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A review by a_mae13
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
3.0
"If I could make a wish I want to be just a little happier, if I become too happy I will miss sadness."
What a fun collection of stories! This was recommended on Jack Edward's YouTube channel and I ordered it the same time I ordered Bunny by Mona Awad, so I was on a bunny-theme. I'm rating this based on the average of the individual stories because, while it is categorized as speculative fiction, some of the stories are very bizarre and a bit haunting.
The Head was creepy asf. I started reading this collection a while ago (like years ago) and I have not forgotten it since. I'm sure there is profound symbolism and thematic content in this short story but it was over my head (lol) and I was thoroughly creeped out. ⭐ 1
The Embodiment was the second story I read when I first started it, but I gave up after this one. Again, creepy! This one was sad, too. A woman suddenly becomes pregnant and has to find a father for the child, or it will not develop. Again, speculative fiction. Because she hadn't found a partner, her labor process is agonizing and long.Instead of a baby, she births a giant blood clot (like a miscarriage) that bursts when she holds it. ⭐ 2
Cursed Bunny really ramped up the creep factor, again. This story has some occult vibes peppered in, focusing on the art of cursing objects. In particular, a cursed bunny. When an item is cursed, you can't curse it for yourself, you can't curse a handmade item, and no one else can touch the cursed item. Well, all of three of these happened in this story and it ended in death for everyone involved. ⭐ 2.5
Frozen Finger , creepy, but in a way that made sense. The main character was, presumably, in a car wreck, and she's teetering between life and death. However, death keeps calling to her, acting like a friend. The voice of death gaslights the main character until she realizes that she's dying and this voice is taking her further away from her corporeal body. ⭐ 4
Snare a DNF for me. I got half way through and couldn't understand the story. Her son was eating her daughter's flesh? Bleeding her out? Killed his mother? WEIRD. ⭐ 0
Goodbye, My Love , it's giving Uncanny Valley and the rise of AI. This one was pretty good, though short. Our main character is an engineer who produces model companions. Her first companion, which may have been her first love, is dying. But she created newer models!And the newer models know that she's in love with the original model, so they stab her, and run off with the old, dying, model. ⭐ 4
Scars was a colonial England meets Lord of the Flies type theme with some bestiality mixed in? I'm not sure how the boy had some feathers and wings growing on him, but those were mentioned. Was this too long? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes. There was too much filler for me and the story could have equally as interesting without parts of his journey. The ending was a bit surreal but that's on par for this anthology. ⭐ 3
Home Sweet Home it's giving Mile 81 by Stephen King with the funky car. I wish that there was more backstory on the child...obviously she is a major plot device in the story and it's a shame that Chung focused more on the psychotic caller and the threats rather than the heart of the story. ⭐ 3.5
Ruler of the Winds and Sands ...genuinely no idea what the point and purpose of this story was outside of men are greedy and rude. ⭐ 1
Reunion another ghost story! I still think that Home Sweet Home should have been fleshed out more in terms of ghost stories but this one was interesting, too. A bit odd with thebondage and shibari theme but overall a poignant read. ⭐ 2.5
What a fun collection of stories! This was recommended on Jack Edward's YouTube channel and I ordered it the same time I ordered Bunny by Mona Awad, so I was on a bunny-theme. I'm rating this based on the average of the individual stories because, while it is categorized as speculative fiction, some of the stories are very bizarre and a bit haunting.
The Head was creepy asf. I started reading this collection a while ago (like years ago) and I have not forgotten it since. I'm sure there is profound symbolism and thematic content in this short story but it was over my head (lol) and I was thoroughly creeped out. ⭐ 1
The Embodiment was the second story I read when I first started it, but I gave up after this one. Again, creepy! This one was sad, too. A woman suddenly becomes pregnant and has to find a father for the child, or it will not develop. Again, speculative fiction. Because she hadn't found a partner, her labor process is agonizing and long.
Cursed Bunny really ramped up the creep factor, again. This story has some occult vibes peppered in, focusing on the art of cursing objects. In particular, a cursed bunny. When an item is cursed, you can't curse it for yourself, you can't curse a handmade item, and no one else can touch the cursed item. Well, all of three of these happened in this story and it ended in death for everyone involved. ⭐ 2.5
Frozen Finger , creepy, but in a way that made sense. The main character was, presumably, in a car wreck, and she's teetering between life and death. However, death keeps calling to her, acting like a friend. The voice of death gaslights the main character until she realizes that she's dying and this voice is taking her further away from her corporeal body. ⭐ 4
Snare a DNF for me. I got half way through and couldn't understand the story. Her son was eating her daughter's flesh? Bleeding her out? Killed his mother? WEIRD. ⭐ 0
Goodbye, My Love , it's giving Uncanny Valley and the rise of AI. This one was pretty good, though short. Our main character is an engineer who produces model companions. Her first companion, which may have been her first love, is dying. But she created newer models!
Scars was a colonial England meets Lord of the Flies type theme with some bestiality mixed in? I'm not sure how the boy had some feathers and wings growing on him, but those were mentioned. Was this too long? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes. There was too much filler for me and the story could have equally as interesting without parts of his journey. The ending was a bit surreal but that's on par for this anthology. ⭐ 3
Home Sweet Home it's giving Mile 81 by Stephen King with the funky car. I wish that there was more backstory on the child...obviously she is a major plot device in the story and it's a shame that Chung focused more on the psychotic caller and the threats rather than the heart of the story. ⭐ 3.5
Ruler of the Winds and Sands ...genuinely no idea what the point and purpose of this story was outside of men are greedy and rude. ⭐ 1
Reunion another ghost story! I still think that Home Sweet Home should have been fleshed out more in terms of ghost stories but this one was interesting, too. A bit odd with the