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250 reviews
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I have complex feelings about Silver Nitrate.
On one hand, I loved setting. There’s so much interesting real-life movie history woven into the fiction, such as the way that films were dubbed. I’m very sad that I can’t watch all the fictional films made up for the narrative. They sound weird and bizarre and exactly my type.
I also enjoyed the two main characters, Montserrat and Tristán. I love acerbic female characters, so Montserrat's tough, anti-social personality is right up my alley. While I found Tristán a little less interesting, he has his moments. They’re both deeply messy people–Montserrat is obsessive and brusque, while Tristán is self-centered and vain–whose flaws are on full display.
But they’re also two people who care deeply about one another and have since childhood. The thing is that while this is well established, there’s a particular device that is used to remind us of this trust that gets grating. The two jumped into a grain silo as kids, and this is meant to illustrate the dynamics of their relationship: Montserrat leading, Tristán following.
The thing is that this grain silo thing gets brought up a lot. (I counted: nine times at least.) At some point it’s like oh, my god, I get it. They jumped into grain and it was a pivotal moment in their childhood. I don’t need to be reminded about it every time they choose to trust each other.
So. Why is my opinion on this book a little complicated?
Silver Nitrate is marketed as a “dark thriller.”
And it is–for the first half.
Halfway through, there’s a few chapters that felt strangely detached from the characters, almost summarize-y, skipping over events that, in a thriller, I would normally expect to be in the forefront of the narrative.
For example, Montserrat is a suspect for the death of Abel, the director. She is arrested and detained for two days. These events are skipped over and summarized when Tristán picks her up from the station. He tells her that she could be in real danger–the cops, after all, might pin the murder on her because she likes horror movies and it’s convenient–but after this chapter, the fact she is a suspect for murder, her time at the police station, or the investigation into Abel’s death is never brought up again.
In a dark thriller, I would expect that extra layer of tension and those additional stakes to last longer than a single scene.
The 50 to 70 percent mark was a bit of a slog for similar reasons. It wasn’t all that dark and it wasn’t all that thrilling. It felt as though the narrative was just trying to get through these middle events to get to the next part.
Then, at 70%, we go abruptly from “dark occult thriller with ghosts and curses” to “full on urban fantasy street battles.”
Don’t get me wrong. I like urban fantasy. But it’s a huge, jarring leap to make from dark thriller into urban fantasy with magical duels and giant dogs made of goop. A leap I did not enjoy, especially as the sudden power jump came seemingly out of nowhere, only to be explained later in an exposition dump. One particular line felt like the narrative was breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to readers who, like me, were like “What the fuck is going on?”
Halfway through, there’s a few chapters that felt strangely detached from the characters, almost summarize-y, skipping over events that, in a thriller, I would normally expect to be in the forefront of the narrative.
For example, Montserrat is a suspect for the death of Abel, the director. She is arrested and detained for two days. These events are skipped over and summarized when Tristán picks her up from the station. He tells her that she could be in real danger–the cops, after all, might pin the murder on her because she likes horror movies and it’s convenient–but after this chapter, the fact she is a suspect for murder, her time at the police station, or the investigation into Abel’s death is never brought up again.
In a dark thriller, I would expect that extra layer of tension and those additional stakes to last longer than a single scene.
The 50 to 70 percent mark was a bit of a slog for similar reasons. It wasn’t all that dark and it wasn’t all that thrilling. It felt as though the narrative was just trying to get through these middle events to get to the next part.
Then, at 70%, we go abruptly from “dark occult thriller with ghosts and curses” to “full on urban fantasy street battles.”
Don’t get me wrong. I like urban fantasy. But it’s a huge, jarring leap to make from dark thriller into urban fantasy with magical duels and giant dogs made of goop. A leap I did not enjoy, especially as the sudden power jump came seemingly out of nowhere, only to be explained later in an exposition dump. One particular line felt like the narrative was breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to readers who, like me, were like “What the fuck is going on?”
I was also asking what the fuck was going on at the end. I literally rolled my eyes and said “Are you kidding me?” out loud.
Because, for some reason, the two decide to move in together and start dating in the final chapter.
In my humble opinion, while the two work well together as lead characters, they don’t have any romantic chemistry. Their platonic relationship, as messy, unhealthy, and dependent as it is, is fascinating to read on page. Their friendship challenges each of them to be better than they are in the interest of the other.
