Come as you are by Steven Ramirez.
Ivan Stein isn’t sure he can survive seventh grade, let alone middle school. Living in a town known for its poverty and violence, he is regularly bullied along with his best friend, Ollie. But fortunes can change.One day, Ivan finds an old notebook in an abandoned locker at school. Despite a stark warning, he takes the book and unleashes powerful magic he can use to punish his enemies.But demonic forces control the book’s pages—a terrifying evil that will inflict suffering on the good as well as the bad and take Ivan’s soul as payment.Life is hard, and people get hurt. But for Ivan, some things are better left alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Read In one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I did like Ivan and Ollie. 5*.

YA supernatural horror was a genre I read a lot of back in the day but haven't read much from recently but Come As You Are reminded me of Pandora's box and the consequences of seeking revenge. The short novel part of this story was beautifully executed and well written but the short stories just adding that little something extra, that really made the book outstanding.

A solid read all around. I especially enjoyed the title novella. The stories are good, too. Recommend!

This book sounded great: 10 horror short stories by a new author. Why not?
The first story, "Come As You Are" - was amazing. Enthralling, great characters, supernatural elements on top -I loved it!-, but, unfortunately, it was as far as good as this collection went

I found the other stories really disappointing. It was clear for me that the author had great ideas for them, but he just couldn't make them work. The other 9 stories were too short or really poorly developed to have the same impact as the first one had, so I reached a time where I was just waiting to finish this book.

"Walker", the last story, however, was a surprise. It was actually good, and considering its lenght, it was well-developed.

Overall, I'd rather prefer this book to have less stories that were better, than all these 10 whose majority was bad.

I loved this collection of 9 short stories and novella. I especially enjoyed "Come As You Are" the novella at the beginning of the collection. I was drawn in immediately and devoured Ivan's story. I would love if this novella could be further expanded into a novel. This collection contains something for every type of horror fan.

TThis book had some good story lines but I felt a little cheated when each short story finished and felt they deserved more time. It was a little like getting on a train, settling down for a long trip only to find out it doesnt go any further than the next stop.
Normally I am a fan of horror stories though since reading this book have realised short doesnt appeal to me. I feel this is why I struggled to finish the book and that is no fault of the author. Readers who enjoy horror short stories should find this one a perfect fit.
I was unsure which rating as I did not want to unfairly prejudice some one else from reading this book anymore than I already have.

Come as You are is a short roughly 60 paged story and other short books follow after. I really enjoyed the first short story. It's a good easy read and a good length for when you need a break between work or house chores.

A great selection of amazing horror stories. Loved it.

Come As You Are is a fantastic collection of horror stories that left me wanting more.

Genre - Horror Short Stories
Pages - 188

“Come As You Are & Other Short Stories” by Steven Ramirez is a novella and 9 short stories of some of the creepiest gore I’ve read. From demons in a school locker to a lunatic sleepwalking Mother, this book will cover just about all your horror yearning needs. Each story is intense and on the edge of your seat reading. I had a few favorites the title story among them and I was also quite impressed with “A Bone In The Throat” and “Rigino Sings”. I enjoyed them all actually, but those are standouts for me. This is my first read by Steven Ramirez, but with a collection like this I look forward to discovering more of his title. I snagged a copy of this book from NetGalley and for that I am so very grateful. I look forward to getting to know this talented horror writer.

From the back cover: “Ivan’s innocent and unwitting flirtation with the demonic is first-rate supernatural horror. Ramirez’s characters are beautifully defined, particularly Ivan and Hershey, the school janitor, who turns out to be much more than that. His plot is beautifully scripted and the suspense and supernatural dread emanating throughout this story make it impossible to put down until the last page is read.” —Readers’ Favorite

“A chilling YA horror novella. There is no telling what direction this novella is going to swing, as the surprises come quickly. Come As You Are is successful at sending chills down your spine over the course of a fast and enjoyable read.” —Self-Publishing Review

“Out of all the elements I liked about the collection, it is the character display that stood out the most. Ramirez truly is a master at bringing his cast to life, and then binding you to their ordeal. Overall, I think it is a stunning collection many readers will enjoy.” —Horror Palace

Some things are better left alone.

Ivan Stein isn’t sure he can survive seventh grade, let alone middle school. Living in a town known for its poverty and violence, he is regularly bullied along with his best friend, Ollie. But fortunes can change. One day, Ivan finds an old notebook in an abandoned locker at school. Despite a stark warning, he takes the book and unleashes powerful magic he can use to punish his enemies. But demonic forces control the book’s pages—a terrifying evil that will inflict suffering on the good as well as the bad and take his soul as payment.

Come As You Are is supernatural horror reimagined as Young Adult fiction. But don’t be fooled. Its violence will disturb you and its depiction of people living in a gloomy, desolate town without hope will make you cry. Pray that Ivan and his family can survive this dark, perilous journey.

Also in this collection:

“Nailed It”
“Brown the Recluse”
“I’ve Been Better”
“A Bone in the Throat”
“Regino Sings”
“A Proper Revenge Takes Time”
“Something to Hold”
“The Widow and Her Magician”
“Walker”

Disturbing, horrifying, terrifying and macabre these are just some of the adjectives that are used when describing this page turning collection of stories by the excellent Steve Ramirez, the Los Angeles writer who you may know from the horror thriller series "Tell me when I'm dead".

In all there are ten short stories of varying length and each show the accomplishment of the writer. The opening story which is the title of the book is the longest and is written in the first person of a school teenager encountering supernatural forces. This has many shock horror comedy elements and is certainly not for the squeamish of you.

Like many horror short stories it is the last line that stays in the mind and "A bone in the throat" is a good illustration of this.

So if you like a good scare I would recommend that you give this a try and I believe that you will not be disappointed

This collection of horror short stories started out with a lot of promise, but fell short. I appreciated the twists in the stories, but the writing style just didn't quite land.

Come as you are is a book which contains 10 short stories. The first and longest story is titled "Come as you are." Of all the stories, this was my favorite. I wished it was more than a short story. I would have loved for this to be longer. This story could have progressed with others acquiring Craig's list. As for the other stories, most of them ended so abruptly I was left looking for more. Not in the same way as the first story. For some of these, I felt like there was really no ending. Perhaps this is what Mr. Ramirez was looking to achieve. Being the cynic that I am, I wonder if a true ending simply eluded him. The writing style was very enjoyable and as I stated the first story was very good. I wanted more of this story in a good way. Most of the other stories left me wanting more, but as more of an explanation or a wrapping up of the story. Many people may appreciate the ambiguity of these stories, so please do not let my confusion stop you from giving this book a chance.

This is a solid collection of short horror stories.

Grim, gruesome, and buckets of fun, Ramirez's book will whet the appetites of genre buffs, but it will also, doubtlessly, lure new victims to the genre, who will be easy prey to the transformation into horror fans.

Do you remember what it was like at school when you were in seventh grade? If you weren't in the popular group, I suspect that you may have. What if you and your best friend were bullied would you do? Go to your parents for help? I don't think so. Ivan finds a way to get revenge or at least thinks he has? How did he do it? Will he change? It's an excellent novella.

This book is a collection of stories including one novella and nine stories. They are all exquisite horror stories. They all move quickly and are all types of different horror. Some of it is graphic but not all. The plots are unpredictable and full of surprises. Even though this is marketed for young adults, I think adults would enjoy them as much as I did. The author has a new fan!

Come as You Are is an interesting collection of horror short stories by author Steven Ramirez. It fits neatly into the young adult subgenre. There are a few very interesting tales in the mix, but they’re balanced out by a handful of weaker ones so that the whole collection as a whole feels somewhat mediocre. I would be interested in reading more of the author’s work, just perhaps in longer novels instead of a collection.

Come as You Are, the title novella of this collection, was an interesting middle-grade-ish horror story. I had trouble believing some of the adult mindset of the twelve year old protagonist, but other than that, no real picks. I think pretty much every kid that’s ever been bullied has wished they had a way to get back at the bullies. Come as You Are was a warning about being careful what you wish for. Well written and doesn’t hold back on the disturbing imagery.

Nailed It was a bit weird. Adult-ish characters on a plane, and one of them tells the other a disturbing story. Not really much to stay about it.

Brown the Recluse was disturbing. This version of Spiderman could give readers nightmares if they have even a touch of arachnophobia. Very, very creepy, and well-told in the few pages it was given. Surreal. It’s definitely the type of story to linger in your mind.

I’ve Been Better wasn’t very good. It was one of those stories that leave you wondering “What the …” The author tries to put in a twist at the end that just really doesn’t make sense, considering how everything is laid out.

A Bone in the Throat was definitely different. I knew where it was heading pretty quickly, but the author managed to surprise me with the sheer savagery of what happened in the end. It’s the type of revenge that lasts for a long, long time. A very satisfying read that left me smiling at the end. Good to see someone like that get what’s coming to them.

Regino Sings – It seems to be a theme in this collection of how bad things you do come back to bite you in the butt. Regino Sings had an interesting concept in the man with the mechanical mouth, and how he thinks it has it all, only to have everything turned around on him. But, it’s one of the weaker stories in the collection with no lasting power.

A Proper Revenge Takes Time was ‘ok’. I liked the idea behind it, and it was something I haven’t read much about in horror stories. However, it just didn’t have much of an impact. It was a skim-type read that fled my mind almost as soon as I’d finished it.

Something to Hold was… honestly, it was so boring I don’t even want to write any more about it. Let’s just say interesting idea, weak execution. Moving on.

The Widow and Her Magician was a fun read. I giggled at one of the scenes where a saying is taken literally. A bit risqué and off-beat, it was a nice counterpoint to the three weaker ones that had come before it.

Walker was solid read showing the talent that came through in Brown the Recluse. It’s a disturbing tale based off an old superstition. The scenes are worded perfectly, and the imagery will stay in the reader’s mind.

Overall, it was worth the read just for some of the stories like Brown the Recluse and Walker. The rest are fairly forgettable, but it was only a few hours of reading, so easy to get through regardless.

This book does what so few modern horror tales can accomplish - it gives you realistic characters facing horrors that, ultimately will seem just a bit too real.

Getting your evil spells from Craig's List is never a good idea. Great middle school read for those reluctant readers who like creepy stories.

It's times like this that I wish I was a writer myself, so that I could more adequately describe how much I enjoyed this book and why any horror lover should be dropping everything to read this as soon as it becomes available. I mean seriously do yourself a favor and clean up your "to be read list"
The title story "Come As You Are" really grabbed me. I mean who doesn't hate a bully? Ivan is having a rough time at school, and when he finds a notebook belonging to a former student who was also bullied before he disappeared.. who can blame him for taking a peek? Revenge is not always sweet as Ivan finds out the hard way. This was an excellent story. It may say "young adult fiction" but to me it was just plain classic horror. It would have made for a great episode of Tales From The Crypt. I mean if Tales hadn't had so many clunkers and so few good episodes. If it is "young adult" it is only because it is horror without sex scenes and when you are being this entertained you don't need them. When it ended I thought to myself sure, here comes the bland filler stories to make this novel length. I will now admit that thought was WRONG. Nothing here is empty filler. Every single story is a creepy little gem. There's a man who has a new lease on life after recovering from oral cancer, in fact he's so happy he's singing, but heaven help you if you hear him. You may want to put your ear plugs in. Don't even get me started on what can happen if you wake a sleep walker. Everyone knows not to do that right? Unfortunately some don't believe until it's too late.
Do you have a fear of spiders? Not necessarily the big giant invaders of arachnophobia, but what about the little spider you can't see? The one that's hiding in your home right now, maybe plotting against you. I don't want to go on and on, giving away too much. I will just say if you have read my reviews you know I don't rate 5 stars often or lightly. Come As You Are gets a big fat freaky and frightening 5 out of 5 stars from me.