I didn't realize that this was part 2 of a series. But nevertheless, the spooky stories intended for middle grade readers didn't fail to entertain! It's crazy what frightens us as kids and how deep these scares can go. If you're looking for nostalgia-inducing short stories that bring you back to your childhood fears and nightmares, this book is perfect for you.

An interloper in the school corridor… A sleepover host from hell… A class intent on having contact with some kind of ghost… And that horrid, horrid crawlspace above the styrofoam ceiling tiles in temporary classrooms… Yes, this is a second selection of horror stories, presented with a difference, in this author's current series. While it isn't as great as the first bunch, it was probably rude of me to expect something of that quality a second time, anyway.

The difference remains the same – that the book has a longer story within it, split up into parts to be scattered around the self-contained short stories; a longer tale concerning the nightmarish ink that wants us humans to let it absorb our nasty dreams. Last time a girl was annoyed and worried by what a horror writer was doing with it, but we start with it in her possession – albeit not for long. Does she have to make sure it's appeased, or can she break the cycle completely?

This again seems to have a great ability to turn a junior point of interest into the subject of a horror story – so many of the readers will know an older sibling apparently scared of sunlight, and so here's someone who is that for a reason. If you've ever had a teacher come on with the whole mindfulness, meditation in class shtick, here's why you should be worried. Once again we get a story more for the school librarian among the readership, but it's probably the weakest entry this time – here the one with the adult POV and the adult fear covers a teacher's worst PTA meeting. Debatable, too, perhaps, is a tale where one of the most useful entities gets turned into the enemy, and a large proportion of the audience gains a disliking for the dentist.

On the whole, however, the works are fine, and the success rate again is a strong one. It was a touch awkward that the personal names of many of the characters were so far removed from those I'm culturally used to, and why so much of it revolves around pencils I'll never know – is ink banned from Canadian schools, or something?! Surely the whole country doesn't live below ink freezing point? But such oddities are cancelled out when an enjoyable predictive gravestone is featured – and by the advert for the third in the series. Four stars, easily.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. My students will get a kick out if these short horror stories. The drawings were a nice touch as well.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

I think this book is creepy enough that is may give its young readers a scare or two. Well well-written book. I did know it was part of a series until I read the description. I enjoyed it and plan to get my godson the first book.

I hadn’t read the first book, but the author does a good job at briefly explaining it. I thought the level of “scariness” was appropriate for the age level and the writing was very easy to follow. I really enjoyed this one personally - I know my students would too. The stories were very imaginative and the characters were very accurate (in a sense that I continuously thought back to my youth and wondered what I would’ve said or done in those situations.) Thanks for the part 3 story, I can’t wait to read the book when it’s out.

I've been on the hunt for something similar to the Goosebumps books from my childhood to gift my nieces, and this amazing read was perfect! I remember being obsessed with easy to read 'horror' stories as a child, and (in my opinion) there just aren't newer books that thought out and well done anymore. However, Jeff's Pages of Doom was the perfect blend of light reading material, eery tales, and fun. With multiple short tales wrapped together, this was a knockout for getting that childhood imagination flowing. I will be buying a couple of copies of this for my younger family members that love to read, and honestly I'll likely buy myself a copy, too. It was just that refreshing to experience a little childlike nostalgia while reading this. Incredible work, pieced together beautifully, and hands down a gem in today's options.

Telling a horror story for young people is quite a feat. It has to be a solid balance of fright, but also has to be age-appropriate. Pages of Doom does this very well, and is the second in the series that I hope continues for some time. Well worth adding to classroom libraries and school libraries.

A fun and age appropriate spooky collection of short stories. These were all pretty unique and the illustrations really enhanced them. A great middle grade short story collection.

This is a spooky and scary short story collection for middle graders. It is just scary enough to to keep older readers interested, but stays appropriate for 9-12 year olds. The wraparound story is excellent, and as a teacher “Parent Teacher Conference” was especially relatable and terrifying!

This book is a short story collection with horror stories for kids. There are also some illustrations for each story sprinkled in. This is the second book in this series.

I really like these books! They have short bursts of horror, kind of like Goosebumps. They are scary but not too overwhelming for kids to handle. I like how short they are because it keeps the kids attention.

The illustrations are really detailed and fun to look at.

I would recommend this book to kids everywhere looking for some horror!

Thanks so much to netgalley and Orca for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

I had not read the first Pages of Doom book, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The description sounded right up my alley, though, and I didn't hesitate to jump into this. Now that I've finished book 2 I cannot wait to read book 1! When I was young I really enjoyed a series of book that told spooky stories, and this is definitely the modern version of those books. They're just spooky enough to give me pause, and to make it so I couldn't finish it all in one sitting. I really like the illustrations, also, they're a perfect complement to the stories, and there's just the right amount. I'll never look at Goldilocks and the Three Bears again after this book. Looking forward to more by this author!

This was a really fun and eye opening read, as someone who reads adult horror I was interested to see how it would translate into a younger audience. Jeff Szpriglas does a really good job of utilising familiar environments like schools and dentists to add an element of spookiness, making the kids who are likely reading it at school feel like they have to look over their shoulder.

As a older reader I enjoyed the little throwbacks like the yes/no pencils, it’s nice seeing it be passed on to future generations.

Overall Szpriglas is a talented author, I hope one day this story gets the recognition it deserves. The casual diversity and underlying messages are something that I think other authors could learn from.

Andrew P. Barr, the man that you are, the illustrations really tied everything together, it managed to put depictions to what could not be explained to that age group. I really love the art especially the last duo. The book would be incomplete without your contribution.


Thank you Netgalley for access to this book.

The Pages of Doom definitely held an R.L. Stine feel. Its similarities with the Goosbumps series were evident. I myself am a fan of the Goosebumps series, owning every book in the series. I would definitely suggest this book of short stories for the fans of R.L. Stine and the Goosebumps books. Even as an adult I enjoyed reading The Pages of Doom. The books holds stories that I can enjoy and also read aloud to my older children. I loved the illustrations, they were creepy and also kid friendly. They made the book fun. The book has very conversational English, using modern ways of speaking that a younger generation could relate to. Each story is a quick read that packs a heavy family friendly horror punch.