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Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy
Love twisted into horrific shapes, nightmares driven by cruel music, and a world where what little light remains fractures the sky into midnight rainbows in eighteen stories tracing the dark veins of queer horror, isolation, and the monstrous feminine.
The universe unwinds to the tune of a malicious ice cream truck jingle in “We All Scream.” “The Law of Conservation of Death” dictates that a ghost pursue his prey across her every reincarnation. Superstitions thrive even in the distant future and across the stars when a colony shuttle mounts a witch trial in “Hairy Jack.” And try to “Forgive the Adoring Beast” as it scavenges a world of dead gods for tokens of bloody affection. Including two new short stories and a never-before-published novelette, Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy digs deep inside and clings to the beating nightmare heart you always knew was there.
The universe unwinds to the tune of a malicious ice cream truck jingle in “We All Scream.” “The Law of Conservation of Death” dictates that a ghost pursue his prey across her every reincarnation. Superstitions thrive even in the distant future and across the stars when a colony shuttle mounts a witch trial in “Hairy Jack.” And try to “Forgive the Adoring Beast” as it scavenges a world of dead gods for tokens of bloody affection. Including two new short stories and a never-before-published novelette, Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy digs deep inside and clings to the beating nightmare heart you always knew was there.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2021
17 people are currently reading
883 people want to read
About the author
Hailey Piper
106 books937 followersHailey Piper is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth, A Game in Yellow, A Light Most Hateful, The Worm and His Kings, No Gods for Drowning, Cranberry Cove, and other books of dark fiction.
She is also the author of over 100 short stories appearing in Weird Tales, Pseudopod, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and various other publications, and of articles appearing in Writer's Digest, Tor Nightfire, CrimeReads, and Library Journal. Find her at www.haileypiper.com.
She is also the author of over 100 short stories appearing in Weird Tales, Pseudopod, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and various other publications, and of articles appearing in Writer's Digest, Tor Nightfire, CrimeReads, and Library Journal. Find her at www.haileypiper.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
May 8, 2021
In her rousing introduction to Hailey Piper’s latest short story collection, ‘Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy’, Laurel Hightower uses four words that summarise the experience of reading these stories, or Piper’s work in general, more completely than this review could hope to do, and it was a line that stuck with me, both while reading the book, and when I was reflecting on what I’d read long after I’d finished.
“Hailey thinks around corners”
It’s both beautifully succinct and incredibly apt because it really gets across how imaginative and unpredictable her fiction is. There is no guessing where a story is going, or what kind of tale she has in store for us next. Trying to predict, or relate the reading experience to any other, is folly. Hailey Piper is always ten steps ahead of the reader, laying breadcrumbs to guide you into seemingly familiar territory, only to pull back the curtain, for you to realise you’re in completely over your head. I can honestly say I had no idea what to expect throughout any of the collections eighteen shorts, but it was thrilling being taken along for the ride.
The collection is tied together with common themes (Acceptance, identity, gender, sexuality) and most have strong elements of cosmic or body horror. Outside of that, it’s difficult to define Piper’s oeuvre because her work is so uniquely hers that it defies comparison, but think ‘Cronerberg-ian Alice in Wonderland’ and you may get a broad sense of what to expect. One thing that is consistent throughout is a rampant creativity that will hook you in each and every time, and leave you amazed at how one person can dream up so many inspired and inventive creations so completely unlike anything else you’ve read before.
The stories of offer are a varied bunch in terms of tone and genre, with some being short, fun tales (‘Demons of a Particular Taste’, ‘Jormungandr’s Dance’) which can be enjoyed both as blackly comedic cautionary tales, or something deeper should you want to dig into what the piece is saying. Some stories are more abstract and thematic (‘Feast for Small Pieces’ ‘We All Scream’) which eschew traditional narrative for something more visual and thought-provoking. Many stories lean into fantasy (‘Elf-Bride’, ‘Candyland’) or fable (‘Forgive the Adoring Beast’) but there is always an unerring undercurrent of horror permeating every tale and the reader is thrown mercilessly between stories of existential dread, jarring violence, and disconcerting suggestions of deeper horrors that are all the more memorable for being largely left unsaid.
Of all the eighteen stories on offer, I think my favourite was the one saved for last. It’s difficult for me to express my experience of reading ‘Recitation of the First Feeding’ because there is so much going on in the story, and so many layers to it, that it’s one that has had an impact on me and one I’ve found myself thinking back to many times since finishing it. It is wildly inventive, a grotesque fantasy that reads like a Clive Barker take on the Mad Hatters Tea Party, but the heart of the story isn’t what happens, but the events that led us there, and the things that go unsaid, permeating the tale nonetheless. I found it intensely gripping at first, as we’re swept away in vivid imagery and heightened reality, but the more I reflect on it, the more I’ve found it to be ultimately quite a sad, melancholic story. It is certainly one that will stay with me and one I’ll no doubt revisit again.
‘Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy’ is a phenomenal collection, a bold proclamation cementing Hailey Piper as one of the most original and innovative horror writers working today. It is a book that demands to be savoured and read, and re-read, so you can fully appreciate the layers at work. An absolute must-read.
This review was initially written for and published by Horroroasis.com
Check out their site for horror book and movie reviews, articles, giveaways and more.
“Hailey thinks around corners”
It’s both beautifully succinct and incredibly apt because it really gets across how imaginative and unpredictable her fiction is. There is no guessing where a story is going, or what kind of tale she has in store for us next. Trying to predict, or relate the reading experience to any other, is folly. Hailey Piper is always ten steps ahead of the reader, laying breadcrumbs to guide you into seemingly familiar territory, only to pull back the curtain, for you to realise you’re in completely over your head. I can honestly say I had no idea what to expect throughout any of the collections eighteen shorts, but it was thrilling being taken along for the ride.
The collection is tied together with common themes (Acceptance, identity, gender, sexuality) and most have strong elements of cosmic or body horror. Outside of that, it’s difficult to define Piper’s oeuvre because her work is so uniquely hers that it defies comparison, but think ‘Cronerberg-ian Alice in Wonderland’ and you may get a broad sense of what to expect. One thing that is consistent throughout is a rampant creativity that will hook you in each and every time, and leave you amazed at how one person can dream up so many inspired and inventive creations so completely unlike anything else you’ve read before.
The stories of offer are a varied bunch in terms of tone and genre, with some being short, fun tales (‘Demons of a Particular Taste’, ‘Jormungandr’s Dance’) which can be enjoyed both as blackly comedic cautionary tales, or something deeper should you want to dig into what the piece is saying. Some stories are more abstract and thematic (‘Feast for Small Pieces’ ‘We All Scream’) which eschew traditional narrative for something more visual and thought-provoking. Many stories lean into fantasy (‘Elf-Bride’, ‘Candyland’) or fable (‘Forgive the Adoring Beast’) but there is always an unerring undercurrent of horror permeating every tale and the reader is thrown mercilessly between stories of existential dread, jarring violence, and disconcerting suggestions of deeper horrors that are all the more memorable for being largely left unsaid.
Of all the eighteen stories on offer, I think my favourite was the one saved for last. It’s difficult for me to express my experience of reading ‘Recitation of the First Feeding’ because there is so much going on in the story, and so many layers to it, that it’s one that has had an impact on me and one I’ve found myself thinking back to many times since finishing it. It is wildly inventive, a grotesque fantasy that reads like a Clive Barker take on the Mad Hatters Tea Party, but the heart of the story isn’t what happens, but the events that led us there, and the things that go unsaid, permeating the tale nonetheless. I found it intensely gripping at first, as we’re swept away in vivid imagery and heightened reality, but the more I reflect on it, the more I’ve found it to be ultimately quite a sad, melancholic story. It is certainly one that will stay with me and one I’ll no doubt revisit again.
‘Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy’ is a phenomenal collection, a bold proclamation cementing Hailey Piper as one of the most original and innovative horror writers working today. It is a book that demands to be savoured and read, and re-read, so you can fully appreciate the layers at work. An absolute must-read.
This review was initially written for and published by Horroroasis.com
Check out their site for horror book and movie reviews, articles, giveaways and more.
January 15, 2022
I was lucky last year for discovering Hailey Piper as an author! Having devoured her longer fiction earlier in the year I finally got my hands on her short story collection last month and was not disappointed, of course I wasn't. Typical for Piper, here too her writing focuses on gender, women's and lgtb issues set in speculative settings and times - witches in space, vampires who only want to do their grocery shopping in peace, psycho stalkers stalking through various reincarnations, but also apocalyptic music, gods and godesses crazy and destructive in love, hilarious exorcisms and a final, strange but delicious folk horror story. Always weird, always humorous, always aware, always awesome. I loved Piper's stories just as much as her longer fiction.
March 23, 2024
Just a wonderful collection of fantastical, strange, original, richly imaginative stories.
Two stand-outs for me were The Burning of The Blackberries and Recitation of the First Feeding, Yet there are so many incredibly unique and varied tales in this collection.
This is my first experience with this author and it will most definitely not be my last.
Two stand-outs for me were The Burning of The Blackberries and Recitation of the First Feeding, Yet there are so many incredibly unique and varied tales in this collection.
This is my first experience with this author and it will most definitely not be my last.
May 19, 2021
Review originally published at Cemetery Gates
https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/cemete...
We must preach the gospel of horror fiction day in and day out. The life-saving elements of a genre intentionally aiming for hearts & souls. Part of this message must include the importance of short stories as the primary vehicle in which readers can be won over to the dark side of literature.
There are too many things fighting for people’s attention. For something to be a strong competitor against the overwhelming magnetism of the internet, horror fiction must present a worthy and comparable opponent.
This is why we champion short stories. Readers can quickly sample horror fiction from a wide range of what the genre has to offer.
Case in point, Hailey Piper’s short fiction can be found in several anthologies and now this new collection, UNFORTUNATE ELEMENTS OF MY ANATOMY. These bite-sized tales serve as a veritable banquet of various sub-genres and style Piper is gifted in; curious readers can determine what suits their appetite.
Armed with knowledge, a purchase of Piper’s longer books can be made with confidence-the investment of money and time sure to pay off.
UNFORTUNATE ELEMENTS OF MY ANATOMY is the perfect representation of Hailey Piper’s strongest gift as a writer: Versatility.
Cosmic, gothic, fantasy, magical realism, creature feature, body-horror, supernatural, and humor...this book has it all.
Within the first three stories, Piper proves her prowess. DEMONS OF PARTICULAR TASTE is a clever twist on a familiar horror trope showcasing the author’s ability to flip the script and blindside readers with a good laugh.
THE UMBILICAL CHORD is wicked sharp, precise, unflinching, and dark.
WE ALL SCREAM penetrates with rich, terrifying imagery and an in-your-face style of classic horror storytelling. No filler, all killer.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this collection is Piper’s selection of witchy tales; a sweet delight for avid horror hounds who don’t get enough of those.
It’s cliche to say, “There’s something for everyone here” but it’s true. Read through this collection and when you find a story that resonates with you and stands out among the others, know that there is more where that came from. Enjoy gothic fairytales, queer representation, elements of romance? Pick up, AN INVITATION TO DARKNESS. Love that story about possession? Try, THE POSSESSION OF NATALIE GLASGOW. Need some more of those slasher, killer vibes? You should buy, BENNY ROSE THE CANNIBAL KING. Lastly, if the cosmic horror caught your attention, THE WORM AND HIS KINGS is your jam.
I highly recommend this collection as your guidebook to Hailey Piper’s amazing fiction. Use it to pick your next favorite book.
https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/cemete...
We must preach the gospel of horror fiction day in and day out. The life-saving elements of a genre intentionally aiming for hearts & souls. Part of this message must include the importance of short stories as the primary vehicle in which readers can be won over to the dark side of literature.
There are too many things fighting for people’s attention. For something to be a strong competitor against the overwhelming magnetism of the internet, horror fiction must present a worthy and comparable opponent.
This is why we champion short stories. Readers can quickly sample horror fiction from a wide range of what the genre has to offer.
Case in point, Hailey Piper’s short fiction can be found in several anthologies and now this new collection, UNFORTUNATE ELEMENTS OF MY ANATOMY. These bite-sized tales serve as a veritable banquet of various sub-genres and style Piper is gifted in; curious readers can determine what suits their appetite.
Armed with knowledge, a purchase of Piper’s longer books can be made with confidence-the investment of money and time sure to pay off.
UNFORTUNATE ELEMENTS OF MY ANATOMY is the perfect representation of Hailey Piper’s strongest gift as a writer: Versatility.
Cosmic, gothic, fantasy, magical realism, creature feature, body-horror, supernatural, and humor...this book has it all.
Within the first three stories, Piper proves her prowess. DEMONS OF PARTICULAR TASTE is a clever twist on a familiar horror trope showcasing the author’s ability to flip the script and blindside readers with a good laugh.
THE UMBILICAL CHORD is wicked sharp, precise, unflinching, and dark.
WE ALL SCREAM penetrates with rich, terrifying imagery and an in-your-face style of classic horror storytelling. No filler, all killer.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this collection is Piper’s selection of witchy tales; a sweet delight for avid horror hounds who don’t get enough of those.
It’s cliche to say, “There’s something for everyone here” but it’s true. Read through this collection and when you find a story that resonates with you and stands out among the others, know that there is more where that came from. Enjoy gothic fairytales, queer representation, elements of romance? Pick up, AN INVITATION TO DARKNESS. Love that story about possession? Try, THE POSSESSION OF NATALIE GLASGOW. Need some more of those slasher, killer vibes? You should buy, BENNY ROSE THE CANNIBAL KING. Lastly, if the cosmic horror caught your attention, THE WORM AND HIS KINGS is your jam.
I highly recommend this collection as your guidebook to Hailey Piper’s amazing fiction. Use it to pick your next favorite book.
August 9, 2021
"I’m not a chainsaw kind of girl, but her teeth sure are pretty when they catch the sunshine."
Single author collections tend to be hit or miss for me, because even when I absolutely love the author's work in a longer format, sometimes the shorter versions just don't work for my brain and attention span. Sometimes when they do work, there's still the chance that I'll get lost along the way somewhere while reading, with no cohesive vision or theme or voice to keep me tethered to the pages.
With Unfortunate Elements of My Anatmy, I went into it knowing my track record with these sorts of collections, and decided to go for it anyway - and I'm so glad I did. This is such a varied collection of stories, with 18 in total making up the full book. Many of the stories here deal with themes of identity, queerness, and sexuality, and Hailey doesn't shy away from the use of body horror to achieve some incredibly intense and horrifying visuals with her writing on these themes - truly, some of these things will stick with me forever, I'm sure.
The range in this collection & in Hailey's writing is unbelievable; I'm honestly convinced that she can do no wrong at this point - her talent is unmatched. She has a unique perspective and a unique mind, and she blends them together with this natural sort of otherworldly, terrifying brilliance that blows me away every time I read anything new she's written.
This is an incredible collection, one you won't want to miss! If you're already a fan of Hailey, this will not disappoint at all. If you're new to her work, this is a great variety of stories to introduce you to her powerful written voice.
Single author collections tend to be hit or miss for me, because even when I absolutely love the author's work in a longer format, sometimes the shorter versions just don't work for my brain and attention span. Sometimes when they do work, there's still the chance that I'll get lost along the way somewhere while reading, with no cohesive vision or theme or voice to keep me tethered to the pages.
With Unfortunate Elements of My Anatmy, I went into it knowing my track record with these sorts of collections, and decided to go for it anyway - and I'm so glad I did. This is such a varied collection of stories, with 18 in total making up the full book. Many of the stories here deal with themes of identity, queerness, and sexuality, and Hailey doesn't shy away from the use of body horror to achieve some incredibly intense and horrifying visuals with her writing on these themes - truly, some of these things will stick with me forever, I'm sure.
The range in this collection & in Hailey's writing is unbelievable; I'm honestly convinced that she can do no wrong at this point - her talent is unmatched. She has a unique perspective and a unique mind, and she blends them together with this natural sort of otherworldly, terrifying brilliance that blows me away every time I read anything new she's written.
This is an incredible collection, one you won't want to miss! If you're already a fan of Hailey, this will not disappoint at all. If you're new to her work, this is a great variety of stories to introduce you to her powerful written voice.
August 3, 2021
While I greatly enjoyed the few other novellas I've read from Hailey Piper, particularly Benny Rose, The Cannibal King and her more recent release, The Worm and His Kings, this novella-sized collection of short stories didn't quite satisfy as a whole. Although there are a few very strong pieces within Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy, it's notable that I preferred the longer, fuller pieces, which really allowed Piper's voice to shine and allowed her the room necessary to more deeply explore her characters and themes.
Piper kicks things off well with a pair of powerful pieces in "Feast for Small Pieces," about a woman who uses men in very intriguing ways, and "The Law of Conservation of Death," which explores the reincarnation of a woman unable to escape the ghost of the man haunting her. In "Demons of a Particular Taste," Piper puts a unique, and wickedly fun, spin on demonic possession, while "I'm Not a Chainsaw Kind of Girl, But..." allows her room to riff on The Evil Dead when a woman conducts a summoning ritual to destroy her friends' relationships with their boyfriends.
Unfortunately, a bulk of the middle stories here didn't work too well for me, for various reasons. Some employed too many fantasy elements for my taste, like "Elf-Bride," or used an animal as our main POV character, like "Daisy," which is told from the perspective of a dog, a cloying device that has simply never appealed to me. Others, like "Candyland" and "Hairy Jack" presented some neat ideas but weren't afforded the amount of room needed to fully explore their otherwise intriguing concepts.
Things get back on track with the legitimately awesome "The Umbilical Chord." God, that title is just freaking perfect, the concept of a cursed tape and the havoc it's wreaked across a generation is fantastic, and a splash of body horror for good measure, hit all the right notes. "The Burning of the Blueberries" kicks off a trio of instant favorites that help close out Unfortunate Elements. Here, a young, recently-transitioned man is drawn into the secret society of the Brotherhood of the Horned, which seeks to draw forth the primordial masculine. "Jormungandr's Dance" is an apocalyptic killer worms piece and, goddamnit, what's not to like there? The long-ish "Recitation of the First Feeding" ends the collection on an absolutely stellar note and might be the tastiest morsel here. This Hellraiser-inspired short centers around a young boy haunted by the ghost of a girl who goes to great lengths to free himself by summoning the Culinary Court, a Cenobite-like group of foodies. This one's a damn good work of cosmic horror and Piper's tack-sharp writing and knack for crafting stimulating, quease-inducing imagery is on full display here. It's the perfect story to end on.
