2026 releases

Review: Backstabbers by Eliza Jabore

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Backstabbers: A NovelBackstabbers: A Novel by Eliza Jabore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Backstabbers features a Girls Adventure Trip gone bad. Some of us may have been on a few bad Girls’ Trips ourselves, but trust me, not like this.

Or at least I hope not…

We’re following 3 besties: Jade, Zoe and Stef. Jade is our narrator, and it’s quickly clear that each of the women has their own role within their tight knit friend group.

Zoe is the sun the other two revolve around. Not necessarily because she’s a shiny embalm of all that is good, but more because she’s such a powerful force that steam rolls over everybody else, regardless of their thoughts or opinions.

Jade is our pragmatic one and Stef is light and carefree, the epitome of being along for the ride. Somehow though, despite their vastly different personalities, the trio has stuck together through thick and thin for many years.

They love traveling together and their latest trip has brought them to the Pacific Northwest for a 3-day hike on Washington’s Bones Hollow Trail. For the experienced hikers in the crowd, be prepared to be annoyed.

During their hike they’ve been listening to a True Crime podcast. Yes, you read that right. Without headphones whilst walking the splendor of nature on a hiking adventure they’ve been blasting a True Crime podcast on the trail.

The podcast has put them on edge, as it’s discussing a serial killer known to hunt on the Bones Hollow Trail; the very trail they’re currently traversing.

Meanwhile, Zoe has the great idea to do a little bushwhacking to find the location of a waterfall that she insists isn’t far from the trail. While trying to make their way there however, Stef ends up badly twisting her ankle. She can’t put any weight on it, so her friends need to assist her if they have any hope of getting out of there.

Zoe insists returning to the trail, an uphill battle through uncut terrain, would be futile. She asserts they continue moving forward. She says eventually, they’ll reach a road.

Though they don’t come across a road, or the waterfall, they do come across a cabin, and it looks like someone is home. That’s when the real nightmare begins.

Backstabbers is a great debut. It’s fun and intense in the same ways a B-Horror flick is fun and intense. I had moments of real frustration with the characters, but I believe that’s the intent of the author and it did add to my enjoyment.

I love those moments in the midst of a Horror movie, when you’re screaming at the characters, don’t go in there, why are you going upstairs, don’t drink that, and on and on.

This novel had those moments in spades. It felt very cinematic to me. I could picture everything unfolding perfectly in my mind, and seriously, I think this would make a very fun movie.

I had the pleasure of Buddy Reading this one with a friend and we both ended up having fun with it. We were definitely laughing at all the terrible decisions being made. I mean from the very start I’m like, what are these girls doing??

But let’s get real, if they only made good choices, it would be a short and boring book. So, cheers to bad choices!!

It’s also very fast-paced. After they discover the cabin it’s pretty intense from there forward. It’s full of twists, and though so of them were pretty wild, that’s what I’m here for.

I think if you’re looking for the ultimate Girls’ Trip gone bad, this one is a great choice. As Travel Horror goes, this is a ton of fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously either, and I always appreciate that.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I hope Eliza Jabore stays in this lane, because I could definitely do with some more of this!

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Review: Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran

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Spoiled MilkSpoiled Milk by Avery Curran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Spoiled Milk is a engaging Gothic Horror novel set in 1928 at the Briarley School for Girls. Our MC is Emily, and we follow her and a group of her friends after one of them, Violet, plunges to her death following her birthday celebration.

Emily and her rival, Evelyn, are in agreement that Violet’s death was no accident. They believe she was pushed purposefully and they have a particular suspect in mind.

They believe the French Schoolmistress, to whom Violet had recently become quite attached, is the one to blame, but how can they prove it?

Violet was the sun in Emily’s sky, she would do anything for her, living or dead. No matter what it takes, she’s going to prove Emily was done dirty. Let the investigation begin.

This isn’t your standard murder mystery, however, as the ladies turn to more unconventional methods to get the answers they seek. They turn to spiritualism, and even invoke the help of local medium to assist them.

To their great surprise, they’re actually able to summon Violet’s spirit, who chooses Evelyn as her host to convey her important message: the danger has just begun.

An evil presence is infecting Briarley and its grounds. It starts with simple things like rotten apples and spoiled milk, but soon escalates to much more dangerous levels.

