2024 releases

Review: Murder Road by Simone St. James

~ megs14malloy

Murder RoadMurder Road by Simone St. James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Greetings from Outlier Island!!!

I want to start this off by saying that I loved The Broken Girls, The Sun Down Motel and The Book of Cold Cases. I fully expected to have the same experience with this one.

In fact, upon learning the title and reading the synopsis, I expected to enjoy it even more than those previous novels, as it sounded like this was going to be toeing over the line into my favorite genre: horror.

Unfortunately, here we are, 3-stars. My lowest rated St. James to-date; such a mixed bag for me. I’m sad about it, but feel like it is bound to be a one off.

It has to be. I find it hard to believe that it’s not. For me, this felt completely different than her other books and not in a good way. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.

I really hadn’t read any reviews prior to picking this one up, so after I finished it, shocked by how I didn’t love it, I scurried over here and was even more shocked to discover I’m almost the only person who didn’t love it!

I fully expected to find a mix of reviews. Those who loved it and those who didn’t as much. I started to doubt everything. What did I miss? I can understand it’s objectively still a good story, but it didn’t deliver me the vibes, tension, or mystery I’m accustomed to with this author.

I felt I was being generous giving 3-stars, but apparently I am being the biggest Debbie Downer in the book community. So, apologies all around for that.

I am going to move on. I’m going to pretend it never happened. I’m looking forward to whatever Simone St. James writes next. I still love her and her work. For some reason this one just did not work for me.

I think it started off bad. I don’t want to get too far into it, but the police suspecting these two MCs right away, the way they were treating them for assisting an injured woman was bizarre, to say the least. It was like, what?

It made no sense whatsoever for them to be treated with such hostility. Even though, ultimately we get a bit of an explanation for this, I wasn’t buying it. Too little, too late. It felt so contrived on the part of the Officer involved.

I think that opening left a sour taste in my mouth that left me judging the rest of the story too harshly. I admit that. I can appreciate some of the aspects of the story, but for me, I just wish it had been told differently.

Nevertheless, I’m glad I gave it a shot and as mentioned, I look forward to more from this author. Keep in mind, this is just my opinion. Even though it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t for you.

If it sounds interesting to you, please pick it up. You’d do well to just ignore everything I just wrote. You most likely will not find yourself on Outlier Island with me. But if you do, bring drinks!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I love you and appreciate you.

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Review: Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine

~ megs14malloy

Two Sides to Every MurderTwo Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Campy and dramatic, Two Sides to Every Murder delivered a fun, twisted, and slightly-OTT Slasher-inspired Summer Teen Scream. We’re talking a secluded forest and archery!

While not perfect, I found it to be highly-entertaining. It did its job. When I put on my Teenage Megs hat and thought about it, I knew: I would have loved this as a teen.

As an Adult, who’s still a fan of the Teen Scream, I appreciate everything this author brought to the page.

This story revolves around two main characters, Reagan and Olivia, who end up both returning to the defunct summer camp, Camp Lost Lake, that shaped both of their lives after a series of brutal murders occurred at the camp.

Olivia was actually born on the night of the murders at the camp. Crazy, right? But it’s true. Her mother was on the grounds, an employee of the camp, and whether it was the stress or just nature’s way, she went into labor and gave birth as the heinous crimes were occurring.

Due to that, the crimes and the camp are never far from Olivia’s mind. Now the camp is going to be reopened, and Olivia heads there as a volunteer to help clean things up and get the place ready for its new iteration.

In the midst of all this, Olivia has just been delivered some shocking news. She’s found out, thanks to some genetic testing, that her Dad isn’t really her biological father. She’s hoping once she gets to the camp, she can search for answers about who her bio-dad actually is.

Then we have Reagan, who has been on the run with her Mom all her life. Her Mom was suspected to be the Lost Lake Killer, but Reagan knows that isn’t true.

Nevertheless, they have to live under the radar and Reagan has never truly felt settled. Determined to clear her Mom’s name, Reagan decides to return to Camp Lost Lake, along with her best friend, Jack, to search for evidence that could help determine who the real killer is.

We also get some sections from the past that take us through the events of the night of the original murders at Camp Lost Lake. Eventually, as you would expected, everything comes together, quite nicely IMO.

From the very start this was giving me all the Summer Camp vibes I wanted. I could picture this abandoned campground that they’re trying to bring back to life. Deep in the woods and cut off from prying eyes.

In the beginning, I did find the back and forth between Olivia and Reagan’s perspectives a little confusing. They’re a lot alike and of the same age, so their narrative voice was fairly similar. Once those two characters come into contact with one another though, that problem disappeared.

With Olivia’s parentage questions, and a killer on the loose stalking through this woods, this was very The Parent Trap meets Friday the 13th and I was all about those vibes.

I was surprised, like this did go Slasher. It felt like a Slasher, there were Slasher scenes, I could picture it as a movie. It was so engaging and fun.

I was also laughing, because let’s be honest, it’s campy, in a Campy Horror way, so you have attractive teen characters lusting over each other, even while trying to escape the clutches of a masked killer.

I love how the teens were in this abandoned, secluded location, literally with a killer on the loose and at times, you couldn’t feel any sense of urgency.

Hahahaha — it’s all, who is gonna hook up with who, who is kissing who, whose feelings are getting hurt — like can we play the Match Game later!? After we survive this!?

I know some more mature Readers perhaps would be annoyed by this, but I was all about the character drama, and let’s be honest, when I was 16, if there was a new attractive teen in my orbit, I would’ve be trying to put myself in the best possible light as well. Teens gonna teen.

Silliness aside, we did get a why and it was a solid one. I actually wasn’t really expecting that serious of a why this was all happening. It was a delightful surprise.

It made sense and I really enjoyed how it all played out at the end. It was tense, exciting and even included a eyebrow-raising double twist!!!

I would recommend this to YA Thriller/Horror Readers, particularly if you enjoy Campy, or Slasher vibes.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

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Review: The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis

~ megs14malloy

The Main CharacterThe Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Main Character is the 2nd-release that I have read from Jaclyn Goldis, the 1st being The Chateau, which ended up not being a great fit for me.

While I still had some issues with this one, it was definitely a more enjoyable read, IMO. Thus, Goldis and I have an upward trajectory together, and I love to see that.

In this story we are following a group of characters on a luxury train trip aboard the newly-renovated Orient Express. The focus of our tale is Rory, who has recently worked as the main character for a bestselling mystery author, Ginevra Ex.

What does that mean exactly? Basically, Ginevra researches Rory, her main character, including everything in her life, and everyone, and then the author frames the main character of her next book on what she discovered while learning about Rory.

I’m sure that sounds intrusive and it was, but Rory willingly participated. How bad can it be?

The train trip was a gift to Rory from the author at the conclusion of the project. The ARCs are ready and Ginevra wants to thank Rory for her time.

Upon boarding the train though, Rory is shocked to find her brother, her best friend and her ex-fiance already aboard. What the heck is going on here? Why would the author bring them all together like this?

It seems Ginevra uncovered some truths during her research that could shock the heck out of Rory. Playing out on the train, as twisted as any fictional story, Rory finds herself suddenly in a vacation from hell. Was this the author’s plan all along? Rory needs to find out.

As with The Chateau, there’s a lot going on here. We get various perspectives in the present, as well as a historical perspective. Generally, I enjoy that, and by the end, I enjoyed that here as well, but in the beginning, I will admit to being bored by the historical portions.

I did appreciate how the author ended up tying the two timelines together though, and it does make sense in light of everything that ultimately played out.

I did enjoy the characters and all of their interpersonal dramas. They’re not likable, but they were definitely interesting. I did have times when I felt for Rory, and I sort of liked her best friend, Caroline, as well.

