Jolie Toomajan

Proceeds from Aseptic and Faintly Sadistic go to supporting the Chicago Abortion Fund, and I preordered this book back when it was still pre-publication for that reason. I've been meaning to read it ever since, and I'm glad I finally got around to it.

The variety of horror stories here is fantastic, and there's a real artfulness to the way they progress. The downside is that the beginning of the book has such a despairing tone, I admit I sometimes struggled with wanting to go forward, despite show more the power of the stories; once that despair begins to transform, though, it's incredibly difficult to put this book down. I'd also say there are probably horror stories here to fit any (horror) reader's tastes, though that also means there may well be some that are less engaging. For my part, there were a number of stories where I wished things were a bit clearer or less ambiguous, just in terms of what was going on, but I'm confident that some readers would fall in love with those stories for the very same reasons that they weren't the standouts for me personally.

All told, though, these are powerful stories that are beautifully written, and it's a really impressive collection that I'd certainly recommend. show less

Posthaste Manor is like a strange experimental duet between two strong, distinctive voices. Chilling and sometimes shocking, this novel maintains an undercurrent of bitter humor throughout.

The very first book on my Nook! Oooh, aahh!

Just fantastic! So much fun, and so easy to read! I would have gotten through it in one sitting if I didn't start and 9 PM and have to go to work the next morning.

The overlapping novella was the perfect way to set the stage for what managed to get even crazier(?!) in the short stories. The realtor's brief was such a clever way to either foreshadow or clear up plot points without holding your hand about it.

I'll definitely be recommending this little show more cosmic, gothic, body horror(?!) haunted house treat. show less

FYI review - This anthology contains the following:
-Foreword by Jolie Toomajan
-The Girls of Channel 9 by Jennifer Lesh Fleck
-By Their Bones Ye Shall Know Them by Joe Koch
-China Doll by Kelsea Yu
-The Flock by Marisca Pichette
-Exodus by Dante O. Greene
-The Dark Mother's Call by Cheyenne Shaffer
-The First Mrs. Edward Rochester Would Like a Word by Laura Blackwell
-Speak of the Hunger by Tania Chen
-The Girls With Claws That Catch by Hailey Piper
-Lakeglass Houses by J.Z. Kelley
-Nectarine, Apple, show more Pear by Laura Cranehill
-Light House by K. Wallace King
-Oblong Objects In The Mirror (Are Closer Than They Appear) by Lilah Lawson
-The Heaviest Fall the Furthest by Sarah Pauling
-Revenge Dress by Susan L. Lin
-Semelparity by Katherine Marzinsky
-Body Parts by Sarah Zell
-Riveted By Bullet by Dee Engan
-Abaddon 1861 by M. Regan
-Piece by Piece by Erin Keating
-The Voice of Nothing by Diane Callahan
-The Potter by Aya Maquire
-Right to Life by Ian Gabriel Loisel
-Bitter Makes The Sweet So Sweet by Christi Nogle
-How to Make a Girl To Love You (On a Budget) by Kenzie Lappin show less