Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Growing Things and Other Stories
Growing Things and Other Stories | Paul Tremblay
A chilling collection of psychological suspense and literary horror from the multiple award-winning author of the national bestseller The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts. A masterful anthology featuring nineteen pieces of short fiction, The Growing Things is an exciting glimpse into Paul Tremblays fantastically fertile imagination. In The Teacher, a Bram Stoker Award nominee for best short story, a student is forced to watch a disturbing video that will haunt and torment her and her classmates lives. Four men rob a pawn shop at gunpoint only to vanish, one-by-one, as they speed away from the crime scene in The Getaway. In Swim Wants to Know If Its as Bad as Swim Thinks, a meth addict kidnaps her daughter from her estranged mother as their town is terrorized by a giant monster . . . or not. Joining these haunting works are stories linked to Tremblays previous novels. The tour de force metafictional novella Notes from the Dog Walkers deconstructs horror and publishing, possibly bringing in a character from A Head Full of Ghosts, all while serving as a prequel to Disappearance at Devils Rock. The Thirteenth Temple follows another character from A Head Full of GhostsMerry, who has published a tell-all memoir written years after the events of the novel. And the title story, Growing Things, a shivery tale loosely shared between the sisters in A Head Full of Ghosts, is told here in full. From global catastrophe to the demons inside our heads, Tremblay illuminates our primal fears and darkest dreams in startlingly original fiction that leaves us unmoored. As he lowers the sky and yanks the ground from beneath our feet, we are compelled to contemplate the darkness inside our own hearts and minds.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
Emilymdxn
post image
Pickpick

This was the only Paul Tremblay book I‘ve really LOVED since head full of ghosts. These short stories were SO creepy, structurally interesting and well written. Every single one was so memorable and inventive and perfect for #scarathlon2022

#teamslaughter @Clwojick

52 likes2 stack adds
review
abookishbutterfly
post image
Pickpick

I was initially nervous about this collection, not because I had any doubts about Paul Tremblay‘s writing ability, but because many of the contemporary short story collections I‘ve tried have not been very enjoyable for me. I love many older short stories, though. Fortunately, I quickly discovered these complex and unsettling tales were perfect for my tastes!

My full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3757680481

monalyisha I think a bunch of these stories are set right near where I work (Easton, MA). I keep meaning to pick this up! 4y
abookishbutterfly @monalyisha That‘s cool! He‘s a very good writer! 4y
50 likes1 stack add2 comments
quote
abookishbutterfly

“...the glow of nostalgia is deceptive...”
~From Paul Tremblay‘s notes in Growing Things and Other Stories

quote
abookishbutterfly

"I think most people realize that horror and comedy are so closely related. They're really like two sides of the coin. When presented with life's absurdities, you really only have two reactions. It's either you're going to recoil in horror or you're going to laugh because it's so absurd. You could have the exact same component of a story, and if you just play it slightly differently you can make it scary or funny." ~ Paul Tremblay

abookishbutterfly This was stated in an interview but I ran out of characters in the original post! 4y
28 likes1 comment
blurb
brandierickson
post image

Reading this collection of short stories so soon after having read Difficult Women is weird. Tremblay writes horror stories, and while I will admit that some of these have made me particularly uncomfortable, Gay‘s short stories were much more horrifying because they were much more likely to actually happen. That said, Tremblay is a great writer and when the stories are scary, they are SCARY.

16 likes1 stack add
blurb
Pricel101
post image

First read of the #newyear 📚🤓 thank you @Alora this is just my kind of book! #poutinepenpals

Reggie My favorite is one of the ones upfront about a mother who kidnaps her daughter. So much going on in there. 4y
23 likes1 comment
blurb
HeathHof
post image

Well, here is my week 3 total for #scarathalon2020 I plan on reading a few more hours tonight for #readyourway I was able to finish one book that I wanted to for the read-a-thon but ended up impulse starting 2 more books 😅😱 @staycurious @TheSpineView

StayCurious Great job! 4y
TheSpineView Fantastic! 👍📚🧡🎃 4y
paper.reveries Way to go! PS: Before visiting your profile, I was trying to guess your name from your user. I was dead set on Indigo. 😂 (edited) 4y
HeathHof @daisyheadmaesie Good guess! 🤣 4y
30 likes4 comments
blurb
Michael_Gee
post image

So now I realize this has been a thing for awhile but I just saw it this morning after first searching Instagram for the tag “virginiawoolf” to follow. What a shock this was, and did I feel judged! It reminded me of Tremblay‘s story “It Won‘t Go Away,” which is concerned with the negative effects of horror. But seriously: Reading the news puts me in more danger of self-harm than any horror story ever could.

