I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a haunted, disturbing, claw-handed grapple of a story. What's real is not, I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a haunted, disturbing, claw-handed grapple of a story. What's real is not, what isn't is, the monsters in Andrew's stories and Thomas' illustrations are coming for them both and cannot be stopped. Nightmarish, unstable, driving and devastating. This is a doozy.
Parts of it swept me along like a fugue state and some of it was too painful to even acknowledge my own familiarity with. Some of it felt too slow to me, or too big. Maybe I wanted it to be shorter, or longer? I can't tell yet. Maybe sitting with it longer will reveal more to me. But I absolutely tore through the reading of it, and I couldn't stop. It was absolutely gripping.
It gave me dark academia like If We Were Villains with vibes of Picnic At Hanging Rock.
I was intrigued by the premise... but ultimately I wasn't sure who the target audience for this book wI received an ARC for review through NetGalley.
I was intrigued by the premise... but ultimately I wasn't sure who the target audience for this book was supposed to be. I thought it was going to be a kind of tongue in cheek, humorous murder mystery, but so much of it reads very earnestly like literary for animal lovers. Even as a horse girl myself, I think it was missing a classic mystery structure that might've helped hold the overall story up in the long run. I felt the pacing was a little off and the writing voice was occasionally juvenile. The Pony's POV chapters felt cheeky but somewhat hardboiled; I think it might have worked even better if that was the full POV for the whole storyline. Ultimately this one just did not work as well for me as I hoped it would but I applaud the concept and the attempt at genre-bending. ...more
I'll be honest: I like it when my sci-fi has some horror elements, and when it's focused on technology, I received an advance copy through NetGalley.
I'll be honest: I like it when my sci-fi has some horror elements, and when it's focused on technology, I love it when it's so unsettlingly plausible and familiar that it is almost a distraction.
That being said... This book was INCREDIBLE.
The first chapters set a familiar near-future tone that's hard not to recognize... but once you settle in with the pattern of flashback chapters and present tense survival horror, the game truly begins. In a dizzying kaleidoscope of teeth-grittingly nerve wracking scenes between the startup squad who've survived a plane crash on a remote island after a huge success for the company, your journey as a reader becomes increasingly less safe, less obvious, less comfortable. But you won't be able to stop reading. You have suspicions, yes, but no proof. And what's this thing that keeps getting danced around? One reveal happens, and you're stunned. You keep going to the next reveal; a shock to your senses.
You're in it now. And you'll absolutely NEVER guess the truth. At least, not the whole truth.
My god this was disturbing. I absolutely loved it. ...more
A sweet, retrofuture-style space age road trip romcom with a flair for the familiar with a number of tender twists. Susie Starlight is sincere in all A sweet, retrofuture-style space age road trip romcom with a flair for the familiar with a number of tender twists. Susie Starlight is sincere in all that she does, including doling out advice for her high school's gazette as the anonymous Miss Galaxy. Suddenly Miss Galaxy receives an Anonymous love letter promising a spring break scavenger hunt across the stars and Susie leaps at the chance to see the galaxy and find love... so she and her school paper companions hit the spaceroad to seek out new life and new civilizations. But will Anonymous be everything Susie's dreamed of? Or will a new dream coax her out of her shell of insecurities along the way?
The voice, style, and pace of this book are just perfect. It's a delight to find a book that just is exactly what it should be, and especially one full of sweetly familiar tropes with earnest intent behind them at that. ...more
Racquel Henry nails the spirit of the season and the feel of old passions reigniting with this little story. ChanelA sweet familiar Christmas romance!
