horror

Review: The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Haunting of Room 904The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olivia Becente has the ability to commune with spirits, a gift she surprisingly inherited after the tragic and unexpected death of her sister, Naiche.

A few years after that heart-breaking event, Olivia has put her gift to good use, becoming the most in-demand paranormal investigator in the Denver area.

Even though her career is a success, the loss of Naiche continues to haunt her. When she gets a call from the owner of the Brown Palace, a landmark Denver hotel, saying he has a haunting he wants her to investigate, she jumps at the chance to explore the infamous property.

More specifically, the Brown Palace has a haunting in Room 904; where every few years, a young woman is found dead, regardless of what room she checked into the night before. These deaths hit very close to home for Olivia, and she vows to get to the bottom of it.

Her investigation leads her down complicated personal paths as past and present collide, she’s forced to face a possibly murderous cult, a vindictive journalist, potentially backstabbing friends, and the truth of her sister’s life.

The Horror Community is certainly being blessed in 2025. I really enjoyed White Horse by this author, and tend to enjoy Indigenous Horror in general, but this is even an improvement over White Horse for me, as far as the character interactions go and how quickly the story kicks off.

I love how Olivia, and her best friend/roommate, Alejandro, are a sort of an Ed and Lorraine Warren team in this story (IYKYK). I was drawn in from the start, learning what happened to Olivia’s sister was so sad, and hearing the history of the Brown Palace was uber-compelling.

I felt like I truly went on a ride with Olivia. I enjoyed getting a front row seat for her investigation, and watching as she started to put the pieces together. She certainly showed a lot of courage against everything.

There were other aspects I appreciated too, including a historical perspective that shined a light on the Sand Creek Massacre, which occurred in the 1860s, and is connected to this land and helped develop the history of the place.

There’s also some really fun mixed media elements that have to do with various potentially paranormal items on the virtual market. It’s hard to explain, but just imagine the owners of Annabelle put an ad on Craig’s List.

Those were such an entertaining little break among the darker narrative, and in fact, I felt like they gave the story an even stronger air of reality. People pay a lot of money for that type of object; it’s a niche market, but a ravenous one.

Overall, The Haunting of Room 904 was so good. I’m such a Wurth fan at this point, I’m already anticipating whatever she’s going to deliver next. I would recommend this to any Horror Reader, particularly if you enjoy Occult elements, or Paranormal Investigations.

For me, it did start to get a little muddled towards the end, nevertheless, a very solid Paranormal Horror story, with strong characters and a captivating plot.

Wurth does a great job of creating relatable characters with real emotions in them. Even when they’re experiencing things that you may personally have never experienced before, you can still FEEL it. That’s such a talent.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I definitely recommend the audio format and can’t wait for more from Wurth!

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Review: Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce

~ megs14malloy

Something in the Walls: A NovelSomething in the Walls: A Novel by Daisy Pearce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Mina has been educated to be a child psychologist, but she lacks real world experience. Unfortunately, this makes it challenging for her to secure a position in the field.

It’s one of those odd circumstances, where people only want to hire individuals with experience, but how are you to get experience if no one will hire you?

Thus, Mina is stuck, just spinning her wheels. That is until Mina is suddenly presented with an unusual opportunity while attending her local bereavement group, where she goes to help process her grief from her brother’s death.

She meets another member, Sam Hunter, who happens to be a journalist and he asks for her assistance with a story he’s currently working on.

In the remote village of Banathel, 13-year old, Alice Webber, lives with her family. After unsettling behavioral changes, Alice reveals that a witch is haunting her, causing various disturbing occurrences.

Sam and Mina travel to Banathel to stay with the Webber family, to see if they can get to the bottom of what is going on with Alice. Sam is hoping for the scoop of a lifetime, while Mina is hoping to help Alice, whilst also gaining the experience she so desperately needs.

I loved the way this story was set-up. I had listened to 47% of the audiobook before I even came up for air. I was absolutely engrossed.

The narrator was a perfect match to our MC, Mina, and I felt like she succeeded in bringing the story to life. From the start, this loosely reminded me of The Wonder, but much creepier and more atmospheric.

I just felt like Something in the Walls was so good. It’s chilling and gripping. I raced through it, needing answers. The various scenes and things going on in Banathel, it got under my skin; genuinely creepy AF at times.

