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Review: A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

~ megs14malloy

A Box Full of DarknessA Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙✨️💙

Beloved author, Simone St. James, returns to Fell, New York, in her latest Paranormal Mystery, A Box Full of Darkness.

For avid fans of St. James, you may recognize Fell as being the same location as her earlier novel, The Sun Down Motel, which I adored when it released in 2020.

The start of this reminded me so much of The Haunting of Hill House. The Netflix show, not the book. We follow three siblings, Violet, Vail and Dodie, who are essentially called back to the house they grew up in, alongside their younger brother, Ben, who disappeared years before.

There are reports that the property is being haunted by a spirit, at least according to the recent landscaper’s reports. The siblings agree to go back, deal with the past and try to figure out, once and for all, what really happened to Ben all those years ago.

I was really intrigued by this set-up. I liked meeting all the siblings and learning about them. They’re all vastly different, but you can feel the love and support they have for each other.

It’s with great apprehension that the three return to the Fell house and you can feel that uncertainty through the page. The vibes of the house were rich and unsettling. I wanted to know everything about it, and what happened not only to Ben, but everyone else in the family around that time.

I loved this mystery and was completely hooked into it. There were also references alluding to events at The Sun Down Motel, and also, I believe, The Broken Girls, which was really fun. I love little Easter Eggs like that connecting author’s various works.

Overall, I found this very engaging and entertaining. I loved this group of siblings and their complicated family history. I won’t claim it’s a perfect story, but I think if you are looking for something to keep your attention and keep you guessing, this is a fantastic option.

It’s got St. James’s signature style of ‘is it paranormal, is it not paranormal‘, which I really love about her stories. I’m so happy with my experience with this one and look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always look forward to Simone St. James’s new releases and this one didn’t disappoint!

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Review: What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally

~ megs14malloy

What We Did to SurviveWhat We Did to Survive by Megan Lally
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

What We Did to Survive is a YA Survival Thriller from well-loved author, Megan Lally. I’ve read both Lally’s previous works and was excited to get to this 3rd-book from her.

This story follows best friends, Hannah and Emmy, who while on vacation in Mexico take an ill-fated sailing charter, along with Emmy’s brother, Jackson, and her current love interest, Ben, a boy she met at the beach.

The charter is towards the end of their week-long vacation, and the girls only convince Emmy’s parents to let them go sailing with Ben, if her older brother, Jackson, also goes along. He’s not really jazzed about it.

Emmy and Jackson have their own history, so all-in-all it’s an uncomfortable traveling bunch to begin with. As they approach the docks it’s clear inclement weather is coming in. They’re even warned off by a captain of another boat, but Emmy and Ben insist they’re going, and all will be okay.

Against their better judgement, both Hannah and Jackson also agree to go along. We follow their journey from that moment until the very bitter end, and what a journey it is.

This was good. It’s very fast-paced and definitely kept me motivated to keep reading. The concept was fun, but I have to be honest, the character interactions were so grating and annoying for me. I would have tossed them all in the ocean if I’d been on this boat.

I had a hard time even believing that Hannah and Emmy would be friends, let alone best friends. They’re total opposites, with the only thing holding them together seeming to be their shared history.

Additionally, the whole plot is based on a series of dumb choices, which isn’t really bad in and of itself, I just had a hard time connecting with it, or understanding the characters motivations.

That would also be fine in a Survival Thriller if the Survival elements were front and center and kept me engaged. Here I felt the survival part played second fiddle to all of the absolutely OTT-interpersonal drama.

I found all the fighting and yelling so grating. It was like 96% of the character interactions. Also, there was too much ‘let’s air all our grievances’, instead of ‘let’s come up with a plan’ happening for my tastes.

I know this sounds a little doom and gloom, and I don’t mean it to be. This still kept me entertained and I did read it quickly, I just don’t feel like I had as much fun with it as I have with Lally’s previous books.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend it. The action is intense and there is a lot of action. I think if you’re just looking for a Popcorn Thriller, if you want to be glued to the pages, if you love stories set at sea; any of things, you absolutely need to check this one out.

As for me, though it’s not my favorite from Megan Lally, I’m still glad I read it and I look forward to whatever she writes next. I do love how varied her plots and scenarios have been. She has a lot of creativity and it’s anyone’s guess what she’s going to focus on next.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I enjoyed my time with this one.

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Review: Morsel by Carter Keane

~ megs14malloy

MorselMorsel by Carter Keane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Morsel is a Horror Thriller novella that definitely packed more of a punch than I expected. This is also a debut and I was certainly impressed by the creativity of it.

In this story we’re following Lou, who on a work assignment ends up in the hill country of rural-Ohio. It requires the surveying of some land, so she’s on foot through some diverse terrain, but she’s got her dog, Ripley, with her, her truck and her phone. All should be fine.

She sees something horrifying in the woods though, and fearing for her safety and that of Ripley, she races them back to her truck, for what’s she’s hoping will be a fast getaway.

Unfortunately, her truck appears to have been sabotaged, so she’s not escaping this dangerous situation that way. From the plot goes places that I truly didn’t expect.

For a while, I wasn’t sure exactly where Keane was headed with this story. It felt a little odd in the beginning, but I trusted we were gonna get somewhere I was going to enjoy. The build-up was unsettling enough to lock me in.

Then around the mid-way point, an unexpected event startled me so much, it knocked me off my loafers. I was shocked and horrified. I didn’t see it coming. From there it was like I was buckled into a hell ride, holding on for dear life, praying Ripley would be okay.

As mentioned above, IMO Morsel is a really strong debut. While I wasn’t completely sold on every single aspect of the story, I did love that the author took it all the way. There were some great graphic descriptions and a few twists that took me completely by surprise.

If you’re going to deliver me gore, I want it all out and Keane delivered. They didn’t hold anything back, and I appreciated that risk. Overall, a super solid story with some toe-curling descriptions and intriguing social commentary.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to seeing what Carter Keane writes next!

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Review: I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert

~ megs14malloy

I Did Warn HerI Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I Did Warn Her is an Adult Thriller novel set at sea aboard the super-yacht, Opehlia. We follow a cast of characters working as crew members, or paid guests, of the Ophelia during a charter voyage across the Atlantic.

The week-long journey should be a piece of cake, but it turns out to be anything but with bodies dropping and valuable belongings going missing. Suspicions and paranoia flares. Before you know it, no one trusts anyone else. It’s a mess.

The concept of this is very Below Deck meets Locked Room Murder Mystery and I was on board for that. Unfortunately, even though the concept was strong, the execution was lacking, in my humble opinion.

Initially, I was intrigued. The group of stewardesses who work on the Ophelia are all described as carbon copies of each other. Why would the owner want such a specific type?

I thought that was a little weird, and if I had been aboard it probably would have icked me out. Unfortunately, I felt like not only were they described as carbon copies of one another, but they also felt it. I had a very hard time distinguishing between them.

We are told the story via quite a few different perspectives. Honestly, I read the whole thing and I cannot with confidence tell you how many perspectives there were, which in my mind, is sort of a problem.

I enjoyed the setting and dramatic feel, but the indecipherable perspectives sort of ruined it for me. I wish it would have been told from the perspective of one stewardess and one escort. I think it still could have been exciting and intriguing with that aspect reined in a bit.

With these issues in mind, it ended up being a big ole’ miss for me. It’s one of those cases of ‘great concept, poor execution’. Saying poor execution seems harsh, and it is a bit, I just felt like it was too messy, with too many similar characters to properly keep track of.

I enjoyed Sian Gilbert’s previous novel, She Started It, and was expecting more of the same here. At the end of the day though, I just walk away disappointed.

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

Even though this one didn’t work for me personally, I would definitely be willing to check out more from this author.

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Review: King Sorrow by Joe Hill

~ megs14malloy

King SorrowKing Sorrow by Joe Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Arthur Oakes, a college student at Rackham College in Maine, is in love with Gwen Underfoot. She’s the girl of his dreams, and maybe their relationship would have flourished if it hadn’t been for a local drug dealer and her cronies.

What did they do, you ask? They corner poor, sweet Arthur and press him, in ways I won’t get into here, to commit terrible crimes. They make him steal rare books from the college library’s special collections that they can then turn around and sell on the black market.

Feeling trapped and not knowing how to get out of the situation he’s found himself in, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help. After a productive brain storming session, they come up with a plan.

Arthur’s friend, Colin, has a tome known as the Crane journal, bound in the skin of its author, which provides them with a spell to summon a dragon, known as King Sorrow, who will do their bidding.

Sounds fantastical, doesn’t it? Well, that’s sort of what the friends think as well, but what do they have to lose? Arthur needs help, and perhaps this is the answer.

Dealing with dragons is never easy though, and the friends find themselves in way over their heads. A bargain has been struck and its one that will plague them for years to come.

Every year, from then on, the six friends must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow, or risk becoming his next meal.

King Sorrow is one of those exceptional 5-star reads for me that I find close to impossible to review. How many ways can you write how much you love something? I’m no poet, so for me, the possibilities are limited.

I feel like with this novel, the proverbial torch had been passed from father to son, and I won’t lie, it made me a little emotional. I was finding so many nods to the greater Kingverse and it was giving me life. It’s brilliant.

I’ll never be able to write a review for this phenomenal story that adequately expresses how much I enjoyed it. The epic feel of this and the little subplots, the way they’re all interconnected, it’s so good. King Sorrow is one of those books that you love so much, you’re left speechless.

This entire thing, from the character development, plot progression and basic construction, is Chef’s Kiss. This has skyrocketed Joe Hill to a whole new level for me, and honestly, I think for the world.

I’ve loved following his career trajectory, and I know it’s only going to get better from here. There’s no limit to what this man can dream and achieve.

William Morrow, you blessed me with an ARC, but I’ve of course since bought my own copy. Thank you so, so much. I can’t recommend this story enough.

My favorite book of 2025!!!

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Review: Showstopper by Lily Anderson

~ megs14malloy

ShowstopperShowstopper by Lily Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Showstopper is a blend of YA Contemporary meets Horror-Thriller ((light)), all set at a theater camp. When I read the synopsis, I knew this was one that I had to check out.

I’ve previously read one other book from Lily Anderson, Undead Girl Gang, and I absolutely loved it. I was excited to pick up another novel from her, and this certainly sounded like it’d be right up my alley.

This story follows 17-year old, Faye, and her friends at the Ghostlight Youth Theater Camp. This is Faye’s last year to take part in the camp, because the age limit is 17. She’s hoping it will be the best summer yet.

Faye feels like she’s finally ready to break out from the good girl parts she’s been type-cast in before. She’s ready to take center stage and wants to go after the leading role in their Riverdale-inspired production.

As soon as she starts to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight though, problems arise. She’d be competing with her BFF for the role, and that’s never really a great idea.

She’s also surprisingly attracted to the new boy at camp and that’s hella distracting. There’s just a lot of drama going on, which eventually takes a sharp, and very deadly, turn.

With stagehands disappearing and mysterious accidents occurring left and right, Faye isn’t sure if this production will ever truly come to fruition.

This was a cute story. I liked learning about the characters, as well as the drama and the history of the camp. The theater camp setting was fantastic. It wasn’t just an idea in the background, it was incorporated continuously throughout the story.

I also appreciated how diverse the cast was. I feel like the characters we got to know were all well-developed, and their interactions believable.

I think for me though, this was much more focused on the interpersonal drama than I was expecting. I feel like it’s sort of sold as a Slasheresque story, so I was expecting much more action and intensity than I actually got.

We were very much focused on the interpersonal dramas, which is fine and it did keep it entertaining. I did like the mystery too of who was messing with the production and those involved. I just kind of wanted more of that.

I wanted more action surrounding the accidents, injuries and deaths. Then also, the reveal made me more sad than anything. It just kind of put a bit of dark cloud over a story I was just really looking to have fun with.

These small criticisms shouldn’t take away from the great story the author has created here, it just wasn’t exactly to my tastes, or what I was looking for when I picked it up. I would recommend it for anyone who thinks the synopsis sounds intriguing, and musical theater lovers.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to picking up more from this author!

