I absolutely loved Bad Dreams in the Night, Adam Ellis's graphic novel collection of short stories. Ellis mentions being inspired by In A Dark, Dark Room and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark which is abundantly clear. Reading his tales reminded me of staying up too late as a kid, reading something spooky under the covers. Some of the endings were predictable, but still satisfying. I particularly enjoyed the updated version of The Green Ribbon where the husband is the villain, Me and Evangeline at the Farm, and Milk Door. There's something incredibly nostalgic about these stories, almost like I've read them before. Maybe I have.

Thank you Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for access to an eARC of this fantastic horror comic collection! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a lot of fun. I’ve been reading Adam Ellis’s online comics for a few years now and was delighted to preview this graphic novel of his. Bad Dreams in the Night is a collection of horror stories each of which have surprising twists and turns. I really enjoyed the page after each story where Ellis writes a little something for the reader to explain the inspiration for the story. I will definitely be recommending this collection for anyone who wants a spine-tingling thrill!

Check this book out April 16, 2024 and be ready to be scared!

5 out of 5 stars

Summary:

Bad Dreams in the Night is a collection of short stories from the mind of Adam Ellis. More importantly, they're all horror stories. So get ready for chills and thrills because Adam Ellis is not afraid to deliver on that front.

This anthology is perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and similar formats. It's nostalgic and creepy all in one. Included inside, you'll find eleven horror stories: Me and Evangeline at the Farm, Milk Door, Butter Corn Ramen, Green Ribbon, Forest Fruit, Bus Stop, Hangnail, Better Kate than Never, Little House in the Sea, Murder Party, and Viola Bloom.

Review:

Ohhh, these are perfect! I've read a few of the shorts from Bad Dreams in the Night (thanks to Patreon), but I definitely did not get to read all of them, so this was an absolute delight (terror). It's hard to pick my favorites, but I'd say that I loved Me and Evangeline at the Farm, Green Ribbon, Bus Stop, and Better Kate than Never the most.

Me and Evangeline at the Farm
★★★★★
Me and Evangeline at the Farm is deeply atmospheric, and that's why I love it. There's also that sense of nostalgia, which somehow makes it even creepier? I loved this story – and I loved it even more when I read Adam Ellis' inspiration for it.

Milk Door
★★★★
I'll give you this - Milk Door is creepy. It takes a simple (yet odd) occurrence and turns it to extreme levels in a way that only Adam Ellis can.

Butter Corn Ramen
★★★★
Don't read Butter Corn Ramen while eating. No, I didn't make that mistake (thank god), but I can see it getting bad. This is great if you like creepy tales with body horror elements.

Green Ribbon
★★★★★
I remember reading (being told?) a story about the girl with the ribbon around her throat. It's one of those tales that schoolchildren tell. Adam Ellis clearly had fun playing with that concept and making it his own. I liked this twist.

Forest Fruit
★★★
Forest Fruit is quick and brutal. The implications are horrifying, as interned. It's a simple yet effective horror short.

Bus Stop
★★★★★
Bus Stop is definitely a short that will make you stop and think. It has a bit of the classic moth man vibes but also not? I love how Adam Ellis takes these familiar tones and warps them into his own creation.

Hangnail
★★★★
Hangnail is another quick and brutal story. This one is basically a longer version of that Adam Ellis comic that went viral years ago. Still gives me the chills.

Better Kate than Never
★★★★★
I really love the atmosphere of Better Kate than Never. Think classic 80s and 90s shows – but with a horrifying twist. The horror is more subtle in this one – at first. I would love to see this one turned into a full novel; it has SO much potential.

Little House in the Sea
★★★★
Little House in the Sea is another short that will make you stop and think, and that's probably why I like it. There are so many questions, and the lack of answers makes it pretty terrifying.

Murder Party
★★★
Murder Party is an interesting horror short. Its setup is pretty fantastic, but I had to stop and think to remember how it ended. So, I feel like more could have been done with it.

Viola Bloom
★★★★★
Viola Bloom will always be creepy. Don't try to tell me otherwise! I love how Adam Ellis plays with the concept here, especially in the context of the medium (graphic novels we read at home). It's so perfect.

Highlights:
Horror Story Anthology
Adam Ellis Comics
Twisted Ideas & Stories

Bad Dreams in the Night is a terrifying collection of 11 short stories. The cover drew me in, and I was happy to find that the art quality was consistent throughout the book. The artist does an amazing job of drawing interesting perspectives in each panel. It was a fun spooky read with amazing art and story telling. The art helped make the stories not as scary, so I'd recommend it to younger audiences too.

"Bad Dreams in the Night" is a collection of horror stories in graphic novel format. Each story closes with a small paragraph about it, a nice detail.

The book feels like a "classic horror vibe", it combines more traditional stories with urban legends. Overall, it feels like an homage to the genre.

Of course, since it's a collection, some stories are more interesting than others. But the result is solid. The author knows the genre and can move through it achieving incredible results.

The book opens with what ended up being my favorite story: "Evangeline" which, while not the most terrifying, has a lot of heart and shows Ellis' love for the subject.

Highly recommended.

