3.5* while I admittedly would have liked a little more clarity and a few more answers surrounding the mystery (I’m a girl who doesn’t do well with unk3.5* while I admittedly would have liked a little more clarity and a few more answers surrounding the mystery (I’m a girl who doesn’t do well with unknowns), this was overall a stunningly illustrated and emotional story with an endearing cast of characters and a heartwarming romance. ...more
Liselle is such a winning author for me. She just knows how to write a book that has me totally hooked and Tender Beasts was no exception to that ruleLiselle is such a winning author for me. She just knows how to write a book that has me totally hooked and Tender Beasts was no exception to that rule. With twisted cults, gory serial killings and discussions of generational trauma, privilege, familial expectations and the complexities of family dynamics; Liselle has crafted a thriller/horror that is intense, creepy and infinitely compelling....more
A gripping and twisted fantasy horror with a touch of culty shenanigans. This was a monstrous, fast paced, immersive and surprisingly emotional read aA gripping and twisted fantasy horror with a touch of culty shenanigans. This was a monstrous, fast paced, immersive and surprisingly emotional read and one I would happily recommend. Between this and her debut, Jessica Lewis is definitely an author to be excited about.
An unapologetically queer, grisly and dark paranormal thriller mystery fuelled by female rage and an all consuming desire for truth and retribution. TAn unapologetically queer, grisly and dark paranormal thriller mystery fuelled by female rage and an all consuming desire for truth and retribution. This book doesn’t shy away from its messages of toxic masculinity and misogyny, and manages to do with without becoming discriminatory in its definition of feminism or gender. All in all, this was fast moving, stressful, horrifying, somewhat predictable but highly entertaining read....more
A super fun, eerie, exciting and atmospheric haunted house mystery, with a lovely focus on friendship, history and the relationships with siblings andA super fun, eerie, exciting and atmospheric haunted house mystery, with a lovely focus on friendship, history and the relationships with siblings and grandparents. Highly recommend for readers of all ages looking for a creepy, yet heartwarming adventure....more
A twisted and dark tale of ambition, jealousy, systemic racism and the deadly pressure to be perfect, all perfectly encapsulated within the cutthroat A twisted and dark tale of ambition, jealousy, systemic racism and the deadly pressure to be perfect, all perfectly encapsulated within the cutthroat and undeniably privileged world of ballet.
I struggled a little bit at times with the magic system/monsters and wish the relationships between certain characters had been further developed but despite having wanted a little more overall development, this was a gritty and fast paced read with a fantastic audio narration.
TW: discussion of diet/weight/body size, body shaming, racism, self harm...more
And Don't Look Back is an intensely gripping, deeply atmospheric and addictively suspenseful read that deserves to be held up with the greats of YA thAnd Don't Look Back is an intensely gripping, deeply atmospheric and addictively suspenseful read that deserves to be held up with the greats of YA thrillers.
The unwavering sense of mistrust and danger is palpable and the way Barrow balanced this with careful explorations of grief and coming-of-age, as well as heart-pounding stressful (and brilliant) twists, was superb. The character work was excellent. I loved embarking on this journey with Harlow as she battles with her past, present, future and the potential unknown consequences of each choice she had to face.
This was a standout YA thriller and one I'm going to be eagerly recommending!
4.5* The moment I heard Kalynn Bayron was writing a middle grade novel about vampire hunters, I knew I was in for a treat and The Vanquishers did not 4.5* The moment I heard Kalynn Bayron was writing a middle grade novel about vampire hunters, I knew I was in for a treat and The Vanquishers did not remotely disappoint.
This was such a fun adventure, with just the right amount of spook and action for its intended audience, whilst still being a thoroughly enjoyable read as an adult (especially for those sneaky Twilight quips). The Vanquishers features a beautifully diverse cast of characters who are all fully developed and will instantly steal your heart. As a story, it’s got everything you could ask for; loving family dynamics, rebellious kids, 10/10 friendships, action sequences, humour and plenty of secrets just waiting to be uncovered.
I had so much fun with this and am beyond thrilled to discover it’s going to be getting a sequel. I’m already pumped to see what’s in store for these kids....more
I was admittedly nervous going into this one. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a book set at a 'fat camp', let alone one for children but I'm so happyI was admittedly nervous going into this one. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a book set at a 'fat camp', let alone one for children but I'm so happy (and relieved) to say none of my fears came to fruition.
Camp Sylvania is wonderfully fun camp adventure following a bunch of kids getting up to epic camp hijinks and just so happens to have an empowering message of body acceptance. Julie Murphy expertly calls out diet culture and society's treatment of fat people, whilst never once letting this story be anything but a story of kids who save the world (not because or despite of being fat). The kids in this book are fat; they know they're fat, they accept they're fat and they also know they're just as worthy and able as people in smaller bodies. In fact, it's only the adults around them that ever make them question this but thankfully, any negative comment, thought or action towards weight is counteracted and rebuked.
Overall, this is a brilliantly fun, paranormal camp adventure and I adored every single moment of it. This is the kind of book I wish I'd grown up reading. My only hope is that one day we won't need books set at 'fat camps' because the dangerous idea that any child (or adult) needs to change or think differently about themselves because of their weight is abolished entirely.
TW: fatphobia, discussion on weight and dieting ...more
What a bizarre and wild ride this turned out to be. This has to be, without a doubt, one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read but it was also so much What a bizarre and wild ride this turned out to be. This has to be, without a doubt, one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read but it was also so much fun! I thought the pacing was a little off and a little more context/development in certain areas would have been nice but overall this was a thoroughly entertaining read and a must for bachelor/bachelorette fans!
