I typically don't like anthologies, but I have been making it a goal to read more LGBTQ+ content, both authors and stories.

I enjoy the quickness of the stories and the range of them. While some of the I could guess the ending, a few caught me off guard. Welcome to Hotel Paranoia was one of them. I loved the twist at the end, though if I had read this one more than half awake, I would have put a few things together quicker! The book started on a high note and that's what kept me reading.

I binge-read this one, and am actually rereading it so I can more enjoy the content. It is a perfect palette cleanser between more intense horror.

(I was given an eARC for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own. I was not monetarily compensated for this review)

Thank you to the editors Shelly Page and Alex Brown, and publishers Kensington Books, as well as NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of NIGHT OF THE LIVING QUEERS. All views are mine.

I enjoyed many of the stories in this collection, but a few fell flat. Below is a sentence or two about each story.

Introduction: [Halloween is] a time for... acceptance, remembrance, celebration, and rebirth. It's when many people feel they no longer have to hide the best parts of themselves. loc10

1. Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia - Mexican Gothic, spooky hotel, lots of ghosts and spirits, it all stands for something else, but what isn't clear enough, this one is a little anticlimactic.
2. The Visitor - I had to listen to this one with the screen reader like 8 times. It really doesn't come together well.
3. A Brief Intermission - This is a story that becomes worth it in the final lines.
4. Guested - What a perfectly miserable execution of the second person narrator, but a very interesting premise.
5. Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle - A horror story about books; meta-horror is often great.
6. The Three Phases of Hunting - Two friends gather at the local mall on Halloween night to exorcize Terrifying Bob the Pizza Stealing Pirate, and it is adorable!
7. Nine Stops - Classic Trang Thanh Tran, with wonderful surreal imagery and dialogue that's just jarring enough to add suspense.
8. Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane - This story contains some really brilliant descriptions of gender nonconformism, using "tomboy" as the anchor gendered identity this experience is not.
9. In You to Burn - An interesting take on friendship and starting fires 🔥
10. Anna - A fresh twist on the werewolf story, wonderfully southern Gothic; also addresses gentrification in New Orleans.
11. Hey There, Demons - Fantastic demon character, here. More than one for sure, but one in particular.
12. Save Me From Myself - An interesting take on shadows and the self, weird and gory and definitely great.
13. Knickknack - Haunted house stories can be amazing, especially if they're also a beautiful coming of age story.

It usually takes me a long time to read anthologies, but I flew through this one! I kept wanting to continue with the next story, because every single story was so delightfully creepy and just so much fun. I genuinely enjoyed every single story in this anthology, and that's not something that happens a lot. This would be the absolute perfect short story collection to put on your TBRs for spooky season!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unsettling: 😬😬😬😬😬
SCARY: 👻👻👻👻👻
DEATH: 💀💀💀💀💀
INTRIGUE: 🧠🧠🧠🧠🧠
Creepy: 🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈
Plot: 5/5

Tropes: Halloween, Horror, Paranormal

TW: Death, Kidnapping, Clowns, Demons


Welcome To Hotel Paranoia Vanessa Montalban: 5⭐
I was blown away by the imagery used within this story to convey such a strong construct. Image isn't everything. Everyone isn't who you think they are. I enjoyed every sentence within this story!

The Visitor Kaylynn Byron: 5⭐
When I started this I had so many questions. But quickly I was under my covers hoping the bogeyman wasn't coming to get me. I felt so much of the atmosphere of this book. Everyone has been there, in the dark. Scared of what can't be seen. Kaylynn did it for me in so many ways.

A Brief Intermission Sara Farizan: 5⭐
I've always loved watching movies from the 50's and the culture back then. It was refreshing to see that included but it was even better the further the story went on. The ending was mind blowing. I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything. But love this story I do!

Guested Rebecca Kim Wells: 3⭐
I'm not a fan of introspective POV, and this one just didn't hit for me like the others have so far. I'm left with way too many questions than answers.

Rocky Road With Caramel Drizzle Kosoko Jackson 5⭐
Acceptance at any time in your life is peaceful. But not being accepted by others is torture. I felt so many things reading this story and it resonated so much within me. I really enjoyed seeing where this story went. I only wish I could have read more!

The Three Phases Of Ghost Hunting Alex Brown: 5⭐
Another story that I would love to be a full length book. I liked how open the MC is to the paranormal and willing to get proof. Even when others doubt what she thinks. I'm not going to lie. I really liked Bob, even though he was a bit of a grump. I would love to see where the story goes from here!

Nine Stops Trang Thanh Tran: 5⭐
Grief can make you do things you normally wouldn't do. I liked how this story explored grief and normalizing not just getting on with your life. But also showing how life doesn't stop just because you're grieving.

Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane Maya Gittelman: 4⭐
I really enjoyed seeing what was the creepy man in the overgrown home that everyone is scared of. You are able to see the growth that will become of your life. The only thing I didn't like is being told that everything is you. I don't need a third persons view of what I would experience.

In You To Burn Em X Liu: 5⭐
I am really enjoying how much cultural influence is being included in these stories. They give so much more context to the story, and brings forward what many may not otherwise hear about. I really enjoyed the push and pull between the two main characters. It gives so much angst to the story.

Anna Shelly Page: 5⭐
One of my top favorites from this lineup! It brings you into a situation that you never dream of happening and then it does. Enough to scare the hair off your head! I wish this could be a whole novel. There could be so much more given within the story to make it even better. Which would be hard to do, but this author could totally pull it off.

Hey There, Demons Tara Sim: 5⭐
I was so glad to see that this character was able to become something he had always run away from. He was able to see that there was more out there than he had been allowing himself. Along with someone to share new things with. Even if it is a demon.

Save Me From Myself Ayida Shonibar: 5⭐
Ayida did an amazing job with this short story. I devoured this and I want so much more!! I want to know more about what happened!!

Knickknack Ryan Douglass: 5⭐
I HATE CLOWNS 🤡. There is said it. But this was sooo much more than a demonic child stealing clown. It was admitting that what you're feeling is valid. Never hide how you feel because things could turn out so much better!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Night of the Living Queers is such a fun collection of stories based around Halloween. This antho perfectly encapsulates the fun and creepiness of the holiday while also adding a few very heartful touches in the mix. Many of the stories had a feeling of nostalgia of being excited for a spooky night with your best friends.
My favorite thing about these kinds of anthologies is being introduced to new-to-me authors and there were a handful of authors I am looking forward to reading more of their works in the future.

Perfect reading for Spooky Season! A new must!

Anthologies can be such a mixed bag. Having so many authors come together to tell a story about how they see the prompt. The reader will get to see a number of creative stories, but sometimes they aren’t stories that the reader connects with, especially with how short they were. Night of the Living Queers, had those stories that I didn’t click with, but overall, I really thought this was a wonderful anthology. There was such a mix of spooky and fun, sweet stories that all together make for an excellent fall read.

Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia by Vanessa Montalban

cw: drinking, drugs, mention of past bullying, death, brief mention of medical situation insinuating drug use related

The setting for this was absolutely captivating! An abandoned sinking hotel is a perfect setting for a spooky story. Beyond that, I’m not entirely sure how much this story has stayed with me. Especially at the beginning with how stilted the writing felt. I do think it was a stylistic choice, but it did make it difficult for me to be drawn into it before it was already over.

The Visitor by Kalynn Bayton

cw: loss of parent in past (mother), grief

This one honestly hurt me. I do believe I teared up during this one. It was a nice tale about a father and daughter celebrating Halloween and honoring someone they lost. For a short story, the author did an excellent job of conveying the layers of emotions and feelings. It was such a beautiful story.

A Brief Intermission by Sara Farizan

cw: blood, gore, brief hospital setting, mention of fatal car crash in past, microaggressions, vomiting, animal death (rats)

I loved this one! The drive-in movie setting was excellent and watching the secret unfold with the characters was perfection!! I was gripped throughout this entire story and that ending had me fascinated.

Guested by Rebecca Kim Wells

cw: brief mention of parental divorce and death of parent, possession, depression

This story showcased some wonderful sibling love. The concept of this was unique. I really loved that and was captivated to see where this story was going, but this was one that was just missing something for me.

Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle by Kosoko Jackson

cw: honestly there is a lot in this one with a big focus on homophobia and hate crimes. go into this one with caution

I’m not entirely sure how the author made such a powerful story so short, but wow. This one is a lot to read and left me with an ache in my chest throughout the whole thing that became a hole by the time it ended. This is a story that stays with you.

The Three Phases of Ghost Hunting by Alex Brown

The relationships in this one were great. They were close and fun. I loved seeing that! Unfortunately for me, that was it. I just didn’t click with the rest of the story.

Nine Stops by Trang Thanh Tran

cw: racism, asian hate crime, grief, loss of loved on, graphic animal cruelty, blood

I really didn’t vibe with this one sadly. It’s a lot of talk about how bad it can be to be terminally online and how that came shape us which is the whole basis for this too. Felt like there was too much going on in this story which overshadowed some parts.

Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittleman

cw: talks of parental loss

Words escape me for this story. Beautiful story of gender. It was so beautiful.

In You to Burn by Em. X. Liu

I wanted to like this one, but it didn’t fully click for me. I think because I want to like this one so much I’m willing to revisit it and see if I missed something. It’s a really slow burn to the reveal which I thought was lovely.

Anna by Shelly Page

cw: child abuse in past, starvation

This was chef’s kiss. This kind of paranormal spookiness is what I was expecting. The tension from the story lept off the page. I could feel it all and the anxiety had me zooming through to see what was going to happen.

Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim

Tara Sim really created such a fun, spooky story. I adored this and would love to revisit this one. I went from smiling to feeling tension from this one. This story and characters really let me have fun and wormed their way into my heart.

Save Me from Myself by Ayida Shonibar

cw: the author gives a warning. please head to that and take care of yourself with this one

Tears. This one produced some tears and I had to put the book down and walk away for a bit. I loved what the author did here. While it was sad and heartbreaking, there was a hope that came along with this story.

I’m going to say it again though, take care of yourself with this one. The intrusive, suicidal thoughts are thick through this one. Please take care of yourself.

Knickknack by Ryan Douglass

cw: kidnapping

There was something unsettling to this one. Was it that it centered around a clown? Yeah, it probably was. Despite the clown, I had a good time with this one! This is rep that I think is going to be really relatable for a lot of people.

I had a wonderful time reading this anthology. It was spooky and fun which has led me eager to dive into a number of new authors. If you like any sort of horror or thrillers, I recommend you check this one out. This anthology has all that and more.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great anthology of short stories! Perfect for quick spooky reads going I to spooky season!

The book gives - Are You Afraid of the Dark /Goosebumps/ Scary Stories vibes.

I lost power when reading this and gave myself a scare 😂

Even though I read Night of the Living Queers in the middle of August, I was surprised — even a bit disappointed — when I finished the last page, looked up, and realized it wasn’t October 31 yet.

The short story anthology — written by and about queer people of color — takes place entirely on Halloween. Regardless of your feelings about the holiday, it’s a night of living freely, of doing what makes you feel something, of being anything and everything you want to be. That’s the premise behind the book — that on Halloween, during a blue moon, anything is possible.

Each of these stories follows a central character searching for meaning and belonging, discovering not only who they want to be, but also unlocking who they’ve always been on the inside. What matters to them most? What they truly believe in.

There is nothing more relatable than a collection of stories about teenagers trying to figure out what they stand for. For QPOC readers, however, Night of the Living Queers yields the opportunity to feel seen and heard and understood. It’s emotional — and at points, genuinely terrifying (I forgot I’m terrified of clowns until I read this). It speaks to the real lived experiences of both its characters and the authors bringing them to life.

You’ll feel afraid, perhaps worn down at points when things get heavy. But you’ll also smile and laugh. The warmth of a budding romance or strengthening familial or friendly bond will fill the hardened crevices in your soul. The greatest achievement of this book is that it tugs at your heart exactly when and how it’s supposed to. These stories exist because queer people of color exist. If you take nothing else away from this experience, be mindful that one of the overarching morals of these stories is: Joy is attainable. Everyone deserves to experience life to its fullest. And no one should ever be prevented from seeking joy even in times of uncertainty and sorrow.

Also: Don’t mess with Ouija boards. Just don’t do it. Why does everyone keep doing it? Stop it!

It’s now Halloween yet. But it will be soon. And what better way to celebrate than a handful of stories you’ll want to dive into again and again all year long?

A truly delightful and creepy collection that runs the gamut from bloodcurdling chills to horror comedy. I loved the range of stories included in the book, even as they all worked around a common theme. Standouts included Ryan Douglass' "Knickknack," "Hey There, Demons" by Tara Sim, and the opening thriller: "Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia" by Vanessa Montalban. I look forward to rereading and recommending this collection to others, many times over.

Like pretty much any anthology ever written, there are some hits, some misses, and some instantly forgotten stories contained herein.
The tying factor of all taking place during a Halloween that also happens to be during a Blue Moon adds some nice and original creepiness, and I also greatly appreciated how diverse the authors and characters are. Even the forgettable stories benefited from being told in what felt like an original viewpoint.
Overall, it didn't particularly stand out for me, but I recognize that it would be a massive hit with younger readers looking to see themselves as the main characters in horror when minorities and LGBTQ tend to be either missing or the first to die in such stories.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the interesting read!

I really enjoyed these spooky stories in this YA anthology out today.
All 13 of these stories take place on Halloween night during a blue moon, and they all contain queer BIPOC characters. Brimming with a diverse cast and a varying tone from funny to scary to gutwrenching. Some were standouts to me like the dramatic stories, Nine Stops, and Rocky Road With Carmel Drizzle. Others were just creepy enough with a little cute queer romance in between like, Hey There Demons and Knickerbocker. And some are just a little silly and give you total Goosebumps vibes like The Brief Intermission. There are a few authors who work I will be looking for from this group.
Overall, this is a creepy, fun collection that will be perfect to read heading into the upcoming fall season.

Thank you so much to Netgally and Wednesday Books for giving me this free ARC for my unbiased opinion.

Hallowe’en is a magical time of year. It’s my favorite holiday, and like any other such night, it’s made all the more magical by the presence of a full moon. Since all Hallowe’en full moons are blue moons (the second full moon in a single calendar month) [source: literally NASA]*, they are exceptionally special, happening only once every 19~ish years. Enter Night of the Living Queers, an LGBTQIA+ horror anthology that features stories by queer authors of color about queer characters, all set on the night of a Hallowe’en blue moon.

Night of the Living Queers has a little bit of horror for everyone over the thirteen stories. We get classic haunted house stories, possession tales, and spooky revenge. They’re brief, yet powerful stories highlighting the dread that is faced by the queer community on a daily basis. The stories flow beautifully from one to another, a testament to the editing work of Shelley Page and Alex Brown, who also contributed stories to the collection. If you’re at all a fan of own-voices work and horror, you owe it to yourself to check it out. You’ll find some familiar names in these pages, and come across some spectacular new voices as well.

My utmost thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an eARC of the book in exchange for a fair review. Night of the Living Queers is out today, 8/29.

Oh, and look at that. Tomorrow’s a Blue Moon. Have a good week, y’all.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/08/29/night-of-the-living-queers/

*https://moon.nasa.gov/news/154/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-halloween-boo-moon/

Night of the Living Queers was a horror anthology by 13 queer authors of color. It had 13 different short stories making up this anthology, all horror.

This is me admitting that I can no longer say that I don't do Horror.
This was very very good. I enjoyed most of the stories, others a little less but overall, this was a solid anthology. Some of the books left me wanting more, some were perfect. I just had a good time with this. I did get creeped out more than scared but I think that's fair cause it's hard to properly scare someone with a short story. Still worked sometimes though.
Overall, truly a good read. I recommend this to all horror lovers (or even horror beginners!) And I will definitely be checking out the authors I didn't know before reading this.

I really love the concept of this anthology, and the stories do not disappoint! These are all short stories written by queer writers, featuring queer characters, and taking place during Halloween on a blue moon. Not every story was to my taste (as anthologies go) but all were well-written with compelling hooks and characters. All are creepy, some are grotesque, one is even a bit of a tear-jerker. This is a great read for YA horror lovers!

This a delightfully spooky collection of queer and POC Halloween stories!

I love that I got to try a whole bunch of authors that I haven't read from before, even if I was interested in other work by them.

While not all of these stories were 5-star reads, some were just too short for my tastes and needed a bit more development, I had a great time reading them!

My favorites were:
The Visitor by Kalynn Bayron
Anna by Shelly Page
Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim
Save Me from Myself by Ayida Shonibar

I definitely want to check out more of their work!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is a fun anthology, chock-full of queer rep across the spectrum of sexuality and gender identity, not to mention intersectional in terms of race and culture. Each author brings their own flavor to this anthology with a little bite-sized horror tale, running the gamut from truly intense to the more emotional. While I can't say any made a massive impression, I already liked many of the authors featured, and am now interested in trying some of the others I haven't read yet.

If you like anthologies and you like queer stories this one's for you. Kind of obvious right? Some of the stories definitely gave me goosebumps in a good way. Saved some of them for night time and they definitely affected me. But some important themes were involved that I really enjoyed that I think could be related to by young teens, even if it's set in more of a scary atmosphere. Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this one really early. It's perfect for the spooky season.

If you're a fan of spooky urban legends to tell around the campfire but want them all to be queer. This is the short story collection for you. My personal favorite story was about the eldritch god named bob who haunts a food court and accepts sacrifices in the form of sbarro pizza leftovers. While a bit of a silly story this collection does offer much creepier tales, if thats your thing.

Black cats, blue moons, costumes, curses, ghosts, graveyards, hauntings, hexes, hoaxes, magic, monsters, rituals, shadows, spirits and trick-or-treating are Halloween things you might find in Night of the Living Queers, a YA Horror Anthology edited by Alex Brown and Shelly Page. My favorite story, Kosoko Jackson’s “Rocky Road With Caramel Drizzle” is frightening. This anthology has something for everyone from hilarious to horrifying. Thanks to the authors, the editors, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.