Tegan
I loved this right up til the end. The art is flipping GORGEOUS! If you told me each panel was a painting, I'd believe you. I loved all the attention to detail including the song and artist titles. It's a little rehash of the Dracula book but with a very different ending for some characters. The setting and vampire genre worked well together for a one-off, insular story. The ending was quite abrupt and I wish we had more closure, even if it was just the fallout from the event.
Thank you to Darin S. Cape and Felipe Kroll, SHP Comics, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this! It's short but still captivating. The art is gorgeous and it was perfect for plot - a murder mystery in a secluded location with ties to the Cold War. I wish the ending was more solid but that's my only critique.
Thank you to Szymon Kudranski, Image Comics, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.
I really liked this! Ended on a cliffhanger just as it was getting good. I liked the different designs for the kaiju! I'll be looking up more volumes for sure!
Thank you to Kent, Kodansha Comics, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this graphic novel in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.
What an amazing story for such a short amount of time. I haven't read any of the Chaos Walking series before this one and that didn't hinder my experience at all. I'm very curious about the rest of the series so I'll definitely be checking those out, hopefully in audiobook form. This was only eight hours long and that seems wild to me because how could it be that short and cover so much content?? I've read books three times as long that haven't made me feel this way.
The narrators for this were *chefs kiss* perfection. It took me a bit to get used to them (which isn't a knock against them, I'm very picky with narrators) but once I did I fell into the world head first.
Not only did they create wonderfully real voices for the main characters but also the side characters. Each of the voices were distinct and recognisable from both narrators, even when side characters were portrayed by both of them. That might not seem like much of an achievement to some people but it definitely is to me. To keep that amount of consistency and quality is amazing and I am thoroughly impressed! The narrators also nailed the tempo we needed for the intense scenes which definitely improved the overall experience.
The story was amazing and while I'm a little mad at the end (and I hope there's another novella very soon!) I really enjoyed it, even when it made me cry. I need to know more about this world and the rest of the series ASAP because I am VERY curious about everything.
The characters were fully realised and impactful, even the... difficult ones. The way this was written is fascinating to me and perfect for the tone of the novella.
I must be on a roll with picking good YA books because I enjoyed both of the main characters despite them being teenagers. My issue with YA teen characters in general is they often behave like someone much older than their age. The main characters here act their age and have flaws and fight with each other but the sibling love is still there and I just love that. There's depth and layers to their personalities and relationship and I adore that kind of attention to detail. It's so authentic to how actual siblings act.
I also need to give a shout-out to the transgender and disability representation in this book! I loved it so much and those points are another reason why the siblings are fully realised characters.
I don't really need to say anything else except READ THIS especially in audiobook form. I would argue listening to the audiobook might be the only way to truly experience the story because of the points above but also because the sound design is top notch and very relevant to the story itself.
Thank you very much to Patrick Ness, Bolonda Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own and are left voluntarily.
What an amazing ride! I thoroughly enjoyed this, particularly due to the excellent narration by Victoria Nassif. I loved being able to experience a different culture and it's customs via this book. What a striking but subtle commentary on generational abuse and those who try to break the chains.
I'm usually not a big fan of YA characters but this is another notable exception. They're teenagers and act like it (which is a compliment). The characters and interactions felt so authentic to me. I loved the diversity of each character and how the narrator brought them to life. I would love to read more books narrated by Victoria Nassif.
I enjoyed the setting and how portions of the chapters flipped between present day and others memories. It was cohesive and I was never bored. Their wasn't any point where I thought I solved the mystery or predicted how this would end (with the tiny exception of the mothers motivation) and I love this book for that.
The ending absolutely stuck the landing and while I'm emotional about it (and have a few questions for closure) I still think it was the right way to go. I highly recommend everyone read this, especially in audiobook form.
Thank you very much to Sara Hashem, RB Media, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.
I liked this a lot! It starts as a supernatural mystery based around the death of a woman 30 years prior, sneaks in some good queer and trans rep (which was a surprise to me!) (complimentary) as the puzzle pieces come together, and it ends fairly well, if a bit shaky.
This book made me realise that I like reading YA when the characters act their age. They're teenagers and act like it, externally and internally. I liked the characters themselves although I wish I had felt the connection between the two MCs more. Some of the conflicts with her sister and others seemed contrived on Hazel's side. I wanted more depth to Hazel's character, especially towards the end.
The plot in this moves FAST which I enjoyed. This book does *not* move at a snails pace like some mysteries tend to do and it was refreshing. I got to the 50% mark and didn't know what to expect next because, in other novels, the book would be over at this point.
It's set in a small and seemingly isolated town/suburb in New York, USA but I'm not sure if it's our timeline. There are certain events that are commented on in the book that made me think it was in our timeline (or a less supernaturally cynical version of it) but the ending made me question that assumption. The setting does feel detached from the rest of the world with a dash of the slice-of-life this-small-town-is-f*cked-up subgenre thrown in there. It has 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' merged with 'Scream' vibes and a supernatural twist. The characters do reference horror movie tropes quite a bit which I enjoyed.
I take issue with one part of the ending which glossed over some of the events that happened. I wish the ending was stronger and had the courage of its convictions like it did for the first three-quarters of the book. I can't help feeling a little unsatisfied and I wish the ending had more ripple effects on the world they're in or more effect on the characters.
I have more than a few questions about the end that I'd like to hide under a spoiler tag but apparently they don't work on this site anymore. I believe they work on Storygraph so check out my review there if you're interested (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/539cb3b4-991a-4d8e-827b-fc96f2ade698).
That said, I did enjoy the ride. It had twists and turns I didn't expect (although I did predict a couple) and I absolutely devoured this book. I had a hard time putting it down last night so I could sleep and I stayed up a while pondering the possibilities. It's almost like I fell into the town via my e-reader, I was so engrossed. This book had me hooked by the first sentence and that's not an exaggeration.
I'd recommend this to YA and non YA fans, murder mystery fans and/or anyone looking for good LGBTQ rep in those genres. I wouldn't describe this book as horror specifically but I also don't think it's just a thriller either. It sits between the two with elements of both.
Thank you to Dana Mele, Sourcebooks, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are posted voluntarily.
This was... wow. Haunting and horrifying, a declaration about queerness in the Victorian era, the passing down of generational trauma, and the cages we are placed in and place on ourselves.
I read this in twelve hours because it was fascinating and I needed to know the ending but also partially because I couldn't look away. It was hideous and poignant. It was a car crash and a cry for help. I absolutely recommend reading it, especially with the author interview at the end.
This one will stick with me for a long time.
TW for graphic descriptions of body horror
I really liked this! Every chapter being a new story and new artist made it fun. I really liked Chapter 9 which was Godzilla appearing in 1888. I'm a sucker for historical fantasy after all.
I had some file issues which I reported to Netgalley (and hopefully they passed the feedback into the publisher) so I wasn't able to read approx half the book. What I could read, I liked a lot.
Thank you to all the writers and artists who contributed to creating this book! I'm sorry I wasn't able to read all of it.
I really enjoyed this! I almost put it aside within the first two chapters but I'm glad I persisted. Loved that the MC is in his 50s! That was really refreshing. This is definitely a folk horror and the dips into the past were presented in a way I hadn't seen before. I liked the ending as well (even when it reminded me of a certain ensemble franchise which I found amusing) and I wonder if there'll be a sequel. The author has other works in that universe so I'm interested to check them out!
Thank you to David Barnett, Canelo, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.
A gorgeous collection! I particularly liked the autumn and winter collections the most plus the artwork for God's Grandeur by Gerard Manley Hopkins. I want that artwork framed as a series of prints on my wall, I love it that much. Highly recommend this poem collection if you want to see fascinating interpretations of these poems in different art styles.
A big thank you to Julian Peters, Plough Publishing House, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this collection in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine and are voluntary.
I LOVED this book! The journey was amazing and there were multiple points where I gasped out loud as I realised something. I thought the romance was very grounded (and the same goes for most of the characters) and was believable to me. This plot is one of the rare instances where I'll admit there was legitimate reasons for having the MC being so young (around 20) that made sense for the overall plot.
I really liked the MC and I didn't find her to be tedious or cliche (which is often the case with me and YA books). I was rooting for her the whole way through.
The narrator, Maddy Lenny, was great! It took me a bit to get used to her voice and cadence (which is a purely me issue, I'm picky with narrators) but I think she did a brilliant job with all the voices (and there were A LOT of them).
I would recommend this if you like fantasy, revenge plots, academic romance plots, or mysteries. If you don't like YA books I still recommend you give this a try, especially the audiobook.
I've seen that the author is considering writing a sequel and I would absolutely be on board to read/listen to it!
Thank you to Caitlin Breeze, Netgalley, and Little, Brown & Company for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.
I had to DNF at 15%. The writing is awkward, some sentences make no sense, and it feels like we were dropped in the middle of the story. Explaining to the reader at the 15% mark why the MC is there was very awkward even though it gave me some of the information I needed. This isn't the type of bread crumbing that usually works in horror or any genre of fiction. In my opinion this book needs to be revisited by the writer and editor asap. It shouldn't be a struggle for the reader to get through each chapter which was unfortunately my experience. Was this translated from a language other than English? That might account for some of the odd sentences. I think the writer has some solid ideas that are worth exploring but the delivery needs work.
This book was provided to me by Netgalley and all opinions are given freely and of my own volition.
I loved this so much. It is so enthralling and more emotional than I thought it would be. The MC who is disabled, the mystery of who killed him, the plot twists and turns (of which there were many), the gorgeous art style that balanced telling a story with art vs text vs letting us fill in the blanks, the fully realised characters that were so flawed and human (and their past with connection to the MC)... I could go on and on.
I'm heading towards book grief (which is a compliment!) as I feel sad closing this graphic novel. This feels too short for me for purely selfish reasons and nothing to do with the creation of this GN. I fell right into this world and I didn't want it to end. I would gladly read more stories in this world (massive understatement) but I think this is a one and done situation.
If you like flawed superheroes, disability representation, murder mysteries, rapid action that jumps off the page, deep and complicated relationships, and rugs being pulled from under you re: plot twists... You're in the right place. Read this. It is very much worth it.
A big thank you goes to Peter Warren, Image Comics, and Netgalley for providing this graphic novel for free in exchange for a review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm keeping this as spoiler free as possible. I'd love to be able to rate this more than 5 stars but we gotta work with what we've got. As of this review, this book comes out in 2 days so I highly recommend you pick it up!
This is exactly the type of horror that I love. It's like The Descent (2005) in an ancient forest with a sprinkling of historical drama and murder mysteries (and red herrings) about loggers.
I almost put this book down to due to content warnings on the first page and I'm so glad I didn't. To clarify, there's no SA on page, only the mention of it. The rest of the CWs are accurate.
The prologue blew me away (I literally made a note that said "oh hell yeah, that fxcking ROCKED" at the end of that chapter) and hooked me so deep. I read 99% of this book in one day and it felt like 5 minutes. I didn't just read it, I devoured it. I fell into the story like I was there with the characters.
Speaking of, the characters were *chefs kiss* perfection. They were so very human; flawed but trying their best in the circumstances. I obviously loved Jasmine the most and I also enjoyed Henry.
The plot was excellent and I particularly liked the red herrings that are dropped early on. I kept changing my mind about things and I love that we, the readers, are on par with the characters as they discover what's going on. Towards the end I was getting adrenaline spikes, I was that into it.
The ending was everything I could ask for. All ties are closed, 99% of questions answered. None of the flashbacks were boring or felt like filler. The plot is written so tightly, there were no words wasted. This book reminded me of House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland in that way. That book is also a eco-horror and was my most recent paperback purchase (2021) just so I can read it again and again. This book will be the same for me. I need to have a physical copy asap.
You ever reach the end of a book and wish the ending had been more grandiose, all encompassing, reached further or affected more? The ending was exactly what I craved for this book. I was slightly worried because horror books have the tendency to not stick the landing at the end but Allison Mick crushed it.
I have so many feelings about this book that's it's difficult to put them all into words, in a good way. I'm absolutely thrilled to have been given the opportunity to read this ARC so a big thank you needs to go to Allison Mick, Kensington Publishing, and Netgalley for providing this to me.
I really liked this! It gets a bit wobbly towards the end but overall it was as ensnaring as I hoped it would be.
As someone with depression I really related to the metaphors of highs and lows experienced and the circular shame spirals the MC dealt with. I also liked and related to the metaphor of sloughing off the expectations of others to reveal your true self.
The body horror in this reminded me a bit of 'Sister, Maiden, Monster' by Lucy A Snyder. The seductiveness of a bed is something I relate to as well.
(Side note: I personally don't call it bed rotting because it's just rest, don't let capitalism fool you into thinking rest is bad)
I wish the book had been a tad longer. The writing is very engaging and I ended up starting and finishing this in one night.
I'm curious about three things at the end that I'll use spoiler tags for.
ADD SPOILERS LATER
It's like midnight here as I write this so brain isn't braining but TLDR if you want a light-hearted(ish) horror with 2000s nostalgia and great plot and characters, pick this up.
Thank you to Wendy Dalrymple, Netgalley, and Quill & Crow Publishing House for supplying this book in exchange for my review. I have leaving this review voluntarily.
Contains spoilers
I'm so disappointed with this book. Heads up, this review will be filled with spoilers and my anger.
I went in blind (which I do recommend IF you decide to read this) and the first half was great! One of the spookiest books I had read in a long time and I have read a LOT of them. Then the second half came around and killed all of that. You should see all my notes where I'm yelling at the main character (spoiler - there's a LOT of them). I'll try to keep this review as short as I can.
A lot of nonsensical events happened, my fave character Rose was reduced to a damsel in distress and her character building screeched to a halt, and they didn't explain how the enemy was killed! The girl clearly didn't die (or die and was revived) so saying 'death was the answer' doesn't make any sense.
The MC should of died from his wounds within minutes but I guess Rose threw her plot armour on him. They don't say anything about their friend that was killed (and apparently the detective doesn't know about that??) or the fact that the girl, who was non verbal, is suddenly able to speak. I guess being possessed by a demon and stabbed by her uncle cured her of that? Somehow??
I *really* didn't like how the MC decided to be a white knight in the second half. It came out of nowhere too. One second he's so resentful of her despite her trying to save his life and the next second he's basically in love with her and she's reduced to a nodding, compliant, and unquestioning piece of furniture.
The MC was a raging asshole throughout the whole book, including when he was dying, and didn't deserve that redemption ending. It's implied that he married Rose within a few months after having his femoral artery slashed open (which is a 6 - 8 week recover time btw) and has a new show that he's already filming??
Number one - Rose, you can do so much better! I know she's naught but an agreeable husk of her former character but still, she can do better. Secondly, how he managed to pitch a new show, have it picked up, signed the contracts, organised the team to film, researched the locations, flew to location, and THEN start filming in the same time span as he was recovering and getting married is beyond me. It clearly isn't with his previous manager as they dumped the show for having the exact same content. Ugh!
I have more issues with the book but I'll save them for my screaming pillow. This review is already long enough.
I'm so mad at everything that undid the first half. It really feels like it was rushed and not edited properly (I found NUMEROUS errors and nonsensical sentences) which is really disappointing.
If you do still want to read it, read up until he burns the box and close the book immediately. Pretend that was the ending because what follows is just awful writing and characterisation.
This was so cute! I'm a sucker for an amnesia plot line when handled properly (Marry My Husband is my fave of those types of mystery premises and what got me rolling on manga/webtoons in general) and this manga definitely does that. I kept imagining what this would look like as an anime as I was reading. I could almost hear the character voices in my head! I need to read the rest of this manga, I'm so invested. Five stars!
Thank you to Narumi Hasegaki, Kodansha Comics, and Netgalley for the ARC! This review was posted voluntarily.
I did enjoy this book despite the handful of spelling and grammatical errors as well as the couple of plot inconsistencies I found. I contacted the author to find out if I received a unedited/beta copy of the book from Booksprout instead of the actual ARC. I haven't heard back yet so I'll ignore those issues for now.
