This is a quick, well-done short horror story.nots creepy and atmospheric and gives enough details to get you hooked without getting into a whole novel. Whether you’re a Hedrix fan or not, it’s a good listen and the rest of the series interests me.

The Blank is a chilling short story by Grady Hendrix—and yes, I'm fully in my Grady Hendrix era (I love pretty much everything I've read).

📖 Rating: 4.5 (Rounded to 5) out of 5

Moniqua Plante does an excellent job narrating this audiobook. She evokes each character's emotions—especially Rachel' s—with nuance and tension that pulls you deeper into the story. As someone who reads a lot of short stories and novellas, I think this one hit all the right notes. We follow Rachel and her family as they head to their summer vacation home on Jeckle Island—a perfect escape from the stress of city life. But there's a catch: follow the island's rules, and everything will be fine. That's all I'll say—any more would spoil the slow, subtle suspense that makes this story so good.

Hendrix masterfully builds that relatable unease, where everything seems fine on the surface—but you know something's off. The atmosphere is eerie but grounded, and I was hooked from start to finish.
Would I love this as a full-length novel? Absolutely. But it delivers everything a short story should: tension, mystery, and a lingering sense of what happens next?

Perfect for fans of quiet horror, island secrets, and unsettling vacation reads.


**Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC for an honest review**

Wow. For fans of Lute by Jennifer Thorne blended with The Village and The Lottery. Top tier storytelling in such a short period of time. Please make these available for libraries and not limit them to Audible.

wow, my first Grady I REALLY liked. It got my brain going. I would really for this to be turned into a full length book

A creepy island where the residents all agree to “look the other way” in regards to the unnatural inhabitants.

This short story was mixed for me, it was definitely creepy and unsettling but I was also confused at some points.

A quick audio book which can be completed within an hour!

Thank you for the gifted copy,

Publish date: April 15th

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 4/15
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This is another short story from The Shivers Collection. The Blankets focuses on Jeckle Island where a family visits for the summer. This story was a little bit confusing, there is talk of "the blanks" and I wasn't really sure what exactly they were but I am going to assume that they are some kind of monster type thing. Regardless, you aren't supposed to look at them, if you do there is a price to pay. I cant lie, it made me a bit angry at the selfishness of the parents to knowingly go to this island with these monsters and their children and put their kids at risk and then to blindly just be okay with the situation that comes...
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For a short story that really packed a punch though, it really left me with my jaw on the ground. I listened to this one via audiobook. It's fast paced and comes in right about an hour which is perfect. Moniqua Plante is the narrator and she killed this one. Created the perfect eerie atmosphere for such a creepy story.
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Overall, I think people will eat this one up! If you need a quick horror fix, check this one out and the rest of The Shivers Collection! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Grady Hendrix, Amazon Original Publisher and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Do not read if you are a parent of young kids!! Also, spoilers ahead!

This was not for me…. I tend to be more of a thriller/mystery reader than horror, but I think it’s more about the fact that I can’t handle books where parents knowingly put their kids in danger. And I can never understand a mom who is grateful for summers at a beach house even if it meant her child was killed by the monsters that patrol the island?! Nope. There is no world in which I would be okay. Or would leave my child to die as an offering to the monsters.

That being said, the narration is good and this is really creepy…the plot was just not for me.

A short story by Grady Hendrix, yes please. Even better when the short story is similar to BirdBox.
We follow Rachel and her family when they travel to their vacation home for the summer. While there her son sees something horrifying. So Rachel and her family have to deal with the consequences from what he saw.
So creepy snd terrifying.
Loved it

Harry Styles reference, I see you.

I didn’t understand the point of this story - not that there needs to be one, but I had no idea what was going on which is always a great risk with a novella audiobook that is only one hour long.

I wasn’t scared, just confused.

Audiobook arc gifted by Brilliance Publishing.

A smart and disturbing horror short about the things people ignore in order to maintain the lives they want to live, particularly in privileged communities. The Blanks follows a family who summers on an island that is perfect...as long as you never pay attention to the monsters. But their 11 year old son doesn't know better...
Grady Hendrix knocked this out of the park, though I could totally see this story working as a novella too. The audio narration is excellent- exactly the main character who is perkily ignoring the horrors around her. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I cannot express how immersed I was in The Blanks. From start to finish, I was terrified. In just over an hour, Hendrix filled this audiobook with a sucker punch that a full length novel delivers. Not only was it horrifying and disturbing in every way, but we also got a clear back story and absolutely heart shattering by the end. Like, wow. I would love to see this story get a full novel to follow this or even a movie adaptation because I must know more.

The Blanks follows a family to their summer vacation home in Jeckle Island. All is well, and they are happy to be back with the community that they love like family. However, something is a bit off with Jeckle Island and contains something that the citizens simply pretend isn't there... until it is.

Thank you, NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Grady Hendrix for this advanced listening copy. Moniqua Plante absolutely killed this audio as well, her performance had me stunned.

I need a full SERIES diving into this premise. I’m talking past, present and now (similar to the Fear Street Netflix movie series.) This short story gave me the same creepy and suspenseful feelings that playing the game Until Dawn gave. If anyone understands either of those references then YOU GET IT!!!!

Grady Hendrix did such a good job of creating a story that gave me full body chills while being less than 40 pages. Thank you to Brilliance Publishing | Amazon Original Stories for this ARC.

What are The Blanks? What is going on in this seemingly idyllic vacation spot?
This story is chilling, beautifully crafted and on Stephen King storytelling level. I just wish it was a little longer :)
The narrator did a wonderful job. Thank you for this ARC audiobook copy.

I received an advance audio copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley and the publishers.

I love creatures in a horror novel, and this short story about The Blanks was no exception. Tragic, heartbreaking, and captivating, this story is about a small island off the North Shore of Long Island. A family of four has their own vacation home and is able to rest during the summer so that they can rejuvenate for the rest of the year. However, a secret no one from the island discusses is that of the creatures. If you look at them, they will come for you. This story was especially creepy based on who happens to look at them and what happens. just enough information is given to make your imagination run wild.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
The locals have a silent agreement with the island's eerie residents: just look the other way and enjoy life. However, in this gripping short story by New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix, one boy finds it impossible to turn away—and faces the consequences. Jeckle Island gives Rachel's kids the opportunity to enjoy carefree summers, provided they stick to the guidelines. But when her son encounters a fearsome presence they all avoid discussing, she realizes their idyllic existence is about to be altered—permanently.
𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
This was a fantastic short little read! The author really nailed the creepy atmosphere, making it easy to get lost in the unsettling world they created. I loved how the story stirred such strong emotions from me—it was gripping, eerie, and just the right amount of spooky. The audiobook experience was top-notch as well; the narrator delivered a stellar performance that brought the story to life in a way that enhanced the overall experience. If you're looking for a quick, spine-chilling read, I definitely recommend giving this one a go!

Thanks @NetGalley and Brilliance publishing for allowing me to review this audiobook.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ (4.5/5)

I was luckily enough to received a #gifted copy of this from #netgalley

This was such a good audiobook the only thing is I just wanted more from the story and the novella wasn’t cutting it.

I don’t want to give anything away but this one had a Black Mirror / Twilight Zone / Stepford Wives feel to it.

This one left me wanting more and when it ended I was like what the….

So if GH would just go ahead and add some more to this one or make it a full
Length book I’d love that. Please and thank you. 😂

This short story by Grady Hendrix is equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking. He’s so good at mixing horror with real emotion. It feels like the perfect setup for a full-length novel—I’d totally read it if he ever expanded it.

Wow this was a fantastic short little read. The author really gave us a creepy atmosphere and I loved the emotions this story evoked from me. I enjoyed this! If you need a short little spooky readthen go read this!! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator gave a great performance! Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance publishing for the gifted audiobook.

Okay, so I just finished "The Blanks" by Grady Hendrix, and WOW. I'm officially a fan! This was my first foray into Hendrix's world, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I'm already adding a bunch of his other books to my "to-read" list.
"The Blanks" is just... weird. In the best possible way! It's got this totally unique premise that just grabs you from the start, and it doesn't let go. It's a wild ride, and I mean wild. There's a perfect blend of creepy, funny, and just plain bizarre that kept me completely hooked.
Hendrix has this amazing ability to create these incredibly vivid and quirky characters. They're all so distinct and memorable, even the more eccentric ones. I found myself genuinely caring about what happened to them, even when they were making some truly questionable decisions. The story itself is a masterclass in suspense. He builds the tension beautifully, and there were definitely moments where I was holding my breath, wondering what was going to happen next.
I'm giving this a solid 4 stars, and honestly, it was a close call for 5. It's just that little something, that extra oomph that would have pushed it over the top. But even with that slight reservation, I absolutely loved it. It's the kind of book that sticks with you long after you've finished reading.
If you're looking for something that's a little bit different, a little bit creepy, and a whole lot of fun, you absolutely need to pick up "The Blanks." Grady Hendrix has definitely earned a spot on my "must-read" author list, and I can't wait to dive into more of his work!