Thrall by Richard Beauchamp
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book often had me at the edge of my seat and the characters were very well developed and relatable. In the beginning, the story was well thought out and put together with a good hook and the lore was intriguing. However, the execution for this book is what kept me from giving it a higher star rating. I ripped through the first two-thirds of this book but the final third dragged a bit with a lot of self reflection and inner monologue from characters that really bogged down the final climax. For this reason, it was hard to imagine what was going on and it felt hastily thrown together.

View all my reviews

Kingdom of Claw by Demi Winters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A riveting sequel to The Road of Bones, Kingdom of Claw does not disappoint.

One thing you cannot expect from this book is a breather. If it's not one thing, it's another, and the action and peril is nonstop. If that wasn't enough, its abrupt end leaves you wanting more.

Winters has an amazing way with word and her character development is superb. You feel as if you know each person intimately.

It's going to be a long and impatient wait for the next installment.

I received a complimentary e-galley from Delacorte Press via Edelweiss and have given an honest review.

View all my reviews

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a quick read and hard to put down but be prepared for some whiplash. I'm still working out the details in my head. Things start out clear, than get kind of muddled, but as you read more it clears up again. I think. Definitely worth a read.

View all my reviews

8114 by Joshua Hull
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It has some jump scares and gruesome imagery, but the entire book seemed rushed and there was very little build up. Maybe I'm dense, but the entirety of it didn't make a lot of sense to me. It just lacked a backstory that really added up.

View all my reviews

American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond by Jeremy Dauber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

First of all, this book should probably have had a massive "SPOILER ALERT" on it because as it goes through the history of horror in the media, it does reveal a lot of endings and twists.

This book took me awhile to get through. It felt like a neverending stream of consciousness. It also had MULTIPLE (I caught at least five) spelling and context errors. One error was claiming an incident happened in Texas when it happened in Oklahoma, and even a few sentences later it mentions the correct location. It seemed very sloppily edited.

That being said, it was an interesting book that pointed out a lot of things I might have otherwise missed, even if it did ruin a few endings, but I guess a lot of them are old enough that I should have watched or read them already, but still . . .

View all my reviews

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While this book manages to be atmospheric and the imagery is stark, it still lacks in a lot of areas. It dragged a bit in places and the mystery and it's resolution were a bit underwhelming. Overall it was very bizarre.

View all my reviews

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Underwhelming. Had some creepy parts but ended up being longwinded and I don’t like to judge books by characters but the mother was just insufferable. I also hated the formatting and that she called the dad, “Daddo”.

View all my reviews

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, Rachel Harrison can write but this book just wasn’t for me. The hardest part for me was the main character’s constant existential dread and I get that it’s part of the character development but it made it just so difficult to enjoy the book. I guess I should have read into the kind of book it was before reading.

Appreciation to the publisher and Edelweiss for the e-galley.

View all my reviews

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Don’t start this if you have something you need to do because you won’t want to put it down. I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy this at first because I’m not a huge reality TV person, however, I do like a good survival story, and nothing says “survival” like being deserted on a desert island. It’s like Big Brother meets Gilligan’s Island, but people are dying.

View all my reviews

House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another nailbiting adventure by Gabino that definitely had an impact on my dreams... Thankful for the kismet of having just previously read some books on voudou that made for a nice segue into HoBaR. Gabino has an ability to make words jump out at you, to create these living, breathing characters from mere characters on a page, and the talent to mix stark reality with enough mysticism and folklore to make it seem absolutely, one-hundred percent real. The most horrifying part is that I'm not entirely convinced that what was described in this book isn't completely fantastical but just straight facts. The character driven story was expertly crafted to make you feel so much for the people represented. You're able to feel the tension, smell the blood, experience the pain. It's not a book that you can sit and read in one sitting but one where you have to pause and mull over what just happened; this book has so many layers that you need to sit with your feelings and process the information. The stark honesty and forthrightness rubs you raw and intensifies the senses. You will walk away from this book a changed person.

View all my reviews