The Plot (from Goodreads):
Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.
A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.
The Review:
This book came out in 2014?? How did I not know about it until now?
Thanks to Bookstagram I had seen this one around, and assumed it was relatively new. Nope!
It is hard for me not to give this book five stars based on concept alone. I absolutely loved how unique it is, from cover design to concept and illustrations to characters. I love IKEA (potentially divisive opinion there, I know) and I could clearly picture the layout of the store throughout the story (although in the book the store is Orsk, a fictional furniture manufacturer not based on any real-life store).
The plot and concept were amazing. The characters were the mishmash of strange individuals you would expect to find working retail, from the lifers to the people working there “just for now”. For a short story, I believe it all worked well. This book is really driven by its creativity, and I think without the clever presentation I might have found the story itself a little bit lacking. Overall very well done, though. It makes me want to visit an IKEA and see what’s lurking behind those fake windows!
Get it on Amazon.
