If you like Bunny, you'll like this. If you didn't like Bunny, I doubt you'll like this. I DNF'd Bunny on my first read, but appreciated it more over If you like Bunny, you'll like this. If you didn't like Bunny, I doubt you'll like this. I DNF'd Bunny on my first read, but appreciated it more over time and liked it after a re-read. This picks up after Bunny, giving us POVs from different characters so we learn more about them and their motivations. As always, Mona Awad writes another zany story. I'll read anything she writes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review. ...more
A fun and queer ride through zombie territory. This was tagged as similar to We Were Liars, and I can see that in terms of the character relationshipsA fun and queer ride through zombie territory. This was tagged as similar to We Were Liars, and I can see that in terms of the character relationships and in the journey of trying to figure out the truth. The cast of characters were distinct and memorable. The horror elements were done well, especially for a young adult novel. This made me want to go back and read La Sala's other book The Honeys.
I'd recommend this for fans of YA, queer stories, horror / zombies.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review....more
This is a dual timeline story - following Suzanne as a child with her dad on his music tour, and Suzanne as an adult after her dad's death. There's deThis is a dual timeline story - following Suzanne as a child with her dad on his music tour, and Suzanne as an adult after her dad's death. There's definitely an appreciation for music / records / rock and roll / bands / touring / etc. While I appreciate music, and can sometimes appreciate a contemporary story about family bonds, this one just never connected with me. I much preferred Rio's previous book Graveyard Shift - and I didn't even really love that one.
I'd recommend this to people who like rock and roll music, touring/bands, and books about father-daughter relationships. It's pop culture heavy, so if that's something that bothers you, I'd stay away.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy for review. ...more
This was such a random collection of stories and thoughts. Billed as "flash fiction" - some stories were only a few sentences. I was interested in theThis was such a random collection of stories and thoughts. Billed as "flash fiction" - some stories were only a few sentences. I was interested in the more surreal sci-fi-leaning stories, but most of the stories, unfortunately, I did not understand the point of. I didn't feel any cohesion in the collection - not that there necessarily has to be cohesion, but most of this felt like answers to random writing prompts - "what would happen if xyz?" The stories only made sense after reading the brief descriptions of each story at the end of the book.
I don't know what type of reader I would recommend this to, to be honest.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review. ...more
This was such a sweet little story about a rag-tag crew of robots opening up a noodle shop. I could see this becoming a cute little series. It's lightThis was such a sweet little story about a rag-tag crew of robots opening up a noodle shop. I could see this becoming a cute little series. It's lighthearted but also has some commentary on war, survival, and people's avoidance / mistrust of robots. It's a short read, but it has a lot of heart.
The audiobook was fantastic and the narrator did a great job of creating different voices for each character, bringing them to life. I highly recommend the audio if you're planning to read this.
The vibes: Overcooked (the video game), Murderbot, Treasure Planet
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review....more
A couple decides to spice up their sex life, finding another sexual partner who introduces them to a play. There's a lot of conversation about dominatA couple decides to spice up their sex life, finding another sexual partner who introduces them to a play. There's a lot of conversation about domination, submission, and sex. The main characters weren't very likeable - which I don't mind - but they also said and did things, especially sexually, that left me feeling a little "icky" - and maybe that's part of the "horror," but it was uncomfortable thinking of how much a character is a willing participant versus how much they might just be mentally unwell.
This was interesting in concept - a play that, when read, has real life consequences - but I found the story to be quite repetitive. I kept waiting for some action - and when the action I wanted started to happen, the book was over.
Reminded me of - although I enjoyed these all much more - The Book of the Most Precious Substance - Sara Gran Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke - Eric Larocca Soft Core - Brittany Newell Shy Girl - Mia Ballard
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review. ...more
This is a cute and over-the-top manga about a driving instructor and his student. The student has a reason for choosing Chiba as his instructor, makinThis is a cute and over-the-top manga about a driving instructor and his student. The student has a reason for choosing Chiba as his instructor, making for an interesting read with a few "reveals." I'm not sure if this is just a standalone or will be a series, but as is, it makes for a complete story.
This is very over the top in the confessions and reactions. If you hate that ridiculousness in anime or manga, then I'd skip this. I personally found it funny and endearing here. I found myself rooting for them! This does not have any spice, just brief kissing.
I'd recommend this if you're looking for a cute, romance-first, not spicy / explicit MM romance.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy for review!...more
The first third to half of this was intriguing - a strange girl, her hovering mother, an urban-legend like secret following them. The references to 20The first third to half of this was intriguing - a strange girl, her hovering mother, an urban-legend like secret following them. The references to 2000s music and pop culture were fun for the nostalgia, but weren't overbearing. The second part of this felt a bit too long and meandering though. I'd say it's an inoffensive light horror with some fun nostalgia. I haven't read Dead Eleven from this author, but I might check it out on audio.
I'd recommend this if you're new to horror or want something a little lighter. This has some creepy scenes, but is overall pretty mild. I'd also recommend this if you like urban legends, small town dynamics, and 2000s nostalgia (computers, music, pop culture).
If you liked the computer elements of this and want something more fast paced, I'd recommend Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review. ...more
The tropes of female rage, revenge, and consuming (things, meat, people, etc) has been common (if not a little overdone) in the last few years, but thThe tropes of female rage, revenge, and consuming (things, meat, people, etc) has been common (if not a little overdone) in the last few years, but this one differs a bit in how much more of a literary fiction and coming of age story this is. This one is quite heavy, with themes of assault, grief, generational trauma, and the difficulties / misunderstandings between immigrant parents and their children. I enjoyed the conversations in this, particularly about the parents' traumas and how they've not been explored or dealt with and how this has impacted their parenting and children.
The blurb about this being for fans of Jennifer's Body and Little Fires Everywhere feels correct. It's literary with horror elements. It focuses on the horrors that come with violent and insatiable hunger/thirst but more so on the horrors of life.
I'd recommend this for fans of The Eyes Are the Best Part, Things We Lost to the Water, and The Female of the Species. The themes and elements of those three combined feels like a good representation of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review!...more
I'm not going to lie, when I was at the halfway point, I kept thinking - "I'm enjoying this, love the writing, but literally nothing is happening." CuI'm not going to lie, when I was at the halfway point, I kept thinking - "I'm enjoying this, love the writing, but literally nothing is happening." Cut to me at the end of this getting a little teary eyed lol. This is a slow-burn but it's well worth it.
The writing is beautiful and intentional. There's a quote about truth in here that I absolutely love - "THE TRUTH IS LIKE A WATER CREATURE,” HE CONTINUED. “TOO LARGE FOR ANY SINGLE MAN TO CATCH. HE CAN TAKE HOLD OF ONE TENTACLE, OR A SILVER TAIL, OR A FIN, BUT HE’LL NEVER CATCH THE WHOLE CREATURE. NOT ON HIS OWN”
The comparisons to The Crucible and The Virgin Suicides are spot on. This is a study on town gossip and rumors and how one man's mistrust and disdain for these girls leads to irreversible damage. The more I think about this, the more I love it. It may end up being a five star read for me, but for now I'll give it four stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review!...more
What I love most about Chuck Tingle is his imagination. He will come up with the most off the wall, creative ideas, AND they'll be so wonderfully writWhat I love most about Chuck Tingle is his imagination. He will come up with the most off the wall, creative ideas, AND they'll be so wonderfully written and described. I loved the first part of this - a gory, thriller-y survival / apocalyptic-feeling type introduction. I wish we had continued with this, but instead it went in a detective, sci-fi direction that I am just personally not a fan of. I'm a bit burnt out on the sci-fi trope that's in this, but I will say it is creative in its use of statistics and probability.
This is well-written, with great descriptions of horror and gore, and I'm sure people will enjoy it.
I'd recommend this for fans of Blake Crouch (Dark Matter, Recursion) and When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy (if you like the existential, meta-ness of that).
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy. ...more
Having been a fan of Kago's artwork on Instagram, I was excited to receive a copy of this latest manga for review. This is a collection of 4 horror shHaving been a fan of Kago's artwork on Instagram, I was excited to receive a copy of this latest manga for review. This is a collection of 4 horror short stories. They all are quite graphic - themes of violence, body horror, cannibalism, sexual harassment, incest, just general gore.
What I loved most about these stories is how unhinged they were and how, especially towards the end of the stories, they went in unanticipated directions. The stories would zig when I thought they would zag. I loved the creativity and concepts of the stories even if I didn't always like the pacing.
Labyrinth Quartet - 3 - Probably my least favorite just due to the initial repetitiveness. I enjoyed where/how the story ended though. Curse Room - 5 - Love the creativity / world building. Lots of dark humor and interesting/gross artwork. Family Portrait - 4 - This was an uncomfortable one and had some questionable elements of sexual harassment / comments about "asking for it," but it's a question of the story vs the author's actual opinions/views. Certainly memorable - a wtf ridiculousness. Blood Harvest - 5 - This was truly unhinged and went in unexpected directions. I loved the concept, creativity, and ending. Incredible artwork.
Now I want to read all of his other books. I'd recommend this for fans of Junji Ito, and the PTSD Radio manga series,
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for review. ...more
This was truly such a unique reading experience. It's an entire run on sentence, with each paragraph starting with and... It's chaotic, rambling, funnThis was truly such a unique reading experience. It's an entire run on sentence, with each paragraph starting with and... It's chaotic, rambling, funny, dark, and satirical. There's commentary on war, violence, religion, self-preservation, nihilism, luck/fate, and community/brotherhood. This would make such a good "artsy" indie film. But this was also unexpectedly wholesome and thought-provoking. I did, in fact, cry at the end.
It reminded me, setting wise, of All Quiet on the Western Front and, tone wise, of Fight Club.
I'm not sure who I would recommend this to. It's historical, and about war, but it doesn't feel like typical historical fiction. If you're a fan of the weird/alternative fiction, maybe you'd like this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review....more
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