Copyright Date:
2023
Edition Date:
2023
Release Date:
08/15/23
Illustrator:
Bergeron, Marie,
Pages:
258 pages
ISBN:
0-593-38750-3
ISBN 13:
978-0-593-38750-4
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2023013433
Dimensions:
22 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
Eerie episodes abound in this tightly plotted sequel.Following Tales To Keep You Up at Night (2022), this carefully crafted follow-up introduces Gilbert Campbell, who, after receiving a cryptic message from his brother, Antonio, learns that Ant has been in a terrible accident and is in the intensive care unit. In the message, Ant warns Gilbert, "don't listen to the tapes"-but a mix of worry and curiosity gets the better of Gilbert, and he listens to the 13 ominously titled tales. As Gilbert settles down with the cassettes, which he finds alongside a vintage yellow Walkman, the line between reality and fiction starts to blur. Spanning a wide spectrum of topics and including a spooky susurrating seashell, a maniacal mannequin, an alarming amusement park, and an insidious ice cream truck, the stories explore both new and classic horror tropes. The early entries feel somewhat underbaked, some concluding with a frustrating abruptness or seemingly not wrapping up at all, but it is imperative for readers to continue. Poblocki weaves an intricate yarn, cleverly mixing the two narrative threads with an adept hand. Reading like a mashup of Goosebumps and The Twilight Zone with a healthy dose of Black Mirror, this series (which begs for both installments to be read together) is a surefire hit for horror aficionados. Expect the shivers to last long after the final page is turned.Ultimately rewarding and wholly satisfying for close and patient readers. (Horror. 8-12)
From the co-author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Magic Misfits comes a spectacularly creepy follow-up to Tales to Keep You Up at Night that will keep you up way past bedtime.
Perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark!
Gilbert is visiting his injured brother, Ant, in the hospital, when he sees a shadowed figure leave behind a satchel filled with old cassette tapes. Despite a strange, garbled voicemail telling him "Don't listen to the tapes," Gilbert can't resist playing them and listening to the chilling stories they reveal: tales of cursed seashells, of doors torn through the fabric of the universe, of cemeteries that won't let you leave, of a classroom skeleton that hungers for new skin. And wandering through all the stories, a strange man named November, who might not be a man at all...
As Gilbert keeps listening to the tapes, he slowly realizes that the stories may hold the key to helping Ant. But in order to save his brother, he may be opening a door to something much, much worse...
With hair-raising, spine-chilling prose, Dan Poblocki delivers a collection of interconnected stories that are sure to keep you up late in the night.