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Review: We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

We Were Never HereWe Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

We Were Never Here follows three estranged friends, Georgia, Circe and James, who reunite to finish a task they set out to do months ago. They need to steal a prized painting from a haunted mansion on their school campus.

What could go wrong, you’re probably asking, and the answer to that is a lot. Back in July, the three, along with their other friend, Jules, had tried to steal the painting while filming an episode of their YouTube Ghost Hunting show.

The result of that mission was Jules, dead, with a knife in her chest, and Georgia waking up in a pool of blood with zero recollection of what happened.

Oh, and they didn’t get the painting.

Now it’s October, and the buyer for the painting is back, and he wants it. No excuses. They agree to get back together and try one more time. They need to put this to rest.

Unfortunately, haunted houses never rest and the three are about to enter another nightmare. Will they all make it out alive this time? And what’s the deal with this painting?

Y’all, I’m not going to drag this out. In no way, shape or form, was this for me. I didn’t enjoy any of it, really; not the writing, the characters, the plot, or even the overall tone.

I do love the cover though. The art style and colors, it drew me to it immediately. I really wanted to love this and while it had a solid concept, the execution fell flat, IMO.

It felt like it was 700-pages long. It just dragged and dragged. It’s completely morose. There’s no nuance at all in the pacing, or energy; very one note.

It also somehow felt like it was trying to do too much, while simultaneously not doing much of anything at all. James was the one beacon of hope, but even he couldn’t save it for me.

I’m sure Readers for this exist. They’re out there and I’m hoping they find it and love it. Perhaps someone with a bit more patience than me, or with less of an urge to eye roll all the drama at the end. Sadly, that Reader isn’t me, and I’m ready to put this far behind me.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. On to the next!

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Review: Better the Devil by Erik J. Brown

~ megs14malloy

Better the DevilBetter the Devil by Erik J. Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Better the Devil is a YA Psychological Thriller that’s both dramatic and entertaining. It reads like one of the After School Special movies I used to love when I was younger.

I’m not throwing shade when I say that either. I’m serious. I loved those things, and a lot of popular celebrities starred in various episodes. I felt like this story captured a cinematic quality that could translate well to the screen.

In this story, we’re following a gay teen who is forced to run away from home after his extremely religious parents threaten to send him to a conversion camp. For him, it’s the logical next step, but unfortunately, extended life on the streets is very tough.

The teen is forced to do things that he never thought he would have to do, like stealing food to survive. When he gets caught shoplifting food from a store, he gets brought into a police station. While there, he notices a missing person poster with a boy on it, whose age progression happens to look shockingly like himself.

The missing boy’s name is Nate Beaumont. When the police ask him his name, he says Nate Beaumont. It’s the only thing he can think to do, but boy, oh boy, he could never have expected the insane can of worms that one choice would open.

The police are shocked. They know who Nate Beaumont is. He tells them he’s escaped from his captors, but he has no memory of anything prior to his escape. He’s taken to the hospital for assessment and the Beaumont family is notified.

The boy, now calling himself Nate, recognizes that things are quickly getting out of hand, but he assumes they’ll do some sort of tests, DNA tests or something, that will give him the time he needs to escape. But that doesn’t happen, and before he can make his escape, the Beaumont family is welcoming him home with open arms.

The next thing he knows, he’s at their house, at Nate’s house, swept up into their family. He has to play along, bide his time until he can figure out his next move.

The Beaumonts are such an enigma to him though. They’re nurturing and loving, so unlike his own family. He could get used to this, but then disturbing events start happening.

Someone is targeting Nate. Someone who probably knows the truth, that Nate isn’t who he says he is, but who? And more importantly, why?

Nate, along with his new friend, Miles, start digging for answers, but we all know, sometimes the past is best left buried. Will they be able to to figure out what happened to the real Nate, or will the baddie stop them before they get the chance?

This is a good novel. Many aspects of it were gripping. For me, the pace was off a bit, and I’m not sure I feel the author was really able to balance the serious aspects of this story with the more cinematic, entertaining aspects. A lot of it sort of gave me the ick, what Nate was doing.

I do understand his motivations, for sure. Brown did do a good job of building that up, and he still makes Nate a character you have great empathy for, but I don’t know, I still felt a little queasy at times, NGL.

I did end up loving many of the characters in here though. Not just Nate, but also his neighbor Miles, Miles’s dog, Chardonnay, and Nate’s Grandma Sharon, were all super fun and brought a lot of humor to the story.

I would recommend this to YA Thriller Readers, particularly for its actual target audience. I can definitely imagine teens really getting hooked into this one. I’ve never read any other work from Erik J. Brown, but I’m looking forward to doing so in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperAudio Children’s, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audiobook narration from Daniel Henning was excellent and definitely channeled the overall vibe of the story!

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Review: Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez

~ megs14malloy

MuñecaMuñeca by Cynthia Gómez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Muñeca is a captivating Gothic Horror novella set in 1968-Oakland, California. We follow Nati, a working class witch, as she sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress, the beautiful Violeta Miramontes.

Nati’s Mom used to work for Violeta’s family, so Nati is familiar with the household. After hearing rumors that Violeta has been left paralyzed by a mysterious illness, Nati feels compelled to help.

Nati ends up securing a position as a caregiver for Violeta, and will actually be staying in the house during her employment. It’s quickly clear to her that Violeta’s illness has been caused by dark magic. Nati needs to figure out who cursed Violeta, and why?

