Thank you Tor Publishing for providing this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

“The White Guy Dies First” is a diverse collection of short horror tales that unapologetically share the rage that the entitled can leave in every one of us.

I would recommend this to anyone that is a fan, or has been curious of the writing style, of any of the contributing authors. You’re more than likely to discover a new favorite amongst them, I know I found a few that I plan on reading more from!

My favorite aspect of this collection was its variety. Each story felt like they could stand out on their own, either in its unique voice or its fun twist on a classic horror trope. I also felt that each story really showcased how the horror genre can be used to highlight and explore social commentary in visceral ways. I didn’t go into any of these stories expecting to be mad, but boy did I start supporting people’s wrongs by the end of it! It was honestly so cathartic rooting for the less than perfect main characters represented throughout, but I’m a sucker for messy characters that I can connect with.

I also appreciated the flow of the stories. They were ordered in such a way that it felt like a quiet anger simmering and building up into a final story that let out all of its pent up rage. I had initially worked through this by reading a single story a day but I almost wish I read it in fewer sittings to get this full effect. It was also such a nice touch to build a world around the collection to give context on why the stories were gathered together.

However, this collection wasn’t quite a 5 star read for me as I felt that some stories were not nearly as fleshed out as others. There were a few that I found myself wishing were actually full length and others that felt a bit rushed to fit into the format. That may be due to some personal taste, I know that certain subgenres of horror fall flat for me, so this may not be the case for all reading experiences.