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The list of what people are most afraid of is as varied as it is massive. Items can include murderous humans, vicious prey animals, creepy vermin, getting trapped in dark spaces, mysterious monsters, paranormal phenomena, zombies, aliens, dangerous encounters with natural elements, and more. Frankly, everyone is scared of something, and this macabre collection of horror, sci-fi, dark fantasy, and tragic suspense stories has an unhappy ending for every taste. Most of the protagonists are young adults, and the straightforward writing sans frills seems geared toward a mature young adult or new adult audience. However, the plethora of unhappy endings can certainly send shivers down the spines of older readers too. There are few dark situations that the author hasn’t considered and delivered among these terrifying tales.
The title of each story is descriptive and witty, with story introductory paragraphs designed to start the adrenaline flowing. While not every tale will terrify every type of thrill-seeking reader, there’s still an aura of midnight-hour entertainment throughout the reading experience. Readers can pick and choose their poisons and enter the collection at any point and read as much or as little as they like. If a hardcore experience is desired, readers can certainly start at the beginning and take each tale by the horns as they arrive in heart-pounding waves. The audience should be forewarned that some story endings are heartrending tragedies with undeserving victims, and in others, poetic justice or revenge is warranted and definitely served cold. It may be best to read this collection in the wee hours with a flashlight on a long, stormy night to further the chilling effect, but one should be advised that Gottschalk leaves little to the imagination when his characters meet a grisly demise.