SICK GIRL SCREAMS, by SJ Townend review

Hello everyone, today I come to you with a slightly belated review for an anthology of short horror fiction I've been reading! Alongside horror, it's also a generous mix of science fiction, so if that sounds exciting for you, then check out SICK GIRL SCREAMS, by SJ Townend, available now!

4 stars rating! 🌕🌕🌕🌕 I really enjoyed this one!

The opening story, a short four pages in length, sets the tone for the full collection. Focusing on a scenario addressing the reader themselves, SJ Townend proposes a truly upsetting scenario of getting so involved in what you're reading that you lose yourself entirely, forgetting family, loved ones, and leaving them to an upsetting end. It's bold, and it's horrifying, but more than anything, it's effective. It's also deeply personal, and makes the book itself deeply personal for the reader by addressing them as a character in the narrative.

The second story equally introduces horrifying concepts surrounding binging/purging alongside grief, and from there I knew as a reader that I was in for a really disturbing and macabre whirlwind of stories. I was not disappointed by the quality and content of each short story within this collection!

I do think, however, the stories felt unfinished at times or were just short enough to feel underdeveloped, with stilted descriptions and phrases that felt at times mechanical or clinical, or that the collection was put together in a random order without a theme. This led to the overall collection feeling a little muddled together regarding the flow between short stories. Another thing I was surprised by was that a large portion of the stories fell further into science fiction rather than just horror, which wasn't in the marketing for this anthology. I do think it should be sold as a crossover between science fiction and horror!

Aside from those few complaints, I thought this collection was equal parts fascinating and thrilling, and several concepts that SJ Townend wrote about left me feeling particularly unsettled and uncomfortable. SJ Townend has a great way of writing stories that feel personal, and the ideas that she has regarding speculative fiction are deeply upsetting to read about and envision. Her science fiction short stories in particular left me feeling uncomfortable enough to need to take breaks between each one, and because of that, I feel like her writing is particularly effective in invoking fear, discomfort, and overall unease. I would love to see more of her science fiction works in particular, and I cannot wait to read more from her as an author.

Thank you NetGalley, SJ Townend, and Brigids Gate Press, LLC for this advanced copy!

Thanks for reading!
B.