As with most friend groups, there are secrets which end up being exposed. It makes for an intense trip and I do feel like Goldis did a solid job building that tension throughout.

One area where I was disappointed, however, was the atmosphere. I’m an atmosphere girlie and when you tell me we are going on a train journey, especially on the infamous Orient Express, I want to feel that.

Honestly, I kept forgetting they were even on a train. There was so much focused on their interactions, they really could have been anywhere. It’s unfortunate, because the train is a huge selling point for this novel.

Nevertheless, there are still some fun and engaging attributes to this, so I can see a lot of Readers really enjoying it. I’m also happy that I had a much better experience with this than with The Chateau.

If you pick this one up, I highly recommend reading the Author’s Note at the end, where Goldis discusses some of her inspiration for the historical portions of this story. I thought that was so good to know and I’m sure her family is extra proud of this one because of it.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m 100% on board with future work from this author.

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Review: Shark Night by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Shark NightShark Night by R. L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Shark Night is a fast, fun and engaging scary story for kids, by legendary children’s author, R.L. Stine.

I listened to this audiobook, fabulously narrated by Ramon de Ocampo, and highly recommend that as a format. Told via 1st-person POV, de Ocampo truly brought MC, Liam, to life. It really felt like you were listening to Liam tell his story.

Liam’s Mom is a Documentary Filmmaker who specializes in Nature Docs. Her latest assignment involves making a film for the Danger Channel for Shark Week.

She comes up with a great idea to submerge a diver into a tank, along with a big shark, to see what happens. I mean, what could go wrong?

After the original diver is injured, Liam is forced to fill in, because Stine’s parental characters always make the worst decisions ever. We all know this.

On the day of filming, everything possible goes wrong and Liam founds himself swept out to sea, forced to fight for his life. Will he be able to figure out a way out of this?

This was a lot of fun. It gets wild. I was completely entertained. I laughed out loud, cringed, yelled at some of the characters and couldn’t believe how quickly it read.

This does feature a classic Stine ending, and another frequent feature of Stine books, a bratty younger sibling.

While, personally, I wish that the ending could have gone in a different direction, I still do appreciate the story as a whole. It works. Kids will love this.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy of the audiobook. I love to keep up with Stine’s latest releases and this one delivered!

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Review: One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

~ megs14malloy

One Perfect CoupleOne Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙

One Perfect Couple is the latest from one of my favorite Mystery/Thriller authors, Ruth Ware. As I normally do with Ware’s books, I did listen to the audio, narrated by the always fabulous, Imogen Church.

Church’s narration style if perfect for Ware’s stories, IMO. I believe she’s narrated all of them. She always has a bit of trepidation in her voice, which works so well for Ware’s MCs.

With format notes out of the way, let’s get into what this one is about, shall we?

Blending a classic Christie’s And Then There Were None set-up, with the chaos and drama of modern-day reality television, One Perfect Couple, follows five couples trapped on a remote island with a killer on the loose.

Our MC is Lyla, who has begrudgingly agreed to join her boyfriend, Nico, a struggling actor, on a new reality show, The Perfect Couple. Nico is hoping it will be his big break, with nothing but stardom following shortly thereafter.

Lyla, a research scientist, is opposite to Nico in many ways. She thinks the premise of the show sounds terrible, but she wants to be supportive of him, so she agrees.

The show itself is quite mysterious. Since it is new, the creators don’t want any information leaking out about it, its filming, prizes or participants. Lyla and Nico are whisked away to a private tropical island, where things immediately seem off; at least to Lyla.

It’s not half as lush as she was expecting and the show is run with minimum crew. Each couple is given their own villa, that’s a blessing at least, and the full expectations of their participation is finally revealed to them once they are settled in. It all sounds quite icky.

