Review: What the Woods Took

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the pre-release copy of this book. Below is my honest review.

I really enjoyed What the Woods Took. It had a really good premise, had a real message, and had some really creepy baddies. The character development was on point, and it had a little bit of everything. My favorite part was the baddies though. I need more books with these things, so maybe we will get lucky and Gould will bring them back some day!!! Fingers crossed.

Highly recommended for fans of creature features, thrillers, YA, and creepy horror-lite stories. My only complaint was that I guessed one of the twists, but it was still done really well.

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Review: Demon's Bluff

Demon's Bluff by Kim Harrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Demon's Bluff by Kim Harrison. Below is my honest review.

What an emotional rollercoaster, and good grief, Kim, why do I have to wait for the next one???

This one definitely dredges up some historical events in the world of the Hollows, and rips open some old wounds for Rachel Morgan and crew. With the Coven breathing down her neck and a ticking countdown towards their punishment for her cursing Brad, a city to run, and all sorts of supernatural factions to keep in line, her plate is definitely full. Her attempts to find the item needed to uncurse Brad lead to a special trip, one that ends up including an uninvited and unwelcome tag-along. Back in a past where many of her allies were still enemies and where she can't depend on herself, she's stuck with a huge rival and has to look out for the unexperienced coven member.

But there's also the unexpected consequence of someone she cared about very deeply still being around then...

I loved this one, and really can't wait to see the ramifications of this story's events in the next book.

Highly recommended, but this one SERIOUSLY involves much of Rachel's history, so it's not the best place to jump in. Your best bet is to binge the series. It's fun, I promise! :D

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Review: You Better Watch Out: A Thriller

You Better Watch Out: A Thriller by James S. Murray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's and Netgalley for the pre-release copy of You Better Watch Out. Below is my honest review.

If you weren't sure before, this novel would have sealed your understanding that these two authors are movie and television writers, because this book felt like a fun, cheesy, gruesome horror slasher flick. The pacing, the deaths, the reveals... all felt very reminiscent of what you'd find in a Hollywood blockbuster, but on the page instead.

The deaths are quite gruesome, but you knew they would be going on, so don't pick this one up if that's a trigger for you. There's a lot of fun reveals along the way as well.

My biggest gripe? The blurb makes it seem like Jessica Kane is the protagonist, but really we spend the majority of the book inside the head of a character named Eddie. Just a weird little quirk that threw me off kilter a bit.

If you're a horror movie fan, give this one a shot. It's not breaking a ton of new ground, but it's fast-paced and a lot of fun for what it is, and I'd definitely recommend it.

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Review: This Cursed House

This Cursed House by Del Sandeen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for a pre-release copy of This Cursed House. Below is my honest review.

Now that was a fun debut novel! I'm a big fan of gothic horror, and This Cursed House delivered. Was it perfect? No. There were some places where the story felt like it was hitting the same beat a few times in repetition, and during the first few chapters, the repeated use of "hazel eye" descriptions pulled me out of the story a bit. But it was a great novel nonetheless. I wanted to know what was going on, and hung on to every word in hopes of figuring it out, craving just another supernatural moment.

This book also made me feel very uncomfortable, but in a good way. As a white person, it's sometimes easy to forget the historical systemic issues surrounding race, and how that celebration of whiteness and devaluation of blackness even affected how lighter-skinned Black people treated darker-skinned ones. While being set in the past, this novel did a great job of reminding us that while some things might have gotten better, we still have a long way to go in repairing the damage caused by racism and slavery.

All in all, a great read, and I look forward to Del Sandeen's next book! Definitely recommended for fans of Southern gothic horror (light horror, really).

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Review: I'll Be Waiting

I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the pre-release copy. Below is my honest review.

I really enjoyed Armstrong's I'll Be Waiting, but it wasn't as near perfect as so many of Armstrong's books usually are. This one had some predictable twists, and there were some parts that dragged and felt a little repetitive.

Overall though, this one built good tension, set up an interesting plot, threw some entertaining characters at us, and threw some fun twists at us. I give it four stars and recommend it to Armstrong fans and horror fans. :)

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Review: The Hitchcock Hotel

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of The Hitchcock Hotel. It was a fun ride! Below is my honest review.

What a super fun mystery novel! I loved the theme and the atmosphere. Hitchcock might not have been the best guy, but his movies were always top notch, and this novel really captured that style and modernized it.

The characters were complex, with fleshed out personalities and deep histories both together and as individuals. The story was paced well, with reveals being just when they needed to be. And while I guessed a bit of the twist, the ending still got me on some of the major points, which is hard for mysteries to do for me anymore, so I was thrilled!

All in all, really fun, great characters, great atmosphere, great pacing, great story. Highly recommended.

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Review: Sleep Tight

Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for the pre-release copy of Sleep Tight. Below is my honest review.

I haven't read anything by JH Markert before, but I think he's definitely going on my "to read more" list.

This one opens the day of a criminal execution, and pretty much zooms forward at a breakneck pace the rest of the book. It was a lot of fun to read (not a lot of fun for the characters to live out LOL).

I think my biggest gripe was the not-so-likable main character. I mean, who knows they're racing to find their daughter, kidnapped and in danger, and still pops some pills, potentially lowering their own ability to do what is necessary to get their kid back?

All in all, it seemed to be a movie screen-play turned into a book, and I'd love to see the movie.

Four stars, recommended for fans of mystery/thriller, cults, and gritty cop dramas.

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