The Book: The Devil Took Her: Tales of Horror by Michael Botur
Reviewed by Deb Howell
The Devil Took Her: Tales of Horror is a collection of horror tales that will fill you with revulsion, a sense of ick, and gross you out. But that’s what you’re looking for, huh?
Whether it’s a retelling of a modern Pied Piper, or creepy men and truanting teens getting their comeuppance, if you’re a fan of horror, you’ll find it here.
My own experiences with the range of cultures presented here is limited, so I don’t feel qualified to comment on how well they were handled, especially given one of the goals of Horror is reader discomfort. As a woman, I found the way some of the men in the tales viewed women quite unsettling, but I suspect that would be a feature, not a flaw in these particular tales.
I often felt the tales reflected human desperation—to avoid loneliness, or glimpse the “truth”, to be exceptional, or have the chance to stand adjacent to it. Whether the punishments dished out for the actions done to fulfil such needs are fair and just is up to you to ponder, dear reader.
One thing’s for sure: you’ll feel these stories. Get ready to cringe, grimace, and squirm your way through this collection of horror.
More about this book:
In his debut collection of horror stories, short fiction writer Michael Botur, recognized in his native New Zealand as “one of the most original story writers of his generation” confabulates twelve terrifying tales that take us to the dark extremes of human imagination.
Learn more or get a copy at https://thesagergroup.net/books/the-devil-took-her