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librovermo's reviews
227 reviews
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
5.0
I’ve read plenty of books about hauntings, and some of them involved children, but to actually read one from the child’s point of view is absolutely next level. Adults being haunted can make their own decisions but 8-year-old Bela was not only at the mercy of the haunting, she was at the mercy of her parents and whatever decisions they made. As a child, she’s completely powerless. Remembering and sitting with that feeling while reading made Incidents Around the House so much scarier for me.
Of all the books I’ve read that were written from the perspective of a child (but meant for an older audience) a couple have worked, but most haven’t. This one is definitely the most well done of them all.
Malerman does an amazing job of making the reader truly feel like they’re being told a story by a little girl. The writing is a little disjointed, but not distractingly so. When she uses a word a typical 8 year old may not know, Bela explains that Mommy or Daddo taught it to her. When we need more adult information, it’s told through a memory Bela has, or a conversation some adults have in front of her. Bela never knows more than she should or feels way too smart for her age, but her narration does still serve as a great reminder that kids can pick up on things and are smarter than most people give them credit for.
I think Incidents Around the House is the best of the horror I’ve read this year. It’s super unique and certainly among my favorites!
Of all the books I’ve read that were written from the perspective of a child (but meant for an older audience) a couple have worked, but most haven’t. This one is definitely the most well done of them all.
Malerman does an amazing job of making the reader truly feel like they’re being told a story by a little girl. The writing is a little disjointed, but not distractingly so. When she uses a word a typical 8 year old may not know, Bela explains that Mommy or Daddo taught it to her. When we need more adult information, it’s told through a memory Bela has, or a conversation some adults have in front of her. Bela never knows more than she should or feels way too smart for her age, but her narration does still serve as a great reminder that kids can pick up on things and are smarter than most people give them credit for.
I think Incidents Around the House is the best of the horror I’ve read this year. It’s super unique and certainly among my favorites!
Markless by C.G. Malburi
I don’t read a lot of fantasy with major romance plots (Romantasy? Is this romantasy?) but I do love the enemies to lovers trope and when it’s sapphic? Yes please! I also really like what Malburi did with the soulmates trope in Markless. I admit I haven’t read a whole lot of romance with the soulmates trope, so I’m not sure if what was done here is common or not, but I thought it was nice that it explored the idea that choosing your own soulmate is always a possibility.
The main character, Ruti, was so well-written. Not only did I love her, but I could easily feel whatever emotion she was feeling. If she was confused, so was I. Whether she was upbeat or distressed, I was too. The evolution of her relationship with Princess Dekala felt very natural, which I appreciated. Speaking of Dekala, she was… an enigma, but an intriguing one. My favorite thing about her was that she was so hard to pin down. Sometimes it was frustrating, but hey, I was only frustrated when Ruti was frustrated, so it was perfect!
I did feel that the magic system was a little confusing. As soon as I thought I had a decent understanding of it, something new was introduced that threw me for a loop. I don’t think I ever quite understood the limits of the world’s magic.
My only other issue was that towards the end of the book, there was a part that felt to me like the oft frowned upon “and then I woke up” moment used in some media. It wasn’t that, but it gave me a similar feeling, and I was disappointed. But the ending itself was great. It made up for some of that disappointment and left me feeling happy with the book overall.
adventurous
medium-paced
3.5
I’d like to thank both NetGalley and Levine Querido, from whom I received an ARC of Markless. These opinions are my own.
I don’t read a lot of young adult books (they can be a little hit or miss for me), but sometimes I read a blurb and I don’t care if I’m the target audience or not – I’m definitely reading that book. I felt that way with Markless and I’m glad I gave it a chance because I enjoyed it quite a bit!
I don’t read a lot of young adult books (they can be a little hit or miss for me), but sometimes I read a blurb and I don’t care if I’m the target audience or not – I’m definitely reading that book. I felt that way with Markless and I’m glad I gave it a chance because I enjoyed it quite a bit!
