I don't really read a lot of fantasy or YA and this was both. The writing was too simplistic and everything was so damn dramatic I kept rolling my eyesI don't really read a lot of fantasy or YA and this was both. The writing was too simplistic and everything was so damn dramatic I kept rolling my eyes. Not rating this because I stopped 1/3 of the way through because I got bored....more
Stopped reading a few chapters in because it hadn't grabbed me and also I apparently didn't read the plot heavily relied on mental illness and a baby.Stopped reading a few chapters in because it hadn't grabbed me and also I apparently didn't read the plot heavily relied on mental illness and a baby. eeeep, not good reading for this preggo....more
**spoiler alert** This book could have been really good!
First of all the setting: an underground all night rave in an abandoned NYC subway tunnel-- v**spoiler alert** This book could have been really good!
First of all the setting: an underground all night rave in an abandoned NYC subway tunnel-- very spooky! Secondly, brutally butchered bodies start showing up and the exits become sealed-- creepy!
But then there's a monster maybe that's never explained, the protagonist is a shell of a character who just keeps making bad decisions and everything is wrapped together with drugs being the answer.
The writing was good in parts, but the plot was all over the place and the story couldn't decide if it wanted to be a thriller, a horror with supernatural stuff or a young adult bad romance novel. I guess the end message is DRUGS ARE BAD KIDS, DON'T DO DRUGS.
This book started off atmospheric and creepy and then just got straight up weird and annoying. I got up to 70% before deciding to set this aside.
It's This book started off atmospheric and creepy and then just got straight up weird and annoying. I got up to 70% before deciding to set this aside.
It's not a thriller or a horror, but more of a suspense/drama with some light supernatural cliché elements. As a former Wiccan the witch and Wiccan parts were super frustrating to read. I know this is fiction, but geeeez way to completely not research anything and stick to misconceptions.
There's a heavy dose of fat phobia throughout the whole book around one character that wasn't necessary and was just gross. This dude also goes on for pages about women's nipples and it added nothing to the story....more
A crazy keeps her crazier relative chained up in the attic...Mr. Rochester style, but nowhere near as creepy or romantic. Twists on twists, but I wadnA crazy keeps her crazier relative chained up in the attic...Mr. Rochester style, but nowhere near as creepy or romantic. Twists on twists, but I wadnt shocked, or thrilled. Not this author's best, but an interesting read on family drama and how far you'd go for someone you love.
It took me a while to get into and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. In fact I kind of hated them all. Stella This book was so weird!
It took me a while to get into and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. In fact I kind of hated them all. Stella comes across as a real snob and Jack comes across as a stereotypical "Oh poor me" poor boy, but something made me keep reading.
The story took on some X-Men-like elements that I wasn't anticipating but enjoyed. However, it dragged on for a little long I found myself flipping ahead just to get to the parts with Jack and Stella. an intriguing read overall but something about it just didn't feel quite right for me I feel like it'd be a lot better of a TV series. ...more
I've liked these co-authors other books, but this one fell flat for me.
The description of the book is purposefully vague, but a central plot point is I've liked these co-authors other books, but this one fell flat for me.
The description of the book is purposefully vague, but a central plot point is one of the main characters seeing someone kill themselves by throwing themselves on the Subway. Not really a spoiler as this happens in the very first chapter and continues to be a huge part of the book.
So yeah, be warned there's mental health issues and suicide talk throughout. Also, rape, but that comes up later.
Idk this wasn't enjoyable or plausible and I was annoyed and confused for the majority of the story....more
**spoiler alert** I got halfway through this book before I realized I had read it already and then I got bored. Maybe I'm just sad because it's trying**spoiler alert** I got halfway through this book before I realized I had read it already and then I got bored. Maybe I'm just sad because it's trying to be a western horror and I just read an incredible western horror (In the Valley of the Sun) or I'm not in the mood, but this book is weird. My complaints: Too damn wordy. Cutter trying to mimic King? Idk but too many words to say the same damn thing. Just plain weird grossout moments for the fun of it I guess?! Idk, not doing it for me and I'm confused so I'm setting it aside....more
I had high hopes for The Furies because I love The Craft and dark stories of the dangers that lurk in female friendships, but unfortunately, the FurieI had high hopes for The Furies because I love The Craft and dark stories of the dangers that lurk in female friendships, but unfortunately, the Furies didn't satisfy me. I made it 30% of the way through before I gave up on this book. I was so bored. Cliche on cliche kept happening; the main protagonist is "entirely average" and then gets in with some cooler girls and they are kinda mean, but Violet is desperate for friends and so she will do anything.
Violet was so dumb in everything she did and she spends the vast majority of the beginning just whining and full of teenage angst. Everything is described about a thousand different times in a way where I think the author wanted to make this The Secret History, but it didn't work....more
This book starts intriguingly enough with someone murdering someone else and getting bored with how long it's taking them to die.
Unfortunately, my intThis book starts intriguingly enough with someone murdering someone else and getting bored with how long it's taking them to die.
