anticipated releases

Review: All of Our Demise (All of Us Villains #2) by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

~ megs14malloy

All of Our Demise (All of Us Villains, #2)All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All of Our Demise is the finale to the All of Us Villains duology.

This Dark YA Fantasy, featuring a magical competition to the death, is penned by the dream duo of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman.

If you haven’t read the first book, please proceed with caution. There may be some things mentioned in this review that some would consider spoilers.

I will not be hiding them.

After the conclusion of Book 1, the limits of the tournament are beginning to erode. The status quo shaken.

The public is now more involved with the process than ever before, with Reporters flocking to the historic battlegrounds, turning the pain and misery of the Champions into entertaining fodder for everyone else.

It’s basically the Capital during the Hunger Games. The magical contestants are bona fide celebs.

Additionally, a dead boy has returned, now influencing the tournament and out of nowhere a new champion has entered the ranks, looking to dismantle the tradition entirely.

The champions end up divided into two groups: those who wish to proceed as normal and those who wish to break the curse, thus ending the tournament forever.

This book was freaking intense. I reread the first book, All of Us Villains, just prior to starting this and I am so glad I did.

This is quite a detailed world and it is very fast-paced. Therefore, I have a tendency to race along, excited to get to the conclusion of the action. Occasionally this causes me to forget fine details.

The first book is really where we are learning the bulk of background on our main characters and their families. I was super glad to have that refresher before getting into this one.

Luckily, I loved that one so much and really had fun revisiting the story. This installment builds beautifully off of everything that occurred there. It was a seamless transition from one book to the next; very well done.

I loved how in this one, our main characters shift themselves into essentially two opposing teams. There are those who want to end the tournament and those, mainly those whose families have gained the most from the tradition, who want things to remain as they are.

This seems relatable to the real world, doesn’t it?

We do follow the same characters here as we did in the first book. I was glad for that. I was a little concerned we were going to move on to new perspectives, as sometimes happens. I’m glad the authors stuck with the characters we already know and love.

I did see so much character growth for each of these mains. As they interacted with one another more, it helped to reveal a deeper side to their personal wants and motivations. There were some great arcs; particularly for me, Allistair and Gavin.

I think this is such a fun duology, dripping with dark atmosphere, engaging characters and non-stop action.

My head was left spinning. There was so much covered in this book alone. Overall, a great continuation, with a more than satisfying conclusion!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Teen and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I seriously hope this isn’t the last collab we see from Foody and Herman. All of Our Demise releases tomorrow, Tuesday, August 30, 2022.

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Review: The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

~ megs14malloy

The Drowned WoodsThe Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Drowned Woods was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022. This YA Fantasy novel is a companion to Emily Lloyd-Jones 2019-release, The Bone Houses.

Full transparency, I hadn’t even read The Bone Houses until this month. The reason I was so excited for The Drowned Woods was based on its synopsis alone. It sounded absolutely captivating to me.

Spoiler Alert: It so totally was!!

Once I picked this up, it was all I could think about. I absolutely adore this story with my whole heart and soul. Lloyd-Jones swept me away into another world.

This story follows 18-year old Mererid, ‘Mer’, who is the last living water diviner. Her powers being known, she was wrenched from her family in order to go live in the castle of Prince Garanhir and be bound into his service.

She’s made to do terrible things, such as finding the wells of Garanhir’s enemies so that he can poison them. This results in the deaths of many, many innocent people.

Mer is devastated to have been a part of this. Luckily, she is able to slip out of the Prince’s grasp and flee. After that, avoiding recapture is her only focus.

Mer’s able to fly under the radar working as a barmaid. That is until the day her old handler, Renfrew, the Prince’s ex-Spy Master, approaches her with an opportunity to bring the Prince down.

He proposes a heist of sorts to steal an important magical artifact that in a sense secures the Prince’s control over their kingdom. Mer is intrigued and swayed by her old mentor. They can actually do this, make Garanhir pay for what he put so many innocent people through.

Together they assemble a team including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves and an adorably-loyal corgi named Trefor. They were all brought onto the mission because of the special skills they each portrayed.

This crew, I loved watching them all come together and as they set off on their quest, I knew this story was going to be a slam dunk for me.

I loved everything about it. The world creation was fantastic, the magic system was easy to understand, yet intriguing, and the character interactions and motivations were so well done.

Mer, Fane, the fae-cursed young man, and Trefor in particular were so well developed. I loved watching their relationship build into what it ultimately becomes.

