“The fate of all life on Earth depends on a girl who doesn't know if she wants to live…”
A compelling hook, executed simply but effectively over four i“The fate of all life on Earth depends on a girl who doesn't know if she wants to live…”
A compelling hook, executed simply but effectively over four issues. A Haunted Girl very much earns its YA categorisation with its frank, yet age-appropriate depiction of mental health, lent an extra authenticity by the co-writers’ own experiences with depression and anxiety. Peppered with resources, this is one I’d lend to the so-called troubled teen in your life.
Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with a free digital review copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Beautiful art, strong concept, underwhelming execution. Dandelion is a graphic anthology of interconnected short stories exploring a speculative - thoBeautiful art, strong concept, underwhelming execution. Dandelion is a graphic anthology of interconnected short stories exploring a speculative - though perhaps not so distant - future in which those most affected by the climate crisis now live in floating mobile homes called Dandelions.
At first, Dandelion living seems like it will be an escape, but it soon proves a prison; international law requires inhabitants give up their terrestrial citizenship, leaving Dandelion-dwellers isolated and disenfranchised. It's an interesting exploration of the way technological innovation is often co-opted for the gain of the already-powerful, rather than used for the good of the many, but the devil is in the details, enough of which were fumbled that I felt confused more often than I did compelled. The result was a squarely middle-of-the-road reading experience.
Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with a free digital review copy in exchange for an honest review....more
Very sad not to love this, or even like it overmuch.
Mother-daughter relationships are a staple in the horror genre for a reason; they're ripe for thisVery sad not to love this, or even like it overmuch.
Mother-daughter relationships are a staple in the horror genre for a reason; they're ripe for this kind of exploration, but Mother Knows Best is a real mixed bag, as my 2.5 star rating reflects. Many of the stories were conceptually interesting, but heavy-handed enough in their execution that they gave themselves away too early, and overwrought (and occasionally just plain bad: see "searching balls of slime") prose and silly reveals (a victim of Factitious disorder imposed on another being kept sick by... injections of actual feces?) often spoiled the fun.
I appreciated the inclusion of poetry in this anthology, but aside from Grendelsong: A Merewif's Lament by Carina Bissett, I wasn't a huge fan of the selection. The strongest entries by far, though not necessarily the scariest, were Dog Mom by Rachel Harrison - who, as far as I can tell, seems the most well-established author here, so this was no surprise - and Cookie Baby by Laura Cranehill, who I'll be keeping an eye out for in the horror space from now on.
Thanks to NetGalley and Black Spot Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Crave brings together issues #1-#6 of artist and writer Maria Llovet’s series of the same title, a work of speculative fiction exploring the not-so-diCrave brings together issues #1-#6 of artist and writer Maria Llovet’s series of the same title, a work of speculative fiction exploring the not-so-distant prospect of AI dating apps.
But Crave, which asks you what you crave and promises to “make it happen”, is more than a dating app. And what does happen when an entire cohort of horny students have access to an app whose entire purpose is to make their darkest desires a reality? Whose AI programming allows it back-end access to their school’s systems? An app without the safety filters and regulation that make the surface Internet usable?
The answers to these questions get pretty dark, so I’d recommend looking up trigger warnings (sexual content & representations of suicide/suicidal ideation being the major ones). However, the collected-issue format means that no unpleasant image ever overstays its welcome. Crave is fast-paced and all the more solid for it, and Llovet’s art is so lush, she renders even the horrifying beautiful. Like a car crash, you’ll find yourself unable to look away.
Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
I enjoyed Houses of the Unholy as a reading experience at least as much as Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ last collaboration, Where the Body Was, but I enjoyed Houses of the Unholy as a reading experience at least as much as Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ last collaboration, Where the Body Was, but ultimately felt that this project didn’t come together quite as successfully by the end. I was unconvinced by several characters - worrisome in a cast this small - and unimpressed by the third act climax.
Jacob Phillips’ colouring is striking and works impressively well with the vintage-comic art style, especially as a means of visual demarcation (separating the present timeline from flashback scenes), and Houses of the Unholy is still a pacey, satisfying read. It will work particularly well for you if, like me, you’re fascinated by the Satanic Panic of the 1980s.
The tight, at times even predictable plotting means that nothing much is left open-ended or up for interpretation in this one, but in a story that’s over this fast, I think I prefer that to too many loose ends.
Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
The Shadow Over Little Chitaly: Eliza Clark's debut short story collection promises to "plumb the depths of that most basic human feeling: hunger", anThe Shadow Over Little Chitaly: Eliza Clark's debut short story collection promises to "plumb the depths of that most basic human feeling: hunger", and I think it's kind of genius that the first and only story granted to us lucky few successful ARC applicants is this short and sweet little nugget, composed entirely of increasingly surreal online reviews for a Chinese-Italian fusion restaurant which may or may not exist, (view spoiler)[and which is almost certainly run by white/tan/blonde and beachy Australian cultists if it does (hide spoiler)]. It's not as overtly dark as either of Clark's previous novels - both of which I've loved - but its absurdism and its ambiguity hint at darker things to come. (Read 05/03/24, review written 08/08/24.)
