4.0 Stars Have you ever finished a book and thought… what the heck did I just read!?! Well I just finished this book and am wondering why I read such me4.0 Stars Have you ever finished a book and thought… what the heck did I just read!?! Well I just finished this book and am wondering why I read such messed up books.
This is such a strange, uneasy read. I can't say I fully understand everything the author was trying to accomplish with this book, but it was certainly a memorable read. I loved the mash up of themes, exploring pregnancy through the lense of a mentally ill Evangelical Christian family. The story was so disturbing and gross, which are huge pluses in my books.
Overall I enjoyed this twisted messed up story. The narrative was a little messy at times but I feel that was an intentional choice. I would recommend this one to readers who share my love for a f*ck up story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Merged review:
4.0 Stars Have you ever finished a book and thought… what the heck did I just read!?! Well I just finished this book and am wondering why I read such messed up books.
This is such a strange, uneasy read. I can't say I fully understand everything the author was trying to accomplish with this book, but it was certainly a memorable read. I loved the mash up of themes, exploring pregnancy through the lense of a mentally ill Evangelical Christian family. The story was so disturbing and gross, which are huge pluses in my books.
Overall I enjoyed this twisted messed up story. The narrative was a little messy at times but I feel that was an intentional choice. I would recommend this one to readers who share my love for a f*ck up story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
3.0 Stars I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I found myself rather bored by this one. I liked parts of it, but found it too long for th3.0 Stars I really enjoyed the first book in this series but I found myself rather bored by this one. I liked parts of it, but found it too long for the amount of plot progression that happened. I'm not sure if I'll continue....more
As someone who loves the Outside Trilogy, I have been dying to read more by Ada Hoffman. I don't read and review a lot of short fiction these days but I had to make an exception for this author.
I liked that this book was a collection of speculative fiction with a lot of range. As someone who rarely reads poetry, I did not expect to love the poems so much but they ended up being my favourite parts. I found the short stories to be interesting with some naturally stronger than others.
I really love the creativity of this author. Her mind is brilliant and I really like spending time in her worlds. As someone who enjoys the darkness, I was pleasantly surprised that some of these short works went to some darker places.
I'm biased to prefer long fiction, which is reflected in this review. I still prefer the Outside books but I would recommend this one to those also looking for more from this talent author.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
4.0 Stars This was a solid follow up to the first book. I enjoyed being back in the world with the characters. I find this series just easy and enjoyab4.0 Stars This was a solid follow up to the first book. I enjoyed being back in the world with the characters. I find this series just easy and enjoyable. It's not the deepest or most life changing story, but I don't think it's trying to be. I would recommend this one for anyone looking for an engaging, entertaining fantasy story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
This was a really interesting setup for a murder mystery. Personally I love these parties so this premise completely hooked me in. A lot of this novel revolves around these characters, which was more or less interesting depending on the character. At times it was a little slow pace, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
4.0 Stars I have previously read and loved this author's work, so at this point, I will happily read anything else they publish. I will admit that in 24.0 Stars I have previously read and loved this author's work, so at this point, I will happily read anything else they publish. I will admit that in 2023, I am not particularly eager to read more post-apocalyptic fiction. 2020 is still too fresh in my memory. However, for this author, I made an exception, and I'm glad I did.
There's a lot going on in this plot, and I think this story could have benefited from having fewer layers. I think this could have been a five-star read for me if the story had been more streamlined.
That being said, this story mostly worked. I feel the key element was the characters or, specifically, the emotional weight of their experience. For anyone with birth or pregnancy trauma, this book is going to hit hard. There were several gut punch moments in this book, and I really felt it.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for a powerful emotional story. Even if you don't normally read science fiction or post-apocalyptic stories, I would recommend giving this one a try. Hopefully, you end up loving it as much as I did.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author....more
If you have made it this far into the Murderbot series, then you probably know what you are getting yourself into. This book gives you what you would expect.
This one did not have the most interesting plot but, as always, I just enjoyed spending time with the character of Murderbot. Their internal musings were the right balance of amusing as itself. At this point in the series, I wish there was more advancement in the plot. However this series is meant to be more episodic. It's a limitation of the series, but also its strength.
