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Always Listen to Her Hurt: Collected Works
A cult leader who wants us all to violently pay for our transgressions against the earth…
A mother on the verge of breaking during a family vacation at a theme park…
An executive’s assistant willing to do anything to impress her sociopathic boss…
A teacher who shapes her students’ destinies no matter the cost to their lives…
Each of these characters, and more, is at the beating heart of this collection where fears are wholly realized, revenge is often the sharp edge of possibility, and pain may very well be the only viable option in the end.
A mother on the verge of breaking during a family vacation at a theme park…
An executive’s assistant willing to do anything to impress her sociopathic boss…
A teacher who shapes her students’ destinies no matter the cost to their lives…
Each of these characters, and more, is at the beating heart of this collection where fears are wholly realized, revenge is often the sharp edge of possibility, and pain may very well be the only viable option in the end.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2022
4 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Kenzie Jennings
25 books127 followersKenzie Jennings is an English professor suffering in the sweltering tourist hub of central Florida. She is the author of the Splatterpunk Award nominated books Reception and Red Station (Death’s Head Press). Her short horror fiction has appeared in the anthologies Rampage on the Reef, Slash-Her, Baker’s Dozen, Slice Girls, Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror, Dig Two Graves, Vol. 1 and Deep Fried Horror: Mother's Day Edition.
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January 21, 2023This short story collection was picked out by my book club on bookstagram. We decided to celebrate our anniversary by reading a book from the same author we started with over a year ago which was RECEPTION by Kenzie Jennings. We have since enjoyed a lot of books together. I realized I have read a lot of Kenzie Jennings's stories:
WRECKERS: The first story "Wreckers" is about a murder-suicide cult known as The Square, punishing random people for overpopulating the earth. Their weapon of choice is vehicular manslaughter. *cringe* CREEPY"
It's The Little Things & Paper Dolls: It's the Little Things- those startling endings are the best. Paper Dolls is an excellent companion piece to the story just before it. The author's notes are essential to read.
The Gentle Art of Nominication: What does Nominication mean? Nominication is a combination of two words which are 飲み (Nomi) and communication. It is a fascinating and well-established cultural practice within business that allows for open and frank discussion between team members, and colleagues from different groups, or levels of seniority.
AMA One...AMA Two
I liked this story a lot :) Fun revenge tale
Peelings
I loved this story when I first read it in Worst Laid Plans (I wrote the intro)
Just a Local Thing-
Vacationing in Florida, a weird bakery, alligators, and cannibals on bath salts "It's a local thing"
I read The Vacationers in the Slash-Her anthology. It's a good one!
wow, I had read this one before too from Dig Two Graves Vol 1 (Death's Head Press)
I like Kenzie's storytelling style. It's accessible and easy to settle into. The stories are imaginative, well-plotted, and many have a surprise twist. Kenzie leans into her female protagonists and their POV which is always a plus. I love the way she writes dialogue.
WRECKERS: The first story "Wreckers" is about a murder-suicide cult known as The Square, punishing random people for overpopulating the earth. Their weapon of choice is vehicular manslaughter. *cringe* CREEPY"
It's The Little Things & Paper Dolls: It's the Little Things- those startling endings are the best. Paper Dolls is an excellent companion piece to the story just before it. The author's notes are essential to read.
The Gentle Art of Nominication: What does Nominication mean? Nominication is a combination of two words which are 飲み (Nomi) and communication. It is a fascinating and well-established cultural practice within business that allows for open and frank discussion between team members, and colleagues from different groups, or levels of seniority.
AMA One...AMA Two
I liked this story a lot :) Fun revenge tale
Peelings
I loved this story when I first read it in Worst Laid Plans (I wrote the intro)
Just a Local Thing-
Vacationing in Florida, a weird bakery, alligators, and cannibals on bath salts "It's a local thing"
I read The Vacationers in the Slash-Her anthology. It's a good one!
wow, I had read this one before too from Dig Two Graves Vol 1 (Death's Head Press)
I like Kenzie's storytelling style. It's accessible and easy to settle into. The stories are imaginative, well-plotted, and many have a surprise twist. Kenzie leans into her female protagonists and their POV which is always a plus. I love the way she writes dialogue.
January 14, 2023
A fun, cleverly written collection from one of the greatest in Indie horror. A must read!