While it wrapped up too quickly for my tastes, after the reveal, I still think it was so hella good. It was intriguing and horrifying in a very human way. I also loved Mina and Sam working together, digging into the history of Banathel.

Overall, this story had me absolutely hooked throughout. It had all the things I need to love a story and I appreciated the author’s ability to write some truly chilling horror imagery.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I am so stoked to read more from the author in the future!

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Review: Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel

~ megs14malloy

Listen to Your SisterListen to Your Sister by Neena Viel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Listen to Your Sister follows three siblings: Calla, Dre and Jamie. They lost their father to an accident, and their mother wasn’t able to properly care for them.

Calla legally became guardian for Jamie, the youngest, with Dre’s promise that he would help her. Unfortunately, Dre, the middle-child, hasn’t really followed through on those promises. He cares, but doesn’t take it seriously enough.

Jamie, at 16, is a strong-willed and energetic teen, who is getting more difficult to parent by the day. He has many positive attributes, but Calla feels at wits end. She’s only 25-years old, and has already sacrificed so much trying to keep this family together.

Her job is at risk, as she has had to miss so much time due to being called away after Jamie gets up to one mischief, or another. She’s also finding it difficult to maintain any sort of healthy adult relationships.

After Jamie gets into serious trouble at a protest, the siblings must go on the run, taking refuge in a remote cabin. It’s there that Calla’s worst nightmares become reality.

No, seriously. Calla has been plagued by nightmares for years. Horrific dreams in which her brothers die because she’s unable to protect them.

Also, in these dreams, the worst iterations of Calla come to life. Alternate versions of herself that embody the worst things people have said, or assumed, about her; the worst feelings they’ve made her feel. It’s truly frightening stuff.

Now as Calla is pushed to the brink, by her brothers and their unstable circumstances, the things of nightmares are manifested into reality, and they’re after the trio.

Will the siblings be able to come together, move past their past traumas and be able to defeat these nightmares, or will the nightmares win out, ruining them one-by-one?

Admittedly, this is much more Fever Dream than I tend to enjoy, but there was something about how raw and real these characters felt that had me by the throat. I ended up really being drawn into the dream-like qualities.

I loved the topics and themes that Viel explored and look forward to seeing what other Readers think. Speculative stories tend to drum up a wide range of opinions.

The audiobook is very good, with three narrators matching each of the MCs. I definitely recommend that format. It brought this story to life; a great production.

I was really so impressed with the character work. The siblings and their relationships were the star of this show for me. They had been through so much and I love how they related to one another. It’s not all perfect, sunshine and rainbows, but you could feel the love and dedication.

I feel like this has some great Social Horror aspects as well, I just hope the right Readers end up picking it up. The cover is giving very Haunted House vibes, and while there is a creepy cabin, it’s much more of a Literary Horror-feel than that cover may lead you to believe.

Regardless, I had a fantastic time with this one. It’s hard-hitting and memorable. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with in the future. I’m hoping for more along these lines.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I would recommend this to Horror Readers.

This is very Feminine Rage with a Twist. We love that.

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Review: The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

~ megs14malloy

The Blonde Dies FirstThe Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Devon and her brilliant twin sister, Drew, have drifted apart ever since Drew started attending a prestigious private school, as opposed to the public school Devon goes to.

Devon has made her peace with the fact that Drew is going to leave her behind. That’s why when Drew announces she’s graduating high school a year early, Devon’s not too surprised, but she still doesn’t feel great about it.

In an effort to spend some more time with Drew prior to her departure, Devon comes up with a plan: The Best Summer Ever. This includes a list of activities to do with their entire neighborhood friend group before summer ends.

One of the first items on the list is to attend a party thrown by one of the kids from Drew’s private school, Avery. Devon doesn’t really know anything about Drew’s school life, so she’s never met Avery before and she’s curious.

Thus, Devon, Drew and their other close friends, including Devon’s long-time crush, Yaya, head to Avery’s house for a night of fun. Truth be told, it’s a little uncomfortable at first, but they try to make the best of it.

Once the Ouija board comes out though, they realize it isn’t going to be quite the type of party they anticipated. Avery seems to be showing off. Drew calls it his typical party trick, but it makes Devon and the rest of the crew uncomfortable.

