Title: We Don’t Deserve Them: A Collection of Horror

Author: Amanda Ruzsa

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0H182FGMC/

Summary

Horror told through the eyes of those who suffer us.

For those who enjoy works by Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson, and stories where the real monster is what suffering leaves behind.

In this haunting five-story collection, the animals we cherish become witnesses, victims… and sometimes, something far more dangerous. Five tales in the POV of those who suffer us.

THE HOUSE IS SICK: A cat watches as something festers inside the walls of a family home. The humans can’t see it. They can’t hear it. But the cat can. And when the house begins to feed, it won’t stop until everyone is gone. Told through unblinking eyes, this is a story of decay, madness, and the silence that comes after the screaming.

UNLEASHED: He was a good boy. He loved his family. He would never hurt them. But something buried in the dirt crawls into his blood and begins to change him from the inside out. As hunger turns feral and instinct turns violent, a loyal dog fights a losing battle against the thing growing behind his eyes.

RAGE: A mouse lives in the walls and listens. It remembers patterns. It remembers loss. And when another family moves in—laughing, loving, unaware—the mouse remembers something else: fire. Grief simmers into something calculated and patient in this slow-burn tale of vengeance from the smallest creature in the house.

PRETTY BIRD: A parrot learns by listening. It repeats what it hears. It memorizes screams. When a captive woman is brought downstairs, the bird becomes the only witness to unspeakable cruelty. But voices can be powerful things—and sometimes the smallest sound can shatter everything.

PREY NO MORE: A rabbit kept in a cage learns the rhythm of cruel hands. It learns fear. A brutal story of captivity, survival, and what happens when something soft decides it will no longer be prey.

WE DON’T DESERVE THEM is horror with teeth and claws—stories of loyalty twisted, innocence corrupted, and the quiet creatures who see more than we ever realize. Sometimes…the ones in cages are the ones paying the most attention.

My Review

5/5 Stars

We Don’t Deserve Them is a collection of five tragic tales told from the perspective of a cat, a dog, a mouse, a bird, and a rabbit. Each story explores the complicated relationships between humans and animals in a way that is both emotionally devastating and deeply thought-provoking. These aren’t easy stories to read, but they’re incredibly powerful and will stay with you.

The writing is darkly beautiful, and each story left an impression on me though Pretty Bird was my favorite. While each story is harrowing in its own way, that one hit me the hardest and was the one I found myself thinking about the most.

I loved the author’s note at the end of each story that talked about the inspiration behind the tales. It was interesting to see where the ideas came from.

All in all, this is a beautifully-written collection that celebrates the resilience, loyalty, and vulnerability of animals while reminding us of the responsibility we have toward them. You’ll want to hug your pets tight after this one.