Fear—what draws us to it, and how do we face it? In this episode, we dive into the theme of fear through the lens of Kaylie Smith's Phantasma. The first half is spoiler-free and focuses on the universal experience of fear, the importance of therapy in overcoming it, and society's enduring love affair with the horror genre. Why are we so fascinated by what scares us? Our first guest of season 2, Chrissy Stevenson, sits down and explores this with us. Chrissy is a bookish content creator, horror genre fanatic, a proud pet parent, and an audiobook narrator.
In the second half (spoiler alert!), we unravel the book’s deeper layers. From its representation of OCD and mental health, the dynamic between sisters, to the haunting power of getting laid, the discussion sparked this month covers a lot of ground. And, of course, we’ll swoon over Phantasma's phantom book boyfriend—because even in the scariest of scenes, there’s always room for a little romance.
Featured Book: Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
Featured Guest: Chrissy Stevenson
Chrissy's bookstagram and narration handles: @sugar.n.smut and @daisymorgan_narrates
Chrissy's Bookish Etsy Shop: @morallygreydesigns