writersrelief's reviews
520 reviews

mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Erin E. Adams has created a novel that seamlessly blends mystery, horror, and social commentary. JACKAL has an extra element of horror because much of the racial injustice is, unfortunately, very real. If you have seen Jordan Peele’s GET OUT, you’ll immediately recognize the genre and similarities.

Liz Rocher reluctantly returns to her predominately white hometown in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for her best friend’s wedding. Liz expects discomfort from reunions with townsfolk she’d rather leave in the past, but is unprepared for the horror she’s propelled into when her best friend’s daughter, Caroline, goes missing. It isn’t the first time a Black girl has gone missing in the woods on a summer night, but Liz is determined to find Caroline.

The setting plays a huge role as Liz carefully navigates being both a minority and an outsider. She knows that the monster is hidden in plain sight and seeks council within the Black community—yet many of them have responded to the monster’s existence with fear and even silence. Parents teach children songs about not seeking the monster. If you don’t acknowledge its existence, it won’t hurt you: It will move on to the next victim. As Liz bravely seeks answers, she’s met with resistance from the Black community, Caroline’s search party, and law enforcement.

Adams effectively shares Liz’s anxiety and paranoia as she desperately tries to string clues together before it’s too late. The narrative is well-paced as the mystery begins to unravel. This is a very fast read, as you’ll urgently turn the pages to learn if Caroline will survive. You’ll be convinced you have the mystery solved, but then the next chapter will completely change your mind. It’s also very interesting to discover why this book is called JACKAL.

Adams’s powerful debut novel will leave you wanting to read more of her work. Between her excellent storytelling and how she blends different elements and genres, there isn’t another book out there quite like JACKAL.

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

With some events in the book drawn from Gaiman's childhood, THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE offers a fascinating look at how our lives are shaped by what happens when we are young. The unnamed narrator, a middle-aged man, returns to his home town for a funeral and finds himself overwhelmed and needing an escape. Wandering around his childhood neighborhood, he ends up sitting next to a pond that his long-forgotten friend, Lettie, called “the ocean.” Suddenly, his lost memories from childhood come rushing back as he recalls the mysterious, fantastical, and dark experiences he and Lettie had together.

When the narrator was a young child, a dark presence entered the world and began terrorizing his family. Lettie, her mother, and her grandmother all had mysterious powers capable of fighting evil things that do not belong on Earth. The dark presence, named Ursula, tried to find adoration among the people in the narrator’s life and even tried seducing the protagonist’s father and tearing his family apart. Lettie and her family face great personal risk in order to save the narrator and his family.

This story has a child-like sweetness, but it is also a dark fantasy that draws in an adult audience. THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE offers the reader an opportunity to reflect on their own childhood and remember the heroes and friends who showed up in their lives—and to live a life that honors those heroes.

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The Decagon House Murders, by Yukito Ayatsuji

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

Many have tried to capture the magic of Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE; the intrigue, the claustrophobia, the paranoia, the feeling that the murderer could be anyone but must be someone you know. Few writers have succeeded, but Ayatsuji Yukito’s THE DECAGON HOUSE MURDERS beats the odds.

Seven members of a university’s murder mystery club, all named after famous Golden Age writers, arrive at Tsunojima Island, the site of an unsolved murder. They come to the island for the same reason the reader opens the book—to solve a crime that the police couldn’t. They soon become the next victims of murders that closely mirror the previous crime. As they’re picked off one by one, they’re forced to wonder: Is the murderer from six months back still around, or is the culprit closer than they realize?

THE DECAGON HOUSE MURDERS is a thrilling entry for those interested in Japan’s ode to Golden Age fair play mystery, the honkaku genre. It’s a gripping tale that will have you guessing until the last moment—with a twist that sneaks up on you just like the killer. It’s a puzzle of a book. There are no detectives to hold your hand beyond the helpless victims who are trying desperately to survive. All the clues are laid out for you, but will you be able to piece them together before the denouement?

This is not a character driven story. Though you do see glimpses of their lives, the characters have been placed upon the figurative chessboard to die. Think of them like puzzle pieces: There may be something interesting on the surface, but figuring out how they fit together is the real goal.

If you enjoy detectives like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, consider putting your own crime-solving skills to the test with THE DECAGON HOUSE MURDERS.

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Legend, by Marie Lu

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Marie Lu’s debut novel, LEGEND, starts her writing career off strong, telling a believable story in a dystopian America that could easily be our future. June Iparis, a rising prodigy of the Republic, has spent her whole life being groomed for success in the military. June’s work for the military begins abruptly when her brother, Matias, is killed—her first mission is to find and capture Day, the alleged killer. Day lives in the slums and cares for his family from afar. In a desperate attempt to save them, Day tried to steal plague medicine from a Republic lab. When confronted by Matias, Day stabbed him in the shoulder in order to escape, thus becoming the main suspect in his murder and Republic Enemy Number One. In a harrowing game of cat and mouse, June tries to capture Day. But as they meet in the slums under hidden identities, the two unexpectedly grow close. And June learns the Republic may not be the righteous haven it claims to be.

Those who love the Hunger Games series will enjoy this first installment in Lu’s science fiction romance series. Lu’s vivid storytelling easily grips readers and immerses them in the story as these two people from different lives unexpectedly come together. Her compelling characters have their fair share of flaws and traits to make them worth rooting for, but it’s the story that’s the main attraction. Lu’s twists and turns change the characters and bring danger they never expected. LEGEND is a great read for anyone looking for another dystopian thrill ride.

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The Bandit Queens, by Parini Shroff

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challenging funny medium-paced

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

4.0

Parini Shroff’s debut novel, THE BANDIT QUEENS, is a darkly comedic statement about the secondary status of women in a small Indian village—and their ultimate empowerment. When her abusive, alcoholic husband vanishes without a trace, Geeta is avoided by the townspeople, who consider her a husband-murdering sorceress. And that suits Geeta just fine, since it allows her a freedom she never had before. She may be lonely, but there are also perks: No one harasses her and no one dares to not buy her jewelry. But her reputation eventually brings about unexpected repercussions when other women in the village decide they want to “lose their nose rings” and permanently get rid of their husbands—and they turn to Geeta for her so-called expertise. The ensuing chain of events results in a few murders, the return of a beloved friend, the arrival of some very unpleasant men, and even a new love interest for Geeta. As long as she can avoid being murdered or mutilated herself.

There are laugh-out-loud moments and some wry humor, but it was a bit disconcerting to read a story where women and lower chaste members are treated as second class citizens. Based on the poor living conditions, the male characters’ attitudes of entitlement, and the general disregard for women, you might think the events in the story took place decades ago. But then a character uses a cell phone and you realize the women in this story are being mistreated NOW. And it serves as another culture shock that the horrific story of the original Bandit Queen, which provides inspiration for Geeta and her put-upon female friends, is based on a real person.

Definitely a well-written, unique read offering unexpected insights into how women are treated in third-world locales.

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Matrix, by Lauren Groff

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challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

Following the success of her novel FATES AND FURIES, author Lauren Groff turns her attention in a surprising but not unwelcome direction. MATRIX, set in the twelfth century, follows the imagined life of the very real Marie de France. There’s not much known about Marie beyond the lais (poems) she wrote, so Groff has taken what bits we do know and constructed the rest to suit the book’s narrative.

In MATRIX, Marie is an intelligent, bold, and physically unappealing seventeen-year-old. Unsuitable for any men of the court and in love with Eleanor of Aquitaine, Marie is sent off by Eleanor to a remote royal abbey. The abbey is in a horrific state when Marie arrives and the nuns are barely surviving, but Marie sets out to change all that.

Though her dedication to the sisters and to the abbey seemingly lies more in her drive to succeed than it does to serve God, Marie’s influence and power grow steadily. The abbey flourishes under her direction and from the nuns’ hard work. But Marie doesn’t stop there: Aided by “holy” visions and her determination to build a place where women can thrive, she begins to manipulate the world of men to her advantage. Marie utilizes the way she and the sisters are overlooked as a way to outmaneuver the men who stand above them. Marie’s plans for a “female utopia” grow ever grander, culminating in the construction of a forest labyrinth around the abbey. Creating this labyrinth requires both hard labor and feats of impressive engineering not often accomplished by women in stories of these times.

But is Marie’s success due to her dedication to keeping herself and the women around her safe, or is it due to her drive for power and control? Or is it both, and is that okay? Marie herself understands the divide, noting on her deathbed that, “greatness was not the same as goodness.” But in the world she and her nuns are born into—one ruled entirely by men—does it even matter how it is that these women find their own power, strength, and safety? That’s one of the many questions you might find yourself considering when you finish this book.

As always, Groff’s prose is inventive, vivid, and gorgeous. The scenes of Marie’s visions are particularly impressive, and though the pacing feels uneven in spots, Groff’s ability to make her words feel alive on the page is ever-present. Marie is both a simple and a complex character: She overcomes nearly every obstacle without much trouble, but her motives and inner desires—as well as how these interact with her actions and the world around her—are complex. And with a distinct absence of any notable male characters, it’s hard to deny that reading this book feels like a brief, welcomed moment away from the male-dominated world that surrounds us even today.

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Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, by Robert Kolker

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Robert Kolker’s LOST GIRLS was a fascinating and sympathetic portrait of a series of unresolved murders of sex workers in Long Island, and the valiant efforts by their mothers to identify their murderer. He brings his keen journalism, humanistic sympathy, and thrilling narrative skills to an equally harrowing true-life story in HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD.

The Galvin family seems like the ideal American family: well-off, civically involved, and outstanding members of the Colorado Springs community. But as their twelve children grow up, a dark secret begins to emerge—six of the children turn out to have schizophrenia. Several spend their lives in and out of mental institutions, and one even commits a grisly crime before taking his own life. This leaves the two youngest daughters vulnerable to their brothers’ random outbursts and unwanted advances. At the same time, the psychiatric field grapples with what causes schizophrenia, and often lacks the resources to provide the family the help they need.

