Horrorstör
Ratings341
Average rating3.6
This was a clever premise, the writting was really cool, especially the illustrations of the different ikea-like items.
This is set in an ikea-like store where things start happening and it's up to the staff to figure it out. The characters are easy to root for, the setting is fantastic. My only gripe is within the third act it became a little more traditional horror, but still, the ending was really good and the overall story brought something fresh to the genre. I'd recommend :)
3.5
I kind of feel if I had read this physically instead of listening to the audio I would have rated this 4 stars. I got lost towards the end and my mind started to wonder. I will re-read this physically some day.
A fun premise weakened by an over-reliance on genre tropes. Would read again.
Horrorstör – 3.5 stars
A fun book, but also a bit of a missed opportunity. The setting and concept are clever and full of potential—I was hoping to be swept up by this quirky world. Unfortunately, much of that originality is squandered by a very conventional narrative arc that follows some of the most tired tropes in horror. It’s not bad by any means, just not particularly memorable.
This was good!! It was a great little horror story, packaged in a very unique way. Had to explain I wasn't actually reading an IKEA catalogue so points for it being effective!
So much gore.
And there were like two stories here, with very different feelings.
It was a fun “horror” book. It wasn't truly “scary”. It would make for a great “campy”, “scary” movie.
Hats off to Grady Hendrix for another creative twist on the horror genre. HORRORSTOR tells the story of a haunted ORSK warehouse (a knockoff IKEA competitor) through the story of Amy, one of the company's young associates whose career is not exactly going places. But the story is almost secondary to the format of the book, which is laid out in the fashion of an IKEA catalog. If you normally read e-books or listen to audiobooks, I strongly consider you make an exception and pick up the print edition of HORROSTOR. Each chapter is named after a different piece of furniture, and the products - and their descriptions - get weirder the deeper into the book you get. I tore through this one in two days, so HORRORSTOR is a great choice for anyone trying to hit a reading goal late in the year. The story itself is good, although the ending doesn't wrap up as much of the plot threads as I would have liked. 4 stars.
A fun, unique horror story!
I tend to enjoy Grady Hendrix novels and this was no different. It felt a little rushed as things "kicked off" but overall I enjoyed it!
3 ⭐️
This book was so much fun!! I loved the format of the book and the illustrations. The story was fast paced and spooky but not my favorite horror. I do want to read more Grady Hendrix books for sure.
What a fun and fast adventure into the dark depths of retail. The beginning was a tad slow but once things get going, they go. I enjoyed the ride Grady took me on through this blood soaked tale and can't wait to read more from Mr. Hendrix.
I read this in one sitting and it was so neat! I've never read or heard of anything like this before and I love the media style that was used!
So weird in the best possible way. I don't have a lot to say since I chugged it down so quickly, other than the vibes were immaculate and I loved it.
Another Grady Hendrix success story for me, which is refreshing after the DNF I gave How To Sell a Haunted House.
This is the best catalog I've ever read, and I've read a lot because my nana used to get a ton of them in the mail. If you're planning to read Horrorstör, a physical copy is the way to go. The design of the book really adds to the reading experience in a way I didn't expect and it was a real joy. The map in the front cover makes it obvious that Orsk stores are set up just Ikea stores, which really cool because so many people have been to Ikea that easy to understand exactly where Amy & co. are when they're in various locations around the store. And if you aren't familiar with Ikea stores, well, there's a map. So you can just look at it.
There was some fantastic humor in the beginning of the book that made me laugh out loud more than once, and then when shit really hit the fan I was gasping in horror and my days of laughing at Amy's shenanigans were long gone. There was even a part where, after finishing a particularly terrifying chapter, I had to stop reading to stare at a wall for a couple minutes. I really had a hard time putting this one down and did so only once, out of necessity. After that, I refused. I read it straight through, carrying it with me throughout the house whenever I needed to get up for something.
I can't wait to get my own copy. And a coffee table. Because Horrorstör would make an excellent coffee table book.
Is this anti-Ikea propaganda? Because it worked. I'm not sure I'll ever look at an Ikea the same way again. Should I get my coffee table there? I'm scared.
Originally posted at www.instagram.com.
Horror thriller where employees of a Scandinavian style, alternative Ikea retail store, stay for a night shift to discover why their store has been vandalised.
First, the physical paperback is a masterpiece of design, everything mirrors Ikea, the book is rich in details and adds a great deal of fun worldbuilding to the story. I absolutely loved how the books chapter begins with an illustration of regular products that turns into objects straight out of a torture chamber as the story evolves .
This is the second novel from Grady Hendrix I'm reading, and like the first one I found his writing sharp and evocative, he's got his ability to quickly install a creepy atmosphere. I particularly loved the use of foul odours as one of the horror element (it reminds me of the novel Relic by authors Preston and Child where this trope was also used). He does a great job at using the environment of the shop, and the company's (cult like) marketing and values to advance the plot and illustrate the characters behaviour. I'll never walk into an Ikea again without thinking about this book.....
Just ok. It got kind of gross but didn't really scare me. I love Grady Hendrix, this one just didn't hit for me.
One star for the good writing, one star for the 15% of the book I enjoyed. This story was like stranger things, saw, and ghost busters thrown into one to describe capitalism which yah I agree. The characters were bland and even though they went through hell, I didn't care for them. I ended up skipping through the last 25% of the book because the ending kept DRAGGING on and I wanted to know what the resolution would be.
I'll start by saying that I'm not usually a horror sort of gal, so take that into account when reading this review. The concept of this book appealed to me a lot, and I'm happy to report it exceeded my expectations. The story and these characters came alive and I could picture this SO clearly. It was entertaining, creepy, and horrifying. I highly recommend reading this while listening to a creepy reading music playlist. But above all, the production quality of this book is outstanding. They took the concept of the furniture store catalogue and ran with it. I can't say much more without spoiling it, but this book is an experience that goes beyond the written words. I was not expecting to like it so much!
