The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own

by Gwendolyn Kiste

Celebrated author Gwendolyn Kiste cordially invites you to explore The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own. Enter a world possessed by recriminations from bygone eras, where the regrets and malice of years past still reverberate and shape our doom. Here, morally complex women and queer antiheroines swim against the current of a social structure that serves as a spectral prison in these layered stories of the weird and the Other.

Known for crafting bold metafictional narratives that grapple with challenging social issues, Kiste’s unwavering voice deftly weaves a siren’s song of resilience and survival. Included among the short stories in this collection are the Bram Stoker Award-winning “The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt From Lucy Westenra’s Diary),” “The Girls From the Horror Movie,” “The Sea Witch of the World’s Fair,” and other riveting new gothic tales of body horror, the supernatural, and unapologetic resistance.

“What’s going on inside you?” I ask, but the darkness never whispers back.

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Fiction

164 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 14, 2026

About the author

Gwendolyn Kiste is the four-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens, Reluctant Immortals, The Haunting of Velkwood, Boneset & Feathers, and Pretty Marys All in a Row, among others. Her short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in outlets including Lit Hub, Nightmare, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, Vastarien, Tor Nightfire, Titan Books, and The Dark. She's a Lambda Literary Award winner, and her fiction has also received the This Is Horror award for Novel of the Year as well as nominations for the Shirley Jackson, Premios Kelvin, Ignotus, and Dragon awards.

Originally from Ohio, she now resides on an abandoned horse farm outside of Pittsburgh with her husband, their excitable calico cat, and not nearly enough ghosts. Find her online at gwendolynkiste.com

Reviews

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist

Three Words That Describe This Book: Weird, Beautiful, Terrifying

I have been reading Kiste since her very first book The Rust Maidens and I have loved every thing she has written since. This collection is no exception.

Her main themes are always the women on the margins, forgotten women, the ones the rest fo the world doesn't notice. People overlook them, but they shouldn't. Sometimes they are the monster, sometimes they are the one who is able to defeat or get revenge on the monster (those are my favorites).

Her prose is always beautiful without being difficult to read. The cadence of her narrators is east to fall into. Here in the 16 stories -- 13 of which were previously published across the horror landscape-- every narrator directly connects with the reader-- speaks directly to them, even when not first person.

A few of these stories are with a second person narration such as the story of 2 sisters across their life hidden in the rules of a haunted house game "Sister Glitter Blood" or in the annotations of a booklet for a cult female film makers retrospective "The Eleven Films of Oona Cashford." Both are very sinister stories. But even with that more detached narration-- readers are drawn in immediately.

And that is a huge feature of every story-- the reader is a participant. No matter ow short or long the story is the exact correct length for that story. Readers are invested immediately, which means they feel the unease, dread, fear, terror, whatever the preferred emotion Kiste wants to wring out from that story, you as a reader are there. It is really quite remarkable.

The characters here are women-- almost exclusively. The men who appear are in the background or mentioned by physically absent. One story-- "In the Belly of the Wolf" centers around a young man, but he is not a hero.

The Bram Stoker Award winning story "The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt from Lucy Westenra's Diary)" is stellar and I am so glad more readers will be able to find it. If you enjoyed RELUCTANT IMMORTALS you have to read this story. It is a Dracula retelling from one of the forgotten side characters pov, but it can be enjoyed without knowing that. It is a story about the violence done to all women always and at all times in history but in Kiste's hands-- the women get revenge on the monsters.

And this is for every story.

Some standouts to me (besides those already mentioned)-- but they are all good:

The Sea Witch at the Worlds Fair-- a sea monster comes on shore as a woman and makes a best friend. This one is full of atmosphere.

Her Skin a Grim Canvas-- a young woman is a male fashion designers newest muse. SO GOOD! It is visceral and magical but also terrifying body horror. And there is revenge. For fans of The Rust Maidens for sure.

Ides-- yes it is type of Ides of march story but not like you would expect. Apocalyptic and a woman has to kill another woman every single year on the Ides of March. I do not want to say more but it is not what you think. This might be the best story to describe everything in this collection-- unsettling at first but moving to terrifying, thought provoking, original, beautiful and horrible, a story that will stay with you long after you finish it.

The Mad Monk of Motor City-- A Rasputin retelling -- again I a way you would never expect.

Best Friends Forever is new to this collection and is a great toxic girl friendship story.

Kiste's work in any format is the standard for the weird, terrifying, feminist horror. She won the Bram Stoker Award for The Haunting of Velkwood last year beating Tremblay, Malerman, SGJ, and Iglesias. She is the foundation that you can use to send readers to authors like Hailey Piper, Cassandra Khaw, and Rachel Eve Moulton.

[Micah Castle]

Thanks to NetGalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for an eARC.

The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own was another wonderful collection from Gwendolyn Kiste. Each story was haunting and disquieting, some Weider than others, but every one was as enjoyable as the last.

My favorite stories were: "A New Mother's Guide To Raising an Abomination," "The Sea Witch of the World's Fair," "Her Skin a Grim Canvas," "Ides," "The Mad Monk of Motor City," "The Eleven Films of of Oona Cashford," and "The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own."

[N.J. Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Netgalley.

I've read Kiste's "Reluctant Immortals" as well as several short stories is various anthologies and always enjoyed her style. After reading "The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own", she's gained a fan for life. Her prose is lyrical, beautiful, and heart-wrenching. The stories range from gut punches to palate cleansers. A few stories stood out to me. "Her Skin a Grim Canvas" is fashion body horror and culminates in the model's revenge. A nice commentary on how far someone will go for fame, adoration, even mutilating themselves for the craft. "The Last Video Store on the Left" is a nice queer haunted video rental store tale with a nice ending. "Ides" follows a doomsday cult of women (I love a good cult, especially woman-led), and "Best Friends Forever" features the complicated relationships of toxic frenemies.

Kiste writes feminist horror through a queer lens and damn; do I like it!

[Jessica Gleason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this and immediately wanted a copy. I've been a fan of Kiste's work for a few years now and love her voice. Even when I'm in a reading slump, I can read something she's written. The words draw you in and take you for a ride.

This collection of short stories is excellent to read in the in-between times. You can devour one chunk at a time without picking up and putting down the book. I appreciated the variety and the female-driven narratives.

I think my favorite story might have been The Sea Witch at The World's Fair. I too try to be the kind of girl who doesn't devour the world.

The Eight People Who Murdered Me was a close second favorite.

If you love Kiste, pick this up. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Audra Israk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

When I read anthology or collections I like to rate every story and use the average to get my rating. Below are my ratings:

A New Mothers Guide to Raising an Abomination:4
The Girls from the horror Movie: 2
The sea witch of the world fair: 4
The Eight People Who Murdered Me: 4
Melting Point: 4
Her Skin a Grim Canvas: 3.5
The Last Video Store on the Left: 3.5
Ides: 2 (just couldn’t get into it)
In the Belly of the Wolf: 3
Sister Glitter Blood:4
The Mad Monk of the Motor City: 3
Best Friends Forever: 4
The Eleven Films of Oona Cashford:4
All the Hippies are Dying: 3
Lost in Darkness and Distance: 2
The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own: 3.5

The average is around a 3.3.

Overall, there were a lot of the stories that I liked. They were weird and creepy and everything I love in a short story. But there were a couple that I felt like just missed the mark for me. They were all well written, I simply wouldn’t get into them. I would find myself struggling to pick up the book in some places and I hated that.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years back I read The Haunting Of Velkwood which turned me into a fan of Gwendolyn Kiste immediately. So when I had the opportunity to check out an advanced copy of "The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own" I had to jump at it.

Consisting of short stories that have been released elsewhere plus a handful of unreleased stories, this collection is similar to many of her contemporaries who have put together these types of collections. There are some good stories, some decent ones and a few great ones. The constant throughout is they are all written from the female perspective, putting you in their shoes and bouncing from character to character. Surely some people will have an issue with this, but those are also generally the type of people who you don't need to hear from.

There are no "bad" stories per se throughout, with everything having some sort of redeeming factor or message. Truthfully, the only story I had heard of previously was the award-winning "The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt From Lucy Westenra’s Diary)" which I actually found to be the weakest of all. Not bad, just didn't click for me.

If you are familiar with Kiste's work prior to this release, you will surely find something to take away from this collection. If you haven't by the time the final story, from which the collection takes its name, that one most certainly will as the book ends on a high note.

I've tended to stay away from short stories in my reading over the past decade or so, just as I prefer to become more immersed in the world of the stories that short fiction doesn't always allow the time for, so it was nice to have an opportunity to jump back into this type of book with an author I'm becoming more and more of a fan of.

Must Read: "The Sea Witch of the World's Fair", "The Last Video Store On The Left", "The Eleven Films of Oona Cashford", "The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own"
Good Ones: "The Girls From The Horror Movie", "Ides" "In The Belly of The Wolf", "Sister Glitter Blood"
Weakest (or my personal least favorite): "The Eight People Who Murdered Me (Excerpt From Lucy Westenra’s Diary)"

Thanks NetGalley and RDS Publishing for this free arc/copy of The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own; all opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Trevor Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure Statement: I received an advance copy of this collection from the author. My thoughts and opinions of it are entirely my own and have not been influenced by either the author or the publisher in any way.

Gwendolyn Kiste is writing some of the best short fiction in horror. Whether it be because of her immaculate voice in short fiction, the political clarity of her stories, or the way she explores pop culture staples for new and resistive readings, she's doing incredible work for horror. The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own collects some of her most powerful stories in recent years, centered clearly on the experience of women.

And her stories are powerfully reflective of the way in which our society marginalizes women, and certainly queer women, and how these stories contain the seed of their destruction and also the path of their resistance. Because the thing about any of Kiste's stories is that every story is a story about coming back into one's own power and agency; each story flashes teeth and tears at the fetters binding women to the familiar fates of historic literature. These stories of resistance, one after another, present a whole thesis statement about pushing back, about leaving behind what doesn't suit us, and about seizing authority over one's own circumstances at all costs--costs paid in blood and rage, in love and adoration, sometimes laden with longing but seldom real regret.

Story after story, this collection reminds me of just how fucking good Kiste's work is, how clear-throated she is when presenting her criticisms and advocacy, and how desperately good it is to have a writer like her building new roads for writers and readers to follow.

[Vanna Book-Mage · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Haunted House She Calls Her Own is a collection of character-driven short stories that encompass the weird, supernatural, psychological and strange. The tone of the collection is set immediately from the first story and the reader is transported into an atmospheric world of eerie and unexplained occurrences that border the line of unsettling and disturbing. This is further developed as the stories progress and the reader is ensconced in an unsettling psychological thread of queer anti-heroines, morally grey characters, hauntings, monsters and ghosts.

The stories are mostly written in the first and second person voices which make the reader feel immersed in the plot alongside the characters in a way that engages the senses and causes an immediacy to the feel of the horrifying tales. There is a flow to the collection even though the stories do not need to be read in order; they have underlying themes of otherness, queerness, the patriarchy as systemically monstrous, the horror of societal expectations, and normalcy as terrifying.

While subtle and nuanced the author’s use of imagery is rich and unflinching, like the descriptions are grappling to be more than seen, but also felt. Overall, this was a rich and terrifying plunge into a short-story horror collection that is atmospherically gothic and haunting in the best ways.

Favourite story standouts: “The Sea Witch of the World’s Fair” & “Ides”

Thanks NetGalley and RDS Publishing for this free arc/copy of The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own; all opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Hannah Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite authors of the weird and creative writes one of my favourite collection of weird and creative short stories. More at ten.

Honestly, though. Does Gwendolyn Kiste ever miss? This anthology had everything you could have asked for and a lot of things you wouldn't have thought to ask for. I greatly enjoy when anthologies--especially by the same author--do not contain any two stories that are alike. I mean, each had the same beautiful and very engaging writing that always makes me sit down and finish Kiste's books in one sitting, but aside from that... I never knew what to expect.

