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kjonker's reviews
68 reviews
Nightfall: Nightmareland Volume One by Daniel Barnett
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I drank this book up!!
Needless to say I cannot wait to read Lullaby, the next in this series.
You're pretty much dropped right in the middle of the story here; right at the moment of chaos and wondering "what in the world is happening"? We don't get any character build up or backstory. We're just thrown right into the mix of things with these complicated and complex characters. Slowly - OH, SO SLOWLY, more about these characters gets revealed, but after reading book 1, Nightfall, I'm still left with so many questions!
Let me say that the writing is vividly beautiful. I was quickly drawn into this story by how the author paints a picture with words. Sometimes I had to reread a sentence or paragraph just because I loved the prose and the perspective the author used.
The main character, John Hawthorne is complicated and tortured and mysterious. He's very stoic and rarely gives us a glimpse inside to really know who he is. Is he our hero? Well, I guess I'll have to read on to find out.
Needless to say I cannot wait to read Lullaby, the next in this series.
You're pretty much dropped right in the middle of the story here; right at the moment of chaos and wondering "what in the world is happening"? We don't get any character build up or backstory. We're just thrown right into the mix of things with these complicated and complex characters. Slowly - OH, SO SLOWLY, more about these characters gets revealed, but after reading book 1, Nightfall, I'm still left with so many questions!
Let me say that the writing is vividly beautiful. I was quickly drawn into this story by how the author paints a picture with words. Sometimes I had to reread a sentence or paragraph just because I loved the prose and the perspective the author used.
The main character, John Hawthorne is complicated and tortured and mysterious. He's very stoic and rarely gives us a glimpse inside to really know who he is. Is he our hero? Well, I guess I'll have to read on to find out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Sexual violence, and Suicide
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I had to sit with this one for a moment.
There is so much more here than meets the eye.
The Little Mermaid, retold? Maybe?
This story follows a mermaid who has been captured and held in captivity by a prince. He is trying desperately to domesticate and "humanize" her. She becomes pregnant and also befriends a plague doctor in the process I'm still not sure about the author's decision to make this character a "plague doctor". I want to think it's symbolic. There is the "plague" of greed and false "religion" and exploitation of the young all through this story. But then I wonder if I'm drawing conclusions not meant by the author. I have no idea.
After the birth of her daughters they eviscerate and devour their father and his kingdom, like, literally./>spoiler>
This is where the story begins; the mermaid is now free from captivity and begins a journey with the plague doctor. Along the way they encounter a cult of children who worship three creepy saints who routinely cannibalize and "rebuild" the children over and over again in a Frankenstein's monster sort of way. The children blindly except this because of the brainwashing of the saints. They are told this is the path to immortality and enlightenment.
There are so many places my mind goes here. So many parallels I draw with "real life". Still unsure if this is even the intention of the author *shrugs*
The ending, through all the gore (there is a lot of gore) is actually very beautiful. There is the strength and tenacity of love. Hope. And forever.
Overall, this was a very strange read. Several times I thought, "Ok. No. This is just weird". The prose, although beautiful and poetic it was somewhat convoluted. I attempted to add it to a DNF stack, but there was something about the story that compelled me to finish. Would I recommend this book? I have no idea.
Read it. Don't read it.
I will say that I'm glad I finished it. It will be a story I think about for a long time.
There is so much more here than meets the eye.
The Little Mermaid, retold? Maybe?
This story follows a mermaid who has been captured and held in captivity by a prince. He is trying desperately to domesticate and "humanize" her. She becomes pregnant and also befriends a plague doctor in the process I'm still not sure about the author's decision to make this character a "plague doctor". I want to think it's symbolic. There is the "plague" of greed and false "religion" and exploitation of the young all through this story. But then I wonder if I'm drawing conclusions not meant by the author. I have no idea.
This is where the story begins; the mermaid is now free from captivity and begins a journey with the plague doctor. Along the way they encounter a cult of children who worship three creepy saints who routinely cannibalize and "rebuild" the children over and over again in a Frankenstein's monster sort of way. The children blindly except this because of the brainwashing of the saints. They are told this is the path to immortality and enlightenment.
