3.80 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for this title!

A quick novella consisting of about 135 pages. This is my first read from the author Dori Lumpkin.

〰️ Characters 〰️
📌Abigail (Abby-girl telling the story from her perspective
📌 Nora (for which the trauma circles)
📌 Pastor David (creepy group cult leader)
📌 Pastor David Brothers (equally disturbed)

〰️First Impressions 〰️
Such a creepy vibe from this book about a little southern town near the mountains.

People live and die for the church and rules that everyone must follow. The church services near the water to be closer to God, as a show of power from the Pastor the call David.

〰️My thoughts 💭 〰️
I grew up partially in church so nothing was an this degree of ridiculousness. And this is not to shame religion but the living humble and bowing down with no outlook into the outside world and only hearing the prospective of other parishioners is definitely one side.

Women are only able to take certain jobs like sewing or cooking are are expected to marry young while men could do whatever they wanted. This burns my butter.🧈

〰️ Something About Nora 〰️
Who is apparently was troubled from the start according to the people in the town. Her love of snakes, and violent outbursts don’t help her situation.

She She never took anything too seriously and it seems as though her parents have given up and washed their hands of the matter hoping the church can mend her wicked ways…LOL Nora had one friend she could trust and that was Abigail.

A friendship and connection born out of necessity and growing to so much more

〰️Most Disturbing 〰️
Something that was said to Abigail, by the paster that she should “keep sweet”. Now if you know anything about that phrase or whats behind it you will know how disturbing it is, which is the point of horror.

〰️My thoughts 💭 〰️
Horror can fill you with a range of emotions. It can make you uncomfortable, fill you with dread, make you think, scare you to death, or sleep with a night light on…

〰️ Conclusion 〰️
This story didn’t end as I expected and fell pretty flat. I wanted more from character Nora considering what she was capable of. I was hoping that more focus would be on the cult-like parishioners participating in this heinous act. More devastation, more destruction…just more. All in all still not a bad story from little novella.

Set in the suffocating religious snake-handling community of Bethel, Alabama, this novella dives deep into the murky waters of repressed sexuality, religious dogma, and possible possession. Lumpkin's writing is a Southern Gothic dream, weaving a tale of two girls, Nora and Abigail, whose affection and loyalty to each other becomes a threat to their entire town. The story of Nora's "possession" unfolds through Abigail's eyes, a bittersweet confessional that'll have you squirming in your seat, clenching your fists, and breaking your heart. At its core, "Antenora" is a queer love story, exploring the complexities of friendship, desire, and faith in a way that feels achingly, desperately real, and while it delivers some deliciously gruesome scenes, the real horror here is in the oppressive atmosphere of the small town and its smaller-minded inhabitants. It's a short but potent read that'll leave you craving more of Lumpkin's poignantly twisted prose.

A hell of a story. Who knew that religious paradise on earth could be absolute hell for one young girl.

Enter the tight knit community of Bethel, where two girl navigate the cultic religiosity of their community.
Nora is accused of being possessed. Her best friend Abby isn't so sure. In a whirlwind of events, we see Nora being 'delivered' and the aftermath of such a treacherous ordeal.

3.75*
I enjoyed this very melancholy novella and am grateful I was given the opportunity to read it. Even though this is a short book, the characters really make it what it is. Abigail and Nora's friendship and forbidden love was so quiet and beautiful. Not only that, but I really liked them as individual characters. Abigail is soft and supportive, the best companion for Nora to have by her side when nobody wants to understand her. The way she understood Nora and allowed her to be herself was gorgeous to read. Nora was so unapologetic and brave, despite the represive community they were raised in. There's a lot left unsaid, but crystal clear. The way the atmosphere and narration was pulled off in this way really shows the writing skill of the author as well. I would have liked the story to be longer so we could get more from the characters and the town. I was very close to giving this story 4 stars, but could not justify it given the length. Anyway, I will keep an eye out for other things this author releases.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4!

This book had such an intriguing undercurrent of corruption and religious fanaticism that kept me intrigued and flipping pages. This was only 134 pages and it made me feel so many emotions - I was heartbroken, I was angry, and I was worried.

This was a heartbreaking book with great writing and I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Creature Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley & Creature Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
This story is about a girl, Nora, who is supposedly possessed. Nora and her best friend grow up in Alabama in a the religious community of Bethel. Snakes are part of their religions practice, and Nora has a connection with the animal. From the start I can tell there is more to Nora. She brings a snake back to life, hardly something I think someone who is possessed would do. The religious leaders in her community seem in my opinion cult like, and somewhat evil. As the story unfolds we learn that this is not the first time the community has claimed possession. I begin to wonder, what are the leaders really doing to these girls when they take them for deliverance? However, the story does not elude any further beyond that girls are prayed over and treated harshly.
Amidst this Nora and her bestie Abigail are seemingly in love. Kissing in the forest, a big no-no in this religious cult like life they are subjected to.
Nora is violent, she kills several people. The deliverance does not work. In the end she is burned at the stake.
I was surprised by the end. Wasn’t expecting the Salem witch style. However, also not disappointed. It didn’t have the fairytale end and it fit perfectly with the cult vibe of the book. Nora was an interesting character, and if she came back and struck vengeance I would like to read about it.

This was a rough one for sure. If you've got religious trauma, you're either going to really like this or really hate your experience with it.

A beautiful and harrowing story about queerness and being an outsider in your own community. The prose was wonderful and really made you feel for the two girls. An instant five star and a new all time favorite.

I can’t wait to see what Dori Lumpkin has in store for us in the future.

Unsettling and monstrous. For two girls living in a tight-knit religious community, everything must be in its place, and everyone must follow the rules. But what happens when one girl refuses to bow to the whims of men who use religion as a tool for control? Our protagonist, Abigail, is best friends with Nora-a seemingly dangerous girl. And our journey is told from Abigail’s perspective-her love for Nora, her acceptance of her as she is, and witnessing what she must endure because of her defiance. But the answers are not straight forward, and the author sets before us a morally complex novel of right and wrong, truth and fiction, that will leave the reader thinking about Nora’s journey, and all its many layers, long after the book is done.

This novella packed such a punch in such a short story. It was rather heartbreaking following Nora’s story through Abigail’s eyes. While some parts of the story required a little suspension of belief you could fully believe the tragic outcome and Nora’s fate.

Wow, I loved this. As a queer person who grew up in the religious South, I related to this book so much. I found it terrifying in its relatability. So well done.

Thank you to Netgalley and Creature Publishing for this ARC

Everything Creature Publishing puts out is fantastic and Antenora is no exception.

This novella hit quite close to home as I feel it will for many queer people. I felt as though I have been in Abigail’s shoes before (with the exception of my homoerotic friendship literally going up in flames). Throughout reading this I thought of my own Nora a lot. Lumpkin is able to capture Catholic guilt so convincingly without being overtly criticising of the religion itself which I admire even as a nonbeliever .

Dori Lumpkin’s writing is so effortless and captivating and I honestly can’t wait to read more of them

A diabolical rendition of girlhood intertwined with Southern bible-thumping that leaves you clenching your fists all the way through. This gothic depiction of queerness pulls on strings you probably didn’t know you had. A harrowing tale that leaves you screaming at the page, unable to get relief. A new all time favorite.

I had to think a lot with this one. I will first say that the writing is amazing in this one. Our narrator is Abby, who is directly talking to you about her friend Nora and her complex relationship with Bethel, AL. In this community religion is important to them, and everything that does not fit their life has to go. I liked how we get melancholy at the end of this book, and how it is written. It took me a while to understand the climax of this story. But once it hit, it was so sad. This story is only 134 pages long and somehow it manages to give us a deep overview of the characters friendship. I wish this was longer to explore more about the side characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a brilliant little novella, but perhaps the issue is that it is a novella. I wished that this book was a lot longer and more developed, with more time dedicated to the characters and how they ended up where they were.

With all that said, this is a really, really good story. The horror moments were fantastic, with flashes of absolute sadism in the words used. The horror elements are built up perfectly, and I think that this story would have benefited enormously from a bit more of an expansion on those elements. The sense of general unease about the town and the religious elements that feed into it really do create a world, but one I thought could have been a bit more fleshed out.

That said, the prose is absolutely flawless, with beautifully written ebbs and flows and a general sense of unease and longing. The concept of possession in a small, conservative, 'unseen' town is a fascinating one, and I can't wait to see what this author does next.

This short story was both haunting and beautiful. I would definitely recommend it! The story is told by Abigail, the sole friend of potentially possessed Nora, who kills three people and injures others.

I really did not want this story to end. The writing was incredible and I felt so drawn to the characters. This is an impressive example of how a short novel can produce an impactful reading experience. The world and people felt so vivid, making the horror aspects feel all the more real.

Totally recommend!

really beautifully written and explores the topics in an intriguing way. the characters are effectively fleshed out despite the shorter length of the story. a wonderful read!

- [ ] A deeply profound examination of the Christian South’s reaction to those who are different (especially those who are queer), Antenora is a story within a story. Narrated by Abigail, the story of a “troubled” girl is told, one that proceeds and ends gruesomely, though it didn’t have to be that way at all.

Thank you NetGalley and Creature Publishing for a free eARC of "Antenora" by Dori Lumpkin.
A story about what a patriarchal religious obsessed small town can cause to young women.
The themes of friendship and love were so fascinating to witness. So seeing the damage that indoctrination caused, was even more painful.
The few instances of Horror were effective, but I wanted more substance behind Nora and the community's actions.
Maybe this needed to be a full length novel rather than a novella.

This novella centers on the poignant journey of two young girls whose innocent yet profound affections disrupt the entrenched norms of their town, leading to a delicate yet chilling examination of religious dogmatism. It delves into the unyielding adherence to religious doctrines and the resultant persecution of those who deviate from these convictions.

Nora, a girl of exceptional character, perceives the world through a unique lens. She is in harmony with nature, possesses a rich inner life, and her extraordinary connection with snakes alone incites considerable turmoil.

Unfortunately, in a cloistered, patriarchal religious community, her unconventional behavior is swiftly branded as diabolical. Nora's tale is narrated through the perspective of her friend, Abby, who strives to comprehend the unfolding events with empathy. Abby finds herself torn; she deeply sympathizes with Nora, yet she also attempts to rationalize the actions of her community, despite recognizing their inherent malevolence.

The characters are vividly portrayed, and the atmosphere masterfully encapsulates the intolerance towards differences under the guise of divine will.

The writing style is lucid, warm, and profoundly perceptive, illustrating a deep passion for feminist discourse and the potential of horror to offer social commentary and catharsis. This narrative boldly confronts the gender imbalances and lack of diversity, challenging the prevailing status quo.

Despite its challenging themes, the story is suffused with love and compassion.

I wholeheartedly recommend it.