Craig's Books by Status
Craig's Most Popular Reviews
I have to say I was really looking forward to reading this and felt super excited when I got the ARC from NETGALLEY.
The description basically telling me that a young wife is now haunted by the ghost of her mother in law. That premise sounds amazing and was why I requested the book.
In theory that's what this book is about, in execution it's actually trying to say a lot about grief, motherhood and depression. Our protagonist Abby and her husband Ralph are reeling from Ralph's mothers death and Ralph is slipping deep into a depression and is adamant that the ghost of his mother is haunting their basement.
Abby must do anything she can to bring Ralph out of it and she goes to some extreme measures for sure. I wouldn't classify this book as horror at all (except maybe one scene). This is more of a psychological meditation about the effects of grief on a marriage. It's also about the meaning of motherhood and what it means to be there for someone.
The writing is great and I'm glad this book exists. I'm giving it 3 stars because it wasn't exactly what I expected or wanted and that was disappointing. While I enjoyed the writing there are definitely parts that felt like a slog to get through for sure.
If you want a more literary take on the horror genre this might be for you.
What it's like:
Mother meets Hand that Rocks the Cradle
Men meets Ghost
Book Grades:
Plot Development and Pacing - 90/100
Character Development - 90/100
Theme and Subject Matter - 90/100
Writing Style - 90/100
Reader Engagement - 75/100
Overal Grade: 87% - B OR 3/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
This book fluttered it's way into my life somehow and I am still not sure how it managed to get here. It's not a book I would have searched out necessarily and it's definitely not TOTALLY aligned with my reading tastes but there it sat and I was instantly drawn to it.
First and foremost. The cover. Brilliant. Beyond Brilliant. It tells the story, fits the story and instantly makes you want to read this book.
The contents inside. Fun. This is classified as a horror novel and there are for sure horrific things that happen but overall the story is fun and it unfolds in a smart, snarky and silly way. The setting is the backdrop of a reality dating show called The Catch and the final 4 contestants are about to go on a trip with their eligible bachelor and when they finally reach Otter's Island in the Pacific Northwest something strange starts to happen.
All of their petty dramas and their infighting actually build to a huge crescendo that lays the ground work for the horror to come. They all settle neatly into roles and of the entire crew, only about one of them is likable (but there's a point to that, I promise.)
I don't want to say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything for you. If you are looking for a frothy and fun horror book, this is for you. If you are a huge fan of reality dating shows and maybe some Bigfoot documentaries, this book is for you.
What it's like:
The Bachelor meets Harry and the Hendersons
Love and First Sight meets Animal Attacks
Unreal meets American Horror Stories
Overall I enjoyed this immensely. It was such a good time. My only complaint is that it went by too fast. It wasn't long enough and I wanted more from the story. I loved what I read I just felt you could have continued to tell the story for another 100-200 pages. I wanted more of this. Truly. I wanted to keep turning the pages. Maybe if this book is successful the author will give us some prequel story or at the very least let us know what happened to Patricia and the women of Otter Island.
Book Grades:
Plot Development and Pacing - 100/100
Character Development - 90/100
Theme and Subject Matter - 95/100
Writing Style - 100/100
Reader Engagement - 100/100
Overal Grade: 97% - A+ OR 4.5/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: 6/28/22
Suburban Hell is for sure a mixture of Desperate Housewives, any Bravo reality show about moms and The Exorcist or Southern Bookclubs Guide to Slaying Vampires.
I enjoyed the experience of this book for sure. I enjoyed the plot as it unfolded and as the story grew more and more horrific.
I do find the classification as horror to be a little misleading...it's horror-lite. It's Andy Cohen does horror. It's like watching the Scary Island episode of RHONY where there is an exorcism at the end. When I say that this book is horror fluff, I don't necessarily mean that as a bad thing. If you are a die-hard horror fan this book will not be for you at all BUT...if you want to laugh a little and still experience some scary things (i.e. a vacuum attack, Barbie Dreamhouse of Terror or a school carnival gone awry) then you will enjoy this book.
As I am more of a traditional horror fan I was surprised by the tone of this book, though I guess I shouldn't have been given the title and the description. The writing is quick, quippy and fun. The plotting is dangerously fast and drops you right into the story. I almost never say this but I kind of wanted more exposition and table setting before dropping us right into this group of moms and friends.
I did love the exploration of the inner lives of suburban motherhood and what it means to be looked over or exhausted and what that can really do to someone. The fact that these women are really all they have and they have to do the work to save each other says a lot. I did find that very touching as the book progressed. I also really liked all of the characters which is a real testament to Kilmer's writing and world building.
Overall I enjoyed the experience of this book but it will not be a book that I re-visit in time and i would only recommend this to friends who just want to dip their toe into horror instead of being fully immersed.
Book Grades:
Plot Development and Pacing - 90/100
Character Development - 85/100
Theme and Subject Matter - 85/100
Writing Style - 90/100
Reader Engagement - 80/100
Overal Grade: 86% - B OR 3/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Expected to be unleashed on: 9/27/22.
