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amybibliophile's reviews
273 reviews
Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Definitely found myself deep in the world of weird horror with this book. Extremely sick and twisted but also kept me up late wanting to read more. I knocked half a star off because during the first few chapters I struggled to keep up with all the new characters and remembering who was who, that being said I didn't find myself needing to read back, it all sort of slotted into place.
It would be impossible to cover all of the trigger warnings that come with this book, just be warned it is uncomfortable, stomach-churning & deeply detailed in torture and murder. Also gave a stark reality on what life is like to live with HIV and how it affects the gay community, emotionally and physically.
I got absolutely sucked in with this one and loved the ride I was taken on!
It would be impossible to cover all of the trigger warnings that come with this book, just be warned it is uncomfortable, stomach-churning & deeply detailed in torture and murder. Also gave a stark reality on what life is like to live with HIV and how it affects the gay community, emotionally and physically.
I got absolutely sucked in with this one and loved the ride I was taken on!
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
50 states 50 horror books - New York
This book has been recommended to me a lot and the fact I keep seeing it mentioned everywhere was a sign I needed to read it, I'd never read any Ira Levin before and its a very short book so I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
Although easy to read I found it a mediocre book at best, I constantly had the feeling of 'so when's the good bit going to start' throughout. The main character Rosemary brought up frustrating emotions in me for not seeing what was pretty much right in front of her the whole time, she was way too trusting and never used her intuition.
The themes within Rosemarys Baby I could see happening in real life, creeping up on a person by the means of nosy, narcissistic neighbours. The book was written back in the 1960's where attitudes to women's health mentally and physically were a lot different to what they are now, this book I feel is creepier to read now that it would be back then as you can see how restrictive her life is made by those around her, so much striked me as odd and Rosemary just took it as face value all of the time.
I understood what the climax would be pretty early on, even still I felt it had a satisfying ending and didn't leave me disappointed.
This book has been recommended to me a lot and the fact I keep seeing it mentioned everywhere was a sign I needed to read it, I'd never read any Ira Levin before and its a very short book so I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
Although easy to read I found it a mediocre book at best, I constantly had the feeling of 'so when's the good bit going to start' throughout. The main character Rosemary brought up frustrating emotions in me for not seeing what was pretty much right in front of her the whole time, she was way too trusting and never used her intuition.
The themes within Rosemarys Baby I could see happening in real life, creeping up on a person by the means of nosy, narcissistic neighbours. The book was written back in the 1960's where attitudes to women's health mentally and physically were a lot different to what they are now, this book I feel is creepier to read now that it would be back then as you can see how restrictive her life is made by those around her, so much striked me as odd and Rosemary just took it as face value all of the time.
I understood what the climax would be pretty early on, even still I felt it had a satisfying ending and didn't leave me disappointed.
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“To live in the world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books.”
.
Robert Langdon is once again thrown into the drama outside of his usual classroom environment when a friend contacts him for help presenting a speech at a Smithsonian event. However upon his arrival he receives a phonecall from a mysterious character informing him that he has his oldest friend Peter Soloman held captive, soon to be dead, if he doesn't figure out the Mason's biggest kept secret - the masonic pyramid to to reveal the ancient mysteries. Robert Langdon has one night to reveal the secret location to the stranger otherwise Peter will lose his life, and with the CIA on his tail, he soon realises its more than just one mans life on the line. Much, much more.
.
This is only my second Dan Brown book but already I have a real interest in these books and the way they force you to 'think out of the box' and see things in a different light. I wouldn't consider myself a conspiracy theorist but I have always been very interested in stories of secret societies and ancient mysteries, so this book fascinated me being focused on that.
.
I loved that with Dan Brown novels you are kept guessing until the very last few pages and the hope that some sort of 'ultimate knowledge' is going to be revealed that will be life changing. Obviously that isn't the case otherwise these books would be held in a lot higher regard the what they are and Dan Brown would have god-like knowledge, even so the endings are not a let down, they open your mind to new ways of thinking that actually make sense. I always feel like I've taken a step through time reading Robert Langdon novels, and I come away having learnt a great deal but with the on-the-edge feeling of reading a thriller.
.
Robert Langdon is once again thrown into the drama outside of his usual classroom environment when a friend contacts him for help presenting a speech at a Smithsonian event. However upon his arrival he receives a phonecall from a mysterious character informing him that he has his oldest friend Peter Soloman held captive, soon to be dead, if he doesn't figure out the Mason's biggest kept secret - the masonic pyramid to to reveal the ancient mysteries. Robert Langdon has one night to reveal the secret location to the stranger otherwise Peter will lose his life, and with the CIA on his tail, he soon realises its more than just one mans life on the line. Much, much more.
.
This is only my second Dan Brown book but already I have a real interest in these books and the way they force you to 'think out of the box' and see things in a different light. I wouldn't consider myself a conspiracy theorist but I have always been very interested in stories of secret societies and ancient mysteries, so this book fascinated me being focused on that.
.
I loved that with Dan Brown novels you are kept guessing until the very last few pages and the hope that some sort of 'ultimate knowledge' is going to be revealed that will be life changing. Obviously that isn't the case otherwise these books would be held in a lot higher regard the what they are and Dan Brown would have god-like knowledge, even so the endings are not a let down, they open your mind to new ways of thinking that actually make sense. I always feel like I've taken a step through time reading Robert Langdon novels, and I come away having learnt a great deal but with the on-the-edge feeling of reading a thriller.
The Inner Room by Robert Aickman
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
A strange eerie dollhouse sits in an old used toy store until a family comes by and takes it home for their daughters birthday present. Bought in a state of disrepair the girl takes it upon herself to fix the house up after being stored in a spare bedroom, only she can't access an inner room. It's not long before footsteps are heard walking around the upstairs landing at night, made by strangers that seem to be very familiar to those locked inside the dollhouse. Fast forward to girl now being a grown woman, she stumbles upon a house located in the middle of a forest, when the weather takes a turn for the worst she retreats into the house until the rain blows over, only the people she meets inside the house have an alarming resemblance to those in her doll house as a child.
.
Such a short, short story that is in need of a few extra pages. I found The Inner Room slightly creepy, I liked the idea of it, however I still have absolutely no idea what's in the 'Inner Room'. I understand the author is leaving it up to your own imagination in a way but at this point the possibilities are endless and I felt like giving the reader a little more detail would have made this novelette seriously sinister and left an impression for longer.
.
Such a short, short story that is in need of a few extra pages. I found The Inner Room slightly creepy, I liked the idea of it, however I still have absolutely no idea what's in the 'Inner Room'. I understand the author is leaving it up to your own imagination in a way but at this point the possibilities are endless and I felt like giving the reader a little more detail would have made this novelette seriously sinister and left an impression for longer.
The Resort by Bentley Little
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
For my first Bentley Little book I found this very entertaining! I don't know why but from the cover I got a completely different first impression than what the book turned out to be. I found this completely wacky and out-there, almost like everybody in the resort was on a wild cocktail of drugs but it had me laughing out loud for a lot of it.
The mystery factor kept me reading this book as at times it started to feel a longer than what it needed to be, especially has you get past the midway point, I had absolutely no clue what was causing all of these insidious things to happen for a good part but once Bentley introduced a certain character, and the discovery of the second location, things started rapidly falling into place and I could see a plot developing.
For a horror book I found this a rather fun read! If anything its made me want to read more of Bentleys books in future.
The mystery factor kept me reading this book as at times it started to feel a longer than what it needed to be, especially has you get past the midway point, I had absolutely no clue what was causing all of these insidious things to happen for a good part but once Bentley introduced a certain character, and the discovery of the second location, things started rapidly falling into place and I could see a plot developing.
For a horror book I found this a rather fun read! If anything its made me want to read more of Bentleys books in future.
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to those that recommended I read this book, it was intense, atmospheric and spine-chilling! The best sort of ghost story.
A small cast of characters that I cared about what happened to them, and a real slow burner yet I read the book in a day.
I dreaded the ending so much yet I had to know what happened like I was reading a true story. I thrived on the feeling of constantly being on edge! I’ve never been one that is scared by the weather or darkness but I found myself peeking up at the window expecting to see someone there.
I implore those who love an intense ghost story to read this book! You will not be disappointed, even better reading at night.
A small cast of characters that I cared about what happened to them, and a real slow burner yet I read the book in a day.
I dreaded the ending so much yet I had to know what happened like I was reading a true story. I thrived on the feeling of constantly being on edge! I’ve never been one that is scared by the weather or darkness but I found myself peeking up at the window expecting to see someone there.
I implore those who love an intense ghost story to read this book! You will not be disappointed, even better reading at night.
Master of One by Dani Bennett, Jaida Jones
adventurous
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Right from the start I felt I was right in the heart of the drama, a little thief named Rags being held in a prison for crimes he willingly admits, a kingdom held by female rulers for generations and untrustworthy sorcerers with mirrorglass at their disposal to inflict pain and cement control. Rags is given a second chance by the Queen if he can lead the way through a series of trials to a legendary fae treasure. Only that treasure isn't anything like Rags was expecting.
.
The cast of characters I was introduced to in the first 100 pages or so were intriguing and had me wanting to read on. The plot and setting was typical of a fantasy and I loved it! The ancient ruins and sorcery had me so excited to be reading this book I felt sure I was going to rate this 5 stars.
Then after the first third things turn excruciatingly slow there are a lot of new characters and if I'm honest I couldn't always remember who everyone was. The main plot was a good one and I started to understand why the book has the title it does, only after I'd finished I was confused as to why. I felt it finished as the authors realised the book was going to be way too long and left way too much unsolved almost as if you need accept that to understand many of the things in the beginning, you're going to have to go through a ton of filler and maybe another 2 books later to get there. I much prefer books to be wrapped up but still excited by the story and characters enough to need more of them in my life.
Rags' relationship with Talon is what held my attention throughout, although it was way too subtle that I wondered at times if I was imagining it.
Thank you HarperTeen for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
.
The cast of characters I was introduced to in the first 100 pages or so were intriguing and had me wanting to read on. The plot and setting was typical of a fantasy and I loved it! The ancient ruins and sorcery had me so excited to be reading this book I felt sure I was going to rate this 5 stars.
Then after the first third things turn excruciatingly slow there are a lot of new characters and if I'm honest I couldn't always remember who everyone was. The main plot was a good one and I started to understand why the book has the title it does, only after I'd finished I was confused as to why. I felt it finished as the authors realised the book was going to be way too long and left way too much unsolved almost as if you need accept that to understand many of the things in the beginning, you're going to have to go through a ton of filler and maybe another 2 books later to get there. I much prefer books to be wrapped up but still excited by the story and characters enough to need more of them in my life.
Rags' relationship with Talon is what held my attention throughout, although it was way too subtle that I wondered at times if I was imagining it.
Thank you HarperTeen for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Kin is deeply disturbing, raw and unsettling story set in Alabama, naturally I adored this book, I just couldn't put it down. Being 280 pages I was convinced I'd fly through it but I found I read it pretty slow as there was so much happening on every page I needed to take everything in and take my time.
From the get-go the book throws you straight into the brutal action of a girl that's had horrific acts carried out on her and guides you through her escape to freedom, only her freedom means the demise of many others.
The synopsis made me think I was going to be following numerous characters separate journeys and why yes this is the case to some extent, I didn't expect them to all be so intertwined and linked from the start. I enjoyed reading their personal journeys and perspectives, it gave the book some flesh and feeling rather than just a stabby-stabby tale from start to finish, I was more than surprised to find I developed feeling towards some of the characters, specifically farmers boy Peter Lowell.
This book is not for those squeamish to gore and brutal detail, and it portrays human-nature unapologetically. However if you like that sort of thing this will leave a mark on you way after you finish the last page. I have a feeling this will be one of my top reads of the year already.
From the get-go the book throws you straight into the brutal action of a girl that's had horrific acts carried out on her and guides you through her escape to freedom, only her freedom means the demise of many others.
The synopsis made me think I was going to be following numerous characters separate journeys and why yes this is the case to some extent, I didn't expect them to all be so intertwined and linked from the start. I enjoyed reading their personal journeys and perspectives, it gave the book some flesh and feeling rather than just a stabby-stabby tale from start to finish, I was more than surprised to find I developed feeling towards some of the characters, specifically farmers boy Peter Lowell.
This book is not for those squeamish to gore and brutal detail, and it portrays human-nature unapologetically. However if you like that sort of thing this will leave a mark on you way after you finish the last page. I have a feeling this will be one of my top reads of the year already.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Medical content, Incest, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, and Cancer
Influence by Lilia Buckingham, Sara Shepard
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Layla by Colleen Hoover
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CoHo has this way of keeping my on my toes whenever I read a book of hers, and to never take anything at face value. Layla for me was exactly that. From the start we are put into an 'interview' scene, only being told there is a woman tied to a bed upstairs and her boyfriend downstairs being interviewed. Only the interviewer doesn't seem phased too much about why there is a woman crying out for help. Next the book takes us to a time when a girl called Layla and a musician named Leeds meet at a wedding reception. For me the majority of this book was spent trying to piece together how one situation results in the other. The ending? My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest, not predictable in the slightest!
My main conflicting thoughts throughout is that I couldn't settle on whether I trusted Leeds or not, honestly at times I wanted to strangle him but when the plot starts unfolding the story is truly romantic. It's like you start to really hate the characters and the direction the book follows, and then BAM, huge revelation and I'm screaming with delight for something I could never see coming. Such a confusing review I know, but Colleens characters are flawed 'real' people that cannot be contained in neat little boxes.
As always with books by Colleen, this is such an unforgettable read, so different from any other paranormal books I've read yet at the same time for me it didn't have that something special that Verity did. I'm still going to recommend this book to every passerby though!
My main conflicting thoughts throughout is that I couldn't settle on whether I trusted Leeds or not, honestly at times I wanted to strangle him but when the plot starts unfolding the story is truly romantic. It's like you start to really hate the characters and the direction the book follows, and then BAM, huge revelation and I'm screaming with delight for something I could never see coming. Such a confusing review I know, but Colleens characters are flawed 'real' people that cannot be contained in neat little boxes.
As always with books by Colleen, this is such an unforgettable read, so different from any other paranormal books I've read yet at the same time for me it didn't have that something special that Verity did. I'm still going to recommend this book to every passerby though!