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Dark Corners Collection #3
There's a Giant Trapdoor Spider Under Your Bed
The thrill of a sleepover becomes sheer terror as kids voice their greatest fears into existence in this cheeky, vividly cinematic tale by New York Times bestselling author Edgar Cantero. Lights out.
It’s bad enough that its venom-dripping chelicerae can slice through flesh like warm butter. Worse? It’s right there under the bunk. It’s a fact now. To make it through the night, the children must obey the don’t get out of bed, stay out of the shadows, and don’t wake the beast. But as the threats multiply, so do the rules of survival. And with the safety of dawn still hours away, the fun is just beginning.
Edgar Cantero’s There’s a Giant Trapdoor Spider under Your Bed is part of Dark Corners, a collection of seven heart-stopping short stories by bestselling authors who give you so many new reasons to be afraid. Each story can be read in a single sitting. Or, if you have the nerve, you can listen all by yourself in the dark.
It’s bad enough that its venom-dripping chelicerae can slice through flesh like warm butter. Worse? It’s right there under the bunk. It’s a fact now. To make it through the night, the children must obey the don’t get out of bed, stay out of the shadows, and don’t wake the beast. But as the threats multiply, so do the rules of survival. And with the safety of dawn still hours away, the fun is just beginning.
Edgar Cantero’s There’s a Giant Trapdoor Spider under Your Bed is part of Dark Corners, a collection of seven heart-stopping short stories by bestselling authors who give you so many new reasons to be afraid. Each story can be read in a single sitting. Or, if you have the nerve, you can listen all by yourself in the dark.
24 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2018
1143 people are currently reading
892 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Cantero
14 books1,574 followersUpdates & more here!
Edgar is a writer and cartoonist from Barcelona. Once a promising author in the local scene with his awarded 2007 debut Dormir amb Winona Ryder, the highbrow Catalan literary tradition soon lost influence on him in favor of Hollywood blockbusters, videogames, and mass-market paperbacks. The punk dystopian thriller Vallvi (2011) was his last book in Catalan before switching to English with a paranormal thriller, The Supernatural Enhancements (2014). Later, the Enid Blyton-meets-Lovecraft horror-comedy mashup Meddling Kids (2017) became a New York Times bestseller. It was followed by the noir spoof This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us (2018), starring the chimeric investigator(s) A.Z. Kimrean.
Spanning three languages, Edgar's material ranges from short stories to screenplays and often features women kissing, stuff exploding, and ill-timed jokes.
Edgar is a writer and cartoonist from Barcelona. Once a promising author in the local scene with his awarded 2007 debut Dormir amb Winona Ryder, the highbrow Catalan literary tradition soon lost influence on him in favor of Hollywood blockbusters, videogames, and mass-market paperbacks. The punk dystopian thriller Vallvi (2011) was his last book in Catalan before switching to English with a paranormal thriller, The Supernatural Enhancements (2014). Later, the Enid Blyton-meets-Lovecraft horror-comedy mashup Meddling Kids (2017) became a New York Times bestseller. It was followed by the noir spoof This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us (2018), starring the chimeric investigator(s) A.Z. Kimrean.
Spanning three languages, Edgar's material ranges from short stories to screenplays and often features women kissing, stuff exploding, and ill-timed jokes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 600 reviews
February 18, 2023
Strange short story about some kids having a sleepover, and while they are in their bunk beds they think a large trapdoor spider is under the bottom bunk.
I didn't care for this story at all, I didn't even understand most of it. My least favorite so far in the Amazon "Dark Corners" collection.
I didn't care for this story at all, I didn't even understand most of it. My least favorite so far in the Amazon "Dark Corners" collection.
October 22, 2023
And the Author’s Age Is?
Another book from the Dark Corner collection. This book is about kids at a sleepover. So ridiculous. Had to have been written for a child.
Or by a child…🤔
Three stars. 💫💫💫
Another book from the Dark Corner collection. This book is about kids at a sleepover. So ridiculous. Had to have been written for a child.
