Tag: Cover Lovin’

The Redemption of Morgan Bright – Chris Panatier

This is a nightmare onion of a book, where every layer you peel away reveals something even more disturbing.

The DSM is now in its eleventh edition and the medical model’s pathologisation of mental health is alive and well. Flavour of the edition is domestic psychosis, proving once again that, no matter how far in the past the 1950’s are, there will be groups of people intent on replicating the worst parts of it.

Morgan Bright has recently been diagnosed with domestic psychosis so she’s the newest inmate patient at Hollyhock. Charlotte Andrew Turner arrives that day too. Their relationship is … complicated.

But I’m telling you, there’s something off with her.

I read 35 books between my first and second reads of this book; the reread was even better. I agonised over this review for months, trying to figure out the best way of shoving this book in your face and hollering ‘Read this!’ without including all of the things I need to talk about but can’t because spoilers. I have turned myself inside out over this, so much so that I’m convinced I can never visit Nebraska, just in case someone from Hollyhock finds me.

I loved trying to figure out Charlotte. This is probably the only time in my life that my thought process will be ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder? Nah, too easy. Tulpa?’ The fact that DID could ever be the easy option should give you a hint of the horrors that await you at Hollyhock.

This isn’t the type of thing you just dump on someone. I wouldn’t want your brain to collapse.

It’s all the more horrifying because the majority of the evils perpetrated against women in this book are committed by other women. This somehow makes it worse. If you see Enid in your travels, please be sure to take a cleansing breath and punch her for me.

This book is guilt, grief and paper dolls. The body horror is sublime and oh so squishy.

“It’s beautiful in that way.”

If you’ve read even a couple of my reviews, it’s likely you’ve heard about how I sent an email to the address listed in the book and it bounced back. Or that I visited the website only to discover it doesn’t exist. You may have witnessed me mumbling to myself about missed marketing opportunities. And if I ever write a book… And maybe one day…

Well, I’m here to tell you that one of my longest standing bookish dreams has come true! There’s a website mentioned in this book and it actually exists, and it’s glorious! Every time I think about it my smile becomes as wide as the women photographed on its pages. And I’m fine. Really. This is not an indication that you need to refer me to Hollyhock. Please don’t send me to Hollyhock!

So, is there a happily ever after? Why, yes, the book does have an ending. Thank you for asking.

Welcome to Hollyhock. Come for the food.* Stay for the twirling. We hope you survive enjoy your stay.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read this book.

* BYO coffee.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A woman checks herself into an insane asylum to solve the mystery of her sister’s murder, only to lose her memory and maybe her mind.

From the subversive voice behind The Phlebotomist comes a story that combines the uncanny atmosphere of Don’t Worry Darling with the narrative twists of The Last House on Needless Street.

What would guilt make you do? 

Hadleigh Keene died on the road leading away from Hollyhock Asylum. The reasons are unknown. Her sister Morgan blames herself. A year later with the case still unsolved, Morgan creates a false identity, that of a troubled housewife named Charlotte Turner, and goes inside. 

Morgan quickly discovers that Hollyhock is… not right. She is shaken by the hospital’s peculiar routines and is soon beset by strange episodes. All the while, the persona of Charlotte takes on a life of its own, becoming stronger with each passing day. As her identity begins unraveling, Morgan finds herself tracing Hadleigh’s footsteps and peering into the places they lead.   

The terrifying reality of The Redemption of Morgan Bright unfolds over the course of chapters told from the points of view of both Charlotte and Morgan, police interviews, and text messages. 

File Under: Horror [ Twirl With Them | Sisterly Bond | It’s a Doozy | Be Careful What You Wish For ]

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The Indian Lake Trilogy #3: The Angel of Indian Lake – Stephen Graham Jones

Jade Daniels, reporting for duty.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year but that final page was something I’ve dreaded for so long that I got to a point where I didn’t even know if I could open the book. For months, every time I thought about saying goodbye to Jade Daniels, my skank station eyeliner would run. I’m not usually a crier so this is saying a lot.

Jade did something that’s rare for me in horror reads. She got under my skin, without using a knife. I thought about her when I wasn’t with her. I wondered what she was up to.

Over the past couple of years she’s taken on a significance that reached well beyond the pages. I took her with me when I needed to channel some badassery. I believed I could survive my Proofrock because Jade showed me it was possible.

She became more than a character to me. I don’t think my Sharona was expecting to become so well versed in why Jade is my final girl when she met me but, well, here we are. I consider it a very good use of our time.

This book was chaos. It was “ghosts and swings and baking goods”. It was insides becoming your outsides.

“That’s probably not jelly, is it.”

It was the past refusing to stay there. It was trauma and running for your life. It’s Jade Daniels … in heels?

It upped the ante when it was already maxed out. It was emotional, so emotional. My first on page tears happened during the dedication and my tissue count wound up rivalling the book’s body count.

I’ll never be ready to say goodbye to Jade Daniels so I’ve decided I’m not going to. This trilogy may have reached its bloody conclusion but I want a HEA for Jade. I’m imagining she’s living in a rom-com now. She finds that just as amusing as I do but she’s loved and learning to love (and trust) in return.

Of course, even though her walls are lowered somewhat now, there’s a part of her that will remain ready to put her movie knowledge and lived experience into action. They don’t always stay dead, you know.

“Was the shark cool, at least?”

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

It’s been four years in prison since Jade Daniels last saw her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho, the day she took the fall, protecting her friend Letha and her family from incrimination. Since then, her reputation, and the town, have changed dramatically. There’s a lot of unfinished business in Proofrock, from serial killer cultists to the rich trying to buy Western authenticity. But there’s one aspect of Proofrock no one wants to confront … until Jade comes back to town. The curse of the Lake Witch is waiting, and now is the time for the final stand.

New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones has crafted an epic horror trilogy of generational trauma from the Indigenous to the townies rooted in the mountains of Idaho. It is a story of the American west written in blood.

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Carrie – Stephen King

‘They laughed at me. Threw things. They’ve always laughed.’

My TBR pile is currently grumbling fairly loudly at me but I couldn’t let the 50th anniversary of Carrie’s introduction to the world pass without a reread. I was twelve years old when I was introduced to Carrie White. A major departure from The Baby-Sitters Club, which I’d been reading prior, this was my gateway book to the Kingdom, and horror in general.

Carrie wasn’t the first telekinetic person I’d met. That honour goes to Matilda Wormwood, who found her way into my heart a couple of years earlier. It was Carrie, though, who taught me righteous anger.

Our high school experiences were nothing alike, yet I related to Carrie, this hurt, wronged girl railing against injustice. The angry part of preteen me found her scorched-earth approach appealing. There are a few people who knew me when I was a teenager that should be very grateful my telekinesis never kicked in.

Flex.

This book had both short and long term impacts on me. Throughout high school, I thought of Carrie every time I changed back into my school uniform after PE. She also changed my reading landscape, opening up a world of books that weren’t written with kids in mind, ones that would challenge, scare and ultimately enbiggen my world.

She appealed to the outsider in me, who spent high school and a significant amount of time afterwards trying to find someone who could understand me. Carrie was the first hero/villain I cheered on as they unleashed hell on those who had hurt them and the randoms whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t know this story so the only thing I’ll say about this specific reread is that it’s the first time I’ve thought about how appropriate Ewen High School’s colours are: white and red.

Over thirty years after my first read and several rereads later, my love for Carrie – the book and the person – remains as strong as ever. If anything, I appreciate her even more now.

‘I don’t like to be tricked.’

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Carrie White is no ordinary girl.

Carrie White has the gift of telekinesis.

To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie – the first
step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues.

But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes her …

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A Botanical Daughter – Noah Medlock

Simon does his work in the basement. His “cadaverous creations” range from social commentary to the whimsical.

It wasn’t his fault he was good at stuffing God’s creatures and posing them to lampoon the social mores of the day.

Gregor works in the light, cultivating floral and fungal wonders from near and far, guided by his imagination and innovative spirit.

