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kalventure's reviews
522 reviews
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Beautiful story about identity, loss, friendship, and nostalgia. About the special friendship between women and how people so important to you can grow apart. How our own metamorphosis is sometimes held back by the people in our lives and the things they know about us.
The entire comic is tinged in the blue hue of the television screen, the tv itself a character interrupting the narrative with advertisements and sensational reporting. Clowes masterfully comments on society through Enid and Becky, but the heart of this story is about Enid. It’s easy to take the panels at face value, the day to day happenings of two young adults, but this is a graphic novel that rewards close and rereading — and fortunately, it’s a delightful read!
The entire comic is tinged in the blue hue of the television screen, the tv itself a character interrupting the narrative with advertisements and sensational reporting. Clowes masterfully comments on society through Enid and Becky, but the heart of this story is about Enid. It’s easy to take the panels at face value, the day to day happenings of two young adults, but this is a graphic novel that rewards close and rereading — and fortunately, it’s a delightful read!
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
I love the lore and way that Moreno-Garcia plays with the various versions of vampires. Not to mention how Bram Stoker's work affected the world Atl inhabits: I love the references to classic works!
Let me be honest: this is the kind of vampire renaissance that I want! New stories and takes on the traditional European lore set in other countries. Definitely a book I recommend to fans of adult horror and neo-noir, especially fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
4.0
Originally published in 2016 and since out of print, Tor Nightfire brought this neo-noir back to the market and I love that for us. Look at that cover.
This is a gritty novella which masterfully blends horror and noir elements, while also addressing the impacts of colonialism and is as much about gentrification and white settlers as it is about vampires. Set in alternate-history Mexico City, Certain Dark Things takes the best elements of vampire literature and combines it with issues of drug cartels and violence - making two sets of monsters preying on the people.
This is a gritty novella which masterfully blends horror and noir elements, while also addressing the impacts of colonialism and is as much about gentrification and white settlers as it is about vampires. Set in alternate-history Mexico City, Certain Dark Things takes the best elements of vampire literature and combines it with issues of drug cartels and violence - making two sets of monsters preying on the people.
"Everything was too dangerous in this city. She missed the nor and the desert with its endless dark skies, the coldness of its nights against her skin."
I love the lore and way that Moreno-Garcia plays with the various versions of vampires. Not to mention how Bram Stoker's work affected the world Atl inhabits: I love the references to classic works!
Let me be honest: this is the kind of vampire renaissance that I want! New stories and takes on the traditional European lore set in other countries. Definitely a book I recommend to fans of adult horror and neo-noir, especially fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall
4.0
A novel about three sisters, two murders, and too many secrets to count.
Another intricately plotted adult mystery from Kate Alice Marshall! I was on the edge of my seat trying to unravel the secrets, never sure who to trust.
Also, Nathan is an ass. That is all.
Another intricately plotted adult mystery from Kate Alice Marshall! I was on the edge of my seat trying to unravel the secrets, never sure who to trust.
Also, Nathan is an ass. That is all.
Night's Edge by Liz Kerin
The narrative is instantly gripping and sinks its teeth into you on the first page. Kerin's writing is sharp and descriptive, lyrical without feeling heavy, and the book keeps a steady pace, keeping me glued to my chair to watch the horrors unfold.
I love when books are tightly written and every scene serves a purpose, and Night's Edge is intricately plotted. It comes to a natural conclusion while leaving you ready for more in its sequel (April 2024 cannot come fast enough!).
At its core, this book uses vampires as an allegory to explore codependency in families. There's so much that I could gush about Mia's relationship with Izzy, but I wanted to keep this review surface-level so you can experience it for yourself. One part that struck a cord with me is how Mia was forced to grow up too fast and now that she's an adult herself, her mother sees her as a child. How we perceive time and how that perception becomes distorted through trauma - I found my heart aching for both Mia and Izzy.
No good vampire tale is complete with an exploration of personal agency, control, and power - and Night's Edge is a damn good vampire story. There are many intersectionalities, which introduces a lot of nuance into an analysis. Nothing is black and white, and no person is truly good or evil - almost every character in some way has their agency taken from them.
I especially enjoyed how Kerin took the vampire mythos and made a story wholly her own. The pandemic adjacent worldbuilding paints a scene that feels all too real: our modern world overrun by a virus, only this virus is responsible for turning people into vampires. I hope that there will be more focus on the Saras in the sequel, because I feel like there's so much here to explore - especially with the ending!
Night's Edge deals with codependent familial relationships and may be a difficult for some so please read the content warnings to ensure that you're in the right headspace before picking it up.
Overall, Night's Edge is a powerful and raw exploration of codependency through the lens of vampires that will stay with you long after reading. It's action-packed in a cinematic way that I was able to clearly picture the book's events in my mind. It's uncomfortable to read at times but beautiful all the same.
Content Warnings: Blood & gore depiction, Child abuse, Gun violence
ARC provided by the publisher for consideration. This does not affect my opinion or the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and are subject to change upon final publication.
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challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I read this book a month ago and am still thinking about it. Night's Edge is powerfully evocative, lyrically written, and gritty with a story that you won't be able to put down.
I adored Kerin's debut novel The Phantom Forest so I was thrilled to receive an ARC to read it early for review. Thanks to the worst reading slump of my life, it took me much longer to pick this book up than intended but when I finally did Night's Edge consumed me and I devoured this book in a weekend. Normally I annotate while reading for review, but the four comments I have are basically me screaming at plot points. It's been so long since I've had this experience reading!
I adored Kerin's debut novel The Phantom Forest so I was thrilled to receive an ARC to read it early for review. Thanks to the worst reading slump of my life, it took me much longer to pick this book up than intended but when I finally did Night's Edge consumed me and I devoured this book in a weekend. Normally I annotate while reading for review, but the four comments I have are basically me screaming at plot points. It's been so long since I've had this experience reading!
"The night is starless. Clouds suffocate the moon."
The narrative is instantly gripping and sinks its teeth into you on the first page. Kerin's writing is sharp and descriptive, lyrical without feeling heavy, and the book keeps a steady pace, keeping me glued to my chair to watch the horrors unfold.
I love when books are tightly written and every scene serves a purpose, and Night's Edge is intricately plotted. It comes to a natural conclusion while leaving you ready for more in its sequel (April 2024 cannot come fast enough!).
"Sometimes it feels like she's moving backward through time. But maybe that's just me. Moving forward."
At its core, this book uses vampires as an allegory to explore codependency in families. There's so much that I could gush about Mia's relationship with Izzy, but I wanted to keep this review surface-level so you can experience it for yourself. One part that struck a cord with me is how Mia was forced to grow up too fast and now that she's an adult herself, her mother sees her as a child. How we perceive time and how that perception becomes distorted through trauma - I found my heart aching for both Mia and Izzy.
"I wonder what that's like, to know someone can't fight back. To take their silence as concession."
No good vampire tale is complete with an exploration of personal agency, control, and power - and Night's Edge is a damn good vampire story. There are many intersectionalities, which introduces a lot of nuance into an analysis. Nothing is black and white, and no person is truly good or evil - almost every character in some way has their agency taken from them.
I especially enjoyed how Kerin took the vampire mythos and made a story wholly her own. The pandemic adjacent worldbuilding paints a scene that feels all too real: our modern world overrun by a virus, only this virus is responsible for turning people into vampires. I hope that there will be more focus on the Saras in the sequel, because I feel like there's so much here to explore - especially with the ending!
"We need to believe that everyone we give our love to is a good person. But if they change... and if that change hurts us... what then? Are they still good, deep down? Because 'they weren't always like this'?"
Night's Edge deals with codependent familial relationships and may be a difficult for some so please read the content warnings to ensure that you're in the right headspace before picking it up.
Overall, Night's Edge is a powerful and raw exploration of codependency through the lens of vampires that will stay with you long after reading. It's action-packed in a cinematic way that I was able to clearly picture the book's events in my mind. It's uncomfortable to read at times but beautiful all the same.
Content Warnings: Blood & gore depiction, Child abuse, Gun violence
ARC provided by the publisher for consideration. This does not affect my opinion or the contents of my review. Quotations are from an unfinished proof and are subject to change upon final publication.
Blog • Twitter • Instagram • Pinterest • Ko-fi • Patreon
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, and Blood
Last Tango in Cyberspace by Steven Kotler
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
This was an almost immediate DNF for me. I’ve tried multiple times over the last few years to get into it and this writing style just doesn’t work for me.
Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
DNF @ 8%
I really wanted to love this Tempest retelling, but I just couldn’t get into the narrative. I found myself skimming early in through descriptions of every thought running through the character’s head and realized I didn’t care enough about the plot to continue.
I really wanted to love this Tempest retelling, but I just couldn’t get into the narrative. I found myself skimming early in through descriptions of every thought running through the character’s head and realized I didn’t care enough about the plot to continue.