The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror

by Tori Bovalino (Editor), Alex Brown, Shakira Toussaint, Chloe Gong, Hannah Whitten

Overview

These are the stories that haunt us

A cemetery full of the restless dead. A town so wicked it has already burned twice, with the breath of the third fire looming. A rural, isolated bridge with a terrifying monster waiting for the completion of its summoning ritual. A lake that allows the drowned to return, though they have been changed by the claws of death. These are the shadowed, liminal spaces where the curses and monsters lurk, refusing to be forgotten.

Hauntings, and a variety of horrifying secrets, lurk in the places we once called home. Written by New York Times bestselling, and other critically acclaimed, authors these stories shed a harsh light on the scariest tales we grew up with.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645676225
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	16,198
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Tori Bovalino, is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and lives in London. She is currently a student in Royal Holloway's Creative writing and practice-based PhD program. Her debut novel, The Devil Makes Three, is forthcoming from Page Street Kids with a follow-up novel, Not Good for Maidens, releasing in 2022. Tori was an associate editor for Profane Journal and The Shanghai Literary Magazine and read for Typehouse Magazine.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/17/2022

This frightening anthology edited by Bovalino (Not Good for Maidens), who also contributes, features 10 folk-horror stories by authors including Chloe Gong, Courtney Gould, and Aden Polydoros. Bovalino’s haunting “Loved by All, Save One” follows a group of bored, snowed-in teens as they learn the truth about a grisly town legend. In Allison Saft’s eerie “Ghost on the Shore,” bereft Maud teams up with an unlikely ally to work through her grief when a girl who looks like her dead best friend mysteriously walks out of a local lake. Olivia Chadha takes the concept of a calcified forest to new and terrifying heights in “Petrified,” in which teenage Dhara, of Indian descent, alongside fellow members of tight-knit community Children of the Aspen, teaches a tourist that women and the land do not belong to him. And Shakira Toussaint’s immersive tale “The Burning One” centers an unnamed narrator with brown skin who lives on a cliffside observing the Below, where newcomers have begun settling. Tapping into timeless fears such as ghosts and monsters, and interweaving overarching themes of friendship and love, this unique and delightfully creepy anthology delivers scares while inviting contemplation. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Tapping into timeless fears such as ghosts and monsters, and interweaving overarching themes of friendship and love, this unique and delightfully creepy anthology delivers scares while inviting contemplation." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Ominous, moody, and fiercely original, this anthology provides a delightful introduction to horror and an irresistible diversion for existing genre fans […] Perfectly creepy.” –Kirkus Reviews

"[A] thrilling ride [...] Hand this book to fans of 'good for her' horror movies like The Witch and listeners of horror anthology podcasts such as Old Gods of Appalachia and The Magnus Archives." —School Library Journal

"[A] haunting assortment of tales [...] that dishes out chills and simultaneously explores the pressures and heightened emotions of adolescence." —Booklist

"For teens who grew up reading Alvin Schwartz's iconic Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, The Gathering Dark will be the perfect shivery autumnal read." —BookPage

From the Publisher

08/01/2022

Gr 7 Up—A collection of short stories about hometown horrors. Folk horror is a genre that uses elements of folklore; it usually has a rural setting and themes of nature and religion. The stories in this collection—contributing authors include Erica Waters, Chloe Gong, Hannah Whitten, Allison Saft, Aden Polydoros, and more—follow this formula closely. Most of these modern tales have a female teen protagonist, living in a rural area, who either already knows or comes to find that a local legend is true to frightening effect. This adherence to formula isn't total, however, as the stories contain a diversity of race, sexuality, and type of monster. There are several haunted houses, as well as town curses, vengeful forests, and hungry lakes. Teen drinking, swearing, and mentions (not depictions) of sexual assault may up the age range for some readers, as well as the expected horror elements. Although the twists and turns may be a bit predictable for the horror-buff, these stories still provide a thrilling ride. VERDICT A good buy where horror anthologies are popular. Hand this book to fans of "good for her" horror movies like The Witch and listeners of horror anthology podcasts such as Old Gods of Appalachia and The Magnus Archives.—Jeri Murphy

School Library Journal

2022-06-22
A collection of deliciously strange horror stories with an impressive scope.

From the allure of urban legends to the haunting reimagining of youthful games like Truth or Dare, these tales possess the vibe of a shadowy slumber party destined to keep you up all night. With pieces by 10 authors, including familiar names like Erica Waters, Chloe Gong, Courtney Gould, and editor Bovalino, this compact volume contains varied themes and styles. A young woman in New Zealand is filled with foreboding after taking a position as a live-in nanny in a remote seaside house in Gong’s “The Tallest Poppy.” A teenager learns of a fiery curse on her Oregon farming town that dates back to a history of witchcraft in Gould’s “Third Burn.” The arrangement of the stories successfully negotiates shifts in tone and provides a strong, cohesive reading experience. Several stories draw upon traditional subject matter; overall, they take surprising turns and offer vividly fresh spins on even the most classic of frightful motifs. Strong gothic tendencies emerge in these accessible, well-crafted, and atmospheric tales. Ominous, moody, and fiercely original, this anthology provides a delightful introduction to horror and an irresistible diversion for existing genre fans. Strong female protagonists are well represented along with diversity in race, national origin, and sexual orientation.

Perfectly creepy. (about the authors) (Horror anthology. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews