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Review: Whichwood (Furthermore #2) by Tahereh Mafi

~ megs14malloy

WhichwoodWhichwood by Tahereh Mafi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After taking 7-months off, I’ve finally decided to return to my TBR-Haul Project. For those who don’t know, this is a self-imposed project for myself, essentially aimed at crossing books off of my backlist TBR of purchased books.

Basically, I buy a ton of books and then never read them. My Reading Journal contains a spread each month of books hauled and I have been going through them month-by-month, and picking a few off that list to finally pick up.

It had been going quite well. I’ve found quite a few 5-star reads via this project. But then it sort of sputtered out.

One of my goals for this year is to return to it, ideally, picking up at least one book for it each month. This is my first for the year and I started it on January 31st, so it’s not off to a real rousing start…

It’s not too late to reach my goal though, so I have selected Whichwood as Book #19 for the project. I hauled this back in March 2019, and of course, never read it.

This past Fall, I did pick up the first book in this duology, Furthermore, on audio through my local library. I thought it was so cute and fun, as well as fabulously narrated by the fabulous, Bronson Pinchot.

I was so excited to return to this magical Middle Grade Fantasy world, Mafi’s whimsical storytelling and Pinchot’s enchanting narration.

With this being said, I was concerned that I wouldn’t end up enjoying this one as much as the first book. I was so wrong!

Part of my hesitation was that I didn’t know how closely this book would be related to the first one. I knew we were following a new MC, Laylee, and I felt like I was really going to miss Alice and Oliver from Furthermore.

I was so delighted to discover both Alice and Oliver play a huge role in this story!

This again was emotional, heart-felt, filled with important lessons and conversations that fit nicely into magical Middle Grade. Regardless of the age level designation, this is the type of story that can be appreciated by audiences of all ages.

This duology is the first work I have read from Tahereh Mafi and it has made me beyond excited to check out more of Mafi’s work.

Leave your favorites down below in the comments!!!

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Review: Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

~ megs14malloy

FurthermoreFurthermore by Tahereh Mafi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💜💛🧡💜💛🧡💜💛🧡💜💛🧡💜

Furthermore has been on my shelves since its release in 2016. Y’all may remember, this was a darling of BookTube upon its release and also, look at this dang cover.

I had to have it.

But then like many books before her, she sat on my shelves, neglected for years.

Recently, I participated in a Middle Grade Readathon and one of the prompts was the read a book that had been on your TBR for a long time. I immediately thought of this one and am so happy that I finally picked it up.

This whimsical Fantasy story follows Alice Alexis Queensmeadow, who you can probably tell from her name alone, is all sorts of adorable. But as adorable as she is, Alice is grappling with a lot since her Dad disappeared.

Alice’s Mother didn’t cope well with her Dad’s disappearance and has really pushed Alice away. It’s not a warm and fuzzy relationship. Because of that, Alice feels pretty alone.

When a boy from her past, Oliver, arrives and offers her the chance to find her Dad, even though he irks her, she has to go. She has to agree and she does.

They set off on an adventure through the magical lands of Furthermore. An adventure that Alice hopes will finally reunite her with her Father. As they progress though, it becomes unclear, is Oliver being truthful with her? What is his motive? Does he actually know where her Father is?

Even though I had a hard copy of this book, I decided to listen to the audiobook. I was so delighted when I learned that Bronson Pinchot was the narrator. I had no idea that he even narrated audiobooks, but you better believe now that I do, I will be seeking more out.

He was such a fabulous narrator for this story, because the story is told by a literal narrator. His voice brought the whimsy and the fun and I felt like he was talking to me one-on-one. It was really well done and I definitely recommend.

I was swept up into this story. I loved following along with Alice and Oliver as they traveled through the different towns in Furthermore.

It’s funny, I’m not sure what it was, perhaps the smart writing and word play, but this reminded me a lot of reading The Phantom Tollbooth as a child. It was just magical.

Additionally, I loved the themes that Mafi explored. This is a story that can be read by kids, or adults. There’s so much to appreciate. I was shocked by the level of emotion I felt from this story. Seriously, I went through the gamut.

Alice is one of the most lovable characters I have read in a while. I could feel her uncertainty and loneliness. It made me want to hug her and tell her everything would be okay.

In spite of her challenges though, I loved that she never gave up. She was willing to do whatever she had to for the possibility of reuniting her Dad. It was great.

If you’ve had this one on your shelves for years like I did, don’t put it off any longer, pick it up as soon as you can. You won’t regret it!

I hit every single emotion reading this.

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Review: The Heroes (First Law #5) by Joe Abercrombie

~ megs14malloy

The HeroesThe Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Heroes is the fifth-book in Joe Abercrombie’s First Law World. This is an Epic Grimdark series that sucked me in from the very first book and hasn’t let go.

Best Served Cold, the fourth-book in the series, is one of my favorite books of all time and while I was excited to move forward in this world, I was also a little nervous. How could anything live up to that?

The truth is, this didn’t surpass Best Served Cold as far as my enjoyment went, but it was still a bloody brilliant story more than worthy of a 5-star rating.

At its heart, this is a story of war. The players, the action, the strategy, the outcome and the aftermath. We examine portions of each. I loved that it felt like a giant game of chess; moving players around the board, shuffling up alliances and allegiances.

The war is between the Union and the Northmen, lasting for three brutal days, that feel like many more to all involved.

There were a few shocking things that happened toward the end of this that I absolutely was not expecting. Abercromie definitely succeeded in giving me more than one solid jaw drop moment.

I’m really looking forward to continuing on in this world.

Abercrombie’s world-building is a masterclass on how to draw the Reader in. The cast of morally-grey characters is fantastic. It’s like a Grimdark Soap Opera. They’re bringing the drama, each and every installment.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Epic Fantasy, particularly Grimdark fans. There’s so much delicious content here to sink your teeth into. A must read series!

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Review: Everwild (Skinjacker Trilogy #2) by Neal Shusterman

~ megs14malloy

Everwild (2) (The Skinjacker Trilogy)Everwild (2) by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everwild is aptly named as it is just that, wild!

As far as sequels go, this is top notch. Shusterman succeeded in continuing to build out the world in a gripping way, while also making me more invested in the characters.

There were some startling revelations and I absolutely adored how this ended. We could go anywhere from here, but I have a feeling we’re going West…

This second book in Neal Shusterman’s Skinjacker Trilogy succeeded in so many ways, but forefront in my mind is the world-building. I love when you can feel the boundaries of a fictional world expanding, as more interesting concepts and characters are brought into play.

We continue to follow our tried and trues from the first book, Allie, Nick and my favorite, Mikey. There’s also a continuation of baddies, like Mary.

The new characters are quickly drawn into the varying sides and with new alliances, come new strength. I enjoyed how Shusterman focused on the political maneuverings of Everlost. I liked learning more about the motivations and goals of our leaders. I know whose side I would be on.

Most interesting for me this time around was following Allie the Outcast. She’s picking up new skills and learning more about her family in the living world. It’s always gripping to read about the interactions between the characters in Everlost and those in the living world.

There were some scenes, one in particular, that actually made me really sad. I mean when you’re dealing with the themes that Shusterman covers here, that’s bound to happen. Sometimes it does come out of nowhere though, so be prepared for that if you pick this up.

I do enjoy the level of action blended with thoughtful topics. I feel like this trilogy is sort of unique in that way.

I’m really glad that I made time for this one. It may be an oldie, but it’s a goodie!

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Review: The Watchers by A.M. Shine

~ megs14malloy

The WatchersThe Watchers by A.M. Shine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A.M. Shine’s The Watchers kicks off quickly, with the opening section following a husband and wife, who seeking an adventure, go for a drive through the wickedly-enchanting lands of Connemara, in the West of Ireland.

The events of that drive set the tone, and also the stage, for the rest of the story. Needless to say, I was hooked.

We then meet our MC, Mina, who along with an unusual copilot, a beautiful Golden Conure, also goes traveling through those same wild lands.

Mina’s trying to make a quick buck. It should be easy, delivering the parrot safely to its new owner. When her car breaks down on the abandoned road though, her task suddenly becomes anything but easy. Mina exits her car, bringing the bird with her, as she searches for help.

The woodlands are eerie enough, but the screams make it all so much worse…

With no cell phone reception, or clue as to where she is, Mina has to keep going. There’s no telling how long it could take another car to come along this way.

Eventually she comes across a woman, shouting at her and waving for her to enter a concrete bunker. Scared out of her wits by the woods, Mina does as she’s told and enters the shelter. From there, she becomes captive to that seemingly safe space. A hostage of what’s lurking in the woods.

If you’re expecting answers quickly, don’t be. Part of the success of this story is the way that Shine builds that sense of uncertainty and unease. My thoughts were swirling as Mina entered the shelter.

What the heck was going on? The other residents of the shelter, Madeline, Daniel and Ciara, all seem like they’ve been there for a while, but just how long is unclear? And what is watching them? What are they afraid of?

I will say, about a third of the way through, it did start to slow down for me. We focus more on the characters at that point, and their forced interactions in the tiny shelter.

Part of me feels like that may have been intentional by the author. Perhaps as a way to lull the Reader into a bit of complacency, because just as you forget how much danger these characters are in, it rears its ugly head again and that fear and suspense is back.

Even with this pace change though, I was still intrigued and invested in finding out what the truth was.

This ultimately went in a direction I wasn’t expecting and there were a few reveals, as the conclusion approached, that I found to be so clever and disturbing.

I was definitely impressed with the atmosphere and horror concepts that Shine delivered here. This type of unsettling Folk Horror is something I tend to enjoy and this one will now live rent-free in my brain for a long time.

I recommend this to any Horror Reader, particularly if you enjoy unsettling atmospherea and Folk Horror that can get under your skin and stay there. I would also recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Pines by Blake Crouch, or Bird Box by Josh Malerman.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. The Watchers is a very solid story of Irish Folk Horror. I found it disturbing in the best ways. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: Everlost (The Skinjacker Trilogy #1) by Neal Shusterman

~ megs14malloy

Everlost (The Skinjacker Trilogy)Everlost by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Everlost, the first book in Neal Shusterman’s Skinjacker Trilogy was originally published in 2006. I was in grad school at that time and wasn’t doing much free reading, so missed it.

In 2020, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers re-released the entire trilogy with beautifully-redesigned covers. Like the publisher’s dream that I generally am, I promptly bought them all and they’ve been sitting on my shelves ever since. Staring at me, begging to be loved.

On a recent whim, I decided to finally dive in. In this story we follow Nick and Allie, who right at the beginning of our story die in tragic car accident. Unfortunately, their souls don’t get where they need to go and now they are stuck in a limbo land known as Everlost.

Everlost is like an eerie, distorted image of our own world. It’s filled with things, including places, that no longer exist in our world. There’s also a lot of other souls trapped there.

At the beginning, navigating their dangerous new circumstances, Nick and Allie meet a lot of people who help to teach them about the functioning of Everlost.

There’s bands of roaming kids and a girl named Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost souls. Nick is taken by her, but Allie refuses to believe in the fate that Mary is trying to sell her. Refusing to live for the rest of time trapped between two worlds, Allie begins investigating ways to make a change.

This was a solid start to a trilogy and actually, the more I have thought about it since I have finished, the more I have come to appreciate the depth of the story.

I feel like if I would have read this years ago, when it was released, I would have been crazy, mad, nuts about it, but it did feel a little dated in some sections, as far as the writing style is concerned.

However, with this being said, I still really enjoyed the world-building and will be continuing with the second book in the series next month. I’m very interested in digging further into some of the concepts Shusterman explored.

I was impressed with how quickly this kicked off. We’re immediately dropped off where we should be, there’s no time wasted digging into character’s lives prior to Everlost. Perhaps that will come into play later in the series, but as far as this first book, I feel like that was a great choice.

I also enjoyed the atmosphere and eerie nature successfully carried throughout. It made me think of many darker fairy tale elements; like the kids as Lost Boys, the Peter Pan ones, not the vampire ones, as they have a bit of a feral nature. Also, Mary as a bit Queen of Hearts. Then I also picked up low-key Wizard of Oz sort of vibes.

Overall, I found this premise intriguing, the plot fast-paced and I think it’s a great base to continuing building out this world. I’m really looking forward to continuing on with the characters and seeing where it goes from here!

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Review: Lakesedge (World at the Lake’s Edge #1) by Lyndall Clipstone

~ megs14malloy

Lakesedge (World at the Lake's Edge, #1)Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Lakesedge, the first book in Lyndall Clipstone’s YA-Gothic Fantasy Romance duology, World at the Lake’s Edge, delivered the exact vibes I was hoping for.

Dripping with angst, ’tis the season for this kind of story.

This novel released in 2021 and has been sitting on my shelves, glaring at me accusingly ever since. Last year, her sequel joined her on the shelf, and the judgement doubled.

Unable to handle their harassment anymore, and in the mood for a Dark Fantasy Romance that was going to serve Gothic Feels, I decided it was finally time to give it a go.

In this story, we follow 17-year old, Violeta, and her younger brother, Arien, 13. Violeta and Arien were orphaned when they were very young. They fled their original home after the deaths of their parents and were eventually found on a road beside the mysterious Vair Woods.

The woman who found them decided to take them in. Initially, all was well, but when Arien started exhibiting certain dark powers, the woman began to punish him, trying to rid him of these disturbing behaviors.

Leta, trying to protect her brother, would frequently be harmed and punished as well.

Her treatment of them continues getting worse. The night before a tithe day, things come to a head. They’re not sure how much more they can take and discuss running away.

On tithe day, a mysterious young man takes notice of Arien’s powers when they bubble up unexpectedly. The Monster of Lakesedge, Rowan, offers Arien the chance to come live at his estate, to learn how to control his peculiar powers.

It’s an intriguing offer, one the boy can’t and doesn’t want to refuse. Through some prodding, it is agreed that Leta will go along to Lakesedge as well.

Thus, Leta and Arien are able to escape their terrible home life, but what will their fate be now? It seems equally as dangerous. Can they truly trust Rowan?

They’ve heard terrible rumors about him and the estate is dripping with gothic dangers. Will they be better off than they were before, or will they become the next victims of the Monster of Lakesedge?

I thought this was a lot of fun. It definitely delivered me the vibes, drama and romantic angst that I was hoping for.

A dark tone is set within the first pages and just from that alone, I was hooked. It’s a compelling read and I flew through it. It had a great, dark Fairy Tale feel, and I was picking up slight Beauty and the Beast vibes, which I wasn’t expecting; a delightful surprise.

The sexual tension between Leta and Rowan was so dramatic and well written. I loved watching them learn about each other. They were drawn together like moths to a flame and I was here for every minute of it.

I also enjoyed the Elemental Magic system, which involved drawing sigils on the users body to control the elements and channel the spell. There were a couple of other women, Florance and Clover, who lived at the estate with Rowan, sort of like domestic help, and Clover, in particular, helped teach Arien and Leta about magic.

We love supportive teacher/student vibes.

The main drama focuses on a sort of curse that Lakesedge has on it, called the Corruption. It has poisoned the grounds and lake. Rowan has been searching for a way to clear the Corruption and he believes Arien can help.

Both Arien and Leta begin to fall in love with their life there. They begin to feel like they’ve finally found a home and they’re committed to helping Rowan any way they can. I loved that for them; how attached and comfortable they began to feel at the estate.

The concluding events were intense. There’s a dark spirit involved, the Lord Under, who seems particularly drawn to Leta. Through negotiations with him, Leta may be able to break the curse, but what will it cost her?

This wasn’t perfect. There were some aspects I felt could have been more clear, particularly towards the end, or some repetitive things in the middle section, that could have been taken out, but overall, I feel like this was a solid story.

It does end after a fairly large, life-changing event for Leta. While I wouldn’t necessarily call it a cliffhanger, it definitely leaves you wanting to know more; where the story will go from here.

Luckily, as mentioned above, I have the sequel at the ready and plan to be starting it very soon.

I would recommend this to YA-Fantasy Romance Readers, particularly if you enjoy a Gothic atmosphere, an engaging magic system and angsty romance.

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Review: Cold Moon Over Babylon by Michael McDowell

~ megs14malloy

Cold Moon Over Babylon (Valancourt 20th Century Classics)Cold Moon Over Babylon by Michael McDowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cold Moon Over Babylon is a classic Southern Gothic tale that sets the bar high for others. I can’t tell you how many times this book has been recommended to me over the years.

I am so happy that I finally made time for it, because I absolutely adored it. It’s so good.

This story is set in the small, rural town of Babylon, Florida. We follow many folks in the town, but the main drama centers around the Larkin family after the youngest member, Margaret, disappears on her way home from town.

She was riding her bike home when she disappeared. Her grandmother and brother suspect foul play, but others aren’t immediately as alarmed as the family. The police even suggest Margaret, 14-years old, had run off with a boy.

Eventually, Margaret’s body, tied to her bicycle, is found in the local Styx River, just by the Larkin property. That puts the theories to rest. Margaret was viciously murdered.

We follow Margaret’s remaining family, her Grandmother, Evelyn, and her brother, Jerry, as they fight to find out the truth about what happened to Margaret.

This story is beautifully told. It is gripping from the start. The level of atmosphere that McDowell was able to bring to the page feels inspired. I could not only picture everything clearly in my mind, but I could feel it and smell it. It seriously moved me in so many ways.

My heart ached for the Larkin family, especially Jerry, trying to keep his Grandmother together in the face of another family tragedy.

I also thought the villain in this one was so well done. They’re a character you are going to hate. You are going to cheer for their demise. Following their perspective is like getting a front row seat in a sociopath’s mind.

Additionally, don’t even get me started on the horror imagery. Oh man, there are some creepy-ass scenes in this one. The entities haunting Babylon post-the crimes against the Larkin family. Yikes!!

One of my favorite scenes featured a character, Nathan Redfield, driving home from the liquor store and something, or someone, is after him. It was so vivid. It scared me, like legit scared. I had to turn more lights on.

I highly recommend this one. If you are a Horror fan, particularly if you enjoy Horror stories with a lush, small town feel, you have to pick this one up. I was so impressed.

Fabulously done by McDowell. I can’t wait to read more of his work. I have a feeling I will love his other novels just as much and hope to get to them soon.

RIP — Michael McDowell: June 1, 1950 – December 27, 1999.

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Review: The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

~ megs14malloy

The London Séance SocietyThe London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The London Seance Society is a Historical Mystery following Lenna Wickes, a young woman looking into the untimely death of her younger sister, Evie.

Lenna is an apprentice for acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire in Paris. Vaudeline is summoned to London, after the death of an old colleague, which provides Lenna the perfect opportunity to investigate Evie’s final days, as she was living in London at the time of her death.

We also get the perspective of Mr. Morley, the Vice President of the London Seance Society, a secretive men’s club.

Mr. Morley is looking into a murder of this own, that of his friend and fellow Seance Society member, Mr. Wolckman. Incidentally, both Evie and Mr. Wolckman were killed on All Hallow’s Eve. Dun, dun, dunnnnn.

I really enjoyed the opening of this. The vibes that Penner created in the beginning, as we met the two main characters and discovered the dual mysteries, that pulled me in right away. I enjoyed learning about the Seance Society and Vaudeline’s work as well.

By five or six chapters in though, I realized we weren’t just shifting perspectives, we were going back and forth in time as well. I had no clue prior to that. Then I was wondering if I knew what I think I knew…

I think part of that issue for me was that I was listening to the audiobook. Though fabulously narrated, I wasn’t able to refer back to the beginning of each chapter to check the date, so if something I wasn’t sure about happened, there was no quick way to reference where I was in time.

In spite of that, at that point, I was still finding the story itself quite intriguing. Around the middle it did begin to drag for me a bit and I felt myself thinking about other things while reading. In other words, it was a mixed bag.

I think in the middle there were also aspects, particularly surrounding a romance, that I didn’t care for. It felt unnecessary to me and I wished that certain characters could have just been two people working together towards a common goal, instead of wanting to jump each others bones.

Obviously, I am being a little blunt about it, but that’s how that relationship made me feel. However, with my mini-rant out of the way, I did enjoy this. It’s a good book.

Overall, it was entertaining and I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere and mystery elements Penner included. I’m interested in checking out more of her work.

The ending got twisty and I did enjoy some of the things that were revealed. I would say my interest started hella strong and slowly went down as the story continued.

I wish I could have enjoyed this one a bit more, but I am definitely in the minority opinion. There are many glowing reviews and I’m happy that so many people loved it and connected with it.

If you haven’t read it yet and the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, I recommend you give it a go. You could find a new favorite book. It’s especially a great selection for this time of year; quite Autumnal in feel.

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Review: The Other People by C.J. Tudor

~ megs14malloy

The Other PeopleThe Other People by C.J. Tudor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-star**

Recently I read a novel, In a Quiet Town, where the main character’s daughter goes missing, but no one seems to care, or really believe it, but her. In spite of it all, she would not give up. She was determined to find her daughter.

Reading that made me realize how much I tend to enjoy that trope. If it is done well, there’s something so compelling about a parent’s unflinching determination when it comes to helping their kid(s).

It got me thinking of other books that could possibly be similar. Luckily, my brain was working well enough that day that I remembered this backlist title from C.J. Tudor.

I’ve had this one on my shelves since it released in 2020 and I’m so glad that I made time for it. It was great. I found it to be wildly entertaining!

In this story we follow Gabe. Three years ago, Gabe’s family was torn apart by a tragedy. His wife and daughter gone in a heartbeat.

The thing is, on that horrific day, as Gabe was driving home from work, he swears he saw his daughter in the back of a very distinct car. He looked her right in her face. She even mouthed the word, ‘Daddy.’

He hasn’t seen her since and no one believes him. The world thinks his daughter is dead, but Gabe hasn’t given up. He spends his days and nights traveling up and down the motorway looking for that car.

Gabe’s search leads him to stumble upon a mysterious group called the Other People, hence the title. I found that aspect of the story quite intriguing.

We also follow a couple other perspectives, who originally, you’re not sure how they are connected. Watching the truth of that unfold adds a lot of intensity to this tale.

The tension builds quickly. Tudor wastes no time. At the start, you are with Gabe on the day he believes he see his daughter in the mysterious car. The way that scene was written, wow, it really got my pulse going.

From that moment on, I felt connected to Gabe. I felt like we had been through something together; bonded by a shared experience.

I also felt such empathy for him. There’s nothing worse than knowing something and having no one else believe you. That can be such a frustrating and helpless feeling.

Overall, I feel Tudor did a great job structuring this story for max impact. The way the reveals are done and the way all the different perspectives slot into place, A++.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a taut, cleverly-plotted Thriller. I am so glad that I made the time for this. It was great fun!

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