Or by a child…🤔
Three stars. 💫💫💫
May 23, 2025
0,5 ⭐
They mentioned Harry Potter 5 times in a damn 30-page book... Do I need to say anything more about why I'm giving it a 0,5? 💀
They mentioned Harry Potter 5 times in a damn 30-page book... Do I need to say anything more about why I'm giving it a 0,5? 💀
October 3, 2018
i loved the beginning of this. i loved the trepidation of, "wait, what?? is this really happening??" and all its goofy-spookiness. but then its goofy began to outweigh its spooky -- which would ordinarily be fine; cantero's brand of goofy is just what i like, but it started going somewhere i couldn't follow. i don't know if you need to have read (or seen) any harry potterses to best understand/appreciate this story, but i have neither read nor seen, although i ate some harry potter jelly beans one time, and they were gross. as a story that captures the spirit of childhood and slumber party logic and contagious terror, it's a lot of fun. i just felt like i was missing something trying to read around all the harry potter bits. life is hard for the hp-ignorant. there's safety in numbers and danger for lonesomes.
come to my blog!
come to my blog!
November 25, 2022
Well…this started out good and slowly slid into the abyss of DNR…
Do Not Read…Do Not Resuscitate.
A story about prepubescent kids (as the book says) but mixed with VERY adult like behavior…mixed with VERY childlike behavior. HUH?
As an adult I’d say with out the adult content, it would be good for kids 9-12. With he adult content, I’d say it would be good for adults who like to read about children (almost like reliving some of your imagination as a child). With this ODD mix of both? NO
Don’t waste your time.
Do Not Read…Do Not Resuscitate.
A story about prepubescent kids (as the book says) but mixed with VERY adult like behavior…mixed with VERY childlike behavior. HUH?
As an adult I’d say with out the adult content, it would be good for kids 9-12. With he adult content, I’d say it would be good for adults who like to read about children (almost like reliving some of your imagination as a child). With this ODD mix of both? NO
Don’t waste your time.
January 1, 2025
4 stars
short review for busy readers: What a FUN short story!
in detail:
Having seen the low ratings for this one, I went into it not expecting much...and was utterly delighted from the very first paragraphs.
No, this isn't a story for kids. Kids wouldn't be able to appreciate it.
It's a reminder to adults what it's like to be a kid, when whatever kooky thing you imagine becomes immediate reality. Rules are made up as you go and ways of outsmarting those rules found just as easily. The magic of books you've read seeps into your own creativity and your only worry is how to survive the incredible world of imagination you -- and your closest friends -- have created out of thin air.
That's what real "play" is. Pure creativity. Something so many adults have ground out of them by growing up, where everything must be real, and serious and logical.
It isn't here!
And the story's FUNNY, too. Several times I laughed out loud, even though a few of the quips belonged to a maturity probably a bit beyond the characters' ages. I would, however, expect a science-obsessed nerdy kid in today's internet age to know obscure science terms that leave the rest of us stumped. They generally do (somehow).
In short, I was absolutely delighted with this story and will seek out more by this author. Meddling Kids looks good!
short review for busy readers: What a FUN short story!
in detail:
Having seen the low ratings for this one, I went into it not expecting much...and was utterly delighted from the very first paragraphs.
No, this isn't a story for kids. Kids wouldn't be able to appreciate it.
It's a reminder to adults what it's like to be a kid, when whatever kooky thing you imagine becomes immediate reality. Rules are made up as you go and ways of outsmarting those rules found just as easily. The magic of books you've read seeps into your own creativity and your only worry is how to survive the incredible world of imagination you -- and your closest friends -- have created out of thin air.
That's what real "play" is. Pure creativity. Something so many adults have ground out of them by growing up, where everything must be real, and serious and logical.
It isn't here!
