slvt4b00ks's reviews
8 reviews

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

5.0

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

I read this book very fast so I would say I was invested in how things turned out but the only wow factor was really the twist at the end.  The author does paint a very vivid picture with beautiful words which I can appreciate, but I just felt like it fell flat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Violence, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Murder, Gaslighting, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This story follows Marlinchen, one of three daughters of the greatest wizard in Obylan, as she forges her own path despite living under an abusive father and alongside wicked sisters. Marlinchen soon finds herself driven to disobey her fathers orders to not leave the house after one night at the ballet in Obylan where she meets the heartbreakingly beautiful and tortured Sevastyian. As Marlinchen is sneaking out and living her best life, there is a monster stalking the streets of Obylan stealing the hearts and livers of men. 

This has been my all time favorite book I have read. Period. Reid is a master of weirdly beautiful and unique metaphors and other literary devices. I had no idea people could write and create such beautiful captivating atmospheres that are equally as horrifying and dark.

I couldn’t name all of the trigger warnings that this needs to be filed under. There were parts of this that were very difficult to read. Expect rape, abuse, alcoholism, cannibalism, self mutilation, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, so on and so forth.

That being said I think the author touched on every single one of those sensitive subjects with brutal honesty and also something like grace. 

For a majority of the book I found the story very character driven. Toward the end it picked up but it was so worth it. Highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Torture, Violence, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Vomit

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I would have just hoped for a bigger fight scene at the end

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

dark inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

If I could give this book more stars I would. I honestly don’t understand why this book has such low ratings. Maybe some just aren’t cut out for gothic tales. I was weary about this being set in the 50s but the time period didn’t seem it was as much of a contributing factor to most parts of the story. Of course there is racism and some bat shit crazy people who believe in eugenics and of course the misogyny but that seems to really be all that indicates a less modern setting. This book was incredibly atmospheric and creepy, though I wasn’t quite stuck sitting up all night like I thought I would be. I fell in love with Francis. He must be protected at all costs. Noemi felt incredibly relatable, her flightiness and inability to settle down is portrayed as a flaw but I found it endearing. I don’t think anyone should settle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Medical content, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Cancer, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Vomit, Violence, Sexism, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book was such a treat. I have never really read anything tho close to horror. Definitely do not read at night if you’re prone to nightmares or scare easily. I love how many allusions there are to Edgar Alan Poe. There’s even a character named Edgar. This author has certainly mastered the macabre, I think mr. Poe himself would have loved this story. The ending had so many twists and turns, I was concerned that like our main character, I could not separate nightmare from reality. Please please please read this. I have no regrets other than that I wish I read this sooner. The book had been sitting on my shelf for a full YEAR, untouched. I almost feel as though the cover does not do it Justice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Death, Body horror, Suicide, Pregnancy, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Classism, Blood, Animal death, Alcohol, Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gore, Chronic illness, and Child death

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I’m obsessed with this book. I was sucked in from the first page. I read this in two days. If you like dark twisted themes and gruesome imagery this book is for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Suicide, Body horror, Child death, Vomit, Grief, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Death

Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight
Did not finish book. Stopped at 92%.

I just wanted it to end but there were like 30 more pages of sex scenes and I just couldn’t do it. This book should have only been 300 pages as it only took place within the span of a week. While the author makes a point to have Roxy explicitly say she likes all the abusive and Stockholm syndrome-y shit they do to her, I can’t get past it. It’s one thing to role play and have rough sex, it’s another thing entirely to read about it happening to someone else without them talking about hard and soft limits or safe words. Like are we the reader to assume that Roxy has absolutely no limit for pain as pleasure, or that she just coincidentally met these 4 insane assholes who coincidentally have the same exact kinks as her? I think I would have found it slightly more bearable if the author had one of the guys cross a limit for her and then there were consequences to that and they talked about it. The only person who’s line gets crossed as far as sex is concerned is garret, because he was traumatized by a woman. Roxy was beat by her father and yet these bastards are constantly slamming her up against walls and cutting her and choking her until she can’t breathe. You can’t tell me that wouldn’t have triggered a flashback. You can’t. This is just another instance where women are painted to be objects for a man’s pleasure and never the other way around. I fucking hated this book. I wish I could chuck it at K.A. knights head. For legal reasons that’s a joke but this book sucked. If you have sexual trauma DONT READ IT.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Cursing, Biphobia, Torture, Stalking, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Gore, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Alcohol, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Gun violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, and Abandonment