Scan barcode
drakaina16's reviews
2101 reviews
Rock & Roll Nightmares: Parallel Lines by Staci Layne Wilson
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-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
3.75
Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy.
The blending of horror and rock & roll is one of my favorite combinations. It just works so well with the lifestyle. Not all of the stories have a horror bent - I found the Elvis story to be heart-breaking. Either way, this is a book full of fun "what-if" scenarios.
Over the Hills and Far Away by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Man The Colonel Never Knew by Nadia Robertson ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Long Walk to Mardi Gras by Del Howison ⭐⭐⭐.25
Proud Mary by Michelle Nessk ⭐⭐⭐.5
Flying High Again by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Holding Hands Like Paper Dolls by Mercedes M. Yardley ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Armageddon It by DE McCluskey ⭐⭐⭐.25
KISS Face-Off by John Harrison ⭐⭐⭐
Angel of Revelation by Keith J. Olexa ⭐⭐⭐.5
Go Your Own Way by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
One Way or Another by Robert J. Stava ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The blending of horror and rock & roll is one of my favorite combinations. It just works so well with the lifestyle. Not all of the stories have a horror bent - I found the Elvis story to be heart-breaking. Either way, this is a book full of fun "what-if" scenarios.
Over the Hills and Far Away by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Man The Colonel Never Knew by Nadia Robertson ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Long Walk to Mardi Gras by Del Howison ⭐⭐⭐.25
Proud Mary by Michelle Nessk ⭐⭐⭐.5
Flying High Again by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Holding Hands Like Paper Dolls by Mercedes M. Yardley ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Armageddon It by DE McCluskey ⭐⭐⭐.25
KISS Face-Off by John Harrison ⭐⭐⭐
Angel of Revelation by Keith J. Olexa ⭐⭐⭐.5
Go Your Own Way by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
One Way or Another by Robert J. Stava ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Red Hill Paradise by Caleb Jones
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
Thank you to the author and Wicked House Publishing for providing a review copy.
Let me start off by saying that books, for me, rarely induce real-world anxiety. Red Hill Paradise chucked that right out the window. This book oozes dread. Caleb Jones does such a good job getting us to care about the characters. They felt like people I might know, which made what happens to them that much more devastating. 5 stars
Let me start off by saying that books, for me, rarely induce real-world anxiety. Red Hill Paradise chucked that right out the window. This book oozes dread. Caleb Jones does such a good job getting us to care about the characters. They felt like people I might know, which made what happens to them that much more devastating. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Carni by R. Saint Claire
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had a blast with Carni! The carnival trope is one of my favorites, and R. Saint Claire did a great job creating lore and an interesting backstory for both the island and the clown. The cast of characters is neither likeable nor sympathetic, but they are compelling. If carnivals and evil clowns are your thing, definitely pick this one up. 4 stars
Hotell, Vol. 2 by John Lees
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Hotell, Vol. 1 by John Lees
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
12 by Kelvin V.A Allison, Lisa Hutchinson
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
If you're a fan of haunted house/ghost stories, you need to pick this book up right now. There will be obvious comparisons to the movie 13 Ghosts, but other than murdery ghosts with nicknames,that's where the resemblance ends. Kelvin is a consummate storyteller, making it easy to picture the book in my head. If a book can be said to have jump scares, 12 definitely has some locked and loaded. 5 stars
If you're a fan of haunted house/ghost stories, you need to pick this book up right now. There will be obvious comparisons to the movie 13 Ghosts, but other than murdery ghosts with nicknames,that's where the resemblance ends. Kelvin is a consummate storyteller, making it easy to picture the book in my head. If a book can be said to have jump scares, 12 definitely has some locked and loaded. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
The Little Coffee Shop of Horrors Anthology by Joseph Carro, Paul Carro
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Thank you to the authors for providing a review copy.
Coffee is one of my favorite simple pleasures in life, so an anthology inspired by different coffee shops sounded right up my alley. With a variety of stories from the supernatural and demonic to creature features, there should be something here for everyone. 4.25 stars
The Handoff ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Popsicle Kids ⭐⭐⭐.75
Shirts & Skins ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Ankou ⭐⭐⭐.5
Strange ⭐⭐
Kopk Darah ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Salem ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cul-de-Sac ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Outbreak ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Old Bones ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
You Can't Get There From Here ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Candy House ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Coffee is one of my favorite simple pleasures in life, so an anthology inspired by different coffee shops sounded right up my alley. With a variety of stories from the supernatural and demonic to creature features, there should be something here for everyone. 4.25 stars
The Handoff ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Popsicle Kids ⭐⭐⭐.75
Shirts & Skins ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Ankou ⭐⭐⭐.5
Strange ⭐⭐
Kopk Darah ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Salem ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cul-de-Sac ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Outbreak ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Old Bones ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
You Can't Get There From Here ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Candy House ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Hunt by Alexandra Nisneru
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
A story that has been done to death and stilted dialogue
Ushers by Joe Hill
dark
mysterious
fast-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? No
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
To me, the mark of a great short story is: does it leave you wanting more? Would you read a novella or novel length version of this story? In the case of Ushers, the answer is a resounding yes. 5 stars
To me, the mark of a great short story is: does it leave you wanting more? Would you read a novella or novel length version of this story? In the case of Ushers, the answer is a resounding yes. 5 stars
The Final Winter by Iain Rob Wright
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoy a good biblical apocalypse story now and again, and The Final Winter is a really fun one. The premise is a bit formulaic, but Wright takes things in some pretty cool directions and kept it interesting and tense. I will say that I've read enough of the author's books now to know that he tends to stick to character archetypes. I found myself wondering if I'd already read the book because the characters seemed so familiar, but nah. They were just kind of similar to other books of his. The book is a lot of fun, though. 3.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault