The Sea Gives Up The Dead is a compilation of short stories, and I was drawn to this book mainly because of the stunning cover and the promising title. It did not disappoint. 12 morbid stories that are tastefully dealing with family drama, love, grief, illness and death held me captive and I flew through the pages.
I don’t read a lot of short stories but thoroughly enjoyed this mix of historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism and horror. The writing is compelling and characters are thoughtfully developed. The thought provoking plots leave room for reflection and discussion.
My Favorite stories were; Foam on the Waves, Esther and the Voice, Small Monuments and My Husband and Me.
Least favorite The Undertaker’s Dogs simply because I do not usually handle - trigger warning - animal death well. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and recommend this collection of short stories. I am looking forward to reading more from Molly Olguin.
Thank you Netgalley, Red Hen Press and Molly Olguin for gifting me a digital ARC. I truly appreciated the opportunity to read this book and the above is my honest review and own opinion. Publication date is 4/29/2025.

Recommend - For those like being haunted by the untold, the unwritten ends, the liminal experiences of being in between

Fiction story anthology, elements of supernatural and magical realism in some stories.

Like most short story collections, your mileage will vary for different stories. As a collection, however, Olguin’s stories are clearly for those who occupy the liminal spaces of their world, the ones who feel in between, with an especial focus on the Latinx American experience at various points in history. Sometimes they’re the ones who are haunted, sometimes they’re the ones doing the haunting.

From a family whose members have experienced multiple deaths multiple times, to the mother who finds the child she thought dead but not as she remembers him, to the brother who just wants his sister back no matter the cost to him and her.

I found these stories at times thoughtful, touching, and sometimes deeply unsettling. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be haunted, more. They will stay with you after you finish.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

This is a deliciously dark and heartbreakingly melancholy and morbid collection of stories that are in fascinating inspiration, inversion, and antagonism with classic fairytales and the nature of storytelling.

It's not dark and edgy retellings, but a more thoughtful engagement and deconstruction of the themes of the old stories and how they relate to the modern experience, especially the immigrant and minority experience with questions and fears around identity.

I have to admit it took me a minute to really dial in with the tone and the concept here, but once I was in I was absolutely hooked.

You'll have to forgive my autistic instinct to draw comparisons, but this collection brought to mind Carmen Maria Machado and Margaret Atwood, both of who's stories I cherish.

There's a bitter wonder and a uniquely interesting voice that makes me incredibly excited to read more of this wonderful author.

A series of short stories examining loss, grief, & queer existence.

This was such an interesting collection! It covered a variety of genres, and all ranging in a tone from a slight edge of unease to outright horror. Olguín has a remarkable ability to make me feel on edge throughout each story, I kept waiting for a twist. And I was rewarded nearly every time.

There were a couple stories that felt too unresolved for me. And a couple I didn’t like. But the last two stories were so remarkable, I’ll be thinking about them for weeks to come. I think I probably would have enjoyed this better as an audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for this arc.

The Sea Gives Up the Dead: Stories by Molly Olguín, a compilation of dark fairytales. Incorporation a grate blend of horror and magical realism leaves the reader on the edge of their seat in anticipation of what will happen next.

I had the good fortune of not only experiencing the audiobook and eBook simultaneously and found it easy to switch between the two. The narration by Heather Kay Ling brought the stories to life and keeps the listener engaged.

Thank you to High Bridge Audio and Red Hen Press Press for the opportunity to listen to this ALC and read the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Book Rating: 5 Stars
Audiobook Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Apr 29 2025

Tags:
#HighBridgeAudio
#RedHenPress
#TheSeaGivesUptheDead
#MollyOlguin
#HeatherKayKing
#YarisBookNook
#Horror
#Fantasy
#Magical Realism
#ShortStories
#netgalley

I am not a huge fan of collections of short stories but I am a fan of this! Particularly for a debut author, I think this collection is beautifully curated, just the right level of connected, and overall really captivating.

