Christmas Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley
From malevolent snowmen to Father Christmas – with a difference … Chris Priestley is on absolute top form in these atmospheric, clever and thoroughly chilling stories. Add a new kind of thrill to the fluffiest of seasons with seven brilliantly conceived examples of why you’d better be good at Christmas time. For stories which can be enjoyed by the whole family, unwrap these perfectly formed festive tales of terror, each with a gripping yarn and genius twist.Singing carols may never seem quite the same again … especially after dark. (via Goodreads)
One distinct disadvantage of digital books is that it’s hard to immediately tell what you have. This anthology was much shorter than I expected. Seven stories, the longest at 16 pages long and the shortest half that. While these stories are geared toward a younger audience, I think that most of them didn’t need to be as short as they were. There were occasions when background information was introduced in an “oh-by-the-way” matter and I wished that the story had simply been told from the beginning. They weren’t being served narratively by their starting point anyway. I think a young audience could deal with the increased length and the increase in tension.
Conversely, the best of this collection were the shorter stories that were simply told:
- “Frost” – A young artist sketches out the cold fate of a rich man that ill-used him.
- “In the Bleak Midwinter” – A group of almost charitable choir boys learn why you should never sing in a graveyard.
- “Soot” – Two little girls discover that it isn’t Father Christmas coming down the chimney.
Genre: Horror
Why did I choose to read this book? Looking for genre Christmas books
Did I finish this book? (If not, why?) Yes
Craft Lessons: Stories. It’s okay to tell them from beginning to end.
Format: OverDrive Read
Procurement: Greater Phoenix Digital Library
Simple Tricks & Nonsense 