I don't know how I slept on Grady Hendrix for so long, but he's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. If you haven't read The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, do yourself a favor and pick that up ASAP--and while you're at it, grab a copy of Horrorstor.
I'd read this a million first times if I could.
Amy's frustrated by Basil's management style at Orsk, an Ikea-esque store in Ohio. When acts of overnight vandalism plague the store, Basil asks Amy and another employee to work an overnight shift in the hopes of finding the culprit and cutting off the damages before corporate visits the next morning. Once on the floor, however, they soon learn that there's more to Orsk than Swedish furniture and impossible-to-build wardrobes, and they'll need to rely on more than an L-tool to survive the night.
Amazing. Brilliant. Delightfully horrifying--all of these come to mind when I think of the best way to describe Horrorstor. I devoured this book in one sitting. I mean, how clever is this premise? I've only been in an Ikea once, and that was enough for me. I frequently thought how terrifying it would be to get lost in a warehouse of empty furniture, and this book is every one of those fears brought to life. From the chapter headings to the integration of past versus present (the overlap is pivotal to the plot, so I won't give too much away here), Horrorstor revels in unexpected thrills, vivid imagery, and relatable characters.
Hendrix executes this plot with master-level twists and stomach-turning terrors. And it's *funny*. I laughed almost as often as I cringed at the events unfolding, and similar to Southern Book Club, you don't expect such a wonderful blend of dark humor and horror; but it's there, and if you're like me, you're going to *love* it.
Overall, this is a winner in my book. I look forward to reading more Hendrix in the near future. 10/10
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