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blakeaustin's reviews
55 reviews
The Deep by Nick Cutter
3.0
Really more of a 3.5/5
This book is a lot of up and downs. At its best, its an interesting cosmic horror story that reads like a blend of It and Event Horizon. At its worst, the prose feels like a cheap Stephen King imitation and it is about 50-75 pages too long. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I don’t think it was as scary as it could’ve been.
This book is a lot of up and downs. At its best, its an interesting cosmic horror story that reads like a blend of It and Event Horizon. At its worst, the prose feels like a cheap Stephen King imitation and it is about 50-75 pages too long. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I don’t think it was as scary as it could’ve been.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
1.0
Nothing But Terrible Similes.
Don’t let the (incredible) cover art fool you, I got more than halfway through this before giving up. One of the most poorly written books I’ve ever even attempted to read. Did this book not have an editor or something? Every other sentence is a multi-line simile that makes little to no sense at all. There’s barely any story to even follow, and when there is it’s the most unoriginal ghost story you’ll read.
The fact this was ever even published should give any aspiring horror writer a lot of hope and confidence.
Don’t let the (incredible) cover art fool you, I got more than halfway through this before giving up. One of the most poorly written books I’ve ever even attempted to read. Did this book not have an editor or something? Every other sentence is a multi-line simile that makes little to no sense at all. There’s barely any story to even follow, and when there is it’s the most unoriginal ghost story you’ll read.
The fact this was ever even published should give any aspiring horror writer a lot of hope and confidence.
The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper
3.0
More of a 3.5
There was a lot I liked in this book. Cool creatures, and I always appreciate cosmic horror that isn’t just watered down Lovecraft.
As far as what I didn’t like, this book starts out fast and captivating but very quickly slams into a brick wall of exposition dumps that really messed up the pace for me. It’s a short book, but way too much of it is just people telling each other information about what is going on for pages and pages. Less telling, more showing would greatly improve the story for me.
There was a lot I liked in this book. Cool creatures, and I always appreciate cosmic horror that isn’t just watered down Lovecraft.
As far as what I didn’t like, this book starts out fast and captivating but very quickly slams into a brick wall of exposition dumps that really messed up the pace for me. It’s a short book, but way too much of it is just people telling each other information about what is going on for pages and pages. Less telling, more showing would greatly improve the story for me.
The Crypt of Blood: A Halloween TV Special by Jonathan Raab
4.0
If you’ve ever wondered if analog horror/found footage could work on the page, Raab proves it can with this eerie book.
Near the Bone by Christina Henry
4.0
I really enjoyed this one. It’s not a horror book that will scare you or keep you up at night, but more of a thriller with supernatural elements and a human monster scarier than anything hiding in the woods.
Foe by Iain Reid
5.0
Surreal and dystopian, with psychological horror roots just like Reid’s previous book. Definitely one that stays with you once you’ve finished it.
I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to read whatever Iain Reid puts out next.
I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to read whatever Iain Reid puts out next.
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
3.0
This is the third Grady Hendrix book I’ve read, and, to be honest, I found myself very disappointed in it after having it so hyped up since its release.
Hendrix is a fantastic writer, but I felt like the pacing was so off in this book. It is a VERY slow build to a conclusion that just wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be. Having read The Exorcist a couple of years ago, I didn’t feel like My Best Friend’s Exorcism brought anything new/original to the table.
I did really enjoy that last 30 or so pages, but ended the book just seeing a lot of lost potential. It’s not a bad book by any means, just a little bit of a let down.
Hendrix is a fantastic writer, but I felt like the pacing was so off in this book. It is a VERY slow build to a conclusion that just wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be. Having read The Exorcist a couple of years ago, I didn’t feel like My Best Friend’s Exorcism brought anything new/original to the table.
I did really enjoy that last 30 or so pages, but ended the book just seeing a lot of lost potential. It’s not a bad book by any means, just a little bit of a let down.