coming of age

Review: One of Us by Dan Chaon

~ megs14malloy

One of UsOne of Us by Dan Chaon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Hot on the heels of reading, and enjoying, Liar’s Dice, a Coming of Age story set in 1970s Brazil, last week, I decided I was having a Coming of Age moment and decided to pick up another. I’ve had One of Us on my radar for a long time because of the author, Dan Chaon, and felt like now was the time to finally give it a go.

This is a Literary Horror-Coming of Age story, set in 1915-U.S., following orphaned twins, Bolt and Eleanor. After their mother dies, the twins are taken in by a con-man, who claims to be their long-lost Uncle Charlie.

The twins have a special connection and an ability to read each other’s minds. To shysters like ole’ Uncle Charlie, the twins abilities, particularly at this time, could easily be exploited and end up being quite valuable. But Uncle Charlie isn’t just a shyster, he’s also a violent man.

After a late-night poker game, where one of his rages ends in murder, Eleanor and Bolt decide it’s time to move on. They need to run away as fast as they can.

They end up on an orphan train and then at an auction, where they’re ultimately scooped up by an apparent savior, Mr. Jengling, founder of the Emporium of Wonders, which is a traveling sideshow, a popular form of entertainment during this time period.

They travel by train across the country, performing in different locations, and we follow the twins as they settle into their new life. We learn a lot about the other members of the show as well, and Chaon did a great job of incorporating their many different stories, bringing humanity to the story in an oddly-beautiful way.

It’s the first time Eleanor and Bolt have really been a part of something like this, but as Bolt falls deeper and deeper into the found family of the Emporium, Eleanor finds herself growing farther away.

With Uncle Charlie on their trail, the twins are suddenly in more danger than ever. Will they be able to evade his capture, and protect their new family in the process?

This was a really interesting story. I’ve definitely never read a Coming of Age story quite like this before. I did find the time period and the idea of this traveling sideshow very compelling, but emotionally, I never really felt like I was able to connect with Eleanor and Bolt’s story.

I’m not sure why that is, necessarily. The writing was great, very fluid and it did have solid pacing. I think that maybe it was just my head space at the moment.

I definitely can appreciate what the author did here, giving a space where the misfits can get their time in the spotlight and I would recommend it for Historical Fiction fans. Particularly, those who may like something a little darker, or surreal in their stories.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m definitely interested in picking up more from Dan Chaon in the future. This was good.

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Review: Liar’s Dice by Juliet Faithfull

~ megs14malloy

Liar's DiceLiar’s Dice by Juliet Faithfull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Liar’s Dice is set in 1970s Brazil and follows a young girl, Dolores, after her twin sister, Mita, gets sent overseas to a hospital in London due to a medical condition.

When the girls were young, it was discovered that Mita had a degenerative health condition that Dolores did not have. By the time the girls were around 8-years old, her condition had progressed so much that their parents didn’t feel they could care for her safely any longer.

Whether that’s true or not, it’s what they believed. They also believed the hospitals in Brazil weren’t acceptable for Mita. Therefore, it was their belief that London, where he was originally from, would be the best choice.

As you can imagine, this is a difficult decision for any family, but for Dolores, it was incomprehensible. Mita belonged with them, with her. When Mita left, Dolores felt like half her heart was gone. She could think of little else.

A lot of this book explores Dolores’s reaction to Mita being gone. She cannot understand her parent’s decision and there’s a lot of tension in the family because of the choices that have been made.

This is a true Coming of Age story. We do get the entire story from Dolores’s perspective, and she’s relaying it to us in the voice of a child/tween.

This doesn’t affect it’s depth, however, as the topics explored are deep and emotional. I did appreciate how realistic Dolores’s narrative voice felt. I feel like Faithfull did an incredible job with that.

Let me be clear, I am not a Historical Fiction girlie. This book is very much outside of my comfort zone. I picked it up only after the publisher emailed me about it and brought it to my attention. I don’t think it ever would have been on my radar if they hadn’t done that.

