Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC<3
4.5⭐️
Wow, this was excellent! Out of the handful of horror anthologies I’ve read, this one definitely stands out.
All of these stories take place in or around Renfield County, a place soaked in death and tragedy (and literal blood)- The scene of a horrific crime committed by Lawrence Renfield centuries ago. In between stories, we have a recurring storyline of Rachel emailing her brother Tom, informing him of how the actions of Lawrence spoiled the whole of the land and the people, and how their mother’s death may be linked to the terrible history of Renfield.
I loved how cohesive this collection was- seemingly unrelated stories tie into each other if you look close enough. None of the stories got under a 3 star from me, but here are my favorites:
Hector Brim-4⭐️
My Name Is Ellie-4.5⭐️
Detour-4.5⭐️
Red X-4⭐️
And Every Thursday We Feed the Cats-4⭐️
Throughout the collection, we explore many different kinds of horror (cannibalism, body horror, cosmic horror) I thought it was very creative and exceptionally done!
P.S. lots of violence against children so be prepared for that!

Conceptually and in writing this book is really innovative and well thought out. It is terrifying and stomach churning. It was, however, slow and disjointed because of its unique writing style. For that reason, while I did finish the book, it is not on the top of my list for books I would recommend.

Calling Sam Rebelein ‘a major talent’ is an understatement. “The Poorly Made and Other Things” delivers some of the best writing, masterful storytelling, compelling literary devices, told in an addictively strong voice which ultimately all lead, in my opinion, to one unarguable conclusion: the most frightening collection of masterclass horror tales I’ve ever read. (And I have been reading horror for too many years to admit.) The prose is liquid gold and highly intelligent. There’s a certain cadence this writer manages to achieve. I imagine, similar to the music of compulsive madness which seduces, torments, and taints the darkest depths of your brain. This cadence is anything but predictable or tedious; rather, anxiety and fear slither deep into the subconscious and live on in nightmares.

“Red X” and “Allison’s Face” are the two scariest, most disturbing stories—literally found myself recoiling at the visceral descriptions, making horrible noises out loud—that I’ve ever experienced. “My Name is Ellie” dwells inside my head rent-free (or is it rent-free, really?) I’m a bit afraid and can’t help but think about the walls now; I think about them a bit too often.

After reading the entire collection, I also can’t help but wonder how far has the Renifeld Taint actually spread through repurposed collectibles and heirlooms, which makes its way into unsuspecting homes? Or, will I ever look at an empty country bathtub on a porch or in a yard as I drive to the mountains, the same way again? And not have Wag slip across my thoughts? I doubt it.

When I first started this collection at bedtime, I had no expectations. This is the first work I’ve read by this author. I made it through the Prologue, “Hector Brim” and the first “Interstitial” letter (a clever glue and backstory with present dread craftily layered throughout the collection). Then had to plug in a nightlight. Even then, I didn’t sleep well.

Note: please, don’t skip Acknowledgement’s with this one. The author speaks to how some of the tales were born and it’s a worthwhile, fascinating, concise read.

A 10/10 rating for me!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Author Sam Rebelein, and William Morrow/Harper Collin’s Publishers for providing this ARC for an honest review.

I can confidently say, "The Poorly Made and Other Things" by Sam Rebelein is one of the best horror anthologies I have ever read. Each story is unique and bone-chilling in a way that I aspire to be. The interconnecting narrative keeps you just informed enough to make each new story painful and thrilling in the best possible way. The book comes out on 02/11/2025 and I literally cannot recommend it enough.

Edenville is one of the best horror novels in recent memory. It’s weird, it’s terrifying, it’s critical of modern academia, it’s brilliant. Sam’s latest is a collection of interconnected stories related to the Renfield universe. The Renfield Stain haunts all these incredible tales of horror. Highly recommend.

This was a delightful horror anthology that covered a range of sub-genres. The shock factor is high on some of the stories and in others, I was truly disgusted. Fun book! Would love to read more by this author.

So I’m a freak for a good horror anthology book and this one did not disappoint! So many times I put the book down and just thought: Did I just read that? What did I just read?
I read a section of “Wag” out loud to my 17 year old son and he said”What?!?”
Ugh. This was just so damn good. Not to mention the emails from Rebecca breaking up yet tying everything together… it was just so perfectly done. 4 Solid Creepy-ass ⭐️!!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC for my unbiased opinion. Thank you too for a few days of much enjoyed shock and disgusting squirming. It was soooo fun!!

This is a horrifying look at small town America, with some stories that are truly disgusting and horrifying. From splatterpunk to psychological horror, this intertwined stories are all interesting, entertaining, and this book is impossible to put down once you’ve started. My personal favorite was Allison’s Face, a truly terrifying and disgusting little Frankenstein inspired story.