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Kill, My Darlings

Christy Aldridge (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 23 ratings · 12 reviews

Kill, My Darlings is a collection of short stories exploring many possible outlets and styles from horror and diving into a varying amounts of subjects, from monsters and demons to cannibalism and psychological terrors. From erotica to flash fiction, Aldridge explores multiple sub-genres and subjects within the 13 stories published in this collection.From a twisted, female ...more

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Published February 14th 2019

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Mar 30, 2019 Johann (jobis89) rated it liked it · review of another edition

“That’s where they live. They can’t eat in the light. They can’t have their Tommy-feast unless the lights are out.”

I’ve been reading so many classics lately for my 30 before 30 challenge and my horror itch hasn’t really been scratched for a while... so as soon as I received this copy of Kill, My Darlings from @christy_aldridge I pretty much started the minute I got it out of the package!

Aldridge covers quite a broad range of different horror stories - there’s cannibalism, a terrifying clown, ero ...more

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Mar 03, 2019 Audra (ouija.doodle.reads) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, womxn-of-horror, short-stories

This horror story collection offers a range of different stories, from serial killers to cannibals, from real-life domestic horror to depictions of hell, from gory to psychological to black comedy, and many terrors in between.

My favorite stories were the briefer, more psychological ones. I enjoyed the tense atmosphere of “Lizzie Cleary Had a Bad Day” and the Twilight Zone–style of “I-65.”

While so many of the stories have promising and unique ideas at the center of them, I think that the collecti ...more

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Feb 28, 2019 Emily rated it liked it

"You'd rather be tasted by the darkness than blinded by the light."

Kill, My Darlings was my introduction to Christy Aldridge's work, and there were quite a few fun stories in this collection. There were many different types of stories here, and I enjoyed the variety.

My experiences with the stories were a little uneven. I loved some, and struggled with others. My top 3 stories in this collection are Lizzie Cleary Had a Bad Day, Curseling, and Final Girl. Christy is funny, and there are some horr "You'd rather be tasted by the darkness than blinded by the light."

Kill, My Darlings was my introduction to Christy Aldridge's work, and there were quite a few fun stories in this collection. There were many different types of stories here, and I enjoyed the variety.

My experiences with the stories were a little uneven. I loved some, and struggled with others. My top 3 stories in this collection are Lizzie Cleary Had a Bad Day, Curseling, and Final Girl. Christy is funny, and there are some horror comedy stories in here - I think I was most amused by Final Girl.

The collection opens with a novella called Mistress. While I liked the idea of this story, it was a difficult start to the collection. It's a long monologue, and I had hard time keeping my focus on it. All of the other stories are much shorter, which was a relief for me. I felt like the strongest stories were in the middle of the book, and I had a harder time with the ones at the beginning and end.

Some of the stories would be going really well, but then there would be a disconnect at the ending. For example, one story was wonderfully creepy, and then the way that it ended sort of took away the sinister factor. I think there's a lot of promising content here, but the endings just didn't always feel cohesive with the rest of the story.

Kill, My Darlings could have used a few more rounds of editing. I don't like adding this into my reviews because I know that this can be a difficult thing for indie authors. However, I feel that I have to mention it when it's to the point that it's a distraction from the stories. Some of them were research things, like Aileen Wuornos being called by the wrong name, and others were things missing or incorrect words, or grammatical errors. This was not an ARC, where it's sometimes to be expected; I purchased a final copy.

Although I had issues with this collection, it was still very entertaining, and I enjoyed multiple stories. I adore the cover of this book, and I also love that there is an illustration for the beginning of each story. ...more

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Apr 14, 2019 Rakhi rated it it was amazing

"The Wrong always feels so good. Otherwise, why would people do it?"

-Kill, My Darlings, Christy Aldridge

About the book:

Kill, My Darlings is a collection of Short stories exploring many possible outlets and styles from horror and diving into varying amounts of subjects, from monsters and demons to cannibalism and psychological terrors. From erotica to flash-fiction, Aldridge explores multiple sub-genres and subjects within the 13 stories published in this collection. From a twisted, female seria "The Wrong always feels so good. Otherwise, why would people do it?"

-Kill, My Darlings, Christy Aldridge

About the book:

Kill, My Darlings is a collection of Short stories exploring many possible outlets and styles from horror and diving into varying amounts of subjects, from monsters and demons to cannibalism and psychological terrors. From erotica to flash-fiction, Aldridge explores multiple sub-genres and subjects within the 13 stories published in this collection. From a twisted, female serial killer with The mistress...to a demonic playground for the lustful in Insatiable...Follow Aldridge as she takes you through clowns, boogeymen, talking radios and infomercials in this collection of horror.

