Tag: Horror

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

by maddison37055 ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Rating: 5 out of 5.

THIS BOOK WAS WILDDDDD! I read this in a single day, and literally could. not. put. it. DOWN! Best thriller I’ve read in awhile, inspired by my favorite novel by the legendary Agatha Christie – with a twist!

On Daisy Darker’s grandmother’s 80th birthday, the family assembles at their estate, Seaglass, to hear her deliver her final will and testament: Nana, mother Nancy, Dad, her older sister Rose, the middle sister Lily, her niece Trixie, and an old family friend, Conor. At midnight, they find Nana dead on the floor – not of the natural causes she suspected would take her in her 80th year, but of what appears to be murder. Someone at Seaglass is picking off the Darker family, one by one.

Everyone is a suspect, and nothing is as you think it is!

This book was just an utter surprise from what I was expecting, and it was so, so welcome. This book will probably end up in my top ten this year, if not my top five. THAT’S how good it was!!

Obviously, for good reason, I disliked most of the characters. The family is despicable and annoying, all in their own ways, and the only ones I really cared for were Nana and Trixie. Even Daisy herself could get to be a little much at times, and they all had their faults. No one, however, was quite as annoying and irritating as Lily. That woman was a nightmare!! Feeney creates such an atmosphere ripe with hatred and dislike that you can’t help but root for the evil that lies in just the other room. This family tore itself apart, murderer not necessary.

I felt for Daisy, but I think even she was hard to love at times. She was heavily mistreated by her family, and you do sympathize with her as the reader, but I think what will strike you about her character is that she never really moves on from that. It’s both depressing and telling.

Huge, huge fan of this twist. You will never see it coming – my mouth formed a perfect O for the last five or ten chapters! Things fall apart so insanely quick…wild. Just wild.

Highly recommending this for all my thriller AND horror lovers, if you haven’t gotten to it already. My favorite Book of the Month pick thus far. I’ll be checking out more of Feeney’s work after reading this masterpiece!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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No Exit by Taylor Adams

No Exit by Taylor Adams

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

There is a fabulous, cinematic thriller in No Exit. I had watched the movie several months back without realizing that it was actually a book first – I prefer to read before I watch – but ultimately decided I still wanted to read it even though I knew what would happen. Glad that I did!!

Tearing across the country to get to her dying mother, Darby Thorne ends up stranded in the Rockies, at a random rest stop, in an absolutely incredible snowstorm. Inside, she finds four strangers, and a young girl locked in one of their vans in the parking lot. Unsure of the suspect, but desperate to get the girl to safety before plows and police can arrive in the dead zone, she hatches a plan.

This book reads like a movie. Once I got going, I couldn’t put it down. I knew what was going to happen and I still couldn’t tear my eyes away; it’s amazing in the suspense department and it’s written a quick-paced way that, shockingly, doesn’t skimp on plot or character development.

And speaking of character development: I *love* Darby; she is smart and heroic, quick-thinking and selfless. I thought her character was both brilliant but believable. The supporting characters – the other strangers at the bus stop – were also well-rounded enough that their actions were predictable without being dry. In fact, the book dives even deeper into the characters than I could recall from the movie, and I thought it better served the story. The small cast of people allows for the story, the plot, and the action to unfold in a way that’s not distracting, but makes it the absolute focal point.

I already knew the twists from having seen the movie, but credit where credit is due in its originality, they would’ve surprised the heck out of me had I not already known them. You expect a run-of-the-mill action thriller, but there’s a bit of mystery to this as well. I think anyone walking into it blind would be pleasantly surprised by everything within it.

Highly recommend – it’s not only making me want to rewatch the film, but read more Taylor Adams books (I require more, sir). Happy reading!

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Well, this is quite possibly the strangest thing I’ve read in awhile.

Called back by her dying mother to return to her childhood home, Vera Crowder heads home after more than ten years apart from the house her father was arrested in for serial killings.