After reading this synopsis, I was definitely intrigued. I do love Coming of Age Horror, and this is a Coming of Age story, though very far from Horror. It still captured that nostalgic Coming of Age feel that I enjoy losing myself in, and I also loved the Brazilian setting. It was refreshing.

The MC, Dolores, was empathetic to follow. Their family went through so much over the course of the book. I’ll admit certain scenes definitely made me emotional. I’m glad I picked this one up, comfort zone or not.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for bringing this novel to my attention, and for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a beautiful debut, and I would absolutely pick up more from this author.

I would definitely recommend this to my Historical Fiction friends, but I would also recommend it to people like me, who may not pick up a lot of the genre, but find the subject matter interesting. It really is a powerful story.

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Review: The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

~ megs14malloy

The List of Suspicious ThingsThe List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Going into The List of Suspicious Things I knew one thing about it, that it involved the true life case of the Yorkshire Ripper, who was convicted of murdering 13 women in Manchester and West Yorkshire in the UK, in the late-1970s and 1980.

I had heard that this was a personal novel for the author, Jennie Godfrey, who grew up in West Yorkshire, and whose father had actually worked with the man later identified to be the Yorkshire Ripper. I needed to read this book.

It just sounded like such a unique perspective she would have writing this book; something that few others would have. I assumed this was just a straight-up Mystery novel though, but it’s not really. It’s much more than that.

If I had read the full synopsis, I would have read that it was a Coming of Age story, but I didn’t. Luckily, for me, I love a Coming of Age storytelling style and it really worked for me here as well. So, this is more of a Historical Fiction Coming of Age tale with a real life mystery in the background.

This story is mostly told from the perspective of a young girl named Miv, who lives in West Yorkshire at the time that the community is being plagued by these vicious killings. There are small snippets from others throughout the book, but Miv is definitely our focus.

As a child, I believe she’s around 11-years old, Miv doesn’t full grasp the gravity of what is happening around her in the community, how serious the threat is, but she knows it’s something bad and frightening.

Along with her friend, Sharon, the two decide they are going to find this killer and put a stop to it. They begin digging around, finding suspicious things about the people in their community. Could one of these suspicious people be responsible for the killings?

We follow along and learn about this community, which is a bit economically depressed, with families who yeah, have issues that stem from the life stressors that come along with systemic poverty and uncertainty.

I won’t get too much further into it, as I feel like my experience with it, not knowing too much, is really the best way to experience this. It pulled me in. Miv has all the purity of childhood, thrust into pretty scary circumstances.

I feel like she was trying to bring order to that in any way she could. It was like the more she could control her circumstances, the less scary it would feel for her, which is relatable, right?

Unfortunately, she didn’t realize how much her actions could impact those around here, and we do see some of that play out. I loved learning about this community and meeting the various adults who played a part in the neighborhood goings-on.

I loved the fluidity and humanity in Godfrey’s writing and though it did feel a little slow to me at times, there’s really nothing I would have taken out of it. I just feel like it’s a bit more Literary than I’m used to reading, so I grew impatient at time with the pace.

Overall however, even though this wasn’t at all what I expected, I did end up getting fully sucked into the story and I enjoyed it a lot. I thought Godfrey did a great job of making this an immersive experience for the Reader, and the audiobook production added to that with the multiple narrators. I would recommend the audiobook format if you’re going to check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to read more from Jennie Godfrey!!

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Review: Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay

~ megs14malloy

Disappearance at Devil's RockDisappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

As a Reader, I focus a lot on new releases. In the majority of cases, if I don’t get to a book either before, or within like 4 or 5-months, of its release date, it’s going to end up languishing on my shelves, or Kindle, unread for years.

A month ago, I was browsing books that were past nominees for the Bram Stoker Awards, and this just happened to be one of them. I decided it was high time I get to it. I’ve owned this book since it’s release and am kicking myself for not picking it up sooner.