There are so many places my mind goes here. So many parallels I draw with "real life". Still unsure if this is even the intention of the author *shrugs*
The ending, through all the gore (there is a lot of gore) is actually very beautiful. There is the strength and tenacity of love. Hope. And forever.
Overall, this was a very strange read. Several times I thought, "Ok. No. This is just weird". The prose, although beautiful and poetic it was somewhat convoluted. I attempted to add it to a DNF stack, but there was something about the story that compelled me to finish. Would I recommend this book? I have no idea.
Read it. Don't read it.
I will say that I'm glad I finished it. It will be a story I think about for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
Joyland by Stephen King
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Oh my goodness!
Can anyone spin a story like the King? At this moment, after reading Joyland I'd say, "No"! He's the master.
Needless to say, I loved this story. It had absolutely EVERYTHING I love in a good tale; murder, mystery, whodunit, finding love, losing love, discovering yourself, paranormal hauntings, carnies... What's a good story without Carnies, I ask you?
I enjoyed following Devin on his journey of self and in the process solving a decade long murder mystery.
Did I guess who the murderer was? Yes, but that didn't take anything away from the thrill of reading Joyland.
I was captivated from the get-go!
Can anyone spin a story like the King? At this moment, after reading Joyland I'd say, "No"! He's the master.
Needless to say, I loved this story. It had absolutely EVERYTHING I love in a good tale; murder, mystery, whodunit, finding love, losing love, discovering yourself, paranormal hauntings, carnies... What's a good story without Carnies, I ask you?
I enjoyed following Devin on his journey of self and in the process solving a decade long murder mystery.
Did I guess who the murderer was? Yes, but that didn't take anything away from the thrill of reading Joyland.
I was captivated from the get-go!
Stag by Lane Oliver
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.5
This story just really wasn't for me from the get-go.
With that said, it written and developed well and the story building is done creatively.
It was a quic read of just 118 pages.
The story is dark and sad with family dysfunction, death and an overall melancholy feel.
None of the characters are likeable.
Definitely creepy in some parts, thoug for sure.
Check the triggers.
With that said, it written and developed well and the story building is done creatively.
It was a quic read of just 118 pages.
The story is dark and sad with family dysfunction, death and an overall melancholy feel.
None of the characters are likeable.
Definitely creepy in some parts, thoug for sure.
Check the triggers.
Content Warnings
Infant murder, miscarriage
What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well, well, well...
This was a doozie of a thriller!
Slow burnage in the beginning building the story with Nina's (the daughter) and Maggie's (the mother) perceptives and perceptions of their reality.
This is a domestic thriller that is a dysfunctional and toxic as they come. Yikes!
As the story progresses, more of actual reality becomes apparent, but even then there are more twists and revelations... what a ride!
This was definitely an enjoyable read. Super slow in the beginning and the bouncing back and forth of POV is somewhat tiresome, but entirely necessary for the unfolding story.
Be warned of some triggers.
This was a doozie of a thriller!
Slow burnage in the beginning building the story with Nina's (the daughter) and Maggie's (the mother) perceptives and perceptions of their reality.
This is a domestic thriller that is a dysfunctional and toxic as they come. Yikes!
As the story progresses, more of actual reality becomes apparent, but even then there are more twists and revelations... what a ride!
This was definitely an enjoyable read. Super slow in the beginning and the bouncing back and forth of POV is somewhat tiresome, but entirely necessary for the unfolding story.
Be warned of some triggers.
Cannibal Peaks by Guy Quintero
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
3 by T. P. Theyson
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ok, I'm going to address the elephant in the room. The type and spacing in this book is offputting. I opened the cover and just stared at the line and paragraph spacing and just blinked. I would have closed this book and never opened it again based upon that alone if I were not reading this for book club (yes, I know that sounds incredibly snobbish. I promise I'm not! 🙈). I did ask the author about this and he said it was a formatting issue and with this being his first published work it just didn't get caught.
That said, I am so glad that I "had" to read this for book club because I enjoyed it immensely!
It has all of those gloriously uncomfortable elements in a Thriller that I love; questioning sanity, who dunnit, building suspense and best of all, twists!
This novella is definitely a page turner. I loved this story. The main character, Valerie is an author struggling to find inspiration for her 3rd book in a series of thrillers or "murder novels" (wink, wink, wink). She gets caught up in a murder investigation when her elderly neighbor is mysteriously murdered. As the investigation and the events unfold, Valerie begins to question her own sanity while still struggling to write. I couldn't help but like Valerie. There are some fun twists and turns I'll not go into because I don't want to give any spoilers. Go read this book!
That said, I am so glad that I "had" to read this for book club because I enjoyed it immensely!
It has all of those gloriously uncomfortable elements in a Thriller that I love; questioning sanity, who dunnit, building suspense and best of all, twists!
This novella is definitely a page turner. I loved this story. The main character, Valerie is an author struggling to find inspiration for her 3rd book in a series of thrillers or "murder novels" (wink, wink, wink). She gets caught up in a murder investigation when her elderly neighbor is mysteriously murdered. As the investigation and the events unfold, Valerie begins to question her own sanity while still struggling to write. I couldn't help but like Valerie. There are some fun twists and turns I'll not go into because I don't want to give any spoilers. Go read this book!
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Housemaid
By Freida Mcfadden
Review:
⭐⭐⭐/5
I read this one with the @thrillerbooksandcoffeebookclub
I was behind all month, but I did finish it within 2 days of the group "deadline" 😂 I love our little book club.
Did I love this one? No, but I will say it was much better than I anticipated it being.
All of the characters annoyed me. Every. Single. One. So, I didn't really get invested with any of them.
I will say it was a fun ride in some parts even if it was somewhat predictable.
I thought I had it all figured out in the first few chapters. And I sort of did, but it went in a slightly different direction than I initially thought.
I thought in the beginning, both the husband and wife were in cahoots together and were going to hold the "housemaid" prisoner and "breed" her. My story would have definitely went in a more horror-centric direction 😂
This isn't a spoiler because that is NOT what happened.
This felt like a classic LMN domestic thriller. Y'all remember LMN (Lifetime Movie Network)?
This isn't really my "cup of tea" or a book I would chose to rrad on my own, but I don't regret reading it. For the story itself I give it 3 stars because the last part had some major redeeming parts.
By Freida Mcfadden
Review:
⭐⭐⭐/5
I read this one with the @thrillerbooksandcoffeebookclub
I was behind all month, but I did finish it within 2 days of the group "deadline" 😂 I love our little book club.
Did I love this one? No, but I will say it was much better than I anticipated it being.
All of the characters annoyed me. Every. Single. One. So, I didn't really get invested with any of them.
I will say it was a fun ride in some parts even if it was somewhat predictable.
I thought I had it all figured out in the first few chapters. And I sort of did, but it went in a slightly different direction than I initially thought.
I thought in the beginning, both the husband and wife were in cahoots together and were going to hold the "housemaid" prisoner and "breed" her. My story would have definitely went in a more horror-centric direction 😂
This isn't a spoiler because that is NOT what happened.
This felt like a classic LMN domestic thriller. Y'all remember LMN (Lifetime Movie Network)?
This isn't really my "cup of tea" or a book I would chose to rrad on my own, but I don't regret reading it. For the story itself I give it 3 stars because the last part had some major redeeming parts.
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really enjoyed The Twisted Ones, which is also my very first T. Kingfisher read. I read this with a "book club" on Instagram. A lot happened in my life and I was not on my regular book reading routine. Because of this, I was way behind most of the group.
A lot of readers were saying that they didn't like the book and so I was less enthusiastic about really jumping in. Jokes on me, because I loved it.
I loved the main character, Melissa (aka "Mouse"). Her ability to crack jokes at and about herself was refreshing. I'm not a fan of taking oneself too seriously. She wasn't self deprecating per se, she was just very self aware and I appreciated every bit of it.
Supporting characters were incredibly written as well. I was just crazy about Foxy, Skip and Tomas (but especially Foxy) and Bongo?! Come on! I'm an over-the-top dog lover so you make a dog one of the main characters in a book and I'm here👏for👏it👏
This story gave me "Watcher in The Woods" vibes a bit - (1980 Disney horror/ fantasy that I watched on a 5th grade library movie day). It even felt a little Alice in Wonderland-y at times, but like maybe - "the darker side of the story" or maybe even "Wonderland, the untold, REAL story". I mean, accidentally slipping into an alternate dimension through a thicket tunnel in the woods? Yes! How could you NOT think "Wonderland"?!
The rocks? Ok, let's quickly discuss the rocks. They were the scariest part of the story for me! How can you be afraid of a rock? Well, I don't know, but I was!
I thought the effigies were creepy enough without going overboard on the freight. I even loved that so many questions were left unanswered about "the white people". It leaves that uneasy feeling about the unknown - like the best kind of scary folklore.
Kingfisher did a great job creating atmosphere which carried the creep vibe throughout the whole story.
...and I haven't even mentioned the room of creepy dolls...
This was an incredibly intriguing story. Read it!
A lot of readers were saying that they didn't like the book and so I was less enthusiastic about really jumping in. Jokes on me, because I loved it.
I loved the main character, Melissa (aka "Mouse"). Her ability to crack jokes at and about herself was refreshing. I'm not a fan of taking oneself too seriously. She wasn't self deprecating per se, she was just very self aware and I appreciated every bit of it.
Supporting characters were incredibly written as well. I was just crazy about Foxy, Skip and Tomas (but especially Foxy) and Bongo?! Come on! I'm an over-the-top dog lover so you make a dog one of the main characters in a book and I'm here👏for👏it👏
This story gave me "Watcher in The Woods" vibes a bit - (1980 Disney horror/ fantasy that I watched on a 5th grade library movie day). It even felt a little Alice in Wonderland-y at times, but like maybe - "the darker side of the story" or maybe even "Wonderland, the untold, REAL story". I mean, accidentally slipping into an alternate dimension through a thicket tunnel in the woods? Yes! How could you NOT think "Wonderland"?!
The rocks? Ok, let's quickly discuss the rocks. They were the scariest part of the story for me! How can you be afraid of a rock? Well, I don't know, but I was!
I thought the effigies were creepy enough without going overboard on the freight. I even loved that so many questions were left unanswered about "the white people". It leaves that uneasy feeling about the unknown - like the best kind of scary folklore.
Kingfisher did a great job creating atmosphere which carried the creep vibe throughout the whole story.
...and I haven't even mentioned the room of creepy dolls...
This was an incredibly intriguing story. Read it!
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"A puppet is a possession that possesses the possessor."
Grady Hendrix, you son of a gun, you did it again!
I've loved everything I've read of Hendrix's work. Everything he touches is gold and I think "How To Sell A Haunted House" is the best yet.
This story is so much more than a haunted/possessed puppet/house/family. This is a story of family grief and the generational ramifications of burying unresolved trauma.
In true Hendrix form, he tells this story with vivacious emotions and with vivid sensory detail. Mix all that with dynamic story telling and a bit of twisted humor and you have yourself this incredibly delicious novel.
I just finished it and I already want to read it again.
⚠️Warning: read with a box of tissues. I cried so many times throughout this book. It's real and raw and riveting.
Grady Hendrix, you son of a gun, you did it again!
I've loved everything I've read of Hendrix's work. Everything he touches is gold and I think "How To Sell A Haunted House" is the best yet.
This story is so much more than a haunted/possessed puppet/house/family. This is a story of family grief and the generational ramifications of burying unresolved trauma.
In true Hendrix form, he tells this story with vivacious emotions and with vivid sensory detail. Mix all that with dynamic story telling and a bit of twisted humor and you have yourself this incredibly delicious novel.
I just finished it and I already want to read it again.
⚠️Warning: read with a box of tissues. I cried so many times throughout this book. It's real and raw and riveting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child death, and Body horror