Early Book Review: Frightlopedia: An Encyclopedia of Everything Scary, Creepy, and Spine-Chilling, from Arachnids to Zombies by Julie Winterborn

Frightlopedia: An Encyclopedia of Everything Scary, Creepy, and Spine-Chilling, from Arachnids to Zombies by Julie Winterborn is scheduled for release on August 23 2016. It combines fact, fiction, and hands-on activities together to scare and entertain readers  with some of the world’s most frightening places, scariest stories, and gruesomest creatures, both real and imagined. Discover Borneo’s Gomantong Cave, where literally millions of bats, cockroaches, spiders, and rats coexist in pitch darkness. Learn about mythical creatures like the Mongolian Death Worm—and scarily real ones like killer bees, which were accidentally created by scientists in the 1950s. Visit New Orleans’s Beauregard-Keyes house, where Civil War soldiers are said to still clash in the front hall. Plus ghost stories from around the world, a cross-cultural study of vampires, and how to transform into a zombie with makeup. Each entry includes a “Fright Meter” measurement from 1 to 3, because while being scared is fun, everyone has their limit.

Frightlopedia is a fun and sometimes frightening read that will appeal too many readers. I like that the book is well organized, so readers looking for information on a certain type of monster or scary story can find the wanted information quickly. I think the scare-o-meter is a great aspect as well, since it forwards readers just how scary some of the stories might be for them. The variety of urban legends, well known stories and monsters, and those less known is nice. The inclusion of real creatures that some find scary, like spiders that eat birds and other sizable critters, rounded out the collection well. I even learned a few new bits of certain legends that I had not heard of before. I think readers that love all things masters or creepy will enjoy this book for multiple reads.

Frightlopedia is a great read for those that like scary stories and monsters, and not just to be scared. I liked the fright-o-meter so the least and most stalwart of readers can still enjoy the book and skip over bits that might not be conducive to bedtime.