Gr 7 Up—Howard holds readers spellbound with this collection of horror comics. While the ghouls and monsters are
grotesque, it's her ability to plumb feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and alienation that sets this work apart; her
grimly realistic black-and-white images and deft use of shading ramp up the scares and heighten the emotion.

A consistently creepy horror anthology. Each story here has its own vibe, but they all revolve around the theme of loneliness and trying to find solace in the unknown. The artwork here is very evocative, genuinely creepy stuff. I'm sure at least one of the five stories here will speak to you.

I definitely need to check out more Abby Howard books! ( )

Wow! This collection of stories is fantastic! The five stories are billed as "slice of life horror" and I love that description. Basically each story has characters and circumstances that are very realistic and it deals with them in a very authentic way, while also adding in a heavy layer of dread and/or outright terror. It's real world issues mixed with otherworldly horrors, and I'm so down for it. Below is a brief rundown of each story (kept very short as to hide spoilers).

"The Girl in the Fields" - Frankie is growing up on a farm and her parents don't understand her lesbianism. She meets a girl on the other side of the fence, but we only see her eye through a hole in the board (it's crazy how much emotion can be drawn from a single eye). She ends up climbing the fence, and what happens next completely shocked me. No spoilers, but if you're familiar with the boneless haint from the series Harrow County there is a bit of that here.

"Mattress, Used" - Christina, stressing with college and life, finds a mattress on the side of the road. Despite her roommate's warnings she brings it home, and some gross, freaky body horror ensues. Again, surprising stuff and left me feeling a bit sick to my stomach.

"The Boy From the Sea" - A young girl named Nia is playing on the beach when she meets a young boy named Gregory. He shows her how to do magic with the water, but Nia's older sister doesn't approve of him. The perspective then switches to that of the older sister as she tries in vain to reconnect with and protect her younger sibling. The ending is dark, cold, and left me hurting.

"Our Lake Monster" - A family has a monster living in the lake out back that years ago brought them fame and fortune, but has now grown too big and dangerous. The daughter feels like she still has a connection with the beast, and one night she takes her little brother out in a boat to meet it up. The next scene had me gasping in horror, and the second half of the story goes real brutal real quick.

"Kindred Spirits" - An old woman lives alone in a remote area and is visited one night by a voiceless bog woman (i.e. someone who died out in the bog). She befriends the creature and the next night more bog women show up to her house. It's a very bittersweet story, wit the old woman realizing she's afraid of dying alone and, because no one wants to be with her, finds solace in the company of these strange figures.

Each story in the collection was a five star read for me! They all got under my skin and creeped me out in different ways, and they all ended with a punch to the gut (usually an emotional one at that). I don't even think I can pick a favorite. And I really liked the black and white art style. It's somewhat like Junji Ito, but less bizarre and with more heart and humanity. This is the first time I've read anything by Abby Howard, and now I want to read everything she's done!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! ( )

That was incredibly creepy and I would not read it again. Don't get me wrong, if you like horror/scary stories, read it! For someone like me who is disgusted by body horror, it is too cringey to revisit, but I also read it in one sitting...so pretty enticing. ( )

I loved the art, the atmosphere, and the imagination of the author. The stories themselves—and most of the endings—were too dark for me. “The Girl in the Fields” was the only one I liked all the way through. I wish “Kindred Spirits” ended differently. It would have been my favorite one. ( )