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darthbiblia's reviews
487 reviews
Severance by Ling Ma
dark
funny
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Whoa. This book came out years before COVID, but the descriptions of the early stages were so uncanny. The dry humor and office politics, concerns about foreign labor and gender issues. I loved the story of her immigrant parents assimilating in the United States, then bringing her as a small child. This was a beautiful story, and I was sad that it ended. I look forward to more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I expected this to be a boy and his dog story, but it's not. I mean I guess it it, but it's really the story of a boy that idolized his late grandfather. His dad left. His mom hurt her back at work and she's become addicted to opioids. They live in extreme poverty. He's trying to hide all of this from the people around him to keep protective services away, and wants to keep bills paid so they don't lose the property his grandfather left him.
Great book.
Great book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
When Ethan Marsh was ten, he and his best friend, Billy, were enjoying one of their Friday camp-outs in his back yard. In the morning, Ethan woke to a slash in the side of the tent and Billy missing. Law enforcement determined that he was abducted. Billy was never found. His case was moved to the back burner by law enforcement, and true crime enthusiasts posted photos of him and the tent, speculating what may have happened.
Thirty years later Ethan has moved back. His marriage has crumbled and his parents bought a condo in Florida, so they offered to have him stay in his childhood home. Other than Billy's family, the other residents are the same. Now he's being left mysterious messages by somebody who knows something. Is it the person that took Billy? Is it Billy himself?
As with all of Riley Sager's books, the story is filled with twists, turns, and red herrings that will keep you guessing until the end. This one had a different feel than most of them, but it might be my favorite. Thank you to the publisher, author, and Edelweiss for the chance to read this ARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, and Abandonment
The Teacher by Freida McFadden
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Twisty thriller. That one at the end really hit me from out of nowhere. This was my first by this author and I'll probably read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol
Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Wow. Loved Straight. Loved Camp Damascus. This blew away both.
Misha Byrne is a rising star. He's nominated for an Oscar. His TV show is a hit. Now the studio wants him to kill off the gay stars of his show on the season finale. He's not down with the idea, and suddenly he's being stalked by the monsters of his previous films.
Bury Your Gays is a delightful, inclusive story where love wins, but we still get blood, guts, flayed faces and evil lambs.
Read it, buckeroos!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Stay Dead by April Henry
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to Edelweiss, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read this ARC!
Milan is a teenager that just lost her father in a car accident that she survived. Her father was a US Senator, and her mother was recently elected to his seat. Milan has been getting bounced around to different boarding schools for behavior issues since her mother was elected. After her most recent expulsion, her mother arrives to pick her us in a private plane. But then it is brought down in the mountains in an act of sabotage. Her mother's final act is to give Milan some information that got both of her parents killed, and to instruct her to stay safe. Somebody out there is killing to keep this quiet.
This is a good survival/political thriller. I enjoyed it.
Milan is a teenager that just lost her father in a car accident that she survived. Her father was a US Senator, and her mother was recently elected to his seat. Milan has been getting bounced around to different boarding schools for behavior issues since her mother was elected. After her most recent expulsion, her mother arrives to pick her us in a private plane. But then it is brought down in the mountains in an act of sabotage. Her mother's final act is to give Milan some information that got both of her parents killed, and to instruct her to stay safe. Somebody out there is killing to keep this quiet.
This is a good survival/political thriller. I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I'd like to thank the author and the publisher for the chance to review this ARC. As usual, Tremblay doesn't disappoint.
This book jumps timelines. Thirty years ago, a group of young filmmakers attempted to create an arthouse horror flick, but tragically it was never finished. Our narrator played the mysterious character of The Thin Kid, and we never do get his actual name. He's the sole survivor of the doomed film, which has become a legend in the online cult horror community. In the present day, there is a reboot, and we go back and forth attempting to figure out what actually happened. What was real? Supernatural? Madness?
I never knew what was coming. I'm still not sure how I feel about it all. But, wow. Great book. I love everything I've read by Tremblay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Medical content
The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I really loved this book. We need more queer indigenous horror!