Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror by Jordan Peele

30 reviews

madscientistcat's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Racial slurs

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I’m giving this a 4.75 because it’s overall a fantastic collection of short stories with horror and other genre sensibilities done mostly incredibly well. I’m not going to ding the ones that didn’t hit for me too harshly because frankly those might work really well. Overall, I loved my time with this book. Reading it off and on for a year never felt like wasted time. I now have a whole plethora of black authors to check out longer novels and other works from.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

If I missed any triggers, there’s plenty that is spread throughout this book that is an anthology of short stories mostly in horror by Black Authors. Please be aware.

ashleycmms's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

cassiecarola's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

ezwolf's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Self harm, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mollykat3b621's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Murder, and Classism

bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

4.0

“Know your place. Stay in your place. But if you build your place into something nice, they want to take it from you. All they needed was an excuse.” 

Anthologies are usually difficult for me to rate, as I often don’t like all the stories equally. I was still intrigued by Out There Screaming, because it collects Horror stories by black authors and seemed perfect for the spooky season. After reading, I calculated a rating of 3.5 stars for all the stories, but raised the overall rating to 4 stars, as I enjoyed how this anthology introduced me to many new authors. Sure, there were some stories that didn’t work for me, but others were simply amazing! I expected to be a bit more spooked, but it feels like many stories were more realistic instead of fictional Horror! 

Favorite Stories: Eye & Tooth, Dark Home, A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree 

Least Favorite Stories: Wandering Devil, Pressure, The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of the World 

Reckless Eyeballing by N. K. Jemisin ⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, Blood 

This was chilling as it’s about a Black police officer who uses his authority to punish people and try to get away with it. He keeps seeing strange ‘eyes’ that show up in places where something isn’t right, so he uses them as a guide to determine who is ‘guilty’. Seeing him justify torturing and assaulting people was terrifying, as he’s always making sure there is no evidence. I found the concept of the eyes very interesting, though I wanted it to be explored more in-depth. I feel like something was missing because the story is so short and we don’t have enough time to explore why he’s seeing the eyes or what they are. 

Eye & Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 

CWs: Murder, Blood, Gore, Fire 

This story was so much fun because it gave me all the Supernatural vibes! I loved that we follow two siblings who hunt monsters. While the brother has the Sight and is called The Eye, the sister is called The Tooth and is more of a fighter. I loved the atmosphere and how it touched upon monster hunting being less valued in modern times when everyone can search the internet for the occult. The ending was great and I loved that they took in the little girl! 

Wandering Devil by Cadwell Turnbull ⭐⭐ 

CWs: Abandonment, Blood 

Unfortunately, this story didn’t do it for me, as it felt pointless. It’s about a man who’s constantly wandering, but struggling to leave his most recent girlfriend. In my opinion, this barely qualified as Horror and was a bit boring. The ending made no sense and didn’t explain anything. I thought there would be more to the main character’s wanderlust given the title, but there was nothing. 

Invasion of the Baby Snatchers by Lesley Nneka Arimah ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Pregnancy & Childbirth, Death, Medical Content, Panic Attacks, Mentions of Cults & Kidnapping 

This was SO creepy and had great dystopian vibes. I would have liked a few more details on the aliens and how they appeared, but I loved the glimpses we got of their invasion. The body horror of the pregnancy and alien incubation was well done, it creeped me out so much, especially since I don’t want kids myself. The author really managed to touch upon real-life issues (forced pregnancy and the diminishing of abortion rights) and incorporated them into the story. 

The Other One by Violet Allen ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Gore, Body Horror, Mental Illness & (past) Hospitalization, Violence, Alcohol 

I liked the story because the main character had sass and the character voice was distinct. Fresh from a breakup, she can’t help but text her boyfriend … only to get a mysterious text from his new girlfriend. This felt so surreal and I liked the discussions about mental health, institutionalization and how the stigma still affects people. There were some gross elements and the ending was chilling, as the character gave in to her abandonment issues. 

Lasirèn by Erin E. Adams ⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Abandonment, Death, Grief, Drowning 

The setup for this story was interesting and I liked the spin on a ‘siren’ story, but I didn’t feel properly invested. I wanted the story to be a bit more unique and gripping. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the sibling relationships, but felt like something was missing from the story that would make me love it. 

The Rider by Tananarive Due ⭐⭐⭐.5 

CWs: Racism, Murder, Violence, Panic Attack, PTSD 

I loved how this blended history and horror! Two sisters who are freedom fighters are planning to take the bus to their next event when something strange happens. There’s the very real horror of the violence against protestors and a more fictional horror about a strange marsh they end up in. I liked how both were combined to create a chilling, realistic story! 

The Aesthete by Justin C. Key ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Death, Medical content, Blood, Hallucinations, Mentions of Cancer & Infertility 

This story felt a bit surreal, but I still liked how creative it was! It’s set in a future where people have managed to create living art that is almost human-like. The story follows one of them amidst the discussions about art rights, as they’re not really considered proper citizens. I found the world really intriguing as the main character basically streams his entire life to others as entertainment because he’s literally meant to be living art. It felt so invasive and interesting to see him figure things out while also being treated like a thing to consume! 

Pressure by Ezra Claytan Daniels ⭐⭐ 

CWs: Anxiety, Racial slur 

This is another story that completely lost me, as it wasn’t well fleshed out. I liked the idea of the only black member of the family feeling like an outsider and struggling to deal with their family. Unfortunately, the story didn’t explain anything that was going on, from the world that is said to be under some catastrophic natural event (??) to the very confusing ending. I didn’t even mind that this was told in second person, but this really needed some more clarity. 

Dark Home by Nnedi Okorafor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Death, Grief, Blood 

One of my favorite stories in the anthology, it was SO good! The story follows a woman in her 40s, who loses her father and attends his funeral in Nigeria. She can’t let go of her grief and ends up taking something she shouldn’t back with her to the States. I love the trope of bringing something evil with you into your house, it never fails to give me chills! Soon the protagonist finds out that something is wrong, as her full smart home setup registers strange motions outside. I loved the atmosphere and horror of being hunted! This was a story that finally had a cohesive ending that left me satisfied! 

Flicker by L. D. Lewis ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Death, Grief, Murder, Blood, Mentions of Gun Violence 

I really liked this story’s premise of a strange blackout that throws the world into chaos. This had a great, unsettling buildup as society delves into chaos and the main character struggles to escape when the light goes out. The darkness lasts longer and longer, so you get to feel the hopelessness close in on the characters! This felt more like cosmic Horror and I liked it! 

The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of the World by Nalo Hopkinson ⭐⭐ 

CWs: Body Horror, Death, Grief, Drowning, Mentions of Blood & Gore 

Sadly, this is another story that didn’t manage to grip me. The main character and her story didn’t engage me and I felt mostly disconnected and bored during the story. The horror of something attaching itself to our protagonist should have made me care, but the world and plot left me feeling confused instead. 

The Norwood Trouble by Maurice Broaddus ⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Racism, Non-consensual kiss, Death, Violence, Gore, Mentions of Slavery, War & Lynching 

Once again, we’ve got a historical setting as this takes place before the civil rights act in the US! The main character and her family constantly have to be on guard in public, but are also part of a secret group. I liked the concept, but I feel like I wanted to know more about the Orchard and how it operated. In the end, this was intriguing, but left me wanting more! 

The Grief of the Dead by Rion Amilcar Scott ⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Death, Grief, Blood, Suicidal ideation, Alcohol, Gun violence, Discussion of mass shooting 

I liked the discussion of grief in this story as the protagonist is grieving his identical twin and struggles to move on without him. He’s in a really bad place and struggling with suicidal thoughts to the point he decides to hire someone to kill him. It was a very sad story that heavily talks about shooting and depression. I only wish it had been better executed, as the plot is all over the place. 

A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree by Nicole D. Sconiers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Car Accident, Death, Gore, Violence 

This story blew me away, I loved the vibes! It’s about a girl who died in a car accident and cannot leave the highway. Together with another dead girl, they kill reckless drivers as a sort of game. The atmosphere was chilling and I loved that the main character was desperate to leave but stuck in this purgatory. Her friend promises to tell her how to leave, but only if she can kill 20 people first! It was quite a haunting story and so well-written! 

An American Fable by Chesya Burke ⭐⭐⭐.5 

CWs: Death, Racism, Blood, Violence, Mentions of slavery & war 

This story didn’t completely grip me, but I still liked the setup! It’s about a black soldier back from the war who is confronted with racism back home. Even though he served in the army, white people don’t care and will never see him differently. During a confrontation, he notices a strange girl and gets more than he bargains for when she tries to help him! 

Your Happy Place by Terence Taylor ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Drug Addiction, Death, Grief, Blood, Discussion of incarceration 

This was another twisty tale that shows the Horror of AI! The main character is working in a prison and finds out about a strange new procedure that is tested on the incarcerated. I loved how this showed the horror and dehuminzation of the prison system where the imprisoned are treated as a cheap work force and seen as less than human. The ending was quite chilling and added another layer of Horror to the story! 

Hide & Seek by P. Djèlí Clark ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Child neglect & abuse, Drug addiction, Gore, Death 

A claustrophobic story about two siblings who have to get better at hide and seek. I loved the narration and how it slowly introduced us to their life. The buildup was great as we discovered the truth behind the story. This was a fantastic exploration of addiction and child neglect, especially as it’s depicted through the eyes of two terrified children! 

Origin Story by Tocji Onyebuchi ⭐⭐⭐ 

CWs: Discussion of Racism 

I liked that this story was told in a script-format and was between several young white men, who aren’t identified by name. I think I know what the author was trying to achieve and I liked the discussion about the white male identity and oppression. However, the story felt convoluted and the ending just left me confused. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Hate crime, Infertility, Forced institutionalization, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, and War

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault

Minor: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Suicide, and Vomit

jillaay_h's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

ayebeesea09's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Favorites
- Lasirèn
- The Rider
- Dark Home
- A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree
- Happy Place

This was overall a very good anthology, each story was well written and crafted. I did struggle to grasp the concepts behind about half of the stories, largely the ones that leaned more science fiction than straight horror or creepy. Some of them I just didn’t get, which impacted my rating. I still enjoyed the journeys the stories took me in and I would still recommend this!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Gore