I love reading anthologies, short story, and poem collections. I believe they all bring something to the table, but at usually hard to rate as a whole. Overall I enjoyed everything I read in this one.

I read this book when it originally came out in 2020, but I felt I needed to reread it. The stories in this anthology are wonderfully written. Horror is a favorite genre many people are talking about now. I think this book should be included when speaking of great anthologies by great women.

A fine Collection of short Horror stories written by Female horror authors. There were few stories that were great and few left a lot to be desired.

1) 24 Hour Diner - It was fine, did not have that tone that was required to take the situation seriously. The writing did not inspire any tension in me - 2.5/5

2) Side Show - Quite a sideshow indeed...not sure I am mad at the results.
Liked it better than the first one, not quite what I was expecting but I liked this one, was pleasantly surprised - 3.5/5

3) The Doll's House - It was fine...I really liked the writing and the creepy spookiness, but felt little anticlimactic - 2.5/5

4) Blood - It felt so incomplete...do not have any positive thoughts on this, felt like we needed more development on things for clarity...even being the shortest it was boring , only thing I liked about this was the writing, nothing else - 1.5/5

5) Self Portrait with Pears - Hated Adam with passion with his stalkerish and creepy behaviour. Liked that it was from the stalker's perspective who did not have any clue how snobbish and stalkerish he came across...Would have loved to know an extended version of this and seeing him getting what he really deserved (i.e nothing good) - 3/5

6) Personal Demons- Little disappointing...the writing was choppy, and pacing was weird...the direction it went into and the message it conveyed was bizarre and did not sit well with me...but it was readable unlike the fourth story 'blood' - 2/5

7) Friends with Benefits - The title did not explain the story at all ..Was not a big fan of writing and the story was not at all explanatory...would have worked better with some explanation and pages. I did not understand what happened at the end, someone need to explain it to me - 1.5/5

8) Night Terrors - I liked it a lot...it was an interesting concept, the secret behind Ana's surgery and people around her. It was creepy and executed very well - 4/5

9) The Girl who never stopped bleeding - That was super short...it was well written...but the idea behind the periods and stigma just did not sit well with me...Maybe it was a satire, but I did not get it from the story. It can be personal issue but I did not like it - 2/5

10) Leda and the Fly - Liked this one a lot...The concept was interesting and how Marnie covered everything with the Leda's background and coming to the actual conclusion...I liked that creepy ending a lot - 4/5

11) Jenny's Bobo - This one could have been better if it was longer...Felt quite incomplete, otherwise really liked the concept - 3/5

12) Extinguishing Fireflies - It definitely started out innocently and I was thinking about the horror aspect of the book...after which came that ending and surprised the hell out of me - 3/5

13) The Eyes of the Dead - It was the goriest of all the stories I have read so far in the book and the violent nature of it really required the trigger warning it had ( rape, necrophilia, violent graphic scenes) As a gore fan it was chilling and disturbing and everything I usually like, but the subject matter and the graphic rape scene always make me question the disturbing factor of any horror content , so it will be a 3/5... well written for sure!

14) My Mirror Wife - It was fine...nothing special- 2/5

15) Patterns of Faerytales - I liked this one...it was not super creepy but I liked the concept - 3.5/5

16) Campfire Tales : the bloody rings - A lot on the shorter side, its a tale about a Carpenter's daughter and her forced marriage to Cassidy Day...I liked this a lot and kind of satisfactory ending - 4/5

17) Cracked - This one was good...Liked it, Very Creepy and spooky and Really liked the concept...Creepy doll story is nothing new but I liked this format a lot...would not mind a longer book on the same. - 4.5/5

18) Angel of Death - I liked the concept for this one...the twist at the end...it was mixed with fantasy and sci fi - 3/5

19) Her Garden Grows - I did not get most of it...but it was not bad.. just wished it was more accessible...so many things left for interpretation- 2.5/5

20) Revival - It was sad and little confusing...not sure what happened at the ending exactly but I enjoyed the overall story - 3.5/5

21) A song only she can hear - It was good but a little short...what started as a love story soon turned very dark - 4/5

22) Tribal Influence - Well written and emotional but not a horror...it was more thriller SciFi with gore- 3/5

Overall, pretty much mixed feelings, as often is the case with anthologies. This was definitely one of the better ones and will not mind go back to few of my favourites for sure!

I need to accept that anthologies just aren't for me. I found this one particularly disappointing. I pushed on to finish all the stories but none of the stories really grabbed me.

I was really excited about this horror anthology written entirely by women but I was a bit disappointed.

Like most anthologies the Women in Horror Anthology was a mixed bag. I loved some of the stories and some were just okay. I will say that I didn't have a problem with any of the writing, all these women can write. It was just some stories weren't my cup of tea. Overall, there was a nice variety and I enjoyed my time with this anthology.

3 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Female authors. Horror. Short Stories. Sign me up.

I love the concept of strong female leads in a horror setting. Many horror novels have the females as the victims. Some of these stories were atmospheric and well written.

I think a short story collection is always hard for me to give a five star as there’s many different authors and stories. For me I feel like this had too many. Some stories seemed pretty basic and didn’t add anything.

I gave a lot of the stories in here a try, but it just really wasn't my sort of thing. I don't want to say any of it was bad (as the writing is quite gorgeous by a number of the authors), but I just think that the horror genre isn't the kind of writing & narrative arcing that makes me happiest to read.

I love horror and I love anthologies of female authors. Some of these stories were really strong and some were run-of-the-mill. Overall, I think it was an enjoyable, entertaining collection that showed a lot of promise and shined on female horror writers in a positive light. Some of the fantastic standouts for me were "“Patterns of Faerytales” by Azzurra Nox that included selkie mythology and “A Song Only She Can Hear” by Wondra Vanian which is on the surface about mermaids.

I got this book from NetGalley for an honest review. Now, this is an anthology book and these are always middle of the road for me, and this one no different. I found for a bunch of short stories it took me a long time to read I started this book back in January and finished it on Halloween ten months Now I was reading other things as well so I was reading a story here and there, but I also found my self not wanting to read this. my mind kept getting pull in by other books. Now I didn't hate any of the stories I did find some to be lacking something to draw me in so they felt longer than they were. Now the ideas behind the stories I loved that all had a twist some I saw coming others not so much, but it is an interesting collection of story and if you like horror it got that vibe, but i won't say it'll keep you up at night. With that said I say this book is a three star for me, but give it a shot and see for yourself

i really enjoyed the anthology, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading each story. I'd look forward to reading more anthologies from them.

I am new to anthologies, and I'm not sure how you're supposed to rate them. Each story was different. I loved some and others I didn't really like all that much. As an avid reader of horrors, I hate to admit that these weren't very scary. Sure, several of them had some creepy elements, but I prefer horrors that make me want to turn the lights on at night. I did like the variety in sub-genres, however. There was something in here for everyone. Overall, I enjoyed the book as a whole, and would pick up more works by this author in the future.

I was excited to read this - I love short stories, I love horror, and I particularly love short horror by women! Unfortunately it was a bit of a disappointment. The stories felt amateurish and many didn’t seem to have proper endings - just as they were amping up, they just... stopped. Also there are typos in the author bios which is never a great sign. A lot of potential, but it was all a bit clunky and unprofessional.

3 Stars ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

This anthology was definitely a mixed bag of good and weird stories. Their were some stories that I struggled through but there were a couple of standouts. Definitely the editor’s tale about merfolk, was a good length and packed a punch. One of the first few stories; if not the first; was about a guy stalking a girl which ended in a hilarious way. A girl transforming into something her mother was, two girls on a chicken farm and an all powerful immigrant destroying the government. I did enjoy most of the reading experience and read from all new to me authors.

Women in Horror Anthology by Azzurra Nox was a really dark, gritty and yet fun look into women in the horror genre. Definitely recommended

I really enjoyed this anthology! It was so dark and creepy and strange and almost every story was just wow. 'Self Portrait with Pears' was one of the stories that really stuck with me for a long time after I finished the book. It was so disturbing because it portrayed such a realistic situation that numerous women have sadly experienced. I really loved the creepiness of all the stories and I just blew through this book. The writing styles were great and I thought the interviews of each authour were interesting to read. I highly recommend this book because it just blew me away.

STRANGE GIRLS - WOMEN IN HORROR ANTHOLOGY
Edited by Azzurra Nox

A few of my favorites:


‘24 Hour Diner’ by Charlotte Platt

‘Sideshow’ by Jude Reid

‘The Doll’s House’ by Alyson Faye - Loved It!

‘Personal Demons’ by Angelique Fawns

‘Night Terrors’ by Angela Sylvaine - Loved It!


‘Jenny’s BoBo’ by Hillary Lyon - Loved It!

‘Extinguishing Fireflies’ by Rebecca Rowland - Loved It!

‘My Mirror Wife’ by Ash Tudor

‘Cracked’ by Regan Moore

‘Angel Of Death’ by Phoebe Jane Johnson

‘A Song Only She Can Hear’ by Wondra Vanian

‘Tribal Influence’ by Erica Ruhe

Thank you, NetGalley and Twisted Wing Productions Publishing, for loaning me an eBook of STRANGE GIRLS - WOMEN IN HORROR ANTHOLOGY in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy!

Did not finish - I could not connect with the stories so I decided to put it down.

I really enjoyed this anthology, which I don't read a lot of. There were some stories that I really liked and some that I didn't care for but overall I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a good, feminist, horror anthology to dig into.

24 Hour Diner by Charlotte Platt, 3 stars: Fairly strong idea; I enjoyed the twist and gotta love a strong independent woman. But the dialogue was very forced.

Sideshow by Jude Reid, 4 stars: A dark and unsettling story about revenge. Good commentary on rape culture inside relationships.

The Doll’s House by Alyson Faye, 5 stars: This was really eerie and probably my favourite story. It was very enjoyable and well written. I would happily read a full-length novel like this.

Blood by Claire Hamilton Russell, 2 stars: This was a bit too out-there for my liking and it felt like it went on for ages, and not in a good way.

Self-Portrait with Pears by Rachel Bolton, 3 stars: Bit creepy, kinda unnerving.

Personal Demons by Angelique Fawns, 3 stars: This made me feel really weird which I guess is the point, but the writing was meh.

Friends with Benefits by EF Schraeder, 2 stars: Would have given this 1 star but I felt bad because there wasn’t anything bad about it.

Night Terrors by Angela Sylvaine, 1 star: I just didn’t really gel with this one at all so 1 star it is

The Girl Wh Never Stopped Bleeding by Sam Lauren, 1 star: A bit too religious for my liking; I didn’t connect with any of the story.

Leda and the Fly by Marnie Azzarelli, 5 stars: Probably my second favourite after The Dollhouse. Very weird.

Jenny’s Bobo by Hillary Lyon, 3 stars: This one seemed kinda unfinished almost... I wanted more but it didn’t give me enough.

Extinguishing Fireflies by Rebecca Rowland, 3 stars: Unnerving story about a kitten and I liked it but didn’t think it was anything amazing.

The Eyes of the Dead by Danielle R Bailey, 2 stars: This was kinda rough to read and I didn’t particularly enjoy it.

My Mirror Wife by Ash Tudor, 3 stars: This was kinda just fine for me, I enjoyed the idea but I’m not sure the execution was all there.

Patterns of Faerytales by Azzurra Nox, 4 stars: I’m glad I enjoyed the story written by the person who collected this anthology.

Campfire Tales: The Bloody Rings by Emma Johnson-Rivard, 4 stars: This was weird and creepy and I liked it quite a lot.

Cracked by Regan Moore, 5 stars: Maybe I just like stories surrounding creepy supernatural dolls?

Angel of Death by Phoebe Jane Johnson, 2 stars: Left a bad taste in my mouth and not in the way that horror should

Her Garden Grows by Maxine Kollar, 2 stars: I didn’t particularly gain anything from this story but it wasn’t bad per se.

Revival by Madison Estes, 5 stars: Ooh this was weird and wonderful – very entertaining.

A Song Only She Can Hear by Wondra Vanian, 4 stars: This was a really strong story, I enjoyed it a lot. Loved the characters and atmosphere.

Tribal Influence by Erica Ruhe, 1 star: Such a disappointing end to the anthology – I would have loved for one of my favourites to finish it so it ended on a high note.

Average Rating: 2.86 stars