Title - Horrostor Author - Grady Hendrix Release Date - October 2014 Page Count - 256 Read/Listen Time - 6hrs Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars Think of a cheap knock-off IKEA and you have the setting of this great little book. This store however has some strange goings on in the evening; staff come into work every morning and the workplace is a mess, stock damaged and soiled. In an effort to figure out what is going on and stopping it ahed of a store inspection by senior management, Basil, the shift manager, enlists Amy, Ruth-Anne and a couple of other staff to stay the night and catch the culprits in the act. As you can imagine though things take a turn in this genuinely scary horror novel, cue the screaming, running, blood and gore as these terrified staff are trying to survive the night. Grady succeeds here in taking a familiar haunted house trope and porting it to a new setting taking a unique approach to an ever familiar genre. Although a short read we do get some good character development making you route for them. I was introduced to Hendrix with last years Final Girls Support Group, I enjoyed it so much I turned to his back catalogue. Horrostor is a great little read that you can get through quite quickly but there is enough there for you to get a few scares and satisfaction from a great ending. Thoroughly recommend and on to the next of his - 4 stars.

Horrorstor is a perfectly crafted Ikea meets haunted house meets horror! The book is formatted like an Ikea brochure and it honestly was so engaging and a thrill to read. Definitely recommend reading this with an ambience on to really get you scared ;)

'Horrorstor' is the first Horror book I have ever read and what a revelation it was. The whole story is set inside an IKEA-like shop and if you work (or have ever worked) in retail then you will certainly relate to elements of this book! Amy is desperate to transfer back to the branch she used to work in but she is only allowed to on the condition she works a night shift to keep a look out for a suspected trespasser. Unfortunately for Amy and her colleagues it is not a trespasser that is the problem! This book itself is awesome, it is set out just like an IKEA catalogue and includes order forms and pictures of the furniture. The story is witty, entertaining and very scary, causing me to have to check under the bed a few times...

Fun, stylish, and packed with gruesome imagery. Encourages reflection on our societal landscape and the impact of oligopolistic retail without straying too far from lighthearted territory. I found it hard to put down, and I was rooting for the characters throughout. I may rethink where I next buy my furniture from!

Grady Hendrix pitches like a 1960's advertising agency. With Horrorstor, that pitch may be all there is. But, haunted house-meets-Ikea parody? It's just about enough. The humour, the horror, the emotion, and even the mystery of that pitch will be received immediately. As the reader uncovers its excellent, imaginative and thematic peritext - a stand-out production, with pitch-perfect design from Andie Reid and compelling, immersive illustrations by Michael Rogalski - they will have already experienced all that the novel has to offer. Ultimately, the text itself has all the depth and insight of an undergraduate who has just read Foucault for the first time; its scenes of torture and horror are bland and generic, leaving you feeling like Hendrix was ticking off a trope checklist; and what meagre humour it offers relies entirely on the absurdity of its set-up. That being said a clear character arc, readable prose and a well-imagined set piece make this a brisk, enjoyable read; perfectly suited for your weekend away from the drudgery of work. And its depiction of the emotional turmoil of work is where the novel is at its best. Whilst it could afford to give these moments more time, Hendrix nevertheless emphasises a moral responsibility that even the most cynical and jaded retail worker will recognise; that camaraderie in the face of an abusive, disciplinary employer. It is the rare book that can be entirely judged on its cover. If the idea of an Ikea haunted house novel works for you, you'll enjoy your time. If it doesn't grab you immediately, there's nothing else here for you. There are, of course, worse things for a writer to do than to not live up to an excellent pitch - and one of them is to lose your attention. Horrorstor is contained enough that it never lost mine.