selendrea's reviews
30 reviews

Out There Screaming by Jordan Peele, John Joseph Adams

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Typical of any anthology, there were some gems in this book, while other stories fell flat. The Rider, The Wandering Devil, Eye & Tooth, and Happy Place were my favorites, with Origin Story deserving a honorary mention for being so odd yet thought provoking. The stories that I didn't enjoy as much tended to take on too many ideas in a short amount of time, or had convoluted plots.

Overall, I really enjoyed learning about cultures that I am less familiar with through the lens of horror/sci-fi.
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Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

There isn't much I can say about Blood Over Bright Haven that hasn't already been said. The story is phenomenal, the writing kept me engaged, the two main characters are incredibly well fleshed out, the magic system is unique and imaginative, and the themes will hit you like a gut-punch.  I truly enjoyed experiencing what this book had to offer, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who loves both fantasy and stories with rich commentary on real-world oppression, colonization, and marginalization.

However, I have a handful of minor gripes with this novel. I felt that Wang leaned a bit heavily on dialogue, especially to exposit details of the world of Tiran. I wish that the author did more showing than telling, especially
when it came to the experiences of the Kwen. We hear about their mistreatment a lot
, but rarely is it shown, which I feel would have a bigger impact on the reader. Secondly, I didn't enjoy the scene where
Renthorn tries to sexually assault Sciona. I don't believe that scenes like this should be completely avoided in literature - to the contrary, they can be an excellent tool to build character and set the stakes. It just felt like it came out of nowhere, and I really really detest when a love interest just happens to stumble across the FMC in danger of "losing her honor" and saves her with one punch.
It's tropey and unnecessary.

While not a perfect book, it still was an entertaining and thought-provoking read.
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Foe by Iain Reid

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mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Foe is an incredibly intriguing sci-fi-esque novel with a ton of layers, and I really enjoyed peeling those layers back. Reid has a lot to say about long-term relationships, feeling connected to your partner vs. having autonomy, and developing self-determination. I love how both Junior's and Hen's self-determination grows over the novel, each for different reasons. The last 10% of the book is a masterclass in storytelling. This novel has a truly, deliciously satisfying ending.

The middle, however, drags. I'll be 100% honest. I don't mind a book taking place in one location and consisting of primarily dialogue, but I feel like the conversations became repetitive. I can't fault this book that I predicted the twist, but I spent the latter half of my reading time just waiting for the reveal to confirm what I already knew. I felt that
Terrance copying Junior's habits, going to his work, and wearing his clothing
were simply added to be a weak red herring. Those behaviors made no sense in the context of the actual ending.

Additionally, I wish that Reid spent a bit more time world building and describing this not-so-distant future in which the novel takes place.
The lack of farm animals, self-driving cars, and the Installation itself
were the only big hints we received about the nature of this world, but I wanted so much more.

Nonetheless, this book exemplifies why I'm a huge Iain Reid fan. His ability to weave together a unique story that keeps you guessing is marvelous. Like his other novels, Foe is one that will leave you thinking about it, interpreting it, and wanting to discuss it for weeks afterward.
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Where I End by Sophie White

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Where I End treads the line between beautiful and grotesque. The prose is so impeccably written, easily conjuring up imagery of the forlorn foggy Irish island and getting you in the mindset of Aioleann, our main character.

Do we want to be in her mindset, though? That's the question. She's horrific, uncomfortable, abusive. It's a difficult book to stomach. I read several horror books a month and this may be the most disturbing I've read so far.

And yet, something about this book weaseled into my mind and I can't stop thinking about it. The atmosphere, the isolation, the emotional journey, and the characterization of everyone involved was so incredibly well done. Despite the dread that White gave me with her writing, I didn't want to stop reading.

While the plot was generally fascinating and unexpected, I still felt a bit confused by the end. I don't 100% understand the mother's affliction.
Did she consciously choose to stop speaking and moving? Is the plot suggesting that she had such a mental health break that it immobilized her? Why did she only communicate with the note and writing singular letters? If she could move at night, why couldn't she move any other time to do anything productive?
I had more questions than answers about her physical condition by the end of the novel, but I don't think this takes away from the overall intrigue of the book.

I absolutely loathed the main character, but experiencing her thought process was strangely intoxicating. I additionally loved learning more about Irish folklore throughout this book. If you enjoy weird, uncomfortable, and haunting stories about families, give this one a go, but don't say I didn't warn you!
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The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I went into reading The God of the Woods knowing that it had tremendous hype behind it and feeling quite excited to uncover its plot. While I did enjoy it, I wouldn't say it's a perfect book.

Moore's writing is incredibly strong, with her best talent being how she brings characters to life on the page. The beginning of the novel is particularly captivating, and the setting is both cozy and intimidating. I did have a difficult time putting the book down. Additionally, I appreciated how Moore subtly included several callbacks throughout the text to earlier themes and phrases.

This novel is more of a slow burn than a fast-paced thriller. I do believe it's too long, and some superfluous scenes could have been trimmed. The time skips and myriad of POVs weren't confusing, but I did find them to be unnecessary. At times, it felt as if Moore utilized this unconventional timeline and multiple character perspectives so that she could leave every single chapter in a cliffhanger. With all of this combined, I felt that the plot meandered near the middle of the novel.

While this story had many interesting characters, such as T.J., Judy, and Alice, other characters felt less compelling. Jacob, in particular, did not need to have his own chapters. They added nothing to the story.
In fact, I felt that he was a very weak red herring for the mystery.


The conclusion to Bear's story was enthralling, but Barbara's conclusion was a pretty significant let down for me. This is very subjective, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Overall, the shining success of The God of the Woods is how it explores women's experiences in several different contexts. However, I think the plot could have been unraveled in a more coherent way if some extra fluff was cut.
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Misery by Stephen King

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dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'm a huge King fan for a reason! Misery is an incredible, high-octane psychological horror that gives us a deep look into the psyche of a writer under duress. From the very first page, the action smacks you in the face, and I was immediately on board.

Since this novel mostly takes place in one environment, the characters have to pull their weight, and boy do they pull their weight. Annie is such a captivating and loathsome antagonist. Paul's unraveling over time is hard to stomach, but I just couldn't look away.

I really appreciated King's meta commentary on the writing process, fan culture, addiction, and selling out. These elements were generally well weaved into the plot without sacrificing pacing. However, I didn't enjoy reading any of the Misery's Return excerpts. I understand why King included them, but they're not at all the content I'd normally choose to read, and I felt a few of them dragged on for too long.

Additionally, I felt that descriptions of Annie started to border on misogynistic and fatphobic at times, especially near the beginning of the novel. I often expect this with older novels, though. That being said, Misery was still an impeccably crafted story with an excellent ending, demonstrating why King is the king of horror.
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The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

The Hollow Places is an creative foray into the imagination of T. Kingfisher, where taxidermy is beloved and willows pose an insidious threat. I admire the uniqueness of this book's plot, but unfortunately found the pacing to be almost unbearable.

The plot of this book drags in several sections, particularly near the middle of the novel. Kingfisher has the tendency to repeat lines/phrases over and over again. If I took a shot for every time the main character indicated that they were making jokes to stop from losing their sanity and feeling terror, I'd have blacked out. The characters spend vastly more time mulling over what the portal world is than actually exploring it, and this wasn't particularly engaging.

Both Kara and Simon
(and even the Bible journal's narrator)
spoke exactly the same way. Some jokes here and there are fine to allow for a brief relief, but the incessant need to shoehorn in humor became repetitive and frustrating. It deteriorated any atmospheric tension that had previously been built up in the novel. How can I take anything seriously when the characters are literally making Yo Mama references?

I think marketing this novel as horror does it a disservice. While it did have some interesting fantastical themes and scenes, I don't particularly believe the portal world was well fleshed out or imposing enough. Perhaps Kingfisher's quirky writing just didn't land with me, but I struggled to finish this one.
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Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Nestlings is unique, gripping, and a whole bunch of fun. The environment/location, the thematic elements of the building and the antagonists, and the pacing are impeccably done. No notes. I absolutely adored this read. Despite the slightly unlikeable main characters, I felt invested in their story and character growth. I also personally enjoyed the ending in all of its unexpected weirdness.

Cassidy takes such a fresh spin on
vampires. Gargoyles? The references to the antisemitic history of vampire depictions? The weird SKIN WALL in the basement?
Yes. Take my money.

I also greatly enjoyed this work's exploration in
feeling disconnected from your child and motherhood, learning to navigate a new disability, and growing resentment in a relationship.
All of these themes were wonderfully fleshed out through prose and dialogue. As Cassidy himself says: this book is about change. I think he nailed it in this one.
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Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

Penpal has a story with a lot of potential at its core. The non-chronological structure and distinct chapters are an interesting idea, but I'm unsure of whether the entire novel was executed well enough to justify this non-traditional story telling technique. The ending felt quite anticlimactic, and I feel that this book is an example of an author overcomplicating a simple story.

There were several passages and descriptions that were well written, but these were vastly outweighed by clunky, amateur writing. Auerbach has a tendency to use overly simple sentence structure in combination with fluffy, Thesaurus-inspired language, which is an odd juxtaposition. Much of the prose feels very "matter-of-fact" and devoid of personality, much like the characters in this book. It felt as if the author was simply stating recollections rather than constructing an immersive narrative. This is such a shame. I found myself struggling to focus my attention on the long paragraphs that were too jam-packed with unnecessary detail.

I am questioning why Auerbach chose to make his main character so young - I can't imagine a child of that age
exploring the woods alone, building rafts, and swimming after sunset.
He felt very cookie-cutter, like a vessel meant to experience the plot as opposed to a three dimensional character who drives the plot. Veronica was an unnecessary addition, and suffered from Girl Written By Man syndrome. All she did was be beautiful and giggle at the main character's jokes.
Oh, and die!


Outside of these gripes, there is a nugget of enjoyable storytelling here, but I'm not convinced that these r/NoSleep posts translated to a novel format in a compelling way.
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Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Sharp Objects is an intense, fierce story about motherhood, coping with loss, and feeling suffocated in a small town. Moments in this novel left me feeling breathless, hungry for more. Flynn's prose is the perfect balance between both descriptive/metaphorical and clear/precise.

I really enjoyed this work's exploration into its characters the most. Several characters were fully fleshed out, and the dynamics between people across the town of Wind Gap felt realistic. Depictions of catty girl-on-girl relationships of all ages felt all too familiar and nostalgic too me. The members of the main family, the cornerstone of this book, were so unique in their motivations, struggles and characterizations. I felt that Flynn's depiction of
self-harm
was not only well done, but I also enjoyed the eccentric spin she took for Camille's character.

There were some moments in this novel, particularly those that emphasized
the sexuality of underaged girls and those that depicted large age gaps between romantic/sexual partners
, that made me a bit uncomfortable. Generally, as a reader, I don't mind discomfort, and I appreciated how Flynn put a magnifying glass to
the very real ways in which young girls sometimes act
, forcing us to acknowledge it and sit with our discomfort.

The unfolding of the narrative and the pace of the plot were both well done, but I was unfortunately not surprised by any of the twists, turns, or reveals. While I felt the ending was well done, I left the book feeling like I wanted just a bit more, something else unexpected and surprising, but it sadly never came. Nonetheless, I think Sharp Objects is an admirable debut novel and makes for an entertaining short read.
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