This is such a fun book filled with magical stories that can be passed down from generation to generation.

I loved the variety that this anthology offered. Whether you prefer ghosts or monsters, there is truly something for everyone in this book.

And the artwork?! The artwork was such a fun addition and really enhanced each story.

I have high school-aged nieces and I think they will adore these stories and I can’t wait to share it with them!

I absolutely love Latinx horror and these 15 stories were fantastic. Each centered around folklore but also social commentary on violence against women, the disappearance of people during Uruguay’s political uprising, and first gen kids trying to do their parents proud but also carve their own path. So relatable.

Our Shadows Have Claws edited by Yamile Saied Mendez and Amparo Ortix, illustrated by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz. Workman Publsihin & Algonquin, 2022.
Thank you Algonquin for providing an e-book copy through NetGalley.

Rating: 1-5 (5 being a starred review) 4.5
Format: E-Book
Genre: Teen Horror

Synopsis Looking for more stories of creatures that go bump in the night? Want to hear dangerous tales of legendary worldly monsters other than the typical vampire, werewolf, or ghost story? How about monsters from Latin-American folklore and mythology? Get ready to read fifteen tales from YA Latine authors about monsters from their culture.
You will meet creatures both grotesque and benign, mysterious and sinister in these wonderful tales. A lougarou - a Creole shapeshifter that eats those in empty subway cars; Los desmembrados - decapitated zombies that roam Route 116; the Namawak - warrior were-panthers from Costa Rica sworn to protect their indigeous land from oil companies; the virgo de la bolsa - an Uruguay spirit that steals unwanted children from their sleeping beds; Powerful brujas, vicious wolf-gods, ghost-witches, and more will pop out of the pages, leaving readers to marvel in their mysterious presence or shake in chilly fear. Travel across South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and the United States as you will read about these wonderful and terrible monsters that still haunt in the depths of night to this day. Not only that, but you will read stories featuring Latine oppression, empowerment, grief, and hope as both humans and monsters learn to press on through their challenging lives. Our Shadows Have Claws is a fantastical anthology of folkloric beasts, legendary creatures, and Latine heroes/villians telling their own stories.
Contributing authors: Chentel Acevedo, Courtney Alameda, Julia Alvarez, Ann Davila Cardinal, M. Garcia Peña, Racquel Marie, Gabriela Martins, Yamile Saied Mendez, Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite, Claribel A. Ortega, Amparo Ortiz, Lilliam Rivera, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Ari Tison, and Alexandra Villasante.
What I Liked: Everything! I love folklore, I love monsters/beasts, and I love learning about both from different BIPOC cultures. The anthology is a good mix of monster showcasing & horror while also touching upon real elements from Latine life & culture, such as companies stealing indigenous land, death of a loved one, feeling like “Other” in a western country, and standing up for yourself. It brings the monsters to a more grounded reality, thus making them, the heroes, and the world around them narratively cohesive.

What I Didn’t Like: Nothing. I gave it a 4.5 because different authors have different styles, some of which I like and some of which I don’t.

Personal bias: I love horror and monsters, especially during the Halloween season

Who Would I Recommend This To: High school students and teenagers who like short stories, fantasy/horror, creatures and beasts, stories based on folklore, or want to read some fantasy based on Latine culture Man Made Monsters by Andrea Rodgers, The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror edit by Tori Bovalino, and Through the Woods by Emily Carroll are all YA horror short stories that draw upon folklore, cultural legends, and horror traditions, ranging from Native American (Man Made Monsters) to classic fairy tales (Through the Woods).

Review Date: October 31, 2022

Review Site: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/.
Submitted Oct. 31, 2022. Will update when review is posted.

What a beautiful collection of stories from the diaspora! I'm in love with the way each author weaves their heritage, culture, family dynamic, and even latinx mythology into each story. as an unabashed monster lover, i gotta say this takes the cake in genre fare. what could be better than 15 unique takes on latin and latin-american mythology, cryptozoology, legends and lore. I recognized quite a few creatures in here from tales spun by my pals in childhood, too!!!

Thank you to Algonquin YR for gifting me a physical copy and Hachette Audio for the audiobook.

This book is literally perfect. The concept, the cover, the Latinx authors and the stories. I’ve recently been getting into anthologies and this is my favorite so far.

