Book Review: Once They See You: 13 Stories to Shiver and Shock by Josh Allen with illustrations by Sarah J. Coleman

Publisher’s description

There’s no escaping these deliciously creepy tales of everyday horror, perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

Once you open this book, you’re doomed . . . Cursed to stay up late, savoring every line of these terrifying stories. Go ahead and try to resist. The Night Things won’t let you get far.

Master storyteller Josh Allen, hailed as the “heir-apparent to Alvin Schwartz,” brings thirteen nightmare scenarios to life in this page-turning collection. From a shiny abandoned bike, to an innocent classroom icebreaker, to a piano recital that requires unusual sacrifices, there’s no end to the shocking twists on everyday reality.

In Allen’s wondrous world, which looks an awful like our own, danger waits behind every doorway . . . even in the most ordinary places. Kids eager for age-appropriate horror will relish every thrill and chill.

Eerie illustrations by award-winning artist Sarah Coleman accompany the stories, packaged in a stunning hardcover edition complete with a glow-in-the-dark jacket. Readers will sleep with one eye open!

Don’t miss the author and illustrator’s other creepy collections: Out to Get You and Only If You Dare.

Amanda’s thoughts

Order this for your library. Just go add it to your collection development list right now and then you can come back to read the rest of this.

Way back a very long time ago, in the 1900s, when I was a child, I LOVED Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (and its sequels). Again, this was a VERY LONG TIME AGO. I have worked in two elementary libraries over the past 7 years and at both, those books remain extremely popular. Not only do they circulate a lot (and, honestly, are probably the only books of that vintage that do move that much), but I am asked literally daily, sometimes hourly, “Where are your scary books?” I have made multiple visual RA pages that show scary books, so I usually just point them to those resources or grab new favorites by my desk. Kids LOVE scary books. It’s a safe way to feel scared. And they want actual scary things, things that feel high stakes enough that something MIGHT happen. They don’t want to have it explained away as something believably human or a mistaken assumption etc. And I know I’m generalizing here, because of course not ALL kids want these books or feel this way, but I have enough conversations on the daily to tell you that SO MANY do.

Is this a review? You’re probably asking yourself. Or is she just ranting? It’s both! My rant is that we need more books like this. Short books (this is under 200 pages). Short stories. Scary stories. Books with illustrations. Kids want these things. And if we truly care about creating, growing, and keeping readers, we need to provide more of what makes them excited to read. So. Like I said. Order this book. Probably order at least two.

Allen has spun some seriously creepy stories here. Weird stuff happens. It’s not explained away. Kids do develop powers. Actual bad stuff happens. The plots get dark. People get hurt. Deadly and disturbing things happen. There are accidents that can’t be avoided, intentional harm and revenge, transformations, malice, and truly unsettling scenes. The stories are just the right length, full of tension, and super satisfying in that it’s not just a kid imagining something scary is happening—the scary things ARE happening.

If you book talk this title, be prepared to have a hold list a mile long. Compulsively readable and creepy enough to satisfying even the most demanding of readers, this collection is a hit.

Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9780823456321
Publisher: Holiday House
Publication date: 08/20/2024
Age Range: 9 – 12 Years

Filed under: Book Reviews