Delightfully strange, uses horror tropes in fun ways. If you like horror/horror adjacent writers like Carmen Maria Machado, you'll probably enjoy this book.

Thank you to the author, Astra House, and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

As a fan of short story collections, especially those that lean into darker and sometimes surreal themes, this was a banger. The titular story of the collection is a favourite - it felt grounded and uncomfortable, the main characters’ voice and actions felt authentic, and as the first story, it set a tone that left you ill at ease in the best way. ‘Heads’, ‘The Heiress’, and ‘Community Hole’ are the standouts for me, each hitting odd and, in some places, depraved themes. All the characters felt concrete, their narratives personal to girlhood and the muddy parts of existing in worlds out to get you. There were a couple of stories I felt a little lost in, perhaps ones that would benefit from being full novellas, but I think this is more a consequence of personal preference, where I needed more context or characterisation to follow the story as an individual reader.

Beyond All Reasonable Doubt Jesus Is Alive is an unsettling and honest collection - the pacing and layout of the stories are thoughtfully planned and all-around enjoyable to read. Spooky literary short stories are some of my favourite reads, and as a fan of Lozada-Oliva’s poetry, I’m super pleased to see the author flex their writing style in this form and even more excited to read their long-form work.

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC! I've been a huge fan of Melissa's writing for a long time. This novel was another bit of perfection from her. I highly recommend this new book and I can't wait for the next one.

Thank you to the publisher Astra House Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

4.5 stars.

I love unhinged short story collections. What a great way to begin my September/spooky season reading! While not every story was my favorite, the back half of the book was incredible. The final story was so *chef kiss*, yes, thank you very much.

Melissa's weird girl sense of humor is captivating. The title story is one I can see myself teaching in the college classroom for the way craft and the emotional stakes are setup. I think the author thrives in short form fiction, having read her previous work. The weirdness has just the right amount of buildup and coolness to buffer it.

I was so excited to read this after a friend put it on my radar. Themes about faith and demons, girlhood, and it’s a short story collection? Sign me up. I was immediately hooked from the first few lines. Some stories I emotionally connected to, but others felt entirely too abstract that I had to reread them over and over. Perhaps that’s the entire point. The writing style is humorous, poetic, sharp, and intriguing. I haven’t read anything as fascinating and strange in a long time. I am truly looking forward to reading more from Lozada-Oliva.

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra House for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

in this short story collection, melissa lozada-oliva leans into fabulism and speculative elements to explore what it means to hold onto something to believe in.

for the most part, i did enjoy reading this collection. lozada-oliva shapes her stories about women and girlhood, layering their experiences with suspense and a looming uneasiness that creates compelling intrigue. all this is done to demonstrate how these characters desire and what they grip in their belief to overcome the flecks of doubt circling them as they think about what they want. here exists a daughter seeking reconciliation with her father, a hospital worker looking to get rid of a tail representative of trauma that trickles down, a young college student ruminating about how she would spend her last day of living, and much more from an engaging cast of characters.

though, i have to admit that some stories were too abstract to reach a meaningful conclusion, like they were weird and vague for the sake of it, rather than presenting better symbolism that contributes to the overarching “thesis” which strings these stories together. but when a story worked, it worked so well. lozada-oliva has a lively writing voice that is humorous, sharp, and earnest. it was able to capture the intricate line toeing the tension of desire and the exhale that comes from confrontation or revelation. all of it delves into the complexities of being humans interacting with other humans and the things we don't always understand, which is what really sold me to like this collection despite my perceived shortcomings.

all in all, i highly recommend ‘beyond all doubt, jesus is alive’! it is charming in its own way and i will be on the lookout for lozada-oliva’s future works.

2.5 stars rounded up

I generally don’t like reading short stories and while I did enjoy some of these -“Tail”, “Dream Man” and “Community Hole” were the ones I liked best – I was craving a longer story. While the majority of the stories were out there, I did really enjoy this author’s writing style and would like to read a full-length horror novel from them in the future – I didn’t do myself any favors by picking a short story collection knowing its not my preference!

Thanks to NetGalley, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, and Astra Publishing House for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

There are stories in this collection that are so good, so intriguing, and so fun to read. They all center around, I believe, the author’s personal life and lived experiences. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into her mind while reading the book, but I found myself completely unable to connect. Oftentimes, it felt like overhearing an inside joke between two friends and just knowing no matter how hard they try to explain it, the context just will never make sense to you.

There were a couple of stories I felt were weird for the sake of being weird and had zero plot beyond that. It was frustrating at times.

There were also a couple of stories I found myself so emotionally connected to and then they would end so absurdly I almost felt like…screwed out of the experience. It’s hard to explain succinctly, but one story in particular, one where a young woman travels with her mother and grandmother to visit an estranged uncle, felt like something I COULD relate to, felt important, had a lot of weight. But the last couple of sentences felt disjointed and pretty much ruined the experience for me. It felt like the author maybe just didn’t know what else to do or say? Or again, maybe this is based on a personal experience. I don’t know.

The writing was fantastic though. As a purveyor of “weird girl lit”, I found myself still quite enjoying what I was reading. I was reminded a bit of Miranda July and Mona Awad while reading. This book definitely HAS an audience, that audience is just probably not me.

