2treads's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

One thing that stuck with me as I read through each story  is the familiarity I had with the writing style of the authors whose works I am familiar with, whether it be their shorter or longer works. They didn't disappoint here. 

I am not normally a horror reader but I have come to realize that I enjoy the subtleties that can be used to unsettle and terrify.

It is clear that each writer brought their own style and genre-rich crafting power to these stories, mining the many ways in which existing as a Black body within certain and specific spaces can affect and warp us. I loved that these characters were allowed to spread their individualities across the page, be it in a sinister or innocent way. These stories looked into historical biases, contemporary anti-Black racism and violence, mental health struggles, family bonds, magic, hoodoo, identity, love, toxicity, and everything in between, making each story quite the reflection of cultural heritage and history.

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annreadsabook's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

4.5

If you were a 90s kid and loved/were forever traumatized by that book SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK and are looking for something similar this season, let me tell you this is one of those books. It’s jam-packed with stories from powerhouse Black writers such as Tananarive Due, Nnedi Okorafor, P Djéli Clark, N.K. Jemisin, and many more. These are stories that examine what it means to be scared in our world—it pushes the boundaries of Black folks’ realities and nightmares (because sometimes our reality can be the stuff of nightmares).

While I enjoyed all of these stories, some stand-outs to me were those by Tananarive Due, Tochi Onyebuchi, Terence Taylor, and Nnedi Okorafor. I love how each of these stories take reality and morph it into something a bit more unrecognizable and all the more unsettling. This book is a series of funhouse mirrors distorting the already warped world that Black folks occupy—you probably won’t like (or forget) what you see. There’s all-seeing cars, mysterious hitchhikers, dark entities that hound people late into the night, and much more. But that’s all I’m about to say! No spoilers here!

Y’all are gonna definitely want to get your hands on this! Your October scary story reading will not be complete without it.

Thank you so much to Random House for the gifted ARC!!!

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ilusomochi's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the first ARC I was approved for on NetGalley and what an honor it was to read these perfectly crafted horror stories. 

Reading horror is much like watching it. Some stories are good and some are bad. Out There Screaming may be my favorite collection of horror stories to date. 

Luckily, this Anthology was chock full of fantastic writing. There was not a single story that I did not like. Now, the caveat of horror is that the good stories make you feel an amalgam of disturbed feelings. I was spooked, uncomfortable, sad, and sometimes hopeless, especially when the stories tied in realistic themes of problems we face in reality. But that is why I loved reading this anthology so much. I like when literature evokes strong feelings. Whether you are a seasoned horror lit enthusiast, just getting into the genre, or are curious, this is the perfect fall read to dive into. Knowing that Jordan Peele had a hand in editing, makes the experience that much more special. 

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for entrusting me with a set of masterpieces. I will be sure to look for other writings of these authors.

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