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shinesalot's review
4.0
Holy moly, WHAT A BOOK. I wasn't sure what to expect...the summary promised an alien, subject headings suggested horror....not only does Kraus deliver...there are surprises and twists I never would have guessed.
The horror isn't super graphic, more creepy than anything else.
EXCELLENT read. OH, the audio is phenomenal. I HIGHLY recommend.
The horror isn't super graphic, more creepy than anything else.
EXCELLENT read. OH, the audio is phenomenal. I HIGHLY recommend.
adamskiboy528491's review
4.0
"Little Green Men about Four foot One,
Maybe they want to have some fun
Little Green Men about Four foot Two,
Maybe he wants to mate with you...
Little Green Men about Four foot Three,
Maybe they want to be set free...
Little Green Men about Four foot,
Maybe they want to kick some butt."
- Steve Vai
Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus is brilliantly crafted and tightly plotted, and I don't think I'll ever re-read it because it is emotionally brutal to the core and will wreck your day! After Liv's father went missing for two years, claiming he's been abducted by aliens, Liv and her friend Doug find an alien trapped in one of her father's traps. It sounded like the kind of thing that might be right up my alley (being an avid lover of Science Fiction and Horror), so it seemed like a fun book to look into. Having now finished it, I can say that it was a good decision on my part.
The central theme that I enjoyed exploring was the theme of trauma: the trauma of losing a parent in such an upsetting way & also the trauma that comes with what Liv and Doug do to the alien they've captured. Later on, the novel shifts to examining the trauma that comes with how they treat this alien and the weight that is keeping the secret on them. It illuminates (in an unexpected way) just how completely trauma and loss can shape our thoughts and actions and send otherwise reasonable people into an inescapable downward spiral. Although, the latter part of the book contains graphic torture scenes that are sometimes painful to read through. The writing was beautiful, the story was compelling, and I couldn't put this book down.
The search for life beyond the planet often takes looking beyond the Sun's reach, to distant stars in search for life. But sometimes extraterrestrials are a lot close than even the nearest stars, and you only need to look within the Solar System itself for them.
kmmcdono's review
4.0
Left me saying TEENAGERS WHY ARE YOU SO DUMB but I did enjoy it. VERY graphic.
the_bookish_scorpio's review
1.0
TRIGGER WARNING: abusi, tortura
Davvero terribile, certe scene mi hanno disgustata.
Mi aspettavo un horror sci-fi con tanti alieni, ma quello che mi ha sconcertata di più è stato il finale.
Aiuto!
Davvero terribile, certe scene mi hanno disgustata.
Mi aspettavo un horror sci-fi con tanti alieni, ma quello che mi ha sconcertata di più è stato il finale.
Aiuto!
samilly's review
dark
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
wdianasheppard's review
5.0
Okay first of all - this isn’t YA. It’s one of the grittier and graphic horrors I’ve read, and I’ve read a bunch.
This isn’t a happy book. I did not enjoy reading it, and I couldn’t stop. I can recognize that the book was excellently done, engaging, well-written, which a few genuine shocks. Some of the plot twists made me cringe, made me nauseous. It was so well-done. I never want to read it again.
If you want a dark, graphic horror, I can’t recommend this enough.
This isn’t a happy book. I did not enjoy reading it, and I couldn’t stop. I can recognize that the book was excellently done, engaging, well-written, which a few genuine shocks. Some of the plot twists made me cringe, made me nauseous. It was so well-done. I never want to read it again.
If you want a dark, graphic horror, I can’t recommend this enough.
jennifermreads's review
5.0
Received advanced reader copy from publisher via Baker & Taylor book supplier
More than two years ago, Liv Fleming's father Lee stumbled into the town square, naked and speaking incoherently about “biological evidence” and being abducted by aliens. Soon after this, Lee went missing. His daughter Liv has tried to move on and accept that he's dead. But, her longtime, childhood friend Doug is clinging to the Sunday tradition they have maintained since Liv’s dad disappeared: they check the traps Lee left behind to catch the aliens. On the Sunday Liv decides to tell Doug she wants to stop checking the traps, they find a creature in one of the traps that proves Lee was telling the truth. Now, Doug and Liv have to decide: do they turn the creature over to authorities? Or do they handle it themselves and try to find out what happened to Lee?
Just another alien story, you say? Yeah, yeah, you say, teens tromping through the woods and find an alien that changes all their beliefs? What else is new & different? Do you think the synopsis is all of Daniel Kraus’s story? Um … one great big, huge, gigantic, NO!
After having done so much reading, I find myself figuring out plot points far sooner than I’d like. Surprises are golden and rare in my reading world. I’m happy to say that Bent Heavens gave me some surprises. It had me gaping at one climax (seriously…thank goodness no flies were in the vicinity to go darting down my throat!) and I was kept guessing until just words before the other big reveal. Any detailed discussion and review of the plot will just lead to spoilers and completely decimate enjoyment of the tale. Readers will need to go into this book just knowing that it isn’t your typical alien-story and you will be surprised, your mind will be blown, and your jaw will drop.
And the included author’s note will make you sick to your stomach.
More than two years ago, Liv Fleming's father Lee stumbled into the town square, naked and speaking incoherently about “biological evidence” and being abducted by aliens. Soon after this, Lee went missing. His daughter Liv has tried to move on and accept that he's dead. But, her longtime, childhood friend Doug is clinging to the Sunday tradition they have maintained since Liv’s dad disappeared: they check the traps Lee left behind to catch the aliens. On the Sunday Liv decides to tell Doug she wants to stop checking the traps, they find a creature in one of the traps that proves Lee was telling the truth. Now, Doug and Liv have to decide: do they turn the creature over to authorities? Or do they handle it themselves and try to find out what happened to Lee?
Just another alien story, you say? Yeah, yeah, you say, teens tromping through the woods and find an alien that changes all their beliefs? What else is new & different? Do you think the synopsis is all of Daniel Kraus’s story? Um … one great big, huge, gigantic, NO!
After having done so much reading, I find myself figuring out plot points far sooner than I’d like. Surprises are golden and rare in my reading world. I’m happy to say that Bent Heavens gave me some surprises. It had me gaping at one climax (seriously…thank goodness no flies were in the vicinity to go darting down my throat!) and I was kept guessing until just words before the other big reveal. Any detailed discussion and review of the plot will just lead to spoilers and completely decimate enjoyment of the tale. Readers will need to go into this book just knowing that it isn’t your typical alien-story and you will be surprised, your mind will be blown, and your jaw will drop.
And the included author’s note will make you sick to your stomach.