Gianni Washington's debut short story collection, Flowers from the Void, is a haunting exploration of the macabre, the uncanny, and the deeply human. With a deft hand, Washington crafts tales that are both unsettling and strangely comforting, inviting readers into a world where the familiar is twisted and the grotesque becomes mundane.

The stories in Flowers from the Void are interconnected by a shared sense of humanity, loneliness, and a longing for something more. Whether it's a grieving mother seeking solace in a peculiar ritual, a teenage boy making a pact with a sinister force, or a woman haunted by a ghostly presence, each character grapples with their own demons in their own unique way.

Washington's prose is both lyrical and evocative, painting vivid imagery that lingers in the mind long after the stories have ended. Her ability to blend horror with elements of fantasy and the supernatural creates a truly original and unsettling reading experience. While some of the stories may be difficult to stomach, they are ultimately rewarding for those willing to delve into their darkness.

Flowers from the Void is a remarkable debut collection that showcases Gianni Washington's talent as a storyteller. If you enjoy dark, atmospheric fiction that explores the depths of the human psyche, this is a book you won't want to miss.

I struggled with this one. I read it twice, leaving a gap between my two reads, because my first read was not favourable.
After my second time, my sentiments stayed the same.
I appreciate the large number of stories and genres for a book of this size. I am sure there is at least a couple of stories horror lovers can enjoy in this book.
No story stood out, the prose did not work for me. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Readers beware, this book will chill you right to the bone. Never boring, Flowers from the Void explores multiple diverse storylines and keeps readers hanging on for more.

Washington's collection offers a myriad of different types of horror, and I loved the mixture of writing styles overall. In particular, I liked the framing device presented at the beginning, middle, and end of the work -- it brought me back to classic horror anthologies. I also appreciated the diversity in the characters; to see so many prominent Black, queer, and female characters, and each allowed to be unique, was a breath of fresh air.

I didn't love every story, which is true of most short story collections, but the majority I enjoyed a lot. I would recommend this collection to anyone looking for some good, spooky tales with solid writing and characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This is out now in the US from CLASH Books.

Flowers from the Void, Gianni Washington’s debut short story collection, is a hauntingly immersive exploration of the macabre, rife with moments that will leave you unsettled long after you've finished reading. From puppet-masters to bodysnatchers, ghosts, and immortal teenagers, each story unfolds with an eerie sense of doom, often tinged with dark humor that offsets the creeping horror.

Washington excels at crafting deeply introspective, atmospheric narratives where characters are perpetually searching—be it for identity, belonging, autonomy, or simply a moment of peace. Yet, these searches rarely culminate in happy endings. Instead, Washington invites us into worlds where getting what we want doesn’t erase the past and transformation often comes at a harrowing cost.

One of the standout stories in the collection, “Under Your Skin,” follows biracial teen Phillip, who craves visibility in a world that overlooks him. When his strange white classmate Martin offers to beat him up to gain attention, Phillip finds himself in a dangerous arrangement that leads him to Martin’s peculiar family, headed by a mortician father searching for an embalming fluid that will prolong preservation. The tension is palpable, and Washington’s ability to blend horror with a deep exploration of identity makes this story both unsettling and thought-provoking.

Another favorite, “When I Cry, It’s Somebody Else’s Blood,” dives into the bizarre and grotesque, as an alien crash-lands on Earth and begins collecting human eyeballs out of curiosity. What begins as a grotesque fascination with human anatomy transforms into a philosophical musing on memory and identity when the alien places one of the collected eyes in its own head, unlocking the memories of the person it belonged to. The story is as chilling as it is poignant, showcasing Washington’s ability to balance absurdity with a quiet emotional weight.

The collection’s exploration of emotional and physical transformation continues in “Take It From Me,” where Imelda’s body physically falls apart due to the emotional toll of failed relationships. In this world, emotional pain has a visceral impact, and Imelda’s disintegration mirrors her fractured sense of self. However, through mysterious packages that deliver replacement body parts, Imelda begins to reclaim her agency, reminding readers of the resilience required to heal and rebuild after loss.

Washington’s writing is poetic and immersive, weaving between reality and the uncanny with a lyrical ease that makes each story feel deeply reflective. Her fragmented, introspective sentences, often brimming with metaphor, evoke the existential and philosophical questions that linger just beneath the surface of her tales. Themes of identity, loss, and transformation pervade this collection, with characters constantly grappling with the tension between loneliness and the desire for connection.

While some stories in Flowers from the Void may feel slow-paced, their cumulative effect is powerful. Washington’s deft hand at crafting atmospheres of creeping dread and poignant resolution makes this collection an ideal read for fans of horror that lingers in the mind long after the final page. If you loved the body horror of Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova, this collection is a must-read. Perfect for the Halloween season, Flowers from the Void will leave you both unnerved and introspective, wondering just how much of yourself you’re willing to lose in the search for belonging.

📖 Recommended For: Fans of atmospheric horror with a slow-burn, readers who appreciate introspective, poetic prose, anyone intrigued by existential questions and eerie transformations, lovers of macabre short stories, fans of Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova.

