Review: How Bad Things Can Get

How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the pre-release copy of Darcy Coates' How Bad Things Can Get. Below you'll find my honest review.

I started reading Darcy Coates a few years ago and have really loved reading her recent stuff. I need to go back through her back catalogue and make my way through those - she has so many! This one is one of my favorites of hers that I've read.

One reason I loved this one is that I could totally see it being made into a movie - and I'd buy a ticket FOR SURE. It was fast-paced and intriguing, revealing the main character's history right from the beginning (in name) and then fleshing that out through random tidbits and flashbacks throughout. The island setting provided the perfect "locked room" "cut off from the world" backdrop, like in a Jurassic Park movie with jungle scenes and beach scenes and things making noises in the woods.

I also loved the present storyline in this one. It was like a Mr. Beast/Beast Games mashed up with Squid Games and Hunger Games with a little bit of The Following mixed in.

Highly recommended. I'd love to see this as a movie (hint hint, Hollywood).

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Review: Lucky Day

Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for the pre-release copy of Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle. Below you'll find my honest review.

In usual Chuck Tingle fashion, this novel was WEIRD AF. But really, it was weird in the best way possible. We open with our statistician MC Vera enduring the most mind-boggling, brain-exploding, kookiest crappy day imaginable as an extremely low-probability event occurs surrounding her. I'm talking monkeys in costumes bashing people's brains in with typewriters and fish falling out of the sky kinda wacky.

Fast forward a few years, and Vera has become a hermit, finding no value or purpose in life and thinking nothing matters, barely just existing... until Agent Layne breaks in and says they need her help. He works with government agency with zero oversight, managing the results and continuing weirdnesses (yeah, I made up a word) of LPEs, and he has a lead on the MAIN CAUSE OF ALL OF THEM.

Needless to say, in true Chuck Tingle manner, hijinks and chaos ensues. And this one even throws some serious cliched tropes on their heads (I can't clarify further, sadly, as that would spoil things, but hopefully when you're done, you know which ones I mean.)

Absolute gem of a story, which isn't surprising because Tingle's mainstream published works the last few years have been top notch. Sure, his self-published pseudo-smut is fun too, but he really shines in this world of horror and thriller that he's stepped into, and I'm so glad he's branched out.

Highly recommended (but be warned, horror-fans, this one is more thriller than horror, though it does have some horrific things!).

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Review: The Society of Unknowable Objects

The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the pre-release copy of The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown. Below is my honest review.

If you haven't read The Book of Doors, then you haven't seen just how much fun Gareth Brown's stories are. If you have, then you know going into this one to expect lots of mayhem and kookiness.

This one revolves around a small group of people who have inherited spots in The Society of Unknowable Objects, a team that is aware of seemingly everyday items that hold great powers and is determined to prevent them from being abused by bad folks. They seek them out and bring them home, locking them up to make sure they don't fall into the hands of those who would use them for evil or greed or selfishness.

But there's a small problem with that... someone else is aware of these items, and has made it his goal to stockpile power, and he'll stop at nothing to do it.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one. Great characters, really fun superpowered items, and a special little bit at the end that made me smile.

I look forward to the next book Gareth Brown puts out. After the end of this one, I'm 100% certain he's got more coming.

Definitely recommend, and highly suggest you read The Book of Doors as well. Four stars.

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