styngrae's reviews
42 reviews

Falling Down by Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

The Omen by David Seltzer

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

You Will Speak For The Dead by R.A. Busby

dark informative mysterious reflective

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

5.0

"You Will Speak For The Dead" is a strangely comforting read. This novella packs a big punch in so few pages. It is balanced with horror and humor. After finishing it, I have a new outlook on life and death. I highly recommend that readers dive into this book with little to no context. It is a perfect example of what Sporror is and should be. I cannot advocate for this book enough!

The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen

informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Brother by Ania Ahlborn

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

If you want a "wtf just happened?", mind numbing book read Brother. This book will leave you feeling like a husk of a human and have you contemplating what you just read. The way Ania Ahlborn delivered the twist was absolutely gut-wrenching. This was a great way to start off my spooky season, TBR! I might add more thoughts later, but for now, I'm gonna go stare at a wall 💀

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual assault

Crown of Slumber by R.L. Perez

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

Crown of Slumber will take you through a roller coaster of emotion. You will laugh, cry, get angry. If a book can make me feel everything under the sun then I say it's a phenomenal book! I can't find words to tell you how exceptional this novel is! 
I recieved an ARC of Crown of Slumber in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault

Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix

mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

The Way by Cary Groner

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

The Way is expected on December 3, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Spiegel and Grau for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I don’t think I was the intended audience for this book. The Way is a post-apocalyptic story with spiritual undertones. However, for my taste, the spirituality was too prominent in places and took away from the post-apocalyptic part. There are detailed sections about their supplies, Buddhism, movies, and books that slowed the pace and tended to confuse me. In one of the chapters, there is a scene of interspecies mating, something that was very strange to read, especially because it didn’t add anything of importance to the story. The Way has a slow pace, and the writing style isn’t for me, which hindered my reading experience. 

In spite of all this, the last 20% caught my attention with all the twists that I didn’t see coming. I liked how The Way explores the moral dilemma of how you would avoid hurting people in the apocalypse if your religion forbids it. The characters are fleshed out and relatable, especially Sophie. Peau and Cassie are a nice addition to the book. They add banter and warmth, where in a dystopian world is much needed! Overall, for me, The Way is an interesting read that has a lot of great aspects but ended up failing to reach my expectations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture

Moderate: Animal death

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Minor: Suicide