owlsreads's reviews
3507 reviews

It was okay. Lots of gore and people getting what they deserve.

Really didn't work for me. For some reason, I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters and perspectives. The plot also didn't catch my attention.

This one was so boring.

The beginning packed a punch, but the pace was a little slow during the first half of the book. The multiple perspectives were very well written and made it easy to connect with the characters and their voices. There was a lot of emotion and tension from all sides and Ream Shukairy did a fantastic job at tackling the heavy subjects surrounding the plot.

The second half was when things picked up and I really couldn't put the book down! There were so many moving parts as the trial progressed and some twists and reveals that shook that up. The ending itself was bittersweet and wrapped up the story rather nicely.

This was so lukewarm. The writing was very clunky at times and, despite knowing this was going for cozy and feel-good vibes, all of the conflicts get extremely rushed and underwhelming resolutions. I also wish we had gotten more side characters and seen more of the setting--everything felt very one dimensional. The first few chapters were super cute, though.

No rating because I skimmed a lot of the middle parts. This was very slow paced and the characters weren't distinct enough for me to be able to keep track of them all. I believe the strongest part of the book was all of the world-building regarding witchers and their magic.

incredibly Not For Me.

Fantastic format, great beginning, intriguing mystery. It dragged on a bit too long and then kind of shit the bed, personally, with the ending twist that I could see coming a mile away. Still entertaining, though!

Harvesters by L.L. McKinney: not much to say about this one except that I liked the twists!

Welcome Back to the Cosmos by Kortney Nash: really enjoyed the scifi elements and how they worked with the unsettling atmosphere.

Ghost Light by Erin E. Adams: theater lore! Something should have happened to Sarah.

The Brides of Devil's Bayou by Desiree S. Evans: I loved this! Great family curse and build up as it was resolved.

TMI by Zakiya Dalila Harris: short and intriguing.

Black Pride by Justina Ireland: you know what? I wouldn't mind if this was true. Great take on monsters!

The Screamers by Daka Hermon: a solid ghost and haunted house story!

Queeniums for Greenium! by Brittney Morris: the scariest story yet tbh. MLMs are a horror.

Inheritance by Camara Aaron: great way to tie folktales with family history.

Black Girl Nature Group by Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite: another favorite! We should never go into the woods with white people.

Cemetery Dance Party by Saraciea J. Fennell: this would make such a good movie tbh.

The Skittering Thing by Monica Brashears: a bit too weird and convoluted for me.

The Black Strings by Vincent Tirado: so much tension! I loved the take on the strings and how that unfolded.

Local Color by Eden Royce: started a little shaky, but the ending was great!

Foxhunt by Charlotte Nicole Davis: fantastic way to wrap up the collection! The Hunt concept isn't a new one, but I liked how it worked with Felix's mental health.

Overall, a fun read throughout. I did expect a bit more spookiness from the stories, however, instead of mostly action. 

Okay, this got me. I am invested. I want to know things. I want Coco to be okay and save her mom. Loved the reveals here and more world-building! And the friendship development and clues set up for what comes next was fantastic :D