🔑 Key Themes: Identity and Belonging, Mortality and Immortality, Loneliness and Intimacy, Emotional and Physical Transformation, Fate and Memory.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Drug Use (moderate), Mental Illness (minor), Gore (moderate), Animal Death (minor), Self-Harm (moderate), Fire/Fire Injury (moderate), Death of Parent (minor), Bullying (minor), Violence (minor), Abandonment (minor), Sexual Content (minor), Alcohol (minor), Blood (moderate), Injury/Injury Detail (moderate).

If you're looking for a spooky read with short stories written by minorities, definitely pick this one up. I didn't like all the stories but I enjoyed the fact they all touched on various genres. Under Your Skin was my favorite!

These were some of the most genuinely creepy stories I’ve read in a long time. I got that uneasy, chills-up-my-spine feeling and it was so fun. As with pretty much every collection, not every story was a banger, but I would say a solid 75% of them were great. What’s unique about this collection is that there’s an overarching frame narrative tying the diverse stories together that is revealed through an introduction, interlude and conclusion. Overall, this collection was outstanding and I look forward to reading more of the author’s work.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. A great book to pick up leading into spooky season. Filled with short stories across various genres, horror, magical realism, fantasy... highly recommend!

Fun little novella of short stories. Like most collections some were better than others but they all carried a degree of terror and anxiety I will be thinking about for a long while now as I continue to visit the void. 4⭐️

Flowers from the Void is magnificent, intoxicating, and addicting.

Flowers from the Void is a collection of short stories (some a lot shorter than others) that explores the theme of death and all things death adjacent. There are times the stories seem familiar, yet, something happens and you're thrown into another world that you've never even considered to exist.

Washington's writing is exquisite. I felt like I was slowly being hypnotized by the writing style and I don't think I've ever been as enamored with a description of boogers as Washington writes.

A few stories will capture you more than others, but this is true with any collection of short stories. One of my favorite stories in this collection Under Your Skin- everything about it is relatable yet terrifying and foreign.

This would be a perfect read for anyone who is wanting a collection of short stories written in a style that feel poetic while challenging your thoughts. It's a gothic collection that yearns for the dark while balancing the everyday struggles of humans.

It's a good collection, don't get me wrong. But I feel like the amount of stories I enjoyed were outweighed by ones that I couldn't really bring myself to care about. I love horror, don't get me wrong. And I do feel like these stories are great for all sorts of different people. Unfortunately I just wasn't one of the people that they were a majority for. But that by all means does not mean it's a bad collection and I do recommend checking it out because there is such a variety that you're surely going to find something you enjoy. My personal favorite was "When I cry, it's someone else's blood."

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for an unbiased review!

Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced readers copy of Flowers From The Void by Gianni Washington!

This short story was INCREDIBLE. I can't say this enough, if you are a fan of Horror or want to dive more into the genre, you *need* to read this short story collection.
The two I loved most were: Go, It Is The Sending & Under Your Skin.
I grew to care so much for each world and character that I wished they had their own novel!
The writing was phenomenal!

Some of them were less impactful than others, but even those I feel will haunt me. This was a chilling and disturbing collection-- in the BEST way possible.

I look forward to reading my by Gianni Washington in the future!
4.75 ⭐️ (rounded up)

Gianni Washington's collection of short stories are wide-ranging, well-written, and creepy enough to merit every horror fan's attention - and every lover of good fiction as well. What they are lacking is atmosphere and dialogue, but they more than make up for it with terrific imagery, good pacing, and interesting premises throughout. The collection is obviously brimming with talent and heart. I liked all the stories, they're original and crafted with an eye to detail which will please all intelligent, experienced readers who enjoy reading between the lines. There's body horror, supernatural elements galore, and wichcraft, though a lot of the stories may also be characterized as (very) dark fantasy. My favorites were "Under Your Skin," about a sort of friendship which takes a very dark and sick turn, revolving around violence and teen angst, with a really unexpected and hair-raising ending, "In Between," a really unsettling story about a girl and her (lack of) shadow, and "Take It From Me," an amazing body horror story unlike anything I've read before. If you're into horror and good, descriptive writing, this collection is a must-read!

Dark, twisted, weird, thought provoking, an extraordinary set of short stories. I’ve always found short story collections to be uneven, there are always stories that don’t quite hit the mark, but not here. From haunted tv’s, ghostly best friends, & witches attempting initiation into a coven there are stories for all horror lovers here.

I’m excited to read more from this author.

A fantastic debut! There are some stories that are absolutely going to fester in my brain for weeks. This collection spans so many different horror tropes, from witches to creepy dolls and some truly original ideas, these stories radiate with sadness, longing, and righteous anger. I will be looking out for everything this author writes going forward, for sure.

I found this collection of stories very engaging and atmospheric to read. I felt like the emotions of each story leapt from the text and filled me with emotion, whether that be melancholy, horror, or dread. My only criticism is I felt at times the stories favored description over plot - but if you are someone who enjoys atmosphere building as much as plot I believe that you will enjoy this collection!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. They all had unique concepts from one another and brought in different themes and elements. There were some stories that I wasn't particularly drawn to but some I really loved. I feel like this collection really showcases Washington's skill as a writer in the way she was able to put so much love and effort into each story. I will definitely be reading more from Washington. I recommend this!

Beautifully written short stories that leave you thinking. I'm quite shocked that this is a debut, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC