Everything’s Annoying by J.C. Michael is a collection of graphic and gripping short horror stories. J.C. takes the genre of fantasy, thriller and horror and completely twists it into something much more sinister and gratifying. My overall favourite outcome of each story was I always thought I was being led in a certain way and could predict the outcome, and then J.C. would veer me off into a surprising and shocking direction. It was nice to be constantly surprised and not easily guess how each story would end. It makes for an exhilarating pace that wasn’t boring or predictable. I was holding my breath until the very last page, anticipating what unforeseeable outcome would unfold.
The book title is the first story in the collection and it really set the tone for how the rest of the book would play out. The story’s protagonist is trapped in a world where everything truly is annoying to him. And he lashes out in violent ways to demonstrate his frustrations at his predicament, even to his own detriment. I was quite taken about after reading it, loving how his anger from being annoyed overrides his ability to function or improve his circumstances. “Daddy” was grim and grotesque, the story centering on substance abuse. I would give a definite forewarning before reading. One of my favourite themes is stories centering on the morality of war, the hardships soldiers go through, and the unimaginable decisions that they are forced to make for the sake of their cause. So I was excited to read “When Death Walks the Field of Battle” and it did not disappoint.
A lot of these stories would do well being extended, as they were gripping and enjoyable and I was left wanting more. Everything’s Annoying is a valuable piece of horror literature as it doesn’t lack depth and isn’t afraid to shed light on the human spirit. It’s a piece of work that adult readers would enjoy dissecting and discussing. J.C. displays the horrifying depths of our humaness and psyche and how easily human beings can fall into committing monstrous acts.
I award 5 stars.