Book Review: How to Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend

 I don't know why I put off reading this for so long. Linda Addison's How to Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend is an excellent collection of horror prose and poetry.

My favorite poems were the clever bookending pair of "How To Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend" and "How To Recognize Your Friend Has Become a Demon," as well as the beautiful "Demon Dance." "Land Sharks" was another favorite.

The stories were all strong, but I had a few favorites among them as well. The collection's two longest stories, "The Power" and "Milez to Go," were companion pieces about two magically gifted cousins, and I could happily read many more stories about both of them. "Excerpts From the Unabridged Traveler's Guide as UFO's in Galaxy A.G.2" was one of the most creative and original stories in the book and made me chuckle more than a few times. Finally, "Boo" absolutely broke my heart. It's rare that such a short story can have such a profound impact on me, but this one had me tearing up by the end.

I'm not currently aware of any other complete books by Addison, but I would gladly buy and read anything else she comes out with.

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