Unfortunately, my interest in this book died shortly after.
I couldn't connect with any of the characters (all outlandish and awful) and the writing felt dull. I got bored and set The Retreat aside and tried to come back to it, but it wasn't for me.
There was such hype and praise for this book and the cover is so lovely!
And then there's the book itself. Elisabeth's sister disappeared when she wasThere was such hype and praise for this book and the cover is so lovely!
And then there's the book itself. Elisabeth's sister disappeared when she was a child and she's thought of her ever since. She lives in rural Alaska and by the way it's 1941 for some reason. One-day a visitor arrives subing in for their usual mail delivery man and he's a weirdo. Alfred, the weirdo commits a crime and then writes to Elisabeth claiming to have information about her sister. Elisabeth's a big dummy and plays along. None of that is spoilers because it's all on the flap in the description.
However, that's it. The whole fucking story leads to a very lackluster ending. And geeez, this author sucks at writing women. There's a part where Elisabeth is writing Alfred a letter and he asked for a photo of her, so of course not only does she find one, but she also thinks 'hmm, bet this creep wants to smell my pussy' and then there's this scene:
"Pulling up the side of her skirt and then pulling aside her underwear, Elisabeth stuffed the photograph between her legs, and she rubbed it against herself like a piece of bath tissue."
YEUUUUCK. For some reason I kept reading after that part and it just got worse. She tries to "whore herself out" to Alfred as a plea for information and when it goes badly she grabs his dick and kisses him. You know, like any woman would do. ...more
**spoiler alert** This is a thick collection of thirteen short stories from Joe Hill. A few of the stories are new and just for this collection where **spoiler alert** This is a thick collection of thirteen short stories from Joe Hill. A few of the stories are new and just for this collection where he references some of his favorite writers. My average rating for these stories is 3.3 stars, which is a kind of disappointing considering how much I love Joe Hill. I just think his talent is better suited to longer stories and maybe his dad should stick to short stories.
The collection begins and ends with a story coauthored by the King himself and I found I really liked them writing together. “Throttle” especially works well because it’s about a father and son bikers out on the road that are described as ‘road puke, not redeemable’ and though the story goes to prove that holds true for almost all of them they are run down one by one and it was a rush to read. Off to a great start and then followed by the ominous Dark Carousel and the mediocre werewolf story that is Wolverton Station. Then you’ve got a lake monster tale that bored me, so I skipped ahead to read about hunters going for the ultimate trophy hunt in fairytale land.
Late Returns suddenly tugged on my heartstrings when a bookmobile driver discovers he can gift books from the present day to ghosts in the past. There’s a touching part where a young girl gets to finish the Harry Potter series before she dies that did me in! My heart felt a pull again in All I Care About Is You a story of a spoiled teenager who refuses to accept her new unspoiled life. I love a good dark twisted ending.
The next two stories were pulled from a reject pile to fatten the book up and made no impression on me other than thinking it was nice Joe Hill got to try his hand at poetry for a hot minute. Luckily, the next tale, Twittering From the Circus of the Dead was my favorite of the bunch. It’s told in a series of tweets from a teenager on a road trip who isn’t impressed with her parents side show picks until it’s too late and she becomes one. The story felt so real and I loved the dark humor. I wish it were a full length novel.
Back to a dose of paranoia mixed with political-ness for Mums, which I enjoyed and yet found a little confusing to follow.
In The Tall Grass is being turned into a Netflix movie and after reading the story itself I’m excited to see if the movie is equally chilling and creepy.
*SPOILER ALERT*
The movie was not creepy, but was confusing and repetitive and I was annoyed they made such a big deal out of the tiny mention of a character from the story. The waving grass shots were pretty though....more
This book thinks really highly of itself but fell flat for me.
What starts out as "omg is my husband having an affair"...stays that way and I never wasThis book thinks really highly of itself but fell flat for me.
What starts out as "omg is my husband having an affair"...stays that way and I never was thrilled with anything. The characters keep making choices that no one in real life would make and the police are dumb and don't really seem to care about the murder at all. Not at all the thrilling story, I was promised, just dull and predictable....more
This book certainly isn't for everyone and I've struggled with how to rate it. .
The characters are right out of an 80's slasher film. There's Nick, theThis book certainly isn't for everyone and I've struggled with how to rate it. .
The characters are right out of an 80's slasher film. There's Nick, the escaped mental patient who has "a pale emotionless face with eyes that look like black pits that lead to the gates of hell." Betsy, the sweet, stuttering, religious Daddy's girl. Kathleen: she's large and in charge and nothing can stop her... except maybe the cyst she has on her ass. And then David, the sassy gay sidekick who just might have what it takes to become a main character.
Nick is just trying to return to his childhood home and mayybeee finish the murders he started years ago, but he gets caught between the drama of Betsy and Kathleen and everyone knows there's no greater drama than that of two high school girls. Especially when there's a boy involved.
