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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley. These are my honest thoughts.
Scissor Sisters is a horror anthology about villainous lesbians. I found it under the horror category on Netgalley, and that's the genre I see it listed as elsewhere.
I love anthologies. Depending on if you're a half full or half empty person, they either provide you with new opportunities to fall in love regularly or they provide you with stories that sometimes might not be to your tastes, or perhaps the good stories end too soon.
To that, I say, "Yes."
Scissor Sisters is full of really good stories, and if you're a fan of the premise, there will be stories that please you. There are also stories, however, that needed work, or that fall apart if you think too hard. And there are stories that really needed to be expanded to work. There was only one story that made me want to gouge my eyes out.
While it's subjective, I'd also label some of the stories as more fantasy than horror. I like fantasy, I just like to choose when I want to read something.
The anthology starts out very strong for me. Gladys Glows at Night, by Hatteras Mange was the nearly perfect entry in. If you've read Radium Girls (non-fiction) and thought that there still needed to be more justice, lots more justice, this is a satisfying story.
You Oughta Be in Pictures, by Anastasia Dziekan was also a strong story to have in the beginning. Gory, and lovely, and deep, and tragic. It left me sad and uncomfortable, and so it should.
Teratoma, Cacodaemon, Erinya, by Avra Margariti was about our inner furies. And it was kinda gross. And touching. Torbalan's Gift, by Grace R. Reynolds was about freedom and anger.
Buckskin for Linen, by Mae Murray was haunting, and while I didn't mean the pun, it's appropriate. It's a tale reminding us of the horrors -- ugh, there I do again -- of residential schools and denying people their families, culture, and heritage. Like the aforementioned Gladys Glows at Night, it's satisfying to read about girls and women meting out justice. And then of course sadness that this justice hasn't been attained in the real world. That the stories are also sapphic makes them all the more powerful.
Some of the stories channel fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, or classic horror like Frankenstein, or just plain classics like Great Expectations, with -- for me -- mixed results.
I want to give a mention to the "odd man out." According to the note at the back, the pub wants to give the reader a little something more -- lagniappe -- at the end of their books, so they added a queer (but not sapphic) story called The Call of the Sea, by Eric Raglin, which was delightful.
There's a list of content warnings in the back of the book, which I appreciate. With so many stories the list of CWs will be extensive. I also found them validating because one story is listed as having pseudo-incest and when I read this story, and that bothered me, I didn't know how I'd deal with it in a review. Was I reading too much into it? Would people TELL me I was reading too much into it? No, it's listed right there.
While I loved the stories I mentioned -- for the most part -- and enjoyed others like Enamored (Shelley Lavigne ) and Oubliette (L.R. Stuart) there were a few stories I felt were misplaced in a horror anthology (subjective, I know.) Or that needed to be novella length, like a story that had an amazing beginning and ending, but there was nothing in the middle, so it all fell flat. And there was one of two that felt more vibes than stories, and as if the author couldn't really say what was going on either. One was just spot on and amazing until an ending that got it's shock value from directly contradicting itself.
I do recommend Scissor Sisters, and I think I found some new authors, which I think anthologies are great at doing, but I really felt those exceptions to the quality.
Scissor Sisters is a horror anthology about villainous lesbians. I found it under the horror category on Netgalley, and that's the genre I see it listed as elsewhere.
I love anthologies. Depending on if you're a half full or half empty person, they either provide you with new opportunities to fall in love regularly or they provide you with stories that sometimes might not be to your tastes, or perhaps the good stories end too soon.
To that, I say, "Yes."
Scissor Sisters is full of really good stories, and if you're a fan of the premise, there will be stories that please you. There are also stories, however, that needed work, or that fall apart if you think too hard. And there are stories that really needed to be expanded to work. There was only one story that made me want to gouge my eyes out.
While it's subjective, I'd also label some of the stories as more fantasy than horror. I like fantasy, I just like to choose when I want to read something.
The anthology starts out very strong for me. Gladys Glows at Night, by Hatteras Mange was the nearly perfect entry in. If you've read Radium Girls (non-fiction) and thought that there still needed to be more justice, lots more justice, this is a satisfying story.
You Oughta Be in Pictures, by Anastasia Dziekan was also a strong story to have in the beginning. Gory, and lovely, and deep, and tragic. It left me sad and uncomfortable, and so it should.
Teratoma, Cacodaemon, Erinya, by Avra Margariti was about our inner furies. And it was kinda gross. And touching. Torbalan's Gift, by Grace R. Reynolds was about freedom and anger.
Buckskin for Linen, by Mae Murray was haunting, and while I didn't mean the pun, it's appropriate. It's a tale reminding us of the horrors -- ugh, there I do again -- of residential schools and denying people their families, culture, and heritage. Like the aforementioned Gladys Glows at Night, it's satisfying to read about girls and women meting out justice. And then of course sadness that this justice hasn't been attained in the real world. That the stories are also sapphic makes them all the more powerful.
Some of the stories channel fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel, or classic horror like Frankenstein, or just plain classics like Great Expectations, with -- for me -- mixed results.
I want to give a mention to the "odd man out." According to the note at the back, the pub wants to give the reader a little something more -- lagniappe -- at the end of their books, so they added a queer (but not sapphic) story called The Call of the Sea, by Eric Raglin, which was delightful.
There's a list of content warnings in the back of the book, which I appreciate. With so many stories the list of CWs will be extensive. I also found them validating because one story is listed as having pseudo-incest and when I read this story, and that bothered me, I didn't know how I'd deal with it in a review. Was I reading too much into it? Would people TELL me I was reading too much into it? No, it's listed right there.
While I loved the stories I mentioned -- for the most part -- and enjoyed others like Enamored (Shelley Lavigne ) and Oubliette (L.R. Stuart) there were a few stories I felt were misplaced in a horror anthology (subjective, I know.) Or that needed to be novella length, like a story that had an amazing beginning and ending, but there was nothing in the middle, so it all fell flat. And there was one of two that felt more vibes than stories, and as if the author couldn't really say what was going on either. One was just spot on and amazing until an ending that got it's shock value from directly contradicting itself.
I do recommend Scissor Sisters, and I think I found some new authors, which I think anthologies are great at doing, but I really felt those exceptions to the quality.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
I received a copy of this Audiobook from NetGallery with the approval by Brigids Gate Press. This is my honest review of "Scissor Sisters" by Rae Knowles, April Yates.
I would like to shout from the roof tops in Brooklyn so everyone can hear how much I loved this collection of short stories. After the first story I was eager to read the next and the next and so forth. I am not part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I am very well versed in dark horror, historical horror, and realistic horror. These stories had it all. It had so many different types of horror and worked off the horror that the LGBTQ+ community knows all too well. The stories and symbolisms, kept me on the edge of my seat. Every aspect of taboo was discussed is various different forms and the result had me walking away haunted by the pain the authors wrote about.
This book is my first 5 star read of 2024 and I don't do that lightly. Though, when you can grip me so tight in a story I miss my subway stop, obviously a high rating is deserved. I feel like I cannot speak more highly about this book of stories. I have told my best friend about it and I want to hand it to every horror fan I know because the horrors in this collection are so tangible it needs to be felt by all.
I am not sure what else to say other then to run to your local bookstore on January 23rd and grab yourself a copy! I know I will!
I would like to shout from the roof tops in Brooklyn so everyone can hear how much I loved this collection of short stories. After the first story I was eager to read the next and the next and so forth. I am not part of the LGBTQ+ community, but I am very well versed in dark horror, historical horror, and realistic horror. These stories had it all. It had so many different types of horror and worked off the horror that the LGBTQ+ community knows all too well. The stories and symbolisms, kept me on the edge of my seat. Every aspect of taboo was discussed is various different forms and the result had me walking away haunted by the pain the authors wrote about.
This book is my first 5 star read of 2024 and I don't do that lightly. Though, when you can grip me so tight in a story I miss my subway stop, obviously a high rating is deserved. I feel like I cannot speak more highly about this book of stories. I have told my best friend about it and I want to hand it to every horror fan I know because the horrors in this collection are so tangible it needs to be felt by all.
I am not sure what else to say other then to run to your local bookstore on January 23rd and grab yourself a copy! I know I will!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thanks to netgalley and brigids gate press for the arc.
an anthology about sapphic villains (plus one bonus story about mlm). should be right up my alley, and for the most part, it is. some stories are better than others: “you oughta be in pictures”, “modern art, cursed media”, “conversations with roe”, and “ungrateful dead things” were the standouts for me, but almost every story had something going on for it.
i enjoyed all the different aspects of every woman in this collection. it was told from the pov of villains, victims and everything in between. i love the range of women in these stories. also i’m giving a thumbs up for the inclusion of some of the only smut i’ve been able to read without visibly cringing.
unfortunately, i don’t think i’m meant for short stories, which is no one’s fault but my own. i had a hard time keeping up with some of the stories, due to the lack of world building, so sometimes, i would be left be confused. if anyone wants to pick this up and already enjoys short stories, i think you’ll love this collection a lot!
i recommend reading the list of trigger warnings that are in the back of the book first as well. some pretty dark content lies within and i’m very happy that the editors took the time out to list every trigger warning to look out for.
an anthology about sapphic villains (plus one bonus story about mlm). should be right up my alley, and for the most part, it is. some stories are better than others: “you oughta be in pictures”, “modern art, cursed media”, “conversations with roe”, and “ungrateful dead things” were the standouts for me, but almost every story had something going on for it.
i enjoyed all the different aspects of every woman in this collection. it was told from the pov of villains, victims and everything in between. i love the range of women in these stories. also i’m giving a thumbs up for the inclusion of some of the only smut i’ve been able to read without visibly cringing.
unfortunately, i don’t think i’m meant for short stories, which is no one’s fault but my own. i had a hard time keeping up with some of the stories, due to the lack of world building, so sometimes, i would be left be confused. if anyone wants to pick this up and already enjoys short stories, i think you’ll love this collection a lot!
i recommend reading the list of trigger warnings that are in the back of the book first as well. some pretty dark content lies within and i’m very happy that the editors took the time out to list every trigger warning to look out for.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to the publisher for a digital ARC!
This was a collection of short stories of sapphic horror. Overall I liked them and definitely enjoyed reading this collection. Of course there were some stories I enjoyed more than others. My favorite thing about the collection was the mix of main characters being villains, victims, and "heroes" (as much as one can be a hero in a horror story). None of them were overly extreme or unnecessarily graphic (in terms of gore. There was lots of sex) . However if you read this collection I do recommend checking out the trigger warnings in the back of the book for each story. These stories were super unique, well written and fun to read! They contain a wide variety of women, settings, and themes. I think there is something for everyone in here, especially if you're tired of the "bury your gays" trope.
This was a collection of short stories of sapphic horror. Overall I liked them and definitely enjoyed reading this collection. Of course there were some stories I enjoyed more than others. My favorite thing about the collection was the mix of main characters being villains, victims, and "heroes" (as much as one can be a hero in a horror story). None of them were overly extreme or unnecessarily graphic (in terms of gore. There was lots of sex) . However if you read this collection I do recommend checking out the trigger warnings in the back of the book for each story. These stories were super unique, well written and fun to read! They contain a wide variety of women, settings, and themes. I think there is something for everyone in here, especially if you're tired of the "bury your gays" trope.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes