8-24-25 — Christina Critiques

Happy Sunday, friends! I have five absolute must reads this week.

Let’s get into them.

WE ALL DIE EVENTUALLY

By: Terry Miller

Release: 9/4/23

Page count: 94

KU: No        Hoopla: No

Synopsis: A combination of nine short stories and four poems, Miller shows us the evil and oftentimes love in the inbetween.

First line: “Jed tended to the field while Margaret stood at the kitchen sink shucking corn for dinner.”

Favorite line: “Empty bottles on the floor, no one died of thirst.”

Thoughts: OK, Terry, I see you. This collection surprised me because I have only read the DEN OF THE WERERAT duology and this one was not like that. These stories speak to love, betrayal, death, loneliness, among other themes. BUT!, Terry also included poetry at the end and those are the hidden gems. I truly hope to see more like this from him in the future.

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: DUSK BUNNIES, LOVE YOU TO DEATH

Find it here: https://a.co/d/ivcC58z

EARLY REVIEW

KAYFABE

By: Madison McSweeney

Release: 9/30/25

Page count: 64

KU: TBD      Hoopla: TBD

Synopsis: A short story collection ranging from aliens and not being special to a kaiju and acceptance, ending with a tussle for the ages.

First line: “The sky was as red as the blood of a calf, just like they promised it would.”

Favorite line: “If excellence wasn’t an option, I thought I might choose disaster.”

Thoughts: This is 100% weird girl literature and I’m so here for it. One would think that the stories aren’t interconnected but then you wouldn’t see the genius of McSweeney. Each story shows the inability to realize our individuality and no story is alike. It’s as if the reader deals into McSweeney’s mind and emerge as she sees you - someone special and unique.

Rating: 6/5

Other recommendations: THE DOOM THAT CAME TO MELLONVILLE, THE FOREST DREAMS WITH TEETH

Pre-order it here: https://filthyloot.com/product/kayfabe/

EARLY REVIEW

CABIN BLACK

By: Dan Shrader

Release: 8/25/25

Page count: 158

KU: No      Hoopla: No

Synopsis: A group of friends stay in a cabin known for its supernatural past. Can the curse be broken or are they all doomed to the possible inevitable?

First line: “She woke up gasping for air.”

Favorite line: “He saw a life without regret from the shine of the ring.”

Thoughts: Well, well, well, how far Mr. Shrader has come in his writing! CABIN BLACK is not extreme or splatter but Dan’s first full literary fiction and I really hope this is where he stays as it suits his writing style. The story, pacing, characters, fear, and atmosphere all combine into one of the best stories I have read this year. A Top Ten read for 2025 no doubt.

Rating: 6/5

Other recommendations: CORPSEBOUND, THE DEVIL’S RITE

EARLY REVIEW

WE ARE ALWAYS TENDER WITH OUR DEAD

By: Eric LaRocca

Release: 9/9/25

Page count: 280

KU: TBD      Hoopla: TBD

Synopsis: A town and its inhabitants must deal with a tragedy while trying to understand each other and why it happened.

First line: “TWO BURNT SPARROW RESIDENTS DIE IN HOUSE FIRE ON SWAMPSCOTT ROAD”

Favorite line: “Things are going to end the way they’re going to end.”

Thoughts: LaRocca knows how to push boundaries, that’s for sure, and I will never not read their writing! But you know the true genius of this novel? The ambiguity of the town, “victims” and those “guilty” as well as many other themes. The Easter eggs are plentiful as well. There are ALWAYS themes in LaRocca’s stories: how we deal with grieving, the secrets we keep, who we allow to wield power, who we love, how we honor (or dishonor) the dead and that’s just the beginning of the list! Make sure to check the author’s note at the beginning because this story is not for the feint of heart.

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: AT DARK, I BECOME LOATHSOME, YOU’VE LOST A LOT OF BLOOD

Pre-order it here: https://a.co/d/cNHNu77

BOOKER LONGLIST NOMINEE

UNIVERSALITY

By: Natasha Brown

Release: 3/13/25

Page count: 176

KU: No     Hoopla: No

Synopsis: A reporter is sent a mysterious email that sets off a chain reaction of live deviations for those involved.

First line: “A gold bar is deceptively heavy.”

Favorite line: “Motivated only by fear or jealousy or, I don’t know, occasional petty hatred.”

Thoughts: Oof. Where to even start with this one. Maybe how an invitation for one doesn’t mean a whole group? Classism? Reporter integrity or deception? Throw away culture? How others, those who have wronged us, make us look to outsiders? The monetization of other’s downfalls? Add to all of that, the commentary, absolutely unreliable characters, and one has the recipe for a brilliant literary read. Absolutely stellar and soul-crushing at the same time.

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: ASSEMBLY

Find it here: https://a.co/d/iWo5MTV