BLOODY HOROWITZ

The creator of Alex Rider follows his two Horowitz Horror anthologies with a new collection of 14 bloody stories. A would-be writer seeking revenge for stolen ideas stalks and apparently kills author Darren Shan (is this wish fulfillment?). In the far future, a robot nanny malfunctions with horrifying consequences. A girl finds herself put up for auction when her family’s finances tank and is terrified when she discovers what the bidders plan to do with her should they win. The standouts of this uneven collection include the false introduction and conclusion supposedly written by others and a bad dream recounted in verse. Good kids find themselves trapped in bizarre situations and bad kids get just what they deserve and more every time. Inconsistent Americanization and lengthy setups mar these at-times predictable tales. An overreliance on grisly moments and contrived twists for what scares there are guarantees there’s nothing to keep the lights on late, just occasional ick. Fans of the previous collections will be right at home. (Horror/short stories. 9-13)