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471 reviews
Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner
4.5
When two trans teenagers decide to run away from home to escape to California and live free as themselves, they wind up in a fight for their lives when they’re waylaid by a cult who sacrifices girls to a mysterious monster living in their woods.
The beginning of this book is fairly slow, and in all honesty if I hadn’t known this was classified as a horror up until about the 50% mark, I’d have assumed it was simply a literary novel surrounding the issue of being trans in a world that is unaccepting. However, once this novel picks up it picks up FAST, and once the story finally hits its stride it doesn’t let up until everything is finally resolved.
Like the debate both Max and Erin ironically have before they realize the danger they’re in - are cryptids transphobic? If the monster only eats girls, who does it go after? Erin - the trans girl, or Max - the trans boy? When the cult tries to answer this question for the monster, the monster responds with something that no one - including the ones feeding the monster - ever expected.
All in all, this was a fun ride and I enjoyed the horror and survival thriller aspect of this book. Erin fits very well into the Final Girl archetype, while Max is the comedic relief dead-set (perhaps literally) to die while mocking the ones trying - and failing - to kill him. Together, they’ll figure out how to survive this nightmare they’ve found themselves in - and perhaps, eliminate the threat so no one else has to die to fulfill the whims of the men in this town.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Random House Children’s for providing this e-ARC.
How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
3.5
A teenager in 1965 gets her fortune read, predicting her own murder. Now, sixty years later it’s come true - and it’s up to her grandniece to solve it before the time limit established in the will runs out.
An interesting plot for a murder mystery to be sure. Once the plot actually kicked off I found the characters to be fun and just enjoyed the ride. We meet Frances through her journal entries, convinced of her own impending murder. She has spent decades of her life attempting to solve the riddle given to her by the fortune teller, and generally causing a nuisance to all around her by seeing death around every corner. When her grandniece unexpectedly gets a call that she’s to be the inheritor to Frances’ will - a woman she’s never met - she’s confused. She’s even more confused when they arrive to find Frances dead, and the will stating that she’s to solve the murder within a week or that all her assets will be sold off. With the timeline ticking down and only her great aunt’s journal from when she was 17 to go off of, she has to try to solve a decades old murder in the making.
Told between two timelines - Frances’ journal and current-day Annie attempting to solve the case - this book presents an interesting premise. I did have fun reading this, and I believe any fan of cozy mysteries will have fun with this book. There were a few aspects I found difficult to get into that I tended to gloss over during my reading - the almost no investigation of Frances’ death, the handling of evidence, and in all honesty - how the mystery was solved at the end. However, I had a fun ride on this adventure and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a relatively low-stakes murder mystery in the drowsy English countryside.
(Also, not related because these are young men/teenagers in the 1960s, but why was literally every single male love interest to Frances the worst? I hated them both? They both slept with the same woman, and then blamed that woman for being the reason they did - plus with a small uncomfortable level of slut-shaming/purity culture leveled at both her and Frances, where Frances is seen as the “morally” better choice because she was a virgin. I understand that this was most likely included to fit the era of the journal entries, but I didn’t like the almost implication that the girl who slept with both of these men were the sole aggressor - as if Frances’ boyfriend couldn’t have simply. Not had sex with her and didn’t cheat.)
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Group Dutton for providing this e-ARC.
Lady or the Tiger by Heather M. Herrman
4.0
A novel set in the Wild West with teenage serial killer Belle King telling her story from prison - despite her dead husband showing up to claim that it’s all a lie.
The premise of this book sounded right up my alley, and I was right. “Belle King” is exactly my kind of character - cold, unflinching, and sure of herself. Forced in many ways to grow up faster than she should have had to, she claws her way out of an insane asylum, away from an abusive husband, and into the spotlight as the most wanted performer in the Wild West.
Recalling her sordid history and confessing her crimes, her plans to hang for them are cut short when her husband - the man she killed to escape - shows up to reveal that nothing she says is the truth. Forced to do anything she can to stay away from him and to ensure her own death, she’ll have to resort to all her skills in her arsenal to do so.
