Reviews

Ghost Summer by Tananarive Due

missloren_89's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

eadrianschmitz's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Spectacularly haunting. 

joysanwhoa's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

readingescapes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

silenttardis's review against another edition

5.0

how much sadness could we possibly have with the words of a child? this short story could make us cry our eyes out... ah i did like very much

Merged review:

how much sadness could we possibly have with the words of a child? this short story could make us cry our eyes out... ah i did like very much

sydneyraereads's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

4.0

I enjoyed the thematic sections that grouped the stories together. I am very impressed with how deftly Due creeped me out. Her ability to create atmosphere is unmatched in any short stories I have ever read. I would give most of the stories 4 stars. 

“Aftermoon” was noticeably less impressive. The craft was fine but the tone didn’t fit the rest of the collection. 

“Trial Day” had a horrific scene of violence against a rescued house cat, so that was a no for me. 

aguywhopatsdogs's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

saldre's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

icanreadish's review against another edition

4.5

A strong collection of horror short stories. I loved the southern gothic-ness of it all, the sticky heat vibes. 

hb_bookworm's review against another edition

5.0

absolutely phenomenal story collection from a master storyteller. Tananarive Due's stories open a window into compelling, heartwrenching, fantastical scenarios, created with an intimate and loving familiarity with Black history, Black folklore, and universal fears and worries. The cover blurb from Nalo Hopkinson about Due's characters is so accurate - you really do come to love and care for each of her characters, and you hold your breath as they pass through these horrible situations. i normally list my favorites when i read short story collections, but all of these were standouts in their own ways. if i had to pick, i really enjoyed the Gracetown and Nayima trios - I love the way Due has callbacks and echoes of the previous stories in each successive one. this collection includes some of my favorite pandemic and zombie horror that i've ever read, and i can't wait to read more!

cws - loss, death, pandemics, and anti-Black racism haunt all of these pages, but here are some of the big potential triggers that may be helpful for readers to know about
child abuse/child sexual assault - The Lake
brief rape mention - Herd Immunity, Carriers
child death - Ghost Summer, The Knowing