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Not Everyone Stays in the Light
Not yet published
Expected 31 Jan 26This collection of very short stories from the mind of Ann Butler's alter ego, The Book Griffin, introduces you to 11 instances of inexplicable or ghostly occurrences.
There's revenge, redemption or just plain, old spookiness.
Take the unnerving tale of a child warned never to talk about duppies, add the narration of a 19th century labourer who went to find work and never came back, mix in a warning about the malevolent entity that haunts a town off the Irish coast. Throw in more stories along the same vein and stir.
Enjoy these 11 haunting short stories with the duvet wrapped tight and a box of tissues handy.
There's revenge, redemption or just plain, old spookiness.
Take the unnerving tale of a child warned never to talk about duppies, add the narration of a 19th century labourer who went to find work and never came back, mix in a warning about the malevolent entity that haunts a town off the Irish coast. Throw in more stories along the same vein and stir.
Enjoy these 11 haunting short stories with the duvet wrapped tight and a box of tissues handy.
89 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 31, 2026
3 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 10, 2026
ARC REVIEW
This collection is a must-read due to its unsettling setting and clever writing style. Certain stories evoke a sense of unease, while others are marked by sadness. The writing is polished and fast-paced.
Thanks to Book Sirens for sending me an advanced copy to read and review.
This collection is a must-read due to its unsettling setting and clever writing style. Certain stories evoke a sense of unease, while others are marked by sadness. The writing is polished and fast-paced.
Thanks to Book Sirens for sending me an advanced copy to read and review.
Review of advance copy
ARC Reader
I would rate this more at 3.5 stars if I could. Although in this rating, I must give it a 4 over a 3-star rating due to it being closer to a 4-star than a 3-star.
Who doesn't love a collection of supernatural short stories? This collection features eleven short stories, each filled with a variety of instances and supernatural events. I always did love a good collection of short stories, especially when it came to different supernatually themed ones. Though when it comes to a collection of tales, not everyone is going to be a hit.
The first tale was alright. I was expecting a bit more supernatal almsot scary, like. Though it wasn't terrible. The second tale, I just couldn't with the grammar, and the flow was just so off. I do understand involving cultural type grammar being a thing, such as in dialogue. Though it wasn't just the dialogue, and I'll be completely honest, I wondered if the other tales after would end up slowly getting worse instead of better. Though I did continue to read instead of DNFing.
It is a short read at only 86 pages long. I was expecting something different from what I got. It isn't bad, but I could not say it is my favourite collection of stories either. Some of the stories just seemed a bit too, for the lack of a better wording ADHD styled, where it switches and jumps, but doesn't keep a pace that helps the story flow correctly. This, paired with some of the writing style, made some of the stories a bit rough for me to read.
5/11 I truly did enjoy
2/11 Were alright
Overall, the collection was decent. I did enjoy the short read, despite some of the hardships some of the stories brought to me when reading. I'm glad I continued instead of putting it in the DNF pile because I hit a hard-to-read story.
I would rate this more at 3.5 stars if I could. Although in this rating, I must give it a 4 over a 3-star rating due to it being closer to a 4-star than a 3-star.
Who doesn't love a collection of supernatural short stories? This collection features eleven short stories, each filled with a variety of instances and supernatural events. I always did love a good collection of short stories, especially when it came to different supernatually themed ones. Though when it comes to a collection of tales, not everyone is going to be a hit.
The first tale was alright. I was expecting a bit more supernatal almsot scary, like. Though it wasn't terrible. The second tale, I just couldn't with the grammar, and the flow was just so off. I do understand involving cultural type grammar being a thing, such as in dialogue. Though it wasn't just the dialogue, and I'll be completely honest, I wondered if the other tales after would end up slowly getting worse instead of better. Though I did continue to read instead of DNFing.
It is a short read at only 86 pages long. I was expecting something different from what I got. It isn't bad, but I could not say it is my favourite collection of stories either. Some of the stories just seemed a bit too, for the lack of a better wording ADHD styled, where it switches and jumps, but doesn't keep a pace that helps the story flow correctly. This, paired with some of the writing style, made some of the stories a bit rough for me to read.
5/11 I truly did enjoy
2/11 Were alright
Overall, the collection was decent. I did enjoy the short read, despite some of the hardships some of the stories brought to me when reading. I'm glad I continued instead of putting it in the DNF pile because I hit a hard-to-read story.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) of Not Everyone Stays in the Light, by AN Butler, from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily. This haunting collection of 11 short stories is expected to release on January 31, 2026.
Summary:
This collection explores the thin veil between our world and the next. Spanning themes of revenge, redemption and classic supernatural dread, readers are taken on a journey through diverse folklore and historical tragedies. Stories like:
A chilling tale of a child warned to keep silent about duppies (spirits from Caribbean folklore), which effectively uses silence as a source of tension.
The heartbreaking account of a 19th-century laborer who sets off for work and never returns, blending social realism with ghostly disappearance.
A malevolent entity lurking off the Irish coast that perfectly captures the isolation and "plain old spookiness" of a seaside haunting.
My Thoughts:
While the concepts behind these 11 stories are evocative and well-conceived, I found myself wishing for a bit more. Several stories felt cut too short. The ideas were brilliant, but had the author expanded even just a little, there could have been much more depth and emotional payoff. As it stands, some entries feel more like eerie snapshots than fully realized tales.
That being said, this is a super quick read at just 86 pages, and if you enjoy eerie and haunting vibes, you may enjoy this one. These stories provide plenty of atmosphere, even if you’re left wishing you could stay in some of these haunted worlds just a little longer. I give this 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Summary:
This collection explores the thin veil between our world and the next. Spanning themes of revenge, redemption and classic supernatural dread, readers are taken on a journey through diverse folklore and historical tragedies. Stories like:
A chilling tale of a child warned to keep silent about duppies (spirits from Caribbean folklore), which effectively uses silence as a source of tension.
The heartbreaking account of a 19th-century laborer who sets off for work and never returns, blending social realism with ghostly disappearance.
A malevolent entity lurking off the Irish coast that perfectly captures the isolation and "plain old spookiness" of a seaside haunting.
My Thoughts:
While the concepts behind these 11 stories are evocative and well-conceived, I found myself wishing for a bit more. Several stories felt cut too short. The ideas were brilliant, but had the author expanded even just a little, there could have been much more depth and emotional payoff. As it stands, some entries feel more like eerie snapshots than fully realized tales.
That being said, this is a super quick read at just 86 pages, and if you enjoy eerie and haunting vibes, you may enjoy this one. These stories provide plenty of atmosphere, even if you’re left wishing you could stay in some of these haunted worlds just a little longer. I give this 3.75 out of 5 stars.
January 24, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. This was graciously given to me as an ARC by Whimsy Words PR and this review is voluntarily given.
Not Everyone Stays in the Light is a collection of short horror stories which explore different cultures and folklore tales and different aspects of history. Some of these stories I enjoyed a lot more than others since I found them more compelling and had more of a horror aspect.
I loved the writing style that Butler used in this. I liked how each voice for each chapter sounded different in their own unique way to bring the character to life. Each chapter used different perspectives and writing styles as well, and the actual voice of the character changed depending on the location and time the chapter was set in, sometimes changing mid chapter if the characters relocated.
The stories that really stood out to me were ‘The Greenhouse’, ‘The Truth Will Set Me Free’ and ‘The Lore of the Wild’. These ones were hauntingly beautiful and drew from aspects of some of my favourite horror films, like ‘The Blair Witch Project’.
I am excited to read more of Butler’s work because her writing style is gorgeous and her ideas are amazing. I just wish some of these short stories were longer.
Not Everyone Stays in the Light is a collection of short horror stories which explore different cultures and folklore tales and different aspects of history. Some of these stories I enjoyed a lot more than others since I found them more compelling and had more of a horror aspect.
I loved the writing style that Butler used in this. I liked how each voice for each chapter sounded different in their own unique way to bring the character to life. Each chapter used different perspectives and writing styles as well, and the actual voice of the character changed depending on the location and time the chapter was set in, sometimes changing mid chapter if the characters relocated.
The stories that really stood out to me were ‘The Greenhouse’, ‘The Truth Will Set Me Free’ and ‘The Lore of the Wild’. These ones were hauntingly beautiful and drew from aspects of some of my favourite horror films, like ‘The Blair Witch Project’.
I am excited to read more of Butler’s work because her writing style is gorgeous and her ideas are amazing. I just wish some of these short stories were longer.
Review of advance copy
Not Everyone Stays In The Light by A.N Butler
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a short story compilation that explores the paranormal and supernatural. I loved the different contexts and settings, these gave each story real variety and depth. I also liked that some of the stories leave some elements to the readers' interpretation, meaning that these make for great discussion. The inclusion of a short blurb for each story as a sort of contents page was a great idea!
Though the stories are united by a common theme, they work equally well as standalone stories and I think this is truly the test of a compilation such as this. There's eleven stories in all and so they're short enough to provide a quick read for enjoyment, without being so short that they leave you wishing there was more to them. As with a lot of books, there's some content warnings to be aware of, as the books have themes of murder, supernatural elements and abuse. Overall, a dark, moody read perfect for these chilly winter days.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a short story compilation that explores the paranormal and supernatural. I loved the different contexts and settings, these gave each story real variety and depth. I also liked that some of the stories leave some elements to the readers' interpretation, meaning that these make for great discussion. The inclusion of a short blurb for each story as a sort of contents page was a great idea!
Though the stories are united by a common theme, they work equally well as standalone stories and I think this is truly the test of a compilation such as this. There's eleven stories in all and so they're short enough to provide a quick read for enjoyment, without being so short that they leave you wishing there was more to them. As with a lot of books, there's some content warnings to be aware of, as the books have themes of murder, supernatural elements and abuse. Overall, a dark, moody read perfect for these chilly winter days.
January 25, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
A collection of short ghost stories that have potential, but were mostly undercooked and over prefaced. Would have loved so much less exposition and so much more exploration of the life after death.
Each story felt like it could have been expanded and given a lot more depth, atmosphere and tension. There are nice moments throughout, like the idea of a ghost watching over his family for generations, or nature spirits and how they can manipulate reality to get what they want, but overall, each story felt half baked.
Thank you for Whimsy Words PR, who provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A collection of short ghost stories that have potential, but were mostly undercooked and over prefaced. Would have loved so much less exposition and so much more exploration of the life after death.
Each story felt like it could have been expanded and given a lot more depth, atmosphere and tension. There are nice moments throughout, like the idea of a ghost watching over his family for generations, or nature spirits and how they can manipulate reality to get what they want, but overall, each story felt half baked.
Thank you for Whimsy Words PR, who provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? This book reminds me of the stories you would find on the old tv show “Who’s afraid of the dark,” and Tales from the crypt.”
This short story compilation has all good ghost story needs: a lover scorned and seeking revenge, Dad looking out for his daughter, ghost maid being set free when her truth comes out, kelpie, banshees, spells and even ghost caught on camera. It is a quick read. It is eerie but still can read and go to bed afterwards. If you’re looking for a fun supernatural adventure this is the book for you.
Thank you for the arc
This short story compilation has all good ghost story needs: a lover scorned and seeking revenge, Dad looking out for his daughter, ghost maid being set free when her truth comes out, kelpie, banshees, spells and even ghost caught on camera. It is a quick read. It is eerie but still can read and go to bed afterwards. If you’re looking for a fun supernatural adventure this is the book for you.
Thank you for the arc
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.5 stars
ARC Review
Release date - January 31st
This was an interesting collection of short stories about the supernatural world - ghosts. I found the stories both entertaining and cultural because ghosts, duppies however you know the term, can be quite indicative of how you were raised.
My favorite story was chapter 6 - Bounce, this story took on a Caribbean perspective which I liked👌🏾.
ARC Review
Release date - January 31st
This was an interesting collection of short stories about the supernatural world - ghosts. I found the stories both entertaining and cultural because ghosts, duppies however you know the term, can be quite indicative of how you were raised.
My favorite story was chapter 6 - Bounce, this story took on a Caribbean perspective which I liked👌🏾.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2026
ARC review.
This collection of stories is written in a clever, engaging style that kept me unsettled throughout. Each story carries a sense of unease, often mixed with quiet sadness. The prose is tightly woven and atmospheric, making it an easy read while still emotionally impactful.
Thank you Whimsywordspr for sending this over.
This collection of stories is written in a clever, engaging style that kept me unsettled throughout. Each story carries a sense of unease, often mixed with quiet sadness. The prose is tightly woven and atmospheric, making it an easy read while still emotionally impactful.
Thank you Whimsywordspr for sending this over.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Such a great spooky read! Each story had me on my toes or the hairs on the back of my neck standing up! Thank you for letting me be a ARC reader! Chapter 2 has to be my favorite it made me cry a bit in a good way.
January 19, 2026
I loved all the short stories. I wish there was more to a few of them but overall each one was great.
Thank you to whimsywordsPR and A.N. Butler for sending me this ARC
Thank you to whimsywordsPR and A.N. Butler for sending me this ARC
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC review, all thoughts are my own. I enjoyed this, it was different to what I’d normally read but in a good way. I will read more from this author
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews