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Review: House of Margins by Tlotlo Tsamaase

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

House of MarginsHouse of Margins by Tlotlo Tsamaase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

House of Margins is a story of multiple parts. We follow Ranewa, whose sister, Anaya, went missing whilst participating in a very exclusive writer’s residency program in Cape Town, South Africa. Anaya was a rising star in the literary world, and went missing just prior to the announcement of the Günter Prize.

We also get excerpts from a True Crime podcast, created and hosted by another writer who had been in the writer’s program with Anaya, as she tells the story of the events leading up to Anaya’s disappearance. It’s sensationalized, hugely popular, and ends up attracting Ranewa’s attention.

We also get Anaya’s perspective, relaying her time in the residency program and the relationships formed there. It’s mysterious, serious and tackles some heavy topics. I respect that Tsamaase didn’t shy away from the difficult things, and the way the story evolves is compelling.

I loved the incorporation of the writing residency program and the feel of Günter Huis, the colonial mansion where the writer’s stay during their residency. It had such a eerie feel and did become an entity unto itself.

Admittedly, there were aspects I found difficult to track, and I’m sure I missed some details because of that.

I feel like the audiobook could have been better served with more variation amongst the audio narrators. There were three narrators involved in this production, which was well done, but honestly, their tone was all very similar.

I’m sure that’s me, but it did make it challenging to differentiate between the podcast, Anaya’s portions and Ranewa’s portions. The podcast was the easiest to differentiate out of the three, because it did incorporate normal podcast elements, like outros and intros, likes, comments, etc.

Regardless of anything I may have missed, the author’s intent and the topics explored still make this a memorable and fascinating read. I liked the more surreal elements as well, and the way the house became involved in what was happening to Anaya.

I would recommend this. It’s a tough one to explain as far as genres. It could really be categorized as so many different things. I would say Literary Horror could be a strong fit, so if that’s the kind of thing you’re into, you should absolutely give this one a go.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Erewhon Books and RB Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. Tsamaase put a lot of heart and passion into this story and it shows. I would love to read more from her in the future!

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Review: The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson

~ megs14malloy

The ScammerThe Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️

The Scammer is classic Tiffany D. Jackson. A true to life, hard-hitting YA Thriller with thought-provoking Social Horror elements and a compelling protagonist.

This story gets so intense and succeeded in getting my pulse absolutely racing in multiple places. A++ to the added twist at the end, which I did not see coming!

I’m getting ahead of myself though. What is this about?

This story follows Jordyn, who against her overbearing parents wishes, has given up her shot at an ivy league school in order to enroll at a prestigious, historically-Black college, in Washington, D.C.

She has her reasons for making this choice, but her parents don’t want to hear any of it. They practically disown her. By the time Jordyn is moving into her dorm she is ready for a fresh start, far removed from her parents.

She enjoys meeting her new roommates and all seems to be going well. Jordyn keeps a lot of her past to herself, but other than that, she feels like she’s found a place to belong and is making good friends.

But when one of her new roommate’s brother, Devonte, moves into their dorm suite after he’s released from prison, things start to vastly change.

It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement, to help him get back on his feet, but as time passes, Devonte shows zero signs of leaving. In fact, he’s inserted himself into the girls’ lives in disturbing and inappropriate ways. Jordyn seems to be the only one growing increasingly uneasy in Devonte’s presence, and soon she finds herself on the outside.

When one of her roommates suddenly disappears under frightening circumstances, Jordyn suspects Devonte had something to do with it, but how can she prove it?

She teams up with the university’s lone white student to try to get to the truth regarding her roommate’s disappearance. Unfortunately, they’re ready for her and Jordyn finds herself enmeshed in a nightmare she may never escape.

Watching Devonte come into this shared living space and do the things he did, it infuriated me at times. And by at times, I mean the majority of the time.

The way Jackson wrote this, it was like I was a fly on the wall watching it all go down, and as the danger escalated, I was powerless. I couldn’t do anything to help these girls. I imagine that may have been what Jordyn was feeling in a lot of these moments too.

I believe this is based on the case at Sarah Lawrence that began around 2010, but I don’t know too many specific details on that. This did make me want to research it further though, as I’m shocked something like this could happen on a University campus and it wouldn’t be stopped.

Jackson also did a great job developing Jordyn as a character. There were moments I wasn’t sure I liked her, some of her thought patterns bothered me, but as I learned all she had been through with her family and just her entire past, it started to make sense. I grew to really love her.

