Cover of Too Scared to Sleep by Andrew Duplessie. A scary, darkened bedroom with creepy stuff, like bloody hooks and weird shadows.

About the Book

Title: Too Scared to Sleep
Published: 2023

Cover Story: I’m Hooked
The Best: ‘Are You Ready?’
The Best: ‘Virus Hunter’
The Best: ‘Bear Trap’
The Worst: All the Rest
Bonus Factor: Campfire Tales
Break Glass in Case of: Reluctant Readers

Cover Story: I’m Hooked

Unlike a lot of anthologies, the cover artist really put a lot of work into this one. However, the desire to include something from so many of the stories strangely reminded me of Weird Al Yankovic’s first self-titled album.

The Deal:

About fifty very short horror stories, complete with QR codes to take you to an online jump scare.

The Best: ‘Are You Ready?’

Twin brothers share a psychic bond and read each other’s thoughts. And now, one of the brothers is dying. Can their mental link cross over into the great beyond? How could that possibly go wrong?

The Best: ‘Virus Hunter’

A video game champ is recruited by the government to pilot a nanobot though the bodies of sick people to fight their illnesses. And one day, he has to cure a very special patient. A patient who seems to have swallowed the same video arcade token that our hero did as a child…

The Best: ‘Bear Trap’

A hiker finds herself caught in a bear trap, with no help on the way. Just her and her hunting knife, and a leg that’s gone numb.

The Worst: All the Rest

Unfortunately, you can’t really write a story with a beginning, middle, and end in five pages and create interesting characters and a memorable plot. Nearly every single one of these stories is ‘Oh no, my phone/my parents/a stuffed animal/my social media account has turned against me! And now I’m dead.’ There was not a single character that stood out, and not one shocking twist. ‘Hmm, the garbage disposal is acting up. And has anyone seen Dad?’ As soon as we realize our characters are in danger, they die. My daughter, Sophie, read a few of these. She told me ‘This book had a lot of hearts…but no heart.’

Also, someone needs to tell Duplessie that a ‘flat screen TV’ is not cutting edge technology anymore.

Bonus Factor: Campfire Tales

Weeping kittens looking at the smoking shoes and pile of ashes that used to be a little girl

While I’d be pissed if I paid for this book, these would be great tales to personalize and tell around the campfire. On a night, just like this…

Break Glass in Case of: Reluctant Readers

If I were an upper level librarian, I’d buy five copies of this book. Why? For the kids who come in because ‘My teacher says I have to read a book and I hate reading. Got anything short?’ These stories are quick, easy reads, with no swearing, sex, or drugs. This is bread and butter for teachers who have to twist certain students’ arms to get them to pick up a book.

Literary Matchmaking

Campfire

Campfire, by Shawn Sarels, celebrates the genre.

Thirteen Chairs

Dave Shelton’s Thirteen Chairs is a better horror anthology.

The Wrong Train

As is Jeremy duQuidt’s The Wrong Train.

FCC full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but no money or…did you hear that?

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Brian wrote his first YA novel when he was down and out in Mexico. He now lives in Missouri with his wonderful wife and daughter. He divides his time between writing and working as a school librarian. Brian still misses the preachy YA books of the eighties.