abandonedquests's reviews
821 reviews

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Really fantastic, my favourite of 2025 so far.

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

4.0

Thin Air: A Ghost Story by Michelle Paver

4.0

Hum by Helen Phillips

reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

4.0

This Cursed House by Del Sandeen

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

This Cursed House is a Southern gothic horror novel set in 1960s New Orleans, about a young Black woman who goes to work for a strange family. She thinks she’s been hired as a tutor, but the family has a darker reason for wanting her there — tied to her ability to see ghosts.

The Cursed House is engaging and reveals its secrets deliberately. This is a strong social horror that leans in to the horror of racism and prejudice, and also emphasizes the strength of forgiveness, community, and freedom. Jemma is a great protagonist, smart and empathetic, who kept me rooting for her.

Readers of character-driven, atmospheric social horror will love this book. If you enjoyed When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen or The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, pick up Del Sandeen’s confident debut.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my review copy of this book.

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories by Mariana Enríquez

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

A new collection by Argentine literary horror master Mariana Enriquez is such a treat. A Sunny Place for Shady People is a collection of 12 short stories full of beauty, heartbreak, terror, and rage. 

I read this collection over a period of 8 months.  Enriquez’s work is the opposite of bingeable: it’s so dark and beautiful that I like to take my time and reread favourites as I go. Her work is empathetic and political in many places, and living in a time where I’m seeing support for fascism rise in my own country of Canada, a lot of Enriquez’s writing feels like a warning.

My personal favourite stories were:

• My Sad Dead
• Face of Disgrace
• Different Colours Made of Tears
• Local Artist
• Black Eyes

Megan McDowell's translation is smooth and beautiful as always.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Hogarth for my review copy of this book

Private Rites by Julia Armfield

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0