dr_dr_olshakes's reviews
106 reviews

All Hallows by Christopher Golden

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.75

All the trappings of a Hulu original horror movie (derogatory)

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

adventurous dark tense medium-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

3.75

This was one of my most anticipated novels. I loved La Hacienda, and expected to love this one. I didn't, though I eventually came around and did enjoy the latter third. 

Much like La Hacienda, this novel situates itself in the historical context of the Mexican-American war, a time period rife with horror. I love how interested the author is in this era and their deployment of the supernatural to explore it. I especially appreciate any book that understands how fucked up the Texas Rangers were (and still are). I hesitate to call it a twist, but I loved the reveal of the vampires' true nature. 

But holy guacamole, that first half is hard to get through. Nestor and Nena just talk in circles about their "miscommunication" over and over.

She literally tells him that him thinking she was dead for 9 years wasnt a good enough reason for him to have abandoned her.

The setting and plot, and some of the characters, are so rich but it all gets bogged down by the author's inability to let them talk about anything else.

I quite enjoyed Nestor's POV, but his blind devotion in the first half was frustrating. Nena had interesting and complex motivations, but was also at times incredibly annoying and stubborn. Eventually though, they moved on to other topics of conversation, the vampires and Texas rangers became more prominent, and the book really picked itself up. It does all end up in a too-quick nicely tied bow, but I can live with that. 

Overall, I came around to it in the end, but I am bummed that this book didn't live up to my hopes. 

The Wicked and the Willing by Lianyu Tan

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.75

It is both somehow too dark and too saccharine, and most importantly, utterly predictable. 

Despite the multiple endings (an eye-rolling gimmick especially since there is clearly a correct answer), this book ends exactly how you think it will. It pretends to be a love triangle but it's really more of a heavy focus on one relationship and then a character will momentarily be reminded that the third person is hot. 

A book that deals with as much dark content as this book does really, really, really should not be this boring. 

Chlorine by Jade Song

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

Unfortunately, I think this would have been a great short story. It's only an okay novel. There's not enough substance to support the wait until the mermaid tail (which was an admittedly terrific moment), and I found Cathy's POV to be utterly unnecessary. Great concept, wish it was shorter. The horror would have been more impactful. 

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

challenging dark sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

A really solid haunted house story! I love how subtle some of the house's influence was, and how well that emphasized when the house was really doing its work. 

I also found the exploration of rage (and spite) quite interesting. What is the use of anger, what is it cost, and what it it's worth? The same thing with fear. I'm thinking explicitly of Grandpa Fred's use of anger to ignite fear in others and get his way, as paired with the house's anger and the fear that engenders in Eunice. Anger is so tempting, and can have such a strong impact, and sometimes, in this book, the cost is worth it. 

I'm very fond of haunted house stories, and I loved this book's approach to the concept!

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

challenging dark funny fast-paced

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

5.0

Easiest five stars of my life. It's got everything I could ever want in a novel. It's gross, and weird, and sincere, and grotesque, and obsessed with motherhood, witty dialogue, interesting prose, the metaphoric intimacy of cannibalism, a dissection of heterosexual marriage, trauma exploration, nasty psychic scenes, ghosts and metaphoric ghosts, couchy mother thing, fascinating character work, and did I mention that it was weird and gross? I loved it. I want to read this book a thousand times. 

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
Did not finish book.

Hope to pick it up again someday. Pretty interesting to read a POV of someone with chronic migraines tho!

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout
Did not finish book.

Libby hold expired at about 20% in and I just don't feel compelled to renew it. 

The Push by Ashley Audrain

challenging dark emotional medium-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

3.5

I've waited a bit to review this because I wanted to see if I would like it more with some time between me and the book. It has such high reviews, but it didn't land for me. I was just engaged enough the whole time to finish it. I think I was hoping for more horror than, idk, thriller? I did like the generational trauma line, and appreciated the context of each of the mothers POVs. I also liked the ending and got to experience the full impact of the cliffhanger. 

That said, the book meandered, and the passage of time was inconsistent, and her marriage with Fox felt textbook "sahm and ungrateful husband." A lot of people have said that this book was filled with twists, and maybe it was, but those also felt predictable and frankly rote for this kind of story. 

I have a fascination with horror novels about motherhood, so this did scratch that itch, even though it's not really horror. 

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.0

What a slog. I think this book was hampered by just how slow wagon trains move, making the book itself slow. Also, too many POVs. It made it hard to get invested in any one character. I do respect the author's willingness to kill any and anyone (or at least keep the people who died IRL dead). But honestly, the suspense was lacking, the supernatural element felt unfulfilled, and I'm probably going to forget about this book in its entirety.