Fear: Thirteen Stories of Suspense and Horror

Title: Fear: Thirteen Stories of Suspense and Horror
Author: editor, R.L. Stine
ISBN: 9780142417744
Publisher: Speak
Page #: 296
Source: From my public library

Summary:
"Don't breathe. Don't move. Don't make a sound.
And whatever you do, don't trust a soul.

Because in this thrilling collection of heartstopping original stories, anyone can be a villian, and no one is who - or what - he or she seems. From thirteen masters of adult and young adult thriller writing, including five New York Times bestselling authors, here are stories guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat and up all night.

Stories by:
Jennifer Allison, Heather Brewer, Ryan Brown, Meg Cabot, Alane Ferguson, Heather Graham, Peg Kehret, Tim Maleeny, James Rollins, Walter Sorrells, R.L. Stine, Suzanne Weyn, and F. Paul Wilson."
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First Lines:

"JJ stepped back from the steamy dishwater, eyes burning. He used his stained apron to wipe sweat off his forehead. His short, black hair felt wet, as if he'd just stepped from a hot shower."
Page 3, "Welcome to the Club" by R.L. Stine
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Review:

There are times that short stories books are hard to get through. That's probably because they are easy to put down and get back to later - at least in my experience. But there was something very easy about this group of stories. They had very similiar feel to them - and almost flowed together. Generally I like to go through each story, but there are thirteen of them. So I'll just talk about my faves.

Only a few of the authors were ones I recognized. but some of my favorite ones were from authors unknown to me (not that it makes any difference. I'm just used to reading anthologies of authors I already love). Perhaps they are just outside of the YA realm usually? Anyway...

One that left me wanting more was called Jeeper Peepers by Ryan Brown. The story is about a girl who goes on a babysitting gig to a family living in a backwoods swamp. The boy is blind and sees things he shouldn't in his head. It's a very creepy story - one that makes you check the locks on the windows. But the ending threw me for a loop. I would have loved to read a longer version of the story!

I think my favorite story is called Tagger by James Rollins. It's one that I could honestly see as a long novel and loving the whole thing. It's very focused on Chinese mythology and magic. The main character has inherited the ability to protect places by drawing a specific Chinese symbol on the outside. But she finds out that there is a demon out to destroy her family line. The way she combats that demon is amazing and super creative. Just a wonderful story.

It's no surprise that I loved the story written by Meg Cabot. I love all of her stuff. She writes about a girl who witnesses a robbery and gets kidnapped by the thief. Their town has a vigilante called The Night Hunter who helps her out... and with a little twist. I'm a fan, for sure. :)

Those are just the three that stood out to me, but I really did enjoy the rest of them. There were a few that had very strange endings, but it worked within their specific stories. I would definitely recommend this book to teens looking for horror stories. I think even though it is a short story book that many people will still pick it up (if nothing else, but for R.L. Stine's name on the front). Definitely give this one a try.
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