Barnes & NobleThe Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due

Fantastic short story compilation!

I really enjoy short story compilations because I can read one story and then go do a chore or two, and not feel guilty when I read half a book in a day. The Wishing Pool and Other Stories was my first introduction to Tananarive Due, and I am looking forward to reading more of her horror and Gracetown stories. There are also End of the World and Sci-Fi short stories, and while I did enjoy them, for me, I liked the first two sections of the book a bit more. But that is just a personal preference, and for readers who like those genres, these could be right up their alley. Due’s monsters are often racism or the monster inside of a person, with the occasional actual monster. The way she incorporates racism and human monsters into her stories is done masterfully. The book starts off with the book title, The Wishing Well, and how that one ended was fantastic, and reminds the reader to be careful what you wish for, no matter how pure your intentions. Haint in the Window, had another great ending, and since it takes place in a bookstore, of course, I liked it. The Bear Creek Lodge stories had great tension in them, and reminded me of the many times my grandparents would say that a child should be seen and not heard. While reading Thursday-Night Shift I kept wondering who the Reverend was, and while I thought he was going to be a cult leader and the story would go in a different direction, when I finally realized who it was, it made the story shine in a different light. And finally, Dancing, the last story in part one, combined death and lives unlived with the perfect touch of horror. The next part is the Gracetown Stories, and while they are all fantastic, Last Stop on Route 9 and Rumpus Room were the ones that really stood out for me. I always get creeped out with hillbilly stories (The Hills Have Eyes freaks me out) so the Last Stop on Route 9 gave me goosebumps, and the Rumpus Room had the perfect combo of slow dread with a touch of wondering if what the main character thinks is happening, really is happening. Then there are two stories in the Nayima series that look at one version of how the world could be if we keep going in the direction we are, and finally there are three stories in the final section; Future Shock. I did really enjoy Ghost Ship, because it had a horror vibe to it. The Wishing Pool and Other Stories is a fantastic short story compilation, and one that I highly recommend.