This was my first horror anthology, and I'm so glad this was the one I started with. Usually, with anthologies, I'm always able to just pick out a few that I really loved, and the others just come off as background noise. Not this one. Almost every single one of these was strong, wonderful storytelling, save for about a couple exceptions. This may be my favorite anthology yet.

The Birds of Azalea Street by Nova Ren Suma
5 stars
Three teenage girls, a creepy neighbor who brings home a beautiful young woman, and angry birds
What a great way to kick off this anthology. Suma's writing style was enthralling, and the story was all kinds of creepy, sprinkled with a whole lot of truth and real life. I respect birds, even if I don't always trust them. I liked this a lot.

In The Forest Dark and Deep by Carrie Ryan
3.5 stars
A little girl discovers a secret spot in the woods, perfect for tea parties, and a white rabbit as big as a man
If I hadn't just read an Alice in Wonderland retelling that I simply adored, I think I might not that been so critical of this one. It's wonderfully creepy and gruesome, and I liked it. It just didn't wow me.

Emmeline by Cat Winters
4 stars
A lonely French girl finds company in a young soldier staying in her family's home during the war
Okay, I loved this. It's sad, emotional, and troubling, with just the slightest hint of romance.

Verse Chorus Verse by Leigh Bardugo
3 stars
A young popstar comes home to her mother after a stint in rehab, but she's not quite the same
I love Leigh Bardugo's short stories.(My favorite's [b:The Witch Of Duva|13643163|The Witch of Duva (The Grisha, #0.5)|Leigh Bardugo|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336644891s/13643163.jpg|19258458], in case you're wondering) She's has the gift of transporting you to another world even with the shortest of stories. But for some reason, I found this a little lacking.

Hide-and-Seek by Megan Shepherd
3.5 stars
A dying girl meets the harbinger of death and challenges him to a game for the chance to win her life back
We've seen the whole Chess With Death trope a thousand times, and I must say, this was an interesting take on it. This story was fast-paced, exciting, and over-all, pretty decent. I feel like a gothic horror might have been a better fit for Shepherd, though.

The Dark, Scary Part and All by Danielle Paige
1 star
Popular boy finally takes notice of the outcast girl, when she claims that monsters need love too
This had no business here. Sandwiched by dark, creepy, disturbing tales, all with well-rounded characters and compelling plots, this story was the same old recycled Bad-Boy-Falls-For-Shy-Girl trope that we got sick of seeing in YA novels three years ago.
I. Don't. Give a damn.

The Flicker, The Fingers, The Beat, The Sigh by April Genevieve Tucholke
4.5 stars
A boy, a girl, a hit-and-run
Bit of an unpopular opinion here, but I really loved this. Would have given it five stars if it had ended on a slightly stronger note. The similarities to IKWYDLS are obviously there, but I didn't pay attention to them or draw comparisons, so I think that's why I enjoyed it as much as I did. Like Emmeline, this is more sad than scary, and that's perfectly fine with me.

Fat Girl With a Knife by Jonathan Maberry
2 stars
a fat girl... with a knife
Another story that had no business in this anthology. It's inspired by Zombieland, which explains the more upbeat, slightly wry tone of the story. But it doesn't fit with the rest of the anthology, throws off the tone of the collection completely. This story was a bump in an otherwise smooth wall.
Also, zombies have been done to death (heh). They're so 2013.

Sleepless by Jay Kristoff
4 stars
A guy looking for the right girl meets a girl online. She may be the one
Dude. Does Kristoff always write like this? Because, if so, I need to stop putting it off and start on his Lotus War series ASAP. The twists in this story were an absolute delight, and the mood was appropriately dark.

M by Stefan Bachmann
2 stars
A blind girl witnesses a brutal murder, and has to catch the murderer before he disappears forever
This one tried a little too hard. With the creepy children's songs (another thing that's been done to death, imo) and the protag's blindness and her ability to "see" the murderer, it all felt a little contrived. If you stripped it back some, it might have actually made a very good murder-mystery/thriller.

The Girl Without a Face by Marie Lu
3.5 stars
A boy, a closet that won't open, and a girl without a face
One of the rare stereotypical horrors that didn't bore me to tears. Marie Lu steps out of her genre to deliver a thought-out, clever piece of writing. This story does not go where you think it will, and for a piece of traditional horror, this is very refreshing.

A Girl Who Dreamed Of Snow by McCormick Templeman
3 stars
A shaman girl, a pack of boys who buy and sell women, and a hunter
The setting of this was honestly so interesting. If the pacing had been better, this could have been a great little story.

Stitches by A. G. Howard
5 stars
A father makes a deal with a recluse doctor in a desperate attempt to do right by his family
If I had to choose I'd probably say this was my favorite one out of the entire anthology. Maybe it's my fondness for Frankenstein, maybe it was just that the writing was so good. I don't know. I just loved this. It's evocative and sad, with just the right about of disturbing.
If you're squeamish, this one may not be for you.

On The I-5 by Kendare Blake
3 stars
A girl at a truckstop finds a dead girl in a dumpster
Personally, I would not have put this one at the end of the anthology. Maybe somewhere in the middle, to even the structure out. Because while not bad, this isn't the best story in the collection, and it kinda sees the tone of the book fall a little flat at the end. The story is creepy, and just a touch sad. I expected more from Blake.