A review by zombehdoll
Anoka by Shane Hawk

4.0

Wow, what a pleasant surprise this book was! I stumbled across it by chance yesterday when I saw it recommended by someone I follow on Instagram, and I immediately bought the e-book and dove right in. It's a collection of short horror stories set in Anoka, Minnesota (which I especially enjoyed, being a Minnesotan myself). The stories vary in length from very short but effective flash fiction to slightly longer and more in depth short stories, but each one is unique and finely crafted, and they all brought the creepy, quirky, unsettling vibe that I love, especially at this time of year - from a rich and compelling Indigenous POV. I found the themes of parenthood to make the most chilling tales, from the opening micro story of sleep-deprived new parents, to the story of monsters under the bed, to the story of little monsters on parade. The rat thing was absolute nightmare fuel for me. If you're looking for a satisfyingly spooky short story collection that doesn't require a big time commitment to read, I definitely recommend this highly enjoyable book. I devoured the whole thing in one sitting because I simply couldn't put it down. I'll be gifting physical copies of this one!