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276 reviews
I Know Who You Are: How An Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever by Barbara Rae-Venter
3.0
While the biographical and historical aspects of the books were really interesting--especially when it came to the author's experiences uniting adoptees and Jane/John Does with their identities--where it lost me was the final few chapters.
Probably would have given it a higher rating if not for the highly confusing and poorly formed argument that media shouldn't examine worries about privacy and the law (like there was this weird metaphor that a genetics site is like a grocery store--the public has access, so law enforcement should too. But, like, that's a false equivalence? While law enforcement can walk into the store like anyone else, they're *not* entitled to a citizen's purchase history or private information—just as they’re not entitled to a citizen’s genetic information submitted to a site with the understanding that it is for the use of building the uploader’s family trees).
Especially when paired with the oddly petulant tone taken when she discussed the fact that sites added privacy options that ensured their users data--which is being submitted for **private use**--was protected from police use, it just left a really bad taste in my mouth at the end of an otherwise pretty interesting memoir.
Probably would have given it a higher rating if not for the highly confusing and poorly formed argument that media shouldn't examine worries about privacy and the law (like there was this weird metaphor that a genetics site is like a grocery store--the public has access, so law enforcement should too. But, like, that's a false equivalence? While law enforcement can walk into the store like anyone else, they're *not* entitled to a citizen's purchase history or private information—just as they’re not entitled to a citizen’s genetic information submitted to a site with the understanding that it is for the use of building the uploader’s family trees).
Especially when paired with the oddly petulant tone taken when she discussed the fact that sites added privacy options that ensured their users data--which is being submitted for **private use**--was protected from police use, it just left a really bad taste in my mouth at the end of an otherwise pretty interesting memoir.
The Way Home: Two Novellas from the World of The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Oh how it breaks my heart to give this three stars after The Last Unicorn.
The first story, “Sooz,” is a solid four stars—it’s beautifully written, just like The Last Unicorn, and brings us both a satisfying (if sad) look at where the characters we fell in love with were now.
The second, “The Way Home,” is, in contrast, so meandering and charmless after the first few chapters that I wanted to DNF it several times—even up to the point where there was less than half an hour left. The ending was disappointing and horrible, and I sincerely hope I forget all about it.
The first story, “Sooz,” is a solid four stars—it’s beautifully written, just like The Last Unicorn, and brings us both a satisfying (if sad) look at where the characters we fell in love with were now.
The second, “The Way Home,” is, in contrast, so meandering and charmless after the first few chapters that I wanted to DNF it several times—even up to the point where there was less than half an hour left. The ending was disappointing and horrible, and I sincerely hope I forget all about it.
Cult of the Lamb Vol. 1: The First Verse by Alex Paknadel
4.0
I'm not the biggest fan of roguelikes, so despite Cult of the Lamb's style and story catching my eye, I just never got into it! Although a Cult of the Lamb fan might feel differently (though I hope they wouldn't), I really enjoyed this graphic novel as someone who probably won't ever play the game.
The art is gorgous, and it was a really nice, quick read--perfect for a commute to work. I'm really hoping they do a volume two and look forward to reading it!
The art is gorgous, and it was a really nice, quick read--perfect for a commute to work. I'm really hoping they do a volume two and look forward to reading it!
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Book read for work.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
crying wailing banging my fists on the ground and tearing my raiments from my sorrowing heart
I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
I need you not to waste your time reading this.
Not a single character would know common sense if it reared up and bit them in the ass. Alex has all the intellect of a dead goldfish, and for some reason the moment she stands out in public every man within 20 feet aggro on. (Seriously, she eats lunch at this fancy place to celebrate getting her job an some weirdo--completely unprompted, and this guy never comes up again--just walks up to her and starts hitting on her like it's a sleezy bar. And, despite it being an upscale place, where waiters sit you down, no one asks the weird guy loudly harassing the woman who walked in alone.) Her two diner friends—the only vaguely interesting characters in the book—are also flat (tragically retired cop and cool diner lady).
Not a single character would know common sense if it reared up and bit them in the ass. Alex has all the intellect of a dead goldfish, and for some reason the moment she stands out in public every man within 20 feet aggro on. (Seriously, she eats lunch at this fancy place to celebrate getting her job an some weirdo--completely unprompted, and this guy never comes up again--just walks up to her and starts hitting on her like it's a sleezy bar. And, despite it being an upscale place, where waiters sit you down, no one asks the weird guy loudly harassing the woman who walked in alone.) Her two diner friends—the only vaguely interesting characters in the book—are also flat (tragically retired cop and cool diner lady).
The prose is tasteless and basic. On occasion it slips from third to general 'you' second, which no one else probably cares about but it is a pet peeve of mine that drives me up the wall.
As for the plot, it is both contrived and boring. There are so many moments that had me rolling my eyes: the whole job-hiring process (god, she applies for an advice columnist job at 1 AM, drunk, and gets called back like immediately and hired five minutes into the interview... girl lol. And don't even get me started on her salary), the manic pixie dream boy she bumps into at the coffee shop, the nothingburger of the cool secret bar...
