Review of "You are the Thing that Scares in the Woods: A Horror Collection" by Desiree Horton
What an insane collection of horror—
from eight short stories to two novelette-length pieces (my reviews of those are on Goodreads and linked by the titles); there's a little something for everyone to feast on, think on, and enjoy.
Most stories in this book had elements of being an urban legend in their own right: What will happen if you talk to a bird?, What will happen if you take in a stray bunny?, What if your friends want to explore old tunnels?, What if your chickens leave you one huge egg?, etc. etc. And the rest read like an urban legend's origin!
Every piece also had a claustrophic feel to it; I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop each time I started a new story—which is a wonderful thing to experience in a horror collection!
My thoughts on each story:
⇝ My top three are in green! ⇜
• Black Dove
Saddening and satisfying; a perfect start to the collection!
• Night of the Jackalopes
I knew where this was going because of the title, so the joy for me was in waiting with bated breath for all hell to break loose.
• What Jenny Meant
Absolutely incredible. Terrifying, vindicating, and I oddly want more of Jenny and Wanda!
• Rolling Down in the Deep
Literal chills when I read the ending!
• Brightside Bunny and the Lessons of Hell
What a gross (compliment) and gory story. It's a lot of fun, with a killer ending.
• The Station Master [Read my full review on Goodreads.]
Truly an amazing novelette! Consider this review my petition for us to make The Station Master a real life urban legend (because I don't want to have nightmares alone 🤣)
• Eggnog
Gross (again, a compliment) and creepy as hell.
• Water Under the Bridge
I love the word play in this title! The piece itself is short, sweet, and no less haunting than the ones before it.
• Wicked Hands [Read my full review on Goodreads.]
As always, Desiree Horton wrote something incredible that will stick in my brain—and she did it in less than a hundred pages.
• Horse With No Name
Absolutely insane; I was so caught off guard by the direction it went in!
Quotes I thought were neat:
• "Everyone always has a cousin who has a friend who’s seen something. That’s literally the schtick with urban legends."
— The Station Master
• "I knew she loved me, but you can love a thing and abhor what it is."
— Wicked Hands
• "God was deaf and blind, and yet he knew all. He knew, but he wouldn’t tell me."
— Wicked Hands
You are the Thing that Scares in the Woods has the best of Desiree Horton's nightmare-fuel I've read up until this point! All of the creatures and creeps will be living in my head rent free.
