school student, and as the strange events begin to unfold, it is his own harsh criticism and disbelief in them that make them seem all the more tangible and likely.
But again, why should a novel about Slender Man be at all interesting? He's completely fictional, and not some kind of long-standing urban legend that may have some truth to its existence. One can even find the exact website and time of day of his creation. It's the very problem that plagues (oof...pardon the pun) every zombie movie or book: they take place in worlds in which nobody has ever heard of zombies. Narratives like this are what lead to most Slender Man stories sounding exactly the same, like they were lifted off of, well, creepypasta posts.
So how does this book manage to avoid falling into that trap? It literally presents the fact that Slender Man IS a fictional entity. Matt and other characters literally discuss SM's origins on r/nosleep, and up through the bevy of stories that came in its wake, including Marble Hornets. It avoids the question of whether or not he's real, and doesn't ignore the supernatural with an ultimately mundane but still terrible splash of reality. Instead of asking "what if," it asks, "what now?"
There are many hidden winks to other horror writers throughout, but I must say that I was touched to see a Reddit username referencing the late and wonderful Jack Ketchum amidst them. The book was also highly reminiscent of T.E.D. Klein's brilliant novella "Black Man With a Horn," which itself also took a known fictional entity (H.P. Lovecraft's Tcho Tcho) and transposed it into a knowing writer's life as something more real than they thought it was - and like that novella, it did so in a convincing and inventive manner. Major Caitlín R. Kiernan and Paul Tremblay vibes ran throughout this one, as well, especially with their respective novels 'The Drowning Girl' and 'Disappearance At Devil's Rock.'
A final shout-out must be given to the great director Mike Flanagan, whose 2010 debut film 'Absentia' is, at least for me, unrivaled in the world of horror cinema. Long have I sought a book that matched the same hopeless, emotional, mysterious mood as that film, and this was the closest to that that I've yet experienced. If you know that film, you'll know the vibe - and this book deftly goes for exactly that vibe as well.
If anything, I'm only sad that the author of this book chose to remain anonymous for its publication, because much credit is due to whomever wove these words together. (Stephen Graham Jones, I'm looking at you...) But on the other hand, considering the perfectly fitting ending, which neatly ties a fancy bow upon the mystery by keeping it as authentic-feeling as possible, this book is so much stronger for its nameless presentation. It is what it is - and it worked, really, really well.
But how on earth did it manage to do that?
Simply put, this book is hardly at all about Slender Man, but rather a character study told against the backdrop of a missing persons case, with a touch of speculative horror creeping in between the seams.
Told in an epistolary fashion for the 21st century, this is a collection of text messages, WhatsApp chats, police interrogation and phone recording transcripts, Reddit posts and messages, e-mails, and the occasional old-fashioned newspaper article, letter, and even in-novel fiction excerpt. This not only makes the events seem more three dimensional and "verified," but also like the events herein are so much more realistic for the modern technological age.
Seasoned horror fans will immediately spot and eat up any possible hints of what's going on, but the book never falls into heavily cliché- or trope-heavy territory. Instead, it elegantly continues to stay focused upon the matter at hand: someone has gone missing, and its moody protagonist is the only person who seems to be seeing the bigger picture at work.
Matt Barker is a deeply sympathetic and unhappy high school student, and as the strange events begin to unfold, it is his own harsh criticism and disbelief in them that make them seem all the more tangible and likely.
But again, why should a novel about Slender Man be at all interesting? He's completely fictional, and not some kind of long-standing urban legend that may have some truth to its existence. One can even find the exact website and time of day of his creation. It's the very problem that plagues (oof...pardon the pun) every zombie movie or book: they take place in worlds in which nobody has ever heard of zombies. Narratives like this are what lead to most Slender Man stories sounding exactly the same, like they were lifted off of, well, creepypasta posts.
So how does this book manage to avoid falling into that trap? It literally presents the fact that Slender Man IS a fictional entity. Matt and other characters literally discuss SM's origins on r/nosleep, and up through the bevy of stories that came in its wake, including Marble Hornets. It avoids the question of whether or not he's real, and doesn't ignore the supernatural with an ultimately mundane but still terrible splash of reality. Instead of asking "what if," it asks, "what now?"
There are many hidden winks to other horror writers throughout, but I must say that I was touched to see a Reddit username referencing the late and wonderful Jack Ketchum amidst them. The book was also highly reminiscent of T.E.D. Klein's brilliant novella "Black Man With a Horn," which itself also took a known fictional entity (H.P. Lovecraft's Tcho Tcho) and transposed it into a knowing writer's life as something more real than they thought it was - and like that novella, it did so in a convincing and inventive manner. Major Caitlín R. Kiernan and Paul Tremblay vibes ran throughout this one, as well, especially with their respective novels 'The Drowning Girl' and 'Disappearance At Devil's Rock.'
A final shout-out must be given to the great director Mike Flanagan, whose 2010 debut film 'Absentia' is, at least for me, unrivaled in the world of horror cinema. Long have I sought a book that matched the same hopeless, emotional, mysterious mood as that film, and this was the closest to that that I've yet experienced. If you know that film, you'll know the vibe - and this book deftly goes for exactly that vibe as well.
If anything, I'm only sad that the author of this book chose to remain anonymous for its publication, because much credit is due to whomever wove these words together. (Stephen Graham Jones, I'm looking at you...) But on the other hand, considering the perfectly fitting ending, which neatly ties a fancy bow upon the mystery by keeping it as authentic-feeling as possible, this book is so much stronger for its nameless presentation. It is what it is - and it worked, really, really well.
October 12, 2018
Thanks to Harper Voyager for the free bound manuscript in exchange for my honest review.
I’ll start off by saying that I can see this not being for everyone. The style of writing includes many forms – journal entries, interrogation transcripts, social media, emails, recordings, and more. I think that all of these combined made a compelling story and helped illustrate the wide reach that this entity can have.
Matt Barker is an outcast at a prestigious private school in New York. He keeps to himself mostly and no one at his school knows that he’s actually really close friends with one of the more popular girls, Lauren Bailey. They both have kept their friendship between them and they enjoy having this secret. Matt knows Lauren better than any of her other friends, like the fact that she loves Creepypasta and all of those obscure horror stories.
One day Matt finds out that Lauren has gone missing. CCTV footage shows her walking out of her apartment building at 3:14am and she just simply disappeared. Where did she go? What happened to her? The entire school is in a frenzy trying to find this out. Matt decides to log into her iCloud account to see if there are any recent photos taken while she’s been gone, but instead he finds a deeply buried folder with some seemingly normal photos of landscaping around New York. That is until he looks harder and notices, just out of frame and hiding in the shadows, a dark figure with a long body and angular limbs with a pale face. He shares them to a subreddit and everyone is loving the new photoshopped Slenderman photos – but are they fake or was something following Lauren?
Nightmares begin to plague Matt and all of them wake him up screaming at 3:14am. Not knowing whether he is truly awake or still dreaming, the author portrays his terror in the form of recordings on his phone. I know a lot of people won’t like these different methods but I think this did a great job capturing the raw fear that he was feeling. The dialogue felt authentic and on par with how disorienting it can be when you’re truly scared. I think the author did a great job capturing how a belief in something can overtake your life. Like everyone warned him, once you let him into your life there’s no getting rid of him, and he will eventually come for you.
I’ll start off by saying that I can see this not being for everyone. The style of writing includes many forms – journal entries, interrogation transcripts, social media, emails, recordings, and more. I think that all of these combined made a compelling story and helped illustrate the wide reach that this entity can have.
