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pudding_brain's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault and Child abuse
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Rape
anactoroflife's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
j3mm4's review against another edition
4.5
The trouble with reviewing anthologies is that each piece is both part of a larger whole and its own individual work. Of all these individual works, nine out of ten were good - interesting concepts, compellingly written, with characters who felt alive and specific and motivated and which engaged with the idea of folk horror, of folklore, of history and fantasy and magic and myth and how we walk among all those things every day, in unique and meaningful ways, even if the basis was something as played-out as Bloody Mary or the Woman in White or ghosts with unfinished business. The one that wasn't good was Hannah Whitten's, and it wasn't good for all the reasons that I found her full-length books not-good - heterosexual romance takes precedence over character motivations that make sense and developing a plot in thoughtful ways, line-level writing choices that reveal a lack of consideration for sentences and phrases with meaning rather than just a pleasing (to her) sound, a grasp on trauma and rage so iffy it's almost insulting. I liked the rest of this anthology so much I actually want to buy a copy for myself, but if I do, I will be making a little blackout sleeve to keep "One-Lane Bridge" out of my way.
sdevine's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
mvanserra's review against another edition
5.0
Honest to god, a stellar anthology after a long while. This book had me hooked, despite the slow start. Each of the story were a perfect mix of folklore and modern undertones, that is a good mixture for the current audience. 10/10 read it if you want to dip your toes in folk horror.
smerika's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Disclaimers: I've determined I'm not a fan of short stories. I like long, complex words and sentence structure.
The authors of these stories feel young. There's hardly enough to get a good tension before it's over and onto the next. Last one was my favorite.
The authors of these stories feel young. There's hardly enough to get a good tension before it's over and onto the next. Last one was my favorite.
dana_yamaguchi's review against another edition
3.0
Stay by Erica Waters
“Granny said the only family you need is the family that stays.”
-Melissa, from Stay by Erica Waters
The Tallest Poppy by Chloe Gong
“Neat as a picture, a garden with not a poppy out of place.”
-Chloe Gong, The Tallest Poppy
Love by All, Save One by Tori Bovalino
“And I will remember.”
-Jenna, from Love by All, Save One by Tori Bovalino
One Lane Bridge by Hannah Whitten
“None of this is for you. Nothing I feel is yours to take. You got a taste, and that’s all you’re getting. Do you understand?”
-Jules, from One Lane Bridge by Hannah Whitten
Ghost on the Shore by Allison Saft
“At the end of it all, we’re just two girls kneeling in the wreckage of our love.”
-Maud, from Ghost on the Shore by Allison Saft
Petrified by Olivia Chadha
“They were frozen in the bone forest forever.”
-Dhara, from Petrified by Olivia Chadha
Third Burn by Courtney Gould
“The Devil is in her room tonight.”
-Charlene Skaggit, from Third Burn by Courtney Gould
It Stays With You by Aden Polydoros
“There was no scale of justice in life.”
-Marlow, from It Stays With You by Aden Polydoros
Truth or Dare by Alex Brown
“It was impossible to keep something that never intended to stay.
No. It was more than impossible. It was exhausting.
Heartbreaking. The kind of thing that tore you to shreds, only to hastily put you back together, with no regard to where the pieces were being placed.
It was a painful process. A punishment.”
-Sienna, from Truth or Dare by Alex Brown
The Burning One by Shakira Toussaint
“Stay High. Stay safe. Nothing good Below.”
-Shakira Toussaint, The Burning One
katcxfe's review against another edition
3.5
The rating of this book is the mean of the ratings of all the stories.
My favorite stories:
- Loved by All, Save One By Toni Bovalino
- Ghost on the Shore by Allison Saft
- It Stays with You by Aden Polydoros
individual ratings:
➛ Stay by Erica Waters ★★★★★
Stay is a story about Melissa who takes care of her grandmother and her cousin Daniel. Her grandmother thinks that there are worms living beneath her skin. They all live in a small town called Lagerty. In this town "we bury our own dead and tend our own graves." and that "tending your dead is sacred as baptism."
This story was so good. It was the first one to 'the gathering dark.' and I truly loved the horror aspect of it. It was so creepy and the short story was well written. There were small aspects that just didn't add up that makes you question what was actually going on in the story. The story was only 24 pages but I felt like it did a great job and creating a setting and characters for the story. I love the "stuck in a small town and rotting" vibes it portrayed. This was my intro to the authors writing and it leaves me wanting more
➛ The Tallest Poppy By Chloe Gong ★★★★
The Tallest Poppy is about Penelope (Poppy) Gao who becomes a nanny so she can save up money for a plane ticket to go to her dream university. She becomes a live in nanny at a house that is overlooking a beach. The townsfolk says that the beach is cursed.
I love Chloe Gong and this short story by her is another great story by her. The haunting elements of the house and the sea that haunts Poppy’s dreams. I always enjoy Chloe’s writing and this short story was no exception. Her writing is always so gorgeous and I love it.
➛ Loved by All, Save One By Toni Bovalino ★★★★★
Loved by All, Save One is a story about Lee, Jase and Jenna. They all have been friends forever, when they were younger they used to go searching for her. Barbara Davidson, if the legend were true, she was murdered in Jenna's house in the 1800's. She was decapitated by someone who broke into the house. Her body was buried under the floorboard, her head was never found. Barbara's killer was never found.
This story was such a thrilling horror tale. I was reading it and I couldn't put it down. The horror aspects of this book was fantastic and even though the story was short it was very fulfilling. I enjoyed the plot of the book and the characters. It left me wanting to read more. I wanted to learn more about Barbara Davidson, about Lee, Jase and Jenna. I would read a full book about these characters and their lives.
➛ One- Lane Bridge by Hannah Whitten ★★★
One Lane Bridge is about a group of friends, Jules, Simon, Lanie and Chase. There is a Bridge that has become a scapegoat for the high amount of disappearances in the area. The legend was that the Bridge belonged to something inhuman. They decided to go to the bridge one midnight to see if the legends are true.
I did not get into the story as much as I would have liked. I did enjoy reading it but it would have done better as a full story. There were parts that I felt needed more detail. I did like the aspect of a haunted bridge and it remined me of goatmans bridge.
➛ Ghost on the Shore by Allison Saft ★★★★★
Ghost on the Shore is about Maud who drives out to Iris Lake. Maud's friend, June drowned and died in that lake. Legend says that anyone who die's in Iris Lake's water is kept beneath the surface. That every morning at two, the souls of the dead come back and wait for someone to take them home.
I loved this story so much! You really get into it right away and I enjoyed the elements of grief and how holding onto it takes a toll on yourself. I liked the characters and it's about Maud's grief and the lengths she goes to hold onto it. It's tells a tale about how grief and holding onto it can take a toll and consume you. I wanted more, I would read a whole novel about these characters and plot.
➛Petrified By Olivia Chadha ★★★
Petrified is about Dhara who is apart of the The Children of the Aspen community. The story is Dhara and her friends Will and Joce. The forest that surrounds the community is own by tightly knit Children of the Aspen community.
I love a haunted/ creepy forest. It's always so ominous and such a great setting for a horror story. I did enjoy reading this story and the writing was really good. Forests are always creepy and this story just made them even more. I did wish that I could have read more about this story. I longed for more.
➛Third Burn By Courtney Gould ★★★★
The Third Burn is set in a town called Amberville, Oregon. Amberville is in the middle of nowhere. There was dead and empty farmland for as far as the eye can see. Charlie come's back to town after she went away for five months to learn a lesson.
I think its always creep when a horror story is set in a town in the middle of nowhere. I enjoyed reading the storyline and the characters. I really enjoyed Courtney writing and I am excited to read more books by them. I liked the story a lot and it was great for a short story format.
➛It Stays with You by Aden Polydoros ★★★★★
It Stays with You is about Quinn, Sarah, Gabe and Marlow. One final send off before Quinn and Sarah leaves for college, and the cancer moved from Gabe's lungs to his brain, and Marlow getting left behind in the town that they will die. Then they all decided to play Bloody Mary, and the best summer of their lives turned into something more sinister.
I loved this short story! It was so creepy and ominous and I ate it up. I really enjoyed reading this storyline and I liked the characters. Some of theses stories left me wanting more in a good way and some of them needed more, but this short story was perfect. I love the story and it was just the perfect amount of horror.
My favorite stories:
- Loved by All, Save One By Toni Bovalino
- Ghost on the Shore by Allison Saft
- It Stays with You by Aden Polydoros
individual ratings:
➛ Stay by Erica Waters ★★★★★
Stay is a story about Melissa who takes care of her grandmother and her cousin Daniel. Her grandmother thinks that there are worms living beneath her skin. They all live in a small town called Lagerty. In this town "we bury our own dead and tend our own graves." and that "tending your dead is sacred as baptism."
