drakaina16's reviews
2145 reviews

Elfquest: Stargazer's Hunt by Richard Pini, Wendy Pini

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

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dark mysterious sad 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

4.0

While I felt the book ran a little long, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm a big fan of found footage-style horror books, and it worked quite well with this story. 
The Wetlands Society by Kelvin V.A. Allison, Kelvin V.A. Allison

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challenging dark mysterious sad 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

5.0

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 

This book may be the author's best yet. I adore Kelvin's books, and I find them compulsively readable. I'll pick it up, and before I know, I've blown through 100 pages. I'm always a sucker for a paranormal investigation book, and The Wetlands Society is one of the best I've read. It broke my heart a little, but I still loved it. 5 stars 
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You Can't Save What Isn't There by Paul Michael Anderson

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Thank you to Cemetery Dance for providing a review copy. 

This is a book that will punch you right in the emotions. It's about a subject I hope to never experience - the loss of a child. Following along with Calvin as he sinks deeper and deeper is not an experience for the faint of heart. You Can't Save What Isn't There is a gut-wrenching meditation on the choices we make, and how grief can make monsters of us. 4.75 stars
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With A Blighted Touch by J. Todd Kingrea

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 

I'm always a sucker for the evil in a small town trope, and this book was a pretty fun example of that. There were times I felt the story didn't move quickly enough, and I never connected with any of the characters, so I wasn't terribly invested in what happened to them. But I found the story very interesting and always found myself reading a big chunk of it at a time. It doesn't rewrite the trope, but it is well-written. 3.5 stars
Anybody Home? by Michael J. Seidlinger

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This seems to be a fairly divisive book. It's written in the present tense, with a narrator, and not all of the action is "seen" on screen. (And that might be a good thing for some, because there are some heavy triggers here.) I found the whole thing fascinating, and the narration made the book even more tense and frantic. I found the entire concept of the book unique and interesting. 4.25 stars
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Freddie Mercury: An Illustrated Life by Ned Sublette, Alfonso Casas

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informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

Breeding Ground by S.C. Mendes

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to NetGalley and Blood Bound Books for providing a review copy. 

This is a quick, nasty novella that can be read in a single sitting. If you enjoy the body horror of David Cronenberg, this will be right up your alley. S.C. Mendes continues to impress me. 4 stars
The Haunting Of Chavez Ravine by Debra Castaneda

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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

The Haunting of Chavez Ravine is a short read with a lot of story packed into it. I would have happily read a longer version of the story. I find La Llorona fascinating, and I think Castaneda's take on the legend is really interesting. She also did a great job of making me care for the characters in the short time we spent together. 4.25 stars
All Through the House by Joshua Millican

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • 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. 

'Tis the season, and what better way to get in the holiday spirit than reading another awesome novelization by Joshua Millican? I will admit to never having seen the movie, but Millican is an auto-read for me and I absolutely enjoyed it despite that. I'm definitely going to check the movie out now as well. If you're in the mood for a Santa slasher, this is the one. 4.5 stars