There’s immediately tension amongst the couples, with individuals seeming to be vying for Alpha status, and Lyla is feeling incredibly out of place. It is a competition show, and honestly, Lyla cannot wait to be eliminated.

The first challenge takes them by surprise. Things get a little nasty and everyone leaves shaken and angry. They retreat to their villas for the night, ready to unwind after the stressful and tiring events of the first day.

Mother Nature has other plans though, and a devastating storm wracks the island overnight. The contestants find themselves cut off from the mainland with no means of communication, their phones having been confiscated.

There’s also no crew remaining on the island, as they had retreated to the mainland for the overnight, so the contestants must band together and try to survive for God only knows how long.

When no crew or rescue shows up after the disastrous storm, and the days go by, their resources dwindle. Fresh water is in very short supply, truly making this a life or death situation.

With those sort of stakes, the already tense relationships are taken to a dangerous level. All agree, this is not what they signed up for. Will anyone make it off this island alive?

Apparently, Reality TV show-based Thrillers are something I am super into now. This is my third one this year, and I’m loving them all. This had a great, mysterious set-up.

I enjoyed how secretive the creators of the show were about what participation was going to entail, yet everyone was chomping at the bit for the opportunity to be selected.

Lyla was the only one who seemed to express any doubts, and she ended up ignoring her own instincts in order to try to make her partner happy.

I know some Readers may disagree, but I loved Lyla. I vibed so well with her perspective. I enjoyed being with her on this insane adventure that she didn’t even want to be a part of.

I loved the island setting and felt it was so well done. It did feel remote and as the tension climbed into the stratosphere, it gave me such a sense of unease. It felt claustrophobic. I could feel how desperate the characters were.

I also found all of the relationships interesting. Each couple had its own dynamic, and then watching how they evolved, and how the contestants came to relate to one another over the course of the story was enthralling.

Ware did include a mixed media element as well via journal entries that take you through the events happening on the island. They way this was used to enhance the plot, and help to bring it to its ultimate conclusion, was so clever and satisfying. I loved that part.

My only slight critique, is that I was let down by the why. I loved the who, the where, the what was happening, but the why, after all that occurred, just seemed silly and anticlimactic. 100% personal opinion though, so take it with a grain of salt.

With this being said, the rest of it was so enjoyable and I would highly recommend this for your Summer TBR. If you are an audiobook person, I def rec that format as well!!

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Review: How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie

~ megs14malloy

How to Make a Horror Movie and SurviveHow to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

This hurts my heart to not be giving this a higher rating. While I truly appreciate the topics explored here by the author, I can’t say I enjoyed my time with it and I have to be honest. Otherwise, what are we even doing here?

This just had way more of a Literary-feel than I am interested in, and for me, it lacked my number one desire, atmosphere. Overall, I was bored; really bored.

It didn’t start out that way though. For the first 25%, I was definitely intrigued. We had met Max, the Horror director, and Sally, the actress with dreams of playing a Final Girl on the big screen. I did enjoy meeting them and was pulled in by the beginning of their stories.

Max ends up with an old camera that once belong to a deceased Horror director, who gained the level of a cult-like status. Max hatches a plan to utilize that camera to make his own infamous movie, pushing the limits of the genre.

As Max begins to use the camera though, a dangerous power is revealed. Will he continue using it, in pursuit of his goal, no matter the risks? And will Sally get her dream of becoming the Final Girl?

Unfortunately, for me, the longer the story went on, the less interested I became. The devil is in the details, and IMHO, the details of this killed the story. It was slow-moving, bogged down by endless things I didn’t care about.

This is clearly a love letter to the Horror genre, and for that, I give it full props. I am, first and foremost, a Horror Lover, Reader and Reviewer. It’s my roots.

I appreciate how DiLouie examined the genre, specifically its place within the movie industry, and how it is treated, viewed, etc., in comparison to other, for lack of a better term, more mainstream, genres.

