Book Review - Only If You Dare: 13 Stories of Darkness and Doom by Josh Allen + Giveaway

 

The novel is a collection of thirteen short scary stories. I found most of the stories to be entertaining and clever. The stories were well written and reminded me of R.L. Stine.  The book is perfect for young readers who want to have a bit of thrill without being terrified.

**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy in exchange for an honest opinion**

 

About The Book:

Title: ONLY IF YOU DARE: 13 STORIES OF DARKNESS AND DOOM

Author: Josh Allen, illustrated by Sarah J. Coleman

Pub. Date: August 31, 2021

Publisher: Holiday House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 208

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Thirteen chilling short stories to keep you up at night--but only if you dare.

You never know what's out to get you. Though you might think you're safe from monsters and menaces, everyday objects can turn against you, too. A mysterious microwave. A threatening board game. A snowman that refuses to melt. Even your own heartbeat has its secrets. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. When you stop to listen, each beat sounds more menacing than the last.

Master storyteller Josh Allen brings thirteen nightmare scenarios to life in this page-turning collection that's perfect for budding horror junkies. In his wondrous world, danger waits behind every doorway . . . even in the most ordinary places.

Eerie illustrations by award-winning artist Sarah Coleman accompany the stories, packaged in a stunning hardcover edition complete with glow-in-the-dark jacket. Readers will sleep with one eye open! 

Reviews:

★ "Allen has cemented himself as the heir-apparent of ­Alvin Schwartz; this is the new quick pick for patrons who want more after reading all the classic ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.’. . .A chilling anthology of memorable scares that will leave even the biggest ­horror buffs sleeping with the light on."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Thirteen illustrated short stories range from eerie to totally terrifying. Each tale stands completely alone, but a strong sense of foreboding, unease, and utterly chilling twists runs through the collection. . . . intrepid tweens and teens who enjoy a thrill will be thoroughly sucked in."—The Horn Book

"Twisty, terrifying, and oh-so fun! Just when you think you’re safe, Josh Allen brings on the scares. From monstrous microwaves to carnivorous pillows, you’ll never look at life the same way again."—Kim Ventrella, author of The Secret Life of Sam

"Horror fans will enjoy this spine-tingling selection. . . ."—Publishers Weekly

"This delightfully dark and spine-tingling anthology will keep young readers and horror lovers on the edge of their seats."—Booklist

"An excellent offering for young people looking for real scares that don’t condescend to them or pander to adult anxieties about what might be ‘too scary.’ This book will fly off the shelves."—Kirkus Reviews

 

About Josh Allen: 

Josh Allen checks under his bed before switching off the light each night. During the day, he teaches creative writing and literature at Brigham Young University-Idaho. His debut book for young readers, Out to Get You, received two starred reviews and was a Junior Library Guild selection. He lives in Idaho with his family.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

About Sarah Coleman: 

Sarah Coleman was an early pioneer of hand lettering and has illustrated covers for many renowned books, including the 50th anniversary edition of To Kill a Mockingbird and Newbery Honor-winner Wolf Hollow. Her design clients range from Coca Cola and Starbucks to The New York Times. She lives in the UK.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram |Goodreads

 

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of ONLY IF YOU DARE: 13 STORIES OF DARKNESS AND DOOM, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/27/2021	BookHounds YA	Excerpt
9/27/2021	Pick a good book	Excerpt
9/28/2021	YA Books Central	Excerpt
9/28/2021	The Pages In-Between	Review
9/29/2021	popthebutterfly reads	Review
9/29/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
9/30/2021	Nerdophiles	Review
9/30/2021	@coffeebooksandmascara	Review
10/1/2021	Locks, Hooks and Books	Review
10/1/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review

Week Two:

10/4/2021	FyreKatz Blog	Review
10/4/2021	two points of interest	Review
10/5/2021	The Bookwyrm's Den	Review
10/5/2021	@bookisheclectic	Review
10/6/2021	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
10/6/2021	hauntedbybooks	Review
10/7/2021	@jypsylynn	Review
10/7/2021	@amysbooknook8	IG Post
10/8/2021	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review
10/8/2021	My Fictional Oasis	Review

Book Reviews - The Toot Fairy by Mark Huffman and Cheesemaker Durdsden by Mark Huffman + Giveaways!