Sounds intriguing and it definitely was, but it also was just plain gross. Felt like I was back in high school again hanging out with those people who try too hard to be funny and can somehow only tell jokes involving shit. If you can get past reading about this giant cyst on Kathleen's ass and the constant fart mentions (whyyyy?) you might be able to enjoy the ridiculousness of the story. Just be warned there's a lot of fatphobic parts (I get that Kathleen is supposed to be comfortable and empowering, but calling herself an obese cunt and whatnot is a bit much). Then there's a part where a male character is basically sexually assaulted... his penis is grabbed and jerked off as he flinches...right after she calls him a "giant retard."
There are also a lot of pop culture references that I had to google (lol I'm lame I guess?) and overly worded confusing descriptions like the author found a thesaurus and wanted to also be really clever. And then there were things described as looking or sounding or smelling like things that I had no clue how to imagine...like a guy's shoe smelling like "a bucket of clits." So overall 2.5 stars from me. I wanted to immerse myself in the story and enjoy it, but it eneded up being too disgusting and yet I pushed through anyway. I'm going to donate this to my local Little Free Library and hope someone else can find it funny....more
The domestic thriller market lately is all about wealthy women with cheating spouses and the same old twists and thrills. AWhy do I do this to myself?
The domestic thriller market lately is all about wealthy women with cheating spouses and the same old twists and thrills. And yet, I keep wanting to be surprised by a unique idea.
The First Mistake wasn't that. It was an entertaining beachy fluff read, but the entire middle section with a different narrator seemed like filler for the backstory that didn't need to be there. The kids weren't fully developed to me and the end was a classic mic drop type of ending.
If you don't read a lot of women fiction thrillers you'll enjoy this, but otherwise you'll be disappointed....more
Eh. I really wanted to like this book because I anticipated it for so long, but Heather the main character was just too annoying to connect with.
She mEh. I really wanted to like this book because I anticipated it for so long, but Heather the main character was just too annoying to connect with.
She makes weird choices and acts like a child instead of a child psychologist and I was confused about some of the background. The Red Lady was interesting, but I wanted more of her and less of bff giggly parties.
The end wrapped up too well eventhough it made sense. Idk I'm just ...more
This book was way too long for what it was. I feel like it would have packed more punch as a short story because so much of the beginning was just unnThis book was way too long for what it was. I feel like it would have packed more punch as a short story because so much of the beginning was just unnecessary and boring.
Veronica is bored as fuck in her loveless marriage to her high school sweetheart Johnny, who she married after finding out she was pregnant and then later found out Johnny is a narcissist. It's been ten years and she's literally counting the days until her daughter is old enough to "handle" them divorcing. *eye roll* As a child of divorce myself I hate when people think it fucks up the kids....it's more fucked up to stay together and your kids totally can see that! Anyways, apparently her daughter was really messed up over Veronica's parent's divorce, but they never really explain why or how and so we are left to wonder. The kid is just a side note who seems sheltered and annoying tbh. Veronica has daddy-issues and wonders to herself about them frequently.
Johnny is a personal trainer who happens to discover a missing child of a wealthy family on a hike one day and then omg the press are out in full force to make him into a hero and Veronica is very much not into it and wants it all to go away because she's a grump and also keeping a typical secret form her hubby. Hubby is keeping secrets of his own and wow the kid being discovered wasn't so random after all.
I expected so much more after reading and loving Jane Doe, but this was such a run-of-the-mill thriller with a predictable plot that I yawned my way through it waiting and wanting more than it provided. False Step? More like False Start....more
We Went to the Woods says it's similar to The Secret History and The Immortalists, two books I really enjoyed and so I thought I'd like this one. SpoiWe Went to the Woods says it's similar to The Secret History and The Immortalists, two books I really enjoyed and so I thought I'd like this one. Spoiler alert: I was let down.
To sum it up: a bunch of pretentious twenty-somethings decide they are fed up with our society and they believe they can do better creating their own society. We know they are doomed to fail because the prologue tells us so and are supposed to be compelled enough to find out what happened. I was intrigued and kept reading but it was roughhhhhh! All of the characters are unlikeable as fuck and none of them know much about homesteading, but they've read Walden by Thoreau and so they think they can do it. They spend lots of time pulling weeds and wandering about reading Thoreau, drinking their homemade mead and fucking eachother and lamenting about how much better off they are for this experience. La di da. Very slow pacing and I was bored and hating everyone, but I skim read a bunch because I wanted to find out what "bad thing" the main character did on a reality Tv show that made her want to seclude herself in the woods. Well, finally it was revealed and yup, she's fucking awful and she sort of knows it. Then they slowly get a bit more involved in the other local commune (this is in the Ithaca area of New York, so it's all wine snobs, communes and hippies wanting to be in communes) and some eco-terrorism and everything goes to hell as you'd expect. I give this book a shrug. It was okay and I liked how characters from the author's previous book Dead Letters are also in this book, but other than that I hated everyone and i rolled my eyes a lot. Solidly 2.5 ish stars....more
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