Trick or treat? Get ready for Halloween with this book of 15 short spooky stories. Each one is bound to leave you with goosebumps

Mysterious deaths, man in the mirror, soulful searches or deep yearnings…15 writers and 15 minds that created powerful imaginary worlds. The book is an anthology of short thriller stories that are creepy and chilling.

The USP is that Blogchatter is the first community-based blogging platform that has taken the initiative of publishing short fiction stories written by its community members. That too, in a genre which is no piece of cake. We don’t find too many good horror or ghost story writers. Moreover, the selection of stories was purely on merit—only the most chilling works of fiction were picked from the many entries that answered the platform’s call for action.

Each story is short enough to be read in 15 minutes. Well, I am no ‘scaredy crow’ but I normally read all ghost and horror novellas in the daytime so as not to mess up my sleep with dark visions.

The stories touch upon different themes such as fear, phobias, mysterious phenomenon, folk tales. There is rape, revenge, slavery, guilt, shame, sibling rivalry, a life without remorse where death is a norm. There are ghosts, lost souls and ghastly psychopaths.

The writers have touched upon belief systems, ancient traditions, mental imbalances and more, where everything concludes in an unpalpable manner, as envisaged by the protagonist. 

There are demons everywhere, within us, outside us, in the living world and in the dead world. No one seems to have escaped them.

No story overshadows the other one. The language is simple and straightforward. The focus is on the emotion and the experience of being a part of that situation.

In some stories, the plot may seem cliched, but it will still play out well with an unexpected end. There is evil everywhere and it comes out in shocking ways. These are all fresh voices exploring the mysterious, intangible in their own imagination and sharing through their words.

Authors: Rehana Sultana, Anuradha Shetty, Roma Gupta Sinha, Kajal Kapur, Deepti Menon, Chinmayee Sahu, Huma Masood, Nirmiti Narain, Tarang Sinha, Anushree Saha, Dr Alpna Das Sharma, Rahul Vishnoi, Harshita Nanda, Roshan Radhakrishnan, Suchita Agarwal

Rehana Sultana’s Against My Windowpane struck a deep chord. It was more than thrilling; it was an insight into how no one is safe from the mind’s tricks.

Anuradha Shetty’s story touches upon exploitation and the many dreams that die with this.  

What Runs is Our Blood by Roshan Radhakrishnan is sure to curdle your blood.

Hartoli’s Duty by Suchita Agarwal has the most creative spin, taking us on a horrifying boat ride in the world of the dead.

The book is not for the faint hearted. It will send shivers down your spine, leaving you grappling on the thin line between good and evil.

If you finish the book in one go, like I did, then it will leave you with an inexplicable sensation. To quote from Tarang Sinha’s One Night, ‘Life is so uncertain, isn’t it? One minute everything is fine and the next…”

Trick or treat? Your choice.

Book Details
Publisher: Readomania
Paperback: ‎ 112 pages
Reading age: ‎12 years and up
Price: Rs 250

This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.