These Bodies Ain’t Broken coming October 7th, 2025 from Page Street YA; 384 pages
Content Warning: Bullying, ableism, assault, body horror, gore, death, emotional abuse, implied sexual assault, murder, sexual harassment, suicidal ideation, addiction, overdose, violence, homophobia, transphobia, imprisonment, self-harm, cannibalism, child marriage, human sacrifice
About the Editor: “Madeline Dyer (she/her) is a novelist, anthologist, poet, and literary academic, drawn to dark and monstrous stories. Her debut anthology Being Ace (Page Street YA, 2023) received a starred review from School Library Journal and was named a 2024 Lammy Award Finalist at the Lambda Literary Awards, commemorating “outstanding LGBTQ+ literature from 2023.” Her debut novel Untamed (Prizm Books, 2015) also won the 2015 SIBA award for Best Dystopian Novel” (Bio from editor’s website).
Find Madeline Dyer on the following platforms:
Teeth fall out into the porcelain sink and sharper ones replace them, beginning a bloody tale of revenge against malicious bullies. This is the first out of Madeline Dyer’s anthology of thirteen stories: a compilation of frightening tales to give you goosebumps, all of them integrating disability representation into their storylines. At the end of each story, the authors provide a short essay to inform the reader about the disability and their artistic process. The collection spans across time and space, ranging from the early British Isles to modern Canada, a dystopian United States, and 19th-century South Asia. Readers will also encounter an assortment of nightmares in the anthology. There’s a Frankenstein-esque transformation, a vampire romance, death-defying bodies, ancient forest evils, a terrifying virtual world, and others. But above all, each of these disabled protagonists has the power to shape their own narratives.
I’m always a fan of horror stories, yet I’d never sat down to read an anthology before. Initially, I was unsure how I would feel about this kind of reading experience. Some of the stories resonated with me more than others; however, I think it’s safe to say that all the narratives in the collection had me spooked and unsettled. Whether you enjoy paranormal, gothic, folklore, dystopian, or even deeply visceral body horror, each story has something to like. I loved that, no matter the scares these disabled protagonists face, they survive, becoming the heroes of their own stories—not villainized like the horror genre often does to this marginalized group. And what makes this empowerment more engaging is that each story in the anthology is written by a disabled author, inspired by their own lived experiences. Moreover, I appreciated the diverse representation of characters, as every disabled person’s experience (with visible or invisible disabilities) is unique. The authors also deftly explore how disability intersects with queerness, class, historical contexts, and societal expectations, which adds another compelling layer to the horror. Overall, if you enjoy strong characters and authentic stories, there’s a lot to love in this anthology, and I highly recommend reading it this spooky season!
These Bodies Ain’t Broken releases on October 7th, 2025.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Page Street YA for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Danielle Hartshorn, Pine Reads Review Writer and Editor