book review

Review: This Cursed House by Del Sandeen

~ megs14malloy

This Cursed HouseThis Cursed House by Del Sandeen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Buzzwords: Horror debut. Southern Gothic.

Quick Set-Up: A young black woman leaves 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans. It’s not what she expected…

This Cursed House was high on my priority list and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the atmosphere that Sandeen created and found the plot well-developed, as well as intriguing.

The Duchon family, the people that hire our MC, Jemma, are let’s say, interesting, to learn about. As the Reader, you have a sort of fly on the wall perspective of so many dark family secrets being dug up; like a cornucopia of secrets. It’s quite a trip and I feel like it’s gonna stick with me.

This is a heavy story. Don’t expected a light-hearted haunting with this one. It weighs on you, but with that, I feel like the author was successful. It should weigh on you. The themes explored within these pages aren’t easy, but they are well worth the read and attention.

Also, it will keep you on our toes. I was full of questions throughout my time reading this. That’s one of the aspects I really loved. Each chapter left me wanting to know more. It kept me going and invested.

The author was smart with how she laid out this story. It really doesn’t take much time before you discover the true reason behind this family hiring Jemma. Yes, it’s no random hire, and I liked that. I’m glad she didn’t draw it out, because it left so much more time to explore this family.

Jemma is thrust into this new circumstance, which she definitely didn’t expect and I liked going along with her as she learned about this family and their dark history.

There’s so much going on in the house too. It says it all right in the title. Take that literally.

Overall, I loved the journey I went on with Jemma in this one and I also really appreciated the dark, unsettling atmosphere that Sandeen created. The historical aspects were also really well done and I loved the New Orleans backdrop.

I actually would love to see more stories with Jemma as our MC. I definitely think there is more room to grow with her character. She really came into her own here, and I feel like she can use what she learned to help others. I would def pick up all the books if this were to turn into a series!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a great debut.

I’m looking forward to more from Del Sandeen!

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Rereading The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

~ megs14malloy

The Haunting of Hill HouseThe Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡

I first read The Haunting of Hill House in 2019. The only relationship I’d had with this story prior to that was via the 1999-film, The Haunting, starring Lily Taylor as Eleanor, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Theo, and Owen Wilson as Luke.

I freaking loved that movie. I owned it on VHS ((yes, I know)) and watched it all the time. So, as you might expect, my first time reading this original source material, my mind focused in on comparing this novel with that movie.

This time around, I picked it up for a Book Club discussion. I wanted the story fresh in mind, even going so far as to annotate my new paperback edition.

On the night of Book Club, I was only at page 103 on my reread. Obviously, I knew the story so wasn’t concerned about spoilers, but was definitely interested in what everyone had to say. I found the insight of other Readers so enlightening and it did help to focus my attention on different themes in the book this time around.

One of my biggest takeaways this time was a enhanced appreciation for Jackson’s impeccable character work; particularly for Eleanor and Theodora.

I was surprised seeing some of the comments on Theo. It took me aback to see that quite a few Readers perceived her as a villain, that maybe a harsh term; more that she mistreated Eleanor, and I’ve never felt that about her.

In fact, Theodora is my favorite character in the story. I can see where those thoughts came from though, but I have always viewed it more as Eleanor’s misconceptions on the relationship and on Theo’s behavior, than it actually being something Theo was doing purposefully, or with malice.

Again I was struck by the atmosphere and overall feel of Hill House. I loved how Jackson developed a true sense of place within this story. Hill House felt like a character unto itself, which is something I always appreciate in a story.

Upon completion, I actually decided to bump my original rating up from a 4 to a 5-star. I didn’t think I would end up doing that, but I feel like I appreciated everything about this so much more upon reread.

I would highly recommend this novel for anyone who loves stories with a gothic, haunting feel and phenomenal character work. IMO. this is an absolute modern-day classic and should be read at least once in your lifetime.

If you are interested in my thoughts from my first time reading this one, please continue below…

Original:

When I was in college, a little film called The Haunting was released. Starring Lily Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Owen Wilson, this Supernatural Horror flick was essentially a modern re-imagining of The Haunting of Hill House.

My Mom and I went see it at the theater and I promptly fell in love.

Soon after, I was able to buy it on VHS ((I know, right!?!)) and commenced watching it 2,638,450 times. I wish this was an exaggeration, but sadly, it is not.

I had never read the original source material. As a matter of fact, this is the first time that I have read this 1959-Classic of Horror fiction.

I finally decided to pick it up, spurred on by the celebration of ‘Women in Horror Fiction’ month.

I listened to the audiobook and was able to get through it quite quickly.

It is a short book, at just under 200-pages, and the narrator was absolutely fabulous. I was so invested in the story. Her voice was mesmerizing and seemed to transport me into that damn house!

I think my early love of the film version, The Haunting, really helped me to imagine the whole narrative.

I will say, after listening to this, that they did a great job in casting that film.

Seriously, Lily Taylor IS Nell. I loved Jackson’s creation of her character.

The mousy, sheltered girl who finally gains her freedom after what had to be a traumatic experience of years caring for her ailing mother.

I know, I know. Meg, this is supposed to be a book review, but I couldn’t write this review without mentioning that movie, as I know it has impacted my reading experience.

I truly enjoyed this book. The build-up, the atmosphere and the suspense. It was such a ride.

I thought the supernatural, or alleged supernatural elements, were so well done.

I had many spine-chilling, look over your shoulder, moments with this. It was great time.

The character interactions were a high point. I believed their relationships and connections to one another.

Each feeling compelled to participate for their own, very different, reasons. I especially enjoyed the complex relationship between Nell and Theo. Then we get to the ending…

Things were rolling along so nicely and then, POOF, we are finished.

A friend of mine explained it as such: it’s like she was writing this great book and then she just got tired of writing it. I agree with that completely.

Done with this project, drop mic, exit.

Even with this in mind though, I did really enjoy my time with this story. I may even revisit it again someday.

This should be appreciated for the great piece of Classic Horror literature that it truly is. It has influenced so many other stories and for that, I doff my cap to Shirley Jackson.

A true pioneer in the genre.

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Review: What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris

~ megs14malloy

What You Leave BehindWhat You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

I am a huge Wanda M. Morris fan. I have no problem believing we would be friends IRL, because obviously we have similar tastes and likes.

I put off reading What You Leave Behind longer than I should have. The overall rating surprised me; less than a 4-star? Having read this now, I have no idea why. This novel deserves so much more hype and love.

Admittedly, this contains some of my favorite tropes and I’m a sucker for a compulsive Legal Thriller, but still, I think this could be enjoyed by so many Readers.

The set-up for this is one of my faves; an MC returning to their hometown after quite some time away, trying to figure out a mystery, or solve a cold case.

Our MC in this story is Deena Woods. Deena is an attorney, who has recently returned to her family home in Brunswick, Georgia, after a horrible divorce. She is now living with her Dad, Jimmy, and Step-Mom, Ruth.

We learn so much about Deena, and I loved getting to know her. Her Mom didn’t pass all that long ago, so she is still wracked with grief. Additionally, it didn’t take long for her Dad and Ruth to get together, so there’s a little resentment there, of this new woman living in her Mom’s house.

Nevertheless, they get along and you can tell there’s a lot of love in the house. For her part, Deena is trying to work through all her feelings, but it isn’t easy.

One of the things she sometimes does when she’s feeling overwhelmed, is goes for long drives. She looks for quiet places she can sit and be with her thoughts.

It’s on one of these occasions, on a beautiful waterfront parcel, that she has a run-in with the property owner that will fundamentally change her life.

He mistakenly identifies Deena as an agent of the company that has been trying to buy the property from him. The thing is, his family has owned that property since just after the Civil War and he has zero interest in selling.

He’s sick of them hounding him and let’s Deena know, in no uncertain terms, that he will never, ever sell that land. Even though Deena tries to explain herself, he’s not hearing it and she gets out of there as fast as she can.

The interaction leaves a lasting impression. She can’t stop thinking about the man and the things he said. When she asks her Dad and Ruth about the man and the property, they’re shady, like they know more than they’re letting on.

Shortly thereafter, when Deena returns to the property, the man is no where to be found, even his trailer is gone and there’s a For Sale sign on the property. What the heck? Something isn’t right.

It’s at that point, Deena knows if she doesn’t start looking into this, no one will. She’s determined to find out what happened to the man and what this organization, scooping up all these properties, really is.

I was drawn into the mystery of this from the start. The way Deena’s Dad and Step-Mom acted, I didn’t blame her for digging further in. It’s a very small town, one they’ve both lived in their whole life, they definitely knew something.

I loved how determined Deena was and how she wasn’t afraid to stick her neck out for others. She was doing the right thing and she knew it.

This was full of danger, intrigue, beautifully-developed characters, small town drama, as well as real life issues that are rarely discussed, or that people don’t even realize are a problem until it happens to them or their families.

The incorporation of the very real problem of Heirs’ Property, I thought was so well done here. As someone interested in both the law and real estate, I’ll admit, it did work particularly well for me.

However, this is a very real and very serious issue, so hopefully people who read this will be interested enough to learn more about it.

I also liked the idea of this shadow organization coming in scooping up valuable properties from vulnerable individuals. Think BlackRock, which is another very serious issue that doesn’t get enough recognition as to its threat in many markets throughout the U.S.

More than the issues though, I just really enjoyed how Morris told this story. I loved the character work, and even the incorporation of some slight paranormal elements.

There’s a lot of exploration of family legacy, love, forgiveness and grief. It’s a story about taking action and pushing through hardships. It’s a story of fresh starts and honoring those who came before you. It’s action-packed, full of intrigue and heart. It’s definitely my kind of story.

Overall, I thought this was brilliant. I was a Morris fan coming in, and I’m an even bigger Morris fan going out. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a fantastic read; highly recommend!

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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: Running Cold by Susan Walter

~ megs14malloy

Running ColdRunning Cold by Susan Walter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Julie Adler is a former Canadian Olympic biathlete, who now resides in California with her husband, a successful businessman. The couple share a beautiful home, plenty of money and by all accounts, a healthy marriage.

That perfect facade is shattered though the day that Julie’s husband commits suicide. Left to pick up the pieces, Julie is reeling and as it turns out, he wasn’t quite as successful as he put on. Julie is left with essentially nothing.

Julie is heartbroken. She’s embarrassed. She doesn’t know what to do next. She can’t come clean to her friends, admit they’ve been living a lie, so she does what many of us would do, she runs away, returning home to Canada.

Back in Banff, where she once trained for the Olympics, Julie finds work as a housekeeper at a luxury resort. Just as she starts to feel she is getting some stability, a high profile guest is discovered dead in her room; murdered.

Julie was the last person seen, via hotel cameras, exiting the guest’s room. This makes her the number one suspect, but what motive could Julie possible have?

Meanwhile, Julie’s Californian girlfriends miss her. They think she’s gone to Canada to lick her wounds. They have no idea how dire Julie’s circumstances actually are.

Wanting to support Julie, they travel to Banff and end up checking into the hotel where Julie works. They think Julie is a guest there and she doesn’t correct their assumptions.

There’s so much is happening with this story. It is a complete whirlwind of action and well developed characters that gripped me from the start.

I listened to the audiobook, mostly on a solo road trip, and I gotta say, that 5-hours of windshield time flew by. I was so invested in this story.

You get a few perspectives, including the local cop investigating the hotel murder, Detective Monique Montpelier, who was a nice contrast compared with Julie, Remy, the hotel manager, and Izzy, Julie’s closest friend from California.

I loved all the perspectives and what they each contributed to the narrative. It was a detailed story and each perspective switch helped to put all the vast pieces into place. I felt it was very well executed by Walter.

I love stories that follow professional athletes, so loved hearing about Julie’s time as a biathlete. I totally understood her reasons for returning to her old stomping grounds after her husband’s death and really felt like Julie’s whole background contributed so much to this story.

I also loved getting Monique’s perspective. The local detective, with not a ton of murder investigation experience, being thrown into this high powered world.

It felt honest, and so captivating.

This is the first novel I have ever read from Susan Walter and I loved the way she delivered this story. It was so readable, from start to finish, pulling me in and keeping me on my toes. I loved the balance between action and mystery.

Towards the end, it got crazy. I’ll admit to not being as completely wild about the way it went in the end, as compared with the build-up, but it’s still a super solid 4-star action-packed Thriller that I would 100% recommend.

Particularly, with the Winter months closing in. I feel like this is the perfect cold weather Thriller. The Banff setting will transport you to that isolated ski town. Be sure to have your hot beverage at the ready.

Thank you to the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This has been a standout Thriller for me in 2024. I urge y’all to check it out!

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Review: Dearest by Jacquie Walters

~ megs14malloy

DearestDearest by Jacquie Walters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙

Dearest is a unique take on the New Mother story and an impressive debut. I really enjoyed the topics explored, as well as the Supernatural bits and Body Horror.

In this story we are following, Flora, who just had her first child, a girl, Iris, 6-weeks ago. Iris arrived a little early and unfortunately, Flora’s husband is still deployed, so she’s left to navigate these early stages of 1st-time parenthood alone. As adorable as Iris is, it’s not an easy thing.

As time passes, Flora feels herself slipping. Her sleep-deprived brain is playing tricks on her and she’s struggling navigating the endless lonely days.

When it reaches the point where Flora feels like she’s losing it, she receives an unexpected visitor; her estranged mother. Even though her mom hasn’t been a part of her life in years, Flora hesitantly accepts the help being offering.

Her mother agrees to stay with her and Iris, at least until her husband returns.

Even with her mother around, Flora is still experiencing odd occurrences that cause her to believe something is going on in the house, or like someone is after her and Iris. Is it in her head, or are there actually much darker forces at work?

I enjoyed this quite a bit. The audiobook was fabulously narrated by the author herself, which I felt was a nice touch. It felt like experiencing the story exactly how the author wanted it to be told, and I think she did a great job with it.

Stories of new motherhood are sometimes tough for me to relate to, or become invested in. NGL, I’ve had a few that have annoyed the heck out of me, but I never felt that way here and had no problem becoming invested in Flora’s story.

I did love the overall mysterious vibe and how in depth it explored feelings of isolation, as well as the oftentimes complicated mother-daughter relationship. Additionally, Walters’s Horror descriptions were great, including some stellar Body Horror, which I always love to see.

I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy women-centered Horror, or weird is it supernatural, is it not stories. I would also highly recommend the audiobook format, should you have that available to you.

Thank you to the publisher, Hachette Audio and Mulholland Books, for providing me copies to read and review. If this Walters debut, I cannot wait to see what’s up next!

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Review: Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas (Murder, She Wrote #59) by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

~ megs14malloy

A Killer ChristmasA Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

I’m rounding up for nostalgia, but either way, this was still an enjoyable Cozy Mystery. It’s set in Cabot Cove in the festive days leading up to Christmas.

While A Killer Christmas didn’t contain the most compelling mystery for me, taking over half the book to get to our murder, I still had fun sitting front row to all the town drama. You know I’m always down for that!

This is the 59th-installment of my all-time favorite Cozy Mystery series. I cherish my time with Jessica Fletcher; always have, always will. If I’m counting correctly, this is the 48th-book that I have read in this series.

In case you are new to the Murder, She Wrote books, these can be read in any order and can really be divided into two types: the Cabot Cove mysteries, which are set in Jessica’s hometown and involve a recurring cast of local characters, and the ones that are set around the world during the course of Jessica’s travels as a best-selling mystery author.

It would be difficult for me to select my favorite type. I think I prefer the travel ones, because I like to go along with Jess to the various places, however, there is something to be said about the comfort of returning to Cabot Cove.

In this one, as Christmas approaches, the entire town is getting into the holiday spirit. In fact, for the first time, the town is competing in a state-sponsored competition to be voted the Christmas Town of Maine.

With cash for the town’s non-profits and local businesses on the line, the locals are ready to put on the most festive holiday events that the town has ever seen.

In the midst of all this, local realtor and friend of Jessica, Eve Simpson has a marlin on the line, by way of Boston-based businessman, John Bragdon, who is hoping to buy the old Jarvis homestead. Eve is in a tizzy trying to impress Bragdon and see the sale through.

Eve organizes a dinner where Bragdon and his wife will be able to rub elbows with the who’s-who of Cabot Cove. Of course, as one of the most successful authors currently in the Mystery biz, Jessica secures an invite.

Although she’s not crazy about the idea, Jessica does agree to help Eve. A few of her other friends will be there too, so it can’t be all bad.

Dinner is going well, when the party is suddenly interrupted by the long-missing, and assumed dead, Kenny Jarvis. He heard his sister was putting their family home on the market and has returned to stake his claim. He announces that the Bradgons will never live in his house.

When Rose Marie Bragdon, John’s wife, dies unexpectedly days later, Kenny is quickly the number one suspect.

He was witnessed by many threatening her, but Jessica isn’t so sure it’s as simple as all of that. Doing what she does best, Jessica digs in, determined to find out the truth about what happened to Rose Marie.

As mentioned above, this mystery wasn’t super compelling for me, but everything else going on in the town certainly made up for it, IMO.

The realtor, Eve, a recurring character, always drives me a little batty. She’s abrasive, frequently steam-rolling over those around her. It’s just her personality. Jessica puts up with her in good grace, and I always feel schooled in the patience department.

Why she is even friends with this woman, I will never know.

Eve needed this sale. She reeked of desperation and was willing to do anything to get the Jarvis property sold. Bless Jessica and the others for being willing to help her out.

More than the sale though, the Christmas competition was providing quite a bit of tension in town as well. People were divided on where the winnings should go, if they were actually to win, and the planning of the events themselves got stressful.

Overall though, I did love the holiday vibes pouring from the pages. And all this stuff that I’m talking about, the stress, the tension, it did succeed in pulling me in. It made me invested. I love these characters and this town. I mean, at this point, even I feel like a local, so I was into it. It made me ready to start my own Christmas planning.

Terrie Farley Moran has done a great job with her contributions to this series. This is her 6th, I believe. I’ve read them all and I have really enjoyed them all.

I love how she has kept the original tone of the series, and she for sure has Jessica’s character and mannerisms down. I love this series with my whole heart. I will never, ever stop reading them. If you are looking for a Cozy Mystery series, a true Cozy, I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

I know for me there is a level of nostalgia that others may not have, but even without that nostalgia, I think these are still highly enjoyable mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always look forward to the latest Murder, She Wrote. Please keep them coming!

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Review: We Kept Her In the Cellar by W.R. Gorman

~ megs14malloy

We Kept Her In the CellarWe Kept Her In the Cellar by W.R. Gorman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

**4.5-stars**

We Kept Her In the Cellar is a wildly-imaginative and uber-dark Cinderella reimagining. As it turns out, it’s also the Dark Fairy Tale of my slightly-disturbed dreams.

This story follows Eunice, who at the beginning of our tale is just 11-years old and her mother is about to be married to a man who has a daughter, Cinderella.

The blending of the families is rife with unsettling occurrences from the very start.

Eunice learns the rules for dealing with Cinderella, but it’s not an easy life. She basically takes on the role of caregiver, even when she herself is a child.

Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. It’s almost impossible for her interact with the rest of the world. She needs to be handled at all times. Hence why the family keeps her mostly imprisoned in their cellar.

After Eunice, now 18, befriends charming Prince Credence, she begins to see the possibilities outside of their home. Why should she be shackled within like Cinderella? She’s done nothing wrong and wants a life.

Eunice even receives an invitation to the Prince’s Ball and is determined to go. This could be her chance to break free.

However, on the night she’s set to go, it’s actually Cinderella who breaks free with disastrous consequences. Using her vast eldritch powers, Cinderella ends up attending the Ball and enrapturing the Prince with her beauty and grace.

At midnight, she leaves behind a trail of destruction and a single green glass slipper. I think you know a bit of what happens from there, or do you?

I read the synopsis of this so long ago, that by the time I got around to picking it up, I had actually forgotten it was a Cinderella reimagining.

I was expecting Horror and I certainly got that, but I also got enough of my Dark Fairy Tale fix to last me a good long while. This one is going to stick in my brain, that’s for sure.

By 5% in, W.R. Gorman had my jaw on the floor. This story waits no time to take off. It’s 0-to-60 with this one.

I loved Eunice as a character and loved learning all about Cinderella along with her. To think, Eunice had a fairly normal life until her mother needed to remarry. That’s the choice that changed her life forever.

Eunice’s younger sister Hortense was only 5-years old when Cinderella arrived. Cinderella’s needs required a lot of Eunice’s time and I felt bad for poor Hortense, who didn’t really understand why her beloved older sister, Eunice, no longer had the time to play with her.

It really did a number on this family. I liked Cinderella’s father. I felt for him. It seemed like he was also doing the best he could, and he did really seem to care for Eunice, Hortense and their mother.

Cinderella was like nothing I had ever read before. She never ceased to surprise and amaze me with her powers and actions. When I say this, read it as, she’s terrifying.

This story was so engaging. It sucked me in. I loved the choices Gorman made as far the connections with the original Cinderella story and how twisted they are here. It’s incredibly clever and inspired.

The Body Horror is fantastic and there’s a lot of it, which we love to see. I’m talking super cringe, toe-curling moments on the regular. Also, I did listen to the audiobook which was fabulous. It is narrated by EJ Lavery, whose voice work definitely added to the dark whimsy of this tale.

My only complaint is I felt it was resolved a little too easily. After this gloriously-grotesque and dark build-up, I was a wee surprised at how quickly it wrapped up.

I did like the delightful little tid-bit we learned at the end though, regarding the aftermath, or lingering result of it all. In a way though, you could just look at this as a compliment. It just means I wanted more.

Honestly, I could read another entire volume following this cast of characters and set within this world. C’mon, Gorman, how about a sequel!?

Thank you so much to the publishers, Crooked Lane Books and HighBridge Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I would absolutely recommend this story to Horror Readers, and Dark Fairy Tale Readers, particularly if you love a lot of Body Horror. I can’t wait for more from this author!

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Review: The Debutantes by Olivia Worley

~ megs14malloy

The Debutantes: A NovelThe Debutantes: A Novel by Olivia Worley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the boisterous Southern city of New Orleans, Les Masques Ball is the highlight of the Mardi Gras season for the elite.

The morning after last year’s Ball, the reigning Queen, Margot, was found dead. Margot had a bit of a wild streak, so to some, it wasn’t a particularly shocking development. That sounds mean, but you know how people speculate.

Nevertheless, it was a tragedy and going into this year’s Ball, the new class of debutantes definitely hold Margot’s fate close to their minds and hearts.

Lily is to be this year’s Queen though and she’s absolutely perfect. There’s no way she would get into the type of circumstance that Margot must have found herself in last year. The event should go off without a hitch.

Unfortunately, the Ball gets crashed by a mysterious figure in a Jester costume, threatening those involved.

After the event disperses, Lily sends a message to the three other girls in her royal court, Vivian, Piper and April, asking if they could meet up the next day. But Lily never shows up.

Now the three remaining girls need to try to figure out why Lily wanted to bring them all together and what happened to her. Also, is this connected with Margot’s death?

What is going on here?

The Debutantes is a dramatic and tense YA Thriller, with plenty to keep the Reader on their toes.

I loved the New Orleans setting and the immersion into Debutante culture. It was fascinating and steeped in mystery. I loved the vibes from start to finish.

At first, I’ll admit, it was a little difficult for me to differentiate among all the characters.

The author worked it out though. It’s tough having that many girls involved and keeping them straight. Once I did though, and started to really learn their various personalities and backgrounds, it was so compelling.

There were many entertaining twists, a couple of the jaw-dropping variety, that left me reeling. Additionally, I loved how Worley continued to build up the intensity and intrigue. This was a tough one to put down.

I also felt like the conclusion was very strong. That final chapter was the cherry on the sundae for me. It helped it all become a little more clear. Bravo on that.

This is the first that I have read from Olivia Worley, but from this, I can tell that I will definitely be picking up more of her work. This style of YA Thriller suits my tastes to a tee.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to any YA Thriller fan!

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Review: Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

~ megs14malloy

Dead ElevenDead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A super unique and thought-provoking story, with a wonderfully-produced audiobook to boot. I’m so glad I finally made time for Dead Eleven.

I’ll admit, it took me a minute to adjust to the flow of this one, and by a minute, I mean about 15%, but once I did, OMG, I couldn’t stop. I needed answers.

This is such a fascinating set-up. I really don’t want to say too much about the plot, as I feel like it would be best enjoyed if you go in knowing as little as possible.

We do mainly follow three distinct POVs. Willow, her brother, Harper, and a teenage girl, Lily. As I met these characters at the beginning of the story, each one was more interesting than the last. It was hard to be introduced to them and not walk away with a million questions.

My mind was spinning in such a fun way. As you are told in the synopsis, the meat of this story is set on Clifford Island, and the questions revolve around the island itself.

It’s an odd place, with the residents seemingly stuck on one day in 1994. Lily has grown up there, but both Willow and Harper travel there from away.

Their observations are a large part of how you, the Reader, learn about the traditions and practices on this island. Lily though, seems fed up with the way things are; like she’s willing to make a change. Will these three individuals be the actors that finally cause a change on Clifford?

While the ultimate trope, or ideas used to explain what is going on, aren’t my favorite, this is probably the best I’ve seen it done. I was really impressed with this.

I loved the unsettling vibes that Juliano successfully carried throughout this detailed narrative. This is such a fantastic debut. I’ll be on the end of my seat until I know what this author plans to release next. If it is half as good as this, we’re in for a treat.

If you are a Horror Reader who craves a creepy atmosphere, full of mysterious dangers and lots of captivating characters, you absolutely need to give this one a shot. It’s perfect for this time of year!

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