I found this book from The Orangutan Librarian when she did a mini review. It immediately intrigued me, given that I really like IKEA (despite me being easily frightened). When she recommended it again, I knew that it was just a matter of time before I picked it up. Since I’ve been having long commutes recently (about an hour each way), I finally managed to get to this book.

Horrorstör is set inside Orsk, a not-IKEA furniture store. IKEA is actually mentioned as being more expensive than Orsk, but they are basically very similar otherwise. Amy is an unhappy worker at Orsk, but drawn in by the promise of overtime pay, she stays back late one night to investigate the strange incidents that have been occurring. Amy, her manager Basil, and Ruth (along with Trinity and Matt, who’ve crashed the investigation through their ghost hunting) end up being drawn into a literal world of horror.

I’ve got to admit, this is one of the few times where I really wish I managed to get the physical book. The ebook was pretty and most of the illustrations showed up without any problems, but the pictures of the physical version just look so good! I was creeped out by the ebook version (which has everything, including the Product Descriptions which are not to be missed), but I wonder if changing the medium would have increased the scare factor.

The story was scary enough for me. It starts with your typical box store evilness – like disorientating customers until they end up buying something – but rapidly becomes into a house of horrors. I’ve got to admit, I didn’t really understand what was going on towards the end until a character explained it (I think it’s a portal?) but what they did to each other was basically one of my nightmares. I guess you could say that it’s a typical horror story, but it did the job and creeped me out.

As for characters, I actually found Amy a little annoying. Cynical is fine, but she was too cynical and rude for me. I actually prefer her ‘annoying’ manager Basil – he may be wrapped in corporate speak, but he’s got a heart of gold and that’s what counts for me. Trinity and Matt weren’t super memorable, but I liked Ruth-Anne and I was rooting for her to stay alive.

Horrorstör isn’t one of my usual reads but I finished it in one go. It’s easy to read and the premise and format are really clever – I definitely appreciated it. If you’re interested in this, I’d suggest looking for the physical version of the book so that you can enjoy the images to the fullest.