Ritual by Steve Stred is a tale of extreme horror and blind faith, centered around a man being groomed to be the chosen one for his community. 

I picked this one up as part of Rick’s Read Along, and phew! While I’m glad Rick put this on my radar, I also blame him for my stomach issues I had for the rest of the day 😉 (Totally teasing, in case that wasn’t clear with the wink! I’m all for pushing my own personal comfort when it comes to horror! And this one really pushed me!!)

Content Warnings! There are many. Please see the warnings in the appropriate section.
Extreme body horror, graphic sexual violence, cult content, and suicide. 

Reading this story is like watching something you know you shouldn’t be seeing, but you can’t look away either. It’s brutal, it’s bloody, and it’s absolutely terrifying. It does not hold back on the darkness, depravity, and abuse. 

The story jumps between the every day grind of man named Brad, who is in a dead-end, cold-selling job, and the brutal “rehearsing” that he goes through every night in preparation for the big day. 

I’m pretty sure I had a very disgusted look on my face the entire time while reading this one. From the more extreme scenes, to every scene with Larry… Ugh, we all know a Larry. 

Buckle up before diving into this one! 

My Favorite Passages from Ritual by Steve Stred

Saturday arrived like a boxer punching him after the bell. 

My Final Thoughts on Ritual

This is the most graphic and brutal thing I have ever read from start to finish. While I enjoyed the flow of the story, and I can’t wait to see where the tale goes next the next two books in the Father of Lies Trilogy, this is one that I absolutely won’t be returning to. Killer work, Steve! 

Ritual is must-read for fans of extreme horror! 

Road Rage by Joe Hill, Stephen King & Richard Matheson is a graphic novel that holds two insane tales about revenge on the road that will make you want to hang up your drivers license to avoid something like this ever happening to you.

The first story in this graphic novel was Throttle. In this tale, a very abrasive and headstrong young man that has recently lost a lot of money in a deal refuses to listen to others when given advice. After a heated conversation at a gas station, they’re left wondering if a trucker overheard… he sure did and they’re about to find out who he is and what he’s capable of.

This is a short story that I had previously read within Full Throttle by Joe Hill, and I absolutely loved seeing it in this format with all the visuals! The story itself is super brutal and fast paced. I loved the muted tones that were used in the coloring and the use of elements that spread out across panels was wonderful. An example of that is below with the coffee steam.

The next story was titled The Truck. This one was an intense tale as well! In this story, a man passes a truck to get ahead of him on the road. But then the truck passes him and a game of leapfrog begins, getting more violent and distressing with each pass.

This one had me hooked, even though it was very quick. While the story seemed a bit familiar, I’m wasn’t sure where I’ve seen the film it was based on before. I didn’t super love the artwork in this one personally, but I did enjoy how gritty it was.

At the end of the collection, there were a few pages of artwork that is pretty awesome!

This was such a fun read! I highly recommend it. It’s a very quick read, but if you take your time and really enjoy the artwork, you can make it last a bit longer. There is a lot of gore, so heads up there if that’s not your thing! The artists don’t shy away here. A couple of the panels made me physically cringe.

The Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro is an eerie and heartbreaking tale about racism and revenge that will leave you feeling haunted while you reflect on many things long after the last page.

When Belinda Alvarez travels to attend the wedding of her best friend, she arrives on a farm that she learns is the site of an urban legend that she was told about in childhood. However, this urban legend, La Reina de Las Chicharras – The Queen of The Cicadas, isn’t just a scary story to tell… It’s very real, and Belinda is about to discover that this queen has plans for her and the owner of the farm, Hector.

While we follow Belinda throughout the main portion of the story, we also get flashes back into the past; one when Belinda learns the urban legend, and two, to the farm in the 1950s.

In the 1950s storyline, we meet a farmworker named Milagros who had traveled to Texas for work from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. As she makes a plan to leave the farm after one of the farm owners sets his eye on her, her plans were destroyed when she was brutally murdered. While the town tried to quickly resolve things and brush it away under the rug, the Aztec goddess of death, Mictecacíhuatl, hears Milagros’s cries and has other plans for both Milagros and the people involved in her death.