Once she arrives, however, it’s clear there will be no somber reunion with her mother, Daphne. She is incredibly close to death, and Vera is merely here to pack the boxes. The more she takes apart, though, the more she finds that things in the Crowder House are not as they seem. Something is causing a chill in the back of her neck…

The first half of this was honestly one of the scariest things I’ve read in a long, long time. I totally got the creeps, sitting in my car, yelling lots of expletives with every passing page. What I loved so much about it in the first half is that there was clearly something horrible happening, and yet we weren’t naming it or putting a face to it; the terrifying reality of whatever it could be left to the reader’s imagination. I had several guesses…but let me tell you, I was not correct.

But, in the second half, when things are unveiled – also creepy as hell. It takes an especially twisted mind to conjure up something with enough horrifying detail that you can picture it in your mind and you are disturbed. Gailey whole-heartedly achieves that when we learn the true nature of the haunting at Crowder House.

This book is not what I expected it to be, and I bet you like a hundred bucks it won’t be what you expect either. Nothing is as it seems, and Gailey’s imagination ran wilder with this story, characters, and setting than my mind ever could on its own. And I loved it. It was deeply original, creepy af, and still left me haunted to the very end. Like what even?!

I’m not going to remark too much on the characters in this novel, particularly because not a soul is who you think they are. The one character I consistently did not like, and even at the end couldn’t discern the point of, was the “parasitic artist” James Duvall – son of the author who originally wrote about the Crowder family. He’s mostly just a giant pain the entire time, though he does appear to have some small role in the story…you’ll see what I mean. Regardless? Not a fan.

So yeah – big huge fan of this one. Thought it was super weird and super creepy and exactly the vibe we’re looking for right now. Highly recommend!

Have a great weekend!

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

I liked this one! I don’t know if I’ll ever love another one of Moreno-Garcia’s books as much as I love Mexican Gothic, but the sci-fi element of this one makes for a really intriguing story. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau certainly lived up to my expectations.

Carlota Moreau is the singular bastard daughter of Doctor Moreau – a man who has thoroughly entrenched himself in the Yucatán to carry out his biological research. They are surrounded by the results of his experiments: “the hybrids” are half-animal, half-humans crafted by the doctors hand, and used as servants with the intent of their perfected versions becoming laborers for Moreau’s patron, the Lizaldes.

When Carlota is fourteen, they receive a new manager of the estate, Montgomery Laughton. The two circle one another even six years later, when the son of the elder Lizalde arrives in a flurry with the intent of marrying Carlota. The events that transpire in the wake of his arrival might just unravel everything they have built at Yaxaktun, their home.

I loved Carlota! I don’t say that often, and I definitely don’t say it much about Moreno-Garcia’s leading ladies. But Carlota had an inner sense of power that only grew in strength throughout the novel. There was a sense of surety and love that she used to will her world and dreams into the future. I never felt truly like the other characters had her best interest at heart, even when they were acknowledged that she was so pure and good, and wanted to be in her orbit. They were too selfish for their own good, but Carlota was always, always selfless. I loved her character.

The book alternates between the perspectives of Carlota and Montgomery, who is essentially the caretaker of Yaxaktun. While I loved Carlota, I only really *liked* Montgomery, and at times, I didn’t even like him. He made himself hard to like, at times, by being utterly stupid. That sounds harsh, but it’s so true! It was reminiscent of Maite in Velvet Was the Night: the lack of self awareness… painful. I just feel like he causes pain by being concerned about the past, or about himself.

The first half of the novel really captivated me, but I do have to say that the second half slowed my interest. I get what we were building towards, but the action in the second half didn’t grab me nearly as much as the drama and the historical intrigue of the first half. I don’t know if it just lost my attention or become too much or what, but it’s certainly not that didn’t make sense in the context of the story. I actually thought the resolution was pretty good – just kind of boring?

The novel is loosely based on HG Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau, which I admittedly have not read, or had even heard of prior to this book. Moreno-Garcia gave a sort of recap in the afterword so as to explain her intent with the retelling, and it sounds both authentic and like a great continuation of the story for a new generation. I thought a big part of the story’s importance was that Carlota and Montgomery had both respect and love for the hybrids, where others did not – it felt like adding a touch of humanity to the original story and twisting the characters from the Wells story so you can derive the original intent.

Highly recommend this one, and of course, all her other novels. I might backtrack and read more of her books; I didn’t realize she had published so much! I really love her writing style.

Have a great weekend!

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

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Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Other Possible Prompts: 5. Chapters have titles, 8. Involving the art world, 22. An unlikely detective, 23. An author with an X, Y, or Z in their name

This is not my favorite Grady Hendrix, not by a long shot. I knew it wasn’t going to be, but what a bummer! I just really, really hate band books I think. This was no exception.

Spurred by a gap in her own personal sense of time, Kris Pulaski embarks to find what’s left of her Dürt Würk metal bandmates from the 90s. Believing their former lead singer to have sold their souls to “Black Iron Mountain”, she endeavours on an epic road trip to find all her former bandmates and stop Terry “The Blind King” before his Hellfest ’19 music festival: which Kris believes will bring the end times.

If this synopsis sounds like a bad trip, that’s because it is. I love Grady Hendrix’ creativity, but this one was so far gone to me I couldn’t keep up. Whatever it was, it made a lot of sense to the characters…but I guess I missed that critical point where everything was supposed to click. I got the general idea of things, like “Black Iron Mountain = bad”. But it just took things a lot further than my mind was willing to go.

Good god, I have absolutely no idea why I still try to read books about bands. Excepting Daisy Jones & The Six, which to this day remains one of my favorites ever, I can’t think of a single book about a band that I liked or cared about. That atmosphere, those types of characters: I really dislike everything about them. I should’ve known to quit while I was ahead when it came to Hendrix and this novel. It doesn’t alter my opinion of Hendrix as a writer, because I cannot objectively say this a bad book. My judgments here are heavily based on my bias.

And speaking of Hendrix, his horror writing skills remain top notch. Nothing about the scenes of horror in here were bad, I just couldn’t be bothered to care if the characters lived or died through them. Is that bad? I’m also very curious where they all found their wills to live, particularly Kris: her life had gone to complete crap, she finds out her former bandmate sold her soul for fame and money, and she’s like… “better go round everybody up and stop him”. I’d just lay down and cry, frankly. Even so, Hendrix remains one of few writers who can unfold a jump scare movie in my mind. Even if I did not care for this story, I cannot deny it is written with giving the reader the creepy crawlies in mind – and succeeds.

This book really did just…bore me. I hate saying it but it’s so true. I couldn’t stop zoning out, and the only character I was really invested in was Melanie. I can’t go any higher than 2.5 stars for good horror, but a bad story. I just didn’t like it for me, and I don’t think I’m the only one…no one talks about this novel when they talk about Grady Hendrix.

So thus concludes my thoughts, of which there are few, on We Sold Our Souls. I won’t say it’s not up to his standard; I just really, really didn’t like it. I’ve used a lot of really’s and very’s…point being, not for me.

Have a great week, peeps!

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Other Possible Prompts: 5. Chapters have titles, 8. Involving the art world, 11. A book with less than 2022 Goodreads ratings, 13. Includes a club, 15. A five syllable title, 23. An author with an X, Y, or Z in their name, 36. Recommended by a favorite author, 40. A book with photographs inside, 46. A job title in the title, 52. Published in 2022

My streak of meh books continues. I really think this is the improvement to Paul Tremblay’s work that I was looking for, but I still had to drag myself to the finish line on this one.

Art Barbara is not his real name, but this is his memoir. Beginning in the late 80s, after being told he needs more clubs and extracurriculars to get into college, Art starts The Pallbearers Club: a group that attends the funerals of the homeless, or older people with no one left. There, he meets Mercy, a girl of undistinguishable age, with a camera and a fascination for Art and his club.

Over the next twenty years, Mercy floats in and out of his life, but Art’s life revolves and progresses around the time he spent with Mercy. She left a permanent – and possibly harmful, supernatural – mark on his life that is nearly inescapable.

I don’t really know how to describe this book and I don’t think Tremblay did either. It’s a very, very weird book, but I think it’s kind of a good weird. It very much reminded me of Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick – my go-to recommendation for something oddly heavy. It feels like digesting a lot, which is why it took me longer than expected to finish these less than 300 pages.

