Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and HighBridge Audio for the advanced audiobook.
This is a shockingly gruesome, eldritch version of the CinderThanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and HighBridge Audio for the advanced audiobook.
This is a shockingly gruesome, eldritch version of the Cinderella fairy tale. The story we know is flipped in Gorman's book, with the step-family being the heroes, and Cinderella an eldritch demon of some kind that must be looked after for the better of all.
As the story unfolds, bad things happen one after the other. It makes for a tense, suspenseful read, especially after a particularly surprising death and the fact that Gorman isn't afraid to let bad things happen to kids, even. This is an indiscriminate evil (who itself is young at one point as well, which was interesting). It really gets going pretty early though and by the second half you won't want to take a break because you'll just have to know what happens. The momentum is great, as is the horror!
Gorman writes the horror both evocatively and plainly, painting the picture of an unbelievable, unknowable horror, and how that horror becomes the mundane for the main character, Eunice. But while it becomes mundane, Eunice rarely lets herself become complacent, which lets the horror continue growing for the reader still.
We Kept Her In the Cellar is a very well done, and well written and effective horror novel. I love there's a little bit at the end to tease a potential sequel, which I would definitely read with where Gorman hints it could go.
As for the audiobook, I found myself a bit annoyed with the narrator early on because she reads so clinically. As the book goes on though, that clinical reading starts breaking places (the death for one, before Eunice gets down to the work of stopping Cinderella and returns to form). It's interesting and by the end I don't hate how the narrator went about the reading of the book but I think I still would've preferred something more... magical, I guess. It would have been interesting to have it read as a normal fairy tale at the start, until things get weird and then we get different. I also didn't feel as much differentiation between the character voices as I'd have liked to make some scenes less confusing if you're not listening at 100% - and I don't mean doing different voices for the characters, but different tones, inflections, personality basically. Everyone in this audiobook seems to have just taken a benadryl or something lol But like I said, I didn't hate it and was more than able to listen through to the end.
I think this is one of my favorites for 2024, easily. What a wonderfully creepy surprise just in time for the spooky season!...more
Thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown Young Readers, and Hachette Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
Chuck Wendig is well-known for his adult hThanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown Young Readers, and Hachette Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
Chuck Wendig is well-known for his adult horror and has been on my to-read for ages, so when I saw he had a middle grade horror out, I knew I had to check it out. I read a lot of horror in general, and I especially like checking out the middle grade horror for my niblings, to curate for them what I know would spook them but not give nightmares... I am torn on Monster Movie! lol
This was a surprisingly creepy story for kids, and is on par more with R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour than Goosebumps in terms of scares, and is perhaps better for kids on the older or more mature side of middle grade. Wendig paints some tense scenes and creates some scary monsters. It reminded me a lot of a cheesier Stranger Things, and of Trevor Henderson's great middle grade horror from last year, Scarewaves. Screenhead is up there with Sirenhead imo (and as basic as the name, I can't help but wonder if Wendig was inspired by Henderson).
The content can be intense but Wendig does great at presenting it for children. He's not patronizing and he doesn't hold back on the scares. I also loved the story message of not letting others bully you out of your passion, and of staying strong and brave in the face of adversity, especially when standing up for what's right. I also love a book that supports the arts lol
As for the narrator, Dan Bittner - he's a good narrator and kids will enjoy listening to him, getting a laugh from some of the voice. Adults... may be a bit annoyed. I know I was at times, especially with the *akshually* voice he does for the villain. Again, kids will get a kick from it but it grated on me, and I think I'd have preferred to read it.
Overall, I'm not sure it's a good fit for my niblings but I know that middle school me would have loved this story and read it over and over. Monster Movie! is a great addition to any middle grade horror collection....more
Thanks to NetGalley, Tor, and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
I am so glad I requested this book, because it was likely to have remainThanks to NetGalley, Tor, and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
I am so glad I requested this book, because it was likely to have remained on my to-read forever otherwise - and I have to thank reviewers here for convincing me this should be a must-read! I feel bad I requested a previous book by this author but haven't managed to read it yet... I'll have to rectify that soon, for sure, based on how good The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is.
This is a story of undead assassins living in a magical fantasy city. The world-building is fantastic and fantastical. I was obsessed with all the little tidbits Clark feeds us on the culture, politics, and history of his world, from the clockwork king to the rules of magic in this world and the actually very real and very meddling gods. It reminded me a lot of the world-building in a favorite series of mine by Rachel Bach, Minimum Wage Magic. Bach makes her world more near-future scifi-fantasy though, while Tal Abisi gives off historical scifi-fantasy.
