There are some great stories in this anthology. Each of them caught me off-guard in some way, either with a surprise twist or just a character who was far more than I'd thought she was. A great read. ( )

Paranormal YA stories, mostly with a romance component and even more predominantly with a twist that ranges from easy to see coming (Mlynowski) to pretty darn creepy (Clare, at least in one line at the end of the otherwise conventional “girl rescues boy from monster” story that threatens to upend the story altogether). Quick and quirky enough to deserve a read, if this is the kind of thing you like. ( )

I love these anthologies. I can see which authors I'll read.

A good collection of short stories from some great YA authors. A great way to find some new reading material. The good thing is not one of these stories is 'set' in the world created by these authors in their Series writing. ( )

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Did you ever think you had the worst possible vacation ever? Well, pick up VACATIONS FROM HELL and realize that what you think was horrible is just icing on the cake.

Five of today's most popular paranormal young adult authors combine their talents in this collection of short stories. This is a compilation that is sure to appeal to everyone. I will admit at the beginning that I've only read works by Sarah Mlynowski and Maureen Johnson in the past, but will definitely be looking forward to reading works by the other three authors now.

This collection has something for everyone. For fans of The Blair Witch Project, check out Nowhere is Safe by Libba Bray. Four thrill-seeking teenagers on a trip around Europe stumble across scary things in a dark and dangerous forest. For anyone that hated that other girl for one reason or another and wanted to get even, check out I Don't Like Your Girlfriend by Claudia Gray. If you like those twisted ghost stories that are handed down from person to person, then The Law of Suspects by Maureen Johnson is for you. Got a hankering for a bit of dark witchcraft? The Mirror House will make you think twice about looking in mirrors again. And my personal favorite was Cruisin' by Sarah Mlynowski. It was one of those stories where I totally didn't expect the ending. You have to love when a story can do that!

The stories are all well-written and blend together perfectly. Each story is the perfect length to sit down and read in a sitting. After reading VACATIONS FROM HELL you will never again complain of a bad holiday! ( )