Review: Mother Is Watching by Karma Brown

~ megs14malloy

Mother Is Watching: A NovelMother Is Watching: A Novel by Karma Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Mother Is Watching is an Adult Horror debut for bestselling author, Karma Brown. I’ve never read from Brown before, but it’s my understanding that she’s mostly written Historical Fiction and Contemporary Romance novels.

This is a big shift from that, and oh baby, did she knock it out of the park. This was so good and had me spinning.

This story is set in a futuristic-dystopian landscape. We follow Tilly, and art conservator living in Georgia in the American South, who has been tasked with a mysterious painting known as The Mother.

Tilly has also recently found out that she is pregnant. She lives with her husband, their young daughter and her mother-in-law. The news that their family is expanding is most welcome.

In fact, in this world, due to a virus that negatively affected fertility rates, the government is very focused on motherhood and pregnancy. Tilly is soon to become a societal VIP of sorts, with access to all sorts of new ‘perks’.

Even though she’s expecting, Tilly is determined to continue working no matter what anyone says. This isn’t necessarily the norm in this society with a strong focus on mothers staying safe within the home. Tilly loves her work though and feels especially connected to The Mother project.

It’s not long after she starts working on the restoration that inexplicable and terrifying things begin happening to Tilly and her family. There’s a lot of insects and a lot of body horror, and I’ve gotta say, I was eating it up.

The creepy crawlies alone are worth picking up this book for IMO, but there’s so much more than just that. I’m so impressed with the way Karma Brown constructed this story. I was pulled in and hooked from the very first chapter.

The themes explored provide so much food for thought and I feel like this could make a very strong Book Club pick, for those with the stomach to get through it, that is. I wasn’t really expecting the dystopian backdrop, though it is listed as one of the main genres, so that was such a pleasant surprise, and I felt it was executed so well.

We’re truly having a renaissance of Horror Fiction right now, and I’m not necessarily sure why that is, but as a life-long Horror Lover, I’m so happy to see it and receive it.

There’s such diversity and quality in the stories we are getting right now. I feel blessed. I hope that this novel starts getting some more buzz, because it certainly deserves it.

On a more personal level, I chose not to have children and have never for one moment regretted it, so I can’t relate to this desperate struggle and want to have children that many of the characters in this story displayed. However, I loved Tilly so much as a character. Everything she goes through in this story is visceral and gripping.

The ending too, it gets wild, but I appreciated how full-circle it felt. With this being said, I would throw a caution flag up for Readers who like things to be wrapped-up neatly. I feel like the author left some avenues of interpretation for the Reader at the conclusion of this one, but frankly, I enjoyed the mental exercise.

There’s so many more thoughts I have on this, but mentioning any of them would mean spoilers and I’m not willing to include those in my reviews. Best advice, read this with a friend, you’re going to want to talk about it!

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I sincerely hope that Karma Brown keeps writing in the Horror space.

This was refreshing and I look forward to more Readers picking it up!

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Review: You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado

~ megs14malloy

You Should Have Been Nicer to My MomYou Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom follows Xiomara as she returns to her Papi Ramon’s house following his death. The entire family is gathering for the reading of Papi’s Will and though Xiomara is somewhat estranged from her family, she’s compelled to be there.

She does have good memories of Papi, and his stories, but for the most part she’s feeling a lot of apprehension about this event. It’s sure to be tense and emotionally-charged.

The wealthy Abreau family gathers at Papi’s estate, but nothing could have prepared them for the following words being read: “One of you is el bacà, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned.”

I mean words like that will stop any family gathering in its tracks; at least for a moment. Xiomara is shocked, but she feels the truth in the statement. The rest of the family is outraged. They demand the attorney return to his office to retrieve the previous version of the Will.

As the attorney departs, a vicious storm breaks out forcing the rest of the family to remain trapped together within the house. Suspicions and tensions run high, and over the course of the night numerous family secrets and scandals are revealed, violence erupts, but who is el bacà?

This was so fun! I recognize this won’t work for every Reader, but luckily for me, it 100% worked. It’s an interesting take on an inheritance story, and I appreciated all the effort Tirado put into the messy family dynamics.

For me, the story felt fast-paced and engaging the whole way through. This is a big family and there’s a lot of shite going on amongst them. I was so here for it, just sitting in the corner, eating my popcorn.

Seriously, this is the type of story where you just feel like a fly on the wall, watching everything unfold. I really enjoyed Xiomara as a main character. I could feel all of her emotions as she was forced into such close proximity with a family she had grown distant from.

In certain ways, this reminded me of Rachel Harrison’s Black Sheep. It’s that sort of play on a toxic family and I enjoyed it in both stories.

This is the 3rd-novel that I’ve read from Vincent Tirado, though the other two were YA. I’ve really enjoyed them all. I feel like Tirado’s writing is just a great fit for my tastes. I appreciate how they take risks with their stories, and they aren’t afraid of examining some dark themes.

I also really enjoy their character work, particularly the main characters. I’ve felt connected with them in each of the novels I’ve read from Tirado. I’m rooting for them and wishing for their safety as, of course, they all find themselves in various sticky situations.

Admittedly, there’s a lot of arguing and battling in the family in this one. It’s constant, and while normally I’m not crazy about stories that feature people fighting all the time, for some reason it worked fine here.

I think maybe because usually when I hate it, it’s a group of friends, and I think to myself, why are these people even friends? Because we choose our friends, right? But we can’t choose the family we’re born into, which is why I think here it just sort of made sense.

The final bits were so satisfying as well. I thought it concluded seamlessly and it left me with a little evil grin on my face that I love. Again though, definitely not going to be for everyone, but I think for the Readers it hits with, it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to whatever Tirado writes next!

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Review: Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees by Terrie Farley Moran

~ megs14malloy

The Body in the TreesThe Body in the Trees by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Murder, She Wrote series holds a special place in my heart. I have read over 50-books in this series that I started when I was a kid. My Mom used to buy the mass market paperbacks upon release and I gobbled them up.

It’s been the longest committed relationship of my life.

The series, originally written by Donald Bain, began in 1989. 37-years later, we are getting the 62nd-installment of this long-running series, The Body in the Trees. Since Mr. Bain’s passing in 2017, the series has had a few different authors contributing to keep the series going.

I do feel like the series has struggled to maintain consistency since Bain’s passing, and some of the newer authors have seemed more natural to the series than others. Terrie Farley Moran, so far, has been my favorite.

Admittedly though, I struggled a bit with this one. It’s definitely not my favorite in the series. It did scratch an itch though, and I was happy to be back in Cabot Cove. I have lots of thoughts and opinions on the way this one came together, but I’m trying not to get salty.

With long series like this, you aren’t going to love every one and that’s absolutely fine.

This story centers around a group of young tourists who are visiting Cabot Cove. The young women end up staying at the Hill House Hotel, the best hotel in Cabot Cove, and a setting that will be familiar to veteran Readers of the series.

Jessica and her friends have a run in with these young ladies while they are dining at the Hill House restaurant one night. It was from this initial scene where the tourists are introduced, that I started to realize this one might not be for me. The way the young ladies were written, I just didn’t find it believable. Sweatshirts and sneakers at a nice restaurant?

Nevertheless, even though little bits and bobs got under my skin about it, the mystery did keep me invested and guessing. I predicted where it was heading, which is absolutely fine, but I ultimately didn’t enjoy who the baddie ended up being. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

I know this is nit-picky, especially for a Cozy Mystery series that is just supposed to be escapist and comforting. I just have read all of Terrie Farley Moran’s contributions to the series and was expecting to enjoy it a bit more.

Nevertheless, I love this series with my whole heart. As mentioned above, in long series like this, you are going to have some you prefer more than others. If I were ranking them all, this would fall in the lower end. For long-time Readers of the series, it’s still worth picking up, especially if you enjoy the mysteries set in Cabot Cove.

For new Readers of the series, I wouldn’t suggest starting with this one. I think you would be best served picking an earlier installment, though they can be read in any order.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I will never stop reading this series. As long as they’re being published, I’ll be reading them!

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Review: The Body by Bethany C. Morrow

~ megs14malloy

The BodyThe Body by Bethany C. Morrow
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is one of the rare cases where I’m going to keep my review as to the point as possible. Usually, I like to try to provide a basic breakdown of what you’re going to get if you pick up a book, and then go into my experience with it.

The only thing I am really going to say about this one is that it was not for me. I didn’t enjoy anything about my experience reading this story.

I’ve enjoyed work from Bethany C. Morrow in the past. I found her Song Below Water duology and Cherish Farrah, which I was in the minority opinion on, very enjoyable.

While her writing style does lean more towards a stream of consciousness style than I tend to prefer, I have vibed with it in her past stories. This also felt stream of consciousness, but in a way that was more confusing than lush and lyrical.

I also appreciated the character relationships and themes that were explored in those previous novels, while here, yeah, the themes being explored just are not anything that I’m interested in. I felt zero connection to this story and couldn’t sit down and go through with you what actually happened. It’s just out of my brain already.

I believe the intent was for this to be Religious Horror, and I have a great history with Religious Horror, hence why I picked it up. However, I feel like this could have been more impactful if Morrow had leaned into a hard-hitting Literary Fiction, or suspenseful Domestic Drama, lane.

But at the end of the day, what do I know? I am one Reader, and this is just my experience. Just because this didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. I’m sure there are plenty of Readers out there who will find something powerful in this story. Sadly, that just wasn’t me.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m anxious to see what Bethany C. Morrow writes next. I’d love to pick up more YA works from her.

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Review: Zomromcom by Olivia Dade

~ megs14malloy

ZomromcomZomromcom by Olivia Dade
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Olivia Dad’s Zomromcom is not in fact a romance novel where a protagonist falls in love with a zombie. Who knew?

Well, perhaps anyone who read the synopsis, which clearly, I did not. I saw the title and the adorable cover and was intrigued enough to give it a go. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed there was no zombie love. I was so curious how it was going to work.

Now I’ll never know…

So, what is it about then? This story is set in a post-apocalyptic landscape and follows our MC, Edie Brandstrup, who lives alone and has seemingly excelled at surviving in this world. She’s well-versed in the dangers and considers herself prepared for everything.

At the start of the novel Edie attempts to save her harmless-seeming, and of course stunningly-attractive, neighbor after the first zombie breach of their community in decades.

As it turns out though, the neighbor she assumed was a clueless bro is actually a very adept, super old and slightly grumpy vampire with a large sword. When he turns the tables and ends up saving her instead, Edie finds herself a little weak in the knees.

For all of his grumpiness though, the vampire, one Gaston ‘Max’ Boucher, quickly becomes quite protective over our Edie, and insists that she stay within his bunker until the breach has been resolved.

As you can imagine, with two people in forced proximity, with fear of the unknown outside, things heat up quickly. Edie isn’t willing to turn a blind eye though to what is going on with the zombies. There are innocent people still out there who may not be as prepared as they are. Thus, the two set out with the hopes of helping in the fight for humanity.

This was cute. I liked it. I was drawn quickly to Edie as a main character. She was funny and I loved her perspective, the way she viewed everything around her. She had a great sense of humor and I appreciated the lightheartedness she brought to the story.

Max was swoony too and I did like him as the love interest. I could certainly see why Edie would fall for him so quickly and their banter was great. With this being said, the story itself did feel overly-long and slightly repetitive.

The backdrop of the zombie apocalypse was quite refreshing though, and they even spent a bit time in an abandoned mall, which I loved. That’s such a classic zombie setting. I thought that was really fun. After the mall though, it sort of lost me. I found my eyes glazing over, just wanting it to end.

