THE CREEPSHOW

Cooper delivers two original novellas inspired by the popular Creepshow films and television series.

In The Taker, after her family moves to a new town, eighth grader Bea enters a middle school where she’s thrilled to join the dance team, even if her fellow dancers aren’t the nicest girls at school. When Bea meets the ghost of a seemingly friendly teen girl named Kimmie—who has a penchant for swiping small items and who is haunting her room—she welcomes the company. However, as Bea bends under the toxic influence of her new friends, she discovers that her friendly ghost may not be so friendly after all. In Pretty Polly, 13-year-old animal lover Casey, who lives with his struggling single mom, is thrilled when he’s allowed to adopt his dream pet, an African grey parrot. Dorian Grey was advertised as free to a good home, and Casey quickly realizes that Dorian is preternaturally smart but has a dangerously wicked streak. Utilizing neat twists to emphasize well-known cautionary tales are a trademark of the Creepshow franchise, as is its particular brand of twisted humor. Cooper somewhat successfully pulls off the former but not the latter, and the straightforward, rather simplistic prose doesn’t allow for much nuance. However, in another nod to the source material, the comic-book panels in the preface are a nice touch. All characters seem to be white.

Teens seeking intense scares, or really, any scares at all, should look elsewhere.