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thelesbianlibrary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
Can you use werecat, zombie, and the Crukker in the same sentence? Do you have a coupon for 50% off the procedure that could fix your life? Has your stepmother banished you to the dungeons? Do you think you have a connection with an Orca? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, be warned! You may have already entered into, Lavender Speculation! Where things go bump in the night and everyday adventures become terrifying treks! Fans of Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark unite for this haunting collection of tales.
This was a standout sapphic read, perfect for a cozy October evening. Although short story horror anthologies are extremely hard to do well, this book did a great job. I enjoyed the themes of queer identity, sapphic love, found family, patriarchy, and autonomy. They were not overbearingly present but lend well to re-reads. The contrasting yet cohesive story structures, writing style, and sub-genres created a varied but balanced reading experience that left me happy.
The structure of this book directs the reader through different lengths and styles of pieces, which helps with the flow and keeps attention high. Having a few longer short stories supplemented with flash pieces under the established thematic umbrella gives a steady tempo that pushes and pulls the reader. The longer stories work together to form a cohesive theme but contrast in ways that allow each story to stand on its own. Even the shorter chapters are written with the same level of precision and care as the anchor pieces. I appreciated the thought that went into the structure of the stories as a whole, rather than just focusing on the plots or style.
The writing styles are varied, from short character pieces to long structured tales. A few of the shorter psychological stories reminded me of Shirley Jackson’s work, which I love. Although the majority of the stories are on the genre side of horror, I think this book did a good job of maintaining a mature voice and not falling into the trap of sounding too juvenile. Though if you are looking for a Carmen Maria Machado-style anthology I do not think you will love this I suggest giving it a try anyway. It’s a different writing style but scratches the same woman lead sapphic heavy horror itch.
The stories blend psychological horror, creature features, retellings, and classic horror scenarios into a creepy read. The everyday horror is focused on the psychological aspects of terror. Creature features highlight the connection between monsters and queer identities. Retellings give a fresh queer face to stories we grew up hearing. And classic horror scenarios are the stories you would most expect to see in this type of book. The goal of a horror anthology is to give the reader multiple experiences while maintaining a cohesive vibe and this is a successful utilization of the format and genre. This book hit the nail on the head and gives the reader what they are looking for and more. Plus I felt seen as both a lesbian and a horror lover.
All in all, this sapphic short horror anthology is a must-read. From one-page screams to gory retellings, you will not want to put this book down. Not to mention never looking at a cat cafe the same again. If you like wlw storylines, plot-based horror, and jaw-dropping twists then you are in the right place. Happy reading!
TW: Anxiety, attempted murder, child death, cannibalism, blood, bones, death, demons, depression, drugs, emesis, emotional abuse, gore, hallucinations, hospitalization, lesbiphobia, misogyny, needles, physical abuse, poisoning, PTSD, Satan/The Devil, self-harm, violence.
Thanks so much to Jamie Zaccaria for sending me this eBook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
For more sapphic reviews follow @the.lebian.library on Instagram, Goodreads, and Tiktok
stazzia's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
thefatspicegirl's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Lavender Speculation is an anthology of horror and speculative fiction short stories focusing on queer people, primarily women. Though there were many aspects I loved about these stories, I had some issues as well.
I think the book as a whole suffered from a "quantity over quality" issue. I think many of the shorter stories should have been omitted while the longer ones could have been expanded upon. Although I loved many of the concepts, in general, I felt as though most of the stories could have been fleshed out more.
My favorite story is the first one, The Witch of the Woods. I felt like this was the perfect story to begin this collection. It gave me spooky puritan vibes, and I loved it. I think this was the strongest story in the collection.
There are other stories that stood out, such as A Necessary Procedure, A Killer Brunch Special, and The Abandoned Princess. However, these stories could have been much better if they were expanded upon. I enjoyed what I read, but I feel as though they moved too quickly and were summaries of larger stories. I would love to read them again if more fleshed out. I just want to know more.
Some of my least favorite stories were My New Gown, Consume, Conversations in the Back of an Uber, and The Devil Down in Jersey. The first three are of the stories I would have omitted. I especially didn't understand the relevance of Consume, and it didn't feel like it fit with the rest of the anthology. The Devil Down in Jersey is an example of great concept poor execution. It was too predictable and cheesy to me.
Though described as a horror, I feel like some of the stories aiming to fit that genre were not always successful. I felt as though some sentences were added to shock, and though they did surprise me, I didn't feel scared, uncomfortable, or tense then or throughout the anthology.
I also feel like some of the endings were too wrapped up and cheesy. Green Forest, White Snow comes to the front of my mind. I do understand it has fairy tale vibes, but I don't think that's HEA fit the vibe of the other stories. Additionally, the ending "epilogue section" of Personal Demons wasn't necessary; I think it should have ended with "Death consumed them both."