I’m unfamiliar with the story of Belle King, or the story for which this book takes its title from, but I feel like neither are necessary to enjoy this book. I was hooked on her story from the very start, and was eager to see how her confession would play out. Her past is haunting and dark, and forces her - in a way - to either embrace the tiger within her or be crushed by it. And rather than simply survive the hand life had dealt her, she had thrived. Even when inklings of her crimes were starting to come to light, men would still flock to her for a chance to be with her, finding the risk worth the potential reward.
Told in both flashback and current day jail time confession, Alice recounts her life leading up to this point - and why she is so insistent on ending her life on her own terms. Despite her having committed all these crimes, you - as the reader - can’t help but to also be swayed to her side and rooting for her until the very end.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this e-ARC.
It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
4.25
A supernatural thriller where a literal haunted house might not be the deadliest thing new homeowner Ronnie must survive.
This was a fun read - told in two competing timelines of the current day and the 1930s - where we can slowly piece together how this decrepit house became the way it is - and how, exactly, it became haunted by ghosts. Ronnie, still struggling after the death of her brother and fighting her own OCD, uses the insurance money to purchase this (extreme) fixer-upper of a house. She’s told it might be haunted, and given many warnings about such “dangers” of the house - but, she’s determined to see her project through.
While renovating she finds the diary of silent film star Venita Ross, who chronicles her life up until the tragic death of her daughter. With both her and her daughter’s killer trapped in the house for the rest of eternity, Ronnie might not be able to trust anyone (or any ghost) she meets - lest she meet the same fate as every previous owner of the house. Coupled with someone whose interest in the house seems a bit more than natural, Ronnie has to depend on herself - and maybe even the ghosts themselves - to save both her and the house.
This was a fun read, and I loved how the story uses both timelines to slowly tell the full picture. A combination of a historical fiction and a supernatural thriller, this book ticks off many boxes of genres I really love and enjoy. Many aspects of this book reminded me of both Laura Purcell and Anna Mazzola, and I believe any fan of supernatural gothic horror would love this novel. My only issue is that I wish there was a bit more explanation about the deal and entity that Sloan made, but I understand the ambiguity being necessary to tell the story in a realistic way.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this e-ARC.
Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
5.0
Combining the brilliance of Yellowface, the horror of Bat Eater, and the oppressive underlying cultish power of those at the top - Julie Chan is Dead is a fast-paced and climatic powerhouse of a novel that doesn’t let up until the last page.
Julie Chan isn’t anything special - that is, until her twin sister dies and she’s the only one to find her. With everyone around her assuming it was Julie who died, she decides to take Chloe’s place and embrace the life of a rich influencer and to leave her old life behind. However, when she begins to get too close to the top of the food chain, she discovers there are much more nefarious things controlling her new life than simply just a bad brand deal.
I especially loved how the life of influencers was portrayed in this novel - with only Julie (as Chloe) being aware of how ridiculous it is that everyone around her is complaining about how “hard” their jobs are - while also taking advantage of every bit of emotional clout she can and monetizing it for her own gain. I thought the knock-off name brands were also hilarious (especially “BetterTherapy” as opposed to “BetterHelp”). And it was fascinating to see how shallow the “friendships” Julie/Chloe had as influencers truly was - and the climax ultimately making her choose her morality or this new rich life that fell into her lap.
This book was a rollercoaster, and I could never be certain where exactly Julie would end up at the end.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Atria Books for providing this e-ARC.
Sister, Butcher, Sister by K. D. ALDYN
3.25
With three conflicting narratives, each with their own unreliable narrator, figuring out which sister the voice of the killer in this novel is will be a challenge.
Trigger warning for: CSA, animal abuse/mutilation (only discussed, no actual animals are harmed in this novel), body mutilation, killing, rape (mentioned), medical gaslighting
I enjoyed the beginning of this book, as we learned and explored each of the women’s perspectives and histories, but as the story progressed I felt at times that the author was intentionally muddying their narratives to try to make the resolution at the end more “dramatic.” I kind of figured out which was the voice of the killer from the start, if only because only one character didn’t have so many red herrings that made me mentally go “well it can’t be that one it’s too obvious,” but even with the ending I felt like the timeline and explanation kind of fell apart at the end.
By the ending of the novel I was confused about both the timeline, as well as the actual crimes committed when they were children, as so much of this book focuses on hiding specific details to keep the reader guessing that I think the author forgot that we (as the reader) aren’t privy to the same information if she hasn’t written it down. As we follow each sister - one, with false memories of being abused by her grandfather, one obsessed with her grandfather’s house and needing to purchase it, and the other with fond memories and hating their sister with the memory issues - we are slowly able to piece together the entire story of their past. Except…each of them has some conflicting narratives, memory lapses, and pieces that don’t add up.
And then by the ending, we’re still left with some questions about their actual past. We find out where the one sister’s false memories come from, yes, but we’re never given answers for questions that are even explicitly asked in the novel. Why do they spend so much time at their grandfather’s house? What exactly is going on? We’re given some nuggets of information in the literal last chapter or so, but nothing that fully closes the holes in the narrative during the rest of the novel, and that made the ending feel incomplete.
(Also. Not fully related, but, uh. An “intact hymen” isn’t an indication of virginity, nor do you need to bleed during your first sexual experience to prove you were a virgin. Strange inclusion to have in this book.)
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this e-ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
3.25
A psychological horror novel that in many ways feels like playing a grown-up version of Corpse Party, with a fascinating premise and a trapped-location feel.
Trigger warning for: Self-harm, self-mutilation, CSA, child abuse, body horror, negative self-image, suicide
Unfortunately, like when I read The Book of Accidents, this book just wasn’t for me. I am a huge fan of the staircase in the woods phenomena and r/nosleep story, so I decided to give this book a chance before deciding that this author wasn’t one for me. However, while the title of this book does focus on the penultimate staircase, and there are a few other staircases scattered throughout - in all honesty, this book is barely about them. This book focuses much more on interpersonal relationships and traumas - and the house they all wind up trapped in - than staircases at all! I would honestly say this book has much more in common with the No-End House creepypasta and some similarities to the game Corpse Party, and that the staircase motif was more added so the author could have an exciting title to catch readers familiar with the concept.
The first about 30% of this book was a chore to read. I’ve heard people complain about the politics being included in this book, and hilariously I would almost agree - except from the opposite direction. If I wasn’t so sure the author was leaning anti-Trump, I’d have believed him to be conservative. The ONLY openly queer character in this book is such an open stereotype that despite me also being nonbinary, agender, and aromantic I felt like Lore was almost a strawman so readers could point and laugh at how “ridiculous” a nonbinary aromantic pansexual would be as a person. ESPECIALLY when her introduction is made by harassing the “normal” seeming pro-Trump character in this novel - and this character is never given the same stereotypical treatment, and is instead seen as the “straight” man to offset how “insane” the other character is being. We’re supposed to find it funny that Lore accuses him of “hating” her because he voted for Trump - as if it’s ridiculous to assume someone voting for someone who has openly been racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic and has created legislation to make being anything other than “acceptable cishet” a crime would - maybe - not be someone a queer woman would be comfortable around.
This uncomfortable feeling of homophobia never fully leaves the novel, as while Lore is openly attracted to both men and women, and is supposed to be aromantic - she still ends the novel in a relationship of some sort with a character who had been in love with her as children. A relationship that she, herself, had decided then to not pursue because she wouldn’t be able to give him the same kind of devotion he would give her. And at no point do either of these characters discuss what being in a sexual queerplatonic relationship would look like, and so I can only assume this is her “proper” ending to her “wildness” she had before - she’s been tamed into a relationship that she had never indicated wanting or desiring. And granted, I’m very much projecting here, but since I - once again - am ALSO aromantic it seems like an uncomfortable throughline. (Also, the author very clearly states that she can have sexual relationships but not romantic because she’s aromantic, NOT asexual, and as an asexual myself that’s…not true? Aros can have romantic relationships and aces can have sexual ones - and I’m not saying that Lore ending the book in a supposed romantic relationship is a bad thing, just that - with no discussion in the book to imply any kind of discussion about it - it feels a bit heteronormative to read.)
[Also, the character Lore ends up with I felt like had a much clearer romantic throughline to one of the other men in the story, which I feel would have done a lot to counteract the (hopefully) unintentional homophobia present in this novel.]
After I forced myself to continue past the first 30%, the book itself did improve - but that could be in part because it no longer felt like a flashlight was being pointed at my face and going “haha aren’t people like you so weird and confrontational!”
Rather than staircases, this book instead focuses on the broken friendships of these characters and the traumas each had faced growing up. And, well…some of these could have been included more tactfully - or, not at all. One in particular felt like it was added simply for the shock value, and then each character winds up in a sort of “trauma Olympics” with each other to try to one-up everyone - even if that’s not how they intend to come across. (One scene even felt like in Jenny Nicholson’s video on Split, where she criticized self-harm scars as the only way someone with depression or suicidal thoughts could articulate it, and that these scars are the only way to help save themselves.)
Finally, I found the ending to be a tad annoying as - while generally I enjoy open-ended stories - the way this one did felt anticlimactic, as it very clearly set up something that would have ruined the emotional feelings the reader (and these characters) felt about this character throughout the story. Also, I felt like this book kind of took a sharp left turn when we left the staircase mystery and motif, and instead entered into “evil sentient house” where…the motivation to do things just…fell apart? As the story progressed it slowly made less and less sense - especially with the climatic reason for the house to have become evil and sentient in the first place. (No spoilers, but really? That’s the evil that started this mess? That’s it??) I felt like having an actual root cause we could explore almost made the story less believable, and by the time it was revealed I was simply reading to finish this book. However, I know I’m not in the majority of my feelings towards this book, so I would recommend you check it out if you are a fan of horror and being trapped in a single location that is actively trying to break you down.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Random House Worlds for providing this e-ARC.
Trigger warning for: Self-harm, self-mutilation, CSA, child abuse, body horror, negative self-image, suicide
Unfortunately, like when I read The Book of Accidents, this book just wasn’t for me. I am a huge fan of the staircase in the woods phenomena and r/nosleep story, so I decided to give this book a chance before deciding that this author wasn’t one for me. However, while the title of this book does focus on the penultimate staircase, and there are a few other staircases scattered throughout - in all honesty, this book is barely about them. This book focuses much more on interpersonal relationships and traumas - and the house they all wind up trapped in - than staircases at all! I would honestly say this book has much more in common with the No-End House creepypasta and some similarities to the game Corpse Party, and that the staircase motif was more added so the author could have an exciting title to catch readers familiar with the concept.
The first about 30% of this book was a chore to read. I’ve heard people complain about the politics being included in this book, and hilariously I would almost agree - except from the opposite direction. If I wasn’t so sure the author was leaning anti-Trump, I’d have believed him to be conservative. The ONLY openly queer character in this book is such an open stereotype that despite me also being nonbinary, agender, and aromantic I felt like Lore was almost a strawman so readers could point and laugh at how “ridiculous” a nonbinary aromantic pansexual would be as a person. ESPECIALLY when her introduction is made by harassing the “normal” seeming pro-Trump character in this novel - and this character is never given the same stereotypical treatment, and is instead seen as the “straight” man to offset how “insane” the other character is being. We’re supposed to find it funny that Lore accuses him of “hating” her because he voted for Trump - as if it’s ridiculous to assume someone voting for someone who has openly been racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic and has created legislation to make being anything other than “acceptable cishet” a crime would - maybe - not be someone a queer woman would be comfortable around.