With the jumping around, I did enjoy finding out more information about the past as the main arc of the story went along as it served up just the right amount of information each time we jumped back. Unfortunately, there were a few instances where I got confused and some of the jumps between chapters felt a little abrupt. I’ll have to go back and reread at some point to see if I had just missed something.

As for the characters, I really loved every chapter that featured Milagros. Her story was so powerful. I also loved Hector and could definitely relate to his dream of having a child. As my husband and I have been struggling to start a family, that really hit home for me and I was so grateful for how wonderfully V. Castro handled that element.

Per usual, V’s writing style was wonderful. There were so many beautiful passages, but many others didn’t shy away from the brutality or darkness. Check out some of my favorite passages below.

Tanya always wore a haughty pinched expression that seemed permanently disgusted by everyone’s existence. It must have been because her ponytail was always pulled back too tightly.

When she glanced at the mirror again, a figure lay just beneath the water in the bathtub. Betty couldn’t move or scream upon the sight of the most terrible thing she had ever seen as the body rose, torso first, then turned its head towards her. It had to be a demon. God almighty would never permit something like this to exist. She blinked, hoping the skinless, bloody woman in the mirror was just another waking nightmare. Betty knew it wasn’t a nightmare when the woman grabbed her by the throat from behind.

We are things of fiction, dusty artifacts preserved behind glass, mere characters created by early civilizations to explain their world. Science says we do not exist. But next time you hear that scratch or howl or have a sensation of unease, it is not science in the room; it could be one of us, passing through your realm. The otherworld is closer than you think because eyes are like skin, soft barriers that prevent enlightenment instead of bringing you closer to the truth.

But for some hate is the only way they can feel comfortable with what they don’t understand or can’t control.

Just when life cradled me in routine, a coin was flipped, and fate presented me with a door.

This is a must read for all horror fans. While it had it’s share of bloodshed and blood-boiling unfairness, it was also filled with a lot of hope.

Goddess of Filth by V. Castro is a story about the love a group of friends and how tough their bond is when they are tested after one of them is possessed.

One summer, a group of friends tries to call upon ancient spirits. In attendance is Lourdes, Fernanda, Ana, Perla, and Pauline. They think that they’re just doing this for fun and aren’t taking it too seriously. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

Soon after beginning, something happens that startles them all. Quiet and serious Fernanda starts speaking a language they can’t understand. Unable to snap her out of it, they turn the lights back on, and she falls to the ground and passed out cold.

Turns out that Fernanda, who has a strong internal desire to do great things, has walked away from the event with a spirit in her. This isn’t just any spirit though, and while the spirit can take over when she likes, she actually works with Fernanda. This spirit has some stories to tell, and while she waits for the girls to figure out how to make that happen, she feasts on sin.

I really enjoyed that this tale centered around the love of friends. As a teenager, I always wished I had a group like this, minus the intrigue to do a séance of course! I’m too much of a chicken for that! I also really enjoyed that there was history included here with the Nahuatl language, which was from of the characters Aztec ancestors. I also like how much commentary there was on very important topics. V has such a beautiful way to touch upon things like this in a blunt and perfect format that still flows perfectly, but sinks its teeth into you so the words can stick around.

I empathized with the main character, Lourdes, in many ways and wished for the very best for her. I felt so protective of her immediately and wanted to reach through my kindle screen to give her a hug. Her inner monologue about not wanting to burden others, not asking for help, and forcing herself to swallowing down her anger really hit home for me.

The overall plot of the tale had me totally captivated. It was so easy to focus on the main storyline, but there were others flowing through in the darkness as well that wove in and out of the main focus, creating an even darker mood.

I love the way that V. Castro writes. Her words flow so well and the description of everything is absolutely beautiful, even when V is describing dark elements. Her use of dialogue was also wonderful. I loved the extra commentary the main character had with her inner thoughts when confronted with hateful characters.

And oh boy, speaking of those hateful characters. Some of that hatred was very difficult to read, but so impactful!

When your insides are egg white soft, you learn to develop an exterior tougher than fossilized dead things.  

My innards felt like pop rocks crackling and jumping towards my mouth.

“I hope you are still writing.” I nodded my head, noticing the three of them were looking straight at me. I still did not mention I had a closet full of notebooks. There was probably the same amount of ink on those pages as blood and tears in my body. 

The church sat on the corner of the street like a chipped headstone. It appeared rotten, choked by time and its own tangled intolerance. 

We were women, finding our way in a world that didn’t give us a second glance. 

When I first picked this one up, I was a bit nervous as I’ve heard there were sexual elements in it. I tend to avoid that as I feel a lot of the sex involved in things is just either to draw people in and doesn’t actually add to the story, or it’s added as shock value. That was not the case here. In this tale, the sexual elements were well done and added to the overall story.

I highly recommend picking this one up when you can read straight through because you won’t want to stop. This is a story that left me walking away from it feeling unnerved, but also hopeful.

Wouldn’t it be nice for something to really feast on the darkest of sins out there like we saw in this tale?!

You gotta pick this one up!

Scavenger Hunt by Michaelbrent Collings is a wild tale of five people taking part in a twisted scavenger hunt. The stakes are high; the result of not following the rules or accomplishing the task in time is instant death.

I had a blast reading this! Though I do side eye my Apple watch every now and again, hoping that it doesn’t beep and have a voice give me a task. My reaction to my notifications hits a bit differently now. Phew.

Content Warnings: Child endangerment, drug use, human trafficking, and other related items.

When the story begins, we get bits and pieces of police interviews, youtube video comments, and other little bits of information that show us that something is not right.

Then we meet five strangers that have all just woken up in a room with collars on their necks and smartwatches on their wrists. While they struggle to come to terms with what this could mean, someone wearing a mask pops on an iPad to introduce himself as Mr. Do-Good. Then he tells them the game.

These five strangers then embark on a scavenger hunt. But of course, this isn’t a fun hunt. It’s life or death.

One of my favorite elements of horror stories is when we kick off diving right into the initial burst of action, but then as the story continues on, we jump backward to fill in the gaps so we better understand what’s going on. The use of that element here was absolutely brilliant! I loved learning more about each player in this terrible game.

This is one that I would love to go on and on about, but I’ll leave it at that for you to discover on your own!

Green lights were usually a good sign, he knew. But they had a disturbing tendency to change to red. And somehow he doubted that, if such a change occurred on his collar, it would signal a party or a lotto win.

Houses didn’t so much line the street as lean awkwardly beside it. Roofs that had been built straight now lurched to the side or drooped in the middle. Lawns were scrub brush and dirt and a weird collection of lawn ornaments that Solomon guessed were meant to brighten the place up but instead just made it all seem like a scene from a horror movie.

But the man’s greed overwhelmed his disgust. He took the package between a thumb and forefinger, looking at it the way he might stare at a cockroach that had crawled outta his asshole.

Hope was the most dangerous of feelings, because it was the only one that existed in places where you had nothing but hope… and so it was the only thing that could still be taken away.

…evil people always say they’re acting for the greater good, and the worst of them actually believe it…

The dead could not be brought back. But the guilty would not enjoy what they had stolen.

I keep seeing mentions of the Saw movies when this book comes up. I LOVE that this tale has a nod to that series. I would say a few elements were similar, but it was less gory. But don’t get me wrong, this tale has its fair share of gore to be sure! It also has plenty of gut-punch moments and a lot more action and suspense.

If you enjoy horror tales packed to the brim with action, very interesting characters, and that will keep you guessing until the final puzzle piece falls into place… you gotta pick this one up.

An Excuse For Murder by Vanessa Westermann is a tense crime mystery with fairytale-like elements. Centered around a woman named Kate that owns a bookshop, who has dreamed about her prince charming. But she doesn’t need him to swoop in to save her when troubling things begin to happen around her. Kate can take care of herself.

When this story begins, we meet Gary, a man haunted by his past and one mistake he made that cost a woman her life. As Gary broods, he decides that he will be committing murder… Then we jump to meet Kate, a woman living in a shared-space Victorian home with quite the story. The first line we read when she’s introduced is, “Where did you find the body?”

Curious… We met a man ready to commit murder and then we hear about a dead body. However, the doctor rules it a heart attack. But was it?

As the story continues, Gary and Kate cross paths. Gary is trying to get information on the body she found, and Kate is doing her best to put a wall up between them, but the two are drawn to one another. Soon, Gary is asking Kate out on a date. She’s hesitant at first, but eventually caves. Little does she know, Gary, who seems to just want to protect her, is hiding some major secrets.

I loved the cozy town feel that this one had. It felt like it was a town that I would be happy to move to with it’s bookshop, restaurants, and coffee shop. There may have been violence and secrets, but what town doesn’t?

The pacing of the story was wonderful. I loved that it hooked readers at the start and just continued on with little twists and turns that kept building up the mystery.

I loved the combination of mystery and crime and how each of these played out from the two main characters we followed. Gary was focused on the crime, and Kate was focused on the mystery!

I absolutely adored each of the characters, even the crotchety old Penelope. I loved watching all of their interactions and loved the dialogue between anyone that came into contact with one another. Kate and Marcus had my favorite relationship, so I really enjoyed each scene where they were together. Kate and Gary also had quite the banter that I found myself chuckling at when they got testy with one another. The two boys, Tim and Will, were my favorite side characters! The fact that they were investigating a murder, but the murder of a garden gnome, was absolutely hysterical. The initial scene where they came in the question Kate was hysterical!

All around, this was wonderful read! I ate up each page, excited to see what would happen next.

This was her favorite part of her job, helping kids find books. Stories weren’t just an escape from everyday duties but complete worlds they lived and breathed in. The books they read at that age came to life for them. The characters were their friends, real people, not just fiction. Kate would pull all the strings she has to get them the books they wanted.

“We all have our vices.” Elaina shoved a box out of the way with the toe of her shoe, clearing a path to the door. “Mine just happens to be cigarettes.”
“Mine is tea, and I could murder a cup right now.” Marcus straightened and arched his back, arms above his head, to stretch his spine.

People were creatures of habit. They didn’t alter their routines without reason, especially when the old ones made sense.

The store became hushed, the air thick with time slowed, each moment clinging to the next. Rows of gold-tipped titles, worn covers, uncut pages, and faded illustrations surrounded them. A dense wall of fantasy worlds.

It was insane. She felt like she’d just stepped through the mirror into an alternate universe, or fallen down a well and hit her head. This was all some extravagant hallucination. The product of too much fiction. Enter next the secret wife, the sinister foreigner with poisoned darts, the body buried at the crossroads and the stash of gold.

A wide swathe of turf led between the plots. Gary walked past a chapel of rest. Marble crosses. Rusted circles of iron, caught in the fading light. The trees bordering the cemetery seemed to draw closer. There was something secretive about the graves.

I had had so much fun reading this. I couldn’t put it down! I loved the characters so much and couldn’t help but wish that it would have a bit of a fairytale ending.

If you’re looking for a fun mystery that’s mainly cozy, but with a fair splash of violence and darkness, then you gotta pick this one up!

Once Upon a Fang in the West by John Dover is a brilliant splatter western with vampires!

Need I say more?!

In a small town in the west sits The Braided Pony saloon. This saloon has seen its fair share of violence to the point where after an intense fight breaks out one night between three travelers, leaving just one man walking away and two others dead, the customers aren’t even phased and just go right back to their drinks.

But these three weren’t just any regular travelers passing through…

When the survivor heads upstairs with one of the women from the bar, he thinks he’s in for a relaxing night in the company of this woman. But like him, this woman was hiding her own little sharp-toothed secret.

After a few turn of events – some intentional, some accidental – our band of unusual characters are off to try to recover someone that was taken from them. But of course, it’s not just an easy in and out job, and it’s about to get much more bloody than it already has.

Right from the prologue, I was super intrigued to see where this story would go! As I read through, there were so many instances that I did not see coming.

The action was intense, wonderfully descriptive, and scattered throughout the tale. Just when one violent scene ended, I expected a little bit of a lull, but nope! The author wastes no time with fluff. He dove right into the meat of the tale and didn’t let up. But even so, the author was still able to jump back in time to give readers a little backstory for some of the characters so we knew how we ended up where we were. But even those scenes had their share of action!

And speaking of the characters, what a crew we had! I loved each of them so much, even the blood-thirsty ones. Watching them interact with one another was such a treat.

And one last note before I dive into my favorite passages, I have to say that love that blood in this story is referred to as “life.” That made each violent scene a bit poetic!

Finn grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed him down onto the up-ended table. Its jagged leg exploded through his chest and he went limp. 

