I know I'm *just* past spooky season, but this week's review gives me all the fall and spooky season vibes!
BLACK DAYS & BLOODY NIGHTS by Greg Chapman
1. He’s done it again! Greg Chapman is, in my opinion, a true master of unsettling horror. His brand of horror isn’t super gory or in your face, it’s quiet, creeping horror that worms its way into your brain and slowly sets up camp, staying long after you’ve finished reading.
2. This collection is 9 short stories – 2 are a bit longer, the first and last because not only is Chapman an excellent horror author; he also knows how to structure a collection for the most impact.
3. I noticed some overarching themes throughout many of these 9 stories: religion and mental health, which are often intertwined. I very much enjoy religious horror and mental health themes in horror truly terrify me. The line between “crazy” and being believed for the things one is experiencing is often blurred, overstepped, erased, and disrespected. That is utterly horrifying to me. Imagine being tortured by a demon for decades and instead of getting the help you need you’re thrown into an asylum; tucked away labeled as insane. Thinking of that actually gives me the goosebumps; it’s utterly horrifying.
4. I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection but if I had to choose a favorite, I’d need to go with ‘Torment’ – the last story. It ran me through the gamut of emotions in a mere 63 pages. The ending was perfect for the story and the collection as a whole. It broke my heart in a beautiful way while also being exactly what I fear. Everything I love about the horror genre is encapsulated in this story and just really drove home why I read this genre more than any other. When it’s good, damn it’s good…
Really enjoyed this one!
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