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drakaina16's reviews
2135 reviews
Feeding Lucy by Mo Medusa
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy.
First of all, can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeously creepy this Christy Aldridge cover is? It is what immediately made me want to read the book, and luckily the book is as good as the cover. Feeding Lucy is an ice cold fever dream, seasoned with family secrets and queer themes. The writing is lush and atmospheric, drawing you into the tale. 4.75 stars
First of all, can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeously creepy this Christy Aldridge cover is? It is what immediately made me want to read the book, and luckily the book is as good as the cover. Feeding Lucy is an ice cold fever dream, seasoned with family secrets and queer themes. The writing is lush and atmospheric, drawing you into the tale. 4.75 stars
The Horror that Represents You by S.D. Vassallo
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for providing a review copy.
I love a good themed anthology. It's so interesting to me how different authors interpret a theme. So an anthology about what scares you most or represents you as a person is right up my alley. I feel like I got to know the authors a bit, while enjoying some top-notch horror. 4 stars
The Craving by Vivian Kasley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Khotoum by Sridhar Shankar ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Folie à Deux by Koji A. Dae ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
This Side of the Moment by Megan M. Davis-Ostrum ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
In the Darkness, We Dig by Nicole M. Wolverton ⭐⭐⭐.25
Two Heads, One Body by Scott J. Moses ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
One Star, Would Not Recommend by Anya Leigh Josephs ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Skin by KC Grifant ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Why I Wear the Mask by Samuel McQuall ⭐⭐⭐
Blood and Dust by Fred Furtado ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Something Blue by Anna Fitzgerald Healy ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
It Calls at Night by Samantha Lokai ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Grandmothers That We Leave Behind by Christine Lucas ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Visitor by Hiro Finn Hoshino ⭐⭐⭐.25
A Lesson in Obsolescence by Christopher O’Halloran ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Low Contact by Simo Srinivas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Last Train by Jen Mierisch ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mad Lullaby by Ray Pantle ⭐⭐⭐.5
Someone Who’s Not Me by Micah Castle ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just Lucky by Patricia Miller ⭐⭐⭐.75
Monster Spray, Monster’s Prey by Shella Massie ⭐⭐⭐
Wire Laurel by Stephanie Parent ⭐⭐⭐
Adrift in the Salish Sea by Bebe Bayliss ⭐⭐⭐.75
I love a good themed anthology. It's so interesting to me how different authors interpret a theme. So an anthology about what scares you most or represents you as a person is right up my alley. I feel like I got to know the authors a bit, while enjoying some top-notch horror. 4 stars
The Craving by Vivian Kasley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Khotoum by Sridhar Shankar ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Folie à Deux by Koji A. Dae ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
This Side of the Moment by Megan M. Davis-Ostrum ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
In the Darkness, We Dig by Nicole M. Wolverton ⭐⭐⭐.25
Two Heads, One Body by Scott J. Moses ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
One Star, Would Not Recommend by Anya Leigh Josephs ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Skin by KC Grifant ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Why I Wear the Mask by Samuel McQuall ⭐⭐⭐
Blood and Dust by Fred Furtado ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Something Blue by Anna Fitzgerald Healy ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
It Calls at Night by Samantha Lokai ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Grandmothers That We Leave Behind by Christine Lucas ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
The Visitor by Hiro Finn Hoshino ⭐⭐⭐.25
A Lesson in Obsolescence by Christopher O’Halloran ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Low Contact by Simo Srinivas ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Last Train by Jen Mierisch ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mad Lullaby by Ray Pantle ⭐⭐⭐.5
Someone Who’s Not Me by Micah Castle ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just Lucky by Patricia Miller ⭐⭐⭐.75
Monster Spray, Monster’s Prey by Shella Massie ⭐⭐⭐
Wire Laurel by Stephanie Parent ⭐⭐⭐
Adrift in the Salish Sea by Bebe Bayliss ⭐⭐⭐.75
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
challenging
dark
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
4.0
I have to say, I'm not *quite* sure this lived up to the immense hype around it. Don't get me wrong, I quite enjoyed it, but I think maybe I had built it up in my head too much. Even so, this is a story very much worth reading. I liked the MC probably way more than I strictly should have. She's objectively a terrible person, but I couldn't help but root for her. 4 stars
The Space Person by Catherine Kuo
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy.
I'm a big fan of space horror. Mostly because space, as a concept, is vast and terrifying on its own. Add the claustrophobia of a spaceship and an unknown entity, and you have the makings of a good story. This story is good, very bleak and fast-paced. My only complaint is that the vast majority of the characters are kind of insufferable and there are so many of them that it got confusing. Especially because the author switched back and forth between using first and last names and the book wasn't long enough to really make them stick in my mind. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story. 3.25 stars
I'm a big fan of space horror. Mostly because space, as a concept, is vast and terrifying on its own. Add the claustrophobia of a spaceship and an unknown entity, and you have the makings of a good story. This story is good, very bleak and fast-paced. My only complaint is that the vast majority of the characters are kind of insufferable and there are so many of them that it got confusing. Especially because the author switched back and forth between using first and last names and the book wasn't long enough to really make them stick in my mind. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story. 3.25 stars
Rock & Roll Nightmares: Parallel Lines by Staci Layne Wilson
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
3.75
Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy.
The blending of horror and rock & roll is one of my favorite combinations. It just works so well with the lifestyle. Not all of the stories have a horror bent - I found the Elvis story to be heart-breaking. Either way, this is a book full of fun "what-if" scenarios.
Over the Hills and Far Away by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Man The Colonel Never Knew by Nadia Robertson ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Long Walk to Mardi Gras by Del Howison ⭐⭐⭐.25
Proud Mary by Michelle Nessk ⭐⭐⭐.5
Flying High Again by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Holding Hands Like Paper Dolls by Mercedes M. Yardley ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Armageddon It by DE McCluskey ⭐⭐⭐.25
KISS Face-Off by John Harrison ⭐⭐⭐
Angel of Revelation by Keith J. Olexa ⭐⭐⭐.5
Go Your Own Way by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
One Way or Another by Robert J. Stava ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The blending of horror and rock & roll is one of my favorite combinations. It just works so well with the lifestyle. Not all of the stories have a horror bent - I found the Elvis story to be heart-breaking. Either way, this is a book full of fun "what-if" scenarios.
Over the Hills and Far Away by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Man The Colonel Never Knew by Nadia Robertson ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Long Walk to Mardi Gras by Del Howison ⭐⭐⭐.25
Proud Mary by Michelle Nessk ⭐⭐⭐.5
Flying High Again by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Holding Hands Like Paper Dolls by Mercedes M. Yardley ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Armageddon It by DE McCluskey ⭐⭐⭐.25
KISS Face-Off by John Harrison ⭐⭐⭐
Angel of Revelation by Keith J. Olexa ⭐⭐⭐.5
Go Your Own Way by Staci Layne Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
One Way or Another by Robert J. Stava ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Red Hill Paradise by Caleb Jones
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to the author and Wicked House Publishing for providing a review copy.
Let me start off by saying that books, for me, rarely induce real-world anxiety. Red Hill Paradise chucked that right out the window. This book oozes dread. Caleb Jones does such a good job getting us to care about the characters. They felt like people I might know, which made what happens to them that much more devastating. 5 stars
Let me start off by saying that books, for me, rarely induce real-world anxiety. Red Hill Paradise chucked that right out the window. This book oozes dread. Caleb Jones does such a good job getting us to care about the characters. They felt like people I might know, which made what happens to them that much more devastating. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Carni by R. Saint Claire
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had a blast with Carni! The carnival trope is one of my favorites, and R. Saint Claire did a great job creating lore and an interesting backstory for both the island and the clown. The cast of characters is neither likeable nor sympathetic, but they are compelling. If carnivals and evil clowns are your thing, definitely pick this one up. 4 stars
Hotell, Vol. 2 by John Lees
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Hotell, Vol. 1 by John Lees
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
12 by Kelvin V.A Allison, Lisa Hutchinson
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
If you're a fan of haunted house/ghost stories, you need to pick this book up right now. There will be obvious comparisons to the movie 13 Ghosts, but other than murdery ghosts with nicknames,that's where the resemblance ends. Kelvin is a consummate storyteller, making it easy to picture the book in my head. If a book can be said to have jump scares, 12 definitely has some locked and loaded. 5 stars
If you're a fan of haunted house/ghost stories, you need to pick this book up right now. There will be obvious comparisons to the movie 13 Ghosts, but other than murdery ghosts with nicknames,that's where the resemblance ends. Kelvin is a consummate storyteller, making it easy to picture the book in my head. If a book can be said to have jump scares, 12 definitely has some locked and loaded. 5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault