Beautiful Sorrows is a collection of short horror stories written by my great friend Mercedes Yardley. Like her stories she is a bit of a contradiction. She has three adorable children. Her oldest has special needs, and she is a warrior parent in championing him and getting him all the help he requires, but is also the most compassionate and giving mother that I have ever met. She is known to write with bunny ears on so her kids know to let her type. She can run in 3 inch heels to chase down her kiddos, but she is defined by her writing, her parenting and so many other things that it is very difficult to pin down one word to describe her.
Her writing is the same. It is horror, but it is whimsical and different. She doesn’t have blood, guts and gore. Rather her books express human heartache and sorrow in a way that leave you thinking and even refreshed. Her collection of stories in Beautiful Sorrows is like that. Some make you think. Some leave you saddened that such things happen in the world. Others will make you laugh in spite of yourself.
I am not a horror reader. I hate all things scary and dark, and avoid them, because they make me feel scary and dark. This book is not scary and dark. It is truthful, and imaginative, and sorrowful. I would highly recommend it to anyone with the caveat that you be old enough to handle adult content. It is not a book for children. I have read my son some of her stories. My father-in-law loves her writing, and my husband enjoys it when I can get him to read something besides comic books. 🙂 It is definitely unique and maybe she will one day create a new genre. Her book is available on Amazon, just click on the picture above. I promise you will enjoy it.
Thank you so much for not only the review, but the awesome friendship, Natalie! 😀