This story was so good. It was the first one to 'the gathering dark.' and I truly loved the horror aspect of it. It was so creepy and the short story was well written. There were small aspects that just didn't add up that makes you question what was actually going on in the story. The story was only 24 pages but I felt like it did a great job and creating a setting and characters for the story. I love the "stuck in a small town and rotting" vibes it portrayed. This was my intro to the authors writing and it leaves me wanting more
➛ The Tallest Poppy By Chloe Gong ★★★★
The Tallest Poppy is about Penelope (Poppy) Gao who becomes a nanny so she can save up money for a plane ticket to go to her dream university. She becomes a live in nanny at a house that is overlooking a beach. The townsfolk says that the beach is cursed.
I love Chloe Gong and this short story by her is another great story by her. The haunting elements of the house and the sea that haunts Poppy’s dreams. I always enjoy Chloe’s writing and this short story was no exception. Her writing is always so gorgeous and I love it.
➛ Loved by All, Save One By Toni Bovalino ★★★★★
Loved by All, Save One is a story about Lee, Jase and Jenna. They all have been friends forever, when they were younger they used to go searching for her. Barbara Davidson, if the legend were true, she was murdered in Jenna's house in the 1800's. She was decapitated by someone who broke into the house. Her body was buried under the floorboard, her head was never found. Barbara's killer was never found.
This story was such a thrilling horror tale. I was reading it and I couldn't put it down. The horror aspects of this book was fantastic and even though the story was short it was very fulfilling. I enjoyed the plot of the book and the characters. It left me wanting to read more. I wanted to learn more about Barbara Davidson, about Lee, Jase and Jenna. I would read a full book about these characters and their lives.
➛ One- Lane Bridge by Hannah Whitten ★★★
One Lane Bridge is about a group of friends, Jules, Simon, Lanie and Chase. There is a Bridge that has become a scapegoat for the high amount of disappearances in the area. The legend was that the Bridge belonged to something inhuman. They decided to go to the bridge one midnight to see if the legends are true.
I did not get into the story as much as I would have liked. I did enjoy reading it but it would have done better as a full story. There were parts that I felt needed more detail. I did like the aspect of a haunted bridge and it remined me of goatmans bridge.
➛ Ghost on the Shore by Allison Saft ★★★★★
Ghost on the Shore is about Maud who drives out to Iris Lake. Maud's friend, June drowned and died in that lake. Legend says that anyone who die's in Iris Lake's water is kept beneath the surface. That every morning at two, the souls of the dead come back and wait for someone to take them home.
I loved this story so much! You really get into it right away and I enjoyed the elements of grief and how holding onto it takes a toll on yourself. I liked the characters and it's about Maud's grief and the lengths she goes to hold onto it. It's tells a tale about how grief and holding onto it can take a toll and consume you. I wanted more, I would read a whole novel about these characters and plot.
➛Petrified By Olivia Chadha ★★★
Petrified is about Dhara who is apart of the The Children of the Aspen community. The story is Dhara and her friends Will and Joce. The forest that surrounds the community is own by tightly knit Children of the Aspen community.
I love a haunted/ creepy forest. It's always so ominous and such a great setting for a horror story. I did enjoy reading this story and the writing was really good. Forests are always creepy and this story just made them even more. I did wish that I could have read more about this story. I longed for more.
➛Third Burn By Courtney Gould ★★★★
The Third Burn is set in a town called Amberville, Oregon. Amberville is in the middle of nowhere. There was dead and empty farmland for as far as the eye can see. Charlie come's back to town after she went away for five months to learn a lesson.
I think its always creep when a horror story is set in a town in the middle of nowhere. I enjoyed reading the storyline and the characters. I really enjoyed Courtney writing and I am excited to read more books by them. I liked the story a lot and it was great for a short story format.
➛It Stays with You by Aden Polydoros ★★★★★
It Stays with You is about Quinn, Sarah, Gabe and Marlow. One final send off before Quinn and Sarah leaves for college, and the cancer moved from Gabe's lungs to his brain, and Marlow getting left behind in the town that they will die. Then they all decided to play Bloody Mary, and the best summer of their lives turned into something more sinister.
I loved this short story! It was so creepy and ominous and I ate it up. I really enjoyed reading this storyline and I liked the characters. Some of theses stories left me wanting more in a good way and some of them needed more, but this short story was perfect. I love the story and it was just the perfect amount of horror.
➛Truth or Dare by Sharika Toussaint ★★
I have to admit, I am unsure what I read and I don't think I can come up with a summary for it. I think I needed more of the story to full understand what was going on. It was gory and played on the horror aspect but I just didn't get it.
I have to admit, I am unsure what I read and I don't think I can come up with a summary for it. I think I needed more of the story to full understand what was going on. It was gory and played on the horror aspect but I just didn't get it.