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nouveaudragon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book, like many of Kingfisher's books, absolutely changed my worldview. Similar in content to the audio drama podcast, Old Gods of Appalachia (if you're looking for other haunted Appalachian tales). The book felt fast-paced because something stressful was always happening, but we are still left with more mysteries than explanations in the end. I feel this is a fitting end to a horror book, and was right up my alley.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Mental illness, and Body horror
emzhay's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The first 60% was a type of horror that really had me creeped out a scared to look out of the corner of my eye. It was thrilling, and I was sucked in. The last 30% I have mixed feeling about. The horror imagery still hit that same beat, but the plot direction and the cut-in humor was pulling me out of the story. I really don’t know exactly how I feel about the ending, but it’s not exactly positive.
I wasn’t too fond of the narrator either, but I also didn’t hate her. Mouse’s attempted southern jokes came off as sly classiest comments and that irked me. They did disappear in the later half, but there were enough comments early on for her to leave a bad impression.
I would rate lower, but I really did enjoy it a lot up until the end.
I wasn’t too fond of the narrator either, but I also didn’t hate her. Mouse’s attempted southern jokes came off as sly classiest comments and that irked me. They did disappear in the later half, but there were enough comments early on for her to leave a bad impression.
I would rate lower, but I really did enjoy it a lot up until the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Racism and Classism
leaffolk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racism, Body horror, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
bruisedtigers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This made me squirm at so many moments. One part of the climax made me lower the book in heeby-jeebied defeat before summoning the will to proceed. I couldn't predict where this was going -- in a good way! I did want a little less of the characters having funny commentary in the middle of tense moments, but it wasn't a deal-breaker.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Body horror, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual violence and Miscarriage
queenie_ofthe_void's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Idk it was good but I think it just wasn't my taste. I'm just getting in to reading horror so maybe I'm not used to it yet. Can't go wrong with a deer monster though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Body horror, and Violence
onthesamepage's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Kirkus said, "Read this one with the lights on", to which I said, "how else would I read a physical book?" but I get their point. I don't think this has a lot of jump scares, but it has this unsettling, creepy feeling that keeps building up. I'm not familiar with the story this is building on, but I always enjoy T. Kingfisher's writing. I loved all the characters, and the sense of humor throughout the story, even when it got a bit grim.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Body horror
Minor: Rape
dreamy_demon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Animal death, Body horror, and Blood
jasmine256's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Animal death, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Dementia
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and Racism
zachisreading's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The Twisted Ones is a book that does a lot of things right. You'll find yourself propelled forward by the main character's wit into a curious mystery that becomes more and more strange the further in you go. The haunting refrain of her step grandfather's journal, from which the book takes it's name, will stick with you between readings. It is a hard book to put down, and even harder to stay away from.
Then, in the last handful of chapters, I felt the book fumbled the dismount. Too much was revealed too fast and too completely. Significant parts of the mystery wind up tossed to the curb in the fantastical reveals. The monsters wind up being too human, largely discarding the eldritch horror that fueled the book up to this point. The unknowable becomes known, at least in part, and that removes some of the terror.
Still, it's not a book to be left unread. It's creeping horror is a lovely, well-crafted thing that could easily have felt dated if not for the protagonist's thoroughly modern voice. Plus, there's a dog. And everyone needs more dogs in their lives. Even fictional ones.
Then, in the last handful of chapters, I felt the book fumbled the dismount. Too much was revealed too fast and too completely. Significant parts of the mystery wind up tossed to the curb in the fantastical reveals. The monsters wind up being too human, largely discarding the eldritch horror that fueled the book up to this point. The unknowable becomes known, at least in part, and that removes some of the terror.
Still, it's not a book to be left unread. It's creeping horror is a lovely, well-crafted thing that could easily have felt dated if not for the protagonist's thoroughly modern voice. Plus, there's a dog. And everyone needs more dogs in their lives. Even fictional ones.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Infertility
Minor: Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Racism
thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was my first outing with Kingfisher, and I think it was overall successful. The voice of the main character is really strong and initially gave me pause; However, I quickly grew to love Mouse and the friends that she made along the way and found myself deeply invested in the mystery of the twisted ones and the green book. The last 50 pages or so got a little weird, and it didn't totally stick the landing, but it's good enough that I could see myself rereading it, and I definitely will be reading more from Kingfisher in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty