9.19.2014

Orsk is the creepiest home furnishing store ever.

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
Quirk Books // September 23, 2014
paperback, 256 pgs
ISBN 9781594745263
source: advance review copy from publisher

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Columbus, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring wardrobes, shattered Brooka glassware, and vandalized Liripip sofa beds—clearly, someone or something is up to no good. To unravel the mystery, five young employees volunteer for a long dusk-till-dawn shift—and they encounter horrors that defy imagination. Along the way, author Grady Hendrix infuses sly social commentary on the nature of work in the new twenty-first century economy.
A traditional haunted house story in a contemporary setting (and full of current fears), Horrorstör comes conveniently packaged in the form of a retail catalog, complete with illustrations of ready-to-assemble furniture and other, more sinister accessories.


My thoughts:
What a super cool concept for a book! When Horrorstor arrived on my doorstep, I immediately thought I was looking at a catalog. Its glossy cover with catchy furniture names, bright colors, and price tags is such a neat addition. The images of the man on the wall add the dash of horror to an otherwise pretty "catalog". As you open the book, you notice that it is also set up like a catalog. Check out the pictures and see for yourself how cool this plays out!






The concept is cool and the layout of the book is awesome. The story is pretty darn good too. It does take a while to get moving, but once you get into the real freaky stuff, it just keeps getting weirder and weirder. I must admit that I cringed and shuddered at a few of the scenes. The catalog also transforms, much like Orsk. No longer are we looking at chapters beginning with descriptions of functional furniture for your home... now we are looking at devices of torture! Here's a little peek:




Overall, the book is neat. It is really an interesting concept and I enjoyed reading it. It is a bit slow to start, but it definitely picks up and is super engaging once it does. It is quite the creepy read. I squirmed more than once! I'd recommend this for your Fall reading list.



About the author:

GRADY HENDRIX is a writer and journalist and one of the founders of the New York Asian Film Festival. A former film critic for the New York Sun, Grady has written for Slate, the Village Voice, Time Out New York, Playboy, and Variety.








write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow


Cover image from Amazon.com
Synopsis, author information, and book information from Quirk Books
All other images my own

3 comments:

  1. Great review! I wanted to read this the first time I saw it because I love books that are scary. Then I saw that it's about a store in Columbus, Ohio and that made me want to read it more since I grew up there. Plus, I love that it's set up like a catalog sinceI also love different. Putting this on my list!

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