The Sea Gives Up the Dead is a compilation of cautionary tales, some verging on fantastical and all are harrowing. Molly Olguin's writing is very unique and I love the way she delivers shock value where its needed the most. The first 4-5 stories especially left my jaw hanging open from the last lines. There is a clear pattern to the stories, which I think emulates fairytales as the inspiration, but there will always be a twist. As with any short story collection, my only issues with The Sea Gives Up the Dead is I was comparing each story to the ones before it, and because the first few were my favourites, I felt like the collection lost momentum towards the end (the final 2 were very good as well though). There were just a few installations in the middle that didn't invoke a reaction like the others did. I think this is a great read if you're new to literary horror, and i have really high hopes for this author in the future.

* Note this book does include the deaths of children and animals.

This debut collection of stories by Molly Olguín lithely crosses genres and conventions, dipping into horror, magical realism, historical fiction and fantasy to create a unique and evocative reading experience.

"The Sea Gives Up the Dead" is a masterful collection of dark, twisted, and wild stories that explore complex and uncomfortable emotions. The stories play with fantastical fairy-tale elements in a unique and, at times, surprising way. But the stories are grounded in relatable experiences, throughout history and culture. The writing is reminiscent of other talented short fiction writers who dabble in the strange- Carmen Maria Machado, Karen Russell, and Lauren Groff. I highly recommend this collection, as it was difficult to pinpoint a favourite story as they were all such strong competition, and I was left with many powerful images and feelings that will sit with me for some time.

I found this collection of wonder tales a bit hit and miss. While some stories--like the titular one--are excellent, short glimpses of wonder and unexpected turns, others were a chore to read. The collection doesn't really get off the ground until several stories in; once it does, there's lush and evocative writing to be savored, but the first third or so is dry and sometimes plain dull. I wonder if a different reading order might change the overall feel of the book, or if other stories might have replaced the ones that feel like warm-ups.

I did not complete the entire selection of short stories. I managed to read only three, but they left me uncomfortable, and quite honestly a tad nauseous. The blurb sounded so interesting, with the collection of stories that dealt with varying degrees of harsh reality, but the stories themselves fell a little flat at places, and at times focused solely on the subtle horrors of the human mind, with no scope for grey areas…

"she stayed on her knees, eyes tightly shut, and distantly it occurred to her that this was the only difference between ghosts and saints. we want the saints to return to us. we long to see them emerge from the dark, ache for their restless touch."

tw: gore, body horror, detailed descriptions of dead animals

in all fairness to my low rating, it was evident quite early on that this collection was not for me. i didn't expect it to be quite so gory from the blurb, and i don't really deal with gore very well.

so by the time i'd reached "the undertaker's dogs", i'd sealed the deal. dying dogs are a no-go for me, let alone when they're graphic descriptions of newborn puppies. it genuinely made me nauseous.

and then i just couldn't fall in love with the rest of the stories. from a technical standpoint, there isn't much to nitpick – olguin is a compelling writer who can craft very diverse voices and characters really well, from an angry, rebellious child to a grieving, aging mother. some of the more historical stories, like "the sea gives up the dead", had beautiful depictions of queer and trans identities. "clara aguilera's holy lungs" (quoted above) had perhaps the most intriguing setting of them all, and i enjoyed "esther and the voice" with its sci-fi take on the intersection of the human and the AI.

however, a lot of the time, i didn't like how the stories were paced. some ran by really quickly – "honey from the rock" is merely a couple pages. others, like "seven deaths", felt a little dragged out. not a single story was a five-start.

but really, it's not olguin, it's me. for the lovers of the gory and the macabre, "the sea gives up the dead" will make a nice addition to the horror shelf.

I don’t normally pick up short story collections, but the premise of this one intrigued me enough to want to pick it up. The summary was as follows: a collection of stories sprinkled into fairy tales, left to take root and grow wild there. A lovesick nanny slays a dragon, the devil tries to save her mother, a girl drowns and becomes a saint, Three kids plot to blow up their dad, a grieving mother sails to the sea to find her son’s grave, a scientist brings a voice to life and a mermaid falls into the power of a witch. Here historical fiction, horror and fantasy tangle together in a queer garden of love, grief and longing.

You can see why I was drawn to it. I didn’t see the connection to fairy tales except for the very last story, which was a reversed take on The Little Mermaid, but the stories are across a wide range of genres all interconnected by the themes of relationships, grief and death.

