WOMEN IN HORROR MONTH: REVIEWING HORROR FROM A FEMALE PERSPECTIVE WITH ELLE TURPITT

Please tell us who you are, and why you chose to review horror?

I’m Elle – reviewer, writer and editor. I’ve always had a love for Horror as a genre, and not that long ago starting picking up more indie books, thanks to all the awesome people I met on Twitter. I wanted to talk about them, and delve into the indie horror scene a bit more.

How long have you been reviewing for, and where can we find you?

I’ve been reviewing on and off for a long time – I used to review books under a pseudonym, then dropped that and set up my blog ‘Unwrapping Words’ on my website, elleturpitt.com after a short break. I also edit and contribute for divinationhollow.com, which I’ve been of since the original inception of DHR in 2019, then took over the blog later on and have been working on it since with my wonderful co-admin, Ellen Avigliano.

Do you have a mission statement regarding what you hope to achieve with your reviews and website?

When I started my original blog, I was just happy to talk about books. Now, especially with Divination Hollow, we’re keen to promote voices – not just writers – who have been typically underrepresented in Dark Fiction.

What's been the biggest hurdle you have faced in your time as a horror reviewer?

Navigating social media and the ‘issues’ there. Honestly, the community seems to thrive off drama, and though for me this has lessened in recent months, when it does pop up it often seems to be authors or other reviewers trying to police how reviews are written. And when real, actual issues are raised, so many try to sweep it under the rug or throw it in with other ‘drama’ when it’s not. I’ve had to just realise that a) I write my reviews how I want, and b) whatever I say on social media, I can only be happy with it if I stick to my own principals. This might mean pissing some people off, but it is what it is.

What’s your preferred subgenre of horror?

I don’t think I have a preferred subgenre – I like anything written well with an element of supernatural/paranormal. Much more than I like ‘realistic’ stuff. I am especially fond of haunting and ghost stories, though.

How would you describe your reviewing style?

I like to think unapologetic. If I really love something, you’ll know. If I had a bad experience with a book, the review might become a bit ranty, but that depends on why I didn’t enjoy it.

What was the biggest low point of your time as a reviewer, and what has been the highpoint?

Low point…finding out someone I considered a friend was actually only really using me to boost their own career, and was more concerned about preserving a ‘relationship’ with a publisher than the friendship, and used gaslighting techniques when it was pointed out a particular book was heavily misogynistic and made light of sexual assault.

Highpoints outweigh that. And there’s been a few. It’s always a thrill to have an author, reviewer, or other creatives reach out to say they love Divination Hollow. I was able to take part in BBNYA last year and will be doing it again this year, am taking part in the Final Girl Film Festival to review panels and films, and of course, I got to run a short story competition with Divination Hollow last year.

How do you organise your time as a reviewer, do you have any tips for other reviewers?

I read when I can, this sometimes means in 5-minute blocks between doing other stuff. I always make an effort to read before bed, and when I’m in the office, I read on my lunchbreak. I’m not hugely organised with time, but I just slot things into my normal routines. What I would suggest to other reviewers is don’t be afraid to turn down books, don’t force yourself through a book you’re not enjoying, and don’t let others police your reviews.

Do you have a favourite review of yours?

I actually don’t. I’ve read and reviewed so much good stuff in the last year alone, it’s hard to pinpoint one particular review I’m really proud of.

Sadly horror is a genre that is still "ruled" by white males, have you had any negative responses from the because you are a woman reviewing horror?

I don’t think I’ve had negative responses because I’m a woman reviewing horror, but I have had others who seem all too happy to treat me differently because I am a woman. I’ve also seen some absolute awful attitudes in the Horror community, from both men and women, and again, being treated differently than someone else because they’re a man, that’s actually more common than most men probably realise.

In terms of the genre itself there is still a nasty lingering concept of the woman only being there as a focus for violence, terror or as the damsel in distress, what's your reaction to this?

It’s very much tied into misogyny, and it is absolutely amazing the pushback when we get when we ask men not to do this, or to actually do their research. We’re not saying you can’t kill women in fiction, but to be aware of what you’re actually doing. Even when there’s a large ‘cast’ and multiple characters die, the violence against women (or generally people who aren’t cis het white men) is more extreme. I think men need to be more conscious of this, and of the fact we’re not there to be saved, or serve as a lesson. We’re more than someone’s mother, wife, girlfriend, sister. And please stop writing stories where women are sexually assaulted just so the menfolk can go and avenge them.

Do you have any recommendations for books that allow women to break past this stereotype?

There are a lot of books by women writers, especially in the indie scene, that have women at the forefront in the best ways. A couple of recent reads come to mind – Laurel Hightower’s Crossroads, V. Castro’s Goddess of Filth, M. Lopes da Silva’s Hooker. It’s also worth looking outside the genre – there are really strong female leads in Fantasy, especially in the YA area, or even look at N.K. Jemisin’s fantastic The Broken Earth trilogy.

What was the last good book you read, and what are you planning on reading next?
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I recently finished Into the Forest and all the Way Through by Cynthia Pelayo. Powerful and heart-breaking. At the moment, I’m taking a very slight break from Horror, and am reading N.K. Jemisin’s How Long ‘til Black Future Month? and All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace, which is one of the aforementioned YA Fantasy novels with a fantastic female lead.

​Elle Turpitt is a writer, reviewer and editor currently living in Cardiff, Wales. She has had various short stories published, and is currently Content & Features Editor for divinationhollow.com. She also blogs at elleturpitt.com and can be found on Twitter  @elleturpitt.

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