Overall, I enjoyed many of these short stories. I think some had great concepts but were a let down in execution and others should have been omitted entirely. I enjoyed the variety of subject matter throughout and think the author has a very creative mind for narratives. I would love to read more from this author as she grows in her writing and career.
A big thank you to the author for sending me this book!
ktjames1908's review against another edition
I get that it's a book of short stories, but they're way too short. You barely have time to get into one before it's over. A couple of them have really interesting ideas behind them but aren't fleshed out nearly enough, and others just seem to be completely pointless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Vomit
Moderate: Homophobia
mothreadsbookssometimes's review
These stories need a lot of structural editing. Grammatically, they’re fine, but there were so many stories that completely lacked substance or even a plot. Almost every story felt more like a story PITCH than a developed story.
I also had a big problem with the fact that almost every story ends on a cliffhanger because it’s “speculative fiction.” Cliffhangers are fine, but there needs to be a full story arc for them to work, which most of these stories were lacking.
While I appreciate that the stories were very queer-normalized, I found the queer aspect to be really lacking. For a collection to be advertised as queer short stories, I want to see the gays.
I also had a big problem with the fact that almost every story ends on a cliffhanger because it’s “speculative fiction.” Cliffhangers are fine, but there needs to be a full story arc for them to work, which most of these stories were lacking.
While I appreciate that the stories were very queer-normalized, I found the queer aspect to be really lacking. For a collection to be advertised as queer short stories, I want to see the gays.
readthesparrow's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
This review is based on a reviewer copy sent by the author.
Lavender Speculation has been on my list to read for a while, and I am so glad to have gotten to it. The stories in this collection are speculative fiction, ranging in length from two-page flash fiction pieces to longer short stories.
My favorites of the collection are the dark fairy tale stories, which work best with Zaccaria's style. I had a collection of stories by the brothers Grimm as a kid, and stories such as "Green Forest, White Snow" and "The Abandoned Princess" read like they'd be right at home in that collection. Capturing that childhood feeling of reading a fairy tale for the first time is hard to do, but Zaccaria nailed it. Those two stories were definitely my favorites of the collection.
I think the best stories in the collection are these longer ones. All these stories have interesting ideas or images at the core of them, but the shorter stories just don't give these ideas enough space to fully develop, and Zaccaria's direct style doesn't always work for these, especially for first person stories. For example, "Eviscerate" concluded with an interesting image (a man literally writing his own skin off) but the leadup suffered from heavy telling rather than showing, which just didn't quite work for me.
As said by Nadia Bulkin, Zaccaria is a promising new voice. While I didn't love every story in the collection, I am looking forward to more from Zaccaria, especially when it comes to work in dark fantasy and horror genres.
Lavender Speculation has been on my list to read for a while, and I am so glad to have gotten to it. The stories in this collection are speculative fiction, ranging in length from two-page flash fiction pieces to longer short stories.
My favorites of the collection are the dark fairy tale stories, which work best with Zaccaria's style. I had a collection of stories by the brothers Grimm as a kid, and stories such as "Green Forest, White Snow" and "The Abandoned Princess" read like they'd be right at home in that collection. Capturing that childhood feeling of reading a fairy tale for the first time is hard to do, but Zaccaria nailed it. Those two stories were definitely my favorites of the collection.
I think the best stories in the collection are these longer ones. All these stories have interesting ideas or images at the core of them, but the shorter stories just don't give these ideas enough space to fully develop, and Zaccaria's direct style doesn't always work for these, especially for first person stories. For example, "Eviscerate" concluded with an interesting image (a man literally writing his own skin off) but the leadup suffered from heavy telling rather than showing, which just didn't quite work for me.
As said by Nadia Bulkin, Zaccaria is a promising new voice. While I didn't love every story in the collection, I am looking forward to more from Zaccaria, especially when it comes to work in dark fantasy and horror genres.
whatthekatdraggedin's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Some of these stories had interesting ideas but most of them were to short to fully explore those ideas or develop the characters, which left them feeling a little flat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
akacya's review against another edition
4.0
2024 reads: 26/250
this is a queer horror anthology that kept me captivated from start to finish. with settings and magic both old and new, this included a story for every type of reader. there were a few i wished were a bit longer, but for the most part, the stories’ lengths made sense. quite a few of these stories were memorable, especially the cat one (that’s all i’ll say about that story…read to find out more about it!👀).
the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition
medium-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? It's complicated
3.0
Hmmm... This book isn't at all what I expected, given what's in the blurb. Maybe I'm just jaded, but most of the stories were fairly mild, hardly scary at all. Some end on the cliffhanger leaving you frustrated, and some give you the resolution you're looking for, even if it might not be the ending you'd hoped. All are well written. I think the last story - Cat Scratch Fever - was the one that got to me the most.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Murder