The anthology as a whole (4 stars):
This horror anthology started strong, with some wonderful short stories that unsettled me to my very core. This said, many were just too short to flesh out their wonderful ideas and left me wanting. I'd love to read more from this author. I love the way she writes. The way she bleeds imagery into a shiver that runs down your spine... A brilliant collection of domestic horror stories that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to a friend.

Individual short story reviews (Average rating 3.75 stars)
Table Scraps
A solid, unsettling story to start the book. I guessed the premise straight away but I've been watching

Hannibal

recently so that's probably why! The dog/title tie in was a nice touch for an unsettling end.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Emily
Bloody hell. Like, this is actually creepy. I thought for a while that maybe it was

a cuckoo situation

, or that Emily was

an alien who made someone care for her

. Having finished it,

she could be anything

. I'm just hoping I won't wake up to her standing over me tonight...!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mouthful
A sweet, almost comforting monster story. Enjoyable but not scary in the slightest.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Changes
I'm confused. But in the most delicious way! It seemed creepy to begin with and I love the manner in which it was written. A distinct lack of explanation in any form leaves your mind reeling in it's aftermath.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Make a Home of Me
Make a Home of Me is almost gothic in it's conclusion. Whilst reading it, I was struck by Vanessa Santos' frequent use at the scary thing left unsaid, leaving the reader just enough to make their own fears true. Whilst in Changes I found this a little lacking, in Make a Home of Me, readers are given just enough to wonder. Though

the house itself

isn't particularly sinister, it's the not knowing what was

on the youngest child's 'special' notes

that makes it so. A classic horror story with an ending that leaves you wanting more
⭐⭐⭐⭐

As Above, So Below
This one feels very COVID-19 coded. It reminds me in a way of the book 'Our Wives Under the Sea' but without the suspense and body horror. I can't say that this one was scary, or really all that intriguing. I didn't care for the characters (they just don't have the time in such a small amount of pages to be fleshed out enough) and the ending was too tidy for a plot with no answers.
⭐⭐

Riverquick, Saltfresh
There wasn't enough about the characters to make you feel for them in any way. The

parents locking her up

bit didn't seem to have any relevance and it was confusing that

the parents were referencing the water taking their first daughter when she could easily have been kidnapped ect (as it appears no one but the MC saw her fall in/was there?)

. The final ideas at the end were more atmospheric though and that saved the story a little.
⭐⭐⭐

The Wall
A much better story for being that tiny bit longer. The characters felt more real, with some horror aspects grounded in reality. This said, I'm not sure what the point of the ending was? Perhaps just a way to tie together an anthology under this title?
⭐⭐⭐⭐