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pulp_fiction_books's reviews
491 reviews
Make Your Own Slasher by Alexandre Sanchez
5.0
Firstly can we acknowledge this amazing pack I got for supporting the authors of this book through kickstarter to get this project off the ground (It came with the book, a map of the campus, a bloody knife bookmark, 12 horror icon coasters, 8 badges, gamesheets and a bloody dice).
I can say I am very happy they were successful as this is an extremely welI put together game book. There are a lot of mechanics at play in here and the book flows seamlessly. This was so much fun and very difficult (that's a good thing). There is an array of scenarios you can find yourself in along with a whole host of weapons, there is also a fantastic component where, there are twenty objects to find throughout the college campus and if you're able to do so you unlock the ability to play as the murderer. I also really enjoyed all the horror movie references throughout, especially the Scream ones (Prescott University and Loomis Lake to name two).
I can say I am very happy they were successful as this is an extremely welI put together game book. There are a lot of mechanics at play in here and the book flows seamlessly. This was so much fun and very difficult (that's a good thing). There is an array of scenarios you can find yourself in along with a whole host of weapons, there is also a fantastic component where, there are twenty objects to find throughout the college campus and if you're able to do so you unlock the ability to play as the murderer. I also really enjoyed all the horror movie references throughout, especially the Scream ones (Prescott University and Loomis Lake to name two).
Eye of the Fortuneteller by R.L. Stine, A.G. Cascone
fast-paced
3.5
I'm a sucker for anything fortuneteller/carnival themed so I was always going to have a good time with this. We get thrust straight into the action and to be fair it keeps going throughout. One niggle I had was all our protagonists fears/encounters were all animal/insect based and they felt a bit samesy but I will say it does lead to a great scene later on. I did also feel that Madame Valda was defeated a bit easily but all in all this was a fun read and one of the better entries in the series.
Let's Split Up by Bill Wood
2.0
This was an acceptable YA slasher novel but I think that's where it's problems lie, The writing was very basic and the story was played very safe. It doesn't do anything that every bog standard slasher movie or novel hasn't done ad nausum. There's one point slightly past midway where I thought the author had done something bold and striking but unfortunately he backed out and failed to commit. We follow three different pov's throughout and I just didn't warm to any of them, they all felt one dimensional and underdeveloped, so much so that I kept having to flip back to the start of chapters to remember who's perspective I was following. 'Let's Split Up' is an apt title as I won't be continuing this series when book two releases later this year.
The Traitors by Alan Connor
3.0
If you're a fan of 'The Traitors' you'll definitely get a kick out of this, it's very faithful (pardon the pun) to the show. And while it's fun to be thrust into the action, it definitely has a couple of major flaws. Firstly, there are twenty one characters whose names, occupation and age we are given and that is as close as you'll ever get to a relationship with any of them. It's impossible to remember who you've had conversations with and you just never feel any bond or real suspicion regarding anyone as they're very cardboard cutout like. The second issue is you're never going to participate in any of the challenges as they require a whole host of players (however I think they could be fun if you pulled the book out during a party etc and ignored the story and played some). It's not a big deal to the overall experience though as the book is 312 pages so there is more than enough meat when it comes to the actual story, decision making and psychological side of things. If you're a Traitors superfan (as I am) I'd say pick this up as for anyone else I don't see much here for you.
Stinetinglers 3 by R.L. Stine
2.5
This was unfortunately the weakest book in the 'Stinetinglers' run so far. There's one story that I really enjoyed and just so happens to be the inspiration for the amazing cover art but even that was a rehash of stuff Stine has done before along with everything else in here. Also apart from that story there are zero scares or spookiness throughout. It's entry after entry of bland sci-fi, fantasy, magic acts, superheroess and the like. The writing also smacks of laziness, the same characteristics come up all the time. One example I'll give is we have two mothers (in back to back stories) who are both allergic to pets and this isn't the only time Stine copy and pastes ideas into running stories.
The New Year's Party by R.L. Stine
2.5
This was a strange one. It read very much like a Christopher Pike novel rather than a 'Fear Street'. There's an okay narrative here but it's bogged down by endless pranks, fake-outs and a very weak supernatural angle. Also the titular New Year's Party only comes into play in the last few pages. This wasn't terrible but definitely could have been so much more.
The Last Motherfucking Christmas by Christopher Robertson
4.0
I was honoured as always to receive an arc of this from the always generous Christopher Robertson. I'd describe it as 'It's a wonderful life' meets Crank (yeah, that Statham movie). This is a high octane, off the wall, festive action romp, told in the way it seems only @kit_romero is capable of. with witty narration, blockbuster scenes, a touch of debauchery and a host of awesome characters, including a Dolph Lundgren looking Santa Clause. There are reveals towards the end (one you'll have to read to believe) and there's one I particularly liked because of some very nice foreshadowing. This was a riot!
A Very Scary Christmas by John Ward
2.0
This is your typical run of the mill haunted doll story. We have a 182 page story and we spend the first 150 pages retreading over the usual tropes of a prank or incident occurs and our protagonist swears it was the elves and not them (rinse and repeat). There are long periods throughout where nothing of note happens and it's rather boring, even when we get to the meat of the story it's basically one scene that even in and of itself is rather tame and lackluster. This book wasn't terrible but it definitely wasn't a fun or scary Christmas tale.
The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict
3.25
This is the second festive murder mystery that I've read by Alexandra Benedict and I loved the first (Murder On The Christmas Express). I also enjoyed this one but never particularly found myself warming to the characters. There's a solid mystery here and the angle of the killer leaving clues in the form of jigsaw pieces was definitely intriguing. However my biggest issue was the reveals. Our killers identity felt rather lackluster and their motivation felt very out of left field and not fitting with the rest of the story. One thing that's always very fun about Alexandra Benedict's books and always a most welcome addition are the shall we say 'extras' that are added to them.