Lala

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ The Other by Annie Neugebauer ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

• 5/5 ☆ •

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This novella was such a pleasant surprise. I haven’t read The Extra yet, but if the first book is anything like this one, I’m going to enjoy the entire trilogy. The writing is sharp and confident, and the atmosphere hits immediately. There’s this constant sense of "wtf is happening" hanging over everything that made me uneasy in the best way.

The plot is tight and eerie, with that "something is wrong here" tension that slowly builds until you realize you’ve been holding your breath. It’s compact but effective, and the creepy factor lands without feeling overdone.

I loved how quickly it pulled me in. It sticks with you, and I’m definitely picking up The Extra soon. A strong, creepy installment that works perfectly well on its own.

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If you like:

✔️ doppelganger horror

✔️ paranoia spirals

✔️ isolated wilderness settings

✔️ trust no one vibes

✔️ psychological horror

✔️ uncanny encounters

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📅 Pub Day: Jun 09, 2026 📚

💌 ARC gifted via NetGalley from Shortwave Publishing. All opinions are my own.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ Witch Hat Atelier Vol 1 by Kamome Shirahama ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

• 5/5 ☆ •

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This was pure delight. The art is gorgeous, the worldbuilding feels effortless, and the magic system is so charming that I kept slowing down just to stare at the panels. The whole world feels thoughtful and lived in, with little details that make it easy to believe magic has always existed just around the corner.

I especially loved Coco. Watching her learn, make mistakes, and slowly grow into this new world gave the story so much heart. The pacing is cozy without ever feeling slow, and there’s this sense of curiosity that makes you want to keep turning the pages. It feels whimsical without losing its emotional weight, the kind of warm, nostalgic fantasy that makes you fall back in love with the genre.

I adored this volume so much that I immediately bought the rest of the available books because I need to stay in this world. It’s cozy, imaginative, and beautifully crafted, and I’m fully committed to continuing the series.

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If you like:

✔️ cozy fantasy

✔️ apprentice witches

✔️ beautifully detailed art

✔️ unique magic systems

✔️ magical worlds

✔️ whimsy

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📅 Pub Day: Out Now 📚

💌 ARC gifted via NetGalley from Kodansha Comics. All opinions are my own.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ Silent Jenny by Mathieu Bablet ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

• 3.5/5 ☆ •

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Silent Jenny is one of those books that’s incredibly easy to admire, even when parts of it didn’t fully click for me as a reader. The amount of talent and detail poured into this graphic novel is undeniable. The artwork is stunning, intricate, atmospheric, and full of emotion. Every page feels crafted with intention, and the worldbuilding around climate change, loss, and survival is both powerful and relevant.

The concept itself is fascinating, and I can absolutely see why this story resonates deeply with other readers. There’s a quiet beauty in the way it explores a changed world and the emotional weight that comes with it.

Where I struggled was with the pacing and with my connection to the story. I found myself appreciating the craft more than I was enjoying the actual reading experience. The storytelling felt a little too distant for me, and the emotional heaviness made it harder to stay fully invested. 

Even so, I don’t think this is a bad graphic novel, far from it. It’s creative, thoughtful, and visually stunning. It didn’t fully match my tastes, but I can see its strengths clearly.

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If you like:

✔️ atmospheric worlds

✔️ graphic novels with unique art

✔️ quiet, introspective storytelling

✔️ post apocalyptic themes 

✔️ slow, reflective pacing

✔️ stories rooted in loss and survival

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📅 Pub Day: Oct 16, 2026 📚

💌 ARC gifted via NetGalley from Oni Press. All opinions are my own.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ Claustrophobis by Evan Jameson ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

• 2.5/5 ☆ •

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The beginning of this book hooked me right away. The writing is sharp, the atmosphere is unsettling in the best way, and the setup feels like it’s building toward something dark and claustrophobic. I was fully in. The tension, the mystery, the strange little details, it all worked.

And everything slowed to a crawl.

The middle section slows things down considerably. Scenes start repeating themselves. The same ideas circle over and over. The pacing loses its edge, and the dread that felt so tight early on just… stalls. Some of the rules around the horror elements feel inconsistent too, which makes the stakes feel softer instead of sharper. It’s like the book keeps promising escalation but never quite delivers on it.

There are still flashes of what made the opening so strong. The writing stays solid. The atmosphere stays eerie. The premise is genuinely cool. But the momentum never fully recovers, and by the end I felt more tired than tense.

Overall, a strong start weighed down by a sluggish middle. Not a bad read, but not one that held me all the way through.

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If you like:

✔️ stories with strong openings

✔️ slow creeping horror

✔️ atmospheric dread

✔️ unsettling creature lore

✔️ isolated settings

✔️ horror that takes its time

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📅 Pub Day: June 05, 2026 📚

💌 ARC gifted via NetGalley from Witching Hole Publications. All opinions are my own.