As soon as I heard about this book, I was hella excited. Did I know who was going to be in it? No. Did I know if they would be actually scary? No. But I still NEEDED it. And yes I do mean Need.

Of course, as I say with all anthologies, there were some I really liked and some that I didn’t really care for. But for this one, I can honestly say there weren’t that many I wasn’t a fan of. Most of them were really good. Like the one from Justina Ireland and L.L. McKinney’s. Those were the ones I remembered from the top of my head. But the one that stood out the most was the one by Desiree S. Evans. I feel like I’m saying every author’s name lol But they really were good.

I do hate to say this, but there were some that I didn’t exactly care for. Like the one about the phone and the other about the epi pens. As someone with a peanut allergy, this wasn’t exactly fun? So I guess it’s medical horror, but like as someone with a peanut allergy, I could have used a content warning on this. My heart stopped. But I didn’t get too angry about them because it they were all short stories and i knew it wouldn’t hurt to DNF any. But I pushed through and read all of them.
The narration was also really good. I loved the different voices she made. Like I don't understand the way she was able to switch voices for all those different people in all these short stories. I loved this narration and I definitely plan on looking for some more of their work. Because this was amazing.

As soon as I saw this book was a thing, I knew there was going to be no way that I DIDN’T read this. Literally all of these authors are amazing! And with some of them, like The Skittering Thing, even their titles were creepy lol And I loved that. If you’re a horror newbie or a weenie (as described by my friend who is not a horror fan) there’s also some things in here for you. There’s something for everyone and I hope this doesn’t deter you!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC Audio Copy!

A collection of short stories that is listed as horror but I feel that most of the stories could also land in the thriller category.

My only complaint about this book is I wish the stories had been longer, it seemed just as I started to get into them they were already over, but it was still an enjoyable experience.

While I love horror as a genre, I don’t always love the stereotypical tropes that come along with the genre. I don’t love how women, people of color, and especially black women are always sidelined in horror stories (if they’re acknowledged at all). The Black Girl Survives in This One aims to upend that and place black women and girls at the center of the stories. The black girls in this anthology are powerful, tenacious, and always survive.

The Black Girl Survives in This One is such a stacked anthology. Each story is thrilling and eerie, but no two stories are alike. Because so many different writers are involved with this anthology, the horror stories come from nearly every conceivable horror subgenre. Also, the stories turn so many classic horror tropes on their head. A haunted house? It’s in the book! A cornfield? Oh, yes. A creepy theater? YEP.

While I enjoyed every story in the collection, I did have some favorites. The following were standout stories for me.

5 Stars – “Harvesters” by L.L. McKinney: The first story in the anthology and my favorite of the anthology. It involves a high school party, a handsome boy, and a creepy cornfield. L.L. McKinney has written A Blade So Black and Escaping Mr. Rochester.

5 Stars – “Black Pride” by Justina Ireland: A story about a weekend trip to a mountain cabin. Go into this one spoiler-free. It’s a wild ride! I love Justina Ireland’s Star Wars books, but I still need to read her Dread Nation duology.

4.5 Stars – “Queeniums for Greenium!” by Brittney Morris: Involves sisters, a cult-like MLM, health-obsessed women, and a black girl with severe allergies. This story was hilarious and heartfelt. I loved Brittney Morris’s writing and need to read her novel Slay ASAP.

4.5 Stars – “TMI” by Zakiya Dalila Harris: Sam, is a black scholarship student at a prestigious school mostly full of white students. After an encounter with a famous black writer who previously attended her school, Sam’s life is turned upside down.

I listened to this anthology by audiobook and I think it’s a great option. The production quality is excellent, and the narrator switches characters and sub-genres effortlessly with each short story. I highly recommend it if you enjoy audiobooks!

The Black Girl Survives in This One is a stellar collection. I recommend it for all horror readers, not just young adult readers, women, and people of color. If you pick it up or request it from your library, please try the audiobook! It’s stellar!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an arc!

