Four girls enter a cave, only three of them emerge five days later. This premise isn’t super original but it can be the foundation for a really good aFour girls enter a cave, only three of them emerge five days later. This premise isn’t super original but it can be the foundation for a really good and thrilling horror book. In my opinion Into the Sublime struggled at some points to really bring out its potential.
First off, I didn’t connect with the characters. Over the past years I learned that I really have to connect with the characters to feel the story and in this book the characters didn’t do it for me. Amelie was whiny and unreliable, we only see the other three through her eyes and I don’t think Amelie is capable or truly liking somebody beside herself, so I as a reader didn’t get the chance to see their real character traits.
The story itself was creepy and suspenseful at times, especially the longer they stayed in the cavern and the air got thinner. I really could feel the dread that was going through them. The supernatural aspect didn’t intrigue me as much and I had the feeling the author didn’t really know if they wanted to lean into the supernatural or if they wanted it to be more in the characters mind, it felt inconsistent.
Overall I don’t regret picking this book up. I had fun with it and will definitely give the author a new chance with a different book. ...more
I don’t even know where to begin. This is the first book I read this year where I really strongly felt about dnfing. I only decided against it, becausI don’t even know where to begin. This is the first book I read this year where I really strongly felt about dnfing. I only decided against it, because I got an arc from Netgalley. But this book was just so bad.
I hated the characters, all of them. I don’t know if it was meant to be funny how shallow and stupid the influencers were depicted. Maybe it’s meant to be a parody? If so, it didn’t do a good job of that either. I didn’t think it was funny, it was just so annoying all the time. And Rafi I hated the most. She was SO stupid! At times I wanted to bash her head in with a bat. All the talk about her podcast and being so overly clever and solving the ‘murder’ of the girlfriend of a popular musician. I’m actually wondering how anyone can believe that this dumb dumb is bright enough to produce a podcast, let alone one where she tries to solve a crime.
It’s advertised as a “funny YA thriller”. There was not one second I thought it was thrilling to read this garbage. I wasn’t scared for the characters or their situation. Everything was just so over the top ridiculous.
I always try to at least say something positive about a book, so here it goes: The cover looks beautiful and the band O-Town is mentioned more than once. (If you don’t know them, they were a boy band in the early 2000s). ...more
Dark Treasures is a collection of Short Stories by author Sergio Gomez. I don't know why, but I thought there would only be 4 stories in this book, buDark Treasures is a collection of Short Stories by author Sergio Gomez. I don't know why, but I thought there would only be 4 stories in this book, but there are way more. Which was a good surprise, at least for me. As it always is with short stories, some you enjoy more than others.
To be honest, I can't really decide which one was my favorite one. 'Flower Girl' and 'Board of Doom' both were really great, even if they weren't that spooky. But both these stories left me with a sad and melancholy feeling.
I like Sergio Gomez' writing style, it has a good flow, is easy to understand and isn't too flowery for me. Even though I think it differs from story to story. You can really see some growth throughout the stories. ...more
This was really good. Not that surprising, since I enjoyed Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez immensely and always wanted to read more by him.
The VisiotrThis was really good. Not that surprising, since I enjoyed Camp Slaughter by Sergio Gomez immensely and always wanted to read more by him.
The Visiotr was short and gory and there wasn't much to dislike about it. There wasn't much time to really get to know the characters and there were a few, but I liked them.
I'm getting more and more into horror and slasher books and I'll definetly check out the authors other works now. ...more
The premise of Kiersten White’s Hide sounds really good. A high stake, week-long game of Hide and Seek in an abandoned amusement park, the winner getsThe premise of Kiersten White’s Hide sounds really good. A high stake, week-long game of Hide and Seek in an abandoned amusement park, the winner gets 50.000 $. After reading this, I just couldn’t resist and had to pick it up. I was disappointed though.
For me the story got boring very fast. Especially in the beginning there are a lot of characters and we don’t have nearly enough time to get to know them or remember their names. When the hiding started, there were just a lot of small bits about people I couldn’t remember and their hiding technique. They didn’t know the high stakes and therefore weren’t scared at all.