The characters themselves are enjoyable to spend time with as well, especially once Eveen and Sky find each other early on. The two help each other grow in different ways, while also supporting each other. Granted, it is in a morally gray direction in the case of Sky's turn, but then this is a book about assassins lol What's most fun though is meeting all the different other undead assassins, and learning about them - the descriptions are something else, especially the skeleton man. Like, this leans into a surprising amount of body horror, which I loved.
The narrator for the audiobook, Lynnette R. Freeman, is also absolutely wonderful in narrating this story. I forgot at times that it was just one woman, I got so lost into listening to her and her wonderful voices and accents. She especially shines when she finally gets to give voice to the assassin goddess - really shining bright for what is essentially a small part of the novel. Loved it!
Did I find a new favorite writer? Maybe! Off to add everything else by P. Djeli Clark to my to-read lol I absolutely loved this, it was everything that is right up my alley - adventure, horror, action, an incredible setting... The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is an incredibly fun romp through a dark fantasy world.
I honestly loved this. Not straight horror, but a comedic, cozy horror. The vibes are like a mix between You've Got Mail and Evil Dead, or Drag Me to I honestly loved this. Not straight horror, but a comedic, cozy horror. The vibes are like a mix between You've Got Mail and Evil Dead, or Drag Me to Hell and Love Witch, with a layer of 'treat yo' self!', and it's just what I wanted/needed right now.
The main character, Annie, does get a little too whiney among all her wine but I felt those bits were well spliced between what we get of Sophie... who I do wish was the main character, and is far more fascinating and fun. Ralph, the most goodest boi of spider-dogs, was also a big favorite, of course. I already love spiders so I was an instant fan, haha
The ending is cheesy, like Practical Magic, but I still loved it. It's a feel good story.
I think this would make for a very fun movie! I listened to the audiobook as well, and the narrator, Dylan Moore was quite good. I particularly enjoyed her reading of the dialogue, and her difference in voice for Annie and Sophie, and recommend checking out the audiobook!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.
I love a themed collection of short stories, am basically a sucker for them, and I tend Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.
I love a themed collection of short stories, am basically a sucker for them, and I tend to be a little biased towards them, which may be the case for this collection. I had to contemplate my rating because I read similarly themed collections recently that were absolutely fantastic (Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology and All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology), and I felt like this collection didn't quite reach my expectations for it.
My favorites from The White Guy Dies First:
The Golden Dragon by Kendare Blake - feels so much like a 90s teen horror movie, but with a j-horror spin. I'm a fan of Blake though, especially when she goes horror. I think this could be a fun novel by her.
Best Served Cold by H.E. Edgmon - my favorite of all of them, this one packs a real punch. I actually read it twice, so good and creepy.
Gray Grove by Alexis Henderson - found footage and cosmic horror are always my vibes, and I loved this take on both
Everything's Coming Up Roses by Tiffany D. Jackson - Jackson is a home-run hitter when it comes to writing. Like she's becoming one of my favorites. Her character work is just fantastic, and this is an excellent example of what she's best at. Plus it's the most fun of all the stories, imo I did this one twice too haha
The rest of the stories are good still, if maybe predictable or forgettable, but the standouts are sure to stick with you. As always I'm impressed overall and always excited to have found more new writers to explore! I loved the mix of newer talent and established writers.
I did get the audiobook galley as well, and each story is read by a different narrator, with proper representation - LOVED this. I don't think there were any bad narrators in the bunch either. As I said, I even "re-read" a few!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.
What a creepy thriller. Reminds me of the sort of thrillers you'd see in the nineties, Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.
What a creepy thriller. Reminds me of the sort of thrillers you'd see in the nineties, but the the ending was strange, and different. It reminded me a lot of Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, at the beginning, as it felt like that was the direction it was going - it was not, btw - but far darker in my opinion.
This is a feminist story of loss, paranoia, and fear, from a woman's perspective. I found it to be anxiety-inducing so I had to do the audiobook in two parts, even though it's quite short. I think this would've been easier to ingest if I'd read it as opposed to listen to the audiobook, though the narrator, Mary Robinette Kowal, does a great job.
For the length and quality? This one knocks it out the park. I just have to take a star off for the nausea it gave me lol...more
I know there's a 4th, and some side stories, but this felt like a conclusion... and a beginning. I loved it as much as I loved the first two, though iI know there's a 4th, and some side stories, but this felt like a conclusion... and a beginning. I loved it as much as I loved the first two, though it does drag a bit in the middle where I feel some more ruthless editing could have been suggested to keep the story's momentum going like it did through the first couple books.