And the story's FUNNY, too. Several times I laughed out loud, even though a few of the quips belonged to a maturity probably a bit beyond the characters' ages. I would, however, expect a science-obsessed nerdy kid in today's internet age to know obscure science terms that leave the rest of us stumped. They generally do (somehow).
In short, I was absolutely delighted with this story and will seek out more by this author. Meddling Kids looks good!
January 31, 2020
Rating: 2.0/5.0
Genre:
Novella + Horror???
I thought this whole series was done for adults. Wrong! This story is made for children and I can't even term it as a horror. The story is about a small group of children having a sleepover and playing together by imagining things! One of them, of course, is what the title suggests!
I felt this story was a mess. The Harry Potter references seemed to be forced and not interesting to me even being a fan of the series. The characters were not interesting enough. They were just names and not unique characters. What is worse than all the above was the audiobook narrator who used the same voice for all the characters. I had to quit the audiobook from the first page and read it myself because she made a boring story to become an awful one!
This is the third book in the series and so far my least favorite among the ones I read.
Available on Kindle Unlimited
October 20, 2022
Book Blog | Bookstagram
Cantero's stories combine a whimsical tone with spooky horror, and it reminds me of why I love this genre - there is so much room to play. And Cantero always seems to take full advantage of that space, even if I haven't been bowled over by a full-length novel yet. I know it's going to happen. I JUST KNOW IT.
There is a feeling of nostalgia in his writing that makes me a little less cynical and dead inside. He brings back those memories of when I was a kid and everything was scary and an adventure was just a thought away; where you could make something up and be totally convinced of it just by way of imagination.
When I was a single-digit tot, I used to believe vampires were out to get me, but if I kept my blanket up under my chin tight enough, I was safe.
I don't have that kind of imagination anymore and Cantero makes me wistful for that time. Now I'm old and grumpy and could tear down all the ways believing that neck protection from a blanket was goddamn ridiculous in 0.2 seconds.
Judging by the reviews of this book, it seems a lot of us have really forgotten what it was like to play as kids, to totally believe there was a vampire hiding in your closet just because you had the thought that it was real.
In a very short, but completely enthralling 24 pages, Cantero took me back to those days of childhood sleepovers where everything and anything was real as long as you and your friends believed it was.
One boy says, "there's a giant trapdoor spider hiding under your bed. It's a fact now."
In that one moment, two boys in a bunk bed are thrust into a game of surviving the night, making up the rules and threats as they go along. When the power goes out, the shadows become anti-matter. If you look in the mirror, your reflection escapes and tries to kill you.
This was a totally off-the-wall little story that made my heart happy... and that's something that I usually require drugs to feel.
KIDDING!!! I'm not on some downward spiral. Please. *smokes another joint*
Was this scary? No, but it reminded me of what being a kid who was scared of the monsters in the dark felt like, you know, before life got all messy and depressing because kids are in cages and the world is simultaneously on fire and melting, and these bills don't pay their motherfucking selves!
This was fun and goofy and kind of creepy, and leaves you with the question: were those real or just the kids' imaginations? For me, it's like Schrodinger's cat. It's real until the lights come on.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4 stars
Cantero's stories combine a whimsical tone with spooky horror, and it reminds me of why I love this genre - there is so much room to play. And Cantero always seems to take full advantage of that space, even if I haven't been bowled over by a full-length novel yet. I know it's going to happen. I JUST KNOW IT.
There is a feeling of nostalgia in his writing that makes me a little less cynical and dead inside. He brings back those memories of when I was a kid and everything was scary and an adventure was just a thought away; where you could make something up and be totally convinced of it just by way of imagination.
When I was a single-digit tot, I used to believe vampires were out to get me, but if I kept my blanket up under my chin tight enough, I was safe.
I don't have that kind of imagination anymore and Cantero makes me wistful for that time. Now I'm old and grumpy and could tear down all the ways believing that neck protection from a blanket was goddamn ridiculous in 0.2 seconds.
Judging by the reviews of this book, it seems a lot of us have really forgotten what it was like to play as kids, to totally believe there was a vampire hiding in your closet just because you had the thought that it was real.
In a very short, but completely enthralling 24 pages, Cantero took me back to those days of childhood sleepovers where everything and anything was real as long as you and your friends believed it was.
One boy says, "there's a giant trapdoor spider hiding under your bed. It's a fact now."
In that one moment, two boys in a bunk bed are thrust into a game of surviving the night, making up the rules and threats as they go along. When the power goes out, the shadows become anti-matter. If you look in the mirror, your reflection escapes and tries to kill you.
This was a totally off-the-wall little story that made my heart happy... and that's something that I usually require drugs to feel.
KIDDING!!! I'm not on some downward spiral. Please. *smokes another joint*
Was this scary? No, but it reminded me of what being a kid who was scared of the monsters in the dark felt like, you know, before life got all messy and depressing because kids are in cages and the world is simultaneously on fire and melting, and these bills don't pay their motherfucking selves!
This was fun and goofy and kind of creepy, and leaves you with the question: were those real or just the kids' imaginations? For me, it's like Schrodinger's cat. It's real until the lights come on.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4 stars
March 8, 2023
The imagination of kids! A sleep over with four kids thinking of their worst fears. This is a cute story.
July 26, 2023
Unfortunately, this was kind of awful. It was so erratic and hard to follow, and I assume that's because the author was trying to keep the reader guessing enough to avoid figuring out the twist, but like many other reviewers have mentioned, I saw it coming from the first page. I spent most of the story vaguely annoyed and wondering how Harry Potter fanfic masquerading as a short horror story got placed into this collection.
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October 21, 2023
Starts off preying on every arachnophobic’s fears but then becomes just plain weird. Thankfully it’s short.
October 28, 2018
A very tough read. A few children play around the bed with pillows, flashlights, wardrobe doors and what not. While they are imagining spiders, mirrors and anti-matter etc. Thankfully it was a short one.
My exact reactions while reading the book:
My exact reactions while reading the book:
October 9, 2018
I don't even understand what that was even about.
dreaded-dnf
March 2, 2020I could not stand this narrator and I'm not interested enough to actually read instead of listen. DNF.
January 19, 2019
There's a Trapdoor Spider Under Your Bed by Edgar Cantero and narrated by Amy Landon is a fun audible about kids having a sleepover then things start happening. Is it their imagination or is it real? Loads of creativity! Enjoyed it a lot and the narration was terrific!
May 17, 2025
“Ian shrugged Ianly.”
What in the love of dog was this? I didn’t like it and I’ll leave it at that. I’m obviously way, way too old for this and have no idea how it ended up in my Audible collection.
What in the love of dog was this? I didn’t like it and I’ll leave it at that. I’m obviously way, way too old for this and have no idea how it ended up in my Audible collection.
July 6, 2025
4 Reminiscingly Splendid Stars!
A delightfully spooky sleepover that sent me back to my own childhood chills and thrills.
Will be scoping out more by this author 🧚♀️🙋🏼.
A delightfully spooky sleepover that sent me back to my own childhood chills and thrills.
Will be scoping out more by this author 🧚♀️🙋🏼.
November 30, 2018
This was cute. I’m not sure how old the “kids” in it were. It was a very unusual thing. Was it their imaginations or was it real?
January 17, 2024
Harry Potter references the short story, any interesting aspect of this story was drowned into boring HP references and the weirdness of a teen girl (I think) casually mentioning having fantasies about a middle-aged man (Benedict Cumberbatch).
October 25, 2018
I'm familiar with Edgar Cantero's writing. His book Meddling Kids has a permanent spot on my keeper shelf. So I was totally excited to listen to this short story. And Cantero did not disappoint!
