connorjdaley's reviews
1100 reviews

I’ve had kind of a mixed bag of experiences with King so far, having only really read shorter stuff like The Mist, and Secret Window, Secret Garden and not really loving either. But then I saw the narrator was Michael C. Hall, and I had to grab it. It helps that the other members of Fear For All love his stuff too. 

First off, I thought this was fantastic. Reading something finally full length from King really allowed for the story to open up. Both growing in creepiness, and heightening those emotional touch points. Of course, it might just help that I decided to read one that is considered up there with his best, but still. 

The copy I got from Audible included an introduction from the author, he spoke about how he thought this was his darkest novel, perhaps even too dark that it shouldn’t have been published. He also spoke about the origin of the spelling of Pet Sematary, its inclusion in the novel, and eventual taking over as the title. That kind of inclusion and connection really heightened my enjoyment heading into the story. 

Louis accepts a new job, moving his family into the rural town of Ludlow, Maine. Their new house seems too good to be true, their neighbor Jud already showing them hospitality. But even from the earliest pages of the novel, theirs a dangerous undertone. Let alone when they get shown the cemetery behind their property where all the town’s beloved pets have been buried…I personally have pets, and although the thought of having them nearby is endearing, this is still just so creepy. 

But when the road finally claims another victim, this time Louis’ daughter’s beloved cat Church, Jud tells him to wait for his call and that they’d handle it. And when Church shows back up, after being buried no less, Louis does his best to rationalize the appearance, but underneath it all, he knows better. The general creepiness of this, as well as the behavioral problems that follow with Church, should have been a clear indication of how far this novel would go, but I wasn’t ready. 

The loss of a child, is often something that writers avoid like the plague, especially in horror I feel. So for King to go so far into this, so deep, especially given the year when this released originally, is a testament to him. And yeah…this really is super super dark. For me, the imagining of if it didn’t happen, and where his life could have gone, was even sadder to read than the death itself. 

It does kind of feel like I’ve managed to live under a rock, as I’ve not had any of this really ruined for me, and I’ve never seen any screen adaptation so far. With the mixed bag that has come from his wide filmography, I think maybe I had started to link that directly to him, even though they are adaptations of his works? This was so eerie and riveting. It brought to mind that building dread that I loved in Nat Cassidy’s Nestlings, that ability to show that building in different ways between husband, wife, and daughter. 

Michael C. Hall did such a fantastic job. I would like him to take over narrating my life now. The voices were great, the novel had life, and this once again brought to mind just how much we are missing that he has not narrated the Dexter series. 

Grabbed another one by the author after finishing Dollface the other day!

Jane has been has been arrested for killing eight men during eight different snow storms, earning her the name The Snowfall Slasher. This is her psychiatric interview. From denial to gleeful pride, Jane takes the reading through various stages of discontent and discomfort. From claiming it’s not satanic worship to screaming names from the Bible, it’s quite obvious early on that nothing Jane says can be taken at face value. 

The office, as well as the decision by the author to make the entire perspective an interview, brought to mind scenes from the Hannibal show, scenes from Evil when Kristen visits her therapist, little tidbits of Long Legs with the creepy antagonist, as well as plenty of its own personal flair. I can definitely see the author’s penchant from the extreme coming out in this novel as we see some seriously heinous acts described. Like The Exorcist but as a cannibal revenge story. 

Well written and concise, I really enjoyed this one as it had more of a styled writing than just the extreme. All I really want to know is, how did her family not taste it all?!

Here’s another I read for my book club, the Hudson Valley Housewives, and it’s another I probably would not have read without it being someone’s pick. 

This is a kind of crime mystery, but instead of a cop or detective, the main POV is a recruited children’s psychologist, Casey Walker, that specializes in autism. The mayor’s wife has been killed, and an autistic teen, Mason, son to a kind of celebrity content creator, was found at the scene covered in blood and uncontrollable. 

I’ve never read this author, was unfamiliar with them, so throughout the continuously deep information dumps on autism and therapy, all I found myself thinking was, “god I hope this was well researched.” And after finishing and seeing the author’s bio, I do feel more at ease on the knowledge part, but I found villainizing a special needs teen was super risky. 

I would say that the information in the above paragraph, as well as the way it was weaved into the possibility of a murder happening, was definitely one of the few things that kept me engaged and roped in. There are several attempts at unseen twists, however they are so straight forward that there’s little to no surprise with almost all of them, IE. Casey thinks the mother is doing something and the twist is…simply that she’s right??

The ending has a winding lead up to a scene right in front of a swamp, the author kind of remarks on the possibility of animals within the water, and then it literally leads to nothing at all. The final twist involves something that I do not believe was well threaded into the story, to the point where it comes out of left field. It felt wasted, or like being cheated. 

The cover had me thinking that they could have been going for like a southern belle/beauty pageant thing with the crown. The watery swirls could have been some hint to the swamp at the end or something, but I think honestly, the most likely thing is that this was a real cheap stock cover that got zero thought. And while the title’s color certainly pops, I’d much rather have a cover that matches the story somehow. 

Overall, I will say that I was at least never bored while reading this. A story of a mother’s love, or lack thereof, and her willingness to do anything for attention.

Thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the audio ARC. This novel features three different narrators: Luis Moreno, Robb Moreira, and June Angela. 

The Deading, which the kids totally started first and then the adults started copying, is a phenomenon where people just drop wherever they are and play dead. Men, women, animals, it can happen to anyone. 

What sounds like a somewhat interesting idea, unfortunately ends up being an incredible mess. It’s almost as if someone took the creepy idea behind Bird Box or Your Shadow Half Remains, those unseen but unstoppable changes in people, and instead just made it about people planking? At the start they kind of just play dead like hysteria fueled pranksters…and later it just evolves into shaking and spitting on the ground? 

The deading is also started by sea snails, that are also alien, that are also a hive mind absorbing all in their path? It was far too confusing to me, eradicating anything scary or creepy that could have been. It also starts in a bay where they are harvesting oysters, a huge focus of the opening chapters, which I thought would be a big thing, but it’s not at all. 

The novel features more than one character that is a bird watcher, and at one point early on in the novel there is literally several chapters in a row where they are just naming bird species? It just felt so strange, like nothing else at all. Perhaps the author is a big bird watcher? The audio narrators all take a separate piece of the pie. The woman doing the section that features an older woman, one of the bird watchers. The younger male voice gives the arc of the kids that don’t dead. They meet at night in a kind of Midnight Club YA-feeling resistance that does not pan out. The older male voice does everything else, and none of the three mesh together at all. I thought perhaps they would converge in the end, but they didn’t. 

I would perhaps have not shared my thoughts if I DNF’d, however with it being an arc I wanted to push on through. This felt disjointed, confused, and lacking a strong developmental edit. It’s really hard to write a book, and after all that work, I’d never want to hear that it was bad, but this really lacked direction. 

Grabbed this on kindle and gave it a go. My new job has little bits of time where I can read, but not quite long enough to pick up a book, so this short read was perfect. 

This is an extreme horror story, which is not usually my cup of tea. And honestly, that just scratches the surface. It’s extremely horrific, that’s what it is! 

An abused doll comes to life, seeking revenge on papa for everything she has seen and endured. His latest victim is still tied up in the basement, and Dollface is just in time to recruit her help—rescuing her, and possibly traumatizing her herself. 

Extremely sickening, and over the top, Dollface makes papa feel each and every regret possible. This story made me have to stop reading more than once, setting it aside to focus on something else. The descriptions hit me right in the stomach, unsettling and viscous. I will never be able to view anything cherry the same. 

Regardless of how horrific it can feel, remember that papa deserves what’s coming to him…so good for her. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the audio ARC! Saskia Maarleveld did a great job and brought the story to life, giving the character voice kind of a Poker Face, Natasha Lyonne vibe. 

After a traumatic experience as a child, in which she and her mother were forced to flee their little cabin, Anne turned to a life of crime to make ends meet. Always the professional, Anne had so far gotten away scot-free, only agreeing to one final score. However, after a bank robbery gone wrong, she may be forced back into things she’d been running from all her life. 

This was a really unique blend of crime and supernatural. It really does feel like bits of It Follows, The Evil Dead, and even Smile meshed together with a criminal on the run. As Anne dodged police and public recognition, there is something eerie and slithering following her all throughout the background. 

With an almost whiplash pacing, I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns in this one, only wondering how things would pan out when the climax seemed to happen too soon (it doesn’t). And of course with such a pace, it does go a bit too fast for the eerie suspense to build up, however the scenes the entity appears in were incredibly creepy, particularly the police station scene. 

The only thing that stuck out for me was the police officer as a side character. Anne specifically shoots his partner in the knee, injuring him, but stating several times she did not kill him. But then the kidnapped officer says that no one will believe him that he wasn’t involved and therefore he decides to help her? It just seemed odd to me a kind of a really weak reason for him to be there. Although I did enjoy Anne being multilayered and pulling almost everyone that meets her into her orbit because she wasn’t wholly bad. 

Overall, this is a very good one!

Grabbed this a bit ago on kindle, and needed a short read for slow bits at work, so this fit perfectly. 

This is a story of enslavement and loss. The ancient protectors of the land, the Chiroluna, the masters of moonlight, oversee the land, bringing their bats with them to pollinate the land and keep down the insect populations. However, they’ve been attacked, and one, Aysel, has been forced to remain in her human form for decades. The king, smitten with her human beauty, has effectively clipped her wings, forcing her to wed him, to attend him, to dine with him, but never to enjoy the moonlight again. 

