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drakaina16's reviews
2180 reviews
The Aching Plane by Cody Lakin
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
Every now again, a book comes along that so devastates me emotionally that it also ends up healing a part of me I didn't even realize needed healing. I was not expecting to find that book so early in the year.
The Aching Plane is best described as cosmic literary grief horror, and it's not only one of the best horror books I've read. It is now one of my favorite books of all time. The book is unsettling, eerie, downright uncanny. The imagery in the book will probably never leave me. The descriptions of wading through the aching planes of grief and devastatingly accurate descriptions of depression won't either. The gore isn't absent, but it never takes center stage.
This book is such an achievement, and I can't recommend it highly enough. 5 stars
Every now again, a book comes along that so devastates me emotionally that it also ends up healing a part of me I didn't even realize needed healing. I was not expecting to find that book so early in the year.
The Aching Plane is best described as cosmic literary grief horror, and it's not only one of the best horror books I've read. It is now one of my favorite books of all time. The book is unsettling, eerie, downright uncanny. The imagery in the book will probably never leave me. The descriptions of wading through the aching planes of grief and devastatingly accurate descriptions of depression won't either. The gore isn't absent, but it never takes center stage.
This book is such an achievement, and I can't recommend it highly enough. 5 stars
Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of '80s and '90s Teen Fiction by Gabrielle Moss
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
What a fun, nostalgic romp through teen fiction in the 80s and 90s. If you were a young bookworm, so many of these titles will be familiar. The horror section was my favorite, and it made me remember so many books I had forgotten I'd read. 5 stars
OH FUCK OH FUCK IT HURTS: A Collection of Medical Horror by Ruth Anna Evans
challenging
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
4.5
Ruth Anna Evans never lets me down. Her stories are visceral and feel real. Running the gamut from body horror to the horrors of the US medical system, a lot of these stories resonated deeply with me (a chronic pain patient for the last 22 years). 4.5 stars
Lifeline ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Autoimmune ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
FAT ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Defective ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Colonoscopy ⭐⭐⭐.5
Side Effects Include ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sixteen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Visitor ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Lifeline ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Autoimmune ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
FAT ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Defective ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Colonoscopy ⭐⭐⭐.5
Side Effects Include ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sixteen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Visitor ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
Abigail by Daemon Manx
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.25
I had such a good time with this surprising sweet and heart-warming novella. I absolutely loved the direction the story went - it's kind of hard to surprise me these days, but Daemon Manx did it. 4.25 stars
Helloween by Duncan Ralston
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
I had such a great time with Helloween! This book has a LOT going on and is an absolute brick, but the plot never gets bogged down and the story moves along at the perfect clip. When a story has this many .moving parts and a large cast of characters, I sometimes have issues remembering who the characters are. Ralston managed to make his characters memorable enough that I was able to both remember them and the plot points they were involved with. 4.5 stars
I had such a great time with Helloween! This book has a LOT going on and is an absolute brick, but the plot never gets bogged down and the story moves along at the perfect clip. When a story has this many .moving parts and a large cast of characters, I sometimes have issues remembering who the characters are. Ralston managed to make his characters memorable enough that I was able to both remember them and the plot points they were involved with. 4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Father of Lies: The Complete Series by Sonora Taylor, Steve Stred
challenging
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
5.0
Cult horror is one of my favorite subgenres, and the Father of Lies trilogy is one of the best cult books I've read. It is tremendously creepy, brutal, and pulls no punches. Although I rated the contents individually, overall this was a 5 star experience, enhanced by the Book of Lies at the end.
Ritual ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Communion ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Sacrament ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eucharist ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ritual ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Communion ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Sacrament ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eucharist ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death
EUSECT by C.L. Methvin
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.25
Thank you to BookSirens for providing a review copy.
C.L. Methvin is a new author to me, and their debut collection is very impressive. There's a lot of body horror to be found within the pages, as well as extremely interesting and unique speculative horror. 4.25 stars
My Roommate’s Locks ⭐⭐⭐.5
Eusect ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Aurozoa Sleep ⭐⭐⭐.75
Doors and Dead Men ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An Account of Five Hundred and Nine, or Sower’s Descent ⭐⭐⭐.5
Ximena’s Fall ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Need Only Be Closer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In Miriam's Arms ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mouths ⭐⭐⭐.25
We, the Water, the Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Tender Writhing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Firetender ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A Stagnant Song ⭐⭐⭐.25
Stay ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
C.L. Methvin is a new author to me, and their debut collection is very impressive. There's a lot of body horror to be found within the pages, as well as extremely interesting and unique speculative horror. 4.25 stars
My Roommate’s Locks ⭐⭐⭐.5
Eusect ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Aurozoa Sleep ⭐⭐⭐.75
Doors and Dead Men ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An Account of Five Hundred and Nine, or Sower’s Descent ⭐⭐⭐.5
Ximena’s Fall ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Need Only Be Closer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In Miriam's Arms ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mouths ⭐⭐⭐.25
We, the Water, the Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Tender Writhing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Firetender ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
A Stagnant Song ⭐⭐⭐.25
Stay ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Dead Man's Heart by Axl Malton
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.
I didn't love Dead Man's Heart as much as I wanted to. To me, the book definitely leans more thriller than horror and runs a little long. I also found it incredibly predictable, although the book is written well and the characters are well developed. I loved Cries of Joy and The Devil's Tree, but this book missed the mark a bit for me. 3 stars
I didn't love Dead Man's Heart as much as I wanted to. To me, the book definitely leans more thriller than horror and runs a little long. I also found it incredibly predictable, although the book is written well and the characters are well developed. I loved Cries of Joy and The Devil's Tree, but this book missed the mark a bit for me. 3 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Obscenely Bizarre: A collection of Twisted novellas and shocking short stories by Matt Shaw
Did not finish book. Stopped at 56%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 56%.
I'm sick to death of reading torture porn against women