Remember sleep overs as a kid? Not the teenaged ones with whispered confessions about boys/girls or comparisons of puberty progress....but the younger, first experiences when imagination games powered the evening's fun. And The Rules that everyone knew you had to follow.... Don't let your feet dangle over the edge of the bed. Stay out of the dark. Never, ever look under the bed. Jump over the last step on the stairs. All of those kid's games that fade away with age. Cantero paints a picture of such a sleep-over....but the kids' imaginations bring their fears to life. Multiple kids.....multiple fears. Before dawn, they must use their smarts and figure out how to win the Boss Fight with their collected fears and save their lives.
As with most of the stories in the Dark Corners Collection from Amazon/Audible, this story is not horror....but a fun mix of humor and fear. I remember being quite serious about my arms or legs never straying over the side of a bed for fear something in the dark, or under my bed, could grab me. At six, I was adept at tucking my blankets around my body so that I couldn't roll over in the night and be boogie man fodder. My life was saved when I turned seven and my mom let me have a cat. Snoopy slept with me every night. And everybody knows that a cat scares away the boogie man and all creepie crawlies that think they can hide in a child's room at night. I was safe.....as long as the closet was shut. Always keep the closet closed at night. Always.......
This story made me smile the entire time I was listening to the audio book. A brilliant game of pretend among friends that turns a bit too real.....and they struggle to come up with a plan to defeat their Rules and their fear-created monsters. As I went to bed last night, for the first time in 42 years I checked to be sure the closet was securely closed....and armed myself with my pets (I have added dogs to the mix now. We all know that dogs take care of anything that might sneak in past the cats....unless there is a mirror in the room or if you step on a crack in the floor while walking to the bathroom at 2 am.)
I'm giving this story full stars because it made me happy. :) It reminded me of The Rules, sleepovers and years of happy, safe, terror-filled nights with friends, some of whom I haven't seen in 30 years.
Be sure to keep your closet closed. And.....never, ever look under the bed!
There's a Giant Trapdoor Spider Under Your Bed is the 3rd story in the Dark Corners Collection. These stories aren't really horror, but a collection of psychological, emotional dark tales. Some I liked....some I didn't. But, I have to give kudos to this collection because all of the stories are different and creative with a spin on modern problems. None of the stories are in-your-face typical horror. These seven stories are more subtle. More of a nod to the darkness of the modern age, rather than ghosties and things that go bump in the night. Give them a try....if you dare.
Edgar Cantero has written several books including Meddling Kids (the Scooby Doo gang investigates as adults -- awesome book!) and The Supernatural Enhancements.
Remember sleep overs as a kid? Not the teenaged ones with whispered confessions about boys/girls or comparisons of puberty progress....but the younger, first experiences when imagination games powered the evening's fun. And The Rules that everyone knew you had to follow.... Don't let your feet dangle over the edge of the bed. Stay out of the dark. Never, ever look under the bed. Jump over the last step on the stairs. All of those kid's games that fade away with age. Cantero paints a picture of such a sleep-over....but the kids' imaginations bring their fears to life. Multiple kids.....multiple fears. Before dawn, they must use their smarts and figure out how to win the Boss Fight with their collected fears and save their lives.
As with most of the stories in the Dark Corners Collection from Amazon/Audible, this story is not horror....but a fun mix of humor and fear. I remember being quite serious about my arms or legs never straying over the side of a bed for fear something in the dark, or under my bed, could grab me. At six, I was adept at tucking my blankets around my body so that I couldn't roll over in the night and be boogie man fodder. My life was saved when I turned seven and my mom let me have a cat. Snoopy slept with me every night. And everybody knows that a cat scares away the boogie man and all creepie crawlies that think they can hide in a child's room at night. I was safe.....as long as the closet was shut. Always keep the closet closed at night. Always.......
This story made me smile the entire time I was listening to the audio book. A brilliant game of pretend among friends that turns a bit too real.....and they struggle to come up with a plan to defeat their Rules and their fear-created monsters. As I went to bed last night, for the first time in 42 years I checked to be sure the closet was securely closed....and armed myself with my pets (I have added dogs to the mix now. We all know that dogs take care of anything that might sneak in past the cats....unless there is a mirror in the room or if you step on a crack in the floor while walking to the bathroom at 2 am.)