Oof, and the setting. It's New York in the 2020s but it really shouldn’t be. Everything about it would be WAY more believable if it was set in the 20th century, during the heyday of newspapers--where being an advice columnist would actually be, like, a valid job title and not a task crammed into the schedule of an already overworked writer.
The genre is thriller but the only thrill I felt was hitting that 100% read mark and finishing the book. Honestly, I only finished for two reasons: for the sake of my NetGalley review score (which, bless it, is a disaster) and because I was stuck without service on the subway and had nothing else to read.
Oof, and the setting. It's New York in the 2020s but it really shouldn’t be. Everything about it would be WAY more believable if it was set in the 20th century, during the heyday of newspapers--where being an advice columnist would actually be, like, a valid job title and not a task crammed into the schedule of an already overworked writer.
The genre is thriller but the only thrill I felt was hitting that 100% read mark and finishing the book. Honestly, I only finished for two reasons: for the sake of my NetGalley review score (which, bless it, is a disaster) and because I was stuck without service on the subway and had nothing else to read.
The only vaguely interesting sections are the Dear Constance letters, which the main character wrote as a young woman, and even those feel out of place. They’re not written like a person telling their story. They’re written like a novel or a short story, neither of which reads as believable in the context of being (supposedly) a letter.
Anyway. I'm off to apply to a job while drunk and get a next-day six salary offer to do nothing but read letters and write vague shitty advice. Byeeeee
Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin by Jaleigh Johnson
Read for work, will not be reviewing publicly.
We Kept Her in the Cellar by W.R. Gorman
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump recently. WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR ripped that slump to bloody little shreds.
Don’t let the cover fool you; this isn’t YA. (Seriously, imho, the cover does this book *such* a disservice. When I first saw it, I fully thought it was YA and almost skipped it over.)
From the first stroke of midnight I couldn’t look away. Eunice’s complex relationships with her family members (yes, including Cinderella) paired with my particular cup of eldritch body horror tea means this book is one I’ll be recommending for any fairytale horror-fantasy lovers. (Seriously, the body horror here is not for the faint of heart. The second foot scene (yes, there are two) literally dropped my jaw. I loved it.)
I believe that this is Gorman’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to see how she will grow as an author (especially if she chooses to write more in WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR’s world; I’d love to see Eunice return!!).
WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR publishes 24 September 2024! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC via Netgalley. As usual, all opinions here are my own!
Don’t let the cover fool you; this isn’t YA. (Seriously, imho, the cover does this book *such* a disservice. When I first saw it, I fully thought it was YA and almost skipped it over.)
From the first stroke of midnight I couldn’t look away. Eunice’s complex relationships with her family members (yes, including Cinderella) paired with my particular cup of eldritch body horror tea means this book is one I’ll be recommending for any fairytale horror-fantasy lovers. (Seriously, the body horror here is not for the faint of heart. The second foot scene (yes, there are two) literally dropped my jaw. I loved it.)
I believe that this is Gorman’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to see how she will grow as an author (especially if she chooses to write more in WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR’s world; I’d love to see Eunice return!!).
WE KEPT HER IN THE CELLAR publishes 24 September 2024! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC via Netgalley. As usual, all opinions here are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
If the Channel Zero season "No End House" was your favorite, you NEED to read We Used to Live Here--both capture that consumptive liminal vibe!!
Ending Spoiler:
Sequel from Charlie's POV where she rescues Eve? Please?
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
This review is based on an eARC received through Netgalley; all opinions are my own.
I love love LOOOOOVE horror that uses liminality and unreality as the keystones to build that horror. It's difficult to build that tension up while balancing along the line between too obvious and too subtle, but We Used to Live Here perfectly balances the two. We Used to Live Here also plays with form in a really fascinating way, switching between chapters from Eve's point of view and labeled documents consisting of everything from Wikipedia entries to interview transcripts to forum posts. (Also, I highly suggest taking notes as you read, paying special attention to the morse code and embedded messages. I used the Journal function on Storygraph and it made the reading experience so much fun!!)
I also loved the two main characters; Eve and Charlie are dear to my heart, joining the likes of Miri and Leah (Our Wives Under the Sea) and Monique (The Worm and His Kings) as my personally beloved horror lesbians. I read this on Netgalley but I really want a physical copy--it's going to be really hard to wait for the paperback for this one, but I think it will be very interesting to reread in a year or so and see what I missed on my first readthrough.
If the Channel Zero season "No End House" was your favorite, you NEED to read We Used to Live Here--both capture that consumptive liminal vibe!!
Ending Spoiler:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Alcohol
The animal death is in relation to the implication that a character's childhood dog, specifically a Lab, had been put down, but the details are never mentioned, merely implied as well as a brief but explicit description of a character's memory of a dead bird (not a pet) .
The book deals heavily in themes of unreality.