Taaqtumi
An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories
by Aviaq Johnston, Richard Van Camp, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Sean Qitsuallik-
Tinsley, Thomas Anguti Johnston, Gayle Kabloona
Inhabit Media, 2019
ISBN 9781772272147
$15.75, 184 pp, ages 14+
inhabitmedia.com
Every culture has its fair share of scary myths and legends, and the Canadian Arctic is no different. Taaqtumi is a collection of scary short stories, written by northern authors that combines Inuit traditions and legends with modern horror. With thrilling stories about giant polar bears, magical doors, and zombies, this book has something for every grade of horror lover.
My favourite story from the book is “Utiqtuq” by Gayle Kabloona. Zombie apocalypses were something Allisa used to laugh off as silly horror, but little did she know that she’d be thrown into one. After her family had been turned into zombies, or ijiraujaq, Allisa found herself alone and struggling to survive in the harsh northern winter. Luckily she meets an elderly man, Ittuq, who has been living off the land his whole life, who teaches her how to survive. Allisa and Ittuq are able to survive for quite a while and even find another survivor, a little boy named Ani. When a search party finds them and tells them of a cure for the virus and a new settlement, Allisa has to choose whether to go with this new group and back to her old life, or stay with Ittuq and keep fighting zombies.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror stories and learning about other cultures and traditions.
Review by Connor, age 17.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Winter 2020 issue.