At once an epic family drama and a critique of the psychiatric field, HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD is a frequently disturbing and horrifying read—yet it is also elegantly written, informative, and insightful. Kolker’s examination of the stops and starts in psychiatry’s research into schizophrenia are both enlightening and frustrating. The “nature vs. nurture” debate played a large role in schizophrenia research, and the book makes a strong argument that semantics like these distracted from the research that could have helped the Galvins and innumerable other families.

The family drama element of HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD is also extremely powerful. We felt equally for the brothers whose lives were destroyed by schizophrenia as for the siblings who left their family for their own safety. One could argue that the book prioritizes the perspective of the non-schizophrenic siblings, and that Kolker could go more in-depth about who the schizophrenic brothers were outside of their neurology. But HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD does offer plenty of insight into how oppressive, image-driven family dynamics played a role in triggering underlying mental illness, giving credence to both nature AND nurture playing a role.

While HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD is a fantastic read, readers should be aware that this book contains moderate violence, portrayals of mental illness, and incestuous sexual assault against minors.

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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin

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challenging emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

Spanning decades and continents, Gabrielle Zevin’s novel TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW is an epic story of friendship and creativity—and the price we pay when the two intersect.

The plot follows Sam Masur and Sadie Green, two childhood friends who reunite as adults. Sharing a passion for video games, the two decide to create their own game, “Ichigo,” produced by their friend, aspiring actor Marx Watanabe. When “Ichigo” becomes a smash hit, Sam and Sadie become legends in the video game community. But when professional and the personal boundaries blur, the consequences for everyone involved are devastating.

Gabrielle Zevin depicts the central friendship with specificity and care, but what’s more remarkable is how much attention she pays to her side characters. Even when the characters are not the central focus, their wants and desires are clearly laid out, and we care about them as much as we do the protagonists. They range from the enigmatic (Sadie’s problematic professor Dov Mizrah) to endearing (Ant and Simon, a couple who works with Sam and Sadie at their games company). Having to leave these characters was one of the many reasons we were sad to see the book end.

Beyond the characters and story, Zevin’s writing style is grand and immersive. She is fully aware of the scope of the subject matter, yet maintains intimacy with the characters’ psyches. Zevin is also not afraid to be bold or take risks throughout the book, such as shifting to Second Person at one point. Most importantly, however, the novel tackles sensitive topics such as disability, cultural appropriation, and work-life balance with compassion, complexity, and nuance. The explorations of these themes make TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW a must-read, whether you are a passionate gamer, a casual gamer, or not a gamer at all.

While the first 60 pages of the book were somewhat clumsy in terms of structure and exposition, after that point it became impossible to not get invested in the characters and their journey. At 400 pages, this was a surprisingly quick read, and one we had a hard time putting down. Highly recommended!

Content Warnings

The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Paul Tremblay has the ability to make you forget you’re reading words—it’s as if the story is unfolding right before your eyes. Dads Andrew and Eric take their seven-year-old daughter, Wen, to a remote cabin to escape the stresses of everyday life and to reconnect. While Wen is playing outside in the woods, a stranger arrives, quickly followed by three others, and terror ensues. What first appears to be a home invasion becomes much more menacing and terrible.

There are no jump scares here. This is a horrifyingly plausible tale that will keep you guessing. Tremblay has crafted a masterpiece of paranoia, sacrifice, and apocalypse that culminates in a shattering conclusion.

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Telling the story of global mythology within the “melting pot,” AMERICAN GODS is a quintessential introduction to the mind of Neil Gaiman. Set in a mostly-real 2001 America, the novel details the journey of the incarcerated Shadow. Exiting prison mere days after the inexplicable death of his wife, Laura, Shadow is approached by the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday. Wednesday offers the reluctant ex-con an accord which seems to guarantee work, sustenance, and service. The reality, though, is a world apart. From Shadow’s acceptance to the end of the novel, the pair and many others traverse a mythological landscape that is set against a backdrop of pure Americana. Sideshows could be displays of supernatural power, and great tourist attractions wells of that same power. Discoveries are made about the power humankind might hold over various shades of the divine.

Throughout the story, there are glimpses into the ideologies of religion, mythology, and the essence behind taking a road trip. AMERICAN GODS is a fantastic, artistic expression of the nature of journey, humanity, mortality, and perception. Though inspired by the spectacle of America, Gaiman draws most heavily on global religion and mythos to generate characters within this magically realistic world he has traveled. Likewise, much of the story was directly inspired by the author’s own predeliction towards wanderlust and the experience that is roadside America.

AMERICAN GODS is a fantastic introduction to Neil Gaiman’s prose. It is also an absolute must-read for fans of mythology—particularly fans of modernized mythos. The vast array of characters from so many cultures makes the story rich, representative, and powerful. Gaiman shows mastery of romance, horror, magical realism, fantasy, history, and the human condition throughout the novel, and he applies, deconstructs, and usurps these genres to create a prolific literary achievement.

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writersrelief's reviews 520 reviews

writersrelief's reviews
520 reviews