I don't think this collection had a story I didn't enjoy, though I will admit a certain weariness to Dracula-related stories. That's not Kiste's fault, that's just the market. I didn't think I was going to be able to pick a favourite story amongst all of them and I kept stressing in my head, scrolling back and thinking, but then I hit the last story--the story that carries the title of the collection itself. It was beautiful, haunting and very imaginative. At first, I honestly thought, ah, not another story about (...), but the sheer creativity of it! I'm not honestly certain I've seen a ghost story done that way. At least not well enough that it stuck in my mind.

Kiste is an auto-buy for me, so I already had my copy on preorder, but I'm so glad I got to read this early and I HIGHLY suggest that anyone who is a fan of horror, the weird and beautiful and unexpected, grab your copies now. You will not be disappointed.

[Steve Edholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Haunted House She Calls Her Own is a great collection of dark and unsettling stories. I took my time reading this collection and I am really glad I did. Some stories are still not sitting well with me.

This thing opens up with a banger of a story called A New Mother’s Guide to Raising An Abomination which paints a very brutal picture of childbirth and caring/raising for something that isn’t human. This is a gory nightmare of a story. Some of the other standout stories include:
The Eleven Films of Oona Cashford which is a great take on the haunted movie trope and a filmmaker’s decent into art
The Last Video Store On The Left which reminds me of the Blockbuster video in Bend, OR, but the owner has a dark past and something maybe lurking in the shadows
Her Skin a Grim Canvas, a body horror story involving a semi-underground fashion designer and his model (this one will stay with you)
The Sea Witch of the World's Fair about a mermaid at the World’s Fair who is hungry
And while I can’t recall the name, a story of Marie Antoinette’s rise from the grave only to stumble upon the infamous night of Mary Shelley’s telling of Frankenstein

This collection is well worth the read if you like Kiste and want a wide range of stories and tropes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy for this review!

[Missy (myweereads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They say you have to suffer for your art. So that's exactly what I'll do."

Gwendolyn Kiste's new collection of short stories centre around character driven tales. Some of these span many decades but each tell a similar tale where the message is loud and clear.

Featured are:

A New Mother's Guide to Raising an Abomination
The Girls from the Horror Movie
The Sea Witch of the World's Fair
The Eight People Who Murdered Me
Melting Point
Her Skin a Grim Canvas
The Last Video Store on the Left
Ides
In the Belly of the Wolf
Sister Glitter Blood
The Mad Monk of the Motor City
Best Friend's Forever
The Eleven Films of Oona Cashford
All the Hippies Are Dying
Lost in Darkness and Distance
The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own

I was first introduced to this author's works from the novel "The Haunting of Velkwood". I enjoyed how beautiful yet harrowing way in which the author wrote that book. With this collection she does exactly that making them all the more memorable. For that reason a lot of these really stuck with me. These range from the supernatural to psychological and body horror.

This was a good collection and one that would be great for any new readers of this author.

Many thanks to @rdspress for the copy.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was perfection.

Every single one of these stories was from the female perspective. Seeing these stoties through a difference lens then you might have before these stories hit hard.

This is another one of those books that seems to hit extra hard right now during a time when all over feel like they have less of a voice, but remember you roar.

I don't want to spoil how it feels to read these so only talking about a few.

Her Skin a Grim Canvas was gruesome and in some ways made my skin crawl, it involves a fashion designer and his model. This one is a body horror, if that gives you an idea of a models revenge..

The Last Video Store On The Left, might be one of my favorite short stoties these year so far.
A cool haunted video store that just happens to be queer? But there's something lurking be it a monster or a past..
Anyways can I get a membership??


There isn't a weak story in this, much like the women in these stories they are strong and push back against the usual ideas of what women are, women are anything.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. One of my favorite reads of 2025 was The Haunting of Velkwood, so I was very excited about this new release from Kiste. I don’t typically enjoy short story collections, but Kiste does a good job maintaining similar themes and messaging throughout the assorted tales, which makes it feel like a cohesive body of work. The horror ranges from spooky to downright upsetting, with an undercurrent of melancholy that is reminiscent of Velkwood. Great horror imagery that really sticks with you! They were a couple of stories that did not work for me early in the book, and one that felt truly out of place towards the end, but I enjoyed the vast majority of this book.