The world building in this book was very good and I was hooked from the first chapter. I love a story that weaves words like music. I was immediately invested.
I liked the MC a lot and her adversarial relationship with her old friend/investigating partner. I did guess part of the twist about half way through the book but I didn't guess all of it. I was still shocked (literally gasped out loud) when it dawned on me.
The tropes that are present aren't handled poorly or cringey. One of my favourite parts of fantasy is when the world is grounded enough that it isn't overly fantastical and confusing. The tropes used benefit from the grounded plot. Nothing overly spicy included except for a few forced proximity scenes that weren't cringey but were still hot. The author definitely knows how to write tension!
The plot never felt rushed or too slow for me. It was crammed with content that I kind of forgot the initial incident that started all the mysteries but that was a nice tied-together moment once it wrapped back around.
The ending doesn't answer all the mysteries encountered and I would assume there's going to be a sequel or series going forward. It's a little bit of a cliffhanger but most things are wrapped up. I have a few questions about the end, one nagging question in particular, but I'll let my thoughts settle a bit before I decide how I feel about it. It's kind of a plot hole but I don't want to get spoilery. Let's say... it's concerning the end of the battle and one person who is guarded at the end.
I would LOVE to see fan art or sketches of the creatures. They have such unique and specific descriptions that I feel like they would make awesome designs. I thought this book would go a different way re: the creatures and from their first appearance I was like 'I wanna pet them' 😂 if I lived in that world I definitely would have died trying to pet something I shouldn't have.
I would recommend this to New Adult fantasy lovers that enjoy a new magic system. The main characters aren't teenagers, thankfully. I get burned out on reading about teenagers and people in their early 20s in fantasy so this was a refreshing perspective.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I DNF'd this after the line "He remained her only male friend since high school who had never made an advance on her, a fact that filled her both with pride and a hint of irritation at him".
No woman has ever wanted a platonic male friend to hit on her. Acquaintance, different story. Friend? Absolutely not. Why would you *want* to implode a friendship and discover the friendship was all a ruse to get in your pants? It especially doesn't make sense given she's a lesbian and he just got married.
The writing is terrible as well 😬
That. Was. Wild! It's nearly midnight here and what a perfect time to finish this book. I loved this, it hit the Victorian and unhinged horror themes just right. Not sure I'd describe it as similar to American Psycho though. Highly recommend the audiobook as the narrator hits the perfect balance for the MC. I don't want to say any more for fear of spoiling it, read it!
If you liked Red Rising by Pierce Brown, it's likely you'll enjoy this. Instead of following a protag that is The Chosen One (ish) like in Red Rising, you get to see what it's like fighting and colonising alien planets from an on-the-ground soldier perspective. The alien races are fleshed out and fascinating to me. It's not just fighting humanoids and John Scalzi isn't afraid to injure or kill characters we have become fond of. This book isn't always about war, it also delves into the psychology of being a new soldier in an unknown universe and grappling with the untethered-ness of it all, including how the soldiers are made.
Great sci-fi action story and I enjoyed the narrator (William Dufris) who hit all the emotional points perfectly. I am very picky with narrators so I'm glad I liked this one. The different accents he gave the characters made the world that much more immersive.
Onto the next book!
Contains spoilers
I'm deep in book grief atm so I'll write a more detailed review later ("I won't think about it now. I'll think about it later when I can stand it") but here are the differences in the movie vs book.
Spoilers below:
- Book Scarlett isn't present when Gerald is killed. In the movie she sees it happen, in the book it happens when she's in Atlanta and her sister Suellen was responsible for his death via a financial con
- Scarlett had two other children, one from each marriage. I understand why the writers of the movie cut them out as the first two don't propel the plot along except for Wade being the reason Scarlett was invited to Atlanta.
