Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive!: Stories

by Melissa Lozada-Oliva

"Powerful short fiction that lingers."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Lozada-Oliva shines in this scintillating collection . . . Readers will be enthralled."—Publishers Weekly

"Melissa Lozada-Oliva writes with a perfect blend of intoxicating magic and unflinching humor, illuminating the visceral tensions of yearning and darkness that define our most human moments. A beautiful, sharp-tongued collection that feels like an instant classic with an edge all its own."—Chelsea Bieker, author of Madwoman and Godshot

From the author of Dreaming of You and Candelaria comes an ethereal and revelatory short story collection about faith, delusion, and the demons that can't get enough of us.

A beheaded body interrupts a quinceañera. An obsession with her father’s bizarre video game shifts a lonely girl’s reality. A sentient tail sprouts from a hospital worker’s backside, throwing her romantic life into peril. And in the novella “Community Hole,” a recently cancelled musician flees New York and finds herself in a haunted punk house in Boston.

This collection, at once playful, grisly, and tender, presents a tapestry of women ailing for something to believe in – even if it hurts them. Using body horror, fabulism, and humor, Melissa Lozada-Oliva mines the pain and uncanniness of the modern world. Reveling in the fine line between disgust and desire, Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus is Alive! is for the sinner in us all.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Horror, Speculative Fiction, American, Hispanic, Magical Realism

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Melissa Lozada-Oliva is an American poet and educator based in New York. Her poem, "Like Totally Whatever" won the 2015 National Poetry Slam Championship, and went viral.

Reviews

[Marcus (Lit_Laugh_Luv)]

Thank you to Astra House for the ARC! Heard v good things about this one so I'm excited to dive in

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an excellent collection of short stories: a little weird, a little queer, a little sad, a little fabulist, a little body horror, a little humour, a lot of the complexities of being a girl/woman. My favourite stories were "Tail," where a young woman accepts a strange inheritance that gives her a tail but removes all the body hair she hates and "Hole" where a canceled queer musician moves into a haunted punk house. So good, so smart.

[Hily · Rating 1 out of 5]

idk y’all, this one just wasn’t for me. i didn’t really enjoy any of the stories.

[ritareadthat · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you need to successfully navigate Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus is Alive!? From the perspective of our diverse characters there is something that unites them and bolsters them through the murky waters—the ability to believe and have faith. I'm not talking about God here. I'm talking about faith in themselves, in others, or yes, sometimes in a higher power—whatever that may be.

I felt a bit ambushed by this book of 10 short stories by Melissa Lozada-Oliva. I wasn't expecting (but was pleasantly surprised) to find dystopian, horror, magical realism, and supernatural elements in these stories, but—Whoomp! There it is. Unrelated: I watched Elf recently and Will Ferrell is currently dancing to this song in my head.

I found these stories covered extensive ground, exploring the complexities of humanity, in this world, in an alternate world, in a maladaptive world. MLO also traverses themes of grief, feelings of inadequacy, self-confidence, infidelity, betrayal, loneliness, misplaced faith and more—all with the ease of a gold medal Olympian.

If I were a character in one of these stories, I would be thinking these thoughts...

When reaching back in time to discover a magical loved one, do you embrace him, or run in the opposite direction? Will I ever escape from this world that is trying to assimilate me into becoming the perfectly promiscuous alt girl? Was he really a pedophile? Did he really kill her or was it the monster? Why do I keep finding heads and nobody else does? Is this house really haunted or am I losing my mind? Will he find me in my dreams—can he CHANGE my dreams?? Can someone really be decapitated in that manner!? Will I ever make it off this boat alive? If this tail tries to attack one more person, can I give up? If listening to the dead works, does that mean they can hear us too? (Massive Stranger Things vibes with this last one.)

If I have piqued your curiosity, there is a brief synopsis of each of the stories below. Many thanks to Astra House for a gifted finished copy of the book! I really enjoyed it!




1. Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive!
Andy and her best friend Laura try to process the death of their friend Nick while navigating rumors about one of their teachers.
2. Pobrecito
The narrator and his girlfriend are at a work party. He tells a story to a group gathered around about his feelings of inadequacy when he was younger, while enthralling them with a morbid quincenera story.
3. Heads
Mari (narrator, 18, it's her birthday) lives w/Aunt Beatrice. She keeps finding random heads about and today she will get to see her Dad who lives in "The Halls" for people you aren't "allowed" to see until you turn 18.
4. The Heiress
The narrator tutors a Colombian heiress. She finds herself caught up in some untimely business as she is leaving the heiress' apartment.
5. Pool House
The teenage narrator doesn't have many friends. When her mom and one of her nail salon customers try to get her to be friends with the customer's daughter, she finds she may be in for more than she was bargaining for.
6. Tails
Liz is a food service worker at a hospital. Her step-Aunt Beatrice thrusts communicable folklore on her unwillingly with disastrous consequences.
7. Dream Man
I will see you in my dreams. (Sorry, can't really say more than that.)
8. Something Loving
Vera is a lonely girl with a strict mom. When her friend Macy finally comes over to her house during the "Listening" ceremony with her mom, things take an unprecedented turn.
9. But I'm Still The King
Graciela visits family in Guatemala with her mom to meet her mom's estranged brother, Tio Ramos. The journey proves to be expectoral.
10. Community Hole
Farah needs to escape from the media and the rumor whirlwhind she is caught up in. She is given a room from her friend in a communal house that is way more than what meets the eye.

[Ann (Inky Labyrinth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman inherits a tail made with her own body hair that has a mind of its own. A girl is hired to do some paperwork for a family friend but is distracted by something really weird is happening in the pool house. A daughter is reluctant to visit her father who lives in a futuristic rehab center for murderers.

I've loved everything I've read from Lozada-Oliva, so I knew I was going to enjoy her first short story collection, but I don't think I was expecting it to be so speculative and what a delight that was. Her style is to drop you into this slightly different, sometimes chaotic world and wait for you to catch up and notice the strange little differences.

These stories have a very specific, dark millennial sense of humor that you either vibe with or don't, and I very much do. She's never hesitant to go there and be gross and shocking with her foot fully on the gas pedal. I'll be a fan for a long time.

Thank you so much Astra House for the review copy!

[Sophie Morelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve really been into speculative fiction lately, so I was excited for this, and I loved other work from Lozada-Oliva; I’m a dedicated follower of her Substack and podcast and yet… this fell really flat for me.

There were plot holes, the same metaphors would be used over and over, and actually there were several really blatant typos. I love that she can get gross with it and really weird, but with stories like these you want to feel both mildly horrified and like you *get it* at the end. That “ah-ha” moment didn’t happen often for me here, the stories kind of ended because they needed to end.

That said, I think it’s cool when an author delves into another genre. After dominating in the poetry space, I’m glad she tried something different. I’m sure we’ll see more fiction in the future.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

in this short story collection, melissa lozada-oliva leans into fabulism and speculative elements to explore what it means to hold onto something to believe in.

for the most part, i did enjoy reading this collection. lozada-oliva shapes her stories about women and girlhood, layering their experiences with suspense and a looming uneasiness that creates compelling intrigue. all this is done to demonstrate how these characters desire and what they grip in their belief to overcome the flecks of doubt circling them as they think about what they want. here exists a daughter seeking reconciliation with her father, a hospital worker looking to get rid of a tail representative of trauma that trickles down, a young college student ruminating about how she would spend her last day of living, and much more from an engaging cast of characters.

though, i have to admit that some stories were too abstract to reach a meaningful conclusion, like they were weird and vague for the sake of it, rather than presenting better symbolism that contributes to the overarching “thesis” which strings these stories together. but when a story worked, it worked so well. lozada-oliva has a lively writing voice that is humorous, sharp, and earnest. it was able to capture the intricate line toeing the tension of desire and the exhale that comes from confrontation or revelation. all of it delves into the complexities of being humans interacting with other humans and the things we don't always understand, which is what really sold me to like this collection despite my perceived shortcomings.

all in all, i highly recommend ‘beyond all doubt, jesus is alive’! it is charming in its own way and i will be on the lookout for lozada-oliva’s future works.

thank you to astra house and netgalley for granting me an arc!

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird, creepy, often fun short stories. Mostly horror. Very enjoyable and good on audio.

[andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to NetGalley and Astra House for the advanced digital copy.

this short story collection is out September 2nd, 2025.

--

this short story collection was, for the most part, good. it leans heavily into fabulism and body horror, threading surreal or speculative elements through vignettes of girlhood, trauma, and societal rot. it's stylish, strange, and clearly ambitious, but occasionally to the point of confusion. several stories felt like they were reaching for a metaphor or punchline i couldn't quite grasp, and a few leaned so far into the absurd or grotesque that they lost me entirely (story 3 opens with a decapitated dog, story 9 ends on a shart).

that said, there were glimmers of something sharper beneath the weirdness. the heiress offered a haunting reflection on capitalism and exploitation exacted on poorer people, while tails explored the violence of inherited trauma in a way that stuck with me. and community hole, the final story, was easily the most compelling. it was a low-simmer haunted house tale that actually built tension and felt like it had narrative momentum. it made me wish for a full length book and that the rest of the collection had followed through with as much clarity and intention.

i'm not usually a short story reader and this collection didn't fully change that for me. but if you like your fiction surreal, visceral, and a little unhinged, this may be worth a read, especially for fans of melissa lozada-oliva's previous work.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally speaking, I am not an enthusiastic reader of short fiction. I prefer novel-length works that I can sink into for a few days. There are, however, exceptions to this general statement—and Melissa Lozada-Oliva work definitely offers such an exception. Her dark view of the world and the ways she explores this through her stories engages. There's enough plot to keep a reader wondering "what next?" At the same time, there's also enough reflection by/about characters to give the stories richness. Her work avoids the "and this... and this... and this" that too many short stories become. At the same time, the stories never languish in stasis the way some short fiction does when we're visiting a character's interior understanding of the world.

If you like well-written, quirky fiction—and especially if you like being able to read such work a bit at a time, you'll be delighted by Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.

[ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you Astra House for providing me with an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was incredible! I don’t usually enjoy short story collections, but I thoroughly enjoyed almost every story in this collection. They were dark, sometimes gross, and unlike anything I have read before. Each story was so different while still feeling very cohesive as a collection. I especially loved the stories that included vague dystopian settings.
What really sold me on this collection, however, is the writing. Lozada-Oliva has such a way with words, and there was always at least one line that impacted me deeply in each story. I can’t wait to read more from this author, and I would highly recommend this collection if you love weird books!
Not a 5 star because there were times I didn’t feel myself wanting to pick it up, and not many of the stories have stuck with me after finishing it.

[rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible collection of short stories! Visceral, twisted horror stories that set you on edge in a million different ways. Casts swirling shadows over girlhood, teeth, Cristo Negro, third-grade teachers, panthers and the very places we call home. Melissa Lozada-Oliva's writing is captivating.

Thank you to Astra House and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Teodora · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short stories, the first of which — sharing the title of the book — was by far the highlight for me. “Beyond All Reasonable Doubt: Jesus Is Alive!” was engaging, meaningful, and carried the kind of message that really pulled me in. Unfortunately, the rest of the collection didn’t resonate with me at all. I struggled to connect with the other stories, both in style and substance, and they simply weren’t to my taste.

While I can see how readers who enjoy this particular style of inspirational short fiction might find value in the full collection, for me, only the opening story stood out - which I recommend to EVERYONE to read it.

[Julia Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put down this spooky collection that revels equally in the inexplicable horrors and wholehearted wonder of being alive. Each story is so distinct and propulsive, and I loved spending time in these off-kilter worlds. So many messy, lovable, disturbed, funny women! A lot of missing heads! Abundant explorations of the moments that make the hair raise on your arms! BARDJIA is infused with a deeply felt playfulness and love for language that makes its insights all the more poignant and satisfying. It’s a howl and a cackle and a delightfully weird love letter to the uncanny.

Favorite stories:
-Community Hole
-Dream Man
-Tails
-The Heiress
-Heads

[Abigail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just…no. I read this in the span of one night and it made me feel gross inside. Why do I feel like the author would fit into the world of Woodcutters or Happiness & Love perfectly? You know when a writer thinks that they’re hot shit and you can tell by their subpar writing? That’s how I felt reading this. It all felt like something an edgy teenager with an interest in horror and creative writing would dream up. Not for me.

[Julia Rhea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I think I can officially say, I am a short story believer now. I’ve been converted, I can confidently say I no longer hate them thanks to the banger short story collections I’ve read this year.

“Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus is Alive!” is a collection of short stories and one novella by Melissa Lozada-Oliva, with stories ranging from strange to absolute “what the fuck is going on”. I’m talking the range of these stories being from growing a tail to kidnapping to decapitated animals to… well you get the point. It is as dark as it is humorous, which makes it incredibly human even in its most bizarre moments.

Almost right out the gate, Lozada-Oliva is fantastic at creating an unsettling tone,but I also found myself letting my guard down quite a bit after getting a false sense of security, telling myself, “oh maybe this is just the vibe,” which would make for a harder impact.

I found the collection at its most grounded during the novella, “Community Hole”, which focuses on a recently-canceled musician living in a punk house and how she is grappling with that all while finding herself entangled and in a new close-knit community.

Thank you so much to Astra House for mailing me a free/gifted copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

[Danté E. Corrales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked these a lot. I'm always in the mood for very weird, not easily explained horror that can be passed off as dark comedy, and these scratched that itch for sure. I can't say this will be for everyone, since the stories are oddly specific in their core themes, but I can say that even if you don't like it, you'll think, "Huh, that was interesting."

[Lan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a phenomenal collection of short stories. The visceral nature of the horror and body imagery depicted intertwined with revelations on place, home, and family resulted in both a physical and emotional reaction in many cases.

Thank you to netgalley and Astra House for a complimentary earc in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexandra Gonçalves]

rtc

[ioanna ⭑ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a collection of short stories that i admittedly only picked up bc the title was cool. Some of them were horror stories, some of them were straight up weird but it was kinda fun to read!

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eso... estuvo super raro. Muy raro. A veces interesante raro, a veces solo raro. La mayoría de (si no es que todas) las historias tenían un final ambiguo.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

not really sure what to say yet in terms of a review, but I really liked this, and I think it helped that I first heard the author read with great personality

[Matilda Isberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

En av de sämre böcker jag läst. Mirakel att man tog sig genom. Rekommenderar ingen att försöka.

[Sam Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m usually not a short story person but I loved this book. It’s so spooky and strange but the strangest happenings feel relatable in a way something less strange somehow couldn’t. The stories are all their own world but they share something that keeps the whole book moving together, and they get at truths the way only fiction can. Cant wait to read more.

[Oland Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to read as I’m of the opinion that if you create art well, people can subject whatever meaning to it that resonates with them. However, I’d like to think that the artist typically has a general path they’d like the audience to go in as far as explaining their work, and here I’m not sure I could find that. So now I’m wondering if an author’s job has anything to do with guiding those participating in their reading, or if it’s simply to make something THEY find meaningful, and totally ignore how those consuming might feel about it. Some of the stories here I could see glimpses of the impact of trauma but ONLY some, and for the others, I felt a little lost in trying to understand what this could be a metaphor for; why is she using this medium to tell a story about xyz thing? I feel a little stupid, like that ogre reading literature meme because I think a lot of symbolism goes over my head and I really want to understand what it means, but maybe that’s the wrong way to read. All this to say a very creative book that made me think more about myself and how I consume stories than the work itself, which could technically be considered a success

[Sam Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi, hello, wtf. I am seriously in love with Melissa Lozada-Oliva — she’s a freaking wizard with words.

I am INCREDIBLY thankful to our lovely author, Edelweiss Books, and Astra House Books for granting me advanced access to this collection of weirdo narratives before it hits shelves on September 2, 2025. I LOVED CANDELARIA, and this one, while different in format, was just as good if not better!

Our Queen delivers stories ranging from bizarre to uncanny to just outright unbelievable - yet enough to have me scared to go downstairs late at night for fear of blinking panthers and haunted houses coming out to get me.

Each story left my jaw more and more agape, processing the hidden meanings and themes throughout each tale, leaving my mind to put together the horrific pieces. Truly, I am mystified by our author’s creativity and will be thinking about this book for some time.

Many bravos.

[Ailey | Bisexual Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book was released in the US by Astra House on Sep. 2, 2025.

Melissa Lozada-Oliva’s Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus is Alive! is a short story collection that drips with unease, intimacy, and fabulist strangeness. In one story, a group of friends wedding-dress shopping are forced to recall a teacher’s dark past; in another, a daughter visits her violent father in “the Halls,” a care facility for people who’ve caused severe harm, while a monster stalks her steps. Elsewhere, a narrator discovers a vial that transforms body hair into a tail, a woman takes a silent ferry ride with her kidnapper, and a girl realizes her babysitter’s hand-me-downs carry a curse. Lozada-Oliva threads the surreal through the ordinary until they’re inseparable—monsters and trauma, lipstick swatches and loneliness, Cheesecake Factory salads and the ache of girlhood all colliding in the same breath.

The prose is lyrical and fragmented, almost confessional, like overhearing someone whisper their secrets and fears into the dark. Loneliness runs like a spine through these stories—sometimes heavy with despair, sometimes shimmering with possibility. Characters ache to be seen, to be loved, to belong, even as they fear the weight of that visibility. Themes of inherited trauma, the cruelty of roles assigned to women, and the half-magical, half-horrific textures of coming-of-age all repeat, creating an atmosphere that is both deeply feminine and unsettlingly uncanny.

What struck me most was Lozada-Oliva’s ability to capture the tenderness and terror of “\weird girl lit without going off the rails. She’s one of the few writers in that space I actually enjoy, weaving magical realism with feminist undercurrents in ways that feel raw rather than ornamental. That said, even the stories I liked best—Pool House, Tails, Something Loving—didn’t fully stay with me. The collection was compelling, but it also left me a little bored at times, a little restless for something more. Regardless, the jagged beauty of the language and the haunting surrealism make it worth the read.

📖 Read this if you love: weird girl lit with teeth, lyrical fabulism, feminist body horror, and stories that blur the line between intimacy and monstrosity.

🔑 Key Themes: Girlhood & Longing, Inherited Trauma, Queer Yearning, Feminist Magical Realism, Loneliness as Possibility, The Blurred Border Between Self & Other.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Pedophilia (minor), Suicide (minor), Eating Disorder (minor), Sexual Content (minor), Death (minor), Vomit (minor), Domestic Violence (minor), Death of a Parent (minor), Murder (minor), Gore (moderate), Blood (minor), Alcohol (minor).

[Kathryn M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short story collections, and I do tend to favour single-author collections as I think it gives you more of an opportunity to read yourself into the author's oeuvre, but this book was a real departure for me in terms of genre. I am not usually a horror reader, although I do read SFF horror crossovers from time to time; reading urban horror fiction is not my usual jam.

That said, I really enjoyed this collection, and read it very quickly. As with all short story volumes, there were stand-outs and weaker stories, but overall, the tonal effect was consistent (and consistently creepy in a growing-awareness kind of way), and I very much like the way Lozada-Oliva sits in a space of uncertainty, allowing for multiple possible interpretations. (I always think that's scarier than crossing every t and dotting every i).

My favourite stories were:
- Heads, which I liked for its horror take on dystopia (arguably all dystopias are horrific to an extent, but this one really blended horror devices with dystopian ones seamlessly)
- Pool House, which absolutely creeped me out and I am still thinking about (those silver spiders!!) and is a great exemplar of the "leaving it open to reader's interpretation" mode)
- Tails, which I found unexpectedly sweet while still being absolutely a horror story (I also thought the protagonist's voice was especially strong in this one)
- Dream Man, which had a kaleidoscopic messing-with-reality quality that I enjoyed

For my money, the weakest story was actually the book closer, Community Hole. One of the longest stories in the book, I thought it meandered around too much and was also more heavy-handed than the generally lighter-touch shorter works. But that's a minor critique in a book that I genuinely enjoyed reading. I'll certainly be on the lookout for more by this writer.

[Kanan Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa Lozada-Oliva's short story collection, Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus is Alive!, is an eerie, fantastical, and deeply human examination of faith, delusion, and the demons that women encounter. Reviewers describe the work as "weird girl lit," highlighting its unique blend of surrealism, body horror, and poignant humor. The stories explore the uncomfortable and sometimes monstrous manifestations of insecurity and inherited trauma in young women. Lozada-Oliva, an accomplished poet, crafts luminescent and uncanny prose that infuses earnestness into unsettling scenarios.
The collection features a range of bizarre and captivating plots, including a beheaded body at a quinceañera, a woman sprouting a sentient tail, and a canceled musician taking refuge in a haunted punk house. Through these playful, grisly, and tender tales, Lozada-Oliva creates a tapestry of women searching for something to believe in, even if it brings them pain. Reviewers praise her masterful storytelling, which uses fabulism to navigate the complexities of girlhood, class, race, and sexuality in the modern world. The result is a captivating and unsettling collection that reveals profound truths about the human condition.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melissa balanced beauty & BS (𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺) w ease, taking you from the brink of tears to forreal LOLing w/in a single paragraph. 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐒, 𝐛𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 🔫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 💩 𝐰 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. Story collections can quickly feel like they've taken themselves too seriously, trying too hard to fit everything into a mold it's not meant for—𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.
& actually, once I was brought 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 the brink of tears—𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 caught me by total surprise & phew, it was a doozie.

While reading I kept thinking this felt SO midwest US, but considering Melissa lives in NY & from what I read didn't grow up in the midwest, idt that was intentional...or maybe some things aren't as exclusively midwestern as I thought 🤔

While not a perf collection, the variance in vibe + genre was expertly managed—& all while maintaining a levity that allows for her goofier lines to hit (hard AF, IMO) w/o pulling power away from the plots. Esp in the moments touching on culture & ancestral history—I was consistently impressed w how well, & how many, complex identities were represented in such short formatting.

𝕋𝕐𝕊𝕄 𝕥𝕠 Astra House 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 #gifted 𝕔𝕠𝕡𝕪—I remembered seeing that my friend Talia (@verynicebook) loved this, so I was extra pumped for the opportunity to give this a go! ❤️‍🔥