horror

Review: Second Lives by P.D. Cacek

~ megs14malloy

Second LivesSecond Lives by P.D. Cacek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

My exact thoughts upon completing this:

Eight people die.
Four come back but not as they were before. Or should I say WHO they were before.

Intriguing premise, right?
It certainly is and I think Cacek did a wonderful job of weaving this highly detailed tale together.

The writing was very solid. You can definitely tell that Cacek is an experienced author.
Each chapter was like a short story unto itself. It was quite impressive. For those of you who enjoy short story collections, I feel like this book could really work for you.

Creative and unique, this story made me really sad. I feel like it is suppose to be a story about hope, love, relationships and sacrifice for others but honesty, it bummed me out. Some of the characters end up in fairly hopeless circumstances and are forced to begin again with no choice.

I thought going into this that it was a horror novel but after reading it, I wouldn’t personally classify it as such. It seemed more speculative fiction to me. There were a few chilling moments, mostly due to the thought of imagining something like this actually happening to you or a loved one.

We get a couple of hints throughout that the events of this story are a phenomenon occurring around the world but this book focuses on patients in one hospital. They are all strangers but through various doctors have their cases ultimately connected. The book seemed to be broken up into three distinct parts: learning about each character, the soul shuffle and the aftermath. I liked the format a lot and thought it was an agreeable way to present the story.

Other than that, I can really not say too much more without giving anything away. I think if you like eccentric stories that explore life’s darker side, you should give this one a shot. I definitely am interested in chatting about this with some other bookworms, so if you ever read it, message me!

A big thank you to the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

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Review: The Dark Game by Jonathan Janz

~ megs14malloy

The Dark GameThe Dark Game by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

This is the story…
…of 10 writers…
…picked to live in a mansion…
…and compete against each other…
…for one prize.

Find out what happens when people stop being polite…
…and start getting KILLED.

This was a fun little read!
I could definitely picture this as a movie and I actually think it may have worked better for me in that format.

As you may know from reading the synopsis for the book, 10 writers are selected to attend a summer-long writing retreat at a private estate property. Their host, Roderick Wells, is a renowned author himself who is eccentric and creepy AF.

We meet the 10 writers fairly rapidly at the beginning of the book and for me, I had a hard time distinguishing between some of the characters throughout; particularly the male characters.

We learn a bit about each of their pasts with particular focus on the personal demons haunting them. Some of these past reflections were definitely cringe-worthy. Something about the estate brings these pasts back to life to each character in vivid detail and with often horrific consequences.

The gruesome scenes were definitely that and well done in my opinion.
But again, I just had a hard time keeping track of the who and the what; it was a lot to take in.

The general story line was interesting AF. I loved the premise. I wanted a bit more from the atmosphere. I think it was so large in scope, as far as the estate and its grounds went, that it lost a bit in translation.

This is my second Janz novel and I would say I enjoyed my first, The Nightmare Girl more. This being said, I will absolutely continue to read his works.

If the premise of this one sounds interesting to you at all, pick it up! I would be interested to hear what other readers think of this one.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always appreciate the opportunity!

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Review: The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

~ megs14malloy

The AnomalyThe Anomaly by Michael Rutger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Splendid!

I was so excited when I first heard about this book. Explained as a mix of The X-Files meets Indiana Jones — how could you not be excited by that?

This story follows rogue archaeologist, Nolan Moore, whose main profession is hosting an obscure web docuseries called, The Anomaly Files. Mostly watched by conspiracy theorists and people just searching for odd videos, Nolan holds fast to his belief that the truth is out there.

When we meet Nolan and his rag-tag crew, they are following in the steps of an intrepid explorer who in 1909 discovered a cave deep in the heart of the Grand Canyon. The descriptions he left lead Nolan to believe that the cave holds great mysteries and he is dying to get to the bottom of it.

Before too long, Nolan and his crew find what they seek and that is when the real fun begins…

Due to super unfortunate, Indiana Jones-esque circumstances the crew finds themselves trapped. The cave seems to come to life around them and become a character in its own right. Is it out to get them? Maybe. It’s a heck of a good time finding out.

