Suburban Monsters is a collection of 13 short stories by a single author. Maybe the one common thread throughout all the stories (besides the author obviously) is a ‘moment of innocence”. Sometimes it’s the narrator, or an initial intent/purpose, or it’s the scene – but then something happens that makes your stomach drop in the way that makes each story a horror. Full of body horror (a couple which made me squirm), surreal events, and the supernatural.

My favorites were Green Eyes, The Stumblyum Imperative, and A Candle for the Birthday Boy. But your favorites might be something different as there is something for everyone here.

Okay but you need to read this in fall for some spoooooky vibes! The writing in this novel is so incredible it makes me insanely jealous!

While there were definitely a few stories I loved more (STORMS OF THE PRESENT! POPPY! SHADOWMAN!) all fo them held their own and had such incredible tales to tell! Definitely one you can also bring to the campfire and read to your friends in the woods!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

DNF, made it most of the way through before it was archived. the stories were in the middle rating wise. not great but not terrible. would read from the author again

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I enjoyed several of these shorts stories. Each story utilized a specific aspect of the mundanity of everyday life and turned them on their heads with unimaginable horror. Oftentimes, they read as a meditation on the concept of never knowing who your neighbor is, what dark thoughts they’re thinking, who they’ve hurt, who they plan to hurt, and how the interact with their personal horrors. I found that the stories that utilized body horror were some of the strongest and caused me to have a physical reaction. The details were incredibly intricate and artfully written. However, those that meditated on the concept of the serial killer next door felt fairly lackluster. At the same time, they were still enjoyable. Some of these stories (Storms of the Present, The Stumblyum Imperative, and A Candle for the Birthday Boy) are going to stick with me for a very, very long time. I love suburban horror and this collection really hits the nail on the head!

As a horror fan, I’m ashamed to admit that this is the first time I’ve read a collection of short stories like this. I FLEW through them and was enthralled the entire time. The changing of voice in each story was perfectly executed and moved me quickly on to the next. This was particularly compelling for someone who has to take days to move on from a book!

There were some that made me cry, some I didn't understand, and some I couldn't finish.
An interesting collection of short stories and characters.
I received a copy via Netgalley, and all opinions are my own.

This collection had a some gems and very few misses. While there was a wide variety of story types, by the end of the collection I could see an established voice by the author. I give the book, as a whole, 4 out 5. Here are my short reviews for each story.

Green Eyes - (3 out of 5) A child with an interesting and neglected home life does her best to care of her special, sickly mother. This story had a great voice and really felt like it was written by a young child who didn't have a conventional upbringing. Short and concise, each word feels hand-picked in this story.

Moonrise Over Water - (3.5 out of 5) A woman is presented with an extreme, life-changing choice regarding her abusive husband. This story was sad and angry and smothering.

Storms of the Present - (4.5 out of 5) This story made me uncomfortable. It made me anxious. It made me wince. It did exactly what the other set out to do. Sometimes tragic, brutal, and detailed descriptions of what can be done to a human body. The theme and message was quite on the nose here, but that did not take away from the story. The author did not dance around the subject matter at all, but confronted it head-on.

Origin Story - (2.5 out of 5) What super power would you have? Is it a random gift, or cosmic governance? What would you use it for in the real world? Neat premise, but just didn't quite do it for me, specifically the ending.

Poppy - (3 out of 5) Mannequins. This story had a great setup and a voice that felt different than the other stories, bit it fell flat as it neared the end. Still, the descriptions at the end were creepy, especially considering how the story was being told.

Interlude - (3 out of 5) This was a short story about a bizarre transformation. I liked that it wasn't typical, it was downright bizarre and somewhat goofy, but once it became obvious what was going on the novelty of it wore off for me. Since it was such a short story, though, this didn't matter than much.

The Stumblyum Imperative - (4.5 out of 5) A depressed mother, struggling to take care of her child after her husband left her, discovers a strange children's TV show that her daughter watches. I'm a sucker for stories based around bizarre footage, and this one delivered. The atmosphere throughout was somehow overwhelming while still be subtle about it. One of my favorites of this collection.

Shadowman - (4 out of 5) A bullied child, raised by his grandmother from the "old country", is left to fend for himself against his bullies, and things escalate. I could feel the pain of the boy in this story.

Carpenter's Thumb - (3.5 out of 5) A broken thumb can bring a lot more than just pain. This story felt like something that a younger Stephen King would have written. To me, it didn't fit the rest of the stories of the collection well, but it was a good story itself.

Swallow - (4 out of 5) A group of friends cross the line, but not in the way you'd expect, when bullying a classmate. This story had some great, disgusting imagery. Once again, in this collection, the problem of bullying is brought up, but from a different perspective. While it's not necessarily profound, it's a simple premise with a great execution, I think this story will stick with me for a while.

Ten and Gone - (4 out of 5) What could possibly go wrong when robbing a brand new, yet to be lived in house? Read this story to find out!

As a huge horror fan, I was very excited to read Suburban Monsters written by Christopher Hawkins. This is an anthology which showcases the horrors of different aspects of suburban life in thirteen stories. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong as the story took a completely different turn. As with any anthology, there will be hits and misses but the majority of these stories were a hit.

Below are my ratings for each individual story:

Green Eyes: 3 stars
Moonrise Over Water With Sargassum, 2022. Oil On Canvas: 3 stars
Storms of the Present: 5 stars
Origin Story: 2 stars
Poppy: 3 stars
Interlude: 3 stars
The Stumblyum Imperative: 4 stars
Shadowman: 4 stars
Carpenter's Thumb: 4 stars
Swallow: 3 stars
Ten and Gone: 5 stars
Notice: 3 stars
A Candle for the Birthday Boy: 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Coronis Publishing for the advance reviewer copy!

A short story collection about all the horrors that lurk in the dark corners of our suburban landscape.

The stories are sinister and twisted, as well as downright fascinating. They open one’s eyes to the strangeness around us in everyday settings.
Some of my favorite stories from the collection are:
Green Eyes- The story of a young girl going through some trouble at school and her sick mother.

“Moonrise Over Water With Sargassum. 2022. Oil On Canvas.” - A woman and her drunk, prone to violence, husband go to the beach.

Most of the stories are haunting and eerie and I really enjoyed them. As with any short story collection , i did enjoy some more than others.

All in all, a good collection of stories.

A creative and terrifying collection of short horror stories. Some of these were tough to read back to back, especially the body horror one. Overall a solid collection!

3.5/4 out of 5 stars
A creepy collection of stories dealing with dark desires, hidden secrets, and the depths of human depravity.  These tales run the gamut from bullying to body horror, spousal abuse to weird children's television shows.  There were some tales that appealed to me more than others (as with any collection), but I truly liked the writing style and the variety.  I was unfamiliar with Hawkins work before this and now I can't wait to read more by him.

This is an excellent collection of stories, each one more compelling than the last. They make you just uncomfortable enough to get that little tingle in your brain, but fascinating enough to make you keep flipping the pages.

I’m loving the regular genre of multiple short stories and this was another one I’ve enjoyed. This is the first book I’ve read of this author and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more.

This collection of short horror stories was so interesting. Some favorites were “Notice”, “Green Eyes”, and “Shadow”.

There’s definitely something for everyone!

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of these short stories.

I don't read many short stories and I have never read anything from this author so I was not sure what to expect. What a wild ride! These stories we all so different but at the same time all equally disturbing! I really enjoyed Green Eyes, Poppy and Carpenter's Thumb but I think the story that surprised me most was Storms of the Present. When I realized what was going to happen, I felt like I wanted to puke but also I couldn't stop reading. I loved this collection of stories and looks forward to reading more from this author.

Some of the stories were great! Others were a little dragged out. Overall was a good read that was entertaining.

This was deliciously scary. There is quite a selection of situations and characters in the stories and I absolutely loved it. The short story is a great idea for horror / scary stories, short sharp shocks.

I'm kind of torn as to how to rate this one. On the one hand, the author definitely has writing chops, and tells a good story. I enjoyed reading each of these thirteen spooky tales. On the other hand, it hasn't even been a week since I finished the book, and I can't remember a single one of the stories; not a one made enough of an impression to stick in my mind. But . . . I'll assign four stars based on the writer's talent, and the promise of hopefully more memorable works to come.

This just wasn’t the book for me. I requested it without realizing it was a book of short stories, which I am not generally into. I read a couple and enjoyed them for the most part, but ending up DNF. I may go back to it in the future.

I'm a big fan of horror, so I was really excited to read Suburban Monsters. It's a collection of thirteen short stories by Christopher Hawkins, and they're all set in suburban settings. But don't let that fool you, these stories are anything but ordinary.

In each story, something sinister lurks just beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed. There are haunted houses, possessed toys, and even a talking dog. But what I really loved about these stories was the way they played with our expectations. Just when you think you know what's going to happen, Hawkins takes a sharp turn and throws you for a loop.

If you're looking for a good scare, I highly recommend Suburban Monsters. It's a fun, suspenseful read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.