My favorites of the collection (in chronological order) are: The Sea Witch of the World’s Fair, Sister Glitter Blood, Ides, Best Friends Forever, The Eleven Films of Oona Cashford, and Lost in Darkness and Distance.

[Catriona Mowat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own is a fierce and feminine collection.

With classic literature and historic characters, some of the stories are built on a solid foundation of legend, perverted and twisted to create utterly new stories which are modern and macabre. Wholly original yet familiar.

Every tale comes from a female perspective, colouring history and horror with a new lens that is strong, visceral, and poignant. From female rage and revenge, to friendships gone wrong, haunted houses, and even women trying to carve out a name for themselves, every woman will find a story to connect with here. The voices of women cry out from every page of this collection, and their stories are harrowing, comforting, and bloody in equal measure.

These stories will stay with you, your own personal ghosts: and maybe that’s the way it should be.

[Hannah Deverall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Haunted House She Calls Her Own by Gwendolyn Kiste is a collection of delightfully dark and challenging tales. From man-eating mermaids to tumours that vibrate to the tune of Jimi Hendrix's The Star Spangled Banner, this short story collection has it all. Normally with a work like this, there are a handful of pieces that just don't hit, and they pull down the entire collection. However, The Haunted House She Calls Her Own did not fall into this trope. While I definitely had my favourites and least favourites, none of them were flops in any way, shape or form.

I would recommend this book to all kinds of horror loves, but especially those that love queer horror and retellings of classic horror stories such as Dracula. Thank you to Raw Dog Screaming Press for providing The Haunted House She Calls Her Own for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Just Another Final Girl Review (Brittany) Levely-Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is my first book review in a while. I hate that Goodreads only lets me do full stars because I would give this book a 3.5-3.75 on other sites that allow me to rate books differently. This short story collection is really well written and incredibly enjoyable. That being said some of the shorts were stories I would individually rate 5 stars but a few of them weren’t as great and I found myself putting down the book and reading a novel in between stories. I loved the first story and I’ve previously reviewed the audiobook version of the second story on this site. I loved that this book included what seems to be the starting point for the novel Reluctant Immortals.

Will edit and add more later…

[Sarah Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read Kiste's work for a while, and thought this collection of stories would likely be a great place to start. Oh my god, I was so right! Why have I waited so long?
The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own has something for all horror lovers - cursed movies, historical ghosts, creepy fairy tales...
Kiste's writing is beautifully poetic, while also remaining accessible.
My favourite stories were:
The Eleven Films of Oona Cashford - a unique take on the cursed movie trope. Genuinely creepy!
Sister Glitter Blood - A sentient board game with sinister consequences.
The Last Video Store on the Left - pure nostalgia!

[Jan Stinchcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It isn't fair what the world expects of women, how they must stitch themselves back together on the inside to keep from coming apart, to dam up the sorrow that would drown the whole universe if they let it."
Classic Kiste.

These are carefully structured and hard-hitting horror stories that draw from fairy tales, horror film tropes, and historical events and figures. Favorites include: "The Eight People Who Murdered Me," "Melting Point," "Her Skin a Grim Canvas," "Lost in Darkness and Distance," and the title story, "The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own."

If you've been craving another short story collection from this prolific and insightful author, you are in luck.

[Nikki Kossaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own is a beautifully gothic and tragic collection centered on women in all stages of life. Gwendolyn Kiste understands that the body, memory, and expectation can be as haunting as any house.

The standouts for me were “A New Mother’s Guide to Raising an Abomination,” a raw and unsettling take on motherhood, and “Her Skin a Grim Canvas,” which is intimate, disturbing, and lingered with me long after I finished.

This is quiet, emotionally rich horror—more ache than shock—and it’s perfect for readers who love gothic fiction that puts women’s inner lives at the center. Highly recommended.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGaelly.
The stories all have female main characters and nearly all of those females are monsters, or have monsters within them, though the monsters aren't necessarily villains. Spanning a wide range of subjects, the tales are mostly dark and bleak, and several go to places that make you say "Jeez." when you read them. One exception to the bleak theme is "The Eleven Films of Oona Cashford" which contains a macabre sort of humor to it, and may be my favorite out of the bunch.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredible collection. One of the best I’ve read in a long time. Kiste has so many unique ideas that she’s brought to life in these stories. From old Hollywood era to Marie Antoinette to The Worlds Fair, so many of these stories made me gasp out loud and smile at how smart Kiste is and how she took the nugget of an idea and created such wonderful stories with them. I was often wondering how in the world she came up with a lot of the ideas for these because some were so out there but they work.

I was so impressed with this book. Kiste is a modern day Shirley Jackson, in my opinion. She is a master of the short story form.

[Samantha (Reading_Against_Noise) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love horror short stories. Each one is a special treat that I can just sit back, devour, and enjoy the ride. I absolutely loved this collection. Each story was so unique, with even a few homages to other popular horror stories. I read the authors previous book, The Haunting of Velkwood, and while I did enjoy that one, this is my absolute favorite. 


Some of my favorites were: 

A New Mothers Guide to Raising an Abomination

The Sea Witch of the World's Fair

The Eight People Who Murdered Me

Melting Point

Her Skin a Grim Canvas

Sister Glitter Blood

Best Friends Forever

[JXR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disquieting and ominous set of short stories that wildly fluctuate in how effective they are, in my opinion. Stories like The Sea Witch at the World's Fair, Ides, The Girls from the Horror Movie, the Eleven Films of Oona Cashford, and Lost in Darkness and in Distance are superb, plucking bits and pieces from history, fiction, and Kiste's own mind to produce a very interesting story. Meanwhile, Mad Monk of the Motor City, Sister Glitter Blood, and The Eight People Who Murdered Me just left me feeling a little bit flat. I'd give this a 3.5 to 4. Thanks to RDS and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second book by this author, but not my last. Short stories are typically not my favorite format, as too often they lack sufficient substance for me. I was delighted to find that even these quick tales deliver it all, given her solid writing. Her stories are unique, atmospheric, and creepy. I find myself looking forward to my next reading of this author’s work…can’t wait to see what surprises are in store.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not love this collection more. My favorite story is “Melting Point”: it’s romantic and terrifying and bittersweet all at once. If you adore Kiste’s mesmeric prose as much as I do, preorder this book immediately.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I loved these horror short stories. All unique and scary or creepy in different kinds of ways. I don’t want to give anything away about the stories. Going in not knowing much was great and made for some surprises.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a master class in short horror fiction.

For the full review, please visit: https://www.otherworldlyculture.com/t....

[Christi Nogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several of the stories here feature some kind of take on the haunted house theme, and most focus on close relationships between women whether mother-daughter, friends, or girlfriends. Each is a mix of beauty, magic, pain, and anger. Some favorites were "The Sea Witch of the World's Fair," "The Last Video Store on the Left," "Sister Glitter Blood," "All the Hippies Are Dying," and "Lost in Darkness and Distance."

Kiste was one of the authors whose works stood out to me most when I was just starting to read a lot of new short fiction in horror around ten years ago, so it's great to see this wonderful new collection from her! Those who loved it might also appreciate her 2017 collection And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe--as well as her novels, of course.

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice anthology of spooky horror stories. There was a lot of variety, and therefore a lot to like. It is always difficult to rate an anthology, as quality between stories varies, but if you like spooky short stories (like me) then this would be a worthwhile read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology. Lots of great feminist takes on the uncanny and weird.

My favorites;

The 11 Films of Oona Cashford
This was set up like a found footage/found archive movie. With interviews and articles. I love this genre of book and movie. Was Oona in a cult? Had she discovered other worlds inside the movie screen?

The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own
The title story. This is from the POV of the Black Dahlia, a famous murder victim. So many conspiracy theories and speculations out there of how she met her end. As a ghost she travels to each place that an armchair detective or a real detective thinks might have been where she died. A basement, a field, a physicians office. Such a sad sad story.