Author: Caleb Stephens
Publisher: Salt Heart Press
Before reading this collection, the most important thing you need to know is that Caleb will rip your heart out of your chest, step on it, and kick it into oncoming traffic. And you want to know the worst part? You’ll love him for it. That being said, please keep in mind this is a heavy collection, so be sure to read it when you’re in a good headspace.
This collection tackles grief in all its many forms and through various ways, I don’t think it’s possible to get through all 13 stories without crying. Caleb has the ability to build characters that you can’t help but root for and feel protective of, which makes it all the more devastating He’s definitely one of the best writers out there when it comes to creating and describing nightmare creatures. Caleb makes them seem real, his descriptions never fail to elicit feelings of uneasiness and disgust.
I also wanted to mention that each story has its own illustration and every single one of them is absolutely stunning. We’ve now reached the Hall of Fame time, these five stories marked me and I’m sure to remember them:
Don’t Let Her In and Welcome to Camp Klehani: Out of all the types of monsters, the one that’s scared me the most ever since I was a child is the creature that can pass itself off as human so perfectly that by the time you notice something’s off, it’s probably too late.
The Crowing: My favorite without a shadow of a doubt. I'm a sucker for anything involving witches or revenge and this story has both! Plus some of the most disturbing creatures I've ever read about and that sure to visit me in my nightmares some of these days.
You Always Wanted a Garden: This one is short, sweet, and made me cry so much that I had to take a break from reading in order to get myself back together.
The Backwards Man: I can’t tell you how relieved I was to have a candle lighter on my bedside table while I read this story. I also have no words to describe how terrified that lighter now makes me.
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