I picked this arc up because I love a good short story collection, but I found that I felt nothing except boredom while reading this. While the writing was fine, the plots of the stories fell flat. While I love the no plot vibes in full-length books, the lack of real plot in these stories left me unsatisfied and completely indifferent.

Mystery Lights is a tight short story collection that will definitely appeal to that demographic of readers who live for the disconcerting, the anxious, and the weird (me!).

The collection was very even. Not one story stood out as better or worse than the rest. I liked that they all felt connected—sometimes literally, but all times atmospherically—which always helps a short story collection feel cohesive and intentional.

That said, most of the stories tried to integrate real human experiences and emotions within these supernatural or dark situations, but it felt like neither side was fleshed out quite satisfactorily. For example, there’s a story about mutant radioactive underground human monsters, while also being about the tense relationship between two young sisters, but the story ends up not saying much about either in the end. I think a little more depth, or stronger conclusions, would have helped immensely.

(To calculate into rating: negative one million stars for hating on The Haunting of Hill House, the greatest novel of all time, out of nowhere.)

This collection is haunting without being disturbing, which makes it easy to recommend.

Thank You Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Lena Valencia where I was granted access to the audio, narrated by Jess Nahikian. I enjoy tandem reading, and this is the most ideal way to absorb a book so it is always nice when the narrator has a nice voice that you can hear and understand. This book started out with a bang that you questioned what you just read but also enjoyed it in some weird way. It was a great collection of short stories that stay with you. My favorites were Dogs, You Can Never Be too Sure, Trogloxene, The Reclamation, and Reaper Ranch. In fact, I think I will never forget how I felt reading dogs and when I finished it. My heart was racing so hard. Loved it! Release 8/6/24

Thank you to Tin House Books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC. I genuinely enjoyed the separate, slightly interconnected stories of this book. I think it was pretty thought provoking and I liked the element of real life horror in each story. Between both the supernatural element and the human experiences, I felt like the author captured the mood of the Southwest. I do wish certain stories were longer and that we got a little more explanation on some stories. I will definitely be thinking of this one for some time.

A well-written collection of strange short stories that take place in the southwestern desert-- where the mundane meets the fantastic.
Some of the stories are stronger than others, as expected, though all are from the perspective of women, and involve a variety of "women's issues/friendships," often with supernatural/celestial elements woven in.

A promising debut, but I hoped some stories would end with more of a bang than a fizzle after promising setups.

Recommended for fans of The Twilight Zone.

It's been a while since I read a collection of short stories but I was immediately intrigued by the summary Lena Valencia's Mystery Lights. With any collections, there are inherently stories that are weaker than others, but overall, I enjoyed all of them.

They all felt like a love letter to the Southwest, highlighting the beauty, awe, and fear that exists. Personally, the stories later in the collection were the stronger ones for me, but I did enjoy most of them.

While I understand these are all short stories, I did wish for *more* in some of the stories—not even just length but a little more depth, a little more something.

I think the most appropriate rating is a 3.5 for me, but I did round up.

I think my overall lukewarm feelings on this short story collection stem more from my personal taste with short fiction - in that I like my short fiction strange and unusual, with a touch of the weird and supernatural - than anything in particular with the craft of any of these stories. because the writing itself is simplicity at its finest, where every word has a place and no extra trimmings are needed. and on paper, "stories about women and girls at the crossroads of mundane daily life and existential dread as they navigate dangers both supernatural and existential" should be enough to compel me, but I think some of the strangeness that I was promised was not delivered on, which ultimately lends to many of the stories not quite reaching the emotional catharsis or climax that I expected.

in the end, the stories that lean into the territory of being more strange and weird, and bordering more closely to the edge where urban myth becomes reality rather than just remaining firmly in "just another tall tale", were much stronger narratives to me.

the standouts of this collection are trogloxene (you lose your younger sister to the caves, but she comes back Different) and clean hunters (you are staying in a haunted inn on a honeymoon with your husband who you met because you both are into spirit hunting). honorable mentions go out to reaper ranch (you are in a senior home, coping with loss and the death that surrounds you), the reclamation (you are on a leadership business retreat that starts slowly feeling more like a cult) and bright lights, big deal (you are living in nyc, broke and trying to make it big and doing it in the worst way possible).

Lena Valencia has written a short story collection that explores what it is to be human. All stories are set in the desert of the Southwest, all of the women and girls try to navigate both the supernatural and the existential.

The prose is liquid, like poetry. It's flows across the page, like the water that the desert is missing. Everything leaves a trace, everything haunts you afterwards.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! THANK YOU SO MUCH TIN HOUSE BOOKS AND NETGALLEY, OMG!

I love a good short story collection, and this one sure did scratch my ever-insatiable itch for short stories, and I'm here for it. Again, I'm so thankful to Lena Valencia, Netgalley, and Tin House Books for granting me advanced digital access to this one before it hits shelves on August 6, 2024.

Set in deserts across the continental US, we've been treated to stories of burnt-out health guru cultists joining together in the desert for a deadly retreat, a UFO-loving teen and her desire to keep her child out of wedlock even though it's against her boss's wishes, two ghost hunters spending their honeymoon in a haunted motel, and an elderly woman whose seeing ghosts, but not the ones she's dying to see.

With themes of the supernatural, unhinged chaos, and existential crises, Mystery Lights has everything readers need to keep the mystery going.

my favorite stories from the collection: trogloxene and you can never be too sure. the reclamation as an honorable mention, although i feel like it could have done something even more insidious with the cult.

i appreciate what valencia wanted to do—”stories about women and girls at the crossroads of mundane daily life and existential dread” is exactly what this collection is about. it is slow, introspective, and uneventful.

i appreciate the variety of perspectives, from each crossroads of life. whereas trogloxene was about a 10 year old girl still grappling with ugly feelings, reaper ranch is from the viewpoint of a woman who’s at the end of her life. and of course everything in between—women at the beginning of their careers, in the middle, at the end. women without careers.

but the variety of scenarios don’t compensate for the little variance in voice between the women. each of their stories have the same melancholy feeling that makes this collection feel very one note. this is the reason i enjoyed trogloxene so much, where max’s frustration and dread feels more palpable than other protagonists. and it makes sense for a girl of her age, the anxieties of a neglected child made real and horrifying.

but stylistically, pat in the reclamation was so similar from emily in clean hunters, while ruth in dogs reminded me of wendy in mystery lights. it just didn’t seem like the variety of personal anxieties (as opposed to social ones) were that different. and maybe that was the point, that women everywhere have similar experiences, but by the sixth story, i wanted something more creative, especially when the supernatural element is at play.

some of the “women’s issues” (i use this term lightly) tackled by the stories include: sexual assault, abortion, hate crime, abuse of power. in particular, you can never be too sure is a phenomenal depiction of campus whisper networks. and the narration made it even better—the way that the first person narration by lily undermines chelsea’s stories throughout is brilliant.

the worst of these stories is the white place, posturing radical pro-choice in a world where there is none for women. but its ending felt silly, like a cop out, in comparison to the very real problems it posed, and the choice of characters (including an unnamed painter) and switching perspectives made it difficult to digest.

another small thing i liked was the range of “mothers” in the collection—there were mothers incredibly preoccupied with their daughters, mothers who have strained relationships with their daughters, some of them who just want their daughter to be safe from harm. while ordinary, the feelings from these characters made up a huge portion of the atmosphere in their respective stories, just in the context of living as a woman.

there were some great moments in the collection. a solid debut, with good ideas that could have been further elevated. thank you to net galley and tin house for the arc!

I really enjoyed this short story collection overall! Lena Valencia has a beautiful way of writing that flows well and is easy to read. All of the stories in this collection are from the POV of women from all different age ranges. Common themes include grief, mother/daughter relationships, female friendships, celestial bodies, and self-realization.

Imaginative stories written in beautifully straightforward language (I want to say "plain language," but that's not quite it, I think what I mean is an "economy of prose" where every word is exactly what it should be, nothing more, nothing less.) Eerie vignettes in the American Southwest, stories with sinister intent, with menacing undercurrents --it's not outright horror, but it flirts with it, it skirts the edges.

From aliens and ghosts to horrifying stalkers, the short stories in this book are all set around the stark Southwestern desert. Following different women as they stumble their way through terrifying scenarios, each story is unique in its own way, yet some are reminiscent of a movie plot we’ve all seen or heard about.

I especially enjoyed the nonchalant creep factor throughout. At times, it didn’t feel as if I were reading anything that would give me goosebumps. But that’s where the surprise is lurking.

Overall, it is very well written. Some stories were more forgettable than others, but the writing was beautifully and artfully done.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mystery Lights is everything I want from a collection of short stories. Imaginative stories written in beautifully straightforward language (I want to say "plain language," but that's not quite it, I think what I mean is an "economy of prose" where every word is exactly what it should be, nothing more, nothing less.) Eerie vignettes in the American Southwest, stories with sinister intent, with menacing undercurrents --it's not outright horror, but it flirts with it, it skirts the edges. A young girl gets separated from her family during a cave tour and doesn't come back quite herself; a woman attends an influencer retreat along with other zealous obsessives deep in the desert; another woman is chased through the desert by wild dogs, only to wind up in a creepy stranger's car. These stories are haunting and uncomfortable, but only just--which is to say that they are definitely both those things, but they are handled so skillfully they almost seem like passing conversation, no big deal. These situations are not tied up with a neat bow, it's almost as if we get a glimpse into these character's lives for a moment, perhaps an afternoon or a series of weeks, just enough to become immersed in their strange, uneasy or distressing situations, and then the curtains are closed in our faces, as if the author is saying "well now, that's all you get." Well done. I think that's just as it should be.

Lena Valencia’s Mystery Lights is a compelling collection of short stories that navigate the rocky terrain of human emotion and experience. With prose that is both sharp and clever, Valencia’s debut is a bingeable read.

Mystery Lights questions what it means to be a woman in contemporary society, balancing righteous anger with a sinister edge. “Reaper Ranch” is a notable example that fully realizes horror elements, capturing the grief and fear of an elderly widow with devastating precision.
Valencia’s narrative skill is evident in her ability to pull each story through a complete, if brief, journey. The collection delves into universal themes such as love, grief, and alienation, exploring the strengths and vulnerabilities of women with a keen eye for realism. Full of surprising turns, the stories showcase the incredible power of short fiction to speak profound truths.

Mystery Lights invites readers into a surreal landscape where reality blurs with the unknown. Each passage is a deft exploration of the human psyche, wrapped in prose that is as beautiful as it is dark. For those who appreciate short fiction with teeth, “Mystery Lights” is an essential addition to their library.

Who I’d Recommend This For: If you’d watch a combination of Gilmore Girls and Twilight Zone, Mystery Lights is for you!
Thank you kindly to Tin House and NetGalley for the ARC.

I found this collection of short stories to be quite captivating, reminiscent of Twilight Zone. The writing is incredibly descriptive, especially when it delves into the mundane and transforms it into something gory, scary and suspenseful. Overall, it was a truly enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this short story collection overall! Lena Valencia has a beautiful way of writing that flows well and is easy to read. All of the stories in this collection are from the POV of women from all different age ranges. Common themes include grief, mother/daughter relationships, female friendships, celestial bodies, and self-realization. My personal favorites were Mystery Lights, Trogloxene, and The Reclamation.

