Lavender Speculation

by Jamie Zaccaria

Come along into the forest and bear your heart’s hidden desire.Sit in the doctor’s chair and trust that the procedure will cure what ails you.Look your demons in the eye and challenge them to fight.Enter if you’re daring and feel these tales raise goosebumps along your arms as they take you from modern New Jersey to fairytale lands and back again. From witches to werecats and spirits to surgeries, this collection puts queer women front and center in some of the most popular subgenres of speculative fiction. Horror, dark fantasy, and magical realism coalesce in this stunning collection of all things dark and divergent.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Queer, Fantasy, Lesbian, Anthologies, LGBT

Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2023

Reviews

[Kobe · Rating 3 out of 5]

with a refreshing sense of diversity, both in genre and in characters, lavender speculation is a delightfully spooky collection of stories with so many intriguing concepts. as with any short story collection, there are some that i didn't connect with, but there are certainly others, particularly the slightly longer ones, i absolutely loved. the fairy tale theme was so fascinating, and i enjoyed seeing how different types of story could connect to that theme, whether they were bloody retellings or unexpected twists on the classics.

a collection of well-written and captivating queer stories that you will find yourself finishing in one sitting. 3.5 stars.

[The Lesbian Library (Maddy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!!!!

Can you use werecat, zombie, and the Crukker in the same sentence? Do you have a coupon for 50% off the procedure that could fix your life? Has your stepmother banished you to the dungeons? Do you think you have a connection with an Orca? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, be warned! You may have already entered into, Lavender Speculation! Where things go bump in the night and everyday adventures become terrifying treks! Fans of Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark unite for this haunting collection of tales.

This was a standout sapphic read, perfect for a cozy October evening. Although short story horror anthologies are extremely hard to do well, this book did a great job. I enjoyed the themes of queer identity, sapphic love, found family, patriarchy, and autonomy. They were not overbearingly present but lend well to re-reads. The contrasting yet cohesive story structures, writing style, and sub-genres created a varied but balanced reading experience that left me happy.

The structure of this book directs the reader through different lengths and styles of pieces, which helps with the flow and keeps attention high. Having a few longer short stories supplemented with flash pieces under the established thematic umbrella gives a steady tempo that pushes and pulls the reader. The longer stories work together to form a cohesive theme but contrast in ways that allow each story to stand on its own. Even the shorter chapters are written with the same level of precision and care as the anchor pieces. I appreciated the thought that went into the structure of the stories as a whole, rather than just focusing on the plots or style.

The writing styles are varied, from short character pieces to long structured tales. A few of the shorter psychological stories reminded me of Shirley Jackson’s work, which I love. Although the majority of the stories are on the genre side of horror, I think this book did a good job of maintaining a mature voice and not falling into the trap of sounding too juvenile. Though if you are looking for a Carmen Maria Machado-style anthology I do not think you will love this I suggest giving it a try anyway. It’s a different writing style but scratches the same woman lead sapphic heavy horror itch.

The stories blend psychological horror, creature features, retellings, and classic horror scenarios into a creepy read. The everyday horror is focused on the psychological aspects of terror. Creature features highlight the connection between monsters and queer identities. Retellings give a fresh queer face to stories we grew up hearing. And classic horror scenarios are the stories you would most expect to see in this type of book. The goal of a horror anthology is to give the reader multiple experiences while maintaining a cohesive vibe and this is a successful utilization of the format and genre. This book hit the nail on the head and gives the reader what they are looking for and more. Plus I felt seen as both a lesbian and a horror lover.

All in all, this sapphic short horror anthology is a must-read. From one-page screams to gory retellings, you will not want to put this book down. Not to mention never looking at a cat cafe the same again. If you like wlw storylines, plot-based horror, and jaw-dropping twists then you are in the right place. Happy reading!

TW: Anxiety, attempted murder, child death, cannibalism, blood, bones, death, demons, depression, drugs, emesis, emotional abuse, gore, hallucinations, hospitalization, lesbiphobia, misogyny, needles, physical abuse, poisoning, PTSD, Satan/The Devil, self-harm, violence.

Thanks so much to Jamie Zaccaria for sending me this eBook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more sapphic reviews follow @the.lebian.library on Instagram, Goodreads, and Tiktok

[expertbooksmuggler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lavender Speculation is a collection of queer short stories that you can read in a single sitting! My ratings for these short stories ranged from 1-5 and when we had spooky situations like a creepy old witch- the author knocked it out of the park.

However, some stories lacked punch and I didn't find that the fairytale-esque stories made sense with the other stories.

I'd recommend this one for those who enjoy short stories regardless of that criticism. There are enough stories in here that I enjoyed that make it worth it.

Please note that the author gifted me a copy of this book :)

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars to Lavender Speculation by Jamie Zaccaria. Thank you to the author for the ebook in return for an honest review! It did not disappoint. A thoughtful mix of spooky stories and dark fairy tales combine to deliver a promising debut. I particularly enjoyed The Crukker, The Devil Down In Jersey, Salt, A Killer Special, and Cat Scratch Fever. Some of the stories felt too short, which is not a negative thing, but instead indicates that many of these ideas deserve to be translated into novellas or even full length novels. I think this is particularly true for A Bride in Shadows and A Killer Special. The first could make a great paranormal romance and the latter could make a great survival comedy (do those exist? If not, please write the first one Jamie!). The stories ranged from 3 stars to 4.5 stars. Overall, this is a very exciting debut with stories I would love to see turned into longer books. Some of them could be really special with a bit more added. I look forward to what Jamie does next!

[Ghost in the Stacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lavender Speculation is like a delightful treasure chest of tales, brimming with a mix of short stories that tickle your brain and stir your imagination! My absolute fave has to be “The Witch in the Woods,” kicking off the collection, and boy, did it leave a mark!

From enchanting witches and eerie zombies to a sassy werecat, this collection has it all! The stories twist and turn through mysteries and dive into eerie horrors, making every page a thrilling adventure. Grab a cozy blanket and dive in—you won't want to miss this whimsical ride!

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 reads: 26/250

this is a queer horror anthology that kept me captivated from start to finish. with settings and magic both old and new, this included a story for every type of reader. there were a few i wished were a bit longer, but for the most part, the stories’ lengths made sense. quite a few of these stories were memorable, especially the cat one (that’s all i’ll say about that story…read to find out more about it!👀).

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lavender Speculation is a hauntingly beautiful collection of short stories that traverse fear, longing, and psychological intrigue. I highly recommend this anthology to fans of queer fiction, fairytales, and horror. It’s truly a thrill-seekers delight!

[Courtney Klauber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait to get my hands on this book and share it out with all my bookstagram followers and friends ✨

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this collection of short stories by Jamie Zaccaria! It's hard to rate short story collections, since it's rare that all of the stories in a collection are absolute bangers, but I'm giving this a 5 star rating because most of the stories were excellent, with only very few that felt like "fillers." Most of the stories in this book were on the spectrum of some type of speculative fiction, although the genres were all over the place. They ranged from dark fairy tales, sci-fi, slasher, cryptid, urban legends, cozy horror, to psychological. Some were humorous, some made you think, some got under your skin, and some were frightening. They kind of reminded me of story collections from Jeffrey Ford with a little bit of Nathaniel Hawthorne thrown in there but from a queer woman's perspective. Some were even giving a little bit of Margaret Atwood vibes.

My favorites were:
The Witch in the Woods - a beautifully written dark fairy tale
My New Gown - a very short almost poetic abstract piece
A Necessary Procedure - kind of a sci-fi tale about toxic relationships
A Killer Brunch Studio - a humorous story about something going terribly wrong at a brunch
Personal Demons - an almost Edgar Allen Poe type of story about a sculptor battling a demon
The Devil Down in Jersey - a woman is researching the Jersey devil in the Pine Barrens; I love a good cryptid tale

[Tammy Riner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t often read short story collections because too often the length of the stories makes it hard to get fully invested. That was true for many of the stories in this one, but there were also some gems. And I will say even the ones that didn’t resonate with me were extremely well written, Jamie Zaccaria’s way with words is just beautiful. And I truly loved that it’s a queer collection.

Some stand out stories were:

The Witch of the Woods
The Abandoned Princess
Orca
She Has Her Cake and Eats It Too
Cat Scratch Fever

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella was the perfect palate cleanser that I needed after reading so many alien romances and heavy fantasy books.

Collection of short stories are always hard for me so I was slightly nervous about this one but the author did such a great job with these stories that I didn't feel like there was anything missing. Each story was beautifully written and perfectly spooky!

On top of that most of the stories were very queer so you know I love that!

If you are looking for a novella with horror short stories that are scary, magical, and queer, check out Lavender Speculation!

Note: The author did send me a physical copy of the novella but all of these thoughts are my own honest opinions! Thank you Jamie for sending me this copy!

[EllinorReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Copy kindly gifted from author)

An absolute joy to read this spooky short story collection.
It’s a wild ride from start to finish and the author’s writing paints it all so vividly.
I loved the sapphic themes intermingled with fairytales.
A great read if you love short stories!

[Valerie Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up because gay

Quick read, delightfully queer. The stories in here ranged in quality for me but some of them were good enough to make the whole thing worth it. Some felt like excerpts or pitches for longer books I'd absolutely read. I think Cat Scratch Fever was my favorite.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked quite a few of these stories. But other seemed like they were too short and almost unfinished. My favorite stories in it were the horror. The author has a great way with gore. 

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story is beautifully written and poetically spooky. There wasn’t a story in this book that didn’t uniquely captivate my attention. Highly recommend!

[Christina Nolte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super fun read. Some stories were super scary, especially The Devil Down in Jersey. A Necessary Procedure was my other favourite. I highly recommend this read!!