The writing here is EXACTLY what I knew Tremblay was capable of when I read, and did not love, Survivor Song. It wasn’t his story, not in the sense that it wasn’t original but in that it was not his scene, not the setting for his storytelling skills. The Pallbearers Club is his story. This blend of 80s cult classic with 90s hopelessness and confusion is a perfect blend for his style and wordplay. This part of the book, at least, was top notch, and solely convinced me I would read another of his books if it sounded like the right one.

I think the characters and the story were also very distinct and interesting, and I liked all of it. They were extremely well-rounded; the relationships and exploration of them through dialogue and moments spent together were exactly what they should’ve been to relay their toxic friendship and increasing madness. It was an intriguing concept, but something about it feels like it could’ve been done better: I liked this book, but I couldn’t wait to be done with it, if that makes sense. It was dense in all the wrong ways. It felt clunky, yet the prose was so perfect. It’s hard to explain, but something about this was disjointed in a way that affected my enjoyment, but not so much my absorption of the point and the book itself.

I would still recommend this one. This is Tremblay in his element, I’m sure of it. There was a lot of good here to go along with the bad.

Have a great weekend!

Devil House by John Darnielle

Devil House by John Darnielle

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Rating: 2 out of 5.

The 52 Book Club 2022 Challenge Prompt: 1. A second-person narrative

Other Possible Prompts: 8. Involving the art world, 30. Audiobook is narrated by the author, 38. Don’t judge a book by its cover!, 52. Published in 2022

My bad book streak continues! Someone end my misery. Welp, by the time you read this, hopefully I will have read something worth giving five stars to again.

So to be completely frank: I have no idea what this book is really about. There are parts of it that I just…completely lost. I truly thought this was going to be a dark and creepy ‘Salem’s Lot-esque novel, maybe some Amityville touches, but this book isn’t so much horror as it is critical fiction. Here’s what I definitely parced plot-wise:

Writer Gage Chandler crafts tales of true crime by getting up close and personal with his stories and their history, and many of his works have even become movies. When his editor stumbles upon a random article from the 1980s about a satanic killing in an old porn shop north of San Francisco, he implores Gage to buy the home, move into it, and tell the real story.

Interwoven with one of his other tales, The White Witch, Gage tells the story of Devil House and all that he can parce truly transpired there…but as he unearths more of the story, he is left thinking about the true meaning and impact of his work as a true crime novelist.

Self loathing mid-life crisis much? I just felt like there was…a lot of author in this book. It feels like a reflection essay disguised as a tale of “horror”. Which, by the way, it wasn’t, really.

I chuckled as I included “Don’t judge a book by its cover” as one of the possible prompts (only the second book I’ve put on that list this year), primarily because I absolutely adore this cover and the content is…not great. I usually look at book covers as “someone enjoyed the book so much that they took the time to make a truly beautiful cover that reflects the art inside”. I love the cover of Devil House and it’s 90% of the reason I bought the book, actually, but the principle of the artist loving it cannot possibly apply here. I get Amityville Horror vibes, or classic cult fiction from the cover – and none of that within its pages. Soooo disappointing.

This book doesn’t touch at all on any supernatural horror, like I was kind of expecting from the cover art, but it does delve into a lot of true crime. Each moment is painstakingly laid out and can be somewhat gruesome. These parts, the actual horror parts, are admittedly written with care and precision that keeps it interesting – like a car accident you can’t tear your eyes from. Those scenes show skill.

When I rated the book on Goodreads and mentioned the full review would follow, I jokingly said “I wasn’t high enough to enjoy this”. But, um, there’s definitely some truth to that. This book feels a bit like a fever dream or a bad trip. Maybe if you were on the same wavelength as when Darnielle wrote it, it would make more sense, but as it was…big chunks of the book were not at all meaningful to me. I zoned out too easily and was jostled by the writing style.

The only reason this book is getting two stars and not one from me is because of *the point*. Large chunks of the book (that actually make sense) tell the tale of what happens when true crime gets written, to those who are left behind. This is why the tale of the “White Witch” is included – though it confounded me at first. It comes full circle when we talk about the story of Devil House. This book could be far more impactful and widespread if an editor had taken more pain to rein it it from the wild ride it currently is. The sad story behind every true crime is kind of an interesting take…and I liked this one part of it.

So, not recommending this, obviously. Don’t let that damn cool cover fool you, friends. You can skip this one. Have an excellent week.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Finally, after years spent on my tbr, I have finished Meddling Kids (thanks Audible!). My copy smells like its been living in a musty basement for several decades (not entirely inaccurate) and for the circa 1990s vibe it gives off, it absolutely could have been. I didn’t dislike Meddling Kids, but I think it did not meet my expectations and left a lot to be desired. Let’s jump in.

More than ten years ago, Peter, Nate, Andy, Kerri, and their dog Sean stopped the man with the mask in their final adventure as the Blyton Summer Detective Club. But present day, Peter is dead, Nate is in a mental institution, Andy’s on the run from the law, and Kerri and Sean’s great-grandson Tim are washed up with bad luck. The release of the man they captured from prison sparks something in Andy, forcing her to gather up the remaining members of the BSDC to tie up the loose end she thinks remain in Blyton Hills.

Together, they hit the road and try to piece together the remaining threads of what they left behind all those summers before. Something never quite added up, and it’s plaguing them. All of them.

Obviously this screams Scooby Doo in its entirety, but I really thought it would land somewhere closer to Scooby Doo for grown-ups, tripping, scared-out-of-mind… I genuinely thought this would be a haunted house of horrors that packed a lot more punch in the scare department. However, there’s a lot more magic and story behind it, and I don’t think it did it any favors.

In fact, I think this book draws on for far too long. The story was *over* developed, if that’s a thing I can say. The backstories of each and every character, their hopes and dreams, the whole mess of lore that goes along with it – the book would’ve been better and about 100 pages shorter if we had cut that out. It’s not even a long book, or a bad book, but I 100% think it loses its shock value the deeper we dove into everything happening here. It goes on. Too. Dang. Long.

Not to say I didn’t like the characters. In fact, I loved them all, in their own unique way. And they don’t really fit the Scooby Doo archetypes set forth for them, so I must admit a feat in creating such well-rounded characters for a group adventure from the ground up. This component is well done. The supporting characters are also wonderfully cool.

This book just lands somewhere closer to fantasy and farther from the gut-wrenching horror I was expecting and hoping for. He hasn’t made a fan out of me with this little bait-and-switch maneuver.

I didn’t dislike this one, but I wouldn’t pick it up again knowing what I know now. Take that as you will in the recommendation department.

Have a great weekend!

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

The 52 Book Club 2022 Challenge Prompt: 29. Over 500 pages long

Other Possible Prompts: 5. Chapters have titles, 8. Involving the art world, 9. A book that sparks joy, 14. A character with superhuman ability, 37. Set in a rural area

Wow…this. This is one of my favorite books of this year so far. And so, so unexpected. This review is going to be my crazy ramblings to my friends immediately after reading it, but somehow made (hopefully) readable – I’m here to sell you on this one! I am, however, going to completely break the usual review format because this book is extremely hard to describe.

I thought I was getting a haunted house book. Based on the side flap, that’s kind of what I was expecting. But that’s not what this is, like, at all. After the death of his father, Nate and his family return to his childhood home for a fresh start. Nate is glad his father is dead. Maddie needs new inspiration for her art, which has suddenly stopped coming to her. And their son, Oliver, is an overwhelmed empath who needs a new school and new chance to thrive socially.

Almost as soon as they arrive in their new home, though, there are strange and unexplainable occurrences. Nate sees his father everywhere, and strangers in the yard. Maddie blacks out while she creates and loses her art pieces. And Oliver makes a new friend, Jake, whose feelings he cannot see or feel like everyone else’s. This is a terribly oversimplified description of this crazy-ass book: there’s also cult shit and time travel and violence and friendship, but without ruining it for you? This is a book about a family.

Probably a great time to acknowledge that the two main characters share my SO and I’s names. I think I’ve mentioned it in a previous post, but I was book shopping with my sister last year and picked up The Book of Accidents with absolutely no knowledge of what it was. I was standing there reading the side flap and said “Oh my god, the two main characters are Maddie and Nate!” and my sister said, “Well, now you have to get it.” The rest is history. It was a little odd at first, trying to settle into it, especially because the two characters started off really resembling us…but I got used to it after a while!

I also *have* to comment on how awesome Maddie and Nate’s relationship was. It was really nice to read a horror novel with an actually healthy example of a relationship in it. These two are a team. They communicate really well. They’re individuals, but support each other in all the right ways. Incredible example of love, strength, and support that comes through right to the end. For once, the horror isn’t how horrible their spouse is to them. The relationship between both parents and Oliver? Also awesome. Which, of course, becomes a big part of the story…

All the supporting characters in this book do just that: support. They add a lot to the story, and I love how round and human they are. No character is neglected, all sides are considered. Even if it’s just Oliver’s nature to see past people’s exteriors, this story does a great job fleshing out even the most minor of characters.

The writing absolutely makes this book. The story is wild, imaginative, and very enjoyable – but without Wendig’s wit and fantastic, swirling prose, it’s just another great book. His touch tips it over the edge of great into outstanding. I described it to my friends as “Stephen King, if he respected women and had an editor with a backbone”. Basically, it’s really, really well written.

I just can’t wait for someone to read this so I can talk about it with someone – I loved this social commentary disguised as a horror novel, and you will too!! Grab a copy. It’s out in paperback now!

Have a great week!

The House Next Door by Darcy Coates

The House Next Door by Darcy Coates

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The 52 Book Club 2022 Challenge Prompt: 42. An indie read

Other Possible Prompts: 17. A book picked based on its spine, 23. Author with an X, Y, or Z in their name

This is my very first Darcy Coates novel and I have to say, I’m more impressed than I thought I would be! I’ve been reluctant to pick up Coates in the past because the cover art looked rather amateurish, or it just didn’t have the hype around it to make me think it was a good novel…and while this didn’t blow me away, it was a fun read and I will definitely pick up some more.

After the previous family residing at Marwick House leaves their home in the middle of the night to gunshots and never returns, Jo decides that the house next door really must be haunted. Months later, young and hopeful Anna moves in, fleeing a bad past and determined to make a go of it in spite of the home’s history. Despite Jo’s reluctance to be near Marwick House, she becomes fast friends with Anna and spends more and more time inside the Marwick residence…and it quickly becomes clear something isn’t right with it.

Through creepy encounters, mediums, and history lessons from their neighbors, Jo and Anna unearth the disturbing history of the Marwick House and the ghost that resides within it.

There really is nothing special about this book exactly, but I love that it reads like a good horror movie. Blumhouse could buy up a Coates’ novel and just hand them to their directors, honestly. As a fan of horror in both its literary and film forms, I was totally down for this. If this is what Coates’ other novels are like, I can see the draw and the appeal. I’ve seen plenty of them in bookstores, I just didn’t realize they were actually good…I like the cover art of this one okay, but I don’t recall caring for the others, so I never picked them up. I’ve just never been very interested in reading one, but I was at Book Warehouse recently and it was only five dollars, soooo…worth a shot!

I also wasn’t terribly attached to the characters, which I suppose is a good thing for a horror book. You never know who won’t make it to the end alive. However, I could visually imagine them, as well as the setting of the story, very easily. I think that was more important for the atmospheric horror that Coates was creating. The story never leaves the neighborhood, and so you have this feeling of being trapped in the presence of the house and its inhabitant, just like the characters, who tend be so blank-slate that you can step in and be part of the story very easily. The characters were flat but I think in this case, that’s totally fine. The history of the haunting and the ghost herself were very well fleshed out and didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

I don’t have tons to say about this one. It’s an easy 230 pages, and if I had actually had time to read this week, I could’ve finished it in an afternoon. It’s very quick. I definitely think I will try another Darcy Coates based on this book; the premise of this one wasn’t even my favorite so I think there’s potential to enjoy another one more. Any recommendations from people who have read more?

Have an awesome weekend!