He had better things to do – there was botany afoot.

Simon and Gregor have never had the opportunity to have a child. Until now. Their relationship is unconventional for the time and, as a result, secret. The same could be said of their daughter.

I’ve been obsessed with this cover since I first saw it. I also may have been a tad obsessed with the blurb.

Sometimes the reality of a book doesn’t line up with your expectations but that’s not the book’s fault and it’s not always the worst thing that could happen.

The writing was more poetic than I thought I’d find and that was a pleasant surprise. There was a formality to some of the writing, which I also didn’t expect, but that fit well with the time period in which the book takes place.

I was awed by the amount of research that must have gone into the potential repurposing of each plant. As someone who has successfully managed to kill an air fern, I’m clearly not the most horticulturally minded person. As a result, I sometimes glazed over when I encountered details that were beyond me.

I swear I will see the day when humans fully understand the botanical kingdom, and the botanical kingdom fully understands us.

I never really connected with Simon or Gregor but I had a soft spot for Jennifer. I wanted to spend more time with Rosalinda.

I spent the entire book waiting for hell to break loose and probably hyped it up too much in my mind. There was the body horror I’d hoped for but not as much as I’d wanted.

To be fair, I’m not sure there’d ever be enough body horror for me. At this point, I may be somewhat immune. I’ve just binged all of the Saw movies and wasn’t squeamish once. If you’re not as bloodthirsty as me, you’ll probably find the right amount of body horror here.

And, you never know, you may be invited to very-high tea.

Now all we can do is hope, pray, and water.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

It is an unusual thing, to live in a botanical garden. But Simon and Gregor are an unusual pair of gentlemen. Hidden away in their glass sanctuary from the disapproving tattle of Victorian London, they are free to follow their own interests without interference. For Simon, this means long hours in the dark basement workshop, working his taxidermical art. Gregor’s business is exotic plants – lucrative, but harmless enough. Until his latest acquisition, a strange fungus which shows signs of intellect beyond any plant he’s seen, inspires him to attempt a masterwork: true intelligent life from plant matter.

Driven by the glory he’ll earn from the Royal Horticultural Society for such an achievement, Gregor ignores the flaws in his plan: that intelligence cannot be controlled; that plants cannot be reasoned with; and that the only way his plant-beast will flourish is if he uses a recently deceased corpse for the substrate.

The experiment – or Chloe, as she is named – outstrips even Gregor’s expectations, entangling their strange household. But as Gregor’s experiment flourishes, he wilts under the cost of keeping it hidden from jealous eyes. The mycelium grows apace in this sultry greenhouse. But who is cultivating whom?

Told with wit and warmth, this is an extraordinary tale of family, fungus and more than a dash of bloody revenge from an exciting new voice in queer horror.

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Robert Grim #1: HEX – Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Translator – Nancy Forest-Flier

“Nothing’s normal here.”

Katherine van Wyler was sentenced to death for witchcraft in 1664 but that’s not where her story ends. Hundreds of years later, the Black Rock Witch remains, her eyes and mouth sewn shut.

Once you move to Black Spring, you will never live anywhere else. The residents of this insular community are used to living alongside this emaciated, chained woman but they’ve been lulled into a false sense of security. If Katherine’s eyes ever open, her power will be unleashed.

This book has been on my radar for years and waited patiently on my Kindle for two. The upcoming release of the sequel gave me the perfect excuse to dive in and then I almost didn’t finish it. To be honest, if I hadn’t already committed to reviewing the sequel, I probably wouldn’t have.

“She’s not going to let you go. You live in Black Spring now. That means the curse is on you as well.”

It’s rare for a book to have a negative impact on me. Reading is my joy. Even when I read memoirs of people who have experienced the horrific, I find hope in their resilience.

This book, though, had a significant impact on my mental health. You could say it did its job, with the witch reaching out from the pages to infect me with her curse. It got to the point where, each time I started reading, I’d think ‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.’

But nothing was all right, nothing could ever be all right

I don’t think of myself as a reader with many rules. I’m happy to wander between genres and dip my toe into unfamiliar territory. Do what you want to the humans, especially if we’re in a slasher, and I’ll likely forgive you. I may even cheer you on. If you harm my fictional animals, though, we’re going to have a problem. I had a big problem with what the animals, one in particular, experienced in this book.

I don’t want you to think this wasn’t a good book. It was. It was well written. I got attached to a couple of the characters. I needed to know what hell was going to be unleashed once Katherine’s eyes opened. But wow, it really did a number on me.

“Peacocks. You know what that means, right?”

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Whoever is born here, is doomed to stay until death. Whoever comes to stay, never leaves.

Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a seventeenth-century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Blind and silenced, she walks the streets and enters homes at will. She stands next to children’s beds for nights on end. So accustomed to her have the townsfolk become that they often forget she’s there. Or what a threat she poses. Because if the stitches are ever cut open, the story goes, the whole town will die.

The curse must not be allowed to spread. The elders of Black Spring have used high-tech surveillance to quarantine the town. Frustrated with being kept in lockdown, the town’s teenagers decide to break the strict regulations and go viral with the haunting. But, in so doing, they send the town spiralling into a dark nightmare.

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Bite Risk: Caught Dead – S.J. Wills

The moon was almost full when I got my claws on this book. Six Howl nights have passed since I first met Sel, which is appropriate because that’s how long it’s been since the Rippocalypse.

It was much easier getting into Tremorglade this time around because it’s no longer cut off from the outside world. Thanks, Sel. Now the entire world has been introduced to the corpus pilori virus. Thanks, Sel!

When you’ve already helped cause the end of the world, what’s left to be afraid of?

The people of Tremorglade have had a long time to get used to turning into Rippers and would be only too happy to lend a hand to the newbies, especially Olive. Depending on your perspective, transforming into a Ripper once a month is either the best thing ever (think Ripper Cultists) or the end of the world.

Immutables, people who don’t Turn, are now in the minority and some have little dog syndrome. They’re trying to convince anyone who’ll listen that Rippers should be put back in their cages, but Rippers aren’t dangerous anymore, right? Right?

The main characters don’t know who to trust and neither did I. I viewed practically everyone with suspicion and wondered if that was in part a result of the us versus them mentality of some of the characters. Fear of the other was the impetus for a whole bunch of dastardly deeds.

Having several narrators telling the story can be distracting for me sometimes but it worked really well here. It’s a good thing, too. Otherwise we wouldn’t know what was happening for entire sections as you don’t remember what you do when you’re Ripped out.

My favourites from the first book all returned for the second in some form or another and I got to meet some of the newbies. My favourite new character wasn’t a newbie at all. She was there all along but because she’s only eleven, Sel hasn’t really paid that much attention to her before, even though they’re next door neighbours.

Mika is oftentimes the voice of reason. She’s determined, persistent and gutsy. And she has a pony called Jelly Bean. I absolutely adore her!

After waiting six entire full moons to be able to sink my teeth into this book, I got sucked straight into it. The story was engaging from page 1 and was as good, if not better, than the first book.

I hoped all book that there’d be an opening at the end for a third book and, oh boy, is there an opening! I need the next book really soon, preferably before the next full moon!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

After Sel Archer and his friends uncover a conspiracy that turns the whole world upside down, it seems that the residents of Tremorglade are finally free. Adults can Turn at the full moon with no restrictions, no longer locked in cages and left to roam free. But the town’s new found fame is at risk as attacks begin to happen on Howl Night. Rumours of a foul, unkillable beast begin to stir … someone or something is plotting to control the Turned once and for all. 

A blockbuster teen horror series for fans of Skuduggery Pleasant, join Sel and his friends as they navigate a nail-biting horror story, dodging terrifying adults and even more terrifying beasts. Discover the first heart-pumping instalment with the multi award-shortlisted Bite Risk.

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Shadowhall Academy #1: The Whispering Walls – Phil Hickes

Illustrations – Keith Robinson

We know right off the bat that Lilian Jones is going to be someone special. She needs to leave her friends behind to attend Shadowhall Academy, a boarding school that’s perpetually cold. Not only that, her single suitcase cannot hold her entire collection of perfectly organised seashells, marbles and books, so they need to remain in her bedroom.

Her attic bedroom! I spent my childhood dreaming of an attic bedroom and, had my dream become reality, you would have had to drag me from it kicking and screaming.

She’d always wanted to go somewhere exciting and different – well, here was her chance.

When Lilian arrives at Shadowhall, she’s greeted by wrought-iron gates, a two-headed gargoyle, Gothic turrets and Ms Strange, Shadowhall Academy’s headmistress. I don’t know about you but it’s feeling pretty ominous already…

Lilian shares a dormitory with three other girls: Marian (Maz), Serena and Angela. Let’s hope they don’t need much sleep because on the very first night, the two newbies hear tapping on the wall.

“Probably just the pipes, or maybe a mouse or something,” Lilian said. “You know what it’s like in these old buildings.”

A likely story… Shadowhall Academy has a long history, though, and there’s every possibility that it’s haunted.

I’ve been waiting to read this book for months and it was even better than I was expecting. I loved the characters and want to spend more time with all of them, particularly Mr Bullen, who fascinated me. I enjoyed solving the mystery alongside Lilian and her new friends. I need to explore Shadowhall Academy and uncover some more of its secrets.

Phil Hickes and Keith Robinson really are the dream team. Phil introduces me to loveable characters and places them in spooky situations. Keith somehow manages to capture both the heart of the characters and the creepy of the atmosphere. My only disappointment with this book was the fact that I didn’t get the opportunity to enjoy more of Keith’s artwork.

I’m wondering why Lilian’s mother didn’t drop her off at Shadowhall with her father and younger sister. Her absence intrigued me so I’d like to learn more about her.

This is England in the 1980’s and it was refreshing to spend some time in the pre-internet world. Adult me devoured this book and cannot wait to return to Shadowhall. Kid me would have read some of it through my fingers.

I dare say this is Phil Hickes’ best book yet, but please don’t tell Aveline I said that because I adore her. Speaking of Aveline, I was puzzling over the fact that Lilian shares a surname with her. I may have let out a teensy bit of a scream when I finally connected the dots. Lilian is Aveline’s aunt!!! That has made my day! It’s also made me want to reread the Aveline Jones books.

Welcome to Shadowhall Academy. Come for the architecture and the spooky. BYO tea, biscuits and heater. I really hope we get to return there soon.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Welcome to Shadowhall Academy, where spirits haunt the school halls. A brilliantly spooky new series from the author of Aveline Jones.

I heard a tapping noise, right by my head. Like there was someone in the wall trying to get my attention…

When Lilian Jones starts at creepy, cold and bewilderingly large Shadowhall Academy, she’s nervous about making friends. And when her roommates tell her the school is haunted, she thinks they’re just trying to scare the new girl. 

But then bizarre things start happening – tapping and whispers in the walls at night, tales of missing students and strange figures in the woods.

Lilian discovers that not only are the school ghost stories true, but her new friends could be in danger. So she sets out to uncover the secrets of Shadowhall Academy, whatever it takes.

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Emily Wilde #2: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands – Heather Fawcett

“We are about to involve ourselves in a great deal of danger, much of it strange and unsettling.”

It’s time for Emily and Wendell to search for Wendell’s door and I, for one, am thrilled to have been invited to tag along for this quest. My enthusiasm may not be as contagious as that of Ariadne, Emily’s niece, but I have more field experience than her, having already accompanied Emily and Wendell to Ljosland, so my excitement is tempered by a tad of caution.

I also have some insider knowledge; Wendell’s stepmother is sending assassins to dispatch of him but my clothing is inside out so I’m confident I will be successful in evading any of the Folk’s attempts to enchant me.

“Oh, what a quest this is!”

The grumpy romance of the first book blindsided me in the best way possible. I wasn’t expecting it, thank goodness, or I probably wouldn’t have picked up the book in the first place. I actively avoid books that contain romance, which brings me to the second part of the blindsiding. I learned that I love grumpy romances, or at the very least, I love Emily and Wendell’s grumpy romance.

Their romance wasn’t quite as grumpy in this book, although they did have their moments. Their relationship has grown more comfortable since we first met them. That doesn’t mean we’re grumpless, though. Rose, who I absolutely adored, despite trying my hardest not to care a jot about him, does his very best to bring the grumpy with him wherever he goes.

I’m usually quite wary of sequels of my favourite books. They come with an almost impossibly high expectation of brilliance, having to compete with the joy of discovery you felt with the first book. This sequel didn’t disappoint.

In fact, I’m having trouble figuring out which book I loved more. There was the comfort in already knowing the main characters alongside the introduction of new characters, who managed to hold their own.

I love Emily. She’s lousy at small talk but is getting better at insults, her aim needs improvement and her journals contain footnotes. I adore the footnotes and need more of them!

Meanwhile, Wendell is a man after my own heart.

“There is nothing trivial about good coffee.”

If anything ever happens to Shadow, I will be bereft. I’d also like to put it out there that Poe can bake for me anytime.

I’d appreciate someone sharing Knight College’s postal address with me so I can submit my application to study dryadology.

If you have not already met Emily and Wendell, please make their acquaintance in preparation for this quest as there is prerequisite knowledge that will make this one more fulfilling.

Ensure you pack some carrots and maybe don’t look too closely at the faerie art. Be sure to bring enough pencils.

“Give me another pencil.”

“I only had the one on me!”

“One? Who are you?”

Handy hint: Do not allow Professor Eustacia Walters access to any of your books. If you ask me, she’s the true villain of this book.

If it is at all convenient, I would very much like to read the third book immediately.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit, an imprint of Little, Brown Book, for the opportunity to be delighted by this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore, and has catalogued many secrets of the Hidden Folk in her encyclopaedia with her infuriatingly charming fellow scholar, Wendell Bambleby, by her side.

But Bambleby is more than just a brilliant and unbearably handsome scholar. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, in search of a door back to his realm. 

By lucky happenstance, Emily’s new project, a map of the realms of faerie, will take them on an adventure to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans. 

But with new friendships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

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Wayward Children #9: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known – Seanan McGuire

Illustrations – Rovina Cai

“I’m always sure.”

I read this book weeks ago and I’ve wanted to gush about it ever since, but life postponed me. Distance between reading a book and writing a review tells you if the book’s glow fades with time, though. If anything, I appreciate this book more now than when I finished it and that’s saying a lot.

Before I ramble about the book, I need to say something about me. It’s my review so I get to do that. When I first started writing book reviews, I fantasised about the future and what outrageously impossible things I might find there.

This book fulfilled a dream that I only shared with one person because I was so certain it wouldn’t happen: that I would be given the opportunity to read a Seanan McGuire book before the publication date. That it happened at all still makes me smile at random moments. That it’s a Wayward Children book, the series that introduced me to Seanan, that’s perfection right there.

“And we’re getting off topic, which is a neat trick when we haven’t managed to get on topic yet.”

I need to find someone in my world who I can get all spoilery with because they’ve read it too. Until then, I need to talk about some takeaways.

Dinosaurs. Yes, there’s a dinosaur on the cover. Yes, you will travel to a world with dinosaurs. No, this is not a dinosaur book.

The story. This is the continuation of Antsy’s story. You met her in Lost in the Moment and Found. If you don’t know Antsy, please introduce yourself to her before reading this book.

In fact, if you haven’t already attended Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, now would be a really good time to binge the series. Some of the Wayward Children books can be read as standalones if you really want to, although I’m not sure why you wouldn’t simply read them all. This really isn’t one of them. It refers to characters, worlds and events that you really had to be there for.

Antsy. A part of me is still a little bit broken from knowing why she ran.

No quests.

Of course there’s a quest! Would you have it any other way?

Doors.

“Every door is a little different, and every world they take us to is very different indeed, but they all ask the same thing of us, and they all break our hearts, in the end.”

