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howlinglibraries 's review for:
Everything That's Underneath
by Kristi DeMeester
I've been hearing a lot of positive chatter about Kristi DeMeester's work lately, so I was eager to give her a try for myself, and I definitely wasn't disappointed! I'd say Everything That's Underneath is a healthy mixture of horror and speculative fiction: while some pieces were perfectly creepy, others were confusing and immersive—the kind of stories that you finish and have to clear your head for a moment because you're not sure what you just read, you just know you really liked it.
I happily gave every single story in this collection at least 3 stars, but most of them were 4-5 star reads. While I'm tempted to give a rundown for each story, some of them would be too hard to describe without spoiling them, so I'll just list my favorites:
→ Everything That's Underneath:
The title story follows a couple reeling from the husband's recent MS diagnosis, which lends an eerie, sorrowful feel to the entire story as the wife and narrator is forced to find a balance between helping her spouse and not interfering with his autonomy. He decides to take on a new project of carving a door for their home, but the longer he works the wood, the more terrifying his behavior becomes.
→ All That is Refracted, Broken:
A girl's younger brother wasn't supposed to live, but he did, and she loved him very much, despite the fact that he refused to look at her unless he could look at her reflection in a mirror. The ending to this story actually stunned me, and I've got chills just remembering it right now.
→ December Skin:
A brother is forced to go to terrifying, dreadful lengths to save the world from the monster his sister has become. This, like so many other stories in the collection, is equal parts creepy and tragic—my very favorite combination.
Overall, Everything That's Underneath is a fantastic collection of stories and was a perfect introduction to DeMeester's work. It's piqued my interest enough that I can't wait to read more from her, and I highly recommend picking this one up!
That night, she locked their bedroom door. Outside, the creature moved up and down the hallway. She did not sleep.
I happily gave every single story in this collection at least 3 stars, but most of them were 4-5 star reads. While I'm tempted to give a rundown for each story, some of them would be too hard to describe without spoiling them, so I'll just list my favorites:
→ Everything That's Underneath:
The title story follows a couple reeling from the husband's recent MS diagnosis, which lends an eerie, sorrowful feel to the entire story as the wife and narrator is forced to find a balance between helping her spouse and not interfering with his autonomy. He decides to take on a new project of carving a door for their home, but the longer he works the wood, the more terrifying his behavior becomes.
→ All That is Refracted, Broken:
A girl's younger brother wasn't supposed to live, but he did, and she loved him very much, despite the fact that he refused to look at her unless he could look at her reflection in a mirror. The ending to this story actually stunned me, and I've got chills just remembering it right now.
→ December Skin:
A brother is forced to go to terrifying, dreadful lengths to save the world from the monster his sister has become. This, like so many other stories in the collection, is equal parts creepy and tragic—my very favorite combination.
Overall, Everything That's Underneath is a fantastic collection of stories and was a perfect introduction to DeMeester's work. It's piqued my interest enough that I can't wait to read more from her, and I highly recommend picking this one up!