Reviews

The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror by Tori Bovalino

julieabe89's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was so creepy. The different stories were all very unique and terrifying. There were several that had body horror though so be careful of that if you can't do that kind of horror!

malnason's review against another edition

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

4.0

The first few stories were not my favorite, but the middle stories were very well written with unique and interesting concepts 

moth_dance's review against another edition

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3.0

Like a lot of short story collections, a hit and miss. The stories that did stand out were the perfect gothic, folk atmosphere.

This was mostly a cover art purchase, Evangeline Gallagher's art is phenomenal.

the_reading_vampire's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

effingunicorns's review

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3.0

This wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite landing with me, either, and I can't decide whether it's just that I've grown tired of YA, I didn't feel like there was enough of a horror vibe, or some combination of the two. I think all but two stories were either explicitly or implicitly set in small American towns, too, which frankly flattens the potential of a folk horror anthology.

mayuscv's review

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

bookboop's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? Yes

3.75

awesomeallie's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

4.0

thewordapothecary's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad 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

2.5

I come from a lineage where folk stories are passed down as the main form of teaching and entertainment. I’m finding it hard to establish how this anthology is considered “folk” and not just scary campfire stories? Is the setting the main part of what classifies them as “folk”? I’m just not sure. I appreciate the queer representation and I think it’s important we see that in our folk stories. I just wasn’t impressed by the majority of these. The cover is dope though. 

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naomidanae's review

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dark mysterious sad medium-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

3.5

I like quite a few of these stories. Some of them I’m not sure I would consider folk horror, but they’re still a nice collection. There’s one story that was difficult to read as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, so be careful of that if needed. 
There were a few stories that were kind of forgettable, and a few felt like they were episodes from a modern horror TV series (derogatory). Overall, worth the read for the good ones, though! 

A few quotes:
“Don’t you owe more to the living than to the dead?”
“There’re worse things than not being part of a family.”
“I didn’t know why it hurt so much, why I was still so angry. It could have been worse, it could’ve been far worse, it’d been nothing I hadn’t done to myself, so why was it so hard to just let it go?”

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