You Should Not Be

by C.R. Langille

Strange things happen between the stars and the deep timber. Things most folks don’t care to think about. Our grasp on reality is fragile at best. Sometimes only taking a knock at the door or a whisper on the wind to push us past the breaking point. Inside you’ll find 13 tales of terror spanning familiar places to locations best left unseen. Jump on in if you dare, but don’t listen to the dead, because they lie, and if you hear the woods creaking, it’s too late.

Genres: Horror

167 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

C.R. Langille spent many a Saturday afternoon watching monster movies with her mom. It wasn't long before she started crafting nightmares to share with her readers. She is a retired, disabled veteran with a deep love for weird and creepy tales. This prompted her to form Timber Ghost Press in January of 2021. She is an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association, the DEI Chair for the League of Utah Writers, and she received her MFA: Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2014.

Follow her here: https://link.heropost.io/crlangille

Reviews

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love short horror stories, but as is sometimes the case, not all of these thirteen tales worked for me. I prefer definitive endings over vague, abrupt conclusions. Some readers enjoy filling in the gaps with their own imagination, so don't let me dissuade you.
A simple yet effective scare can be found in The Great Joining. A woman who is in the house alone is suddenly plagued by a banging on the door. Is it a stranger in need of help or something more sinister? I was completely creeped out!
A student is bullied for being nonbinary until an unusual friend sticks up for them. Pun intended. You'll see why when you read about the old oak. I love stories where bullies get what they deserve, so this was a hit with me.
Night of The Wormheads is a story about a festival that is disrupted after a meteor falls to earth. This was just a lot of fun, and a little gross.
You Should Not Be, is a retelling of Oz from the perspective of the witch, after she has melted.
These were my favorites, yours may differ.

My thanks to Timber Ghost Press.

[Klara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens, to the author, C.R. Langille, for providing me with this e-copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.



Uhh, this book… When I decided to take this ARC, I thought, "Oh, short horror stories, yes please!" But now that I've finished, it's more like, "Please no."

There are 13 stories, and I didn’t expect to love them all, but I didn’t like almost any of them. Some had good tension and creepiness, but that’s about it. Most lacked any real plot. It felt more like they were trying to freak me out, but it didn’t work. Some were good up until the end, but none had a normal conclusion—more like "to be continued" or “the ending is left to your imagination."
I also hoped that, since they were short horror stories from the same author, there would be something connecting them, like a theme or familiar elements, but no. Each had a completely different plot—aliens, mental disorders, supernatural stuff—everything. The only thing they had in common was the endings, which I didn’t like. Also you barely get to know the characters, and sometimes that made it harder to follow what was happening.

Most of the time I was like: "What is happening? What are you doing? Why are you going there? Are you serious? Of course, that would happen!"

[Luke Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Should Not Be is a collection of short horror stories written by C.R. Langille. The stories span from the genres of science fiction all the way to westerns, weaving tales of terror that will send a chill down your spine.

There is an abundance of imagination on display in You Should Not Be. The situations that each new character finds themselves in tap into a primal sense of fear that is deep within everyone. The stories are written with a simple and effective prose that morphs to take on the qualities of the characters that are portrayed and this is effective in pulling the reader into the story being weaved. The stories don't outstay their welcome and feel like complete narratives of their own right, not falling into the trap of writing part of a larger whole.

It’s not without its faults. A couple of the stories fell flat, and some stories relied a little too heavily on the punchy twists to bring the horror home. Even still, there were enough stories that left me with a lingering sense of dread that felt as though it would continue for the characters long after words ceased to be on the page.

For fans of horror that crosses multiple other genres, You Should Not Be is a safe bet.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Daniel Yocom · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Should Not Be is a collection of horror tales that reach across several sub genres. Highlighted by the story the collection takes its name from, there is a bend toward being something different than expected, within the self or where one finds oneself.

The structure of the entire collection is a story itself. There are a few editors of anthologies I have come to enjoy because of the structure they use in placing the pieces together. C.R. Langille is one of those editors. She creates the ebb and flow throughout the entire series of stories, linking them through the pages to the one before and the one coming next. This isn’t done by additional material being added to move the reader along. It is done through the artful placement of each piece with an understanding of the induvial strength of the tale.

This collection of horror is all from C.R.’s collection of stories she has written. Some have been previously published, and some are being seen in their first release. All of them deal with the question of being.

The first story is the title story for the collection. It gripped me because it was a twist on the Cthulhu King in Yellow. This may not be one of the more popular elder gods, but it is one that has been seen to show levels of cruelty and insanity in creating followers for the king. In this tale the Wicked Witch of the West awakens in the land of Oz years after her death—where the first words she is met with are “You should not be.” You can join her adventure towards the Emerald City as she goes to find out what has been happening since she was melted.

A fun read to kick the collection off with and will hook horror fans for the rest of the collection.

Each of the stories have their unique take. They follow a general theme of questioning, but they are different settings styles and subgenres of the overarching horror readers of C.R. Langille have come to expect. I enjoyed every single story from the longer ones that are around thirty pages to the flash fiction pieces of about one page. There is something for the timeframe you have available, or you can enjoy reading this 200-page collection from beginning to end with putting it down—that is if the king doesn’t drive you crazy.

I recommend You Should Not Be to every reader who enjoys horror, especially when it comes in bite sized pieces that can be swallowed whole.
You can read the complete review at https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...

[Books For Decaying Millennials · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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The short story collection You Should Not Be from author C.R. Langille can be compared an unmarked package of heirloom seeds. Put in proper soil and watered with necessary blood and waters from the great salt lake, what will sprout is diverse, strange and surprisingly memorable.
You Should Not Be is an excellent example of a short story collection to read as a way to introduce yourself to an authors personal craft. The stories vary in tone, from works of cosmic horror,of things old and nameless. Whether it's a tale that is deeply intimate, or a hinting at a grander terrible reality. In every case the stories contain at least a thread of Utah. The author's connection to the region makes itself known in character, in tone and settings.
If you like me are new the work of C.R. Langille, this collection is a great place to start. You'll come away with a number of stories that dug their claws in and didn't let go.

[PlotTwist_Addict · Rating 3 out of 5]

You Should Not Be is a collection of short horror stories written by C.R. Langille.
The stories vary in tone, from works of cosmic horror, tales of things old and nameless ones. There is something for everyone. The first story grabs your attention from the start a dark version of Oz. Some other good stories. The Great Joining, A woman who is in the house alone is suddenly plagued by a banging on the door. Night of The Wormheads is a story about a festival that is disrupted after a meteor falls to earth a little gross but a lot of fun. A couple of the stories fell flat but all in all it wasn’t a bad read.

[Racheal Chitondwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should not be is a master serving of deliciously written horror that tugs at our heart strings and gnaws at our brains. Each page beckons us to turn the pages to see what lurks in the dark.

This is a book where even witches tremble with fear, wishing they were dead.Where trees come to life to fiercely protect and in other stories to devour and punish out laws. Langille's imagination really comes to life in this novel.

I enjoyed reading You Should Not Be and would read it all again in one go. I recommend this book to all horror lovers alike. You Should Not Be… dissapointed.

[Tig Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this collection. Despite a few editing and grammatical errors the writing is accomplished and the author is equally proficient in various genres and writing styles.

I immediately checked out her other work and what I've read so far is also of a good quality and has great imagination.

Ideally would be 4.5 stars.

[Smutty Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories mainly have endings that should really stimulate your imagination. That's why I found some endings a bit vague, I'm used to a more closed ending. They take a little longer to "sink" haha. They were all just long enough, and therefore very entertaining to read. Can definitely recommend this book!

[Joan Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover art drew me to this collection. It is so creepy looking.

The collection was fair. The stories begin as a slow burn, some character development, and the stops abruptly. Most of the stories gave me a what just happened cause the ending speeds up then drops off or stops.

[Nicolle Persoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of stories, good showcase of how diverse the horror-genre can be.

First story grabs your attention from the start, loved this dark version of Oz. From there on the world of horror unfolds all its riches.

I received an arc and leave this review voluntarily.

[Natalie Rizvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an arc read and am leaving this review voluntarily. If u like dark short stories this is for.u was an enjoyable quick read

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

These tales take you by the hand and lead you to many places. Some you may no and some you don't. Prepare to be frightened.

[Joshua Hair · Rating 3 out of 5]

C.R. Langille's name tends to come up on the publishing side of the business rather than the authorial, but this short story collection shows her chops. As is the case with many short story collections, these stories are hit-and-miss but were overall enjoyable. They did sometimes feel a bit stilted, as if the story was ALMOST there but needed another pass or two to make things come out right. Still, if you enjoy quick, contemplative stories with an interesting premise then You Should Not Be might be worth your time. Thank you to Timber Ghost Press for the opportunity to review this early.