Small Favors, By Erin A. Craig ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 27th, 2021

480 Pages

Synopsis: Ellerie Downing lives in the quiet town of Amity Falls in the Blackspire Mountain range—five narrow peaks stretching into the sky like a grasping hand, bordered by a nearly impenetrable forest from which the early townsfolk fought off the devils in the woods. To this day, visitors are few and rare. But when a supply party goes missing, some worry that the monsters that once stalked the region have returned.

As fall turns to winter, more strange activities plague the town. They point to a tribe of devilish and mystical creatures who promise to fulfill the residents’ deepest desires, no matter how grand and impossible, for just a small favor. But their true intentions are much more sinister and Ellerie finds herself in a race against time before all of Amity Falls, her family, and the boy she loves go up in flames. (Goodreads)

For anyone who’s read Stephen King’s Needful Things, you’ll definitely recognize some similarities in regards to residents of a small town making bargains with a supernatural creature, but Small Favors takes this central premise in a creative new direction.

One of the strengths of this novel is the character development. I absolutely loved Ellerie and her family, although Samuel, Ellerie’s disagreeable twin, had me perplexed throughout most of the book. Ellerie is a fantastic protagonist. She’s eighteen, and is struggling to find her role within her family and the town. She’s not perfect, she makes mistakes, but she determinedly forges ahead. She displays a  tremendous amount of love and loyalty to those she cares about, even the bees she and her family raise. Her relationship with “Whitaker” begins as a case of insta-love, but their romance fades into the background through a good portion of the book because of everything else going on. The other residents of Amity Falls are equally well written and and help bring the story to life. 

The plot is an interesting mix of historical fiction with mythological/supernatural overtones, and Ellerie’s climactic confrontation with the queen of the Dark Watchers, is an enjoyable battle of wits that takes on aspects of Rumplestiltskin. I confess to having mixed feelings regarding the open ending. I like how Amity Falls’ ultimate fate again harkens back to Needful Things, but there are some minor questions I feel aren’t fully answered, mainly regarding Samuel’s actions and how the Downing family are going to be able to move forward. But these are definitely not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the story. What I love the most is the thoughtful exploration of how the Dark Ones are responsible for setting the horrible and tragic events which occur in motion, but in the end, it’s the townsfolk themselves who are responsible for most of what ensues.

Overall, Small Favors is a wonderful follow-up to Craig’s debut The House of Salt and Sorrows, and will undoubtedly please her fans as well as win her new ones. I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing what this imaginative storyteller comes out with next.

The Ravens (The Ravens #1), By Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Diversity, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 3rd, 2020

400 Pages

Synopsis: Kappa Rho Nu isn’t your average sorority. Their parties are notorious. Their fundraisers are known for being Westerly College’s most elaborate affairs. But beneath the veil of Greek life and prestige, the sisters of Kappa Rho Nu share a secret: they’re a coven of witches. For Vivi Devereaux, being one of Kappa Rho Nu’s Ravens means getting a chance to redefine herself. For Scarlett Winters, a bonafide Raven and daughter of a legacy Raven, pledge this year means living up to her mother’s impossible expectations of becoming Kappa Rho Nu’s next president. Scarlett knows she’d be the perfect candidate—that is if she didn’t have one human-sized skeleton in her closet…When Vivi and Scarlett are paired as big and little for initiation, they find themselves sinking into the sinister world of blood oaths and betrayals.

A modern day story about a witchy sorority written by two well-known YA authors? Count me in! And, while there were a few issues I had, I still enjoyed The Ravens. The story is told from the perspective of freshman Vivi, and senior Scarlett, and honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference between each author’s writing. I loved Vivi immediately, but it took me awhile to connect with Scarlett who comes across as your stereotypical snotty sorority girl for a good portion of the book. However, I have to give the prize for best evolution of a character to her. While Vivi is instantly likable and relatable, Scarlett kind of sneaks up on you and becomes the true driving force behind the story. I could have done without the tired tropes of insta-love and love triangles, but thankfully there were so many other interesting elements, they never really took over. While I pretty much guessed who the villain was going to be, there were a few twists before the big reveal that managed to surprise me. The ending ties everything up neatly, but according to the publisher The Ravens is the beginning to a new series. If that’s the case, I’ll definitely be picking up the next book. Overall, despite a few minor glitches, I highly recommend this to fans of Sabrina, The Craft, and American Horror Story: Coven. You’ll noticed I compared this to movies, and that’s because I could visually see this playing out in my head. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance, Supernatural Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 6th, 2020

448 Pages

Synopsis: A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

As I do my final read-through on this book, a story nearly ten years in the making, all I can think is that I’ve put my heart and soul, my teeth and blood and bones into this one.

I hope you love it.

~ Message from V.E. Schwab on Goodreads ~

I’ve been truly blessed with the number of fantastic eARCS I’ve been approved for this year, but my goodness…two days and almost 500 pages, of being swept away into the captivating The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I find myself at a loss to come up with enough superlatives to express my love of this book. This sumptuous and gorgeously told tale ticked all my boxes: swoon-worthy romance, devilish yet perversely charming villain, feisty heroine, beautifully detailed world building, twists and turns aplenty, and overall, just an exquisite story that will have you laughing, crying, and holding your breath right up to the bittersweet ending. 

What she needs are stories. Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget. Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books. Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.

With the first quote, V.E. Schwab shares how much of herself she put into this book and all that work and passion certainly shows. The Strange Life of Addie LaRue is the eleventh book I’ve read by her, and I believe she may have outdone herself. It truly is a literary masterpiece and the characters and their stories will wring every drop of emotion from you. You’re going to want to make time for this guys, particularly if you’re a fan of books and films such as The Time Traveler’s Wife, and The Age of Adaline. Trust me. Get your preorders or library holds in now because this is a magical reading experience you don’t want to miss!

Hollow Ones, by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 4th, 2020

336 Pages

Synopsis: Odessa Hardwicke’s life is derailed when she’s forced to turn her gun on her partner, Walt Leppo, a decorated FBI agent, who turns suddenly, inexplicably violent while apprehending a rampaging murderer. The shooting, justified by self -defense, shakes the young FBI agent to her core. Devastated, Odessa is placed on desk duty pending a full investigation. But what most troubles Odessa isn’t the tragedy itself—it’s the shadowy presence she thought she saw fleeing the deceased agent’s body after his death.

Questioning her future with the FBI and her sanity, Hardwicke accepts a low-level assignment to clear out the belongings of a retired agent in the New York office. What she finds there will put her in the trail of a mysterious figure named John Silence, a man of enormous means, who claims to have been alive for centuries, and is either an unhinged lunatic, or humanity’s best and only hope against unspeakable evil.

The Hollow Ones isn’t quite as good as the authors’ previous joint venture, The Strain Trilogy, but I do think it’s a promising start to this new series. The biggest issue I have is with the character of John Silence. As a fervent fan of The Pendergast Series, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Silence shares far too many similarities to Aloysius Pendergast, the enigmatic FBI agent, including living in the same building and driving the same style of car. Once more of his backstory is revealed, there are some differences, but I still found it off putting, especially in the beginning. Thankfully, I loved the other two main characters, Odessa and Solomon, and enjoyed reading how Silence came into and effected both their lives. I thought the plot itself very imaginative and quite frightening, and it kept me turning the pages. I’m hopeful that as Silence’s backstory is fleshed out even more in subsequent novels, the shared traits between him and Pendergast won’t be as noticeable. I assume from the ending The Hollow Ones is the first book in a planned trilogy or series, so I will definitely be checking out the next book.

 

 

Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Latinx Culture, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Swoon Reads for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2020

352 Pages

Synopsis: When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julien is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.

Cemetery Boys has been a much hyped YA book for the last several months, and after devouring this in less than two days, I’m pleased to say that it’s entirely deserving of all the buzz.

What I loved most about the story, besides the characters, was the total immersion into Latinx culture, and young transgender Yadriel’s struggle to be accepted by his very traditional family. You also see the how transgender youth continue to not be recognized in society, as, for example, Yadriel isn’t even allowed to officially change his name for his yearbook photo.

I also loved the interaction and dialogue between the three main characters. They all are very well developed and come across as teens you’d like to meet in real life. The only criticism I have is that I found the mystery predictable and had already guessed who the villain was going to be in the first few chapters.

In my opinion, Cemetery Boys, from its eye-catching cover, to the highly entertaining story within, is one of the best YA books to come out for this year. I believe it’s going to be a stand-alone, but the characters are so likable, I’d love to see a sequel. With Hollywood’s predilection for adaptations of YA books, I’m going to be shocked if this isn’t scooped up quickly. I’m already drawing up my dream cast.

 

 

 

Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16) by, Jim Butcher ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Chicago, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Ace Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 14th, 2020

352 Pages

Synopsis: When the supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, joins the White Council’s security team to make sure the talks remain civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago—and all he holds dear?

So, six years I’ve been waiting. SIX years and three months since the last Harry Dresden book came out. Was it worth the wait? Well, let me just say that “Mr Butcher, if you happen to ever stumble across this review, all is forgiven and you’re back on my Christmas list!”

I know I’ve been nagging some of you (Fraggle!) to try this series, and you’ve been hesitant because it’s now 16 books in and that’s a lot to catch up on. With Peace Talks you can easily jump in without being confused, although I still recommend reading the previous books because they’re that good.

As usual, Harry’s life is complicated, and it’s about to get more so. Juggling his adorable daughter’s safety, his developing romance with Karrin, wheeling double-dealing politics, he needs more than twenty-four hours a day. Adding to that is the new trouble Harry’s brother Thomas has gotten into, and his grandfather’s interference, well, let’s just say life is messy for Chicago’s favorite wizard. The storyline is interesting and it moves very quickly despite there not being a lot of action. Some reviewers have complained about this and the lack of any meaningful resolution at the end, but I’m willing to cut Mr. Butcher some slack as this is the first of a duology within the series, and the second book, Battle Ground is coming out in October.

Overall, Peace Talks is a welcome return to the world of Harry Dresden, and I felt as though I was meeting up with old friends. I’m excitedly awaiting Battle Ground and I can’t wait to see how Harry extricates himself from the multiple jams he’s in.

 

The Patient, by Jasper DeWitt ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Horror, Mental Health, Supernatural Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 4th, 2020

224 Pages

Synopsis: The Silent Patient by way of Stephen King: Parker, a young, overconfident psychiatrist new to his job at a mental asylum, miscalculates catastrophically when he undertakes curing a mysterious and profoundly dangerous patient.

In a series of online posts, Parker H., a young psychiatrist, chronicles the harrowing account of his time working at a dreary mental hospital in New England. Through this internet message board, Parker hopes to communicate with the world his effort to cure one bewildering patient.

We learn, as Parker did on his first day at the hospital, of the facility’s most difficult, profoundly dangerous case—a forty-year-old man who was originally admitted to the hospital at age six. This patient has no known diagnosis. Every person who has attempted to treat him has been driven to madness or suicide.

Desperate and fearful, the hospital’s directors keep him strictly confined and allow minimal contact with staff for their own safety, convinced that releasing him would unleash catastrophe on the outside world. Parker, brilliant and overconfident, takes it upon himself to discover what ails this mystery patient and finally cure him. But from his first encounter with the patient, things spiral out of control, and, facing a possibility beyond his wildest imaginings, Parker is forced to question everything he thought he knew.

Fans of Sarah Pinborough’s Behind Her Eyes, and Paul Tremblay’s The Cabin at the End of the World, wil be riveted by Jasper DeWitt’s astonishing debut.

If you are looking for a quick escape and you’re a fan of creepy horror, you should definitely check out The Patient when it’s released in August. It’s a fast-paced story that begins as a psychological horror tale before taking a turn to the supernatural. Parker’s online posts relating his experiences with the mysterious patient known as Joe are captivating and for the most part, keep you guessing as to what is really going on with him. The main reason I marked this down a point is because although Joe’s childhood is a big part of this story, when Parker finally speaks with his mother in the final third of the book, I was still left with questions which left me somewhat frustrated. I also think both the story and its characters would have benefited if the book were slightly longer. That said, I was entertained and easily finished this in a couple of hours. The Patient is Jasper DeWitt’s debut novel and I’ll definitely be looking out for future books by him.

The Chill, by Scott Carson ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 11th, 2020

384 Pages

Synopsis: In this terrifying thriller, a supernatural force—set in motion a century ago—threatens to devastate New York City.

Far upstate, in New York’s ancient forests, a drowned village lays beneath the dark, still waters of the Chilewaukee reservoir. Earlier in the 20th century, the town was destroyed for the greater good: bringing water to the millions living downstate. Or at least that’s what the politicians from Manhattan insisted at the time. The local families, settled there since America’s founding, were forced from their land, but they didn’t move far, and some didn’t move at all…

 Now, a century later, the repercussions of human arrogance are finally making themselves known. An inspector assigned to oversee the dam, dangerously neglected for decades, witnesses something inexplicable. It turns out that more than the village was left behind in the waters of the Chill when it was abandoned. The townspeople didn’t evacuate without a fight. A dark prophecy remained, too, and the time has come for it to be fulfilled. Those who remember must ask themselves: who will be next? For sacrifices must be made. And as the dark waters begin to inexorably rise, the demand for a fresh sacrifice rises from the deep…

The Chill by Scott Carson (a pseudonym from a bestselling author), is a slow burning horror tale that gives an interesting twist to real life “drowned communities.”

I was interested in this story initially because I grew up a fairly short distance from the Quabbin Reservoir in MA and remembered my dad telling me stories of the communities displaced in order to form the largest body of water in the state. What I loved about this fictional story is the empathetic and thoughtful exploration of the sacrifice demanded of inhabitants of these towns and farms. This is a character-driven story which follows multiple people who are fully fleshed out and add interesting layers to the complex plot.

The story itself is slow at times due to the insertion of a plethora of technical details concerning dam construction and water tunnels, but the tension-building suspense nonetheless kept my attention until the very last page. Overall, The Chill is a perfect example of storytelling that may not be action-packed, still packs an emotional punch. It’s also a timely reminder of humanity’s tendency toward embracing baser instincts such as greed and outright stupidity, something I believe will resonate with many readers. I highly recommend this to fans of Michael Koryta.

 

Cold As Marble (Light As a Feather #2), by Zoe Aarsen ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date October 8th, 2019

384 Pages

Synopsis: McKenna’s mission to save her friends from their predicted deaths continues in the second installment in the Light as a Feather series that’s perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!

The deadly game continues…

Olivia and Candace are dead, both casualties of Violet’s deadly game of Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. McKenna and Misha are the only ones left, and having failed to locate and destroy the source of Violet’s power, her curse still abounds, eager to claim more lives.

What does Violet want? And how can she be stopped? Armed with a mysterious package containing clues, McKenna hopes to end this once and for all…before it’s too late.

Cold As Marble actually improves upon Light As a Feather in terms of snappier dialogue, better character development, smoother pacing, and more scares replacing teen angst and drama. The characters are more fleshed out and relatable, especially McKenna, whose shallowness seriously got on my nerves in the first book. Zoe Aarsen also throws more interesting elements like occult and Wiccan magick. The plot is fast moving and entertaining and and I zipped through this in about two hours. The ending sets things up nicely for the final book, Silent As the Grave, which doesn’t have a release date yet. I have be honest and say there are better supernatural/paranormal books out there for teens, but overall Cold As Marble is a fun, mildly scary and suspenseful read that will appeal to fans of Pretty Little Liars.

 

The Furies, by Katie Lowe ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Boarding Schools, Mystery, Supernatural Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

368 Pages

Synopsis: This page-turning, harrowing debut is the story of a girl trying to fit in, whose obsessive new friends and desperation to belong leads her to places she’d never imagined…dark, dangerous, and possibly even violent.

In 1998, a sixteen-year-old girl is found dead on her boarding school’s property, dressed in white, and posed on a swing, with no known cause of death. What happened to her? And what do her friends know? To find out is is necessary to go back to the beginning.

The school is Elm Hollow Academy, an all-girl’s boarding school, located in a sleepy coastal town with a long-buried grim history of  17 century witch trials. A new student, Violet, joins the school, and soon finds herself invited to become the fourth member of an advanced study group, led by the alluring and mysterious art teacher Annabel.

Annabel does her best to convince the girls that her classes aren’t related to ancient rites and rituals, and that they are just mythology. But the more she tries to warn the girls off topic, the more the girls start to believe magic is real and that they have the power to harness it.

Violet quickly finds herself wrapped up in this addictive new world. But when she comes to find out about the disappearance of a former member of the society, one with whom Violet shares an uncanny resemblance, she begins to wonder who she can trust, all the while becoming more deeply entangled in her newfound friendships.  

Was it suicide, or a foul play more sinister? How far will these young girls go to protect one another…or destroy one another?

You can probably tell from the synopsis that the plot isn’t the most original one out there, but I still found The Furies a fun, creepy read. For those of you who are fans of the 1996 movie The Craft, this is sort of a less campy version of that. Unsurprisingly there’s loads of angst and anger, and when you set that in all girl’s boarding school and mix in witchcraft, well, let’s just say there’s plenty of explosive supernatural shenanigans that ensue! My biggest issue was that I found the author’s writing a bit too florid, but it wasn’t really enough to spoil my enjoyment. I will definitely be on the lookout for any of Katie Lowe’s future books.