It’s after that night that The Best Summer Ever quickly devolves into the most Demonic Summer Ever. With a demon stalking them, seemingly following the rules of Horror, Devon and her friends must figure out how to defeat the beast before it kills them all.

The Blonde Dies First was an wildly-entertaining ride that kept me guessing throughout. It wasn’t perfect, but there is so much I appreciate about Wellington’s work.

While I feel that the Contemporary elements were the shining stars, it is still a very solid YA Horror story that I would recommend to YA Horror Readers.

As with Wellington’s previous novel, Their Vicious Games, I did really like the mix of the heavier contemporary topics with the dark horror action and intrigue.

There were so many jaw-dropping events in this book that I didn’t see coming and it absolutely had me guessing the whole way. I loved the friend group and how they banded together to try to figure out what was happening to them.

I also loved the way Wellington incorporated the classic rules of Horror that all Horror fans have embedded in their memories. I thought that was just such a fun little nod to the overall genre. It made me ridiculously happy to see it here.

The Contemporary elements were highly successful. The relationship between Drew and Devon was fantastic. Their friend group was lovable and believable. I also appreciated the discussion on the gentrification that was happening within their NYC neighborhood.

With this being said, I did think a lot of the scenes involving the demon, like one set at a hospital, were written very well and had great descriptions too. Also, I loved the various Horror elements incorporated like the Ouija board session, the demon itself, and the talk of horror cinema.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this. Wellington’s style definitely fits my tastes and I’m looking forward to whatever she releases next. I’ll be the first one in line.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a good one!

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Review: Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

~ megs14malloy

Incidents Around the HouseIncidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

On its own, this may have been a 4-star read, but the story mixed with the stellar audiobook narration made this such a fun and memorable experience.

I thought this was fantastically-eerie, and I appreciated the nods to the town of Goblin from Malerman’s earlier work. The horror imagery was also so well-imagined.

For me, Josh Malerman is an author who I either love his work, or don’t. Luckily, this was a complete success. I would say this is my favorite of his books that I’ve read so far.

In this story, we are following Bela, an 8-year old girl, who is perpetually haunted by a malevolent being she has taken to calling Other Mommy.

At first, Bela sees Other Mommy as a friend, but over time Other Mommy has grown a lot scarier, and a lot more persistent in her efforts to get Bela to ‘let her into her heart’.

When horrifying incidents begin happening around the house, it becomes clear that Other Mommy is getting tired of waiting. It’s growing bolder and seemingly more powerful. Even Bela’s parents can no longer explain away Other Mommy as being a figment of their daughter’s imagination.

They need help, which they seek outside the home, but nothing they try seems to work. They are desperate to keep Bela safe, but soon cracks within her parents marriage become craters.

Will they be able to reforge their family bonds for the good of them all, and hopefully banish Other Mommy forever, or will they ultimately fall under its evil influence?

This book instantly captured my attention. The audiobook, brilliantly-narrated by Delanie Nicole Gill, felt so authentic. Though 18-years old, I believe, Gill’s narrative voice actually felt like that of an 8-year old girl; no shade intended. The delivery was impeccable.

Getting this all from the perspective of an 8-year old, with age appropriate logic, made this feel creepier than it may otherwise have been. It also made the story feel unique and will stick in my mind for a long time.

I also appreciated how quickly Malerman kicked off the action and introduced us to Other Mommy. There’s not a lot of beating around the bush here. You’re just in it.

My favorite character in this story was Grandma Ruth. I love this type of character. An older one, who feels safe and wise, that comes in and helps the floundering younger people.

Grandma Ruth also added a bit of lightness to an otherwise dark-filled story. I loved how much she loved her family, and those relationships all felt very realistic.

There’s also some occult elements included, which I enjoyed. Overall, I feel like it’s a well-rounded story that built nicely in intensity throughout. I was fully invested in it.

I would absolutely recommend this to Horror Readers of all types. In particular, I would recommend the audiobook format, as I just feel it was so well done.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This makes me more jazzed about Malerman than ever. I can’t wait for his next release!

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Review: The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich

~ megs14malloy

The MadnessThe Madness by Dawn Kurtagich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was, wow…Dawn Kurtagich, I see you and appreciate you. This book is my tastes to an absolute tee.

Have you ever read a book and thought, this author and I share a brain, because that’s what I’m thinking right now.

I didn’t even realize this was an actual Dracula reimagining. As one of my favorite novels of all time, I love to see how current authors spin a tale influenced by that story. Kurtagich absolutely nailed it!

I highly recommend the audio format, should you have access to it. It’s narrated by one of my favorite narrators of all time, Imogen Church, and her inflection lends itself perfectly to this narrative.

This story is everything you would expect from the cover. It’s haunting, atmospheric and gripping. What you may not expect is how modern it is, as well as how impactful the characters arcs become.

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to pick up a novel by Kurtagich, but I’ll tell you what, I won’t be waiting long until I pick up more. If they’re this good, I may have a new favorite author on my hands.

Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This will definitely be on my Most Surprising List of 2024!!

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Review: Bitter Is the Heart by Mina Hardy

~ megs14malloy

Bitter Is the HeartBitter Is the Heart by Mina Hardy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Bitter is the Heart took me by surprise. This story grabbed hold of me from the first chapter and never let go.

It was shocking, upsetting, disgusting, disturbing, toe-curling and eye-opening all at once.

In this novel we follow Tamar Glass, a woman haunted by childhood trauma who suddenly finds herself stuck caring for her abusive elderly mother, Ruth.

Tamar as a main character had my heart from the start. When I say she is haunted by her childhood, I mean it. There’s so much to unpack as far as her past relationship with her mother, as well as her father’s death, and even her relationship with her sister, Lovey.

Tamar is also starting to feel the effects of menopause and she has been through a divorce and is now on her own for the first time as an adult. Then mother arrives.

Ruth, Tamar’s mother, is reintroduced to her life in a disturbing way. Tamar wakes one night to find her Mom looming in the dark of her bedroom.

Ruth had been living in an Assisted Living facility 15-miles away and she had never been to Tamar’s house. How the heck did she end up there?

That scene set the tone for the entire novel. Hardy built out this story so well. She built the drama continuously. It’s brutal at times, but I was with Tamar all the way. I think some interactions between Tamar and Ruth could be shocking to some, but I feel like they felt natural and made perfect sense to me.

I feel like this book could have hit especially hard for me because I am close to the same point in my life that Tamar is, and while I can’t say I’ve been through the family struggles that she has, I can relate to a lot of the other aspects of her experiences.

I love that after her divorce she had returned to her hometown after a long period of time away. This did allow her to reconnect with people from her past, including her high school boyfriend, Miguel, who plays an important role in this story.

Incidentally, I also had a hs-boyfriend named Miguel…

There were so many scenes in this that left me with absolute chills, jaw on the floor, completely disturbed and needing more information. Once Ruth gets kicked out of her Assisted Living facility and moves in with Tamar, there was no turning back. It was high speed ahead.

Additionally, I loved the religious elements of this. Tamara is Jewish, and the Jewish faith was incorporated into this story in a big way. I had never read anything where it was done to this extent, and with this many impactful conversations. I feel like this will stand out in my memory because of that representation.

The only negative I can think of was there was a scene involving a puppy that I had to skip through. You’ll see it coming, Readers sensitive to animal content beware. Besides that, I was completely enamored with this story.

I noticed the synopsis recommends this for fans of Cassandra Khaw and T. Kingfisher. The Khaw comp I don’t get at all. I do see Kingfisher, for sure. While Hardy doesn’t include as much dark humor as Kingfisher does, the Domestic Horror elements and Tamar’s dry delivery of her thoughts do line up with things such as A House with Good Bones, The Hollow Places and The Twisted Ones.

When I was reading this I kept thinking of Ainslie Hogarth’s Motherthing, which I really enjoyed a couple years ago. I ended up connecting with this one more though because I feel like this has a more cohesive and traditional narrative style, which was easier for me to follow.

I also saw my friend, Crystal, compare this to My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon and I completely agree with that. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that myself while reading it.

If you enjoyed any of the books or authors listed above, you need to check this out. If you enjoy Domestic Horror, or Horror that incorporates Religious elements, you need to pick this up. If you just love Horror and always enjoy diving into a fun, disturbing story, you need to pick this up.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. The audiobook was so well done. I loved this and can’t wait for more from Mina Hardy!

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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: 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: 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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