horror

Review: They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil

~ megs14malloy

They Fear Not Men in the WoodsThey Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

They Fear Not Men in the Woods follows Jen Monroe, who returns to her hometown in rural Washington after receiving word that her father’s remains have been found.

Her Dad, a forest ranger and avid conservationist, went missing 7-years prior while out in the backwoods. He was a knowledgeable survivalist, and Jen has always held out hope that he was still alive somehow, but it’s hard to argue against a positive dental identification.

Jen returns home, not just to attend her father’s funeral services, but also determined to figure out what really happened to him after his disappearance.

The homecoming is awkward. She’s been estranged from her mother for years, and their reunion goes about as well as expected, but Jen also feels distant from her friends. She just feels so different from the girl she used to be.

Nevertheless, when her ex-boyfriend suggests a camping trip in honor of her father’s memory, Jen sees it as the perfect opportunity to get back into the forest and maybe find the truth about what happened to her Dad.

Unfortunately, the dangers lurking in the forest are darker and more dangerous than she ever expected and now all of their lives are at risk.

While this book started out fairly strong for me, in spite of how abrasive I found the MC to be, it was still looking like a possible 4-star read. Unfortunately, the farther I got into it, the more I started to dislike it, until it ended up falling off an absolute cliff for me.

By the end, I was just grateful it was over.

It’s impossible for me to really go into what I didn’t like about this one without giving anything away. The reveal of what was going on in the forest, that’s where my brain just turned off completely to this story. I hated it.

I feel like the direction this takes is going to end up being divisive for Readers. You’re either going to be into it, or you’re not. I don’t see a lot of room for middle of the road opinions on this one.

I know McNeil is a talented author and I’ve enjoyed her work in the past, but this was not it for me. I found it cheesy and a little lame as far as the Horror elements went.

I know this sounds harsh, but I need to be honest about my experience, and that’s honestly what I walked away feeling. This is just my opinion though, and you shouldn’t let it keep you from reading this one if you want.

The fact that this was a miss certainly won’t keep me from picking up more works from Gretchen McNeil in the future. We can’t love them all.

Thank you to the publishers, DAW and RB Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. Even though the story didn’t work for me personally, I would recommend the audiobook, which was well-narrated by Justis Bolding.

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Review: Exiles by Mason Coile

~ megs14malloy

ExilesExiles by Mason Coile
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Exiles follows a trio of astronauts, Gold, Chief and Kang, on a mission to Mars. Their goal is to prepare the 1st-ever colony on Mars for eventual human habitation.

Previously, three robots had been sent to set up the base these astronauts will be staying at for their mission. When they arrive though, they find the new base half-destroyed and one of the robots missing.

The astronauts are forced to quickly try to get their bearings and figure out what happened to the base. On an uninhabited planet, their only source for knowledge is the robots, and the things they are told are highly unsettling.

The robots seem scared, relaying things about possible dangers lurking outside, and what may have caused the damage. But it’s more than that, the robots have named themselves and have taken on surprising behaviors and characteristics. The whole thing is just off.

The astronaut crew have been handed a mess, and they need to figure out what’s going on ASAP. In an environment as unforgiving as Mars, the absolute security of their base is a life or death situation. They need to learn what threats they’re facing, so they can tackle them head on.

Mason Coile, pseudonym for Andrew Pyper, may he rest in peace, has penned a brilliant SciFi-Horror with Exiles. It is so intense, and I appreciated how the story came full circle. Coile pulled off a lot in this one with very few pages.

This book, the concepts involved, is the stuff of my nightmares. This is the type of futuristic scenario that absolutely petrifies me. Just thinking about being in the shoes of Gold, Kang, or Chief, is enough to make me shiver.

It’s not just the deep space setting, and all the unknowns involved with that for me, it’s also the robots and AI technology. That’s like a double-edged sword. Anyway you turn it, it’s dangerous with the potential to kill.

This has a phenomenal set-up. It pulls the Reader in quickly, and then just hooks you. There’s no turning back. The intensity holds throughout the story and truly feels claustrophobic and dangerous.

Some of the action, and twists, they were diabolical and brutal. I was getting so stressed, but in the best way possible. In an entertaining way. I couldn’t put it down. I refused until the very end.

Clearly, I adored this. No notes. I highly recommend this to anyone who may be searching for a compelling Horror novella, bonus points if you love SciFi-Horror.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Andrew Pyper, writing here as Mason Coile, was such a talented, talented writer. I’m going to miss getting new stories from him, but he’s certainly left an impact.

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Review: This is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller

~ megs14malloy

This Is My BodyThis Is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is My Body is a dark and emotionally-fueled Horror novel following single-mom, Brigid, and her daughter, Dylan. When we first meet them, Dylan has gotten into an altercation at school, and it quickly becomes clear that her behavior has recently changed.

Brigid has noticed that her once fun-loving daughter has become more moody, secludes herself, and suddenly has a hair-trigger temper. Is it regular teenage rebellion though, or something more?

As the days pass and Dylan’s behavior gets more combative, Brigid can’t help but think about a circumstance that played out within her very Catholic household, featuring her zealot uncle, Father Angus.

Through past and present timelines, we learn of the situation in Brigid’s past that’s similar to the one she’s living now with Dylan. Even though she feels like she has moved on, truly escaped her past, will she be forced to return to the home she left behind in order to save Dylan?

At the start, I’ll admit, Brigid rubbed me the wrong way. I found myself asking, who is the child here? This didn’t keep me from getting sucked in though.

The more I learned about Brigid and her past, the more I started to understand her. She’s on such a journey throughout the story, and for her, the stakes, her daughter’s life, could not be higher. It gives the whole story an air of desperation that kept me flying through.

In fact, I read this entire book in one-sitting, which I haven’t done in quite some time. I found the religious and occult elements both intriguing and so well done.

Brigid also begins to explore a possible relationship with a woman from her past, Zandy, and I loved the inclusion of Zandy in the story. She was such a great side character, who provided the perfect balance to Brigid’s personality.

I would also say the past perspective, where we learn a lot about what went on in Brigid’s childhood, was just as compelling as the current perspective. I loved how the two ended up sort of merging as this raced towards the heart-pounding, stomach-dropping conclusion.

Overall, this was a great Possession story, including fantastic, absolutely toe-curling, Body Horror. Tongues, eyes, all the things, nothing was safe; just how I like it.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Possession stories, or Religious Horror, as well as anyone looking for a Horror story with a Queer representation. This is the first that I’ve read from this author, and I’m looking forward to reading more from them.

Thank you, Quirk Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a pleasant surprise!!

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Review: The Mist by Stephen King

~ megs14malloy

The MistThe Mist by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Mist is a terrifying, claustrophobia-inducing Horror story from the mind of my favorite author of all-time, Stephen King. This was my 3rd-time reading it, and I think I love it more than ever.

This novella could easily fall into the SciFi, Creature Feature, or Thriller, subgenres of Horror. It successfully builds dread and then pounds the Reader in the head with nightmarish situation after nightmarish situation. You’ll never see a fog bank approaching you the same way again…

We follow David, who lives on Long Lake in Bridgton, Maine, with his wife, Steff, and their son Billy. When we meet them, a terrible Summer storm hits their area, knocking down trees and taking out the power. They have a scary night, hunkered down in their basement.

After the storm passes, David and Steff, begin the clean-up of their property. Needing a few provisions, David agrees to run into town to the Federal Foods, taking with him Billy and their neighbor, Brent.

Just prior to leaving for town, David and Brent both note an abnormal fog bank approaching from the other side of the lake. David notices unusual properties about it, such as it’s sharp cutoff line and lack of condensation sparkle. It feels eerie, but is David’s mind just overly-sensitive due to the recent devastating weather?

It’s while they’re at the grocery store that the proverbial stuff really hits the fan, and they end up trapped within the market. As he’s investigating the generator in a back storage room, David, along with a few others, end up discovering the types of horror this fog has hidden within its depths.

I love David as a main character. From the way he’s crushing beers in his driveway at 10 a.m., post-storm, working with his chainsaw, to the way he takes charge and begins to lead within the market, he’s just the type of protagonist you can get behind.

I also loved all the true to life connections I found within this one. It really makes it a special reading experience. My best friend from high school lived on the Harrison-side of Long Lake, and she actually worked at the grocery store in Bridgton. Because of this, it was very easy for me to imagine this entire setting quite vividly.

In addition to this though, I also loved the way this story rolls out. The building up of suspense, as we try to figure out what lurks in the fog, to the reality of what it actually is and how do our characters survive that?

It’s also interesting, more from a sociological perspective, to watch the human interactions within the store develop as their situation goes from uncertain, to dire.

I would highly recommend this story. If you’ve seen any adaptations, just know this is different, very different depending on which adaptation you watched. Also, as always, the book is way better.

I absolutely recommend picking this up. Even if you’ve never read Stephen King before, and maybe want a sample of his style without committing to a 500+ page novel, this could be a great place to start. I adore this story. Impeccable.

Original:

Great, gorey, gripping story with a perfect ending!

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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: It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest

~ megs14malloy

It Was Her House FirstIt Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

‘I suppose we get the ghosts we get,
not necessarily the ones we want.’

After Ronnie Mitchell receives an inheritance due to the tragic passing of a family member, she purchases a rundown mansion in West Seattle. With anxiety high and in need of distraction, this could be just the project she needs.

Ronnie has some carpentry experience, so feels like she’ll be able to tackle anything the house throws at her. Unfortunately, what she knows nothing about is the bloody, violent history of this particular house.

Will that come back to bite her, or can she handle that too?

It Was Her House First was a captivating read, even though somehow it wasn’t at all what I expected. I enjoyed it though very much. It reminded me a bit of The September House, so I would recommend it for fans of that book. It’s not quite as graphic, but still manages to give those vibes.

I loved our present perspective MC, Ronnie. I connected with her way of thinking and it made it extra enjoyable. She has a bit of a wry, honest sense of humor, always just laying it out there for the Reader. I loved that.

We also get different perspectives that help to fill us in on the history of the house. These perspectives are all tied to it’s heartbreaking history, and unsurprisingly, they’re still very much connected to the house and the present situation Ronnie finds herself in.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the house itself and the longer that Ronnie is there, the more interested she becomes in filling in that history knowledge for herself.

I appreciated Ronnie’s strength and determination when it came to the house. Unsettling things begin happening fairly quickly after she takes ownership, but she never shies away. If anything, she leans in, going further than I think a lot of people would.

She felt very brave to me. Sometimes to a level where you questioned her choices, but nevertheless, she had a goal and she was sticking to it, come hell or high water.

Overall, I feel like this one is an interesting twist on a standard haunted house tale. I enjoyed the interactions of all the various players involved in the drama, and feel like Priest pulled off a lot with this one.

Even though it is a haunted house story, it has a bit of a cozier feel. As mentioned above, I would recommend it to Readers who enjoyed The September House, but also to fans of Rachel Harrison and T. Kingfisher’s Adult Horror.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Cherie Priest!

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Review: The Stitchers (Fright Watch #1) by Lorien Lawrence

~ megs14malloy

The Stitchers (Fright Watch, #1)The Stitchers by Lorien Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Stitchers is the 1st-installment to Lorien Lawrence’s Spooky Middle Grade trilogy, Fright Watch. I have owed this book for close to 5-years, and am now kicking myself for waiting this long to pick it up.

I absolutely adored this story. Lawrence was able to pull me in and get me completely invested from the very beginning. I loved the MC, Quinn, and her friend/neighbor, Mike.

They made quite the dynamic duo.

Quinn and Mike both live on Goodie Lane. They’re both on the school track team and most days, go running together early in the mornings before school.

