26 March, 2020

Route 13 : Highway to Hell - [Book Review]

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Book Details:

Title: Route 13: Highway to Hell
Authors: 
Varadharajan Ramesh (Goodreads Author),
Srivalli Rekha (Goodreads Author)
Priya Bajpai (Goodreads Author)
Meha Sharma
Sarveswari Sai Krishna
Ell P
Anshu Bhojnagarwala
Venkataraman Ganesan
Kanika G. 

Tina Sequeira 
Jaya Pillai, Sreeparna Sen, Yatindra Tawde 
The Hive
Genre: Horror
Print Length: 290 pages
Publisher: The Hive
Source: A free e-review copy from the author




Blurb:


What happens when 13 writers of horror are trapped in a bus on a stormy night?

They try to outdo one another with blood-curdling, spine-chilling tales. Read these riveting, terrifying tales, where the authors themselves become the characters.

Be warned; it is Route 13- a highway to hell. Will you survive the journey?

Trigger warning: This book contains scenes of abuse, violence, death, rape, and swearing. It includes instances of children being harmed.

Note: The stories are written in US and UK English.


Purchase Link:

My Review:

I love horror and short stories as well. This book is a collection of 13 unique horror stories. But, I should warn you that it is not for children and there are certain scenes related to rape, abuse, and violence in some stories.

The book starts with different authors traveling on a bus getting bored about passing time until they reach the destination. So, each author recites a thriller/ horror story one after the other to pass time. What happens to the Bus and the passengers on that dark rainy night is a suspense.

Stories :


Welcome by Sarveshwari is spine chilling but it is disappointing that we can't understand the reason behind the happenings in the story.

Pastel of the past by Priya Bajpai is beautiful with enough twists and a great climax.

Ill-conceived by Meha sharma felt wonderful. The story is unpredictable and had good twists.

The silver beast by Srivalli Rekha is interesting and emotional as well. I loved the narration and pace.

Old McDonald had a farm by Varadharajan Ramesh is a supernatural revenge story that is awesome though gory.

The Haveli by Anshu B is real with emotions. Not very scary to me but I loved the way the author explains the Rajasthani dishes, culture, and houses as part of the story.

The Artist by Yatindra Tawde is quite a creepy and unique story. Enjoyed reading it.

The adventures of a Virgin by Tina Sequeira
Wow! This is dark, intense and mysterious with unpredictable twists in the story.

Macabre melody by Sreeparna sen
I enjoyed this story. It is like a moral story that we read in childhood but not that scary.

Memory of a face by Kanika G is a scary one based on suppressed memory. The mind plays really dangerous games!

The case of Seance by Ell P
Oh my God! This story is my favorite from this book. A perfect horror, best narration, and a climax like a bang.

The following 100 word stories are nice and worth a mention.

The Environmentalist by Shwetha Bose, Mistaken Identity by Pavi Raman, Nurse Elena - Riddhi Katira Bhatti, The Spirit - Moonmoon Chowdhury, Forbidden - Natasha Sequeira, and The Specimen - Seema Taneja.

Overall, this is an interesting collection of horror stories that you might enjoy on a lazy day. The book cover is great. The climax is good. I wish, a few stories are scarier.

My Rating: 4/5


PS: I have received a review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion on the book.

Until next time,





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Route 13 : Highway to Hell - Book review





2 comments:

  1. I dont read horror at all so cannot connect with this book. But am very happy to see so many of my fellow bloggers in this. All the best to everyone associated with this book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I absolutely love horror movies. These short stories sound very interesting. Sounds like a quick read. Will look it up.

    ReplyDelete

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