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Creepshow: The Taker
Inspired by the breakout TV series Creepshow from executive producer Greg Nicotero ( The Walking Dead ), this fright-filled volume contains two all-new, chilling tales! When Bea moves to a new town, she is determined to do two get on the dance team at school and find new friends. What she doesn't expect is for one of those friends to be a ghost, or for that ghost to be jealous of her dance crew. If Bea wants to keep the peace, she has to do what her new friends want. But at what cost?Casey has always loved animals. Dogs and cats are fine enough-not that his dead-beat dad has ever let him have one. But what he really wants is an African Grey Parrot. When he finally gets his wish, it's almost too good to be true. The parrot, Dorian, sings and talks and learns new tricks so fast. Dorian is incredibly smart-maybe too smart for his, and Casey's, own good...This collection includes two terrifying novels inspired by Creepshow , AMC's anthology TV series based on the 1982 horror comedy classic. Perfect for fans of the show as well as fans of the horror genre in general, it's the most fun you'll ever have being scared!
224 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2020
11 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 26, 2021
"If Kimmie was a ghost, that meant she was dead, didn’t it? Asking her if she was dead seemed rude somehow."
Creepshow movies are some of my favorites. Between the dead guy asking about his cake to Stephen King finding "meteor shit" to having a statue come to life and murder people. It was interesting and kind of spooky. That’s the kind of stuff I lived for. Hell, I still do.
This book was a must read for me because of the history I have of Creepshow. It reminds me of going back and reminiscing about Fear Street and Scary Stories.
The Taker contains two unique stories. One about a ghost and the other about a mysterious parrot. Both of them were interesting and very bizarre. I really enjoyed them both. I think I liked this more than the new show. They both had things that really stuck out and made them memorable. If I had to pick a favorite, I would definitely go with The Taker. That one was about becoming friends with a very needy ghost. That end got me good.
The Taker was a great addition to the Creepshow franchise. It stayed true to that bizarre horror we crave from the original. It’s just not as terrifying. I would definitely read more of these.
Creepshow movies are some of my favorites. Between the dead guy asking about his cake to Stephen King finding "meteor shit" to having a statue come to life and murder people. It was interesting and kind of spooky. That’s the kind of stuff I lived for. Hell, I still do.
This book was a must read for me because of the history I have of Creepshow. It reminds me of going back and reminiscing about Fear Street and Scary Stories.
The Taker contains two unique stories. One about a ghost and the other about a mysterious parrot. Both of them were interesting and very bizarre. I really enjoyed them both. I think I liked this more than the new show. They both had things that really stuck out and made them memorable. If I had to pick a favorite, I would definitely go with The Taker. That one was about becoming friends with a very needy ghost. That end got me good.
The Taker was a great addition to the Creepshow franchise. It stayed true to that bizarre horror we crave from the original. It’s just not as terrifying. I would definitely read more of these.
July 10, 2024
That was so funny and entertaining book! I felt like I was a kid again, hello nostalgia!
The stories were interesting, I'd say Pretty Polly was even better.
Thanks for my warm childhood memories to came again!
The stories were interesting, I'd say Pretty Polly was even better.
Thanks for my warm childhood memories to came again!
February 22, 2022
This is a book with 2.5 short horror stories. The first one is called The Taker, and it stars Bea who had just moved away from her hometown ,and she felt lonely. She wanted friends to keep her company. Bea started to notice that things went missing in her room. She found them, could they be the friend to keep the company? The second story is called Pretty Polly and this story star Casey and his love for animals. It starts us at his house waiting for his dad to pick him up, and he doesn't show. Learning later that his dad isn't very responsible or involved in his life. After that we learn Casey really want's a Grey African Parrot, but they are poor and cannot afford one. They end up finding an ad for one. They jump onto it and get it. But as time goes on they realize that the bird Dodie to smart for his species. Could there be a darker meaning? How old is Dodie? Can all these questions be answered?
March 25, 2021
This book was a lot of fun! I found it in the YA section at my library (it finally re-opened for public browsing — rejoice!), so my mistake for expecting it to be about 16-17 year olds. The protagonists in both stories are in eighth grade, and I did feel the writing felt young. (It sounded younger than the 8th graders I used to teach, anyway.) However, that said, the stories absolutely felt like it could be Creepshow, Jr. I felt almost like I was reading and old episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? I’ll definitely check out the next installment.
May 7, 2021
Fun young adult horror. I’ve always loved horror. I can see these made into Creepshow tales. They also remind me of the old show Are You Afraid of the Dark but a little more intense. I look forward to the next book.
April 5, 2025
Excellent stories! Though written with younger readers in mind, "The Taker" and "Pretty Polly" are both definitely creepy and even scary (particularly "The Taker").
August 27, 2021
In an interesting development, with the Creepshow adult horror brand which has been reenergised by the Shudder TV channel, dipping its toes into horror fiction for children. This was a good read if it finds the right hands, first up, it is not YA and definitely Middle Grade. Amazon lists this as age 12-18 which is incorrect and not a true reflection on the book I read, which I would categorise as 9-12 and even if pegged at that age range it lacked scares. Each of the two stories The Taker and Pretty Polly are solid one-hundred-page novellas, which are perfect for kids who are looking for gateway horror and a few chills. They also have a cool retro feel to them, respecting the style of the original 1982 Creepshow, with both stories beginning in comic format. If you are looking for way of comparison, the stories are slightly more advanced than Goosebumps, but not as challenging as the legendary Point Horror series.
