A review by thefatspicegirl
Lavender Speculation by Jamie Zaccaria

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!