January 11, 2023
These aren’t stories; these are tiny little gut punches made out of words. Kenzie Jennings gives these words little boxing gloves and sends them out the wreck our shop. These stories are hugely imaginative while still close to home. Each is presented in a different voice or POV; but somehow you can tell each is by the same author. A damn talented author too. Stories range from a sort of dystopian Sci-Fi-cop story in “Wreckers” to the slasher-esque “#vacationeers” to the knock out punch of “Paperdolls” which hit me so hard I had to take an hour break from reading. Powerful, imaginative, clever, creepy, and sometimes funny, this is for sure going to be one of the best collections of the year(2023). K thx.
December 10, 2024
This is my introduction to Jenning’s work, and despite some errors and formatting issues, I enjoyed this collection featuring female protagonists and exploring what hurts, angers, and motivates them. I appreciated the personal nature of some stories, as well as Jennings incorporation of her own fears and experiences. The explanations following each story detailing their origins, were also a highlight! There’s tales of murder, revenge, mayhem, supernatural horror, and a non-fiction piece that was very emotional. Be aware that these stories contain heavy content warnings, including suicide, mass murder and other sensitive topics.
The majority of these stories were pretty solid and/or left me wanting more. Here are my ratings for each:
- Wreckers - 4⭐️- A murder/suicide cult punishes us for overpopulation by using automobiles as weapons of mass destruction.
- It’s The Little Things - 3⭐️ Examines teacher burnout and the significant impact of seemingly minor comments.
- Paper Dolls - 4.5⭐️ Social Horror. A teacher has the ability to foresee her students ominous futures through their paper dolls. CW: Racism, Rape, Bullying, Suicide.
- The Gentle Art of Nominication - 3.5⭐️ Horrible Bosses.
- Ama One…Ama Two… - 3.5⭐️ Beware the jellyfish!
- Peelings - 3.5⭐️ Disney Princesses with the secret of getting out of a troubled marriage?
- Just a local Thing - 3.5⭐️ A Florida bakery cupcakes predicts dire future situations.
- #TheVacationers - 4⭐️ Female killers for hire on vacation! Nothing says relaxation like a few well-placed hits on the side.
- This House - 3⭐️ Unseen ghosts haunting a house!
- The Shakes - 3.5⭐️ Hex the Ex!
- The Hot Box - No rating as this is a non-fiction story that recounts the author's harrowing experience of being trapped in a car with her enraged husband. It showcased her vulnerability and evoked sympathy from me 🖤
- Single, Middle-Aged Cat Lady Seeks… 5⭐️ - My favorite! It’s Creepy and disturbing, it’s the unhinged offspring of Norman Bates and the crazy cat lady. Loved it!
Overall, a powerful and imaginative collection I think Horror fans would enjoy! I’ll definitely be checking out more books written by this author.
The majority of these stories were pretty solid and/or left me wanting more. Here are my ratings for each:
- Wreckers - 4⭐️- A murder/suicide cult punishes us for overpopulation by using automobiles as weapons of mass destruction.
- It’s The Little Things - 3⭐️ Examines teacher burnout and the significant impact of seemingly minor comments.
- Paper Dolls - 4.5⭐️ Social Horror. A teacher has the ability to foresee her students ominous futures through their paper dolls. CW: Racism, Rape, Bullying, Suicide.
- The Gentle Art of Nominication - 3.5⭐️ Horrible Bosses.
- Ama One…Ama Two… - 3.5⭐️ Beware the jellyfish!
- Peelings - 3.5⭐️ Disney Princesses with the secret of getting out of a troubled marriage?
- Just a local Thing - 3.5⭐️ A Florida bakery cupcakes predicts dire future situations.
- #TheVacationers - 4⭐️ Female killers for hire on vacation! Nothing says relaxation like a few well-placed hits on the side.
- This House - 3⭐️ Unseen ghosts haunting a house!
- The Shakes - 3.5⭐️ Hex the Ex!
- The Hot Box - No rating as this is a non-fiction story that recounts the author's harrowing experience of being trapped in a car with her enraged husband. It showcased her vulnerability and evoked sympathy from me 🖤
- Single, Middle-Aged Cat Lady Seeks… 5⭐️ - My favorite! It’s Creepy and disturbing, it’s the unhinged offspring of Norman Bates and the crazy cat lady. Loved it!
Overall, a powerful and imaginative collection I think Horror fans would enjoy! I’ll definitely be checking out more books written by this author.
February 27, 2023
Love this book. If you read the short stories you will hear her hurt. You will feel her hurt. There was not a bad story in the bunch. They are all rooted in real concerns/worries and that makes them terrifying. I have become a huge fan of Kenzie Jennings work between Reception and this book. If you write it, I will read it.