My main critique is that some of the short stories ended a bit early. I would have liked to have 10-20 more pages of a few of them to have a really satisfying ending, but overall the author’s messages were clear and the stories were entertaining. I would definitely read from this author again!



Dogs - 3.5/5 - A woman goes into desert on a solo trip to write.

You Can Never Be Too Sure - 4/5 - A college student is stranded by snow and spends Thanksgiving in her dorm with peers.

Mystery Lights - 4.5/5 - A marketing campaign in the desert using drones goes awry.

The White Place - 3.75/5 - An elderly painter living in the desert and the daughter of her houseworker are connected by their relationship with a male worker and their fascination with a mysterious glowing orb.

Bright Lights, Big Deal - 4/5 - A privileged post-college woman living in the city is trying to balance independence, finding a job, and maintaining relationships. Told in second person.

Trogloxene - 4.5/5 - A young girl gets lost in a cave for 8 days before being found, and is not quite acting like her typical self.

The Reclamation - 4.25/5 - A wellness retreat in desert turns culty

Clean Hunter - 3/5 - A snapshot of newlywed ‘clean’ ghost hunters on their honeymoon.

Reaper Ranch - 3.5/5 - An elderly woman is sent to a nursing home by her adult children after death of her husband.

Vermilion - 3/5 - A woman and her husband go on hikes in the desert where things get a bit creepy. Ties to the story Trogloxene.


Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House Books for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oh wow! What a debut! What a cover!

Set in the desert, some of these short stories were so so good. Creepy, beautiful, compelling. And then a couple just fell short, completely missed the mark and did not go anywhere. Overall I really enjoyed this collection.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc. Publication date: August, 2o24.

I am…conflicted. I’m usually not the biggest fan of short stories, but I’m still pretty sure this was extremely mediocre. Lena Valencia’s style is fairly straightforward with an enjoyable balance of vivid descriptions both horrifying and lovely depending on the context, but it seems like she ultimately has very little to say, and/or some sort of pathological fear of just saying it. It’s not subtle, it’s just not there.

Unfortunately, Lena Valencia also only had about a handful of good stories to add to this collection, and the rest are just dumped in feeling unfinished and impressively half-baked. I struggle to understand how most of these were independently published prior to this collection. So many started with a bang and then immediately dropped themselves in water and fizzled out, and about half the stories kneecapped themselves by having no point and zero literary or thematic value.

Dogs
Rating: 4
A woman is chased by a terrifying pack of angry dogs. The point of this one is quite obvious, but it’s still a powerful metaphor and a beautiful story about a mother’s changing perspective on how to raise her daughter, which is actually an angle on the subject matter I hadn’t read before. Easily the best story out of the way first.

You Can Never Be Too Sure
Rating: 4
A local legend preys on young women on a college campus. The visuals are amazing and one line from this really stuck with me, which is rare for short stories! Unfortunately, this story, the second in a collection of ten, is the last one I would actually recommend to anyone.

Mystery Lights
Rating: 3.5
A company creates mystery lights in the sky as an ad campaign for their reboot of a popular TV show. I think this one was doing too much with too little space; it feels like it wants to be a novella more than a short story. This one reminds me of Stop Your Women’s Ears With Wax by Julia Armfield in that there’s a heavy focus on ‘contagious’ female rage in young women, but I don’t think this holds up or has as much to say when compared to works with similar themes. Still, a lot of interesting ideas that I would’ve liked to spend more time with, especially workplace power dynamics between women.

The White Place
Rating: 2
There is a concerning orb. Although the premise is pretty amusing on the face of it, this was pretty bad—much like Mystery Lights, there was too much going on combined with too much meandering around the point. Another round of editing might have sharpened this up.

Bright Lights, Big Deal
Rating: 3
I read the first couple lines and immediately wrote “ugh, 2nd person” in my notes for later. Having finished this, I do still agree with my first impression, especially because the protagonist is named. Something about being told what “I’m” supposed to think of everything that’s happening instead of letting me follow the literary thread you’re laying out for a character just grates on my nerves; my honest opinion on 2nd person is that there’s a reason it’s considered unusual to utilize it in English literature. This story only gets a pass because it’s a play on Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney; a 1984 novel unfortunately written in second person. This story is a fun modern-day female-protagonist spin on Bright Lights, Big City, and the ‘realizing the darkness/hedonism of New York’ / ‘escaping the New York Lifestyle’ tropes. I liked this more than I expected.

Trogloxene
Rating: 2.5
A girl returns home after 8 days lost in a cave system. If this premise sounds interesting to you, then I highly recommend skipping it and watching The Descent instead, since it’s clearly what this story was inspired by, and it’ll actually be enjoyable. I watch horror movies almost constantly, and I coincidentally revisited The Descent the week before I read this story, which added to my reading experience for all of five minutes—I really enjoyed how creepy Max was at first when she returned from the cave. Unfortunately, the story petered out at the halfway point and had zero attempt at any payoff. Bleh.

The Reclamation
Rating: 3.5
Pretty anemic take on the classic ‘evil wellness company/spa/hospital/retreat’ trope, which is my absolute favorite, and thus one I’m always going to be more critical of. I enjoyed the sudden injection of brutality at the end there, but I wanted so much less stereotypical content from this. This concept has been done to death so many times that you have to have something truly interesting to say to make a lasting impression.

Clean Hunters
Rating: 2.5
Okay. If Lena Valencia could bother writing an actual ending for her short stories instead of shrugging and walking off into the distance like it’s somehow artsy or talented to make you ‘think’ about the absolute nothingburger she just fed you, that’d be cool. I love litfic and being asked to think at the end, but this story had nothing to say and it just pissed me off when it insisted on itself at the end like it had done something.

Reaper Ranch
Rating: 3
I mean…meh. At least this one had a point, but it was such a cliche and trite take on the topic of grief. Valencia puts all the horror in the background and refuses to let any of her settings and creepy additions shine. This had one whole scary moment I appreciated.

Vermilion
Rating: 2
Oh good, we’re talking about the events of Trogloxene again. Because that one was so great the first time. No actual ending, no emotional connection with the characters, too vague and abstract, and the connections to the previous story didn’t work. This felt like it wanted to be a novella.

Ratings average out to 3 stars even. I feel like if you read this, you’ll find something you like, but I struggle to recommend it as I probably won't go back for any re-reads. Dogs and You Can Never Be Too Sure are both very good, but not worth revisiting. The cover is better than the book.

Collection of short stories to make you mildly uncomfortable.


While this wasn't by any means bad, when I saw it was short stories, I was intrigued on how to keep an audience dialed in enough to continue. Unfortunately, this fell short of the marker. The stories seemed to ramp up and immediately fizzle under the pressure of knowing that they were supposed to be short. Some of these short stories could have been saved back to fully flesh out and I would have loved them. The Trapper story in particular, could have been a really fun one to explore.

Thank you Netgalley and Tin House for the ARC.

The Run-Down: Mystery Lights by Lena Valencia contains numerous competently written but anemic short stories.


Review:

The real horror, the short stories in Mystery Lights by Lena Valencia, seem to say, comes not from supernatural monsters, but from the plagues of human existence: sexual violence, grief, childhood cruelty, and predatory cultish religions. A good horror writer will explore these themes in a way that feels relevant and groundbreaking, but in these stories, they appear rather trite. Individually, the bulk of each story feels like a solid start to a novella or novel—well-written, with an interesting premise. Unfortunately, Valencia tends to end each story with a shrug rather than a bang, and the result is several half-baked concepts that pay cursory service to their themes. The exception to this is “Reaper Ranch,” which not only devastatingly captures the grief and fear of an elderly widow in a retirement community, but also sufficiently develops its horror elements for a complete narrative.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.