I could see this working very well for a niche market of film buffs, or even film students, as it does explore the industry deeply. For me it was just too subtle, slow, and by the time we got to the final showdown, too little, too late.

With this being said, the writing is strong, the characters are well-developed and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this story. It just sadly wasn’t a story that was a good fit for my tastes.

I would still encourage absolutely anyone interested in this synopsis to give it a try. I know a lot of Readers are going to love this, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I end up in the minority opinion on it. Please take everything I have said with a grain of salt. It is just my personal experience.

Thank you to the publisher, Redhook, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this wasn’t a great fit for me, I will absolutely be picking up more from this author!

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Review: Oracle (Robert Grim #2) by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

~ megs14malloy

Oracle (Robert Grim #2)Oracle by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oracle is the 2nd-book in the Robert Grim series by Dutch Horror writer, Thomas Olde Heuvelt. The 1st-book in the series is Hex, originally published in 2013.

If you are like me, and read Hex more than a few years ago, I read it in 2019, you may not fully remember exactly who Robert Grim is. In fact, even after reading this one, I can’t really remember the role he played in Hex.

I guess what I am trying to say is that it’s not imperative you read Hex prior to reading this one. They are two completely different stories that just happen to share a common character in Robert Grim.

This story follows a few different perspectives, as well as featuring present and historical aspects. The stars of the show, at least for me, are a teenage boy, Luca, who makes a big discovery, and Robert Grim, an American retired-occult expert, called in to investigate said discovery.

It all begins with Luca, along with his best friend, Emma, stumbling across an 18th-century sailing ship, named the Oracle, sitting in the middle of a tulip field. It’s completely out of place, like it simply dropped from the sky.

Luca’s friend, Emma, actually enters the ship and promptly disappears. As the alarm is raised, anyone else seen entering the ship, such as police officers, never return. Eleven missing people in total. The authorities, unsure what to do, decide to call for help.

Robert Grim has made a name for himself as a sort of expert in this type of unexplainable occurrence. Thus, he gets called in to try to unravel the mystery.

There are so many different components to this story. The overall vibe though is one of unsettling mystery. This ship is so well described and unnerving.

Additionally, the historical perspectives that are included actually shine a light on the past of this ship. I found that aspect very unique and I really appreciated it. To me it made the ship a true character unto itself. I love when an author is able to do that, with a place, or thing, as was done here.

I really enjoyed the characters as well. Robert and Luca in particular. I loved the close relationship that grew between the two of them over the course of the story.

I was also pulled in by the intensity of this government shadow organization trying to cover everything up. Robert and Luca were pawns of a sort for the organizations, but they realized that, so there’s a bit of a back and forth as we try to figure out who the bad guys in this actually are.

While I recognize this book may not be for everyone, I really, really enjoyed my time with it. It’s such a unique blend of things: SciFi-Horror, Folk Horror, Eco-Horror and Cosmic Horror, all in one originally-mysterious tale.

I am loving this main protagonist, Robert Grim, and I’m hoping that this is a series that continues on from here.

If you enjoyed The X-Files, or the Themis Files, and don’t mind a more detailed SciFi plot, or a slower burn, then you should definitely check this out.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from this author!

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Review: Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

~ megs14malloy

Not in LoveNot in Love by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

I don’t think I have ever rated a Hazelwood book under 4.5-stars, so we’ve entered new territory here.

This was still a good story, all things considered, but I didn’t find it as witty, swoony, sexy, or as charming as her previous books. I also felt less STEM-vibes than I am accustomed to with her writing.

In this we are following Rue, a biotech engineer, and Eli, who works in finance, think venture capitalist, and they’re brought together as Eli and his partners are beginning a takeover of the company that Rue works for, Kline.

Because they find themselves on opposing sides, it does have a bit of a forbidden romance feel initially. For me, I would have loved if that had been dragged out a little further. They didn’t keep it secret for very long.

Maybe I am supposed to believe it was because their chemistry is so strong everyone could just see it…

I loved Eli. I actually felt like he could be Hazelwood’s sexiest male lead to date. There was something about him; strength, confidence and kindness for days. I’m in love.

Then there’s Rue. My gym shoes have more personality than her. No offense.

Every moment from her perspective bored me. I felt absolute zero connection to her and I understand her background, and I guess that is why Hazelwood made her feel more dead fish than engaging female lead, but I wasn’t into it.

I struggled to picture the two of them together. At the start, it’s just supposed to be a hook-up, right? So, I get that. She’s a wildly attractive woman, who seems to only want one thing. What guy wouldn’t be attracted to that?

As the story continued though, I just couldn’t get behind the idea of him becoming so magically obsessed with her. It made no sense to me, thus causing the entire story to feel a bit…put on, I guess. Which, for the record, I have never felt with one of Hazelwood’s books before.

Also, there was one aspect of Rue’s backstory that felt more like a platform than a genuine part of her character. It just felt oddly placed the way she discussed it. It came off like she needed an interesting, tragic backstory to explain the way she was as an adult.

I know it is a serious topic, and I always appreciate when authors include things worthy of discussion, it just felt too strange in this story, with everything else going on. I would have rather spent more time exploring the business, the takeover and Rue’s research.

This all comes off as pretty negative and I don’t mean it to be. After all, my opinion on Rue all comes down to personal taste. I feel like for the right Reader, for one who can see a bit of themselves in Rue, they may adore this story.

Taking everything into consideration, I still enjoyed this and appreciate Hazelwood’s risks with the steamy scenes in this one; definitely dipping into some new territory here when it comes to pushing the limits, power plays, etc.

I also loved Eli’s story, from his time in college to the present, including him becoming the sole guardian of his younger sister, Maya. I really felt for him in having to make those kinds of sacrifices, but what an incredible man he grew into. He’s very emotionally mature.

I’m happy with the conclusion. Having been bored a bit throughout, the end really came together for me and is ultimately why I decided to round up to 4-stars.

Overall, I had a decent time with this. There were some great moments. I walk away happy and anxiously anticipating Hazelwood’s next release.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Hazelwood has made such a name for herself in the Romance genre and I’m so happy to be along for the ride!

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Review: What Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans

~ megs14malloy

What Grows in the DarkWhat Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I first read the synopsis for What Grows in the Dark, I was immediately intrigued. I also enjoyed the cover art and the title is compelling to me.

Then I started drowning in other new releases and sort of forgot about it for bit. Recently, as I was going through my list of unread-ARCs it piqued my interest again, so I looked it up to refresh my memory on the synopsis.

Again, it sounded interesting to me, so I was surprised to see that its rating was only around 3.01-stars. Nevertheless, I’m no stranger to being in the minority opinion on books, so I wasn’t afraid and decided to give it a go.

After I completed the first 15%, I wrote a status update to say how much I was loving it. The tone and the direction it was taking, I was really into it, really intrigued. I had a gut feeling that it was going to be at least a 4-star read for me.

Sadly, now that I’m finished, I get the overall rating. Regardless of how strong it started for me, the further I got into it, the more it started to lose steam and my attention. It got muddled and my interested definitely waxed and waned.

I think this author has great ideas and it was a fun set-up, but I feel like somewhere in translating the ideas from their head, onto the page, for the Reader to understand, something missed the mark. It’s too bad, because I do see a lot of promise here.

This is a true Supernatural Thriller/Mystery, which reads a lot like a YA story, even though it is Adult. I love YA Horror/Thriller novels, actually preferring them over Adult in a lot of instances, so that’s no shade from me, but I am guessing that does have an impact on the rating.

In my opinion, this would be a great book for Readers looking to transition more into the Adult space for the first time. For others, I would just caution this feels, at best, more New Adult, than Adult.

