TL;DR: Very fun with some unique deaths. Source: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!! Plot: Hannah is trying to recover after the death of her fiancé and agrees to go on a ‘wellness retreat’. All is not well. Characters: A cast of somewhat tropey characters but not the worst. I enjoyed hating some of... Continue Reading →
Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones
TL;DR: Surprisingly complicated with some more thrilling elements than scary ones. Source: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!! Plot: A double feature, this has a young girl hitchhiking and running into the wrong man and then a babysitter fighting a house for her freedom. Characters: These two girls felt very similar, I’m not going... Continue Reading →
Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle
TL;DR: Chuck Tingle gets better and better every time. Source: NetGalley - thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: How it made sense was so clever, and just weird enough to make sense. Well done Mr. Tingle. Characters: Unlikable but also so lovable. I was cheering for these folks the whole way through. Setting:... Continue Reading →
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce
TL;DR: A strong start to a disappoint twist. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: An inexperienced child psychologist faces against evil - of what kind is the problem. Characters: These were pretty bland. What you might expect from a thriller/horror. Setting: This started in town but headed into a small village.... Continue Reading →
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
TL;DR: If you want to make yourself terrified read this! I was affected for days. Source: NetGalley, thank so much to Saga Press! Plot: Ultimately this one is just about survival. Gloria is attempting to help her brother, and fighting against racism while her brother is just trying to survive the Reformatory and it’s ghosts.... Continue Reading →
Hauntress by Minetaro Mochizuki
TL;DR: Oh my god, this scared the pants off of me. Genuinely, I was vibrating I was so unsettled. Source: Netgalley - Thank you so much to Kodansha! Plot: Hiroshi Mori helps a woman out, against his better judgement, and things go very badly. Characters: No one here is particularly lovable but you still REALLY... Continue Reading →
The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir
TL;DR: I doubt I’ll remember this, I really do. It was… okay? Source: Netgalley, many thanks to the publisher! Plot: A short story about a woman loosing her mind to pain and lack of sleep. Characters: Our only real character of note is Iðunn and I have to be honest, she wins my rarely awarded... Continue Reading →
Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons
TL;DR: A bit long and drawn out, this read very episodic and fairly disconnected. Source: Netgalley! Thank you to the publisher! Plot: Divided into three parts we follow post robbery, with a cult, and running/back to the cult. It felt a little drawn out to be honest. Characters: I didn’t end up very connected to... Continue Reading →
Tales From Cabin 23: The Boo Hag Flex by Justina Ireland
TL;DR: Fun and genuinely spooky! Think Goosebumps but much more modern. Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher! Plot: A tale of terror to test a new camper, it follows the story of Tasha as she hunts down the Boo Hag lurking in her new neighborhood before it comes for her grandmother. Characters: I wouldn’t... Continue Reading →
The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo
TL;DR: My favorite of the Singing Hills Cycle so far - this one has a very different tone and it was amazing.Source: Netgalley - so many thanks to the publisher! Plot: Cleric Chih is traveling with a family as they marry off their daughter, and things unfold… poorly for some involved.Characters: Cleric Chih is our... Continue Reading →