The Secret Life of Insects and Other Stories

Thank you Valancourt and Netgalley for my gifted e-arc. I have been reading translated Horror since last year and have been loving it so I immediately requested this anthology when I saw it. This was my first book by Bernardo Esquinca (Mexico) and it won’t be my last! I will have to look up his books that are in Spanish.

I don’t usually give anthologies 5 stars since many have stories that I like and dislike but I LOVED almost all the stories in this book. I even liked the zombie story and I’m not a fan of the post apocalyptic genre!

This horror anthology has a bit of everything. From insects, creepy dolls, hidden dimensions and space horror. All of them were so well written. They were dark, creepy, atmospheric and so unsettling. My favorites were:

-The Secret Life of Insects
-The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife
-Come to Me
-Dream of Me
-Sea of Tranquility, Ocean of Storms

“Sea of Tranquility, Ocean of Storms” is my favorite one out of all of them. It’s space horror and it’s a genre that really scares me. It’s so subtle but I loved how it talks about how little we know about space and even Earth’s moon. I won’t say any more about it since I don’t want to give anything away about the plot. This story is one that I will think of for a long time!

I will have to buy a physical copy since I will want to reread it and really appreciate the art that is include by Luis Pérez Ochando.

Bernardo Esquinca has a knack for writing an intriguing opening that draws the reader in and sets the tone for stories that will haunt the reader. There is a good variety in this anthology both short and sweet and longer equally haunting stories with mysterious concepts. He takes ideas like caving and it’s claustrophobic conditions or haunted dolls and takes them in a different direction than what the reader may expect. His longer stories are really intriguing and atmospheric with well built suspense. I found myself going back and thinking about many of the stories again after I had read them. My favorites included The Secret Life of Insects (a really great opening story that sets the tone perfectly), Where I’m Going, It’s Always Dark, Dream of Me, Tlatelolco Confidential, and Pan’s Noontide. This is a great collection of stories perfect for spooky season.

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

THIS IS THE SUMMER OF HORROR ANTHOLOGIES! KEEP EM COMING, YALL!

I am so thankful to Bernardo Esquinca, NetGalley, and Valancourt Books for granting me an advanced digital copy of The Secret Life of Insects and Other Stories. This baby packs a punch and is projected to hit shelves on October 3, 2023, for the spookiest month.

In this collection of stories, there's a little bit of everything. Starting at the beginning, we have been spoon-fed a serving of less-than-desirable arachnids and bugs in stories that leave the reader with the worst case of the creepy crawlies, and as the chapters go on, we see instances of paranoia in our subjects like no other.

I love an unsettling ending to an eerie tale, and with each turning page, Bernardo Esquinca delivers.

The stories are clever, suspenseful, creepy and mind boggling. It has beautiful and creepy illustrations. The stories are crafted by blending genres like horror and mystery and bringing light upon mind visions and nightmares blurring the line between fiction and reality. The tales have been translated from Spanish by James D. Jenkins and illustrated by Luis PErez Ochando

The first tale is about the unknown or unthinkable mystery of insects and how they fulfil their purpose, The second tale is about strange things that happens with Dragan like some unknown power controls his mind and make him do strange things. The third tale is about a husband who observes his wife’s strange behaviour like sleep walking and erotic fascination with octopi and creepy ending. The fourth tale is about Literature and how supernatural elements gets combined with it and haunts every night. The fifth tale is about reminiscing childhood memories, haunting house and secret of cave. The sixth tale encapsulates the odyssey of a writer and a monk story. The seventh tale is about suitors and unusual spell. The eighth tale is about four high school friends reunion after twenty years and unraveling the demonic long buried truth. The ninth tale is about cursed dolls, possessions, sinister stories and creepy mystery. The tenth tale is about nightmares, childhood trauma, regret, secrets, belief and marriage life. The rest of the tales are about strange things , strange case and one eyed woman.

Thank you Authors, Publisher, Illustrator and Netgalley.