Overview
Ever pictured your own funeral? You won’t be able to help it when you read some of the stories in this nightmarish collection, where things are never what they appear. Funerals are just the beginning. How about a day at the beach that ends in a mischievous murder? Or a cell phone that has a direct dial to . . . the dead?
From the creator of the blockbuster Alex Rider Adventures and The Diamond Brothers Mysteries comes eight more fantastically frightening tales. Whatever you do, don’t take this book to bed with you!
Synopsis
Ever pictured your own funeral? You won't be able to help it when you read some of the stories in this nightmarish collection, where things are never what they appear. Funerals are just the beginning. How about a day at the beach that ends in a mischievous murder? Or a cell phone that has a direct dial to . . . the dead?
From the creator of the blockbuster Alex Rider Adventures and The Diamond Brothers Mysteries comes eight more fantastically frightening tales. Whatever you do, don't take this book to bed with you!
VOYA
Young adults are usually not great fans of short stories, but this Horowitz collection will change their minds. The stories are fast paced and gruesome enough to fascinate even the most reluctant reader. Imagine being a hearing-impaired student whose hearing aid transmits a signal from a teacher who says, "I'm going to murder her," only to find out that the teacher's wife has been stabbed by a mysterious stranger. Think about going on a vacation with an aunt and uncle to Barbados. The uncle wants to work on his tan, and the aunt helps by supplying him with varying degrees of SPF suntan oils. At first, his tan is attractive, but soon it turns into festering sores and flaking skin until he is found dead on the beach from the burns. Imagine the horror when it is discovered that the aunt has actually been rubbing her husband faithfully with vegetable oil for faster frying. Nine riveting short stories will convince any reader that there is a lot more to Horowitz than Alex Rider. The back cover of the book warns, "Whatever you do, don't take this book to bed with you." Readers should heed that advice.
Editorials
VOYA -
Young adults are usually not great fans of short stories, but this Horowitz collection will change their minds. The stories are fast paced and gruesome enough to fascinate even the most reluctant reader. Imagine being a hearing-impaired student whose hearing aid transmits a signal from a teacher who says, "I'm going to murder her," only to find out that the teacher's wife has been stabbed by a mysterious stranger. Think about going on a vacation with an aunt and uncle to Barbados. The uncle wants to work on his tan, and the aunt helps by supplying him with varying degrees of SPF suntan oils. At first, his tan is attractive, but soon it turns into festering sores and flaking skin until he is found dead on the beach from the burns. Imagine the horror when it is discovered that the aunt has actually been rubbing her husband faithfully with vegetable oil for faster frying. Nine riveting short stories will convince any reader that there is a lot more to Horowitz than Alex Rider. The back cover of the book warns, "Whatever you do, don't take this book to bed with you." Readers should heed that advice.School Library Journal
Gr 6-9
A hearing aid that picks up the thoughts of a murderer. A boy who unwittingly gets into an elevator full of cannibals. A cell phone that receives calls from the dead. A haunted cottage with a deadly curse. These are just a few of the topics covered in the nine spooky stories written by the bestselling author. The selections are more creepy than hide-under-the-covers scary, but each one has a twist that readers will enjoy. This collection is sure to be in demand.
—Michele CapozzellaCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.