I see that this is set to be a series and I am interested to see what the next one is going to be about. If it will be connected by characters, or the world, or just another romance featuring a different paranormal character. Depending on the content, I may check it out.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this one didn’t quite knock my socks off, I did really like Olivia Dade’s writing and sense of humor.

I’ll absolutely be picking up more from this author!

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Review: Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas

~ megs14malloy

Nothing Tastes as GoodNothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

A banner book for 2026, Nothing Tastes as Good is gripping, topical and will certainly pack a punch for many Readers.

This is a 2nd-chance read for me with this author, and I’m so happy I picked it up. I really, really enjoyed this!

This story follows Emmett Truesdale, who has never felt like he’s been able to fit the mold of the beauty standards of his Southern California hometown. He’s always battled with his weight, and certainly has the childhood trauma to prove it.

As an adult, Emmett finds himself single, in a dead-end job and at a peak weight of over 300-lbs. He feels like he’s being crushed by the weight of it all. He’s desperate for a change. Something that will work and have a truly lasting impact.

It’s in his weakest moment that Emmett stumbles across an opportunity to enter a clinical trial for a new weight loss product called Obexity. He’s not without reservations, but as mentioned he’s desperate. He’ll try anything at this point.

He applies for a coveted spot as a participant in the trial and to his delight, he’s selected. He will now be one of the first new users of Obexity!

Though the process itself is a bit terrifying, the results are instantaneous and can’t be denied. The pounds melt off at a rate Emmett could’ve never anticipated. As his weight decreases, all other aspects of his life seem to improve.

Unfortunately, Obexity isn’t without side effects and one of them is a real killer. As mysterious deaths start occurring in Emmett’s local area, he fears Obexity may be turning him into a monster, but how can he give it up when others are finally starting to treat him like a human?

As mentioned above, this was a 2nd-chance for me and Luke Dumas. I read The Paleontologist when it was released and I did not have a good time with it. I actually despised it a bit. However, I never write an author off after only one go, and this is the perfect example of why.

I really enjoyed how Dumas told this story. Not only are we following Emmett in his present perspective, but we’re also getting a lot of different mixed media elements as well, including excerpts from what I believe is Emmett’s blog.

These elements really helped to build out Emmett as a character and fill in the history of his battle with his weight. Other elements were a great snapshot of how the rest of the world was viewing Emmett, Obexity and the gruesome killings happening in the area.

I loved the characters, not just Emmett, but also the side characters in his life. While I may not always have loved their behavior, I felt like they were all done in a way that was startlingly realistic. I could picture people having all these opinions, and gladly sharing them with Emmett.

The commentary was done in a way, that for me, it didn’t feel preachy, but it did open up a lot of avenues for further discussion. The star of the show for me though was the, at times, disgusting, Horror imagery. I feel like it was all pieced together in a way that made the story feel seamless.

Overall, I found this to be topical, fluid, engaging and slightly horrifying. I feel like a lot of people are going to be talking about this one.

Be sure you add it to your Spring TBR!!

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: The Night That Finds Us All by John Hornor Jacobs

~ megs14malloy

The Night That Finds Us AllThe Night That Finds Us All by John Hornor Jacobs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Night That Finds Us All is a Nautical Horror novel from John Hornor Jacobs. This story follows the journey of a century-old sailboat, The Blackwatch, as she makes her way from the shores of Washington state, all the way to England. This historic ship can’t sail herself though.

Thus, a hodgepodge crew is assembled to deliver her to her new owner. Our MC is Sam, and she gets invited on the project by a past crewmate, Loick, who believes Sam could be the only person capable of dealing with The Blackwatch’s complicated and moody engine.

Sam’s not thrilled by the idea. The head of the crew is someone she’s had issues with before, but she does care for Loick. It could be good working with him again.

The biggest motivator for her though is the money. Sam’s almost at rock bottom. Her drinking is out of control and she’s struggling to stay afloat on many fronts. Ultimately, she agrees to the job and the journey begins.

Sam’s committed to sobriety for the journey, and the withdrawels begin playing with her mind. At least, she believes it’s the withdrawels. The things she’s hearing, seeing, feeling on this ship, they can’t be real. Can they?

When one crewmate disappears and another is struck by a terrible, horrific accident, Sam’s confusion and fear grows. The Blackwatch is starting to feel a lot less like some rich man’s pet project, and a lot more like something sinister lying in wait to take them all out.

Interesting, interesting. This was a bit of a mixed bag for me, and I’ve been thinking on it for a while, trying to come up with the best way to explain my experience with it. The longer time goes by though, the more at a loss I find myself. Sadly, it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. It was here one moment, gone the next, in my brain.

There were aspects I enjoyed, but there were also a few things that I thought were a little odd and out of place. Sam, as an MC, is not super likable, but that’s fine. That never really bothers me. I don’t need to like book characters.

I found the atmosphere aboard the ship to be my favorite part of the story. There was an overriding sense of dread that kept me moving forward quickly. Unfortunately, in many areas, it got a bit more fever dream than I tend to enjoy, and I had a difficult time sort of imagining exactly what was going down when the action scenes were taking place.

I did, however, enjoy how JHJ leaned into the historical nature of the ship, and even introduced some occult elements that I wasn’t expecting. Overall, I liked the tone and the ideas behind all that was happening, I just feel like for me, it lack a bit in execution.

This is the first that I have read from this author, though, and I would definitely be interested in picking up more. I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy Nautical Horror. It’s worth checking out. Just because it wasn’t a perfect fit for me, doesn’t mean you won’t love it.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a fun time. I wish I could have imagined the action a bit more, but still a solid read.

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Review: Molka by Monika Kim

~ megs14malloy

MolkaMolka by Monika Kim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

I’ll admit to having no clue what molka were until I picked up this book. If you’re like me, here’s the definition provided in the publisher’s synopsis:

molka (n): the Korean term for spy cameras secretly and illegally installed, often to capture voyeuristic images and videos

These sound awful, right? A plague on society, where no one can presume themselves safe from the prying eyes of others. In public spaces, voyeurs taking advantage and watching unsuspecting individuals in their most private moments.

In this story, we follow two perspectives, Dahye and Junyoung, who both end up with connections to the molka issue, but in vastly different ways. It was interesting to follow both of these perspectives, and both filled me with emotion, though also in different ways.

Dahye’s story, which mostly revolves around her relationship with a wealthy young man that goes terribly wrong, was so compelling, and also heart-wrenching, for me to read. She is such a well-realized character, every aspect of her I felt was created with such thought and care.

The way Dahye and Junyoung’s perspectives connect more and more as the story progresses helped to increase the intensity of the story. I’m glad the author included both.

I did find Junyoung’s perspective rather disturbing. Once you read this, I’m sure you’ll understand why, but mainly because of the sick pleasure he was getting from the things he was doing. It left me unsettled, considering that people in our world can be this way.

Monika Kim truly has a knack for drawing Readers into the story. I also was super satisfied with the conclusion. Due to the themes explored, I thought it was so fitting for it to wrap-up the way it did. There’s a lot to unpack in this one, and I feel like Kim did a great job shining a light on some pretty uncomfortable topics.

Overall, this is an impressive Sophomore novel from Kim. I thought maybe The Eyes Are the Best Part would be difficult to match, because that was so engaging and explosive, but this definitely achieved the same levels of intrigue, social commentary and stellar character development.

Thank you to the publisher, Erewhon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’ll read anything Monika Kim writes and am looking forward to whatever comes next!

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Review: Greedy by Callie Kazumi

~ megs14malloy

GreedyGreedy by Callie Kazumi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Greedy follows Edward Cook, a British-expat, living in Japan with his wife and young daughter. Ed is in serious debt due to his secret gambling addiction and finds himself without a job, leaving him with no way to pay back the dangerous individuals he owes.

It doesn’t take long for desperation to set in. Ed needs to make a move to increase his cash flow, and quickly. His life, and the lives of his family, depend on it.

It’s when he is at rock bottom that he stumbles upon an unusual help wanted ad: Chef wanted! Private chef needed for a high-profile businesswoman. One million yen per day.

What desperate man wouldn’t apply for this job? Sure, Ed’s no Michelin star chef, but he did spend time as a line cook once. That’s pretty much the same thing, right?

To his surprise and delight, after his interview, Ed is offered the job, which he of course accepts. Leaving his wife and daughter behind in Tokyo, he travels to the mountains to the lavish estate of his new employer, Hazeline Yamamoto, an eccentric and reclusive ex-socialite, where he will be staying during his work weeks.

Ed finds himself thrust into Hazeline’s mysterious world; secretive, extravagant and lush. As chef, Ed has a lot of interactions with Hazeline’s other household staff, and learns a lot of what is expected of him in his new role through them.

As I know you’re all guessing, something isn’t quite right at Hazeline’s estate. Ed hears strange noises and is plagued by unsettling dreams. He also sees Hazeline and others behaving oddly, as well as her frequent guests, whose behavior leaves a lot to be desired.

We follow along with Ed as he tries to navigate this new world. He just wants to pay off his debt. He just wants to do right by his wife and daughter, but will he succeed, or has he gotten in over his head?

Heck yeah, this was good. Intriguing and slightly-gruesome, I was pulled into the story very quickly. I think Kazumi did a great job of setting it up. It doesn’t take too long to get to the heart of the story, but she provided enough groundwork to make you feel settled and invested.

Ed’s story was captivating, the secrets he had been keeping from his family that propelled him into this ominous new career path, it was so well-imagined.

I also loved the way the tension increased as the story progressed, as more and more is revealed to Ed; his revelations were my revelations. I truly felt like I was on this journey with him. The atmosphere as well, I could feel it, it got under my skin. The mysterious benefactor, her odd and exuberant guests, it kept me intrigued throughout.

I do think some aspects were predictable, but just because they were to me, doesn’t mean they were to Ed. To watch Ed as reality slowly dawned on him, the horror and revulsion he felt, it was compelling.

And the ending, ohhhh my. I won’t forget this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to Horror Readers, or fans of Dark Fiction in general. I can’t wait for more from this author!!

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Review: Adrift by Will Dean

~ megs14malloy

AdriftAdrift by Will Dean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adrift follows the tumultuous lives of a family living aboard a cramped houseboat in a desolate canal. Drew and Peggy, husband and wife, were both aspiring writers. Drew even had a glimpse of some early success, but since has struggled, working blue collar jobs and barely making ends meet.

Peggy is the glue that holds the family together. She’s a loving mother to their 14-year old son, Sam, and she spends some time, when she’s not cooking and cleaning for her family, volunteering at a local library. Secretly, she’s also been continuing to write.

The story follows the family through their day-to-day and it is bleak, my friends. I’m talking non-stop hardship, dissension and isolation. Though it initially reads like a straight Literary Fiction/Family Drama, it does take a sharp turn in the second half.

Admittedly, this is a very difficult read. The drama is powerful and painful. In fact, I had to put it down for a couple of days just to get a break from it more than once. Around 30%, I wondered, why am I reading this, it’s depressing AF, but I couldn’t give it up.

Something was holding me there with these characters.

But as challenging as it was to get through, I also think it’s an important read. Dean did an incredible job with these characters and their toxic dynamic. It felt incredibly realistic, which is sad to say due to the content.

I was fully immersed and it was pretty painful, not gonna lie, but I walk away so impressed with the quality of this storytelling and what Dean was able to achieve here.

I think if you’re in the right headspace going into this, and you are aware that it’s going to be a challenge, that you could walk away appreciating it as I did. It gets intense, almost claustrophobic feeling and I started to feel as desperate as the characters, but the payoff was worth it.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This novel felt like a gut-punch. Dean should be proud.

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