Horror Book Review--Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

Budget-friendly furniture shops may be a customer trap that makes us pay more than we intend to, but in Grady Hendrix’s book, stores can also be a portal to a literal nightmare. 

This week’s Horror Book Recommendation is Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix. This comedy-horror is in the news because it is finally getting a movie adaptation. 

Published in 2014 by Quirk Books, the novel was initially going to be turned into a TV series in 2015 before the project fell through. In 2020, the film rights were sold, but the project was halted briefly by the pandemic. 

In 2026, the rights were acquired by Searchlight Pictures. Jonathan Levine will be writing the screenplay. The author, Grady Hendrix, will be the executive producer. 

Now let’s get back to the book. Currently, Horrorstör is on the best seller’s list of Ghost Suspense and Horror Fiction. 

Horrorstör Plot Summary

The Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio, is facing a strange phenomenon where every morning, the staff finds broken and stained furniture. The cameras offer no clue as to who has been vandalizing the store. 

One night, three staff members decide to unravel the mystery behind the incidents only to find themselves facing horrors they could never imagine. 

My Take on the Book Horrorstör

You won’t be the only one who mistakes the book for an IKEA catalogue. The cover design is made to deliberately resemble a booklet, complete with furniture names and prices. Clearly, the author and cover artist are fans of the IKEA store. But look carefully, and you will notice the photo frames aren’t of flowers or abstract designs, but a ghoul. 

The book opens with a description of a Brooka (a sofa, really) that then creates a scene of uncaffeinated zombies heading to work at the superstore. It’s barely dawn, and they are already approaching their workplace. 

We get an idea of the underpaid staff and the overlords of the company, who are the ones making a profit. A technical glitch causes the employees to not be able to clock in or enter. Basil, the manager, is sorting this issue out when Amy, our protagonist, approaches. She is clearly broke, trying to reuse her $1.49 coffee cup as much as she can. But today is the day it gives away, splashing coffee all over her. 

It doesn’t seem like it's going to be a good day for Amy. She meets with Matt, her colleague, before realizing that the only way to bypass Basil is to take the long route. 

The author then describes the hierarchy of the employees based on t-shirt colors. So when Amy sees someone wearing blue, she is confused, as none of the employees are given that color. She dismisses the man as a customer who got in too early. 

Amy’s determined to avoid Basil, who she thinks will fire her for not following all the company’s demands. She has put in a letter for her transfer and hopes to keep her job until then. As luck would have it, Basil is standing right by her desk, with a group of trainees. 

We can feel Amy’s irritation as she is expected to give a tour to the trainees while worrying about whether or not she will have a job by the end of the day. 

She suddenly receives a text on her phone that says help. Apparently, all the employees have been getting the same text, although the IT department cannot trace where it is coming from. 

Throughout the course of the story, we also find that the staff has been facing issues with inventory systems and has to face the hassle of doing things manually. 

Amy then runs into Trinity, who brings up the topic of ghosts. Amy uses this opportunity to pass on the trainees to her. 

At the end of the sample, Amy thinks her worst fears are coming true when Basil calls for her to come to his office. 

READ OR SKIP?

Grady Hendrix’s novel Horrorstör was one of his best-selling novels. The writing is laced with humor, and the characters are seamlessly introduced into the story. 

The most interesting part is the way subtle plot points are added in the narrative without throwing a spotlight on them. The texts for help clearly have meaning. Someone leaving stains on the furniture? What could be the intention behind it? 

Could it be that the manager Basil is hiding secrets…or is the store itself? 

This is definitely a READ. Most importantly, reading the book is the easiest way to get spoilers for the movie, whenever it comes out. 

GET THE BOOK