As a Latina who grew up with Mexican parents, I heard my fair share of spooky stories. La llorona, el cucuy, I had nightmares constantly 😅
So many of these were new to me and I can tell you some nights I couldn’t sleep after reading! I did mini reviews for each story since there’s a few.

The Nightingale and the Lark - Chantel Acevedo
I really enjoyed this story about a girl who comes from a family of hunters. I got Twilight vibes from the story, the werewolf and vampires having a treaty.
Overall this was a great story, very sad! Wish I could get more.

Dónde Está el Duende? - Jenny Torres Sánchez
Wow. This one was incredible! It needs to be a whole book. I have so many questions about El Duende. Such a great little story.

El Viejo de la Bolsa - Alexandra Villasante
I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. I found the story to be confusing. The ending threw me off and I’m still trying to figure it out.

Beware the Empty Subway Car - Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
I didn’t love this one sadly. I found it somewhat confusing.

Dismembered- Ann Davila Cardinal
This was short and sweet. Not exactly what I was expecting in a horror anthology. Good for people that don’t like spooky things.

Blood Kin - Ari Tison
This needs to be a full book asap. I found this one to be so relevant and heartbreaking. I wouldn’t say this one is horror but it’s scary in a different way.

La Boca del Lobo -
This one was good but I felt like I’m missing something. Maybe there just wasn’t enough details for me.

Bloodstained Hands Like Yours - Gabriela Martins
I really enjoyed the writing on this one. Also the sapphic romance was my favorite!

The Boy from Hell - Amparo Ortiz
I love that it deals with racism. It had so much action the entire time! I wish we could get a full story. So good.

La Patasola - Racquel Marie
Is there anything better than horror set while camping? I don’t think so. This one was scary as hell. The descriptions of La Patasola had me so paranoid. Don’t read it at night 😅

The Other Side of the Mountains- Claribel A Ortega
This one confused me but maybe it’s just me! I was still scared reading it though. I just got lost somewhere.

La Madrina - Yamile Saied Méndez
Absolutely beautiful from start to finish.
I love the idea of Death being a motherly woman. Definitely my favorite.

Sugary Deaths - Lilliam Rivera
Wow. The way this story went in to the topic of disgusting creepy man was amazing. The character Pinky was amazing! She was such a strong and brave girl. I need a full book of her asap.

Leave No Tracks - Julia Alvarez
This one made me so sad! Such a gorgeous story. This would make a wonderful movie! I wouldn’t say this is scary though.

The Hour of the Wolf - Courtney Alameda
This had me on the edge of my seat! It was so good. Respecting other cultures is so important and I love that this story goes into that.

Overall I really loved this whole book! I used all formats for this one and I’m glad. The audiobook was extra special so I recommend that if you enjoy audiobooks.

There are stories in this book that touch on colorism, colonialism, sexism, cultural pride, and coming of age! If you’re looking for spooky and chilling stories with a Latinx monster flare and a variety of writing styles and storylines, this is for you. If you’re looking for a gift for a teen (or adult) in your life that likes horror and doesn’t know where to start, I’d also recommend gifting them this.

Favourite stories
The Nightingale and the Lark by Chantel Acevedo
Dismembered by Ann Davila Cardinal
Blood-Stained Hands Like Yours by Gabriela Martins
La Patasola by Racquel Marie
The Other Side of the Mountain by Claribel A Ortega
La Madrina by Yamile Saied Mendez
Sugar Deaths by Lilliam Rivera
Leave No Tracks by Julia Alvarez

These were great spooky stories written by Latina women! I haven't read many Latinx horror and know so little of their mythology, but I'm so glad that I got the chance to read these. Out of the 15 horror stories, I highlighted 8 of them! There were only couple where I wasn't fond of, but they weren't bad by any means.

Every one was atmospheric and felt like a love letter to Latinx culture. We got such a wide range of influences, monsters and morals and there are a number of authors I want to read more from.

I'm not an anthology person and I tend to give around 3 stars, not being blown away by many. But I can definitely say I loved this one and will be recommending to many, especially this time of year.

Short story anthologies by different authors are always hard to review. I was really excited about these stories as someone interested in monsters and myths, especially since these are from my own culture &/or cultures similar to mine. I wish there had been more of a focus on the lore rather than creating a story around the beasts. I was hoping there would be lore mixed throughout each story like when reading stories about Yokai but this collection left me wanting more. Definitely not bad but it had a lot of potential that wasn't reached in my opinion. Definitely gonna check out the authors of the stories that stuck with me tho! I loved the illustrations.

The Nightingale and the Lark - This one stuck with me
Donde esta el duende - Interested in the creature but this story felt unfinished
El Viejo de la bolsa - this also felt unfinished/rushed
Beware the Empty Subway Car- I liked this one but I think it needed to be longer, the sisters were doing a lot with a little page count.
Dismembered - I liked this one and its ending felt clean and appropriate
Blood Kin
La Boca del Lobo
Blood stained hands like yours
The boy from hell
La patasola - a lot of people liked this one when I was reading reviews but this seemed like one of the weakest stories to me personally.
The other side of the mountains
La Madrina - I liked this one
Sugary deaths
Leave no tracks
The hour of the Wolf

This is one of the more solid YA anthologies I've read this year. The stories on a whole we're done quite well and only a few weren't hits for me. I really loved reading and learning about all the different Latine monsters, myths, and legends that were included in this book. Also, the art was a delight!

Perfect for spooky season!

Like most short story collections, this one has some stories that are much more enjoyable that others. The book starts with a whimper, but there are many tales of interest as you read on. I particularly enjoyed the very last story of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

{3.5 stars}

Did you like reading Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark as a kid? Well now imagine that with a Latin flair… Our Shadows have Claws has a little bit of everything for the light horror fan. Nothing is overly gruesome but instead creepy fun. This collection of stories takes us through some mainstream monster standards like vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts and gargoyles but also gives us some wholly culturally rich beasties too. There’s a fun monster Romeo and Juliet retelling, some found magical family stories and gratifying revenge tales. There’s a little something for everyone in this book and you’ll definitely be left wanting more!

Thanks to Algonquin Books for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

I am a school librarian and love to read during my lunch break. I usually pick books of short stories because I can read one or two and then put the book aside until the next day. "Our Shadows Have Claws" made it impossible to follow my usual formula. I made it a day and a half before I caved and absolutely devoured the rest of the stories. It was impossible to dole them out as a treat! Instead, I had to gorge myself on the imagery, the folklore, and the monsters hiding behind each story. I can confidently say this is the best collection of short stories I have ever read. I have already book-talked it to several classes of students and have a waitlist so long that I'm planning on ordering 5 copies for our library. "Our Shadows Have Claws" is nothing short of a masterpiece and readers will be hooked from page one.

What worked: I'm a huge fan of short story anthologies, including ones that include Latinx monster tales. This anthology is a collection of fifteen shorts that are filled with stories of vampires, werewolves, zombies, and much more!

Here are a few of my favorites:

SUGARY DEATHS by Lilliam Rivera A girl's hidden strength takes off guard those who take advantage of local girls.

THE NIGHINGALE AND THE LARK by Chantel Acevedo. A Latinx paranormal twist on Romeo and Juliet only, in this case, the real monsters might be closer than you think.

DONDE ESTA EL DUENDE? by Jenny Torres Sanchez where a visitor unleashes a monster who feeds on memories.

DISMEMBERED by Ann Davila Cardinal. A grieving girl's grandmother's final gift comes literally from the grave.

THE BOY FROM HELL by Amparo Ortiz. Sometimes the real vamp isn't who you might think it is.

There's other tales that bring Latinx paranormal urban legends to life. A boy finds out the hard way that maybe he should have listened to his mother's warnings. A girl's trip back to her mother's native home reveals much about not only herself but her mother's deep depression.

Each story has an illustration that gives readers a glimpse of the horror in each tale.

Creepy, haunting collection of Latin American monster tales that are sure to stay with the reader. Highly recommended for those who love paranormal horror short stories with diversity.

These stories are fabulous!! Rarely do I read anthologies where i enjoy every single story just because a lot of the time anthologies lack cohesion, but I really enjoyed the vast majority of the stories in this anthology which was fantastic. Will definitely be recommending to my audience.

This was a really good anthology. I really enjoyed all of the stories in this collection. I learned a lot about culture and folklore i had no idea about as well which was great. This book is perfect for spooky season as well as Hispanic Heritage Month.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an EARC of this book!

5 STARS!!! <3

This book had it all, from deep and heartfelt stories that made me feel everything, to dark and creepy stories that had me actually scared late at night after reading them. It was dark, intense, and REAL. The latine culture was everywhere and you could feel it all around you like a warm hug! I made mini reviews for each story since each one was so different.

The Nightingale and the Lark: IMMACULATE, AMAZING, I WOULD READ AN ENTIRE BOOK BASED ON IT! W O W a romeo & juliet retelling but switch genders and add latines myths and tons of monsters and WOWWW incredible i felt all the emotions!!!

¿Dónde está el Duende?: actually creepy and scary, it had me on edge and was so well developed!! i genuinely thought i’d have nightmares about it.

El Viejo de la Bolsa: a little weaker than the first 2, and felt more rushed and less contextualized, but loved reading it since in chile we have a the same myth of the same monster just with a slightly different name (el viejo del saco).

Beware the empty subway cart: hated the pov it was written in, was confusing at times. Would've liked more context and development.

Dismembered: a little creepy but more heartfelt, all around gave me closure and was incredibly well done and thought out, i loved it.

Blood Kin: this was BEAUTIFUL, POWERFUL, IMPORTANT and so so relevant yet also heartbreaking. i loved every single thing about it but the ending was sad yet also right but i wish it wouldn’t have been so. it is more than just a story since it’s REAL and it happens and it shows how colonialism is alive and well. literally SO IMPORTANT EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS.

La Boca del Lobo: i feel like this one has a deeper meaning that i might’ve missed, it was intriguing and beautiful but too poetic and deep for me to fully get it.

Blood-stained hands like yours: there’s something about Gabriela Martin’s writing that is just so easy to read and so engaging. also SAPPHIC STORY YES PLS WE LOVE TO SEE IT AHHH!!! this was really well developed imo and tho short, it was engaging and never once confusing or stopped making sense.

The Boy from Hell: this story was SO GOOD??? okay so it deals with racism which is so important to highlight since latine communities are still incredibly colorist and racist, BUT ALSO I NEED THIS TO BE A FULL BOOOK??? ITS SO GOOD? Yeah i loved every single thing about this.

La Patasola: Racquel is definitely one of my fave authors, she just has a way of capturing your attention and not letting go. this story was SO DEEP and wow, intense as well, but not gonna lie, i was glad with what went down and i was expecting it to lol, i dont even feel bad about it. literally ICONIC.

The other side of the mountain: okay this was confusing but also WHAT ???? WHAT WAS THAT ??? HELLO PLS EXPLAIN I ???? that is terrifying af as well 😭

La Madrina: this was confusing at first but in the end it was so so beautiful? it was definitely heart warming and soothing and a PLEASURE to read 🥹

Sugary Deaths: woah this story was truly EVERYTHING!! it handled the topic of creep men creeping on younger girls so well AND PINKY AS A MAIN CHARACTER WAS EVERYTHING OMG I LOVE HER TO DEATH AND WOULD READ AN ENTIRE BOOK ABOUT HER AHHH.

Leave no tracks: this one was sad but also beautiful! i loved the message and the feelings of not belonging which i can relate to! i wish it could’ve been longer.

The hour of the wolf: reading this in the middle of the night was NOT my brightest idea since this was SCARY and omg maybe i’ll even have nightmares tonight, but i loved the talks about respecting other cultures and beliefs!

Overall, i HIGHLY recommend this book for literally everyone!

A spellbinding and spectacular collection of short stories put together from a wide range of incredible writers.

This collection is FANTASTIC! We already have it at my library and it's been so incredible to watch how these stories individually and as a unit resonate with teens and young people. I thought this collection was beautifully compiled and though the stories are all connectable to their various authors, the book really works as a whole which is quite a feat!

I am generally not a short story person but all of the things happening in this book grabbed my attention so I decided to give it a chance and I am REALLY glad that I did.

I'm a bit partial to this anthology for obvious reasons, but I thoroughly enjoyed my fellow author's takes on Latin American monster tales.

I'd love to get extended novels on so many of these stories including Alexandra Villasante's, Amparo Ortiz's, and Maika and Maritza Moulite's tales!