Title: Recreational Panic: Stories

Author: Sonora Taylor

Release date: March 5th, 2024

**Huge huge thank you to Cemetery Gates Media for sending me a digital ARC of this one!**

Ahhh! This collection was one of my most anticipated releases in 2024 and I’m so excited that CGM kindly sent me a digital ARC of this one! I’ve long been a huge fan of Sonora’s writing and we’ve developed a wonderful friendship over the years. And I can say that freely in this review, because I’m stilled banned from reviewing on Amazon so there’s no worry about my review being flagged lol! Ever since I first read her novel ‘Without Condition’ (and if you haven’t you really should!)

Sonora has shown just how solid of a short story writer she is with numerous anthology appearances and her own collections before. Her 2021 release, ‘Someone to Share My Nightmares’ was phenomenal, but her 2019 release, ‘Little Paranoia’s: Stories’ was EVEN better. The second story in that collection, ‘Weary Bones’ lives rent free to this day in my head and I think it should be considered MUST read by every fan of dark fiction.

Which meant that when this was announced I was excited. And when the Floridian-motel style cover art was shared, I was even more excited. And now, I’ve read it and I have to share – YOU NEED TO READ THIS!!

What I liked: This is packed, PACKED!, I tell you, chock full of short stories, flash fiction and poems. Every single piece is a winner, so I’ll pick a few out that really stuck deeper in my brain than the others.

The opener is ‘Recreational Panic: A Guided Meditation.’ Perfect choice to open the collection with. Think of it like an melodic intro to an album. Short, sweet and though it starts off simple and kind, soon morphs into a grotesque mantra that’ll be something you shouldn’t listen to on repeat.

‘Harvey Carver’ was pristine. A layered story about a town with an urban legend. People say Harvey Carver was a serial killer many years ago, but over the years after he’s gone, his living relatives change their names and try to go on with their lives. But Marla is OBSESSED with Harvey, his story, and just who in the town was related to him. This one spirals quickly out of control and Sonora ended it just so, so perfectly.

‘The Clockmaker’ was a story I’d previously read in an anthology, but I’m so glad it was included here and I loved it just as much this time as I did before. In a small town, a man becomes known for his delicate pieces he makes. When a strange individual enters his shop and requests a specific time piece, a horrible partnership is formed, one that grows more and more horrible as time goes on. Just wow. What an amazing story.

‘Little Dirty Birdy Feet’ was hysterically brutal. An abusive brother forces his younger sister into the woods. He won’t say why exactly, just wants to shoot some wildlife and ‘have fun.’ But when he starts to sing an old children’s rhyme, he unwittingly calls forth an ancient evil and his sister has to decide what side she’s on. This was so much fun and a really great take on folklore.

‘Knee-Deep’ was another fun one. A short dose of sleight-of-hand, this one focuses on a woman who wants a man to get into the Christmas spirit. Taylor must’ve written this at 3am with a massive grin on her face, because this was just a fun time.

‘Keepers of the Light’ was a really creepy one. Perhaps the creepiest story in the entire collection actually. This one is set around an old lighthouse and how it seemingly calls for a specific person to come to it. The pacing on this one was spot on and from the very beginning the reader will feel unsettled.

Throughout, Sonora manages to quickly pull the reader into each story and have them engaged immediately, which is always key, especially when it comes to some of the flash fiction pieces.

What I didn’t like: As with every collection, readers will connect with each piece differently, and that’s fine. In this case, I either really liked or loved every one and the poems were textured and well done.

Why you should buy this: If Sonora’s not a ‘must-buy/must-read’ author for you yet, you need to fix that ASAP. Her writing is powerful, evocative and is always unflinching. No matter what the subject matter is, she’ll find a unique way to ‘Taylorize’ it and in doing so elevates the idea even more.

What started out as one of my ‘Most-Anticipated’ releases of 2024 now slots itself onto my list of ‘Best Of 2024’ and I’m excited to see this one launch into the world!

5/5