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roadtripreader 's review for:

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
4.0
dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Orsk the beautiful store version of purgatory   

Okay but this book had me literally side-eyeing ALL of ikea yesterday and I couldn't postpone my shopping trip because like a genius I decided that watching enough silent-vlogs on "slow living hygge" and Alexander Gater videos prepared me for a quick redesign of my study. So off I went to do a quick shop because if ORSK has taught me anything it's that I will not be had by those tricky retail pyschologist's maze. No siree. I will not be disappearing into an Orsk only to become dinner for the Fae or stuck between dimensions in a never ending loop between Office and Living Room.

Plot/Storyline:   I loved the incorporate of the corporate booklet, Larsen Orsk Memoir and the parroting of Corporate Speech which I swear is really just devil's speech. I loved the Faux-Scandi Furniture and the ominious intro to each piece. What are you selling, a storage bin or a portal to hell hmm?

It's so damn quoteable. I love books I can reference in everyday conversation and wait to see who picks up on it.

Characters:   I kept picturing the crazy crew at Superstore (NBC) for the first chapter but as I settled and got to know Orsk Crew: Sycophant Basil, shifty Amy, Sweet Ruth Ann, Sassy Trinity and Suave Matt - I grew to see them in the funhouse horror light of the Orsk store.

Oh yeah - terrible decision-making skills from everyone.

Significant  scene:  Matt and Amy lost in the labyrinth that is Orsk and resorting to trusting the camera to guide them.

Significant Quote/Concept:

“I believe a ghost is a subjective experience. It doesn’t have an objective reality. It exists solely in the perceptions of the people who see it.” (Matt on being absolutely wrong about Orsk's entity)

Orsk is all about scripted disorientation. The store wants you to surrender to a programmed shopping experience. (Matt on retail psychology)

● The "What?" Scene between Basil, Ruth Anne and panicked Amy. I could just see Basil and it was hilarious.

“There’s nothing waiting inside but retail slavery, endless exploitation, and personal subjugation to the whims of our corporate overlords.” (Matt on punctuality)

StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Horror books by 2025