This novella accompanied by a collection of short stories was absolutely incredible. Darcy Coates does it again! I really enjoyed this collection and if you like ghost stories that have a twist, then this collection is absolutely for you.

Dead Lake- the name sake of the book and the novella. I give this a 10/10. It was incredible! This is an example of Darcy Coates at her best. Sam, the heroine, is very typical of the character who Coates tends to create, but that's what I loved about Sam. And ya know what, the twist in this story really caught me. I knew where she was going pretty early on, but I have to say I really enjoyed the ending. I can admit I got a little teary at the end. That's another thing I love- no one writes an ending like Coates does.

The rest of the short stories did feel rather experimental for her, but I still enjoyed them. Ratings bellow:

Whose Woods These Are- 7/10 I also really enjoyed this one! It felt a touch experimental for Coates since I've never seen her do something like this before, but I still loved it. I think of all the short stories in the book, this is one I would have liked to see developed into a larger story. I really would have enjoyed more of an explanation of some sort. If she could have combined the storyline here with the writing style of From Below with the alternating POV, I think this one could have been an absolute BANGER.
SPOILER AHEAD!!! I have never seen her work with a "creature feature" in a book and I feel like this is the closest I've seen her make of a creature. I want to see more creatures from Coates.

Mannequin- 4/10 This was a good story, but it really wasn't for me. I don't think the main character was as interesting as the characters from the other stories, but I think he worked well for this particular series of events. Does that make sense? I think this story bordered on sci-fi, and much like Whose Woods These Are, I really wanted more explanation. Still, the haunting aspect was that we, the readers, don't get an answer in the end. Also, working with Mannequins as the mainstay of the horror- great choice!

Hitchhiker- 3/10. In my opinion, this was the most experimental of the lot. I didn't really like it that much. I didn't like the premise and I didn't like the wrap up- whatever. I am sure someone would like it (it is more sci-fi-ish??), but just not for me.

Bellamy- 9/10. Now this one felt like Coates doing her best. For those who read her, you know that she has a way of weaving plot threads in a way that seems obvious or insignificant, but then wraps them around at the end to tell an incredible tale. This one bordered on fantasy and I really enjoyed that. It is sad and you feel for the characters involved, but the ending, like usual, was beautiful. I have so many questions about the story, but I like how it ended and am satisfied with how it was left off.

So overall, I gave the book a solid 4 stars and you can BET that I am off to buy another Coates book. ( )