Too Scared to Sleep by Andrew Duplessie
Coming October 12 from Clarion Books; 224 pages
Content Warning: Gore, violence, parental death, cannibalism, murder
About the Author: “Andrew Duplessie is a prolific writer, viral content creator, and tech entrepreneur whose scary stories are devoured online by millions of readers. He lives in New York, NY.” (Bio from HarperCollins website).
Find Andrew Duplessie on the following platforms:
Andrew Duplessie’s debut YA novel, Too Scared to Sleep, is a collection of short horror stories meant to make readers incapable of sleep! Stories range from tales of killer stuffed animals cooking your parents to smartphones controlling users! Readers get a mixture of paranormal, supernatural, techno-horror, and creature features as Duplessie tells tales of teens facing unfortunate fates. To add fuel to the horror, Duplessie ends every story with a poem and a QR code for brave readers to scan and discover blood-curdling videos. Too Scared to Sleep is a test of courage, pushing the limits of the reader’s imagination and tolerance for the macabre and grotesque.
I found Duplessie’s experimentation with animation and horror literature to be an extremely bold and refreshing addition to the horror literary genre. He manages to establish another level of interactivity with his stories, finding a way to bring the most horrifying aspects of each story to life in a short, thrilling animation. Too Scared to Sleep has a little bit of everything in regards to horror, playing with themes of monsters, consequences, technology, and humanity. My favorite sub-section of stories from this book has to be Anatomical Anomalies, where each of its six stories explores different types of technology and their disastrous consequences. The horror stories were very reminiscent of Black Mirror episodes, and I enjoyed reading the horrific twists experienced by the various characters. With that being said, I have to say that this collection of horror stories did not have me hiding under my covers. A handful of the stories felt underwhelming, with the various plots bordering on cliches and suffering from lack of build-up. The level of disturbance and dread simply does not compare to terrifying classics like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. However, for those who want to tiptoe their way into the horror genre, Duplessie’s debut novel is a perfect way to test the waters.
Tereza Rascon, Pine Reads Review Writer, Web Designer & Social Media Manager