Did you know that a drabble is a short form of fiction that is exactly 100 words long?
I learned this when Mr. Kennedy asked me to read 100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles in 2018. After reading the first few tales in that collection, I was in love!
When the author sent over the second edition, I was ecstatic! This second collection of drabbles had a bit of everything and I had so much fun reading it.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on 100 Word Horrors Part 2 edited by Kevin J. Kennedy
My favorite stories from this collection were definitely the ones that either spooked me or took a turn at the very end that I wasn’t expecting at all! It was so fun to see stories start out as cute and romantic, but then suddenly get extremely dark.
Of course, with any type of collection, it’s normal for me to love some and dislike some. So there were a few drabbles that I didn’t care for. These were usually the ones that just didn’t give me enough information to understand what was happening. There were also a few in this collection that I didn’t like because of the content matter.
Feel free to read on to see my quick thoughts after I read each story.
Heads up: there are very slight spoilers.
My quick thoughts on each story after reading them:
Aye Eye by Terry M. West – 5/5
…and here we go! A lovely Drabble to kick us off. Begins as a bit of a love story then goes dark. Perfection.
In a Little Tin-Hut by Myk Pilgrim – 3/5
The image of the setting that this one creates in the mind is very intriguing. But… Ouch!
Colic by Billy San Juan – 4/5
The end of this one made me gasp!
On the Second Date by Mark Cassell – 5/5
So dark! I’d love to see more from this short tale! I’d be so interested to read about the first date, and then where the two go from this Drabble.
The Rash by Justin Boote – 5/5
EW! Oh my gosh the end…
One Shared Moment by Christopher Motz – 5/5
I did not see that coming! Wonderfully dark, creepy, and then bam! A perfect ending!
End of the Line by Mike Duke – 4/5
Oh no! This poor fellow. I wonder what his life had been like.
Snow Angel by Michael A. Arnzen
Unfortunately I don’t understand this one.
The Missing Undertaker by Eric J. Guignard
Darn it! I don’t get this one either.
Werewolf Dating Problems by Sarina Dorie – 4/5
Aww! Poor guy, and especially poor girl!
Ghost Hacker by Julian J. Guignard – 4/5
Eep! Creepy and dark!
Instant Messaging by Billy San Juan – 5/5
Oh my gosh!! This one was terrifying. This triggers some memories from high school when a random person (or likely a friend pulling a prank) was describing my house and the things around it, and had me terrified that it was a stranger in my house. I was home alone and went searching through the house with a knife.
No Such Thing by Shaun Hutson – 5/5
A perfect monster tale!
The One or the Many by J.C. Michael – 5/5
Aww! Love this one.
Haunted by Amy Cross – 4/5
Creepy!
Ghost Riders in the Sky by Billy Chizmar & Richard Chizmar – 3/5
Sylvan by Donelle Pardee Whiting – 4/5
Ooh!
Songbird of London by Lisa Vasquez – 4/5
Aww, this was a sad one.
Hooked by Stephen Stacy – 5/5
So sad!! I loved that you really didn’t know what was happening until the last sentence!
DIY by Mark Lumby – 4/5
So creepy!
The Weatherman by P. Mattern – 5/5
Oh my gosh! I need more of this story!! So well done!
In Conversation with My Mirror by Joe C. Young – 1/5
Not one for me.
Beachcombing by Mark Cassell – 5/5
So creepy!!
Intruder by Michael Bray – 4/5
Eep! So scary!!
Without You by Jasper Bark – 5/5
Perfect! That ending!!
Night Terrors by P.J. Blakey-Novis – 5/5
Terrifying!! I wake up at the same time of night multiple nights in a row pretty frequently and it always freaks me out!
Let’s Swing by Jay Sigler – 5/5
Sad and terrifying!
The Perfect Blend by Howard Carlyle – 5/5 **
WOW!! This one got me. A love story with a very dark twist. I read this one on my lunch break… Whoops. This one was my favorite of the collection. I loved how caught off guard I was! I read this one aloud to my husband, he didn’t appreciate it nearly as much as I did 🙂
This Way by Christina Bergling – 4/5
Oh no! So sad.
King of the Hill by John Boden – 4/5
Loved this one. So horribly sad though.
Making Mr Hide by Matthew Cash
Not one for me. I will say I think the idea of this story was quite creepy. But this one certainly had a gross out factor!
Out of Tune by Chad Lutzke – 4/5
Yikes!
A New Friend by Andrew Lennon – 4/4
Another sad one. This one left me with questions.
U-Bend Hell by David Owain Hughes – 5/5
Yikes!! Horrifying and disgusting! This one is gonna stick with me! I read this one out loud to a few coworkers; one immediately asked me, “How can read that stuff?!”
Shepherd by Jason Parent – 3/5
Yikes! This one is so eerie.