Also, I feel like she had such a great character arc, from her first day on campus until the shocking conclusion.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys an intense and twisted YA, or New Adult, Thriller. Bonus points if you enjoy social commentary, or have enjoyed any of Jackson’s work in the past. This has her signature style all over it and I love it.

Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Tiffany D. Jackson is one of my favorite authors. I always look forward to her new releases and they NEVER disappoint.

I can’t wait to see what she graces us with next!

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Review: Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington

~ megs14malloy

Girls Who Play DeadGirls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Girls Who Play Dead is the 3rd-full length novel from one of my new go-to authors, Joelle Wellington. Wellington’s debut, Their Vicious Games, which published in 2023, was one of my top reads of that year.

I absolutely loved it and have anxiously anticipated her next 2-books, and while this isn’t my favorite from her, I still really enjoyed it.

This story follows siblings, Mikky and Kyla, who live in the small town of Prophets Lake, Massachusetts. Kyla is a dancer, popular and connected at the hip to her BFF, Erin.

Mikky, on the other hand, felt suffocated by their hometown, and ended up leaving to go live with his estranged mother closer to the city of Boston.

When Kyla’s best friend Erin is murdered though, Mikky returns in a desperate effort to be their for his sister during what’s sure to be the most difficult time of her life.

After he arrives home though, Mikky is confused by the Kyla he encounters. She hardly resembles the sister he remembers. She’s hard-edged, angry and demanding, a mean girl at school, and seems barely affected by Erin’s death. It’s hard to get close to her, but Mikky won’t give up.

Everyone grieves differently it’s true, but Kyla seems to be into something. She’s keeping dangerous secrets, Mikky can tell. He decides if he’s going to help Kyla, he needs to figure out who killed Erin and why.

Teaming up with a cute boy at school, Nasim, Mikky begins digging into Kyla and Erin’s relationship and the secrets they held together.

I didn’t have any trouble getting into this story. Wellington has the ability to pull you completely in. I find her stories fluid, engaging and easy to completely immerse yourself in.

I thought the characters were great and I loved the exploration of the different relationship dynamics, especially Kyla and Mikky, but also even learning about Kyla and Erin’s relationship was interesting.

As the Reader, we never meet Erin while she’s alive, but through the other characters it does feel like you can get a real sense of who she was. As best friends go, Kyla and Erin were as close as you can get, and I couldn’t imagine everything Kyla was going through after losing her, which made her anger understandable.

I loved Mikky’s investigation. Amateur sleuthing is one of my favorite things in a novel like this, especially with teens, and I like how Wellington incorporated it here.

In addition to the mystery though, there are some well done IRL issues being explored as well. Kyla and Mikky’s Dad is struggling with some financial hardship, trying to keep their family-run funeral home open, and we also get to see the impact of grief on Erin’s loved ones.

Mikky and Nasim’s budding relationship was another one of my favorite aspects. I liked them working together and getting to know one another, even though I may have done without some of the 3rd-act drama between them at the end.

I also always appreciate how bold Wellington’s story concepts are. This one is no exception. It does involve beauty influencing, so if that is something that interests you, this is definitely worth picking up. In general though, this is a strong YA Thriller and I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of that genre.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to see what Wellington comes up with next. Regardless of what it is, I’ll definitely be reading it!!

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Review: Ruin Road by Lamar Giles

~ megs14malloy

Ruin RoadRuin Road by Lamar Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Do I think Ruin Road will work for everyone? No. Was Ruin Road for me? Absolutely. This intriguing and heart-wrenching YA Horror was right in my lane.

Lamar Giles has quickly become a new favorite!

I first read from Giles when I picked up The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power a few weeks back. His story, The Protege, stood out as one of my favorites of that collection.

I knew after I read it, I would need to pick up more of his work as soon as possible. As luck would have it, I already had a copy of his latest Ruin Road, but with this absolutely STUNNING cover, I knew I wanted to save it for closer to Halloween, which is exactly what I did.

In this story we follow high school student, Cade Webster. Cade is star wide receiver, with the hopes and the potential to eventually be drafted into the NFL.

Cade works hard and stays humble. He lives with his parents and little sister, all of whom he loves and adores. Cade also attends a private school, where he is one of only a handful of Black students.

He’s sort of a guy living between two worlds; the one he grew up in, and the one of his peers at the posh private school. His quarterback drives a 911, or something insane like that. It’s quite different from the world Cade came up in.

Cade tries not to let those details phase him though. He just needs to stay focused, follow his father’s life advice and achieve everything he can in order to make an easier life for himself and the rest of his family.

No matter how hard he works, however, no matter how much he achieves, Cade always has some people judging him incorrectly. Y’all, can guess. He’s big, he’s fast and he’s Black. People keep their eye on him on the bus, let’s say.

With that in mind, one fateful night, when his helpful actions are misjudged, Cade is forced to flee a sketchy situation and ends up ducking into a pawn shop to avoid further altercation.

It’s there that Cade makes an impulse purchase, and utters a poorly-worded wish, that will change everything.

I loved this. It was such a perfect blend of hard-hitting Contemporary mixed with intense, brain-scrambling Horror-Thriller elements. The content and themes explored were so well done, but the character work was really the star of the show for me.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciated Cade as a main character. First, I loved the fact that he was such a serious football player. Football is one of my passions and I’ve never really read any YA story that had that rep done so well.

Additionally, everything else about Cade was impressive. I loved being in his head, and getting his perspective, as this story played out.

The Webster family is so fantastic. It was nice to read about such a close-knit group, with both parents engaged and involved and with Cade loving on his little sister so much. You could tell he felt the responsibility of being a big brother, and I felt like that was such a special thing to read.

I also loved the set-up of the detour into the pawn shop being the match that really lit this fire. It was giving me Needful Things, or The Auctioneer vibes, which I loved to see.

Overall, this story was completely my style. If I am picking up a YA Horror-Thriller, this is what I am looking for. I would absolutely recommend this, particularly if you are a fan of Tiffany D. Jackson. IMO, this is giving the same level of quality as a Jackson work.

In other words, top-freaking-notch!

Thank you to the publisher, Scholastic Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. My next task is to deep dive into this author’s backlist. I’m looking forward to it, and whatever he has coming next!!!

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Review: The Merciless Ones (Deathless #2) by Namina Forna

~ megs14malloy

The Merciless Ones (The Gilded Ones, #2)The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Merciless Ones is the second-book in Namina Forna’s Deathless series. Admittedly, it took me a minute to recommit to this story, but Forna definitely got me in the end.

I’m glad I waited until now to read it, as the next book is releasing just a few months from now, in February 2024. This had an exciting conclusion and I can hardly wait to find out what is going to happen next!

This book picks up 6-months after the final events of The Gilded Ones. We continue to follow Deka, who is currently residing in Otera with her new friends. They’ve freed the goddesses, but should have known in a world as brutal as this, their fight was far from over.

When strange happenings begin to put all they’ve fought for at risk, and signs point to a dark force growing in the kingdom, Deka and her crew need to figure out what’s going on ASAP. Known now as the Gilded One’s, Nuru ((explained as a bit of a chosen one)), Deka feels it her duty to continue to lead the charge.

The investigation into what is happening takes the group on quite an adventure and of course, puts them in a lot of additional dangers.

Most surprising, a few figures from Deka’s past pop up and the reunions are not warm and fuzzy. Yet again, Deka goes through it in this story. The hits, they just keep on coming, and by the end, I had gained even more respect for this hella strong and resourceful character.

This story is interesting. It started slowly for me and through the initial set-up, I couldn’t see where it was going. After finishing, it’s no wonder I couldn’t. I never in a million years could have guessed some of these revelations.

The final portions of this book contained so many jaw-dropping moments. It pretty much took what I thought was well-established about this world and flipped it on its head.

It was an extremely exciting conclusion, and as mentioned above, I am so glad that the next book is releasing fairly soon. I can’t imagine having to have waited like a year to find out what is going to happen next.

Overall, I wasn’t as crazy about this sequel as I was the first-book, but honestly, that happens to me a lot. I just get so immersed in the initial world-building, that I fall in love.

Then when it starts to slow down a bit, in order to build up tension, or establish future conflicts, I begin to lose a bit of interest, or connection.

Nevertheless, I’m still pretty obsessed with this series and this book blew my mind by the end. Forna’s world-building is incredible. It’s a fairly complex system, but written in a way I feel is accessible to a wide-range of Readers.

I’ve found it easy to empathize with Deka. I’m definitely rooting for her. Her character saw a lot of growth in this installment and even some shifts in her powers.

I don’t even think we know yet the true extent of her powers, and I’m so anxious to learn more in the next book. I also love the friend group, more of a found family, that Deka has gathered around her. They’ve bonded so deeply after the hell they’ve been through, and those bonds run deep.

If you haven’t started this series yet, now is the perfect time to do so. The world and characters are so well developed, it’s easy to get swept up in the action.

Forna has created a brutal world and doesn’t pull punches in her action scenes. You’re going to read some things that will make your toes curl. For me, that’s a plus. It gets me even more invested. You can feel how high these stakes are.

I love Deka and am so excited for The Eternal Ones!!

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