I didn’t buy Horrorstör for a long time because I thought it was a collection of phobias, and as someone with a phobia, that’s not my bag. But my boyfriend gave it to me as a gift on a rough day, and I’m so grateful to him.
He explained that it isn’t a phobia-based book. Horrorstör is a book about an IKEA-like store called Orsk where not so great stuff happens. Orsk is an American-made IKEA knock off. They put on a psuedo-european air, but everything is made here in the States. Much like IKEA, the stores are massive, with a self-help warehouse and an incredibly frustrating layout. But Orsk is not IKEA.
The protagonist is an Orsk employee named Amy. She is called in to speak with Basil, her manager. Amy’s co-worker Ruth Anne is also waiting for a coaching session. They are asked to stay overnight with Basil. Things have been broken and ruined throughout the store recently, and Basil wants to figure out who (or what) is responsible.
That night, Amy and Ruth Anne run into other coworkers Trinity and Matt. They believe that the ruination of products isn’t due to any being of this realm; they suspect ghosts. When the homeless man who says he’s been living there (but not destroying things) turns up, and Basil steps out to talk to the police, everyone else hosts a seance, just in case there is something paranormal happening. And things get dark.
Orsk sits where the Cuyahoga Panopticon once was – a prison with a torturous warden. During the seance, pieces of the Panopticon mesh with the current Orsk layout, to create a terrifying area. The only goal Amy, Ruth Anne, Trinity, Matt, and Basil have now is to survive the night.
This book goes from pretty darn good to absolutely amazing in just the seance scene. There is about 100 pages worth of world and character building, but as soon as the seance starts, things get absolutely wild. It’s gorey, torturous, and an all-around fantastic horror book, and I highly recommend it.
I read it all on Christmas and need to share it with all of you, because this is well worth your Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card. Horrorstor is a dark and fun book, and I tore through it. I can’t wait to read My Best Friend’s Exorcism, also by Grady Hendrix, because I know he’s going to give a great show with it.
What have you been reading, this holiday season?
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