Maple Syrup Muse by Chad Lutzke – 4/5
Yikes! I wonder where this tree was located.
Breath-taking by Suzanne Fox
Not for me.
Widescreen Rapture by Craig Saunders – 3/5
Creepy! I love a good Armageddon tale.
Hide and Seek by Ellen A Easton – 5/5
Terrifying! What a poorly timed sneeze!
The Faces of the Dead by Robert W. Easton – 5/5
So scary!! A bit sad as well.
Clockwork Offal by Stephen Kozeniewski – 3/5
Yikes! True love or a toxic relationship?
Lying In Wait by Shaun Hutson – 4/5
Oh no! Sad and scary!
She Fought Back by James Newman – 5/5
Yasss! Good dog!
Devoured by the Darkness by Brandy Yasss – 5/5
Loved this one!
Hitori Kakurenbo by C.M. Saunders – 5/5
Yikes!!
Tiki Mug from R’lyeh by Nicholas Diak – 5/5
Woah! This was neat! This is another I’d love to learn more about.
No Greater Loss by Theresa Jacobs
Not for me.
Fear Production Department by Norbert Góra – 4/5
Creepy!!
Being Polite by Valerie Lioudis – 5/5
So scary!! I loved that this one was organized as a conversation!
The Nanny Goat by Myk Pilgrim
I missed something with this one.
S.O.S. by Justin M. Woodward – 3/5
A Ghost in the Corner by Mark Lukens – 5/5
Oh no! This one was terrifying!
The Dreamer and the Doom by Toneye Eyenot – 3/5
Kids by Howard Carlyle – 3/5
Yikes!
Monster in the Mist by John Dover – 4/5
Creepy!
A Walking We Shall Go by H.R. Boldwood
I think I missed something in this one.
No Fear by C.S. Anderson – 4/5
Oh! Don’t mess with Prudence!!
Spare Some Change? By Nicholas Pascal – 4/5
Woah! I didn’t see that coming!
Little Men by Andrew Lennon – 4/5
Oh no!! Such a nightmare!
Old Katy Bridge by Veronica Smith – 4/5
Oh no! This was a sad but creepy one!
Don’t Shoot the Messenger by Rhys Hughes – 4/5
What a twist! Too bad he hadn’t read the note before delivering it…
Young Blood by Derek Shupert – 4/5
Oh I love a good vampire tale!
To Save Us All by Paul Kane – 4/5
Eep! Gross and creepy!
Nearest Beach by Sarah Tantlinger – 4/5
So spooky! I wonder how many times stuff like this actually happens….
Prankster by David J. Fielding – 4/5
Oh no. What a dummy.
Survival Instinct by Eric J. Guignard – 4/5
Oh no!
Collectively by Stefan Lear – 3/5
Yikes! Boy the second sentence threw me!
Maiden Flight by Lee Murray – 4/5
Trust your gut, friends!
Pig Sick by Ian McKinney – 3/5
Gross but also a bit funny.
Prison by Christina Bergling – 4/5
Oh! Interesting.
Hollow Earth Food Chain by Mike Duke – 3/5
Yikes!
Just Like Your Grandma by Phipps Bailey – 3/5
Oh gosh!
Hung by A.J. Brown – 4/5
So dark! Poor kid.
Broken Heart by Lee Franklin – 5/5
Oh NO! This is terrifying, but what insane payback!
The Expert by Terry M. West – 5/5
Ooh I loved this vampire tale!
The Highwayman by Billy Chizmar – 4/5
Sad and creepy!
The Pusher by James Matthew Byers
Not for me.
The Man at the Window by Stephen Stacy – 5/5
Oh NO! This is so darn sad.
My Pet Unicorn by Sarina Dorie – 4/5
Woah!
Story Prompt by Christopher Motz – 4/5
This one made me chuckle!
Everyday Psychopath by RJ Roles – 5/5
So creepy! Such dark thoughts. You never know who is having thoughts like these daily and who may one day act on them!
Destroyed by Monsters by Jay Sigler – 5/5
I equally loved and (jokingly) hated this one. I’m so afraid of spiders!! How terrifying this one was!!
Growth by Andrea Lennon – 3/5
Ehhhhh! Another creepy crawly one. This one reminded me of the SSTTITD tale about the girl with the welt on her face though.
Percy Jacobs’ Last Sunset by Suzanna Fox – 3/5
Aww, another sad one. The poor guy. The fact that he didn’t get his last treat is making me unreasonable sad.
Glutton by John Boden – 4/5
Yikes! Didn’t see that coming. Probably should have considering the collection it’s in. So perfect!
My True Form by P.J. Blakey-Novis – 5/5
Yes!!! So perfect. I need more dark wherewolf tales in my life!
The Gurgle by Michael A. Arnzen – 3/5
Oh boy! This one made me nauseous for some reason… well done!
Basement Monster by Justin M. Woodward – 3/5
Creepy!
Spun by Gary McMahon – 3/5
Oh gosh! This one paints a creepy picture.
Why You Should Always Be Specific by J.C. Michael – 5/5
Ha! Love it.
Nano Bytes by Lee Franklin – 5/5
Yes!! I love this one so much! This makes me want to re-read Prey by Michael Crichton!
Last Thoughts by Shaun Hutson – 5/5
OH MY GOD. This is why I hate elevators.
Five Minutes Alone by Justin M. Woodward – 5/5
Ooooh! Lovely revenge.
School Lunch by Tom Deady – 3/5
Oh no….
The Lament of the Dying by James H. Longmore – 4/5
So terrifying to think about!
Bonfire by Mark Lumby – 4/5
Another great tale of revenge!
Call of the Void by RJ Roles –
I think I missed something here.
Rude Awakening by David J. Fielding – 3/5
Eek! One of my worst nightmares!
Cats Gathering by Rhys Hughes – 3/5
Oh, cats.
Spidertrap by Lee McGeorge – 4/5
Horrifying!
Death to the Light by Toneye Eyenot
Not for me.
Witch Dog by Julian J. Guignard – 3/5
Oh goodness! What a backfire!
Metamorph by Kevin J. Kennedy – 5/5
Eek! Spider tales! So freaky!
Sustenance by Rebecca Brae – 3/5
Oh no! Poor Mark. Just trying to help…
It’s a Twin Thing by Tom Deady – 5/5
Ah!!
Static Nighmare by Sarah Tantlinger – 3/5
Jack by Valerie Lioudis – 5/5
Ah! That twist!
Trapped by David Owain Hughes – 5/5
Oh gosh! What a scary idea!
Feed the Crop by Mark Cassell
Not sure I understood this one.
The Wishing Well by RJ Roles – 3/5
Woah, what? Dark but I have questions.
Fire by Joe X. Young – 4/5
Woah! Dark!!
Of Bubbles and Illusions by H.R. Boldwood
Not sure I understand this one.
How to Disappear in the Big City by Adriaan Brae – 4/5
So creepy!!
The Curious Case of Shadow Man by David Owain Hughes – 4/5
Oooh! Just enough to tell a tale, but definitely one I’d love to learn more about!
One Witch’s Cure for Vandalism by Sarina Dorie – 5/5
Too funny!
No Breath to Scream by Robert W. Easton – 4/5
Eek! Another sad but terrifying one!
Fur and Teeth by Rebecca Brae – 5/5
Yikes!! Terrifying!! I hate camping!
No One Believes by Jay Sigler – 4/5
Awesome and terrifying!
The Wolf and the Girl in the Red Dress by Michael Bray – 4/5
Interesting! I liked this twist!
Bedeviled by Mark Lukens – 4/5
Oh no!
The Man Who Comes Around by Billy Chizmar – 3/5
Victim by David Moody – 4/5
Ugh absolutely horrifying and awful.
Walkers by James Newman- 4/5
So creative and eerie!
The Perfect Guests by Howard Carlyle – 4/5
Yikes! Love it!
Leftovers by Christina Bergling – 5/5
Oh my gosh! I need to know more about this one! So terrifying!!
Night Visitor? by John Dover – 4/5
Spooky! Hearing things in the night is always terrifying.
The Trolley by James Matthew Byers – 3/5
Preserving Jar by Lee Murray – 4/5
I’d love to see more from this story!! Wonderfully done!
The Hunter by James McCulloch – 5/5
Woah!!
Doomed by Feind Gottes – 4/5
Oh no! I wonder what had happened to get them into that situation.
Laid to Rest by Derek Shupert – 5/5
ikes! Such a nightmare!!!
An Eye for a Tooth by Mike Duke – 5/5
Dang! Go Matt!
My Final Thoughts on 100 Word Horrors Part 2
In the Afterward, Kevin J. Kennedy stated; “So, you have reached the end of our second Drabble book. I hope it was a fun ride.”
It sure was! I loved this collection so much!!
I highly recommend checking this one out if you’re a fan of horror, paranormal, humor, and/or sci-fi, and don’t mind a little darkness.
Snag a copy using my Amazon Affiliate link or inquire at your local indie:
Thanks for reading!
Related Reading:
Feel free to also check out my reviews of his work below:
- 100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles
- Carnival of Horror
- Collected Christmas Horror Shorts 2
- Collected Easter Horror Shorts
- Collected Halloween Horror Shorts: Trick ‘r Treat
- Dark Thoughts
- The Gatekeeper
- Screechers by Kevin J. Kennedy and Christina Bergling
- You Only Get One Shot by Kevin J. Kennedy & J.C. Michael
I . NEED. TO. READ. THIS.
I love how you always rate the stories separate 🙂
I’m OBSESSED. When you get to this one, I’d love to hear what your favorites were!! 🙂