Deeply atmospheric, wonderfully twisted and surprisingly tender, All the Dead Lie Down was a beautifully twisted, dark and haunting story of the love Deeply atmospheric, wonderfully twisted and surprisingly tender, All the Dead Lie Down was a beautifully twisted, dark and haunting story of the love between family, sisters and two girls drawn together by curses and secrets. This is my second book by Kyrie McCauley and it certainly won't be my last. She has a true talent for story telling and I can't wait to read whatever story she decides to tell next.
3.5* A twisted, eerie and fast-paced read with a level of suspense that doesn't let up. Tirado does a brilliant job at balancing fun, paranormal horro3.5* A twisted, eerie and fast-paced read with a level of suspense that doesn't let up. Tirado does a brilliant job at balancing fun, paranormal horror vibes with an honest exploration of racism past and present. For me, the books only downfall was the lack of development of certain areas, leaving me with a few unanswered questions. All in all, if you're looking for a gripping and atmospheric horror read with depth, this is the book for you. The audiobook production was also great.
TW: racism, discussion of suicide, hate crime...more
An queer best friend-to-lovers, flesh eating romance following a group of teens trying to save their best friend from going feral, what SO. MUCH. FUN.
An queer best friend-to-lovers, flesh eating romance following a group of teens trying to save their best friend from going feral, what more could you possibly want? It’s got female friendship, boy band murders, humour, romance and action, all worthy of a classic fun slasher movie. This was a wild and ridiculous ride from start to finish and one that at no point did I want to get off. ...more
4.5* As someone who struggles to read horror because they’re never creepy or scary enough, I can happily say this book had me sufficiently stressed. F4.5* As someone who struggles to read horror because they’re never creepy or scary enough, I can happily say this book had me sufficiently stressed. From the first page until the last, the creepy, tense and deeply atmospheric vibes did not let up. It was fast paced, incredibly addictive and went places I couldn’t have expected. It’s rare that I read a book in a day but once I started this, there was no chance I was going to put it down. A brilliantly heart-pounding horror that is just more proof of how talented of an author Kalynn Bayron is....more
I truly think Liselle Sambury is one of the most exciting new writers to have hit my shelves in the past few years. Having adored her Blood Like MagicI truly think Liselle Sambury is one of the most exciting new writers to have hit my shelves in the past few years. Having adored her Blood Like Magic duology, I was hugely looking forward to this book and it didn't disappoint. Deeply atmospheric, creepy, thrilling, heartbreaking and thought provoking Delicious Monsters is a ghost story, investigative thriller and family saga all rolled into one evocative and addictive novel. Exploring childhood trauma, toxic parents, racism and the unjust treatment Black girls experience at the hands of society, this is a book that highlights the way in which the 'natural' is more often than not just as terrifying and cruel as the 'supernatural'.
TW's copied from the authors goodreads review: childhood sexual assault (off page, some details discussed), childhood physical abuse (corporal punishment, off page, described), childhood physical abuse (confinement punishment), childhood neglect, gaslighting, grooming, suicide (off page, mention), killing of a goat (off page, described), discussions of fatphobia, body horror/gore, violence, death...more
Horrifying, twisted, bloody and powerful, TDJ was not messing around with this. I was utterly hooked. The multiple POV’s were written superbly, the chHorrifying, twisted, bloody and powerful, TDJ was not messing around with this. I was utterly hooked. The multiple POV’s were written superbly, the character work was brilliant and the podcast segments were inspired. A thought provoking, terrifying and twisted horror read exploring the dark side of small towns and sick belief of whiteness being the gold standard. Highly recommend.
TW: racism, racial slurs, fatphobic comments, hate crime, race related violence ...more
An eerie, fast paced and compelling read with major Coraline vibes. I picked this up on a whim and I’m so glad I did because I was pleasantly surpriseAn eerie, fast paced and compelling read with major Coraline vibes. I picked this up on a whim and I’m so glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. It’s vivid imagery and brilliantly atmospheric, yet punchy and never overly descriptive, writing had me flying through this in a few sittings. A great one if you’re looking for a eerie, gothic read sans any hardcore horror.
3.5 A uniquely written and incredibly emotional exploration of grief and love and tolls they can take on a person.
From metaphorical zombie manifestat3.5 A uniquely written and incredibly emotional exploration of grief and love and tolls they can take on a person.
From metaphorical zombie manifestations to a gut-wrenching portray of the loss of a parent, this was an incredibly emotional read and while there were aspects I wish had been a little more developed and some elements I didn't quite get on with, overall this was an original and incredibly visual twist on the zombie archetype.
A brilliantly suspenseful and creepy read full of heart, thrills and action from start to finish.
With a gentle sapphic childhood-friends-to-lovers roA brilliantly suspenseful and creepy read full of heart, thrills and action from start to finish.
With a gentle sapphic childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, zombies and explorations of gentrification, racism, racial profiling, collective trauma, this was a multilayered, zombie hunting action/horror and I had so much fun with it. I can't wait to see what's next from Vincent Tirado because I'm already hooked on their stories.
a dark, twisted and terrifying read that’s utterly addictive and perfect for Get Out fans, but is somewhat let down by its choppy writing style and rua dark, twisted and terrifying read that’s utterly addictive and perfect for Get Out fans, but is somewhat let down by its choppy writing style and rushed conclusion.
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