Scan barcode
alex_bastow's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
tspoon3330's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
maddy_walock's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.25
owlsreads's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Harvesters by L.L. McKinney: not much to say about this one except that I liked the twists!
Welcome Back to the Cosmos by Kortney Nash: really enjoyed the scifi elements and how they worked with the unsettling atmosphere.
Ghost Light by Erin E. Adams: theater lore! Something should have happened to Sarah.
The Brides of Devil's Bayou by Desiree S. Evans: I loved this! Great family curse and build up as it was resolved.
TMI by Zakiya Dalila Harris: short and intriguing.
Black Pride by Justina Ireland: you know what? I wouldn't mind if this was true. Great take on monsters!
The Screamers by Daka Hermon: a solid ghost and haunted house story!
Queeniums for Greenium! by Brittney Morris: the scariest story yet tbh. MLMs are a horror.
Inheritance by Camara Aaron: great way to tie folktales with family history.
Black Girl Nature Group by Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite: another favorite! We should never go into the woods with white people.
Cemetery Dance Party by Saraciea J. Fennell: this would make such a good movie tbh.
The Skittering Thing by Monica Brashears: a bit too weird and convoluted for me.
The Black Strings by Vincent Tirado: so much tension! I loved the take on the strings and how that unfolded.
Local Color by Eden Royce: started a little shaky, but the ending was great!
Foxhunt by Charlotte Nicole Davis: fantastic way to wrap up the collection! The Hunt concept isn't a new one, but I liked how it worked with Felix's mental health.
Overall, a fun read throughout. I did expect a bit more spookiness from the stories, however, instead of mostly action.
Welcome Back to the Cosmos by Kortney Nash: really enjoyed the scifi elements and how they worked with the unsettling atmosphere.
Ghost Light by Erin E. Adams: theater lore! Something should have happened to Sarah.
The Brides of Devil's Bayou by Desiree S. Evans: I loved this! Great family curse and build up as it was resolved.
TMI by Zakiya Dalila Harris: short and intriguing.
Black Pride by Justina Ireland: you know what? I wouldn't mind if this was true. Great take on monsters!
The Screamers by Daka Hermon: a solid ghost and haunted house story!
Queeniums for Greenium! by Brittney Morris: the scariest story yet tbh. MLMs are a horror.
Inheritance by Camara Aaron: great way to tie folktales with family history.
Black Girl Nature Group by Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite: another favorite! We should never go into the woods with white people.
Cemetery Dance Party by Saraciea J. Fennell: this would make such a good movie tbh.
The Skittering Thing by Monica Brashears: a bit too weird and convoluted for me.
The Black Strings by Vincent Tirado: so much tension! I loved the take on the strings and how that unfolded.
Local Color by Eden Royce: started a little shaky, but the ending was great!
Foxhunt by Charlotte Nicole Davis: fantastic way to wrap up the collection! The Hunt concept isn't a new one, but I liked how it worked with Felix's mental health.
Overall, a fun read throughout. I did expect a bit more spookiness from the stories, however, instead of mostly action.
eggbeater's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The title gives away the ending of each story, so there isn't much suspense, but I appreciated having a Black female protagonist, and these stories were well written and fun. My favorites were TMI, Queeniums for the Greenium, and Foxhunt. Sometimes, what's really horrific is not a "monster."
9queenbee9's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is my first anthology and to be honest I had a couple reservations. But it turn out to be very exciting and addictive. But also felt like I wanted so much more and I think some of the stories could be full books 😍
lokiisreading's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Overall: 4.2 ⭐️
Individual Story Ratings:
- Harvesters: 5💫
- Welcome Back to the Cosmos: 4.5 ⭐️
- Ghost Light: 5 💫
- The Brides of the Devil’s Bayou: 4 ⭐️
- TMI: 3 ⭐️
- Black Pride: 3 ⭐️
- The Screamers: 3.5 ⭐️
- Queeniums for Greenium!: 5 ⭐️
- Inheritance: 4 ⭐️
- Black Girl Nature Group: 5 ⭐️⭐️
- Cemetery Dance Party: 2.5 ⭐️
- The Skittering Thing: 5 💫
- The Black Strings: 4.5 ⭐️
- Local Color: 4 ⭐️
- Foxhunt: 5 ⭐️
My absolute favorite stories were Harvesters, Ghost Light, and The Skittering Thing! Those legitimately scared me. I was grabbing my chest, and sat up straight reading those 😂
As someone who is not the biggest fan of anthologies for many reasons this was a great bunch of stories! Obviously I enjoyed more stories than others, but I can definitely say that all the stories were unique! There are a few that I would have loved to see become full blown books, but as short stories they hit that sweet spot.
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm usually pretty meh about YA anthologies (because for the most part, I don't think teens are drawn to them), but horror lends itself well to short stories! This was a pretty good mix of stories, with a lot of the authors taking tropes that we know from horror and adding their own spin on them. Definitely would be a great anthology to read during spooky season!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
reading_under_covers's review
5.0
Five spooky stars for this one!
It’s rare that I’ll enjoy every story in an anthology, but I’m pleased to report that this one is an exception!
The first story really set the mood for the whole collection (I literally gasped at the end of it haha), and there were soo many stories that will stick with me for a while!
It’s rare that I’ll enjoy every story in an anthology, but I’m pleased to report that this one is an exception!
The first story really set the mood for the whole collection (I literally gasped at the end of it haha), and there were soo many stories that will stick with me for a while!