Overview

Things We Say in the Dark is a short story collection that explores fear as it lives inside everyday life. The book is split into three sections titled The House, The Child, and The Past. Across these stories, Kirsty Logan looks at home, motherhood, memory, and the quiet anxieties passed between women. A loose framing narrative follows a writer staying alone in Iceland, blurring the line between the stories being told and the act of telling them.

Voice & Atmosphere

We found the writing controlled, unsettling, and precise. Logan uses simple language and sharp images, letting tension build slowly rather than relying on shock. Ordinary settings feel slightly off, with just enough detail to make them uncomfortable. The atmosphere is close and claustrophobic, and the unease often lingers long after a story ends.

Characters

The women in these stories are often unnamed, but they feel specific and real. Mothers, daughters, partners, and children move through moments of fear, anger, and longing. Even brief characters carry emotional weight. The focus stays firmly on inner lives, showing how dread can grow quietly inside familiar roles and relationships.

Themes

This collection centres on domestic fear and the pressure placed on women’s bodies and choices. Homes, children, and memories become sources of tension rather than comfort. Logan also explores storytelling itself, and how speaking fear out loud can be both dangerous and necessary. The stories suggest that survival often comes from naming what scares us.

What Worked

• Strong structure: the three sections give shape and flow to the collection.
• Memorable images: physical and emotional details stay with you.
• Domestic focus: fear grows from everyday spaces and familiar roles.

Minor Quibbles

• Some stories lean more on mood than clear resolution.
• The shifts in style between sections may feel uneven for some readers.

Final Thoughts

We found Things We Say in the Dark to be a sharp and unsettling collection that understands how fear takes root in ordinary lives and refuses to look away.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)