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holdenwunders_'s reviews
330 reviews
Blood on Her Tongue: A Novel by Johanna van Veen
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Blood on her Tongue is the second novel from up and coming gothic horror enthusiast Johanna van Veen and to say that I’m enamored with her would be an understatement. With the rise of gothic horror in popular media we will be seeing more authours delving into the pits of horror, but not everyone truly understands the assignment. I’m glad to report that Veen does indeed.
There is so much that goes into writing a lyrically stunning gothic horror book, from intention to pacing and not everyone succeeds at that. There were a couple issues that I did have with the pacing in the front half of the book but my few problems were quickly rectified in the latter half. The push and pull was well done but there were many times in the first half that I wanted to get closer to the horror and drama. If you stick with it, the give is worth it but the drag earlier on did have me questioning a couple of times.
A longing and yearning tale between two twins was the heart of this horror ridden story and I will root for them beyond the grave. The gothic aspects were incredibly well done and as an immense gothic lover, I’m incredibly hard to please. While the balance eventually works itself out, all the other pieces were there. From a unique plot, to the imagery and lyrical writing, and tropes that I expect to partake in when reading a book like this. Blood on Her Tongue is a sickly feminist tale that will have you quavering until the last bloody page.
There is so much that goes into writing a lyrically stunning gothic horror book, from intention to pacing and not everyone succeeds at that. There were a couple issues that I did have with the pacing in the front half of the book but my few problems were quickly rectified in the latter half. The push and pull was well done but there were many times in the first half that I wanted to get closer to the horror and drama. If you stick with it, the give is worth it but the drag earlier on did have me questioning a couple of times.
A longing and yearning tale between two twins was the heart of this horror ridden story and I will root for them beyond the grave. The gothic aspects were incredibly well done and as an immense gothic lover, I’m incredibly hard to please. While the balance eventually works itself out, all the other pieces were there. From a unique plot, to the imagery and lyrical writing, and tropes that I expect to partake in when reading a book like this. Blood on Her Tongue is a sickly feminist tale that will have you quavering until the last bloody page.
Destroy This House by Amanda Uhle
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
3.5 ⭐️
I am always so drawn to dysfunctional family memoirs, especially when there is any focus on mothers. I assume this is my trauma manifesting and looking for some common ground and relatability. I can only imagine how healing it must be to finally get it all out in a memoir and to see so many others live that same experience so I will never fault someone for putting themselves out there in the most vulnerable ways.
There were aspects of this that were incredibly fascinating and others that I wish were focused on a bit more. There were times I felt like details were being given that didn’t pertain to much and then moments in which time skipped over a lot once Uhle reached adulthood. Trauma on a developing brain is so intense and will lead to lifelong issues that unfortunately victims have to take control of themselves and wish there were aspects of this talked about in the book. So much time was spent in her childhood to young adult years, in college, but I wanted more from her time married and as an adult.
Things that make books like Educated and I’m Glad My Mom Died so popular is just how much the authours put of themselves in the book. And while Uhle does this to an extent, I wish it focused more on her and less on her parents. There was so much of her parents history, stories, lies, decisions that I wanted a lot of refocus on her instead of them.
This wasn’t bad by any means and you will feel for Uhle in all the ways and I’m so happy for her to be healing and writing this. But it also wasn’t my favourite memoir.
I am always so drawn to dysfunctional family memoirs, especially when there is any focus on mothers. I assume this is my trauma manifesting and looking for some common ground and relatability. I can only imagine how healing it must be to finally get it all out in a memoir and to see so many others live that same experience so I will never fault someone for putting themselves out there in the most vulnerable ways.
There were aspects of this that were incredibly fascinating and others that I wish were focused on a bit more. There were times I felt like details were being given that didn’t pertain to much and then moments in which time skipped over a lot once Uhle reached adulthood. Trauma on a developing brain is so intense and will lead to lifelong issues that unfortunately victims have to take control of themselves and wish there were aspects of this talked about in the book. So much time was spent in her childhood to young adult years, in college, but I wanted more from her time married and as an adult.
Things that make books like Educated and I’m Glad My Mom Died so popular is just how much the authours put of themselves in the book. And while Uhle does this to an extent, I wish it focused more on her and less on her parents. There was so much of her parents history, stories, lies, decisions that I wanted a lot of refocus on her instead of them.
This wasn’t bad by any means and you will feel for Uhle in all the ways and I’m so happy for her to be healing and writing this. But it also wasn’t my favourite memoir.
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
The Sirens is an absolute masterpiece and my only sadness is that I finished it so quickly.
We all know Emilia Hart is a true master of her art but even with extremely high expectations, they were exceeded. I believe in reading books in the genre you’re in the mood for and for the longest time I just didn’t feel like reading magical historical fiction. I continually put it off and put it off and then eventually I needed to read it and she had me in a hold within the first page. There are few books that can defy the desire to read a genre and Hart has that true talent. The right time to read her books is always right now.
If you listen to Paris Paloma and loved Our Wives Under the Sea, then this book will be a must the moment it’s released. The magic is subtle but strewn throughout like a web that’s fully formed in the end. The bonds, the sisterhood, the connection of women to the sea. This book holds absolutely nothing back and I will be dreaming of all The Sirens for many moons to come.
We all know Emilia Hart is a true master of her art but even with extremely high expectations, they were exceeded. I believe in reading books in the genre you’re in the mood for and for the longest time I just didn’t feel like reading magical historical fiction. I continually put it off and put it off and then eventually I needed to read it and she had me in a hold within the first page. There are few books that can defy the desire to read a genre and Hart has that true talent. The right time to read her books is always right now.
If you listen to Paris Paloma and loved Our Wives Under the Sea, then this book will be a must the moment it’s released. The magic is subtle but strewn throughout like a web that’s fully formed in the end. The bonds, the sisterhood, the connection of women to the sea. This book holds absolutely nothing back and I will be dreaming of all The Sirens for many moons to come.
The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 ⭐️
Sarah Pekkanen’s latest thriller, The Locked Ward, takes us on a deep dive of two twins in wildly different scenarios. One is quite literally locked away, unable to communicate for a myriad of reasons while the other tries to metaphorically unlock all the secrets she was never privy to.
The setup alone gives a tenuous push and pull throughout that has you on the rollercoaster from the first page to the very last page. Pekkanen sets herself up in a way where she doesn’t have to even do a lot of work but just lays it all out and the pacing was conveniently consistent.
One of my favourite parts about the entire switch was the way she wrote the perspectives of the sisters. Of course there is always a header so you know which sisters perspective it’s in but Mandy is always written with “I” while Georgia is always written with “you.” It creates a unique difference between them while also highlighting the disassociative state Georgia is forcing herself into. Psychologically, this was quite clever and it had me realizing that while Pekkanen’s plots aren’t the most out of the box, her writing has true technique and grit behind it.
I ate this story up in about two days of reading before bed and it was exactly what it wanted to be in the end, thrilling.
Sarah Pekkanen’s latest thriller, The Locked Ward, takes us on a deep dive of two twins in wildly different scenarios. One is quite literally locked away, unable to communicate for a myriad of reasons while the other tries to metaphorically unlock all the secrets she was never privy to.
The setup alone gives a tenuous push and pull throughout that has you on the rollercoaster from the first page to the very last page. Pekkanen sets herself up in a way where she doesn’t have to even do a lot of work but just lays it all out and the pacing was conveniently consistent.
One of my favourite parts about the entire switch was the way she wrote the perspectives of the sisters. Of course there is always a header so you know which sisters perspective it’s in but Mandy is always written with “I” while Georgia is always written with “you.” It creates a unique difference between them while also highlighting the disassociative state Georgia is forcing herself into. Psychologically, this was quite clever and it had me realizing that while Pekkanen’s plots aren’t the most out of the box, her writing has true technique and grit behind it.
I ate this story up in about two days of reading before bed and it was exactly what it wanted to be in the end, thrilling.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Grady Hendrix typically sits around a 3 star for me, they’re fun books and I’d recommend them to other readers who love the genre but nothing mind blowing.
This is my personal apology, directly to Grady because Wayward Girls is a true masterpiece. This goes to prove, ANYBODY, can write any book and he constantly had me forgetting that he is indeed, a man. When there is deference, reverence, empathy, it shows and he even conferred with a coven??? If that doesn’t sell you, the story alone will.
I was in tears at the end and it was wholly unexpected. While the story is emotional, supernatural, and feminist it is still FUN, thrilling, exciting, and full of vengeance. This is one I read on my kindle and the moment I see it in stores, I’ll be picking up a physical copy to read again and again.
This is my personal apology, directly to Grady because Wayward Girls is a true masterpiece. This goes to prove, ANYBODY, can write any book and he constantly had me forgetting that he is indeed, a man. When there is deference, reverence, empathy, it shows and he even conferred with a coven??? If that doesn’t sell you, the story alone will.
I was in tears at the end and it was wholly unexpected. While the story is emotional, supernatural, and feminist it is still FUN, thrilling, exciting, and full of vengeance. This is one I read on my kindle and the moment I see it in stores, I’ll be picking up a physical copy to read again and again.
Falling by Tori Briar
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Don’t let the age group fool you, while this is a coming of age story, the stakes are HIGH.
The story is interesting, the characters are dynamic, but what keeps me coming back is Briar’s ability to write. There are so many aspects that can make or break a book, and the skill of the authour is everything. Briar lyrically writes in a way that has me enamored from the beginning to the last dripping words.
The story is interesting, the characters are dynamic, but what keeps me coming back is Briar’s ability to write. There are so many aspects that can make or break a book, and the skill of the authour is everything. Briar lyrically writes in a way that has me enamored from the beginning to the last dripping words.
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
I don’t know any other way to describe this besides it was delicious.
Very Daisy Jones & the Six vibes. It was messy, sexy, frustrating, validating and everything in between. I don’t read romance often so I appreciate while this was a main plot point, it didn’t come across as a romance novel.
But girl if Bella or Heath did a single one of those things to me I’d never speak to them again. LORD. But I am also aware that wouldn’t make for an interesting book.
Very Daisy Jones & the Six vibes. It was messy, sexy, frustrating, validating and everything in between. I don’t read romance often so I appreciate while this was a main plot point, it didn’t come across as a romance novel.
But girl if Bella or Heath did a single one of those things to me I’d never speak to them again. LORD. But I am also aware that wouldn’t make for an interesting book.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
3.0
People are so weird about this book tbh. This is Gen Z’s Twilight, it’s Maze Runner, it’s Divergent and it does exactly what it should do. I don’t expect much out of a book like this. It isn’t high fantasy so I don’t expect that world building to be super succinct. It’s not literary fiction so I don’t expect it to be particularly moving. I do expect it to entertain me with dragons and f*cking and it did just that.
I think my biggest gripe about it, besides the reader responses picking it apart (go read other books) is the POV shifts at the end. Yarros never does this and it felt like such a cop out because she didn’t know how to get across what was happening elsewhere through Violets POV. She has been our POV for THREE books but suddenly it switches in the last 50 pages to multiple people? I know the writing isn’t something I expect a lot out of but it felt like such an unbelievable cop out. If she had done it the entire time, it would’ve been interesting, but it was clear she just didn’t know how to execute the vision.
I think my biggest gripe about it, besides the reader responses picking it apart (go read other books) is the POV shifts at the end. Yarros never does this and it felt like such a cop out because she didn’t know how to get across what was happening elsewhere through Violets POV. She has been our POV for THREE books but suddenly it switches in the last 50 pages to multiple people? I know the writing isn’t something I expect a lot out of but it felt like such an unbelievable cop out. If she had done it the entire time, it would’ve been interesting, but it was clear she just didn’t know how to execute the vision.
The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk
4.0
This book is slllowwwww and not as deep in the horror aspects as I would’ve liked but it didn’t take away from the experience at all.
There were times when I was getting annoyed at the misogynistic points of view and wanted some sort of comeuppance and I’m not sure knowing that they were all points of view taken from literary greats made this aspect better or worse. But it did what it was meant to do.
I loved the twist about Mieczys and it made the entire book worth it. It really picked up at the 70% ish mark but that’s not to say the rest before wasn’t good. It was. I just wanted a tiny bit more horror and unease. I can see why people love Olga Tokarczuk now though and I will definitely be reading her other works.
There were times when I was getting annoyed at the misogynistic points of view and wanted some sort of comeuppance and I’m not sure knowing that they were all points of view taken from literary greats made this aspect better or worse. But it did what it was meant to do.
I loved the twist about Mieczys and it made the entire book worth it. It really picked up at the 70% ish mark but that’s not to say the rest before wasn’t good. It was. I just wanted a tiny bit more horror and unease. I can see why people love Olga Tokarczuk now though and I will definitely be reading her other works.