This book is quietly creepy in the best way, playing to inherent fears such as claustrophobia and nyctophobia. It got under my skin, I can tell you that.

The second half gets deeper into some interesting sci-fi elements that were fairly well done. The pace did really speed up towards the end as well and I was satisfied with the ending. I would definitely read more from this author. There are a lot of creative ideas woven throughout this story and I enjoyed the characters quite a bit, even the unsavory ones.

I would recommend this to people who like a mix of horror and sci-fi, as well as to anyone who is into archaeology and unexplained history. The fact that this involved a crew for a web show was also unique and pretty fun. Well done!

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Review: The Nightmare Girl by Jonathan Janz

~ megs14malloy

The Nightmare GirlThe Nightmare Girl by Jonathan Janz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

That was a delightful little gore fest!
My first Janz but certainly not my last.

Originally published in 2015, The Nightmare Girl was recently re-released by Flame Tree Press. Thank you so much to them for sending me a copy to read and review.

As mentioned above, this is my first Jonathan Janz novel and I really wasn’t sure what to expect going in. I had a lot of fun reading this and definitely plan to pick up his other works.

This story follows our protagonist, Joe Crawford, a contractor and family-man who frequently loses out on jobs because he is too honest with his customers. Joe is an every man and I was drawn to him immediately.

When he witnesses a young mother abusing her toddler in a gas station parking lot, he can’t stand by and watch. He steps in and does something about it. Once the police are called, and the child ultimately removed from the mother’s home however, his fate is sealed, and it isn’t good.

Before you know it, Joe and his family are on the receiving end of threats and acts of violence from the young mother, Angie’s, family and friends. A pagan fire cult. Yeah, her family and friends are all members of a local pagan fire cult…

I really enjoyed the pacing and plot development of this one. One of my favorite aspects, Joe’s best bud, Officer Darrel Copeland. He was just such a fantastic addition to this story. I loved their time spent together. There was some great banter, humor and loyalty and while a lot of the plot elements were dark, I felt this relationship added a nice contrast.

There were some great fight scenes, a lot of gore that made me cringe and a satisfying ending. The descriptive text was so solid that I could picture these scenes playing out in my head like a movie. I would highly recommend this to any horror fan. Give it a shot, I don’t think you will be disappointed!

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Super Delayed Review: The Outsider by Stephen King

~ megs14malloy

The OutsiderThe Outsider by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been thinking about this book a lot lately.
Why, you may ask?

The answer is because this was my favorite book of 2018 and I never wrote an actual review for it. Full disclosure, I preordered this, started it on release day and then took my sweet ass time completing it, finishing in August of 2018. The fact that I never reviewed it haunts me.

Am I the only person this happens to?

In an effort to appease some of my guilt, let me get a few thoughts down:

I really enjoyed the topics explored in this book. Particularly, the idea that sometimes the court of public opinion is much more unforgiving and harsh than any court of law.

I also enjoyed how King showed vignettes of various flawed characters in the town where our drama unfolds. He described so well the way that the main event affected various people throughout the town like when a stone gets thrown in a pond. It created ripples spreading out and enveloping many lives. I loved this. It reminded me a bit of the way things roll out in Needful Things.

And of course, most of all, I loved my second favorite character from The Bill Hodges trilogy making an appearance!

I knew it was going to happen and I waited and waited and waited and then…

Reunited and it feels so good!!!

The supernatural elements were also fantastic in my opinion. There were classic King scenes that gave me absolute chills and left me wanting to leave the light on when I went to bed.

I would definitely recommend reading The Bill Hodges trilogy first. If you do and you don’t like it, this may not be the book for you. Maybe. I don’t know. I’m on the fence. I think for people who are huge fans of that trilogy, it makes this book extra special.

I suppose you could read this on its own, I just can’t attest to what your experience will be. For me, half the thrill was getting a character I thought I would never see again back in my life.

I know I will end up reading this again someday. I love to reread King books. Most likely if I do read it again, I will read the entire BH trilogy with this one added on the end.

Original: This officially wins my ‘Favorite Book I Read in 2018’ prize. Forever may it reign.

I do still plan to write a review for this someday. I really do. I annotated and everything but how do you review perfection? Just, how?

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Review: The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

~ megs14malloy

The InvitedThe Invited by Jennifer McMahon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

“Blurring the lines between the past and the present, the dead and the living”

Helen has always dreamed of a simpler life. One day, after a discussion with her husband, Nate, they decide to make that happen. Using money she has recently inherited after the death of her Father, they make a plan to move to a rural area and build a house of their very own.

Ultimately, they decide on a large plot of land in rural-Vermont with a rich history. Leaving their cushy CT-lives behind, they move into an old trailer on the new property and commence building their dream home.

Olive, a young girl, and new neighbor to Helen and Nate, is missing her Mom, who left home one night and never returned. Rumor has it that she has run off with a boyfriend but Olive doesn’t believe it. Acting out and skipping school, Olive is on a path to nowhere, if someone doesn’t step in an help her.

As with The Winter People, McMahon has blended perfectly past and present into this story. In addition to the main storyline, described above, we also learn about some characters from the past who have deep connections to Helen and Nate’s land. The way that all of these storylines are woven together and ultimately connect is seamless.

McMahon has such a haunting way of writing. There is an overriding sinister ambiance to her stories, that make them an absolute joy to read for any horror fan. She adds just the right amount of chilling atmosphere and occult references to give her stories a genuine horror feel without being gaudy or overdone.

Some of the plot elements I found were a little too easy to figure out, too simplified if you will, which is why I decided on a 4.5-rating for this as opposed to a 5-star. That is totally my opinion however and I would highly recommend this book. A ghost story with a twist.


“Some people move into a haunted house, but you, you want to build a haunted house, Helen. How fucked up is that?”

McMahon has quickly become an autobuy author for me. I feel like people are definitely going to love this one. Get your hands on it, people! Releasing next month!!!

A big thank you to the publisher, Doubleday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and are review. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to reading more from McMahon in the future!

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Review: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

~ megs14malloy

Baby TeethBaby Teeth by Zoje Stage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bloody brilliant.

When Suzette becomes a new mother, she is excited and anxious, like any new mother would be. She didn’t have the greatest relationship with her own mother and she feels she has to do better than that by her own child.

Suzette and her husband, Alex (p.s. not a fan), work hard to provide their new daughter, Hanna, with a home she can grow and flourish in. However, it becomes apparent overtime that Hanna is no ordinary child.

Due to Hanna being non-communicative, Suzette is forced to keep her home and provide all of her schooling and care. She doesn’t want to do this. She wants Hanna to go to school like the other children. She want her to learn how to play and interact with others. And, yes, let’s be honest, get Hanna out of her hair for a while but Hanna is not having none of that.

What transpired within these pages chilled me to the core. THE CORE. This kid. Mmmmm, she is not messing around. I WANTED to get away from her and she’s a fictional character.

This story is a story you think you know. It’s the classic The Omen evil child trope. I don’t think I am giving anything away by saying that. You can deem that much from reading the synopsis but this book is SO much more than that. It is unnerving in the reality of it. This could happen and probably does. I know there are parents out there who are afraid of their children. This book made ME afraid of their children.

I loved this book. I added it to my favorites shelf and I haven’t done that in LONG time. This disturbed me in such a glorious way. I shall be singing its praises for years to come and you best believe I will be picking up anything else Zoje Stage chooses to write!

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Classic Horror: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Review

~ megs14malloy

The Haunting of Hill HouseThe Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Back 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-day re-imagining of Shirley Jackson’s, The Haunting of Hill House.

It was released in the summer and my Mom and I went to the theater to see it, where I promptly fell in love. Soon after I was able to buy it on VHS ((I know, right!?!) and commence watching it 2,638,400 times.

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

I listened to this on audiobook and was able to get through it very quickly. It is a short book, at just under 200-pages, and the narrator was absolutely fabulous. I was so invested in this 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. They did a great job in casting that film. Seriously. Lily Taylor WAS 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, the suspense. I thought the supernatural, or alleged supernatural elements, were so well done. I had many spine-chilling, look over your shoulder moments with this and it was great.

The characters interactions with one another were also well fleshed out. I believed their relationships and their 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, great guns, and then, POOF, we are finished.

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

Done with this project, drops mic, exits.

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 fiction that it 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: Hell: The Possession and Exorcism of Cassie Stevens by Tom Lewis

~ megs14malloy

Hell: The Possession and Exorcism of Cassie StevensHell: The Possession and Exorcism of Cassie Stevens by Tom Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

High schooler, Cassie Stevens, is a bit of a loner. Especially after the death of her father, she struggles to connect with people at school, and even her mother. She begins to hang out with a trio of friends, ‘goth kids’, and they start doing goth type things together.

For example, attending ceremonies worshipping Satan.

The main event Cassie attends, Black Mass, is a drug and alcohol fueled orgy to Satan. Unfortunately, Cassie goes home from the Mass with a lot more than a hangover.

Things get really crazy after a car accident leaves Cassie technically ‘dead’ for a few minutes. After that, her fate seems sealed. She now feels a presence around her; a dark and evil presence lurking just in her periphery. She begins to cause noticeable disturbances while at school and at home.

Cassie needs help and it quickly becomes apparent that main-stream medicine is not going to ‘cure’ what ails her.

You guys, this is a really fun possession story that I have no problems recommending to my horror-loving friends. Was it perfect? No. There were a couple of things that I picked up on that I think could have been improved upon; repetitive phrasing, things of that nature, but overall, this was creepy AF and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

For me, it did offer up a unique take on possession. The way it was described, and viewing it through Cassie’s perspective, made it different from your standard tale where you exclusively follow people on the outside. The non-possessed characters. I liked seeing things from Cassie’s perspective. What it felt like for her. What she saw and how confusing and desperate it was for her.

The story really drew me in as well. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about reading it and therefore got through it rather quickly. Lewis excels at building up suspense and there were parts that definitely got under my skin. I tried not to read it directly before bed without a palate cleansing Contemporary or Fantasy to read for a bit after.

Thank you so much to the author, Tom Lewis, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion on a book. I 100% would pick up more books from this author and look forward to doing so!

Original: …”for fans of The Exorcist and Stephen King…”

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Review: Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

~ megs14malloy

Sawkill GirlsSawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

A girl with incredible strength.
A girl who can vanish.
A girl who burns.


There are always three.

When Marion moves with her older sister and mother to the island of Sawkill Rock, she looks at it as a place for them to recover, to move on. After the death of Marion’s father, her world feels empty, yet she is left to hold the family together, a weighty responsibility.

But once on Sawkill, it doesn’t take Marion long to realize this island isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Something ominous lurks here and it feeds on the blood of young women.

Zoey sees Marion as the opportunity to have a new friend who doesn’t suck. Zoey is also a transplant to the island and with her father being a police officer, she is all too familiar with the little problem of disappearing girls plaguing Sawkill. In fact, she lost her best friend to the monster’s clutches and she has never been satisfied with the community’s response. She befriends Marion and together they begin to work on discovering the secrets of Sawkill. When Marion’s older sister, Charlotte, goes missing as well, things really start to heat up.

Val Mortimer. The Queen Bee. The Regina George of Sawkill Rock. She’s beautiful, she’s popular, she’s rich, she’s possibly evil and she’s got her eyes on Marion.

I went into this book with the mistaken belief that this was YA Contemporary with some Magical Realism elements. WRONG. This book is YA Horror. I was so happy. Dark secrets, urban legends, a monster feeding on the blood of girls, a uncoordinated band of kids coming together to defeat evil, a female / female relationship, humor, mystery, danger – seriously – this book has it all!

The atmosphere of this is dark and full. I was completely drawn into the girl’s lives on the rock. As a person who also lives on a small island, 30-miles out to sea, I can say the ‘island life rep’ was strong.

This would be a great book to pick up in October. I am actually a little sad I didn’t get to it then. My one negative is that I would say it was a little too long. I started getting anxious toward the end and just wanted a conclusion already! I think the same story could have been told, and perhaps better served, if about 50-pages had been shaved off. But that is 100% my opinion and it could be completely wrong. What the heck do I know anyway?

I would recommend this to all my horror-loving friends, or even just friends who like a dark, creepy atmosphere. Definitely worth a read!

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