Some stories were really good like “Seven Deaths” and “Devils also Believe” while other’s weren't as good such as “My Husband and Me” and “The Undertaker’s Dogs”, However, I still think this book is worth picking up because each story is unique, interesting and well written.

I recommended this book for people who like short story collections and books with emotionally resonant stories blending relationship dynamics with magical realism.

A wonderfully whimsical collection of stories. Beautiful imagery and interesting themes, mainly around grief and love. My favourites were the final four stories: 'captain america's missing fingers', 'esthet and the voice', 'the sea gives up the dead' and 'foam on the waves'. I'm definitely looking forward to more of molly olguins work!

Thanks to netgalley and red hen press for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. The sea gives up the dead is out on april 29!

Book Review The Sea Gives Up The Dead by Molly Olguin

Publication date: April 28/25

A dark and beautiful collection of short stories, all interconnected by the central themes of death, loss and grief. These stories expand our understanding of what death means - far beyond physical death, encompassing the loss one’s identity, name or gender. Olguin delves into the complexities of losing yourself and losing others, offering a multi-layered exploration of grief.

The writing is exquisite, with each story drawing you in, blending genres in unexpected but seamless ways. There’s a mix of historical fiction, fairytale elements, magical realism, horror, and even romance. This fusion of styles is well executed, and the result is cohesive and complete. The stories are diverse, with many featuring Mexican and queer protagonists, adding a richer layer to the narrative. I felt like the stories grew in depth as I progressed through the collection.

The stories range far and wide exploring everything from the loss of a sister to sainthood, to dragons and mermaids, and the way AI can be used to numb grief, to the idea of the dead punishing living from beyond the grave.

My favourites include:

Captain America’s Missing Fingers: A young girl trying to manage her fear about her father’s involvement in a war, when no one in her family will talk about it.

Esther and The Voice: After the death of her girlfriend, Esther immerses herself in her AI project, speaking constantly to the robotic voice she’s creating. Overtime, it eerily begins to sound like her lost love.

Foam on the Waves: A fresh take on the Little Mermaid! Need I say more.

This collection is a prime example of the power of short stories, with the genre-bending storytelling setting it apart from anything else I’ve read. It’s an essential read for anyone who enjoys darker, thought provoking short stories.

Oh wow, what an exciting new voice. The blurb from Carmen Maria Machado on Netgalley (and thanks very much to Netgalley, Red Hen Press, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review) and the gorgeous cover art/title combination drew me in, and then Molly Olguín’s words held me captive.

Across twelve stories, the author weaves an enthralling net of family drama, magical realism, love, grief, fable, folklore, and — as the title indicates — death.

There were a few stories that weren’t to my taste, but that’s inevitable in almost any collection. Although I appreciate the remarkable amount of character development it achieved in a short time, the animal abuse and death in “The Undertaker’s Dogs” was too graphic for me to do more than skim more of it. And Although I enjoyed the tone of “Devils Also Believe,” and “Esther and the Voice,” I didn’t find them as memorable as some of the other tales.

But the highlights are up there with the best short stories I’ve read recently. I loved “Clara Aguilera’s Holy Lungs” and its exploration of religious veneration in a time of climate dystopia. Written in the form of a Dear Abby letter, I read the unsettling messiness of “My Husband and Me” with bated breath.

And “Captain America’s Missing Fingers” and the title story “The Sea Gives Up the Dead” were nothing short of masterpieces to me in their ratios of richness to brevity, really demonstrating what a good short story is capable of in terms of creating a complex world and characters in only a few pages.

I’ll be eagerly awaiting the publication of this collection so that I can recommend it to friends, and equally anticipating Olguín’s future work.

I don’t usually read short story collections, but this book was a pleasant surprise. The length of each story felt just right, and none of them seemed incomplete, which has been an issue for me with other anthologies.

As the title suggests, death is a central theme in most of the stories, but each one approaches it in a unique and intriguing way. Not every story was my favorite, but I enjoyed the majority of them, especially the last one. Overall, it was an unexpectedly enjoyable read, and I was very satisfied with the experience.