This story features a sort of classic set-up: three teen boys enter the forest, only two return. We follow the missing boy, Tommy’s, mom, Elizabeth, and his younger sister, Kate. We also get the perspective of the boys in the days leading up to Tommy’s disappearance.

There are a lot of moving parts to the narrative, but they’re all blended together so well that it makes for a seamless, emotional and engaging story.

I am huge Tremblay fan, so I wouldn’t say I was necessarily surprised at how much I enjoyed this, or how good the writing was, however, I do walk away feeling this is one of Tremblay’s best works to date. I can’t stress enough how incredibly well-told it is; completely immersive. I was drawn in quickly and couldn’t stop.

The inclusion of the boys perspectives, since they are just teens, had a certain Coming of Age feel that enjoy. That combined with various real world horrors, really played into my tastes. I thought the audiobook narration was perfect for the tone of the story as well. Overall, just exceptional.

At the end of the day, Disappearance at Devil’s Rock was a great reminder for me to not neglect my backlist. There are so many incredible stories lurking on the shelves just waiting to be discovered.

I would absolutely recommend this to people who enjoy genre-bending, emotionally-impactful stories, full of haunting imagery and real world horrors. I’m so glad that I finally made time for this one!

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Review: Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker

~ megs14malloy

Something I Keep UpstairsSomething I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Something I Keep Upstairs is set in the coastal New Hampshire town of Newcastle, and follows a story told by Billy Hasler.

He shares with the Reader the events that happened to him and his group of friends in the Summer he was 17, that would change the course of all of their lives.

That was the Summer before they were all supposed to head off to college, as most of us know an oft emotional and pivotal time in a young person’s life.

When his best friend, David Spivey, inherits his deceased Grandmother’s mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems the perfect spot for Summer shenanigans. As they start to spend time there with their friends though, it becomes clear that the island houses a dark past.

Things spiral out of control for the group. It becomes the stuff of nightmares, and it’s hard to trust what you’re hearing from Billy. This house is evil and it’s something that’s effected generations of people in Newcastle.

It doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon either. Will Billy be able to escape its hungry grasp unscathed, or will he suffer the same fate of many before him?

For my personal tastes, Something I Keep Upstairs wasn’t a super enjoyable reading experience. My attention frequently wavered and I probably only managed to retain 1/2 of it. Nevertheless, I have to give many extra points for Barker’s fluid writing style and wild-creativity.

While this had some strong attributes, like the atmosphere and inclusion of local history/lore, a few of the concepts weren’t to my tastes. I also felt it dragged on for way too long. Coming in at just shy of 500-pages, this story felt like a monster undertaking that struggled to get off the ground.

I did love the sort of confessional Coming of Age narrative style though. I think that was a great choice by the author, and perhaps if the ‘what’ of the island captured my attention a little more, I wouldn’t have minded the length as much.

Some of the extra points also go towards the many unexpected turns of the story, which I never saw coming. However, with this being said, I did find it difficult to track some of the side characters and past events/time shifts.

At the end of the day though, I think it was merely a mismatch for my tastes. I can appreciate the skill it took to create this story, but for me, it just wasn’t a hit.

With this being said, this is purely my personal opinion based upon my reading experience. Just because I wasn’t the biggest fan, doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love it. I strongly encourage anyone who thinks it sounds interesting to give it a go. It’s absolutely worth the shot!

Thank you to the publisher, Hampton Creek Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I def plan to check out more from this author!

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Review: Wilderness Reform by Matt Query and Harrison Query

~ megs14malloy

Wilderness ReformWilderness Reform by Matt Query
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I just let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding…

Ughhhh, this hurts my heart. I so wanted to love this, but I just didn’t. I was bored beyond belief through the entire thing and I don’t know why, TBH.

If you look at the individual components, I should’ve loved it, but I felt nothing. I couldn’t care less about the characters, or anything that was happening to them; and since it’s a character-driven story, to not care a lick ended up having a huge impact on my experience.

This is the first I have read from Matt and Harrison Query, although I have heard fantastic things about their other novel, Old Country, which I definitely still plan to read.

