These Kids Are Not Alright

by T.L. Bodine

Childhood is supposed to be safe. But these stories know better.

Stray children roam in hungry packs. A school sacrifices its students to forgotten gods. Harbingers from a doomed future confirm a childhood superstition. These fifteen unsettling tales follow children and teens poised to inherit a world that has already left them behind.

Here, trauma and transformation bleed together, monstrosity becomes an inheritance, and kids sharpen their teeth on the bones of the adults who failed them.

Rooted in fairytale and urban legend These Kids Are Not Alright is a love letter to the stories we tell to survive growing up, and the horrors we carry into adulthood.

160 pages, ebook

Published September 10, 2025

About the author

T.L. Bodine writes dark fantasy and horror. She's interested in uncanny, fantastic things, and the way real people with real problems interact with them.

You can also read up-and-coming stories on Wattpad, or check out her Tumblr for writing advice, creepypasta, and more.

When not writing, she can usually be found watching horror movies, playing story-heavy video games, or experimenting in the kitchen.

She lives in New Mexico with her husband, David, and two small dogs.

View content warnings for her books here: http://www.tlbodine.com/p/read-my-sto...

Reviews

[SpiderMam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of horror stories. I’ve listed a sentence or 2 about each story and I’ve been careful not to give anything away.

PLUSH - creepy pets & babies!
Immediately creepy and then I got to the end of the story and BOOM - it got creepier 😅

FERAL CHILDREN - Canabalistic Hansel & Gretel
Initially I’m like WHAT??? A no kill facility? The city pound? Wtfffff! By the end I was pleased at the kids revenge!

MORE TIME - very short and to the point!
Heartbreaking!

COWBIRDS - Giant parasitic twins
Bizarre, creepy and a little grotesque but a very interesting story

THE TOYMAKER
I was kinda freaking out, expecting some kind of Annabelle situation but instead it was heartwarming and adorable!

BEWARE THE WOLVES
Little red riding hood with a twist!!

THE TWINS
More Hansel and Gretel… they cooked the witch and now what are they up to!

CAMP TAILYPO
Fat camp for teens hunted by a monster like a horror story. Monster with a short attention span is overcome by a group of chubby teens.

NOT EVEN ONCE
Was it Peyote or a horrifying reality?

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
School shootings and weird blood thirsty gods!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Zombie Christmas

THE OBSERVER EFFECT
To be honest this felt like a description of a slow decline into mental illness and agoraphobia. Step by step disappearing to everyone and everything around you and falling into deep isolation. I might be wrong but this was my take.

SICK
Münchausen by proxy and then a surprise reverse UNO card dealt… karma is always waiting.

BLACKWOOD
A Craigslist killer of a different kind.

TRANSILIENCE
A mix of quantum leaps and fairytale retelling. Sleeping beauty with a twist.

If you enjoy short creepy stories, this is a great quick read. Each story was interesting and well written with excellent descriptions. Some of these stories gave me a great giggle and others were creepy as heck. Thoroughly enjoyed reading them.

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I've read by this author has been excellent, and her short story collection is no exception. In fact, I read this one immediately after watching Weapons, and it somehow had all the vibes and the atmosphere of the film. All the stories are creepy, dark, and unsettling. Out of the fifteen stories, my favorites were: "Cowbirds," about twins suddenly appearing in the womb along with the baby already there; "Plush," the opening story, a triumph of hair-raising subtlety; "Feral Children," about the treatment of unwanted children as stray animals; "Thoughts and Prayers," about the deeper meaning of school shootings; "Sick," an incredible, disturbing short about the Munchausen syndrome by proxy; and "The Observer Effect," which had the greatest ending in the book. Highly recommend!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Whitney A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of short horror stories, with children as the theme. All of them are unique, creepy stories that just pulled me right in. The authors descriptions of situations and events are so interesting that I couldn't wait to see what happens next. My favorites are "Feral Children"- a modern Hansel & Gretel tale, and "Cowbirds"- every expectant parent's nightmare. This is definitely an author I will read again and I'll just say... I never want a "Forever Baby"!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[S.H. Cooper]

Childhood is often a magical time, but sometimes it’s less sugar and spice and more crushed snails and puppy dog tails, as Bodine shows us in her 15 story collection. Tackling everything from fairytale retellings to modern day classroom horror, she invites readers right on to the scene with atmospheric prose and tension that keeps you glued to the page. The horror here is often quiet, building to a terrible revelation that feels inescapable. My personal favorites were Cowbirds, Not Even Once, Thoughts and Prayers, and Sick.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a spooky compilation of stories that is great for any season, but definitely spooky season.
These are unique stories that will have you biting your nails in suspense, question your surroundings, and wonder about tales you have heard before.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vela · Rating 5 out of 5]

These kids are indeed not alright....wow, this was so good. I enjoyed every single story. There were parts of some of these stories that were actually terrifying and surreal. I loved how some of them played into fairytale/folklore themes and I think it worked super well. Children are creepy themselves but these stories are chilling to the bone! I will def check out more from this author <3

[John Bitsko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a really good set of stories. Every story was good. Definitely recommended!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Smutty Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Kids were definitly not allright! Fast paced, angsty and gory just the way I like it. Would definitly recommend!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephen Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of short stories, and an interesting mix, too. Some fun, some creepy, and some I personally found genuinely quite harrowing.

[Elford Alley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world seems like a nightmare, but somehow Bodine has managed to find even greater terrors. She effortlessly creates stories that give dark reflections on everything from parenthood and careers to classic fairy tales. Even supposed life-changing medications come with a price. Her novels have always been a source of horror with rich emotional depths, but her short stories are designed to horrify, working their way into your psyche.