July 28, 2025
An old coworker of mine and my husband’s just opened a used/indie bookstore and yarn shop so, of course, we had to go and support them! I picked up Psycho Nightmare Freakout based solely on the strength of its cover and concept…plus I love a little book that fits in my pocket!
Since there’s only four short stories here, I thought it made the most sense to focus on a short review for each, individually, and then I’ll have a few thoughts at the end.
Eucharist by Sam Richard
Looking back, after finishing the book, I like this one more than I did when I first read it. I love “sporror” and this was definitely that. But I do think the ending protagonist should have been one of the other kids - Stephanie, Jill, and Sean all had more characterization and backstory than Todd/Tim. (See? I can’t even remember which guy it was.) Fun icky imagery, though.
3 stars
A Used Condom Can Be a Holy Relic Too by Xavier Garcia
Perhaps my favorite title of the bunch, and my second favorite story, I think. Weird (with a capital W) but still feels human. I think this one was the most accomplished writing. The writing style did remind me a bit of fanfiction, but not in a bad way!
4 stars
Mall Goths Go to Heaven by Matthew Mitchell
My least favorite story of the four, which is particularly disappointing as I love the title and the imagery in the final pages. It just felt too long, I couldn't seem to keep the characters straight, and I didn't really understand their relationships or motivations. The image of an angel and a demon dueling in a mall food court was really cool but I just didn't really care about anything leading up to it.
2 stars
Out of Hand by Jon SteffensIf I had to guess, I would assume this is a less liked story for most people that read this but I actually really liked it. The preceding stories are all more Lovecraftian and Weird, it really made me appreciate the more grounded and realistic setting of this last one. It’s exaggerated but I think it really taps into that feeling of being an adolescent or young adult and feeling everything so very deeply. It felt like a palate cleanser at the end of an exuberant meal.
4 stars
This collection didn’t blow me away but it was a quick, fun, and nasty little read which is exactly what I was expecting so I’d still call that a success. I will say it could have used at least one more pass with an editor as there were quite a few typos, incorrect words, things like that, especially considering the sub-100 page count. But if you’re able to ignore things like that, and this sounds like your jam, it’s a solid way to knock out an afternoon.
Plus it introduced me to filthy loot, the indie press that published this and quite a few other books that I’m eager to check out (don’t tell my husband but I’ve already ordered three more from their “scratch and dent sale”).
And if you happen to be in the Central PA area, check out The Underground Yarn and Books!