Still, loved it. What a weird, strange story, and I love it. ...more
Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of the ebook and audiobook.
I love Brom, I hate Brom, and as usual I am tThanks to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of the ebook and audiobook.
I love Brom, I hate Brom, and as usual I am torn but leaning towards loved it. lol His whole thing is fairy tales for the downtrodden; he's a modern Grimm's brother, but the original, bloody brothers. Reading along with the audiobook helped a lot due to the frequent musical interludes, so that may also be making me favor it more (the title song is an ear worm).
What I loved: While it feels a bit YA at times, there is a good amount of gore, a lot of it over the top kind of silly. Act II Ruby (though it felt forced), Tina, Vutto, basically Act II in general. I can't write much more without spoilers.
What I didn't love: Basically all of Act I. While I think Grady Hendrix leans more Goosebumps than Brom in general, this felt very Goosebumps with the young protagonist and cartoony bad guys - and the bad guys were just ridiculous. I'm torn on whether that's a bad thing though because I'm sure that's the point since the whole thing is a fairytale gone wrong (set within Judeo-Christian mythology lol). Also Act I Ruby can be a lot to tolerate at times. Everything with Richard was unnecessary; he didn't need to be in the book, period.
But like Brom always does, his endings satisfy. They're also left kind of open-ended so you're not entirely sure the fairy tale ending is truly the fairy tale ending. I think he aims for like a more philosophical gruesome Grimm brother's ending. Anyway, I've enjoyed the endings to all the novels of his I've read, including this one.
While getting through the first half was difficult, the second half was well worth the effort and a lot of fun. And more music! ...more
I'm glad I got this on deal on audible because it just wasn't what I was hoping for. It's not a bad mystery/thriller but after reading a lot of Ed BruI'm glad I got this on deal on audible because it just wasn't what I was hoping for. It's not a bad mystery/thriller but after reading a lot of Ed Brubaker lately, Sager just doesn't compare. I know this is one of his earlier works, and I'm intrigued enough by his other books to give him another shot, but I won't be prioritizing...
Some awkward interpretations of CPTSD, women's POVs, etc that occasionally had me cringing. The ending was decently exciting, but all the lead up got tiresome at point. Sager makes you suspect just about everyone, so it's not like it's a huge surprise when the reveal happens, but then it could've been any of them.
I'm just disappointed this wasn't what I was hoping, I guess....more
Was originally going to be four but then that ending came and I loved it lol I listened to the audiobook (fantastically narrated btw) and the last twoWas originally going to be four but then that ending came and I loved it lol I listened to the audiobook (fantastically narrated btw) and the last two hours are wild.
The twist is goofy but terrifying at the same time? Loved the body horror. Commentary A+
How is Chuck Tingle so good at this. So good!...more
Thanks to NetGalley, ABRAMS Kids, and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook, narrated by Tamika Katon-Donegal.
What a rollercoaster. I was goThanks to NetGalley, ABRAMS Kids, and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook, narrated by Tamika Katon-Donegal.
What a rollercoaster. I was going to give it 4 stars until chapter 47 when it struck me: this is an awesome game of DnD! 5 stars from this dungeon master! lol
I fully admit I was always going to check out Dead Girls Walking because the author, Sami Ellis, wrote probably my favorite story in All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology, which was one of my favorite reads last year. Ellis wrote a spooky urban legend, The Teeth Came Out at Night, and it was the easily the scariest story in the bunch. How could I not follow Ellis after that introduction?!
Dead Girls walking features a cast that is almost entirely female, queer, and black and I love it for that and for being a classic horror story. It's not that who they are doesn't mean anything in the story, but Ellis addresses everything, well really presents it all, in such a way that even the old white man that is my dad could ingest with no complaints (while secretly pushing him more towards acceptance). It both embraces and subverts tropes, something Ellis is clearly gifted at doing.
Stories like this are some of my favorites because they're so good and so familiar that it's bound to change a heart or mind or two.
Outside of that though - I love a bunch of horror nerds! These girls are fun and smart and mean and brave and by the end Cali was my favorite sorrynotsorry
I don't want to spoil the actual narrative of this book though (aside from my DnD comment lol) because the summary does a great job of both telling you what this book is and isn't about lol I wasn't entirely surprised because I'd read Ellis previously and was already secretly hoping for something like what happens but I do think some folks may be in for a fun surprise.
And I mean that, truly - Dead Girls Walking is FUN. And gory. What a great YA horror novel!
I also highly recommend checking out the audiobook because Tamika Katon-Donegal is P H E N O M E N A L narrating this one! I got so into this it felt like watching a movie....more
I love this series. Book 2 was just as fun and weird and spooky and gross as the first one. The narration by Mr Creepypasta is GREAT. It's almost teleI love this series. Book 2 was just as fun and weird and spooky and gross as the first one. The narration by Mr Creepypasta is GREAT. It's almost teleplay level, he's so good they just need to add some music and sound effects.
Tales from the Gas Station is everything I was basically hoping John Dies at the End would be. I do wonder if Mr Creepypasta was influenced by the performance of Chase Williamson as David in the film version of John Dies at the End, because he gives a very similar performance. Which may be why I like it so much, as it gives the story this building frenetic energy that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
If you're into weird fiction, silly black comedy, comedic horror, etc, this is a great series to get into!...more
Thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
There's not enough time to consume all the media I'm interestedThanks to NetGalley and Soho Press and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
There's not enough time to consume all the media I'm interested in, so I try to be picky, and choose to give my time to those things I think I'll enjoy most. Hence why I mostly read horror. My favorite way to destress is to indulge in my love of horror - or to lose myself down a YouTube hole, mostly video gaming or music or film related, but I also have a few favorite women who could be called "influencers". LOL.
So I was excited when I first saw this pop up in NetGalley, because beauty influencer horror a la American Psycho and The Devil Wears Prada? Yes, please! After finishing the book I do get why those are the references mentioned, because they're not off-base... but then, they're also kind of misleading. They're also a great way to examine what I've just read and organize my thoughts into this review.
The MC, Sophia, is a follower who deeply desires to be like the pretty, popular girls she's surrounded by, the sort of person that insists she's boring and invisible when really she's a source of chaos who leans in to all the bad things that happen near her while saying "it's not my fault!" Unreliable, needy, insecure yet arrogant, clueless, desperate, but also snobby, neurotic, and entitled (and sociopathic, naturally). There are shades of Patrick Bateman as Sophia descends into madness, with the author showing this through hyperfocus on "unimportant" details, like the precise nasal folds of an intern, or the smell of lavender and nutritional yeast. Nowhere near the level of an entire chapter dedicated to Huey Lewis and the News but the homage is clear.
The Devil Wears Prada comparison is because of the cultish behavior of this beauty start-up. Led by the enigmatic Tree Whitestone (Miranda), Sophia (Andy) falls whole-heartedly, eagerly, into worship of the vision, the mission, of HEBE (there's also an Emily, who is Emily, lol). It's not just beauty, it's a LIFESTYLE. It's what and how you eat, it's what you wear, it's what you consume, and how you pamper yourself. It's the facade of girl power and women supporting women all the while they're all trying to please their Lord and Savior, Tree, in the cut-throat sugar-coated business of beauty. Hypocrits from the floor to the ceiling, but who is the biggest and worst of all? Using of all kinds and how it literally sucks the life right out of you. The seedy side of Runway where Miranda literally takes their heads when they displease her.
Personally I could not help but be reminded of a VERY similar story from 2014 - the French horror film, Raw. Raw is lead by a young woman who joins a cut-throat veterinary program at a highly rated university and slowly descends into delusion and cannibalism. Youthjuice is a parallel story. Both have the same basic premise and hit much of the same conflict points, but their different settings make for a unique, if familiar, story. I honestly love both.
Youthjuice is a Gen Z fever dream about nightmare influencers that made me feel nauseous with not just the gory scenes, but with the interpersonal relationships, the betrayals, the mistakes, and the narrator's obsessive inner voice. It's not stream of consciousness but it feels like it. The writing reminds me strongly of Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch in that way, though Sathue doesn't go as hard as Yoder... which, honestly, would've only made this already great book better.
I give it 50/50 odds that Ryan Murphy turns it into a season of American Horror Story :P...more
Tremblay's In Bloom is like The Bay meets Swamp Thing, and unfortunately for Tremblay I don't think his story was as good. There's some potenEh. Meh.
Tremblay's In Bloom is like The Bay meets Swamp Thing, and unfortunately for Tremblay I don't think his story was as good. There's some potential commentary on global warming that goes nowhere, and the story feels like all "maybes" - is the monster real? Is it a hallucination? And it focuses more on a lot of nothing with minimal focus on the interesting stuff.
