Initially, this wasn't a collection of stories I selected for myself; I got an email explaining that I had an automatic copy if I wanted it, and that they'd love it if I would give the book a read. I figured, why not? I like horror stories and ghost stories, and I really like short story collections. I didn't recognize any of the authors, but that didn't seem to be a particular issue.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the stories in this collection. Overall, the balance between proper thrillers and spooky but happy is pretty good; there's usually a buffer story between two that are really terrifying. Maybe they're just terrifying to me, but I can say that reading some of these stories at night before bed was a choice that I might regret just a little.

Notable stories include Guested, Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle, Nine Stops, Anna, and Knicknack.

The title alone is worth 5 stars. This is the short story anthology that queers have been waiting for and it's by QPOC! The stories have an incredible range from funny to creepy to inspiring to scary. I want to say, "Oh, this one was the best of the stories", but I honestly loved them all.
Do yourself a favor this Halloween and read this book!
#NetGalley

I received an ARC from Netgalley. My thoughts are my own.

Note: I wrote this review largely as I read, finishing a story and writing my thoughts, then adding to it later on as the anthology unfolded and I noticed trends.

<b>Overall thoughts:</b> I liked every story to varying degrees, no clunkers. All the stories featured queer characters of color, with those aspects always represented, but taking more of a center stage in some stories more than others. I am a romance fan, but I came to this anthology looking for the scariness to be front and center. Which means that the stories I rated a little lower might be the ones you like more than my top stories.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t want deeper meaning in the stories and so my favorite ones were scary, but also thoughtful, insightful, and moving.

My favorite story was Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane, by Maya Gittleman. Not the scariest, but spooky Halloween vibes with a little fantasy, but what stole my heart was the hopeful message of – well, no spoilers, darlings!

Lots of Ouija Boards, at least 3. Being YA, there are also a lot of babysitting gigs and siblings in distress.

I love short stories and find them their own artform. Some of the authors handled this perfectly, and others missed a beat or two to allow their story to fully realize its potential. A couple of the stories needed a few more pages than they were allotted.

<b>Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia, by Vanessa Montalban.</b> *** ½ The first story, Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia, by Vanessa Montalban had great vibes. Set in a never-opened hotel (the ground was no good, you all, and an earth goddess might not be pleased with the violation) in the middle of nowhere that seems surprisingly intact. Overlook vibes, complete with a party that cannot (should not) be. Some glaring plot holes, though. I have questions!

This is in so many ways my ideal setting with my ideal mood, filled with my ideal tropes. My confusion on a couple points, though, weaken this a fair amount for me, but this as the first story in the anthology still made for a strong start. Based on what was done near perfectly, I’d love to read more from this author! Looks like she has a book called A Tall Dark Trouble, which I’m very interested in. Sapphic.

<b>The Visitor, Kalynn Bayron:</b> **** Another story with great atmosphere. The author did a great job of setting up a familiar Halloween in America, and foreshadowing. I really felt the fall air as a father and daughter sit down to watch horror movies ... and wait. The story felt really meta, as the character who are well aware of horror tropes fall into horror tropes, as if they had to fulfill the requirements of the night. I think there were elements there just to be a misdirect, but I don't know, and so I have questions. There's something missing here stopping me from full love. I would have liked an extra beat or two to even better establish the longing that lead to the choice. What was the catalyst?

If I could compare it to one classic horror story, I’d have to go Monkey’s Paw, by W.W. Jacobs, but it’s very much it’s own story.

This was the story that made me, in May of 2023, turn on the wax melter for the scent of cocoa and leaves and campfire. Sapphic.

<b>A Brief Intermission, Sara Farizan: *** ½ </b> Afsaneh and Rusty are drive-in employees and film buffs. They're asked by the incapacitated owner, mauled by an invisible something, to do him a favor. Also not to interact with any visitors. They do anyhow. "Hilarity" ensues. Nice.

While set in the modern era, there are links to the 1950s, when people weren’t fans of non-conformity. It reminds me that there’s a portion of Stephen King’s Christine, a novel about a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury, called Teenage Death Songs. I’m also reminded of the line from Into the Woods about nice being different from good. Sapphic.

<b>Guested, Rebecca Kim Wells:</b> ****1/2 Nina goes to a different kind of Halloween party in order to help her sister, who has been acting strange. Genuine chills. At first, I rolled my eyes at the story being told in 2nd person, but it very much works. The premise of a mysterious company trying to change people, but something goes wrong, reminds me of More Happy than Not, by Adam Silvera. Sapphic.

<b>Rocky Roads with Caramel Drizzle, Kosoko Jackson: </b> **** A boy has an opportunity to exact revenge after a hate crime. Ouija board! Moving story that asks why we have to always turn the other cheek, or rise above. I didn’t 100% gel with the writing, but found myself moved and introspective as to what we expect of victims – to be so much better than those that hurt them in a world where justice feels sometimes like the least likely result. Why? I suspect this is going to be one of the hardest reads due to the subject matter. Achillean.

<b>The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting, Alex Brown:</b> *** 3 words: Food court ghost. Nice, and I love the mall setting, Daisy de la Cruz and Iris Chen, but I'm not sure this one will stick with me. In fact, I’m writing this a few days after reading it, and the title brought up nothing, but once I had my memory triggered, I smiled. The romance is sweet, so no chills but several of the feels. According to her bio, the author loves rooting for the final girl, especially if she’s a monster. Sapphic.

<b>Nine Stops, Trang Tranh Tran:</b> ***** This one IS scary. Watch the video, or die, but watch the video and maybe die anyhow. Creepy, and seemed to be a commentary on the way we passively watch real-life tragedies as if they exist for our voyeuristic entertainment. Nine Stops is also about the connection between those grieving loss. Very The Ring, and stories in that vein. The author has She is a Haunting coming out this winter, and it looks amazing.

<b>Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane, Maya Gittleman:</b> ***** I’m writing the reviews as I go, talking about each story as I finish it. At this point, this is very much my favorite story so far. It’s horror, but it’s fantasy. It takes place at the house everyone is afraid of – you know that place. It’s a story about fear, and when it is and isn’t justified, and it’s ultimately hopeful. And it definitely made me cry. Even if I read a story Iike as much, I definitely won’t read one I like more. Some of the family dynamics reminded me of The Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas. Maya Gittleman is definitely on my radar now. Trans rep.

<b>In You to Burn, Em X. Liu:</b> ***1/2. Luce/Lucy (a name that refers to light) unintentionally starts fires with her mind, pyrokinesis, when she’s angry. She thought she’d burned Harley alive, but Harley is still walking around, and now she’s at the party. Based on a Chinese tale called Nezha and the Dragon King. As much fantasy as horror. Objectively, a good story, but not fully my vibe, and I really think it called for at least as novella. Maybe animal death, not clear. Sapphic rep.

<b>Anna, Shelly Page: </b>**** This story has A LOT going for it: a New Orleans setting, a main character who believes in ghosts & is off to babysit, a Ouija Board, and a scary attic. A couple moments didn't land for me, but there was so much right with it. Sapphic rep.

<b>Hey There, Demons, by Tara Sim: </b> ***1/2 Noah thinks his house has a poltergeist. Will trusting a (cute) demon to exorcize it work or be a big mistake? Possibly one of the most romantic tales in this anthology up until this point. Also, funny and creepy. The ending felt a bit rushed for me, even as a short story. Achillean.

<b>Save Me from Myself, Ayida Shonibar: </b> ***1/2 was perhaps the hardest book for me to read on an emotional level, & that's saying something in a book with a story about hate crimes. "Save" is about how intrusive thoughts/depression/anxiety steal joy and keep us from forming bonds.

Not every writing choice felt smooth for me, and the tone varied a little too much, but the concept touched me deeply. I mean, I related. The ending is an absolute gut punch. Sapphic

<b>Knickknack, Ryan Douglass: </b>
*** The story had a scary dead clown and a Nightmare on Elm Street echoes, and was one of the stories that prioritized attraction/romance, but the tone didn't sell the horror for me. I love romance, but came to this book wanting horror as the star. Obviously, subjective, and a personal preference, and I might have liked it more on a different day. Achillean.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b> Publication is set for 8/29/23. Terrific book to pick up then, and have on your TBR pile when October rolls around. This would be wonderful to read while the wind blows and the smell of burning leaves is in the air.