The Taker kicks the duology off, with Bea moving into a new house which she quickly realises is haunted. However, she befriends the ghost and soon the supernatural being interlopes on the rest of her life when it gets jealous of her attempts to get onto the school dance team. The paranormal story is balanced by Bea’s attempts to fit in at school and takes in bullying and peer pressure. It was a solid page-turner, but an adult reader will see the ending coming from a mile away. Pretty Polly concerns an animal loving boy who lives with his mum, with his loser dad in the background continually letting him down. Answering an advert in the newspaper Casey rehouses a parrot called Dorien. This is no normal bird and soon the boy tracks Dorien’s previous owners and starts answering questions about his suspicions. Elley Cooper, who has also written for the Five Nights at Freddys franchise, returns with a second Creepshow collection The Cursed soon and I look forward to this next instalment. But if Shudder is looking to get into the YA book market, they need to up both the scares with meatier plots and more challenging characters. AGE 9-12.
The Taker kicks the duology off, with Bea moving into a new house which she quickly realises is haunted. However, she befriends the ghost and soon the supernatural being interlopes on the rest of her life when it gets jealous of her attempts to get onto the school dance team. The paranormal story is balanced by Bea’s attempts to fit in at school and takes in bullying and peer pressure. It was a solid page-turner, but an adult reader will see the ending coming from a mile away. Pretty Polly concerns an animal loving boy who lives with his mum, with his loser dad in the background continually letting him down. Answering an advert in the newspaper Casey rehouses a parrot called Dorien. This is no normal bird and soon the boy tracks Dorien’s previous owners and starts answering questions about his suspicions. Elley Cooper, who has also written for the Five Nights at Freddys franchise, returns with a second Creepshow collection The Cursed soon and I look forward to this next instalment. But if Shudder is looking to get into the YA book market, they need to up both the scares with meatier plots and more challenging characters. AGE 9-12.
May 27, 2021
I love Creepshow, so when I found out about this book, I HAD to buy a copy...
And I was SO VERY disappointed.
OMG, where do I begin with this? Do I start by mentioning that neither of these stories had any Creepshow vibes? Do I mention how they were obviously trying to be Goosebumps and failed miserably? Or maybe I should just say that neither of these stories was even remotely creepy, freaky or scary?! They were so dull. So... ugh.
The first story, The Taker was so predictable I knew how it would end after the first chapter. And getting there was a struggle of endless dancing chatter, silly mean girls and boring conversations.
Didn't like this much.
The second story, Pretty Polly was slightly better but once again, not creepy at all. I actually didn't buy anything that was going on. And worse still, I didn't care.
So, there you have it.
In my opinion, as a fan of this franchise since the 80s, these two stories are terrible. They lack the addictive quality of Creepshow tales, failed to hook me in or keep my attention, and they were NOT creepy or freaky or scary. Or even campy. 😐
Think I'll stick with the show.
And I was SO VERY disappointed.
OMG, where do I begin with this? Do I start by mentioning that neither of these stories had any Creepshow vibes? Do I mention how they were obviously trying to be Goosebumps and failed miserably? Or maybe I should just say that neither of these stories was even remotely creepy, freaky or scary?! They were so dull. So... ugh.
The first story, The Taker was so predictable I knew how it would end after the first chapter. And getting there was a struggle of endless dancing chatter, silly mean girls and boring conversations.
Didn't like this much.
The second story, Pretty Polly was slightly better but once again, not creepy at all. I actually didn't buy anything that was going on. And worse still, I didn't care.
So, there you have it.
In my opinion, as a fan of this franchise since the 80s, these two stories are terrible. They lack the addictive quality of Creepshow tales, failed to hook me in or keep my attention, and they were NOT creepy or freaky or scary. Or even campy. 😐
Think I'll stick with the show.
January 4, 2022
CREEPSHOW: THE TAKER is a young adult horror that features two tales. The first is a story about a girl who's room is haunted by the previous resident with an intense backstory. The second is about a boy with an oddly smart pet parrot who seems to learn tricks a little too easily. Both are creepy with plot twists that are true to the Creepshow theme, but I wouldn't label these books as scary. More like a paranormal story you'll hear told around the campfire of ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK.
Growing up, my parents loved to watch Creepshow and it scared the heck out of me as a child. When I saw there was a young adult version, I had to check it out. Overall, these stories are an easy read that feel more like a middle grade age level rather than a young adult one. They have that creepy vibe that's relatable to GOOSEBUMPS and ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of ghost and paranormal stories and who are looking for an easy read. This would also be fun for young adults to read with their friends at a sleepover.
Growing up, my parents loved to watch Creepshow and it scared the heck out of me as a child. When I saw there was a young adult version, I had to check it out. Overall, these stories are an easy read that feel more like a middle grade age level rather than a young adult one. They have that creepy vibe that's relatable to GOOSEBUMPS and ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of ghost and paranormal stories and who are looking for an easy read. This would also be fun for young adults to read with their friends at a sleepover.
May 24, 2022
I love the Creepshow movies so when I saw this at the bookstore I knew I had to get it. It was in the YA section so I didn’t realize it is more middle grade than YA but the stories in it were still really good just a lot younger than I usually read. I’m glad though that I finally have a horrorish book I can share with my ten year old daughter that loves horror too since most of mine are usually too mature for her. Can’t wait to get the next book.
October 23, 2020
I breezed through this book in a day. It had a slightly predictable ending for the two stories, but still a fun read! Both Tales, definitely had the Creepshow feel to it.
January 22, 2021
Loved this book. Easy read! I cant wait for the other book to come out. 2 spooky stories that were definitely worth the time!
January 13, 2023
Excellent book! I will be getting the next one in the Creepshow series by Cooper.
May 10, 2023
I loved the thrill
October 30, 2024
Good introductory horror for kids, definitely geared for a younger audience.
January 31, 2026
The stories weren’t bad but they weren’t anything special. I was so bored and just waiting for the book to be over even though it’s already real short … the parrot was funny though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews