drakaina16's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This collection of short stories honestly blew me away. I will be eagerly looking forward to reading more from Christa Carmen!
Thirsty Creatures ⭐⭐⭐
Red Room ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Something Borrowed Something Blood-Soaked ⭐⭐⭐
Souls, Dark and Deep ⭐⭐⭐
All Souls of Eve ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Liquid Handcuffs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lady of the Flies ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Girl Who Loved Bruce Campbell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Fairy Plant In Grief ⭐⭐⭐
Wolves At the Door and Bears In the Forest ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Is Our Angry Train ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The One Who Answers the Door ⭐⭐⭐
Flowers From Amaryllis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thirsty Creatures ⭐⭐⭐
Red Room ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Something Borrowed Something Blood-Soaked ⭐⭐⭐
Souls, Dark and Deep ⭐⭐⭐
All Souls of Eve ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Liquid Handcuffs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lady of the Flies ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Girl Who Loved Bruce Campbell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Fairy Plant In Grief ⭐⭐⭐
Wolves At the Door and Bears In the Forest ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Is Our Angry Train ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The One Who Answers the Door ⭐⭐⭐
Flowers From Amaryllis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
raincorbyn's review against another edition
5.0
A great collection of eerie, stressful, and imaginative stories. Carmen clearly shines in the more realistic stories focused on addiction, recovery, and treatment, and weaves that horror and feeling of "can I trust anyone or anything?" in well with the supernatural horror stories.
It was great not knowing if a story would turn supernatural, or, even more horrifically, stay in the realm of plausible, flawed people in pain who could turn dark because real life addiction / mental health can be dreadful for everyone around. I look forward to more! Also props for portraying kids' POVs in horror in a way that felt genuine and vulnerable, while mistrustful of know-it-all adults.
It was great not knowing if a story would turn supernatural, or, even more horrifically, stay in the realm of plausible, flawed people in pain who could turn dark because real life addiction / mental health can be dreadful for everyone around. I look forward to more! Also props for portraying kids' POVs in horror in a way that felt genuine and vulnerable, while mistrustful of know-it-all adults.
where_are_the_turtles's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
oddly's review against another edition
5.0
My thanks to Unnerving Press for sending me and the Night Worms copies of this one to read and review.
I have to say, I was put off a bit by the cover on this book at first. It is fairly disturbing! The image haunted me, and it reminded me of when I was younger and I would see posters for scary movies at the movie theaters, especially all the Child’s Play sequels, and I was so scared of that creepy doll on the poster that I didn’t watch those movies for ages. Turns out I really like the Chucky movies.
This book was like that for me. The cover is scary, and the stories inside, though they too are scary and dig into different kinds horrors and fears, I found that most of them resonated for me and made me want to read more, want to be a part of the scare instead of running away from it.
Before this, I hadn’t yet run into Christa Carmen’s work, which is a bit surprising seeing as she has had her short fiction appear in places almost too numerous to count. This debut collection is well-earned.
Perhaps this is true of most stories, but as I read this collection, I was often drawn to how the stories revolved around relationships—a marriage just begun, young friends who trust each other, a misunderstood woman cast out from society, a girl trying to get her boyfriend to believe her, a babysitter and the kids who trust her. How these relationships evolve, bend, and sometimes break is the crux of each story, and Carmen offers an interesting peek into the minds of her characters through their interactions and reactions. I found the characters to be mostly believable even when the shocking turns were revealed because of how their personalities had been crafted.
Favorites for me included “Red Room,” “Lady of the Flies,” “Liquid Handcuffs,” and “The One Who Answers the Door.” Overall, I’d probably give the collection 4.5, but I’m rounding up!
This one needs to be added to the list for anyone who is looking for new and interesting voices in horror fiction. I think it would also be a great book for the Halloween season as some of the stories are geared toward that theme, so I’ll be recommending it again at that time next year. Overall, it is a heartfelt, dark, striking, and original collection.
I have to say, I was put off a bit by the cover on this book at first. It is fairly disturbing! The image haunted me, and it reminded me of when I was younger and I would see posters for scary movies at the movie theaters, especially all the Child’s Play sequels, and I was so scared of that creepy doll on the poster that I didn’t watch those movies for ages. Turns out I really like the Chucky movies.
This book was like that for me. The cover is scary, and the stories inside, though they too are scary and dig into different kinds horrors and fears, I found that most of them resonated for me and made me want to read more, want to be a part of the scare instead of running away from it.
Before this, I hadn’t yet run into Christa Carmen’s work, which is a bit surprising seeing as she has had her short fiction appear in places almost too numerous to count. This debut collection is well-earned.
Perhaps this is true of most stories, but as I read this collection, I was often drawn to how the stories revolved around relationships—a marriage just begun, young friends who trust each other, a misunderstood woman cast out from society, a girl trying to get her boyfriend to believe her, a babysitter and the kids who trust her. How these relationships evolve, bend, and sometimes break is the crux of each story, and Carmen offers an interesting peek into the minds of her characters through their interactions and reactions. I found the characters to be mostly believable even when the shocking turns were revealed because of how their personalities had been crafted.
Favorites for me included “Red Room,” “Lady of the Flies,” “Liquid Handcuffs,” and “The One Who Answers the Door.” Overall, I’d probably give the collection 4.5, but I’m rounding up!
This one needs to be added to the list for anyone who is looking for new and interesting voices in horror fiction. I think it would also be a great book for the Halloween season as some of the stories are geared toward that theme, so I’ll be recommending it again at that time next year. Overall, it is a heartfelt, dark, striking, and original collection.
stefanicox's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! I read this book in less than 48 hours. It gripped me from almost the very first pages and didn't let go until the end. I loved that this collection was so entwined with issues of addiction and gender. So many of the pieces explore these topics with care, without losing the thread of a good plot. The stories here feel empowering, and like a love song to the genre of horror itself. Compulsively readable. Can't wait to see Christa's next book!
saffronbunny's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Murder, Drug use, Self harm, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Toxic relationship and Animal death
josephvanburen's review
4.0
I first read Christa Carmen's story "Red Room" in Unnerving magazine and loved it. This collection was every bit as good as I expected. She does a great job of taking old school horror tropes & even older school gothic conventions, placing them in scary modern settings, then subverting half of them and embracing the rest. The tales that result are refreshing takes on the influences they are rooted in and give nods to. Addiction is a big theme in this book, which is a horror close to my heart. I also really liked the sense of a shared universe with some characters appearing, or at least being mentioned in, more than one story. If you like mess-with-your-head horror that is just as poetic as it is disturbing, read this book.
b3ll3's review against another edition
4.0
Please read the kittens review on instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9m9nbxglBZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9m9nbxglBZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
dustin_frueh7921's review against another edition
5.0
Many thanks of gratitude to the Horror Writers Association's Facebook group, and especially the author, for making this opportunity possible. She provided a PDF file in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
In just five pages, the tragic realities of an apocalyptic landscape of the most dire imaginable were revealed, in a very well-written and hypnotic manner. Coupled with unexpected and curious word choices, Christa Carmen's poetic prose was dense yet fluid, disturbingly soothing and inexplicably humane. With breakneck pace and wild imagery, all that I found lacking was a little more exposition and character development.
Most likely inspired by the slasher films of the 1970's and 80's, with splashes of The Sixth Sense and 2002's Panic Room, and with insight into the evils of technology, the author took a deceptively simple premise and, spinning it on its top, complicated things further with an unreliable narrator and…flashes of red.
Sinister and twisted, yet in light of its brevity, the ending was very abrupt, almost like Carmen got bored with crafting her tale of newlyweds Luke and Belladonna, and their peculiar relations with her Aunt Louise. Admittedly though, there was a lot taking place beneath the surface, which drove home the point that the author didn't merely abandon it. She crafted it precisely how she envisioned it should be, and what a lovely tale indeed.
If the last story was twisted, this one was compulsively demonic, strange, and disturbing, leaving the reader unsure about what the future held for these characters. Were Belinda's motivations as clear cut as they seemed? Should she be trusted? Was she even telling the truth? You decide.
Clearly inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Carmen's spin on the iconic concept of three separate ghosts (thankfully, hers were a little different,) visiting one unlikely individual was unlike anything the collection had to offer. And aside from the former, I'd never read anything quite like it. In the end, All Souls of Eve was more AND less than what I expected. I liked it, but I wouldn't categorize it as horror. I was anticipating a dark twist at the end. Instead, Carmen gave something else entirely.
Enter: Nicole Price. Eddie Vance. Olive Holton. Spanning fifty-two pages, this quasi slowly burning novella was the longest tale. It was also the strongest, possessing
the most visual stimuli, unpredictability, suspense, tension, and conflicting moods and tone. With morbid fascination, I sat back and watched everything unfold, with a mindfulness of the councilor’s plight (cheering, cringing all the while,) and Nicole's absence. Would her reappearance, or having a stronger presence, have created a stronger story? That's the lingering question, for which I have no answers.
Reminiscent of Stephen King's “Big Driver” and “The Gingerbread Girl,” it became clear that Liquid Handcuffs was none of those things. At least, not entirely. It was a tale all its own, standing tall on its distinctive merits. It's also my favorite work so far.
I liked Priscila Teasdale almost right away. That intrigue soon transcended love, and clashing down near the masterful, completely earned denouement, she gained my respect and sympathy. I empathized with her plight in ways I haven't experienced from a fictional character in a very long time.
Between this one and Liquid Handcuffs, I can't decide which I love more. I suppose my affinity for them is equal, but of course, for different reasons.
Robert Kirkman's cult classic met Bruce Campbell's seminal work, steeped in the ongoing opioid pandemic and plausible scientific research, this offering was intense, particularly from the halfway point to its abrupt end. It was also mysterious, and a lot of fun. Despite going in with zero preconceived notions, something felt a little lacking--be it the cliched subgenre or the personal need for a more substantial scientific theory, I'm not sure, but I was entertained.
As one with an appreciation for unusual names and/or unique spellings, Mikhail instantly resonated. More revealing, though, was Carmen's exquisite attention to the myriad of small details (quickly honing in on all five, possibly six, senses,) which really helped develop Mikhail's place in the world, and her questionable mentality. In the end, I was left wanting more. So much more..
I really wanted to give this a higher rating, but 3.75 was the most I could do. Ordinarily, a short story with more questions than answers would be given less, but it's important to remember just how MUCH Carmen conveyed in a mere two pages.
This was another favorite; a stand-out offering, undoubtedly. The protagonist, Molly Monteith, was likeable and loathsome in equal measure. And perhaps that adjective was too harsh, because I didn't hate her, but some of the choices she made were truly repulsive, particularly in light of the fact that they didn't only affect her, but also her three year old daughter. It was a poignant reminder of the debilitating, all-encompassing, and non-discriminatory nature of addiction.
Set in the same locale as Liquid Handcuffs, the references to Nicole, Olive, and Eddie were a nice touch.
Wow. Wildly imaginative and atmospheric. Unpredictable and frigid. Phantasmagorical to the point of sheer madness (in the literal sense,) and an ill comprehension of reality. This was, however, more than a series of abstract images, senses, and conversations. At its core, it was the story of a young woman, Lauren, attempting a reconciliation. Was it coming-of-age, though? THAT is the question. And does it make a difference?
Creepy and also atmospheric, this was the tale of Harley Quinn, her sister, Zombie-Elsa, and their comrades on All Hallows’ Eve, and the plausible consequences of peer pressure, which can be horrific in of itself.
You're in the doctor's office. Dr. Mendelevitch sits before you, questioning your mental state with what you, Willow, perceive as vague accusations. Imogene won't visit you. The shadow wolf leers in the far corner (or is it closer?) of your peripheral vision. Is that a growl you just heard? A sneer directed in your general direction?
Perhaps closet yet: Amaryllis. Is she here to help, or hinder? Perhaps Dr. Mendelevitch holds the keys to unlocking your secrets. Or maybe you've known all along, and were too afraid to face reality. Or maybe no one knows. Do we ever truly know ourselves? Each other?
5 stars
So although this was a short story collection, many of the entries shared interconnections, such as time, place, even characters, allowing them to function like a very loosely related novel. At its center were recurring themes of mental illness, and perhaps most surprising of all, love; themes of angst and addiction, amongst others.
Christa Carmen's strongest asset was the writing itself. In the hand of another, these would most likely come across as cliched concepts, a mediocre attempt at greatness. And to an extent, some of the concepts were cliche, but they were far from mediocre. Her often lyrical prose was beautiful, and consistently awe-inspiring.
I can easily see myself reading these stories again and again. I'm more curious than ever about her impressive catalogue.
Forward
"But Christa Carmen isn't interested in silence, and her collection...isn't looking to lead you calmly down the aisle. Your path is littered with temptations that test the strength of your mind, heart, and stomach, and over thirteen tales of death and dependency...Carmen has you questioning whether love is real or just another addiction.”
-Jessica McHugh
Thirsty Creatures
In just five pages, the tragic realities of an apocalyptic landscape of the most dire imaginable were revealed, in a very well-written and hypnotic manner. Coupled with unexpected and curious word choices, Christa Carmen's poetic prose was dense yet fluid, disturbingly soothing and inexplicably humane. With breakneck pace and wild imagery, all that I found lacking was a little more exposition and character development.
4 stars
Red Room
Most likely inspired by the slasher films of the 1970's and 80's, with splashes of The Sixth Sense and 2002's Panic Room, and with insight into the evils of technology, the author took a deceptively simple premise and, spinning it on its top, complicated things further with an unreliable narrator and…flashes of red.
Her heart beat like a herd of spooked horses, but amongst the mound of books, the Kindle with its textured purple cover, the dish of rings and earrings, the bookmarks and pens and empty seltzer cans, there was no phone to be found.
5 stars
Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked
Sinister and twisted, yet in light of its brevity, the ending was very abrupt, almost like Carmen got bored with crafting her tale of newlyweds Luke and Belladonna, and their peculiar relations with her Aunt Louise. Admittedly though, there was a lot taking place beneath the surface, which drove home the point that the author didn't merely abandon it. She crafted it precisely how she envisioned it should be, and what a lovely tale indeed.
3 stars
Souls, Dark and Deep
If the last story was twisted, this one was compulsively demonic, strange, and disturbing, leaving the reader unsure about what the future held for these characters. Were Belinda's motivations as clear cut as they seemed? Should she be trusted? Was she even telling the truth? You decide.
4 stars
All Souls of Eve
Clearly inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Carmen's spin on the iconic concept of three separate ghosts (thankfully, hers were a little different,) visiting one unlikely individual was unlike anything the collection had to offer. And aside from the former, I'd never read anything quite like it. In the end, All Souls of Eve was more AND less than what I expected. I liked it, but I wouldn't categorize it as horror. I was anticipating a dark twist at the end. Instead, Carmen gave something else entirely.
3 stars
Liquid Handcuffs
Enter: Nicole Price. Eddie Vance. Olive Holton. Spanning fifty-two pages, this quasi slowly burning novella was the longest tale. It was also the strongest, possessing
the most visual stimuli, unpredictability, suspense, tension, and conflicting moods and tone. With morbid fascination, I sat back and watched everything unfold, with a mindfulness of the councilor’s plight (cheering, cringing all the while,) and Nicole's absence. Would her reappearance, or having a stronger presence, have created a stronger story? That's the lingering question, for which I have no answers.
Reminiscent of Stephen King's “Big Driver” and “The Gingerbread Girl,” it became clear that Liquid Handcuffs was none of those things. At least, not entirely. It was a tale all its own, standing tall on its distinctive merits. It's also my favorite work so far.
4 stars
Lady of The Flies
I liked Priscila Teasdale almost right away. That intrigue soon transcended love, and clashing down near the masterful, completely earned denouement, she gained my respect and sympathy. I empathized with her plight in ways I haven't experienced from a fictional character in a very long time.
They left me. They left me without a second thought, and all I'd wanted was a thing to call my own. My own dog. A livelihood. A fulfilling relationship with a co-worker. A friend.