This was a terrific and perfectly balanced collection of queer BIPOC horror stories, some more identity driven and some more horror driven. I loved all of them.

NIght of the Living Queers is a great anthology for anyone looking for some Halloween spookiness! The stories range from downright terrifying to lighter, with more hopeful endings, and there are new twists on familiar favorites as well as some truly original tales in this one. As in any anthology, some of the stories stand out more than others, but this is well worth picking up for horror fans!

I think that short stories are very difficult to write, especially horror, because it has to convey a lot of feeling within only a few pages. Some of these stories we a hit and some were a miss.

(NetGalley eARC)
I really loved the concept of this book – there’s such a long, complicated history of queerness in horror that an anthology like this absolutely makes sense. Unfortunately, the execution of this one just wasn’t what I wanted. The main thing is that every single one of them needed to be longer. They needed more room to establish characters, lore, relationships, and atmosphere – or they needed to try to do fewer of those things. Most of the stories attempted to cover them all, which is just too much for the length of these stories. In some of the stories the ‘horror’ element felt like little more than a set dressing to set up the story the author really wanted to tell. The really frustrating thing is that every single story had so much potential, and some of them had genuinely creepy endings. But because they were so short and tried to accomplish so much, none of them landed the way I wanted them to. Also, I wanted the tone to be overall a little bit more cohesive, to make this a proper anthology, because the stories were all over the place. Some were pure horror, some were comedy, some were somewhat-concealed-romance, and some were aiming for something more literary. Given how all over the place they were in every other regard too, more genre consistency would have been nice. It’s not that the stories aren’t good or worth reading; there was just a lot of untapped potential I would have liked to see realized.

I could've loved to have this as a teen! I read Thirteen, a 90s horror anthology, over and over, so my nostalgia is high. But this book has all the queerness that I wished for then, and all the diverse storytellers my life was then missing. There are some real highlights here, but no duds.

I really enjoyed these stories and how diverse and unique they all were! I think that there’s a little bit of something in here for everyone. I was able to feel all the feels with these stories!

A delightful YA collection of stories ranging from funny to spine-tingling, written by a wide array of diverse authors on the queer spectrum. I wish books like this had been available to me when I was in their target age range!

An inventive YA horror anthology with enough creepy and haunting episodes to satisfy adult readers too. All the tales take place on a Halloween night with a blue moon (a second full moon in a month) and have queer teen protagonists, mostly people of color.

The first two stories were well-written but didn't offer much that was new in terms of plot. The anthology shifted into high gear with "A Brief Intermission," which combined the classic setting of a haunted drive-in movie theater with contemporary political horror in the vein of "Lovecraft Country". Other standouts for me were "Guested," a sci-fi tale that makes a surprising use of the second-person POV, and "Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle." The latter wasn't the only story using paranormal elements to create a dialogue between past and future selves, but it was the one that made me cry the most. Healing from queer oppression often looks like the inner work of rescuing our helpless younger selves. "Hey There, Demons" was just an adorable teen romance, a nice relief among heavier stories. "Nine Stops" and "Anna" were effectively scary.

The authors didn't shrink from ending on a bleak note sometimes, where you think the antagonist is defeated at first, but the good guys lose in the end. However, too many such stories in a row felt like a letdown.

I was taken aback by "Save Me From Myself" because the ending seemed to punish the main character for her self-harming thoughts. This could hurt readers who struggle with the same issues.

WE LOVE QUEER BOOKS! 👏 👏 👏

This was YA and I can totally see YA horror lovers really enjoying this one. I didn't fully connect, I wanted a little bit more. But that's a *me* thing.

I always try to be super careful about anthologies because I love making connections with characters and that usually only works for me in full length novels. That being said, I loved this one!!

I had such a good time reading this anthology! It had a little bit of every type of spooky you could think of. My emotions were all over the place too…laughing, creeped out, heartbroken! If you are like me and love all things Halloween, I highly recommend checking out this book!

Here are my thoughts on each short story!

Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia by Vanessa Montalban
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved the abandoned hotel setting. There’s something extra creepy about it. This did leave me with lots of questions but overall it was entertaining.

