More Creature Features!

 

Today I'm continuing on my review series of the new Amazon short story collection which came out on September 26th called Creature Features.  I have two more to add to my favorites list which has me a little scared for the last two.  As I mentioned before, these are fairly short so my reviews will not be intensive, but I do want to share them with everyone and encourage people to give them a try.

 

TITLE: Big Bad

AUTHOR: Chandler Baker

PUBLISHER: Amazon Original Stories

PUBLISHING DATE: September 26, 2023

PAGES: 59   

SOURCE: Kindle Unlimited

FROM GOODREADS: For a family trying to make an isolated farmhouse into a home, fear and rage are getting harder to control in a primal short story by the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network and Cutting Teeth. The Strauss family is on knife’s edge. Sam is a resentful stay-at-home dad. Rachel feels the restlessness in her blood returning. Their children are getting out of hand. And a recent mudslide has forced the wolves out of the woods to look for food. As dusk falls and tensions rise, the family must come together to survive the night—from the threats outside and those within.

MY THOUGHTS: I am glad this story was one of the longer ones in the collection because I really appreciated how the author took time to really flesh things out, so I had a good grasp on what was really happening.  I love a good werewolf tale and this one had a few fresher nuances to it which really worked well for me.  I've not read from this author before but immediately went and looked up some of her books and added them to my wishlist.  Don't skip this one if you are interested in checking out this series.

MY RATING: 5 PAWS

 

TITLE: Best of Luck

AUTHOR: Jason Mott

PUBLISHER: Amazon Original Stories

PUBLISHING DATE: September 26, 2023

PAGES: 29   

SOURCE: Kindle Unlimited

FROM GOODREADS: Did you ever hear the one about the man with a string of bad luck? The worst is still to come in a chilling short story of an insatiable friendship by the New York Times bestselling author of Hell of a Book. For best friends with vastly different fortunes, what’s left to hash out other than a forced confession at gunpoint? All that the destitute, sickly, and grieving Will demands is that monstrously successful Barry admit to draining all the luck right out of him. Like blood. As the standoff escalates, the truth is not the only thing ready to come out.

MY THOUGHTS: This one took some time to really hook me which is sad because being it was one of the shorter installments, once I was hooked, it was almost over.  I did love the ending, but I do think this one might have benefited from being a tad longer.  The "creature" in this one is one unlike anything I've ever encountered before which was so much fun.  Another author I apparently need to check out in the future.  

MY RATING: 4 PAWS