I'm giving this story full stars because it made me happy. :) It reminded me of The Rules, sleepovers and years of happy, safe, terror-filled nights with friends, some of whom I haven't seen in 30 years.
Be sure to keep your closet closed. And.....never, ever look under the bed!
There's a Giant Trapdoor Spider Under Your Bed is the 3rd story in the Dark Corners Collection. These stories aren't really horror, but a collection of psychological, emotional dark tales. Some I liked....some I didn't. But, I have to give kudos to this collection because all of the stories are different and creative with a spin on modern problems. None of the stories are in-your-face typical horror. These seven stories are more subtle. More of a nod to the darkness of the modern age, rather than ghosties and things that go bump in the night. Give them a try....if you dare.
Edgar Cantero has written several books including Meddling Kids (the Scooby Doo gang investigates as adults -- awesome book!) and The Supernatural Enhancements.
August 8, 2020
This is one of seven original short stories from the Amazon Dark Corners collection aimed at terrifying the reader. This one was told from the perspective of a group of overly imaginative children and was too over the top to induce any chills or horror. Did not work for me.
July 28, 2024
Want to scare your kids to death? Give them this to read! :)
January 16, 2024
A bizarre story.
This was my first taste of this author’s work, and I found it quite strange.
The story was quite strange and reminded me of a twisted cartoon. It was the most peculiar Amazon short story I've ever read, and it didn't appeal to my taste.
#TheresAGiantTrapdoorSpiderUnderYourBed #EdgarCantero #AmazonPub #Brilliance #HonestReview #ReadersOfTheLateArc #TalkWordyToMeTeam #LoveToRead #BookAddict #ThrillerBookLovers #BookReviewer #Thriller #LoveBooks #ThrillerBookLoverPromotions #ThrillerFriendsUnite #ThrillerObsessedBookishClub #Bookstagrammer #BookReels
This was my first taste of this author’s work, and I found it quite strange.
The story was quite strange and reminded me of a twisted cartoon. It was the most peculiar Amazon short story I've ever read, and it didn't appeal to my taste.
#TheresAGiantTrapdoorSpiderUnderYourBed #EdgarCantero #AmazonPub #Brilliance #HonestReview #ReadersOfTheLateArc #TalkWordyToMeTeam #LoveToRead #BookAddict #ThrillerBookLovers #BookReviewer #Thriller #LoveBooks #ThrillerBookLoverPromotions #ThrillerFriendsUnite #ThrillerObsessedBookishClub #Bookstagrammer #BookReels
August 6, 2025
Story 3.5 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Amy Landon
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Amy Landon
February 26, 2020
Okay, this is not a horror story. Even a little bit. It is funny as heck though when we follow along with a sleepover that starts to get weirder and weirder and scarier for the kids involved. This book reminded me of how my mind worked as a kid though. I was convinced one night a witch was in my room and if I took the blanket off my head, she would be able to attack me. I swear at one point I felt her long dagger like nose poking at the top of my head. I kept convincing myself it had to be that my poster had fallen over and that was jabbing me in the head. I woke up the next day (when the sun rose all monsters and witches could not come into my bedroom) I found out that the poster was still up on the wall. So what poked me in the head? Yeah I was a mess as a kid.
I thank Cantero for the nostalgia this story brought and the Harry Potter references. I maybe died at the whole, so you're what? A woke Slytherin?
I thank Cantero for the nostalgia this story brought and the Harry Potter references. I maybe died at the whole, so you're what? A woke Slytherin?
December 8, 2024
Wild Imagination
Ian and Noah were having a sleepover and so were Rina and Sam. This is a charmingly imaginative story about how dangerous your imagination can be.
Four star short story for all ages.
Ian and Noah were having a sleepover and so were Rina and Sam. This is a charmingly imaginative story about how dangerous your imagination can be.
Four star short story for all ages.
January 9, 2023
I almost never give books ratings this low anymore unless it’s offensive or just really really really poorly written and I can’t scrape my brain for anything good to say about it. This is a case of the latter.
I also really try not to say anything at all review wise if I can’t think of something good to say. But I really don’t get the point of this story… and more so I don’t understand why Amazon made this part of this short story collection. I usually don’t love every story in these collections, but they usually at the very least make sense and fit. I truly don’t feel that way about this one. It doesn’t fit the tone at all.
It’s a story about kids who have an overactive imagination at a sleepover and make up various scenarios that are supposed to be “scary” that they have to survive during the night (kind of like the floor is lava). The spider is just one of those scenarios. Sounds fun in theory, but the way it was written was not so fun, it was written kind of sloppily with WAAAAY too many Harry Potter references in order to appeal to a younger crowd I guess (but I don’t think a younger crowd is who this collection is targeted at so???), the kids made some really out of place socially and politically charged comments that honestly made no sense to the story so there’s no other explanation than it being the authors thoughts seeping through. And yeah…. It ended about how you’d expect…. Leaving you wondering what the point was. It’s very unclear to me if there was supposed to be a message here.
This reads like an unedited creative writing assignment to me tbh. And I mean that as nicely as possible. I know this is a short story and maybe others won’t take it as seriously…. But I just didn’t find it fun and didn’t have a good time.
I wanted to read another book by this author. But am now pretty unsure. This is definitely not how I wanted to start the year though.
I also really try not to say anything at all review wise if I can’t think of something good to say. But I really don’t get the point of this story… and more so I don’t understand why Amazon made this part of this short story collection. I usually don’t love every story in these collections, but they usually at the very least make sense and fit. I truly don’t feel that way about this one. It doesn’t fit the tone at all.
It’s a story about kids who have an overactive imagination at a sleepover and make up various scenarios that are supposed to be “scary” that they have to survive during the night (kind of like the floor is lava). The spider is just one of those scenarios. Sounds fun in theory, but the way it was written was not so fun, it was written kind of sloppily with WAAAAY too many Harry Potter references in order to appeal to a younger crowd I guess (but I don’t think a younger crowd is who this collection is targeted at so???), the kids made some really out of place socially and politically charged comments that honestly made no sense to the story so there’s no other explanation than it being the authors thoughts seeping through. And yeah…. It ended about how you’d expect…. Leaving you wondering what the point was. It’s very unclear to me if there was supposed to be a message here.
This reads like an unedited creative writing assignment to me tbh. And I mean that as nicely as possible. I know this is a short story and maybe others won’t take it as seriously…. But I just didn’t find it fun and didn’t have a good time.
I wanted to read another book by this author. But am now pretty unsure. This is definitely not how I wanted to start the year though.
October 19, 2018
This short story is so ridiculous in so many aspects that I don’t even know where to start. The plot is somehow simple but extremely convoluted at the same time, none of the characters are likable, the author apparently seems to be skewering the PC-ness of today by having young children say things like “woke,” “hashtag,” and “safe space,” none of them sounding natural in the process, and then throws in a try-too-hard twist at the end in regards to one character loving another. This story is such a mess that I’m surprised Amazon allowed it to be a part of the Dark Corners collection of stories.
March 28, 2021
This is the third of the short stories in the Dark Corners Collection that I've read. I think it might appeal more to a younger audience or someone with kids in this age range although I do remember when my kids got so involved in role playing that I felt they were in a different world. It wasn't all that scary but kinda cute.
August 15, 2020
Although I am a fan of spiders that catch mosquitoes and flies in their web and befriend pigs, this is definitely not the type of spider I support. The children in this tale let their imaginations run wild, but the ending was a bit of a letdown.
Goodreads review published 15/08/20
Goodreads review published 15/08/20
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