The Beauty of Horror

Senna Collins is a normal girl from a small town full of whispers and sideways glances. For the past few weeks, all of those whispers have been about her failed declaration of love for a girl at school. Senna wants to hide out in the cornfields until it all blows over. 

To make matters worse, a carnival has set up in a field near town. It’s too awkward for Senna to go with her friends, but if she stays home, she will be an outsider in every conversation for weeks. She’ll have to check it out, alone. There’s just one problem, this is no ordinary carnival. 

One of the acts is bringing the dead to life-literally. Senna soon finds herself in the center of a madhouse of carnies and townspeople. Will she capture the heart of an exotic necromancer, or is the relationship dead from the start?

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Rogue Taxidermy by Sarah Doebereiner is a coming of age story woven with elements of horror and the supernatural. I never expected this much depth from a short story about a girl and a carnival.  The similarities and contrasts between Senna and Aves are a beautiful way to show how we perceive ourselves versus how others perceive us. The nature of Aves' "puppets," while horrific, add another layer to the issue of identity. I am floored by this story.

I sincerely hope the author considers writing a full-length book about Senna...this character could easily command her own series. We need more stories like this in young adult fiction for the readers who feel they are on the fringes of society. Well done.

As always,
AstraDaemon