The Gathering Dark

July 15, 2022
A collection of deliciously strange horror stories with an impressive scope. From the allure of urban legends to the haunting reimagining of youthful games like Truth or Dare, these tales possess the vibe of a shadowy slumber party destined to keep you up all night. With pieces by 10 authors, including familiar names like Erica Waters, Chloe Gong, Courtney Gould, and editor Bovalino, this compact volume contains varied themes and styles. A young woman in New Zealand is filled with foreboding after taking a position as a live-in nanny in a remote seaside house in Gong's "The Tallest Poppy." A teenager learns of a fiery curse on her Oregon farming town that dates back to a history of witchcraft in Gould's "Third Burn." The arrangement of the stories successfully negotiates shifts in tone and provides a strong, cohesive reading experience. Several stories draw upon traditional subject matter; overall, they take surprising turns and offer vividly fresh spins on even the most classic of frightful motifs. Strong gothic tendencies emerge in these accessible, well-crafted, and atmospheric tales. Ominous, moody, and fiercely original, this anthology provides a delightful introduction to horror and an irresistible diversion for existing genre fans. Strong female protagonists are well represented along with diversity in race, national origin, and sexual orientation. Perfectly creepy. (about the authors) (Horror anthology. 14-18)

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August 1, 2022

Gr 7 Up-A collection of short stories about hometown horrors. Folk horror is a genre that uses elements of folklore; it usually has a rural setting and themes of nature and religion. The stories in this collection-contributing authors include Erica Waters, Chloe Gong, Hannah Whitten, Allison Saft, Aden Polydoros, and more-follow this formula closely. Most of these modern tales have a female teen protagonist, living in a rural area, who either already knows or comes to find that a local legend is true to frightening effect. This adherence to formula isn't total, however, as the stories contain a diversity of race, sexuality, and type of monster. There are several haunted houses, as well as town curses, vengeful forests, and hungry lakes. Teen drinking, swearing, and mentions (not depictions) of sexual assault may up the age range for some readers, as well as the expected horror elements. Although the twists and turns may be a bit predictable for the horror-buff, these stories still provide a thrilling ride. VERDICT A good buy where horror anthologies are popular. Hand this book to fans of "good for her" horror movies like The Witch and listeners of horror anthology podcasts such as Old Gods of Appalachia and The Magnus Archives.-Jeri Murphy

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2022
Grades 8-12 The incredible cover art by Evangeline Gallagher will be enticement enough to get many teens to crack the spine of this horror anthology. Once inside, they'll find a haunting assortment of tales, though not all truly fit the bill as folk horror. Ghost stories and urban legends feature prominently, but a few do successfully tick the folk-horror box. "Petrified," by Olivia Chadha, is among the latter; it follows a group of teens raised in a cultlike commune who exact revenge for a friend's sexual assault. "It Stays with You," by Aden Polydoros, is a standout that riffs on the childhood game Bloody Mary. Chloe Gong explores a malevolent house in "The Tallest Poppy," and a cemetery's restless dead focus their energy on the teen girl who has been neglecting their graves in Erica Waters' "Stay." There are 10 stories in total, and it's a solid bunch that dishes out chills and simultaneously explores the pressures and heightened emotions of adolescence.

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Starred review from October 17, 2022
This frightening anthology edited by Bovalino (Not Good for Maidens), who also contributes, features 10 folk-horror stories by authors including Chloe Gong, Courtney Gould, and Aden Polydoros. Bovalino’s haunting “Loved by All, Save One” follows a group of bored, snowed-in teens as they learn the truth about a grisly town legend. In Allison Saft’s eerie “Ghost on the Shore,” bereft Maud teams up with an unlikely ally to work through her grief when a girl who looks like her dead best friend mysteriously walks out of a local lake. Olivia Chadha takes the concept of a calcified forest to new and terrifying heights in “Petrified,” in which teenage Dhara, of Indian descent, alongside fellow members of tight-knit community Children of the Aspen, teaches a tourist that women and the land do not belong to him. And Shakira Toussaint’s immersive tale “The Burning One” centers an unnamed narrator with brown skin who lives on a cliffside observing the Below, where newcomers have begun settling. Tapping into timeless fears such as ghosts and monsters, and interweaving overarching themes of friendship and love, this unique and delightfully creepy anthology delivers scares while inviting contemplation. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US.