Review: An Academy for Liars

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of An Academy for Liars. Below is my honest review.

Alexis Henderson really knows how to set up a new world. She's an expert, even. This one is no exception. Receiving a random entrance call like a letter from Hogwarts, the school for persuasion happens to have its own secret hideaway domain, out of view of the eyes of the rest of the world. From the phone call in the abandoned booth to the final paragraph, An Academy for Liars gripped my attention in a chokehold and wouldn't let go.

If you haven't read Henderson's works, this one is a fine place to start. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did. I can't say much more without spoiling things, but be prepared for some magic school fun and a lotta bit of darkness. Definitely recommended for fans of dark magical realist academia stories.

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Review: So Thirsty

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the early copy of this delicious novel. Below is my honest review.

I discovered Rachel Harrison last year, thanks to getting an early copy of Black Sheep from Berkley, and am really glad I did. Her horror novels are a LOT of fun, finding a perfect balance of gruesome and comedic, dark and snark, human and monstrous.

So Thirsty was a rollicking good time, and honestly, a lot deeper than you'd think when you picked up a horror novel. This isn't just your average vampire novel. This one delves into the themes of relationships... love, friendship, family, and most importantly, the relationship you have with yourself.

One thing I really love is that it does have some setup at the beginning, but it's sprinkled in as Sloane and Naomi hit the road on a friend-trip for Sloane's birthday, and the whole atmosphere just screams "this won't end well." Once they hit the resort, the gas pedal is pushed all the way down and doesn't let up. From creepy shadowy figures at their second floor windows at night to rattling chains in the basement to an unquenchable thirst for blood, this one will grab you by the neck and hold you while it drains you until late into the night.

Absolute gem of a novel. Highly recommended. I can't wait to catch up on Harrison's catalogue. I already have my copy of Such Sharp Teeth and will be taking a bite out of it soon.

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Review: Nightmare of a Trip

Nightmare of a Trip by Maureen Kilmer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam for the pre-release copy of Nightmare of a Trip! My honest thoughts are to follow.

Maureen Kilmer's Suburban Hell was a highlight of my 2022 reading, and even though I somehow completely missed that she had a 2023 release with Hex Education, I'll definitely be getting my hands on a copy of that to catch up on.

I really loved Suburban Hell, so I was super-excited about Nightmare of a Trip. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. Did I enjoy it? Sure, but it just didn't have the same pacing excellence, lacked the strong character relationships, and had a very meh ending in comparison to Suburban Hell. I feel like the story struggled with some repetition (that I think was supposed to help build tension but didn't really accomplish that successfully).

I think my biggest issue was that it felt like we really just got a few fun ideas for horror movie scenes and then the story in between was "how can we get to those moments."

I still enjoyed it, and will definitely still pick up Hex Education to catch up (and read whatever her next release is), but this one just didn't nail it for me.

3.5 stars, rounded to 3. I'd still recommend it for Kilmer fans and fans of horror. It wasn't a bad read at all, just not as WOW after Suburban Hell set such a high bar.

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Review: This Book Kills

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the pre-release copy! Below is my honest review.

This book was just FUN. The school setting was well done, the characters were entertaining and had depth, and the mystery unfurled over the course of the novel with really good pacing. I really enjoyed the development of relationships between characters throughout the story, which felt natural to me, and I very much enjoyed the diverse main character's perspective.

My only real gripe with this one is that, if you are a big mystery reader, you're probably going to guess the ending like I did. But that being said, it didn't really detract from the FUN of the novel, so I still chose to rate this one high.

Four stars, definitely recommend to mystery/YA fans. Give it a shot, and I think you'll enjoy it.

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