I read this just after Halloween so the style and tone of the stories fit well into the holiday atmosphere. I had read most of these tales before but that was not a bad thing for me. Reading the book brought back memories of reading these stories as a child and was a bit of a nostalgic experience for me.

As far as I can remember, I haven't read anything else from this author, and upon seeing her other books on Amazon, I plan to rectify that. Ever since I was a little kid I've always loved spooky stories - ghosts, vampires, etc. Even now they're what I tend to go for.

Unfortunately, I've already read most of the stories in The Spookiest Campfire Stories. Not to say that that is a bad thing, but I was under the impression that these were new stories - and there were a couple that were new-to-me.

Otherwise they were a great collection of fiction, and they were nice to re-read. I'm particularly fond of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. If you've never read anything by S.E. Schlosser, this isn't necessarily the book for you. But if you love spooky campfire stories, this will be a good option to pick if you're ever looking for anything new - either to read anew or as a repeat.

While summer may be over, S. E. Schlosser’s newest book, “The Spookiest Campfire Stories,” still ignites horror and fun for readers.

I have always been a fan of S.E. Schlosser’s work because she and I share the same bond, we both love folklore. Her site American Folklore is one of my favorites to go on, so naturally, I had to read her newest addition, “The Spookiest Campfire Stories.”

One thing I like about Schlosser is she doesn’t sugarcoat these legends. She doesn’t leave out of the gore or horror because it might scare or disgust someone, she leaves that in there because that’s what books like this are supposed to do.
The book is made up of sections, the first being Ghost Stories, Dark Tales, and lastly her favorite classic horror stories. You’ll find tales about the Wendigo, vampires, the devil, bloody mary, and a take on two urban legends, “Don’t Turn on the Lights,” and “The Dead Boyfriend,” which Schlosser retells the tale in an interesting way.

I do want to comment that the illustrations were done by Paul Hoffman, though I sadly didn’t get to see them because I read an ARC from NetGalley.

The book starts off with a ghost story called, “Dispatched.” The tale starts off with a taxi driver talking about the murder of another taxi driver and how a group kills the man who did it (or who they think did it). Well, later in the story the driver has to go to the same place where it happens to pick up someone, who happens to be the man that was wrongfully murdered. Schlosser describes the ghost as “a tall, battered figure, blood-stained, knife-torn clothes, and bloody hands.”

That’s not the only gruesome tale a man throws his wife into a sausage grinder and her ghost is described as if “she had been ground to pieces and then stuffed into a human-size sausage skin.”

So these stories are not for the faint of heart, though I recommend everyone to read them. You don’t need a campfire to enjoy this book, a fireplace will just do just fine.

A perfect read for the crisp fall nights. Full of classic horror/scary stories, this collection provided spooks and scares that were short enough to be read aloud and short enough to read at my own pace. The Illustrations from Paul Hoffman were a delightful addition that added the perfect amount of creep to be left behind in my mind, long after I had finished the stories.

What a great book! I just read it so it was in time for my Halloween celebration. New stories and old are included in this book.. They are short enough that you can read the stories and stop without missing anything. I, personally could not stop reading them until I finished the book.. All the stories were great and I appreciate that the author included old stories as well as new ones. It is well written and a must for those who like scary stories. I received this book from Net Galley and the publisher for a honest review and no compensation otherwise. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Spookiest Campfire Stories by author S.E Schlosser and illustrated by Paul Hoffman is a great October read! Full of spooky dark campfire stories, spooky characters, it’s one you’ll want to pick up when the urge for a scare approaches.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of The Spookiest Campfire Stories in exchange for an honest review.