On these early morning runs, they frequently observe odd and slightly disturbing behavior from their neighbors; all elderly folks, they’ve dubbed The Oldies, who’ve lived on the street for as long as anyone can remember.

This behavior isn’t really anything new, as Quinn’s Dad, who fairly recently passed away, was a police officer and even he found their neighbors suspicious.

Why don’t they ever seem to age?

After her father passes, Quinn becomes even more focused on getting to the bottom of whatever is going on with the The Oldies. Mike seems like the perfect Robin to her Batman, and he’s more than willing to help out.

The neighbors seem to be on to them though, aware of the kids digging around. Are Quinn and Mike in real danger, or are they just letting their imaginations get away from them?

As things start to heat up on Goodie Lane, their situation escalates quickly. Quinn and Mike desperately search for answers, but will it be too little, too late?

This is such a great Middle Grade Horror novel. I loved how quickly it kicks off and how likable our main characters are.

The mystery of the story is puzzling and it gets top marks for the eerie atmosphere. There were some seriously creepy moments and I loved watching all the action play out.

The Oldies, as a group, are super creepy antagonists. Some of the interactions that Quinn and Mike had with them gave me literal chills. I was fearful in those moments for the characters I had come to love.

I also really appreciated the, shall we say, Beauty Horror, included in this one. Lawrence has some serious Horror chops, don’t let the Middle Grade categorization fool you. This is a good one and read under the right circumstances, it’ll get under your skin.

I loved this so much that I immediately started this 2nd-book after finishing it. And that’s saying something, because I’m terrible at committing to series.

I would recommend this one to any Reader who enjoys Spooky Middle Grade, but honestly, I would recommend this one to any Horror Reader in general. I definitely think this has something to offer individuals of all ages.

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Review: Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle

~ megs14malloy

Lucky DayLucky Day by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Lucky Day follows MC, Vera, a lover of statistics and her fiance, Annie. Vera sees the world in an interesting way, via numbers and stats. As an academic, she’s found a great niche for herself and a peaceful domestic life.

On a day they are supposed to be celebrating the publication of her book, and she’s prepping to come out to her Mom, a world-wide cataclysmic event occurs.

Countless individuals across the globe are killed in truly horrific ways, yet Vera survives. The event comes to be known as the Low Probability Event.

A few years later, though Vera survived, she’s certainly not thriving. She’s negative, bitter, secluded and hardly-functioning. When a government agent shows up at her home to recruit her to help study the event, she’s apathetic about it at best.

However, she does agree and sets out with Agent Layne as they investigate the LPE. Their relationship evolves into a sort of buddy cop movie dynamic as they examine the most chaotic events ever penned.

This was a strange one. It was good. Tingle is a great writer, there’s no denying that. For my personal taste though, it wasn’t quite a hit. It felt like Tingle wrote it as a way to work through an existential crisis. It was compelling in that way, but never succeeded in holding my interest.

I can appreciate the thought and skill that went into the creation of the story, but it continually lost my attention the longer it went on. Certain concepts would capture my attention, but then those would play out and it would be on to the next thing, and my interest would wane again.

I loved the set-up; meeting Vera and quickly getting to the LPEs that started it all. That was wild. It’s one of those, what the hell am I reading moments, which is always fun.

I also could understand Vera’s reaction to the events. She was easily the most apathetic MC I’ve ever read from, but considering the circumstances, it made sense, NGL.

I try to always stay positive, but I’m not sure where my headspace would be had I been through the series of events she’s been through. So, that aspect, the trajectory of her character, was quite believable.

I also enjoyed Agent Layne and the dynamic that develops between the two. I think for me, it was just a little too chaotic and uneven as far as keeping my interest. Overall though, it’s solid and creative. The audiobook narration was great, and I know a ton of Readers are going to love this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

Even though this isn’t a new favorite for me, I truly appreciate Tingle’s creative energy and fluid writing style. I will most definitely be returning for more!!

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Review: The Legacy by Jere Cunningham

~ megs14malloy

The LegacyThe Legacy by Jere Cunningham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Originally released in 1977, The Legacy by Jere Cunningham has been lovingly-reissued by Valancourt Books as part of their Paperbacks from Hell collection.

I was lucky enough to be gifted the full set for Christmas a couple of years ago, and have been slowly making my way through them when the mood strikes. For the record, I’ve loved them all so far. There’s something about dipping into a classically-told Horror story that’s just so cozy!

In this story, we meet David Rawlings, an ambitious young doctor, and his lovely family, as they inherit David’s childhood home after his father’s untimely death.

When David is notified that his somewhat estranged father has passed unexpectedly, he is in a bit of shock. His father was always such a strong man. He seemed untouchable. What could have happened?

In order to see to the arrangements, and meet with his father’s attorney, David packs himself and his family, including his wife, Sandra, their young daughter, Melanie, and beloved Doberman Pinscher, Streak, into the family car and makes the journey to small town Mississippi.

The property is outstanding. Sandra is struck by its vastness and beauty. At first she’s hesitant to remain there for the 7-weeks asked in the Will, but eventually she comes around.

The family starts to settle in, but from the start disturbing occurrences are happening around the property, including another death. David becomes convinced his father’s death wasn’t from natural causes, or an accident.

Something is going on here, and he needs to figure out what, because now the rest of his family is at risk.

The Legacy captured my attention with the rich Southern Gothic atmosphere. I loved how it was slowly built through the descriptions of the property and surrounding area.

The way events rolled out, building the suspense and intrigue, I felt it was masterfully done. I grew to love this family and was so worried about them ((particularly, the dog, of course)), because things were feeling so dangerous and uncertain.

There was inclusion of a few local characters as well that only helped to enhance the story, IMO. You could tell that some of the locals, friends of his Dad’s, knew what was going on, but they weren’t sharing the info with David, which was frustrating.

The occult elements truly amp up as the story continues, and it all filled me with a complete, nail-biting, sense of dread. It really was a great build. Two thumbs up.

Additionally, the Southern Gothic atmosphere was chef’s kiss and the trope-filled plot kept me on my toes. I would have given it a full 5-star rating, if it weren’t for some animal content that made it less enjoyable for me. There were parts with the dog I had to skim…

Overall though, a great, slow burn, classic-feeling Horror story that I recommend to any true fan of the genre. I def need to read more from this author.

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Review: The Grin in the Dark (Spine Shivers) by J.A. Darke

~ megs14malloy

The Grin in the Dark (Spine Shivers)The Grin in the Dark by J.A. Darke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hamid has a night of babysitting ahead of him, but he doesn’t mind. It’s for his twin cousins and they’re pretty easy. They’ll probably be asleep the whole time anyway and his Aunt and Uncle’s house is cool.

He figures he’ll binge some t.v., eat great snacks, and before he knows it, the night will be over. But as we all know, things frequently don’t go as planned.

The night starts to go sideways on the drive there, when he and his Mom hear over the radio about an escaped convict in their area. That’s creepy, but the prison is pretty far away, so Hamid tries to block it from his mind.

After his Aunt and Uncle leave, he settles into their big comfy couch and starts his t.v. marathon, until the power goes out. Hamid’s night is about to become the worse night of his life…

Y’all, I’m not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to read this book while home alone at night in my dark bedroom with only my book light to guide me. This story terrified me, and I’m not joking.

I was texting my sister while I was reading it, because I was so scared, I didn’t want to leave the bedroom to go to the bathroom, and after a few Adult Beverages, I was reaching a dangerous territory.

This is a YA Horror Novella, so I don’t want to say too much more about what happens in this book, as it comes in at just over 100-pages. I will, however, leave some buzzwords and phrases in case you need further prodding to pick it up:

babysitting, clowns, inclement weather, power outage.

I wouldn’t say the writing was the best I’ve ever read, but it succeeded in doing what it set out to do. Additionally, I loved the illustrations and execution of the scares. P.S. I am ended up hiding this after I finished it, because I could no longer abide it being in my bedroom.

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