March 17, 2023
A great collection of short stories. Really enjoyed the whole book although Peeling made me super angry with its passive aggressive character. Great read, but yeah, wanted to punch that father/husband in the face lol.
January 7, 2023
Great collection of stories from Kenzie Jennings. Good variety in style and not a bad story in the bunch. Paper Dolls, #TheVacationers, and Peelings were stand outs for me.
February 19, 2023
This is one of the best collections I’ve read in a while. It grabs you right from the first line and leaves you cringing after the last.
December 12, 2023
So I read these stories out of order and ended up finishing the collection with “Just a Local Thing,” and it looks like I inadvertently saved the best for last. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the collection is solid, but Local Thing, which tells of a family’s particularly disastrous and disturbing Florida vacation, was far and away my favorite. As for the rest of the stories, the first and last entries, Wreckers and Single, Middle-Aged Cat Lady Seeks…, were the most disturbing. I also really enjoyed the supernatural revenge of Ama One…Ama Two…
I will definitely be reading more by Kenzie Jennings and am very glad I already have two of her books sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read. I also really look forward to more future short story collections from her, as this one really shined.
I will definitely be reading more by Kenzie Jennings and am very glad I already have two of her books sitting on my shelf, waiting to be read. I also really look forward to more future short story collections from her, as this one really shined.
May 4, 2024
This collection is dazzling in its nitty-gritty. Each story brings the hurt, but not always in the most expected ways. Wreckers, the first story, starts the collection off with a bang, literally and figuratively. Think: The Thanos ideology, but on a smaller, much more painful, personal scale. There follows a variety of stories about a woman whose nasty hobby gets the best of her; colleagues who take care of business just how their boss taught them to; a wife and mother whose familial stresses are peeled away while on vacation; a middle-aged woman who can't let go. These stories and more. Kenzie has the ability to pull you in so that you see the Hurt, empathize with the Hurt, and understand that sometimes the Hurt leads to horrific consequences. Every story is fascinating, creepy, amusing, and emotionally intense. Don't wait, go read it right now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2023
Hey you. Yes, you. Listen to this to know you’re not alone, listen to this to reflect on how you treat others.
Always Listen to Her Hurt is a collection of rectified injustices, a shout out that we aren’t going to take it no longer. All those little digs that were supposed to “just be a joke” have come due and all that digging has made a nice grave.
Kenzie’s writing is deeply personal and I am sending her the biggest hug. Emotions are not subtle, they bleed from the page.
Sometimes people need a sounding board, sometimes they need an outlet, so please, when she starts talking to you, put down your phone and always listen to her hurt.
Always Listen to Her Hurt is a collection of rectified injustices, a shout out that we aren’t going to take it no longer. All those little digs that were supposed to “just be a joke” have come due and all that digging has made a nice grave.
Kenzie’s writing is deeply personal and I am sending her the biggest hug. Emotions are not subtle, they bleed from the page.
Sometimes people need a sounding board, sometimes they need an outlet, so please, when she starts talking to you, put down your phone and always listen to her hurt.
March 10, 2023
Always Listen to Her Hurt is a collection of female centered horror stories.
This was well written and Cassandra did good at the narration.
I really like the short explanations from the Author. It makes stories like these a little more creepy, because you can relate to the feelings and emotions behind some of the stories.
My favorites:
Always listen to her hurt - the beginning story.
It’s the little things and paper dolls
The hotbox
Just a local thing
The gentle art of nominication - this one really sticks out is is my Top Favorite
*Does contain gore, small sexual context, and suicide
This was well written and Cassandra did good at the narration.
I really like the short explanations from the Author. It makes stories like these a little more creepy, because you can relate to the feelings and emotions behind some of the stories.
My favorites:
Always listen to her hurt - the beginning story.
It’s the little things and paper dolls
The hotbox
Just a local thing
The gentle art of nominication - this one really sticks out is is my Top Favorite
*Does contain gore, small sexual context, and suicide
May 28, 2023
I enjoyed this collection, smiling to myself whenever I read references aimed at the hot and ever weird state of Florida. Kenzie has a way of making your skin crawl while her characters dance on the page. While all of the stories are good, a few stood out to me, either because they were so relatable or they were fun, creepy, and made me smile:
"It's The Little Things"
"Paper Dolls"
"Just A Local Thing"
"This House"
"The Hot Box"
I eagerly await the next story--stories--by Kenzie!
"It's The Little Things"
"Paper Dolls"
"Just A Local Thing"
"This House"
"The Hot Box"
I eagerly await the next story--stories--by Kenzie!
