Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know about the Films You’re Too Scared to Watch by Emily C. Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a ton of fun. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the Horror genre. Whether you’re a long-time fan, or someone just dipping your toes into the Horror pool, there’s so much to learn and enjoy here.
It does spoil every movie it discusses by telling you exactly what happens, but that’s the point. The premise behind the book is that it’s written for people who are too scared to watch Horror movies, but don’t want to miss out on all the great cultural significance happening in those works.
I had watched all the movies discussed, so it wasn’t an issue for me, but I felt it was worth mentioning. Also, I feel like it’s formatted in such a way that if it gets to a movie you don’t want spoiled for you, you can easily skip that chapter and return to it after you’ve watched.
Horror is my favorite genre and I do enjoy checking out nonfiction on the topic of its creation, history and nuances. I appreciated the humor the author had with this. It made it so engaging and quick to get through.
I also loved how each chapter covered an influential movie, and at the end of that chapter, the author would give a few book recs for people who either enjoyed the movie, or enjoy the types of themes and tropes explored within the movie.
Overall, this is a great reference guide and resource for people who want to know more about the complex and oft misunderstood genre of Horror.
Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. The audio narration was fantastic and made me feel like I was sitting with narrator having a chat. A fun way to pass the weekend for Horror junkies!