We Are Here To Hurt Each Other: Paula D. Ashe
Reviewed By Sarah J. Huntington
In the canteen at work, there is a heated display case full of food that has a sign attached saying ‘Hot! Do not touch.’
I do, of course, touch it at every opportunity. I know it’s hot and I know it will hurt, yet I am compelled to do it.
Reading this book gave me the exact same feeling. After the first story, I knew the others were likely to unsettle me, scare me, cause me pain, and truly, I was greedy and I couldn’t read them fast enough.
The startling cover plays with your mind, yes, but the stories play even wilder games with your sanity. A rotting man, reanimation cults, a new, remarkable take on Jack the Ripper, a brutal revenge story, and so much more.
It’s the concepts, the way the tales are told, the language, the magical rich prose, the horror that makes this collection extraordinary.
Some of the stories are long, some are quite short but believe me, I will personally not forget any in a hurry because they each managed to twist my emotions into a messy tangle of shock, awe, and fear.
Strangely, there is subtle beauty to be found in such dark tales too. Along with a real study of that most terrible thing we call human behaviour and all the wicked aspects we have.
There are twelve stories in total and by story number three, I knew I had found a new favourite writer and I’m very excited to see what comes next.
To say this collection is impressive doesn’t even come close to describing the impact it had on me. Now, I’m off to stare at a wall and absorb every tale. No doubt, there will be nightmares.
I ordered the paperback too and if it arrives bound in human skin like a real magical grimoire, I will not be at all surprised. This is horror at its absolute finest.
We Are Here To Hurt Each Other
With these twelve stories Paula D. Ashe takes you into a dark and bloody world where nothing is sacred and no one is safe.
A landscape of urban decay and human degradation, this collection finds the psychic pressure points of us all, and giddily squeezes.
Try to run, try to hide, but there is no escape: we are here to hurt each other.
You can buy We Are Here To Hurt Each Other from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Sarah Jane Huntington
I am the author of several short horror story collections, Paint it Black, Iron Maidens, Between light and shadow and Waves of Mutilation.
Cabin Terror is my first full-length novel.
My stories have appeared in a few anthologies so far.
I am a nurse, currently working in hospice care.
You can follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahJaneHunti1
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