DNF @ page 138 (Chapter 10). I was definitely enjoying this, and I will probably take it back out of the library in a few months and try and finish it off, but I just wasn't feeling drawn back to the book so there's no point it sitting by my bed while I ignore it. Included below is the partial review I'd written so far:

I struggle with short stories, even though I really like them in theory, because if I don't love one of them, I'm not pulled into the next one. That's a personal thing though, not an issue with anthologies or this anthology specifically.

I would have loved a table of contents with some little story summaries, or even just separating it out. I read them consecutively, and it was a little weird to orient myself in the story each time because because the vibe from story to story was so different that I had to adjust my mindset and understand the setting. I did like the variety a lot though.

Throttle: 4 stars. Seriously eerie. I find human nature way scarier than the supernatural. I finished this one and flicked back to the start to work out what I missed. The descriptions were really vivid and created a really strong sense of atmosphere and setting. The theme of losing family was scarier than any haunting could have been.

Dark Carousel: 4 stars. I immediately highlighted the reference to "Manx in Christmasland in Colorado". Creepy fucker. Manx, if you don't know, is a character in Joe Hill's NOS4R2, and was super creepy. My review of NOS4R2 is here ( https://inkandplasma.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/review-nos4r2-by-joe-hill/ ) and it's definitely worth a read. Anyway, about this story. Dark Carousel was creepy too. It was a little slow to start, but built up to a really, truly horrifying chase scene in the end, and had a really lasting ending.

Wolverton Station: 2 stars. I felt like Wolverton Station was trying to teach me a lesson, but one that I totally missed/misunderstood. I ended the story feeling a little confused and a lot underwhelmed. It just didn't resonate with me at all, but it was definitely skilfully written.

By the Silver Waters of Lake Champlain: 3.5 stars. This short story didn't scare me, it just kind of made me feel sad. I wanted to know more in the end, too. I liked the characters a lot, but the plot was a bit confusing and felt aimless to me. It also felt like it ended a little too soon, and almost would have been better with an ending like Dark Carousel. It didn't help that I totally misunderstood it at first and spent half the story thinking one of the characters was inexplicably and un-explainedly a robot. That's on me, I was being stupid, but it did not help me feel less confused.

More to come, maybe?