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voxvenati's reviews
172 reviews
To a Fungus Unknown by William C. Tracy
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
My issue from the first book - that there is no self-contained plot or resolution - continues in this one.
The characters were flatter here, and there was a lot of repetition. I think that this series probably could have been cleaned up, cut down, and made into one slightly longer standalone. It would have helped with some of the pacing, and maybe given us some more clear character arcs.
This volume didn’t really feel like anything happened. We get about two plot points to move us forward, but that’s rough considering the length of the book. Very little character work was done. Not a lot of new world building.
Anderson - the only character I really liked from book one - doesn’t get a whole lot to do in this book.
Rather weak second installment, though still very readable. I’ll finish out the series since I can get it through my library.
The characters were flatter here, and there was a lot of repetition. I think that this series probably could have been cleaned up, cut down, and made into one slightly longer standalone. It would have helped with some of the pacing, and maybe given us some more clear character arcs.
This volume didn’t really feel like anything happened. We get about two plot points to move us forward, but that’s rough considering the length of the book. Very little character work was done. Not a lot of new world building.
Anderson - the only character I really liked from book one - doesn’t get a whole lot to do in this book.
Rather weak second installment, though still very readable. I’ll finish out the series since I can get it through my library.
The Last Word by Taylor Adams
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Man, this just was not that good of a time. Not enough beach vibes, not a great follow through on the premise, and an awful protagonist.
I love the beach. I thought this premise was fun. I love a woman with trauma. None of these things were really delivered on.
The whole thing was just a romp around this damn house. It didn’t feel like the beach. We didn’t use the sand, or the waves, or the storm. The first villain was a neckbeard and the second was spotted from a mile away.
Ok. Let’s talk about Emma.
She was essentially texting and driving and killed her daughter. Sorry, but I don’t have sympathy for her in the slightest. If it had been a genuine accident? Maybe. But beyond that, she’s still the most bland, childish protagonist I’ve read this year. No. I didn’t care for Emma’s bullshit.
Taylor Adams writes more believable villains than female protagonists, and I don’t think his writing is for me.
I love the beach. I thought this premise was fun. I love a woman with trauma. None of these things were really delivered on.
Ok. Let’s talk about Emma.
Taylor Adams writes more believable villains than female protagonists, and I don’t think his writing is for me.
Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.75
A delicious mix of horror, family drama, and social commentary.
It starts a little slow, but picks up quickly. Once you hit the speculative elements, it just ramps up from there. It gets gruesome, borderline gory at times. And gore doesn’t normally phase me, but the injuries were so real here that I was squirming in my seat. That doesn’t happen often for me, so it was a real delight.
Talk about some sibling behavior! All three of them had some of the most realistic sibling dynamics I’ve ever read. And as an eldest sister, this really hit me in the gut and kept punching. It was brutal. I understand Calla and every choice she made, but that doesn’t mean it hurt any less.
Definitely for fans of Jordan Peele, this one is well worth the read!
All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
It starts a little slow, but picks up quickly. Once you hit the speculative elements, it just ramps up from there. It gets gruesome, borderline gory at times. And gore doesn’t normally phase me, but the injuries were so real here that I was squirming in my seat. That doesn’t happen often for me, so it was a real delight.
Talk about some sibling behavior! All three of them had some of the most realistic sibling dynamics I’ve ever read. And as an eldest sister, this really hit me in the gut and kept punching. It was brutal. I understand Calla and every choice she made, but that doesn’t mean it hurt any less.
Definitely for fans of Jordan Peele, this one is well worth the read!
All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
No Exit by Taylor Adams
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
It was just okay. Worth a reread? Probably not, but it was fast-paced and fairly gruesome, so I was entertained for stretches of time.
I’m just getting tired of authors using slurs:
Ch*nk, n*gger
There was also an awful usage of “pitt bull mauling victims” to describe some statues a couple times. Not “mauling victims”. Not even “dog mauling victims”. “Pitt bull mauling victims”. What the fuck? Harmful stereotype for a sweet dog breed.
The characters were fine, and I felt like they acted according to their ages. It did feel bitter cold, and very appropriate as I look outside and see snow in the yard. Just a meh ending.
I’m just getting tired of authors using slurs:
There was also an awful usage of “pitt bull mauling victims” to describe some statues a couple times. Not “mauling victims”. Not even “dog mauling victims”. “Pitt bull mauling victims”. What the fuck? Harmful stereotype for a sweet dog breed.
The characters were fine, and I felt like they acted according to their ages. It did feel bitter cold, and very appropriate as I look outside and see snow in the yard. Just a meh ending.
Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
It was fine, but didn’t go hard enough on the scary/ghost story to hold my full interest. Audiobook narrator was pretty good though.
Toward the middle, it began to feel repetitive. Maybe it was supposed to disorient us, but I was a little bored.
Also, there wasn’t enough lore — what were the rituals? Where did they come from? And so on. This is very much a character-forward story, with much less work done in terms of plot.
The baby stuff was starting to get interesting. It was the spookiest thing imo, but it wasn’t explored for very long, unfortunately.
Overall, fine to listen to in the background while you’re doing other stuff, but I think it would have dragged harder if I’d been reading it.
Toward the middle, it began to feel repetitive. Maybe it was supposed to disorient us, but I was a little bored.
Also, there wasn’t enough lore — what were the rituals? Where did they come from? And so on. This is very much a character-forward story, with much less work done in terms of plot.
Overall, fine to listen to in the background while you’re doing other stuff, but I think it would have dragged harder if I’d been reading it.
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I don’t think Riley Sager is for me.
The pacing and structure of this is mind-boggling, in the worst way possible. Why introduce mysteries only to answer them a chapter or two later? Why make the whole thing feel like one type of book just to swing hard in the other direction at the end? Why did I read through so much that didn’t matter?? Baffling.
The prose is so amateurish that it can be hard to read. It feels really first-draft at times, even though I know Sager is a prolific writer. Not sure what’s up with that.
This only gets a slight boost in rating for little Henry. That was cute. I give him that.
To sum it up in the words of the book:
The pacing and structure of this is mind-boggling, in the worst way possible. Why introduce mysteries only to answer them a chapter or two later? Why make the whole thing feel like one type of book just to swing hard in the other direction at the end? Why did I read through so much that didn’t matter?? Baffling.
The prose is so amateurish that it can be hard to read. It feels really first-draft at times, even though I know Sager is a prolific writer. Not sure what’s up with that.
This only gets a slight boost in rating for little Henry. That was cute. I give him that.
To sum it up in the words of the book:
…the truth was so mundane, so boringly human.
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
Doctor Sleep feels good to read and reread. The audiobook is also a delight.
Dan is so real, and it’s a sort of relief to know what happens to him. The True Knot feel like real villains. It’s classic King (the good and the bad that goes along with that). Ending is better than most of King’s backlist, imo. Didn’t quite nail it, but still pretty good.
This is also a rare case where the book and the movie are both good (though different) - thank you Mike Flanagan.
King is a little like comfort food; Doctor Sleep isn’t a perfect book by any means, but I can come back to it time and time again and enjoy it every time.
Dan is so real, and it’s a sort of relief to know what happens to him. The True Knot feel like real villains. It’s classic King (the good and the bad that goes along with that). Ending is better than most of King’s backlist, imo. Didn’t quite nail it, but still pretty good.
This is also a rare case where the book and the movie are both good (though different) - thank you Mike Flanagan.
King is a little like comfort food; Doctor Sleep isn’t a perfect book by any means, but I can come back to it time and time again and enjoy it every time.
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Sort of an interesting introduction to Joe Hill for me. I was absorbed in the story, but it felt both too long and too short, with pacing and an ending that didn’t quite pan out.
Highlights: you get a hell of a lot of audiobook for your money; the narration is stellar; the characters are pretty good; premise is intriguing; story holds your attention almost right up until the end.
Detractors: pacing felt really off - fast then slow then fast and ending on a slow note; fatphobia or something like it. A real obsession with how obese or skinny Lou is; ableism or something like it - a strange focus on how “feeble minded” certain traits made Charlie Manx look; almost got through the whole book with no slurs, but not quite; lackluster ending; kind of a mediocre villain in the end.
I did find myself wanting to reread Doctor Sleep halfway through this, but at no point did I actually want to put down NOS4A2. It’s a good book that I may return to at some point, but ultimately I hope Hill’s future works surpass this one. It was promising.
Highlights: you get a hell of a lot of audiobook for your money; the narration is stellar; the characters are pretty good; premise is intriguing; story holds your attention almost right up until the end.
Detractors: pacing felt really off - fast then slow then fast and ending on a slow note; fatphobia or something like it. A real obsession with how obese or skinny Lou is; ableism or something like it - a strange focus on how “feeble minded” certain traits made Charlie Manx look; almost got through the whole book with no slurs, but not quite; lackluster ending; kind of a mediocre villain in the end.
I did find myself wanting to reread Doctor Sleep halfway through this, but at no point did I actually want to put down NOS4A2. It’s a good book that I may return to at some point, but ultimately I hope Hill’s future works surpass this one. It was promising.
The Divine Flesh by Drew Huff
The prose is quirky, interesting, has a good, chewy texture; the characters are unique and so very flawed; and the lore is plentiful, engaging, strange. In some ways, I wanted so much more — more world building, more lore — but I think the author does a nice job of keeping the focus on current events.
Equal parts body horror, horny, and heartfelt, I loved the whiplash between POVs, and you get many. And unlike some books, each character lends something to the narrative. The only detractor is that the pacing does falter toward the middle before picking up again for the last part of the story.
For all the eldrich horrors, gods, and abominations, this is really a story about what it means to be human. Is happiness — true or otherwise — worth giving up the things that make you truly you? For all your despicable actions, can you still be redeemed? Can god be killed? The themes were delightful and unexpected. For anyone into religious types of horror, and who isn’t squeamish, this one is for you.
All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A fascinating bit of SFF horror.
It whispered, Drink of Me and be at peace. Eat of My-
(Divine Flesh)
The prose is quirky, interesting, has a good, chewy texture; the characters are unique and so very flawed; and the lore is plentiful, engaging, strange. In some ways, I wanted so much more — more world building, more lore — but I think the author does a nice job of keeping the focus on current events.
"Show me what's wrong, and I will find it. Tell me how you died, and I will speak for you, because you can't anymore. If there's a who, show me, and I will find whatever bits they left behind."
Equal parts body horror, horny, and heartfelt, I loved the whiplash between POVs, and you get many. And unlike some books, each character lends something to the narrative. The only detractor is that the pacing does falter toward the middle before picking up again for the last part of the story.
Some people have mommy issues, some have daddy issues, but everyone has God issues.
For all the eldrich horrors, gods, and abominations, this is really a story about what it means to be human. Is happiness — true or otherwise — worth giving up the things that make you truly you? For all your despicable actions, can you still be redeemed? Can god be killed? The themes were delightful and unexpected. For anyone into religious types of horror, and who isn’t squeamish, this one is for you.
All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Some things to preface my review: I am quite certain now that I do not like friends to lovers as a trope, and I’m accepting I’m not really a contemporary romance girlie either.
This book was fine. I can’t emphasize that enough. The writing was good, the sex scenes were passable. The plot? Ehh…
Look, I know it’s a romance novel, but the plot was nowhere to be found. The premise of the novel - this little contest? - is little more than a mention, a backdrop, and nothing comes of it. Very unsatisfying.
A warning: if you don’t like Stella at the start, be aware - she does not get better. I found I really, strongly disliked both her and Luka by the end. They were both insufferable in how piss poor their communication skills were. And in that way, they do deserve each other.
The townsfolk were, also, fine. They weren’t as rounded as I was hoping from what other reviewers had said, but they weren’t totally cardboard cutouts like you find in some romance novels either. The only standouts to me were Beckett, Charlie (+his mom), and Luka’s mom.
I found myself wanting to skim the later half of the book because I realized things were not going to get better. I didn’t skim, but I kind of wish I had. It was about 100 pages too long. Just because it’s long doesn’t make it a slow burn.This is actually a love at first sight romance. Their feelings deepen over their friendship, but they both admit they fell in love right away! This is not a slow burn, at least not in the traditional sense. There is sexual intimacy almost right away. Slow burn?? Where??
The biggest saving grace was that it took place in Maryland, so it gets some brownie points for that.
Overall, it’s upsetting how meh this book was, because I really wanted to like this. I just couldn’t get behind the main characters at all.
This book was fine. I can’t emphasize that enough. The writing was good, the sex scenes were passable. The plot? Ehh…
Look, I know it’s a romance novel, but the plot was nowhere to be found. The premise of the novel - this little contest? - is little more than a mention, a backdrop, and nothing comes of it. Very unsatisfying.
A warning: if you don’t like Stella at the start, be aware - she does not get better. I found I really, strongly disliked both her and Luka by the end. They were both insufferable in how piss poor their communication skills were. And in that way, they do deserve each other.
The townsfolk were, also, fine. They weren’t as rounded as I was hoping from what other reviewers had said, but they weren’t totally cardboard cutouts like you find in some romance novels either. The only standouts to me were Beckett, Charlie (+his mom), and Luka’s mom.
I found myself wanting to skim the later half of the book because I realized things were not going to get better. I didn’t skim, but I kind of wish I had. It was about 100 pages too long. Just because it’s long doesn’t make it a slow burn.
The biggest saving grace was that it took place in Maryland, so it gets some brownie points for that.
Overall, it’s upsetting how meh this book was, because I really wanted to like this. I just couldn’t get behind the main characters at all.