I am 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. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
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.
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!
Reviews:
MY REVIEW
I'm a sucker for short horror stories. As a kid, I was obsessed with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Short & Shivery, Twisted Tales, and Scary Stories for Sleepovers. This book, Only If You Dare, is reminiscent of those, and it brought back the memories of spending my nights trying to scare myself by reading them.
Each story has its own creepy factor, and while not every story is super scary, they are all strange and macabre. From haunted oatmeal to trees out for revenge, there's something for everyone within these pages. I, personally, found the story Lumpy, Lumpy to be mildly nauseating. That's probably the grossest story in the book. Scrabbled and My Hand, Right There are both kind of on the darker side.
And We All Scream for Ice Cream is the one story that resonated the most with me. Oddly enough, it's because what happens in the story is how I am in real life. When everyone else is melting in the summer heat/humidity, I'm perfectly comfortable. But once the temperature starts dropping to 70 or below, I'm always cold and can't seem to get warm, regardless of how many layers I put on. And while Chloe's issues are because of the food choices she makes, mine don't seem to have any real cause. The scene where Chloe goes to the doctor reminded me so much of what I've dealt with. "You just seem to be cold. I'm sure it will go away on its own." Maybe I need to find a hot chocolate hut and order a Smooth and Sweeter Mega-Heater now that winter is coming. 😂
This is a fun collection of short, spooky reads. Perfect for this time of year. If you or your middle-grade reader are looking for something creepy to read, give Only If You Dare a whirl.
4.5 stars!
About Josh Allen:
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
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Twitter
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Instagram
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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
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Twitter
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Instagram
|Goodreads
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will win a finished copy of ONLY IF YOU DARE: 13 STORIES OF DARKNESS AND DOOM, US Only.
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 |
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