My Review:

As the name will drag you towards it, this book did the same to me when I found this was recently published and is a collection of horror stories. I am not a fan of short stories. I tried some books before but did not like it. This book is the exception in my list. Reading these short stories will give you a glimpse of horror and ends suddenly. That time I realized, there are stories of which I don't need any conclusion or specific ending. As I began reading, Stories got more horrifying at which I cringed.
My favorite stories were: I-65, The pig on mercy lane, Final girl and The Monroe meal plan.
All the stories have a novel idea. From the talking radio, 450 kg of women who was on the mercy of her husband, a psycho girl to the cannibalism. I really admire the writing skill, very descriptive as much as required. I really enjoyed the whole book, even I did not realize when I reached the last story. The book Cover is also too intriguing. All in all, if you are a horror lover, then you will definitely like this book. I have also highlighted some quotes from the first story (The Mistress).
There was not much to dislike about this book. I was okay with the detailed description. I will look forward to reading more stories from Christy Aldridge. The only thing that made me uneasy and I had a tough time accepting the last story.

Book Review: 5/5 ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Mcf1nder_sk rated it it was amazing

A tour-de-force by the "Southern Belle of Horror"!
.
I had been eagerly waiting months for this latest release by @christy_aldridge, and it was well worth the wait. Having won me over with her incredible novels (Six Months, Rogues) and novella (The Mistress,also included here), she has also shown a special knack for throttling the reader with the short story. While some of these tales have a supernatural element, a good number of them are also a grim reminder that the greatest horror may lie insid ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Baker St Shelves rated it really liked it

Definitely one of the better anthologies I’ve ever read! Every horror sub genre is here and all of them are scary. There were times I was on edge and these stories had legitimately good twists. I think any horror fan would love this since there’s something everyone can enjoy. Arlidge is a terrific writer and certainly knows how to make your skin crawl.

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Jun 05, 2019 John Huber rated it it was amazing

KILL, MY DARLINGS is the latest publication from the Southern Belle of Horror, the Rose of Alabama herself, Christy Aldridge. It’s an anthology of short horror stories that vary in length, subject matter and tenacity. I was lucky enough, witty enough, to snag a free copy in a contest from her Instagram. She was even kind enough to personalize and sign it. I was touched. And while the stories all stand on their own, separate any other chronology, there are more than a few savory tie-ins to Christ KILL, MY DARLINGS is the latest publication from the Southern Belle of Horror, the Rose of Alabama herself, Christy Aldridge. It’s an anthology of short horror stories that vary in length, subject matter and tenacity. I was lucky enough, witty enough, to snag a free copy in a contest from her Instagram. She was even kind enough to personalize and sign it. I was touched. And while the stories all stand on their own, separate any other chronology, there are more than a few savory tie-ins to Christy’s other works for the observant and mindful fan. And no. I won’t give them to you. You have to find them on your own. That’s half the fun.

Now. The presentation itself is very good, and I won’t spend a great deal of time on it. We come to expect this from Christy at this point. The work to be clean, clipped, neat, and organized. Each story gets its own illustration, which I assume comes from the author herself. It adds another layer of individuality for every story, giving a definite stop and start to each, and keeps your transitions between those stories clean and on schedule. None of them run together, which does get to be a challenge with some anthologies, especially one of this magnitude. I love the cover art for this book. Old school, like concrete, nearly as if done with chalk. The font is perfectly chosen as well. As far as self-published work goes, this thing is a Cadillac. Looks great, feels great. I love to see this trend in self-publishing, this level of dedication and pride in the product. Hopefully, at the last, leading to the death of the ‘self-published vs. traditional’ debate. The more of these books I see, and the cleaner they become, the more that line disappears. Authors proving that the keys to the kingdom need not run through any pretentious publishing house if you but take your work as seriously as you wish the reader to do. I digress.

The work as a whole is a very *fun* undertaking. Old school. If you were ever a fan of CREEPSHOW, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, or anything from EC COMICS, you’ll be at home here. There’s a very natural flow from work to work, which isn’t easy to pull off given how different some of them can be. And if you’ve read other works from Christy, it’s a real treat to see her push into new territory previously unchecked. Cannibals, erotic horror, chronic penile dismemberment, serial killers. And Christy sells out for these elements when they do appear, and for their presence, they are done very well. Every story feels like it required her entire attention, and had a significant place in the collective whole. That’s also dreadfully important in an anthology. Stories are allowed to be better than other stories, but you dare not give the reader time to click ‘NEXT.’ Or, if they do click it, click it for preference rather than boredom. And that feels like the case here. If you do prefer stories over others, it isn’t because any of them suffer from lack of dedication. No lack of dedication from the author, anyway. And if you’re dedication is lacking as a reader . . . Go away. There is no place for you here.

There is a great deal more violence in this book than Christy’s readers may be used to. Speaking personally, I was delighted. That I would be dancing about more blood and filthiness comes as a shock to no one, I assume. But, my tendencies for ultra-violence aside, that truth is still very valid. Several of these stories become very wet and bloody: THE MISTRESS, JARED’S MUSE, THE PIG ON MERCY LANE, BILLY, FINAL GIRL, and INSATIABLE in particular. So if that bothers you, handle with care. But, really, if that bothers you . . . What are you doing here? Seriously. The weaker shit is in the other room. Move along. We’ll wait.

Alright. Now that the weaker ones are gone, I admit that my quibbles are few. But, I will also admit, I do have a couple. Before I share them, I tell you that this is the point where I separate my personal preference from the author’s vision of the book; and whether or not they achieved it. When writing a review, I never feel like it’s fair to the author and their vision to knock it based on my preferences. A review is a grade, not how much I did or did not care for something. I’m rambling again, but you see my point. SO, based upon that . . . I will go with my initial rating and give it 5 out of 5 skulls. It’s fun, it’s very well done, the writing is very good; and while it’s at once entirely unique to Christy’s blossoming style, it is also very different in many places. Finally, to be honest, this book is rare. It’s really rare to see anthologies out of independent authors. Not a collective anthology from a bunch of writers who each submitted one story, but a bunch of short works from one author. That’s becoming rare in all forms but poetry. And I applaud her for what she has accomplished, because I know for a fact that it became exactly what she envisioned. And for that, she should be very proud. That deserves every one of those 5 skulls, and it always will.

That being said . . .

My personal quibbles . . . I mentioned just a bit ago that in this work Christy pushes her writing into undiscovered territories. Bloodier, more visceral, unsettling and depraved places. Primal and slaughter places. And, to my surprise, it was done very very well. The contrast between stories can be so great, in fact, that you may feel as if you’re reading two different authors. Two . . . Entirely separate people. One that seems a proper and comfortable horror author, and one that is much more ravenous. I’ve remarked in past reviews of her work that I’ve felt as if this other writer has always been there, just chained in a very personal and deeply hidden place—though its whispers have found the page from time to time. And in several of these stories, the ones I mentioned above, that other writer is given total and complete stage time. That other Christy writes with a very great power, a whole aching intensity . . . An absolute becoming. With no pardon and no quarter given in any measure. It comes to greatest fruition in INSATIABLE, perhaps. Which, to be honest, I think is the best piece of writing I have ever seen from Christy Aldridge. Both in tone and tambour, atmospherics and sentence structure. While it is nearly indescribably graphic and explicit, both sexually and violently, it is very beautifully written. And it also bears a great understanding of classical depictions of hell. It is not inexperienced or amateurish. Descriptives, characters and mechanics are entirely on point. INSATIABLE is Christy’s finest hour. Fight me on it if you want, but you’re wrong. I’m right about this and you WILL accept that.

The dark Christy is also present in several other stories. And for her presence, the more gruesome and visceral stories could have accomplished the same thing with half the content, but the darker author does not seem content until it has entirely annihilated the reader. With a power nearly unrivaled and unmatched by other authors . . . Nearly.

You may think my complaint is the entire book wasn’t written by that author, the darker and more intense, but that is not the fact. My complaint is that the two authors seem to be so entirely separate, taking the pen only when the other isn’t looking. I want those authors to write every story together. At once entwined and whole in the entirety of the whole person herself.

As a reader, an author, a fan and a person . . . I want everything Christy Aldridge has to offer: Light, dark, funny, brooding, joyous, painful, restrained and insatiable. All at the same time. I don’t want anything hidden at any time. I want everything in every word. Because, to put it plainly, she is very capable of it. And after reading KILL, MY DARLINGS . . . I believe we are on the verge of seeing it birth out true to form.

I will be waiting with interest. With great and, dare I say . . . insatiable . . . interest. ...more

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Feb 14, 2019 Christy Aldridge rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

I mean, I wrote the thing. I kinda like the thing. 💁

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Sep 25, 2019 Felix Dimaro rated it really liked it

I was wowed immediately by the first story in “Kill, My Darlings,” a novella called “The Mistress.” The story was truly mind-blowing. I actually said “Wow,” out loud a few times, wondered if the author was actually going to go there. Then she went there. Then she went past there, and I could only witness this, mouth agape, not knowing what to think of myself after seeing what I’d been shown.
By the end of the fourth story, “Lizzie Cleary’s Bad Day,” I’d already decided that this was among one of ...more

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Dec 11, 2020 Nita rated it liked it

I honestly had a bit of a lopsided experience with this novel. I genuinely enjoyed the atmosphere of 'Billy' and 'Lizzy Clearly Had a Bad Day'. These reminded me of Stephen King short stories from the 80's. Aldridge was able to make me laugh, gross me out, and make me wonder where in the world did that idea come from.

However, the amount of cannibalism and torture porn elements were too much for me. At the end of the book, Insatiable left a disgusting taste in my mouth. I didn't find any redeemi ...more

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Mar 26, 2019 Ashley rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 05, 2019 Anthony Creane rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Kill, My Darlings is Aldridge's first collection of short stories and it's damn good.

The collection kicks off with the previously published novella, The Mistress - a novella that delves into the chilling confession of a psychopath. I'm a sucker for such stories, especially when they evoke the feel of listening to actual recordings of real serial killers, or Hopkins waxing lyrical in Silence of The Lambs.

I won't go into any detail for the following tales, as they are new to this collection, but e ...more

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