What paternalistic crap.

JoeMo I agree 100% about how reading the news can be more dangerous to one‘s well being than reading or watching horror books/shows/films...I‘ve actually read that horror helps people with anxiety and coping w/ the talk world! 4y
Reggie ‘A new study cited by the American Psychological Association titled “Pandemic Practice: Horror Fans and Morbidly Curious Individuals are More Psychologically Resilient During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” found that fans of horror films exhibited greater resilience during the pandemic and that fans of “prepper genres,” including alien-invasion, apocalyptic, and zombie films, exhibited both greater resilience and preparedness.‘ this was from an article 4y
Reggie on the catholicworldreport.com 4y
Michael_Gee @Reggie @JoeMo YES!! Reggie, I love how you are there with the back up. 🖤 💀 Honestly, Instagram, how rude. Not to mention misguided! 4y
JoeMo Thank you @Reggie I‘ll present this info to my girlfriend as evidence that we need to watch yet more horror movies and TV shows! 👻😂 4y
10 likes5 comments
review
erzascarletbookgasm
post image
Pickpick

Overall, a stellar anthology of stories that kept me turning the pages. Some are rather average, a few I did not get it or care, and then there are the brilliant ones. Skilfully blurring the lines between reality and imagination, Tremblay‘s ‘horrors‘ aren‘t actually scary stories but are ominous, unnerving, and horrifying in the every day and mundane, with ambiguous conclusions. Shout out to his ⬇️

#screamathon2020
#mandmchallenge2020 #mashup

erzascarletbookgasm approaches in writing- narrative/interview transcript, photo-frame narrative, story within story, weird usage of space in a page, and choose-your-own-adventure kind. Notes From The Dog Walkers is fabulous. 4y
alisiakae Great review! 🙌🏽 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I neeeed to start reading him! 4y
69 likes3 comments
review
Michael_Gee
post image
Mehso-so

I don‘t have a lot to add to what others here have said about this collection. I think how much you enjoy this will be determined by how much ambiguity you enjoy in your reading, which is personal and unpredictable. My partner and I have very aligned tastes but the story that really worked for me (“Notes for ‘The Barn in the Wild‘” which I read awake and alone at night) did nothing for him.

Reggie I love the one story about the addicted mother who kidnaps her daughter against the backdrop of the sea creatures coming out of the ocean. Like how much can you pack in a story? And the one about A Wheel is something something I can‘t remember the name of it, it made me cry. 4y
Michael_Gee @Reggie Yes! I liked those two as well. I liked the choose-your-own-adventure format of A Haunted House is a Wheel Upon Which Some Are Broken. 4y
vivastory I felt a bit ambiguous about this one... the pieces that didn't work for me really left me indifferent. But the ones that did I still think about 4y
12 likes3 comments
review
Danielthewriter
post image
Pickpick

QOTD- What's one of your favorite short story collections?

Featuring nineteen stories, here are the ones I most recommend: Nineteen Shots of Dennisport (a boy recalls a shocking thing that happened during a family vacation); The Teacher (a literary story about the threat of adulthood); Her Red Right Hand (death, grief, and monsters); It's Against the Law to Feed The Ducks (the end of the world seen through the eyes of a little boy).

3 likes1 comment
review
Addison_Reads
post image
Pickpick

Paul Tremblay has become one of my favorite authors. 💚

Like with most short story collections, I can't say I loved all of the stories, but it's definitely a great mix and I loved more of them than I didn't.

vivastory He's fantastic! 4y
Reggie I loved the one with the addict kidnapper. And the one with the Wheel in the name...😭😭😭. 4y
44 likes2 comments
blurb
shadowspeak17
post image

I only finished two books this month, which is a bit disappointing, but given the circumstances it‘s not really surprising. Hopefully next month will be better. I‘ve got my book to read for #lmpbc and I‘m planning to start buddy reading Dune with a couple friends, so maybe that will help motivate me.

#booked2020: 1
#MarchWrapUp

review
shadowspeak17
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
All of the stories in this collection felt solid to me and I enjoyed most of them, but I‘d hoped for a few stories that would wow me and none of these quite got there. Still an enjoyable read though. My favorites were: Something About Birds and Notes for “The Barn in the Wild.”

#booked2020 #RedWhiteOrBlueTypeOnCover #catsoflitsy #Phoenix

Cinfhen Short story collections are so hit or miss/ I‘ve yet to be WOWed by any but I agree, you always hope for at least one or two. 5y
Crazeedi Sweet kitty 💖🐱💖 5y
51 likes2 comments
quote
shadowspeak17
post image

Their father stayed in his bedroom, door locked, for almost two full days.
#FirstLineFridays

blurb
shadowspeak17
post image

Yay! Finally! 😬

Reggie I hope you like this book! I loved most of the stories in here, even the the dog walker one which was a little much for me. Lol enjoy! 5y
shadowspeak17 @Reggie I‘ve seen so many people mention the dog walker story. It has me so curious. 😂 5y
46 likes2 comments
review
amywithbooks
post image
Pickpick

I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection, and I was very excited to see two stories involving Merry and Marjorie from A Head Full of Ghosts. These stories aren't exactly scary, but unsettling in different ways. Overall, it was a 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐🌟 read for me!

review
Godpants
post image
Panpan

Honestly, this didn‘t work for me. The only story I liked is the one about dog walking, and that one‘s even a little on the precious/pretentious side. I only paid a little attention to the inspiration for each story wrap up at the end because I was happy I was done with it! That‘s the problem with short story collections! I stick with them all the way! #scarathlon #teamStoker 11 points.

BeansPage 🧟‍♀️ 5y
8 likes1 comment
blurb
Godpants
post image

I started reading this a few months ago and it didn‘t really capture my attention. Retrying with the audio. Hope I enjoy it! #scarathlon #teamStoker 1 point

BeansPage 🧟‍♀️ 5y
12 likes1 comment
blurb
shadowspeak17
post image

Congrats @Librarybelle on reaching 200k! That‘s quite a milestone. 😃👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Thanks for the giveaway!

I‘ve read two of Paul Tremblay‘s books and one of his short stories and I thought all three of them were great, so I would really like the tagged book to check out some more of his short stories.
#200kgiveaway

Librarybelle Thank you! Nice choice! 5y
27 likes1 comment
review
MidnightBookGirl
post image
Pickpick

A good collection of stories- although there's one choose-your-own-adventure style story that will not work on audiobook (thankfully I had the arc lying around). Definitely a creepy October read! #TeamSlaughter #scarathalon @Clwojick

45 likes1 stack add
blurb
MidnightBookGirl
post image
38 likes1 stack add
blurb
amywithbooks
post image

My library hold came in just in time for spooky season! Paul Tremblay is a master of horror, and his novels are incredible. I can't wait to read these short stories. #promotehorror #amreading #spookyseason 🎃👻💀

15 likes1 stack add
blurb
Rollinsfan1
post image

'Tis the time for creepy books!
Going in blind - I have no info about this book, and I like it that way.

vivastory Opinions have been split, but I loved it 5y
Reggie I really liked this one! Hope it goes well for you! 5y
6 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
sharread
Pickpick



Poignant, entertaining, engaging, scary and at times sarcastically funny.

What I found most fascinating about Growing Things and Other Stories is the opportunity of delving into the authors personal thought processes. The "Notes" at the end of the short stories provides unique details on each short story and how they relate to his other books. The author gives valuable information about how he writes, and obtains ideas for his stories.

vivastory Wonderful review! 5y
sharread Thank you. 💖 5y
10 likes2 comments
review
Joshsandaker
post image
Pickpick

I really loved ‘A Head Full of Ghosts‘, ‘Disappearance at Devil‘s Rock‘, and ‘the Cabin at the End of the World‘. Debated between “pick” and “so-so” but, like any short story collections, there are some you like better than others. In retrospect I think there were only a couple that I didn‘t love. Overall a very solid collection.

blurb
MotionChickness
post image

Slow day at work, so I treated myself to breakfast and am going to attempt to knock the rest of this one out!

review
DavidDiamond
post image
Pickpick

"Mr. Ambiguous Horror" is at it again with these 19 unsettling stories, that even despite my distaste for ambiguous endings, managed to get me in his grasp and just wouldn't let me go! From the gruesome "The Getaway", to the choose-your-own-adventure of "A Haunted House...", to the uber-meta Notes From the Dog Walkers”...Tremblay skillfully weaves these suspenseful and unnerving tales into a collection that will keep you up late into the night!

review
Reggie
post image
Pickpick

I loved Paul Tremblay‘s collection of short horror stories with the exception of 2 of them that were way, way, above me. He has such a way of writing from a child‘s innocence. He also has a way of writing the details from the periphery that allow you to make up a much more horrifying picture. I‘m also in awe of the huge multi layered universe each one contained. These may be labeled horror but I‘d also add literary to the description. Pick!

JaclynW Great review! 5y
Reagan Ooh I can‘t wait to get my mitts on this one. Great review! 5y
Avanders You! 🤭 stack added 😉 5y
See All 8 Comments
Reggie @JaclynW @Reagan-reads @Avanders Thanks!!! I‘m not gonna lie. These stories had me all over the place. I cried into a bourbon bacon burger at Denny‘s last night on one story and then today another story made me tear up at Church‘s chicken. Lol, so just be prepared, because all is not what it seems. 5y
Tex2Flo I‘m now officially afraid of this book. 5y
JaclynW @Reggie Oh wow! Sounds like a book that really pulls you in. 5y
Avanders @Reggie aww ... well, that might be a new one at Denny‘s 😉😆 5y
Reggie @Tex2Flo I still think you should give them a try. The horror I got was not the one I was expecting. 5y
96 likes6 stack adds8 comments
blurb
MotionChickness
post image

When Paul Tremblay compliments your mousepad 😬😬😍😍😍

quote
Reggie
post image

So with this story, Notes from the Dog Walkers, Tremblay demonstrates the different shades of horror. This story is made up of notes from the couple of dog walkers who walk this rescue puppy, Holly, that all started out like,”Holly is a great pup and loves belly rubs,” but have progressed to this hot-mess, craziness, lol. This book, it‘s great so far.

sprainedbrain This describes my shelving system fairly well. 😂 5y
Lindy @sprainedbrain Mine too. I know where to find what I‘m looking for, even though they aren‘t in order. 5y
ValerieAndBooks That is a great bookish passage! Speaking of crazy dogs, I had a friend who has one and it actually bit me on the leg in two places unprovoked!! She was more worried about the dog getting into trouble aka being reported than me and kept saying how sweet it normally is! I don‘t really see her as a friend anymore now ☹️ 5y
Reggie @sprainedbrain @Lindy that‘s awesome. 😄 5y
Reggie @ValerieAndBooks that‘s horrible and I don‘t blame you. 5y
55 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
Godpants
post image

Can I get one more book done before the end of the month? Probably not, but I love Tremblay so I‘ll give it a college try!

vivastory I'll be buying this soon 5y
13 likes1 comment
review
Karkar
post image
Pickpick

While I did not care for the first few stories, the rest of the collection was killer! I love it when an author pulls in hints from their other books. Paul Tremblay will continue to be a autobuy author for me!

51 likes2 stack adds
blurb
Karkar
post image

Starting this one tonight!!

BekahB That‘s on my stack to read over the weekend! I‘m excited to try Tremblay‘s short stories. 5y
Karkar @BekahB I am not all the way done, but for me the first few were meh but then I really started liking the stories. I hope to finish it this weekend! I hope you like it and look forward to hearing what story is your favorite. 📚 5y
54 likes2 stack adds2 comments
blurb
amywithbooks
post image

1. "The Border" - Don Winslow and "She Rides Shotgun" by Jordan Harper.
2. "In The Valley of the Sun" - Andy Davidson
3. Tagged. I love Paul Tremblay!
4. My goodreads challenge is set for 50. I'm a little behind but hoping to catch up this summer!

#thursdaysurvey

blurb
Regi_C
post image

This just showed up at my door today!!!

readordierachel Oooooo! 5y
Reggie I‘m peanut butter and jelly of you. 5y
44 likes2 stack adds3 comments