Leanne Olson

Edited by Shelly Page and Alex Brown

Released August 29, 2023 from Wednesday Books

I loved Night of the Living Queers, an anthology of young adult horror stories by queer writers of colour.

Every story in this anthology felt unique and I loved the different cultures, genders, and sexuality explored by the authors.  There’s something here for everyone, and the tone of the stories ranges from spooky and sad to sweet and funny.  

I so wish I could go back in time and give myself a copy of this anthology when I was a teen, I would have absolutely loved it.  The authors really capture how terrifying and full of possibilities the world is for a teenager. 

My personal favourite stories were:

Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia by Vanessa Montalban – I loved the spooky atmosphere of this one, about a party at an abandoned hotel that might not be completely abandoned

The Visitor by Kalynn Bayron – A wonderful little vampire story about grief; it’s full of dread, with a perfect ending

Guested by Rebecca Kim Wells – This was so creative and creepy, a very different take on possession, I’d love to read a novel with this concept

Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane by Maya Gittelman – Sweet and beautiful, the story of a trans boy who dares to enter the house of an evil wizard

Hey There, Demons by Tara Sim – A shy boy accidentally summons a demon; this is funny and adorable

Knickknack by Ryan Douglass – I was so excited to see a killer clown story in the anthology!  This was a great mix of creepy and laugh-out-loud funny

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Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for my review copy of this book.