This cover is beautiful. I love it, but sadly, that is as far as my love goes with this one. Since this is set at a wilderness camp for troubled teenagers, in a remote area of Montana, I fully expected to be completely gripped by this story.

I love Horror with a nature setting, and anything that involves survival elements, but in spite of that, I never felt a true sense of place, or really any atmosphere here at all. They could have been anywhere as far as I was concerned…

And IDK, maybe I did build this up as something else in my mind, and when it didn’t live up to those expectations, it made me grumpy. Maybe that is it? Maybe it’s me?

I was sort of expecting something a bit like The Troop, and that is on me. It’s not the authors’ fault that I’m a picky bitch. However, I gotta say, I don’t think it’s me that the pace of this could’ve been beaten by a snail.

Part of the problem for me was the main character, Ben. Something about him, the way he was written, or perhaps it was the narration in the audiobook, but it turned me off. I couldn’t stand him. Since he’s such a huge part of the narrative, it didn’t bode well for me.

Even though this was a disappointment for me, I can still recognize some strong attributes of the story, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I end up in the minority opinion on this one.

With this being said, take it with a grain of salt. Maybe I am just in a mood. It’s totally possible and I admit that. If this synopsis sounds intriguing to you, please do pick it up.

If you end up loving it, come back and tell me how horribly wrong I am. I would welcome it! As I always say, there’s a Reader for every book and a book for every Reader. I’m by no means the end all opinion on all books.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I still am very much looking forward to getting to Old Country.

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Review: Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina

~ megs14malloy

Indian Burial GroundIndian Burial Ground by Nick Medina
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

After reading Nick Medina’s story, Quantam, in the Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, Never Whistle at Night, I knew I needed to pick up more of his work.

It was one of my favorites of that collection. I loved his storytelling style and couldn’t wait to be immersed in another one of his creative tales.

In this story, we follow two perspectives: Noemi and Louie. Noemi provides us with a Contemporary Mystery. While Louie, Noemi’s Uncle, delivers us a beautifully-executed Coming of Age Horror element.

In present day, Noemi’s boyfriend, Roddy, dies suddenly and tragically. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding his death, but the authorities categorize it as a suicide. That doesn’t track for Noemi though, who feels like something more sinister may be at play upon their tribal lands.

Just prior to receiving this tragic news, Noemi’s Uncle Louie shows up on her doorstep, in town for an upcoming powwow. After more than a decade away, it’s a bit of an awkward reunion, but soon enough Uncle and Niece are bonding just like old times.

When Louie hears the news of Roddy’s mysterious death, it brings to mind for him some very dark memories, all of which occurred in the Summer when he was 16-years old.

We alter back and forth between Noemi, taking us through the current events, and Louie recounting what happened on the reservation, all those years ago.

Medina wastes no time jumping into the intrigue of this story. The very start is fascinating, as we get a glimpse into the events surrounding Roddy’s death.

I was immediately impressed with the writing. IMO, Medina just has a natural storyteller’s voice. The way he delivered this story, specifically the sections from Louie’s perspective, felt like Louie was speaking his story directly to me.

You forget that you are reading a book. It feels that fluid, and comes across as an actual person would tell the story of their life, versus an author trying to impress you with all the big words they know…

This is exactly the type of writing that I like to read!

It was fascinating to go back and forth between the two perspectives. I couldn’t see right away how Louie’s past was going to help Noemi understand her present, and I loved how Medina ultimately wove the two together.

The Coming of Age aspect was the highlight for me, but I think as a genre blend, this worked together so well.

The Horror imagery itself was very well-crafted. There were some truly unsettling moments. Things that gave me downright chills. It was never difficult picturing exactly what was happening to these characters.

I loved the examination of the real life horrors, as well. Particularly in regards to addiction, which really is its own vampire in a way, isn’t it?

Additionally, the family drama and other events occurring on the reservation brought a heavy emotional component to the story. This one definitely moved me and the ending hit me like a punch to the gut.

Ultimately, Louie’s story will live on, rent free in my heart forever, and ever, Amen. This is a special book.

A slow burn mix of Indigenous Horror with a powerful Coming of Age story; what’s not to love about that? The themes explored and rich quality of storytelling are impressive to say the least.

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

This is for sure on my Most Memorable List for 2024!!!

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Review: I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

~ megs14malloy

I Was a Teenage SlasherI Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1989, Tolly Driver was an average 17-year old boy, just living his life in his small West Texas hometown of Lamesa.

He’s a good kid, who mostly keeps his nose clean, helping his Mom at her hardware store, and spending time with his best friend ((crush)), Amber. All it took was one crazy Summer night to change everything…

This book is presented in a sort of confessional style. It’s Tolly writing about that summer, about the events that occurred, relaying them and also reflecting upon them. He’s addressing Amber, so it feels genuine and personal.

I connected with this one from the very first pages. I love how SGJ chose to present Tolly’s story. It’s much more than a Slasher. It’s a Coming of Age tale from the perspective of a killer. A Slasher with a twist.

Reading this, it feels like a personal story for SGJ. Not the murdery-bits of course, but the sense of place, the experience of being a teenager in West Texas in the 1980s and everything that went with that.

Honestly, it felt so rich with heart, emotion and nostalgia. I’m not sure what it is, whether it’s because SGJ and I came up around the same time, both in small towns and probably with a lot of similar interests, or if it’s just the humanity channeled into his stories, but they hit me differently.

Maybe it’s as simple as our mutual love of this nuanced genre of Horror; Slashers in particular, I don’t know, but there’s something special in his delivery that takes me right back to my youth. I feel it.

I’ve never read anything like this. It’s special. I absolutely loved it. There’s only so much you can say about a book you loved without diving off the deep end into fangirl territory.

Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorite authors. Out of the 8-books of his that I have read so far, the lowest rating I have ever given is a 4-star, and it was just the one.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since I finished this, and I actually think this is my favorite SGJ work EVER!

For those of you crying yourself to sleep every night ((like I was)) because you just finished the last book in The Angel of Indian Lake trilogy, have NO FEAR, this one will fulfill your darkest Slasher desires and then some.

I’m so excited for this to release this Summer so that I can add a hard copy to my shelves. I can’t wait to read it again. Tolly is a character I will never forget.

I would recommend this to any Horror Reader. It’s a perfect Summer Scream story. My heart slowly shattered over the course of this novel, but it simultaneously made me ridiculously happy. I want everyone to feel that.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Saga Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it far exceeded even my lofty expectations.

Stephen Graham Jones is such a gifted storyteller, who truly breaths life into his characters with the power of his words. His stories are edgy, raw, emotional, powerful and nostalgic. I’ll never stop coming back for more.

10-out-of-10 recommend!!

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Review: In the Scrape by James Newman and Mark Steensland

~ megs14malloy

In the ScrapeIn the Scrape by James Newman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the Scrape is a 2019-Coming of Age Horror novella co-authored by James Newman and Mark Steensland.

James Newman is one of my faves, so when I was gifted an ARC-copy, I was super stoked. Then like a huge jerk, I never got around to it…

As I was considering what to pick up this past Halloween week, this gorgeous Autumnal cover popped into my mind. Now is the time.

In hindsight, I’m irked I had this 5-star read sitting on my Kindle for years. How did I not pay this story the attention it deserves? Hopefully this review will be an impetus for some of you to pick it up. That would help my guilt.

In this story we follow two young brothers, Jake and Matthew. The boys live with their abusive father and dream of nothing but escape. Their plan is to make their way to California, where they can be reunited with the mother they miss terribly.

We are told the story by Jake, who is 13-years old at the time the events take place. He gives us the details of the family dynamic and takes us through the days leading up to their planned escape.

The boys have been very strategic about it, saving money and waiting until the right time. Even during the worst of the abuse, they stay focused on their plan. They see an upcoming family hunting trip as the perfect opportunity.

Unfortunately, just prior to the trip, Jake has a bloody altercation with his arch-nemesis, which not only puts a damper on the funds he was hoping to save, but also brings local law enforcement sniffing around.

Nevertheless, their Dad is determined to make it out to their cabin for the first day of deer season, so off they go. Little does he know that first night is going to find him tied to a chair as his boys forge their escape.

Dad is a beast though, will the boys be able to subdue him enough to actually get away? What if he catches them? Who will survive the night?

This is such an incredible story. I loved it. I immediately could tell this was a Newman; I adore his writing. I’ve never read from Mark Steensland before, but I trust if Newman is working with him, he’s nothing short of brilliant.

Coming of Age is a subgenre of Horror that I tend to vibe with really well. I know when some people think of Horror books, they think, scary books, things that scare me, and then if they don’t get scared by a book, they say, this isn’t Horror.

For me, Horror is a more nuanced genre than that and thinking only books that literally scare you can be classified as Horror is simplifying the genre unfairly.

I’ve mentioned this before in other reviews, but this story did such a great job of channeling all of the essential vibes of the subgenre, that I felt it was worth repeating here.

This basically transported me into the lives of these two boys while they were living through what could arguably be the most pivotal year of their childhoods.

In addition to the superb writing, it made me feel so much. By the halfway point, I was commenting how it was breaking my heart. I could feel the pain and desperation of these boys.

The brother’s relationship was beautifully done. I could feel the love between them and the push and pull that made that relationship as special as it was. Given their circumstances, it was clear that they were beyond lucky to have one another.

I also loved how the authors continued to build the tension throughout the story as the end approached. They pulled me in, made me 100% committed to the characters and then got my pulse racing with my sights set on the conclusion.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys Coming of Age Horror, or to anyone who is looking to try the subgenre for the first time.

I mean, Coming of Age Horror novellas really don’t get much better than this. These authors knocked this out of the park. They made me love Jake and Matthew with my whole heart. In short, this filled my soul.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Silver Shamrock Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

My only regret is that it took me so long to get to it.

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Review: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

~ megs14malloy

Looking Glass SoundLooking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Looking Glass Sound is the latest release from one of my favorite voices in the Horror space, Catriona Ward. I respect her work so much and feel she brings her own unique brand to my favorite genre.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and damn, was it impressive.

I went into this novel without knowing too much about it and I’m glad that was the case. It was exciting watching it unfold without having many preconceived notions.

I knew it was set in Maine, my home state, and involved a writer, but that was about it. I recommend you go into it not knowing much more than that.

I’m not sure I can adequately describe my time with this story, it’s just something you need to experience yourself. It’s definitely a bit of a mindf*ck; pardon the expression.

I can’t wait to read it again someday. I think upon reread, I could end up enjoying it even more. Ward is too smart and honesty, I’m in awe of her brain. I’m probably going to dream about this one for a while…

This delivered such beautiful Coming of Age Horror story vibes initially, it hooked me from the start. Eventually, it evolves into something a little more. It’s Coming of Age Plus.

Honestly, there are so many different elements contained within this story that are cause to celebrate.

For me, one of the highlights was the different types of relationships explored and the characters were all so well done. I did listen to the audiobook and recommend that format as the narration style fit the characters fantastically.

I don’t want to say too much more about the actual story, I think you can tell from my reaction that I really enjoyed it. You may be wondering though, with all the accolades, why I didn’t give it a full 5-star rating.

I guess I would just say that in the second half, I did find some of the perspective jumps and overall narrative shifts a little hard to track. There were moments I felt I should have been having an a-ha revelation and I was having more of a head-scratching marathon trying to connect the dots.

I would absolutely read it again though, as mentioned above. I think I would pick up more the second time through and may end up enjoying it even more. There’s definitely a lot of details I would like to revisit knowing what I know now; aka. having read the end.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys, well, a literary mindf*ck, featuring great atmosphere and nuanced characters.

Also, this is a must for Coming of Age Horror lovers, or Readers who enjoy a book-within-a-book.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m very excited to see what other people think of this one!

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