Matt Barker is an outcast at a prestigious private school in New York. He keeps to himself mostly and no one at his school knows that he’s actually really close friends with one of the more popular girls, Lauren Bailey. They both have kept their friendship between them and they enjoy having this secret. Matt knows Lauren better than any of her other friends, like the fact that she loves Creepypasta and all of those obscure horror stories.
One day Matt finds out that Lauren has gone missing. CCTV footage shows her walking out of her apartment building at 3:14am and she just simply disappeared. Where did she go? What happened to her? The entire school is in a frenzy trying to find this out. Matt decides to log into her iCloud account to see if there are any recent photos taken while she’s been gone, but instead he finds a deeply buried folder with some seemingly normal photos of landscaping around New York. That is until he looks harder and notices, just out of frame and hiding in the shadows, a dark figure with a long body and angular limbs with a pale face. He shares them to a subreddit and everyone is loving the new photoshopped Slenderman photos – but are they fake or was something following Lauren?
Nightmares begin to plague Matt and all of them wake him up screaming at 3:14am. Not knowing whether he is truly awake or still dreaming, the author portrays his terror in the form of recordings on his phone. I know a lot of people won’t like these different methods but I think this did a great job capturing the raw fear that he was feeling. The dialogue felt authentic and on par with how disorienting it can be when you’re truly scared. I think the author did a great job capturing how a belief in something can overtake your life. Like everyone warned him, once you let him into your life there’s no getting rid of him, and he will eventually come for you.
December 20, 2018
First I have to admit that as intrigued as I am about the entity of Slender Man, I didn't know a whole lot about him going in. So I did some research and basically learned he is a tall, skinny man (I guessed as much) with no facial features and long stretching arms which resemble snakes or tentacles. I also learned that Slender Man is deeply connected to Lovecraft horror which is no surprise given the tentacle concept. Thus it should be of no surprise to my followers my desire to read this book - TENTACLES! Enough of the history lesson.
When the novel starts out, we learn that Matt Barker is a spoiled troubled rich kid attending a private school in New York. He attends counseling and is tasked with keeping a "diary" which is how we learn much of what is happening to Matt and his friends. One night, one of his good friends, Lauren, walks out of her apartment building and then goes missing. Law enforcement gets involved and many are speculating about what has happened to Lauren, but only Matt feels there might be something sinister at hand.
One of the best things about this book is its epistolary format. "Slender Man" is told in diary entries, texts, emails, police interviews, recordings and newspaper clippings. There is also a story within a story here and guess what? It works! Because of the formatting, "Slender Man" is a great quick read and one which I devoured in a few hours. And while I really liked Matt, I wish the story had a little more Slender man appearances. Don't get me wrong, there are a few creepy scenes and I will never look at a flock of birds the same. The ending was also fairly creepy even if I did pretty much see it coming.
So overall, this book has great formatting and an interesting enough story, but I needed a tad bit more horror. I also admit that the fact that it is written anonymously adds to the book's mystic (plus, I'll give a big shout-out to anyone who can tell me who actually wrote this tale - curious minds and all). If you like horror set in urban legends and folklore, then I would recommend "Slender Man" for a fast quick enjoyable read. Plus there are still a few days left until Halloween so what better time!
Thanks to Edelweiss and Harper Voyager for a copy of "Slender Man" in exchange for an honest review.
When the novel starts out, we learn that Matt Barker is a spoiled troubled rich kid attending a private school in New York. He attends counseling and is tasked with keeping a "diary" which is how we learn much of what is happening to Matt and his friends. One night, one of his good friends, Lauren, walks out of her apartment building and then goes missing. Law enforcement gets involved and many are speculating about what has happened to Lauren, but only Matt feels there might be something sinister at hand.
One of the best things about this book is its epistolary format. "Slender Man" is told in diary entries, texts, emails, police interviews, recordings and newspaper clippings. There is also a story within a story here and guess what? It works! Because of the formatting, "Slender Man" is a great quick read and one which I devoured in a few hours. And while I really liked Matt, I wish the story had a little more Slender man appearances. Don't get me wrong, there are a few creepy scenes and I will never look at a flock of birds the same. The ending was also fairly creepy even if I did pretty much see it coming.
