haunted_mia's reviews
21 reviews

The Whispering Dead by Darcy Coates

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Keira lost her memory, and is running away from someone or something. She also sees ghosts! She ends up in a small town where she befriends people who help her out financially by giving her a place to stay, some clothes, and some food. She also finds a cat! 
She decides to help one of the ghosts crossover by finding out who murdered her.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham
Did not finish book. Stopped at 51%.

Celeste and her friends are ghouls and go to a concert. One friend Val ends up killing and eating a ghoul hater. 
The book jumped all over the place from past to present, and I had difficulty keeping up where things were jumping on audio. It was boring, and I wasn't able to keep track of the storyline.
One great quality is that it's pro LBGTQA+.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol

A Good House for Children by Kate Collins

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

The story about a house, and several different families who have lived in it, and their ghost stories.
This book was so slow and boring, not scary at all, just sad. The characters were sad, and not loveable at all. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol

Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.5

Beth, Nicole, and Michael head back to their hometown to spread their mother's ashes and clean out the house. They discover a video showing a missing girl of 20 years, dead. What secrets did their parents keep since their dad ran out on them?
This book is fast paced and has so much potential. The problem is, the killer was completely obvious from the get go. Don't make the killer the bad guy without making the other suspects bad too. The author tied it all together nicely, but each step was so plain, the reader knows exactly where it's going. I might read some others by this author that are more recent to see if any improvement has made.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Eva finds in husband with his drowned and dead partner on the river of their property. Her husband is taken to jail, and Eva reunites with a lover from her past. The plot thickens as all the things from her past and present intertwine.
The book has supernatural aspects, at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting

Eva cheats on her husband, because she thinks her cheated on her.

VenCo by Cherie Dimaline

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective

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

5.0

Lucky and her grandmother are discovered by witches through a spoon Lucky finds. Her mission is to find the last spoon, and the last witch to re-form the coven to take down patriarchy.
This book is so needed right now, especially with the dark times that are upon us this Jan of 2025. It was hopeful and uplifting, and we as women need to gather and organize. Love the author for this!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Alcohol

So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Nell and her friends go to an island for a short vacation. A few guys join them, and it isn't pleasant. While setting things up, they discover a strange fog that is murderous. As they try to fight for their lives, they discover their inner wrongs and anger towards the males that have hurt them, will actually save them.
Warnings:
Rape
Sexual harassment 
Pedophilia 
Bullying
Women being drugged

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Alcohol

LGBQA+ Friendly

Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

0.5

Spoilers in this review.

On Cleo's birthday, she receives and box with a clue in it that leads to a hunt of sorts to find out what happened, or who knows about her abusive boyfriend's death.

This book was fully predictable. You know from the get-go who the 'bad guy' is, and it's not Cleo. She blames herself for self defense, and the abuse she received was never dealt with or acknowledged. 

Abuse is a serious issue for women, and this author, female I might add, gives the reader the impression this is okay, or that there is blame here. Shameful. 
The author also should have put information on how to seek help if you are someone you know might be suffering from abuse. 

Regretting reading this, but hoping my review can shed some light to others to stay away!

Warning! Graphic violence towards women by boyfriend with no help from family or friends. Seek help, it's out there. 
National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-7233

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Blood, Alcohol

Horror Hotel by Faith McClaren, Victoria Fulton

adventurous dark 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

4.0

Evie and her friends are ghost hunters and decide to go to a hotel in California that's notorious for its ghosts and hauntings. Once they get there though they find an actual body, along with other ghosts. 
Unfortunately this was really predictable, though it was fun and  fast paced. You'll definitely realize who the killer is right the way though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood

Moderate: Drug use

The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

Josie and Neena head out on their last adventure before college by taking their first ever hiking/camping trip. Little do they know the coming horrors that find them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder

Moderate: Sexual content