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bookishraccoon's reviews
49 reviews
Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Miscarriage, Gore, Cannibalism, and Sexual content
Snowed In by Catherine Walsh
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rouge by Mona Awad
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I actually listened to the audiobook version of this book. Sophie Amoss did a fantastic job narrating this one! Normally I feel like these drone on, but her narration kept me invested.
I struggled through the book for a bit, but it picked up at the last 1/3 of the story.
Slow burn, but great build up- flashbacks throughout helped to create the depth of the story. Intentional pacing with great pay off. Interesting premise with the beauty industry being the villain, & I loved the points that could be taken from it.
The author captured the obsession, & desperation perfectly with being beautiful- & the harsh expectations the industry currently has on many women. And the crazy lengths many people will go to, along with amounts of money to achieve these looks - or having the ‘perfect’ skin. The treatments, serums, mists, lotions, cleansers… I wish this was something discussed about more, and the unattainable standards.
As somebody that used to struggle with their skin growing up, this novel spoke to me. With the feeling of desperately wanting to belong, & having that ‘glow’. I’m at a much healthier place now in my life, & looking back realizing it was a mix of hormones, genetics- things that I couldn’t control. But the beauty industry is cruel, & this novel captured that perfectly.
This book I would call a journey- filled with dark humor, sometimes difficult subjects, obsession, envy, & love. I think it’s a book people should at least experience once. With that said, the book isn’t by any means perfect.
The beginning was alittle difficult to get into, & the nonstop Tom cruise segments kinda ruined it for me (although I realize it was just supposed to be an ongoing joke). It was so much to the point that it strongly annoyed me at times (as I’m not the biggest fan of him honestly). I just didn’t understand the obsession, till I read up on the author - somebody that had a lot of admiration for him.
She loosely inspired the book from the movie Eyes Wide Open (which Tom Cruise stars in), so that made me understand it alittle more after the fact. At the time reading it though, it just took myself as the reader out of immersion. I think the story would’ve been stronger leaving that bit out honestly.
The pacing was strange at first bouncing back and forth between past & present. Once you get used to the time jumps it gets alittle easier to work yourself through.
Also, as some other reviews have discussed- there were some loose ends of the story never finished off. I always enjoyed movies & books open though- as it leaves it for the reader to figure out themselves, or have a thoughtful discussion with others.
I’m leaving this as a spoiler free review, but there were some really strong scenes in this book that made up for all of the bad in my opinion. There was some really strong gothic imagery, with a modern twist to it.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. At first I didn’t care much for it, but as the story went along it evolved. I would recommend this one to anyone on the fence!
I struggled through the book for a bit, but it picked up at the last 1/3 of the story.
Slow burn, but great build up- flashbacks throughout helped to create the depth of the story. Intentional pacing with great pay off. Interesting premise with the beauty industry being the villain, & I loved the points that could be taken from it.
The author captured the obsession, & desperation perfectly with being beautiful- & the harsh expectations the industry currently has on many women. And the crazy lengths many people will go to, along with amounts of money to achieve these looks - or having the ‘perfect’ skin. The treatments, serums, mists, lotions, cleansers… I wish this was something discussed about more, and the unattainable standards.
As somebody that used to struggle with their skin growing up, this novel spoke to me. With the feeling of desperately wanting to belong, & having that ‘glow’. I’m at a much healthier place now in my life, & looking back realizing it was a mix of hormones, genetics- things that I couldn’t control. But the beauty industry is cruel, & this novel captured that perfectly.
This book I would call a journey- filled with dark humor, sometimes difficult subjects, obsession, envy, & love. I think it’s a book people should at least experience once. With that said, the book isn’t by any means perfect.
The beginning was alittle difficult to get into, & the nonstop Tom cruise segments kinda ruined it for me (although I realize it was just supposed to be an ongoing joke). It was so much to the point that it strongly annoyed me at times (as I’m not the biggest fan of him honestly). I just didn’t understand the obsession, till I read up on the author - somebody that had a lot of admiration for him.
She loosely inspired the book from the movie Eyes Wide Open (which Tom Cruise stars in), so that made me understand it alittle more after the fact. At the time reading it though, it just took myself as the reader out of immersion. I think the story would’ve been stronger leaving that bit out honestly.
The pacing was strange at first bouncing back and forth between past & present. Once you get used to the time jumps it gets alittle easier to work yourself through.
Also, as some other reviews have discussed- there were some loose ends of the story never finished off. I always enjoyed movies & books open though- as it leaves it for the reader to figure out themselves, or have a thoughtful discussion with others.
I’m leaving this as a spoiler free review, but there were some really strong scenes in this book that made up for all of the bad in my opinion. There was some really strong gothic imagery, with a modern twist to it.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. At first I didn’t care much for it, but as the story went along it evolved. I would recommend this one to anyone on the fence!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Body horror
The Naughty Corner: Horror Novella Collection by Mark Towse
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thanks to the author for providing me with a free ebook!
I went into this not knowing what to expect honestly lol
I was very pleasantly surprised by this 3 set novella!
We follow 3 stories - The Generation Games, My Name is Brian, & The Naughty Corner.
The Generation Games was an intense read set in a future where the world struggles with overpopulation. Due to this, the older individuals are sacrificed at the age of 70. Very few have the opportunity to redeem themselves, & to get a ‘passport’ to live life to their fullest. But what’s the catch? You need to enter the Generation Games- an online reality tv show where you will be challenged mentally & physically. Only the fittest survive!
This one was a slow burn, but done incredibly well! The story starts off introducing a handful of elderly couples. You get a peek into seeing everybody’s strengths, & weaknesses behind the scenes. As the ‘cast’ all sorts of characters come out to play - some nicer than others! They will be tested to their limits, & used for entertainment to online viewers! Also, zombies zombies zombies! That segment had me on the edge of my seat! Really loved this one! This story had me so invested where I was rooting for several people throughout the competition!
My Name is Brian is about a peculiar boy that kids don’t seem to understand in school. So strange, that nobody bothers the kid - Well, except some bullies… The bullies try everything in the book to bother this boy, but everything they do doesn’t work. What will it take for Brian to react? They discover much more than what they bargained for!
This was such a fun, breath of fresh air story! Honestly wasn’t expecting this outcome, & the comical moments thrown in the mix were perfect! Would’ve loved if this one had been a little longer!
The Naughty Corner takes place in a gated community, where a new family decides to move in! They come to find its inhabitants are a tad out of the ordinary. Not only that, but the family is introduced to a list of requests aka rules. Failure to follow these rules will put you in the ‘Naughty Corner’. But what does that even mean? It won’t be long until they find out!
The world building on this one was so eerie, and I was shocked to find out what the Naughty Corner actually consisted of! (No worries no major spoilers here)
Another really cool story!
As a whole, I loved these stories very much!
I loved them so much, I ended up purchasing a physical copy to support the author! ❤️ The author’s storytelling ability in these was phenomenal, & refreshing! Unique concepts with brutality & grit, followed with compassion & hope. I wasn’t expecting to be in my emotions after reading some of these! I’ll definitely be checking out more of this authors work! Would recommend to Horror Lovers!
I went into this not knowing what to expect honestly lol
I was very pleasantly surprised by this 3 set novella!
We follow 3 stories - The Generation Games, My Name is Brian, & The Naughty Corner.
The Generation Games was an intense read set in a future where the world struggles with overpopulation. Due to this, the older individuals are sacrificed at the age of 70. Very few have the opportunity to redeem themselves, & to get a ‘passport’ to live life to their fullest. But what’s the catch? You need to enter the Generation Games- an online reality tv show where you will be challenged mentally & physically. Only the fittest survive!
This one was a slow burn, but done incredibly well! The story starts off introducing a handful of elderly couples. You get a peek into seeing everybody’s strengths, & weaknesses behind the scenes. As the ‘cast’ all sorts of characters come out to play - some nicer than others! They will be tested to their limits, & used for entertainment to online viewers! Also, zombies zombies zombies! That segment had me on the edge of my seat! Really loved this one! This story had me so invested where I was rooting for several people throughout the competition!
My Name is Brian is about a peculiar boy that kids don’t seem to understand in school. So strange, that nobody bothers the kid - Well, except some bullies… The bullies try everything in the book to bother this boy, but everything they do doesn’t work. What will it take for Brian to react? They discover much more than what they bargained for!
This was such a fun, breath of fresh air story! Honestly wasn’t expecting this outcome, & the comical moments thrown in the mix were perfect! Would’ve loved if this one had been a little longer!
The Naughty Corner takes place in a gated community, where a new family decides to move in! They come to find its inhabitants are a tad out of the ordinary. Not only that, but the family is introduced to a list of requests aka rules. Failure to follow these rules will put you in the ‘Naughty Corner’. But what does that even mean? It won’t be long until they find out!
The world building on this one was so eerie, and I was shocked to find out what the Naughty Corner actually consisted of! (No worries no major spoilers here)
Another really cool story!
As a whole, I loved these stories very much!
I loved them so much, I ended up purchasing a physical copy to support the author! ❤️ The author’s storytelling ability in these was phenomenal, & refreshing! Unique concepts with brutality & grit, followed with compassion & hope. I wasn’t expecting to be in my emotions after reading some of these! I’ll definitely be checking out more of this authors work! Would recommend to Horror Lovers!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Body horror
Minor: Bullying
Ghosts of East Baltimore by David Simmons
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
“Sweet Galactic Jesus”, that book was terrible!
I’m not one to leave bad reviews, so I feel awful writing this one. I had to read this one for a book club, & it was almost painful to finish.
This book follows ‘Worm’ , who just recently got out of prison. The whole premise is him trying to make it in to the halfway house before 9pm. But all sorts of weird series of events occur- people in gimp suits doing acrobatics, strange monsters, men in biomech, lots of villains plotting evil things, a weird lobotomy like procedure to remove the amygdala, & tamagotchis to name a handful of events.
With that said, I’m normally all for random concepts - but this book just didn’t make sense to me. It just sounds like bad drug trip, but the tone of the book is just strange to me. It goes in so many directions, it’s almost like the author didn’t quite know where to go with it. Reading it just feels almost like a jumbled mess, and it’s hard to follow what’s going on half the time. The dialogue is painful to suffer through, and a lot of the story just feels empty.
Not much really goes on throughout the story, with a series of odd events here & there. The lobotomy scene I’ll call it doesn’t make sense, & the way the characters react about it takes away from the serious moment. It just feels goofy instead of shocking.
I think the author was trying too hard to sound intelligent, by the overuse of medical terminology in segments. Between that & the slang that would be used throughout. Things like that will take your reader out of immersion.
I could ramble on & on, but I feel like I’ve said enough already…
So yeah, those are my thoughts on this one! If you actually enjoyed this one, then I won’t stop ya! This one personally just wasn’t for me.
I’m not one to leave bad reviews, so I feel awful writing this one. I had to read this one for a book club, & it was almost painful to finish.
This book follows ‘Worm’ , who just recently got out of prison. The whole premise is him trying to make it in to the halfway house before 9pm. But all sorts of weird series of events occur- people in gimp suits doing acrobatics, strange monsters, men in biomech, lots of villains plotting evil things, a weird lobotomy like procedure to remove the amygdala, & tamagotchis to name a handful of events.
With that said, I’m normally all for random concepts - but this book just didn’t make sense to me. It just sounds like bad drug trip, but the tone of the book is just strange to me. It goes in so many directions, it’s almost like the author didn’t quite know where to go with it. Reading it just feels almost like a jumbled mess, and it’s hard to follow what’s going on half the time. The dialogue is painful to suffer through, and a lot of the story just feels empty.
Not much really goes on throughout the story, with a series of odd events here & there. The lobotomy scene I’ll call it doesn’t make sense, & the way the characters react about it takes away from the serious moment. It just feels goofy instead of shocking.
I think the author was trying too hard to sound intelligent, by the overuse of medical terminology in segments. Between that & the slang that would be used throughout. Things like that will take your reader out of immersion.
I could ramble on & on, but I feel like I’ve said enough already…
So yeah, those are my thoughts on this one! If you actually enjoyed this one, then I won’t stop ya! This one personally just wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Violence
I Found Christmas Lights Slithering Up My Street by Ben Farthing
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Didn’t like this one as much as I thought I would, but absolutely adored the concept! Eerie goofy Christmas concept that will have you looking at Christmas lights, & carolers a different way!
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief and Child death
The Visitor by Sergio Gomez
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Loved the premise of this one, wasn’t anything extraordinary but was definitely worth a read! Fast action packed read with slasher B movie vibes!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Gore
The Fisherman by John Langan
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Okay, so 1st off.. (I loved this book, but I need to get this off my chest)
Someone please tell me why the guy Howard in this really spent 150+ pages telling a story in a diner? This was supposed to be an eerie folk tale to scare away some new fisherman..
But in the book it was described as a story that took several hours to describe.. but this took way longer to get through as the reader, so it made this sequence unrealistic (not that this story was to begin with but anyways).
It didn’t help that this segment was smack in the middle of the book, which ruined the flow and was pretty jarring. There was some cool moments in this portion, but it seemed incredibly drawn out & honestly much longer than what it needed to be. It was pretty brutal for me to get through, to the point where I considered DNFing this. Who knows, if I didn’t have to read it for a book club I might’ve!
But I’m glad I forced myself to push through it! I enjoyed the book a lot overall, & adored the author’s writing style! There were a few eerie moments that genuinely creeped me out (and that’s hard to do). For the most part the flow was good, and the author knew how to keep the reader’s attention. I also liked the characters, & dug the ending!
In a nutshell, this book was a pleasant surprise & would love to read more from this author!
Rated this one
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4 stars
Someone please tell me why the guy Howard in this really spent 150+ pages telling a story in a diner? This was supposed to be an eerie folk tale to scare away some new fisherman..
But in the book it was described as a story that took several hours to describe.. but this took way longer to get through as the reader, so it made this sequence unrealistic (not that this story was to begin with but anyways).
It didn’t help that this segment was smack in the middle of the book, which ruined the flow and was pretty jarring. There was some cool moments in this portion, but it seemed incredibly drawn out & honestly much longer than what it needed to be. It was pretty brutal for me to get through, to the point where I considered DNFing this. Who knows, if I didn’t have to read it for a book club I might’ve!
But I’m glad I forced myself to push through it! I enjoyed the book a lot overall, & adored the author’s writing style! There were a few eerie moments that genuinely creeped me out (and that’s hard to do). For the most part the flow was good, and the author knew how to keep the reader’s attention. I also liked the characters, & dug the ending!
In a nutshell, this book was a pleasant surprise & would love to read more from this author!
Rated this one
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Gore