Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror Delight

by Shelly Page, Alex Brown

Night of the Living Queers is a YA horror anthology that explores a night when anything is possible exclusively featuring queer authors of color putting fresh spins on classic horror tropes and tales.

All Hallows’ Eve. Samhain. Dia De Los Muertos. Fiesta de Los Aguizotes. No matter its name or occasion, Halloween is more than a Hallmark holiday, it’s a symbol of transformation. NIGHT OF THE LIVING QUEERS is a YA horror anthology that explores how Halloween can be more than just candies and frights, but a night where anything is possible. Each short story will be told through the lens of a different BIPOC teen and the Halloween night that changes their lives forever. Creative, creepy, and queer, this collection will bring fresh terror, heart, and humor to young adult literature.

Contributors include editors Alex Brown and Shelly Page, Kalynn Bayron, Ryan Douglass, Sara Farizan, Maya Gittelman, Kosoko Jackson, Em Liu, Vanessa Montalban, Ayida Shonibar, Tara Sim, Trang Thanh Tran, and Rebecca Kim Wells.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Anthologies, Fantasy

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2023

About the author

Shelly Page is a young adult contemporary fantasy romance and horror writer. By day, she’s a practicing attorney representing homeless LGBTQ+ youth. By night, she’s writing stories about love, magic, and mystery—all with the hope of providing genuine representation for queer readers of color. Shelly lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Toby, and a collection of half-dead plants. Brewed with Love is her first solo novel to be published by Joy Revolution in Spring 2025. She can be found online at shellypage.com or @shelly_p_writes.

Reviews

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

there is something just extra cool and extra harrowing about all these stories taking place under the same moon on the same halloween night. very galaxy brain of these editors. Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane was my very personal favorite - it really meant the entire world to me. and Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle is one i feel so thankful to have been able to read, and i know it will sit inside my heart forever. but here are my thoughts on all the stories in this collection, and i think so many people are gonna have a good time with this one, especially if you read this during spooky season.

━━♡ Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia by Vanessa Montalban ★★

“If you would've just waited for me to tell you I felt the same, if you would've never come here, I'd be yours. We'd be ours.”

i was obsessed with this sinking abandoned hotel setting, but sadly that was one of the few things i did like about this short story. i kept waiting for a different kind of revenge story to start because of the set up, but, sadly again, i was let down.

tw/cw: drinking, drugs, mention of bullying in past, brief mention of seizure in past (insinuating bc of overdose or excessive drug use), death

━━♡ The Visitor by Kalynn Bayron ★★★

“They were like beacons in an endless abyss of grief.”

this story has a few lines that made me tear up. this is a very sweet and spooky tale about a girl and her father celebrating halloween and honoring someone they lost. i feel like the author did such a good job conveying so many different emotions and feelings in the different scenes in this short work, i was really impressed.

tw/cw: loss of a parent in the past, grief

━━♡ A Brief Intermission by Sara Farizan ★★★

“Whenever someone talks about the "good old days," they forget to mention who it was "good" for.”

okay truly, drive in movies are just the perfect creepy setting, especially ones that are closed for halloween because of a generational secret being kept. i really liked both of our main characters in this one, and i liked seeing this secret unravel alongside them.

tw/cw: blood, gore, brief hospital setting, mention of fatal car crash in past, microaggressions, vomiting, animal death (rats)

━━♡ Guested by Rebecca Kim Wells ★★★

“Mrs. Choi thought Guested parties were white people nonsense or the work of the devil. Sometimes both.”

you all know a story about sibling love is always going to get me, and this being told in second person really amplified all the feelings. i will say, i just didn't enjoy the ending of this one, but the concept was really unique and smart, and the writing was very captivating - i would love to read more from this author.

tw/cw: very brief mention of parents divorcing + death of a parent, possession, depression depiction

━━♡ Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson ★★★★★

“There is no God here tonight. Only me, and I am vengeful.”

this short story is worth reading the entire anthology for alone. this was truly everything for me and, even though it pulled on everything inside my heart, the very vulnerable, real, + raw feelings were just so powerful to me. this is exactly what i want in horror, because, at the end of the day, humans are more horrifying than any paranormal creature could ever dream of being.

tw/cw: needle imagery, toxic friendship, codependency depiction, chronic pain mention, homophobia, homophobic slurs, blood, abuse, ouija board, very brief mention of domestic abuse + parental abuse + loss of a parent + murder in past with a side character. this story has a central focus on a gay hate crime / gay bashing - please use caution while reading and make sure you're in the right headspace

━━♡ The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting by Alex Brown ★★★

“Terrifying Bob won't even mess with the Jollibee, which makes me sad on his behalf.”

my favorite part of this was just how filipinos really do normalize ghosts + spirits hahaha. but i really loved the set up of this one, and i felt like it's really different than anything else in this collection. i loved these characters instantly too, and the sibling relationship made my heart so happy in so few pages. i just really didn't love the end of this one and it left me more confused than anything else. but i would happily read a full-length story with this crew + their new friend!

tw/cw: talk of death + possession

━━♡ Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran ★★

“You can love something so hard that you hate it at the same time. Each shortcoming hurts more because you care. The city and my body are like that.”

ahhh, this one is going to be a bit hard to write feelings for just because this story is centered around one of those "if you dont do BLANK, then BLANK will happen" on the internet things - and i just loath those so much. but then it just got more and more gross and confusing, and added so much that just didn't need to be there, but felt like they were added because it was a halloween anthology. we got to see some heartfelt themes of grief and the helplessness you feel when you lose someone you love - and i loved that - but sadly everything else just overshadowed it for me.

tw/cw: asian hate crime, racism, loss of a loved one, grief depiction, graphic animal cruelty + death for a ritual, insect mention, blood

━━♡ Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittleman ★★★★★

“The smell of sampaguita fills the air. It's coming from you, the magic that's always been you, that you've finally given yourself the ability to unlock.”

not only my favorite of the collection, but a brand new all time favorite short story. this was everything and so very powerful. i might be a little biased because i am fillipino (and i have a matching sampaguita tattoo with my cousin haha), but i think this story is truly just perfection, while being so deep in culture and so deep in heart. and i was weeping through the ending with a smile on my face. the author was so galaxy brain for this entire story, but the amount of hope it was able to evoke from me too. i really am speechless.

whatever this author does next, i will be in the publisher's emails begging for an arc, because these few pages truly made me feel not only seen, but like i am finding a brand new all time favorite author.

tw/cw: talk of loss of a parent in the past, mention of deaths, one sentence mention of whitening cream/treatment

━━♡ In You to Burn by Em X. Liu ★★

“Magic wasn't real, after all. There were better, more mundane ways to explain things.”

ah, i wish i would have loved this one more. i am not really sure what to say other than maybe the writing just wasn't for me. but the plot just seemed a little all over and i wasn't really sure where the story was going most of the time. it also felt very long to me.

tw/cw: fires, drinking, blood, death

━━♡ Anna by Shelly Page ★★★★

“I know that bone-deep loneliness that comes with being abandoned and the fear that it'll keep happening no matter what you do.”

okay i think this story was like exactly what i was expecting from this collection, and it just was really good and really halloween spooky. it was the paranormal scariest of them all for me, and i was really feeling the eeriness while reading (and while finishing). a good reminder why i love short story collections so much, because i am now very excited to read more from this author.

tw/cw: abandonment, child abuse in past, starvation, ouija board

━━♡ Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim ★★★★

“Halloween. One way or another, he was going to get rid of this poltergeist for good.”

oh this was just a good read all around, and so different in tone from the rest of the collection. and it just really made my heart overflow with happiness, while still being spooky. i know these are fictional characters, but i really wish them the best because they were able to get into my heart in so few pages!

tw/cw: ghost leaving scratches on children, blood, implied loss of a parent in past

━━♡ Save Me from Myself by Ayida Shonibar ★★★★

“Today, my outside resembles the way I feel within. ”

this really is the short story from this collection that is going to be the hardest (and most all over the place) to talk about. i loved this story, i loved what it was doing, i loved that i very easily could see how much this will mean to so many teens, especially queer bipoc teens, who i know are feeling these things, thinking these things, and seeing themselves like this main character. this is an important and powerful read, and was able to evoke so much emotion from me. but i just absolutely hated the end of this. i felt like it was for shock value and just felt terrible when the rest of this story was everything i could have hoped for for this collection. again, i feel like this is just a hard one to talk about, but it still is a bright, but heartbreaking, shining light in this collection for me.

tw/cw from author at start of this story: suicidal ideation, death
tw/cw that i found additionally: mention of parent abandonment, loss of a friend, loss of a parent, and... so many intrusive thoughts

━━♡ Knickknack by Ryan Douglass ★★★

“And...how do we find a sacrifice worthy of his Clownliness?”

truly, very few things in this life are scarier than clowns. and a clown who is a ghost and kidnaps and kills children? like, i was unsettled from start to end! i also really enjoyed the queer rep in this because i think its a very relatable "is this person maybe queer too" highschool experience, and i know a lot of people will be able to relate. this was spooky and sweet and i had a good time with it.

tw/cw: murder in past, death in past, kidnapping, brief one sentence mention of parent alcohol addiction and cheating of a parent, just not the best parents in general, brief mention on bullying in past, mention of 4chan, ouija board.

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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

━━♡ buddy read with evie

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror & Delight is a fun, spooky-time YA-Anthology full of great representation and diverse stories.

This is the perfect collection to get you in the mood for Fall!!



Editors, Shelly Page and Alex Brown, did an incredible job bringing together a great assortment of authors to contribute to this collection.

I loved how each story takes place on Halloween night, when there is a rare Blue Supermoon. It's thought this special occasion could open up our world more easily to all sorts of supernatural and creepy occurrences.

It was fun to see how each of these authors took that prompt, that setting, if you will, and created something unique and engaging, all of their very own.



Anthologies can be tough sometimes, because it's rare to connect with each and every story equally, but for me, this was well-rounded and exciting enough to keep me hooked throughout.

Of course some stories fit my personal tastes more than others, but I can absolutely see how every single Reader will be able to find something within this collection to enjoy and connect to.



I really enjoyed so many of these of stories and cherished how different they all were from each other. It never felt repetitive, or overdone.

Some of the standouts for me were: The Visitor by Kalynn Bayron, A Brief Intermission by Sara Farizan, The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting by Alex Brown and Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran.

My favorite story overall was Anna by Shelly Page. This one just had everything I love to get myself geared up for a solid spooky season. It had a babysitter, twins, a ouija board, an attic and a ghost. I mean, what is not to love about that!?



Finally, I will just say how much I appreciate the thought and care these editors and authors put into this collection. The vast and inclusive representation is so important and I feel like they all did a great job creating super fun and creepy stories, while also being mindful of the original intent of the collection.

I would absolutely recommend this anthology as a way to get yourself in the mood for the Spooky Season. It's the most wonderful time of the year and books that showcase that are my favorite kinds!



Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'd love to read more from every one of these authors!

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this book full of horror stories centered around queer characters I was over the moon and knew I had to read it. It was everything I could have wanted. Now the stories weren’t genuinely terrifying, but it was a young adult book and while they were spooky they were also fun and entertaining. I think my favorite stories were Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane and Hey There, Demons. But I enjoyed all of the stories. I hope this is the start of a trend of more representation, particularly in this genre as I don’t think I’ve seen much if any before.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Vlog:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_6mz...

4.5 stars rounded up

A really solid collection of short stories! 13 queer YA authors of color write stories taking place on Halloween night...

- Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia by Vanessa Montalban (3 stars) My least favorite in the collection, but still pretty good. A creepy party at a hotel.

- The Visitor by Kalynn Bayron (4 stars) Grief and the undead

- A Brief Intermission by Sara Farizan (5 stars) A drive in theatre with ghosts from the 50’s. Creepy!

- Guested by Rebecca Kim Wells (4.5 stars) Corporate greed and dangerous technology...

- Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson (5 stars) A rough one dealing with homophobic violence. A story of supernatural revenge.

- The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting by Alex Brown (4.5 stars) Very fun and campy about pizza-stealing ghost.

- Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran (5 stars) ooh damn! First genuinely scary one with great use of technology and addressing hate crimes.

- Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman (4 stars) Great debut! Filipino culture, gender identity, and a spooky house down the street.

- In You to Burn by Em X. Liu (4 stars) Interesting frenemies story drawing on Chinese myth.

- Anna by Shelly Page (4.5 stars) Babysitting gone wrong when the kids use a ouji board to summon an angry ghost.

- Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim (4 stars) Very cute but more romance than horror. Boy accidentally summons a hot demon.

- Save Me From Myself by Auria Shonibar (5 stars) Hindu goddess body swapping with mental health and suicidal ideation.

- Knickknack by Ryan Douglas (4.5 stars) Cute. Evil clown kidnaps brother, MC finally admits feelings for best friend

I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I don't read a lot of short stories anymore but this one was just too good. This is a young adult anthologies that explores queer teen themes within the frame of Halloween horror stories.

As always, some of the stories are stronger than others. I didn't find the stories particularly scary from a supernatural perspective but I appreciated the themes explored. This is the kind of story I would love to gift I'd if I had a queer teenager in my life.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I just finish these thirteen creepy blue moon stories moments before midnight on the evening of a Blue Supermoon while a thunderstorm starts overhead… yeah not joking, that’s for real what is happening right now.
And I didn’t even try to time it as I didn’t even know about Blue Supermoon until yesterday and I started reading after my hubby went to bed… so yeah are things feeling a little bit creepy right now?! They sure are.

Not unlike the stories in this book. Most are quite queer, quirky, and will make you quiver.

Story #1 - Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia by Vanessa Montalban
A fairly cliche horror story. Only really briefly relevant that the main gal is queer; but that was fine with me.
No real exciting twist or horror here; but the story set a mood that seems appropriate to kick off this anthology.

Story #2 - The Visitor by Kalynn Bayron
Sweet little story about why it’s important to obey the rules.

Story #3 - A Brief Intermission by Sara Farizan
Not really all that scary to me. Just lacked real substance.

Story #4 - Guested by Rebecca Kim Wells
By far the creepiest and best story so far.
Lacks any real ‘queerness’ to it; but I don’t even care because the concept and idea here is brilliant AND the execution is spot on.

Story #5 - Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle
Finally a story where the gayness of our lead character is a major factor to the overall story.
A very sad, but well written story that rings of the kind of vengeance many likely wish upon those who’ve done them serious harm.

”Playing with the dead seems like a pretty loose interpretation of fun, but what else do I have planned?”

What else indeed…

Story #6 - The Three Phases of Ghost-Hunting by Alex Brown
Adorable, very YA or even MG. Super cute lesbians to round off the package.

Story #7 - Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran
This female author is taking the world of horror by storm. If you don’t know her name yet then note it now. She’s gonna be huge!
A clever will story with a twist I can’t help but love. Sadness in this story as well as our lead character copes with grief; but at end of the day it’s the horror you’ll stay for.

Story #8 - Layla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane
”Nothing feels like home when you are not at home with yourself.”

Wow! A brilliantly written trans story that includes some magic to create hope. This is exactly the kind of story I expected in this anthology and I’m so glad it’s here.

Story #9 - In You To Burn by Em. X. Liu
Inspired by an Asian folktale, this story was overlayed to be modern but keep a direct connection back to its origin. I really liked it and would love to see it expanded into a full story or novel.
(I should confess I adore Liu and so may be biased. lol)

Story #10 - Anna by Shelly Page
Yes!! It might be cliche and mostly predictable but this is the kind of story I expected and hoped for in this anthology. It’s perfect in its trope use, lesbian romance, small children as the evil (sort of) and the blue moon Hallowe’en setting, all the authors have used, ties it all together

Story #11 - Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim
I should be fair and warn you I adore Tara Sim’s works to date. Go read Timekeeper trilogy if you want the sweetest gay teen boys romance ever (plus some cool clock magic!).
So it’s not surprising I enjoyed this story. Very much in Sim‘s vein with more gay teenage boys (and demons added in for flair).

Story #12 - Save Me From Myself by Ayida Shonibar
I’m not familiar with Kali Maa; but damn if I’m not going to ensure I learn more about this demon, god(dess), deity; because this story of wishing things into reality is fascinating. These body swaps are way better than Freaky Friday; and have more consequences.

Story #13 - Knickknack by Ryan Douglass
Creepy, cute, and courageous. What more can you ask for in the thirteenth story of a queer blue moon thriller/horror anthology?
For it to be a Blue Supermoon minutes before midnight as thunder rolls?
Cause that is literally what is happening in my life right now. No word of a lie!!!
Meanwhile my pitbull is scared and freaking, that’s not disturbing me at all… what timing to end a wonderful anthology!

While I received an eARC of this anthology I can honestly say it will be highly recommended to many by me; and will be getting a print copy in my personal library. I struggle to give anthologies 5 stars… as usually there is at least one story I don’t connect with, like here. This is a solid 4.5 stars and right on the topics you’d expect based on the authors included and the blue moon queer horror focus.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is true YA, in that I would be comfortable putting it in the hands of an actual teenager, there is nothing overly graphic in there (no real gore, no spice) and the characters aren't just adults in teenage bodies they sound like actual teens and deal with things the way teenagers would.

I saw this book compared to Goosebumps and I think the comparison is fair in that it would make a splendid introduction to horror for a new generation of potential horror fans.

This anthology contains both sweetness and bleakness, and there's an overall good variety of stories. My favourite story was Hey There, Demons by Tara Sims because of the demon's sense of humor but every story has its own charm.

I received an eARC of this book though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was.. extremely fine. The stories are all too short to have any substance to them. A lot of them were kind of forgettable too! I recognized a few authors so that was fun. I think my fave short story was Hey There Demons by Tara Sim which is funny because I haven’t read anything from her. Maybe this is my sign to do so!

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

[Dona's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy PUB DAY 🥳 August 29 2023!

Full review on my blog!

Thank you to the editors Shelly Page and Alex Brown, and publishers Wednesday Books, as well as NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of NIGHT OF THE LIVING QUEERS. All views are mine.

I enjoyed many of the stories in this collection, but a few fell flat. Below is a sentence or two about each story.

From the Introduction: [Halloween is] a time for... acceptance, remembrance, celebration, and rebirth. It's when many people feel they no longer have to hide the best parts of themselves. loc. 10

1. Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia - Mexican Gothic, spooky hotel, lots of ghosts and spirits, it all stands for something else, but what isn't clear enough, this one is a little anticlimactic.
...

4. Guested - What a perfectly miserable execution of the second person narrator, but a very interesting premise.
...

7. Nine Stops - Classic Trang Thanh Tran, with wonderful surreal imagery and dialogue that's just jarring enough to add suspense.
...

10. Anna - A fresh twist on the werewolf story, wonderfully southern Gothic; also addresses gentrification in New Orleans.
...

13. Knickknack - Haunted house stories can be amazing, especially if they're also a beautiful coming of age story.

Rating: 🐺🐺🐺🐺 / 5 Werewolves
Recommend? Yes
Finished: June 28 2023, August 17 2023

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night of the Living Queers is a horror anthology that contains 13 short stories, all following queer, BIPOC characters on Halloween night. Each story varies in its level of horror, as well as how much the main character's queerness is relevant to the plot. There were one or two shorts that I didn't love, but the majority of them had me thoroughly entertained, and a handful of them downright wowed me. I hadn't read any full length novels by any of the authors included in Night of the Living Queers before, but I definitely am going to now. This collection was a great introduction to a bunch of new voices. Whether you're looking for some straight forward horror, horror-comedy, or allegories for marginalized voices, this book will have something you're looking for. I'd definitely recommend it for the fall season!
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of YA Mystery/Thrillers but haven’t dabbled much in horror besides R.L. Stine’s teenager stuff! I totally read this because of the cover. Night of the Living Queers is such a good title!! I love anthologies because I can sample all of the different writing styles, and now I’ve definitely got a lot of authors I need to check out.