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19/04/24 Reasons to live: New Eliza Clark, expected publication November 2024
02/08/24 Additional reason to live: Approved for an ARC of one of the short stories in this collection (review to come). Thank you Faber & Faber!!!...more
4.5 stars, read from beginning to bittersweet end with a knot in my throat and a pit in my stomach. Gender Theory is a raw and very real contemporary 4.5 stars, read from beginning to bittersweet end with a knot in my throat and a pit in my stomach. Gender Theory is a raw and very real contemporary litfic novel, with unusual second-person narration that thrusts you into the bloody, beating centre of the protagonist’s young adulthood.
It’s a bit like every Sally Rooney and Genevieve Novak project ever, with a unique through-line of undiagnosed endometriosis and chronic pain that manages to be both incredibly specific and a shockingly effective stand-in for any and every underreported, untreated woe, particularly ones that predominantly affect women, and (characteristically) I ate it up.
One day I will have grown up enough to stop seeing myself in the complicated, messy, occasionally straight-up nasty female leads of so-called books-about-nothing, but today is not that day.
Thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
I started The Eyes Are the Best Part yesterday morning, devoured half of it before tearing myself away for a music festival, found myself thinking aboI started The Eyes Are the Best Part yesterday morning, devoured half of it before tearing myself away for a music festival, found myself thinking about it between sets, crashed upon arriving home, then finished it today in a single feverish, sunburned second sitting.
Both delicious and grotesque, this debut is as propulsive as it is repulsive, as clever as it is shocking; its intelligence and social commentary more than justifies its violence for the average reader, and for horror fans, that same violence is the gelatinous, dripping-red sphere (I mean... cherry) on top of one fucked-up sundae. It's definitely one for the female-rage/unhinged-woman crowd, of which I am a proud member. I would also recommend it to fans of Eliza Clark and Sayaka Murata. You won't want to miss this.
Thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
The Body Harvest is a profoundly confusing reading experience. The plot sees us following protagonists Will and Olivia - in a strangely passive third-The Body Harvest is a profoundly confusing reading experience. The plot sees us following protagonists Will and Olivia - in a strangely passive third-person omniscient voice, one I never got used to - two individuals who are addicted to being sick, and always chasing their next fix.
It's a simple - albeit disgusting - premise, and easy enough to understand - or, it would be, if the author didn't feel the need to obfuscate absolutely everything about it with alternately pretentious and cringe-worthy language that is at best, vague, and at worst, intentionally misleading. To give an example: Will and Olivia name the viruses they catch. These names are impossible to take seriously - ordinary names like Gregory, Charles, and Roderick - but why do they do this, other than to confuse the reader? Unless I missed it, it's ever explained, justified, or even hinted at; it's just baffling.
To revisit the passive narration: The text is littered with quotes like "Zaff is carried over to the couch, where he sleeps off an attack." He "is carried" by Will, so why not just say "Will carries Zaff to the couch"? Or "The woman is tortured" - BY ZAFF, so why not say "Zaff tortures the woman"? Or - again! - "The car takes her through the outskirts of the city", which makes it sound as if Olivia is being driven, when in fact OLIVIA IS DRIVING THE CAR. Direct action was removed as much as possible, rendering the action scenes staccato and stuttering and everything else near unreadable.
The Fight Club and American Psycho influences are clear, but The Body Harvest has none of their clarity of purpose or charm. The bottom line is, this concept is not as high-brow, weird, or interesting as Seidlinger seems to think it is, but as a post-pandemic narrative it could have stood on its own two feet had he just leant into its simplicity, rather than trying to elevate the horror. Unfortunately, he took the latter route, and this is the result. 1.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Clash Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Where the Body Was is the ultimate in (larger-than) slice-of-life, a microcosm of American suburbia - that is, American suburbia as it was on Pelican Where the Body Was is the ultimate in (larger-than) slice-of-life, a microcosm of American suburbia - that is, American suburbia as it was on Pelican Street, circa 1984. It's a pacey, well-crafted whodunit with a cast of archetypal characters that never feel stereotypical; in fact, they're the beating heart of this story. Drawing inspiration from the "mapback pulp books" of the 1940s, Where the Body Was manages to feel both fresh and familiar, and never lets up on the fun.
Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
“And for the record - no one is simply ‘happy', it's a temporary state of being that comes and goes, just like pain.”
It’s Lonely at the Centre of the “And for the record - no one is simply ‘happy', it's a temporary state of being that comes and goes, just like pain.”
It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth is a raw, vulnerable, intense glimpse into the inner world of artist Zoe Thorogood, unsanitised and unflinching in its depiction of depression.
In stark contrast to the decidedly unglamorous realities of mental illness is Thorogood’s art, which is as gorgeous as graphic memoirs get - by turns clean and messy, monochromatic and colourful, realistic and stylised, experimental and always unique. While Thorogood’s writing at times fell flat for me, I loved her art so much, and will absolutely be checking out her other work.
Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with a free digital review copy in exchange for an honest review....more
It seems I'm in the minority, but My Darling Dreadful Thing did not work for me whatsoever.
Johanna van Veen's prose is serviceable, but delivDNF @ 41%
It seems I'm in the minority, but My Darling Dreadful Thing did not work for me whatsoever.
Johanna van Veen's prose is serviceable, but delivers almost no plot to speak of. I made it about halfway through before throwing in the towel, and still each chapter barely differed from the last. I felt like I was living some kind of literary Groundhog Day, a feeling likely exacerbated by the fact that it was taking me so long to get through. I would put it down because I spotted a shelf that needed dusting, and, after completing every household chore I could possibly think of, would feel absolutely no compulsion to pick it back up again.
The setting is unique - I can't say I've read any other gothic romances set against the backdrop of the Dutch colonial empire, and the period and ongoing process of decolonisation is always a rich and interesting one - but it didn't feel particularly well researched or authentic. Or, at least, it wasn't explored fully enough for my tastes, which was a shame.
On top of that, the text is littered with strange, amateurish asides that could easily have been cut down upon in editing. Why are there so many descriptions of food? I understand the references to cultural dishes and the purpose they serve, but at a certain point, I felt that Agnes' Indonesian heritage was well enough established that overlong descriptions of household mealtimes became redundant and, quite frankly, tiresome.
As is usual for me when I leave a book unfinished, I won't be assigning it a star rating, and just because it didn't work for me, does not mean I don't think it will work for anyone else. In fact, if you are primarily a romance fan, as opposed to being primarily a horror fan; if you enjoy a slower pace and a historical setting; if you like high fantasy-esque descriptions of food; if you like your books with just a touch of darkness, and you prefer vibes over plot, My Darling Dreadful Thing might be the pick for you.
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Grey Dog's compelling central thesis is this: that being a woman is enough to drive anyone mad.
To prove it, elliott gish blends elements of historicalGrey Dog's compelling central thesis is this: that being a woman is enough to drive anyone mad.
To prove it, elliott gish blends elements of historical and literary fiction with gothic horror, resulting in a convincingly bleak, oppressive early-20th century small-town atmosphere. It is slow and skillful work that reminds me somewhat of Burial Rites by Hannah Kent; though not moored by any one true historical event in the same way that Burial Rites is, it shares those characteristics, languishing through journal entries in the everyday, the routine - the mundane - to paint a portrait of ultra-realism.
However, I did find this ultra-realism a hindrance at times. There was an emotional and even temporal distance to the narration that I did not enjoy; there was no immediacy, something that seems obvious given the format, but that robbed the narrative of any tension. Much of what propelled the plot forward were revelations by other characters, initially delivered via monologue to our protagonist, transcribed later in her diary. Perhaps this is a matter of taste, but I do think there were choices that could have been made to more accurately reflect the stakes for what is really quite an existential, dramatic novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
I actually think, with some slight tweaks, this would have made for a fantastic middle grade horror novel. In some ways it already felt like it skewedI actually think, with some slight tweaks, this would have made for a fantastic middle grade horror novel. In some ways it already felt like it skewed younger, what with the book-within-a-book chapters, whose central characters were all middle-grade aged; the ridiculousness of the premise (which was fun, yes, but still ridiculous); and the less-than-subtle moral messaging.
As it was, Everything is Temporary was still a fun time, if a little heavy-handed. In fact, I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for something to alleviate your post-October blues (Christmas can be scary, too!). If Stephen King's IT meets Home Alone meets Small Soldiers (yes, the 1998 Kirsten Dunst movie) is a comp title combination that appeals to you, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Deadbolt Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
After such gems as "To me, being murdered is the most frightening thing that can happen to anyone" and "'I'm a man,' he said, in the manliest tone sheAfter such gems as "To me, being murdered is the most frightening thing that can happen to anyone" and "'I'm a man,' he said, in the manliest tone she had ever heard", I'm tapping out at about 10%. Shocking, I know, but the prose just isn't doing it for me - and that's without making any mention of the love interest's orbs, described in turns so far as dark, burning, and dreamy.
I'll refrain from a star rating on this one, given I didn't make it very far, and I'd still like to give my thanks to NetGalley and Verso Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
”Fandom is a wonderful force for good that has transformed lives and created worldwide communities and support networks, but I think we can all admit ”Fandom is a wonderful force for good that has transformed lives and created worldwide communities and support networks, but I think we can all admit that about 5% of it is absolutely off its rocker.”
Parasocial is a hilarious, scathing takedown of online fan culture, taken to the ultimate extreme, Misery-style. Everything about it is as clever and deliberate as its name; it’s clear the creators are (or have been, at some point in time) as steeped in fandom as the individuals they seek to satirise, lending this project a refreshing credibility and authenticity.
The plot is simple, which I think worked in its favour - de Campi gives you just enough information to understand what’s going on, while also successfully avoiding becoming bogged down in her own lore, an issue that can easily affect works involving fictional fandom.
The art was stunning, and again, so intentional; conscious choices by Henderson regarding the use of colour, framing, and even linework work to complement and support the narrative on multiple levels.
I appreciated Henderson and de Campi’s afterwords, too. It’s always fascinating to learn more about the artistic process, as well as about the origins of a specific project. Parasocial was clearly born of some very real industry grievances, creativity, and good humour - an excellent pairing (OT3 material?) if I do say so myself.
Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Mothtown is a bizarre, dark, winding reading experience. Caroline Hardaker is a skilled author and her commitment to her craft is clear from every angMothtown is a bizarre, dark, winding reading experience. Caroline Hardaker is a skilled author and her commitment to her craft is clear from every angle, but particularly from a structural one. However, while I enjoyed the ride very much, it didn't quite stick the landing for me. Still, I'm rounding up my 3.5 star rating in honour of the whackiness of it all - it's quite the feat to have your reader not understand wtf is going on for more than half the reading time, and still be compelled to read on - and for those illustrations!
Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
Let Me Out is a bloody, nostalgic, subversive queer horror set amidst the satanic panic of the 1970s that doesn't shy away from the real-life struggleLet Me Out is a bloody, nostalgic, subversive queer horror set amidst the satanic panic of the 1970s that doesn't shy away from the real-life struggles facing the LGBT community. Instead, it leans into them, and the all-too-real threat of violence from those in power supplements the supernatural in service of a story that truly scares.
The art featured in this graphic novel is also just brilliant. In particular, the use of colour is what really pushed it to a 4-star read for me. Even when the plot/writing faltered, the art remained stunning, dynamic, and vibrant. This is the first ARC I've been so excited to see on IRL shelves. Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
DNF @ 6%, the earliest I have ever DNFed something. Unfortunately, I've been trying to get into this for days now, and with an ever-growing TBR pile, DNF @ 6%, the earliest I have ever DNFed something. Unfortunately, I've been trying to get into this for days now, and with an ever-growing TBR pile, I have had to accept that it is just not for me.
As has been noted by other reviewers, Womb City makes use of many, many futuristic technologies (including, but not limited to, body-swapping and behaviour-monitoring microchips) to explore race, gender, corruption, and power, among other things.
The result is discordant: it feels sort of like watching every episode of Black Mirror simultaneously, rather than engaging with a single, thoughtful, considered narrative that delves deeply into any one of these concepts. I also struggled to connect with the writing style and, subsequently, any of the characters. The prose is serviceable, but not particularly exciting or gripping in any way.
I'd also like to note that, at this point in the book, my experience (including my dissatisfaction) is limited to its sci-fi elements - the horror has not yet been introduced. I would still like to thank NetGalley and Erewhon Books books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
"The darkness seems to thicken around me as I move, like a brake of thorns. Hart House: its insides as black as the womb. The space that I shared with"The darkness seems to thicken around me as I move, like a brake of thorns. Hart House: its insides as black as the womb. The space that I shared with my twin from conception."
Let Him In is an impressive debut, despite the 3-star rating I’ve given it. William Friend’s writing speaks for itself; it’s creeping, laced with deliciously gothic imagery. Incongruous though it seems, the prose imbues our setting - Hart House - with a sense of both claustrophobia and cavernousness; its size, its history, come together to make our characters (and by extension, us) feel suffocated. Trapped.
However, as a debut, it is not without its issues. While Hart House itself is basically a character in its own right, and the adults in the story - particularly our dual narrators, Alfie and Julia - were well fleshed out, the twins felt flimsy to me. With so much of the plot hinging on their personalities, it would have made sense to spend more time properly establishing them.
Let Him In was at its strongest when it allowed its haunting atmosphere to speak for itself, rather than trying to explain away the horror. For the most part, it explores concepts with a broad brush, allowing their complexities - of religion, of family, of various relationship dynamics - to speak for themselves, rather than making any specific declarations. I felt like this approach was even more chilling, and made for a singular experience.
In the end, the narrative veered toward a more tangible explanation which didn’t quite work for me, though I’m sure some readers will appreciate the solidity of its conclusion. For the atmosphere alone, though, I’d happily pick up another Friend novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
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