The Black Girl Survives in This One ed. by Desiree S. Evans (review)

Reviewed by: The Black Girl Survives in This One ed. by Desiree S. Evans Quinita Balderson Evans, Desiree S. , ed. The Black Girl Survives in This One; ed. by Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell. Flatiron, 2024 368p Trade ed. ISBN 9781250871657 19. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781250871688 11. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 7-12 Editors Evans and Fennell offer a long overdue YA anthology that puts the formulaic roles of Black characters in the horror realm to rest. These veteran and emerging writers place Black women at the center of their own stories, putting a hard stop to the outright omission of Blackness as well as the done-to-death cliche that all too often sees people of color as the first and most forgotten victims in horror. From ghost stories to psychological, mind-bending frights, this collection represents people of color, queerness, neurodivergance, and body-positivity as the heroines face monsters (both supernatural and those rooted in reality), emerging victorious. In Brittney Morris's "Queeniums for Greenium!" Synthia suspects sinsters motives from a smoothie club's bubbly members, all flashing toothy grins, waists snatched to Mattel proportions, and slinging too-good-to-be-true promises backed by pseudoscience. Maika and Maritza Moulite's "Black Girl Nature Group" ranks high on End Page 320 the Jordan Peele Get Out threat meter, as members lure victims into isolated woods for a ritual sacrifice under the guise of equity. Zakiya Dalila Harris' "TMI" and Vincent Tirado's "The Black Strings" display their creators' mastery of misdirection that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Each short story speaks to the strength, courage, and resilience of Black girls, showcasing their ability to navigate shadowy macabre, and transcends mere representation, emphatically commanding space in a genre for characters who have historically been omitted or expendable. This gem calls for the imaginative reader, who unapologetically demands newness over uninspired horror tropes regurgitated ad nauseum. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois