audiobooks

Review: Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan

~ megs14malloy

Their Monstrous HeartsTheir Monstrous Hearts by Yiğit Turhan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Going into Their Monstrous Hearts, I knew nothing about it. I was sold by the cover and just had to have it, because against sound advice, I do judge books by their covers.

I was therefore delighted when I discovered that the basic set-up of this novel is an inheritance story, one of my favorite tropes.

We’re following Riccardo, a down on his luck author, who is estranged from his family and about a millimeter above rock bottom. Just as he ponders how he is going to get his life back on track, and deliver his agent the pages they’re demanding, a mysterious stranger arrives to inform him that his Grandmother, Perihan, has passed away.

Riccardo thinks, what’s that got to do with me? I haven’t spoken to the woman for years. The stranger, maybe a solicitor of some sort, insists that he’ll want to make his way to Milan to learn more about what he’s been bequeathed.

Finally deciding he could use a change of scenery, Riccardo takes them up on the plane ticket, and it’s off to Milan he goes. Once there, his Grandmother’s estate house isn’t quite as opulent as he remembered, but it’s still better than the street corner he was 5-seconds away from sleeping on.

It’s decrepit and definitely giving off an ominous vibe. Curious about the state of his house, his Grandmother’s friends and everything else about the current situation he finds himself in, Riccardo starts poking around; as you do.

He discovers a notebook of his Grandmother’s writing. As he dives into it, it gets strange. Is this fact, or fiction? A confessional, or a woman’s imagination gone wild?

This is a strange story, NGL. It’s not going to be for everyone, as evidenced by the current overall rating, but I found myself captivated by the audiobook. First, the wonderful dual narration helped me to envision these characters perfectly.

Mentioning the dual narration makes me think, I should also mention, that not only do we get Riccardo’s perspective in the present, we also get all of his Grandmother Perihan’s writings, that unfold a story of the past.

The way this rolled out, there was something so intriguing about it to me. Perihan’s story, I wasn’t sure what to think at times as far as was it true, or was it something she was creating. Either way, I needed to know the truth.

If you’re a Reader who can see the grotesque in things that are too beautiful, this book might be for you. And if you know what I mean by that, you are the Reader for this book.

I know the rating at this moment looks intimidating, but there’s no way I’m gonna be the only Reader who is darkly intrigued by this story.

It is weird. There are some things I’ll admit I’m not sure if I’m understanding the way the author intended, but I really enjoyed the mystery, atmosphere and the more monstrous aspects of this storyline. In my opinion, this deserves some more attention.

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA and Harlequin Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I would absolutely recommend the audio if you are going to check this one out. As mentioned above, I feel the dual narrators brought this story to life!

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Review: Goosebumps — Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps #7) by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps, #7)Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Many know Slappy the dummy as one of the most iconic Goosebumps characters of all time. And while I have read other books with Slappy as an antagonist, I’ve no recollection of ever reading this, Night of the Living Dummy, Slappy’s first appearance.

Recently, I needed a quick, fun, not too mentally taxing, audiobook while doing things around the house and decided to pick this up. I’m glad I did, as it fit the bill nicely.

In this story we follow twins, Lindy and Kris, who find a discarded ventriloquist’s dummy. Lindy decides to save it, brings it home with them, and names it Slappy.

Kris, never wanting her sister to upstage her, needs to get a dummy of her own, which she names Mr. Wood. In classic Stine fashion, the sisters battle it out, performing with their dummies, but are the dummies battling too?

Something weird is going on. Disturbing things begin to happen when the dummies are around, and it soon becomes clear there’s an evil lurking in their house. Will the girls be able to band together and figure out what’s happening, or will the dummies force them apart forever?

In my humble opinion, this is definitely one of the stronger Goosebumps stories. At this point in the series, regardless of the direction his character goes in later stories and series spin-offs, Slappy does indeed feel menacing here.

While Stine always loves siblings fighting and having rivalries, I liked how the twins did eventually put their differences aside, and worked together.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this as one of the ‘must reads’ of the Goosebumps universe. I feel like it provides a solid foundation for Slappy’s character moving forward, and is also just a lot of fun!

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Review: Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

Well, ActuallyWell, Actually by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eva Kitt is the host of a sarcasm-heavy, internet-based chat show called Sausage Talk, where she interviews B-List celebs while noshing on hot dogs.

While she once dreamed of a serious career in journalism, that’s not how it worked out. She’s here now and she’s trying to do her best, even though it seems like the world may sometimes be against her career advancement.

Riley Cooper is the guy who broke her heart in college. Not just broke it, shattered it and danced on the pieces. He’s also a beloved social media personality, where he hosts a show on deconstructing toxic masculinity.

After a few too many cocktails, Eva watches one of his annoyingly-successful vids, and is disgusted he gets away with peddling lies. Thus, she makes her own scathing review of Riley’s work and character; as you do. She doesn’t have that many followers on her accounts. No one is going to see it, or take it seriously.

IT GOES VIRAL…and she said some things!!

Eva finds herself raked over the coals by her bosses, but then she’s given an opportunity to redeem herself. All she has to do is reach out to Riley and interview him on her show.

Eva would rather do anything, seriously ANYTHING, but that, but with her career on the line, she’s forced into the interview, where she finds Riley as handsome and devilishly-charming as before.

When he suggests that she allow him to take her on a series of six dates to make up for the past, all of which will be followed via social media, she begrudgingly accepts. It has nothing to do with him. She’s thinking of her career here…

As the dates progress, the two begin to relate to one another in unexpected ways. Did Eva have it wrong? Is the boy that broke her heart, suddenly the man that she needs to heal it?

Y’all, Mazey Eddings is a go-to Romance author for me, and this novel is the perfect example of why. I was immediately pulled in by the humor, banter and quick, yet thorough, character development.

The set-up is so fun. I enjoy stories involving celebrities of any kind, and Rylie was definitely giving off those celeb status vibes. I also loved the concept of the 6-dates for him to redeem himself to her. Each date was unique and helped to progress their relationship.

Eva was giving off major Bobbi Althoff vibes. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not, but it was seriously all I could think of. She did get a little frustrating at times, Riley was definitely the star of the show for me, but I did feel like Eva’s character showed some real growth over the course of the story.

I like how Eddings always has characters that are going through some fairly serious, and common, real-life issues. I like watching people work through challenges like that, and to see them open up and receive help from others in regards to those issues.

That’s life, right? It always gives the stories a bit more of a believable feel to me. No one is perfect, no one’s life is perfect, and I like the see the messy day-to-day things pulled through into my fiction. Maybe it helps me feel not so alone, IDK.

This is also super steamy. So we have the serious life stuff, but we also have some wild, toe-curling, giggling and swooning bedroom stuff. That’s a nice mix.

I would recommend this to any Romance Reader, particularly if you have read from Eddings in the past and enjoyed. There’s so much to love within this story.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. Eddings has crush another one! Well done!

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Review: 80s Ghosts by V.S. Lawrence

~ megs14malloy

80s Ghosts80s Ghosts by V.S. Lawrence
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Chrissy is determined to make her ghost hunting show a success. Even though her vlog-style show has been developing, she’s literally one failed investigation away from financial ruin.

Her back is against the wall, that’s why her latest investigation has to be a success and she’s willing to do anything, risk anything, to make that happen.

When she receives an invitation to investigate Merlin High School, the location of a fire in the 1980s where many lives were lost, she jumps at the opportunity.

The high school is prime grounds for haunting. They could actually find something good this time. Evidence that will boost her show to the next level.

As she and her team settle in and begin their formal investigation of the school, Chrissy notices everyone seems to be acting strangely, including herself. As past and present begin to blur, the investigation starts to go off the rails.

Before, Chrissy just wanted her show to be a success. Now, she’d be happy for them all to just get out alive. What’s going on at the old Merlin High, and how will Chrissy and her team be able to help and move past it all?

Unfortunately, after an engaging start, 80s Ghosts took a nosedive into eye roll territory about 3/4 of the way through for me. There’s just a certain level of silliness I can get behind, and this was not it.

Let it be known, I love campy, I do not love cheesy.

With this being said, I did enjoy and appreciate the ideas behind this story. The initial set-up was great. I just wanted more intensity and dark horror imagery, which I don’t really feel like I got.

I would be interested in picking up more from this author though. Even though this one didn’t go in the direction I had hoped, I still see a lot of promise with this writing.

I think for Readers who are newer to the Horror genre, or maybe making the transition from YA to Adult, this could be a good fit. Also, if you are really into Ghost Hunting content in whatever medium, this could be a fun one for you.

The audiobook was also well done and I would recommend that format if you’re going to pick this one up. It was a great listening experience.

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

I’m glad I had the chance to read this one, and will definitely pick up future work from V.S. Lawrence!

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Review: Out of Air by Rachel Reiss

~ megs14malloy

Out of AirOut of Air by Rachel Reiss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Out of Air is a YA Thriller novel that follows a group of scuba diving teens, who get in too deep after discovering a legendary cave, and the power that dwells there.

This sounds creepy, right?

And that’s exactly why I picked it up. I love the idea of following a group of teen divers, and honestly, caves kind of scare me, particularly those you access via water.

I think there so much that can be hidden there, or go wrong, so the possibilities are endless!

This story is full of teen drama, and mainly follows Phibs Ray, and her five friends, who 6-months ago discovered a handful of ancient coins while on a dive. This find boosted them into some social media stardom.

In the current timeline, they have just graduated high school and are taking one last scuba trip together to an island off the coast of Australia. It’s there that they discover the cave, which seems to cause strange changes in some of the young explorers after surfacing.

From there we have some interactions with other treasure hunters, as well as spooky physical and mental ailments going on with the teens.

Overall, this was a good story. Reiss brought some interesting concepts to the page, and I loved that we were following teen divers. With this being said though, I did find the construction a little messy and I’m not sure how memorable it’s going to be long-term.

Even a few hours after finishing it, I had already forgotten all the character’s names except for Phibs, which to me just sort of shows that it lacked that special something to make it lurk around in my brain.

Also, the Horror aspects of the plot were slow to get going, and there wasn’t a ton of distinction between Past/Present in the audio version, which made it slightly confusing.

It would say it at the top of the chapter, but it all felt very one note, so was easy to get lost in time.

These are small quips though, overall, it’s entertaining, and I think it would be a great Summer Read for Teens interested in diving and ocean exploration.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely pick up future work from this author. I’m intrigued!

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Review: With a Vengeance by Riley Sager

~ megs14malloy

With a VengeanceWith a Vengeance by Riley Sager
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

While this is my lowest rated Riley Sager novel to date, I did still find it quite entertaining. I can’t lie about that. With a Vengeance takes us on a cross-country train journey with a handful of questionable characters.

The full set of individuals was lured onto the trip by a young woman named Anna, who is hoping over the course of the journey from Philadelphia to Chicago, she can get them all to confess their crimes, and the ways they’ve wronged her.

Anna finds out that even the simplest plans can go awry though, when one of the passengers is killed. There’s no stopping now, they’re on a non-stop express to Chicago, trapped with a killer.

What progresses from there is a fairly classic Locked Room Murder Mystery, with a few twists, as well as many revelations involving the various characters.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and did enjoy it in that format. I felt like it kept it moving and helped it to play out in my mind like a movie.

I find this with all of Sager’s writing. The delivery always makes it easy for me to picture everything that’s happening. I also feel like his writing has a touch of a film noir quality to it that I adore.

For this one in particular, I think maybe because of the time period, I couldn’t help but think of Hitchcock, and it perhaps being shown in black and white. The way the characters interacted and their dramatic motivations gave it an air of a classic film.

Overall, this might not be a new favorite for me, but I still had a fun time reading it, and as always, I look forward to whatever Sager is going to grace us with next!!

Earlier:

Denied again for an ARC. Riley, your people hate me.

It makes me so sad. I received the first six of his books early, I believe, but the last two, no way. I used to love getting them early and screaming how much I love them from the rooftops. Sadly, those days are gone.

Problems of a bookworm…

Original:

❤️🖤💙❤️🖤💙❤️🖤💙❤️

Pack your bags. Sager’s taking us on a train journey!

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Review: Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile #2) by Isabel Ibañez

~ megs14malloy

Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile, #2)Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Where the Library Hides is the 2nd-book in the Secrets of the Nile series by Isabel Ibañez. I really enjoyed the 1st-book, What the River Knows, when I read it a couple of years ago and had been looking forward to returning to these characters.

If you aren’t aware, these books follow Inez Olivera, who travels from her native-Argentina to Egypt, in the 1st-book, to try to decipher what happened to her parents, who had both disappeared while exploring there.

After all the events of the 1st-book, this sequel picks up with Inez trying to sort out her life, which has been turned upside-down by her Egyptian excursion.

This follows her relationship with her beau, as it grows, changes and goes through various iterations. Sadly, the drama and upheaval isn’t quite over for Inez yet.

This was an entertaining story. I’m glad I continued on with Inez’s story, even though I didn’t find this quite as captivating as I did What the River Knows. I feel like there was something a bit more magical and unknown about that 1st-story, that kept me slightly more engaged.

Additionally, I didn’t feel the Egyptian setting was as much a focus in this one, and I loved that aspect of the 1st-book, so missed that feel. This is full of action and drama though, so I was still pretty invested, it just felt different in tone.

Nevertheless, I’m glad I made time for it, and highly recommend the audiobook for the fabulous dual narration. It did succeed in bringing these characters to life.

Inez is a sympathetic character, and you can’t help but feel for her and all she goes through over the course of these 2-books. All she wants is a family to be a part of, and to be loved, and her bio-family, spoiler alert, is absolute trash.

I did enjoy going on this journey with her, and although this mentions this is the conclusion, I could totally see there being a 3rd-book. I still feel like we have more to mature through with Inez.

I would actually really love to see her story continue. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the 1st-book, I would just caution that it does feel a little different. Nevertheless, it’s still a fun adventure and absolutely worth picking up.

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Review: At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce

~ megs14malloy

At the Bottom of the Garden: A NovelAt the Bottom of the Garden: A Novel by Camilla Bruce
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

At the Bottom of the Garden is a slower, character-driven Gothic Horror (Lite) story, following two sisters, Violet and Lily, as well as their murderous Aunt Clara.

Violet and Lily become orphans after their parents are lost while on a hiking adventure on K2. According to their parent’s Will, the girl are to go live with their closest living relative, which unfortunately, happens to be Aunt Clara.

Clara has no interest in children, but Violet and Lily are sure to come with some nice assets, so she’s willing to take them in. For the moment.

Clara will just ignore them until she can get her hands on as much as their inherited fortune as she can. At least that’s the plan, but when Violet starts seeing the angry dead man pacing in the garden, a giant kink gets thrown in the works.

Not only can Violet see all of Clara’s ghosts, she can bring them back, and they’re not happy.

I liked this, particularly the beginning portions. It was interesting learning about all the main characters. I liked how it had an air of dark humor about it as well, particularly with Clara’s perspective. She says it as it is, and doesn’t bother with the audience’s potentially delicate sensibilities.

I also felt both Violet and Lily were well developed. Each of the girls has their own unique abilities that added so much to this story.

The incorporation of the spirits was also very well done. I loved the idea of them remaining to haunt Clara, but needed a bit of assistance from Violet first. For some reason, that just made sense.

I think this will work well for Readers who may want spooky vibes and gothic atmosphere, without leaning too heavily into the Horror genre. Because while there are supernatural elements to this story, it never veers into super dark, or scary, territory.

The overall vibe actually reminded me a lot of A Series of Unfortunate Events series, with Aunt Clara filling in for Count Olaf. So, think a more adult-centered version of that.

I can totally get down with those vibes, but for me, I felt like it went on a little too long. By the end, I did feel it started to drag a bit. I was ready for it to be over.

With this being said, the concepts and character development were well executed and I’m glad I picked this one up. The audiobook was well narrated and I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author.

Buzzwords: Gothic. Atmospheric. Slow Burn. Ghosties. Hauntings. Dark Humor. Sister Story.

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Review: Deadstream by Mar Romasco-Moore

~ megs14malloy

DeadstreamDeadstream by Mar Romasco-Moore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Deadstream is a new YA Horror release told mainly through mixed media format, but also through the perspective of a teenage recluse, Teresa.

Teresa had a bit of a complex backstory, as she’d recently survived a car accident that took the life of her best friend. Because of that, she was battling a lot of guilt and fear, as she struggled to move past the traumatic event.

Teresa has been unable to leave her home since. As a matter of fact, she never really leaves the safety of her bedroom, interacting with the world mostly through various streaming channels, including her own.

She’s been able to find distraction and comfort within the online community. That safety is threatened though, when one night while watching one of her favorite streamers, a shadowy figure appears in the background.

Though everyone in his chat is warning him of the danger, he doesn’t seem to see it, or sense it, except through his video feed. After the strange interaction with the shadow entity, his behavior rapidly changes, until he finally dies a few days later in front of thousands of viewers.

The community is in an uproar, confused, but also weirdly excited. Is this real, or was it some sort of a stunt?

Teresa knows in her heart it was real, and quickly finds herself immersed in a life-or-death investigation. Whatever that entity was, it’s spreading, infecting other people’s streams and compelling them to open the door.

Deadstream was an entertaining story. I listened to it on audio and I’m really glad that I did. I feel like the content and the heavy use of mixed media, focusing a lot of the various stream chats, played quite well to that format.

I’m actually not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much if I would have just read a hard copy. Nevertheless, I thought the premise and the set-up were both very well done.

At times, it started to lose me towards the end, but for the most part, I was fully engaged with it. I listened to the entire thing this afternoon while doing housework, and it definitely made all those tasks more bearable.

I would agree with the publisher’s synposis that it is a mix of Rear Window and The Ring. I do feel like that’s a great way to think of this one if you’re picking it up.

It is super-modern as well, and I think it will really appeal to the age range for which it is intended. For me, as a more advanced Horror Reader, I can’t say that it will be particularly memorable, but I do believe the author achieved what they set out to do, and I’m glad I read it.

I would also love to read more from this author. As mentioned above, I enjoyed the MC, Teresa, a lot. I feel like a lot of thought went into making her believable.

I’m looking forward to see what creative concepts Mar Romasco-Moore brings in their next release!

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Review: The Bitter End by Alexa Donne

~ megs14malloy

The Bitter EndThe Bitter End by Alexa Donne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy the way Alexa Donne writes a YA Mystery-Thriller. Her novel, Pretty Dead Queens, is one of my favorites of all-time. It was like she wrote it for me.

When I was first learning about this release, everything about it was working in its favor; the cover, the title and this incredible synopsis opener:

When a winter storm traps eight teens in a remote ski cabin, they find themselves stranded with a killer…

Happy to report, this gave me exactly what I was looking for!

The Bitter End is such a fun Teen Scream Thriller. We follow a group of high school students, who go on a school trip, and end up stranded in a posh Colorado ski chalet.

As bodies start dropping one-by-one, and a blizzard has cut them off from outside contact, the remaining teens need to figure out who the killer is before it’s too late.

This is a classic set-up and I loved it developed in Donne’s capable hands. The characters are so messy and full of drama; it got intense. I was getting all the tea and drinking it up. These kids were bitter and a bit twisted.

Alexa Donne has really found her lane with this type of juicy, drama-filled Teen Thrill-Ride and I hope she keeps them coming. I will be first in line to get my hands on any future releases, that’s for sure.

I highly recommend this if you love YA Mystery-Thrillers, particularly if you enjoy inclement weather stories, or whodunits. The execution of this is great. It’s claustrophic and a bit frantic. I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to the publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to see what Donne comes up with next!

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