Reviews tagging 'Blood'

My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham

19 reviews

asherz08's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

My Dearest Darkest is a dark paranormal/horror story with a queer twist. This was a great and entertaining read. The concept of the story was very intriguing and unique. It definitely kept me on my toes and I'm not going to lie, there were quite a few times where I was a bit creeped out. 

For a debut novel, Kayla has everything you could want in a good paranormal read. Her attention to detail and sucking you in to the world of Ulalume Academy is absolutely fantastic. I definitely recommend picking this up if your looking for a good spooky season read this fall. 

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thetinytrashcan's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

For a debut novel this book is executed extremely well. I loved all the characters in the book and appropriated that all the ensemble characters had important roles to play in the plot. Though most of the characters could have been explored more I never felt that any of them were bland or unnecessary which made me fall in love with this book. I loved the premise presented in the summary and found that the book did a pretty good job executing the lore of the story and presented background information in interesting ways that kept me engaged the whole time. The only reason this is book lost points in my book is because it wasn’t as much of a dark story as the summary presented and I don’t feel that it completely reached the mood it was trying to create.

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meleac07's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was absolutely BRILLIANT!! I fell into this reality with the characters and found myself connected and drawn to each character for all of their quirks and complexities. Each character was unique and so well thought out. I can not put into words the joy I felt from reading this. Coming from a queer person, the representation in this book is such a breath of fresh air. This book put me through a rollercoaster of emotions. From the cheesiest of lines to the most grotesque scenes, I found myself utterly swept away by the beauty and tangibility of Kayla Cottingham’s writing. So excited to read whatever she puts out next.

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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was creepy AF. It was okay, I liked most of the characters but I don't think we got enough of Sumera or Simon. Only the two very main characters were properly developed. I also thought the final fight scene was way too drawn out. 

 

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diadoodle's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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pey333's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5


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lil_rachie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you Raincoast Books for an ARC copy for an honest review. 

This was an excellent YA queer mystery thriller. If you’re not already intrigued by that alone, there are potential cult elements, a mysterious band disappearance from almost 20 years ago, a queer girl coming to terms with her sexuality, and a weird thing in the tunnels beneath the school that can grant wishes. 
The writing style was really good. It was super easy to follow, and the author developed the creepy and unsettling atmosphere really well. I was completely sucked into this story, and I didn’t want to put it down. It did feel a little slow at times, but I enjoyed the mystery aspect and also the relationship aspect. 
Finch has lived a pretty sheltered life, but after her parents death, she starts at Ulalume. She and Selena are drawn towards each other, and I enjoyed seeing Finch come to terms with her crush on Selena. Their relationship was really good, and I liked how it developed over the course of the book. Finch is also drawn down into the tunnels beneath Ulalume where she accidentally pulls something into existence in their world. 
Selena was also a good character. I liked her confidence and how she owned her identity, and I really felt for her when we learned how she’d suffered before getting to this place where she could own it. Her toxic friendship/relationship with Kyra was very unsettling, and Kyra only became worse as the book progressed. Selena is drawn not only towards Finch, but she’s also pulled into the mystery of the thing in the tunnels when Kyra discovers it and gets her friends involved. 
This got pretty dark at times, and the ending was really intense. I really liked the friendships that developed in the book, the romance, and the creepy mystery.

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sarahmreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Finch is dedicated to get into Ulalume Academy, a school that can soar her pianist talent to new heights. However, an accident that kills both her parents and Finch herself changes everything Finch knows, especially when she is brought back to life and gets admitted to Ulalume Academy. Now Finch must navigate a new school, new friends, and the mysterious force that makes up the town of Rainwater. Oh, and her forming crush on resident popular girl Selena St. Clair.

I usually read horror books, just because I get grossed out so quickly and I get scared very easily. But I decided to brave through it for the gays, and it was absolutely worth it.

Let's start with worldbuilding. Rainwater is such an interesting town with a unique history behind it, although it felt kind of infodumped at some points throughout the story. Although I did absolutely love the lore and history behind the mystery and what had occurred in the past. I do also wish that the epilogue provided a bit more clarity as to what was the aftermath for Killing Howard. I know it is basically assumed they died, but the story was built for us to think there was more.

I will say that the characters really made this story unique! I absolutely loved Selena and Finch, although Finch at times was too emotional, but given her history I don't blame her. This story does reveal a lot of flaws to people, especially when it comes to wanting to leave a toxic relationship but not being sure how to, which I relate to a LOT, as well as the hurdles people jump over to try and figure out their sexuality and the people that might get hurt along the way. These were done extremely well, especially at the end which I won't get into because of spoilers. I was half expecting one thing to be done because of how often you see it in media, but it was fresh to see it done the other way around.

Some characters I think were underutilized a little bit, some being Sumera and Simon. They were great characters, and allowed for a lot of dual perspective and characters that introduce us to the world of "My Dearest Darkest." However, sometimes they were just... there? I really thought they would serve bigger purposes besides some exposition and easy-ins to Rainwater, but they really didn't and wish they were involved more. Then there were characters that were used too much, like Kyra. She was a great antagonist with well-rooted motivations, but every single time she got in a fight with the main cast, she says a one-liner and storms out. I kid you not, every scene with her in it ends with her slamming some door. It was kind of funny after a while but it did irk me.

The romance, on the other hand, was absolutely adorable! It was a beautifully written story of rivals forced to work together to lovers and UGH! The story of Finch discovering her sexuality and Selena's experience coming to terms with being bisexual was so well done. I was swooning and screaming and rooting for them the whole way. This story goes to show that love, even queer love, prevails all.

I was absolutely on the edge of my seat. Everything was so graphic and extremely well-described to the point where the more disgusting scenes still gross me out long after I finished reading it. That being said, I don't recommend this for the faint of heart. There are some NASTY images that made me squirm and scream. But honestly, the plot kept me hooked enough to keep reading.

My Dearest Darkest is one of the best debut novels I've read in a long time, and is perfect for horror fans who want some more queer love out of scary books. I can't recommend this book enough!

I received a copy of this story as an e-ARC from both NetGalley and the publisher. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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