Kyle McMahon reviews Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark: The Haunted Notebook of Sarah Bellows
If you were a child at any point from 1981 to the present you’re probably familiar with the classic Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book series. On October 14, 1981 Alvin Schwartz released Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark, a collection of 29 short horror stories aimed at young readers. Featuring terrifying illustrations by Stephen Gammel, the book was a huge success and instantly created millions of horror fans. It was so successful that it went on to spawn two follow up books all the way through 1991. The three books have become perennial favorites for children (and now adults) each year.
Just this month, Lionsgate released the film adaptation, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, in theaters around the world. The film, executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by André Øvredal, had to take some liberties to keep from making it a straight anthology movie. del Toro decided to create a threaded narrative involving the ghost of an abused girl, Sarah Bellows, who wrote stories to pass the time in the basement she was locked in. It was absolutely the right choice.
Enter Insight Editions book, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark: The Haunted Notebook of Sarah Bellows. This beautifully made book is aimed directly at fans of both the original books and the movie. Serving as a bridge between the two, it reproduces the notebook in the film that holds the stories unfolding on screen. Additionally, it features production art, film stills and concept art that helped to create the incredible movie.
Author Richard Ashley Hamilton lovingly presents the book as both a behind the scenes look at the movie and a piece of the movie itself. Insight Editions famous attention to detail pays off and makes a wonderful companion to fans of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, the movie and the books.
You can (& should) get your very own copy of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark: The Haunted Notebook of Sarah Bellows right here on Amazon! It is the perfect companion to the movie and will delight both readers and watchers alike!
Be sure to check out episode 28 of Pop Culture Weekly where we discuss all things Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark and I sit down with Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark star Natalie Ganzhorn.
Thank you to Insight Editions for providing a copy of this book for my honest review. You can check out their amazing line of beautifully crafted books and collectors items for numerous fandoms on the Insight Editions website.
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