A haunting, visceral collection of short stories that does a great job of turning the ordinary into a hard-hitting emotional ride.

J.V. Sadler's first collection of short stories and poems, Licking, is pulled straight from their nightmares. The pieces in this collection range from succinct and introspective to full speculative stories. Most of these stories are surrealist horror and have a wide variety of topics, many touching on the mundane and twisting them into something grotesque and shocking. There are 17 poems and stories in this collection in total.

There are two common themes that are seen a few times throughout these stories. The theme that was most striking to me was the horrors that stem from womanhood (such as in "The Baboon," "Family: Dinner," and "Licking," for example). However, there was also a lot of horror that tilted towards cannibalism (which shouldn't be too surprising considering the title of the book and cover).

This collection varies dramatically in the type, style, and length of the stories, and Sadler's ability to switch between different types of storytelling are engaging enough to finish the book in one dread-filled sitting. A great example of this is the short and impactful poems such as "New Baby Smell" compared to the unique handbook-style writing of "How to Fix Yourself: A Guide to Improvement."

A few stories were particularly impactful and haunting even after reading. The most immediately prominent is the short story "Trapped, Chained." The story introduces us to Oswald, a kidnapper, and his two victims. The way this story played out was very well written and Sadler took an interesting angle for the piece.

"Family: Dinner" is another short story that resonated in a gruesome way. It centers around a mother in an abusive relationship. The twist was pretty evident from the beginning of the story, but the way Sadler revealed the story's secret and played out the tension made this a great read.

Overall, I absolutely recommend this collection to any horror fan who is interested in something surreal and varied. Even if you don't normally pick up collections with smaller, poetry-esque pieces, it is absolutely worth giving this one a shot. There is enough variation that you can try something new while enjoying the other content.

Rating: 4/5 stars!

“I licked you so I could ingest your goody essence.”

Licking is a collection of short stories sure to give you creepy, eerie vibes. From a couple trying to have a baby to Black kids on a field trip, these stories take a deep dive into the darkest corners of our minds. 

The introduction tells us that these stories are derived from the dark dreams of the author and the book definitely makes you feel like you’re in the midst of a fever dream. The stories are eerie, creepy, and disturbing. 

At a little of 100 pages, this is a quick read. I would love to see more from this author. Absolutely enjoyed taking a quick little trip into her dark mind. But because it was a quick read, some of the stories I felt seemed a little rushed and could have used another page or two. 

Ultimately, I enjoyed the stories (and poems). Great imagery, engaging stories, and super eerie! 

Special thanks to J.V. Sadler. I received an ARC of Licking. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I was lucky enough to get an advance reader's copy of J.V. Sadler - Author/Poet debute collection of short stories, Licking. When trigger warnings were listed, I knew I was all in: murder, domestic violence, and cannibalism!

Sadler describes the stories as coming from her dreamscape (or nightmarescape), and what follows is a collection of surreal horror fiction where there is no clear line between the living and dream world. Even the format of the collection messes with you as it's a blend of flash fiction, short fiction, and poetry. The poem "New Baby Smell" sets the tone, and the stories, Licking, The Decrepit Ones, and Family: Dinner, crush your soul.

If anything, I wish there was just a bit more to sink my claws into, but as it is, a pretty great collection of surreal horror. Easily one of the best self published books I've read! It just went live on Amazon, and I highly recommend you all check it out!

Cheers!