I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Jagged Edges & Moving Parts Published by Other Kingdoms Publishing on June 3 2020 Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 204
Format: Finished paperback
Source: Author
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The nitty-gritty: Short and brutal, these horror stories by much lauded and prolific author Pete Mesling are both shocking and eye opening.
Horror comes in all shapes and sizes, and I’m glad I got the chance to read Pete Mesling’s brand of horror, which is an interesting mix of slasher fiction, Lovecraftian influence, and just plain weird. Jagged Edges & Moving Parts consists of twenty-seven short stories, some of them only a page or two long. When I read a collection like this, I often skip around and read the stories out of order, and when I’ve finished a story, I jot down my immediate reaction and thoughts about each one. I enjoyed quite a few of these stories but I also strongly disliked some of them, which isn’t too surprising as most story collections tend to be a mixed bag. Mesling has a brutal, in-your-face writing style that doesn’t pull any punches, so if you aren’t into graphic horror, you might want to avoid this collection. I don’t mind gross-out horror as long as there is something to balance it out, but overall I found a lot of these stories to be written purely for shock value. I also found them to be on the depressing side, so readers looking for a ray of hope in their fiction might want to stay away.
Still, I did enjoy a bunch of the stories, and here is a breakdown of the ones I liked the most:
BARBICIDE
A very short revenge story about a man who confronts his barber when he discovers a terrible betrayal. I thought it was well written and just the right length.
THE TREE MUMBLERS
This was an odd story that takes place in Seattle about the sudden appearance of “tree mumblers,” people who appear to be conversing with trees. The narrator, an observer, gets more than she bargains for when she gets too close to a tree mumbler.
THE INTERVIEW
A man visits his wife’s killer in jail to ask him some questions, but things take a shocking turn. I loved the “surprise” factor in this story. A nasty tale of vengeance.
THE OCULIST’S DILEMMA
I really loved this very short story. A man washes up on a wild, deserted island and discovers that something wants to kill him. He comes up with a plan to save himself, but—it backfires.
ON THE STRANGEST SEA
This is another one I really enjoyed. A man aboard a ship faces down a huge sea monster, but just as he thinks things are going his way, the tide turns…
NOT FOR ALL TO SEE
A woman learns about a horrible family curse from her father: they are able to see monsters that no one else can see. But if the monster sees you and looks you in the eye, you are doomed. Mesling gives this story another nasty twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.
MICROPHASIA
A series of micro one-and-two sentence stories. These don’t appear to be related, but they each pack a punch, nonetheless. Mesling does a great job of unnerving the reader in a very short span of time..
Overall, I’m not sure this collection was for me, but I do love seeing what’s out there these days. Jagged Edges & Moving Parts is recommended for horror fans who don’t need happy endings in their stories.
Big thanks to the author for supplying a review copy.
That cover though, super creepy
I know, it’s creepy, I love it!
Stories told for their shock value and inducing depression don’t sound like the best kind of reading material these days, but maybe, taken in small doses…. who knows? 😉
Thanks for sharing!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…THE DREAMY BOOK COVER TAG
I feel like it’s a particular brand of horror that I just don’t care for. There are lots of readers who love this, though:-)
That cover! Not a book for me – as you know short stories don’t really work well for me but you found quite a few stories to enjoy in this one.
Lynn 😀
I really enjoyed the variety.
The cover is so creepy, Tammy. Excellent review. It is the exact reason why I tend to stay away from short story collections. More often than not, I end up liking only a few of the stories.
Debjani recently posted…16 Incredible Books To Read in Fall 2020
I’m always hopeful I’ll find one with lots of stories I love:-)
Now, these sound right up my alley!
Laura Thomas recently posted…Amden Bog by David Rose ~ Spotlight and Giveaway
You should try it, Laura!
I love short story collections because as you said it’s usually a mixed bag.
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I also like seeing different author’s styles.
I’m not sure this would be for me, either, but being an anthology at least it comes in shorter, more digestible pieces, where you can easily put it down and read something completely different between stories.
I do like that aspect, when you just had a short time to read, it’s easy to grab a short story:-)
This is just not my genre to read.
Totally get that!
It’s why I don’t really read a lot of anthologies, most of them are too uneven in quality of the stories! But I’m glad you found some you liked in this one!
I keep thinking one day I’ll find one where I love all the stories!
I feel like collections and anthologies are always a bit hit or miss.
I’ve really only read a few where every story is really good. Those are hard to find:-)