The Final Girl Support Group, By Grady Hendrix ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, LGBTQ, Mystery, Serial Killers, Slasher Movies, Thriller

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

Release Date: July 13th, 2021

352 Pages

Synopsis: A fast-paced, thrilling horror novel that follows a group of heroines to die for, from the brilliant New York Times bestselling author of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated,the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynette Tarkington is a real-life final girl, who survived a massacre twenty-two years ago and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other actual final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynette’s worst fears are realized—someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the one thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never give up. (Goodreads)

Remember how popular “slasher” movies were in the late 70s, 80s and 90s? Well picture a world where there are real life Final Girls, and those movies were based on the horrifying events that occurred in their lives. This is the premise of Grady Hendrix’s clever, highly entertaining The Final Girl Support Group. It’s a wild ride right from the beginning, and although it took me a little while to warm up to Lynette, once I learned more of her backstory I completely understood her over-the-top actions.

While the subject matter is admittedly dark, this has all of Hendrix’s trademark black humor as well. In between the chills, thrills, and yes, chuckles, are some thoughtful looks at how our society not only treats victims of violence, but the perpetrators themselves. There are fans of these monsters which at first seem unbelievable until you remember the devoted worshipers serial killers like Ted Bundy and Charles Manson had.

In this twisted tale you’ve got six traumatized survivors who for much of the book, aren’t exactly supporting each other, despite the title. They’re all dealing with the physical and emotional scars that their ordeals have left them in different ways which doesn’t leave much left over for anyone else. I spent a good portion of the book second guessing whether Lynette or one of her fellow survivors had finally gone over the edge and turned monster here, and there were enough twists to make my poor head spin. The last few climactic chapters are a kick-ass display of sisterhood and the ending was brilliant!

The Final Girl Support Group is perfect for horror fans looking for a fresh take on the slasher horror sub-genre. And unsurprisingly, it’s already been scooped up by Annapurna Pictures who will be developing it into a tv series. I can’t wait to see what they do with this story. Meanwhile, if you’re a fan of film franchises like Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare On Elm Street, and Scream, you’re going to want to read this book. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!

Find You First, By Linwood Barclay ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Huntington’s Disease, Mystery, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 4th, 2020

448 Pages

Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author of Elevator Pitch and master of psychological suspense returns with a riveting thriller in which the possible heirs of a dying tech millionaire are mysteriously being eliminated, one by one.

Tech millionaire Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of—except time. He has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and there is a fifty percent chance it can be passed on to the next generation. For Miles, this means taking a long hard look at his past…

Two decades ago, a young, struggling, Miles was a sperm donor. Somewhere out there, he has kids—nine of them. And they might be about to inherit both the good and the bad from him—maybe his fortune, or maybe something much worse.

As Miles begins to search for the children he has never known, aspiring film documentarian, Chloe Swanson, embarks on a quest to find her biological father, armed with the knowledge that twenty-two years ago, her mother used a New York sperm bank to become pregnant.

When Miles and Chloe eventually connect, their excitement at finding each other is overshadowed by a series of mysterious and terrifying events. One by one, Mile’s other potential heirs are vanishing—every trace of them wiped, like they never existed at all.

Who is the vicious killer—another heir methodically erasing rivals? Or is there something even more sinister going on?

It’s a deadly race against time… (Goodreads)

I’ve been a fan of Linwood Barclay since I read No Time For Goodbye in 2007, and have rarely been disappointed, and I’m happy to say his upcoming Find You First is another page-turning winner! I loved both Miles and Chloe as protagonists and found it easy to connect with them. While Miles is a decent guy who wants to do the right thing, he tends to take those close to him for granted, but by the end of the book I think Chloe has had a positive effect on him. The villainous Jeremy Pritkin, whose motives kept me guessing, I kept picturing as Roger Stone for some odd reason. He’s a bit over-the-top but still weirdly fascinating. The plot makes use of today’s technology and headlines yet is somewhat far-fetched, but as usual with this prolific author’s storytelling, it’s so exciting that doesn’t matter. There are oodles of twists and turns which kept me completely captivated from beginning to end. After reading several dark books lately, I needed a bit of a breather, and Find You First certainly fit the bill. If you haven’t read any of Barclay’s previous books, this is a good one to start with.

Ace of Spades, By Faridah Àbiké-Íyímídé ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Homophobia, LGBTQ, Mystery, Racism, Suspense, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 1st, 2021

432 Pages

Synopsis: When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too. 

Shortly after the announcement is made though, someone who goes by Aces, begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threatens every aspect of their carefully planned futures. 

As Aces shows no signs of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly? 

With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary, comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbiké-Íyímídé.

Ace of Spades is one of the best debuts I’ve read and I believe it will be one of the most buzzed about books of 2021! The author brilliantly spins a complex web of lies and betrayals with timely social issues including: being LGBTQ in the black community, socioeconomic status, and institutionalized/systemic racism. I can tell you after reading countless books that attempt to be both issue-driven and suspenseful, it’s extremely difficult to do without one or the other suffering. That’s certainly not the case here. I literally could not tear myself away and despite this being over 400 pages, I easily finished it in one sitting. Chiamaka and Devon are flawed yet relatable and sympathetic characters, and my heart ached at the things they were forced to do to fit in and get ahead. While there were certain parts I guessed at early on, there were a couple of head-spinning twists that were utterly insane, especially the last one which resulted in me not being able to go to sleep after finishing. Ace of Spades is a book that is a must read for teens and adults. If I was still a children’s/YA librarian/ I’d be preordering multiple copies for my collection. This is a pitch-perfect book that not only entertains, but makes you think about the systemic racism that’s so prevalent in society and what people of color are forced to put up with day in and day out. A blurb likens it to Gossip Girl meets Get Out, and I certainly would go along with that. I encourage everyone to mark their calendars and preorder this or put it on hold at your library ASAP. I read in Newsweek that twenty-two-year-old Faridah Àbíké- Íyímídé received a seven figure advance from the publisher for her debut and a second as yet untitled book, and I can certainly understand why. I can’t wait to read her next novel.

The Minders, By John Marrs ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Computer Hacking, Dystopian Fiction, Espionage, Government Conspiracies, The United Kingdom, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 16th, 2021

416 Pages

Synopsis:

In this electrifying near-future thriller, five strangers guard government secrets, but only four can be trusted.

In the 21st century, information is king. But computers can be hacked and files can be broken into—so a unique government initiative has been born. Five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders—the latest weapon in thwarting cyberterrorism. Transformed by a revolutionary medical procedure, the country’s most classified information has been taken offline and turned into genetic code implanted in their heads.

Together, the five know every secret, the truth behind every government lie, conspiracy theory and cover up. In return, they’re given the chance for to leave their problems behind and a blank slate to start their lives anew.

But not everyone should be trusted, especially when they each have secrets of their own they’ll do anything to protect…(Goodreads)

The Minders is the third book by John Marrs set in the UK in the not too distant future. While you needn’t have read The One and The Passengers to keep up, I’d still recommend you do so to get a better sense of the world and technology. The chapters alternate between the five complex main characters, and as usual, Marrs does a solid job fleshing out their backstories. The plot itself is a little slower paced in the first half than in the previous books, but it’s still compelling, and given the increasing sophistication of hacking, I could see some of the things detailed in the book happening. My only quibble is that I felt like I was being told rather than shown what was happening, yet despite this, I was still drawn into the story. I have to say that after reading three books in this unnamed series now, I’ve found that the author is quite adept at making what would ordinarily be ludicrous plot points acceptable. Overall, The Minders is another exciting and creative piece of science fiction and a worthy follow-up to the previous books. 

The Power Couple, By Alex Berenson ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Espionage, Mystery, Thriller

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

Release Date: February 9th, 2021

432 Pages

Synopsis: Rebecca and Brian Unsworth appear to have it all. A nice house in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Two well-behaved, healthy teenage children. Important government jobs—Rebecca working in counterterrorism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brian serving as a coder for the National Security Agency. Their lives stand to improve even more, as Brian, in his off-hours, has just developed and sold a highly profitable app.

However, the Unsworths’ marriage isn’t as perfect as it seems. After two decades together, they’ve drifted apart, talking little and having sex even less. Seeking to revive their strained relationship, they decide for their twentieth wedding anniversary to take their two kids, Kira and Tony, on a European getaway.

They have a blast…until one night in Barcelona, when Kira doesn’t come home from a dance club. She’s gone. Abducted. Over the course of a single weekend the Unsworths will do everything possible to find her—as Kira herself discovers just how far she’ll go to break free of the trap that’s been set for her. And even as Rebecca and Brian come together for Kira, they realize their marriage is more tenuous than they realized.

The Power Couple is another example of how Berenson can spin an exciting yarn that’s impossible to put down. The story is told from the povs of Kira, Rebecca, and Brian. Additionally, Rebecca’s and Brian’s chapters are in the past and present, which could have turned into a convoluted mess, but instead gives the reader an intriguing look into their complicated marriage and how their relationship and decisions tie into Kira’s kidnapping. There are several twists, especially in the last half of the book, that caught me by surprise, by in retrospect made sense. The finale is a little crazy, and veers into Mr. and Mrs. Smith territory, but as the villain gets their just desserts, I’m not going to quibble. While The Power Couple screams “HOLLYWOOD!” it’s not your average popcorn thriller, as it in addition to the mystery and action, it delves deep into its characters’ psyches. I highly recommend this for fans who love flawed characters along with their mystery/thrillers,

 

Lore, By Alexandra Bracken ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Greek Mythology, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 5th, 2021

480 Pages

Synopsis: Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of  ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.

Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away thought of revenge against the man—now a god—responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to finally leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost—and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

Before I start this review, if you’re getting a sense of deja vu, or see that you’ve already written a comment, that’s because this is an updated post I did a few months ago on the chapter sampler of Lore. I apologize for being lazy, but instead of writing out the entire synopsis again, I thought I’d just update my original review now that I’ve had the opportunity to read the entire book.

What do you get when you combine bestselling YA author Alexandra Bracken with Greek gods? A surefire blockbuster is what I’m thinking! Except for Madeline Miller’s phenomenal Circe(2019), once Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series ended, there haven’t been many Greek mythology-based books released, so I had high hopes for Lore. Well, it starts off with a bang and plenty of blood, gore, and even a decapitation. One word of warning, the violence continues throughout the book, including two scenes involving the murder of little girls. These two particular sections relate the murders in the third person, and compared to other parts, aren’t terribly graphic, but they still made me squirm, and may make some readers uncomfortable as well. While the storyline may sound similar to previous series, like Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games, let me assure you that this is completely unique. There are a lot of characters but they’re easily remembered because they each have an integral part to play. The romance is a bit ho-hum, but that’s okay because there’s so much else going on. The pacing is insane, and I flew through this in two days despite it being just under 500 pages. The only reason why I rated this 4 stars is because there are some rough passages, especially in the first fifty or so pages where the reader is being introduced to the history and rules of the Agon. I’ve been a voracious reader of Greek Mythology since I was a child and I consider myself fairly well-versed in the stories and characters involved, but there were a few times I was left confused and frustrated. Thankfully things became clearer the deeper I got into the story. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Lore and unhesitatingly recommend it to my fellow mythology enthusiasts who are looking for a refreshing take on the old legends.

Battle Ground (The Dresden Files #17), By Jim Butcher ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Thriller, Urban Fantasy

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

Release Date: September 29th, 2020

432 Pages

Synopsis: Harry Dresden has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders.

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way.

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

Holy guacamole! After two days of being fully immersed in Battle Ground, I’m exhausted. Unsurprisingly given the title, the majority of the story careens from one pulse-pounding, bloody, and at times, heartbreaking battle scene to another. To those of you who love The Dresden Files, let me give you fair warning, no one is safe. The good news is that just about every fan favorite who has ever played a part in this seventeen book series, makes an appearance. The bad news is that not all of them make it to the end, and one loss in particular had me reaching for the tissue box. Most of the previous plot threads are tied up by the end, but there are a few new tantalizing ones that will leave you wondering what’s to come. If I were to come up with one word to describe Battle Ground, it would be EPIC! Honestly, it’s absolute perfection from beginning to end and I guarantee fans are going to be thrilled by what Jim Butcher has done. Now let’s just pray it’s not another six years before the next book!

 

Misfits, By Hunter Shea ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Rape, Thriller

 

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

Release Date: September 8th, 2020

288 Pages

Synopsis: During the height of the 90s grunge era, five high school friends living on the fringe are driven to the breaking point. When one of their friends is brutally raped by a drunk townie they decide to take matters into their own hands. Deep in the woods of Milbury, Connecticut, there lives the legend of the Melon Heads, a race of creatures who shun human interaction and prey on those who dare to wander down Dracula Drive. Maybe this night, one band of misfits can help the other. Or maybe some legends are meant to be feared for a reason.

Dare to walk,

Down Dracula Drive,

In day or night,

You won’t survive.

They wait in trees,

And hide below,

Hungry for people,

Too blind to know.

Misfits is the fourth book I’ve read by Hunter Shea, and just when I thought he couldn’t possibly go darker, he’s proven me wrong. I need to warn you there are two fairly graphic rape scenes, so these might be a trigger for some readers. The first happens near the beginning and is the catalyst for almost everything that happens next. The second takes place near the end and in a rare gender reversal, features one of the male characters as the victim. Neither is gratuitously written in as each serves as an integral part of the story. There is plenty of blood and gore as I’ve come to expect from Shea, but what I love about his writing is the unique and creative twist he always gives his stories. In this case, he sets an urban legend into the early 1990s, and I was instantly sucked in. As usual his characters are complex and easy to connect with, as all of them break with stereotypical teen roles. I know not to expect happily-ever-afters from Shea, but to my surprise, the ending (in a perverse way) here is about as positive as I’ve read from him. Undoubtedly Misfits will please Shea’s many fans, and for those who are new to him but are fans of hardcore horror that also has some depth, he’s an author you should definitely check out.

 

 

Cut Off, By Adrianne Finlay ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Horror, LGBTQ, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: August 11th, 2020

384 Pages

Synopsis: Warcross meets Lost in this haunting young adult sci-fi thriller in which teens compete to survive in the wilderness for one million dollars on a new virtual reality show. When something goes horribly wrong and the contestants realize no one is coming to save them, they must question their very reality—and how much of the game is really for show.

Each contestant has their own reasons—and their own secrets—for joining the new virtual reality show CUT/OFF that places a group of teenagers alone in the wilderness. It’s a simple premise: whoever lasts the longest without “tapping out” wins a cash prize. Not only that, new software creates a totally unprecedented television experience, allowing viewers to touch, see, and live everything along with the contestants. But what happens when “tapping out” doesn’t work and no one comes to save you? What happens when the whole world seemingly disappears while you’re stranded in the wild. Four teenagers must confront their greatest fears, their deepest secrets, and one another when they discover they are truly cut off from reality. Sci-fi, mystery, and romance converge in this high-stakes, fast-paced read that will leave you guessing to the very last moment.

While I thought Cut Off was a little slow to start, by the halfway point the pace picked up and there were some interesting plot twists which made me glad I stuck with it. There were a couple of issues that prevented this from being a more enjoyable read. The first was the formatting of the eARC. Some of the sentences were out of order, especially during the interviews with the contestants, which made things hard to follow at times. The other problem were the characters who weren’t what I’d call one-dimensional, but I did think they were somewhat formulaic. I did wind up connecting with River (the loner) and Cam (the sassy beauty), but even though I enjoyed Trip (the brash genius), I wanted to know even more about him, and Lexie (the deceiver) never had any of her backstory revealed. Despite this, I did enjoy the overall story and it kept me questioning what was real and what wasn’t. I definitely will be trying the next book that Adrianne Finlay comes out with.

The Loop, by Jeremy Robert Johnson ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Diversity, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 29th, 2020

320 Pages

Synopsis: Stranger Things meets World War Z in this heart-racing conspiracy thriller as a lonely young woman teams up with a group of fellow outcasts to survive the night in a town overcome by a science experiment gone wrong.

Turner Falls is a small tourist town, nestled in the hills of western Oregon, the kind of town you escape to for vacation. When an inexplicable outbreak rapidly develops, this idyllic town becomes the epicenter of an epidemic of violence as the teenage children of several executives from the local biotech firm become ill and aggressively murderous. Suddenly the town is on edge, and Lucy and her friends must do everything it takes just to fight through the night.

The Loop isn’t simply a Stranger Things/World War Z knockoff. No. Jeremy Robert Johnson has taken the whole teen misfits and zombie tropes, and spun it into something completely unique. This upcoming sci-fi/horror throws in: biological warfare, government overreach, conspiracies, social stigmas, greed and hubris, depraved indifference, aliens… You name it, it’s in here. But instead of devolving into a mess like many stories with a multitude of ingredients, Johnson skillfully blends everything into a compelling narrative that will immediately draw you in from the very first page.

Lucy is at turns vulnerable, yet badass, and readers will root for her. While her backstory is tragic, she refuses to let it define her. Bucket and Brewer as her sidekicks, provide a bit of intermittent comic relief which is needed because the events that unfold mainly over one night are utterly brutal and difficult to read at times.

While the first 25% of the book is spent more on setting up the characters and their backgrounds, by no means is it boring. Thanks to the interesting personalities and snappy dialogue, this serves as a chance to connect with them before all hell breaks loose. The pace quickly kicks into a non-stop, pulse-pounding, frenetic sequence of events that makes it nearly impossible to put this down. I devoured this in just over two hours! The ending is no happily-ever-after, but it’s the only rational outcome.

The Loop is not going to be for everyone. It’s filled with graphic violence and a few scenes had me wincing. And not all the questions raised are answered. Rather, the author leaves a few things up to the reader’s imagination. Because of the savagely gory nature of this tale, I would not recommend this to anyone under the age of sixteen. Otherwise, if you’re a fan of hardcore sci-fi horror, like Stephen King’s The Cell, and things like the Alien movies don’t faze you, I HIGHLY recommend The Loop. Just don’t expect to be able to sleep immediately after you finish!