Never Whistle at Night
Ratings40
Average rating4
15
Ratings40
Average rating4
Featuring stories by:
Norris Black • Amber Blaeser-Wardzala • Phoenix Boudreau • Cherie Dimaline • Carson Faust • Kelli Jo Ford • Kate Hart • Shane Hawk • Brandon Hobson • Darcie Little Badger • Conley Lyons • Nick Medina • Tiffany Morris • Tommy Orange • Mona Susan Power • Marcie R. Rendon • Waubgeshig Rice • Rebecca Roanhorse • Andrea L. Rogers • Morgan Talty • D.H. Trujillo • Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. • Richard Van Camp • David Heska Wanbli Weiden • Royce K. Young Wolf • Mathilda Zeller
Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.
These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.
Reviews with the most likes.
Although there are a lot of good stories in the collection, there are a number of boring ones that made it hard for me to finish, but I pushed through.
I enjoyed the stories that focused on creatures and folklore tales. I also enjoyed the stories that dealt with racism. I was pleased to see Cherie Dimaline in this collection. Her story was one of my favorites out of the collection.
All of the authors brought their A game when it comes to writing. Pacing is excellent, styles are cohesive. I would recommend people to read this collection because every story is written by an Indigenous author, which you don't see often in horror.
A mixed bag. Some of the stories were meh, but the good ones were very, very good. Great writing, beautiful twists, powerful and memorable dilemmas.
Horror stories often involve supernatural elements. I tend to find those silly, and prefer the ones exploring plain old human nature. This collection includes both kinds of stories, and to my surprise, of the ones I loved, there was a tie (four-four) between supernatural and non.
Solid collection. Lots of hits, an equal amount of misses.
I picked up this book because of the title and premise. Never whistle at night is also a Javanese belief (superstition?) and I've always loved stories from indigenous populations.
That being said, here is a list of my faves from this anthology in no particular order:
- White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse (sooo insidious)
- Quantum by Nick Medina (highly disturbing)
- Behind Colin's Eyes by Shane Hawk (made me have a physical reaction while reading (but some of the dialogue is cringe))
- Scariest Story Ever by Richard Van Camp (wholesome)
- The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (kinda funny in that dry way)
- Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart (this one definitely being my FAVE)
