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alyssapop27's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
bytheosean's review against another edition
2.0
i didn’t end up finishing this book. i wanted to try smth new with a short story collection and it just wasn’t for me. maybe because it’s YA?? i don’t think the fact that it’s horror was the problem. maybe i’ll come back and finish this someday, maybe i won’t. for now it will remain it its place on my headboard.
nicekweenreads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
pasarmalam's review against another edition
3.0
Beberapa cerpen yang sangat memorable: The Tallest Poppy, Ghost on the Shore, Truth or Dare, The Burning One. Especially liked The Tallest Poppy karena aku senang membayangkan rumah aneh di tepian bukit menghadap ke laut, nuansa yang digambarkan sangat unik dan bikin aku agak bimbang antara pengen cepet-cepet lari dari sana atau mending tinggal aja karena jadi tumbuh-tumbuhan kayaknya nggak buruk juga.
Semua cerpennya menurutku solid, berhasil eksekusi folklore masing-masing dengan menarik dan enak untuk dibaca. I did not expect so many angsty sapphic horror but it's a pleasant surprise (The Lady of the Lake gave me Bly Manor flashback and it made me so sad). Cuman, balik lagi ke ekspektasiku yang sepertinya melenceng jauh dari apa yang sebetulnya ditawarkan buku ini, kukirain bakalan banyak cerpen historical atau fantasy yang bener-bener fokus ke folklore-nya aja, tapi ternyata hampir semua cerpen latarnya di era modern dan agak terlalu amerika-sentris? Tetep bagus sih, cuman agak kecewa aja, dan jadinya aku lebih apresiasi judul-judul yang pengambilan latarnya beda (The Burning One) atau yang ambigu banget jadi bisa dibayangin sesukamu (Truth or Dare).
Worth to read untuk kamu yang mencari: rural setting, local folklore, angsty queer story.
Semua cerpennya menurutku solid, berhasil eksekusi folklore masing-masing dengan menarik dan enak untuk dibaca. I did not expect so many angsty sapphic horror but it's a pleasant surprise (The Lady of the Lake gave me Bly Manor flashback and it made me so sad). Cuman, balik lagi ke ekspektasiku yang sepertinya melenceng jauh dari apa yang sebetulnya ditawarkan buku ini, kukirain bakalan banyak cerpen historical atau fantasy yang bener-bener fokus ke folklore-nya aja, tapi ternyata hampir semua cerpen latarnya di era modern dan agak terlalu amerika-sentris? Tetep bagus sih, cuman agak kecewa aja, dan jadinya aku lebih apresiasi judul-judul yang pengambilan latarnya beda (The Burning One) atau yang ambigu banget jadi bisa dibayangin sesukamu (Truth or Dare).
Worth to read untuk kamu yang mencari: rural setting, local folklore, angsty queer story.
vickennugget's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars- I had high expectations for this book, however much like every other anthology I read, it left me bored. The first story had so much potential with horror regarding the grandmother. And the lady of the lake was definitely a folk story many have heard before, whether it be about their home state or home town.
amber_lyn's review
4.5
A collection of short horror stories all putting a spin on classic tales.
A couple including Bloody Mary and the haunted bridge.
With any collection some are better than others, but over all really liked it.
A couple including Bloody Mary and the haunted bridge.
With any collection some are better than others, but over all really liked it.
ghostworldx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
I tried to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to genres with this book. The anthology was ok. I really liked One-Lane Bridge, Stay, and Ghost on the Shore. The Truth or Dare story and The Burnin One were interesting. But idk I guess it didn't feel as scary as I thought it would. Most of the stories felt like they were focused on telling the wrong details....One-Lane Bridge is the story that makes me give this story 3 stars.
dasaiva's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tawny_lekytt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
isaac_c's review against another edition
2.5
An alright YA horror anthology unfortunately held back by multiple authors who seem to lack experience in short stories (or sometimes writing in general), not great but also not bad taken as a whole. That said, don't expect much from this collection as folk horror, as many of the stories feel like they just skirt the edge of the genre.
Stay by Erica Waters ⭐⭐⭐
I like the concept here, but it didn't really stand out. I think if it were a little longer/more developed it could be really interesting.
The Tallest Poppy by Chloe Gong ⭐⭐⭐
I wish I could give this one a higher rating! There was a lot of potential in its horror elements, but I couldn't really get into the writing itself. At multiple points I was lost and confused, and not in a way that enhanced the horror.
Loved by All, Save One by Tori Bovalino ⭐⭐
They had me at ghosts, but lost me at parents' supplement business. I didn't love the characters or the writing, and a lot of things just needed more fleshing out than the pacing allowed for. (Side note: I have no idea why it's titled that.)
One-Lane Bridge by Hannah Whitten ⭐⭐
Similar issues to Loved by All, Save One in weak pacing and characters (though rather than being bland, these characters were just kind of unlikable). Despite that, it had potential with its premise, but I hated the ending.
Ghost on the Shore by Allison Saft ⭐⭐(⭐)
I'm a sucker for ghost stories and lake stories... but it was honestly pretty flat.
Petrified by Olivia Chadha ⭐⭐
Credit where credit is due, this at least had some more elements of folk horror, and some very interesting concepts. But the execution just felt clunky and disjointed, and I didn't care for it.
Third Burn by Courtney Gould ⭐⭐
Felt a bit underdeveloped, mostly it just wasn't my cup of tea for one reason or another.
It Stays with You by Aden Polydoros ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not perfect, but I really liked this one. The characters felt like people for once, the writing was overall good and it had better pacing than most of the anthology. The ending was the weakest point, but it didn't take away from the story overall.
Truth or Dare by Alex Brown ⭐
Oof, this one was not for me at all. The repetitious writing and the characters really grated on me. The tunnels plus truth or dare plus the everything else—it didn't feel cohesive to me, like it was trying to be too many things at once and not really succeeding.
The Burning One by Shakira Toussaint ⭐⭐(⭐)
I'm conflicted—this could either be a two or three star for me. Very interesting, very different from the rest of the anthology, but it all came across so clumsy. As far as I can tell, this is Shakira Toussaint's only published work, and, well, it kind of shows. Her storytelling here was compelling despite some confusing moments, but the voice of the narrator was inconsistent and I got tripped up on multiple occasions.
It was also a bit weird that only the last story in the book took such a sharp deviation from the rest—I wish there had been more variety overall, instead of just right at the end.
The Tallest Poppy by Chloe Gong ⭐⭐⭐
I wish I could give this one a higher rating! There was a lot of potential in its horror elements, but I couldn't really get into the writing itself. At multiple points I was lost and confused, and not in a way that enhanced the horror.
Loved by All, Save One by Tori Bovalino ⭐⭐
They had me at ghosts, but lost me at parents' supplement business. I didn't love the characters or the writing, and a lot of things just needed more fleshing out than the pacing allowed for. (Side note: I have no idea why it's titled that.)
One-Lane Bridge by Hannah Whitten ⭐⭐
Similar issues to Loved by All, Save One in weak pacing and characters (though rather than being bland, these characters were just kind of unlikable). Despite that, it had potential with its premise, but I hated the ending.
Ghost on the Shore by Allison Saft ⭐⭐(⭐)
I'm a sucker for ghost stories and lake stories... but it was honestly pretty flat.
Petrified by Olivia Chadha ⭐⭐
Credit where credit is due, this at least had some more elements of folk horror, and some very interesting concepts. But the execution just felt clunky and disjointed, and I didn't care for it.
Third Burn by Courtney Gould ⭐⭐
Felt a bit underdeveloped, mostly it just wasn't my cup of tea for one reason or another.
It Stays with You by Aden Polydoros ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not perfect, but I really liked this one. The characters felt like people for once, the writing was overall good and it had better pacing than most of the anthology. The ending was the weakest point, but it didn't take away from the story overall.
Truth or Dare by Alex Brown ⭐
Oof, this one was not for me at all. The repetitious writing and the characters really grated on me. The tunnels plus truth or dare plus the everything else—it didn't feel cohesive to me, like it was trying to be too many things at once and not really succeeding.
The Burning One by Shakira Toussaint ⭐⭐(⭐)
I'm conflicted—this could either be a two or three star for me. Very interesting, very different from the rest of the anthology, but it all came across so clumsy. As far as I can tell, this is Shakira Toussaint's only published work, and, well, it kind of shows. Her storytelling here was compelling despite some confusing moments, but the voice of the narrator was inconsistent and I got tripped up on multiple occasions.
It was also a bit weird that only the last story in the book took such a sharp deviation from the rest—I wish there had been more variety overall, instead of just right at the end.