February 7, 2023
Having read some of Kenzie Jennings’ stories in anthologies and her incredible splatter western (Red Station), I went into this collection already knowing I enjoy her style. Even so, the opening story struck the perfect chord with me. Without saying what the ending was (no spoilers), it was my favorite type of story ending. Again and again, I greatly enjoyed each story, especially the endings. I will now make sure I have read everything Kenzie Jennings has put out into the world.
March 3, 2023
First off, the foreword just HITS….everyone has been that little girl trying to survive her nightmares! Each story was hugely impactful, and I SO loved the explanation after each story telling how it came to be! The tales of revenge, morality, and strength of women were top tier. Highly recommend reading this!!
March 10, 2023
One of the best collections I’ve read in recent years. There are stories that will crush you, some will shock you, there are some that will leave you with a wicked little grin when you reach the end, each one is thoughtful and nuanced. Jennings is a writer on the rise and this collection is proof of that. Highly recommended.
March 20, 2023
A must-read collection brimming with gut-wrenching themes relating to the female experience. Jennings clearly bleeds onto each page, confirmed by her heart-on-her sleeve author's notes. She's not afraid to take us to vulnerable, dark, humorous, ridiculous, maddening, and disturbingly violent places all at once--and sprinkled with social and political commentary to boot...
March 30, 2023
Kenzie Jennings writes a series of splattery/extreme horror stories. Many of them focus on vacation and Florida, and I don't think I want to go there ever again after Jennings twisted them. The collections highlight (for me, at least) has to be a story about a teacher taking down her classroom decorations and seeing every child's murderous future. Excellent collection!
March 1, 2023
I was given this audiobook in exchange for a review. I absolutely enjoyed this female themed collection of short horror stories! I will definitely be looking for more by Kenzie! I am craving more already :)
March 6, 2024
This collection of shorts was a seriously fun time! I'm so sorry it took me so long to read something by this author. It absolutely won't be the last. Kenzie Jennings has all the talent!! All of it! ❤️
March 10, 2023
My first read by Kenzie Jennings but not my last!!! This was a great collection of stories and honestly I had a hard time putting my kindle down!
March 20, 2023
Excellent collection of horror tales that each have a real bite. Definitely recommend this one.
March 20, 2023
4.5 rounded to 5. More soon!
March 21, 2023
I want MORE!
Each story is like a lovely, dark, and butter chocolate that you just want to savour over, and over again! I’m looking forward to more from you!!
Each story is like a lovely, dark, and butter chocolate that you just want to savour over, and over again! I’m looking forward to more from you!!
December 20, 2023
Collection of fun little horror stories written by a great author. Each one well written and each packs a punch as well as a chuckle. Can’t wait to read more by Ms. Jennings.
May 25, 2024
A collection of pain, torment, and downright creepy female stories.
January 30, 2023
This was a really solid collection of stories that I would never have picked up if I hadn't seen someone else reading it on goodreads. I LOVE how this author writes female characters, I adored some of these stories (the murderous women one was excellent) and I can't wait to read more by this author.
March 13, 2023
I loved this Collection of short stories. Some of these,I felt, could have been fleshed out to create novels of their own. All in all a very engaging read
May 16, 2023
what an absolute gem this book is. kenzie is a fantastic storyteller with a gift for transforming the seemingly mundane human experience into something so uniquely whimsical, bizarre, and ultimately horrifying. as I reflect on my own experiences as a woman, the vulnerability and relatability of her words make this collection especially unsettling and a must-read for everyone. my favorite stories include ‘the gentle art of nominication’, ‘ama one.. ama two’, ‘the shakes’, and ‘the hot box’. as a side note, this collection has a ton of summer/vacation stories, so now’s the perfect time to dive in!
thank you so much to kenzie for sending me this audiobook; I really got to savor each story because I told myself that it was strictly my work commute treat, and what a decadent one it was!
thank you so much to kenzie for sending me this audiobook; I really got to savor each story because I told myself that it was strictly my work commute treat, and what a decadent one it was!
January 2, 2023
This was one of the strongest collections of short fiction that I've read in quite some time. Kenzie Jennings centers women in her short fiction, and the women characters are individual with diverse lives and experiences. I had read a few of the stories before, but having them gathered together in this way shows how collectively strong her work is. The horror in these stories is often in the people, which really brings the horror home.
Standouts include Wreckers, Just a Local Thing, and Single, Middle-Aged Cat Lady Seeks... Highly recommended for horror fans.
Standouts include Wreckers, Just a Local Thing, and Single, Middle-Aged Cat Lady Seeks... Highly recommended for horror fans.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews