ARC

Review: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

~ megs14malloy

Vampires of El NorteVampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Set in 1840’s Mexico, Vampires of El Norte is a love story a lifetime in the making. It’s more than just a love story between two people though. It also speaks to the love of the land, one’s home and culture.

This is the latest release from Isabel Cañas. It’s a beautifully told Historical Romance story with well-blended Horror elements. We’re talking creepy vampires!

Having loved The Hacienda, I was so excited for this release. Not only did it sound amazing, but the cover is easily one of my favorites of all time.

While this started a little slow, taking me about a week to make it through the first 10%, after I got through the initial build-up, I couldn’t put it down.

In this story, we are following two young people, Nena and Néstor. Nena is the daughter of a wealthy rancher and Néstor was her childhood best friend.

The two were inseparable as kids, even past the point where it was considered appropriate. They would sneak off and slowly, over time, they began to grow sweet on one another.

During one of their secretive late night rendezvous, Nena was attacked by a mysterious monster. Néstor races her to help, but believing Nena dead, he promptly flees the area. He’s been on the run ever since, wracked with grief, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero.

When the heart of our story begins, nine years have passed since that terrifying night of Nena’s attack.

Nena has remained on her parent’s ranch, training with Néstor’s Grandmother to become a curandera. When war threatens to spill over their borders, the locals gather together and form a cavalry to fight back against the invaders from the United States.

Nena’s father is in charge and she convinces him to let her travel with the group as their healer. Men will be getting sick and injured and she knows she can prove herself useful.

Preparing to travel to the battlefields, Nena and Néstor are reunited with very mixed feelings. Néstor has lived the past 9-years feeling guilty for Nena’s presumed death and Nena has lived the past 9-years feeling abandoned by Néstor.

Good ole’ fashioned romantic miscommunication ensues.

As frightening and dangerous as war is, the nightmares from Nena and Néstor’s past still lurk in the shadows and they’re about to become more threatening than ever.

Forced to work together, will Nena and Néstor be able to put their misunderstandings aside long enough to rid their country from their enemies, both human and non-human?

As I mentioned above, this did take me a little bit to really become invested in. Once Nena and Néstor were reunited though, I was hooked. I loved their chemistry.

The journey of their relationship, as well as what was happening in the plot was just so satisfying. I really enjoyed them getting to know one another as adults.

The side characters, as well, added a lot. Both of them had family members still rather prominent in their lives and it was interesting watching all those dynamics play out.

I am not a Historical Fiction reader generally. It’s definitely not a genre I gravitate towards, however the way Cañas expertly blends in convincing Supernatural Horror elements really sells it for me.

I love the imagery she creates. These vampires are definitely not the sparkly kind. I also appreciate the vivid settings and how much culture plays a role in the story. You really get a sense of place and time from her writing.

Overall, I just had a really great time with this. I felt transported. This was the perfect type of romance story for me. I will remember this one for a long time.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Cañas delivers next!!!

View all my reviews

Review: I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

~ megs14malloy

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is MeI Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me is a debut YA Horror novel from Jamison Shea.

This story explores the uber-competitive world of professional dance; specifically, ballet. The setting is Paris and our MC, Laure Mesny, is just finishing up her training and is beginning her professional career.

Even though she has consistently been top in her class, Laure is constantly overlooked and she feels like she can never stop proving herself.

As a Black girl in a vastly White girl profession, Laure doesn’t fit the mold of what society expects its ballerinas to look like. Because of this, she has to fight extra hard for every achievement. She’s used to it, but that doesn’t make it less emotionally draining.

Unbeknownst to her, Laure is about to find a way to change her position. She’s going to gain a power that will help her achieve everything she’s ever dreamed of.

Lured by a new friend, Laure ventures deep into the heart of the infamous Paris Catacombs and strikes a deal with a primordial river of blood.

((Cue Danse Macabre))

As she passes her bitter peers is status and fame, Laure keeps in mind the way they treated her before. She hasn’t forgotten and trust, she certainly hasn’t forgiven.

She’s not the only one with claws though and these dancers are willing to fight back. How far will Laure go, and what price is she willing to pay, to achieve ultimate power?

I liked this. I think as a debut this shows a lot of promise. The topics explored were compelling and the level of creativity was impressive.

I did find some areas of the narrative to be a little confusing, particularly in the second half and there were moments that slowed way down, which I didn’t find quite as interesting.

Overall, I do think this is a strong debut though. The descriptions were vivid and I enjoyed going along with Laure on her journey. She did undergo quite a transformation over the course of the story.

There is a romantic subplot that I could have done without as well. I would have preferred if it had remained focused on ambition and the relationship dynamics between the female characters, but that is 100%-personal taste.

I would be interested to see, if there is another book, where it goes from here. There’s definitely a lot of possibilities following this ending.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from Jamison Shea!!

View all my reviews

Review: In a Quiet Town by Amber Garza

~ megs14malloy

In a Quiet TownIn a Quiet Town by Amber Garza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

In a Quiet Town is the latest release from one of my auto-buy authors, Amber Garza. I have read all of Garza’s published works and have enjoyed them all.

There’s just something so addicting and entertaining about her style of tense Domestic Dramas. There’s always a bit of mystery and intrigue, as well as interesting explorations of different familial relationships.

In this story we meet Tatum, a mother of two grown children and wife to a pastor in a small California town.

At the beginning of the story, we learn that Tatum has recently reconnected with her estranged daughter, Adrienne. Years ago, Tatum’s husband basically disowned Adrienne because she wasn’t living up to his lofty expectations.

Adrienne was happy to get out from under the thumb of her overbearing father and has been living her own life ever since, recently working as a bartender.

Tatum has missed having her daughter in her life and has started secretly visiting her at the bar. She was delighted when Adrienne seemed open to them reconnecting.

Tatum has become a regular at the bar, going in once a week on a night she knows Adrienne will be working. One night though, Adrienne isn’t there and none of her coworkers have seen or heard from her.

Tatum knows something is wrong. Adrienne is not the type of girl to just not show up at work. Plus, she knows it is the night her mother visits. She would have called in. Something must have happened to her.

As Tatum starts searching for Adrienne, she doesn’t find a lot of help. The police seem to think she has just run off for space, or whatnot, but Tatum knows that’s not true.

Eventually, she meets a man claiming to be Adrienne’s fiance. This comes as a complete shock to Tatum. Why didn’t Adrienne mention she was engaged?

Then again, they have just rekindled their relationship, perhaps her daughter felt it was too personal to share.

Regardless, Tatum is just happy that someone else is as distraught about Adrienne’s disappearance as she is. At the end of the day though, can she really trust this guy?

They begin working together trying to figure out where Adrienne is. As the intensity builds, it becomes clear that she didn’t leave of her own volition and could still be in terrible danger. Can Tatum find her before it’s too late?!

As always, I was immediately drawn in by Garza’s characters. From the start, I wanted to know more about Tatum and enjoyed learning about her life and family.

Garza excels at creating believable mother-child relationships. Sometimes I will be reading along and a quick line, or thought pattern, will give me chills or bring me close to tears. I always love the relationships she builds within her stories, because they aren’t always easy.

This one actually made me uncomfortable at times because it felt so real. There is a strong religious aspect due to Tatum’s husband being a pastor, which played a large role in Adrienne’s estrangement.

While I don’t have a lot of that in my background, and can’t really comment on how it would impact a family dynamic, the circumstances put forth in this novel seemed very believable to me.

I liked how Tatum, even though she was a mother of grown children, felt like she was still learning about herself, growing and coming into her own.

Part of her growth was due to the love of her children and her unwillingness to give up on Adrienne. I found that character growth really powerful. It was nice to see that just because she was a well-established adult, her life didn’t have to remain static. She could make changes.

It did get pretty intense. By about the halfway point, I was yelling at the book while reading. Particularly any scene involving a man. I wanted to smack them all.

Please note, that’s not my general demeanor, but these guys deserved it.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a tense domestic drama blended with a nice mystery. Bonus points, if you enjoy reading about mother-child relationships. Also, if you have enjoyed any of Amber Garza’s work in the past, you should definitely pick this one up.

Thank you so much to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I will continue to pick up anything from this author and am already anticipating the next release!!

View all my reviews

Review: Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney

~ megs14malloy

Good Bad GirlGood Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Good Bad Girl is the latest release from the Queen of the Twist, Alice Feeney. I’m not ashamed to start this review by saying I am a Feeney-Fangirl. I love her stories.

As for this one, I have been anticipating it all year and am so happy to report, it did not disappoint.

I loved the tagline of this book’s synopsis: Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things. From the moment I read that I wanted to know more.

Like the tagline, the book itself delivered that kind of intriguing teaser, chapter after chapter. This story does follow multiple perspectives and initially, I’ll admit, to having moments of slight confusion.

I didn’t let that bother me though. I trust Feeney’s process and knew all would be revealed in good time. I just sat back, relaxed and let the story flow over me. It was amazing.

This follows 80-year old, Edith, currently residing in Windsor Care Home, but it wasn’t by her choice and she’s not happy about it. Patience, a care home worker, is Edith’s closest confidant, but she’s harboring secrets of her own.

Edith’s daughter, Clio, gets most of the brunt of her mother’s anger about her current living situation and with Mother’s Day upon them, that should make for an interesting visit.

Frankie, a librarian at a prison, is also saddened with Mother’s Day approaching, but for reasons of her own. Her only daughter left home in anger a year ago and she hasn’t seen her since.

After a murder at the care home, things begin to really heat up for our characters. People on the run, confrontations, incidents with the police, it’s non-stop action and eyebrow-raising reveals until the very end.

As mentioned above, initially the number of perspectives did seem like a lot, but they were all interesting. I never minded learning more about each specific character.

Additionally, discovering the truth behind how all the perspectives were connected was just so fun. There were a lot of different layers to the drama.

One aspect of this I found especially interesting was how a lot of this has to do with individuals, who are in a vulnerable position, having decisions made for them. Then it sort of unpacked the circumstances and the repercussions of that.

The relationships involved in these scenarios, while over the top here, were actually quite relatable and believable. Particularly those pertaining to an aging parent, or to the early stages of motherhood.

I feel like Feeney did a great job bringing that level of substance to her signature style of twisty-Thriller. The added element to it all was the murder mystery at the heart of the story. That was so fun to try to figure out.

Overall, I think Feeney delivered with this one. It’s a real page-turner. If you have patience with it and let the perspectives fall into place, I think you’ll be able to enjoy it as much as I did.

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

At this point, I will pick up anything Alice Feeney writes. I have never been disappointed. Her perfect record continues!

View all my reviews

Review: Dark Corners (Rachel Krall #2) by Megan Goldin

~ megs14malloy

Dark Corners (Rachel Krall, #2)Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dark Corners is the second novel Megan Goldin has written featuring True Crime Podcaster, Rachel Krall. Even though this is the second book with Rachel as a main character, in my opinion, this can be enjoyed as a standalone.

I would recommend the first novel though, The Night Swim, because it is such a great story. Additionally, I would recommend the audiobooks for both of these titles, as the podcasting elements translate so well to that format.

This story begins shortly after Rachel finishes up her investigation that was covered in the first book. She has just returned home and is ready for a little R&R. It’s at that time, of course, that she receives an intriguing call from an FBI Agent located in Florida.

He’s working an active missing person case. It’s a bit of an odd case and he is seeking Rachel’s help. Unable to resist temptation to learn more about the case, Rachel agrees to meet with him. She packs her bag and heads out.

The missing person in question is Maddison Logan, a young influencer with a huge social media following. She had recently been to visit a man, Terence Bailey, imprisoned on a B&E charge, but long suspected of actually having been responsible for the deaths of six women.

Shortly after leaving the prison, Maddison disappears. The FBI have hit a dead end. Maddison’s life is a complete mystery. She doesn’t even use her real name. How are they ever going to find out more about her?

Thus, Rachel gets shoved into the world of high-profile influencers. Creating a fake Instagram account, Rachel is able to infiltrate BuzzCon, a popular influence conference, which happens to be underway in the local area.

There Rachel learns more about the influencer culture, Maddison and the people she associates with online. Per usual, Rachel is like a dog with a bone when it comes to investigating crimes. She won’t give up until she gets answers. The FBI definitely called on the right girl.

I really enjoyed this one. I was a bit nervous going in, because I had read some less than stellar early reviews, but luckily, for me, this was a hit rather than a miss.

I became invested in the mystery early and felt the audiobook was an incredible way to experience it. I liked the examination of influencer culture and the convention was a great way for Rachel to immerse herself in that community.

I also found the mystery involving Terence Bailey and Maddison’s disappearance so interesting. There were a lot of moving pieces and it wasn’t always as easy to make out who was who, but I feel like it had a way of working itself out.

There were moments where I would start to get confused amongst the characters, but overall, I feel like Goldin pulled it together as the reveals were starting to happen.

There was a romance subplot, which I’m on the fence about. I could have taken it, or left it far behind. I ended up really liking the love interest, so I’m ultimately okay with it and actually hope they are in future books.

With this being said, at no time during The Night Swim did I ever think, you know what would make this better? If Rachel had a man? Never once.

Of course, if that is my biggest meh-moment with this story, I would say that’s pretty good. I’m not sure what the plans are for Rachel Krall. If there are going to be more books in this series, or not. I certainly hope so.

I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys taut and compelling mysteries, with a True Crime podcast element. I think these mysteries are well plotted and there are exciting twists and turns along the way.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I look forward to more from Megan Goldin!

View all my reviews

Review: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

~ megs14malloy

The Salt Grows HeavyThe Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Salt Grows Heavy is a good novella. The writing is gorgeously-dark, with a lot of solid body horror, but it was just a little too abstract for my tastes.

((^^^ Clearly kidding ^^^))

My opinion matters not at all. If this sounds intriguing to you, definitely give it a shot. In fact, I want to be clear, I did enjoy this. I liked it. It’s a solid novella. I just could not tell you the point, or really what happened at all.

I think it is a fresh, yet horrific, take on The Little Mermaid, but I’m only pulling that from the publisher’s synopsis. Honestly, I would never have guessed that while reading this story, if I hadn’t been prompted ahead of time.

I think Cassandra Khaw is an incredibly smart and creative human. Khaw is most likely too smart for me. I do really appreciate their horror imagery though. It’s always a bit body horror, always a bit wildly-detailed and it never fails to make my toes curl.

I am going to continue picking up Khaw’s stories. Every time I am impressed with the creation. Some aspects hit, some aspects miss, but it’s always intriguing.

This is a bit of a short review for me, but this novella is just over 100-pages and I really didn’t understand 98-of the pages, so not sure what else to say.

Writing = beautiful; concept = over my head.

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

As mentioned, I find Khaw’s stories captivating, if a bit confusing. I definitely look forward to seeing what they deliver next!

View all my reviews

Review: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

~ megs14malloy

ThornhedgeThornhedge by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Thornhedge, T. Kingfisher brings her lush, humorous and whimsical storytelling to a quick and adorably-reimagined Sleeping Beauty origin story.

Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors. I have loved everything of hers that I have ever read and after reading this, it doesn’t appear that is going to change anytime soon.

I will try to write an unbiased review, but it will be difficult. I’m a fan girl, what can I say?

In this story we meet Toadling, who as an infant was stolen and transported to live in the world of the faeries. They treated her well, and her early life was undeniably warm and comfortable. She couldn’t lodge many complaints.

Once she came into adulthood though, the faeries asked a favor of her that ended up changing everything.

She is asked to return to the world of humans to bless a newborn child. A little girl. A bumbling, beautiful baby girl…

A century later, a knight approaches a wall of brambles, an impenetrable fortress of thorns. He’s heard legends of a cursed Princess high in a tower. He’s here to save her, as knights do.

Toadling, however, has different thoughts on this so-called curse and she’ll do anything to uphold it. You’ll have to read this enchanting story to find out why.

This was a super fun and quick read, which I did listen to on audio. It has a nice, cozy feel to it, that I definitely need every once in a while to break up my darker reads.

I enjoyed how Kingfisher gave us enough of the original tale that you could figure out what she was alluding to, yet she brought her own original twist that caused me to view the fairy tale in a while new light.

The twist itself was fascinating to me. Darker than I expected, but whimsical at the same time. I was really impressed with it.

I think it is a great example of Kingfisher’s skill as a writer. I also highly enjoyed the narration of the audiobook. This story is pure, engaging entertainment.

I would recommend it to any Reader who enjoys twists on classic tales, whimsical, cozy fantasies, or Kingfisher’s work in general. There is no way this story isn’t going to bring a smile to your face.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. T. Kingfisher is a gift. She has a gift and she is a gift!

I will continue picking up every single thing she writes.

View all my reviews

Review: Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin

~ megs14malloy

Night Will Find YouNight Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Night Will Find You introduces the Reader to Vivvy Bouchet, an astrophysicist with special gifts. Since she was 10-years old, and made a predication that saved a boy’s life, Vivvy has been navigating the voices in her head.

Her visions are completely at odds with the science she is trained in, but Vivvy can’t deny the validity of either.

The boy she saved all those years ago, Mike, is now a Fort Worth cop. He’s never forgotten Vivvy’s abilities. Therefore, as he struggles to solve a high-profile cold case of a missing young girl, he reaches out to Vivvy for help.

It’s a bit of a last resort, but Mike really believes Vivvy could be able to lead them to the truth behind this girl’s disappearance. While Vivvy isn’t crazy about the idea, or the potential spotlight it could bring, she reluctantly agrees.

After Vivvy’s involvement in the case becomes known to a popular Texas podcaster, Bubba Guns ((read Alex Jones)), known for spewing inflammatory conspiracy theories, he begins talking about her on his show.

He holds nothing back, questioning Vivvy’s abilities, her career, her past, and the sanity of the police department for seeking her help in the first place. Bubba’s focus on Vivvy unfortunately brings her a lot of unwanted attention.

Unable to stomach the lies being spread about her, Vivvy decides to fight back. Of course this does nothing but get the snowball moving faster down the hill.

Vivvy needs to solve this case and quickly. Will she ever be able to get her normal life back?

This was a bit of mixed bag for me, but overall I did enjoy it. The audiobook is narrated by one of my favorites, Karissa Vacker, and I recommend that format. I think Vacker’s narration definitely contributed to my enjoyment and how quickly I was able to finish it.

The MC, Vivvy, in particular, was very interesting. I enjoyed learning about her past and her odd relationships with her family members. If there were more books with her as the main character, I would pick them up. It would be interesting to see where she goes from here.

I wasn’t necessarily into the podcaster, or conspiracy theory elements, in this context. I’ll admit, my eyes sometimes glazed over in those sections. I wish this could’ve just focused on the missing person case.

I recognize that is a personal taste issue, however, and many Readers may find that interesting. It just didn’t end up working for me.

With this being said, I did think the mystery was well plotted. That’s why I am thinking if this were a series, the next book could work even better for me, if it didn’t have the podcasting angle.

Overall, I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy stories where people with psychic abilities aid law enforcement with missing persons cases. The mystery itself was its strongest point, IMO.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Karissa Vacker’s narration, unsurprisingly, receives two thumbs up!

View all my reviews

Review: None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

~ megs14malloy

None of This Is TrueNone of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lisa Jewell’s latest Psychological Thriller grabbed my attention from the start and held it all the way through. This was absolutely addictive!!

When I first heard about this, I could hardly believe it. A story that follows two women turning forty-five, and I am turning forty-five this year. It can’t be coincidence…

I just knew I was going to love it and per usual, I was right. Not only did I love it, I freaking loved it. This will definitely be on my Favorites of the Year list.

An added treat was Buddy Reading it with my beautiful niece, Lyss. I definitely recommend it for Buddy Reads or Book Clubs. There’s a lot to discuss.

This story follows two women, Alix Summers, a popular podcaster, and Josie Fair, an unassuming woman, whose profession is so inconsequential, I can’t recall it.

Alix and Josie bump into each other for the first time in the bathroom of a local pub, coincidentally on the day they were both turning 45. They were birthday twins!

Shortly after, they bump into each other again outside of the school that Alix’s children currently attend, and Josie’s attended years ago.

As they are chatting, Josie, who has listened to Alix’s podcast, pitches an idea to her. Alix should do a podcast focusing on Josie’s life.

Josie tells Alix that she is on the brink of making some very drastic changes and she’d like Alix to document the process.

Even though Alix finds Josie’s vibe unsettling, she admits there’s something fascinating about her. She is intrigued.

Unable to resist temptation to dig into Josie’s life, Alix accepts her offer and begins to record the podcast, inviting Josie to her home studio for interview sessions.

From that point on, the women’s lives become entangled. It doesn’t take long for Alix to suspect that Josie is so much more than she initially appeared. Josie is a smart woman, who happens to be hiding some very dark secrets.

Josie infiltrates Alix’s life so deeply, she eventually ends up living at her house. Alix hardly knows how any of this happened and then suddenly, Josie’s gone. That’s when Alix’s real nightmare begins.

I was completely swept up in the lives of these two women. I loved the back and forth, learning about their past and present circumstances. Their dynamic, as well, was fascinating.

Right off the bat, I was intrigued and I felt like I was being misdirected in some way. The path the story took, I was never quite sure who I could trust.

As the story progresses, it’s like a veil being pulled from your eyes, but I still couldn’t believe what I was reading. It was so twisted!

I absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fast-paced and tense Psychological Thrillers. Bonus points if you have enjoyed Jewell’s work in the past, or love stories that incorporate a podcast, or true crime, element.

For the record, I thought Jewell nailed the podcast turned True Crime documentary angle. Additionally, her use of mixed media, with the sections from the Netflix series, was amazingly well done; round of applause.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was an absolute blast to read. I cannot wait to pick up more from this author!

View all my reviews

Review: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

~ megs14malloy

WhalefallWhalefall by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Whalefall.

I will never forget the experience of reading this. I don’t think I’ve been this emotionally moved by a tale of this nature since Frankenstein and that’s saying something.

Then, at the conclusion, it happened. The book hangover.

Whalefall is Jay Gardiner’s story. Since his father’s death by suicide, Jay has been wracked with guilt. Their relationship was complicated and they were estranged at the time that his Dad took his life.

Jay has given himself the task of finding his father’s remains, which he believes lay somewhere in the waters off the coast of Monastery Beach. Taught serious diving skills by his Dad, Jay feels he is prepared for whatever he encounters.

Entering the water is like separating from the rest of the world. In complete silence, Jay enters the dark, cold waters of the ocean’s depths.

In that environment, Jay’s mind roams freely. The Reader is treated to many of his most personal memories, watching his complicated relationship with his family unfold.

In the midst of his quiet reflections, the unimaginable happens. First the giant squid, then the whale.

Jay has been swallowed by an 80-foot sperm whale. He passes all the way into the whale’s first of four stomachs. There he realizes that he is still alive, but may not be for long. With just an hour left on his oxygen tank, Jay needs to find a way to escape and fast.

This story felt so real and original. I love the choices Kraus made in telling Jay’s story. The back and forth between Jay’s present circumstance and his reflections on his past kept the story moving at a nice, steady clip.

I developed such compassion for Jay over the course of the story, but also compassion for this whale, who becomes such a beautiful character unto itself. When I mentioned Frankenstein earlier, it’s particularly this connection I meant.

The whale, who could be considered the monster, beast or baddie, of this story, was just a creature with a soul who incidentally had all of these circumstances thrust upon it.

As Jay fought for his life, while simultaneously grappling with his past, you could feel his will, his humanity, his feelings of hope and love, begin to grow, but would he be able to survive long enough to act on any of it?

This was an incredibly powerful read for me. I became so emotionally connected with the story. Not necessarily because I could relate to anything Jay was going through, but again, just because of the way that Kraus spun the tale.

I think if you let yourself just sink into this one, let the story wash over you and really feel it, this could be an equally powerful read for you.

In addition to all of the emotion though, this is also fairly gruesome and I thought the descriptions of what was going on with Jay’s body, and the whale’s, was so well done. Kraus definitely gets top marks for his Horror imagery.

If you decide to pick this one up, which you should, be sure you read the Author’s Note at the end, where Kraus discusses the level of detail he went into when researching for this book. It’s quite impressive. We love a well-researched story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, MTV Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is the first that I have read from this author, but it will not be the last!

View all my reviews