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parablesarah's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
4.0
Content Warnings
Avoid if addiction, suffering, and body horror are especially triggering.
kristins911's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
3.75
seydaneen's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
felifirefly's review
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
raforall's review against another edition
5.0
STAR review in Library Journal January 2020 issue: https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=ljx200101horror
Three Words That Describe This Book: chilling, thought provoking, timely issues
Draft Review:
Matthews, a recovering addict who works in the field of substance abuse treatment, has been vocal about how horror has helped him through his own struggles. From the introduction of this collection, “Horror has the capacity to speak to trauma in a unique fashion. It's a tone and technique as much as a genre, and what better way to capture the epidemic of addiction, and the barren emotional and spiritual states that come with it, than through a work of horror.” In this, Matthews’ second collection of addiction horror [Garden of Fiends], the author and editor made the conscious choice to broaden his scope, including fewer authors, but asking them to provide longer, more emotionally immersive works. Each author was tasked with portraying what addiction feels like, the horror, desperation, and sickness, all with empathy for the suffering. Merging a diverse and varied group of voices like Gabino Iglesias, Caroline Kepnes, and Mercedes Yardley, the writers brought their own person emotions and style, and while each story uses different techniques and trops from the genre, the results across the entire volume are chilling and thought provoking.
Verdict: You are going to have to work a little harder to add this indie title to your collection, but it will be worth it. Many of your patrons either struggle with addiction, know someone who is struggling, or have lost someone to the struggle, and this is a book that could make a true difference in a patron’s life, just make sure they can find it with a keyword search in the OPAC.
Three Words That Describe This Book: chilling, thought provoking, timely issues
Draft Review:
Matthews, a recovering addict who works in the field of substance abuse treatment, has been vocal about how horror has helped him through his own struggles. From the introduction of this collection, “Horror has the capacity to speak to trauma in a unique fashion. It's a tone and technique as much as a genre, and what better way to capture the epidemic of addiction, and the barren emotional and spiritual states that come with it, than through a work of horror.” In this, Matthews’ second collection of addiction horror [Garden of Fiends], the author and editor made the conscious choice to broaden his scope, including fewer authors, but asking them to provide longer, more emotionally immersive works. Each author was tasked with portraying what addiction feels like, the horror, desperation, and sickness, all with empathy for the suffering. Merging a diverse and varied group of voices like Gabino Iglesias, Caroline Kepnes, and Mercedes Yardley, the writers brought their own person emotions and style, and while each story uses different techniques and trops from the genre, the results across the entire volume are chilling and thought provoking.
Verdict: You are going to have to work a little harder to add this indie title to your collection, but it will be worth it. Many of your patrons either struggle with addiction, know someone who is struggling, or have lost someone to the struggle, and this is a book that could make a true difference in a patron’s life, just make sure they can find it with a keyword search in the OPAC.
rock_n_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Lullabies for Suffering was my first venture into addiction horror, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more stories like those in this anthology. This book includes six novella/novelette-length tales, and it begins with a brief introduction by Mark Matthews, which provides the reader with a bit of information on the authors and their story topics. I thought that the introduction was a nice touch, as it gives the reader some background on addiction horror, and also prepares you for the story topics, should any of them be too sensitive.
I enjoyed all of these stories, so I’d like to share some thoughts on each:
SOMETIMES THEY SEE ME—Kealan Patrick Burke:
This was a great start to the anthology. It’s a creative and touching story from start to finish, with a stellar ending. Matthews mentioned that it “begs to be read twice”, and I have to agree with this.
MONSTERS—Caroline Kepnes:
This was actually my first introduction to this author’s writing, and I can see why her stories are so well-loved. It’s a heartbreaking tale about addiction and abuse, and how it affects the family, especially children. This one is all about human monsters—no supernatural or other aspects of horror needed to make this tale frightening.
LIZARD—Mark Matthews:
This was also my introduction to Matthews’ writing, and it did not disappoint. It’s a powerful and memorable story, and by the time I reached the end I was adding all of Mark’s work to my wish list.
THE MELTING POINT OF MEAT—John F.D. Taff:
Another excellent offering from this author, who has been called, “The King of Pain” by others in the horror community. I was fully invested in the main character and couldn’t stop turning the pages on this one. I can’t wait to read more of his work.
BEYOND THE REEF—Gabino Iglesias:
This author’s writing is just beautiful—I found myself tearing up a few times early on in this story. There’s so much heart to this one, yet it’s also dark and gritty. I loved how the author portrayed the main character—we not only see his addictive behavior, but we also get a glimpse into the person behind the addiction, viewing the goodness that co-exists with the darkness. It’s a nerve-wracking tale with Lovecraftian vibes (I clearly need more of this in my life), and not to be missed.
