Review of "Latchkey Horrors: Tales of Millennial Madness" Compiled by Desiree Horton
Latchkey Horrors: Tales of Millennial Madness is one of the best Desiree Horton-compiled anthologies I've read up until now.
All the stories are interconnected by one tale that's broken up throughout the book and written by Chisto Healy, which also makes this the most creatively written horror anthology I've read!
This book made me scared of things I've never thought to be scared of, from bicycles to VHS tapes. There were also familiar horror elements, like slashers and known urban legends. Even a reference to Candyman! Which is an incredible film.
Some stories had a little more of a modern twist to them.
My thoughts on each story:
⇝ My top three are in red! ⇜
• Picture Day – Jyl Glenn
So chilling! Reads like something I'd have found online when looking for "true ghost stories" as a kid.
• The Roadmaster – Ross Killey
Very well-written and eerie. I do so love an open ending!
• Building a Mystery – S.E. Howard
The transcript-format is amazing! I really enjoyed the inevitability of the events.
• Forward This Email! – D.L. Winchester
Reminded me of similar "forward-or-die" messages I got as a kid on BBM (Blackberry Messenger) of all things. The story itself was a little comedic; I liked that it was!
• Boulder Canyon Road – Lisa Breann
This too reminded me of the types of stories I'd come across when looking for scary stories online, 10/10 for nostalgia.
• The Ninth Iron – Bray Mattheson
I loved the way this one is written, and the commentary on the divide between rich and poor was done well.
• The Mother Road – Matthew Lutton
The title is so clever when you take the story into consideration! I also appreciated the gory descriptions.
• Spiced With Fear – Richard Raven
"Fun" in the sense that the author took a demonic trope and turned it into something different!
• Skin Deep – Eric Butler
Who doesn't love Bloody Mary? This reminded me a little of the episode Supernatural did on the legend.
• Pepperoni Paulie – Christy Aldridge
Had me glued to the page and holding my breath. Incredible story-telling!
• Some Things You Can’t Unsee – Desiree Horton
The dangers of the internet, but not in the way you'd assume. This story is very stick-in-the-brain, because what do you even do after seeing something like that? (For the sake of not spoling it, I can't tell you what THAT is. Read the book 👀)
An overall favorite is "Tucker's story" by Chisto Healy; taking elements of all the other stories and making them part of another unique story, was *chef's kiss*!
All elements—old and new—worked together to create a book that is timeless, which makes it more terrifying. The implication, to me, is that there's no escaping these latchkey horrors and it doesn't matter when you were born or when you grew up, because they're never-ending.
Highly recommend, highly obsessed. Ending this review with a fitting quote from inside:
"You can only cram so many nightmares into one head."
— The Ninth Iron, Bray Mattheson