Racquel Henry nails the spirit of the season and the feel of old passions reigniting with this little story. Chanel swore she's never let Greyson back into her life, but the holiday concert back home has other plans for both of them. Ho ho ho! ...more
Sweet and cozy, but I found the unique and interesting bits fewer and further between than I'd hoped. Sweet and cozy, but I found the unique and interesting bits fewer and further between than I'd hoped. ...more
A great overview of Elizabeth's life and the events and people that influenced her at every stage of her reign. Especially useful as a refresher for sA great overview of Elizabeth's life and the events and people that influenced her at every stage of her reign. Especially useful as a refresher for someone already familiar with her life, but definitely a concise, detailed crash course for a beginner historian as well....more
Strange and familiar, this blends science fiction and high fantasy in the most natural way. It's both fascinating and nerve wracking, endearing and frStrange and familiar, this blends science fiction and high fantasy in the most natural way. It's both fascinating and nerve wracking, endearing and frustrating. I love tales that stretch the concept of time and its effects on our humanity, our emotions and our knowledge. Beautiful. ...more
Like a thrill ride themed like your awkward ugly teen self's worst (and best) nightmares... i felt my jaw clenching through so much of this book and yLike a thrill ride themed like your awkward ugly teen self's worst (and best) nightmares... i felt my jaw clenching through so much of this book and yet I absolutely could not check out. It was too good. Too hideously gorgeous and spellbinding. I, like Sideways, feared that some things were too good to be true... and yet...
a sweet, spicy, refreshing rush through Hollywood romance
Jacqueline Firkins nails it with this one - it's a little sweet, a little spicy, and a lot rea sweet, spicy, refreshing rush through Hollywood romance
Jacqueline Firkins nails it with this one - it's a little sweet, a little spicy, and a lot refreshing. I love the characters, the voice, the pacing and the dialogue. The reality of Marlowe Banks' awfully unglamorous job as a PA/wardrobe shopper on a popular TV show is painfully clear. And the heat between her and Angus the irresistible leading man? Palpable. Not to mention the soul-searching, letting-go-of-the-past, and opening-of-oneself-to-new-opportunities. This is a great read, and a fabulous fling!...more
A sparkling YA fantasy that feels at turns like The Night Circus, Howl's Moving Castle, and other half-familiar, half-strange tA sparkling YA fantasy
A sparkling YA fantasy that feels at turns like The Night Circus, Howl's Moving Castle, and other half-familiar, half-strange tales of magic, greed, knowledge, and strange places of many endless rooms and secrets. Queer rep and a diverse cast of characters make this an exciting new tale for teen readers. ...more
Some of this was so plausible I had a hard time reading, except for the need to know what was going to becomea breath-holding near-future possibility
Some of this was so plausible I had a hard time reading, except for the need to know what was going to become of Val, Julie, Sophie and David. This family feels so familiar, and the way it's written feels like it's a secondhand account of what has happened to neighbors or friends of the family. A fascinating unraveling of a family dynamic over years and significant events and choices. ...more
An awesomely thorough, easy to parse guide from an experienced author in the cozy mystery genre. So many excellent suggestions and details, including An awesomely thorough, easy to parse guide from an experienced author in the cozy mystery genre. So many excellent suggestions and details, including marketing tips, writing exercises, and hypothetical examples. Definitely going to refer back to this in the future!...more
I can't process my own emotional response to this book. Lyrical, moody, folklorish, dream-textured... there is metaphor and there is longing. There arI can't process my own emotional response to this book. Lyrical, moody, folklorish, dream-textured... there is metaphor and there is longing. There are things here that whispered to me of Hades and Persephone, of Orpheus and Eurydice, of The Last Unicorn, of other half-remembered and half-dreamed-of tales that resonate in my reader's heart.
This is easily one of the most beautiful things I've ever read. If I had read it as a younger person it would have been my entire personality. Period.
It has been a long time since I turned the final page, saw it was the end, and half-sobbed aloud "No!" to the darkness of the room around me. I need to go cry now. ...more
I knew this book would shock me and I can say now that it did not disappoint whatsoever. Gailey's prose is as terse and precise as the protagonist EveI knew this book would shock me and I can say now that it did not disappoint whatsoever. Gailey's prose is as terse and precise as the protagonist Evelyn herself, and the unfolding of this deeply unsettling speculative tale brought to mind memories of reading Shelley's Frankenstein for the first time. The way this story echoes even itself, even its own characters is visceral and palpable. I physically felt myself react to things as they were revealed. It was astonishing, with a terrifying premise that confidently develops into a breathtaking plot. I really don't want to say much more... but I'm not going to be the same having read it. ...more
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