This was a pretty solidly middle-of-the-road read for me when taken as an anthology, with the majority of stories being just okay with a couple that shined and a couple that were bigger flops. I think I hyped this up too much in my head and was expecting to be full on frightened and when it never happened I was bummed. Listened to most of this driving through rural Illinois at night which makes for some solid scary vibes and it still didn't help. BUT, the last story ended on a super high note, it was very good!
Overall this one just wasn't the book for me but I will absolutely be recommending it to teens!

This short story collection, written by BIPOC authors, is exactly how I like my horror reads served up.

In bite-sized pieces.

I can’t handle a whole book. My bladder can’t take it.

This assembly was fantastic. Tight, and creepy, and mostly open-ended, leaving a tonne to the imagination. The narration was also spot-on.

My only quibble is that THEY DON’T ALL SURVIVE IN THIS ONE.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this creeptastic ARC.

This horror anthology introduces us to a range of genres and Black girls to cheer for as they outsmart or outmaneuver their very creepy adversaries. The fun title could be seen as a spoiler, but in practice it makes the reading experience less stressful. Because you know she survives, you can relax and enjoy the story. The stories are smart, scary, and varied.

A YA anthology of horror stories centering Black girls who battle monsters, both human and supernatural, and who survive to the end‼️ 

Fifteen chilling and thought-provoking stories place Black girls front and center as heroes and survivors who slay monsters, battle spirits, and face down death. Prepare to be terrified and left breathless by the pieces in this anthology.

This was a top tier collection of short stories that I could barely put down. The representation was everything‼️ Each author created a unique balance of emotions and unpredictability within their stories. We get mystery, suspense, supernatural elements, folklore retellings, ancestral inheritance, generational curses, terror and fear woven together to highlight a courageous Black character in the end. With any collection there are stories that will always standout amongst the rest.

Favorite short stories:

Ghost Light
The Screamers
Queeniums from Greenium!
Black Girl Nature Group
Local Color
The Black Strings

Overall, this was an amazing collection highly recommended. The pacing was fast, it was vivid and well-written. You’ll never experience a dull moment with this one. I always felt connected to the stories and the characters. Special thanks to the author & @flatironbooks for my advanced copy.

Thank you @flatironbooks and @netgalley for the advanced copy/audio of this book

Collection of short horror stories centering Black girls who battle monsters, both human and supernatural, and who survive to the end.

The Brides of Devils Bayou written by Desiree S. Evan’s and Queeniums for Greenium written by Brittney Morris were my favorites.

I recommend this book if you like Tales from the Crypt or Black Mirror.

Sensational anthology!

Wow I got to discover so many new to me authors as well. I usually do not consider myself a horror fan but if I could get stories like these where I just felt like I was watching a fun horror show, I would read more horror!

I also love the cover and the fact that all these authors came together for this

C 8
A 7
W 8
P 8
I 8
L 7
E 8

I truly enjoyed each and every one of these short stories. Tananarive's forward was an absolutely beautiful introduction to these stories and spoke to the power of Black horror. After reading, I really found myself thinking about that breadth of these stories. Some were terrifying, others were creepy, while all of them were jaw-dropping. I found that no two stories were the same or even remotely similar. I really appreciated how each of the stories imagined horror in such an unique way. The audiobook made these even creepier. The only major critique I have is that I wished there were a few more narrators. I think it would have added to the overall production. All in all, I was so intensely pleased to find amazing horror stories where the Black girl is the final girl. My favorite stories were "The Brides of Devil's Bayou," "Welcome Back to the Cosmos," "TMI," and "Black Girl Nature Group."

This anthology of YA horror stories was really good. Each story was short and entertaining, but I did want a bit more from them. There are fifteen stories that highlight black female MCs that encounter fear, horror, and trials; some with supernatural and paranormal elements. I really enjoyed the FMCs in these stories. They were witty, resilient, and brave. The narrator was phenomenal. She embodied each character from each story. I love how she changed her tone when needed and presented the personality of each character. If you enjoy YA horror, short stories, and tough female MCs, then I highly recommend this book to you.

Wow! I really enjoyed this anthology. As with most anthologies, some stories were better than others, but overall, this was a slam dunk! So many of the stories had me wanting full-length novels to find out what happened next or to get more insight into the characters. The horror fanatic in me couldn’t be happier and I’ve already recommended this book in my Black Girl Horror group!

A great collection of YA horror stories featuring BIPOC main characters who take the lead and don't play the minor/supporting roles or get killed off first like in most classic films and books. This was a refreshing, much needed addition to the genre and great on audio! Recommended for fans of books like Dead girls walking by Sami Ellis. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This would make a perfect #spookyseason pick!

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

Cover & Title
The cover of this work is absolutely STUNNING, and the title is both fitting and effective; as a browsing reader, I was immediately drawn in. Having now read the anthology, I think the cover works so perfectly with the content of these stories and the premise of the project. The title is well presented and explained in the foreword, although it is a risk depending on the reader. Telling us that “the Black girl survives in this one” has the potential to dampen the stakes and tension building throughout a story, since we already know part of the ending. Personally, I think given the goal of this work, it fits very well and properly introduces this anthology to the reader.

Audiobook Format
I chose to read this as an audiobook, and that was 100% a correct decision. Shayna Small did an INCREDIBLE JOB throughout—I mean PHENOMENAL—and, while I’m convinced these short stories work well in every format, I think her performance elevates each one. Her cadence, accents, and voices add depth to already well-written and layered stories.

There was also some music at the very beginning & end that I appreciated; it was a small addition to the sound design that set a nice tone for the reader going in.

Foreword
Tananarive Due’s foreword serves as an excellent introduction with some history & context of the horror genre as a whole. I would definitely love to read more from her on the subject.

Overall Thoughts!
As I am now in my 20s and feel myself increasingly reaching for adult books, I have grown more intentional with my YA picks. That said, the second I read the synopsis of The Black Girl Survives in This One, I KNEW I had to read it. I am a lifelong fan of the horror genre in movies, TV shows, and books (admittedly, I haven’t read as much horror as I would like, but I’m fixing that rn okay!!), and I deeply appreciate both the classic campy fundamentals (i call these comfort horror idk if that’s real but it is to me) and the exceedingly weird often-disturbing experimental stories released every now and then.

Before I dive into my general thoughts, I will admit that I often struggle with anthologies and short stories: I have greedy tendencies, and I almost always want more😭😭 + I think this is especially likely for me with YA.

Well… that’s exactly what happened here ahaha I WANT MORE PLEASE. As I read, I could conceptualize almost every single one of these as the first chapter to an AWESOME YA horror novel, and now I can’t release that thought (as I said: greedy😅); I think I’ll try to combat it by reading through as much of these authors’ other works as I can.

I love the premise of this anthology, and I am so happy that it exists & that I read it. These authors cover a range of classic fundamental horror sub-genres and setups—cabin in the woods, haunted house, zombies, demons, ghosts, shapeshifters, and more—in short stories that center voices of Black girls and women so long excluded from final girl roles in the genre. I loved reading these stories told through their eyes.

Many did feel a bit predictable, but I think that necessarily comes with the decisions to tell readers upfront that “the Black girl survives in this one” and to focus on many classic well-loved horror frameworks. Many of these are familiar stories (or at least setups), so I think feeling familiarity and some level of predictability makes sense here. Horror fans have seen many of these premises before, but we have not necessarily seen these characters star in them or read their voices narrating them. And I don’t think they’re all meant to be new stories so much as they’re stories we should have been seeing in the spotlight all along too.

I greatly enjoyed the writing of each author throughout. There were so many different important themes and discussions raised over the course of the anthology beyond the immediate horror plots, which added depth and context to the characters and world around them. I felt emotionally connected to the protagonists; the stories and settings felt vivid, and there were many sentences that really got me.

My primary—and really only—critique is that I do wish some of these stories were longer or more fleshed out. Most of the short stories stand on their own, but there were a few that felt less complete and more like seeds for something more.

By the end of each story, I had grown invested & attached, and then it would be over 😩. And I’d want to know what happened next in that world! Basically, I wasn’t always ready to move on from a chapter when it was over, and sometimes it felt a bit jarring how quickly a story would end (at least in the audio format when you’re not watching the progress bar). I think this feeling might lessen for me if each story had more space and spent a bit longer on the ending or its consequences; often, most of the time was dedicated to the introduction of the characters, setting, dynamics, etc.—which was all well done! As I said, I was invested & happy to have the context!—but perhaps could have been balanced with a bit more time in the last scenes.

That said, I think part of this could also just be the nature of short story anthologies: the stories are by definition short. And wanting more from them is also a good sign: I didn’t want them to end!

Overall, as I said in the beginning of this section, I really enjoyed this book; it’s important and well-written, and I absolutely recommend checking it out!!

Some Favorites <3
I won’t go through with my thoughts story by story, although I know many people do with anthologies, because I am incapable of keeping things brief; instead, I would like to highlight some of my favorites from this book. As I started writing, I kept wanting to add more and more lol, so this list of favs is not exhaustive — just some highlights.

Black Pride by Justina Ireland
Inheritance by Camara Aaron
Black Girl Nature Group by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite
Queeniums for Greenium! by Brittney Morris
Local Color by Eden Royce
Foxhunt by Charlotte Nicole Davis

I’m very excited to see which stories speak to different people. It seems everyone who has read this so far has a different set of favorites, which I think is really cool and speaks to the strength of the anthology.

4⭐️

I absolutely loved the narrator for this one. They did such an amazing job with setting up the tone and characters.

I really enjoyed this anthology, it's a perfect level of suspense with some horror. Although it's low stakes, it does leave some open endings where it does leave you thinking more about it and what it's trying to tell.

It wasn't a perfect 5 stars though because of the low stakes I was never quite fully engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced listener copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I think this will be a great addition to the anthology section of our YA collection. It is a small section and horror anthologies always do well with teens. Especially around Halloween.

This book was soooooo good. I like thriller but I struggle with horror but these stories are the perfect amount of scary! I love the premise of this! I will deff purchase this to have on my bookshelf. The very first story I was mouth dropped when it ended because I wanted more! A lot of the stories made me wanted to see them played out in full stories but an amazing read!

The cover is what made me request this audiobook. The narration was excellent!

This audiobook was excellent and the short stories was great! All the stories were a little different but they were all my favorites! Seems like the audio went really quickly, which is a great thing!

I will definitely read more by this author and really enjoyed the writing on this book!

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

<b>*4.25 Stars*</b>

I liked this a lot. But I do have some trouble with anthologies, I feel like the pacing is often a bit off. I did really love some of those though. Some were so good and the whole premise of the book was excellent. I really enjoyed this book overall. Some of the stories truly stayed with me and some I've already mostly forgotten, as it often happens with anthologies.
This one was a really good one overall and I'll definitely look into these authors for more stories by them.

For starters, I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Alright, let’s get into it. The Black Girl Survives In This One is a ya horror anthology that focuses on Black girls who survive to the end of the story.

There’s a very interesting and informative forward at the beginning that I suggest everyone read/ listen to.

For decades, Black people have been the first to die in horror films. And the final girl was never Black. Black people existed as the mystic negro, a Black person with special magical powers that was there to aid the journey and survival of the white characters. Or to be sacrificed to save the white characters. No matter the shape the story took, the Black characters were never there alive at the end of the film.

I enjoyed this. Since it’s an anthology, there are some stories that are stronger or more entertaining than others. One takes place in the 70’s. One takes place in the future. All of them are creative. Sometimes the monsters are physical, real monsters. Sometimes the monster is misinformation.

Almost all of them were my favorite. I really did enjoy it. And the narrator did a really good job. I liked her take on all of the different characters.

I’ll keep this review short and sweet. Pick this up when it comes out. Do yourself the favor and get it. For me it gets 5 stars.