Between this one and Liquid Handcuffs, I can't decide which I love more. I suppose my affinity for them is equal, but of course, for different reasons.
5 stars
The Girl Who Loved Bruce Campbell
Robert Kirkman's cult classic met Bruce Campbell's seminal work, steeped in the ongoing opioid pandemic and plausible scientific research, this offering was intense, particularly from the halfway point to its abrupt end. It was also mysterious, and a lot of fun. Despite going in with zero preconceived notions, something felt a little lacking--be it the cliched subgenre or the personal need for a more substantial scientific theory, I'm not sure, but I was entertained.
3.5 stars
A Fairy Plant In Grief
As one with an appreciation for unusual names and/or unique spellings, Mikhail instantly resonated. More revealing, though, was Carmen's exquisite attention to the myriad of small details (quickly honing in on all five, possibly six, senses,) which really helped develop Mikhail's place in the world, and her questionable mentality. In the end, I was left wanting more. So much more..
I really wanted to give this a higher rating, but 3.75 was the most I could do. Ordinarily, a short story with more questions than answers would be given less, but it's important to remember just how MUCH Carmen conveyed in a mere two pages.
Wolves At The Door And Bears In The Forest
This was another favorite; a stand-out offering, undoubtedly. The protagonist, Molly Monteith, was likeable and loathsome in equal measure. And perhaps that adjective was too harsh, because I didn't hate her, but some of the choices she made were truly repulsive, particularly in light of the fact that they didn't only affect her, but also her three year old daughter. It was a poignant reminder of the debilitating, all-encompassing, and non-discriminatory nature of addiction.
Set in the same locale as Liquid Handcuffs, the references to Nicole, Olive, and Eddie were a nice touch.
5 stars
This Our Angry Train
Wow. Wildly imaginative and atmospheric. Unpredictable and frigid. Phantasmagorical to the point of sheer madness (in the literal sense,) and an ill comprehension of reality. This was, however, more than a series of abstract images, senses, and conversations. At its core, it was the story of a young woman, Lauren, attempting a reconciliation. Was it coming-of-age, though? THAT is the question. And does it make a difference?
5 stars
The One Who Answers The Door
Creepy and also atmospheric, this was the tale of Harley Quinn, her sister, Zombie-Elsa, and their comrades on All Hallows’ Eve, and the plausible consequences of peer pressure, which can be horrific in of itself.
3 stars
Flowers From Amaryllis
You're in the doctor's office. Dr. Mendelevitch sits before you, questioning your mental state with what you, Willow, perceive as vague accusations. Imogene won't visit you. The shadow wolf leers in the far corner (or is it closer?) of your peripheral vision. Is that a growl you just heard? A sneer directed in your general direction?
Perhaps closet yet: Amaryllis. Is she here to help, or hinder? Perhaps Dr. Mendelevitch holds the keys to unlocking your secrets. Or maybe you've known all along, and were too afraid to face reality. Or maybe no one knows. Do we ever truly know ourselves? Each other?
It is easier this way, easier to subject your body to the repertoire of tortures it requires. Food is scarce and instruments of pain abound in the absence of everything else.
5 stars
So although this was a short story collection, many of the entries shared interconnections, such as time, place, even characters, allowing them to function like a very loosely related novel. At its center were recurring themes of mental illness, and perhaps most surprising of all, love; themes of angst and addiction, amongst others.
Christa Carmen's strongest asset was the writing itself. In the hand of another, these would most likely come across as cliched concepts, a mediocre attempt at greatness. And to an extent, some of the concepts were cliche, but they were far from mediocre. Her often lyrical prose was beautiful, and consistently awe-inspiring.
I can easily see myself reading these stories again and again. I'm more curious than ever about her impressive catalogue.
”Christa Carmen is undoubtedly one of horror's most exciting and distinctive new voices, and her debut collection absolutely proves why. From hardcore to heart-wrenching, these tales run the gamut, with each one of them taking hold of you and not letting go. Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked is one incredibly wild ride. Hold on tight.”
--Gwendolyn Kiste
keary's review against another edition
5.0
Great fun. Some excellent horror stories and some that really make you think.
Recommended.
Recommended.