As the body count rises, and students begin to get plucked from the school by worried parents, Emily, Evelyn, and their friends, must double-down their efforts if they wish to defeat that which haunts them.

I was so pleasantly surprised by Spoiled Milk. I loved all the occult elements and the overall tone of this private school story. Even though I have a hard copy, I ended up listening to the audiobook and highly recommend that format.

The narration by Charlotte Ryder fit the story perfectly. Her accent and delivery sold me on Emily’s character and made the story feel believable and realistic.

I always tend to love private school stories, and this had just the right amount of school elements to help build out that backdrop. The young women we follow are on the cusp of adulthood, and this does focus a bit on that as they explore things like identity and sexuality.

It definitely went deeper into the occult and supernatural than I was expecting and I loved it all within the historical context. I’m hoping Avery Curran stays in this lane. I’d love more stories like this.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys lush, historically-set Horror novels, or stories with seances and the like. Additionally, those seeking Sapphic representation could enjoy this as well. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

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Review: Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen

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Bone of My BoneBone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️

Bone of My Bone is a historically-set Religious Horror novel set during the time of the Thirty Years’ War. It’s Sapphic, contains a lot of gore, and also some really interesting elements stemming from Germanic Folklore.

We follow Ursula, a nun, and a peasant girl named Elsebeth. Both women are fleeing from marauding soldiers. Ursula has fled her convent, and Elsebeth, after the loss of her entire family, is trying to make her way to her Aunt’s home.

They meet on the road after Elsebeth jumps in to protect Ursula from an attacking soldier. Once they’re safe, the women have a chat, and decide it would be safer for them both if they travel together. Safety in numbers, and all that.

Keeping to the woods in the hopes they won’t be spotted by any more soldiers, they happen upon a dying man. He’s clutching a glass box, within which lies the gilded skull of a Saint. Ursula immediately recognizes it for what it is, and also knows that it’s said that if you reunite the Saint’s skull with it’s body, you’ll be granted a wish.

In these horrific times, both women have a lot to wish for. They discuss it a bit, and decide they have nothing to lose. It’s worth a shot. Thus, they scoop up the reliquary and begin their quest.

There’s a map to where the Saint’s body is said to be, but there’s certainly a lot of ground to cover. Unfortunately, the dangers on the road are plentiful, and it’s not just the soldiers they need to fear. There’s also a Necromancer, drawn to the power of the skull, who is hot on their heels.

Will they be able to survive the dangers of the road, dodge the Necromancer and be able to reunite the Saint’s skull with her body? There’s only one way to find out.

Johanna van Veen has done it again!

This is such an excellent blend of Historical, Religious and Folk Horror. The setting is rich with detail, gritty and brutal. There’s dirt, grime, gore, blood, and everything in between.

Ursula and Elsebeth were both well-developed and I found their quest to be gripping. Gore is mentioned-above, and I loved how gory it was, but I also appreciated the softer character moments than van Veen included.

I was a bit intimidated by this going in, but instantly found it so accessible. I had concerns it would be challenging, I think because I found the synopsis a little confusing. Nevertheless, I had nothing to be concerned about.

Having the quest gave the story great focus, and also allowed Ursula and Elsebeth to bond more quickly due to their reliance upon one another for safety.

I’ve heard some people mention it’s too heavily-focused on religion, and understand people having those opinions, but I feel like it makes sense due to the historical context of the story, and Ursula’s role within the church as a nun.

The Thirty Years’ War is such a horrible period of history, and it’s not one I’ve read a lot about in a fictional way. I liked that van Veen chose that time period. It’s certainly made me more curious about that war and to imagine what life was like during that time is truly horrifying.

This is only the 2nd-novel I’ve read from van Veen, but she’s quickly jumped the ranks of my go-to authors list. I still need to read My Darling Dreadful Thing. I have a feeling I’m going to love that one just as much.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to get a hard copy of this for my shelves!!

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Review: Rolls and Rivalry (Gaming and Romance #3) by Kristy Boyce

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Rolls and RivalryRolls and Rivalry by Kristy Boyce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rolls and Rivalry is the 3rd-book in Kristy Boyce’s YA-Romance series now called Gaming and Romance. I could be mistaken, but I believe this series used to be known as the Dungeons and Drama series.

Regardless of the series title, these are a set of companion novels that all involve RPG-Gaming, in particular, as you might have assumed, Dungeons & Dragons.

These novels are companions really in theme-only, meaning there’s not a lot of character crossover. Therefore, you are free to read them in any order.

There are very small cameos of past characters, but I don’t feel like if you miss the reference it will cause you to enjoy the book any less. The cameos are more like Easter Egg bonuses for loyal Readers.

In this installment, we follow Hazel, who is getting ready to enter her Senior year in high school. Hazel has been an active participant in her high school Color Guard since she was a Freshman, and we start the novel with Band Camp.

Hazel is now Color Guard Captain and feels a lot of pressure in that role. She’s striving to gain respect for herself and her fellow Guard members with the rest of the marching band, who seem to look down on them.

In the midst of all of this pressure, Hazel’s best friend from childhood, Max, returns to their school after having moved away following his parent’s divorce.

Hazel is initially excited to have him back, to have a chance to rekindle their friendship. Admittedly, Hazel had a bit of a crush on him when they were younger, and upon seeing him again, she can tell that hasn’t changed.

But Max is a member of percussion, and those two groups, percussion and the Guard, do not get along. In fact, Max seems to be falling into the jerk percussion role well. He gives her the cold shoulder in front of everyone.

Unfortunately, Max is showing up at her house every Sunday, just like the old days, because his Mom has rejoined Hazel’s parent’s D&D group.

Hazel is finally at a point where she is ready to run her own D&D group, and since people aren’t exactly lining up at her door to join, she offers to have Max join. He’s super into D&D, and he’s at her house on the weekends anyway. He’s also easy on the eyes; it just makes sense.

Also joining them are Hazel’s best friend, and two younger members of the band, one Guard member, and one percussion member. Look at Hazel, building bridges.

D&D is a fairly intimate game. You really come to mesh with the people you’re playing with. You bond over the campaign as you batter around ideas and create whole new worlds with your joint creativity and imagination.

As you can imagine, with their preexisting relationship, Hazel and Max start to see each other again with fresh eyes. Maybe their constant bickering is masking other feelings they’re too afraid to express…

This was so, so good. Kristy Boyce writes such fun and realistic characters. The relationships are also always so endearing and compelling.

I love how the D&D group was incorporated into this. There was just enough details of game nights and the campaign for my liking. It never overshadowed the rest of the story, which I appreciated.

I had moments where the marching band element seemed a bit too much for me. It’s not something I could relate too as it wasn’t part of my experience, but it was a huge part of Hazel’s experience, and because I came to care about her so much, I came to care about the band’s success.

I think around the 40%-point, that’s when I was truly pulled in. I was waffling initially, but the cuteness soon started to come out and I was hooked.

I feel like Hazel showed a lot of positive growth over the course of the story. She started to stand up for herself more, including with her Mom, who was a bit overbearing. I also loved seeing Hazel and Max get their friendship back. Romance aside, being friends first is so important to me, and I love how Boyce developed it here.

I would highly recommend this to YA Romance Readers, or anyone who is looking for true to life representation of RPG in their stories. All of the books are super cute. Read one, read them all. I’m very happy that I have.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Romance, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to whatever Kristy Boyce releases next!

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Review: Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey

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Make Me BetterMake Me Better by Sarah Gailey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars**

Make Me Better mainly follows a woman named Celia. She’s struggling in her life. All she wants is a family, and no matter what she does, it’s not happening for her.

Seeking a way to make things better, Celia signs up for something called the Salt Festival, set on an island within the remote community of Kindred Cove. She buys their promise that healing is possible, even for her.

We follow Celia as she arrives at the island and starts to learn what the Salt Festival is all about. The individuals involved in the Festival are all provided lodgings and daily activities to help them to grow and heal.

In addition to Celia in the present timeline, we also get various other perspectives at numerous other periods in time, from months ago, to years ago, of people living at Kindred Cove. It’s a lot to wrap your head around.

At the start of the novel, I was very intrigued by the mysterious tone. I always find Gailey’s writing easy to get into and this was no exception. Unfortunately, the further I got into it, the more it lost my interest and attention.

The story has an interesting premise; Celia, traveling to an island to participate in the Salt Festival that she believes will heal all her woes. I could get behind that. I was ready to find out what her journey was going to be there.

The direction of the story does get pretty f*ed up, NGL, but not in a gruesome, or gory way, just in the truth of what it’s all about. Celia loses herself so deeply, IMO, in such a short amount of time, which honestly makes me sad. I know it’s possible, but still it’s sad to think about. This type of thing probably happens more than we’d like to imagine.

The construction of the story is what I struggled with the most. The time jumps, how random they felt, it made it hard to connect with the story.

I constantly felt like I was getting pushed out of it, and had to actively work to recenter myself in the narrative. It just wasn’t an enjoyable experience. I read for escape and relaxation, and for me, this was not relaxing.

I listened to the audiobook, which has the fabulous Xe Sands as narrator. I love their narration. They’ve done quite a few of Gailey’s novels, so that felt right. While the narration was well done, I feel like the story may have been better served had there been multiple narrators to help make the time periods and perspectives more distinct.

It was really difficult via audio to keep track of where you were in time and who you were following due to the single-person narration, IMO.

However, with all of this being said, just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. I’m positive there are Readers out there who are going to be able to relate to Celia’s story, and better track the rest of what is going on, than I could.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to Gailey’s new releases. Their creativity and confidence to take risks are things I admire.

While this one wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I’m still glad I gave it shot. You don’t know until you try!

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Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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Mad MabelMad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went into Mad Mabel. The synopsis didn’t jump out at me as a novel I’d need to read with any sort of immediacy. However, it is from Sally Hepworth and she’s never let me down.

I was afraid this would be more literary than I tend to enjoy, or that the little kid mentioned in the synopsis would drive me nuts. Spoiler alert: I’m not big on kids.

Regardless, I had to find out for myself how Mad Mabel was going to play out, and I’m so glad that I did. I loved this, full stop. I was on the brink of tears for like the last 15%. I can’t believe how emotionally-connected I became with these characters and this story.

Elsie, aka. Mad Mabel, will definitely be in the running for my favorite character of the year!!

The audiobook, narrated by Hannah Fredericksen and Jenny Seedsman, is absolutely the way to go, IMO. Their voice work brought this story to life. I was swept away and couldn’t put it down once I started.

We get both a past and present perspective from Elsie. The past perspective is filled with fascinating details as we learn about her family, her upbringing, and how she earned her reputation as Mad Mabel. Happily, this is one of those cases where both perspectives are equally compelling.

I loved learning about Elsie’s past because it added so much context to her present character, but the present was so fun as well. Elsie is 81-years old in the present perspective and her delivery and the way she interacted with others had me cackling on more than one occasion.

Equally though, there were moments that broke my heart. I feel like this range of emotions that I felt while reading this is a testament to Hepworth’s talent. I was so invested, I felt like I was a part of the narrative.

I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed Hepworth’s work in the past, but also to anyone who just really loves endearing elder characters. If you enjoyed Too Old For This, or The Marigold Cottage Murder Collective, I think you’ll really enjoy this one as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This story grabbed me by the heart and never let go. This will definitely be on my Best Books list for 2026!

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Review: Murder at the Highland Games (Ally McKinley Mystery #4) by Dee MacDonald

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Murder at the Highland Games (Ally McKinley Mystery #4)Murder at the Highland Games by Dee MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder at the Highland Games is the 4th-installment in the Ally McKinley Mystery series. Set in Scotland, these books follow Ally McKinley, a recent retiree and widow, who fell in love with the village of Locharran whilst on vacation and decided to move there.

Ally purchased an old malthouse, renovated it and turned it into a successful Bed & Breakfast. She runs it herself, with only the help of one local lady, Morag, who comes in and helps her with cleaning when there are guests in.

In this installment, Locharran is hosting their annual Highland Games. A lot of the local lads have been training hard and they’re excited to get the chance to compete against their friends, and maybe even show off a little for their loved ones. The excitement in the village is high.

Just in time for the games though, a Canadian family, the Armstrongs, arrive for a stay a Ally’s B&B.

The traveling group is comprised of a father, mother, their two teen daughters, as well as the father’s sister and her husband. It turns out, the father, Archie, is a successful Highland Games competitor in Canada and he’s started touring around to compete in games in other locations.

The locals are disgruntled this outsider, a ringer no less, has come to town to compete in their games. They don’t think it’s fair for him to even be allowed in, when so many of their boys have worked so hard to get ready for the competition.

Nevertheless, of course Archie is allowed to compete. It’s an open games, but that doesn’t mean everyone is okay with it. When Archie drops dead during the caber toss, it quickly becomes apparent that his death is no accident. Archie has been murdered, right there in the open, in the middle of a fully attended event. All eyes were upon him.

Ally can’t believe it. Who could have pulled something like this off, and why? With Archie’s death under investigation, the rest of his family is forced to stay in place at the malthouse until they’re cleared to leave.

When no easy answers present themselves to the local authorities, Ally decides to take matters into her own hands. Ally’s not sure who the killer might be, but it’s clear to her that the killer could just as easily be one of her guests as a local, and she’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

Ally has gained a bit of a reputation locally as an amateur sleuth, so much so that the lead investigator often seeks her out to bat ideas around with. She’s a trusted member of the community and she uses her relaxing attitude to get people to spill the beans.

Just as Ally thinks she’s approaching a final answer, her lead suspect ends up dead by the loch, clutching a mysterious note in his death grip. With the killer still at large, will Ally be able to determine their identity before it’s too late?

I’m so sad another Ally McKinley mystery has come to a close. I love Ally so much at this point. She’s like a Grandma to me, and it’s not just her either, it’s all the locals that I’ve come to know and love over the course of these 4-books.

This series has quickly become one of my favorite, currently-running, Cozy Mystery series and the warm vibes of Locharran is one of the main reasons why. Settling in with one of these mysteries is like snuggling in with a hot cup of tea on a rainy day.

This mystery got really messy and poor Ally, I wanted this family out of her house. The two adult women, Archie’s wife and his sister, Patti and Wendy, they were stressful. A little high maintenance and I started to really feel for Ally having to deal with them every moment of the day.

The girls, Julie and Janey, were super sweet though. I feel like they came to love Ally as much as I do. I wish they could become regular characters. They’d be such cute additions to the series. They loved Ally’s dog, Flora, and I feel like Flora really helped them get through the difficult circumstances they found themselves in. Dogs are the best.

There were a lot of twists in this one. Every time I thought I had it figured out, there would be some new development that would send me in a different direction. I loved how it ultimately all came together though. I think MacDonald did a great job with the plot progression, revealing things just when you needed them most.

I’m looking forward to whatever comes next in this series. I’m not sure how many books the series is slated to be, but I’m here for the long haul. I’d love for Ally’s children to come for a visit. Maybe if they saw her solve a mystery, they’d realize what a great life she has now.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I would absolutely recommend this series to any Cozy Mystery fan, particularly if you enjoy more mature protagonists and small village vibes. 10/10 recommend!

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Review: The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

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The Library After DarkThe Library After Dark by Ande Pliego
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Library After Dark starts with Aria, a bookseller, and Jasper, one of her bookstore regulars, going on a Valentine’s Day date. It seems they’re new in their relationship, but if the date that Jasper has planned is any indication, he knows Aria quite well already.

He’s gotten them tickets to an exclusive, after-dark tour of the Daedalus Library. For a Book Lover, a dream date!

The Daedalus is an imposing establishment known for more than its book collection. It’s also filled with immersive genre-based reading rooms and rumored hauntings.

Even though Jasper believed it was going to be a private tour, it’s not long before other guests end up arriving and they’ve all got tickets for the tour as well. Though initially disgruntled, apparently he needs privacy to be romantic, there’s not much to be done about it.

Meanwhile, we learn from Aria’s perspective, that she has a personal connection to the Daedalus that she’d rather keep secret from Jasper and everyone else.

This was the section of the book that stuck with me the most. The other group members were Wes, Piper, Michelle, Callum, Ruth and Saskia, but Saskia worked at the Daedalus and was their tour guide.

Not long into the tour, the automatic doors seemingly malfunction, trapping the group inside the library. From there, it’s a fight to find a way out, but when bodies start dropping, it turns into a fight to survive the night.

I was pretty invested in this at the start. Meeting Aria and Jasper, as well as learning about the Daedalus was fun and engaging. Then all the other characters start rolling in, and we’re getting ALL of their perspectives.

We’re hopping around amongst them, learning about their connections to the Daedalus and trying to keep track of all the action going on in the library. It quickly became a lot.

Around 60%, my interest was gone entirely. It should’ve kept my attention. Everyone had secrets and their own motivations for being there, but the way it was tossed together, it made it unpleasant to try to track.

After that point, it was as unenjoyable for me as the author’s first book, You Are Fatally Invited. So, unfortunately, even though it did initially have a lot of promise, I was entirely let down by the second half.

It was sooooo convoluted by the end. I think this is my last go with this author. I gave their first book 1.5-stars and this is getting a 2. I just don’t think they’re for me. Good concepts, poor execution.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m sure I’ll be in the minority opinion on this one, but I’m always honest about my experience with the books I read.

Sadly, this author isn’t for me.

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Review: Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

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Beth Is DeadBeth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beth Is Dead is a modern-reimagining of the beloved Coming of Age story, Little Women. Though the original novel, written by Louisa May Alcott, was loosely based on her life, including her three sisters, in this novel, the March Sisters’ Dad is the author of the tale.

His popular novel has thrust the March family into the limelight and pop culture conversation in modern-day America. The girls have had mixed reception from the public, and frankly, I found it a bit unfair of him to expose them to the world like that really without their consent.

But that’s a story for another day…

Nevertheless, Dad’s thoughtless choices aside, I thought this was a really fun and creative way to frame this story. At its heart though, this novel is more than Little Women. It’s a murder mystery. From the title, I’m sure you can tell who the poor victim is.

That’s right. Poor Beth, struck down in all her glory after a party on New Year’s Eve. Her body is discovered in the woods close to the family home the following day.

Her sisters are determined to find her killer, but suspects abound and it’s hard to tell who to trust. All of them are connected to someone who could have done it, but what if the killer lies closer to home? Like within their own house?

I found Beth is Dead to be very clever and engaging. Granted it’s been decades since I last read Little Women, so I’m sure I missed out on some of the smaller details, particularly in regards to the girls’ different personalities, but I still appreciate so much the unique style of the retelling.

I found the mystery very enjoyable and also liked that we were give a past perspective from Beth herself. I feel like that helped to really paint a picture of what the sister’s relationships and lives were as a whole prior to the murder.

I like the author’s creative spin on a modernization of these characters. Incorporating social media and the public having opinions on the girls based solely on their fictional depictions in their Dad’s book, I felt that was completely realistic. Because we all know if we read about someone online, we know them. Am I right??

The family dynamics were well done as well. I’m sure, as I mentioned, I could have found more connections to the original if I had read it more recently, but I didn’t really have time to do that prior to picking this one up.

Lastly, the ending almost got me; a tear almost fell! Bittersweet.

I would definitely recommend this to any YA Mystery/Thriller Reader, but particularly those of you who love Little Women. I think this is such a fun blend of those two things.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to pick up more from Katie Bernet!

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Review: Abyss by Nicholas Binge

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AbyssAbyss by Nicholas Binge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Setting eyes on this cover for the first time, I judged and I wanted. Then I read the synopsis. I don’t watch a lot of shows, so have never watched Severance, but I know Lovecraft, and I certainly know corporate horror and existential dread.

Just check in with me any Sunday evening…

This novella follows Joe, who post-pandemic finds himself not living up to his potential. He’s been out of work, but he’s close to dire straights and it’s high time he found something.

Just when he’s thinking it’s hopeless he ends up securing an admin position with a company called Ponos. He’s not expecting much, the most he’s hoping for is a reliable paycheck every week.

Even though he’s filled with a nervous energy, on his 1st-day Joe successfully makes his way to the Ponos building and enters. Expecting the normal 1st-day at a new job song and dance. What he gets is anything but. What he gets is horrifying to think about.

If you ever wanted a book that feels like a post-apocalyptic version of The Office meets H.P. Lovecraft, this one is definitely for you. I did feel at times like it was quite heavy-handed on the commentary, but valid nonetheless and I wouldn’t say it impeded my enjoyment that much.

Personally, I enjoy when commentary is there, but allows the Reader to think more for themselves. With this personal preference aside, I see you, Nicholas Binge and I hear you.

Thinking about other Horror novellas, this was actually what I wanted Coup de Grâce to be as far as the creepy, claustrophobic vibes. I was given the want to escape; a need to flee. I was confused about what was happening and I walked away thinking, what the hell did I just read.

Spoiler alert: that’s a good thing.

I would recommend this to Horror Readers looking for something strange and oddly compelling with a solid nod to Lovecraft. Bonus if you love stark, desperate landscapes, whether inside or out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This is the first I’ve read from Binge, but I’m definitely going to be picking up more!

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