This week I have two (yes, two!) very different short story reviews for you. One is definitely 'a thinker' and the other is just plain fun. Enjoy!
A HOME IN THE DARKNESS by Micah Castle
1. This is a short read at 51 pages and I’ll be honest that I spent every single one of those pages wondering WTF I was reading. At the end I had my own theory and I believe those 51 pages are much much larger than that number suggests.
2. While a different subject matter, the way this story made me feel, and stuck with me after, reminds me of Natasha Sinclair’s ‘A Life of Suicides’. Both stories have wormed their way into the fibers of my brain and I often find myself thinking of them, which is the sign of a good book, in my opinion.
3. I can see myself reading this one again. It’s written in a way where I think your mindset/mental state while reading can vastly change what you take away from the story. I can’t say much more about this without giving too much away, but I do highly recommend adding ‘A Home in the Darkness’ to the ol’ TBR, especially if you’re a fan of philosophy or just want something to ponder on for a while.
DON’T LOOK IN THE TREES by Jason Nickey
1. Remember when I said I was planning to read more Appalachian horror? Yep, this counts! AND there’s LGBTQIA+ rep for pride month. I love when a book checks multiple boxes.
2. I’ve read a few from Nickey, and this isn’t necessarily as ‘deep’ as some of his stuff, it still touches on some deep subject matter while also being kind of fun in the process. It’s also not as horrifying as he can write. I love when an author can do multiple things well. Is this going to be everyone’s cup of tea? No, but I really enjoyed it for what it was:
3. A fun little sci-fi story that has deeper subject matter running through it if you care to see it. Otherwise, it’s simply a reminder while in Appalachia – don’t look in the trees at night. If you think you saw something, no, you didn’t. If you think you heard something, no, you didn’t.