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A review by arockinsamsara
Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy by Hailey Piper
5.0
What an incredible collection of short stories. Dark, often relentless, atmospheric horror, with flavors of Lovecraft and incomprehensible fears and loss beyond mortal comprehension. If there is any theme going through the collection, it is that the vampires, demons, witches, and others that go bump in the night are not the real horrors; the real horrors are the expectations and demands, some silent and some shouted, of a patriarchal society that polices gender and identity, and silently accepts ownership, physical and emotional, of others. Yes, these stories contain supernatural entities, but they don't frighten me. The overwhelming, indifferent violence of the status quo is the real monster, here.
Piper has masterfully crafted a collection of stories, most of which were previously published elsewhere but some of which debut in this collection, that get to the point, cut deep, don't go where you expect, and leave a devilish taste in your mouth, somewhere between exquisite and rancid, depending on how long it takes your heart to slow down. I devoured this collection in a single, rainy day, and I look forward to revisiting it again and again.
Piper has masterfully crafted a collection of stories, most of which were previously published elsewhere but some of which debut in this collection, that get to the point, cut deep, don't go where you expect, and leave a devilish taste in your mouth, somewhere between exquisite and rancid, depending on how long it takes your heart to slow down. I devoured this collection in a single, rainy day, and I look forward to revisiting it again and again.