I don’t read a lot of fantasy with major romance plots (Romantasy? Is this romantasy?) but I do love the enemies to lovers trope and when it’s sapphic? Yes please! I also really like what Malburi did with the soulmates trope in Markless. I admit I haven’t read a whole lot of romance with the soulmates trope, so I’m not sure if what was done here is common or not, but I thought it was nice that it explored the idea that choosing your own soulmate is always a possibility.
The main character, Ruti, was so well-written. Not only did I love her, but I could easily feel whatever emotion she was feeling. If she was confused, so was I. Whether she was upbeat or distressed, I was too. The evolution of her relationship with Princess Dekala felt very natural, which I appreciated. Speaking of Dekala, she was… an enigma, but an intriguing one. My favorite thing about her was that she was so hard to pin down. Sometimes it was frustrating, but hey, I was only frustrated when Ruti was frustrated, so it was perfect!
I did feel that the magic system was a little confusing. As soon as I thought I had a decent understanding of it, something new was introduced that threw me for a loop. I don’t think I ever quite understood the limits of the world’s magic.
My only other issue was that towards the end of the book, there was a part that felt to me like the oft frowned upon “and then I woke up” moment used in some media. It wasn’t that, but it gave me a similar feeling, and I was disappointed. But the ending itself was great. It made up for some of that disappointment and left me feeling happy with the book overall.
When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips
3.5
In When We Were Silent, Fiona McPhillips does a great job of writing about highly sensitive subject matter in a way that both broke my heart and made me angry at the injustices of the world.
The book is broken into… I think it was 5 parts, alternating between Lou’s present and her past. The parts were each a good length, so jumping back and forth wasn’t an issue, but I didn’t quite find Lou’s present life as interesting as her past life. This makes sense up to a point, because the more ‘thrilling’ parts of the story take place in her past, but even in terms of her relationships and general goings-on, I was only fully invested in Lou of the 80s, not the now.
I found teenaged Lou’s friendship with Shauna fascinating and surprising. Shauna herself is very interesting and I spent a lot of time thinking about her while reading.
I’m not 100% sure why, but I didn’t really feel like I was reading a thriller as I read this one. It was definitely high-stakes, but maybe just not as mysterious as most thrillers I read. I like the direction the story took in the middle, but I wasn’t thrilled with the inclusion of a bit of random trouble at the end or the ending itself.
Overall a solid, well-written story of an underdog fighting injustice to get revenge.
The book is broken into… I think it was 5 parts, alternating between Lou’s present and her past. The parts were each a good length, so jumping back and forth wasn’t an issue, but I didn’t quite find Lou’s present life as interesting as her past life. This makes sense up to a point, because the more ‘thrilling’ parts of the story take place in her past, but even in terms of her relationships and general goings-on, I was only fully invested in Lou of the 80s, not the now.
I found teenaged Lou’s friendship with Shauna fascinating and surprising. Shauna herself is very interesting and I spent a lot of time thinking about her while reading.
I’m not 100% sure why, but I didn’t really feel like I was reading a thriller as I read this one. It was definitely high-stakes, but maybe just not as mysterious as most thrillers I read. I like the direction the story took in the middle, but I wasn’t thrilled with the inclusion of a bit of random trouble at the end or the ending itself.
Overall a solid, well-written story of an underdog fighting injustice to get revenge.
Queen B: The Story of Anne Boleyn, Witch Queen by Juno Dawson
2.25
I’d like to thank both Netgalley and Penguin Books, from whom I received an ARC of this book.
An important thing to know about Queen B is that while it’s technically a prequel to Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series, it stands on its own completely and doesn’t reference HMRC in any way. So even if you aren’t sure about the series but a witchy Anne Boleyn sounds interesting, there could be something for you here.
I recently read the two released books in the HMRC trilogy and while I enjoyed the plot, I admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing, as there were far too many pop culture references in weird places that broke immersion. While I liked that the story of Queen B takes place in the 1500s, so there are no pop culture references to take me out of it, I feel a bit lukewarm on the plot.
Anne Boleyn as a character in historical fiction has always fascinated me. I was a little disappointed that in a book subtitled “the Story of Anne Boleyn, Witch Queen,” we don’t actually get that much Anne Boleyn. Instead, she feels more like a background character in a story about Grace Fairfax. I thought Grace and Anne had an interesting relationship, but I was left wanting, and I found myself feeling that way about several parts of the story. There were fewer details about the things I wanted to know about than the things I felt were less important.
I was still interested in the rest of the coven, but they all felt pretty flat. Even as the central character, Grace sort of blended in with everyone else and I didn’t feel any more connected to her than the rest of the women. Cecelia and Jane could have switched places at any time and I wouldn’t have noticed. Temperance was… there. I feel like I’m being harsh but it’s such a stark difference from the depth of HMRC characters like Theo, Niamh, Elle, Leonie, et al., that it’s hard to reconcile. I did admire Grace’s transformation from when she first arrived at court, ashamed of her powers, to a powerful witch who embraces who she is. I also liked the ending, which provided a neat little twist and a bit of a nod to the first book in the series.
While this one may have been a bit of a miss for me personally, I think readers who really love the series may feel that it enhances their HMRC experience overall even if there’s not a whole lot of depth here.
An important thing to know about Queen B is that while it’s technically a prequel to Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series, it stands on its own completely and doesn’t reference HMRC in any way. So even if you aren’t sure about the series but a witchy Anne Boleyn sounds interesting, there could be something for you here.
I recently read the two released books in the HMRC trilogy and while I enjoyed the plot, I admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing, as there were far too many pop culture references in weird places that broke immersion. While I liked that the story of Queen B takes place in the 1500s, so there are no pop culture references to take me out of it, I feel a bit lukewarm on the plot.
Anne Boleyn as a character in historical fiction has always fascinated me. I was a little disappointed that in a book subtitled “the Story of Anne Boleyn, Witch Queen,” we don’t actually get that much Anne Boleyn. Instead, she feels more like a background character in a story about Grace Fairfax. I thought Grace and Anne had an interesting relationship, but I was left wanting, and I found myself feeling that way about several parts of the story. There were fewer details about the things I wanted to know about than the things I felt were less important.
I was still interested in the rest of the coven, but they all felt pretty flat. Even as the central character, Grace sort of blended in with everyone else and I didn’t feel any more connected to her than the rest of the women. Cecelia and Jane could have switched places at any time and I wouldn’t have noticed. Temperance was… there. I feel like I’m being harsh but it’s such a stark difference from the depth of HMRC characters like Theo, Niamh, Elle, Leonie, et al., that it’s hard to reconcile. I did admire Grace’s transformation from when she first arrived at court, ashamed of her powers, to a powerful witch who embraces who she is. I also liked the ending, which provided a neat little twist and a bit of a nod to the first book in the series.
While this one may have been a bit of a miss for me personally, I think readers who really love the series may feel that it enhances their HMRC experience overall even if there’s not a whole lot of depth here.
Night's Edge by Liz Kerin
dark
emotional
5.0
I like to explore all the different versions of the vampire trope and Liz Kerin gave us a really cool one in Night’s Edge. Mia’s mom Izzy isn’t exactly a vampire though, she’s a sara. Exploring the similarities and differences between saras and vampires and learning about Saratov Syndrome was really cool, but I didn’t expect all the heartbreak that came with everything else.
Izzy became a sara when Mia was just 10 years old, which left Mia beyond traumatized, but she had no time to deal with it as she was immediately thrust into adulthood long before her time. My heart absolutely ached for Mia, and for my own younger self, as I deeply related to her severe parentification. I felt so much anger on Mia’s behalf every time she had to make a sacrifice, keep another secret, hold herself back, pretend everything was okay. Man… yeah… this book gave me a lot of feelings and they were definitely not about the things I was expecting 😅 I can’t wait to dive into the sequel and feel the feelings that one gives me.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by actor Chase Sui Wonders. I didn’t know it was Wonders until after I finished the book but I thought it was pretty cool. I really liked her in HBO’s Genera+ion. She did an excellent job, the narration was full of emotion. I’d recommend the audio over other formats for sure.
Izzy became a sara when Mia was just 10 years old, which left Mia beyond traumatized, but she had no time to deal with it as she was immediately thrust into adulthood long before her time. My heart absolutely ached for Mia, and for my own younger self, as I deeply related to her severe parentification. I felt so much anger on Mia’s behalf every time she had to make a sacrifice, keep another secret, hold herself back, pretend everything was okay. Man… yeah… this book gave me a lot of feelings and they were definitely not about the things I was expecting 😅 I can’t wait to dive into the sequel and feel the feelings that one gives me.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by actor Chase Sui Wonders. I didn’t know it was Wonders until after I finished the book but I thought it was pretty cool. I really liked her in HBO’s Genera+ion. She did an excellent job, the narration was full of emotion. I’d recommend the audio over other formats for sure.
I'll Miss Myself by John Wiswell
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of multiverses and the infinite ways things could have been different depending upon not only my choices but the choices of others and the various circumstances of my life. I’ll Miss Myself explores that idea in a fresh and incredibly interesting way that had me absolutely hooked from the first paragraph.
While there were some bits that made me laugh, this story is a serious one. Shaw’s struggle with depression and the way he hid it from himself (and his selves) was really relatable. I must have highlighted the majority of this short story for how much I resonated with it. A lot of it really spoke to me and it was an excellent reminder that I’m never alone, even if I only have myself.
I can’t say I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed this one after reading Someone You Can Build A Nest In (it’s one of my absolute favorite books), but now that I’ve read more by John Wiswell, I can say he’s on my list of favorite authors.
While there were some bits that made me laugh, this story is a serious one. Shaw’s struggle with depression and the way he hid it from himself (and his selves) was really relatable. I must have highlighted the majority of this short story for how much I resonated with it. A lot of it really spoke to me and it was an excellent reminder that I’m never alone, even if I only have myself.
I can’t say I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed this one after reading Someone You Can Build A Nest In (it’s one of my absolute favorite books), but now that I’ve read more by John Wiswell, I can say he’s on my list of favorite authors.
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Honeycomb: Seven Days. Six Strangers. One Experimental Drug. by S.B. Caves
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
I’d like to thank both Netgalley and Datura Books, from whom I received an ARC of this book.
I’ve been on a bit of a fantasy kick lately, but when I saw the blurb for Honeycomb, I knew I had to read it ASAP. It was such a fun, fast-paced thriller, one one disturbing enough be horror too, or at least border on it.
I spent the first half of my time with it doing some detective work, trying to figure out if the six drug trial participants had been lied to by the doctor running experiment, if the drug was working as intended, wondering how far the doctor would truly let things go, hoping Amanda could find someone to trust, you know, normal stuff. But the second half of my time with the book was basically just me thinking “oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!”
I appreciated that while the story centered on Amanda and her experience, we were also given glimpses into both the points of view and pasts of the other five participants of the drug trial. I liked that Claude, Arthur, Wish, Sherry, and Justin were all deeper than just nobody side-characters put there to give Amanda a hard time. I also found it really interesting how each of them responded to the drug trial in their own way. I thought their behavior would more or less be identical and I’m convinced the differences made the whole book even better.
It must be said, though I can’t explain: Honeycomb is the perfect name for the drug (and this book). Once you read it, you’ll know why!
I’ve been on a bit of a fantasy kick lately, but when I saw the blurb for Honeycomb, I knew I had to read it ASAP. It was such a fun, fast-paced thriller, one one disturbing enough be horror too, or at least border on it.
I spent the first half of my time with it doing some detective work, trying to figure out if the six drug trial participants had been lied to by the doctor running experiment, if the drug was working as intended, wondering how far the doctor would truly let things go, hoping Amanda could find someone to trust, you know, normal stuff. But the second half of my time with the book was basically just me thinking “oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!”
I appreciated that while the story centered on Amanda and her experience, we were also given glimpses into both the points of view and pasts of the other five participants of the drug trial. I liked that Claude, Arthur, Wish, Sherry, and Justin were all deeper than just nobody side-characters put there to give Amanda a hard time. I also found it really interesting how each of them responded to the drug trial in their own way. I thought their behavior would more or less be identical and I’m convinced the differences made the whole book even better.