This is a concept that can be done in a short story format, but with Tremblay I think he'd have benefited by making it a novel. Or even just another 5-10k words to flesh it out a bit more. The whole thing just felt too sparse....more
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the advanced copy. I double-dipped with this one, co-reading the book while listening to the audiobook.
I was aware of Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for the advanced copy. I double-dipped with this one, co-reading the book while listening to the audiobook.
I was aware of this author after her debut, Dead Silence, was popping up everywhere. Sci-fi horror is my jam but the reactions to Dead Silence were so mixed that I've been hesitant to check it out, something I'll correct after reading Ghost Station.
It's not peak *chef's kiss* literature but this is some solid sci-fi horror. The author's inspiration screams through - Event Horizon, Dead Space, Aliens, The Thing, Tacoma, The Expanse, etc in the descriptions of the setting (both space ship, space station, and alien planet), the characters, the world building, even the situation. I don't want to get more specific than this as it will give away parts of the story, lol, but I will say that when I got to the description of their ship quarters I was immediately picturing the Lewis & Clark from Event Horizon lmao
It is a slow build as well, though the end goes wild and gets gross, and then we get a kind of silly fairy tale ending but, again, in an Event Horizon way, so... I can see some not wanting to go through the journey though, but I loved the world-building and setting, especially as Barnes does employ a cool plot device - this is a universe in which yeah, there are aliens, but all the humans see of them are ruins. Ruins so old that little can be gleaned. I thought this was just a little nugget of world-building, just a little tickle for setting-reason, but it turns out to be a big plot point and one I really liked and would love to see more of in the genre. There's something so deeply sad about humans going out into the final frontier and finding everyone else is already dead. Or maybe I just want to re-watch Stargate: Universe after reading this.
I honestly deeply enjoyed Ghost Station though, in the same way I enjoy ice cream - it's not healthy or much substance but it still tastes good. The only part that gave me a bad taste were the random occasionaly paragraphs attempting to set up some romance between the MC and the ship's Captain... and it's just as goofy and awkward as you can imagine. Two people, never met before, don't have a good first impression or impressions of each other in general, are going through something incredible stressful and horrific (mentally, emotionally, and physically!) and the aliens are more realistic than these two lusting after each other. Every time was jarring and you could literally remove any sentences referring to the romance and change nothing else. Especially as none of the characters are particularly likable? It feels very shoehorned. Either these two characters needed a history, or the romance should've remained light flirting, or the promise of a potential for more at the end of the story, any of which would have felt more natural in the situation. Anyway, I dedicated this entire paragraph to, maybe, two paragraphs worth of romance in the entire book haha so don't let this dissuade you, as it really barely appears. I just have a lot of feelings about insta-love, quick romances, and a general lack of 'read the room' when it comes to the fiction I consume.
The audiobook is quite good as well, though the narrator, Zura Johnson, has a Shatner rhythm when they're reading, unless they're doing the character voices. Takes some getting used to lol
It kind of ends open-ended and I wouldn't mind a sequel....more
Stories like this are when I'm reminded of who raised Joe Hill - this was SO SPOOKY. What a creative, creepy, gross, sad story, very much told in the Stories like this are when I'm reminded of who raised Joe Hill - this was SO SPOOKY. What a creative, creepy, gross, sad story, very much told in the style of his father, whose best work (in my opinion) are his horror stories surrounding or arising from grief. This feels almost like a spiritual successor to my favorite King story, Pet Sematary, as it begins with the loss of a child.
But Hill takes this story in an unexpected way that I really appreciated and in a way that I'm not sure his father would've done.
I honestly think this is one of my favorite horror shorts that I have ever read/listened to, and one of the few that has affected me so strongly (another being the wonderful A Human Stain by Kelly Robson).
So, so, so well done, and wonderfully written!...more
Grady Hendrix is known for satirical and occasionally outright comedic horror. Ankle Snatcher is a newly released horror short that shows a lot more rGrady Hendrix is known for satirical and occasionally outright comedic horror. Ankle Snatcher is a newly released horror short that shows a lot more restraint from Hendrix than I was expecting. There is still the element of satire behind the story though; the idea of a criminal not being responsible for their crimes but the boogeyman? Displaced responsibility, dissociation as a trauma response, CPTSD, injustice in the justice system, etc are all topics touched on.
I also listened to this on Audible and the narrator was pretty decent, so I'd recommend checking that out if you have the chance. ...more
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