YA Creepy Pick: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys: Classic Tales, Brand-New Nightmares
Stories Selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
Dial Books
2015
385 pages
ISBN: 9780803741737

Dangerous, dark, devious, twisted (in the best way), tortured, and a true treasure trove of scary stories, Slasher Girls & Monster Boys cuts into YA fiction (pun intended). Compiled by Tucholke, this collection includes stories by YA heavyweights Jonathan Maberry, Carrie Ryan, Leigh Bardugo and Marie Lu, and others and it will truly entice teen (and adult) horror fans.

The dedication by Tucholke states this story collection is... "For everyone who read Stephen King when they were way too young." Count me in! Every horror fan will want to get a bite of this book. The creepy cover sells the book before readers even think about opening it.

Once opened, this book just keeps giving. From what starts out a bullying story and ends up apocalyptic (or does it?), "Fat Girl With a Knife" is compelling and scary. Readers are not likely to forget the main character. "Sleepless" is edgy and starkly realistic. It's a real cat and mouse game that readers are not likely to figure out until the gruesome and brutal end.

The book opens with "The Birds of Azalea Street," a dark tale of a terrifying neighbor who preys on the young and innocent. When the kids' prayers are answered, something otherworldly happens and it's awesome! At the end of each story, the inspiration for the story is revealed. Careful readers may be inspired to look up and read the earlier books and watch the classic movies mentioned. No one can go wrong with "Psycho," "Rear Window," "The Birds," or "Night of the Living Dead."

Finally! A short story collection for teen horror fans by YA authors! This book is bound to get attention in award circles due to the fact that it's a novelty among YA titles and it's so well done.
Each story is a gem and it's nearly impossible to pick a favorite, but Jonathan Maberry gets my vote.

Highly, highly recommended for horror fans and reluctant readers. Even a reluctant reader is bound to find a story here. This is a must have for story collections and horror collections.

Grade 9-up. Grisly, macabre and adult. Not for middle school readers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Graphic Pick: Explorer: The Mystery Boxes

Explorer: the Mystery Boxes
Edited by Kazu Kibuishi (creator of the Amulet series)
Amulet
2012
127 pages
Color illustrations (graphic novel)

Available March 1, 2012

Beautiful art and design and fantastic and imaginative tales will make any reader a graphic novel fan. Seven stories by very different artists all have one thing tying them together: a box. What could be in that box? It is human nature to wonder and worry about what is unknown, and it's human nature to open the box--remember the myth of Pandora's box?

"Spring Cleaning" is a light hearted story of a boy who happens upon a box and gets much more than he bargained for. "The Keeper's Treasure" is one of the most beautifully rendered artistic graphic stories I've ever seen. Kazu Kibuishi's story "The Escape Option" is beautifully designed and well-thought out; it is a thought-provoking lesson in humanity and ecology.

"The Soldier's Daughter" is an effective story about the trials and brutality of war and the ones who are left behind when a soldier dies in battle.

Other stories are "Under the Floorboards," "The Butter Thief," and "Whatzit." The collection is so diverse and the art so wonderfully different, that a teacher could spend entire lessons on effective art and design and how each story varies and why the artwork is different for a light-hearted story than it is for a darker tale like "The Soldier's Daughter."


Highly, highly recommended for all graphic novel collections and grades 6-up. Younger students may not understand the lesson of The Keeper's Treasure" or "The Escape Option" although they still may enjoy the art. No language, no sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.