While I love horror as a genre, I don’t always love the stereotypical tropes that come along with the genre. I don’t love how women, people of color, and especially black women are always sidelined in horror stories (if they’re acknowledged at all). The Black Girl Survives in This One aims to upend that and place black women and girls at the center of the stories. The black girls in this anthology are powerful, tenacious, and always survive. 

Amazon / Goodreads

Synopsis:

Be warned, dear reader: The Black girls survive in this one.

Celebrating a new generation of bestselling and acclaimed Black writers, The Black Girl Survives in This One makes space for Black girls in horror. Fifteen chilling and thought-provoking stories place Black girls front and center as heroes and survivors who slay monsters, battle spirits, and face down death. Prepare to be terrified and left breathless by the pieces in this anthology.

The bestselling and acclaimed authors include Erin E. Adams, Monica Brashears, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Daka Hermon, Justina Ireland, L. L. McKinney, Brittney Morris, Maritza & Maika Moulite, Eden Royce, and Vincent Tirado, with a foreword by Tananarive Due.

Review:

The Black Girl Survives in This One is such a stacked anthology. Each story is thrilling and eerie, but no two stories are alike. Because so many different writers are involved with this anthology, the horror stories come from nearly every conceivable horror subgenre. Also, the stories turn so many classic horror tropes on their head. A haunted house? It’s in the book! A cornfield? Oh, yes. A creepy theater? YEP. 

While I enjoyed every story in the collection, I did have some favorites. The following were standout stories for me.

• 5 Stars – “Harvesters” by L.L. McKinney: The first story in the anthology and my favorite of the anthology. It involves a high school party, a handsome boy, and a creepy cornfield. L.L. McKinney has written A Blade So Black and Escaping Mr. Rochester.

• 5 Stars – “Black Pride” by Justina Ireland: A story about a weekend trip to a mountain cabin. Go into this one spoiler-free. It’s a wild ride! I love Justina Ireland’s Star Wars books, but I still need to read her Dread Nation duology.

• 4.5 Stars – “Queeniums for Greenium!” by Brittney Morris: Involves sisters, a cult-like MLM, health-obsessed women, and a black girl with severe allergies. This story was hilarious and heartfelt. I loved Brittney Morris’s writing and need to read her novel Slay ASAP.

• 4.5 Stars – “TMI” by Zakiya Dalila Harris: Sam, is a black scholarship student at a prestigious school mostly full of white students. After an encounter with a famous black writer who previously attended her school, Sam’s life is turned upside down.

I listened to this anthology by audiobook and I think it’s a great option. The production quality is excellent, and the narrator switches characters and sub-genres effortlessly with each short story. I highly recommend it if you enjoy audiobooks!

Final Thoughts:

The Black Girl Survives in This One is a stellar collection. I recommend it for all horror readers, not just young adult readers, women, and people of color. If you pick it up or request it from your library, please try the audiobook! It’s stellar!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an arc!