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A review by mcgbreads
Deserter by Junji Ito
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Another day, another Junji Ito horror story collection. This one’s up there with Shiver and Tombs for me, which are my favorite collections from him. Here’s what I thought of each of the 12 stories:
Bio House, 3.5 stars. Talk about a dinner with your boss gone wrong…. This was so weird and GROSS. I don’t like bugs or creepy crawlies, so this made me squirm.
Face Thief, 4 stars. If someone latched onto me and stole my face, I’d throw hands. Another crazy story from Junji Ito and I enjoyed it. I love it when the antagonist is beaten at their own game.
Where the Sandman Lives, 4 stars. The idea that a version of yourself living in your dreams is trying to replace you and the only way they can do that is by reversing your body is insane, and I loved it. So creative.
The Devil’s Logic, 3.5 stars. Another solid story, though it’s kind of vague. There’s this lady who talks to people about death, causing them to go into a kind of trance and kill themselves.
The Long Hair in the Attic, 4 stars. Again, so fucking creative. This is a crazy idea and I’m all for haunting your shitty ex lol.
Scripted Love, 3 stars. I felt kind of meh about this one, but it’s still good. When a dirtbag player boy breaks a crazy girl’s heart, you get what you had coming.
The Reanimator’s Sword, 2.5 stars. This one kind of leans a bit more into fantasy and I didn’t love it. I guess it’s a good concept, but I didn’t care for it.
A Father’s Love, 3 stars. Insane. Hated this father and the way he abused his children. The reason why he does it is sad, but it doesn’t excuse what he does, and he gets the end he deserves.
Unendurable Labyrinth, 4 stars. This made me feel sooo claustrophobic, it’s really good. Very disturbing without relying on gore.
Village of the Siren, 2.5 stars. MEH. It’s about a village summoning a demon, stealing babies and killing virgins to do so. It was whatever.
The Bully, 5 stars. Loooove this one. I think I’ve read it before, back when I read a bunch of Junji Ito’s Museum of Terror volumes. This is a perfectly disturbing short story. The twist works so well and the ending is so damn bleak. Trigger warning for child abuse, though.
Deserter, 4 stars. Such a messed-up ghost story.
Overall, I’m giving this 4 stars and it enters my top favorite Junji Ito short story collections.
Bio House, 3.5 stars. Talk about a dinner with your boss gone wrong…. This was so weird and GROSS. I don’t like bugs or creepy crawlies, so this made me squirm.
Face Thief, 4 stars. If someone latched onto me and stole my face, I’d throw hands. Another crazy story from Junji Ito and I enjoyed it. I love it when the antagonist is beaten at their own game.
Where the Sandman Lives, 4 stars. The idea that a version of yourself living in your dreams is trying to replace you and the only way they can do that is by reversing your body is insane, and I loved it. So creative.
The Devil’s Logic, 3.5 stars. Another solid story, though it’s kind of vague. There’s this lady who talks to people about death, causing them to go into a kind of trance and kill themselves.
The Long Hair in the Attic, 4 stars. Again, so fucking creative. This is a crazy idea and I’m all for haunting your shitty ex lol.
Scripted Love, 3 stars. I felt kind of meh about this one, but it’s still good. When a dirtbag player boy breaks a crazy girl’s heart, you get what you had coming.
The Reanimator’s Sword, 2.5 stars. This one kind of leans a bit more into fantasy and I didn’t love it. I guess it’s a good concept, but I didn’t care for it.
A Father’s Love, 3 stars. Insane. Hated this father and the way he abused his children. The reason why he does it is sad, but it doesn’t excuse what he does, and he gets the end he deserves.
Unendurable Labyrinth, 4 stars. This made me feel sooo claustrophobic, it’s really good. Very disturbing without relying on gore.
Village of the Siren, 2.5 stars. MEH. It’s about a village summoning a demon, stealing babies and killing virgins to do so. It was whatever.
The Bully, 5 stars. Loooove this one. I think I’ve read it before, back when I read a bunch of Junji Ito’s Museum of Terror volumes. This is a perfectly disturbing short story. The twist works so well and the ending is so damn bleak. Trigger warning for child abuse, though.
Deserter, 4 stars. Such a messed-up ghost story.
Overall, I’m giving this 4 stars and it enters my top favorite Junji Ito short story collections.