Tales from Valleyview Cemetery by John Brhel

Tales from Valleyview Cemetery Reviews

• 
  Marie

  I loved this book! I started reading it and couldn't hardly put it down as I wanted to keep reading the stories. Favorite stories were: The Caretaker, All Hallow's Eve, Out to Lunch, Vermin, Easy Prey, Moria's Homecoming, and One Foot in the Grave. Four stars for this one!
• 
  Quentin Wallace

  This was a pretty cool collection of stories. They are all set around Valleyview Cemetery, and many of the stories take place IN the cemetery. The time frames all different, as we have modern stories, stories from the 80s, older stories etc. Each one is pretty spooky, and overall this is a cool collection. There's even an appendix that linked the stories together, but I really was expecting a little more interaction between the stories.
  
  Overall though a very entertaining and spooky short story collection that I recommend.
• 
  Bandit

  This was a random and surprisingly enjoyable Kindle freebie find. I like the general idea of setting an anthology around a theme or geographical location. This is the case of a latter, a small town and its spooky, spooky cemetery. Both places are tucked away somewhere sleepy and upstate, but have a dark past, occult leanings and seriously disturbing occurrences. These are the stories of locals who dare set their foot beyond the cemetery gates. Ghouls to zombies, they cover a wide range of genre standards. Each tale is short, entertaining and even has a moral. There’s enough gore and guts for genre fans, but nothing over the top, which is why I suppose the description says it’s appropriate for both adult and teen audiences. It definitely doesn’t have the dreaded YA appeal to it, though, and in no way is insulting to the intelligence of mature readers. The stories seem to draw their inspiration from author’s personal origins and travels, be sure to read the afterword to learn more about this, the real places behind the fiction and so on. I actually think it gives the stories something extra, those sort of real life connections. The writing is more descriptive than internalized, which is to say it’s narrated like campfire stories in a way, more factual then based on the characters’ mental states and so on, but not always, sometimes you actually get to know them more. Either way, the tales are too brief for any more psychology than that, which is fine. They work as they are. Some originality and/or quality takes on familiar scenarios. Quite good, actually. I’m be interested in checking out authors’ other work. Fun quick read for a dark October night. Recommended.
• 
  Elizabeth Sagewood

  This was a fantastic collection of short stories, all involving a different set of characters and different plot but all revolving around the same cemetery. It was like the cemetery itself was alive in the stories in its own creepy way.
  Like any short story collection, I liked sone stories much better than others but most had great twist endings and some had a good level of gut churning gore.
  I will definitely be reading the next book in this collection. It’s a creepy good time
• 
  Amber Rose

  It was good, but I thought it'd be scarier.
• 
  Jeanine

  Very good collection of stories centered around a cemetery.
• 
  Pete

  I recently read "Tales From Valleyview Cemetery" expecting something along the lines of Alvin Schwartz's "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark." There are some similarities - namely, the author's knack for suspense and unpredictability, and the fact that many of the short stories borrow elements of traditional ghost stories and legends.
  
  The thing about "Valleyview" that sets it apart is that the book's 17 stories can be read individually, collectively, and in any order, yet contain a unifying theme that binds them all together. Additionally, a handful of the characters and many of the locations reappear throughout the stories. The book also contains several appendices and notes that enhance the reading experience by creating a fictional historical context while also explaining the authors' influences behind each individually tale.
  
  As for the stories themselves, I won't spoil anything, but note that they do contain an array of ghosts, shamans, zombie-like creatures, and many others, plus many human elements - list, greed, the conflict of loyalty vs betrayal, and good ol' fashioned murderous revenge. A healthy dose of humor is sprinkled in at just the right times to keeps things entertaining.
  
  I'd definitely recommend "Tales From Valleyview Cemetery" to teens and adults alike. I've read the entire collection multiple times, and believe this book is something a reader would find as thrilling on his tenth read as on his first.
• 
  Purvi Petal

  3.5 st⭐rs out of 5 st⭐rs
  Bleak but not bizarre, deadpan macabre. I guess, it is meant more for the first timers and early readers of creepy chillers. That is how
  Tales From Valleyview Cemetery is like.
  
  
  
  
  I read it, liked it in parts, but you hardly can enjoy ghost stuff if it is too morbidly real and maybe even predictable. It is not a bad pick, but not exactly a turn on for shivers.
  Like anecdotes, incidences, accidents, reported and compiled. Eerie yes, sometimes even sinister. Ghostly that leaves you aghast because it could be a real revelation of haunting and haunted, is its level of authentic feel, that I can guarantee.
  Try it on a night when you feel like having a date with the shady shadowy present of those who made themselves past tenses, maybe it won't leave you scared but spooked, yeah.
  Not for the hardcore paranormal fans, it's comparatively a light read for them.
  I got a reviewer's copy from the owner and I thank them for their patience as I have been extremely caught up with some terrible circumstances at home.
• 
  Jennifer Kirkwood (Levac)

  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. See more reviews at GenuineJenn.com
  
  I love a good ghost story! I have always loved those short ghost stories from my childhood, those scary stories to tell in the dark or by the campfire. This book delivers just that, a selection of scary stories about ghosts, demons and occult. They are all tied to this one cemetery, Valleyview. Some have other tie ins but mainly it is the cemetery itself that is the big connector. It is fun to read one story and later read another that has one of the same characters or dinner etc in it also.
  
  Full of suspense, unpredictable plots and the thrill of wondering what will happen next, I loved this book. You can easily read one or two stories quickly and then put it down and come back to it whenever you have the chance. This is great for people who only have a few minutes here and there to read. It is really hard to say which stories where my favourites but I would have to say the one with the teen that would hang out in the grave yard with his "dead" friends and also the last one about a medium.
  
  I would really like to read more from John and Joseph and also more Tales from Valleyview. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars! Some great spooky tales for teens and adults.
• 
  Jay

  This is a passable collection of interconnected horror stories, centering around a small-town cemetery. Many of the stories are cliches, old saws we've all seen before, but these are actually the best of the lot, having the proper rhythms and structures to them. The attempts at new stories get a little lost, or too abrupt.
  The book, as a whole, reminds me of
  The Uncanny Valley: Tales from a Lost Town by
  Gregory Miller, but not nearly as good. The parallels are numerous, but this is the lesser book in every regard. The stories are less original, the setting not nearly as well explored, the characters much flatter, and the unifying threads much less satisfying.
  On the other hand, this does have a certain charm to it, and I could see it being a decent intro to horror. There is some violence and profanity, as well as sexul themes, but nothing major. A ten-to-twelve-old range would handle it fine, and would probably be less critical of the execution here, but they would be better served elsewhere.
• 
  Iesha (In east shade house at...)

  Tales From Valleyview Cemetery was a really good read. The stories centers about Valleyview Cemetery, and are told in a spooky yet enticing to read. I personally would love to see a series out of these. They remind me of The Twilight Zone.
• 
  Madelon

  TALES FROM VALLEYVIEW CEMETERY is a collection of interconnected stories where all variety of ghosts and ghoulies come out to play. For the most part, the cemetery is the glue that binds these tales with place as protagonist.
  
  These stories run the gamut of what-happened-in-the-cemetery possibilities running from basic ghost, to demonic ritual, to full-fledged demon.
  
  One thing that I noticed is that most of the stories end very abruptly. That can be quite jarring, not to mention unsatisfying. Short stories can leave you speculating on what more may have happened, but these end like a song cut short or music that fails to trail off.
  
  The writing and editing are quite good, so if you enjoy a good ghost story and would like to see what other bad things can happen in a small town cemetery, I suggest a visit to the Valleyview Cemetery sometime soon.
• 
  Keith

  Okay, the last time I really remember being scared, turning on every light and making sure every window and door was locked scared, was was I was eleven or so and 'borrowed' my sister's copy of The Amityville Horror. There's been other times when I got spooked by a book but never downright terrified like Amityville did to a little kid.
  That being said there are some pretty good stories in Tales From Valleyview Cemetery. It's well written. Even the 'meh' stories that just acted like filler weren't horrible. I was happy to read every short story in this collection and as a whole, my advice is not to go into that place. From zombies, ghosts, demons and human sacrifice it's got it all and more. It may not have kept me up in terror but it did keep me up reading late into the night.
• 
  Lolapaige