I would recommend this one to fans of Murderbot. If you've never read the series, I would recommend starting back with All Systems Red.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
4.0 Stars This was such an unexpected and engrossing sci fi thriller. Every once in a while I have that wonderful experience of picking up a book with 4.0 Stars This was such an unexpected and engrossing sci fi thriller. Every once in a while I have that wonderful experience of picking up a book with no expectation. This is one of those lovely times when a book comes out of nowhere, grabs my attention and doesn't let go.
I have read this author once before and personally feel this newest novel is a huge step up. The Misfit Soldiers was a fun rompy ride. Generational Ship, however, really raised the bar. The worldbuilding, characters and plot were so well crafted. Loved the diverse representation woven seamlessly into the narrative.
Often sci-fi thrillers can feel so predictable and generic, but this one felt fresh and unexpected. I was honestly surprised by some of the plot twists and never entirely knew what conclusion the story was working towards.
I would recommend this one to readers looking for an engaging page turner with a lot of meat on the bone. This would be the perfect story to bust someone out of a reading slump...more
3.5 Stars As someone who loves Jordan Peele movies (Get Out, Us, Nope), I was very excited to read an anthology written by this talented director. Each3.5 Stars As someone who loves Jordan Peele movies (Get Out, Us, Nope), I was very excited to read an anthology written by this talented director. Each of these stories are written by black authors, sharing the experience of modern black horror. If you love Jordan Peele's movies, you will very likely love these stories that pull similar ideas and themes.
Short story collections typically position the strongest story first so it's no surprise that I loved Reckless Eyeballing by NK Jemisin. This is a hard hitting story involving police abuse and the targeting of black female victims. It was certainly memorable.
As always with anthologies, some of the stories were stronger than others. However this was overall quite a strong group. Other notable stories came from Rebecca Roanhorse, Nnedi Okorafor, & P. Djeli Clark.
I would recommend this anthologies to respond looking for a powerful group of horror stories that still on important social topics while providing some supernatural and real life scares.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
3.0 Stars I enjoy stories with difficult mother daughter relationships so the premise of this one appealed to me. The actual story wasn't as gripping a3.0 Stars I enjoy stories with difficult mother daughter relationships so the premise of this one appealed to me. The actual story wasn't as gripping as I hoped but I enjoyed the Christmas setting as a December read. I wish this one felt more suspenseful but it was just too predictable for my preference....more
I really loved the first book Age of Ash, so I was very interested to continue on in this series. The first book reads like a standalone so I shouldn’t have been surprised that this one reads more like a companion. Certainly the story does pull together threads from the first book, but it’s a shift to a new character and focus.
My favourite of this book and this series continues to be the worldbuilding. I love fantasy set in a secondary urban setting so this gritty city really appealed to me. I enjoyed the city's ideas surrounding religious tolerance. It felt rather enlightened.
While I didn't love this one quite as much as the first book, I am still interested in reading more entries in this series.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
4.0 Stars This was an incredibly fun middle grade spooky story. While I normally review adult horror, I actually have a huge soft spot for middle ficti4.0 Stars This was an incredibly fun middle grade spooky story. While I normally review adult horror, I actually have a huge soft spot for middle fiction written for this younger audience. There is something just so charming and fun about these supernatural adventures and this one did not disappoint.
The premise sounds silly. A girl who communicates with their ghost friend threw their sense of smell. That sounds ridiculous but I'm pleased to say that it completely worked. I found that aspect delightful and charming in a wonderfully kooky way.
Speaking of delightful, I also loved the illustrations in this story. These pictures were super cute and really brought the story to life. I wish there were more. I really appreciate middle grade books like this bone with pictures because they help bridge the gap for reluctant readers.
If you can't tell, I really enjoyed this one. The tone is much lighter than the adult fiction I gravitate towards, but that's not a bad thing. I appreciate that I feel comfortable to recommend or givet this book to a young person. I would recommend this to people looking to get their kids into the genre.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author....more
This is a fantastic new piece of epic horror. I loved how this author managed to turn apples into an incredibly creepy fruit. I really enjoyed all the apple trivia in this one.
Perhaps the middle section felt a little long, but overall I was gripped in by the majority of this novel. The story leans into some horror tropes but it does it in a way that still manages to feel fresh.
