This is far from a perfect collection. There were a few skips and a few stories that frankly just went on for way too long (I'm looking at you, dog walker story that took me 4 days to get through).

Two stories reminded me of video games I either enjoy (rusty lake series) or have desperately wanted to play (what remains of Edith Finch), which was a very cool experience. Respectively, they had the "what the heck is going on" vibe and the "I reaaaally shouldn't be exploring this family house full of sad morbid secrets" vibe. Other than those, I enjoyed the weird nightmare vibe of the story told by M to Merry.

I wouldn't recommend this as an entry point to the authors work - he is a stronger novelist than he is a short story writer. That said, he's very clever, plays with imagery, and wears his literary references on his sleeve in a way that's often quite satisfying. Because of this, I expected a little more oomph from the stories. The subtlety and suddenness in which some of my favorite ones ended was both a frustrating tease and a reason to think "dang, he really is clever".

Recommended if you're looking for horror short stories that leave you feeling like the last page of each was ripped out but like...in a good way. 3.5 stars rounded down.