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Graphic: Body horror, Death, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings
Minor: Sexual assault
RECKLESS EYEBALLING
EYE & TOOTH
LASIRÈN
PRESSURE
DARK HOME FLICKER
THE MOST STRONGEST OBEAH WOMAN OF THE WORLD
A GRIEF OF THE DEAD
A BIRD SINGS BY THE ETCHING TREE
YOUR HAPPY PLACE
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Classism, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic
This took me a long time to read. It has absolutely nothing to do with the quality and absolutely everything to do with the genre. Anthologies give me flashbacks to undergrad, when we had to lug around various "American literature" and "Renaissance literature" anthologies. I think due to that trauma, the idea of picking up an anthology for fun seemed oxymoronic. But I'm so glad I read these stories and intend to teach several of them in the spring because they are so good. I can absolutely see the Jordan Peele inspiration in several of the stories, including "Your Happy Place" and "Origin Story." Some stories were just ok, but some I still think about. The horror that these stories are able to engender is frightening. I like that some had a larger message about societal issues while others were just pure horror. Each one is smart and fresh and I never felt like I was reading anything I'd already read before. While I didn't like all of them, I feel like I got something out of them all.
My favorite one was probably either "Reckless Eyeballing" or "Your Happy Place." They're tied, actually. I can't choose.