1,036 Books
See allI can not thank Have a Cup of Johanny and NetGalley enough for this ARC!
As Johanny says, this story follows Marisol`s journey through grief, reclamation, and the radical magic of remembering.
Marisol returns to her hometown after her mother's death. She's forced to confront the magic and secrets her family buried long ago. Hallowthorn Hill — a place alive with whispers, memories, and darkness — calls to her, stirring visions of her ancestors and unearthing the parts of herself she's tried to hide.
The way that Latin history and ancestral roots blended was so beautifully done. The mystical and the frightening scenes just captivated me and i turned the pages so fast. The atmosphere in this book is unreal — lush, eerie, and full of longing. Every page felt alive with whispers and roots and echoes of something ancient. Johanny's prose is so lyrical it almost reads like a spell. You can feel the tension between light and dark, fear and power, memory and forgetting — and the way she ties it all to Marisol's growth is just stunning.
I was so deeply connected to Marisol in many ways: being scared to show my own culture, to actually know my own history. This book felt like a mirror — tender, haunting, and healing all at once. I loved how Marisol's journey wasn't just about confronting magic or fear, but about learning to belong to herself again. The way the story wove together identity, grief, and generational wounds left me genuinely breathless. By the end, I felt like I'd reclaimed a part of myself too.
This isn't just a story you read — it's one you feel. Like the whisper of wind through old trees, it lingers. The hill is patient, the hill is watching... and I can't wait for others to feel its call too.
It's a reminder that our roots, our grief, and our magic are all part of who we are. It's haunting in the best way, and I know Marisol's voice will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you again to Have a Cup of Johanny and NetGalley for the chance to experience this early — it's one I'll be thinking about for a long time.
thank you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for the oportunity to read and honestly review this!
3.5⭐
After losing her eye and the man she loves in a brutal mugging, Daisy McDonough attempts to move on, but her new prosthetic eye reveals an ancient evil trying to cross over into our own world...the Red Mother.
The concept and art were really good! I loved the eerie tone and the way the visuals captured that creeping sense of dread. The pacing dragged a little in parts, but overall, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the gruesome design of the villain. It's unsettling in the best way.
Overall, a creepy and stylish read that leaves you unsettled long after the last page.