A review by reading_under_covers
Stay on the Line by Clay McLeod Chapman

4.5

After a small coastal town is devastated by a hurricane, the survivors gravitate toward a long out-of-service payphone in hopes of talking out their grief and saying goodbye to loved ones, only for it to begin ringing on its own.

STAY ON THE LINE by Clay McLeod Chapman is nothing short of beautiful.

This novelette comes in at 80 pages and packs quite the punch in such a short amount of time and space. I tend to really feel a pull towards horror that deals with grief and that is such a major theme in this one (& done so well and in such a thought-provoking manner)! ALSO, THE PAYPHONE!! Such an iconic element on its own.

I feel like I can’t say much more without throwing the entire story out there, but I highly recommend picking this one up!

✨reach out and touch someone ✨

Huge thanks to Shortwave Media for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: July 30