A review by into_the_bookish_wild
Malicia by Steven Dos Santos

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I had really high hopes for this one. The premise was so interesting and the setting was exactly what I wanted to read about for Halloween week. It really fell flat. The writing is confusing and doesn't really showcase the horror. The teenagers don't talk like teenagers, and there's a great deal of telling, not showing. Major plot points would happen very abruptly without proper buildup or explanation (and not in a mysterious or scary way). I read the whole book because I still wanted to know what happened, but there were no surprises.