3.5/5 rounded up.

This collection of short stories take a look at domestic bliss and kill the lights, exposing a bunch of unsettling stuff underneath.

Whether it’s a crying baby, a missing child, a lockdown, a strange wake…there’s lot to explore here and these tales all build dread and will linger long after you’re done with them. The sound of their claws scratching against the door might well infect your dreams.

There are eight stories here, and I’ve made notes on all of them:

Table scraps: blackest of black humour. The weirdest wake you can ever imagine and a darkly intriguing opener to this collection.

Emily: creepy tale of a creepy kid that belongs to the man our main character has just started a relationship with. A little too long and lost me a bit in the middle, but a strong, dark ending.

Mouthful: journals of a missing artist. Like the found footage element but the content didn’t really grab me.

Changes: sad rather than scary. A couple go for a holiday to a strange town and find they are more different from each other than they thought.

Make a home of me: a truly effective and creepy haunted house story. What would you do if you house started leaving notes for you and your family?

As above, so below: a chilling tale of alien invasion that also feels like an attempt to process that weird time of the covid pandemic. A story full of dread, like a breath being held for the entire thing. Very good.

Riverquick, saltfresh: a haunting tale of grief and guilt and the pull of the sea…even if it means death. Evocative and compelling.

The wall: a tale of madness caused by a crying baby. Brought back plenty of bad memories, so thanks for that!

Overall, an impressive collection that is perfect for a slice of something chilling before bed.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!

What a fantastic collection of short stories - I wished there was more! I especially loved the story Emily, but think the monster in the woods story fell slightly flat.

Make Me a Home by Vanessa Santos is a collection of unsettling short stories that explore the darker sides of domestic life. From mysterious dinner parties to emotionally charged family dynamics and strange disappearances, each story takes place in what should be a place of safety — the home — but instead turns it into something unfamiliar, even hostile.

While the book is labeled as horror, it leans more into the unnerving and psychologically unsettling than the traditionally terrifying. Some stories succeed more than others; a few fell flat for me, while others—like the story involving Emily, a strangely shy child—were deeply intriguing and left a strong impression.

What stood out most was Santos’s writing style. Her prose is vivid and atmospheric, creating an underlying tension that lingers even when the plot itself doesn’t fully land. She has a talent for crafting eerie environments and emotional undercurrents that feel just slightly off-kilter

Make a Home of Me is a collection of unusual stories by Vanessa Santos. The book is labelled as "horror", but those looking for gore and jump scares would likely be disappointed. The stories here are unnerving and unsettling rather than terrifying. There were some good ideas here; I particularly liked the story about the strange child, Emily. A couple of the tales seemed a bit flat to me (such as the "monster" one), but I have found myself thinking about other storylines in quiet moments, so they must have got under my skin. One "story" is a collection of unconnected vignettes in itself; I would like to see some of these explored further. Overall, a good debut (I would give 3.5 stars if allowed); I would like to read more of Santos' work in a longer format.

Make a home of me was a lovely little macabre collection of shorts stories. Some gruesome, some creepy some downright bizarre! Reminded me a bit of the Eric LaRocca ones.. I really enjoyed it! Nice and short perfect Bank Holiday reading. Each story was a manageable chunk exactly what
I needed for dipping in and out of around the kids.
If you like a little bit of horror in your life I would definitely recommend picking this up!

A solid collection of short stories. As always, one or two which aren’t the best. When the stories shined however, they certainly did shine! I will be thinking about As Above, So Below for a very long time

4.25/5.0

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this collection of short stories.

I always say this, but reading short stories is always risky because in the same book, some of these stories might feel really good and others might disappoint or confuse you, which makes it hard to then rate the book altogether.

But not in this one, as every story was a great one. So much so, I had trouble pausing my reading. Each story had its own eerie vibe that I enjoyed immensely. From the very start, I was hooked and I went through a spectrum of emotions reading throughout this book. Some stories were scarier, some sadder, but all of them made you feel something.

Make a Home of Me is definitely a collection of short stories I can recommend to anyone that is looking for a quick and easy read in the horror genre. The vibes were truly immaculate and I will, for sure, keep an eye on what Vanessa Santos will write about next.

"Vivid dreams, of mouths with keys for teeth, bitten down on me and unlocking all my doors."

Vanessa Santos's debut collection is set within the houses that are meant to provide us with support and protection. Places we are a part of become something disturbing and unknown to us. Sanctuaries being invaded making the residents into complete strangers.

This was an interesting and unnerving collection of stories based around ones home. A place we feel comfortable and ourselves become estranged, partly due to disturbing events taking place in the present and traumas from the past that stick with us.

These stories were easy to read through. Each one does leave you a little disturbed. The pacing and imagery in each matched the atmosphere of the kind of story being told.

A dark and interesting collection worth exploring

What an excellent debut collection! I thoroughly enjoyed these strange, uncanny stories - very reminiscent of Shirley Jackson and The Twilight Zone which I LOVE. My absolute favourites were the opening story, Table Scraps - even though I figured out what was going on pretty quickly, it still had a massive impact; Emily scared the hell out of me - the ending!!!!; Make a Home of Me, the titular story, is this strange, scary and sad sort of a story that I really like; As Above, So Below - a tense and sci-fi-ish tale, excellent!

I’ll definitely read what Vanessa Santos writes next!

ARC received through Netgalley

3.5 ⭐️
This was so good!! I don’t usually particularly appreciate collections of short stories (especially when they are horror because I feel like most times they’re too short for me to even get into it and actually feel scared). This one, though? I loved it, I thought the pacing was spot on in most of the stories, the themes were interesting and the endings satisfying. I would definitely recommend if you want a nice selection of horror short stories which all somehow have to do with homes.

I loved the unsettling nature of these short, eerie stories. Easy to read but harder to forget this author is an excellent talent and I will be looking out for more! They will stay with you and make you look over your shoulder!

Thank you for my advance copy!