It took quite some time before the real horror began and to be honest, it never really got to me. I didn’t care too much for the characters at that point to fear for them. ...more
This was such a weird book. I've been reading quite a lot of romance novels in the last few weeks and I wanted a good horror novel to balance it out aThis was such a weird book. I've been reading quite a lot of romance novels in the last few weeks and I wanted a good horror novel to balance it out a little. That’s why I picked this book from my TBR.
The Wide Game is about a game seniors play on senior skip day. Get as fast through a huge corn field as you can, without being seen. Paul and his friends want to take part and realize too late that there’s something waiting for them in the corn.
The writing style was sloppy. In the beginning when we’re with Paul in the present, he starts remembering the Night and all the events that had to do with it, but it wasn’t really obvious when we were reading about the present and when we were reading about the past. The characters felt unfinished and flat.
I did enjoy the vibe of this book, the mystery behind Mondamin (fun fact: Mondamin is a german brand for cornstarch, which was a little irritating) and the horror elements in this book. I think I’m going to continue this series at some point to see, if the author has any more tricks up his sleeve. ...more
This was a short but fun read. Well, fun… you know what I mean. ‘The summer is ended and we are not yet saved’ is a horror novel about a bible camp anThis was a short but fun read. Well, fun… you know what I mean. ‘The summer is ended and we are not yet saved’ is a horror novel about a bible camp and a priest, who goes on a killing spree.
In typical slasher movie-fashion there are some gory kills throughout this book, so it won’t be for everyone, but it did exactly what I wanted and hoped for.
There isn’t much substance to the characters and I don’t think that’s needed here, but I did like our main character, Martin. He does seem more mature than other 11-year-olds, though, which is probably because of his mother, but I ended up rooting for him and his camp friends.
I said it once before, after reading Camp Slaughter, I want more slasher books. If you have some you can recommend, I’d be very grateful. ...more
Well… that was really weird. And it just wasn’t for me.
I liked the style it was written in, it’s clearly great prose, but the rest just wasn’t my cupWell… that was really weird. And it just wasn’t for me.
I liked the style it was written in, it’s clearly great prose, but the rest just wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s clearly a fast and short read, so I don’t want to say too much, to not spoil anything for anyone. The theme just wasn’t what I expected it to be and I was glad I was done with it. ...more
In this retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s classic ‘The Fall of the house Usher’ we follow Alex Easton, who visits his former friend Madeleine Usher, who In this retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s classic ‘The Fall of the house Usher’ we follow Alex Easton, who visits his former friend Madeleine Usher, who is slowly dying of a mysterious illness.
The story is very slow building. First when we are introduced to the Ushers, we know something is wrong but can’t decide what. It takes a while for the creepiness to settle in but once it starts it gets creepier and weirder with every Minute Alex spends in that house and the company of the Ushers.
To be honest, in the beginning I wasn’t sold on the book, it took me some time to find it interesting, but then it sucked me in with it’s creepiness and T. Kingfishers detailed and partly disgusting descriptions of fungi and hares. ...more
Who hasn’t heard of the legendary Bloody Mary? You call her name in front of a mirror and she’ll come and get you or she’ll show you your soulmate. FoWho hasn’t heard of the legendary Bloody Mary? You call her name in front of a mirror and she’ll come and get you or she’ll show you your soulmate. Four kids play the game, and a few years later they’ll have to live with the consequences.
The four main characters in this book couldn’t be more different, but they all seem to have arisen from a trope. There isn’t much more going for them than their stereotypes. They are one-dimensional and flat and I had hoped for more.
There is also basically no real creep-factor with this book. Barely suspenseful with a little action at the end, but that’s about it. This left me wanting more.
As far as YA-horror goes, this was an okay book. ...more
Who can make a book about a long walk thrilling and exhausting if not Stephen King? This is one of his older works and I heard so many good things aboWho can make a book about a long walk thrilling and exhausting if not Stephen King? This is one of his older works and I heard so many good things about it, that it's on my TBR for quite some time now. This month was finally the month I picked it up and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.
I got more and more exhausted reading this and I started to feel phantom pain in my feet as I experienced this journey with the characters we meet. I really liked the characters and their growths throughout the book. It seems that a walk like that really brings out all your chracter traits, the good and the bad.
I would have liked some more info about the world we were thrown into, why there is the walk and how everything turned out to be the way it is. Why did Ray take on this journey, why did anyone who did the walk? Is there a quota that has to be filled like in the Hunger Games?
I'm not a huge fan of the ending either, I never really like open endings and there is a lot to interpret. I know it's said that Stephen King always lacks a bit when it comes to endings and I feel like this is a good example for it.
Over all I still enjoyed this book very much and it will accompany me for quite some time....more
Youtube-famous ghost hunters Chrissy, Chase, Kiki and Emma visit a haunted hotel in LA and try to hunt some ghosts while they are there.
The story staYoutube-famous ghost hunters Chrissy, Chase, Kiki and Emma visit a haunted hotel in LA and try to hunt some ghosts while they are there.
The story starts off normal enough. We get to know the characters, how they got into the ghost gang and what makes them special for their channel. They all are likable but one-dimensional, we don’t get to see a lot of them, especially Emma and Kiki. This, and the fact that the whole book plays out over a weekend, doesn’t leave much room for character development.
The story reminded me constantly of the vanishing of Elisa Lam at the Cecil Hotel. The blog posts we get to see of her before she goes missing are nearly the same to the ones Elisa made and all the circumstances seem to be the same. We even see an elevator scene which is basically the same as the last video of her. Only that this book has a supernatural twist.
Still this was a good book, it was suspenseful and was interesting to follow. ...more
You probably have heard about this book before. Rebecca is a well known and loved classic and so many people have told me to read it over the last yeaYou probably have heard about this book before. Rebecca is a well known and loved classic and so many people have told me to read it over the last years and I finally caved in and picked it up. What can I say? I was not disappointed.
The prose of this book was SO good, I can’t stress it enough. Even when nothing happened it didn’t feel boring or long, it was a very enjoyable read. And after the story did pick up after the couple went to Manderley, it got even better.
I don’t know why I never picked up anything by du Maurier before, but now I’ll make my way through her works and hope they will be as good and exciting as this one was....more
As I am slowly making my way through Silvia Moreno-Garcias works I reached her probably most well-known book, Mexican Gothic. It was so often priced lAs I am slowly making my way through Silvia Moreno-Garcias works I reached her probably most well-known book, Mexican Gothic. It was so often priced last year that you couldn’t get around hearing about it. I always thought I wouldn’t enjoy books in the gothic genre, and I don’t even know why, because what I learned is, that I do enjoy them.
I liked the progression and development Noemi made throughout this book, she really grew on me, and in the beginning, I didn’t think I would like Francis quite this much.
As the story progressed it got creepier and creepier and the mystery behind everything felt special and different. I also liked the ending, there were some twists I saw coming and some I didn’t. It was a nice mix. ...more
This wasn’t the book I was expecting it to be. I don’t think this book is a horror book, it’s more contemporary and realistic fiction than horror. It This wasn’t the book I was expecting it to be. I don’t think this book is a horror book, it’s more contemporary and realistic fiction than horror. It feels more like the blurb was misleading me a little and that’s definitely on me, but it’s one of the main reasons why I didn’t enjoy this book.It just wasn’t what I wanted.
I didn’t really care for the characters and their fate, which wasn’t the best condition for me getting into the story. Wyatt was going on my nerves, Cash was just the worst from the beginning and once we met Porter I couldn’t be bothered anymore. Especially when it started to look like a love triangle.
I didn’t think the twist in the end was very shocking. It didn’t surprise me at least. Sadly, not what I was hoping for. But I’m sure there are a lot of readers out there, who’ll enjoy this kind of story.
What I enjoyed the most in this book were the chapters from the killers pov. They were well written and gave the reader a great insight inside the kilWhat I enjoyed the most in this book were the chapters from the killers pov. They were well written and gave the reader a great insight inside the killer’s head. These parts were obviously a little gorier than the rest, but I don’t have a problem with that and thought that gave the story a little more substance.
Even though I liked Wes and Ali I thought the romance in this book was unnecessary and I didn’t enjoy it. Both were good characters on their own and the story was enough to carry this book, the romance felt out of place and forced.
The ending was very abrupt for me and I thought one or two more chapters would have made a better ending. I can’t go into more details here, I don’t want to spoil anything but if you read it, you’ll know what I mean. I didn’t want to have the case dragged out longer but a little more resolution would have been appreciated. ...more
When I heard about the premise of Dead Silence I knew I had to read it. Sci-Fi and Horror mixed in one book? Who could say no to that? And, luckily, IWhen I heard about the premise of Dead Silence I knew I had to read it. Sci-Fi and Horror mixed in one book? Who could say no to that? And, luckily, I wasn’t disappointed. The whole thing reminded me a little of the Game “The dark picture – Man of Medan”, only in space.
The setting was great. A luxury cruise-ship in space – how awesome is that? And from start to finish this book was very suspenseful. There’s only a short introduction and the action begins. The writing style also was straightforward which made it a lot easier to dive into the story.
The characters were interesting. I didn’t really build a connection with them, especially our MC felt a little far away and two-dimensional for me. For some time, I didn’t know how to feel about her, if I liked her or not and I still don’t know.
Over all, I think this was an entertaining read, which I can recommend if you’re into horror or sci-fi....more
Before starting “Later” I had only read one other book by Stephen King: The Institute. And I enjoyed it so much that I was always looking for another Before starting “Later” I had only read one other book by Stephen King: The Institute. And I enjoyed it so much that I was always looking for another book by him, that I would enjoy as much. Later wasn’t as great as I hoped, but it still was a good book.
What I liked were the characters, especially our MC Jamie. He was fun and clever, most of the time anyway, and I liked reading his narration. It was very straight forward and easy to read.
I also enjoyed the spooky and supernatural parts, even though I thought the creepy parts could have been a lot creepier. Especially since we were told over and over again that this was in fact a horror story. There were gory descriptions of wounds but aside from that it didn’t really feel like a horror book and more like a paranormal crime story.
What I disliked was the ending, I heard before King’s not great with them and I really didn’t like the idea that was given in the end as to why Jamie was special. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but if you have read the book, you know what I mean. For me, it came out of the blue and wasn’t necessary at all. ...more
This book was a disappointing read for me, I just couldn’t get into the story and connect with the characters.
In fact, I didn’t like the characters. This book was a disappointing read for me, I just couldn’t get into the story and connect with the characters.
In fact, I didn’t like the characters. Andrew is struggling with Eddies loss and in that he dismisses everyone else feelings and struggles. For me he was very self-centered, and I understand that losing someone you love is hard but after a while it got boring.
The story also felt very repetitive. I didn’t enjoy everything about the college and the street racing was kind of random thrown into the story. It didn’t fit the tone of the story at all. The spooky stuff wasn’t spooky at all for me and it became more of a contemporary book than anything else, which I definitely didn’t want, I don’t enjoy this kind of books, obviously. ...more
I kinda expected this to be a follow-up to ‘There’s someone inside your house’ but except that it’s YA-horror, these two books don’t have much in commI kinda expected this to be a follow-up to ‘There’s someone inside your house’ but except that it’s YA-horror, these two books don’t have much in common.
This book was very suspenseful. The atmosphere was eery and it progressed to get more scary throughout the book. The author really knows how to set a mood. Like our MCs I felt trapped in the woods.
My main complaint about this book are the main characters. They were both very annoying, whiny and really stupid. Both characters were selfish in their own way. It wasn’t very obvious to me why they were friends at all, they didn’t seem to have a lot in common and during the trip their friendship started shifting.
Overall it was an entertaining read and gave me some 90s horror movie vibes. Which is always a plus for me....more
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