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn’t- the prose was so elementary, and more than half the stories I read just ended in the middle of the story as if it was meant to be *edgy*

[molly ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lavender Speculation is an anthology of horror and speculative fiction short stories focusing on queer people, primarily women. Though there were many aspects I loved about these stories, I had some issues as well.

I think the book as a whole suffered from a "quantity over quality" issue. I think many of the shorter stories should have been omitted while the longer ones could have been expanded upon. Although I loved many of the concepts, in general, I felt as though most of the stories could have been fleshed out more.

My favorite story is the first one, The Witch of the Woods. I felt like this was the perfect story to begin this collection. It gave me spooky puritan vibes, and I loved it. I think this was the strongest story in the collection.

There are other stories that stood out, such as A Necessary Procedure, A Killer Brunch Special, and The Abandoned Princess. However, these stories could have been much better if they were expanded upon. I enjoyed what I read, but I feel as though they moved too quickly and were summaries of larger stories. I would love to read them again if more fleshed out. I just want to know more.

Some of my least favorite stories were My New Gown, Consume, Conversations in the Back of an Uber, and The Devil Down in Jersey. The first three are of the stories I would have omitted. I especially didn't understand the relevance of Consume, and it didn't feel like it fit with the rest of the anthology. The Devil Down in Jersey is an example of great concept poor execution. It was too predictable and cheesy to me.

Though described as a horror, I feel like some of the stories aiming to fit that genre were not always successful. I felt as though some sentences were added to shock, and though they did surprise me, I didn't feel scared, uncomfortable, or tense then or throughout the anthology.

I also feel like some of the endings were too wrapped up and cheesy. Green Forest, White Snow comes to the front of my mind. I do understand it has fairy tale vibes, but I don't think the HEA fit the vibe of the other stories. Additionally, the ending "epilogue section" of Personal Demons wasn't necessary; I think it should have ended with "Death consumed them both."

Overall, I enjoyed many of these short stories. I think some had great concepts but were a let down in execution and others should have been omitted entirely. I enjoyed the variety of subject matter throughout and think the author has a very creative mind for narratives. I would love to read more from this author as she grows in her writing and career.

A big thank you to the author for sending me this book!

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on a reviewer copy sent by the author.

Lavender Speculation has been on my list to read for a while, and I am so glad to have gotten to it. The stories in this collection are speculative fiction, ranging in length from two-page flash fiction pieces to longer short stories.

My favorites of the collection are the dark fairy tale stories, which work best with Zaccaria's style. I had a collection of stories by the brothers Grimm as a kid, and stories such as "Green Forest, White Snow" and "The Abandoned Princess" read like they'd be right at home in that collection. Capturing that childhood feeling of reading a fairy tale for the first time is hard to do, but Zaccaria nailed it. Those two stories were definitely my favorites of the collection.

I think the best stories in the collection are these longer ones. All these stories have interesting ideas or images at the core of them, but the shorter stories just don't give these ideas enough space to fully develop, and Zaccaria's direct style doesn't always work for these, especially for first person stories. For example, "Eviscerate" concluded with an interesting image (a man literally writing his own skin off) but the leadup suffered from heavy telling rather than showing, which just didn't quite work for me.

As said by Nadia Bulkin, Zaccaria is a promising new voice. While I didn't love every story in the collection, I am looking forward to more from Zaccaria, especially when it comes to work in dark fantasy and horror genres.

[Ambre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm... This book isn't at all what I expected, given what's in the blurb. Maybe I'm just jaded, but most of the stories were fairly mild, hardly scary at all. Some end on the cliffhanger, leaving you frustrated, and some give you the resolution you're looking for, even if it might not be the ending you'd hoped. All are well written. I think the last story - Cat Scratch Fever - was the one that got to me the most. 

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a fast read and a great collection of short stories. They were haunting beautiful and ranged from lighthearted and adventurous to dark and emotional. Many of these stories left me on the right side of wanting more! Absolutely worth the read!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Lavender Speculation,

You are a very mixed bag of treats. Slasher stories, fairytales, and feminist pieces all packaged together. Bonus points for queer representation and perspectives on body image and diet culture.

This will definitely fill a mood.

[Jamie Zaccaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so excited to share my debut collection with all of you! Some stories are spooky, some are magical, some are sad, and most are very queer!

[Lemonbead · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mix of short stories! My favourites were definitely the horror ones

[Heather Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved these short stories - only problem was wanting some of them to continue!

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie Zaccaria’s first collection is a mix of horror and fantasy, largely featuring queer characters. There are quite a lot of stories crammed into this, so it’s perfect for dipping in and out. They range from modern day slasher horror to fairy tale style fantasy stories, and even dipping briefly into Greek mythology. There’s a wide variety here, with a little something for everyone.

The stronger stories (in my very humble opinion) come towards the end of the book, and it’s the last few leave a stronger impression. Throughout the collection you can see Zaccaria’s evolution as a writer, with the stories getting better and better. This is a debut collection, and Zaccaria a writer to keep an eye on, because with this book to go by, whatever she comes out with next will be well worth a read.