However, there are those that still believe in the old ways, seeking the other lost Chiroluna, and painstakingly waiting until the time is ripe to free the Queen. So while this is a dark and abusive tale, it is also one of hope, strength, and eventual freedom. 

I’m impressed that in so few words the author was still able to paint multilayered characters. The King, though mislead (and manipulative) is not wholly evil. His love for his Queen is such that he can’t even see the damage caused to his lands by the absence of the Chiroluna. I truly believed that HE believed he was keeping her safe. The author makes a point to state that he used to be kind, gentle even. Perhaps the impending loss of the Queen was a gut feeling for the King, turning his anxiety to cruelty. But, giant mutating bat women have got to fly… and the Queen was a great example of persistence and strength. 

This was a quick and well written read, I’d definitely suggest it! 

Huge thanks to Saga Press for the physical arc! Getting to be a part of their program is fantastic and I can’t wait to get into more books. 

This is a fun mix of classical feeling fantasy, with notes of historical, epic, and even high fantasies. The younger cast has something fun and almost middle grade to it, while the action itself definitely reads as adult. It also packs all the necessary beats to be its own fairytale, with dragons, wizards, love triangles, happy endings, et al. 

The King and Queen of Bellemontagne are receiving princes left and right, all in pursuit of their daughter, Princess Cerise’s, hand in marriage. Meanwhile, Robert, the kingdom’s dragon exterminator, clears out the walls of the castle to ensure it’s at its best for the arrival of a certain prince. Robert hates his job, believing that dragons are more than the vermin they are considered to be. Prince Reginald is a coward, always wanting less than his station as Prince. His father, King Krije, is a powerful and imposing figure, wanting his son to prove his worth to the realm. Fate intertwines the three, drawing them in and forcing their hands as they seek to protect their desires and each other. 

Robert proves to be quite the main character. He is brave and carries strong morals. He is heroic and sacrifices, all while not wanting to be the hero. He is in essence, an iteration of the farm boy meant for so much more, and his power is required for the survival and betterment of others. 

The action is at points dark, with dragon fire leaving only the bleakest hope of survival. However, when the wizard Dahr gets officially involved, I found some of the final bits to be a bit confusing, and if not confusing, just less enjoyable. Still a worthy read by all means, just some further clarity on those beats would have heightened it all! 

I’ve been eying this one since I got in as a BoTM pick, but got so busy that I only just now got to it when I saw it on sale from Audible. I’m glad I did. Gabino does a lot of work to get a light shined on indie works, so I’m glad to read his work finally. 

Dark, dangerous, and absolutely beautiful; this novel is a deep dive into loss, grief, the lengths any one human can go, and striving to accept what’s happened. 

In a scene all too familiar, when Mario’s daughter gets sick, the bills start stacking high, and his employer doesn’t want to continue giving him time off. In desperate need for cash, and willing to do anything for his family, Mario is forced to a life of crime in an attempt to make ends meet. After a few successful jobs, Mario is invited to one with a much bigger score. One final job. The path that follows is nothing short of spectacular—supernatural, horrific, nightmarish, and filled with turns. 

The author’s writing is poetic in prose, while to the point, and packs a punch without giving way to too emotional a story. He tackles race and racism in the south, even showcasing what being an ally means through an integral character. It’s one of those reads where you’re like, “oh, that’s not what the book is about, but that’s what the book is about.” Shining a light onto something we don’t all get to experience. 

The major themes of family and regret are prevalent, while the nightmares of our world collide with those of something other. At no point did I know what would happen next, and honestly I didn’t know if I wanted it to end, or continue on damaging me forever. 

“You can wrap a shotgun in flowers, but that doesn’t make the blast less lethal.” 

I received this early to possibly provide a blurb, and that’s just wild to me that someone would allow me to do that??

This is compulsively readable. Concise writing that’s straight to the point and easy to read. I suggest not picking this up unless you know you have time to finish it, because you won’t be able to put it down. 

A little girl prays for the return of her father, meanwhile their prophet knows better than to bother. A young woman prepares for her wedding, though her mind often wanders, thinking back to the strange woman she met by the stream. Her marriage should be heaven sent, but something is off. 

Each section is led by one of the community’s tenets, which brings life to this very small feeling world, and helps to further illustrate just how controlled they all are by their prophet. Jane, the strange woman from the woods, has been biding her time—will the outcome be worth the wait?

The author managed so much in so few words! I’m impressed and I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this on my lunch break. I really enjoyed how this could be set during any time period. It’s a struggle of womanhood and religion, and it could be set in a cult-like setting like the movie the Village, modern, but cut off. Or it could be a period piece. Hell, it could even take place in its own world, the story being so secluded. 

While feeling so down to earth and real, this was bloody bloody revenge.