It must be said, though I can’t explain: Honeycomb is the perfect name for the drug (and this book). Once you read it, you’ll know why!
The West Passage by Jared Pechaček
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I had no idea when I requested an ALC of The West Passage from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio that I’d found The One, but I have. I’ve found my favorite book of all time.
In The West Passage, we follow Kew and Pell on their individual journeys as they do what they feel is necessary to save their home from a terrible beast. But the story isn’t just about Kew and Pell, it’s about the massive sprawling palace grounds in which they live and travel through, a world with deep lore and rich history, some of which is too long-forgotten by its inhabitants. While on their journeys through this dangerous world, Kew and Pell meet plenty of interesting and quirky characters, and though the book is pretty dark, it reminded me a lot of both Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth. I got whimsical vibes and felt sort of nostalgic for those stories when listening to this one.
I was constantly impressed by Jared Pechaček’s immersive world building, beautifully descriptive writing, and immense creativity. His writing made me feel like he has actually been there and is simply describing everything for us, like he’s a historian of the palace. As if it didn’t come from his mind and it exists somewhere and he’s just telling us about it. Pechaček has written a textbook, and I listened to the audio but now I want a copy to highlight, make flashcards to study, memorize and learn the entirely too interesting history of this world as if it’s a real place.
I took my time listening to The West Passage on audiobook over the last week because there has never been a book I’ve wanted to savor more fully than this one. When I listen to audiobook, I always do other things, but I just sat and listened this time. I had to and wanted to focus on The West Passage because I felt like I was participating in this book, this event, and I didn’t want to participate in anything else. Though I did start out feeling as if the physical or ebook version might be a better choice, Steve West’s narration made me feel like I was a child being read a bit of a grand fantasy before bed, and I loved it. There are many, many characters in this story and West was able to change his voice wonderfully for each one. I especially liked the voices he did in a scene where there were 8 different frogs. If I can tell 8 frogs apart, that’s a damn good narrator.
If you cannot tell, I am absolutely obsessed with this book. It’s my Holy Grail. It’s my precious. Want to be sucked into a world that feels as though it will continue to live and breathe even after you turn the last page? This is the one.
In The West Passage, we follow Kew and Pell on their individual journeys as they do what they feel is necessary to save their home from a terrible beast. But the story isn’t just about Kew and Pell, it’s about the massive sprawling palace grounds in which they live and travel through, a world with deep lore and rich history, some of which is too long-forgotten by its inhabitants. While on their journeys through this dangerous world, Kew and Pell meet plenty of interesting and quirky characters, and though the book is pretty dark, it reminded me a lot of both Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth. I got whimsical vibes and felt sort of nostalgic for those stories when listening to this one.
I was constantly impressed by Jared Pechaček’s immersive world building, beautifully descriptive writing, and immense creativity. His writing made me feel like he has actually been there and is simply describing everything for us, like he’s a historian of the palace. As if it didn’t come from his mind and it exists somewhere and he’s just telling us about it. Pechaček has written a textbook, and I listened to the audio but now I want a copy to highlight, make flashcards to study, memorize and learn the entirely too interesting history of this world as if it’s a real place.
I took my time listening to The West Passage on audiobook over the last week because there has never been a book I’ve wanted to savor more fully than this one. When I listen to audiobook, I always do other things, but I just sat and listened this time. I had to and wanted to focus on The West Passage because I felt like I was participating in this book, this event, and I didn’t want to participate in anything else. Though I did start out feeling as if the physical or ebook version might be a better choice, Steve West’s narration made me feel like I was a child being read a bit of a grand fantasy before bed, and I loved it. There are many, many characters in this story and West was able to change his voice wonderfully for each one. I especially liked the voices he did in a scene where there were 8 different frogs. If I can tell 8 frogs apart, that’s a damn good narrator.
If you cannot tell, I am absolutely obsessed with this book. It’s my Holy Grail. It’s my precious. Want to be sucked into a world that feels as though it will continue to live and breathe even after you turn the last page? This is the one.