STORIES TO KEEP YOU ALIVE DESPITE VAMPIRES

Read this—your life just might depend on it.

In the preface to this horror collection, a mysterious narrator, who was once held captive by vampires, notes that these creatures of the night “cannot so much as nibble you if you tell them a story,” so he has kindly left readers these tales, which served him well in the past. Some stories stand alone, while others return to the same characters or settings: summer campers sharing tales; an exorcist tasked with getting rid of ghosts. The exorcist’s stories mirror real-life horrors, like the Woman in White, a ghostly version of entitled White women we’ve become familiar with via social media videos. Many tales breathe new life into tried-and-true tropes, such as the hitchhiking ghost. Acker’s voice changes subtly through the progression of stories, making it believable that a young person is telling these tales off the cuff and becoming a stronger storyteller over time through more sophisticated language. Peppered throughout are humorous accounts of the narrator’s time with his fanged captors along with Buoncristiano’s arresting black-and-white artwork. Layers of nuance, plus hints at modern concerns, make this an entertaining read for a wide age range. Lack of physical description assumes a White default throughout, though the Park twins may be Korean, and the family harassed by the Woman in White might be people of color considering similar real-life incidents. One character uses they/them pronouns.

Offering unexpected twists on established tropes, this collection will delight horror fans.