All These Sunken Souls

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 21. AUG. 2023

Consisting of 10 stories by 10 authors—including Kalynn Bayron, Liselle Sambury, and Joelle Wellington—and starring Black teens, this gripping horror anthology, edited by contributor Moskowitz, contains new takes on classic horror themes. In Sami Ellis's "The Teeth Come Out at Night," something evil and dangerous stalks teen Akeela, who sees no other way to pay for college admission fees than by selling the baby teeth of the children she nannies. Nonbinary protagonist Frey flips the script on their physically and verbally abusive lover in a long-planned and violent bid for revenge in Joel Rochester's "I Love Your Eyes." And in Ryan Douglass's "Papa Pearlie," a grandfather wields exacting control over his family using hoodoo dolls, to frightening outcomes. Each selection features fresh twists on familiar paranormal fare, such as zombies, multiverses, immortal beings, evil twins, and ancient magic, making for a varied offering with something for every reader. Carefully constructed characters and worlds ruminate on myriad Black experiences while providing spine-tingling, escapist stories for fans of simultaneously gruesome and pensive scares. Ages 12–up.