One of the best aspects of the book was the horror imagery that the author invoked. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself unnerved by several gory scenes. Often I have trouble picturing what I read but these disturbing images were very clear in my mind.
This is my second book by this author but it certainly won't be my last. I slightly prefer The Book of Accidents but this one came in as a strong contender. I love that does not shy away from diverse representation in his stories.
I would recommend this one to readers looking for a genuinely creepy story that will make you think differently about apples....more
4.0 Stars Moon of the Crusted Snow is one of my favourite books so I was delighted to learn that there was a sequel.
This book continues the story from4.0 Stars Moon of the Crusted Snow is one of my favourite books so I was delighted to learn that there was a sequel.
This book continues the story from when the first one left off. Honestly I loved the ambiguousness of that book so I didn't necessarily think we needed to see further into this future.
However, this turned out to be a beautiful follow-up. As a piece of indigenous fiction, I found it to be a beautiful story steeped in cultural traditions. It was wonderful to imagine such a warm, optimistic community within such an uncertain future.
In terms of suspense and speculative fiction, this follow up book has far less than the first. If I forgot about the initial setup, it would be easy to forget this wasn't a piece of contemporary fiction. As someone who loves indigenous fiction, I love it. As someone who normally reads dark fiction, I found myself longing for those elements.
I would highly recommend this to readers looking for a wonderful Canadian indigenous narrative....more
I originally requested this book with the understanding I would be able to read the first two books. Instead, I ended up jumping into this book blind. This is not my recommended reading order but I was pleasantly happy to find that I could pick it up without the backstory.
There are two aspects I really liked about gaslamp fantasy. The first is the setting. I love the mood and the unique feeling of time and place. I love the focus on politics and the challenges of the working class. This is just so different from the other fantasy books I have previously read.
Second, I really enjoyed the relationship between our main characters. There is something strangely refreshing about representation of a reasonably healthy relationship. I liked their back and forth dialogue. I liked their dynamics.
Overall, I felt this one had some really good aspects. However, without reading the first two stories, I felt dropped into the story and felt like I was missing a layer of the narrative. I would love back to the beginning and read it all in chronological order.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher...more
4.0 Stars As someone who loved Chasing the Boogeyman, I am happy to report that I love this sequel just as much. This story is clearly reminiscent of S4.0 Stars As someone who loved Chasing the Boogeyman, I am happy to report that I love this sequel just as much. This story is clearly reminiscent of Silence of the Lamb and the Ted Bundy Conversations. The author is clearly aware of this comparison and leans into it.
My favourite aspect of this series continues to be the meta blending of fact and fiction. While I knew this was a novel, I often found myself forgetting that this wasn't a memoir. The story was engrossing and even a bit scary.
I highly recommend this series but start back at the beginning with Chasing the Boogeyman. I hope you love it as much as I do....more
This is a solid science fiction debut. I loved the politics parts of this story which were the most fascinating aspect for me. I found the narrative quite gripping in places.
I also enjoyed the imaginative worldbuilding. I loved some of the creative ideas explored in this imagined future.
I defintiely interested in continuing on with this series which shows a lot of potential. I would recommend it to readers looking for a new science fiction story.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
3.5 Stars I don't read a lot of short stories anymore but this one was just too good. This is a young adult anthologies that explores queer teen themes3.5 Stars I don't read a lot of short stories anymore but this one was just too good. This is a young adult anthologies that explores queer teen themes within the frame of Halloween horror stories.
As always, some of the stories are stronger than others. I didn't find the stories particularly scary from a supernatural perspective but I appreciated the themes explored. This is the kind of story I would love to gift I'd if I had a queer teenager in my life.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
3.0 Stars I picked up this novel after enjoying The Luminous Dead. For me, the strength of the author's debut novel was the sense of suspense and atmos3.0 Stars I picked up this novel after enjoying The Luminous Dead. For me, the strength of the author's debut novel was the sense of suspense and atmosphere. This novel has a sense of unease and weirdness, but those feelings weren't as strongly projected.
The story was mysterious, strange and ultimately unsatisfying. It's not as good as the author's first book but still has it's merits. I was intrigued, even if it didn't hit the same level.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher....more
Rachel (TheShadesofOrange)
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