Horrorstor: A Novel Paperback – Illustrated, 23 September 2014

This book is a serious page turner, got me out of my reading slump. The story moves fast and it’s interesting.

My annual fall visit to a large flat pack furniture company with a Swedish sounding name (c'mon you know who I mean right?) is around the corner. When I saw the cover of Grady Hendrix's new book, Horrorstör, I knew I absolutely had to read it. Things are happening in the night at the Orsk furniture store in Cleveland Ohio. When the staff arrives in the morning, there's broken glass to clean up, broken display furniture and some unmentionable smells and substances. And the staff are getting weird 'help' text messages on their phones. The security tapes don't show anything, but sales are down and corporate is concerned. So Basil, the new deputy store manager decides to stay in the store overnight to see if he can catch who is doing the damage. He enlists Amy, a partner with a bit of an attitude and cashier Ruth Ann, the nicest person in the store, to stay overnight with him. And what happens that night...... .....is something you're going to have to discover for yourself. I had so much fun reading this book - Hendrix clearly wrote it with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek. The format is exactly like that unnamed store's catalogue - the furniture, names, descriptions and pictures preceding every chapter were just as much fun as the story. (I was quite amused by some of the colour choices available - night beech, snow and beaver oak) But what had me laughing was the 'corporate speak'. Having worked in a big box retail store in years gone by, I recognized much of it. Basil's quoting of policies and procedures as things go from bad to worse is just perfect. Hendrix's parodying of that other store is just perfect - the Bright and Shining Path that leads you through the shopping experience, the "Market Floor - also referred to as the 'open-wallet' area - designed to put customers under the maximum retail stress. The goal is to get them to open their wallets and buy something, even a light bulb, because once we crack their wallets, they will spend, on average $97 per visit." (Guilty) Okay so there's all that - but what is causing all the damage at night? Think Scooby Doo - without the dog and a little nastier.... I'll say it again - this was just plain fun to read! Is there a humourous horror genre? Any questions? Just Orsk!

I liked the premise of the book, which is why I thought I'd give this a read. The first half of the book was quite good, the thrill and eeriness is what I most enjoy about horror books. But the second part is where I lost interest. It was definitely action-packed but it was too gory (just can't stand anything gory in written or visual format). This is a new-to-me author, so not sure if his books deal with gore. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.

Amazing conceptVery comfortable languageAwesome story (first half too funny second half too gothic)

It was a nice read with good humor and a movie like story. The character building was interesting. I recommend it if you like horror movies and novels

Inicialmente, Horrorstor parece uma mistura da divertida série "Superstore" com uma narrativa sobre lugares mal-assombrados. Não deixa de ser, de certa forma, mas é bem mais que isso; o tom mais leve da narrativa vai progressivamente sendo "contaminado" pela escuridão que habita o lugar e os horrores que descreve - sempre envoltos em trevas - são realmente perturbadores.Mais além, o romance ganha força ao comparar essa loja - a Orsk, uma espécie de Ikea, ou Etna, Leroy Merlin etc. - à prisão panóptica que havia naquele mesmo lugar, séculos antes: o trabalho repetitivo, sempre sob supervisão, análogo à escravidão, apagando individualidades, sobre diferentes pretextos - no caso da prisão, os "penitentes" precisavam ser curados de seus pecados; no caso da loja, os funcionários se submetiam à máquina capitalista pois precisavam sobreviver. E mal conseguiam, como no caso da protagonista (que curiosamente (?) se chama Amy, mesmo nome da protagonista de Superstore), sempre individada.Esse foi meu terceiro livro do Hendrix (gostei dos 3) e cada vez mais creio que ele - que por alguma razão ainda não é tão reconhecido (talvez após um de seus romances ser inevitavelmente adaptado, isso mude) - é um dos grandes nomes da literatura de terror contemporânea.

Entretenido.

Who knew IKEA could be terrifying? Horrorstör is a hilariously creepy ride through a haunted furniture store that had me laughing and shivering at the same time. The blend of horror and humor is spot on, with clever details like the catalog-style chapter headings adding to the eerie atmosphere. The characters are relatable, the scares are real, and the whole concept is refreshingly unique. If you've ever felt a little too lost in a big-box store, this book will have you thinking twice before your next shopping trip. An absolute must-read for horror fans!

Wow. Just wow.I feel like I can’t say it enough, but I thoroughly enjoyed Horrorstör and highly recommend it. I think the audiences that would get the most of this book would obviously be fans of horror and darker comedy, but also those who have had to work in the soul-sucking world of mainstream retail.I still shudder when I think about my experiences working in retail. Ugh.The world that Hendrix builds in this novel accurately depicts the real-life hell that working in retail usually is. From the absolutely atrocious customers to the sense that loyalty means taking one for the team (only for the good of the company), to the disconnect between corporate ideals and the reality of the sales floor…you’ll have disturbing flashbacks of your worst retail employee experiences. I especially liked how each of the characters felt real and entirely plausible, and could easily compare each one to a past or present coworker of my own.However, what I enjoyed most about this book was its design - which was not only insanely smart but works really well to create an immersive reading experience rather than just be exist as an attractive piece of cover art. Upon first glance, I mistook this book for an actual furniture catalog! Taking a closer look, I began to notice dark oddities - clawing hands, trapped faces, rats, ominous scratches, etc. The design continues within the cover pages, further resembling a furniture catalog with a detailed store map, index, ads, and even an Orsk order form! You can literally map out the characters’ journeys through the Orsk showroom and the Beehive as you read the story.My favorite design element can be found at the beginning of every chapter. Each chapter starts with what appears to be your standard furniture ad for a variety of Swedish themed furniture pieces. Upon closer inspection, the captions reveal the darker nature of each featured piece. As the story continues, the ads become increasingly dark as they’re reinvented into torture devices that foreshadow the fates of the characters. See a spoiler-free example below:“Boasting several advantages over traditional forms of restraint, BODAVEST confines the penitent and opposes the agitated movement of blood toward the brain, forcing the subject into a state of total immobility, conducive to self-reflection and free of stressful outside stimuli.”Yeah, not quite what you’ll find in your average Ikea catalog.Even though this was a quick and fun read, it was as creepy as it was entertaining. Not only did the story progress at an appropriate pace, but the building tension and gross imagery had me truly immersed in the Orsk showroom. In fact, this was the first book I’ve ever read that physically disturbed me (refer to the Hügga and Bodavest chapters for some skin-crawling horror scenes). I had to frequently put this book down to take breaks after some of the more gory scenes.Lesson learned: don’t mix shrink wrap with an office chair…Overall, I loved this fun horror read because of how imaginative, witty, and captivating it was. Rumor has it, a film adaptation may be in the works!