The sense of place and horror imagery was well done. I could picture the tower house vividly and the way Markey’s photograph was described really spooThe sense of place and horror imagery was well done. I could picture the tower house vividly and the way Markey’s photograph was described really spooked me the first time I heard it (the thousand subsequent times, not so much). But, overall I found this tired and unoriginal.
The story follows some really stale tropes: • city people who have no idea how to exist rurally moving to the country (I’m tired of people moving from London to rural areas and being shocked those rural areas aren’t London. ...more
3.5 This was a deeply cool concept that felt fresh and inventive. For the first time in a long time book-wise, I found myself trying to figure out the3.5 This was a deeply cool concept that felt fresh and inventive. For the first time in a long time book-wise, I found myself trying to figure out the mystery alongside our unlikeable but complex characters.
Ultimately, I thought it was a bit too easily resolved. The build-up was repetitious and slower paced but the ending felt breakneck and rushed.
The writing is up to Wendig’s usual good standard (although with an abundance of insensitive language choices. Surely there are other ways of illustrating a character is a shitty person without stooping to slurs).
This story was much grislier horror than I remember Wendig’s previous books being. It has some truly terrifying imagery. There were also a lot of stomach-churning gruesome and gory descriptions, YMMV depending on how you feel about that!
I was privileged to have my request to review this book accepted by Del Rey on NetGalley. ...more
This starts out incredibly spookily: a strong pace, a good hook, frightening imagery, and a feeling of dread. I liked Eve and Charlie as characters. BThis starts out incredibly spookily: a strong pace, a good hook, frightening imagery, and a feeling of dread. I liked Eve and Charlie as characters. But, I felt like the lore was too rushed and underdeveloped. I didn’t think the whole (view spoiler)[ time-slip, dimension-hopping (hide spoiler)] was convincing and it rendered the incredible build up a bit flat. There were so many unanswered questions and hanging threads, it felt unfinished by the end....more
I read this in, like, six hours. After I confirmed that darling Laika would be okay, I couldn’t put this down. Sure, I was kinda blitzing through 4.5
I read this in, like, six hours. After I confirmed that darling Laika would be okay, I couldn’t put this down. Sure, I was kinda blitzing through this to confirm that the sweet Golden girl was fine but, this book was just impossible to put down.
I loved Laika. I loved how Emma talked to her! Laika’s responses were exactly what you’d expect a Golden’s to be. ...more
**spoiler alert** Parts of this story had good spooky atmosphere but overall the book was a letdown: - The pacing was awful (how is a horror book borin**spoiler alert** Parts of this story had good spooky atmosphere but overall the book was a letdown: - The pacing was awful (how is a horror book boring?!). Giving away the ending halfway through was… a choice. Once the murderer was revealed, the book fell over. - I didn’t care for the mysognistic descriptions of women and over-sexualization of Beth. - The messaging that the trite and unneeded romance between Shea and Michael “fixed” Shea made my stomach turn. - The romance subplot was grating and dumb. - Shea was insufferable with her superiority complex and how she exploited Beth and then devoted her life to trying to send her to prison. Shea was not a sympathetic or likeable character. - I couldn’t suspend disbelief that an agoraphobic, arrested-development individual like Shea could possibly have solved a decades-old cold case. - Why was the website called “The Book Of Cold Cases”. It was a website, not a book. It doesn’t even make sense! - The supernatural element was so lazy and poorly done. It wasn’t remotely scary and it was just a plot device for finding out what happened to Lily. But, at that point, I didn’t even care. The character of Lily seemed like such a lazy trope and I wasn’t buying that no one knew about her! - Why did Beth literally go to jail for Lily? I never got a satisfactory answer to that and it didn’t align with the hard-as-nails, arrogance that underpinned Beth’s character.
SSJ books are so hit and miss for me. This was a big miss....more
The tension and slow burn of this book was atmospheric as heck. It was tense, spooky, expertly plotted.
There were a few loose ends: • How did Brandon The tension and slow burn of this book was atmospheric as heck. It was tense, spooky, expertly plotted.
There were a few loose ends: • How did Brandon explain (view spoiler)[his injuries without mentioning Vera? His mother clearly new something too. (hide spoiler)] • What was that folded up piece of paper (view spoiler)[ under the bed that Vera hurt herself trying to retrieve? (hide spoiler)]
The ending was a bit weird. I was with it up until the last page when it got a bit (view spoiler)[ almost sexual? between Vera and the house. (hide spoiler)]
Ultimately, I still enjoyed reading this. I predicted some of the elements, but on balance, this was an inventive and original horror story. ...more
This was a fast and spooky read that gave me a creepy Phantom of the Opera vibe. I liked the story overall and the character development but I found tThis was a fast and spooky read that gave me a creepy Phantom of the Opera vibe. I liked the story overall and the character development but I found the dialogue and behaviour of the characters distractingly inauthentic for the time period. ...more
A salute to campy slasher flicks, this is a quick, gruesome Halloween read. I enjoyed it more than I was expecting and will definitely keep my eye 3.5
A salute to campy slasher flicks, this is a quick, gruesome Halloween read. I enjoyed it more than I was expecting and will definitely keep my eye open for the sequel....more
The Watchers was one of my favourite horror reads of recent years. While this had the great writing and folk horror vibe, it was no match.
