Night of the Living Queers by Various Authors
Night of the Living Queers is a YA horror anthology that explores a night when anything is possible exclusively featuring queer authors of color putting fresh spins on classic horror tropes and tales.
No matter its name or occasion, Halloween is more than a Hallmark holiday, it’s a symbol of transformation. NIGHT OF THE LIVING QUEERS is a YA horror anthology that explores how Halloween can be more than just candies and frights, but a night where anything is possible. Each short story will be told through the lens of a different BIPOC teen and the Halloween night that changes their lives forever. Creative, creepy, and queer, this collection will bring fresh terror, heart, and humor to young adult literature.
Contributors include editors Alex Brown and Shelly Page, Kalynn Bayron, Ryan Douglass, Sara Farizan, Maya Gittelman, Kosoko Jackson, Em Liu, Vanessa Montalban, Ayida Shonibar, Tara Sim, Trang Thanh Tran, and Rebecca Kim Wells.
Review:
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I need to start this one off by saying that typically, I don’t care for anthologies. I like to really dive into a story and usually I have a difficult time connecting with a character when I only get 10-20 pages versus an entire novel with them. That said, I found many of the stories in this collection enjoyable and perfect for the upcoming Halloween season.
What drew me to this book was the title, the fact that the authors were all queer and of color and they were all horror stories – all things I am 100% behind. I knew I had to show my support and help get the word out.
The book contains short stories by several young adult BIPOC authors and the stories run the gamut from creepy and quirky to goosebump inducing. There really is something for everyone here. We have a creepy, ghosty party at an old hotel, a dead mother who comes back to visit her daughter on Halloween (probably my favorite in the collection), evil clowns and demons who help bullied kids get their revenge on those who’ve tormented them.
All are well written and the characters in all the stories are relatable in some way. It’s been a while since I was a gay kid growing up in rural Idaho, but I could see myself in many of these characters. If only I’d had this book when I was a teen. I loved reading horror novels and this would have been exactly the book I would have loved.