So overall, this book has great formatting and an interesting enough story, but I needed a tad bit more horror. I also admit that the fact that it is written anonymously adds to the book's mystic (plus, I'll give a big shout-out to anyone who can tell me who actually wrote this tale - curious minds and all). If you like horror set in urban legends and folklore, then I would recommend "Slender Man" for a fast quick enjoyable read. Plus there are still a few days left until Halloween so what better time!
Thanks to Edelweiss and Harper Voyager for a copy of "Slender Man" in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2025
▪︎كتاب غير روائي 36
▪︎كتاب صوتي 37
▪︎اللغة العربية 64
Slender Man هو كائن خيالي ظهر لأول مرة على
الإنترنت سنة 2009، في منتدى "Something Awful" خلال مسابقة لتعديل الصور. وقد انتشرت صورته بسرعة رهيبة كرمز للرعب الرقمي، ثم تحوّل إلى واحدة من أشهر الأساطير الحضرية الحديثة (Urban Legends).
🎩 ملامحه:
🔹طويل القامة بشكل غير طبيعي (أكثر من مترين).
🔹بلا وجه، جلده أبيض شاحب.
🔹يرتدي بدلة سوداء رسمية.
🔹يملك أذرعًا طويلة جدًا، وفي بعض الروايات تظهر له مخالب أو أذرع إضافية خارجة من ظهره.
🔹لا يتكلم، لا يصدر أصواتًا.
🧠 ما يرمز إليه؟
رغم أنه كائن خيالي، Slender Man يُعتبر تجسيدًا للخوف المعاصر:
🔹الخوف من المجهول.
🔹فقدان السيطرة.
🔹التهديدات غير المرئية التي تتسلل في صمت (كالإنترنت، المراقبة، العزلة النفسية)
🔥 لماذا اشتهر بهذا الشكل؟
🔹انتشاره بدأ عبر منتديات الإنترنت، ثم امتد إلى القصص المكتوبة (creepypasta)، ومقاطع فيديو يوتيوب وألعاب وأفلام.
🔹الأطفال والمراهقون تبنوا القصة بسرعة، وأضافوا لها تفاصيل جديدة، مما جعل الأسطورة "حية" ومتطورة.
🔹أول أسطورة رقمية collaborative: كتبها الإنترنت مجتمعًا، وليس كاتبًا واحدًا.
⚠️ حادثة واقعية صادمة:
🔹في سنة 2014، وقعت جريمة حقيقية مرعبة في ولاية ويسكونسن الأمريكية، حين قامت فتاتان (12 سنة) بطعن صديقتهما لإرضاء "Slender Man". قالتا إنهما تؤمنان بوجوده وكانتا تريدان أن تصبحا "تابعتين له".
🔹هذا الحادث غيّر نظرة المجتمع للأسطورة، وطرح أسئلة عميقة حول تأثير الإنترنت والأساطير الرقمية على المراهقين.
🧩 تحليل ثقافي:
Slender Man ليس "وحشًا" تقليديًا بل مرآة لمخاوفنا الحديثة.
يُمثل كيف يمكن أن تتحول الخرافة إلى "واقع" بفعل التكرار والمشاركة الجماعية.
يجسّد مدى هشاشة عقل الطفل في مواجهة المحتوى الرقمي عندما يغيب التوجيه والوعي.
🎥 ظهوره في الثقافة:
ألعاب مثل Slender: The Eight Pages و Slender: The Arrival.
أفلام وثائقية (Beware the Slenderman) وأفلام سينمائية.
عشرات القصص والصور والمنتديات والنقاشات حول "مشاهدات" له.
أسطورة Slender Man تمثل أول تجربة رعب رقمية جماعية بالكامل.
ما يجعله مرعبًا ليس شكله، بل حقيقة أن الناس من مختلف أنحاء العالم آمنوا به، وشاهدوه، وكتبوا عنه وكأنه موجود فعلًا.
إنه ليس كائنًا يطاردك في الغابة فقط… بل فكرة تتسلّل إلى ذهنك ولا تخرج.
▪︎كتاب صوتي 37
▪︎اللغة العربية 64
Slender Man هو كائن خيالي ظهر لأول مرة على
الإنترنت سنة 2009، في منتدى "Something Awful" خلال مسابقة لتعديل الصور. وقد انتشرت صورته بسرعة رهيبة كرمز للرعب الرقمي، ثم تحوّل إلى واحدة من أشهر الأساطير الحضرية الحديثة (Urban Legends).
🎩 ملامحه:
🔹طويل القامة بشكل غير طبيعي (أكثر من مترين).
🔹بلا وجه، جلده أبيض شاحب.
🔹يرتدي بدلة سوداء رسمية.
🔹يملك أذرعًا طويلة جدًا، وفي بعض الروايات تظهر له مخالب أو أذرع إضافية خارجة من ظهره.
🔹لا يتكلم، لا يصدر أصواتًا.
🧠 ما يرمز إليه؟
رغم أنه كائن خيالي، Slender Man يُعتبر تجسيدًا للخوف المعاصر:
🔹الخوف من المجهول.
🔹فقدان السيطرة.
🔹التهديدات غير المرئية التي تتسلل في صمت (كالإنترنت، المراقبة، العزلة النفسية)
🔥 لماذا اشتهر بهذا الشكل؟
🔹انتشاره بدأ عبر منتديات الإنترنت، ثم امتد إلى القصص المكتوبة (creepypasta)، ومقاطع فيديو يوتيوب وألعاب وأفلام.
🔹الأطفال والمراهقون تبنوا القصة بسرعة، وأضافوا لها تفاصيل جديدة، مما جعل الأسطورة "حية" ومتطورة.
🔹أول أسطورة رقمية collaborative: كتبها الإنترنت مجتمعًا، وليس كاتبًا واحدًا.
⚠️ حادثة واقعية صادمة:
🔹في سنة 2014، وقعت جريمة حقيقية مرعبة في ولاية ويسكونسن الأمريكية، حين قامت فتاتان (12 سنة) بطعن صديقتهما لإرضاء "Slender Man". قالتا إنهما تؤمنان بوجوده وكانتا تريدان أن تصبحا "تابعتين له".
🔹هذا الحادث غيّر نظرة المجتمع للأسطورة، وطرح أسئلة عميقة حول تأثير الإنترنت والأساطير الرقمية على المراهقين.
🧩 تحليل ثقافي:
Slender Man ليس "وحشًا" تقليديًا بل مرآة لمخاوفنا الحديثة.
يُمثل كيف يمكن أن تتحول الخرافة إلى "واقع" بفعل التكرار والمشاركة الجماعية.
يجسّد مدى هشاشة عقل الطفل في مواجهة المحتوى الرقمي عندما يغيب التوجيه والوعي.
🎥 ظهوره في الثقافة:
ألعاب مثل Slender: The Eight Pages و Slender: The Arrival.
أفلام وثائقية (Beware the Slenderman) وأفلام سينمائية.
عشرات القصص والصور والمنتديات والنقاشات حول "مشاهدات" له.
أسطورة Slender Man تمثل أول تجربة رعب رقمية جماعية بالكامل.
ما يجعله مرعبًا ليس شكله، بل حقيقة أن الناس من مختلف أنحاء العالم آمنوا به، وشاهدوه، وكتبوا عنه وكأنه موجود فعلًا.
إنه ليس كائنًا يطاردك في الغابة فقط… بل فكرة تتسلّل إلى ذهنك ولا تخرج.
