This amount of deception would normally make me nervous but I think Anya's gift helps temper it for me. I really enjoyed Ooooooh this was so much fun!
This amount of deception would normally make me nervous but I think Anya's gift helps temper it for me. I really enjoyed seeing the family come together and watching how they worked through everything.
Love the characters already so I'm definitely continuing!...more
I found the pacing really frustrating; the first 60% or so was just Tyler hiking through the woods and there was In the end, this sadly wasn't for me.
I found the pacing really frustrating; the first 60% or so was just Tyler hiking through the woods and there was far too much detail of it. A little info is interesting but if I wanted a survival guide I would have read that instead. This just made it so tedious that, by the time the action amped up, I was already kind of over the whole story.
The last 30% or so just went from 0 - 1000 on the crazy scale and it was too much for me. So much time was spent making this story seem realistic and then it just got outrageous. I would have enjoyed the horrific twist of this story so much more as a novella, with far less bush-bashing foreplay. Because it was a really intriguing idea but was so messy in execution.
There was also a lot of convenience to Tyler's adventure and it got to a point where I was getting frustrated by all the lucky saves.
I can see how others would enjoy this, because it does have some fun, crazy stuff going down, but the way it was all written put me off and left a sour taste in my mouth. Creativity was up there for sure but I needed better pacing and more depth to really draw me in and keep me invested....more
I really enjoyed how this played out - our unreliable narrator Walden TBR
Heart of Darkness TBR
The Yellow Wallpaper4 stars
What a deliciously eerie tale!
I really enjoyed how this played out - our unreliable narrator seems to be suffering some form of madness that grows stronger as the story progresses.
Her husband seems to be an overprotective villain, though since we see only through her eyes it's impossible to guess what is fact and what is product of her madness, and that is where the true genius of this short story lies.
The slow descent into madness is truly fascinating, and I loved how it made my mind turn. I feel this is the kind of story that grows richer with each subsequent read, so I'm sure I'll read it again at some stage!
Not entirely sure how I feel about it, but definitely not as satisfied as I'd hoped for.
I think the horror was a little weak - parThis is a weird one.
Not entirely sure how I feel about it, but definitely not as satisfied as I'd hoped for.
I think the horror was a little weak - part benevolence and part prank made for a soft start - and then just random violence escalating dramatically towards a bizarre conclusion kind of messed with the whole vibe. Hmm.
I did really like Sabrina, but the other characters were a bit too familiar and the story of the crazy housewife has been done too many times to be properly intriguing. I liked the house seeming to have a bit more personality than most haunted houses, but I was ultimately hoping for more from it.
Damien's whole thing p*ssed me off, too.
Mildly interesting, but not quite the tense, possibly-humourous horror story I was hoping for. The clever title sets up an expectation that the story sadly falls short of meeting....more
There's no horror here, just a character study that amounts to one whiny, seTime of Death: 137 pages. DNF @ 49%
What a dull offering from Mr Tremblay!
There's no horror here, just a character study that amounts to one whiny, self-absorbed dude ranting endlessly and one snarky, manic pixie dream girl commenting throughout. Also something about vampires?
Very disappointed. I thought of pushing through to the end but this was a group read where many people said I needn't bother and I'm more than happy to take that advice. I've got better things to spend my reading time on.
I think a huge part of me not liking this story is because it's just Art going on in these long sentences in long paragraphs and by the end of the sentence I've lost what it was he was trying to say. I read almost half of this book and I still couldn't tell you what happened? I skimmed some and even read the last few pages and all of it was so POINTLESS.
I don't really know what more to say. It was pointless, I didn't like either of the main characters, and I'm far too lazy to try and read into all the clever allusions and innuendos and metaphors etc. AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR DAT.
Tragically underwhelming for a story with so much backstabbing and a side of ghosts.
The plot: Zhu is destined for Nothing, but refuses to believe thisTragically underwhelming for a story with so much backstabbing and a side of ghosts.
The plot: Zhu is destined for Nothing, but refuses to believe this and instead takes her brother's fate of Greatness as her own. This involves pretending to be a boy and infiltrating an army. YES, it sounds like Mulan, but this is definitely not the family-friendly Disney flick we all know and love, folks.
I enjoyed Zhu's character growth, and how she was so manipulative from the very start. She suffers plenty so you do feel quite pleased when things finally start going her way, but towards the end there is a lot of arrogance which may rub the wrong way if you haven't come to love the character. I did enjoy that she always seemed pretty easy-going on the surface, and I enjoyed her joking around with people.
Ouyang was a fantastic, loathsome character. He's so easy to hate, but there's still an element of sympathy there, too. Mostly I just liked that he was kind of an evil d*ck.
The gay stuff was weird but okay whatever.
The ghosts were more weird and honestly I feel like they were just a bit pointless? They could have just been metaphoric, rather than making them literal and calling this fantasy. It really bothers me that this book was sold to me as fantasy. Aside from ghosts occasionally being present and a bit of fire here and there, this is not fantasy. What a disappointment. And the ghosts were just so wasted. They mostly just hover in the background and they never really do anything.
Then it's all padded out with these boring war moves and talk of politics and there's just too much of it weighing the story down. You get these really awesome backstabbing moments and scandals and then you have to wade through another boring battle and it just slows the momentum of the story. I just was never hooked enough to want to pick it back up.
So I guess it had some really fun moments and the characters were great but the story overall was just a bit slow and bland for my tastes. Ultimately it was disappointing, considering how much attention its been getting. Not for me, I'm afraid.
Excuse the pun, but this really kinda went off the rails.
The idea is this: A random forest sprouts in the desert, bringing with it a host of terrifyinExcuse the pun, but this really kinda went off the rails.
The idea is this: A random forest sprouts in the desert, bringing with it a host of terrifying monsters. Four years later, it's basically Monster Jurassic Park, with tourists coming from all over the world to jump in a tram that travels through the forest, stopping regularly so that all the weird and murderous wonderful creatures can be seen. Naturally, things go horribly wrong.
I really love the premise. I'm a big fan of monsters, carnage, and Jurassic Park so I was really keen to get into this one, and the opening was a lot of fun and had me pretty excited.
Sadly, it was a little too much carnage and mayhem and not enough actual substance. The monsters were coming hard and fast so I never got a clear image of any of them, and all of the characters blended together for the longest time. Even when I finally figured out who was who, I still found it really hard to get a proper image of them. Example: Lee. He began as this snooty, sceptical author in my head but then kinda morphed into an action hero?
It also majorly bothered me how important it was to the author(s) that all of the women were drooled over by the men in the story. Every woman was the object of someone's leery affection, and it just left me with the impression that at least one of these authors is clearly in need of some loving. It would have been okay if it was just one gross, pervy dude and that was his personality but it was EVERY. SINGLE. MAN.
Then of course the overall plot was pretty thin and terrible so there was nothing really driving the story other than chaos and a lot of death. Characters were introduced and killed off in the same paragraph. The explanations followed no logic. The final showdown was absolutely pathetic. Bizarre choices were made. The characters had no growth. Also kind of no personalities. There was just so much of it that left me scratching my head.
I feel like, as an action movie, this would be in the realm of films like Sharknado. Like, it is just pointless and makes absolutely no sense at all but the gratuitous violence makes it hilariously worth it.
As a book, though, it just didn't work.
So many reasons it should have worked, and so many reasons why it didn't....more
I didn't like these ladies quite as much as the Vampire Hunter Book Club ladies, but they still provided some fun times. Less creepy3.5 stars from me.
I didn't like these ladies quite as much as the Vampire Hunter Book Club ladies, but they still provided some fun times. Less creepy, more violent. Happy days for the Final Girls!
The story revels in 90s slasher film references and introduces a group of 'final girls' - the girls who conquered the murderer at the end of their relevant killing spree and came out on top. Only now someone is after them again, all at once, and they'll have to use everything they learnt from their past experiences to stay alive.
There are many familiar stories here, so if you're a fan of horror films like Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, etc. then you will likely have a lot of fun matching familiar characters to their real-world fictional counterparts. Still, even without picking up all the references this is still an enjoyable, chaotic story.
I really enjoyed Lynette's character, not because I liked her - actually, I despised her a fair bit for being so cowardly - but because of how real her behaviour seemed. Hendrix gives full respect to trauma in that he delves into how it might change a person. Lynette is paranoid and constantly terrified, and it means her behaviour is completely understandable, even if she's not the hero you'd prefer her to be. Honestly, she's kind of pathetic.
The other characters are fun, which means its a little sad they're not fleshed out as much as I'd have liked. You still grow to understand their characters, but there were too many of them with too little screen time to get a proper idea of who they were and what drove them until the story was almost over. I also couldn't work out their ages? I got the impression right at the start that they were older, but they seem to act pretty spry still so I have no idea what age group these people were in.
The action came hard and fast and had plenty of variety with a good dose of mayhem. It was unpredictable so I was swept up in it and never really had an idea of who was behind it all. I guess I was too busy keeping up to look for clues, which made it more enjoyable for me.
The plot wasn't quite as solid as I would have liked, though it was still clear and easy to follow. I enjoyed how all of the characters had their own stories, but even though I knew they were based on films from our world, I wanted to know more about these girls and their stories. It felt like there was so much focus on Lynette and her experiences that everyone else kind of got skimmed over. It wasn't a deal-breaker, but it left me pretty curious and unsatisfied.
That being said, it was a highly addictive read from start to finish so overall it won me over.
I love how this one starts straight in with the action, simmers down a bit in the middle, then ramps up into an epic finale.
The storyWhat a wild ride!
I love how this one starts straight in with the action, simmers down a bit in the middle, then ramps up into an epic finale.
The story follows Seb, who finds himself in a strange place without knowing how he got there. The rag tag band are mostly good people, but they're all stuck because something is penning them in. But Seb has no intention of sticking around ...
One of the things I both love and loathe about horror novellas is the places it takes your mind to. You very rarely get any decent in-depth explanations, so you have to think about what's going on yourself. This one left me with a lot of questions, but there was enough detail to flesh out a really interesting story so I've quite enjoying drawing my own conclusions and creating my own back story (I'd totally be down for a book that told it for me, though).
What we're given is a snippet of the world as experienced by Seb, and it's plenty to whet the appetite. He's got a life to get back to but he's here, getting to know an odd assortment of people and learning about the danger that lurks in the wings.
Rev Heads will get a kick out of the details but I mostly just enjoyed the action of it - it felt more like an action movie than a horror story to me. Zero complaints about that on my end! If you're into cars and the like, you should have even more fun.
Some may find it a little slow in the middle, but personally I enjoyed the lull, and the opportunity to get to know the other characters.
A fun, wild ride that will definitely leave you wanting more. I'll be looking into more books by this author for sure....more
This story is both deeply disturbing and absolutely brilliant.
It's very much a gruesome slasher flick, which begins with a horrific massacre and doesnThis story is both deeply disturbing and absolutely brilliant.
It's very much a gruesome slasher flick, which begins with a horrific massacre and doesn't get any prettier, but there's also an intelligence to it that contrasts the violence with very real character depth.
This is not horror for horror's sake.
This is horror that allows for a fascinating examination of trauma.
One of the most incredible horror stories I've read in a long time.
I have this rule about only giving 5-star ratings to books I would definitely read again, but I might just be breaking it for this one. Because I don't know that I'd want to re-live this nightmare, but the initial 4-star rating I gave it just wasn't sitting right. It's worthy of 5.
Here's why:
It's unpredictable You think you know the formula, you think you can guess what's coming ... you are wrong.
It doesn't pull punches It gets straight into the nastiness, and it does not hold back. There is plenty of suffering to go around and this book is creative with it.
It's intelligent The violence is not the main feature, it's just another part that comprises the whole. The story takes the titular theme and explores several manifestations of it, all while holding the tension and probing the depths of trauma.
The writing is addictive From the very first page it's almost impossible to resist the compulsion to read. There are certainly moments that will make you want to pause but it draws you back in soon enough. There's just something about the way it plays out that makes you want to see it through to the end.
A fantastic horror story with fascinating themes, some epic scenes and memorable characters. Cannot recommend it highly enough....more
Hooked me with the prologue and kept me hanging on the entire time. What a ride.
This is an epic sci-fi that is character driven, and I honestly enjoyeHooked me with the prologue and kept me hanging on the entire time. What a ride.
This is an epic sci-fi that is character driven, and I honestly enjoyed every moment. The story splits between the views of Holden and Miller - Holden, who leads the crew that investigates a distress call from an abandoned ship; Miller, the weary detective tasked with locating a missing heiress; in a world that is on the brink of war. Things are going to get very messy.
So many moments of this story took me by surprise. I was not expecting so many twists! The writing was strong and there was an excellent mix of science, character development, and story. It was one of those books I could just lose myself in and forget I was reading. Lots of fun.
The story is rather epic, and the politics of it was spelled out for me when I needed it, which was much appreciated. I never felt like I was in over my head, even when the technology was being described in detail. Just excellent writing, to be honest.
I needed this book more than I realised - it was fun, addictive, wild, and sucked me in from the first few pages. Definitely keen to see where this series goes!
Highly recommend for those interested in sci-fi, and this is even a decent one to start with if you're new to the genre. There's not too much to overwhelm, and there are fantastic characters to cling to as you go along. A great read all round....more
Okay I went into this really excited but unfortunately it kind of ... fizzled.
Mostly, the story just seemed a good excuse to: 1. Trash talk religion 2. Okay I went into this really excited but unfortunately it kind of ... fizzled.
Mostly, the story just seemed a good excuse to: 1. Trash talk religion 2. Make people do weird kinky things
The story follows Jack, who is returning to his hometown after his Grandmother's death. Back when he was a kid, he was part of a cult led by Jacob Masters, who fathered six children specifically so he could later sacrifice them. Jack was one of those kids, so now he has to face his past, particularly since it seems, after 30 years, Jacob may longer be satisfied with staying dead.
So it begins with exactly what went down with the demise of the cult and Jacob's death. Jacob is a religious nut who realised God is not above but actually beneath, and he demands blood, suffering and general depravity. To start, I kind of found it hard to believe that this religious nut hears a 'god' from below and doesn't even think about the possibility it's the devil? How did the dude with the horns and pitchfork not even turn up beyond the title? That surprised me a lot. I found it a little unbelievable that this pastor who was so devoted to God suddenly had his switch flipped by a voice from below. Then again, what do I know about religion? *shrugs*
Soon enough it jumps to present day, 30 years later, where the 'Stauford Six' are just trying to live ordinary lives. Jack is the only one who ever moved away - he went off to become a highly successful artist, thanks to the disturbing artwork inspired by his nightmares. Way to capitalise, buddy. Anyhoo, now he's back in town and we're following as he reunites with a few of his siblings and suddenly discovers that his loving grandma was into some weird stuff before she died.
It was all a little too detailed for me. We get to know half the town in greater detail than was really necessary, and it slowed everything down so much. I got King vibes from the storytelling, but it never drew me in like King's work does. Instead we get to know all of these people that just end up meaning very little to the story. Plus all the backstory with the idol got kinda dull after a while.
The violence is graphic yet sporadic, so you can get this really terrifying, gruesome scene, then the next is an info dump of history that's mostly boring. Also, it's so sexualised. I'll spoiler-tag the details, but safe to say some kinky stuff goes down.(view spoiler)[Firstly there's the kids being raped and violated, Susan and Ozzie and their kinky relationship (I lost count of how many times this story wanted to talk about Susan's Naked Body), the talk of BJs and fucking and incest, and then of course the ending with everyone getting naked and the fucking mass orgy. It was all a little too gratuitous for my tastes. (hide spoiler)] It also starts really strong and creepy but then it ends up being more of the same so it gets a bit repetitive, to be honest. It's like it wants to get creative but just misses the mark.