Although I'm fairly evenly split between the stories I dug versus those I didn't, those that I did enjoy I liked a lot. I'd recommend Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy just for "Recitation of the First Feeding," but thankfully there's a number of others herein to justify a purchase.
Piper kicks things off well with a pair of powerful pieces in "Feast for Small Pieces," about a woman who uses men in very intriguing ways, and "The Law of Conservation of Death," which explores the reincarnation of a woman unable to escape the ghost of the man haunting her. In "Demons of a Particular Taste," Piper puts a unique, and wickedly fun, spin on demonic possession, while "I'm Not a Chainsaw Kind of Girl, But..." allows her room to riff on The Evil Dead when a woman conducts a summoning ritual to destroy her friends' relationships with their boyfriends.
Unfortunately, a bulk of the middle stories here didn't work too well for me, for various reasons. Some employed too many fantasy elements for my taste, like "Elf-Bride," or used an animal as our main POV character, like "Daisy," which is told from the perspective of a dog, a cloying device that has simply never appealed to me. Others, like "Candyland" and "Hairy Jack" presented some neat ideas but weren't afforded the amount of room needed to fully explore their otherwise intriguing concepts.
Things get back on track with the legitimately awesome "The Umbilical Chord." God, that title is just freaking perfect, the concept of a cursed tape and the havoc it's wreaked across a generation is fantastic, and a splash of body horror for good measure, hit all the right notes. "The Burning of the Blueberries" kicks off a trio of instant favorites that help close out Unfortunate Elements. Here, a young, recently-transitioned man is drawn into the secret society of the Brotherhood of the Horned, which seeks to draw forth the primordial masculine. "Jormungandr's Dance" is an apocalyptic killer worms piece and, goddamnit, what's not to like there? The long-ish "Recitation of the First Feeding" ends the collection on an absolutely stellar note and might be the tastiest morsel here. This Hellraiser-inspired short centers around a young boy haunted by the ghost of a girl who goes to great lengths to free himself by summoning the Culinary Court, a Cenobite-like group of foodies. This one's a damn good work of cosmic horror and Piper's tack-sharp writing and knack for crafting stimulating, quease-inducing imagery is on full display here. It's the perfect story to end on.
Although I'm fairly evenly split between the stories I dug versus those I didn't, those that I did enjoy I liked a lot. I'd recommend Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy just for "Recitation of the First Feeding," but thankfully there's a number of others herein to justify a purchase.
April 6, 2021
This is my first read from Hailey Piper but it definitely won’t be my last. First, I must mention the wonderful introduction by Laurel Hightower which sets the scene perfectly.
There’s a lot of soul-searching in these stories, a lot of angst and pain, but also an incredible feeling of reinventing oneself. I love this line... “He’ll fade from the world little by little while the good he’s done persists.” This one sentence sums up the heart of this collection.
The writing is immaculate, poetic, haunting. At times so surreal that you have to stop and think about its meaning. This book is not a page-turner, but I mean that in the best way possible. It is not a book to be devoured in one or two sittings. Instead, it should be savored, meditated upon, to bring out its best flavor.
There are so many beautiful sentences and moments of imagery throughout that I could fill half the review just quoting. I highlighted many such incidences as I read. But I won’t do that, instead I’ll give you one more example: “Death comes for your heart in the night while his breath strokes your white hair.” Simple, but so poignant!
Among my favorite stories are...
Seven Signs he Doesn’t Love You - I loved the second person narrative of this one, as well as the way the island of Keso and its mythology is evoked.
Loved the POV in Daisy and its tongue in cheek ending.
Loved, loved, loved We All Scream! This one conjured the existential predicament of the protagonist’s dilemma to perfection. Loved its dream-like quality, the metaphors used to describe how sick with nerves the protagonist feels. It also forces you to think about how we take things such as which restroom to enter for granted and how this is not the case for so many people.
The Burning of the Blueberries for its metaphorical expression of transgender surgery. So powerful!
Forgive the Adoring Beast for its witchy imagery. Incredibly visual!
Recitation of the First Feeding for its emotive qualities – poignant, an even more weird version of Alice and the Mad Hatter’s tea party. This one helps you to understand the relevance of the collection’s title. I loved this story so much that I know I will re-read it in the future.
I really enjoyed Crones in the Larval State but it came to an abrupt end and I found myself wanting more.
My least favorite was Hairy Jack, but that was because of its sci-fi setting, something I’m not a fan of. Of course, others will love it for that very reason.
I also liked the way in which many of the stories blended seamlessly into the next, like some aspect of the previous story prompted the next.
Some stories, or rather the mood they elicited, stayed with me for days. Don’t be surprised if they creep into your dreams.
Overall, 4.5 stars from me, rounded up to 5.
N.B. I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There’s a lot of soul-searching in these stories, a lot of angst and pain, but also an incredible feeling of reinventing oneself. I love this line... “He’ll fade from the world little by little while the good he’s done persists.” This one sentence sums up the heart of this collection.
The writing is immaculate, poetic, haunting. At times so surreal that you have to stop and think about its meaning. This book is not a page-turner, but I mean that in the best way possible. It is not a book to be devoured in one or two sittings. Instead, it should be savored, meditated upon, to bring out its best flavor.
There are so many beautiful sentences and moments of imagery throughout that I could fill half the review just quoting. I highlighted many such incidences as I read. But I won’t do that, instead I’ll give you one more example: “Death comes for your heart in the night while his breath strokes your white hair.” Simple, but so poignant!
Among my favorite stories are...
Seven Signs he Doesn’t Love You - I loved the second person narrative of this one, as well as the way the island of Keso and its mythology is evoked.
Loved the POV in Daisy and its tongue in cheek ending.
Loved, loved, loved We All Scream! This one conjured the existential predicament of the protagonist’s dilemma to perfection. Loved its dream-like quality, the metaphors used to describe how sick with nerves the protagonist feels. It also forces you to think about how we take things such as which restroom to enter for granted and how this is not the case for so many people.
The Burning of the Blueberries for its metaphorical expression of transgender surgery. So powerful!
Forgive the Adoring Beast for its witchy imagery. Incredibly visual!
Recitation of the First Feeding for its emotive qualities – poignant, an even more weird version of Alice and the Mad Hatter’s tea party. This one helps you to understand the relevance of the collection’s title. I loved this story so much that I know I will re-read it in the future.
I really enjoyed Crones in the Larval State but it came to an abrupt end and I found myself wanting more.
My least favorite was Hairy Jack, but that was because of its sci-fi setting, something I’m not a fan of. Of course, others will love it for that very reason.
I also liked the way in which many of the stories blended seamlessly into the next, like some aspect of the previous story prompted the next.
Some stories, or rather the mood they elicited, stayed with me for days. Don’t be surprised if they creep into your dreams.
Overall, 4.5 stars from me, rounded up to 5.
N.B. I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2021
4.5 stars! I adored this collection so much. Hailey Piper’s imagination has no limits, and it is truly a pleasure to read her work and see what boundaries she may push, what worlds she may unravel, and what characters and creatures she will introduce us to. I wanted to highlight five of my favorite stories below, and I so very much recommend this collection.
“The Law of Conservation of Death” is striking, poetic, and heartbreaking. I loved the way the story flowed here, easily sweeping the reader up in its painful tide. A beautiful tale.
“Candyland” packs so much punch, which I think is why it works great as a short story. It allows the reader to keep thinking about the twisted events we witnessed in a way that allows our imaginations to keep running wild with the horrors of what could happen next, and of what happened to all the other girls. This one reminded me a little bit of another favorite short story of mine, “The Tower Princesses” by Gwendolyn Kiste. I think both of those would be excellent material for the classroom whether one is teaching about strong creative writing skills, or also on societal commentary, feminism, predators, and more.
“We All Scream” was so wonderfully weird. This is another one where Piper shows how strongly she is able to take something strange and turn it into an engaging, well-written, fully realized story. I’m also forever haunted by the image/smell combination of ice cream and urinals *shudders* just let people pee in peace.
“The Burning of the Blueberries” is probably my favorite of the favorites mentioned here. It’s so visually gorgeous, and the story contains such heart. It’s easy to see how the main character gets swept into a darker place just for the sake of trying to belong, of trying to realize what identity can mean. Wonderful, wonderful story.
“Recitation of the First Feeding” is a great way to end the collection. The novelette again shows how Piper can imagine these stunning worlds and at the same time create characters who are complex, who don’t always get everything right on the first try, and who so completely take us into their lives.
“The Law of Conservation of Death” is striking, poetic, and heartbreaking. I loved the way the story flowed here, easily sweeping the reader up in its painful tide. A beautiful tale.
“Candyland” packs so much punch, which I think is why it works great as a short story. It allows the reader to keep thinking about the twisted events we witnessed in a way that allows our imaginations to keep running wild with the horrors of what could happen next, and of what happened to all the other girls. This one reminded me a little bit of another favorite short story of mine, “The Tower Princesses” by Gwendolyn Kiste. I think both of those would be excellent material for the classroom whether one is teaching about strong creative writing skills, or also on societal commentary, feminism, predators, and more.
“We All Scream” was so wonderfully weird. This is another one where Piper shows how strongly she is able to take something strange and turn it into an engaging, well-written, fully realized story. I’m also forever haunted by the image/smell combination of ice cream and urinals *shudders* just let people pee in peace.
“The Burning of the Blueberries” is probably my favorite of the favorites mentioned here. It’s so visually gorgeous, and the story contains such heart. It’s easy to see how the main character gets swept into a darker place just for the sake of trying to belong, of trying to realize what identity can mean. Wonderful, wonderful story.
“Recitation of the First Feeding” is a great way to end the collection. The novelette again shows how Piper can imagine these stunning worlds and at the same time create characters who are complex, who don’t always get everything right on the first try, and who so completely take us into their lives.
February 7, 2021
A solid collection from Hailey Piper, but in all honesty, only about a third of the stories worked for me. That doesn't mean to say they won't work for you.
There's plenty here to satisfy many tastes, providing you like horror of course.
Standouts for me were:
FEAST FOR SMALL PIECES: The opening story had a real no-nonsense feel about it. You'll see what I mean when you read it.
THE LAW OF CONVERSATION OF DEATH: A reincarnation story that I reckon could be interpreted differently by each reader.
Really admirable.
CANDYLAND: A dark and sordid tale seen through young innocent eyes. Really well written.
RECITATION OF THE FIRST FEEDING: The last story in the book. Absolutely loved this one. It brought my overall score up for this collection.
Other honourable mentions for stories
JORMUNGANDR'S DANCE: The line "A worm made of corpses" I felt was just so visual.
AGGRESSIVE MIMICRY: A small attention to detail which I always admire. There is talk of going to the cinema to see Back to the Future or Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. I immediately had to know if they could be on at the cinema at the same time. And yes, they were around a week or so apart. I love when an author takes time to make sure these things are correct whether it's fantasy or not. Real life details should be correct. It makes the unreal feel more real. Know what I mean?
And I also have to mention the foreword by Laurel Hightower which I thought was just wonderful.
It's 3.5 for me, but I'm rounding it up to 4 because those standouts were class.
Definitely want to read more of Hailey Piper's work.
There's plenty here to satisfy many tastes, providing you like horror of course.
Standouts for me were:
FEAST FOR SMALL PIECES: The opening story had a real no-nonsense feel about it. You'll see what I mean when you read it.
THE LAW OF CONVERSATION OF DEATH: A reincarnation story that I reckon could be interpreted differently by each reader.
Really admirable.
CANDYLAND: A dark and sordid tale seen through young innocent eyes. Really well written.
RECITATION OF THE FIRST FEEDING: The last story in the book. Absolutely loved this one. It brought my overall score up for this collection.
Other honourable mentions for stories
JORMUNGANDR'S DANCE: The line "A worm made of corpses" I felt was just so visual.
AGGRESSIVE MIMICRY: A small attention to detail which I always admire. There is talk of going to the cinema to see Back to the Future or Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. I immediately had to know if they could be on at the cinema at the same time. And yes, they were around a week or so apart. I love when an author takes time to make sure these things are correct whether it's fantasy or not. Real life details should be correct. It makes the unreal feel more real. Know what I mean?
And I also have to mention the foreword by Laurel Hightower which I thought was just wonderful.
It's 3.5 for me, but I'm rounding it up to 4 because those standouts were class.
Definitely want to read more of Hailey Piper's work.
May 31, 2021
After reading and enjoying a few of Hailey’s other stories, I was excited to dig into this collection! As with most short story collections, there are always some that don’t clique as well as the others and I did find I struggled with more of these stories than I would have liked, but overall there were some real gems and I just find Hailey’s writing so haunting and beautifully poetic.
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚. “
One of my favorite stories was the last one, Recitation of the First Feeding. The twisted storyline and creepy characters made for a great read. And it is in this story we learn of the origin of the collections title.
“𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙤𝙤, 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣.”
To summarize, I think Hailey is a great writer and puts to paper some immensely creative imagery and prose. This will not be the last title of hers I pick up.
I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚. “
One of my favorite stories was the last one, Recitation of the First Feeding. The twisted storyline and creepy characters made for a great read. And it is in this story we learn of the origin of the collections title.
“𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙤𝙤, 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣.”
To summarize, I think Hailey is a great writer and puts to paper some immensely creative imagery and prose. This will not be the last title of hers I pick up.
I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
May 12, 2021
You know the tunnel scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Yes THAT tunnel scene. Everything is bright and wondrous, but then things take a turn for the horrific?
"There's no earthly way of knowing
Which direction we are going
There's no knowing where we're rowing
Or which way the river's flowing"
- Willy Wonka
Hailey Piper's collection made me think of that scene. I've read around 40 horror novels in the last 7-8 months, with at least a few of them being anthologies and collections. None of the stories in this collection are remotely like anything else I've read. When I thought stories were headed left, they turned violet. I couldn't guess how things would end and I LOVE that. The imagination on display here is just astounding. There are stories about demons, witches, alternate dimensions, hauntings, monsters, ice cream, and a meal I will NEVER forget.
The stories are also about more than that though. There's pain, fear, loss, and transition. These characters are changed by the end of their stories; the way they see their relationships, the way they view themselves, they way the see the world, or in some cases, the world itself is forever changed. There's acceptance and revenge. Beginnings and endings. Beautiful words and terrible sights.
I enjoyed all the stories, but here are few of my favorites:
- The Law of Conservation and Death: A ghost story unlike any you've read before. I won't say more than that.
- We All Scream: Honestly, never thought I'd find ice cream disturbing, but here we are. I really like the ending of the story.
- Recitation of the First Feeding: "Wish fulfillment" by way of ritual feeding. Just...wow. I loved everything about this. I'd love to see this adapted into something. A short feature, or maybe a graphic novel?
I can't praise this collection enough. I found myself rereading passages just to experience them a second time. From here on out I will seek out every word Hailey Piper writes and I highly recommend you do the same.
5/5 stars
* I was provided an ebook ARC for review, but I bought a copy after the second story.
"There's no earthly way of knowing
Which direction we are going
There's no knowing where we're rowing
Or which way the river's flowing"
- Willy Wonka
Hailey Piper's collection made me think of that scene. I've read around 40 horror novels in the last 7-8 months, with at least a few of them being anthologies and collections. None of the stories in this collection are remotely like anything else I've read. When I thought stories were headed left, they turned violet. I couldn't guess how things would end and I LOVE that. The imagination on display here is just astounding. There are stories about demons, witches, alternate dimensions, hauntings, monsters, ice cream, and a meal I will NEVER forget.
The stories are also about more than that though. There's pain, fear, loss, and transition. These characters are changed by the end of their stories; the way they see their relationships, the way they view themselves, they way the see the world, or in some cases, the world itself is forever changed. There's acceptance and revenge. Beginnings and endings. Beautiful words and terrible sights.
I enjoyed all the stories, but here are few of my favorites:
- The Law of Conservation and Death: A ghost story unlike any you've read before. I won't say more than that.
- We All Scream: Honestly, never thought I'd find ice cream disturbing, but here we are. I really like the ending of the story.
- Recitation of the First Feeding: "Wish fulfillment" by way of ritual feeding. Just...wow. I loved everything about this. I'd love to see this adapted into something. A short feature, or maybe a graphic novel?
I can't praise this collection enough. I found myself rereading passages just to experience them a second time. From here on out I will seek out every word Hailey Piper writes and I highly recommend you do the same.
5/5 stars
* I was provided an ebook ARC for review, but I bought a copy after the second story.
April 19, 2021
I had the privilege and the honor to read Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy by Hailey Piper.(Thanks Netgalley)
Hailey is one of those authors that writes incredibly consistently. If she wrote the instructions on how to build furniture I would read them.
Hailey doesn't disappoint with this book you get 18, yes 18 short stories. All of them just as incredible as the next. I have a spot in my brain where "We All Scream" lives. It's in there and it's ruining my life and love for sweet desserts. The other 17 stories are all so good and you will really root for the characters.
The stories are based around nightmares, love, femininity, and queer horror. It's hard to classify them as a whole because they are so different.
Do you yourself a favor and pick this up when it comes out. You deserve this book in your life.
Hailey is one of those authors that writes incredibly consistently. If she wrote the instructions on how to build furniture I would read them.
Hailey doesn't disappoint with this book you get 18, yes 18 short stories. All of them just as incredible as the next. I have a spot in my brain where "We All Scream" lives. It's in there and it's ruining my life and love for sweet desserts. The other 17 stories are all so good and you will really root for the characters.
The stories are based around nightmares, love, femininity, and queer horror. It's hard to classify them as a whole because they are so different.
Do you yourself a favor and pick this up when it comes out. You deserve this book in your life.
March 2, 2021
ARC received through NetGalley
Laurel Hightower sets Piper's readers up with a great introduction.
I read this collection slowly during WiHM (February) by making time for it when I could—I've been busy to say the least. Piper's title is as apt as you can get when keeping the stories' themes in mind. As a self-publisher and someone who's worked closely with an anthology project, I've got to admire the book's formatting before I even get to its content. The inclusion of story illustrations, no matter how large or small, in collections is always a treat.
Of the eighteen stories in this collection, fifteen are reprints and three are brand new. Though it's worth saying all the stories were new to me. And of the newly written ones, the final story was one of my favorites! There's a lot of pain and heartbreak in these stories as well as hope and understanding, which I'll assume, all allude to the trans experience. Not saying all, but perhaps Piper's experience is bleeding through the pages before us, making this collection even more personal than other works. Piper's prose has the ability to stop you in your tracks and gaze at its beauty.
It can be hard to review collections as one doesn't want to give many details away, especially with such brevity. But I think you will want to read this collection once it goes live in May 2021. In these haunting pages, you'll find witches, ghosts, creepy creatures, et al.
Standout stories include: The Law of Conservation of Death, Aggressive Mimicry, Crones In Their Larval State (time to write this into a full-length, Piper!), We All Scream, and Recitation of the First Feeding.
Laurel Hightower sets Piper's readers up with a great introduction.
I read this collection slowly during WiHM (February) by making time for it when I could—I've been busy to say the least. Piper's title is as apt as you can get when keeping the stories' themes in mind. As a self-publisher and someone who's worked closely with an anthology project, I've got to admire the book's formatting before I even get to its content. The inclusion of story illustrations, no matter how large or small, in collections is always a treat.
Of the eighteen stories in this collection, fifteen are reprints and three are brand new. Though it's worth saying all the stories were new to me. And of the newly written ones, the final story was one of my favorites! There's a lot of pain and heartbreak in these stories as well as hope and understanding, which I'll assume, all allude to the trans experience. Not saying all, but perhaps Piper's experience is bleeding through the pages before us, making this collection even more personal than other works. Piper's prose has the ability to stop you in your tracks and gaze at its beauty.
It can be hard to review collections as one doesn't want to give many details away, especially with such brevity. But I think you will want to read this collection once it goes live in May 2021. In these haunting pages, you'll find witches, ghosts, creepy creatures, et al.
Standout stories include: The Law of Conservation of Death, Aggressive Mimicry, Crones In Their Larval State (time to write this into a full-length, Piper!), We All Scream, and Recitation of the First Feeding.
May 29, 2021
Varieties of darkness. Spectacular!
An astonishing collection. Brilliant from the first page to the last. Hard to pick a favorite, but "Recitation of the First Feeding" is transcendent. Highest recommendation.
An astonishing collection. Brilliant from the first page to the last. Hard to pick a favorite, but "Recitation of the First Feeding" is transcendent. Highest recommendation.
June 8, 2021
Review to come
January 19, 2022
A mixed bag that displays Piper’s imagination, range, and empathy throughout. “Recitation of the First Feeding” blew me away.
May 15, 2022
Outstanding!
February 8, 2023
Amazing. Every time I read Hailey Piper, I love her more. My favorites were the first and last stories, and I only hate that it took me so long to read it.
May 21, 2021
If you like brevity in your book reviews, this collection can be summed up by simply saying read Hailey Piper. There’s a reason her short fiction is everywhere (this is not hyperbole) and 2020 saw her release not one, but two top shelf novellas in Benny Rose, the Cannibal King and The Worm and His Kings. She’s that good, and Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy is no exception.
Collecting pieces written from about 2018 to early 2020, Anatomy shows fair range in style, running the gamut from heartwrenching pieces like “The Law of Conservation of Death”, my personal favorite, to humor like “Demons of Particular Taste”. Traditional horror tropes to dark fantasy to twisted nightmares you won’t see anywhere else. Not only does Piper embrace diverse subject matter, but the story lengths even keep the reader on their toes. Piper interspersed flash pieces with stories of a more customary length, ultimately closing with a novelette.
“Feast for Small Pieces” is a bombastic opener, reminding this reader of a band leading an album off with frantic drums and thrashing guitar to make sure the listener, or reader in this case, is paying attention. It takes us directly into “The Law of Conservation of Death”, a piece destined to wheedle its way into your consciousness and take root. Try forgetting this one.
“I’m Not a Chainsaw Kind of Girl, but…” is a brutal ride, laced with unforgettable description. “We All Scream” lingers with vivid imagery. Possibly the creepiest story in the collection. You’ll never listen to the tinkling bells of the ice cream man quite the same way.
“The Burning of the Blueberries” was another favorite. Packed with commentary on toxic masculinity and finding one’s place in the world, Piper explores the concept beautifully, landing in an unexpected, but inescapable place. “Recitation of the First Feeding” closes out the collection. With some parts reminiscent of MR James and others of Clive Barker, this thing is all Hailey Piper, and the collection couldn’t have ended any other way.
This is but the first offering of 2021. We’ve still got Queen of Teeth and copious amounts more coming from this talented author before the countdown takes us to 2022, but this is a hell of a way to start things off.
Collecting pieces written from about 2018 to early 2020, Anatomy shows fair range in style, running the gamut from heartwrenching pieces like “The Law of Conservation of Death”, my personal favorite, to humor like “Demons of Particular Taste”. Traditional horror tropes to dark fantasy to twisted nightmares you won’t see anywhere else. Not only does Piper embrace diverse subject matter, but the story lengths even keep the reader on their toes. Piper interspersed flash pieces with stories of a more customary length, ultimately closing with a novelette.
“Feast for Small Pieces” is a bombastic opener, reminding this reader of a band leading an album off with frantic drums and thrashing guitar to make sure the listener, or reader in this case, is paying attention. It takes us directly into “The Law of Conservation of Death”, a piece destined to wheedle its way into your consciousness and take root. Try forgetting this one.
“I’m Not a Chainsaw Kind of Girl, but…” is a brutal ride, laced with unforgettable description. “We All Scream” lingers with vivid imagery. Possibly the creepiest story in the collection. You’ll never listen to the tinkling bells of the ice cream man quite the same way.
“The Burning of the Blueberries” was another favorite. Packed with commentary on toxic masculinity and finding one’s place in the world, Piper explores the concept beautifully, landing in an unexpected, but inescapable place. “Recitation of the First Feeding” closes out the collection. With some parts reminiscent of MR James and others of Clive Barker, this thing is all Hailey Piper, and the collection couldn’t have ended any other way.
This is but the first offering of 2021. We’ve still got Queen of Teeth and copious amounts more coming from this talented author before the countdown takes us to 2022, but this is a hell of a way to start things off.
May 11, 2021
While I have read other works of Hailey Piper’s, this was my first collection of short stories written by her. Like her other work, I was not a bit disappointed. Hailey is famous for creating consistently excellent writing. This collection has 18 stories, a little something for every taste, be it body horror, queer horror, cosmic horror, dark fantasy, and more.
With it being a collection of short stories, I thought that I would be able to jump from story to story, but this was not the case. Some stories required deep thought and reflection.
As with all her writing that I have read, there are deep themes of trans rights and gay rights, of love, of isolation and loneliness, of longing for acceptance, and despair upon being rejected. Themes of tearing yourself apart and rebuilding yourself into the person you were born to be.
For me, the standout stories of this collection were “Feast for Small Pieces,” where a woman brings home a man who comes on to her sexually, only to use the best parts of him to heal others who are sick or broken, “The Law of Conservation of Death,” tells the story of a ghost who pursues the woman he claims to own him throughout her every reincarnation, and “Candyland”, my favorite in the collection, where teenage girls make themselves “sweet” to be valuable to aristocrats for whims until they are consumed by them.
I could go on and on about this book. I highlighted and copied so many quotes that spoke to me, but I will not add them here because this review would be nothing but quotes. You will get something from every story in this collection, some deeper truth that will strike you when you read Hailey’s words.
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and 7th Terrace for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
With it being a collection of short stories, I thought that I would be able to jump from story to story, but this was not the case. Some stories required deep thought and reflection.
As with all her writing that I have read, there are deep themes of trans rights and gay rights, of love, of isolation and loneliness, of longing for acceptance, and despair upon being rejected. Themes of tearing yourself apart and rebuilding yourself into the person you were born to be.
For me, the standout stories of this collection were “Feast for Small Pieces,” where a woman brings home a man who comes on to her sexually, only to use the best parts of him to heal others who are sick or broken, “The Law of Conservation of Death,” tells the story of a ghost who pursues the woman he claims to own him throughout her every reincarnation, and “Candyland”, my favorite in the collection, where teenage girls make themselves “sweet” to be valuable to aristocrats for whims until they are consumed by them.
I could go on and on about this book. I highlighted and copied so many quotes that spoke to me, but I will not add them here because this review would be nothing but quotes. You will get something from every story in this collection, some deeper truth that will strike you when you read Hailey’s words.
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and 7th Terrace for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 6, 2021
What an absolutely magnificent collection of stories. My first introduction to Hailey Piper was The Worm and His Kings. I loved her characters and imagery so much, so I swiped an advance copy of Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy from NetGalley.
If you are a woman, queer, or trans, you will probably see yourself in these pages. Hailey Piper writes incredibly meaningful horror, and she manages to sneak meaning in even when a story is silly and quirky (see *We All Scream* for an excellent example).
The stories in this collection are going to stay with me for a long while, and this is a book I will definitely be purchasing a copy of. My favorites were Feast for Small Pieces, We All Scream, The Burning of the Blueberries, and Recitation of the First Reading. Wonderful collection!
If you are a woman, queer, or trans, you will probably see yourself in these pages. Hailey Piper writes incredibly meaningful horror, and she manages to sneak meaning in even when a story is silly and quirky (see *We All Scream* for an excellent example).
The stories in this collection are going to stay with me for a long while, and this is a book I will definitely be purchasing a copy of. My favorites were Feast for Small Pieces, We All Scream, The Burning of the Blueberries, and Recitation of the First Reading. Wonderful collection!
February 9, 2021
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been seeing the name Hailey Piper everywhere, and there is a good reason for that. She is an absolutely amazing writer! This collection is even further evidence of that.
The title is fitting for this collection, but don’t be fooled. There is a bit of everything in here, creatures, witchcraft, ghosts, demonic possession, all done in Piper’s unique style. That style, is the real reason to read this in my opinion. Piper’s exceptional prose seems to crawl under your skin and find some deep seeded emotion to pray upon. I loved it!
As with any collection like this, everyone will have their own favorites. Some were better than others for me, but they all had strong writing and were well thought out. Oddly enough, I wasn’t a huge fan of the variety of story length. Maybe I’ve just been programmed by anthologies with generally cohesive story lengths, or maybe I just wished the ones I liked were longer, but either way it did throw me off a bit.
Altogether, this is a great read that truly showcases the author’s talents, and I think any horror fan will enjoy it. I definitely look forward to reading more of Piper’s work.
The title is fitting for this collection, but don’t be fooled. There is a bit of everything in here, creatures, witchcraft, ghosts, demonic possession, all done in Piper’s unique style. That style, is the real reason to read this in my opinion. Piper’s exceptional prose seems to crawl under your skin and find some deep seeded emotion to pray upon. I loved it!
As with any collection like this, everyone will have their own favorites. Some were better than others for me, but they all had strong writing and were well thought out. Oddly enough, I wasn’t a huge fan of the variety of story length. Maybe I’ve just been programmed by anthologies with generally cohesive story lengths, or maybe I just wished the ones I liked were longer, but either way it did throw me off a bit.
Altogether, this is a great read that truly showcases the author’s talents, and I think any horror fan will enjoy it. I definitely look forward to reading more of Piper’s work.
July 15, 2021
I really enjoyed this collection! These stories are so imaginative and unique. There is a sense of uneasiness that lies underneath the surface. Many left me feeling just a bit off balanced…in a good way. There are so many strange and wonderful creatures and beings in these stories, I’m continually blown away with what she comes up with! There is also a realness and honesty to her human characters, often so relatable in their emotions. This is a solid short story collection and solidifies Piper as a favorite author. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
Some favorites are:
Feast for Small Pieces
The Law of Conservation of Death
I’m Not a Chainsaw King of Girl, But…
Seven Signs He Doesn’t Love You
Crones in Their Larval State
Hairy Jack
The Burning of the Blueberries
Among The Creatures of the Night
Recitation of the First Feeding
Some favorites are:
Feast for Small Pieces
The Law of Conservation of Death
I’m Not a Chainsaw King of Girl, But…
Seven Signs He Doesn’t Love You
Crones in Their Larval State
Hairy Jack
The Burning of the Blueberries
Among The Creatures of the Night
Recitation of the First Feeding
March 22, 2021
Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy is an amazing collection of stories by the supremely talented Hailey Piper. The stories contained herein range from dark fantasy to the macabre. The themes and ideas explored can be both touching and terrifying. I honestly enjoyed every story.
Some of my favorites were:
Feast for Small Pieces
The Law of Conservation for Death
I'm Not a Chainsaw Kind of Girl, But...
Seven Signs He Doesn't Love you
Hairy Jack
The Burning of the Blueberries
Recitation of the First Feeding.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Some of my favorites were:
Feast for Small Pieces
The Law of Conservation for Death
I'm Not a Chainsaw Kind of Girl, But...
Seven Signs He Doesn't Love you
Hairy Jack
The Burning of the Blueberries
Recitation of the First Feeding.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2021
“Unfortunate elements of my anatomy” is a great name for Hailey Piper’s collection of short stories. There’s Hailey’s underlining passion for Trans and Gay rights coming through in all the stories here, and the shorts span a wide range of genres and styles. From witches to cosmic entities, from mythical creatures to secret societies, Piper leads us from one provocative story to the next.
I use the word “provocative” very carefully because it is a perfect word for Piper’s intentions.
Speaking as a novelist, short stories are a whole different creature to what I normally read. A short story must by its very nature condense a novel into an idea, to be written as precisely and concisely as possible. Piper manages that here in all of her stories in this collection, but manages to do so with a general underlining theme, reflected in the very title of the book itself, that of giving the reader a taste of the fear, horror, emotional backlash and prejudice trans and gay people live through as a part of their everyday lives.
I think it’s a universal comment for authors that you should write what you know, and Piper (to my mind and understanding of the theme) manages to tell her story through varying creatures and witches and situations in the book. I believe.
It’s magnificent. And heart-breaking.
I used the word provocative earlier, a word that best describes these stories – stories that provoke you to re-evaluate your own world view and how that world can be seen through the eyes of someone that “does not fit” a mould enforced on them by society. Each story takes themes of that general state of prejudice and highlights the affected person’s reactions. Themes run throughout the collection, that of womanhood, mistaken identity, denial of own self, birth and rebirth. It’s great feminist literature, and rightly so – White Male-dominated society has been pretty poorly led up until now. It’s way past time to embrace diversity and stop being so damn stubborn.
It would be a disservice to Hailey to go through the entire collection and say my thoughts on each piece, each has its own distinct voice, highlights and perspectives, but here are a few of my thoughts on pieces I really liked, or that made me think long and hard:
The law of conservation of death.
This is a tough one. The self-destruction of personal self in the attempt to defeat another being’s obsession with possession of your soul, is an attempt to describe denying power from someone else over your body and mind. I worry, because It reminds me of rape/abuse victims (here a murder victim), with their relentless obsession of "property", that someone can "belong" to someone else. It might also be a social commentary on marriage, the difference between "giving yourself" to someone else (property-related), and "committing yourself" to someone else (which retains the power of individual commitment and "power of choice") Regardless of my musings, I didn't feel satisfaction at the end that she had freed herself of his obsession, because she destroyed herself to do it, the exact opposite of what we need to tell victims – that they are worth more, that they need to live to rise above that false claim of property, and whilst I feel happy she is free of his obsession, this left a bitter taste for me. Which is exactly Piper’s intention of course. Dammit.
Demon's of particular taste.
Great short, it has humour, is intelligent, and cowabunga! Great stuff.
Aggressive mimicry.
This was good, a believable monster, an other-worldly set of rules to its victim entrapment and the core issues of identity at its heart.
Crones in their larval state.
Really loved this one, the idea of witches being held as prisoners for reform is just wonderful. The juxtaposition of the orange-clad prisoners and their witch selves was just fantastic – orange suit witches! Bam! And real thought went into the requirements for spells, just great storytelling. Way too short. Make this into a book, please.
The burning of the blueberries.
So this was definitely a high point. I liked the fact that Hailey refrained from stating the mc is trans, having been female and now male. I thought the story set up was good, the society believable, the MC's reactions real, and the ending how it had to be. This felt very complete. Also, the writing was very much in voice. This is the core of this book, right here, and deservedly so.
Recitation of the first feeding.
Love the idea of the court that eats. Just a great, great idea, the grandma knowing and explaining, just spellbinding. Love the a la carte joke. "And the absence of a memory can haunt, too." Is a stand-out line. This reminded me a little of Pan’s labyrinth of course, but that also made me squirm.
In summary:
It’s hard not to get philosophical with Piper’s works, and collected here, under the heading she has given them, doubly so. But even without the underlying messages inserted into each piece, I think this is a great collection and a wonderful collage of Hailey’s many voices and perspectives. This is a solid 5 stars, and time well spent.
Full disclosure: I received this book as an ARC from Seventh Terrace and Hailey Piper, but all opinions and critique views expressed are unbiased, honest, and my own.
I use the word “provocative” very carefully because it is a perfect word for Piper’s intentions.
Speaking as a novelist, short stories are a whole different creature to what I normally read. A short story must by its very nature condense a novel into an idea, to be written as precisely and concisely as possible. Piper manages that here in all of her stories in this collection, but manages to do so with a general underlining theme, reflected in the very title of the book itself, that of giving the reader a taste of the fear, horror, emotional backlash and prejudice trans and gay people live through as a part of their everyday lives.
I think it’s a universal comment for authors that you should write what you know, and Piper (to my mind and understanding of the theme) manages to tell her story through varying creatures and witches and situations in the book. I believe.
It’s magnificent. And heart-breaking.
I used the word provocative earlier, a word that best describes these stories – stories that provoke you to re-evaluate your own world view and how that world can be seen through the eyes of someone that “does not fit” a mould enforced on them by society. Each story takes themes of that general state of prejudice and highlights the affected person’s reactions. Themes run throughout the collection, that of womanhood, mistaken identity, denial of own self, birth and rebirth. It’s great feminist literature, and rightly so – White Male-dominated society has been pretty poorly led up until now. It’s way past time to embrace diversity and stop being so damn stubborn.
It would be a disservice to Hailey to go through the entire collection and say my thoughts on each piece, each has its own distinct voice, highlights and perspectives, but here are a few of my thoughts on pieces I really liked, or that made me think long and hard:
The law of conservation of death.
This is a tough one. The self-destruction of personal self in the attempt to defeat another being’s obsession with possession of your soul, is an attempt to describe denying power from someone else over your body and mind. I worry, because It reminds me of rape/abuse victims (here a murder victim), with their relentless obsession of "property", that someone can "belong" to someone else. It might also be a social commentary on marriage, the difference between "giving yourself" to someone else (property-related), and "committing yourself" to someone else (which retains the power of individual commitment and "power of choice") Regardless of my musings, I didn't feel satisfaction at the end that she had freed herself of his obsession, because she destroyed herself to do it, the exact opposite of what we need to tell victims – that they are worth more, that they need to live to rise above that false claim of property, and whilst I feel happy she is free of his obsession, this left a bitter taste for me. Which is exactly Piper’s intention of course. Dammit.
Demon's of particular taste.
Great short, it has humour, is intelligent, and cowabunga! Great stuff.
Aggressive mimicry.
This was good, a believable monster, an other-worldly set of rules to its victim entrapment and the core issues of identity at its heart.
Crones in their larval state.
Really loved this one, the idea of witches being held as prisoners for reform is just wonderful. The juxtaposition of the orange-clad prisoners and their witch selves was just fantastic – orange suit witches! Bam! And real thought went into the requirements for spells, just great storytelling. Way too short. Make this into a book, please.
The burning of the blueberries.
So this was definitely a high point. I liked the fact that Hailey refrained from stating the mc is trans, having been female and now male. I thought the story set up was good, the society believable, the MC's reactions real, and the ending how it had to be. This felt very complete. Also, the writing was very much in voice. This is the core of this book, right here, and deservedly so.
Recitation of the first feeding.
Love the idea of the court that eats. Just a great, great idea, the grandma knowing and explaining, just spellbinding. Love the a la carte joke. "And the absence of a memory can haunt, too." Is a stand-out line. This reminded me a little of Pan’s labyrinth of course, but that also made me squirm.
In summary:
It’s hard not to get philosophical with Piper’s works, and collected here, under the heading she has given them, doubly so. But even without the underlying messages inserted into each piece, I think this is a great collection and a wonderful collage of Hailey’s many voices and perspectives. This is a solid 5 stars, and time well spent.
Full disclosure: I received this book as an ARC from Seventh Terrace and Hailey Piper, but all opinions and critique views expressed are unbiased, honest, and my own.
May 10, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy in exchange for an honest review!
It was from the very first story, “Feast for Small Pieces,” that I knew Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy would be something special. Hailey Piper’s words resonated with me in a way that made me want to punch the patriarchy. Alright, alright, I feel that way every day but the point is, this short is so phenomenal and was a perfect way to get the reader excited for the rest of the collection.
Hailey Piper never fails to amaze me with her writing and range. At times, I’m in awe with the lyrical quality of her words, while other times I’m laughing out loud over a demon attached to a Skip-It (“Demons of Particular Taste”). We love a Horror Queen that can hit all of the spooky spots. Each time a story ended, I would promise myself, “just one more!” and ended up reading a little over half the collection in one-sitting. This is something very rare for me, as I’m not huge into collections. Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy is officially one of my favorite short story collections.
Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy has queer themes sprinkled throughout, and when I say sprinkled, what I really mean is that Hailey Piper threw eight cups of queer into the recipe and it’s fantastic. Loves the representation.
Top Three Favorites in Collection:
“Feast for Small Pieces”
“I’m Not a Chainsaw Kind of Girl, but…” Note, this also wins best title ever.
“Daisy”
Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy has possession, a spooky ice cream man, witchcraft, reincarnation, and more! I 10/10 recommend picking this collection up because on top of Hailey Piper’s A+++++ writing, there is seriously something for everyone. You really just can’t lose with this one.
Laurel Hightower, author of Crossroads, writes the introduction to Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy and she really sums up how I feel about Hailey Piper and her work so well. Basically, if you want to hear even more of my thoughts, just pick up Unfortunate Elements of Anatomy & read the intro, because same.
Any quotes used in review is from an early copy of Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy and may not line up with the finished copy.
Were he to write about me, it would be my fault, but the pen is in my hand today.
It was from the very first story, “Feast for Small Pieces,” that I knew Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy would be something special. Hailey Piper’s words resonated with me in a way that made me want to punch the patriarchy. Alright, alright, I feel that way every day but the point is, this short is so phenomenal and was a perfect way to get the reader excited for the rest of the collection.
Hailey Piper never fails to amaze me with her writing and range. At times, I’m in awe with the lyrical quality of her words, while other times I’m laughing out loud over a demon attached to a Skip-It (“Demons of Particular Taste”). We love a Horror Queen that can hit all of the spooky spots. Each time a story ended, I would promise myself, “just one more!” and ended up reading a little over half the collection in one-sitting. This is something very rare for me, as I’m not huge into collections. Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy is officially one of my favorite short story collections.
Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy has queer themes sprinkled throughout, and when I say sprinkled, what I really mean is that Hailey Piper threw eight cups of queer into the recipe and it’s fantastic. Loves the representation.
I’m not a chainsaw kind of girl, but her teeth sure are pretty when they catch the sunshine.
Top Three Favorites in Collection:
“Feast for Small Pieces”
“I’m Not a Chainsaw Kind of Girl, but…” Note, this also wins best title ever.
“Daisy”
Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy has possession, a spooky ice cream man, witchcraft, reincarnation, and more! I 10/10 recommend picking this collection up because on top of Hailey Piper’s A+++++ writing, there is seriously something for everyone. You really just can’t lose with this one.
Laurel Hightower, author of Crossroads, writes the introduction to Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy and she really sums up how I feel about Hailey Piper and her work so well. Basically, if you want to hear even more of my thoughts, just pick up Unfortunate Elements of Anatomy & read the intro, because same.
Any quotes used in review is from an early copy of Unfortunate Elements of my Anatomy and may not line up with the finished copy.
August 16, 2021
Yes, Twitter can be a dumpster fire. But I’ve found a supportive community there for my writing and artwork, I’ve made some fine friends from around the globe, and increasingly, I’ve discovered amazing authors new to me. Case in point, Hailey Piper. A little while back I noticed that writers I love, and members of the writing community whose opinions I trust, were all recommending her as a horror writer to watch. So I picked up The Worm and His Kings, and holy hell, they were so right. This was cosmic horror with both the cosmic and the horror on equal footing. More than that, it explored gender, love and loss with a sensitivity and compassion that never lessened the terror, but only deepened it. (You can read my review here: https://davewritesanddraws.com/2021/0...).
If The Worm and His Kings convinced me that Piper was a real talent, then her short story collection Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy puts her on the same level as the very best horror writers working today. 18 stories, and not a weak one in the bunch. They are varied as can be, but they share some common themes—each one is a dark meditation on life, death, and all the spaces in between. Piper’s stated goal on her Twitter profile is to make horror gay as fuck. She does that in many of the stories here, exploring gender and sexuality with her trademark sympathetic yet hard-nosed approach.
There is a deep sadness, a current of melancholy, that runs through this collection. Piper doesn’t hold back. She is perfectly happy to drag your heart through the wringer and leave it shredded. She has a real knack for writing damaged characters, characters who don’t belong in their worlds, or even in their own skins. She also doesn’t hold back on the more horrific elements. These stories are unnerving, disquieting, and at times truly unsettling. I felt hints of writers like Kelly Link and (the short stories of) Paul Tremblay, but Piper is her own writer, a true original.
As I said, there’s not a weak story in the bunch, but a couple of standouts for me: “Candyland”, “Seven Signs He Doesn’t Love You”, “Crones In Their Larval State”, and “Jormungandr’s Dance”. Special mention must be made of “Recitation of the First Feeding”, the longer, final story in the collection. Quite simply, it’s a tour de force—somber, aching, beautifully told, and utterly devastating. The fitting end to such a superb collection.
If you haven’t yet discovered Hailey Piper, this might be a good place to start. I guarantee you’ll come back for more.
If The Worm and His Kings convinced me that Piper was a real talent, then her short story collection Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy puts her on the same level as the very best horror writers working today. 18 stories, and not a weak one in the bunch. They are varied as can be, but they share some common themes—each one is a dark meditation on life, death, and all the spaces in between. Piper’s stated goal on her Twitter profile is to make horror gay as fuck. She does that in many of the stories here, exploring gender and sexuality with her trademark sympathetic yet hard-nosed approach.
There is a deep sadness, a current of melancholy, that runs through this collection. Piper doesn’t hold back. She is perfectly happy to drag your heart through the wringer and leave it shredded. She has a real knack for writing damaged characters, characters who don’t belong in their worlds, or even in their own skins. She also doesn’t hold back on the more horrific elements. These stories are unnerving, disquieting, and at times truly unsettling. I felt hints of writers like Kelly Link and (the short stories of) Paul Tremblay, but Piper is her own writer, a true original.
As I said, there’s not a weak story in the bunch, but a couple of standouts for me: “Candyland”, “Seven Signs He Doesn’t Love You”, “Crones In Their Larval State”, and “Jormungandr’s Dance”. Special mention must be made of “Recitation of the First Feeding”, the longer, final story in the collection. Quite simply, it’s a tour de force—somber, aching, beautifully told, and utterly devastating. The fitting end to such a superb collection.
If you haven’t yet discovered Hailey Piper, this might be a good place to start. I guarantee you’ll come back for more.
May 7, 2021
After reading and enjoying a few of Hailey’s other stories, I was excited to dig into this collection! As with most short story collections, there are always some that don’t clique as well as the others and I did find I struggled with more of these stories than I would have liked, but overall there were some real gems and I just find Hailey’s writing so haunting and beautifully poetic.
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚. “
One of my favorite stories was the last one, Recitation of the First Feeding. The twisted storyline and creepy characters made for a great read. And it is in this story we learn of the origin of the collections title.
“𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙤𝙤, 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣.”
To summarize, I think Hailey is a great writer and puts to paper some immensely creative imagery and prose. This will not be the last title of hers I pick up.
I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
“𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚. “
One of my favorite stories was the last one, Recitation of the First Feeding. The twisted storyline and creepy characters made for a great read. And it is in this story we learn of the origin of the collections title.
“𝙈𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙜𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙤𝙤, 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣.”
To summarize, I think Hailey is a great writer and puts to paper some immensely creative imagery and prose. This will not be the last title of hers I pick up.
I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
July 1, 2021
I recently read this book after having pre-ordered it and completely forgotten about it afterwards, only when I saw an advertisement for it on twitter and tried to buy it did, I realise that I’d already got it!
So I figured, this month being Pride month, and this book having lots of LGBTQ+ characters throughout, it would be a good addition to the blog. I’ve reviewed other Hailey Piper titles on the blog before throughout the year, and she’s definitely one of the most skilled authors I’ve read recently so I wanted to give her a little bit of a shout out and encourage those of you who may not have previously read her work, to maybe pick something up. So have a scoot through the blog if this one doesn’t sound like it’s for you and see if others might be.
What I love about Hailey’s characters is that they are all well fleshed out, they all have their own personalities and their own backgrounds. She has a nice range of both characters and writing skill, so I always enjoy her work.
When I picked this one up, I was unsure what to expect but I knew it was going to be well written because I’m familiar with the author. A few pages in and suddenly I was half way through the book and had shirked all responsibility for the day. I found myself promising to stop after this story, after the next story and the pages just kept turning.
Each time I thought I’d found a favourite story, the next one hooked me and I was falling in love with that one, it’s been very difficult to choose a selection of stories to talk about for that reason. I have, however, chosen some to talk about and this does not by any means suggest that I didn’t enjoy others, there’s no stories in this book that I didn’t like,0 but I just really loved these ones;
Seven Signs he Doesn’t Love You
I liked the imagery in this story, it felt like I could have been there, walking alongside the narrator as she told her tale. This is something which Piper is very good at, setting scenes and letting you walk amongst them as her stories unfold. This one is about a couple who go on holiday, but it’s not quite right, there are things amiss from the very beginning and the narrator walks us through them as she becomes more and more uneasy as the events unfold.
The Umbilical Chord
This one I enjoyed because I’ve never read anything else like it, it’s very original and once again the imagery was fantastic. Very often even with original stories you can see where the inspiration might have come from but this one definitely didn’t seem like any other book or film I’ve experienced. I very much enjoyed this one from a completely fresh perspective.
We All Scream
This story really grabbed me, I very much enjoy when short stories read like urban legends or campfire stories, it has a kind of nostalgia to it for me because being the youngest on my Mother’s side of the family (all of which live in the city I grew up in – or close to it) I spent a lot of time being told scary stories designed to frighten me. I think this is a big part of why I’m such a fan of horror now. This captured the essence of those stories and I really enjoyed the vibe of it. It also touches on an issue which I have seen raised a fair bit online over the last couple of years which is the trans bathroom question. The story opens as the main character, Shareen, is trying to go into the toilets in a shopping centre and is questioned about her use of the ladies’ room (more on this in a minute).
The Burning of the Blueberries
I think this one has to be my favourite of the book, throughout my reading experience these were all going to be picked as a favourite but each time I turned a page something else took that spot. After I finished reading this was the one which stuck the most strongly in my mind. The imagery of this story, the way it was told and the pacing of it just really worked well for me. I also like the way that the character’s feelings are brought across and we slowly learn more about him as we read.
Now, just because I’ve chosen these stories, again, doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the others. I very much did enjoy all of the stories in the book and more than that, I enjoyed the characters. There’s no joy in being stuck in the realm of characters you don’t like or don’t want to read about, and I’m pleased to say I haven’t read a single Hailey Piper book that did provide those hateful characters.
One thing I really love about Piper’s work, is the representation she includes. Given that Piper does identify as part of the LBGTQ+ it probably wouldn’t surprise you that she is very, very good at writing characters who do also, but this is a skill that others don’t quite have down yet. Piper writes people, all of her characters are woven with a kind of love and skill that not everyone can do, and her characters have real life behind them. Each of these stories has flesh and blood characters that really come into their own and that’s a really important factor in writing, at least for me. Now, I’m not saying that she only writes LGBTQ+ characters, that’s just not true at all. Piper has a broad spectrum of characters with all their own personalities, sexual appetites and more but when she writes her characters not a single one feels like a tick in a box. That’s important to me when I’m reading because box ticking is possibly the most obvious thing you can do and it can easily bring me out of a story, certainly there are very flamboyant people in the gay community just like there are very overly masculine stereotypes in the straight community but in literature too much of that comes off as “hey look I’ve got a gay character in this, aren’t I brave?”.
Bottom line? Hailey writes LGBTQ+ Characters like it’s normal, because it is. Her characters just happen to be gay, or trans etc, but they’re real people with real hobbies and likes and dislikes. They think and they feel and they’re as far from a tick in the box as you can get. This is representation done right.
So I figured, this month being Pride month, and this book having lots of LGBTQ+ characters throughout, it would be a good addition to the blog. I’ve reviewed other Hailey Piper titles on the blog before throughout the year, and she’s definitely one of the most skilled authors I’ve read recently so I wanted to give her a little bit of a shout out and encourage those of you who may not have previously read her work, to maybe pick something up. So have a scoot through the blog if this one doesn’t sound like it’s for you and see if others might be.
What I love about Hailey’s characters is that they are all well fleshed out, they all have their own personalities and their own backgrounds. She has a nice range of both characters and writing skill, so I always enjoy her work.
When I picked this one up, I was unsure what to expect but I knew it was going to be well written because I’m familiar with the author. A few pages in and suddenly I was half way through the book and had shirked all responsibility for the day. I found myself promising to stop after this story, after the next story and the pages just kept turning.
Each time I thought I’d found a favourite story, the next one hooked me and I was falling in love with that one, it’s been very difficult to choose a selection of stories to talk about for that reason. I have, however, chosen some to talk about and this does not by any means suggest that I didn’t enjoy others, there’s no stories in this book that I didn’t like,0 but I just really loved these ones;
Seven Signs he Doesn’t Love You
I liked the imagery in this story, it felt like I could have been there, walking alongside the narrator as she told her tale. This is something which Piper is very good at, setting scenes and letting you walk amongst them as her stories unfold. This one is about a couple who go on holiday, but it’s not quite right, there are things amiss from the very beginning and the narrator walks us through them as she becomes more and more uneasy as the events unfold.
The Umbilical Chord
This one I enjoyed because I’ve never read anything else like it, it’s very original and once again the imagery was fantastic. Very often even with original stories you can see where the inspiration might have come from but this one definitely didn’t seem like any other book or film I’ve experienced. I very much enjoyed this one from a completely fresh perspective.
We All Scream
This story really grabbed me, I very much enjoy when short stories read like urban legends or campfire stories, it has a kind of nostalgia to it for me because being the youngest on my Mother’s side of the family (all of which live in the city I grew up in – or close to it) I spent a lot of time being told scary stories designed to frighten me. I think this is a big part of why I’m such a fan of horror now. This captured the essence of those stories and I really enjoyed the vibe of it. It also touches on an issue which I have seen raised a fair bit online over the last couple of years which is the trans bathroom question. The story opens as the main character, Shareen, is trying to go into the toilets in a shopping centre and is questioned about her use of the ladies’ room (more on this in a minute).
The Burning of the Blueberries
I think this one has to be my favourite of the book, throughout my reading experience these were all going to be picked as a favourite but each time I turned a page something else took that spot. After I finished reading this was the one which stuck the most strongly in my mind. The imagery of this story, the way it was told and the pacing of it just really worked well for me. I also like the way that the character’s feelings are brought across and we slowly learn more about him as we read.
Now, just because I’ve chosen these stories, again, doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the others. I very much did enjoy all of the stories in the book and more than that, I enjoyed the characters. There’s no joy in being stuck in the realm of characters you don’t like or don’t want to read about, and I’m pleased to say I haven’t read a single Hailey Piper book that did provide those hateful characters.
One thing I really love about Piper’s work, is the representation she includes. Given that Piper does identify as part of the LBGTQ+ it probably wouldn’t surprise you that she is very, very good at writing characters who do also, but this is a skill that others don’t quite have down yet. Piper writes people, all of her characters are woven with a kind of love and skill that not everyone can do, and her characters have real life behind them. Each of these stories has flesh and blood characters that really come into their own and that’s a really important factor in writing, at least for me. Now, I’m not saying that she only writes LGBTQ+ characters, that’s just not true at all. Piper has a broad spectrum of characters with all their own personalities, sexual appetites and more but when she writes her characters not a single one feels like a tick in a box. That’s important to me when I’m reading because box ticking is possibly the most obvious thing you can do and it can easily bring me out of a story, certainly there are very flamboyant people in the gay community just like there are very overly masculine stereotypes in the straight community but in literature too much of that comes off as “hey look I’ve got a gay character in this, aren’t I brave?”.
Bottom line? Hailey writes LGBTQ+ Characters like it’s normal, because it is. Her characters just happen to be gay, or trans etc, but they’re real people with real hobbies and likes and dislikes. They think and they feel and they’re as far from a tick in the box as you can get. This is representation done right.
May 21, 2024
Hailey Piper's short story collection has a little bit of everything, from dark fantasy to body horror to Sci-Fi and Lovecraftian horror. The tales have a unique voice throughout that spins yarns of strange myths with even stranger gods, tapping into your worst fears and even bringing a bit of dark humor. While I often find that with collections and anthologies the better stories are frequently in the early parts of the book, I liked the writing more the deeper I went into this one. There's plenty for anyone to discover and enjoy in this book.
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