Suddenly changing that friendship into something romantic feels cheap, despite the narrative throwing in brief references to Montserrat’s schoolgirl crush on him. This ending is both predictable (he was a boy, she was a girl) and unearned (brief moments of passing attraction does not a romantic subplot establish).
This ending is part of a pattern in media I deeply dislike: two characters, a man and a woman, share a deep bond, love one another, and trust one another in a platonic relationship, only for the ending of the book to hastily smoosh the two together into a romantic relationship as a way to validate their closeness.
God forbid a man and a woman stay platonic, right?
(Plus, Montserrat deserves way better than him.)
In my humble opinion, while the two work well together as lead characters, they don’t have any romantic chemistry. Their platonic relationship, as messy, unhealthy, and dependent as it is, is fascinating to read on page. Their friendship challenges each of them to be better than they are in the interest of the other.
Suddenly changing that friendship into something romantic feels cheap, despite the narrative throwing in brief references to Montserrat’s schoolgirl crush on him. This ending is both predictable (he was a boy, she was a girl) and unearned (brief moments of passing attraction does not a romantic subplot establish).
This ending is part of a pattern in media I deeply dislike: two characters, a man and a woman, share a deep bond, love one another, and trust one another in a platonic relationship, only for the ending of the book to hastily smoosh the two together into a romantic relationship as a way to validate their closeness.
God forbid a man and a woman stay platonic, right?
(Plus, Montserrat deserves way better than him.)
FINAL THOUGHTS
This was my first Silvia Morena-Garcia book, and it’s gotten me interested in reading her novel Certain Dark Things, a neo-noir fantasy also set in Mexican City.
I’d recommend Silver Nitrate to urban fantasy readers looking to explore the horror genre, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to anyone looking for a dark occult thriller.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley.
The Girls In The Cabin by Caleb Stephens
So. Okay.
The main plot twist in The Girls in the Cabin uses the Split Personality trope. Clara’s alternate personality, Sydney, formed due to severe childhood physical and sexual abuse. While not diagnosed as DID by a medical professional, Chris speculates it to be DID.
The trope is played pretty straight–The Girls in the Cabin is not a case where the trope is being critically examined or challenged.
Split Personality is a trope I really do not like in psychological thrillers for two reasons: its effect on the perception of DID and my personal opinions on the trope.
Broadly speaking, the use of the trope (especially in psychological horror) demonizes those with DID. Ever since the trope became popular due to movies like Psycho, it’s been part of the way that folks with DID are ostracized. The trope paints those with DID as violent. Because the Split Personality villain (again, see Psycho, or, more recently, Split) is one of the few ways people are first exposed to the concept, they then internalize that people with DID are inherently dangerous. Quite frankly, people with DID already have enough on their plate; they don't need this too.
To use a less human example to illustrate my point, I dislike the Killer Animal trope for the same reason: it spreads misinformation, and misinformation has a very real world impact (for example, see Jaws’ impact on real world shark populations).
Clara, the character with an alternate personality, does get point of view chapters that take pains to develop sympathy for her as her own character. In fact, the novel begins with her point of view, and returns to it throughout. The abuse and pain she went through are not merely used as a backstory, but are a central focus throughout the novel.
However, The Girls in the Cabin is a story about someone with DID kidnapping and torturing a family, both psychologically and physically. To that extent, even though Clara’s character has her own point of view that develops her as a sympathetic character, this is still an example of the Split Personality trope demonizing those with DID.
Is Clara/Sydney the most harmful example of the trope out there? No, probably not. But it still is what it is.
Additionally, even if we put aside the harmful elements of the trope, it’s my opinion that, in general, the DID/Split Personality twist is played out in psychological horror. Personally, I rarely find it interesting.
In terms of The Girls in the Cabin, the Split Personality twist was pretty obvious to me well before the reveal. Now, if it hadn’t been a Split Personality deal and Sydney was her own seperate character, that would have been a twist I didn’t see coming.
Am I saying that the trope needs to be banished forever from psychological horror? No, of course not. I don't want to dictate what people write about, what they choose to explore in their psychological horror, nor how they feel about certain tropes.
What I am saying is that it's a trope I personally dislike and don't find interesting (or psychologically horrifying, thrilling, etc) to the point where the trope's presence will almost certainly impact my enjoyment of any media that uses it.
I probably would have rated this book a four star read if that trope wasn't used, because I thoroughly enjoyed everything else about The Girls in the Cabin (the snappy prose, the tension, the quick pacing, the crushing sense of isolation and desperation).
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to Caleb Stephens and Joffe Books for providing a review copy! I was also sent an advance copy of Stephen’s upcoming book Feeders, which I’m very much looking forward to reading, as well as a copy of his short story collection.
REVIEW
REVIEW
I didn’t want to put The Girls in the Cabin down.
I read it through the previews of a movie (I was the only one in the theater, don’t judge me), during dinner (studiously ignoring Master Chef in the background–which was a big sacrifice, considering the show is basically Alton Brown’s personal take on the Saw franchise), and snatching bits and pieces wherever else I could.
It’s not because the twists were necessarily surprising–I called the main reveal almost immediately–but because I wanted to know how it was going to happen. How far would Chris, Kayla, and Emma stretch before they broke? How far would Clara, Sydney, and Billy be willing to go?
Stephens does not hang back on the psychological or physical torture. There’s an eye scene near the end of the book that was so tense I was holding my breath.
I loved how tense this book is. The pacing is pulled taunt, with stakes that grow tighter and tighter. The prose snaps across the page.
I loved how tense this book is. The pacing is pulled taunt, with stakes that grow tighter and tighter. The prose snaps across the page.
It’s not the ideas, but rather the execution that Stephens does really well. I was a chronic watcher of Criminal Minds in high school, and the situation in this book felt a bit like something that might happen in that show (sans, of course, the BAU–Chris and his daughters have to get themselves out of this mess).
I will say that there are some reservations I have about The Girls in the Cabin, discussed below. Beware of spoilers!!!!
The main plot twist in The Girls in the Cabin uses the Split Personality trope. Clara’s alternate personality, Sydney, formed due to severe childhood physical and sexual abuse. While not diagnosed as DID by a medical professional, Chris speculates it to be DID.
The trope is played pretty straight–The Girls in the Cabin is not a case where the trope is being critically examined or challenged.
Split Personality is a trope I really do not like in psychological thrillers for two reasons: its effect on the perception of DID and my personal opinions on the trope.
Broadly speaking, the use of the trope (especially in psychological horror) demonizes those with DID. Ever since the trope became popular due to movies like Psycho, it’s been part of the way that folks with DID are ostracized. The trope paints those with DID as violent. Because the Split Personality villain (again, see Psycho, or, more recently, Split) is one of the few ways people are first exposed to the concept, they then internalize that people with DID are inherently dangerous. Quite frankly, people with DID already have enough on their plate; they don't need this too.
To use a less human example to illustrate my point, I dislike the Killer Animal trope for the same reason: it spreads misinformation, and misinformation has a very real world impact (for example, see Jaws’ impact on real world shark populations).
Clara, the character with an alternate personality, does get point of view chapters that take pains to develop sympathy for her as her own character. In fact, the novel begins with her point of view, and returns to it throughout. The abuse and pain she went through are not merely used as a backstory, but are a central focus throughout the novel.
However, The Girls in the Cabin is a story about someone with DID kidnapping and torturing a family, both psychologically and physically. To that extent, even though Clara’s character has her own point of view that develops her as a sympathetic character, this is still an example of the Split Personality trope demonizing those with DID.
Is Clara/Sydney the most harmful example of the trope out there? No, probably not. But it still is what it is.
Additionally, even if we put aside the harmful elements of the trope, it’s my opinion that, in general, the DID/Split Personality twist is played out in psychological horror. Personally, I rarely find it interesting.
In terms of The Girls in the Cabin, the Split Personality twist was pretty obvious to me well before the reveal. Now, if it hadn’t been a Split Personality deal and Sydney was her own seperate character, that would have been a twist I didn’t see coming.
Am I saying that the trope needs to be banished forever from psychological horror? No, of course not. I don't want to dictate what people write about, what they choose to explore in their psychological horror, nor how they feel about certain tropes.
What I am saying is that it's a trope I personally dislike and don't find interesting (or psychologically horrifying, thrilling, etc) to the point where the trope's presence will almost certainly impact my enjoyment of any media that uses it.
I probably would have rated this book a four star read if that trope wasn't used, because I thoroughly enjoyed everything else about The Girls in the Cabin (the snappy prose, the tension, the quick pacing, the crushing sense of isolation and desperation).
FINAL THOUGHTS
This was a fast, tense read, which–besides my opinion regarding the previously discussed trope–I found to be snappily (and thrillingly!) written.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller and don’t have the same hang-ups I do about the use of that trope, then I’d definitely suggest picking this one up, especially if you’re a fan of Criminal Minds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Vomit, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Plot spoiler: This book uses the Split Personality trope, with the main villain being heavily insinuated (but not diagnosed) to be DID.
Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
SUMMARY
Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft. And every hired gun in Kansas is out to collect the bounty on her head, including witch hunter Old Tom and his mysterious, mute ward, Rabbit.
On the road to Burden County, they’re joined by two vagabond cowboys with a strong sense of adventure – but no sense of purpose – and a recently widowed school teacher with nothing left to lose. As their posse grows, so too does the danger.
Racing along the landscape in a stolen red stagecoach, they encounter monsters--and men--more wicked than witches lurking along the dusty trail. (adapted from https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250874689/redrabbit)
REVIEW
As someone obsessed with epic poetry, folklore, and long-ass books, I loved Red Rabbit.
The book is a brick at over 400 pages, broken into seven parts. Point of view is third person, and shifts between characters chapter-by-chapter, sometimes even jumping to characters whom we haven’t met and whose relation to the plot is unclear (at least, until it all comes together and their relation to the plot becomes *very* clear).
Grecian doesn’t waste time, but he also doesn’t rush–the pacing overall is excellent, and carries well throughout the entire length. The only minor criticism I have is that the leadup to the final confrontation feels a bit rushed, but considering how eager I was to see what happened next, I didn’t mind too much.
The characters are so textured. Whether I loved them dearly or wanted to trample them with a horse, I wanted to see what they were going to do next. The whole cast–even characters I thought I would dislike, such as Joe Mullins–quickly grew close to my heart.
(Except Tom. Fuck that guy.)
Despite having already spent 400 pages with Sadie, Rose, Ned, Moses, Rabbit, and stranger folk we meet near the final leg of the road, I wish we could have spent more time with them before the story drew to a close. I want to know more about Ned and Moses’ adventures, and more about their friendship. I want to see what Rose does after that final chapter. Hell, the setting itself (as all good settings are) became its own character–even if we don’t get to see more from the Red Rabbit crew, I would love another book that explores Red Rabbit’s setting in the future. I love folk horror and supernatural weird west, and the take executed by Grecian was fantastic.
The villain was delightfully terrifying. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say this: the villain reminds me of a Hieronymus Bosch painting, if that Hieronymus Bosch painting wanted to hunt you for sport.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’ll definitely be returning to Red Rabbit in the future. It’s got everything I love: an odyssey, fantastic characters, weird folk horror, cowboys, and a freaky, intimidating villain whose only goal in life is to cause murder on purpose. I’d love to give the audiobook a listen–I’ve heard good things.
If you also love horror weird West, you’ve got to read Red Rabbit. It’s one helluva bloody ride.
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in Red Rabbit, it releases 19 September 2023.
If possible, support indie bookshops by purchasing the novel from your local brick and mortar or from Bookshop.org!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Minor: Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Vomit, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
An Oresteia by Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
REVIEW
Before we begin, I must invoke the Muses–I call upon Thalia, and Erato, and, of course, my girl Calliope. I beg you, sing; grant me the patience (and the caffeine) to get through writing this review without being too much of a joyless critic.
Let’s begin with the positives.
The setting is fun, if a bit sparse on the worldbuilding. It’s a very modernized (though in a self-aware way), romanticized version of 1812 Bath/London, where the gods of yore and faeries in tales are very much real, though largely not too much of a deal. The primary inspirations for Mortal Follies seem to stem from Shakespeare plays and Roman myth, with the two primary mythological figures being a Puck-ish narrator and a minor goddess local to Bath.
Prose-wise, the style is lighthearted and a bit flowery in a lively, frolicking way. The story is told in the first person from the point of view of a fae narrator, who primarily follows Miss Mitchelmore, with the occasional diversion to trail Lady Landrake or a side character.
The characters are good, primarily because they have snappy, witty dialogue and personalities that play well off one another. My favorite, likely surprising no one, is an extremely niche side trans character who gets two-ish scenes and is the coolest character in the whole novel. Tabitha (human Tabitha, not muse Tabitha) rules and it’s a crime she didn’t get more page time.
With that, we must unfortunately pivot into the more negative of my thoughts.
Setting was too modern at times. There’s a whole conversation about ‘tinging,’ a term coined by Miss Mitchelmore’s best friend, Miss Bickle, which is defined as her desire to see two characters–or two people–end up together. What's in a name? That which we call shipping by any other name would still be completely anachronistic in a Regency era setting, even if we call it something different. I believe it was supposed to be amusing, but it was not. It was eye-roll inducing.
There’s also the issue of swear words. I’m a great proponent of the word ‘fuck;’ it’s fun, but felt out of place in Mortal Follies, especially as it got to be used so liberally. (Yes, I’m well aware the word has been around for ages–this is a Tiffany Problem sort of issue.)
'Fuck' also just feels a bit… uninspired, in this context. I’d much prefer some more interesting, funny, or clever ways of swearing or referring to intercourse than just using ‘fuck.’ Like, come on! The narrative is drawing, at least partially, from Shakespeare. Have at least a little fun with it.
'Fuck' also just feels a bit… uninspired, in this context. I’d much prefer some more interesting, funny, or clever ways of swearing or referring to intercourse than just using ‘fuck.’ Like, come on! The narrative is drawing, at least partially, from Shakespeare. Have at least a little fun with it.
Now for my biggest issue: the narrator. In the prologue, Mortal Follies is framed as a novel written by a now-mortal fae, Robin, (who, within the lore, is actually also Alexis Hall, and maybe also Puck?). Due to a quarrel with Oberon, they have to make a living by writing books.
Robin is obnoxious. While their humor is, I admit, sometimes clever, it often isn’t. Their humor--and thus, the novel's--relies too much on the whole quirky “wow being a human is sucks, what do you mean you have to pay rent, you can’t turn into mist? that’s soooo silly” gimmick. I cannot stand it.
They also constantly insert themself into the narrative in a way that wore out my welcome as soon as it came through the door. I'm fairly certain this is to set up later books, as I believe this is going to be a series.
Robin is obnoxious. While their humor is, I admit, sometimes clever, it often isn’t. Their humor--and thus, the novel's--relies too much on the whole quirky “wow being a human is sucks, what do you mean you have to pay rent, you can’t turn into mist? that’s soooo silly” gimmick. I cannot stand it.
They also constantly insert themself into the narrative in a way that wore out my welcome as soon as it came through the door. I'm fairly certain this is to set up later books, as I believe this is going to be a series.
While Robin does follow the characters to whom the most interesting things are happening, they do not, in my opinion, follow the most interesting characters. Outside of her misfortune, Miss Mitchelmore is, quite frankly, boring, and so is Lady Georgiana Landrake (if to a slightly lesser extent). The side characters--such as Mr. Caesar, a gay man of color, and Tabitha, a trans woman and priestess--are so much more interesting. My favorite moments in the book were Mr. Caesar's visit to Serena's, a sort of gay gentlemen's club/salon/coffee house, and his subsequent visit to Tabitha, because those scenes explored what it meant to be queer in the novel's world in a really interesting, nuanced, genuine way, something completely lacking from the rest of the book, which overall came off as quite saccharine and shallow in comparison.
Anyway. Speaking of queerness and our leading ladies: their romance may be slow, but it does not burn. It barely sparked. I couldn’t give two hoots about their relationship and, quite frankly, do not ‘ting’ them. Especially since I'm not much of a fan of the age gap; Mitchelmore is 19, while Landrake is 24. Not the biggest age gap there is (especially in the context of a Regency era romance rather than a contemporary romance), but it's enough of a difference for me to get a little icked out. Probably couldn’t identify much of a real personality trait for either of them. There’s lots of dialogue between them that’s good but is also clearly designed to be ‘shippable,’ if that makes sense, rather than creating any real, deep, or interesting bond between them. They barely know each other, and I barely know them, either. Quite frankly, I don't really care to.
I had a fun enough time with the first half (which focused on solving the mystery of Miss Mitchelmore’s curse). The second half (which sort of? focused on the romance and on Lady Landrake's backstory, which ended up being, in my opinion, boring) felt disconnected, dragged in pace, and fell flat. An astounding accomplishment, considering it contains an Orpheus-and-Eurydice mini-retelling.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The folklore/mythological elements and side characters, though far more interesting, were not the focus and thus did not compensate for the irritating, intrusive narrator and unengaging romance. While I’m sure others would like the humor, I don’t go for the type of quirky fandom-y humor often used. The second half dragged. And, in my humble opinion, the book had no business being over 400 pages in the first place.
Ultimately, this book just didn’t click with me. Maybe you’ll like Mortal Follies if you love Regency era romances and are itching for a sapphic one, but I’m not chomping at the bit to recommend it.
I’m not usually a romance reader, though, so it may be a matter of taste.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in Mortal Follies, you can find more information from the publishers. If possible, support indie bookshops by purchasing the novel from your local brick and mortar or from Bookshop.org.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
Universal Harvester by John Darnielle
dark
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I have... complex feelings about this book.
It was labeled as horror on the library's site, and after reading through the description, I assumed the same. It's not horror, though. No, certainly not.
I do love the story, and I'm very glad I listened to it. It's got some very interesting ruminations on grief, memory, and loss, particularly in a small town context. I liked all the characters (except the new family at the end--not that I disliked them, but more so that they were part of an unsatisfactory end ), especially as they all felt deeply, deeply real. Of the issues I have with this novel, character writing was not one of them.
My issue is that the narrative holds onto revealing *anything* about Lisa and the truth of the tapes for so long that it becomes tiresome. I was so ready for things to wrap up at the end of section two, but was more than a little annoyed to see that there was still an hour and a half left, then even more annoyed when there was a jump to the future with a whole new family of people.
Yes, this time skip is narratively thematic, and yes, it does have some interesting stuff on the theme of loss and remembrance.But those final act reveals come via an infodump by Lisa which reveals she's been the (possibly part time?) narrator all along. Instead of getting to discover this conclusion alongside Jeremy--or even get to experience what he experiences during the farmhouse interrogation--we are randomly ripped to another time, painstakingly introduced to four new people, those four new people find the tapes and figure out a little about them. We get to see what happened to Jeremy, which for some reason comes now, not earlier. Then the new guys wander offstage while Lisa mops the story up all clean in a final narration that reveals that the tapes were of a cult deprogramming.
I want to like this book. I loved the prose and the characters, and it hits a lot of themes/topics I love;small towns, religion/cults of personality, complex but deeply loving family dynamics, VHS and found footage, and loss and grief . But the narrative's tendency to skirt around actually telling the story was growing to overstay its welcome at about 70%. Events (such as the Jeremy tape and anything new about the actual content of the tapes) were not shown to to the reader for no discernible reason other than an attempt at mystery, which is a risky move and was not executed well here.
The summary focuses pretty hard on the weird spliced footage moment. While that is the spark that begins the novel, and the footage is a thorough line of the novel, that creepy footage is not the main focus of the novel at all, even when it is the primary plot point on the page.
Also, it was a little hard to follow at times. But that is likely because I was listening on audiobook (which I would actually recommend; it's read by the author, who has a lovely voice).
It was labeled as horror on the library's site, and after reading through the description, I assumed the same. It's not horror, though. No, certainly not.
I do love the story, and I'm very glad I listened to it. It's got some very interesting ruminations on grief, memory, and loss, particularly in a small town context. I liked all the characters (except
My issue is that the narrative holds onto revealing *anything* about Lisa and the truth of the tapes for so long that it becomes tiresome. I was so ready for things to wrap up at the end of section two, but was more than a little annoyed to see that there was still an hour and a half left, then even more annoyed when there was a jump to the future with a whole new family of people.
Yes, this time skip is narratively thematic, and yes, it does have some interesting stuff on the theme of loss and remembrance.
I want to like this book. I loved the prose and the characters, and it hits a lot of themes/topics I love;
The summary focuses pretty hard on the weird spliced footage moment. While that is the spark that begins the novel, and the footage is a thorough line of the novel, that creepy footage is not the main focus of the novel at all, even when it is the primary plot point on the page.
Also, it was a little hard to follow at times. But that is likely because I was listening on audiobook (which I would actually recommend; it's read by the author, who has a lovely voice).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
All These Sunken Souls by Circe Moskowitz
"Lights" by Kalynn Bayron - ⭐⭐⭐
"Be Not Afraid" by Ashia Monet - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"All My Best Friends Are Dead" by Liselle Sambury - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The Teeth Come Out At Night" by Sami Ellis - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I Love Your Eyes" by Joel Rochester - DNF
"The Consumption of Vienna Montrose" by Joelle Wellington - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ok it's 5⭐ but GOD I loved this one so much)
"The Landscape of Broken Things" by Brent Lambert - ⭐⭐⭐.5
"Mother, Daughter, and the Devil" by Donyae Coles - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Papa Pearlie" by Ryan Douglass - ⭐⭐⭐
"No Harm Done" by Circe Moskowitz ⭐⭐⭐⭐
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
SUMMARY
In All These Sunken Souls, horror is explored through a blending of genres–ghost stories, folklore, and weird, among others–written by established and debut Black authors.
REVIEW
All These Sunken Souls hits like hell and doesn’t stop. Every time I thought I’d surely found the standout story in the collection another came along and vied hard for the position, leaving me with three choices and no desire to choose favorites. So I shan’t! It's my review and I can do as I please.
“Be Not Afraid,” “The Consumption of Vienna Montrose,” and “Mother, Daughter, and the Devil” hit everything I want from a good horror short story. These three have fantastic prose that takes on a life of its own; it’s rare I feel like I can hear the protagonist's voice clear as day; these girls spoke. The narratives are fresh and unique while conversing with tropes, stories, and histories that came before them. And, as a bonus, they feature beautifully written female characters.
Save one, every single short story was as least three stars, with most of them being four or five stars. The single exception was a matter of purely taste–I didn’t enjoy the first five pages, skimmed ahead, and realized that my issue, the prose, persisted throughout. So I skipped it. (I only mention the fact I DNF’d this one story for transparency’s sake, as this was an ARC.)
Broadly speaking, this collection features tropes and themes I love love LOVE in horror. Body horror (tooth, flesh, and bone), names (and the lack of them), houses (sentient or otherwise), biblical imagery (of the accurate angelic sort), folk tales and ghost stories (told and acted), and the comfort–yet also the horrific pain–of isolation.
And that’s not all, of course. But you’ll explore the rest yourself.
INDIVIDUAL STORY RATINGS
INDIVIDUAL STORY RATINGS
"Lights" by Kalynn Bayron - ⭐⭐⭐
"Be Not Afraid" by Ashia Monet - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"All My Best Friends Are Dead" by Liselle Sambury - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The Teeth Come Out At Night" by Sami Ellis - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I Love Your Eyes" by Joel Rochester - DNF
"The Consumption of Vienna Montrose" by Joelle Wellington - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (ok it's 5⭐ but GOD I loved this one so much)
"The Landscape of Broken Things" by Brent Lambert - ⭐⭐⭐.5
"Mother, Daughter, and the Devil" by Donyae Coles - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Papa Pearlie" by Ryan Douglass - ⭐⭐⭐
"No Harm Done" by Circe Moskowitz ⭐⭐⭐⭐
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you like horror, you absolutely must read this collection. Doubly so if you have interest in diverse horror, horror short stories, or, like me, just really love a visceral piece of character-driven horror.
Thank you to Amberjack Publishing for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in All These Sunken Souls, it will be released 17 October 2023. If possible, support indie bookshops by purchasing the novel from your local brick and mortar or from Bookshop.org!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers
dark
mysterious
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
3.5
I loved the narrator. He's got a lovely, deep voice, perfect for the horror stories. He also did decent character voices.
Originally I just wanted to re-read the horror stories, but since the audiobook had the whole kitten caboodle, I figured hey, why not just listen to all of them. I now understand why no one remembers Chambers for his romance. His horror has such a lovely sense of unreality and slow, creeping terror, while his romance is excrutiatingly boring, only made palatable if the protagonist is likable.
THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): My fav of the collection, though it's hard to choose. A masterclass in having an unreliable narrator.
THE MASK (⭐⭐⭐⭐): A good tragedy but not the best of the collection regarding the horror of it.
IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): So creepy. Love a church setpiece, especially a French church with a big organ.
THE YELLOW SIGN (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): My second fav! The weird guy is so creepy, and the hearse dream is so bizarre.
THE DEMOISELLE D'YS (⭐⭐⭐): Wasn't expecting the twist at the end; pretty decent romance story.
THE PROPHETS' PARADISE (N/A): I have a hard time listening to poetry for the first time out loud so honestly most of this went in one ear and out the other. I need to go back and read it in print.
THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS (⭐⭐): Plus half a star for the very sweet protag who, relateably, has the "custom to converse with animals, probably because he lived so much alone."
THE STREET OF THE FIRST SHELL (⭐): I hope the protagonist chokes and dies on that stupid roast chicken. Fuck that guy.
THE STREET OF OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS (⭐⭐⭐): Reaches three stars because of the sweet darling himbo protagonist, as well as due to this line that made me laugh out loud: "'There is a nouveau here who is so tender and green and appetizing that Heaven help him if he should fall into a salad bowl.'"
RUE BARRÉE (⭐⭐): Honestly thought it was part of the last story and was very confused but I get it now. Anyway, it was boring but at least I didn't despise the protagonist.
Originally I just wanted to re-read the horror stories, but since the audiobook had the whole kitten caboodle, I figured hey, why not just listen to all of them. I now understand why no one remembers Chambers for his romance. His horror has such a lovely sense of unreality and slow, creeping terror, while his romance is excrutiatingly boring, only made palatable if the protagonist is likable.
THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): My fav of the collection, though it's hard to choose. A masterclass in having an unreliable narrator.
THE MASK (⭐⭐⭐⭐): A good tragedy but not the best of the collection regarding the horror of it.
IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): So creepy. Love a church setpiece, especially a French church with a big organ.
THE YELLOW SIGN (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): My second fav! The weird guy is so creepy, and the hearse dream is so bizarre.
THE DEMOISELLE D'YS (⭐⭐⭐): Wasn't expecting the twist at the end; pretty decent romance story.
THE PROPHETS' PARADISE (N/A): I have a hard time listening to poetry for the first time out loud so honestly most of this went in one ear and out the other. I need to go back and read it in print.
THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS (⭐⭐): Plus half a star for the very sweet protag who, relateably, has the "custom to converse with animals, probably because he lived so much alone."
THE STREET OF THE FIRST SHELL (⭐): I hope the protagonist chokes and dies on that stupid roast chicken. Fuck that guy.
THE STREET OF OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS (⭐⭐⭐): Reaches three stars because of the sweet darling himbo protagonist, as well as due to this line that made me laugh out loud: "'There is a nouveau here who is so tender and green and appetizing that Heaven help him if he should fall into a salad bowl.'"
RUE BARRÉE (⭐⭐): Honestly thought it was part of the last story and was very confused but I get it now. Anyway, it was boring but at least I didn't despise the protagonist.
All the Lovely Bad Ones Graphic Novel by Mary Downing Hahn
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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? No
5.0
SUMMARY
Siblings Travis and Corey are incorrigible trouble makers. When they get sent to their grandmother’s inn for the summer and find out it’s supposedly haunted, they decide to stage a haunting of their own. It will be fun, and besides, a ghost will be good for business.
Turns out, though, the ghosts of Fox Hill are easy to wake. When Travis and Corey realize what they’ve done, they must try to lay the restless spirits to rest.
REVIEW
It’s been ages since I’ve read Juvenile horror (the last one being Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), so picking this up, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I got was a fantastic ghost story with beautiful art that got surprisingly (but, I think, appropriately) dark. I won’t spoil anything, but the final confrontation had my jaw dropped.
The art is gorgeous. It’s consistently excellent, too–something I’ve noticed isn’t always the case in graphic novels (to no fault of the artist’s, of course. Poor art quality is typically a reflection of rushed deadlines or poor pay). The character designs are fantastic (the kids are all adorable), the colorwork is gorgeous, and I love the style and use of lineart. The cover is accurate to the inside.
The illustrators are Naomi Franquiz, Brittany Peer, and Joamette Gil, who all absolutely knocked it out of the park. I’d love to see more horror graphic novels from them as a team in the future!
The ghost story elements are very American folklore, reminding me of ghost stories I’ve heard both as an adult in the horror space and as a kid at summer camp: wicked rich folk using their power and wealth to suppress poor folk, accompanied by all the resulting the bloodshed and tragedy. What is especially vital about All the Lovely Bad Ones’ ghost story is the treatment of historical tragedy; the narrative urges acknowledgement of tragedy and honoring the dead, rather than profiting off of or making a spectacle of very real pain.
Ghost stories are about the past, but they’re about the future, too. In a digital age where it’s all too easy to make a spectacle of death and pain, it’s especially important for narratives to explore how to respect tragedies while honoring and acknowledging the dead.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I had such a blast with All the Lovely Bad Ones. I should read more juvenile horror, especially ghost stories–they’re where it’s at.
All the Lovely Bad Ones is a treat for middle-grade readers and adult readers alike. If you’ve got a ghost-story loving kid in your life, they’ll love this graphic novel, and readers of the original story will love the way the artists brought the characters to life.
Thank you to Clarion Books for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in All the Lovely Bad Ones, it releases 15 August 2023. Find more information from the publishers, including preorder information. If possible, support indie bookshops by purchasing the novel from your local brick and mortar or from Bookshop.org!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Content at an appropriate level for middle-grade readers, but dark.