An excellent collection of short stories with predominantly queer and/or Mexican-American protagonists in historical, modern-day and futuristic settings. The most common theme of all stories in here is love, death and grief.
I think the overall best feature of the book is the uniqueness of the narrative voice in each story, every single one is very distinct and one of a kind, which allows it to avoid a common pitfall of short-story collections: repetitiveness.
My least favourite thing doesn't actually has anything to do with the stories themselves, it's more of an organizational issue: I'm not quite satisfied with the order in which they appear in the book. As of right now the weakest stories are in the beginning and the best ones are towards the end, which might cause impatient readers to DNF the book.
I gave the collection as a whole a 4-star rating which is an average of the ratings I gave to the individual stories as follows:
Seven Deaths: 3 stars - definitely horrific, has a slight fairytale-esque vibe to it but wasn't quite detailed and/or long enough to make it really immersive.
Devils Also Believe: 2 stars - my least favourite in the entire book, I found it very confusing at multiple points, the setting was quite hard to visualize due to a lack of descriptive passages but the story itself is beautifully tragic with a lot of potential.
The Princess Wants For Company: 5 stars - sapphic magical realism with dragons behaving like naughty bears wandering in urban spaces, so in one word: yes!
The Undertaker's Dogs: 4 stars - just a little bit lacking in depth but a deliciously disturbing and painfully realistic story (the intrusive thoughts were way too real!)
honey from the rock: 4 stars - a little too short for me but it was an amazing Kafkaesque nightmare scenario
Clara Aguilera's Holy Lungs: 5 stars - this one explores a very very interesting scenario very very well, it's so good that it genuinely deserves to be worked into a full-length novel (also the first of three stories with more of a Black Mirror vibe than fairytale style)
My Husband and Me: 4 stars - love the epistolary style, it's a lovely change of pace in a collection, although it makes the story a bit one-sided. I also found the ending a little too abrupt and unresolved even though open endings usually don't bother me at all.
Small Monuments: 4 stars - this is the second story more reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode, not much horror in here or at least not the conventional kind but the story is very unique, really heart-rending and bittersweet.
Captain America's Missing Fingers: 4 stars - not in a million years would I have been able to divine what a title like that would unfold into but boy was it a ride! I loved having a little girl as the narrator, terrible things always seem so much more poignant through a child's eyes. The horror in here is very subtle, a lot of things go unsaid but implied and even if it is mentioned most of it is only half-understood by the kids.
Esther and The Voice: 5 stars - this is the third and final story with slight Black Mirror vibes and another one that is so very good it really deserves to be a standalone sci-fi novel.
The Sea Gives Up The Dead: 5 stars - the titular story definitely does a fair bit of heavylifting in the collection, it has everything I expected from the start: it's beautiful and horrifying and fairtale-esque and cathartic plus its protagonist is an older lady.
Foam on the Waves: 5 stars - another one that very much reflected my expectations: a dark but heartfelt mirror version of a well-known fairytale reminiscent of Angela Carter's dark retellings in The Bloody Chamber And Other Stories.
Many thanks to Red Hen Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a short collection of stories surrounding the main theme of death, as mentioned in the title. Not every story here worked for me, but the ones that did really did (Asking for more of Esther and the Voice, please). What I liked most about this collection is the range of genres utilized. There is a story for everyone in here. Ultimately, though, these stories fell flat for me overall. Aside from the few I really liked, most of these stories didn't grab me. While they were interesting in premise, the execution wasn't there for me. I was never invested in the characters or what they were going through. Overall, I liked this collection, but I didn't love it.

I enjoyed the concepts of each short story, and the variety of the collection (spanning different subjects and timeframes), but some of the stories' endings felt rushed or unfinished. I liked the author's writing style, and the book was well-edited!

Thank you to Red Hen Press for the ARC.
Overall, I quite enjoyed these stories. I am always excited about women writers publishing short story collections; it gives me a good idea of the writer's range. There were some stories in this collection I really liked, and some I could have done without. There are a couple of shorter ones that did not pique my interest, but several were really well realized and executed. I liked particularly the title story, the drowning saint, and the final tale of the girl who wishes to be a mermaid. The prose in everything was very lovely. I also enjoyed an overarching theme that I noticed, which is that women, gender expectations, femininity, and the idea of "otherness" have always been intertwined. The different ways this is portrayed is so well done, I just think that some stories were more enticing than others.