I thought I was obsessed before. This book fuelled my need to know everything there is to know about them. I have decided I need a companion book, Door Lore. It will explain the history of Doors, how they work and how different cultures and worlds understand them and tell stories about them. There will be an entry for every world, which will include where it sits on the Nonsense, Logic, Virtue, Wickedness spectrum. It will be encyclopaedic and glorious!

Kade. This is not Kade’s story but I learned more about him and the world behind his Door. I still can’t wait for Kade’s book but don’t want to say goodbye to him either, so I’m trusting Seanan to give us his story when the time is right.

Sumi.

“You have to listen to me. I died, and that means I’m clever now.”

I have loved Sumi since the day we met. Her nonsense was strong in this book, as it usually is, and I adore it and her more every page we spend together.

Harvest. I need to go there!

The ending. It hit me like a tonne of bricks. Even though I probably should have, I was not expecting it. I definitely wasn’t expecting the sneaky ugly cry.

Be sure. The worlds can be sugar sweet or they can drown me. The characters can (and will) break my heart, time and time again. I will always be sure. I will not stop looking until I find my Door.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children.

When her fellow students realise that Antsy’s talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, she’s forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise. 

Along the way, temptations are dangled, decisions are reinforced, and a departure to a world populated by dinosaurs brings untold dangers and one or two other surprises!

A story that reminds us that finding what you want doesn’t always mean finding what you need.

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Edenville – Sam Rebelein

🎵 What’s New Pussycat? 🎵 Spider people! Do you need to know more than that? I didn’t. For the sake of argument, though, let’s assume that you do. 🎵 It’s Not Unusual 🎵

University staff actively seek Cam out to be their next writer in residence. They travel to him to offer him the position and there’s not even an interview. Which, you know, has red flag written all over it.

Cam and Quinn (🎵 She’s a Lady 🎵) know horror movies so they should know better. They do know better.

“Look, I’m just sayin. If it smells creepy, it is creepy.”

They go to Edenville anyway. 🎵 I’m Coming Home 🎵

On the way, they pass a burnt garage, which you don’t need to know. I just wanted an excuse to say 🎵 Burning Down the House. 🎵

Do they get what they deserve? Does anyone deserve what they get? That’s for you to decide.

I only know that there’s no way I would get out of Edenville alive because I would’ve been sucked in by the nice old lady offering me free ice cream samples. In my defence, there’s chocolate marshmallow, caramel coffee and birthday cake on offer, which all sound to die for.

We’re all rotting ribbons in the end.

I cherish having the opportunity to read advanced copies, especially when they’re debut novels. It’s like I’m in on this wonderful secret that’s about to be shared with the world. I’m so excited to have been able to love and laugh and be grossed out by this book early and I can’t wait to watch others discover this amazing new author. I need both a reread and Sam Rebelein’s next book ASAP. 🎵 Do What You Gotta Do 🎵

“How was it?”

“Strange. You?”

“Fucking bizarre.”

This read was so much more fun than I expected, and I expected a lot. It’s culty, it’s body horror, it’s people messing with stuff they have no business messing with and expecting different outcomes. There are sunflowers, berries and a character that loves 🎵 Tom Jones 🎵. And did I mention the spider people?!

“Don’t say nobody warned you.”

Ichabod!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

When young horror writer Cam Marion is offered a teaching opportunity at a prestigious liberal arts college upstate, his long-time girlfriend Quinn is skeptical. She knows the college is located in Edenville, in infamous Renfield County. The county where people seem to go missing. The county where Quinn’s high school best friend was mysteriously killed. Quinn figures the job opportunity is a trap somehow, so she follows Cam upstate to investigate some of the county’s mysteries (including her own). 

She quickly discovers that there’s an entire society dedicated to solving Renfield’s many riddles. A society that puts on plays about Renfield’s macabre, blood-soaked history. A society that meets in the library basement once a week. A society made up of people who might not be people at all… Meanwhile, Cam discovers that his newest story idea isn’t an idea so much as it is a vision of another world. A world that the faculty at Edenville College need his help to access before it accesses them.

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