I’d say about half the stories were horror or they horrified me at least (I’m weak though so I’m probably a bad judge). There were a few that just made me so emotional and they were the ones that will stay with me the longest. Then there were some lighter, fluffier ones that kept up the pace. The story placement was extremely well done: Each one was completely different than the last, and I never had solid footing. It’s that kind of disarming instability that gets! me! GOOD! in horror. I read a few twice because I was so mindfucked and I’m still confused in the best way.


My favorites in order of appearance:

🎥 A Brief Intermission by Sara Farizan

⚖️ Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson

👻 The Three Phases of Ghost-Hunting by Alex Brown

🏚️ Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman

😈 Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim

🤡 Knickknack by Ryan Douglass


My most favorite goes to The Three Phases of Ghost-Hunting because TERRIFYING BOB CAT I LOVE YOU, followed closely by Hey There, Demons because I ABSOLUTELY need a full book of that cute nerd and his hot demon 😭

My most surprising was Knicknack because christ do I hate clowns but I sure did love Leo and Noah for blessing me with this quote: “God, I picked the worst night to turn into a slut.” Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane had me so in my feels, especially with this quote: “Do you think they deserve to know the truth of me? The magic I am?” A Brief Intermission did so much in so little space and it was the perfect level of horror for me.

Note: While I did find some of the stories to be great fun, there are some pretty heavy ones in the bunch. Grief, trauma, and rage haunted some of the main characters, and those emotions were explored both beautifully and intensely. In particular, Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson was so poetically gut-wrenching, while Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran was so incredibly visceral.

Overall, this should be a definite must for your Halloween TBR! You’ll get spooky scary skeletoned 13 times over and while doing it, you’ll be supporting queer authors of color! There’s definitely a story for everyone, as they all vary in horror/romance/comedy/emotions levels. I’d love a spooky szn audiobook reread, but I’m not sure I’m brave enough to read it on Halloween itself.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

It usually takes me a long time to read anthologies, but I flew through this one! I kept wanting to continue with the next story, because every single story was so delightfully creepy and just so much fun. I genuinely enjoyed every single story in this anthology, and that's not something that happens a lot. This would be the absolute perfect short story collection to put on your TBRs for spooky season!

[Starr ❇✌❇]

"a YA horror anthology exclusively featuring queer authors of color putting fresh spins on classic horror tropes and tales. The anthology set on the same Halloween—during a blue moon, no less—explores a night when anything is possible."

I AM SO PUMPED RIGHT NOW

[andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

First off thank you so much to Wednesday Books for sending me this book like holy shit. This book is the first one I have properly finished since July and I devoured it in less than 12 hours.

An anthology of YA horror stories written exclusively by queer authors of colour and it fucking slapped. There genuinely was not a story in this book that I did not like, sure there were some I liked more than others but not a single one of them was bad.

My biggest worry with this book was that all the stories would meld together into one but they were all so diverse in so many ways. I adored that they all worked with different elements and types of horror. Some were downright scary, some were funnier and a little more ridiculous, and some where gutwrenching and had me on the verge of crying.

Here are some of my favourite stories from the book!
- Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson (bro i cried)
- Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman (cried about gender)
- In You To Burn by Em X. Liu (fell to my knees - also triggered TPW brainrot i won't lie)
- Hey there, Demons by Tara Sim (demon taking pronouns as an offering! "what is gender?" me too)

You all genuinely need to run to the nearest bookstore or library and read this book during this spooky season like I am not joking. Night of the Living Queers, you will always be THAT BITCH.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually with short story collections, you have to wade through the more boring ones to get to the great ones but here it's all good stories.

I found them clever, dark and the perfect length, and it was nice to have some queer spins on those classic horror tropes.

[Caitlyn DeRouin · Rating 3 out of 5]

you can read more of my reviews at https://teatimelit.com/

When I first heard about the Night of the Living Queers anthology, it jumped to the top of my TBR! As of late I’ve really enjoyed reading anthologies, and since I’ve been reading a lot of horror the last few weeks, this really came into my hands at the perfect time.

Something that I really like about anthologies is that although they’ll have a theme that the stories center on, you don’t typically get summaries for any of the short stories, so you go in completely blind, which to me, makes the experience more fun. Of course, I knew that the stories would involve some classic horror tropes as mentioned in the summary, and that element of surprise made each story really interesting. I would sit there and think to myself “okay, are they going to go in the direction that I’m expecting? Or are they going to subvert expectations?” and that made it all the more interesting.

However, I did, in general, want the collection to be scarier. Some of them gave me chills and/or creeped me out, but I found most of them pretty tame. Which does make sense considering the title says “terror delight”, but I could’ve done with some more intense horror. That’s completely subjective though, and what I personally think is tame could be just the right amount of horror for someone else!

I definitely had fun while reading this anthology, but I found that the stories were either a hit or miss for me — the ones that really hit hit and the ones that didn’t fell pretty flat. That being said, my favorite stories were Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia by Vanessa Montalban (4 stars), The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting by Alex Brown (4 stars), and Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman (4 stars).

Welcome to Hotel Paranoia was so interesting, and it definitely started the anthology off with a bang. I think it was the perfect length, though I totally would have read a full length novel with its premise, and it was one that I could see working very well for the screen.

The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting was so much fun! It was super campy, and I love campy horror! I laughed a lot while reading it, loved the spooky moments, and I really liked the character dynamics. The premise was really fun and entertaining! I had a great time with this one.

Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane was the one that surprised me the most. Firstly, I loved that it had a Filipino MC — it was the only one with a Filipino MC in this collection — so that absolutely drew me to the story, but the biggest surprise for me was that I enjoyed it even with the story being told in second person pov. Personally, I hate second person pov, it takes me out of a story more than anything else. However, the way this one was written drew me in right away and by the end I understood why it was written in second person, and it didn’t really bother me by then. It is one of the only ones that ends on a hopeful note, and I did think that was a nice change of pace!

Other ones that I enjoyed were Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran (3.5 stars), In You to Burn by Em X. Liu (3.5 stars) and Anna by Shelly Page (3 stars).

Overall, I found Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror Delight to be an entertaining read and I enjoyed the variety of stories. If you’re a fan of horror and short story collections, I would recommend checking this one out during the spooky season!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received a digital arc for an honest review]

I am a fan of all things spooky, so when I saw a Queer YA anthology with all the stories taking place during a blue moon on Halloween night , I jumped on it. The anthology contains 13 spooky tales, all staring QPOC leads! Ranging from down right chilling , unsettling, and paranormal to slightly silly. For the most part I really enjoy all of them, there are only one or two that didn't work for me, whether it had to do with the story itself or the writing style. My favorites included an abandoned hotel you can never leave, justified revenge, a poltergeist and a teenage demon, a pizza loving ghost, magic, Chinese legends, Ouija boards, and body swapping.

Welcome to Hotel Paranoia by Vanesse Montalban ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Visitor by Kaylnn Bayron ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Breif INtermission by Sara Farizan ⭐⭐⭐
Guested by Rebecca Kim Wells⭐⭐
Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran⭐⭐
Layla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In You to Burn by Em X. Liu⭐⭐⭐⭐
Anna by Shelly Page⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Save Me from Myself by Ayida Shonibar⭐⭐⭐⭐
Knickknack by Ryan Douglass⭐⭐⭐

[Leia Sedai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update: Happy publication day!!!


After reading Alex Brown's folk horror anthology The Gathering Dark last year I knew I would have to read this anthology as soon as it was announced. This is a fun, creepy, spooky collection of stories that would be perfect to read near the end of September to set the mood for Halloween. My favorite stories were "Guested", "Hey There, Demons", and "Save Me From Myself". I recommend this for anyone who wants a spooky, not-so-scary read for Halloween.



***Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review. ***

[Haylee Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect anthology for people who don’t really like horror but want something a little spooky. I felt so invested in some of these stories and relationships (especially by the end of Ryan Douglass’s Knickknack story), and I was kinda sad that they were only 20ish pages long!

[Eva B.]

2022 and 2023 really said "oh you guys like anthologies? here, have some of the most exciting concepts and authors lineups <3" huh

[Chrissie Whitley · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Short story collections, particularly those with various contributors, have proven a good way for me to dabble in the works of new-to-me authors. While Night of the Living Queers didn't quite give me as much as others of this sort have done, I did find one stand-out story by Kosoko Jackson. Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle was a thoughtful, poignant story that was the most well-written of the bunch, demanding more of the characters and the story.

Many of the other offerings were more juvenile — bordering on cartoony — than I'd like, even for a young adult collection. They were fine, but I was hoping for a few more exceptional stories than the early one. Still, this is a light and playful collection of Halloween-centered stories that many will enjoy for those fun palate cleansers that are definitely needed.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.

[&#x16913; ⏾ ☆ Kai ☆ ⏾ &#x16913; · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow. The first couple of sections were pretty boring (according to me, however I like reading thrillers and horror like Stephen King, etc.), but after that, WOW. Tons of paranormal activity. My favorite was definitely the last section, I’m not going to say anything about it but it really was amazing. When I started this book I considering DNFing it, but I’m really glad I decided not to. Such a good book. Definitely going to reread at least twice eventually.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a big fan of this collection of short stories. As with most anthologies, some of the stories worked better for me than others. I think YA readers will like this especially lovers of fantasy and horror.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bookish Selkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night of the Living Queers is a chilling and outstanding anthology! This anthology truly has something for everyone. It ranges from the terrifying, to the stories with a twist at the end that will make you shriek, to quietly ominous endings. I loved that there was plenty of queer joy amidst all the Halloween magic and blue moon horrors.

One of my favorite stories was Sara Farizan’s A Brief Intermission. While the story initially did not seem scary, by the end the quiet menace and haunting last words rang in my mind long after the final page. I also loved Kalynn Bayron’s The Visitor, because I desperately wanted to know what happened next! I couldn’t stop reading to find out what the night was building towards and the conclusion made me shriek.

Some of the stories show that there is a future where things will improve (Maya Gittelman’s Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane) or that there will be a chance for justice at last (Kosoko Jackson’s Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle). Other stories end with a spine-chilling revelation that leaves the characters in dire circumstances (Trang Thanh Tran’s Nine Stops). There are also stories that will leave readers wondering if the characters will ever escape the supernatural trap they’ve wandered into (Rebecca Kim Wells’ Guested) (Vanessa Montalban’s Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia).

I loved that there were such strong sibling bonds in many of the stories and glimpses of first love/queer joy (Alex Brown’s The Three Phases of Ghost-Hunting). I really enjoyed the opposing magics of Em X. Liu’s In You to Burn and was so curious to see how their story continued off the page! Shelly Page’s story Anna was the stuff that babysitting nightmares are made of! I loved the romantic element and the petrifying final twist.

Tara Sim writes a compelling story (Hey There, Demons) about what happens when a demon is summoned to deal with a poltergeist. Ayida Shonibar’s Save Me From Myself was heartbreakingly beautiful and will definitely stay with me for a long time. Ryan Douglass’ Knickknack was a wild and fun rollercoaster ride ! This was another of my favorite stories! I could’ve read a full novel about the town battling Knickknack and the continuation of their romance.

I would highly recommend this anthology to anyone! Readers who love queer stories with a spooky twist, Halloween magic, and LGBTQ+ characters will devour this delightful book.

Thank you so much to all the authors in the anthology, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night of the Living Queers is a fun collection of QPOC stories based around Halloween. This antho perfectly encapsulates the fun and creepiness of the holiday while adding a few very heartful touches in the mix, and celebrating diverse tales. These stories had the feeling of nostalgia and being excited for a spooky night with your best friends.
My favorite thing about these kinds of anthologies is being introduced to new-to-me authors and there were a handful of authors I am looking forward to reading more of their works in the future. Perfect reading for Spooky Season! A new must!
Hooray for more diverse horror!

Some of my favorites are
-The Visitor by Kalynn Barron
-Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson
-The Three Phases of Ghost-Hunting by Alex Brown

[Tabitha - · Rating 3 out of 5]

WE LOVE QUEER BOOKS! 👏 👏 👏

This was YA and I can totally see YA horror lovers really enjoying this one. I didn't fully connect, I wanted a little bit more. But that's a *me* thing.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revised review from a reread!


ARC was given by NetGalley, Wednesday Books, & St. Martin’s Press.


Actual Rating: 3.5 ⭐


As stated above, this is a reread for me as I am craving the autumnal, Halloween season already. Halloween is my most favorite holiday and I will always be craving spooky, Halloweeny reads that will remind me of my own Halloween shenanigans, and the fall season in general. Well, are we really that surprised that I went a little feral for this anthology? My absolute favorite story in this entire collection has to be Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle because out of all the stories, it made me emotional and it just lives in my brain rent free, always. Of course, Here There, Demons and Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Left are both tied for second favorite because they were just that good. All around, I enjoyed my time reading this despite some stories just not really working for me. I think a lot of readers will enjoy this anthology this year especially if you're picking it up around Halloween... It might just add a little extra chill into your autumnal reading.


👻 Welcome to Hotel Paranoia by Vanessa Montalban ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Brief mentions of colonization, underage drinking, drug use, mentions of bullying (in the past), death

"What the sea wants, it takes like the earth."

Old abandon buildings are my jam, fam! Actually, just haunted and abandon houses in general are one of my biggest horror, thriller loves. Mix that in with a haunted and vengeful land, it's the perfect cocktail to intrigue me! The atmosphere was pretty decent to the point of almost vivid. It almost gives The House on Haunted Hill vibes. However, I couldn't give this a full five stars because I walked away from this story with more questions than answers. Not to mention, the ending was very predictable for me and it didn't really surprise me or pull any emotions from me. I think if this story was it's own novella and we got some more details, more backstory, I just wanted more.

👻 The Visitor by Kalynn Bayron ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Loss of a parent (in the past), grief

This is one of the stories that really got me, pulled on my heart strings. I think this will be a story that hits home for so many readers especially those who may be currently dealing with a loss or feeling the full weight of grief. The way the author conveyed grief was really well written and from a place of knowing. I also love how every year, the main character Tonya, celebrates Halloween with her dad by getting dressed up, watching horror films, as a way to honor Tonya's mother. It's a really sweet reminder that when you lose someone, you do things like this to keep that person's memory alive. The atmosphere was beautifully done, to the point I was on my edge wanting to know what was going to happen. Very eerie and unnerving especially when there's certain things happening in this story that are there to put you on edge. Plus, all the talk about slasher films filled my heart with so much joy! This author has been on my radar for a while now and with this being my first time reading their work, I'm really impressed. I'm more eager to dive into their other books now which I believe two of them are retellings. With how much I enjoyed this short story, it should be a good time.

👻 A Brief Intermission by Sara Farizan ⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Depictions of blood, gore, animal death, brief hospitalization scene, microaggressions, fetal car crash recounted, scene of emesis

Why don't we have more horror stories that involve the concept of a haunted movie theater or even a drive-in movie theater?! I need this to become a bigger thing for the paranormal and horror books! For the most part, this was a really fun read! I adored Afsaneh and Rusty as our main duo for this short story. Even though there's a discussion about their friendship, I really felt like the two of them had this sibling bond especially in the beginning of the story, the way they bicker over the little things like taking the trash out. Not to mention I have a lot of appreciation for Rusty coming to Afsaneh's defense. Sometimes you just don't want to deal with hateful people and you need someone who supports you for you. Watching the secret unfold was interesting, but not particularly my favorite. Afterwards, it was very suspenseful, ominous, and the turn it took caught me off guard. However, the secret did feel a bit predictable. I think I would have loved this short story more if it had been it’s own novella or even just a bit longer. It just didn’t feel long enough, it felt like there was a lot more to be told with this story than what we got. Overall, I still had fun with this one and I'm definitely on the hunt for more movie theater related horror books now!

👻 Guested by Rebecca Kim Wells ⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Brief mentions of divorce, brief mentions loss of a parent, depictions of depression

"That person, whoever it was, wasn't your sister. Something bad had happened at that party. And you were going to prove it."

The premise of this story really intrigued me and reading a bit into it, seeing how it revolved around siblings who'd grown apart caught my interest even more. I thought the writing was done really well and I was invested enough in wanting to know what would happen next with the main character. However, I just didn't love this as much as I wanted. Somewhere along the way, I just didn't care anymore because I lost interest. Maybe it was the ending because it felt predictable or just seemed like a "quick way" to wrap up the story. It also felt a little confusing with the second perspective, viewpoint randomly thrown into the mix. It just missed the mark for me.

👻 Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Toxic friendship, depictions of codependency, homophobia, homophobic slurs, depictions of blood, brief mentions of parental abuse, brief mentions of loss of a parent, murder (in the past, side character), gay hate crime/gay bashing, needle imagery, depictions of trauma/PTSD, trauma recounted, graphic injuries

"I remember reading somewhere that it takes only one person to change the course of history. I wish someone had been brave enough when it mattered to be that someone for me."

My most favorite piece of this entire anthology, the one I took so many quotes from, and the story that just lives in my memory now, rent free. Out of all the stories, I recommend checking content/trigger warnings for this story and checking your headspace because this story deals with real world issues that happen in the lgbtqiap+ community. This is such a beautifully loud story, filled with raw emotions that will pull your heart, make you sob. I also want to quickly add, the grim reaper being summoned almost genie style was a great touch! This story is one that just lives with me forever now and one that I'm going to remember for a long time. It truly is a master piece and I want anything, and everything by this author going forward.

"There is no God here tonight. Only me, and I am vengeful."

👻 The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting by Alex Brown ⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of death

"Even though Iris doesn't believe in ghosts, I want to make sure that our last year together is something she'll remember forever."

My most favorite part, you guessed it, the sibling relationship. The older brother, younger sister relationship was so good, if you have a younger sibling/s, the moments between them will feel so relatable, and you can really feel the love between them in this book. There were also quite a few moments where I caught myself chuckling at certain things. There's a whole moment where this entity is talking about his name and it just made me think of the way the Flying Dutchman acts in Spongebob. I really wanted to love this story especially since it's a haunted mall kind of story, but the love interest rubbed me the wrong way a few times. Plus, the ending was a bit confusing. There was no real explanation to why or how you got to that form of conclusion, it just was and you don't really get any answers. Despite that, there's some Scooby-Doo, Ghostbusters vibes going on with this story and I did enjoy that the author set this short story up in a way they have an option of branching out into a middle grade series or it's own short story bind-up.

👻 Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran ⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Loss of a loved one, depictions of grief, very brief mentions of spiders, talk of death, graphic death of an animal, gore, depictions of blood, hate crime recounted, racism

Use a lot of caution with this story, check those content/trigger warnings, and even then, be gentle with yourself if you have to skip this story. Honestly, if I had to pick a story from this book that was my least favorite, this would be that story. There was just too much packed into this story that I just didn't vibe with. For starters, this reminds me of premise for The Ring or as some of you may know Sadako. It also gave the impression of the chain repost posts you typically see all over social media. It just one of those kind of things that’s not my cup of tea. There's also a very graphic, very cruel animal death that really hit a nerve with me, in the worst way possible. That aside, this story is the most jarring compared to all the other stories. After reading She is a Haunting by this author, I can honestly say I don't think this author is for me nor will I be picking up anything else by this author. Although, the one thing I really loved was the moments where there’s talk about grief. How sometimes its easier to deal with the grief by getting sucked into the internet than it is to rely on those closest to you, or even seek professional help. But also how the internet can be more damaging than helpful when in times of grief. I really enjoyed that and I wish we would have seen a little more exploration of that.

👻 Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions deaths (in the past), mentions loss of a parent (in the past), grief, brief mentions of decolorization (whitening treatment)

"Your eyes are brimming with tears, your heart bursting with hope and possibility and feverish envy. You want this more than anything. And if something like this, if a place like this, if a man like this can be real - you can do anything. Whatever comes next, you can face it. Because there is more to this world than a place that will choke you, and you finally have an example of who you might become. That's enough to make the future feel far less hopeless."

As I mentioned above, this was another favorite read! I pulled so many quotes from this short story and it was so hard to choose which ones to use for this. You can really tell the author poured a lot of love and emotions whether that be from their own personal experiences or someone close to them. There's also a huge theme of hope. That no matter how dark things feel right now, they will get better in time. There’s also this theme of the whole discussion of “being enough�� and it hit me like a ton of bricks, tugging deep in my soul of something I’ve dealt with my whole life as a white-passing Native. And the wizard, we need to talk about the wizard! This might be me projecting or assuming, but there’s a line that implies the wizard is genderfluid and it just stole my whole heart. It was so casual and it just simply was, and it made me so emotional over it because genderfluidity doesn’t get enough representation in books. This story just really pulled on a lot of emotions and feelings from me, and I’m definitely excited to see what this author is going to do next.

👻 In You to Burn by Em X Liu ⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Fire/arson, mentions financial hardships, underage drinking, trauma, blood, death

I'm actually salty about this one because it involves dragons and the concept of dragons, and Halloween is something my soul deeply craves. Sadly, the story as a whole didn't work for me and it felt like there was a lot of details or backstory missing. The pacing of the story felt too slow which gave the feeling of the story being too long, as well. I loved the chemistry between the main character and the love interest, I love a good enemies/lovers trope. I truly believe this story has the potential to be it's own book or even a novella, but as a short story it just didn't really work. I just wanted so much more from this story, in general.

👻 Anna by Shelly Page ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Abandonment, isolation, child abuse/neglect (in the past), depictions of starvation, death, talk of manipulation

"The girls stare at each other, their round eyes saying more than words could. Something made them scream."

Children, freaking chilling stories that involve children will always get me and oh, this book got me alright. It's always children! I absolutely loved it! Honestly, I'm a little surprised by how much I loved it because children elements in thrillers or horror can be a bit hit or miss for me sometimes. This was so good and the fact that this short story is called Anna, I have chills. If you're a paranormal lover then you know Anna is sometimes a common name used with doll paranormal horror. This is exactly what I wanted from this anthology, though! A fun, eerily spooky good time following a babysitter and two kids being haunted by a lonely ghost that's been trapped in a Ouija board for who knows how long! Mixing children and spirits is the cocktail that will always lead to some interesting stories. I think the author executed this well and that ending really got me. I knew the ending was going to happen and yet I was still surprised by it. I can't wait to read more from this author!

👻 Here There, Demons by Tara Sim ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Loss of a parent (in the past), grief, ghost leaving scratches on children, scene depicting anxiety/panic attacks, blood

"Kody grinned, as if reading his mind. Noah helplessly grinned back. For once, he wasn't afraid. In the span of one night, he'd defeated a poltergeist and fallen for a demon. He could do anything."

Is it any surprise that I fell madly in love with the short story between a boy and a demon? Is anyone really surprised? You know I love my demon romances (monster romances in general) and this story didn't disappoint. It had everything; it had humor, cute little moments, really well written grief representation, and just so much that filled my heart to the brim. I think my favorite scene was when Noah shoved himself into a closet, due to having an anxiety/panic attack, to try calming down and Kody immediately went to him. That whole moment had me clutching my chest and going 'awe' so much. The tone of this book is on the lighter side of things and compared to the other stories, it stands out to me because of it's lightness. I really hope we see these two again in another book or story because I just adore them so much and I don't want their adventures to be over just yet.

👻 Save Me from Myself by Ayida Shoniba ⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Suicidal ideation, death, intrusive thoughts, mentions financial hardship, mentions loss of a friend, loss of a parent, grief

Author's Cw/Tw: Suicidal ideation & death

"A rushing sound crowds my ears. For a moment, my retinas are filled with darkness and sparks of light. It's vast and cold and chaotic, and even for that brief second, I can't keep up. Divine intervention in action."

Even with a reread, this is still my second least favorite story. Check your spoons and content/trigger warnings, friends! On that note, there's not much I can really say on this story. This deals with really heavy topics that hit really close to home (not just with my history, but things surrounding friends & family) and I just don't have the spoons to address the topics in this story. I did like the concept of divine intervention and the story between the mc and mother that happens later on, but that's about all I enjoyed. The heaviness of this story aside, I despised the Freaky Friday, body switching nonsense that happened. I've always disliked this trope/premise for a plethora of reasons. Also, I really didn't like the end. It felt entirely unnecessary and it just felt like the worst move. It felt like a dang Greek tragedy! I really wish it would have ended any other way than what we got. Plus, this also feels like another story that just didn't fit with the overall theme of this anthology and it feels like it sticks out for all the wrong reasons.


👻 Knickknack by Ryan Douglass ⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions homicide (in the past), mentions graphic death (in the past), brief mentions alcohol addiction, brief mentions of adultery, kidnapping, clowns, scene of near death experience, mentions bullying (in the past)

Oh boy, there’s not much for me to say on this short story. It just wasn’t my cup of tea for the fact alone that this story revolves around clowns. I despise clowns with a fiery burning passion. I try to avoid anything with them as much as possible. I even have my own horror story that involves a clown. It's just not a fun time for me. That aside, the romance didn't work for me due to it feeling ingenuine and forced, and the near death situation being what triggers the romance just wasn't it. However, the atmosphere of the entire story was perfectly eerie and captivating for this story.



The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

Instagram|Ko-fi|Throne

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Netgalley. My thoughts are my own.

Note: I wrote this review largely as I read, finishing a story and writing my thoughts, then adding to it later on as the anthology unfolded and I noticed trends.

Overall thoughts: I liked every story to varying degrees, no clunkers. All the stories featured queer characters of color, with those aspects always represented, but taking more of a center stage in some stories more than others. I am a romance fan, but I came to this anthology looking for the scariness to be front and center. Which means that the stories I rated a little lower might be the ones you like more than my top stories.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t want deeper meaning in the stories and so my favorite ones were scary, but also thoughtful, insightful, and moving.

My favorite story was Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane, by Maya Gittleman. Not the scariest, but spooky Halloween vibes with a little fantasy, but what stole my heart was the hopeful message of – well, no spoilers, darlings!

Lots of Ouija Boards, at least 3. Being YA, there are also a lot of babysitting gigs and siblings in distress.

I love short stories and find them their own artform. Some of the authors handled this perfectly, and others missed a beat or two to allow their story to fully realize its potential. A couple of the stories needed a few more pages than they were allotted.

Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia, by Vanessa Montalban. *** ½ The first story, Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia, by Vanessa Montalban had great vibes. Set in a never-opened hotel (the ground was no good, you all, and an earth goddess might not be pleased with the violation) in the middle of nowhere that seems surprisingly intact. Overlook vibes, complete with a party that cannot (should not) be. Some glaring plot holes, though. I have questions!

This is in so many ways my ideal setting with my ideal mood, filled with my ideal tropes. My confusion on a couple points, though, weaken this a fair amount for me, but this as the first story in the anthology still made for a strong start. Based on what was done near perfectly, I’d love to read more from this author! Looks like she has a book called A Tall Dark Trouble, which I’m very interested in. Sapphic.

The Visitor, Kalynn Bayron: **** Another story with great atmosphere. The author did a great job of setting up a familiar Halloween in America, and foreshadowing. I really felt the fall air as a father and daughter sit down to watch horror movies ... and wait. The story felt really meta, as the character who are well aware of horror tropes fall into horror tropes, as if they had to fulfill the requirements of the night. I think there were elements there just to be a misdirect, but I don't know, and so I have questions. There's something missing here stopping me from full love. I would have liked an extra beat or two to even better establish the longing that lead to the choice. What was the catalyst?

If I could compare it to one classic horror story, I’d have to go Monkey’s Paw, by W.W. Jacobs, but it’s very much it’s own story.

This was the story that made me, in May of 2023, turn on the wax melter for the scent of cocoa and leaves and campfire. Sapphic.

A Brief Intermission, Sara Farizan: *** ½ Afsaneh and Rusty are drive-in employees and film buffs. They're asked by the incapacitated owner, mauled by an invisible something, to do him a favor. Also not to interact with any visitors. They do anyhow. "Hilarity" ensues. Nice.

While set in the modern era, there are links to the 1950s, when people weren’t fans of non-conformity. It reminds me that there’s a portion of Stephen King’s Christine, a novel about a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury, called Teenage Death Songs. I’m also reminded of the line from Into the Woods about nice being different from good. Sapphic.

Guested, Rebecca Kim Wells: ****1/2 Nina goes to a different kind of Halloween party in order to help her sister, who has been acting strange. Genuine chills. At first, I rolled my eyes at the story being told in 2nd person, but it very much works. The premise of a mysterious company trying to change people, but something goes wrong, reminds me of More Happy than Not, by Adam Silvera. Sapphic.

Rocky Roads with Caramel Drizzle, Kosoko Jackson: **** A boy has an opportunity to exact revenge after a hate crime. Ouija board! Moving story that asks why we have to always turn the other cheek, or rise above. I didn’t 100% gel with the writing, but found myself moved and introspective as to what we expect of victims – to be so much better than those that hurt them in a world where justice feels sometimes like the least likely result. Why? I suspect this is going to be one of the hardest reads due to the subject matter. Achillean.

The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting, Alex Brown: *** 3 words: Food court ghost. Nice, and I love the mall setting, Daisy de la Cruz and Iris Chen, but I'm not sure this one will stick with me. In fact, I’m writing this a few days after reading it, and the title brought up nothing, but once I had my memory triggered, I smiled. The romance is sweet, so no chills but several of the feels. According to her bio, the author loves rooting for the final girl, especially if she’s a monster. Sapphic.

Nine Stops, Trang Tranh Tran: ***** This one IS scary. Watch the video, or die, but watch the video and maybe die anyhow. Creepy, and seemed to be a commentary on the way we passively watch real-life tragedies as if they exist for our voyeuristic entertainment. Nine Stops is also about the connection between those grieving loss. Very The Ring, and stories in that vein. The author has She is a Haunting coming out this winter, and it looks amazing.

Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane, Maya Gittleman: ***** I’m writing the reviews as I go, talking about each story as I finish it. At this point, this is very much my favorite story so far. It’s horror, but it’s fantasy. It takes place at the house everyone is afraid of – you know that place. It’s a story about fear, and when it is and isn’t justified, and it’s ultimately hopeful. And it definitely made me cry. Even if I read a story Iike as much, I definitely won’t read one I like more. Some of the family dynamics reminded me of The Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas. Maya Gittleman is definitely on my radar now. Trans rep.

In You to Burn, Em X. Liu: ***1/2. Luce/Lucy (a name that refers to light) unintentionally starts fires with her mind, pyrokinesis, when she’s angry. She thought she’d burned Harley alive, but Harley is still walking around, and now she’s at the party. Based on a Chinese tale called Nezha and the Dragon King. As much fantasy as horror. Objectively, a good story, but not fully my vibe, and I really think it called for at least as novella. Maybe animal death, not clear. Sapphic rep.

Anna, Shelly Page: **** This story has A LOT going for it: a New Orleans setting, a main character who believes in ghosts & is off to babysit, a Ouija Board, and a scary attic. A couple moments didn't land for me, but there was so much right with it. Sapphic rep.

Hey There, Demons, by Tara Sim: ***1/2 Noah thinks his house has a poltergeist. Will trusting a (cute) demon to exorcize it work or be a big mistake? Possibly one of the most romantic tales in this anthology up until this point. Also, funny and creepy. The ending felt a bit rushed for me, even as a short story. Achillean.

Save Me from Myself, Ayida Shonibar: ***1/2 was perhaps the hardest book for me to read on an emotional level, & that's saying something in a book with a story about hate crimes. "Save" is about how intrusive thoughts/depression/anxiety steal joy and keep us from forming bonds.

Not every writing choice felt smooth for me, and the tone varied a little too much, but the concept touched me deeply. I mean, I related. The ending is an absolute gut punch. Sapphic

Knickknack, Ryan Douglass:
*** The story had a scary dead clown and a Nightmare on Elm Street echoes, and was one of the stories that prioritized attraction/romance, but the tone didn't sell the horror for me. I love romance, but came to this book wanting horror as the star. Obviously, subjective, and a personal preference, and I might have liked it more on a different day. Achillean.

Final Thoughts: Publication is set for 8/29/23. Terrific book to pick up then, and have on your TBR pile when October rolls around. This would be wonderful to read while the wind blows and the smell of burning leaves is in the air.

[courtney ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me say, reading horror is a little iffy for me because I never feel truly immersed in it. But this collection of stories really had me uneased or actually scared at points!

Like any collection of stories, there are some that are little slower than others, but I think that most of these stories had me hooked by the ending if they did not have me in the first half. It really does not feel like you are reading 300 or so pages!

"Hello There, Demon" is my favorite story of the collection! I loved the setup and all the potential that the story could provide! I would love to see a whole book on Cody in the human world and all of his antics! I think "Nine Stops" was the story that unsettled me the most. I will not spoil it but the ending of that one? Whew! Gives me real Unfriended (2014) vibes.

Anyways! If you love horror and reading about a variety of lgbtq+ getting put into scary scenarios, I definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great set of short stories - an interesting mix that are perfect for Halloween!

There were some stand-out greats and some really eerie and spooky reads. I liked the mix had so many different genres but each centered around a horror or spooky type story and, typically, Halloween. The mix kept me engaged and entertained. Many are really short while just a few are longer but each one still intro'd the main character and gave us a story to tumble right into that instantly sucked me in.

It's the perfect Halloween set or just one to read one or two when you're feeling that kick for a nice short story!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.