LOVE IS A CREMATORIUM—Mercedes M. Yardley:
I won’t say too much, but this story made the whole anthology go out with a book-hangover inducing bang. A story about the lengths that some go to in order to save those they love, sometimes leading to their own addictions and demise in the process. This one left me in tears and yearning for more of Yardley’s writing. Thankfully, I had a collection of hers on my shelf, and immediately bumped it to the top of my pile.
This is a collection that will move any reader, and I’m sure each story will affect people differently. Despite the central theme, these stories vary in topic and scope of horror. If you’ve ever been personally affected by addiction in any way, you’ll find bits of each story that you can relate to. Like me, you might find that the words in these stories not only sting at times, but provide some sense of solace.
I enjoyed all of these stories, so I’d like to share some thoughts on each:
SOMETIMES THEY SEE ME—Kealan Patrick Burke:
This was a great start to the anthology. It’s a creative and touching story from start to finish, with a stellar ending. Matthews mentioned that it “begs to be read twice”, and I have to agree with this.
MONSTERS—Caroline Kepnes:
This was actually my first introduction to this author’s writing, and I can see why her stories are so well-loved. It’s a heartbreaking tale about addiction and abuse, and how it affects the family, especially children. This one is all about human monsters—no supernatural or other aspects of horror needed to make this tale frightening.
LIZARD—Mark Matthews:
This was also my introduction to Matthews’ writing, and it did not disappoint. It’s a powerful and memorable story, and by the time I reached the end I was adding all of Mark’s work to my wish list.
THE MELTING POINT OF MEAT—John F.D. Taff:
Another excellent offering from this author, who has been called, “The King of Pain” by others in the horror community. I was fully invested in the main character and couldn’t stop turning the pages on this one. I can’t wait to read more of his work.
BEYOND THE REEF—Gabino Iglesias:
This author’s writing is just beautiful—I found myself tearing up a few times early on in this story. There’s so much heart to this one, yet it’s also dark and gritty. I loved how the author portrayed the main character—we not only see his addictive behavior, but we also get a glimpse into the person behind the addiction, viewing the goodness that co-exists with the darkness. It’s a nerve-wracking tale with Lovecraftian vibes (I clearly need more of this in my life), and not to be missed.
LOVE IS A CREMATORIUM—Mercedes M. Yardley:
I won’t say too much, but this story made the whole anthology go out with a book-hangover inducing bang. A story about the lengths that some go to in order to save those they love, sometimes leading to their own addictions and demise in the process. This one left me in tears and yearning for more of Yardley’s writing. Thankfully, I had a collection of hers on my shelf, and immediately bumped it to the top of my pile.
This is a collection that will move any reader, and I’m sure each story will affect people differently. Despite the central theme, these stories vary in topic and scope of horror. If you’ve ever been personally affected by addiction in any way, you’ll find bits of each story that you can relate to. Like me, you might find that the words in these stories not only sting at times, but provide some sense of solace.
universalbee's review against another edition
3.0
Just like with any collection of stories, I liked some more than others. Definitely found some disturbing moments in a few. I enjoyed the creative approach to writing about addiction, not just the horror element but the personification used both overtly and underpinning some of these tales. I'm not sure why, but some of the stories felt amateurish to me. That said, I appreciate the various glazed-over glances into the beyond of addiction when made available by some of the authors.
stewie's review against another edition
4.0
The beautiful thing about horror is it is all-encompassing. You can have supernatural scares like ghosts and demons; reality-based terrors like serial killers; or real-life traumas like addiction, the theme for the anthology, Lullabies for Suffering.
To be fair, though, I should clarify two things. First, while the overall theme centers on addiction and its impact, there is definitely supernatural otherness running through most of the tales found within. In addition, this is a bit of unique anthology in that rather than it being chock full of stories, its pages contain just six authors and their tales are novellas.
You can read my full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
To be fair, though, I should clarify two things. First, while the overall theme centers on addiction and its impact, there is definitely supernatural otherness running through most of the tales found within. In addition, this is a bit of unique anthology in that rather than it being chock full of stories, its pages contain just six authors and their tales are novellas.
You can read my full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
beloved_paperbacks's review against another edition
5.0
Lullabies for Suffering completely gutted me. While the anthology covers addiction horror, each story was unique in its own beautiful, devastating way. I had to put this book down frequently because it was hard to read at times and I felt like I needed to sit with each story. I spread this anthology out over a span of a month and I can still remember every detail from each story and how it made me feel.
One thing I really liked about the anthology is that it expanded my definition of horror! I also gained a new perspective on those who suffer with addiction.
Lullabies for Suffering was brutal, devastating, horrifying, beautifully written, and brilliant. In my opinion, each story was flawless. While this anthology hurt, I loved it. Five stars!
One thing I really liked about the anthology is that it expanded my definition of horror! I also gained a new perspective on those who suffer with addiction.
Lullabies for Suffering was brutal, devastating, horrifying, beautifully written, and brilliant. In my opinion, each story was flawless. While this anthology hurt, I loved it. Five stars!