The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories by Desiree S. Evans

✨ We were not the first to go.

Book Details

“This anthology makes a statement: Black women belong in horror… Projects like this brave, necessary celebrate Black women, and will hopefully inspire the future of the genre.” The New York Times Book Review

If you’re looking for a YA horror anthology that centers Black girls as heroes, this is the book for you. The Black Girl Survives in This One features fifteen chilling short stories where Black girls face terrifying monsters, creepy spirits, and human horrors,and they survive.

Celebrating both bestselling and emerging voices in Black horror fiction, this collection includes stories by Erin E. Adams, Monica Brashears, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Daka Hermon, Justina Ireland, L.L. McKinney, Brittney Morris, Maika & Maritza Moulite, Eden Royce, and Vincent Tirado, with a powerful foreword by Tananarive Due.

My Thoughts

I’ll be honest: horror books have never been my go-to. I’m the type who avoids horror movies unless they’re PG-level scary. But lately, I’ve found myself drawn to spooky YA reads,maybe because, in traditional horror, the Black character almost always dies first. We never get to survive, which is why this book immediately caught my attention.

After reading I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me by Jamison Shea and Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (both amazing YA books by Black authors, which you can check out in my other reviews), I picked up The Black Girl Survives in This One. And honestly? It blew me away.

This YA scary story collection delivers the chills while also giving representation we rarely see in horror: Black girls who don’t just fight back but also make it through to the end. It’s empowering, clever, and perfectly creepy without being overwhelming for readers like me who don’t usually dive into horror.

The very first story had me shook and pulled me in instantly. The only one that didn’t grab me as much was the second story,probably because I’m not big on sci-fi. (Although, if aliens are real, they can come pick me up, because Earth is too ghetto right now. 👀) But the rest of the stories? Creepy, original, and addictive.

What I loved most was seeing how each author brought their unique style to horror. The stories had just the right length,enough to build tension and connect with the characters but short enough to keep me flipping pages.

My Favorite Stories

📖 Harvesters — L.L. McKinney

📖 Ghost Light — Erin E. Adams

📖 The Brides of Devil’s Bayou — Desiree S. Evans

📖 Black Pride — Justina Ireland

📖 Queeniums for Greenium! — Brittney Morris

📖 Black Girl Nature Group — Maika & Maritza Moulite

📖 Cemetery Dance Party — Saraciea J. Fennell

📖 Foxhunt — Charlotte Nicole Davis

Final Thoughts

The Black Girl Survives in This One is a must-read horror anthology for teens and young adults. It’s bold, thrilling, and necessary, showing that Black girls can be the final girls, the survivors, and the ones who own the story.

If you’re building your YA horror book collection or want to explore Black women in horror, this anthology deserves a spot on your shelf.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars