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A review by mehsi
Unspeakable: A Queer Gothic Anthology by Celine Frohn
4.0
I received this book from Caffeine Tours in exchange of an honest review.
I am so so so so hyped for this book. I may have read it before, or at least parts of it as a couple of stories were recognisable to me. But I still had tons of fun and found many new stories to enjoy. I like the diversity in the stories. And how creepy some of them were.
For each story I have written a small review to tell what I thought about the story. Did I like it? What wasn’t too my taste. That kind of stuff. Since this is an anthology I didn’t love everything, but I found plenty to like and also love.
Let Down by Claire Hamilton Russell: Star rating, 4.5 stars A great beginning to the anthology. This is a dark Rapunzel retelling and I loved it a lot. It had great characters, the Lady… I just wanted to give her a big hug, the poor thing has been through so much and has given up all hope. The one who wants to save her is brave and I admired their tenacity to not give up despite the pain. The ending was just so sweet and made me very happy.
Moonlight by Ally Kölzow: Star rating, 4.5 stars I recognise this story! Things in the walls. Forever running around always forgetting always remembering and forgetting. It was sad in many ways. But also very creepy. That ticking of the clock, the time running out. The things you see in the house. The ending just broke my heart.
An Account of Service at Meryll Point by C.L.: Star rating, 2 starsSorry, but what? While the story had some good moments, because you are curious about what is lurking in the tower. Is it a lover? Is it a demon? A witch? What is up there. Will someone open the door? It was also a bit too longwinded for me and I just got a bit bored. The ending… I am still not sure what is happening there. Is the lord the lady? Did our lord like to dress up? Was that it?
The White Door by Lindsay King-Miller: Star rating, 5 stars Another one I recognise. But this story was amazing, creepy, spooky, gruesome and OMG. I love the tension and how you could soon see that something was lurking in the house, that something was terribly wrong and that you should run run run and run. The ending, oh boy! Love that. Really well-written.
Doctor Barlowe’s Mirror by Avery Kit Malone: Star rating, 3 stars Not entirely my kind of story and at times it was a bit boring. The mirror/window reminded me, because of how often the guy longed to visit it, of Harry Potters Mirror of ERISED. I was just shouting at the two guys to close that danged mirror/window because I just got a big case of heebiejeebies because of it. I knew something was deadly wrong with that thing.
Laguna and the Engkanto by Katalina Watt: Star rating, 3 stars A bit weird, a bit strange, and at times a bit off-putting. I did love that the girl kept her connection to the sea, to the water. That she rediscovered it even further when she got older. I am still curious about the marks and what they mean. I have some thoughts, but I would have liked some more explanation about it. The ending, oh my gosh, that is one way to end a story.
I am so so so so hyped for this book. I may have read it before, or at least parts of it as a couple of stories were recognisable to me. But I still had tons of fun and found many new stories to enjoy. I like the diversity in the stories. And how creepy some of them were.
For each story I have written a small review to tell what I thought about the story. Did I like it? What wasn’t too my taste. That kind of stuff. Since this is an anthology I didn’t love everything, but I found plenty to like and also love.
Let Down by Claire Hamilton Russell: Star rating, 4.5 stars A great beginning to the anthology. This is a dark Rapunzel retelling and I loved it a lot. It had great characters, the Lady… I just wanted to give her a big hug, the poor thing has been through so much and has given up all hope. The one who wants to save her is brave and I admired their tenacity to not give up despite the pain. The ending was just so sweet and made me very happy.
Moonlight by Ally Kölzow: Star rating, 4.5 stars I recognise this story! Things in the walls. Forever running around always forgetting always remembering and forgetting. It was sad in many ways. But also very creepy. That ticking of the clock, the time running out. The things you see in the house. The ending just broke my heart.
An Account of Service at Meryll Point by C.L.: Star rating, 2 starsSorry, but what? While the story had some good moments, because you are curious about what is lurking in the tower. Is it a lover? Is it a demon? A witch? What is up there. Will someone open the door? It was also a bit too longwinded for me and I just got a bit bored. The ending… I am still not sure what is happening there. Is the lord the lady? Did our lord like to dress up? Was that it?
The White Door by Lindsay King-Miller: Star rating, 5 stars Another one I recognise. But this story was amazing, creepy, spooky, gruesome and OMG. I love the tension and how you could soon see that something was lurking in the house, that something was terribly wrong and that you should run run run and run. The ending, oh boy! Love that. Really well-written.
Doctor Barlowe’s Mirror by Avery Kit Malone: Star rating, 3 stars Not entirely my kind of story and at times it was a bit boring. The mirror/window reminded me, because of how often the guy longed to visit it, of Harry Potters Mirror of ERISED. I was just shouting at the two guys to close that danged mirror/window because I just got a big case of heebiejeebies because of it. I knew something was deadly wrong with that thing.
Laguna and the Engkanto by Katalina Watt: Star rating, 3 stars A bit weird, a bit strange, and at times a bit off-putting. I did love that the girl kept her connection to the sea, to the water. That she rediscovered it even further when she got older. I am still curious about the marks and what they mean. I have some thoughts, but I would have liked some more explanation about it. The ending, oh my gosh, that is one way to end a story.