Today, I'm thrilled to be hosting a spot on the ONLY IF YOU DARE: 13 STORIES OF
DARKNESS AND DOOM by Josh Allen, illustrated by Sarah J. Coleman, BLOG TOUR hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. It's the perfect read for the season filled with 13 short tales to spook, scare, and keep you guessing! Check out my review, the rest of the tour schedule, and make sure to enter the
giveaway before you go!
Author: Josh Allen,
illustrated by Sarah J. Coleman
Pub. Date: August
31, 2021
Publisher: Holiday
House
Formats: Hardcover,
eBook
Pages: 208
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
Thirteen chilling short stories to keep you up at night--but only if you dare.
You never know what's out to get you. Though you might think you're safe from monsters and menaces, everyday objects can turn against you, too. A mysterious microwave. A threatening board game. A snowman that refuses to melt. Even your own heartbeat has its secrets. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. When you stop to listen, each beat sounds more menacing than the last.
Master storyteller Josh Allen brings thirteen nightmare scenarios to life in
this page-turning collection that's perfect for budding horror junkies. In his
wondrous world, danger waits behind every doorway . . . even in the most
ordinary places.
Eerie illustrations by award-winning artist Sarah Coleman accompany the
stories, packaged in a stunning hardcover edition complete with
glow-in-the-dark jacket. Readers will sleep with one eye open!
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Reviews:
★ "Allen has cemented himself as
the heir-apparent of Alvin Schwartz; this is the new quick pick for patrons
who want more after reading all the classic ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the
Dark.’. . .A chilling anthology of memorable scares that will leave even the
biggest horror buffs sleeping with the light on."—School Library
Journal, Starred Review
"Thirteen illustrated short stories range from eerie to totally
terrifying. Each tale stands completely alone, but a strong sense of
foreboding, unease, and utterly chilling twists runs through the collection. .
. . intrepid tweens and teens who enjoy a thrill will be thoroughly sucked
in."—The Horn Book
"Twisty, terrifying, and oh-so fun! Just when you think you’re safe, Josh
Allen brings on the scares. From monstrous microwaves to carnivorous pillows, you’ll
never look at life the same way again."—Kim Ventrella, author of The
Secret Life of Sam
"Horror fans will enjoy this spine-tingling selection. . . ."—Publishers
Weekly
"This delightfully dark and spine-tingling anthology will keep young
readers and horror lovers on the edge of their seats."—Booklist
"An excellent offering for young people looking for real scares that don’t
condescend to them or pander to adult anxieties about what might be ‘too
scary.’ This book will fly off the shelves."—Kirkus Reviews
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13 stories to tantalize the senses, boggle the mind, and make you think twice about that bump in the night! 13 stories that could send chills down your spine, make your skin crawl, or merely give you a good scare. 13 stories leaves room for a little something for everyone, and I certainly had MY favorites! My top three from this spooky collection in self ranked order...
Number 3....CRAZY PLAYZ
We all want to excel at our work and when your place of business is an amusement zone, your ticket to riches is getting the guests to lighten their loads in order to enjoy all you have to offer and keep coming back. This story...takes that job VERY SERIOUSLY, much to the surprise and detriment of their newest underage employee. Let's just say his summer job will have him feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Number 2...SCRABBLED
What's a girl to do when she's home by herself? Nothing out the ordinary...at least until a cautionary instruction from a parent turns into a statement they wish to expunge. No one wants to be seen as tender, after all...but sometimes the outcome of a self-inflicted challenge is WAY more than you bargained for. This story has all the right words to bring a night at home...by yourself...to vivid, heart stopping, living color. You'll never look at a Scrabble game the same way again!
Number 1...THE SUBSTITUTE
Every kid longs for a substitute at some point in the academic career. They think it will liven things up, take off some of the pressure, and turn an otherwise heavy day around because they can redirect the lesson, get them off topic, and have a free day. But what happens when the substitute is the one throwing the curve balls? What happens when they introduce a lesson on something you never imagined that simultaneously steals your breath and stokes your curiosity? What happens when that very same lesson is causing your friend undue panic and the substitute doesn't seem to care? If you're name if Hazel, you try to redirect the conversation, put an end to the current topic, and if all else fails, talk to the teacher after class. After all, he's just a creepy substitute that took a Halloween time lesson a bit too far...right?
This one will get you going for all the right reasons, and makes the perfect starter story to kick off the entire collection. Recommended for Middle Grade readers and beyond! You may need to keep the lights on for some of them, and a stomach of steel for others, but it's all in good CREEPY fun!
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About the author...
Josh Allen checks under
his bed before switching off the light each night. During the day, he teaches
creative writing and literature at Brigham Young University-Idaho. His debut
book for young readers, Out to Get You, received two starred
reviews and was a Junior Library Guild selection. He lives in Idaho with his
family.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon
Sarah Coleman was an early pioneer of hand
lettering and has illustrated covers for many renowned books, including the
50th anniversary edition of To Kill a Mockingbird and Newbery
Honor-winner Wolf Hollow. Her design clients range from Coca Cola
and Starbucks to The New York Times. She lives in the UK.
Website | Twitter | Instagram |Goodreads
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~~~ GIVEAWAY ~~~
3 winners will win a finished copy of ONLY IF YOU DARE: 13 STORIES OF DARKNESS AND DOOM, US Only.
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Tour Schedule:
Week
One:
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9/27/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/27/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/28/2021 |
Excerpt |
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9/28/2021 |
Review |
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9/29/2021 |
Review |
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9/29/2021 |
Review |
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9/30/2021 |
Review |
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9/30/2021 |
Review |
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10/1/2021 |
Review |
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10/1/2021 |
Review |
Week Two:
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10/4/2021 |
Review |
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10/4/2021 |
Review |
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10/5/2021 |
Review |
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10/5/2021 |
Review |
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10/6/2021 |
Review |
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10/6/2021 |
Review |
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10/7/2021 |
Review |
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10/7/2021 |
IG
Post |
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10/8/2021 |
Review |
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10/8/2021 |
Review |
This will make an excellent Halloween read.
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