Every Woman Knows This: Collection Review
Hey lovely reader, welcome back!
I saw Laurel Hightower at Authorcon 2 and managed to snag a signed copy of Every Woman Knows This! As always, Laurel was so lovely to talk to and I was so excited to read this collection that I read the whole thing on my way home from the con.
The Author
A paralegal during the day, Laurel Hightower is a Kentuckian (is that a term? or did I make that up?) horror author whose works include Crossroads, Whispers in the Dark, and Below. Her short fiction has also appeared in What One Wouldn’t Do, Terror in the Trench, and other anthologies.
[Hightower] definitely wants to see a picture of your dog, and often bonds with complete strangers over animal stories. A lifetime reader, she would raid her parents’ bookshelves from an early age, resulting in a number of awkward conversations about things like, “what does getting laid mean?” She loves discovering new favorite authors, and supporting the writing and reading community. — Hightower’s website
You can find Hightower on her website, Twitter, or Instagram.
The Collection
A never-ending storm rages, tossing a dark and bottomless sea. Tentacled beasts reach from every direction, a battle at every turn, but they've chosen the wrong target. Armed with teeth and sharp weapons of her own, she'll fight until there's nothing left, and then she'll pick herself up and fight again. For this is what we do.
Laurel Hightower, author of Below and Crossroads, delivers the blow that shatters the glass ceiling into twenty deadly shards-each reflecting horrors faced by women. Unwelcomed advances from dangerous men. The unbearable weight of motherhood. A goddess pushed to her limits. The inescapable responsibilities of being a caretaker, even beyond the grave.
Dive in for Hightower's most beloved short stories, all brought together in one collection which includes five brand new tales. Navigate the stormy waters of womanhood with caution as you are about to experience the horrors that every woman knows.
Released March 2023 through Death Knell Press, Every Woman Knows This contains deadly tales and art all around the horrors and realities of womanhood.
The Review
I love Hightower’s writing style and her prose. This collection was riveting. I loved every story in it, though “Every Woman Knows This”, “The Bride Wore Black”, “Distress Call”, and “The Starman” were my absolute favourites.
I also really appreciated that, along with the hauntingly beautiful stories, there are also really cool illustrations.
Let’s look at my absolute favourite stories. Don’t worry, no spoilers here:
“Every Woman Knows This”: I actually got the chance to hear Hightower read this out loud at an event and really enjoyed it then and I enjoyed re-reading it. The tale explores the fear all women have when approached by a pushy guy. How do you be not nice enough, not rude enough, not friendly enough, not whatever it is so that you don’t trigger an attack. Hightower does a great job illustrating this fear in a unique way.
“The Bride Wore Black”: is like a traditional fairy tale. Dark, grim, poetic. The main character is nervous about her upcoming wedding and goes home to look for a book that they once had a child. A book that showed her future. I loved the set-up, the Gothic atmosphere, the chilling end.
“Distress Call” is about a team keen on exploring a old submarine that has reappeared from the depths. How can you not love a classic deep water horror tale? This gave me cosmic horror vibes!
“The Starman” is about a young girl who has a very eerie watcher. An entity in a space suit whose visor only reflect darkness. Is it a protector or a spectre? Super heartwrenching and horrifying tale.
Absolutely stunning collection and I cannot recommend this book enough. Definitely buy and read it. Every story was a banger.
10/10
x PLM
p.s. An underwater haven, the end of the world, and a dark secret. Read my free short story, The Fall of Haven, now.