It also includes one of my favorite tropes, following a main character returning to their hometown, after many years away, looking to solve, or deal with, some sort of unresolved issue, mystery, or trauma. That fact alone is what initially grabbed my attention.

Unfortunately, that trope alone wasn’t enough, but just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. I would urge anyone with interest to pick it up. It’s just a book. What do you have to lose?

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would absolutely give this author another try. The concepts and the writing are there, I just wanted something a little different from the execution.

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Review: Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin

~ megs14malloy

CuckooCuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Cuckoo is an Extreme Horror novel following a diverse cast of Queer characters trying to survive a Conversion Camp and its aftermath. Kicking off in 1995, this book gets in your face and stays there. Warning: there are no limits!

It’s guaranteed to make you uncomfortable, cringey, angry, and hurt for 99% of the time that you are reading it. If you’re not, you may want to check your pulse.

This is the kind of book that makes me wish I had a BookTube channel, because I could talk about this book for hours. It made me think a lot and really analyze everything that’s going on here.

Sadly, my patience for typing isn’t as robust as my patience for talking, so I promise, this won’t be too long. Most likely, you are wondering what this is all about. The cover doesn’t reveal too much and the title could mean anything.

Basically, this story starts in 1995, it introduces us to a group of characters, all Queer, who are forcibly sent to a Conversion Camp by their families.

The very beginning of the novel is interesting, because as you’re meeting the various characters it was delivered sort of via vignette style, which I’m not necessarily accustomed to. In a way, it made it feel like I was getting short stories for each of the major players.

Once they are all moved to the conversion camp, we then follow the various atrocities that occur there. Unsurprisingly, as the characters are being submitted to daily abuses, they begin to bond and form connections to one another.

Ultimately, a plan to break out is formed.

In Part II, we fast forward to where these teens are now adults, and they’re brought together once again to try to fight the old evil they were exposed to at the camp. What they’ve come to call, the cuckoo. They want to save the next generation of teens suffering like they did.

The story is much more complex than this basic synopsis lets on, but it is best to go in knowing as little as possible.

However, with this being said, I want to stress that this is an Extreme Horror novel. I feel this is a very important distinction for me to make, because I’m not sure the synopsis, or the way it’s currently being marketed, really makes that clear enough.

My concern for this book is that people are going to pick it up thinking it is a Queer Horror novel, which, yes, it is, but there is a very big difference between a mainstream Horror book and an Extreme Horror book.

I feel like people who have never read Extreme Horror before, or maybe aren’t aware that is even a subgenre, will pick this up and be traumatized for life.

I read this subgenre regularly, so nothing here surprised me, especially having read Felker-Martin before, I knew what I was getting myself into. I signed up knowingly, willingly and I really enjoyed the journey of this story.

I just want to throw out a friendly warning to anyone else who may not be so prepared. This is extreme, it’s graphic, both in a violent and sexual nature, and holds absolutely nothing back.

I wouldn’t say this is quite as Splatterpunk as Manhunt, and I actually enjoyed the trajectory of this story more than Manhunt, but this is still full of Felker-Martin’s signature style of extreme writing.

One small issue I had though was the pace. I felt like in the beginning, it read fairly slowly, and then by the end, it was progressing too quickly. The lead-up to the final events, I actually wish was more drawn out. While I appreciate the intensity built throughout, I actually would have preferred a more even pace.

Also, I really loved Part II, which followed the characters as adults, but it didn’t start until around 70%. I would have loved a more 50/50 split, between following them as teens, and then following them as adults.

Overall, I thought this was great. It was engaging and thought-provoking. I feel like as a piece of Extreme Horror Fiction, it was creative and very well-written.

I enjoyed this more than Manhunt, which was quite a memorable reading experience, and feel like Felker-Martin’s style is fine-tuning into something that is distinct in the subgenre. She is wildly-imaginative and not afraid to explore very difficult topics. She pulls no punches.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I will definitely be picking up whatever this author writes next!

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