A review by bookishwelshie
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran

dark mysterious tense

5.0

Since reading She Is a Haunting, I knew I’d want to read everything that Trang Thanh Tran subsequently publishes. It is interesting that her stories are based around Vietnamese culture and folklore, as it’s interesting to learn about different cultures through well-written literature. There is some (much appreciated) Queer representation too.

“I wonder if all myths share roots.

Maybe people across different cultures and times yearn for the same things - love, companionship, safety-and accept that there is a cost with the universe to get them.”

The ocean/botanical/body horror in They Bloom at Night is so well-described and eerie. I am a fan of all these horror sub-genres, and the way they are used to create viscerally terrifying images within the readers’ minds.

Considering this is categorised as “Young Adult” speculative/horror fiction, please don’t let that deter you. There are so many hidden gems in the YA genre.