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drakaina16's reviews
2108 reviews
American Rapture by CJ Leede
challenging
dark
reflective
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
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
This book made me cry in the school pickup line. Later, the note to the reader also made me cry. It is so beautifully written, at turns nostalgic, frantic, and soaked in grief. Some sentences hit me so hard they almost took my breath away. Sophie... I just loved her. The characters are so human.
There are some real heavy hitters here as far as triggers, the very least of which is religious trauma. I read Maeve Fly earlier in the year and loved it, but American Rapture is something completely different and it might just be my favorite book of the year so far. 5 stars
This book made me cry in the school pickup line. Later, the note to the reader also made me cry. It is so beautifully written, at turns nostalgic, frantic, and soaked in grief. Some sentences hit me so hard they almost took my breath away. Sophie... I just loved her. The characters are so human.
There are some real heavy hitters here as far as triggers, the very least of which is religious trauma. I read Maeve Fly earlier in the year and loved it, but American Rapture is something completely different and it might just be my favorite book of the year so far. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Not Another 80s Horror Novel by Sean McDonough
dark
funny
mysterious
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? No
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Do you like long women in bulky sweaters and jeans? How about cryptids with huge dongs? Evil supercomputers and evil occult sorcerers? Boy howdy, have I got the book for you! Seriously, this is the most fun I've had reading a book in a very long time. It's laugh out loud funny, never taking itself too seriously. It perfectly parodies the cheesy, convoluted books of the 80s, and there's a bunch of fun Easter eggs if you're familiar with the literature of the time. 5 stars
Do you like long women in bulky sweaters and jeans? How about cryptids with huge dongs? Evil supercomputers and evil occult sorcerers? Boy howdy, have I got the book for you! Seriously, this is the most fun I've had reading a book in a very long time. It's laugh out loud funny, never taking itself too seriously. It perfectly parodies the cheesy, convoluted books of the 80s, and there's a bunch of fun Easter eggs if you're familiar with the literature of the time. 5 stars
The Weejee Man by NP Cunniffe
dark
mysterious
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
3.5
I had heard good things about The Weejee Man, and I'm a big fan of Irish horror. I decided to give it a try. There is a really good ghost story in here, but it gets a bit muddled by the addition of something extra (I don't want to get into spoiler territory here). The extra bit could have been left off completely, and we'd be left with a really interesting ghost story by itself. The book did redeem itself in the end, though, and I did enjoy it. The writing itself is very good and I'll definitely check out other works by the author. 3.5 stars
Napalm Psalms by Lisa Vasquez
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
3.75
Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy.
Isn't that cover exquisite? The cover definitely drew me in, but so did the authors who contributed to the collection. With one exception, I enjoyed every story. 3.75 stars
Child of War by Lisa Vasquez ⭐⭐⭐
Autophagy by Ezekiel Kincaid ⭐
Out on a Limb by M Ennenbach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
See Me Now by Gage Greenwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zemblanity by Erin Banks ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Duality by AJ Brown ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Kill Hymn by Lisa Vasquez ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Isn't that cover exquisite? The cover definitely drew me in, but so did the authors who contributed to the collection. With one exception, I enjoyed every story. 3.75 stars
Child of War by Lisa Vasquez ⭐⭐⭐
Autophagy by Ezekiel Kincaid ⭐
Out on a Limb by M Ennenbach ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
See Me Now by Gage Greenwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zemblanity by Erin Banks ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Duality by AJ Brown ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Kill Hymn by Lisa Vasquez ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
The Frolicking by Grant Wamack
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy.
Well, it finally happened. I did not enjoy a Grant Wamack book - a first for me. There was some very interesting imagery in the book, but I found all of the main characters insufferable and was vaguely confused at the end. This is a short book, so it seems like there was room for more backstory. It ended so abruptly it made my head spin. Cool idea, but the execution is poor. 2 stars
Well, it finally happened. I did not enjoy a Grant Wamack book - a first for me. There was some very interesting imagery in the book, but I found all of the main characters insufferable and was vaguely confused at the end. This is a short book, so it seems like there was room for more backstory. It ended so abruptly it made my head spin. Cool idea, but the execution is poor. 2 stars
Chopping Spree by Angela Sylvaine
dark
mysterious
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? No
3.5
Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy.
I had a really good time with this novella. What starts as a typical slasher morphs into culty weirdness. This was the author's first stand-alone novella, expanded and re-edited. Having read Frost Bite earlier in the year, I can definitely say Sylvaine's writing has matured since then. Chopping Spree is a bit predictable, but it is a lot of fun to read. 3.5 stars
I had a really good time with this novella. What starts as a typical slasher morphs into culty weirdness. This was the author's first stand-alone novella, expanded and re-edited. Having read Frost Bite earlier in the year, I can definitely say Sylvaine's writing has matured since then. Chopping Spree is a bit predictable, but it is a lot of fun to read. 3.5 stars
Good Dogs by Brian Asman
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
If you only know Brian Asman from reading Man, Fuck This House you are doing yourself a disservice. The man can WRITE. Good Dogs is my new favorite werewolf book. It's an interesting take on the werewolf mythos, emphasizing the importance of found family. Dangers both supernatural and human abound, with lots of tension and incredible action scenes. Easy 5 stars
If you only know Brian Asman from reading Man, Fuck This House you are doing yourself a disservice. The man can WRITE. Good Dogs is my new favorite werewolf book. It's an interesting take on the werewolf mythos, emphasizing the importance of found family. Dangers both supernatural and human abound, with lots of tension and incredible action scenes. Easy 5 stars
Rorschach by Aaron Lebold
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to Broken Brain Books for providing a review copy.
Rorschach was a lot of fun! I love the cursed object trope, and this was a cool twist on that. The writing is solid, of a bit simple, and I enjoyed the ending. There were a couple of moments in the book that I thought were a bit ridiculous, but overall I had a great time with it. 3.5 stars
Rorschach was a lot of fun! I love the cursed object trope, and this was a cool twist on that. The writing is solid, of a bit simple, and I enjoyed the ending. There were a couple of moments in the book that I thought were a bit ridiculous, but overall I had a great time with it. 3.5 stars
Plan 9 From Outer Space: The Novelization by Bret Nelson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
So. Bored.
Through the Ravenous Night We Ride by Calvin Demmer
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
The cover to this short story collection really drew my eye, and I had seen the book making the rounds in Books of Horror. This was my first experience with Calvin Demmer, and overall I'm pretty impressed. 3.5 stars
Motel Madness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Lioness Must Hunt ⭐⭐⭐
Heartless ⭐⭐⭐.5
Through the Ravenous Night We Ride ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scarecrow ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love Electric ⭐⭐.5
Faster ⭐⭐⭐
Blackheart’s Traveling Circus ⭐⭐⭐.5
Angela ⭐⭐⭐.75
Xmas ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Motel Madness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Lioness Must Hunt ⭐⭐⭐
Heartless ⭐⭐⭐.5
Through the Ravenous Night We Ride ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scarecrow ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love Electric ⭐⭐.5
Faster ⭐⭐⭐
Blackheart’s Traveling Circus ⭐⭐⭐.5
Angela ⭐⭐⭐.75
Xmas ⭐⭐⭐⭐