  I liked this collection. It was a good bunch of stories without stooping to the level of sex and gore(thank you!). The only complaint I have is in one of the stories (I'll not give it away) Willie is left a hat by his friend Leonard. Later in the story the hat is attributed to Jimmy. Little things like that bother me. But I'm also OCD so it may not bother a normal person.
• 
  MrsPyramidhead

  Pretty decent book I enjoyed this much more than Cemetary Gates Year One. Writing was smooth and stories were decent. Not bad and a quick read.
• 
  Elisse Sharpe

  3.5 stars. quick read. interesting stories.
• 
  David Burnham

  An interesting, enjoyable collection of short stories based on a common theme.
• 
  Lizzie the Book Hoarder

  Spooky collection of short stories that revolve around the town of Lestershire and the Valleyview Cemetery.
• 
  Meg

  A one-sit read
  
  Loved these stories. The more I read, the more connected I felt to each of the stories and the town.
• 
  Meredith Durfy

  Disclaimer: I was given this book by Cemetery Dance Magazine in exchange for a review and payment. I will review each story individually and then the entire anthology so you can skip those if you want. Angel Music; Angel Music was the first story in the anthology. I felt the writing was very weak and it wasn't very scary. I felt this way because I knew almost nothing about the main character. I knew her name was Brenda and she was not originally from the town. I had no reason to care about her. The author seem to be more interested in describing everything in detail than establishing the main character. The story if I hadn't told you already is about a woman who walks into a cemetery after hearing music coming from there and bad things happen. I also had a problem with the monsters, creepy children are already cliche and there is nothing scary about them. Overall the plot and writing were weak and it was overly anticlimactic. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
• 
  Kathryn

  Tales from Valleyview Cemetery is a fun, quick read, although I liked my previous read by the authors, Corpse Cold, a bit better. Valleyview could could have benefitted from more of Corpse Cold's eerie illustrations, which served to spice up even the lesser tales.
  
  There are some really good ones here though. My particular favorite was All Hallow's Eve, about a rude, bickering couple. I also loved former caretaker Charlie's appearances in The Caretaker and Pact and Principal. His recurring character was pretty lovable and entertaining.
  
  Overall, even though I preferred Corpse Cold, I still really enjoyed Tales from Valleyview Cemetery and will definitely be reading more from these authors.
  
  
  Warning: This one does have some animal death (admittedly possessed demon animals, but still).
  Also, I wasn't thrilled by the portrayal of an anxiety sufferer in one of the stories.
• 
  Jennifer

  Received a free copy for honest review.
  
  Tales from the Valleyview Cemetery is a book of short stories that revolve around the cemetery in a small town. The stories can be read individually but they all interconnect with each other. Many of the stories are inspired by traditional ghost stories and myths. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the notes section at the back of the book, the authors give us a little more information about what inspired the story etc....Overall I enjoyed this book.
• 
  E.Y.E.-D

  I picked this up after having read Marvelry's Curiosity Shop and At The Cemetery Gates: Year One.
  In this collection the stories were all just good. It was a quick read so definitely worth it but only one of the stories really stood out for me and that was "Other Voices, Other Tombs". Something about this particular story was super creepy to me. I would recommend this for anyone who wants a quick entertaining read.
• 
  Karel

  Ghosts Abound
  
  The stories are interesting but some leave you wanting for more. A bit more information on some of the stories would have helped but overall intriguing.
• 
  Marie

  Overall I found the book to be amateurish. While some of the stories were enjoyable others left the reader without any sort of ending as if the writer simply stopped and never picked the story back up again. I believe it would have benefitted from having an editor to catch a few of the mistakes that would pop out at inopportune moments, continuity issues, and the missing endings.
  
  That said, I would willingly recommend the book to others and reread it as well. I enjoyed the extra information found in the Appendixes and notes. I think my all time favorite of the stories was Pact and Principle and how it pulled elements from the other stories together and my favorite character is Charlie and would love to see more stories that include the old caretaker.