 

 

About The Books:

Title: THE TOOT FAIRY

Author: Mark Huffman, Dawn Davidson (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: February 9, 2021

Publisher:  Brown Books Kids

Pages: 32

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

 'A good giggle. In this day and age, it's fun to read something so...'refreshing'!''

- Craig Smith, Award-Winning International Bestselling Author of The Wonky Donkey

''Sorry, Walter the Farting Dog. I think it's fair to say that this is probably the best picture book about toots I've ever read. Take my advice and put away your scruples. You shouldn't turn up your nose at this.''

- Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal

''Wish I had thought of it first!''

- Adam Rex, Author/Illustrator of On Account of the Gum

When it's time for Jessa the fairy to proclaim what kind of fairy she wants to be, she accidentally says ''toot'' instead of ''tooth!'' Now she'll be in charge of finding all the toots from all the bottoms in the world. This is not exactly what she had in mind..

My Thoughts -

Jessa is a fairy and she is excited that she will get to choose what type of fairy she wants to be. However, she was so nervous she said "toot" instead of "tooth!" Now Jessa is tasked to finding all the toots from the bottoms of people all around the world.

The book was a fun and cute read. It was colorful and had a cute message. Little kids will love the humor while parents can appreciate the message, sometimes things don't work as planned but, you can make the best out of a situation.

 

Title: CHEESEMAKER DURDSDEN

Author: Mark Huffman, Dawn Davidson (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: May 4, 2021

Publisher:  Brown Books Pub Group

Pages: 32

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

 

Cheesemaker Durdsden could hardly be called a cheesemaker, with how bland, rubbery, and flavorless his cheese tasted. And so, in order to better his skills and silence the critics, he went in search of any and every cheesemaking technique he could learn. That way, he could make cheese to be envied by every cheesemaker, and savored by every cheese enthusiast. Now he's back with new skills, and some suspiciously delicious--deliciously suspicious--cheese to prove it. How could a man with such boring cheese before now make this tasty cheesy treat? You'll never guess what fabled creature holds the secret to Cheesemaker Durdsden's sudden success!

My Thoughts - 

Cheese-maker Durdsden isn't known for his cheese. His cheese is bland, flavorless, and has the consistency of rubber. He decides to go on a journey to improve his technique. He hopes to become the envy of every cheese-maker and taster.  Durdsden has returned with a new cheese that is delicious and everyone wants a piece of. The townspeople are suspicious because he was known to having yucky cheese before and now he has the most delicious cheese.

I thought the book was a fun but, a gross read. The illustrations were beautiful but, I wish that the illustrations were a bit more diversified. I had a feeling I knew where the book was going but, it was still a fun reveal. Young readers will enjoy reading the story while, adults might lose their appetite for cheese.

 

About Mark:

Mark Huffman writes about our shared human experiences, which is a pretentious way to say that he writes about toots and bottoms and food. He prepared for writing children's books by spending much of his early life as an actual child. Unlike other children's authors he might name who have spuriously claimed the title, he is a real doctor. He lives with his family in Texas.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of THE TOOT FAIRY & CHEESEMAKER DURDSDEN, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

4/26/2021	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review
4/27/2021	Lisa-Queen of Random	Guest Post
4/28/2021	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
4/29/2021	A Dream Within A Dream	Guest Post
4/30/2021	Two Points of interest	Review
5/1/2021	LittleRed Reads	Review

Week Two:

5/2/2021	@bookshelfmomma	Review
5/3/2021	The Adventures of a Travelers WIfe	Review
5/4/2021	pick a good book	Review
5/5/2021	michellemengsbookblog	Review
5/6/2021	The Momma Spot	Review
5/7/2021	BookHounds Ya	Review
5/8/2021	Nighttime Reading Center	Review

Week Three:

5/9/2021	I'm Shelfish	Review
5/10/2021	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
5/11/2021	Jaime's World	Excerpt
5/12/2021	cindysloveofbooks	Review
5/13/2021	booksaremagictoo	Review
5/14/2021	Do You Dog-ear?	Review
5/15/2021	Nerdophiles	Review

Week Four:

5/16/2021	Jillpiscitello	Spotlight
5/17/2021	celiamcmahonreads	Review
5/18/2021	My Fictional Oasis	Review
5/19/2021	Geauxgetlit	Review
5/20/2021	Books and Zebras @jypsylynn	Review
5/21/2021	Book-Keeping	Review