hooksbookswanderlust 's review for:

Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf

4.0

adventurous 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: Yes

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I’m not a big horror fan due to my overactive imagination and the ensuing nightmares, but I love a good dark and atmospheric read and this is more like horror-light. I saw another reviewer (Paige - TheBookandtheBoston) call for a subgenre of horror called cozy horror, I and I have to say I agree that Elmendorf’s books would suit that description perfectly.

I really enjoyed In the Hour of Crows and was so excited for Grave Birds. It did not disappoint. It was haunting and eerie in all the best ways.  The twists were so good and kept me guessing. I loved the dash of romance, though I wouldn’t have said no to a bit more of it because Cain was ticking all my boxes!

I loved the concept of grave birds as the dead’s biggest regret manifested in the ghostly form of a bird. The other paranormal elements throughout lent a spooky quality to  the story and the atmospheric writing brought it all to life.

If you enjoy slightly spooky paranormal stories that give you all the creepy vibes but don’t give you nightmares, or if you read In the Hour of Crows and liked it, you’ll enjoy this.

Thank you to Mira and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.