A memorable offering of imaginative frights that’s not for the faint of heart or those with weak stomachs.
A delightfully creepy collection of 13 short stories that explores the human elements of ghouls, phantoms, vengeful spirits, and sadistic demons.
In his opening note, editor and contributor Benton-Walker highlights the horror genre’s ability to “deliver terror that’s most often intertwined with a deeper message.” Embracing the gruesome fatalities of horror film veteran Eli Roth’s cinematic bloodbaths in combination with the unsettling imagery of the Creepshow franchise, these tales include Kendare Blake’s “The Golden Dragon,” which centers on a Korean American high schooler who uncovers her sister’s powerful connection to a local ghost story; Chloe Gong’s “Docile Girls,” a harrowing teen slasher that acerbically critiques the model minority myth; and Tiffany D. Jackson’s “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” a creative take on the found-footage narrative starring an 18-year-old Black girl whose back garden hides a dark, disturbing secret. Others, such as Naseem Jamnia’s “Break Through Our Skin,” artfully use body horror to explore the nuances of gender identity, enhancing corporeal anxiety in ways reminiscent of director David Cronenberg’s work. Benton-Walker closes with “The Road to Hell,” a spine-tingling story from the point of view of an anthropomorphized haunted house. This anthology skillfully pushes the boundaries of the genre, featuring flawed heroes and villains who inspire lasting fear and dread. The protagonists represent marginalized, underrepresented communities encompassing diverse cultures, ethnicities, races, and religions.
A memorable offering of imaginative frights that’s not for the faint of heart or those with weak stomachs. (Horror anthology. 14-18)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781250861269
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Tor Teen
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
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A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements.
A wary teen wonders if she should run when people come looking for her.
Lucy Smith was raised by her white father, who said little about her mother. Following his death and her stepmother’s abandonment, Lucy entered the foster care system at 14. Her stepmother revealed that Lucy’s birth mom was Native American, but her social worker urged her to keep that quiet. Battered by her time in the foster care system, it’s no wonder that 18-year-old Lucy is cautious when she’s approached by a man who says he’s an attorney who helps Native American foster kids connect with their families and communities. He introduces her to a friend who reveals to Lucy that she knows her Ojibwe maternal relatives—but a wary Lucy refuses her offer to learn more. Someone is stalking her, after all, and the FBI is investigating the bomb that went off in the diner where she worked—an event she’s sure targeted her. This stand-alone from bestseller Boulley, who’s an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, includes characters her fans will recognize from previous works. The action scenes are mediated by ruminations on the failings of the foster care system and strong portrayals of Lucy’s relationship with her father and her complicated identity. Ardent book lover Lucy is a sympathetic narrator whose strong sense of justice is coupled with a deep acceptance of others.
A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements. (content warning, author’s note) (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781250328533
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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