The Visitor by Kalynn Bayron
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one is emotional because it deals with grief. You think one thing is going to happen but then there’s the twist. So good!

A Brief Intermission by Sara Farizan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was definitely unsettling! I loved the drive in movie theater setting. I really wasn’t expecting that ending! I do wish it had been a little longer though.

Guested by Rebecca Kim Wells
⭐️⭐️
Couldn’t really get into this. I loved the concept but I think it being told in second person really threw me off.

Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow., this was a tough one. It was absolutely heartbreaking but so powerful. This story will stay with me for a long time. I cannot get this quote out of my head…
“I remember reading somewhere that it only takes one person to change the course of history. I wish someone had been brave enough when it mattered to be that someone for me.”

The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting by Alex Brown
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so cute and kind of funny! I loved the sibling relationship…so relatable! This story makes me want to read more ghost hunting books!

Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran
⭐️⭐️
This didn’t really work for me. It was pretty gory and honestly it left me confused. I’m also not the biggest fan of the chain message thing.

Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved this! I was about living your truth and it made my heart so happy! It’s told in second person which actually really worked for me this time.

In You to Burn by Em X. Liu
⭐️⭐️
I don’t really have many thoughts on this. I didn’t hold my attention.

Anna by Shelly Page
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This reminded me of an opening scene for a Supernatural episode and I really liked it! It was the perfect amount of spooky.

Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was adorable & funny! I wish it was a full length book.

Save Me from Myself by Ayida Shonibar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was another tough one to read! I really enjoyed the writing but didn’t care for the ending. I appreciate the content warning that the author provided!

Knickknack
Ryan Douglass
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clowns are creepy! The romance was adorable!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are my own.

This collection of queer short stories was alright. I don't think one really stood out in particular to me. I would say maybe if they had more development and were longer they might have.

Great collection!! So very very creepy and full of so much fantastic rep. A must read for any queer horror fan. Will be featured on a future episode of Your Rainbow Reads podcast.

This was a really solid anthology, and a great introduction to a lot of newer/debut authors. While there were some stories that I enjoyed more or less than others, there weren’t any that felt like they didn’t belong, and I enjoyed seeing how each author interpreted the general theme of the book. Though this is a horror anthology, there’s a lot of different interpretations on horror, from the truly terrifying to the horror of life and the unreality as a response to that. Many of the stories felt like they could just be beginning, or as if the horror is in nothing truly being known. As a whole, I enjoyed reading this and I definitely recommend it to lovers of anything queer or horror!

NIGHT OF THE LIVING QUEERS takes the horror genre and centers those that traditionally don’t get to be at the forefront, telling the stories of queer BIPOC in horror. Many of the stories did a really good job of weaving together queer experience with the actual horror, while others instead took a more traditional horror story and put a queer BIPOC character at the center. While I wish that some of them had gotten to develop more (some of the earlier stories felt as if the horror elements weren’t that fleshed out), I largely enjoyed all the concepts and the stories that came out of it.

While I enjoyed all the stories, a few personal favourites were GHOSTED by Rebecca Kim Wells, LEYLA MENDOZA AND THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LANE by Maya Gittelman (the exploration of trans identity I could swoon), and IN YOU TO BURN by Em X. Liu. The most horrifying for me were THE VISITOR by Kalynn Bayron and NINE STOPS by Trang Thanh Tran.

As far as anthologies go, this was a pretty good one in my opinion. I have no doubt I’ll be returning to some of these stories in the future, and reading other books by the authors within. Definitely worth reading!

I’m really glad I got the chance to read this collection of stories. They kept me interested and I liked how some had an ambiguous ending or left you to imagine that things were about to get so much worse. There were a couple stories I liked less than others but it didn’t take away from the overall appeal of the book. It definitely gave me Halloween vibes in the spring and will be a great fall/spooky season read.

This is what every young queer needs in their life. This book is pure gold and i loved every story! The stories all have unique perspectives and vivid imagery and characters that allow you to get lost in the words over and over until the next story begins. Loved it!

I’ve read some amazing books due to Alex Brown’s recommendations, so I jumped at the chance to read this early, and I’m glad I did. Anthologies can obviously be hit or miss, but I liked the majority of the stories here.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the opportunity to review this ARC.