Scan barcode
readwithkatrin's reviews
363 reviews
Lucky Girl: How I Became A Horror Writer: A Krampus Story by M. Rickert
I think the writing was good. It was engrossing, disturbing, and the tension was there. To be honest, I got spooked.
But I don't know what it's trying to do? What is the actual story?
The messiness of the story is reflected very well in the title. Just looking at the title, I thought: Is it the story of how she became a horror writer? Is it a Krampus story? Is she a lucky girl because she became a horror writer of a Krampus story?
There's a "we're not really friends" group. There's a creepy church with a Krampus. There's also a creepy person from the past. And then, there's a vampire(-looking) servant???
One thing's clear, it is not a Krampus story. The Krampus was more like a motif.
Overall, a short, quick, and okay read. Even though the words flow well, the story is all over the place.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER
dark
mysterious
tense
2.5
Note: Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley
"So what happens when the Krampus come?"
"Mayhem. Chaos. You know."
I think the writing was good. It was engrossing, disturbing, and the tension was there. To be honest, I got spooked.
But I don't know what it's trying to do? What is the actual story?
The messiness of the story is reflected very well in the title. Just looking at the title, I thought: Is it the story of how she became a horror writer? Is it a Krampus story? Is she a lucky girl because she became a horror writer of a Krampus story?
There's a "we're not really friends" group. There's a creepy church with a Krampus. There's also a creepy person from the past. And then, there's a vampire(-looking) servant???
One thing's clear, it is not a Krampus story. The Krampus was more like a motif.
Overall, a short, quick, and okay read. Even though the words flow well, the story is all over the place.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
I was so excited when I heard about this book and how it's a Carrie retelling but I was actually very apprehensive about reading this. I love Carrie but what if it's just Carrie with some changes? What if it isn't as good as Stephen King's?
The Weight of Blood is a very obvious Carrie retelling so having read that, I knew I will enjoy reading this no matter what. However, the story does lose some of that intended tension because I already have a general idea of where the story is going. Nevertheless, I was still on the edge of my seat most of the time.
The bullies here are worse. They're racist bullies so their shallowness, ignorance, and vileness are amplified.
This book is longer so there was more time to explore the characters which I really liked because I was able to gain a better understanding of them. There are characters I admired right from the beginning but then I slowly saw their faults and they felt more real to me. Then, there are characters who I hated and scoffed at but as I read the book, while I still wasn't a fan of them, it made me think that they're just doing the best that they can.
While I think the story will work even without the podcast parts, I actually liked those. I do wish the interview with some of the podcast guests were a little bit longer. I just wanted more details from them!
I love the writing. The pacing is done well. I didn't want to stop reading it.
I think I like the ending?? It was sorta clear but also a little bit open-ended. I would have loved to have an epilogue but at the same time, I don't think it's actually needed.
One thing that's quite unclear to me is how real is the love? Is Maddy supernaturally compelling this love to happen? Or was it really just a fast development?
So is it just Carrie with some changes? Yes, but they're good additions and Tiffany D. Jackson should be proud of this book.
Is it as good as Stephen King's? In my opinion, yes.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER
dark
emotional
sad
4.0
Note: Thank you to HarperCollins Canada / HCC Frenzy for providing me with an ARC.
Be not a doorstep. You can ease the pain by leaving all that you know. Become so drunk on life and love that it blinds you to the hate threatening to drown you.
I was so excited when I heard about this book and how it's a Carrie retelling but I was actually very apprehensive about reading this. I love Carrie but what if it's just Carrie with some changes? What if it isn't as good as Stephen King's?
The Weight of Blood is a very obvious Carrie retelling so having read that, I knew I will enjoy reading this no matter what. However, the story does lose some of that intended tension because I already have a general idea of where the story is going. Nevertheless, I was still on the edge of my seat most of the time.
The bullies here are worse. They're racist bullies so their shallowness, ignorance, and vileness are amplified.
This book is longer so there was more time to explore the characters which I really liked because I was able to gain a better understanding of them. There are characters I admired right from the beginning but then I slowly saw their faults and they felt more real to me. Then, there are characters who I hated and scoffed at but as I read the book, while I still wasn't a fan of them, it made me think that they're just doing the best that they can.
While I think the story will work even without the podcast parts, I actually liked those. I do wish the interview with some of the podcast guests were a little bit longer. I just wanted more details from them!
I love the writing. The pacing is done well. I didn't want to stop reading it.
I think I like the ending?? It was sorta clear but also a little bit open-ended. I would have loved to have an epilogue but at the same time, I don't think it's actually needed.
One thing that's quite unclear to me is how real is the love? Is Maddy supernaturally compelling this love to happen? Or was it really just a fast development?
So is it just Carrie with some changes? Yes, but they're good additions and Tiffany D. Jackson should be proud of this book.
Is it as good as Stephen King's? In my opinion, yes.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER
Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0