The stories in Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive! mostly center on the marginalized in one way or another. Lozada-Oliva writes with a sense of humor that is undeniable as she writes vignettes of the ways strangers and co-workers can sometimes have more intimate knowledge of you than those you are actually close with. Some of the stories skew towards fantasy, like the futuristic utopia in “Heads,” the unwanted limb in “Tails”, the poetic, well, dreaminess of “Dream Man.” Lozada-Oliva’s stories are centered around varying levels of intimacies, stories that hold you in their uneasiness but then end with an unexpected laugh out loud moment, like the ending of “But I’m Still the King.”

this short story collection was, for the most part, good. it leans heavily into fabulism and body horror, threading surreal or speculative elements through vignettes of girlhood, trauma, and societal rot. it's stylish, strange, and clearly ambitious, but occasionally to the point of confusion. several stories felt like they were reaching for a metaphor or punchline i couldn't quite grasp, and a few leaned so far into the absurd or grotesque that they lost me entirely (story 3 opens with a decapitated dog, story 9 ends on a shart).

that said, there were glimmers of something sharper beneath the weirdness. the heiress offered a haunting reflection on capitalism and exploitation exacted on poorer people, while tails explored the violence of inherited trauma in a way that stuck with me. and community hole, the final story, was easily the most compelling. it was a low-simmer haunted house tale that actually built tension and felt like it had narrative momentum. it made me wish for a full length book and that the rest of the collection had followed through with as much clarity and intention.

i'm not usually a short story reader and this collection didn't fully change that for me. but if you like your fiction surreal, visceral, and a little unhinged, this may be worth a read, especially for fans of melissa lozada-oliva's previous work.

i have not read too many short story collections, but from what i have read i find i do not enjoy them as much as a full novel. that being said, i did enjoy this short story collection, overall. i'm sure someone could write a whole analysis of the themes and discussions Lozada-Oliva explores throughout these stories, especially regarding the experiences of being a woman, and, in particular, a child of Latine immigrants, in the 21st century in america. Lozada-Oliva explores these ideas through interesting and creative ways -- as explored through body horror and monsters, among other things.

the writing and dialogue is modern a la 'gen z,' yet remains engaging and not to be written off as annoying or cringe. this is the first work of Melissa Lozada-Oliva i have read and it definitely has me interested in reading her longer works! favorite stories from the collection: heads and community hole. honorable mentions: tails, but i'm still the king, and the first story which shares the title of the book.

thank you to astra house and netgalley for the e-arc!

What a weird set of short stories (compliment). A lot of cool horror, tense moments, graphic depictions, interesting scenes. I was really moved by this work and impressed by Lozada-Olivia. Excited for this collection to hit the world!

Thank you Astra House for providing me with an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
My Goodreads review will be posted on August 26, 2025.

This was incredible! I don't usually enjoy short story collections, but I thoroughly enjoyed almost every story in this collection. They were dark, sometimes gross, and unlike anything I have read before. Each story was so different while still feeling very cohesive as a collection. I especially loved the stories that included vague dystopian settings.
What really sold me on this collection, however, is the writing. Lozada-Oliva has such a way with words, and there was always one specific line that impacted me deeply in each story. I cannot wait to read more from this author, and I would highly recommend this collection if you love weird books!

Just a phenomenal collection of short stories. The visceral nature of the horror and body imagery depicted intertwined with revelations on place, home, and family resulted in both a physical and emotional reaction in many cases.

Thank you to netgalley and Astra House for a complimentary earc in exchange for an honest review.

I read it in two days, it is absolutely captivating. Once I started reading a story I needed to know what happened next. The stories are so well written and tense. Lozada-Olivia manages to create such fleshed out and real characters.

My favourite stories were The Heiress, Heads, Pool House and But I’m Still King. As a mixed latina woman, I related to a lot of different little elements in each story.

Made for a great summer read, during a hot sticky day. Absolutely great book, absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves weird girl lit!

This is a fascinating and disturbing story collection, much like Lozada-Oliva's earlier works in that way. They're very unique and weird AF, with a voice at times unlike anyone else publishing today.

Incredible collection of short stories! Visceral, twisted horror stories that set you on edge in a million different ways. Casts swirling shadows over girlhood, teeth, Cristo Negro, third-grade teachers, panthers and the very places we call home. Melissa Lozada-Oliva's writing is captivating.

Thank you to Astra House and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this more. I am the only person I know that enjoys reading short story collections. I had high hopes for this based on the synopsis. The various plots of each story were actually very good, unique, and interesting. The main problem I had was with the writing style. I am a very picky reader and if I am not gelling with the prose then it is difficult for me to like the finished product. Something about the writing style left me feeling frustrated and detached. The prose is very clunky and awkward. Some sentences I had to read more than once because I found the word choices to be downright odd. I think the author has potential but I think her prose needs to be more refined and specific.

Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive!: Stories by Melissa Lozada-Oliva is a book you should definitely have on your radar this summer. Wow, this book was so much fun and wonderfully strange. I had an amazing time reading it. I was beyond thrilled to receive this ARC, and after reading it, I can confidently say that this might be one of the best short story collections I’ve ever read. Melissa Lozada-Oliva is a talented writer who truly understands her audience. I devoured these stories. The opener, which shares the book’s title, was captivating and eerie, pulling me in right from the start. It gave me subtle Todd Solondz, Ghost World and old school Creepypasta vibes, which I absolutely loved. I found myself particularly drawn to Pool House, Dream Man, and Community Living, those stories were especially memorable for me. I highly recommend this book and suggest you keep an eye on this author! I also loved her other book Candelaria which I read while I was reading this collection because I was loving it so much. Put this book on your TBR’s right now! Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus Is Alive! Comes out September 2, 2025. Thanks very much to Astra House for giving me access to an arc of this one.