The remote The Watchers was one of my favourite horror reads of recent years. While this had the great writing and folk horror vibe, it was no match.
The remote and isolated village was excellent. I enjoyed the creeper tale and the atmosphere was very well done.
The characters were silly and really difficult to empathize with. I was more frustrated than scared with the stupid decisions they kept making… and the whining! Oh my god if I had to hear one more thing about Ben’s kid (for an absentee parent, there was a lot of tedious airtime about the kid).the way Ben treated Chloe was irksome and I got so tired of his theatric “heroics”. He was a total loser.
The reveal was underwhelming and a bit silly. There were a few directions it could have gone in, but the chosen one felt like such a whimper.
The writing was great but the pacing was off. Especially as the beginning. I could only managed a chapter a day for the first few chapters and then read the rest in one sitting. The prologue was fantastic but the opening chapter lacks hook and it was a bit of a slog. I didn’t care for the Sparling chapters because of the arrogant stream of consciousness.
I didn’t understand a few things: (view spoiler)[ • What was the connection between the policeman and Sparling? What did Sparling want from him and what was he blackmailing the policeman with? • Was the captive creeper that Ben and Chloe found on the table the missing Tom from the prologue? • If Ben knew about the creeper, how did that put his kid at risk? If the creepers legacy was through sharing stories about him, Ben didn’t tell the kid about the creeper so how does that work? • How does Sparling get detailed academic notes on his victims? How does he know who might be susceptible to his asks and financial carrot? • Why did the creeper do as Ben asked at the end? Because of kindness? I’m kinda not buying that! (hide spoiler)] Hopefully the next one is stronger!...more
I don’t know… maybe this underwhelmed me because I was expecting a haunted house book?
While this certainly has its touching moments, it is more sa3.5
I don’t know… maybe this underwhelmed me because I was expecting a haunted house book?
While this certainly has its touching moments, it is more sad than scary and its pacing was significantly off in that regard. It took ages for this story to start and we got a lot of angst and emotional upheaval in the beginning. I had to keep reminding myself that this was purportedly a horror book. When we did get there, the horror-esque sections of this book went by in a blur at a breakneck speed.
The characters were pretty hard to take at the beginning and while there is growth on both their parts, it was a frustrating ride to strap into. The early chapters ask a lot of the reader.
I think, on balance, what lets the book down is its pacing and flippancy. The pacing between the family drama bits (too long) and the horror bits (too rushed) made the read feel off-kilter. The death of the parents was upsetting (and heavy-going) and juxtaposed with some of the more OTT and “funny” bits, was jarring and didn’t land right.
I really enjoyed Horrorstor, Exorcism, and Book Club, but GH’s books are getting a bit hit and miss for me overall....more
A great book for Spooktober. It reminded me of both The Village and The VVitch, with echoes of Midsommar. Honestly, up until about halfway, this w3.5
A great book for Spooktober. It reminded me of both The Village and The VVitch, with echoes of Midsommar. Honestly, up until about halfway, this was a five-star book.
While this book had cracking atmosphere and tension in the beginning, it fell a bit flat by the end. (view spoiler)[ The author had a brilliant opportunity to makes this book amazing but kinda steered it off a cliff in the latter half. Firstly, I genuinely don’t understand why Lilith was just as vilified as the god-botherers. I was really hoping Immanuelle would align herself with Lilith, embrace her dark power, and live life deliciously. I was disappointed when she treated the coven with the same disdain as the god-botherers when the latter were far worse. I got the impression that Lilith was firmly on Immanuelle's side so that whole bit at the ending was baffling to me. (hide spoiler)] Secondly, I wasn't convinced by the character of Immanuelle - she wasn't likeable, she lacked the strong characterisation that should have made me root for her, and, like all the other characters, seemed a lightly sketched version of her full potential. Lastly, the Ezra components impeded the whole feminist vibe - everything about Ezra felt shoe-horned, implausible, and forced. (view spoiler)[ This book did not need romance in it and, even though it was minor, it still distracted from things in an unnecessary way. Instead, we could have had a strong female friendship with Leah, a witchy familial element with Vera, an enemies-to-friends thread with Judith... but no, we got an undercooked and unconvincing romantic subplot. Ugh. (hide spoiler)]
Ultimately, these elements reduced what could have been a truly awesome story into an alright story. But, it's a compelling first novel and I'll be interested to see what the author does next.
Apparently this will be a three-book series. While that might explain the book ending on a whimper and not a bang, I'm still a firm believer that a book should have a definitive beginning, middle, and end with strong characterization. A good book should stand on its own merit, not be reliant on a series to redeem its initial failings....more
This felt unfinished. At the end, there were still many unresolved issues and plot holes.
I enjoyed the beginning and the middle of this but I kind3.5
This felt unfinished. At the end, there were still many unresolved issues and plot holes.
I enjoyed the beginning and the middle of this but I kinda knew what was coming in the end and felt it all fall rather flat when it played out the way it did. It was well written and quite spooky but I feel like the characters and story could have been more flushed out to make it a more engaging, and complete, story. ...more