Scare Me to Sleep by Devyn Dawson

Scare Me to Sleep Reviews

• 
  Anima

  A copy of a few stories was given for my honest review.
  
  Ballad of Maria Sanchez: Told through song by a mariachi we have the story of a woman still in love with the boy from her childhood. The story telling was different and enjoyable to read.
  China Grove: Thrilling story with an Amityville sort of vibe. As a mom this story made me extra creeped out.
  It Follows: I love ghost hunting shows where people speak of ghost experiences. This has a similar vibe as those shows with somebody following the person home. I definitely had goosebumps reading this one.
  The Maze of the Mind: This one kept me very intrigued. Who did it? Why? Lightning, visions, blood and memories - great thriller.
  Faces in the Wood: Intense and smart. This is the thriller that will keep me up at night.
  Missing and Presumed Lost: The perfect creature feature mixed with folklore and suspense. A bit longer than the others but very intense.
  The Chair: Mysterious and deadly, this was a quick story that keeps your blood chilled.
  Sweet Child: The mind of a very sick person is a scary place to wander.
  
• 
  Joe Bonadonna

  “Scare Me to Sleep” is wonderful anthology of horror stories that should be read by anyone who loves the paranormal . . . as well as a good scare. The stories within, while being dark, horror stories, have a truth and beauty all their own. There are many excellent stories by Nicole Zoltack, Josh Walters, Danielle Lanzarotta, Devyn Danson, and Shebat Legion, to name a few. For me, the stand-out story is “The Ballad of Maria Sanchez,” wherein a wandering Mariachi tells the beautiful, somewhat lyrical but sad story of a dying woman, still in love with a boy from her long ago childhood, and what she asks on her deathbed. Although it bears the mark of the supernatural, it is also a sweet and sensitive tale that aims for the heart and scores a direct hit. Overall, “Scare Me to Sleep” is a lovely anthology, filled with interesting themes and ideas, and it was published for a worthy cause: 100% of the proceeds go to “Reach Out and Read,” an organization giving young children a foundation for success. Bravo!
• 
  shannon Stubbs

  Most were good
  
  Most of the stories were pretty good. Like young person scary. A lot of the stories were about someone under 20. A few gave me the creeps. One I thought was a little meh. Otherwise pretty good collection.
• 
  Terry

  HORROR: Still Not Found
  
  Didn't expect such low level talent. Few had any editing, even those that said they did. Who edited?? A best friend? Nearly stopped reading after the first four! Slogged through to the end but only because a few had good ideas, they just need serious help. None were really good HORROR though.
  
  One story stood out but only because of the setting: Alaska, my home. I really wish wannabe writers would quit using Alaska! WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. Our lands and stories are not for cheechakos. If a person is not from here or has never even visited, then do more than read a few travel guides and bad novels. Do not believe ANY movie made either; to date, none are realistic. Quickie Wiki web searches isn't research. Invariably our Native cultures are mangled beyond hope. The traditions and myths of entirely different Peoples are not interchangeable! Would any Swedes fear the New Jersey Devil? Inupiaq stories have ZERO to do with Yupiq, Aleut, Aleutiq, Tlingkit, Haida or Athabaskan stories. The geographical descriptions are as mixed up as the myths, and NO ONE has names like Plains Indians of the Lower 48! Do your homework or STFU about Alaska. Rotten research ruined what could've been a great read.
  
  Some stories weren't even horror anyway. Psychological thrillers, maybe. Some had GREAT ideas that fizzled out for this reader due to bad mechanics, poor character and plot development and simply awful dialogues. Overall, every writer needs to clean up their stories ... with hardcore bone-crushing EDITING!!! Rip, slash, tear and mutilate the mush! Get down to the blood and guts! It IS horror, right? Most were too long, too verbose. It took away from the gasping, terrifying fear writers were trying to instill. Trying too hard is nearly as bad as not trying at all.
  
  One stars for the effort of creating the anthology, and one for hard work of the writers. Even poor stories are not easy to write. To put your work out for public review? Maybe one more star? After reading the unwarranted and extensive bragging in most of the bios?? Nah. Stephen King uses a shorter bio for his work!
• 
  Julia Handley

  Nicole zoltack- The maze of the mind
  
  I can't even imagine how scary it would be to wake next to a dead friend and not remembering what happened. This is how this short story starts and you follow the young girl trying to escape. Not knowing what happened to your friends and knowing you have to watch your back cause the killer still about.  I liked this story cause you are basically kind of experiencing it with the girl from when she wakes up. You don't even find out her name till near the end. That's because it's just her walking around trying to get to safety and remembering bits and pieces.  I did kind of guess the ending and who the bad guy is, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story.
  
  I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book
• 
  Miranda Frey-myers

  It was a pretty good read.
  
  I've read better but i've also read much worse. Some of the stories would have actually made really good novels.