I’d never read this author before, but the description sounded interesting and it’s only 228 pages, so I thought I give it a go.
I’m so glad I did, I loved it!

The writing is smooth and easy to read, and the stories were so compelling I found it hard to put down, there is a good mix of creepy and unsettling stories.
I’ve already pick up more of Christopher Hawkins short stories.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.*

I liked that all the stories were short. All had very good detail and were able to keep the attention of the reader. All very different stories.

Suburban monsters is a collection of short stories. My favorites were Poppy and A Candle for the Birthday Boy. Would recommend to readers that maybe want a little horror story to read.

**Thank you to NetGalley, Coronis Publishing, and Christopher Hawkins for allowing me to review this eARC**

This was the first time I read a collection of horror short stories, and I was not disappointed.

Christopher Hawkins has been able to create eerie and uncomfortable stories that make you wonder just what is going on in the average suburban neighborhood.

The pacing is excellent, keeping you engaged from the first paragraph. The stories take you to places you could hardly imagine, and often leave your face twisted in disgust. There were two stories that did not hold my interest as well as the others, so this got 4 stars from me. Fun read!

3⭐
This was a fine collection of horror short stories. Usually collections don't work for me. It is rare I find a favorite. This one was really good, and entertaining. I'd you like domestic horror check this one out.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This short story anthology was a roller coaster. At the beginning of every single story, I was lulled into a false sense of security even though I knew insanity was about to ensue.

I loved how every single section was written in a different style, and every character had a distinct voice. For instance, Poppy was written as a confession spoken to another character, and Notice was written as a job resignation letter. In Green Eyes, we hear the voice of a child navigating loss, and in A Candle for the Birthday Boy we are let into the mind of a father just trying to do the best for his son.

Another thing I liked about this book was how the titles tied into each story. Some of the titles made sense right away, but sometimes I did not understand the full implication of the title right away, and after finishing the story and reading the title again it added yet another layer of uneasiness.

The art of writing in this short story selection is so good!

*Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!*
This was my first book from Christopher Hawkins, and I found these 13 stories all quite entertaining. Hawkins is especially talented writing stories without a supernatural element, in my opinion.
The "realness" factor really hit home.
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

An eclectic bunch of tales. Some of these will haunt me (in particular, Poppy and The Stumblyum Imperative) and some were just plain disturbing (in the best way). I haven’t read this author before, but he’s definitely one I’ll keep an eye out for in the future.

Recommended

Transformation seems to be a common thread in these thirteen twisted (and twisty) tales. Most are creepy, some just really weird, but all grabbed my attention from each start! Themes of loneliness, depression, revenge, bullying, addiction, and more show up in homes, at the beach, birthday parties, and in a creepy af kids' television show.
This collection will take you down rabbit holes and make you give every mannequin you ever see for the rest of your life a hard second look!

I've read a few horror anthologies and it's always daunting at first, worrying about whether there's gonna be ones you didn't like mixed in with the good ones. Making you power through it just to get done. But this one I can safely say had me enthralled the entire time, with every short story it gave me. At first, we're disturbed by it and it's a fantastic start to draw you in and lead you to not wanting to set it down. Each one had me more and more curious about the next and excited to see what he would describe to me. By the time I got to our shut-in and the delivery man, I was absolutely thinking WHAT. The subtle way he describes things is an art form in itself. He's showing us how hidden and quiet the suburban monsters can be, hidden amongst most of us. I want to go back and re-read to see if there's anything I missed! I loved the other one with the start-up of "superheroes" and how twisted the origin of that was.

Gasp, huh?, there’s no way what I thought happened, happened, going back a few pages just because I couldn't fathom what I just read. Just a rundown of what I went through while reading some of the stories from this creepy, clever, and disturbing anthology series. Not all the stories were created equal, however, even the tamest story was still decent. Would recommend the author and this collection of stories. 3.5 stars. Thanks #NetGalley for the ARC.

Suburban Monsters was a quick and fun read that causes you to feel many types of emotions. Disgust, Worry, Confusion. Each story had a bit of a shock factor and made me think a lot about was was going on.
The writing style was quite different to usually books IMO so if your looking for something new and different, this is for you!
I like how easy each story was to read and understand, making it a good, short book that would be great if your looking for a fast, interesting read.
Overall it was fun and i can understand that there is a specific audience this book is aimed for. Unfortunately it wasn’t me.

This is the first time I've read Christopher Hawkins' work, but after this short horror story collection, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for future works. As I read through these stories, it became clear that Hawkins has a knack for vivid descriptions that help to set the scene/tone without being too wordy, which my short attention span appreciated! I also really appreciated that each story felt different - I think there'll be something for everyone here, whether you like intense horror or more of a fantastical story. From here on, I'll keep the details short and sharp because, with short stories like these, I think it's best to go in blind.

"Green Eyes": About a neglected little girl and her Mama. This was a nice start to the book, and Hawkins really managed to nail writing in the voice of an innocent child. It was a little more sad than scary once I realised what was going on, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 3.5/5

"Moonrise Over Water With Sargassum, 2022. Oil On Canvas": A woman is pushed to her limit by her awful husband. I agree with other reviews here that the language Hawkins used in the story was wonderfully poetic - quite fitting given that the story's protagonist is an artist. The story itself was a little lacklustre compared to others in this collection, but the beautiful descriptions and writing kept me engaged. 3/5

"Storms of the Present": An overweight reclusive person decides to do some DIY weight-loss surgery. This one was tense, bloody, gory and disgusting - exactly my kind of horror! Hawkins' brilliantly vivid descriptions really added to the body horror in this one. 4/5
*Slight content warning for this story as it discussed disordered eating.

"Origin Story": We think of people with superpowers as heroes, but they can be villains too. The characterisation was strong in this story, and I felt that I understood who Phil and Darryl were as people. There was a nice sinister quality to this one too. 4/5

"Poppy": A new employee is a little too obsessed with mannequins. Wow. This one kept me guessing right from the beginning, and I didn't see that ending coming at all. This was another one that was more sad than scary (although I find mannequins pretty creepy), but I still really enjoyed it. 4/5

"Interlude": A young boy's parents struggle to help their son with his strange condition. This one was a bit unusual. Hawkins' high-quality writing shines throughout, but the story itself just wasn't my cup of tea. 2/5

"The Stumblybum Imperative": An absent mother falls into the conspiracy rabbit hole of her daughter's favourite (and surprisingly violent) kids tv show. This one was deliciously, unnervingly creepy, but the ending felt a tad too rushed to be satisfying for me. 4.5/5

"Shadowman": A young boy discovers something about himself and gets back at his bullies. A nice little revenge story - not bad, but not my thing. 3/5

"Carpenter's Thumb": A carpenter accidentally hammers his thumb - twice - and the thumb has had enough. This one was excellent - tense and exciting, and interesting throughout. One of my favourites in the collection. 5/5

"Swallow": Have you ever bit your tongue? You might not think about it the same way after reading this one. This was another short story that fit my exact kind of horror - gory and bloody and quite gross to think about. Another one of my favourites. 5/5

"Ten and Gone": A ten-minute burglary goes wrong. Like, really wrong. This one was so creative, chilling, and bizarre, and the descriptions/imagery of the house were so vivid. Yet another favourite of mine. 5/5

"Notice": An employee's letter of notice. This one was creepy but wasn't a stand-out for me compared to the past few stories. 3.5/5

"A Candle for the Birthday Boy": A little boy's birthday party. What could go wrong? All I'll say is, wow, this collection ended with a bang! 5/5

Thank you to Christopher Hawkins, Coronis Publishing, and NetGalley for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Suburban Monsters by Christopher Hawkins is set to release in March of 2023. Suburban Monsters presents an arrangement of creepy and wild stories that will chill you to your core. All centered around people and the secrets they keep, the stories are atmospheric and dreadful and will have you questioning what happens behind closed doors and happy smiles.

If you are a fan of Books of Blood by Clive Barker I recommend this book. The anthologies were quick to read and packed a powerful punch. My favorite thing about Suburban Monsters is that the stories are much more modern but also relatable as compared to Books of Blood. The stories held my interest and fulfilled my need for something creepy and horrifying. My favorite story was "Poppy", where a store clerk with a mannequin obsession hides a macabre and tragic secret.

Grab this one as soon as it releases, you won't want to miss the haunting stories that fill its pages.

This collection of short stories set in a suburban setting was a fun quick read and horror set against the backdrop of the mundane is a great concept. The stories were varied and ranging from the creepy, the chilling and the utterly bizarre, I’m looking at you Interude. Usually in a collection there is a story or two that don’t appeal to me but I really enjoyed all the stories in this collection. My favorites were A Candle for the Birthday Boy, The Stumblyblyum Imperative, Poppy and Notice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Suburban Monsters by Christopher Hawkins is a fantastic collection of 13 odd and disturbing short stories that are very reminiscent of King
short stories; a few creepy kids, some peculiar abilities/superpowers and a whole lotta far-out-there horror. This was my first read of this author and I loved it!

My three favs:

The Stumblybum Imperative
A Candle for the Birthday Boy
Storms of the Present

Thanks to NetGalley & Christopher Hawkins for the free ARC opportunity. This one’s coming out this March ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fantastic short story collection from an author I'd never heard of before. One of the best I've read in a long time. Had a King feel to it, the earlier collections that were so brilliant. Dark, humorous, scary, shocking and gripping. Not a bad one in the bunch. My favorite was Poppy, which was just...that ending...wow. If you like a good short horror story, then this one's for you. Hope to read more by Hawkins in the future. 4.5 stars. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Short horror stories are probably my favourite type of book, and this one does not disappoint. Christopher Hawkins is a new author to me, and I enjoyed each of these unique stories, with my favourite being Carpenter's Thumb, because we've probably all hit our thumb with a hammer, but it certainly never went in the direction it did here. The Stumblyum Imperative also almost feels real, with the mom and child dynamic. These are the ones that usual hit the most for me. Having worked in retail, Poppy also hit home for me, having to deal with rotten kids. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author, and would recommend it to anyone who likes short stories and horror.

This was a just fine book of horror short stories. I enjoyed the diversity, the take on what could be considered monsters. Some of them were unsettling in a good way. I think my favorite was Green Eyes because I really loved the imagery of the mother. Hawkins has talent when it comes to creating imagery without being too wordy.

This was my first read of any of Christopher Hawkins works and I think it was an amazing introduction into his literary brilliance. Suburban Monsters is a collection of Hawkins’ thirteen short stories each with a terrifying twist. He turns the monotony of suburban life into horrifying tales you just can't stop reading.

Green Eyes told through a child’s voice about her life at school and her life with mama.

Next is Moonrise the story of a desperate wife and a walk on the beach.

Storms of the Present, tells us about a shut-in who is desperate to lose weight and a freaky twist that occurs.

The fourth short story is Origin Story telling us the story of two guys running a comic book store theorizing about what superpower they would have... with a twist.

Poppy is about a shop that hires a new goth sales clerk who shows up and charms everyone and there's lots of mannequins.

Story six, Interude, is about parents struggling to help a child with a new condition he's developed.

The Stumblybum Imperative, maybe the creepiest of all, is about a depressed suburban mother who doesn't check what new show her child is watching.

Number eight, Shadow man, is a lesson is fighting back against your bullies.

Carpenter’s Thumb is a tale about working on a roof and not being careful enough with your thumbs.

Swallow is a taste of what happens when you take advantage of people and a joke gone too far.

Ten and Gone is a burglary gone very wrong.

Notice, makes you think twice on giving your employer notice.

Finally, A Candle For the Birthday Boy, this last tale tells you about kid’s birthday parties and how the saying 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' does have truth behind it.

Each tale is beautifully written with almost ambiguous endings letting your imagination flow with each twist and turn Hawkins' takes you on.