I enjoyed the lore and the building of the story behind this evil, but all the rituals made it a little too confusing for me and at the end of it I'm still not entirely sure I understand it. I feel like so much detail went into it when it was actually more simple? It got a little bit wild and I think a lot of it was kind of wasted.
I think the takeaway message is that people can do crazy stuff when they think they're doing God's will. It definitely takes a nice solid swipe at the devout, but in doing so it divides the town into 'evil religious nuts' or 'outcasts with no faith'. I think I really needed that middle ground to become properly invested.
I never really felt a lot for the characters, and I think that's because we jumped between so many of them. The substance was certainly there but I just didn't stay with them long enough to really get too invested.
Finally, the whole thing just took so long to play out that, by the end, I was just bored. It started strong but then put so much effort into creating substance and fleshing out details; normally this is something I would appreciate but it just felt pointless and wasted on this story. I think the amount of violence and depravity in this story called for less effort in the storytelling. Alternatively, I would have appreciated fewer, more effective incidents of violence. Basically, the balance was off.
Overall it was an enteraining story that I think just took itself too seriously. I didn't hate it, but I think there's a fair bit of room for improvement.
I mean, a haunted house is nothing particularly new, but there's something about the way this one deliveThis is a fascinating, unique breed of creepy.
I mean, a haunted house is nothing particularly new, but there's something about the way this one delivers that had me constantly shuddering.
Super, super creepy.
The story is set in a derelict mansion on a hill. Noemi has been sent there to check on her cousin, Catalina, who has been ill, and sent a rather troubling letter about how there are ghosts in the house and her husband is trying to poison her. Naturally, things get weird.
First up, it's set in 1950, but it definitely gives off some Victorian vibes. The house has limited electricity and it's a huge part of the atmosphere - along with the mold growing everywhere, cracked and crumbling walls, and a distinct lack of music or merriment. Catalina's husband and his family are decidedly odd - the patriarch of the family, Howard Doyle, is an ogre with some interesting ideas about 'breeding', while the husband himself, Virgil, is all sly smiles and malicious glares. Florence is the strict homemaker who has no time for Noemi, but her son, Francis, does provide a small glimpse at comfort. He's still a bit weird, but he's the most normal of the bunch so Noemi has a little more time for him.
The characters are brilliantly done, and they fit the story so well. Naturally, there are a lot of secrets surrounding this odd family, and it's all brilliantly contrasted by Noemi the socialite, who is more used to dancing, flirting, and generally doing what she wants (provided these things are acceptable for a woman). There is a fascinating conflict between this family with its strict rules and Noemi's stubbornness and strong will, but there's also the overarching sexism that is a fact of Noemi's existence that she doesn't particularly agree with.
The atmosphere of malice seeps into every page and the story becomes horrifying without ever really understanding why. I really enjoyed the complicated relationship between Noemi and Virgil, and then the spark of hope that Francis presented. There are some fascinating dynamics and looming over it all is this ancient mansion with so many secrets trapped within the walls.
I loved the way the story unravelled and enjoyed the foreboding of the whole thing. It just leaves you with a gut feeling that things are not going to end well so it's quite a ride watching it all play out.
Really enjoyed it! I can see why it's getting all the hype. Totally deserved, in my opinion.
Thanks to my friends from HA for the buddy read :)...more
I mean, there is a lot going on. We're stuck in a small town in the middle of a crazy snow storm, theWow this was absolute chaos and I kinda loved it.
I mean, there is a lot going on. We're stuck in a small town in the middle of a crazy snow storm, the likes of which have not been seen for 30 years. The grand hotel is haunted by ghosts already, but now suddenly something evil is getting about town, shredding people in its wake.
I liked that the ghosts were such a side character in this. Personally I tend to prefer to think of ghosts as mostly benevolent, so their role in this book really interested me. They're a connection between the world of the living and the evil that's currently terrorising that world. There's a fair bit of curiosity about who they are and what they want, but they're not the main focus. I would have loved more about them, though!
The big bad is pretty hard to get a read on, but it seems he's known to a few of the town inhabitants, who have rituals prepared for this kind of event. Only they're all old and useless so things don't really go as planned, leaving a bunch of newcomers in a whole world of trouble. Messy, messy trouble.
The characters were a real mixed bag, but aside from the kids I didn't really take to them. First you've got school teacher, James, and his sex-crazed wife, Vic, who are in town for Vic's romance convention. James is such a classic school teacher dude throughout, which I really appreciated, although he and Vic both flit between cowardly and brave, which was a little jarring. More on that later.
Robbie is the local cop, fairly new to the role, and he has a really tough time believing this is all the work of a mythical monster. If he can't shoot it, it doesn't exist. I did like that about him but he sure did take a lot of frustrating convincing, considering how many people were being slaughtered in unusual ways.
Angela is also a cop and unfortunately something about her just grated. I think because she was so fair-weather. She's recently been through a trauma and it colours her character so completely at the start but then suddenly a new relationship takes front and centre and her life becomes all about that? It was a bit too harsh of a transition for me to properly be on board with it. Aside from that, though, I liked her bravery and ingenuity, and her willingness to listen to people who had useful things to say.
The real stars here are Miles and Janey who have seen some crazy stuff in their meagre years and ain't afraid of no ghosts. They're kids with a wealth of knowledge on all things supernatural and bizarre, and they handle the chaos better than all of the adults combined. Janey has an unfortunate potty mouth, and I personally would have preferred something more mild than the c-bomb, but that's just my own aversion to vulgarity. Janey is the conduit and Miles is the action hero and together they make this story a lot of fun. It also helps ease the tension when things seem to be getting a little too serious because Miles says whatever he's thinking, and he and I apparently think alike.
The story jumps between James and Co at the hotel, and Angela and Co out about town. It gives us a nice contrast between action and history lessons, although this did feel a little messy at times. I did feel there were a lot of moments that were over-told, leaving me a bit detached from it all, but that certainly wasn't the case the whole way through as there were some passages that I really loved. I guess a good example would be the snow - it was constantly mentioned, but I often forgot that permeating cold because the snow itself seemed to bother the characters more than the cold. Living in Australia, I don't have any actual experience with snow storms so I don't think I got to fully appreciate its presence in this story.
There were also times were I felt the action stalled because the author felt the need to defend what he'd written. For example, during the chaos James asks a question then is proud of himself for still being able to ask important questions in the face of danger. I wonder if maybe these thoughts could have somehow been transferred into character development, so that we know how he feels without him having to consider it for us? There's also the constant shifting between bravery and cowardice for both James and Vic, which just got confusing after a while. They take turns in supporting one another, but the constant changing is jarring and after too much repetition becomes a little unbelievable. James is a little whipped at times, and Vic is constantly talking about sex, but then they switch and Vic is scared and James is the solid, dependable man, which is all well and good but it just makes it hard to properly understand these characters. I think maybe they needed to be developed a little more before all the chaos started. Again, I feel that a lot was justified in thoughts instead of by their character. If that makes sense. *nervous laugh*
Overall it was an entertaining story, but I think the characters were undeveloped in favour of grisly action. I do enjoy a bit of grisly action so that wasn't a deal breaker for me, but it did leave me a little detached from a story that otherwise sucked me right in. I think we needed a little more scene-setting and character-building prior to the storm coming in so that we could fully appreciate these people and their trials. Also more similes and feeling to help communicate the atmosphere a little better.
All the same it was a fun, chaotic ride that I thoroughly enjoyed.
With thanks to HA and the author for this group read, it was a fun time!...more
Loading...