This was a very entertaining anthology. As a fan of horror, I've come across some terrifying stories and some that carry a more nostalgic and cozy vibe. This book possessed the latter. "Viola Bloom" and "Butter Corn Ramen" stood out for me among the rest in a wonderfully unsettling way, and the art work is beautiful.

I made the bad decision to read these comics while going to bed and it took me a while to fall asleep afterward. These comics bring the right amount of spooky that will have you fearing what is in the dark.

I love Adam Ellis' artwork and his style and have always enjoyed his short form comics that he shares on social media.

In this graphic novel, it's really awesome to see how his art has evolved over time and I commend him for elevating it to this type of format. As for the stories, I get that it's inspired by Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark and it's anthology, but there were more than a few stories that fell a little flat, either by ending so abruptly and giving us enough time to feel for the characters, or even just lacking meaning/depth. That being said, there were more than a few that were incredible (and didn't need the depth or layers), which I absolutely loved. I think the challenging part even the short ones that do hit, are just not consistent enough to stand out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read a digital ARC for an honest review.

4 stars! As promised, each story in this collection feels just like a bad dream—unsettling, shocking, and strangely familiar. Some particular favorites were "Little House in the Sea", "Murder Party", and "Viola Bloom." To me, these pieces had the strongest narratives, mostly because they read more than just horror stories, but also thought-provoking meditations on their very real-life subjects. I'd highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Bad Dreams In The Night is a collection of short horror stories, Some stories pay homage to urban legends.

I’m not really a fan of horror stories, but these stories are so much fun to read, they are spooky. Some of them are predictable, and some of them are horrifying. The author did a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere. There were notes after every story explaining how the author came up with the comic, which I really appreciated. My favourites are Butter Corn Ramen and Viola Bloom.

The artwork is beautiful, and I loved the colour tone in each story.

It is recommended if you love horror stories.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of horror stories presented in graphic novel format that will leave you unsettled and might even generate new traumas.

Overall, I believe the stories are quite solid and manage to disturb the reader significantly. Each story features a different drawing style, adding to the differents concepts, which I appreciated. While they didn't scared me, I did find them enjoyable.

Perhaps my least favorite is the one about Evangeline, the first one, as I feel it doesn't convey anything particularly terrifying. The ones I enjoyed the most were those of Viola Bloom (simply fantastic), Milk Door (oooh, the creepy ending), and Hingnail (it left a strong impression in the worst sense, just like his original post did).

I loved that at the end of each story, there's a brief explanation from the author about the stories; I believe it adds an extra layer to the experience.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own.
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I have seen several artworks and stories created by Adam Ellis on Twitter (I refuse to call it X) for so long. When I found out he was releasing a collection of comics relating to horror, I IMMEDIATELY put a hold on the book at my local library. All of these stories were so captivating and held my attention, so much so that I finished this book in one sitting! Not only is the visual artwork stellar, Adam Ellis does a great job at storytelling, and I loved hearing his process of why he created the comics and where the inspiration came from. I really hope he continues with more stories like these.

Absolutely loved it! The stories were so eerie and creepy and, like all good scary stories, leaves you with an uneasy feeling due to the mistery of it all.

A graphic novel that claims itself to be like Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark, it sure was a good palate cleanser. I liked the art style for the most part and thought the stories were interesting for the most part. Yet some of them felt more like speculative fiction rather than horror.

My favourites from this collection was 'Hangnail' and 'Better Kate Than Never.' Both of this were genuinely creepy and the art style was top notch. A 3.5 stars round off.

Well, this was unexpectedly awesome, I’ll stand at 4.5stars. The beginning was stronger than the last stories but all were super interesting and couldn’t put it down. I also really enjoyed having an explanation from the author on how he came up with each one. This is a must buy for me! Can’t wait for it to come out and had it to my collection!

First a thank you to NetGalley and Adam Publishing for an Advanced Reader Copy of Bad Dreams in the Night! I loved this collection of Horror short stories. There were a few that had me wanting to turn the lights on. I had seen Adam's artwork previously online and was a fan, so I was super excited to see his published work! I loved the blurbs and descriptions at the end of each story. Would definitely read more from this author in the future.

A skin-crawlingly creepy and chilling graphic novel anthology. I liked how each story felt distinct and came with a back story on how the concept was formed and I was genuinely freaked out / disturbed (The Butter Corn Ramen was especially gross 🥲) Read this if you want to be a little spooked!

Thanks NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for my arc!

Another enjoyable read from artist and comic creator Adam Ellis! The artwork follows his classic style and regular followers may recognize some of his previous comics. I particularly enjoyed that after each story there was a short excerpt saying where the inspiration came from.

Adam Ellis presents a collection of horror tales in his signature illustration style. While they are certainly eerie, I found most of these stories to be too short to make a big impact. Though, he certainly saved the best for last! I appreciated the commentary after each story, often cluing the reader into its inspiration or origins.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC. Expected release: mid-April 2024.

I’ve been a fan of Adam since I found some of his comics on instagram. This book was delightfully spooky! Not too scary, just a little creepy. I’m someone who can’t really handle scary movies, but Adam’s comics have just the right level of spooky for me. Glad I had the chance to read this, as I’ve been seeing it all over instagram. Highly recommend!