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Review: The Midnight Knock by John Fram

~ megs14malloy

The Midnight Knock: A NovelThe Midnight Knock: A Novel by John Fram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Midnight Knock is a really difficult book to talk about without giving anything away. I’ve been sitting with my thoughts on this one for a month. I’ve been trying to figure out a fair way to explain why this didn’t work for me more than it ultimately did.

While reading, I was locked in the majority of the way through, finding it completely engrossing. There’s a dark mystery to all that’s happening, and I was so desperate to get to the bottom of it.

This story follows a group of strangers coming together and having to survive the night at a remote Texas motel. The majority of the characters are traveling in pairs and over the course of the story, we learn about them and what brought them to where they’re at.

There’s also a murder mystery component, where a guest at the hotel, Sarah Powers, is killed and now they all need to figure out the whodunit before it’s too late.

And by too late, I mean the owner’s of the hotel give the remaining guests an ultimatum. If they don’t figure out who did it by midnight, they’ll all die when the protective motel lights go out, because there’s something sinister lurking out in the West Texas dark.

The Midnight Knock channels some of the vibes of From Dusk Till Dawn and pairs them with The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. As mentioned above, it does have a super compelling build.

However, for me, the downfall was when the truth behind what was happening was revealed. The component at the heart of the matter lost all of it’s sinister nature for me. It just felt ridiculous, like, this is what we’ve been in fear of this whole time?

In the end, I was just disappointed by the whole conclusion. I hated the way the big bad was ultimately portrayed after that huge, intense, and slightly disturbing build.

The 3.5-stars definitely is here for the vibes, the characters and the mystery. It’s worth picking up because I feel like my issue with it is personal taste, and you could feel completely differently. John Fram is obviously a very talented writer and I have to give them props for taking risks and being creative.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. While this isn’t my favorite from this author, I am still glad I read it and can appreciate its merits.

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Review: The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

~ megs14malloy

The StormThe Storm by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Storm centers around the coastal town of St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, known for the deadly hurricanes that frequently sweep through. It’s also known for Lo Bailey, a local girl accused of killing the governor’s son, Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

We meet a cast of characters all connected to this town, and the Rosalie Inn, a century-old inn that seems to have been able to weather any storm. The Rosalie is currently owned and run by Geneva Corliss, but the property has been in her family for many years.

When Geneva hears about a writer coming to town to research the Fitzroy murder, she feels a glimmer of hope, not about solving the crime, but about the potential windfall that a successful True Crime book could bring to the Inn.

August Fletcher, the writer, will be staying at the Inn as a guest while he does some research, but he doesn’t come alone. Geneva is shocked when he shows up with none other than Lo Bailey in tow.

Lo claims she’s returned to town to clear her name once and for all, but the more Geneva interacts with Lo and August, she wonders if there’s not something more going on.

As another storm bears down on St. Medard’s Bay, things at the Inn begin to heat up and tension builds. Will the truth of that storm in 1984 finally be revealed after all, or will there just be more death and destruction instead?

This is a good book, though certainly not my favorite from Hawkins. I’m rounding up to 4-stars based on how great the production of the audiobook is. The full cast truly brought this story to life for me and I enjoyed listening to it.

I don’t think if I’d just read a hard copy I would have enjoyed it as much. Because of that, I strongly urge those with access to the audiobook, to go that route if you pick it up. I predict it’ll make for a more pleasurable reading experience.

This is a very character driven story and because of that having the various narrators definitely made it more captivating. There’s nothing particularly suspenseful, or mysterious, about it in my opinion, but if you’re down for the drama, it’s still entertaining.

I personally could have done with more atmosphere and more suspense, but it was fun to watch all of the various pieces come together until the truth was finally revealed.

I did like how Hawkins formatted it, the bits of mixed media and just the way it was told overall. It did keep me engaged, though I am a big fan of twisted dramas in general. I was also quite satisfied with the ending and felt fairly connected to Geneva by the end.

I would recommend this to Rachel Hawkins fans, particularly if you enjoyed The Heiress, which I feel this most closely resembles. Again, I definitely recommend the audiobook, as it’s a fantastic listening experience.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. While this won’t go down in history as my favorite Rachel Hawkins book, it was still quite entertaining and I look forward to whatever she writes next!

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Review: The Devouring Light by Kat Ellis

~ megs14malloy

The Devouring LightThe Devouring Light by Kat Ellis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Devouring Light is the latest from Kat Ellis, who wrote one of my all-time favorite YA Horror novels, Burden Falls. That book solidified me as a Kat Ellis fan, so I’ve been looking forward to this one.

Once I started reading, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down, finishing it in a day. I was reminded how freaking great Ellis is at this whole writing thing.

In this story we are following Haden Romero, a musician, who is on her way to a music festival along with her BFF and bandmate, Kizi, when they experience car troubles.

Luckily, or maybe unluckily, they make it to a service station where they run into Haden’s main rival from her childhood, musician Deacon Rex, front man of the band Rex Mori. Not wanting to leave them stranded, Deacon agrees for the two girls to ride with him and his bandmates on their tour bus.

Making the situation even more uncomfortable for Haden is the fact that her ex, Cairo, is now the drummer for Rex Mori and is also on the bus.

It’ll be fine. Haden thinks they can just make it through the ride and then go their separate ways. It seems the universe though, may have something else in mind.

The bus crashes, leaving them marooned in a treacherous swamp in the middle of nowhere. The aftermath of the crash is chaos. Haden just wants to find everyone and find a safe place to collect themselves while they await help.

The only shelter they’re able to find though is a decaying old house. It looks like it’s been vacant for a long, long time, but there’s an ominous feeling suffocating them from the moment they stumble upon it.

Intermixed amongst the present sections of Haden and the other musicians, we get mixed media excerpts that are focused on a more historical glimpse of the property known as The Light.

The very first part of the story actually is one of these mixed media passages, so I really ended up loving the back and forth between those two aspects. It was fun to watch as it became more clear how it was all going to be connected.

Ellis didn’t waste any time introducing us to the main characters, their relationships and then getting us to the swamp, where the bulk of the action occurs. I really loved that setting. I haven’t read too many stories set in this kind of place, and it was a nice change.

The descriptions of the house and the surrounding area were so good. The house felt like it had a pulse. It felt that real and I was scared for our characters being there, but they had no other options. The outside was just as dark and dangerous; full of terrors.

I loved the plot progression a cringe-worthy horror imagery. There was something Cabin Fever about it and I really enjoyed that. The trapped feeling, the desperation and the disgusting descriptions of various things happening to bodies; yikes.

The end gets pretty crazy, but I was here for it. By then I was so hooked in. Ellis could have told me anything and I would have been like, yep, that makes total sense.

I think for Readers who are willing to sit back and just have a good time and go for it, this will work very well. It’s creepy, full of great atmosphere and some pretty yucky bug/creature stuff. A read I would definitely recommend for any YA Horror Reader.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Ellis will continue to be one of my go-to authors in the YA Horror space!

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Review: The Story That Wouldn’t Die (Jolene Garcia #2) by Christina Estes

~ megs14malloy

The Story That Wouldn't Die: A Mystery (Jolene Garcia Mysteries Book 2)The Story That Wouldn’t Die: A Mystery by Christina Estes
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Story That Wouldn’t Die is the 2nd-book in the Jolene Garcia Mystery series. I actually didn’t realize this was the 2nd-book when I accepted it from the publisher, though that didn’t really affect my experience.

I think had I picked up the 1st-book though, I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up.

I’ll be frank, this Mystery wasn’t to my tastes. I thought I was picking up a Cozy, but it definitely wasn’t that. I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but it the entire thing felt so forced. There was nothing cozy about it, IMO, and it was hardly mysterious.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the opposite, hard-edged, or compelling, either. I actually didn’t care for the MC, so that certainly didn’t help matters. I’m glad I gave it a shot, but I will not be continuing with the series.

I generally like mysteries that involve journalists, but this didn’t end up scratching that itch. The writing felt more like the author had bullet pointed issues she wanted to include, got all those in and then tried to build a mystery around it.

It just didn’t work and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience. The audiobook narration by Devon Sorvari was solid though, and that definitely helped me to push through and complete it. Otherwise, I’m not sure I would have.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.

If the synopsis and mystery presented sounds interesting to you, go ahead and give it a go. You may end up loving it!

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