Side by Side Review: AWAKE: Tales of Terror by Lou Rera

Beth's Review...

This collection is a mere 201 pages, but Rera managed to pack 14 stories into this slim volume. The stories have a wide range of topics, but there are some interconnected stories, which is something I really like finding in a collection.

I didn’t dislike any of the stories (which is really unusual!), but I did have some stand-out favorites. I especially enjoyed “The Facts in the Case of Dr. Blackwell” and “Artist in Residence”. “The Facts in the Case of Dr. Blackwell” is a retelling of Poe’s short story “The Facts in the Case of M Valdemar”, which is included in the back of the book. Rera does a fantastic job rewriting the classic. I feel it came out even better than the original! “Artist in Residence” is a fresh take on a revenge story. Short, but definitely not sweet. This was my first Lou Rera book, but it won’t be my last!

Beth Griffith lives in Maryland with her husband, three children and a pathetically small herd of cats. She enjoys reading smut and gardening. You can watch saucy smut reviews, read salty book reviews and keep tabs on her questionable life choices on Instagram @mrsbeverlygibbs