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A review by nausicaa_requiem
Dawn's Cozy Horror Corner: a queer Chinese horror short stories anthology by Dawn Chen
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
From the moment I first found out about this book I've been looking forward to it like nothing else. Having read Dawn's writing before I already knew I'd love it. She has a unique way of writing comforting cozy stories with equally comforting cozy funny characters & deal with heavy topics like racism, mental health etc at the same time. Her writings feel like a small pocket in time you can escape to where all your fears and truma is accepted and you're loved regardless. I love it so much. Still, I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed the stories in this little book.
"Bottle of shame" is a story to break your heart with how sad & true & relatable it is. It's one of the saddest stories in the book and definitely one of my favourites.
"The girl with no face" is like a traditional ghost story but the villains are racists. Its sufficiently creepy & sad & would fullfil all your haunted house story needs. It also has the most unique concept out of all the stories in this book.
"My future self once said" is a story I know I'll be rereading from time to time when I need to pick myself out of dark mental places. Its so hopeful and comforting. Definitely my most favourite story from this book.
"Judge of the underworld household" made me very interested in finding out more about Chinese underworld myths. I absolutely loved how it explored crimes and justice.
"Meet your demons" had a lot to say about love. Different types of love like self love, sibling love etc. I love how it depicted that loving yourself is as important as loving others. And that there's a difference between loving others and self slaughter. I also loved the exploration of mental health here. The relationship between Ting and Semyaza was absolutely beautiful as well.
Overall this book can be summed up in two words : unique and beautiful. It has a soft folkloric atmosphere while dealing with the modern world & modern world issues. It's as creepy, cozy, haunting and beautiful as it promises to be. I recommend it to everyone.
"Bottle of shame" is a story to break your heart with how sad & true & relatable it is. It's one of the saddest stories in the book and definitely one of my favourites.
"The girl with no face" is like a traditional ghost story but the villains are racists. Its sufficiently creepy & sad & would fullfil all your haunted house story needs. It also has the most unique concept out of all the stories in this book.
"My future self once said" is a story I know I'll be rereading from time to time when I need to pick myself out of dark mental places. Its so hopeful and comforting. Definitely my most favourite story from this book.
"Judge of the underworld household" made me very interested in finding out more about Chinese underworld myths. I absolutely loved how it explored crimes and justice.
"Meet your demons" had a lot to say about love. Different types of love like self love, sibling love etc. I love how it depicted that loving yourself is as important as loving others. And that there's a difference between loving others and self slaughter. I also loved the exploration of mental health here. The relationship between Ting and Semyaza was absolutely beautiful as well.
Overall this book can be summed up in two words : unique and beautiful. It has a soft folkloric atmosphere while dealing with the modern world & modern world issues. It's as creepy, cozy, haunting and beautiful as it promises to be. I recommend it to everyone.