Mer’s character arc was so beautiful, heart-wrenching and ultimately satisfying. I adored her and her free will, determination and strength in face of set-backs.

As you get to the end, the truth behind the connection to The Bones Houses is revealed. I cannot even tell you what that moment was like, reading that reveal.

My heart swelled; insta-tears. It made me want to reread TBH knowing what I know now, even though I just read it! What a moment. It was so good.

Thank you to the publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I appreciate it so much and have no doubt this is going to be on my Favorites list for 2022!!

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Review: Blood Like Fate (Blood Like Magic #2) by Liselle Sambury

~ megs14malloy

Blood Like Fate (Blood Like Magic, #2)Blood Like Fate by Liselle Sambury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

When I read Blood Like Magic in 2021, I was blown away by Sambury’s writing. She drew me in from the very start and I was 100% invested in that book.

The perfect blending of SFF elements, along with phenomenal character work, easily made that novel one of my favorites of the year.

To say I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this sequel, Blood Like Fate, would be putting it extremely mildly.

This is a chunky monkey and it is so full of deep, moving, thought-provoking content, I was left in awe upon completion. Sambury left no stone unturned in the exploration of these characters and their lives.

At the start of this story, Voya’s family is still reeling from the choices she made at the end of the first book.

For Voya, those were the toughest decisions she has ever made in her life and now she is suffering the consequences. Her closest relationships have been shattered, but she must continue on.

Voya has been named the Matriarch of her witch family; their highest position. Even at such a young age, she is now the official leader of the Thomas family, but how can she be?

Voya doesn’t feel capable, she questions herself and feels like all the adults in her life are questioning her as well. Voya feels they aren’t taking her seriously. Is that true, or are Voya’s own insecurities getting the best of her?

It is an extremely uncomfortable and uncertain position for her to be in.

Making matters worse is that fact that Voya’s love interest, Luc, has completely cut her out of his life. For Voya, it feels like she is losing on all fronts.

Then she has a horrifying vision, one that if it comes to pass could mean total destruction for the witch community. It could mean the death of her entire family.

Confusing Voya is Luc’s presence in the vision. Could he be involved in some way? Is he out to get her revenge on her by punishing her family?

Calling on the ancestors and the greater witch community, Voya begins to investigate the vision. If there is a way to stop it, she must figure it out. She cannot allow that vision to become reality.

It’s my understanding that Blood Like Magic is a duology. This did end with a satisfying conclusion, but I will admit, I will be sad if this is all I ever get with these characters.

You cannot read these two books and come away feeling like you are not a part of the Thomas family. I was so impressed with how intricate Sambury got with these characters. You come away feeling like you know not only these characters, but through the ancestors, their history as well.

There is a lot of action, a very serious plot involved in both of these books, but for me, the character work definitely stole the show.

Even though this is a futuristic story, I loved how inclusive it was and how many current themes and issues were interwoven into it. It touches upon things such as gender identity, mental health, generational trauma and a whole host of familial issues.

I thought that every topic Sambury tackled, she handled with grace and skill. Nothing overshadows the overall plot of the story, but enhances it in a truly lovely way.

If I were to offer forth any critiques on this novel, I would say that for me, this one felt a little long. Not in the fact that I felt there was extra content included that could have been cut, I wouldn’t have cut anything. I just felt like it dragged on a bit too long.

I almost feel like this story could have been better served if it had been made a trilogy versus a duology. Of course, this is completely personal opinion, but I certainly wouldn’t have minded a whole other book in this series.

Overall though, I absolutely loved these two books. I cannot even express to you how impressed I am by Liselle Sambury’s work.

She blew me away with this duology full of heart, Black girl magic and a level of depth rarely obtained in the genre. I highly recommend these books!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Margaret K. McElderry, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Blood Like Fate releases tomorrow, Tuesday, August 9, 2022!!!

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Review: Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

~ megs14malloy

Stay AwakeStay Awake by Megan Goldin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After waking disoriented in a city cab, with disturbing messages inked on her hands and arms, Liv Reese asks the driver to drop her at her brownstone. Once there, Liv realizes she doesn’t have her keys. What a night.

She’s going to have to wake her roommate, Amy, to let her in. It’s not ideal, but can’t be helped. Liv is exhausted. She just wants to sleep off the rest of whatever this is.

Making matters even more confusing, she doesn’t recognize the couple who come to the door of her apartment. Could they possibly be guests of Amy’s?

The woman, in particular, is especially curt and hostile towards Liv. She claims they live there, have for quite some time and have no idea who Liv is, or where Amy could be.

Ejected from the place she considers home, Liv doesn’t know where to turn. Then she finds the bloody knife. Every move Liv makes only seems to lead to more questions.

The next day, she heads to work. The last thing she remembers is answering the phone at her desk. Maybe she can find some answers there.

In the office, things are just as confusing. It looks different and she doesn’t recognize anyone, but somehow they seem to know her.

Stumbling around the city, trying to piece together how she ended up in this state, Liv catches a news report that shows a murder scene with the same message written on a window as is written on her hands.

She pieces together that the last memories she has are from two years ago. What has she been doing all this time, and more importantly, what did she do last night? Is Liv capable of murder?

Through past and present perspectives, the Reader is clued in to the truths surrounding Liv’s memory issues and murky past. The question is, will Liv be able to piece it all together before it’s too late?

She’s on the run, but she doesn’t even realize from what. I’ll admit, her story had me panicking at times. It’s uncomfortable, but in the best ways.

Stay Awake was one of my absolute most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint for a second. I enjoy Goldin’s work so much and this is certainly no exception.

This was an insanely-intense, jaw-dropping, mortifyingly-wild ride. Goldin took me on a freaking journey with this main character. Oh my goodness.

In my opinion, this is a perfect Summer Thriller. Megan Goldin delivers again!!!

I was so confused towards the beginning on this story. It really played on my own anxieties, but in a way that was enjoyable. I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of Liv and wonder how I would handle these circumstances.

It’s hard to even imagine!

This definitely had me at the edge of my seat and I loved how it all played out. We also get the perspective of the police investigation to the initial murder.

The way the two eventually blended together was so well done. Goldin nailed it.

An extra-special thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I did listen to the audiobook and it was fantastic, including narration from one of my all-time favorite narrators, Imogen Church. I highly recommend that format for soaking in this highly engaging Thriller.

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Review: The It Girl by Ruth Ware

~ megs14malloy

The It GirlThe It Girl by Ruth Ware
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Meg’s Ruth Ware Ratings:

1. The Turn of the Key: 5-stars
2. The Lying Game: 4.5-stars
2. The It Girl: 4.5-stars
3. One by One: 4-stars
4. The Death of Mrs. Westaway: 4-stars
5. In a Dark, Dark Wood: 3.5-stars
6. The Woman in Cabin 10: 3-stars

The It Girl has come in strong, tied for second place on my Ruth Ware ratings list. That’s not too shabby.

And before you come at me, I’m totally aware I am in the minority opinion on The Lying Game.

In this novel we follow Hannah, who is married to a charming, handsome man, Will. She’s currently pregnant with their first child and working in a bookshop. So, her life is pretty great.

It hasn’t always been as peaceful, however. A decade earlier, when Hannah was in college, her best friend and roommate, April, was murdered. Hannah found the body.

It was an absolutely terrible time in her life. One Hannah tries hard not to think about. Unfortunately, it’s about to come back to haunt her.

On the night April was killed, Hannah saw a man exiting their dorm just prior to her discovering the body. Through her eye-witness statement this man was ultimately convicted for the crime and has been in prison ever since.

He has proclaimed his innocence the entire way through, but don’t they all say that?

After Hannah receives the news that this man, John Neville, has died in prison, she is contacted by a young journalist who believes he has proof of Neville’s innocence.

This rocks Hannah’s world. Could Neville have been innocent? Did she make a horrible mistake and if she did, who really killed April?

I really enjoyed my time with this story. It is told via alternating timelines, which I always have fun watching unfold and ultimately meld together.

We get Hannah’s present perspective, as she grapples with the news of John Neville’s death, as well as her past perspective, which covers her time at Oxford and her friendship with April.

Both time periods were interesting, although the past perspective did draw me in more quickly than the present perspective. However, the present perspective definitely caught up.

Once Hannah starts questioning what she saw the night of April’s death, she begins a little investigation of her own. She cannot let it go. It was at that point that the present perspective really grabbed me. I love some amateur sleuthing.

Ware did a great job of growing the intensity throughout this story. At the end, we were treated to some real cat-and-mouse moments, which I was living for.

It did have me at the edge of my seat, questioning absolutely everyone. What was the answer!? Who killed April!?

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who has enjoyed Ware’s work in the past. This has her classic touch mixed beautifully with subtle dark academia vibes.

If you haven’t read Ware before, but are interested in trying her work, I do think this would be a great place to start. This story is captivating and well-plotted. Absolutely worth the time!

I am so excited to see Ware will deliver us next!!

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Review: Padawan (Star Wars Canon) by Kiersten White

~ megs14malloy

PadawanPadawan by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Padawan is a YA Star Wars novel by beloved author, Kiersten White. Yes, it is canon and to put it in timeline order, this falls after Dooku: Jedi Lost and prior to Master and Apprentice.

I have really been looking forward to this release and for one main reason: MORE OBI-WAN!!!

At the time this story begins, Obi-Wan and his new master, Qui-Gon Jinn, are residing in Coruscant, the home of the Jedi Temple and the Galactic Senate.

Obi-Wan is becoming increasing frustrated with his position. He longs to be a great Padawan to Qui-Gon, but Qui-Gon is so distracted, he’s not making it easy for young Obi-Wan to feel confident in his training.

Most frustrating to Obi-Wan is how powerless he feels. While his contemporaries are all out on missions throughout the galaxy with their Masters, gaining experience and first-hand knowledge, he is stuck in the capital endlessly studying and meditating.

Something has to give. He wants so much more than this. What is the point otherwise?

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon weren’t paired up in the usual way. They were actually brought together by Master Yoda. Perhaps it was a mistake.

After Qui-Gon’s own Master, Dooku, leaves the Jedi Order rumors begin to fly that Qui-Gon may be considering the same move himself.

This obviously causes great concern for Obi-Wan. What will happen to him if his Master leaves the Order?

In spite of all of the concerns, Obi-Wan is still desperate to make it work with his Master and he eventually gets Qui-Gon to agree to go on a mission to a remote planet.

On the morning they are set to depart, however, Qui-Gon doesn’t show. Obi-Wan, young, impulsive and fed-up, decides to go on the mission solo. He is getting out of Coruscant one way or the other.

Along with a droid, A6, Obi-Wan sets out to find the distant planet once explored by Orla Jareni. Yep, you read that right, we are now getting connections to the High Republic-era.

I really enjoyed this story. Getting to spend this much time deep-diving into the growth and development of one of my all-time favorite characters was an absolute treat.

This is definitely a coming-of-age story and I thought it was really well done. Obi-Wan is questioning everything about his commitment to the Jedi, his connection to the Force and the workings of the galaxy in general.

The experience he gains on this mission is crucial to his development as a Jedi. Obi-Wan questioned himself a lot and having the freedom to explore by himself really helped to build future success for his character. He couldn’t have become who he does without this experience.

I’m really glad that we had the opportunity to get this additional content involving Obi-Wan’s development and his relationship with Qui-Gon.

White did a great job with this one. A must read for fans of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon!

Thank you so much to the publishers, Disney LucasFilms Press and Disney Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I did listen to the audiobook for this one and as always, Star Wars audiobooks are listening gold. There are so many great sound effects and narration. Highly recommend!!

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Review: Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

~ megs14malloy

Just Like HomeJust Like Home by Sarah Gailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Coming back to her childhood home is a very difficult decision for Vera Crowder. There’s a lot of hurdles mentally to overcome. As she stands before it, ready to enter for the first time in 12-years, she’s filled with doubts.

Her mother, Daphne, is extremely ill and in her final days she seems to want Vera by her side; odd considering she never showed interest in Vera before.

In fact, their relationship has been hostile for years, not your typical mother-daughter relationship, but Vera’s whole family history is complicated. That can happen when your father is an infamous serial killer.

Making matters worse is the fact that Vera’s mother has a tenant living on the property, some sort of artist whose interest in the house makes Vera very uncomfortable.

Regardless of his annoying presence, being back in the home definitely stirs up a lot of unresolved issues for Vera. She feels things in the house, it’s unsettling. She’s remembering things she had forgotten.

Through past and present perspectives the Reader is filled in on the truth behind the Crowder house, Vera’s family and unconventional upbringing.

Just Like Home was a highly anticipated release for me. I knew with Sarah Gailey’s impressive writing skills and imagination this would be a memorable story.

It absolutely was. I was drawn in from the very first paragraph. It feels morose, Vera is not necessarily a happy camper. There’s not a lot to be happy about in this situation, but it was absolutely captivating in its quiet intensity.

The way Gailey weaved this story together was so good. There’s a lot of balls in the air, as the Reader you are learning so much in every moment. There are no chapters wasted.

I loved being in Vera’s head as she reflected on her life and the past timeline was so gripping to watch play out. In some ways it felt like a simple story, like the way it unfolded, but when you take the time to think about it, there are so many layers.

Most interesting to me was the relationship that Vera had with her father. An assumption may be that because he was a killer, he would be a harsh and dominating force in her life, but that’s not quite the case.

Additionally, to see the tension between her and her mother, it almost seemed upside-down from what you would expect. And then there was the whole dynamic between the mother and father, which was equally as interesting.

One of the most important aspects for me in any story is atmosphere. I need a strong atmosphere to truly be swept up into a story. I want to feel it, smell it, taste it and generally, be unsettled by it.

Gailey nailed the atmosphere here. This house, oh my word, make no mistake, the house has soul, the house has energy. I always love when the sense of place is this thick in a story. A great example would be The Overlook Hotel in The Shining; where the place is as impactful as any of the characters.

I really had to think about this one after I finished it in order to decide on a rating. Initially, I was thinking it started too slow, but looking back, I feel it was appropriately done.

It is a bit of a slow burn, but the payoff is so over-the-top, vivid and immersive, that it just makes sense this way. Gailey crushed this. It was so freaking weird and creative in such an incredible way.

Thank you so very much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I will remember this one for a long time to come!

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Review: Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

~ megs14malloy

Things We Do in the DarkThings We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paris Peralta is in trouble. After being discovered in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor, with a straight razor in her hand, her celebrity-husband, Jimmy, dead in the bathtub behind her, she’s promptly arrested for his murder.

Not a great way to start a day, following a night she can hardly remember. It appears Paris suffered a head injury at some point during the night. This must be why she can’t remember what happened.

A flurry of media activity immediately flocks to the action. Jimmy Peralta was a well-loved comedic actor, who had recently made a giant comeback. His death is big news.

Paris is devastated and swears that she is innocent. In spite of everything happening around her, Paris actually has bigger worries.

When Paris and Jimmy met, she was a yoga instructor and he attended her classes. He was smitten fairly quickly and she was as well, but she was never truly honest with Jimmy.

She never told him about her past. A past she has been hiding from for years.

Twenty-five years ago, Ruby Reyes, dubbed the ‘Ice Queen’ by the media, was convicted for the murder of a man in Canada. It was a very high profile case, with people still discussing it to this day.

Ruby feels like she knows who Paris really is and she spends the final days of her prison stay writing Paris threatening letters. Apparently, blackmail is a hobby you can participate in from anywhere.

Drew Malcolm is an investigative journalist turned podcaster. His specialty happens to be my favorite: true crime. When he hears that Ruby Reyes is going to be released from prison, he can hardly believe it.

Drew grew up in the same area where Ruby lived and committed her infamous crime. He feels personally connected to the case and decides to make it the next hot topic for his podcast.

Using alternating perspectives, as well as both past and present timelines, the Reader gets taken on a real journey in Things We Do in the Dark.

I didn’t pay much attention to the synopsis before I started this, Jennifer Hillier’s name on the cover was enough to get me to read it, and I’m happy I went into this pretty much blind. I was so surprised each time the direction and perspective of this story shifted.

Unsurprisingly, Hillier’s writing drew me in from the very start. I loved Paris as a character and her relationship with Jimmy. I found it completely fascinating.

For me, Jimmy was that quintessential stand-up comedian turned actor, who suffers from depression and substance abuse issues. He found this beautiful young lady who truly seemed to make him happy and he started to turn his life around. I loved that aspect.

I felt like I knew him, even though he really didn’t play a role in this story.

As far as Paris was concerned, I just got her. I liked her. Learning about her past, I truly felt for all she had been through in her life, all she had overcome and achieved in spite of it.

Additionally, Drew was a fantastic character. I liked how much his investigative journalist background contributed to the story. This man was on a mission.

I had so much fun with the reveals in this, as the three threads begin to weave together. I felt this was expertly-plotted and a great way to escape the world for a while.

I did listen to the audiobook and felt that is was super well done. I was enchanted by the narration. Once I started, it was really hard to put it down for anything.

Dinner, that can wait. Sleep, who needs it? Work, it will be there tomorrow.

In short, I loved this. Fast-paced, compelling and with so many elements that I tend to enjoy, Hillier won big for me with this one!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. It’s clear I am a huge fan of Hillier’s work and this one is no exception.

I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!!

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Review: Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi

~ megs14malloy

Black MouthBlack Mouth by Ronald Malfi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jamie Warren left Sutton’s Quay, West Virginia, as soon as he was old enough, unfortunately leaving his disabled brother, Dennis, behind.

Jamie was running from a lot of things, but no matter where he goes or how much time passes, the memories of his traumatic childhood continue to haunt him.

When he receives a call that his Mother has passed, he has mixed feelings. In spite of Jamie’s complicated relationship with his Mom, he knows he has to go back.

The property will need to be dealt with. Dennis can’t do it himself, so Black Mouth here he comes.

Upon returning to the family farmhouse, Jamie is shocked by the state of it. He can’t believe that his brother and mother had been living in these conditions.

Additionally, his brother has been picked up by the police. Dennis had been walking along the highway, clearly distressed. Sadly, that’s how they’re reunited.

While all this is happening, states away, Jamie’s best friends from childhood, Mia and Clay, are also experiencing things that are drawing their attention back to Black Mouth; the name of the area on the outskirts of Sutton’s Quay where they all grew up.

The trio are pulled back into each other’s lives like moths to a flame, and like many close friends, once they’re back together it’s like no time has passed at all.

Together with Dennis, the three begin to investigate a mysterious man who had a huge impact on their lives all those years ago.

A man who lived in the woods and showed them magical and disturbing things.

Through past and present perspectives you’re drawn into an exceptionally twisted story with horrors great and small. Everything about this was mesmerizing to me. The writing is lush, the imagery is distinct and the atmosphere is intense.

Black Mouth took me for a ride and ultimately left me with tears in my eyes, wondering how long it would be before I read it again. It’s that good.

I’m so glad I preordered a copy of this because I need it gracing my shelves. The story is incredibly detailed and I’m sure there are little things that I missed as I rushed towards the conclusion. It will be an absolute joy to revisit.

There are so many aspects that I loved about this book, but first and foremost would be the phenomenal quality of the storytelling. It’s delicious.

As a King Constant Reader, I couldn’t help but notice things that reminded me of some of my favorite King works. I don’t know anything about Ronald Malfi, but just for me, I liked having all these little reminders of King’s work.

I honestly don’t know if any of it was intentional, like if it was a doffing of the cap, but I sort of hope it was. All the elements brought together was magic for my mind.

Without saying too much, it was in the details, like Dennis reminding me of Duddits, Mia’s name, the carnival vibe, a group of outcast kids fighting evil, even some of the supernatural aspects reminding me of the Bill Hodges trilogy.

Please note, I am not saying this in a negative way. I hope I am explaining myself appropriately. I don’t intend any shade toward Malfi by making these comparisons. I was beyond impressed by Come with Me, my favorite book of 2021, and over the moon excited about this one.

I highly, highly, highly recommend this story for fans of coming of age horror novels. This is absolutely exceptional.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Titan Books and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This could potentially end up as my favorite book of 2022. It’s certainly in the lead for now!

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Review: Upgrade by Blake Crouch

~ megs14malloy

UpgradeUpgrade by Blake Crouch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

After an incident on the job where Logan Ramsey is exposed to possible contaminants, he begins to notice slightly alarming changes happening within himself.

He’s better able to concentrate, requires less sleep, his bones are becoming stronger and more dense. What is going on? It reads almost like he is becoming a superhero.

It’s the near future and the U.S. government has formed a Gene Protection Agency and Logan is one of their field agents. The agency was developed because gene editing has become a serious threat to the planet.

Logan has a lot of experience with gene editing, as his mother was one of the most influential scholars in the field. Unfortunately, not all of her projects ended well, leaving the family name tarnished.

Logan has worked hard to build his reputation back and he is known as a solid agent. That’s why the incident on the job hit him so hard.

He’s taken out of commission, but there’s so much more involved. His genome has been hacked. Was he selected for the upgrade, or was it just coincidence he ended up on that site that day?

We then follow Logan on the various stages of his upgrade, as he investigates who could be behind it and why. Ghosts from his past arise and a true cat-and-mouse game ensues with the fate of humanity at stake.

Blake Crouch is the ultimate SF-Thriller writer. He’s just so damn good. This story was a ton of fun to read. I loved contemplating the science behind it.

Additionally, the gripping plot, intelligent writing and non-stop action made me a very happy girl.

Honesty, I think nothing truly scares me more than certain advances in AI, technology and genetic manipulation. Thinking about how our future could be transformed by these advances, and in my mind it is always in a sinister way, is just fascinating to me.

I do feel this one would be super accessible as far as his titles go. Recursion sort of blew my mind and I can see how some Readers could be intimated by it. Also, Dark Matter got a bit trippy, although I loved it.

I think if you have never read Crouch before, this could be a great place to start to get a sense of his style. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I truly appreciate the opportunity to dive into a little early.

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