- the movie glosses over how Scarlett made her fortune which, I think, is crucial to her character, specifically the convict labour part. The movie keeps Scarlett as child-like and flighty whereas the book gives more grounded context as to why she makes these immoral decisions in the name of financial security
- following on from the previous point, it's clear in the book that Scarlett has PTSD and that is a big motivator for her character and decisions after the war. The movie mentions her nightmares once but doesn't give it enough weight for the proper context
- Movie Scarlett is more ungrateful and doesn't appreciate anyone contribution to her success at any point. Book Scarlett is devastated at Melanie's death (something that is slightly changed in the movie as well) and realises how much people have done for her (that she previously regarded as her own contributions) that helped her get to where she was at the end of the book. Book Scarlett is also ungrateful but it's less cartoon-y than the movie portrays her to be
- in addition, book Scarlett is regretful of the decisions she had to make (before the convict labour which in my eyes in unforgivable) in order to survive but acknowledges she would have made the same decisions if she was in the same position again. She acknowledges the people she hurt (Honey, Suellen, Frank, her children) and wishes someone else had taken her place and/or that those decisions weren't so critical to her and her family's survival. Movie Scarlett only has moments of regret when she sees some of the consequences of her actions, usually affecting her negatively
- Rhett's character in the book is far more fleshed out, specifically the dedication to his daughter (which makes the death scene all the more harrowing) and changing his reputation to benefit her. The child's death in the movie was sad but the narrator's acting in the book made me sob the whole way through Mammy's speech. His jealousy of Ashley and his secret love for Scarlett (and his cruel behaviour towards her as a defense mechanism) is far more apparent in the book
- Scarlett's presence at Tara is very different in the book vs the movie. Book Scarlett leaves Tara to be run by her sisters and Will (a character not in the movie) after she leaves for Atlanta to ask Rhett for money. Book Scarlett lives in Atlanta with her dead husband's aunt, a character that isn't as prominent in the movie (and I understand why they cut her out), from this point on until the end of the book. Movie Scarlett has her living in Tara much longer and doesn't really mention that Frank's store and Scarlett's purchase of the lumber mill in Atlanta (via Rhett's backing) is how she clawed her way back from poverty
- the martial rape between Scarlett and Rhett is very different in the book. In the movie it is treated like rape with Scarlett struggling and her reaction the next morning. In the book Scarlett enjoyed "giving over control" and regarded it as the most passionate love making sessions she ever had. Book Scarlett yearned for more nights like that one and was only resentful of it when she learned she was pregnant
- following the previous point, the aftermath of her miscarriage is more serious in the book and paves the way for honest emotional but platonic connection between Melanie's and Rhett's characters (which comes in handy after the death of his child). In the book Scarlett is bedridden and delirious, the doctor isn't sure she'll survive, and Rhett is tortured and distraught at the thought that he didn't prevent her accident and thinks he has caused her death. The movie skips over most of that and we only see Scarlett in recovery.
- one of the biggest differences from book to movie is how the Confederacy is glorified in the book. The movie takes a lighter touch which was for the best regarding certain scenes and a disservice in others. The book hammers away at why they think POC should be slaves ("they are like children and cannot look after themselves") and why the Confederacy, and therefore white power (including the creation, operation, and dissolution of the KKK), is a glorious and a just cause.
There are other small differences (the Ashley scandal, Carreen's arc, some sequence of events are switched, etc) but they're slightly less consequential and this review is long enough as it is.
I watched the movie first and I think it was good fortune that I did. It gave me a foundation to explore more of via the book. If you do read the book, either as audiobook or physical/digital, be warned of the frequent use of the N slur and the racist depictions of POC. I know, I know, given the setting of the 1860s it was what actually happened but I still think it needs to be said.
I would recommend the audiobook (narrated by Linda Stephens) over the physical/digital copy just so you don't have to read the racist way the author depicted the POC dialogue. Trying to decode that and the abhorrent implications of it on paper or screen is much better served via audiobook in my opinion. Plus Linda Stephens is a fantastic narrator (more of an actor imo) that gives a unique voice to every character and SINGS (literally, not metaphorically) which surprised and delighted me and also gives such an emotional performance. She made me sob at the back end of the book and only one other narrator has touched my emotions that way before (Tim Gerard Reynolds in the Red Rising series).
I do recommend the audiobook heartily with those caveats I mentioned. I think I'll rewatch the movie to see if any of that hidden context is more apparent now that I know about it.
