Review: Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett

~ megs14malloy

Beneath the StairsBeneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Clare left her small hometown of Sumner’s Mills, in upstate New York, behind many years ago. And it wasn’t that she just left, she ran.

After a chilling incident occurred one summer when she was just 14-years old, the town lost its sense of comfort for her. She couldn’t wait to get out of there.

It seems a silly thing, tweens exploring a haunted house, but after that day, Clare and her best friend, Abby, were never the same.

In fact, the incident was so traumatic, Abby’s entire personality seemed to changed. Her parents moved the entire family from town to try to escape it. It was really a formative experience in Clare’s life.

The girls eventually lost contact after Abby’s move. That’s why Clare is particularly surprised when Abby’s mom reaches out to her twenty years later and asks her to return to Sumner’s Mills.

Abby, whose mental health has continued to be a challenge for her, is in the hospital, in a coma after an apparent overdose. She had returned to the haunted house.

Having just ended her long-term relationship, Clare is looking for an escape anyway. She decides she will head back to Sumner’s Mills, lick her wounds for a bit and try to discover what could have possibly possessed Abby to go back to that house.

Once back in her childhood home, Clare is reacquainted with old friends and begins a deep dive into the history of the haunted house, known in town as the Octagon House for its peculiar shape.

Beneath the Stairs uses both past and present perspectives to weave together this truly haunting tale. I always enjoy that narrative format, so was excited to see it here.

This book is definitely a slow burn, and while there’s a lot going on, I feel like Fawcett did a great job weaving it all together in a way that felt fluid.

I enjoyed getting to know Clare as a character. She was strong-willed and pretty fearless. It is clear she had built walls up around herself after her childhood trauma. I felt for her. She was alone, both mentally and physically, through a lot of her struggles.

Over the course of the story, Clare comes into contact with a man who was sort of a first love for her. I was completely invested in the exploration of that relationship. I thought it was extremely realistic and very well done.

My only slight critiques for this story would be that it is quite slow, eventually toeing drawn-out territory. Also, towards the end, a few situations didn’t quite make sense to me. I was left with questions.

Overall though, this is a fun read. I am still thinking about it weeks later, so that’s always a good sign.

I loved the is it supernatural, is it not supernatural feel; generally an element I will look for when picking up haunting Thrillers. Fawcett definitely delivered those vibes; something I hope she continues to bring with future works.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I enjoyed this a lot and look forward to picking up more from Jennifer Fawcett!

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Review: A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

~ megs14malloy

A Far Wilder MagicA Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

When Weston Winters shows up on her doorstop, Margaret Welty is home alone and has been for quite some time.

Margaret’s mother, a famous alchemist, is traveling for work and Margaret, essentially abandoned, has no idea when she will return.

Wes is an aspiring alchemist seeking apprenticeship with Margaret’s mom, hence his sudden and previously unannounced arrival. Although Margaret is annoyed by his mere presence, he is able to break down some of her walls and she agrees to let him stay until her mother returns.

Margaret may have ulterior motives. The Halfmoon Hunt approaches and she is desperate to participate. The winner of the hunt, the one who is able to slay the legendary Hala, the last living mythical creature, will win fame and a large sum of money.

The catch is only teams of two are allowed to sign up. Margaret is the best shot in town, but she needs an alchemist for a partner. Perhaps Wes can serve a purpose after all.

As you can imagine, with two young people living and working together under the same roof, sparks begin to fly. It’s not immediate and certainly not discussed, but as Margaret and Wes learn more about each other, they discover they may be more alike than they initially thought.

I was swept away with this story. Saft is a master at creating lush and fully-consuming atmospheres. I loved the world she created here; it felt very greater-Boston area, maybe mid-to-late 1920s, but with magic.

Additionally, I was impressed with the different layers woven into this story. For example, there was quite a bit of commentary on discrimination against ethnic minorities and immigrants. It never felt forced, which I appreciated. It felt like a completely natural aspect of this story.

Both Margaret and Wes had experienced outward discrimination and hostilities towards them based upon who they were and where they came from. Eventually, they were able to talk about and bond over these shared experiences.

I was moved by both of their stories and how they learned to stand strong in the face of those aggressions; how they both sought to make changes for the better for all.

That is just a minor part though, for me, the highlight of this book is the Halfmoon Hunt. I loved learning about it, the lore, history, dangers and watching Margaret and Wes prep for the big day. Of course it doesn’t go entirely smoothly.

Drama abounds as the event nears and I had no idea where it was going or what was going to happen. I was completely head over heels for this team by that point though, I was ready to cut down the competition myself!

While Margaret and Wes have their ups and downs over the course of the story, one thing that never waned was their growing feelings for one another.

This is a YA Fantasy Romance after all and I thought the romance was splendid; so natural and satisfying to watch evolve. From the early neurotic days of pining and questioning, all the way through to the end, I was invested.

There were no eye-roll moments for me, no wishing for it to be over, it was organic and fun.

I really enjoyed Saft’s 2020-release, Down Comes the Night. It was an impressive Romantic Fantasy debut. In A Far Wilder Magic, I feel like Saft’s writing has really blossomed. This is a complex story and it was executed so well.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to for Allison Saft’s next book. I look forward to following her career for a long time to come!!

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Review: Payback’s a Witch (The Witches of Thistle Grove #1) by Lana Harper

~ megs14malloy

Payback's a Witch (The Witches of Thistle Grove #1)Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After she graduated from high school, Emmy Harlow, left her small town of Thistle Grove and moved to Chicago. Since that time, she really hasn’t been back.

She’s forged her own life in the city completely separate from her magical family in Thistle Grove. Perhaps, now is a good time to mention that Emmy is a witch.

During her time in Chicago, she’s felt her powers waning. Apparently, it’s important for her to remain somewhat tied to her magical roots.

With the approach of a traditional spell-casting tournament occurring in Thistle Grove, Emmy finally decides to return for an extended visit. Her parents will be so happy.

Emmy’s family normally acts as the arbiters for the competition and because of where she falls within the family line, it is her turn. She could have passed the duties on to her overzealous cousin, but Emmy feels like it is finally time for her to be involved.

Upon returning to town, it doesn’t take long for Emmy to be right back into the small town circle: gossip, run-ins with ex-boyfriends, flirting with old classmates, amongst other things.

We learn more about the reasons behind Emmy leaving town, more about her and her relationships with her family.

I love the trope of a character returning to their hometown after an extended absence. As someone who moved away from my own hometown as soon as I graduated high school, I can totally relate to those feelings.

When you go back, it’s so mixed. You’re from there, of there, but also, feel like you are out of place. Life moves on without you while you are away and it’s like learning about a whole new place once you finally do go back.

I really enjoyed that aspect of this book. Emmy being reintroduced to her roots and really reconnecting with the people she had left behind.

The tournament was interesting as well, although I could have used more of it. It’s basically like the Triwizard Tournament, but for the founding magical families of this town. I wish there would have been more of that aspect.

Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with the romance. I wanted to be interested, but I just didn’t care either way. It was fine, but I wasn’t sold on how quickly Emmy and Talia fell for one another. Also, I’m not really sure Gareth’s vices were worth the efforts the ladies went to in order to get back at him. Not to be mean but, get over it.

With all of this being said, this was a super cute story overall. I loved the town of Thistle Grove. It felt to me like an Adult version of The Babysitters Coven and I’m not mad about it. I will absolutely be continuing on with this series.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I am looking forward to returning to this town and this great cast of characters when the second book releases in May!

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Review: What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

~ megs14malloy

What Big TeethWhat Big Teeth by Rose Szabo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Here’s the thing, normally when I finish a book, I like to let it stew for a while before I write my review.

Generally, I will rate a book, write a couple of quick thoughts and return at a later time to compose a full review; giving myself permission to alter that initial rating.

It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes I will raise or lower the rating depending on how the story has impacted me more long-term.

Unfortunately, What Big Teeth is the type of story that I feel like if I wait any length of time at all, I will remember nothing about this.

Here I am minutes post-turning that final page and I already feel the details of this book flying out of my brain like dust in the wind.

This story follows Eleanor Zarrin, who was sent away from her family home many years ago. She was shipped off to a private school and never even returned to visit.

Now as a teenager, after being the perpetrator of a violent act at her school, Eleanor is forced to flee and return to the unopen arms of her estranged family. The Zarrin Estate is set on the coast of Maine in a little town called Winterport.

Over the course of the story, Eleanor becomes reintroduced to the monstrous relatives she had left behind. She begins to come into her own in this strange place; learning more about herself and her family history than she ever knew before.

And that’s really all I’ve got by way of a summary for this book. I didn’t recognize much of a compelling plot for me to sink my teeth into other than learning about the family.

It was just sort of an odd family drama following a Lovecraftian-Addams family. While I understand that the author probably had more in mind when writing this, whatever it was went 100% over my head.

The reason I am rounding this up to three stars, silver linings, is because of the quality of Szabo’s writing. It really was beautiful. It felt so fluid and I really enjoyed the tone. The point though, yeah, that was completely lost on me.

For this one, these are my full and final thoughts. I am obsessed with this cover. I will keep this on my shelves and I will definitely pick-up Szabo’s future works!

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Review: Killing Time by Brenna Ehrlich

~ megs14malloy

Killing TimeKilling Time by Brenna Ehrlich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Natalie Temple is on the cusp of adulthood. It is summer and she should be out partying and enjoying time with her friends while she can before heading off to college.

Unfortunately, that is not in the cards for Natalie after she discovers her favorite teacher/mentor has been murdered.

Natalie’s greatest interest is true crime, much to the chagrin over her over-protective mother, Helen. In fact, her teacher, Mrs. Halsey, is the only adult who ever seemed to understand, and even nurture, Natalie’s curiosity regarding true crime.

Even though the pair had a bit of a falling out, Natalie still cherishes Mrs. Halsey as a person and feels determined to discover what happened to her. It seems only natural to Natalie to begin her own investigation into the crime.

Over the course of the book, you get both Natalie’s present-day perspective, as well as her Mom, Helen’s, past-perspective, which occurs while Helen was in her first-year of college.

Through these two perspectives, the Reader gains insight into the complexity of Helen and Natalie’s relationship, as well as the circumstances surrounding the murder of Mrs. Halsey.

I usually enjoy alternating timelines and perspectives and this was no exception. I liked getting to see Helen’s background. It definitely helped to understand some of her overbearing behaviors; at least her motivations behind them.

I certainly wouldn’t say I agree with her parenting style. You trying to push her away, Helen?!

Natalie, for me, was the weak spot of this story. I did not enjoy her. I could relate to her on being obsessed with true crime at a young age and not having people understand you because of that, but dang, I found her so abrasive.

The way her perspective was written rubbed me the wrong way. It seemed overly aggressive, or brash. I’m not quite sure how to explain it. It turned me off from the story.

Pushing that aside, however, the mystery itself, I was into. I did want to know what happened to Mrs. Halsey. I was absolutely taken along on that journey of discovery.

I also found it interesting to see the connections between the past and present; to see how much Helen’s own backstory shaped the present. That was very interesting.

Overall, this was a good reading experience for me. I wasn’t blown away by it and there were a few aspects of the story I felt could have been handled better, but yeah, I liked it. The audiobook kept me engaged and I would definitely pick up future work from Brenna Ehrlich.

Thank you so much to the publisher, RB Media, for providing me a copy to read and review. I really appreciate it!!

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Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

~ megs14malloy

The Night ShiftThe Night Shift by Alex Finlay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

On December 31, 1999, a mass murder occurred at a Blockbuster Video store in Linden, New Jersey. The vicious closing time attack left three teenage girls and their manager dead; one girl survived.

The alleged perpetrator, after being initially interrogated, is freed on a technicality. It’s at that point that he flees, never to be seen or heard from again.

Fifteen years later, in Linden, girls closing up an ice cream shop are brutally attacked. Again, there is one survivor.

Both final girls recall the attacker whispering something to them before he flees: good night, pretty girl.

Could the Blockbuster attacker be back, or is there a copycat killer on the prowl?

The Night Shift follows multiple perspectives as both the events of the past and present are explored; including possible connections. The evolution of this story was absolutely spellbinding.

Finlay drew me in from the very start of this book and it never let up. I read this entire thing in a day and half, while reading other books. It’s safe to say, I quickly became obsessed with this.

Initially, I felt like there may be too many perspectives followed, but as it progressed, it became obvious why Finlay chose to write it that way. He really pulled it off. It ended up weaving together perfectly.

Reflecting back on my time reading Finlay’s previous work, Every Last Fear, I had the exact same comment on that one.

There were a ton of perspectives there as well, and even though I ended up feeling like they were all necessary, I feel even stronger about the way The Night Shift was done. For me, Finlay’s writing has grown and I’m loving that upward trajectory.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see a recurring character from ELF, FBI Agent Sarah Keller. I enjoyed her perspective a lot before and even more so in this one. I felt like I got to know her better here and I became quite attached.

I love her strength of spirit and she is so darn smart. She’s definitely a character you can get behind.

This story kept me guessing. I think I started to figure it out really at the same time as the people investigating it. I had some inklings, but truth be told, I suspected everyone at one point or another.

It felt like such a natural progression of reveals. I was living for it.

Overall, I had a blast with this. It got wild. It was engaging for me the entire way through. Additionally, it read like a movie. I could picture every scene as it was playing out.

I would definitely recommend it. I pretty much feel on the same level for this one as I did for No Exit by Taylor Adams. Take from that what you will…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think it is safe to say at this point, I will pick up anything Alex Finlay writes!!

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Review: Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli

~ megs14malloy

EdgewoodEdgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Music is life for Emeline Lark. Chasing her dream of becoming a singer-songwriter, she left her small town of Edgewood behind, moving to the city.

No matter how far she goes however, she’s constantly reminded of home. As she performs, with the music coursing through her, she can smell the damp woods of Edgewood; moss and other flora have even been known to sprout from the stage at her feet.

Emeline does her best to ignore it. She feels like in order to succeed, she has break ties with the past.

When she receives news from a friend, however, that her beloved Grandfather has disappeared, she hightails it back to join the search. He is the only family she has left; she can’t lose him too.

With just days left before Emeline is set to go on her first tour, as the opener for one of her favorite bands, she needs to find Pa quickly, so she can return to the city and the life she’s built for herself there.

Edgewood is undeniably a quirky little town, full of superstitions. It doesn’t take long for Emeline to discover that there may actually be something to all the local lore and thus, a more magical than mundane reason for her Pa’s disappearance.

Unexpectedly, she finds herself following her only lead, a mysterious orb left on her Grandfather’s pillow, said to be evidence of a tithe paid to the Wood King.

Into the woods she goes and a fairy tale is born!

I really enjoyed my time with this audiobook. I knew going in that Ciccarelli’s writing is fantastic and that she knows how to sweep her Readers away into another world. I loved her entire Iskari series and feel it’s highly underrated in the YA Fantasy space.

In this story, I enjoyed how modern it felt. I actually didn’t know too much about it going in and assumed it was set entirely in a Fantasy world.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Emeline is a girl very much of our world, who travels to a magical realm to perform a quest; to find her beloved Grandfather who has been stolen away.

This is one of my favorite set-ups for magical stories. It gives me nostalgic Labyrinth vibes and I’m so here for it. Also, it felt sort of Beauty and the Beast reminiscent as well towards the beginning, which is another one of my favorites.

Edgewood gave me many good feels throughout. There was a lot packed into this story; numerous reveals and great growth of character for Emeline.

On a more serious note, I really enjoyed how Ciccarelli explored the relationship between Emeline and her Grandfather. When he started losing his memory, he became unable to live on his own and Emeline had to make the decision to have him placed in a home.

This is such a tough real life issue; one that hits particularly close to home for me. Emeline struggles with guilt surrounding her decision and I appreciated that Ciccarelli included that. Instead of making it glossy and pretty, you could really get a sense of the complexity of Emeline’s feelings. This hasn’t been as easy for her as it may first appear.

In spite of that heavier points in the narrative, this also managed to be magical and fun. There were many great mythical beings, a deal with the Wood King, a long-standing curse and the truth of Emeline’s past coming to light.

Oh, and also, a sweet romance. That’s probably what some of y’all are here for. It was swoon-worthy, a little heartbreaking, yet also uplifting. It was really good, although not my personal favorite aspect of the overall story.

At this point, I will pick up anything Ciccarelli writes. Her imagery is stunning and she never fails to guide me out of reality for a while.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with an audio ARC to read and review. I’m already excited to see what Ciccarelli comes up with next!!

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Review: As Good As Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3) by Holly Jackson

~ megs14malloy

As Good As Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #3)As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

As Good As Dead is the third, and they claim, the final book in Holly Jackson’s popular A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series.

Personally, I feel like Jackson may not be done with Pip. There’s so much more story that could be told. I’m hoping she pulls a Maureen Johnson, a la The Box in the Woods.

By this point in the series, y’all know, Pip has been through it. This isn’t a cozy YA Mystery series. Pip has faced very real dangers and she hasn’t come out unscathed.

Particularly after solving her last case, she’s left with PTSD surrounding those events. Her emotional state of mind is fairly dark. She’s struggling for real.

Adding to her stress, because like all she’s been through isn’t enough, someone is harassing her.

While Pip is used to trolls, any person with a public presence on the net is, she begins to take special notice when one particular troll asks her the same question over and over: who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

The harassment quickly escalates and Pip begins noticing things popping up around her house that indicate this person may be close by, watching her. Before long, there’s no question, she has a stalker.

As Pip starts to look into who this person might be, she discovers connections that may link her stalker to a local serial killer case purportedly solved six years ago. Is the wrong man in jail? Is the killer still on the loose? Will Pip be his next victim?

When the police refuse to act on her behalf, Pip does the thing she is best at, she investigates herself. Is she finally in over her head?

It’s no secret that I absolutely love this series. Pip is one of my favorite characters in the literary world, but this novel finds her in a totally different headspace.

Gone is our sparkling baby girl with all the optimism of a newborn pup. The world has beaten it out of her. She’s seen the dark side of humanity in a way many people never do.

I actually really appreciated that aspect of Pip’s mental health being showcased. So many times in books, the protagonists go through incredibly horrific things and just seem to get over it. They bounce back in a way us regular peeps could never even dream of.

The fact that Pip really struggles with recovering from her experiences made her feel that much more real to me. You can really empathize with her character.

The tone of this entire story is much darker than the previous two and I feel like some people may not like it as much because of that. For me, it felt like the natural progression of Pip’s story.

As always, Pip is completely focused on the task at hand, even to the detriment of some of her relationships. I was concerned for a while about her relationship with Ravi; he’s just such a gem.

This one didn’t turn out quite like I was expecting it to. There’s one point where you think the story could be over, but then a huge twists sends it spinning off in a whole new direction.

After this, I wouldn’t say I was crazy about a lot of Pip’s choices, but who am I to judge.

As mentioned above, I would be super stoked if this weren’t really the end. If it is though, I respect Jackson’s decision and think she did an incredible job with this series.

I would definitely reread all of these book again someday. I think it would be really fun to binge them back-to-back. If you haven’t read this series yet, you better get cracking. You don’t want to miss out!!

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Review: Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

~ megs14malloy

Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Black Sun slapped me in the face. I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I expected to enjoy it, sure, but this absolutely transported me to another world.

This lush, epic Fantasy is inspired by civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas. I loved the incorporation of those aspects. It was like nothing I had ever read before.

Following multiple-POVs, Roanhorse was able to seamlessly transition from one perspective to the next without disrupting the flow of the narrative. I thought all the different angles were handled so well.

There’s an ancient prophecy that you get to watch coming to fruition right before your eyes, as all the puzzle pieces move into place just in time for a rare celestial event; a solar eclipse on the day of the winter solstice.

The Sun Priest, basically the highest religious position of this ancient land, has stated that this event will bring about an imbalance in the world.

As the story begins, you are introduced to the main characters, Serapio, Xiala, Naranpa and Okoa, who will play fundamental roles in this prophecy. They’re on the move, everyone is heading towards the holy city of Tova, where a great festival for the solstice will be held.

The tension builds at a nice steady pace over the course of the story, but as you approach the end, hold onto your hats, it feels like it is all going to explode. I was shocked an awed by it all.

I loved the level of intrigue, plotting, back-stabbing and danger that Roanhorse brought to this story. It’s multifaceted and fascinating.

Even though this is a complex story, set in a fully built-out world, it never felt overwhelming or info-dumpy. That’s a hard thing to do. To create a world like this, done this well, takes real skill. I doff my cap to Roanhorse.

I’m so excited to get my hands on the next book in this series and am extremely glad it is going to be releasing soon. This first book definitely ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and I don’t want to forget a thing!

This was one of the easiest 5-star ratings I have given this year. I am so happy I finally fit this one into my schedule. A complete delight!

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Review: Devil House by John Darnielle

~ megs14malloy

Devil HouseDevil House by John Darnielle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ahhhh, Devil House, Devil House, Devil House. I have put off reviewing this one for a while.

Y’all, I preordered the heck out of this book. From this cover, and even from the synopsis, I was getting The Amityville Horror vibes, mixed with a little Sinister, the 2012-supernatural Horror film starring Mr. Ethan Hawke.

That wasn’t what I got at all. I’m not mad about it, but if I said I wasn’t disappointed, I’d be lying.

I won’t even go about a weak attempt to summarize this story. I honestly don’t think that I can.

The book was broken into different parts and to me, each part felt like it’s own short story. Because of this, it felt extremely disjointed. There were entire sections where I was unclear as to who the narrator was.

Also, there was one part in particular, part four, I believe, that I have no freaking idea why it was included at all.

Leading up to that point, I was into it. I was finding the different sections enjoyable, but that one…dang. It kicked me out of the entire story and then it was very hard for me to start to care again.

There were glimmers of gold throughout this book, don’t get me wrong. I loved what it had to say about story telling, particularly true crime story telling. I also loved the details of Devil House itself; it’s sordid history and final chapters.

Overall, this just didn’t fit my tastes. I’m not sure if it was just too cerebral for me. I do enjoy when an author has a message, but this one would require way to much time and analysis for me to get the point, I believe.

Darnielle’s writing is quite pleasing, however, and obviously he has an incredible imagination. I would definitely be interested in picking up more from him in the future.

Finally, I will be keeping this one my shelves. I may even choose to revisit it one day.

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