Then she punched through his guts, closed her hand around his spinal column and pulled upward, tearing the man in half. 

The navy sky lightened as the sun chased the moon away with the approaching dawn. 

You need to accept your own actions and consequences. That is what being a part of this world is about. 

His yelp was cut short as Ruby slashed a curved talon across his throat. His life spilled onto the roof where he stood. He pawed at his sticky wet throat and collapsed, ushered into deathly sleep by his own gurgled lullaby.

I had a blast reading this action and gore filled tale! This had everything that I look for in splatter westerns and I already cannot wait to re-read this story.

If this isn’t on your radar yet, and you love splatter westerns and vampires with amazing characters, this is one you need to go grab a copy of right away!

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca is a novella about obsession and how far someone will go to get what they want.

Set up as a case file that tracks the communication between two people, we see the initial innocent correspondence that quickly devolves into madness and obsession.

Full disclosure: I was a beta reader for this story and then re-read it once it officially launched and I was able to purchase a copy. This did not affect my rating in any way. 

When Eric LaRocca reached out to ask if I would be interested in reading an early copy of this one, I didn’t hesitate. Of course I would! This was my second read of Eric’s work the first was his debut novella, Starving Ghosts In Every Thread, and since my initial beta read of this work, he as also released A Bright Enchanted Suffering and Fanged Dandelion. In each of his works, he does such a great job taking very real world things and brining the terror front and center.

I LOVE that this story is set up as a collection of correspondence between two people. In the first few emails sent back and forth, the reader sees the characters quickly throw caution to the wind and move forward in complete vulnerability to a stranger on the internet.

I instantly felt for Agnes as she told her story in the initial emails. I was so proud of her for becoming her true self and not letting the opinions of others get in her way, especially as it was her own family that wasn’t accepting her. But that feeling quickly turned because then… we hit the big ask and oh Lordy. I wanted to scream at Agnes: “You haven’t even met in person once yet! THERE ARE SO MANY RED FLAGS HERE!”

But onward we go, following the other “assignments” and interactions the two women had virtually just as the case file laid them out…

This whole novella was organized so wonderfully, from the authors note at the very beginning to the use of the signatures and how they both went from a polite “Best” to a more genuine “Your friend,” and then back to a more cold “Yours” and “Signed” as the reader goes deeper and deeper into the evidence.

While the events were quite extreme, it all seemed very realistic in the sense that things like this could really happen.

What a trip this was! I had so much fun reading this novella, gawking at some of the insanity as things started to get weird.

Also, there are a few scenes toward the end that got me… My god. I had to get up and leave my laptop on the couch to walk a lap around the house! Just the thought of what was being asked of Agnes literally had me squirming in disgust, and it only got worse from there! (Well done, Eric!) *Updated note- I had the exact same reaction the second time around after reading this scene!!

And of course, I can’t move on to the next section without commenting on the cover! How eye catching is that?! The cover art is by Kim Jakobsson, cover design by Ira Rat.

Every family has a myth for the young to inherit – an undocumented fable passed between mouths, a grave illness to be contracted – as if the very words were a blight to infect the youth with and let them know they’re now welcome to the fold.

I returned to work and that’s when I noticed that when you change, the people around you start to change as well. The arched eyebrows. The voices thinning to mere whispers. The spines straightening, faces blanching, as if I were brandishing a small weapon when I passed them. I suppose I was – the redness sprawling from every inch of my body as if I were blanketed with a rare tropical flower, a carnivorous plant with a decidedly avid appetite.

What have you done today to deserve your eyes?

I spent so many years forgetting I had teeth, too.

There’s something Godlike about holding something so small – something that solely depends on your kindness, your generosity. I had never thought about hurting something before. Until now. I imagined what it might feel like. I imagined closing my hand to make a fist until its tiny body was squished, its innards squeezed out like toothpaste from its mouth open in a muted scream.

I guess that’s what makes people do horrible things – they think whatever they’re doing isn’t nearly as bad as what somebody else will do.

This is one of those stories that you read and have an absolute blast during, even if some of the horrific scenes make you queasy. But then after the read, it haunts you. I will be thinking about these two characters for a long time to come…

I highly recommend checking this novella out!

Blood Kin by Ronald Kelly is a fast-paced, blood-boiling, and terrifying tale that tests how far individuals will go to ensure their family sticks together, for better or for worse.

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

When this story begins, we learn that a man named Josiah Craven has passed away. The cause is said to have been an accident as he fell and empaled himself through the heart on a bean pole. His wife seems cold at first as we learn that she doesn’t want to have a service, that she wants to bury him on a mountain, in the dead of night. Even with the townsfolk gossiping, she sticks to her plan; the man is buried without any ceremony or marker, and life goes on.

Years later, while a descendant from Josiah Craven, named Dudley Craven, is tilling his property in order to plant more crops, he gets caught up on the edge of something in the ground. Thinking it could be valuables that were buried, he digs the box out. He’s shocked when he sees that it’s a coffin and that the bones inside have a bean pole through its ribcage. He thinks back to stories he had heard about his Grandpappy Craven, but isn’t convinced. His curiosity gets the best of him and he decides to try pulling the wood out…

Anyone who has read any vampire tale will be shouting at the pages of this book trying to tell Dud to stop during this scene. But nevertheless, once the pole is removed, Josiah comes back to life and begins to track down his descendants, leaving Dud reeling and regretting his actions.

From there, the story jumps between what is happening with Dudley and Grandpappy Craven, and a family that is trying to get through a rough patch. Of course, this family has a Craven in it. But when Grandpappy Craven comes for them, he has no idea how far the husband will go to protect his own.

Phew, I got so caught up in this tale! I love vampire stories, and this one certainly checked all my boxes! The characters were wonderful people even with their flaws, or they were totally wicked beings. The pacing was quick, but not too fast as the author didn’t hesitate to take a step back to really dive into the meat of the characters lives so the plot was that much more impactful. The action was brutal and wonderfully scripted. And the plot was insane! I was so nervous to see what would happen next and just wanted the best for everyone. Well… Except Blanche Craven. She could go die alone in a hole somewhere. She was the WORST.

All that being said, I really enjoyed the element of family throughout this story. And while there were perfect amounts of terror and love, there was also a lot of frustration. I wanted to reach into the book and smack some people for the things they said or did! But even this frustration really drove the plot and will leave readers thinking about it for a long time to come.

And my last note on the original story is that I just love when a story throws a curveball that I didn’t see coming. If you haven’t read this one yet, but are going to, I can’t wait for you to try to guess which scene I am talking about here!

In the edition that I was sent, it included a short story formatted as journal entries that was called The Wanderer of Twilight Mountain. These entries cover Grandpappy Craven’s disgusting private thoughts, his travels, and how he ended up a vampire in the first place.

He was beginning to wonder if the butter had slipped off Dud’s biscuit.

The girl was running toward the rear door. He quickly grabbed a chair and heaved it at her. It hit her with an ugly crunch of shattering wood and bone. The force of the chair threw the girl against the jukebox, driving her head through the glass. A shower of blue sparks and smoke sprayed the air. With her air on fire, the blonde slipped from the broken dome and fell to the floor as limp as a rag doll.

She felt on the verge of tears, but for some reason, they refused to come. She suddenly realized what her husband has become and what he had come there to do that night. She had encountered the same scene dozens of times within the pages of her books, as well as horror movies she watched on the sly from time to time. But that has been in her imagination. This was for real. She had actually lived the horror this time.

Fear made people act like that… like hostile, unreasonable assholes.

“You sure you can handle that, old-timer?” Boyd asked, winking at Tammy.
“Old-timer!” bellowed Vanleer indignantly. “Why, you just watch me make tracks up this here mountain! I was climbing stone walls with my fingernails when you were pissing in your diapers, Boyd, and I ain’t slowed down a lick. You’d best hitch up your britches and keep up, ’cause I don’t slow down for now one, male or female.”

“Well, this is it,” said Boyd. “Doesn’t look like much, does it?”
“Quicksand doesn’t look like much, either, until you step in it,” said Caleb. “Are we ready to go in?”

This southern story will sink it’s teeth into you right from page one, leaving you zoned in until the very end. It’s a must read for fans of vampire tales!

I had so much fun reading and can’t wait to return to it again later!

These Wounds We Make by Gemma Amor is a killer collection of tales that range from the spooky and bizarre, to deeply unsettling and heartbreaking.

Shout out to Richard Martin and Horror Oasis for hosting #RicksReadAlong and choosing to include this collection!

I absolutely loved this collection! Gemma covers some really difficult topics in this one and totally knocks it out of the park.

Per usual, here are my notes on each tale:

Foreword
An amazing forward as always! I love that the author opens up here and discusses trauma before diving in to a few content warnings. Then there’s the best note around content warnings that I have seen:

Have You Seen My Dog? – 4/5
Oofh. Equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking! This tale is about a woman who is approached at her work by a man asking if she has seen his dog. She is confused by the question and plans to ask follow-up questions to see if this man may have something medical going on. When he suddenly gets violent and then abruptly leaves, the police are called. Unfortunately this isn’t the last time she’ll see this man pop up…

While spooky in its own ghostly plot, this one is also haunting when thinking about the scars certain trauma can leave on survivors.

Pure Water – 5/5
Ever been out hiking and think: hmm, maybe I should just drink from the stream… it’ll be fine… I know I have! This story hits on a very real fear of mine! Phew, this was brutal. And that ending!!

Justine – 4/5
This one has content warnings around sexual assault. My goodness, the arc of this storyline and how it was organized to jump from one thing to another made it incredibly powerful. My heart hurts for this character and what she went through. I loved seeing her process things. 

I Am Ghost – 4/5
Once a year, on Halloween, Max performs a ritual to let the other being in his mind out for the night. This being is Ghost. But what will Ghost get up while he’s in charge?

Man, the thought of sharing my head with someone else is absolutely terrifying to me. I have enough intrusive thoughts as it is! No thank you! This tale was so unsettling!

Rat Girl – 4/5
When Timmy is moved to yet another town thanks to his father’s role in the army, he is surprised when he makes a friend so quickly. The same day they met, Timmy goes to Lees’s house to play video games. Lee quickly gets bored and then wants to show Timmy something in the basement…

Phew! I loved Timmy so much. His reactions to everything that happened will draw readers in. This poor kid. 

My Best Friend – 5/5
When two girls are out walking in the woods, they walk over something that they couldn’t have seen and the next thing they know, they’ve fallen into a deep hole and they’re injured…

This one starts off dark and only gets darker from there! What a tale! This one also had one of my favorite illustrations!

Heart Of Stone – 5/5
A man who only gets to see his daughter every now and then only lets his heart of stone melt when she is around. He will do anything to keep her innocent and with him forever. 

This story was SO unsettling right from the start. It gave me goosebumps while reading. And that ending…

Cell Block B – 5/5
When a man wakes up with no memory, he is shocked to find he is in a jail. He tries to remember what he did to end up there. Phew, this was brutal. Lots of body horror here! This is a dark tale that won’t be leaving my brain anytime soon. 

A Birthday Cake For Brian – 5/5
Wow!! While short, this one packs an insane punch! 

The Strangler – 5/5
My heart goes out to all of those that have suffered from postpartum depression. 

The Crack In The Wall – 4/5
When a crack opens up in this man’s wall, he simply spackles it over and repainted. But the next day, the crack is back, and it’s even wider now. Then liquid starts oozing out of it. Of course this man is determined to get the the cause… this one was so unsettling. My husband and I did major work on the center beam of our home and it caused some cracking in the walls. So this one spooked me more thinking about it happening here! Yikes! 

How Not To Get Rid Of A Body – 4/5
When a man blind with rage over his hatred of his neighbor decides he may kill the guy… his plan doesn’t go as he expected. This was a bit of a funny one with nice bits of gore! 

Caleb – 4/5
What a tale to end on! I loved the arc of how this progressed. This was another unsettling one. This man was clearly up to no good!

The course of a persons life doesn’t always run smooth.

I watch in fear as the top of the kids head starts to flip backwards like he’s a fucking pez dispenser… 

No-one ever got clear skin eating brains are chowing down on human bones, I’ll tell you that now. Eat some broccoli dude. Drink some fucking green tea.

Per usual with Gemma’s work, I have to say that this is a collection of tales that horror fans won’t want to miss! I loved each of these tales, many of which made me feel unsettled and made me pause between each rather than reading straight through. I rarely have that happen, so that’s a major testament to this authors brilliant work!