I’m not going to lie, I choose this book by its cover. I saw the spooky camera and had instant flashbacks to reading Goosebumps by moonlight after my parents sent me to bed. (And I wonder why my eyesight is garbage!) One of my favorites was Say Cheese and Die, about a camera that kills people.
Ghost Camera was much more similar to those books than I expected. First, this is not one story but a series of short stories and I really enjoyed the bite sized tales. I think it is best to go into this book mostly blind, so I’ll just give my thoughts.
This one gets 3.5 stars because the stories were very hit and miss. The titular Ghost Camera story is the longest and my least favorite. Everything feels rushed and the characters are flat. If you read the opening author’s note, you’ll see this is some of thier early work so that makes sense. There are, however, some that were atmospheric and unsettling. My favorite is called Death Birds. I had to put the book down for a moment when I finished it. The final story in the book is very “The Ring”-esk, which scared me to death as a teen and the story didn’t disappoint.
This one is probably a great book for those dark evenings in October. Quick, short, scary stories that are easy to read in one sitting. May I remind everyone that if something says DO NOT XYZ, be it read, watch, listen, for the love of God don’t. Some of us didn’t watch enough horror movies, and it shows.
Get Ghost Camera from bookshop.org here.
Discover more from Stressy Lemon
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