April 1, 2020
I’ve always been intrigued with all levels of horror and the creepypasta stories are no exception. Many people have a love hate relationship with them but really I see them as what they are - a collection of stories. I’ve seen the movie, the documentary and read the stories with images about Slender Man previously before stumbling on this book.
This book immediately peaked my interest and pulled me in with the format. The book is a collection of the main character, Matt Barker’s, journal entries and recordings accompanied by blog posts, emails, newspaper articles and interview transcripts. The characters are stereotypical rich kid snobs but the main character strays from the crowd and tries to decipher his sleeping problems. Although there isn’t a lot of description (other than through the eyes of a teenager), I feel it made the story more intriguing and straightforward. You never get lost or wondering the situation or surroundings because it’s simple.
The story has references to previous ideas and how everyone has a version to tell about Slender Man so it made Matt’s inquiries for help have the appropriate reaction from others in his search for his friend. I found this to be a smart approach by the author and relatable if I was on a blog seeing the inquiries. Slender Man is a legend that continues to evolve and this book is copacetic addition to the phenomena.
This book immediately peaked my interest and pulled me in with the format. The book is a collection of the main character, Matt Barker’s, journal entries and recordings accompanied by blog posts, emails, newspaper articles and interview transcripts. The characters are stereotypical rich kid snobs but the main character strays from the crowd and tries to decipher his sleeping problems. Although there isn’t a lot of description (other than through the eyes of a teenager), I feel it made the story more intriguing and straightforward. You never get lost or wondering the situation or surroundings because it’s simple.
The story has references to previous ideas and how everyone has a version to tell about Slender Man so it made Matt’s inquiries for help have the appropriate reaction from others in his search for his friend. I found this to be a smart approach by the author and relatable if I was on a blog seeing the inquiries. Slender Man is a legend that continues to evolve and this book is copacetic addition to the phenomena.
January 19, 2022
Have you heard the legend of Slender Man?
In short, In 2009 there was a contest to turn your everyday ordinary photos into something creepy using digital manipulation. This is when Slender Man was born. Slender Man is an extremely tall, thin man dressed in a long overcoat that reaches the floor, with tentacles as arms. If you look closely enough in photographs, it is said that you can see him lurking in the shadows. Ever since 2009 the story of Slender Man has continued to haunt nightmares.
Now unto the actual book. This particular story of Slender Man was told by an anonymous author. Creepy eh? This story is focused on high school student Matt, and his friend Lauren who mysteriously disappears. Right around the time she goes missing, Matt starts having the worst nightmares of his life, and strange things start happening to him. Matt is linked to her being missing but not in the way everyone thinks. Matt knows who took Lauren, but will anyone believe him? Matt is forced to start writing a journal because of everything that is going on in his life, but this is how we discover what is happening.
This story is told through Matt's journal, police interviews, Matt's recordings, whatsapp message and newspaper clippings. This was a super fast paced YA Horror novel that kept me turning the pages right up until the last whatsapp conversation.
In short, In 2009 there was a contest to turn your everyday ordinary photos into something creepy using digital manipulation. This is when Slender Man was born. Slender Man is an extremely tall, thin man dressed in a long overcoat that reaches the floor, with tentacles as arms. If you look closely enough in photographs, it is said that you can see him lurking in the shadows. Ever since 2009 the story of Slender Man has continued to haunt nightmares.
Now unto the actual book. This particular story of Slender Man was told by an anonymous author. Creepy eh? This story is focused on high school student Matt, and his friend Lauren who mysteriously disappears. Right around the time she goes missing, Matt starts having the worst nightmares of his life, and strange things start happening to him. Matt is linked to her being missing but not in the way everyone thinks. Matt knows who took Lauren, but will anyone believe him? Matt is forced to start writing a journal because of everything that is going on in his life, but this is how we discover what is happening.
This story is told through Matt's journal, police interviews, Matt's recordings, whatsapp message and newspaper clippings. This was a super fast paced YA Horror novel that kept me turning the pages right up until the last whatsapp conversation.
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