Sometime After Midnight by River J Hopkins

This collection of 22 poems and stories was written between 2004 to 2017 during some of the author’s darkest times with depression.

I believe the author is also a song writer, and there is a lovely rhythm to her poetry that would make a lot of her poems great lyrics.

There are six short stories in the collection, mostly horror with one science fiction.

That House is Death is about loss and the toll it takes on people. I loved the central concept and would liked to have seen it expanded upon.

The Dungeon is an atmospheric tale about fear of the dark. I particularly liked the albino protagonist.

That Sinking Feeling is a sequel of sort to the previous story, but takes the concept into more action adventure territory. It’s a cool take on a classic horror story, and it’s connection to The Dungeon increased the enjoyment factor for me.

I Heart You is a surprisingly sweet ghost story.

The Long Walk Home shows how a woman’s love for her sister transcends death.

The Jumpwatch is the last story in the collection and features time travel of sorts.

I enjoyed this book. It is dedicated to those who suffer from depression, and as one of those people, it made me feel connected to the author from the outset.

Each piece within the book is prefaced with the time it was written at, all sometime after midnight (hey, that’s the title!) and I could identify with the insomnia and 3am creative purges.

Hopkins has an engaging voice, which brought depth to even the darker stories in the collection. I appreciated the humanity of her characters as they faced some horrendous things.

I award Sometime After Midnight…