Day: January 3, 2022

Audiobook Review: Jessica’s Thoughts on Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

Horrorstör
Author:
Grady Hendrix

Narrators:
Bronson Pinchot
Tai Sammons
Published:  September 23, 2014
Audiobook

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: December 21-22, 2021
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars

Book Description:

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.

Jessica’s Review:

Grady Hendrix’s novels have not worked for me in the past and the sole reason I gave this one a shot was because it made Kim’s Top 10 of 2021 (And it was free on Audible).  After listening to Horrorstör I can say this: A Grady Hendrix novel that worked for me!!!

I think the main reason why it resonated for me so much was because after I graduated college, I worked at a Target store for almost 3 years until I got my government job, and I still work for local county government.  I identified with the employees of Orsk and understood what they go through each day. 

I know I most likely missed some things listening to the audiobook since the physical novel itself is set up like an IKEA catalog.  Kim even said “If you had read the physical book, then you would have given it 5 stars!” The audiobook did have a PDF document attached, so I did get some of the illustrations that included the featured product at the beginning of each chapter.  One thing to note with the photos, as the novel progresses each featured item becomes creepier than the previous one that corresponds with the story.  

We have two narrators: Bronson Pinchot and Tai Sammons. Pinchot did the narrations that accompanied each photo at the start of each chapter and Sammons narrated the novel.  One character is Amy and I pictured her as America Ferrera from Super Store. These two characters have the same name and attitude! Both narrators did a great job with their narrations!  Pinchot has that voice that is the commercial type but also adds the needed creepiness as the novel progresses. 

Horrorstör doesn’t take itself seriously and you are in for a ride with this novel as it mixes working in the retail environment and the daily nightmares that brings in of itself, along with horror and humor. It’s a fun novel in the creative way it was put together. Hopefully one day I can get a physical copy of it and see what I missed.

Bravo to Hendrix for finally writing a novel that works for me! 

Horrorstör is recommended.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK