Thanks to Amazon Original Stories for providing this eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own!

This was a great chance to check out a bunch of different authors, though the stories leaned more towards depressing than they did spooky. I really enjoyed the concept of horrors hiding in plain sight.

Overall Rating - 3.35⭐

Jackknife - 2.75⭐

This was a too predictable, but I appreciate the originality of this one. With such an insufferable main character, it was nice to get to root for the monster.

The Indigo Room - 3.5⭐

I loved how this story reminded me of one of my favorite horror movies (you'll know if you read it), though again, not that surprising of a read.

Blanks - 4.25⭐

This was the story of the collection that actually felt scary to me; I was not prepared at all and it ended up being my favorite of the collection. Definitely would recommend.

Night and Day in Misery - 3.25⭐

This was really on the depressing side, and I would probably recommend checking out trigger warnings for this one.

Letter Slot - 3⭐

Not the most original, but still not bad. A new take on an old classic, but I didn't like the ending much.

I have been so disappointed in thrillers lately - but leave it to my auto-buy authors to come together and create the best short story collection I have ever read. These supernatural stories were all PERFECTION. I cannot even tell you which one is my favorite, because they are all so unique and chilling. But could you imagine a tree cursing and stalking you? At first I thought it sounded a little silly until I actually read the story... and I had goosebumps.

Please, please, please write more of these! I am obsessed.

The Shivers short story collection was spectacular. Anything that Catriona Ward writes, I am reading. Night and Day in Misery is heartbreaking and deals with grief and the death of a child. The Blanks by Grady Hendrix is my favorite story and had me feeling all the feelings. Mail Slot by Owen King is also a strong contender for favorite because it feels like old-school horror. The Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones took a classic fear and showed it in a new way. Jackknife by Joe Hill is the most uncomfortable story personally. Do not eat while listening to this one as there are graphic scenes. This is an excellent short story grab bag by some of the horror genre’s top authors. ARC was provided by Amazon Original Stories via NetGalley. I received an advance reading copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

There is something about a horror short that hits different, especially in our current climate where every day feels like a horror. These heavy-hitters deliver not only on the scares, but deliver deep cuts, the kind of fiction that burrows into your head for days or weeks after. The perfect appetizer or mid-day snack between their (highly recommended!) novel-length works.

Jackknife - 3.25
This was a quick tale of a disgraced professor who thinks he’s found an Ent. This moving tree seems to have insidious intents though…
This short story had a fantastic atmosphere, but the story felt a bit too unfinished. I would have liked an additional 10-15 pages to wrap up the storylines!

The Indigo Room - 3
What would you do if you got a flash image of your coworker headless?
I liked this story well enough, but it won’t be staying with me past the last page. The writing and imagery was superb as always, just didn’t pack the punch I was hoping for.

The Blanks - 5
An idyllic summer beach getaway is plagued by a dark threat.
This was chilling, thrilling, and dark. Exactly what a short story should be. Loved the story arc and the world that was built!

Night and Day in Misery - 4.5
A woman wracked with grief takes a road trip to Missouri to relive memories.
Grief and loss are strong themes in this one. It felt emotional and the writing really drew me into the character’s points of view. A solid short story!

Letter Slot - 4
A boy sends a letter through a defunct letter slot and is surprised to receive a response.
I haven’t read from Owen King before and his writing was a pleasant surprise. This short story was well-paced and engaging throughout. It was a creepy, fun tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for access to this work. All opinions are my own

Thank you for the ARC. I appreciate the chance to read this collection before release. I want to say that I like these authors a lot on a normal basis , but this is not their best work

Jack Knife - was a quick old school horror with a Saw twist in the end. Definitely was creepy.
The Indigo Room- creepy but if I’m being honest I just expected it to be better because hello SGJ like it was the beginning of a possible good story. It was cut off too soon I think.

The blanks- disturbing! What is a blank …Maybe a zombie? Who knows but dude ….. they just let it take their kid at the end … um hard no
Night and day in misery- this was actually a decent story. Kind of heartbreaking but it was told well.
Letter slot- this one was really good and there was quite the lesson to be learned in this one too. All in all I think this story for being a horror had a good hidden message.

A terrific collection of short stories by some of the biggest names in horror today. My favorite was the one by Catriona Ward, in which a grieving mother struggles for closure, but they're all very much worth reading if you love spooky stories.

I thought all of these short stories were good. Although I feel like they were all too short to really get the horror vibes. But I like all of these authors and I did enjoy these stories.

As soon as I saw these pop-up, I started reading. Each story is unique and touches on separate topics. The standouts to me are Letter Slot and Jacknife. All the stories are a great introduction to some of the greatest horror authors writing today, and I'd recommend these as a quick read to anyone!

Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this eArc out 4/15

I really enjoyed all five stories in this collection. I would classify them all as spooky, with little gore and violence (most happens "off-screen"). My favorite was "The Blanks" by Grady Hendrix but, like I said, all five are good stories. Joe Hill and Owen King have certainly proven that they can uphold their father's legacy while perfecting their own voice and style. Stephen Graham Jones is pretty much an auto-read for me by this point. I haven't read as much of Catriona Ward's work, but am looking forward to more after this!

Loved this collection. My favorite was the one by Catriona Ward! Easy to binge read with the lights on!

🖤🩸📖The Shivers📖🩸🖤

This short array of stories has something for everyone, with the majority being centered in our around grief. This was a great assembly of stories.

🗡🌳Jacknife
Dude gets kicked out of home for getting too fresh with a student. While staying at an AirBnB, the tree outside is being creepy. 5☆

💙💺The Indigo Room
Being stuck in a meeting, the mind wonders, is it hallucinations, or is it premonition? 4☆

⛱️🌊The Blanks
A family vacation went extremely wrong. 5☆

🗝🏨Night and day in misery
A grieving mother and wife. 4☆

📮📨Letter Slot
A kid sends an anonymous letter and gets answers.

These were all good stories, the favorite one was The Blanks, it completely destroyed me, maybe it wasn't a good idea to read it while waiting on the car rider pick up line.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review these e-book ARCs.

I liked but didn't love the Joe Hill story - which is highly unusual as I usually love both his novels and his shorter form work. This one was enjoyable but didn't quite have the magic of his longer stuff - the characters just didn't feel as robust as usual. It was still a cool construct though.

I've been struggling with Grady Hendrix's newer material lately, and blanks was more of the same in that regard for me. I just couldn't find the rhythm of the writing, which was also the case with the most recent Wayward Girls book.

The Indigo Room was odd - I still don't really know if I would say I liked it or not, which is an unusual position that I don't usually find myself in after finishing something. Of all five authors, he was the one I was least familiar with, I can't really say whether that is a typical reaction or not. It was an unusual enough concept that I will look for more from Graham Jones, though.

The Catriona Ward was one of my favorite of the stories. It just had a fully three-dimensional feel in a way that the others, even the Joe Hill, did not for me. I really enjoy her writing. This one felt less quirky and unusual than the novels of hers that I have read, but it was every bit as magical for all its bleak intensity.

The Owen King was also fabulous. In general I am a big fan of all of the Kings, Father and Sons, and this one just had that magically eerie tone that embodies any of their writings at its finest. It was crisp and tight and absolutely perfect.

Short stories are hard to write. You need the perfect balance of world-building, exposition, and in this case, shivers, to keep readers on the edge of their seat. This five story collection features some big names in horror showing us how it should be done. The tales are about how the supernatural hides in plain sight: when those everyday situations become grim and haunting.

Not all of these stories worked for me. I thought "Night and Day in Misery" was a little predictable, and the main character of "Jackknife" had some disgusting views of the women in his life. My two favourites in this case were "The Indigo Room" & "The Blanks." Jones' story was frantic and disorienting in the best way, and Hendrix served up serious Shirley Jackson "The Lottery" vibes. "The Blanks" made me want to scream by the end of it. Overall, it's a pretty solid collection and a quick read.

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CW blood, death (adult, child and animal), misogyny, alcoholism, suicidal ideation

Amazon Originals return with another horrifying collection of short stories in The Shivers Collection. With tales from some of horror's top writers, Joe Hill, Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix, Catriona Ward, and Owen King, The Shivers invite us into a world where the supernatural hides in plain sight.

The Shivers is a collection of haunting stories that reveal the otherworldly terrors all around us. Each tale is unique in it's own way where things lurk within an old tree, get horrific visions of the future, stalk an idyllic beach, the lines blur between reality and the supernatural, and whisper through a letter.

Jackknife

Ruined by scandal, Dennis Lange is desperate to rebuild his reputation. His only chance may be selling a story of what lies within the roots of a cursed tree. The story may change his fortune–but will come with a deadly risk. This monstrous short story from New York Times bestselling author Joe Hill kicks off The Shivers Collection.

Dennis awakens something evil when he removes a decades-old jackknife from the trunk of a gnarled old sycamore. Once pinned in place—now thoughtlessly freed—the tree returns to its roots. An act of vigilante justice took place under its boughs long ago. But its taste for blood has only grown stronger...

While Hill has made a name for himself over the years–outside the shadow of his father–Hill's tale brings back vibes from old school horror similar to Stephen King's short stories from the 1970s and 1980s in Jackknife. An eerie mystery surrounding an old tree that brought fear to the pages of this collection. Jackknife delivers an awesome read with its atmospheric tension and satisfying, well-written ending. The tale pays homage to the haunting style of old-school horror that sticks with you long after the story concludes.

The Indigo Room

People always say don't get caught up in office politics and they may be right. This chilling blend of workplace drama and true horror is a short story by New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones as part of The Shivers Collection.

When the lights go out and the slideshow begins, middle manager Jennifer has a disturbing vision: a headless colleague right across the boardroom table. Is it a trick of the light, or a vision of the future? She tries to brush it off and salvage the afternoon—but when her ex unexpectedly drops off her son at the office after school, suddenly her whole world takes an alarming turn.

The Indigo Room gave off huge Final Destination vibes while still giving off a unique feeling of its own. As a fan of premonition-style horror, this short story met that desire. While it may not break new ground and the ending left me a bit puzzled, it was still an enjoyable read. Its unique plot added something fresh to The Shivers Collection, making it perfect for the series.

The Blanks

Residents share an unspoken agreement with the island's eerie inhabitants: steer clear of them, and life goes on peacefully. But in New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix's short story from The Shivers Collection, one boy can’t look away—and pays the price.

Jeckle Island offers Rachel’s children the chance to spend summers roaming wild and free, as long as they follow the rules. But when her son comes face to face with a terror they dare not speak of, she must prepare for their perfect world to change. Forever.

Hendrix brings one of the more disturbing stories to The Shivers Collection with The Blanks. The tale is truly terrifying in ways that are less jumpy and more eerie, unsettling and creepy. Hendrix strikes a cord at not only my fearful side, but emotional side that left me in awe after finishing the last page. The Blanks alone makes the entire collection worthwhile.

Night and Day in Misery

In the gloom of her hotel, a mother readies to rejoin her past. Feverish nightmares meet the chilling light of day in this haunting short story, as part of The Shivers Collection, from USA Today bestselling author Catriona Ward.

Room 17 was the last stop on her husband and son’s journey. Eight years after their deaths, Stella books the same room, hoping to commune with their memories. But as she tries to sleep, disturbing and urgent visions blur the lines between reality and the supernatural, and the other side sends a terrifying message.

Ward gives us a chilling grief-driven horror short story in Night and Day in Misery. From the start, I was hooked and just when I thought I knew where she was taking us, Ward threw in a twist that completely turned the story on its head, leaving me reeling with surprise. Catriona crafts a twisty, horrifying, and grief-driven short story that was a fitting addition to The Shivers Collection.

Letter Slot

A helping hand, a fateful cost. In this ominous short story, as part of The Shivers Collection, from New York Times bestselling author Owen King, the cost of living keeps rising—and it collects payment from the soul.

Sensing his mother’s failing health, a struggling teenager pours out his worries in a letter and drops it through the mail slot of an abandoned show house. He’s surprised when a response arrives, promising good fortune for the price of just one name: someone he hates. He’d give anything for his mother. But the true cost may be more than he’s willing to pay.

Letter Slot is quite a deep tale with a truly dark twist. While not outright scary, this short story is undeniably unsettling, with a creeping tension that lingers long after the final sentence. Much like Joe Hill's Jackknife, Owen King's Letter Slot carries echoes of their father's storytelling ability. However, Owen's unique voice shines through with a cleverly crafted ending that I didn't see coming.

What a ride! This collection of dark fiction totally brings the suspense and creepy vibes I love. From cursed knives to spooky office hallucinations, each story was uniquely terrifying in its own way. Some left me with chills, others made me squirm—like the one with the family returning to their island vacation home... Yikes!

There’s definitely something for every horror fan in here. A few stories stood out—The Blanks by Grady Hendrix? Absolutely wild, in a good way! And the ending of Jackknife by Joe Hill? A solid punch. I loved how the authors mix dread with those unexpected moments that keep you glued to the page.

A total must-read for dark fiction fans. Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for this ARC! I give five short books an average of 3.75 ⭐️s
Book 1- the Jack Knife by Joe Hill, great story line of Dennis Lange loses his job and wife having an inappropriate relationship with his student, since moving to an Air B&B and walking thru the woods he comes across an evil tree, would love to give 4 stars but TW for animal abuse ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 2 - Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones, least fav of the set; during a work meeting when the lights go off and in total darkness, Jennifer can foresee incidents that will happen later that day, writing was very disjointed ⭐️⭐️
Book 3 - The Blanks by Grady Hendricks When Rachel’s family goes to their summer house on Jackel Island it time to see friends and neighbours. When her son sees a Blank no amount of ignoring and pretending it didn’t happen will make this better great writing! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 4 - Night & Day in Misery by Catriona Ward - when a woman decides to end it all at the hotel her son died in with her ex husband; how can she see she is worth saving and it’s not time yet ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
book 5 - Letter Slot by Owen King - what if getting out of your shitty life by just writing down someone you hate and you get a little sunshine in your life? What are the consequences? How would you feel? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall average rating: 3.52 stars.

Jackknife by Joe Hill

3.4 stars. Well, I can't say that I exactly enjoyed this one (and not just because a cat dies), but it's kind of creepy in an old school horror sort of way. And of course by “old school horror” I mean classic Stephen King, but I just read a whole thing about how Joe Hill doesn't write under his real name because he wants to “rise and fall on [his] own merits” and not his father's, so it feels wrong to immediately turn around and compare the two. Anyway, I'm not going to say that the sycamore tree is the hero in this story because it obviously has some serious aggression issues to work through, but at the same time I can't bring myself to feel a whole lot of sympathy for Dennis either.


The Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones

3 stars. I guess this was entertaining enough, but it's certainly not my favorite Stephen Graham Jones short story (that would be “The Backbone of the World,” which is amazeballs). The scariest bit is probably the boss showing up on a day when she's not supposed to be in the office, because that's some real-life horror right there. Jennifer has a vision, bribes a subordinate into babysitting, and then goes home. The end. Well, okay, maybe there are a few unsettling details that I'm neglecting to mention …


The Blanks by Grady Hendrix

4 stars. Ooh, this one was good in a creepy, disturbing, full of horrifyingly bad decisions sort of way. I loved the way everything was so perfectly normal, just a story about a happy family visiting their summer vacation home, and then … BAM. The (not-so-minor) sacrifices we make in order to live the dream, amirite?


Night and Day in Misery by Catriona Ward

3.5 stars. I don't know if I'd quite call this one horror? There are supernatural aspects, sure, but mostly it's just sad. Trigger warnings include child death and suicide. A grieving mother retraces the final steps of her child and husband with one goal in mind, but things get weird (and more than a little heartbreaking). I do find it hard to believe that Stella (view spoiler), but I suppose it's not impossible? Still, this is a decent story that's worth the short amount of time it takes to read it.


Letter Slot by Owen King

3.7 stars. This story isn't really scary but it's decently creepy, kind of Stephen King and “The Monkey's Paw” combined, a little predictable but still entertaining. I certainly won't be sticking random letters into the mail slots of derelict houses any time soon, that's for sure. Surprisingly, this is the first thing I've ever read by Owen King, but I'm definitely looking forward to picking up one of his full-length novels soon.

Horror fans can rest easy knowing that there is a collection of stories put together like The Shivers! Five of the most well-known horror authors have contributed a story to the collection.

Joe Hill and Stephen Graham Jones are always hit or miss for me. Not bad stories but not exactly my style. But I loved the other three. Grady Hendrix and Catriona Ward can do no wrong for me.

The stories are bite sized tastes of each author's writing. I highly recommend checking it out if you want to discover some new favorites! I have really enjoyed the past horror collections that Amazon has put together.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joe Hill, Stephen Graham Jones, Grady Hendrix, Catriona Ward, Owen King, and Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read The Shivers. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

A decent collection of stories by some very well known horror writers. I found these stories to be lacklustre compared the these authors other works but worth a quick read. Standouts were The Blanks and Letter Slot. Both definitely fit the creepy vibe the best.