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drakaina16's reviews
2145 reviews
Consumed By Evil by John Durgin
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Early reviews indicated that Consumed by Evil was a lot darker than its predecessor, and that is absolutely true. The narrative crackles with tension and no one is safe. I already went into the book loving the characters and it's hard to watch them go through it. John Durgin's writing is so cinematic that I had no trouble picturing the book as a movie in my head. It broke my heart a little bit, but I loved the book. 5 stars
Early reviews indicated that Consumed by Evil was a lot darker than its predecessor, and that is absolutely true. The narrative crackles with tension and no one is safe. I already went into the book loving the characters and it's hard to watch them go through it. John Durgin's writing is so cinematic that I had no trouble picturing the book as a movie in my head. It broke my heart a little bit, but I loved the book. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
Crane by Stacey Rourke
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a very imaginative retelling of Sleepy Hollow. The twist on an old story was really interesting and the writing and punchy dialogue are reminiscent of T. Kingfisher. This was a fun read in between books with heavier subject matter. 3.5 stars
In The Eyes, In The Shadows by Gage Greenwood
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Oh man, where to start? This book devastated me, just picked away at little scabs. Most importantly, it made me FEEL something. I have always loved Gage's books, the way he writes. This book sees that already impactful writing at full force, packing gut punch after throat punch. Having experienced the death of my father (whom I had a complicated relationship with) and the loss of the ability to do the one sport I loved more than anything, I related to Jackson on a visceral level. This book is beautiful and haunting and heartbreaking and I loved it so much. 5 stars
Oh man, where to start? This book devastated me, just picked away at little scabs. Most importantly, it made me FEEL something. I have always loved Gage's books, the way he writes. This book sees that already impactful writing at full force, packing gut punch after throat punch. Having experienced the death of my father (whom I had a complicated relationship with) and the loss of the ability to do the one sport I loved more than anything, I related to Jackson on a visceral level. This book is beautiful and haunting and heartbreaking and I loved it so much. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Suicide attempt
Circus of the Dead: The Novelization by Joshua Millican
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Thank you to BookSirens and Encyclopocalypse Publications for providing a review copy.
I will admit that I have never seen Circus of the Dead. It's one I kind of always meant to watch, and then would promptly forget existed again. Josh Millican is an auto-read for me, so reading the book was a no brainer. I definitely won't forget to watch the movie now! "Sadistic circus clown" is a new favorite subgenre of horror. I can't rate how it compares to the movie, but I had a great time with the book. 4.5 stars
I will admit that I have never seen Circus of the Dead. It's one I kind of always meant to watch, and then would promptly forget existed again. Josh Millican is an auto-read for me, so reading the book was a no brainer. I definitely won't forget to watch the movie now! "Sadistic circus clown" is a new favorite subgenre of horror. I can't rate how it compares to the movie, but I had a great time with the book. 4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence
Golgotha Motor Mountain by Matthew Erman, Lonnie Nadler
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 63%.
The art is absolutely fantastic, but I couldn't get into the story.
Love Wanes, Fear is Forever: A collection of horror stories by Justin Boote
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
This collection should have something to please everyone. From the paranormal to creature features to creepy crawlies, these stories run the gamut, and I quite enjoyed all of them. (I did not rate the drabbles in the collection individually, as I find them hard to rate accurately, but I did like them all.) 4 stars
The Resurrection of William Stillmore ⭐⭐⭐.25
Spiderman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bringing Them Back ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Babysitter ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Arnold's Bane ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A Waiter's Revenge ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Combustion ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Melting Man ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
The Terror of Thetford Forest ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Down There ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
A Good Samaritan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rainfall ⭐⭐⭐.75
This collection should have something to please everyone. From the paranormal to creature features to creepy crawlies, these stories run the gamut, and I quite enjoyed all of them. (I did not rate the drabbles in the collection individually, as I find them hard to rate accurately, but I did like them all.) 4 stars
The Resurrection of William Stillmore ⭐⭐⭐.25
Spiderman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bringing Them Back ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Babysitter ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Arnold's Bane ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A Waiter's Revenge ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Combustion ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Melting Man ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
The Terror of Thetford Forest ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Down There ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
A Good Samaritan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rainfall ⭐⭐⭐.75
The Beasts of Vissaria County by Douglas Ford
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I will admit that I spent the first third of the book vaguely confused. The writing was so good and the story interesting enough that I kept reading it, and I'm so glad that I did. There is a lot going on in The Beasts of Vissaria County. Part southern gothic, part creature feature, part family drama, part the evil that men do. The threads seem rather disparate at first, but by the end it all came together. 4.25 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
Chopping Mall: The Novelization by Brian G Berry
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Thank you to BookSirens and Encyclopocalypse Publications for providing a review copy.
Everyone has that shitty little movie that they will defend unto death, and Chopping Mall is mine. It is everything I love about 80s schlock horror, and the book captures the vibe perfectly. It's just as cheesy, with excellent descriptions of the over-the-top gore. If you loved the movie, you'll have so much fun with the book. 4.5 stars
Everyone has that shitty little movie that they will defend unto death, and Chopping Mall is mine. It is everything I love about 80s schlock horror, and the book captures the vibe perfectly. It's just as cheesy, with excellent descriptions of the over-the-top gore. If you loved the movie, you'll have so much fun with the book. 4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Weird Dinosaurs: The Strange New Fossils Challenging Everything We Thought We Knew by John Pickrell
informative
medium-paced
4.0