This uncomfortable feeling of homophobia never fully leaves the novel, as while Lore is openly attracted to both men and women, and is supposed to be aromantic - she still ends the novel in a relationship of some sort with a character who had been in love with her as children. A relationship that she, herself, had decided then to not pursue because she wouldn’t be able to give him the same kind of devotion he would give her. And at no point do either of these characters discuss what being in a sexual queerplatonic relationship would look like, and so I can only assume this is her “proper” ending to her “wildness” she had before - she’s been tamed into a relationship that she had never indicated wanting or desiring. And granted, I’m very much projecting here, but since I - once again - am ALSO aromantic it seems like an uncomfortable throughline. (Also, the author very clearly states that she can have sexual relationships but not romantic because she’s aromantic, NOT asexual, and as an asexual myself that’s…not true? Aros can have romantic relationships and aces can have sexual ones - and I’m not saying that Lore ending the book in a supposed romantic relationship is a bad thing, just that - with no discussion in the book to imply any kind of discussion about it - it feels a bit heteronormative to read.)
[Also, the character Lore ends up with I felt like had a much clearer romantic throughline to one of the other men in the story, which I feel would have done a lot to counteract the (hopefully) unintentional homophobia present in this novel.]
After I forced myself to continue past the first 30%, the book itself did improve - but that could be in part because it no longer felt like a flashlight was being pointed at my face and going “haha aren’t people like you so weird and confrontational!”
Rather than staircases, this book instead focuses on the broken friendships of these characters and the traumas each had faced growing up. And, well…some of these could have been included more tactfully - or, not at all. One in particular felt like it was added simply for the shock value, and then each character winds up in a sort of “trauma Olympics” with each other to try to one-up everyone - even if that’s not how they intend to come across. (One scene even felt like in Jenny Nicholson’s video on Split, where she criticized self-harm scars as the only way someone with depression or suicidal thoughts could articulate it, and that these scars are the only way to help save themselves.)
Finally, I found the ending to be a tad annoying as - while generally I enjoy open-ended stories - the way this one did felt anticlimactic, as it very clearly set up something that would have ruined the emotional feelings the reader (and these characters) felt about this character throughout the story. Also, I felt like this book kind of took a sharp left turn when we left the staircase mystery and motif, and instead entered into “evil sentient house” where…the motivation to do things just…fell apart? As the story progressed it slowly made less and less sense - especially with the climatic reason for the house to have become evil and sentient in the first place. (No spoilers, but really? That’s the evil that started this mess? That’s it??) I felt like having an actual root cause we could explore almost made the story less believable, and by the time it was revealed I was simply reading to finish this book. However, I know I’m not in the majority of my feelings towards this book, so I would recommend you check it out if you are a fan of horror and being trapped in a single location that is actively trying to break you down.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Random House Worlds for providing this e-ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Pedophilia
Oracle of Helinthia by M.J. Pankey
adventurous
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
With how much I loved Epic of Helinthia, the sequel had a lot riding on its shoulders - and it exceeded my expectations flawlessly. I reread Epic to prepare for Oracle, and I’m so glad I did as Oracle has so many different intricacies and plot points hidden throughout that at no point was I ever certain which way the cards would end up. While I would say that Epic felt more like a story that actively took you along for the ride (literally in the case of Gonivein), Oracle is one that develops around you and forces you (and the characters) to respond. While Oracle generally occurs in one single location, at no point is there nothing going on, nor can we (the reader) rest as we watch the political tension rise around everyone.
Oracle begins with us having a new point of view - Lithaneva - and in doing so we’re able to get a much better understanding of the politics of the world outside of Dargos’ perspective. As the daughter of the Anax, having her perspective is key to understanding the fate of Helinthia under his rule - and why, exactly, she is working with the resistance to remove him from power. I loved having this extra point of view, as it humanizes those we wouldn’t find sympathetic otherwise - such as her new husband Branitus, who we meet in Epic. I was shocked by how much I loved him as a character, as before every instance we meet of him is in a public, formal setting through Dargos or Gandor’s eyes.
With both Dargos and Gonivein now being fugitives after the events in Epic, their safety is much more fragile throughout Oracle - in many ways, resting on the goodwill of Kelric. With Kelric deciding to continue to marry Gonivein, despite doing so potentially alienating the Anax against the wishes of his polis, the political landscape suddenly becomes much more treacherous for everyone living in Golpathia. I really liked the new perspective that living in a different area, without Dargos being able to be a main playing character anymore, allowed for the understanding of the world building within this book. During Epic we’re lead to believe that Dargos’ dislike of the Anax, and desire to overthrow him is a political secret held only to his closest allies - but then we find out in Oracle that this isn’t the case, and that Dargos might have been too certain of his ability to do so and had potentially told too many people of his open dislike of the Anax. This causes strife for anyone who is too openly friendly with Dargos - including Kelric - and makes it much harder for Dargos to ensure political safety for not only himself, but his sister and Forluna, as well.
I also really liked that, despite both Gonivein and Tor being confirmed as the oracles of Apollo and Artemis, this doesn’t add too much safety to Gonivein’s life. While being the Oracle of Apollo has some political benefits, being the sister of Dargos in some ways almost negates those benefits, and so she is still very much in danger. I also found it fascinating that, rather than excitement, the general feeling within the polis of there being two new confirmed oracles, when there hadn’t been any in years, to be anxiety over what the gods are planning to happen. The idea being that, in times of prosperity the gods don’t bother with the whims of mortals, but only during times of strife they do. And so, with the two new oracles added, tensions within the polis are continuously rising as everyone is on edge about potentially even worse things happening in the future.
With so much political strife and tension in the air, every decision any character makes winds up having far-reaching consequences - even those no one is aware about. With sides being chosen in the sand everywhere around, it’s only when the dust finally settles that we will find out who is truly on which side. Oracle is a fantastic second book, as despite much of the book occurring in one single location, so much is going on to help set up the worldbuilding and characterization that at no point do you hit a slow spot - or feel like a certain perspective isn’t needed to fully understand what is going on. Every character within this book is forced to make some extremely difficult decisions, and no one ends the book the same person they started it with - and especially not the same people they were in Epic. This series is absolutely one to read for anyone who is a fan of Greek retellings (despite this being an original story), political strife, and in-depth worldbuilding. I cannot wait to see how this story develops as this series continues, and I will absolutely be coming back for more the second I can.
(I also did not see that ending coming, and I'm so excited to see how that plays out in the future!)
(I also did not see that ending coming, and I'm so excited to see how that plays out in the future!)
Side note: The author is a PHENOMENAL writer when it comes to characterization. AT NO POINT could I tell if I liked or hated Kelric, as the second I felt one way he would do something that would change my mind. And at no point did anything he did not feel like a genuine response from him! I feel like I was Gonivein during the entire novel, constantly switching between forgiving and loving him, and wanting nothing to do with him. There are a few other characters who I loved watching their characterization build and change throughout this novel as they grew as people, but none were as striking to me as Kelric. Legitimately, at no point was I certain how, exactly, I felt about this man, and I loved it. At no point could I simply write him off in my head as someone I disliked, and yet, even during the times I was on his side I was still unsure about his true motives or how he would respond to whatever new issue had arisen. I ended Epic hating him and wanting him nothing the worst, and left Oracle unsure about my actual feelings about him because at no point did I not understand his actions.
A huge thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this e-ARC.
The Outcast Mage by Annabel Campbell
4.25
What do you do when you have magic but can’t do anything about it? That question haunts our main character Naila - called the “Hollow Mage,” using an insult towards those without magic, she is one of the oldest students still taking her class - and she still can’t perform even the simplest of spells. The problem is - she has magic, and if she never learns how to control it one day it’ll consume and destroy her. But when she finally finds out where her power lies, it might just be the thing causing destruction in her home.
Filled with political tension, magical bigotry, and an overarching plot connecting multiple different perspectives together, The Outcast Mage is perfect for fans of intense fantasy worldbuilding and multi-POV stories. While it takes a while for the reader to fully understand everything going on in this story, dumping us into the world with little buildup - as the novel progresses you’re able to begin to piece together the larger puzzle.
I loved the characters within this story, and there were even a few that surprised me with how much I grew to love them, but every character had a reason for their perspective to be included and I never found a chapter lacking or like a character could have been removed without losing any of the plot.
My biggest issue was only that sometimes when a chapter would end and the next would start, we would be shoved further in the story than we had left it, and had to figure out what exactly happened in the meantime. It wasn’t always entirely jarring, but there were a few times where (Naila especially) would be in a situation and the chapter would end, and then the next chapter shows her already having resolved that same issue.
A book that sharply reflects the American political landscape, with a central political figure taking more and more power and preaching hatred towards a group of citizens living within their city - blaming them for each and every problem regardless of facts - and creating a group of secret police that follow only him to root out dissension and arresting anyone who isn’t a member of his “in-group,” this book has a refreshing amount of things to say within its pages.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Orbit Books for providing this e-ARC.
This Girl's A Killer by Emma C. Wells
4.5
I believe in women’s rights, but more importantly I believe in women’s wrongs. Cordelia Black is both a role model and an inspiration, and the world would be a safer place if she was real.
Is murder the worst crime you can commit? Are there crimes where you think “I wish they were dead” after you learn about them? Do you believe in the death penalty? Depending on your answer to these questions, you might have the same beliefs as Cordelia Black, hand of justice. (Not murder, she doesn’t like to apply such a label to herself. After all, she’s only cleaning up the streets and making them safer, it’s not like she’s doing anything without a purpose!)
I was sucked into Cordelia’s world from the first hints that her outer appearance was more of a facade to a darker pastime. She’s detail-oriented, efficient, and on top of everything - or she was, until a new boyfriend comes into her best friend’s life. Simon. The worst guy you can think of to date a woman with a teen daughter. Flashy, charming, and kind on the surface - but with just something to make you raise your hackles whenever he’s around. Luckily for her chosen family, Cordelia is there to keep them safe.
I loved getting into Cordelia’s head, and found myself rooting for her during the entire novel. I wanted her to get away with it all, and was at the edge of my seat every time something happened that just hinted that she was about to lose it all. This book is filled with red herrings - both in events and characters - and until it’s resolved you’re never certain how it will shake out for Cordelia. Semi-dating a cop on the case of her own murders, a best friend with a shitty boyfriend that she’s trying to figure out how to dispose of, and the pharmaceutical drug she’s a spokeswoman for launching her into an investigation - there’s a lot that could cause her to trip up and make a mistake.
While I’ve never watched Dexter myself, I did find myself thinking that some scenes were similar in vibe - intensity and comedic relief - as Santa Clarita Diet.. No, there’s no cannibalism or a couple in this book, but some of the situations felt like they’d fit right on a television show. Answering the door to a cop while you desperately try to cover the blood spatter on yourself, refusing to let him in because there’s a dead body in your kitchen? Opening the freezer to jokingly talk to the head you keep in there until you can find a good location to dump it? Hysterical. This book was both intense and hilarious, and I think it’d make an excellent show or movie if it were expanded upon. I, myself, would love to watch Cordelia Black rid the world of evil men.
If you’re fans of stories centering around serial killers, bad men getting what’s coming to them, and female empowerment, then look no further than This Girl’s a Killer. Cordelia Black is here to keep the streets safe, if only she can stick to her meticulous and proven safeguards and avoid getting caught.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen Press or providing this e-ARC.