As the two young women grow closer, and Nati continually fails to break the curse, her desperation escalates. She feels like she’s running out of time and her methods get progressively reckless. Soon she realizes she must face her own past if she’s to have any hope of helping poor Violeta.

Gómez pulled me in very quickly, which is an important component of any successful novella. I found her writing fluid, engaging and accessible. She wastes no time setting up the main issue of this story, Violeta’s mysterious illness, and getting Nati to where she needs to be.

The plot was captivating. I actually didn’t realize what Muñeca translated to until I got to a certain point in the story where a real a-ha moment occurred. It was probably the most fun moment in the whole book for me. I was excited to see the direction it was heading in.

I also loved Nati. She was a great MC, who was really proactive in trying to cure Violeta. I think my main issue with this one was, I wanted more of everything.

I know it’s a novella, and it needs to be concise, but at the same time, there were so many great aspects that I would’ve loved expanded. Honestly, it probably would have been a 5-star read for me if it had been like 400-pages.

For example, we know Nati’s Mom worked for Violeta’s family and that Nati spent time in the household when she was child. I would have loved two or three detailed flashbacks of interactions between Nati and Violeta that would have helped establish the base of their relationship.

Then when they got as close as they did, as quickly as they did, I feel like there would’ve been more context to make it believable, and less instalove.

This is just one example, but I kept having moments where I’d be thinking, wow, that’s so interesting, I want to know more, but we’d have already progressed to the next thing.

One of the biggest ones involved Nati’s family members. We did get some of Nati’s backstory in relation to magic, and I found those details fascinating. I would have loved to have gone a bit more in depth with that.

At the end of the day though, the point of a novella is a full story in a shorter number of pages. This is certainly a beautiful example of Gómez’s creativity and writing style. You better believe I’ll be picking up more of her work.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a Sapphic Witchy read. Bonus points if you love gothic atmosphere!

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Review: The Darkness Greeted Her by Christina Ferko

~ megs14malloy

The Darkness Greeted HerThe Darkness Greeted Her by Christina Ferko
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Darkness Greeted her is a YA Horror novel tackling themes such as sapphic relationships, mental health struggles, overcoming trauma, and features a dark atmosphere.

In this story, our MC is Penny, who has a traumatic past, mostly surrounding her abusive father, that she’s trying to overcome. She also struggles with Harm OCD, so she enlists in a therapy camp to try to face her issues head on, and get control of her life back.

Camp Whitewood is very small, I think there were maybe 8 girls total. I don’t remember specifically, but it was a smaller group, which gave it a more intimate feel.

Even though we follow Penny mainly, Ferko did provide different sections for the other girls, where we are shown the parts of their pasts that may have contributed to them entering Camp Whitewood. And though everyone had very different experiences, you could tell that their trauma was something that they could relate and bond over.

The interesting and horrible part of the camp is that their traumas seem to suddenly take form in the shape of a Shadow Man, a monster who brings their deepest fears to life. The visions involved in this are truly horrific for the girls, and also confusing.

As their hallucinations escalate and girls begin to turn up dead, Penny must team up with whoever is left to get to the truth behind the Shadow Man, and try to defeat him before he’s able to conquer the rest of them.

I liked this. It’s a heavy story and does involve a lot of depictions of traumatic situations happening on page; check for trigger warnings if that concerns you. I enjoyed the idea of this Shadow Man entity bringing their darkest nightmares to life for these recovering girls to try to defeat.

The action bits, particularly towards the end, were quite chaotic and I did find it slightly difficult to visualize and track. Additionally, I didn’t necessarily find any of the characters, besides Penny, that memorable. They were pretty much interchangeable to me, but I did appreciate the difficult topics the author was addressing.

I think in the YA space this would be a good introduction to this style of Horror for a lot of younger readers. For me, this really didn’t do anything new or exciting, therefore I’m not sure how memorable it will be long term.

However, I do appreciate the author’s efforts and vision. I know so many Readers are going to be able to connect to the girls’ experiences in this book, and that’s super important as well. I’m glad I checked it out.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’d be happy to pick up more from this author in the future.

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Review: Showstopper by Lily Anderson

~ megs14malloy

ShowstopperShowstopper by Lily Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Showstopper is a blend of YA Contemporary meets Horror-Thriller ((light)), all set at a theater camp. When I read the synopsis, I knew this was one that I had to check out.

I’ve previously read one other book from Lily Anderson, Undead Girl Gang, and I absolutely loved it. I was excited to pick up another novel from her, and this certainly sounded like it’d be right up my alley.

This story follows 17-year old, Faye, and her friends at the Ghostlight Youth Theater Camp. This is Faye’s last year to take part in the camp, because the age limit is 17. She’s hoping it will be the best summer yet.

Faye feels like she’s finally ready to break out from the good girl parts she’s been type-cast in before. She’s ready to take center stage and wants to go after the leading role in their Riverdale-inspired production.

As soon as she starts to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight though, problems arise. She’d be competing with her BFF for the role, and that’s never really a great idea.

She’s also surprisingly attracted to the new boy at camp and that’s hella distracting. There’s just a lot of drama going on, which eventually takes a sharp, and very deadly, turn.

With stagehands disappearing and mysterious accidents occurring left and right, Faye isn’t sure if this production will ever truly come to fruition.

This was a cute story. I liked learning about the characters, as well as the drama and the history of the camp. The theater camp setting was fantastic. It wasn’t just an idea in the background, it was incorporated continuously throughout the story.

I also appreciated how diverse the cast was. I feel like the characters we got to know were all well-developed, and their interactions believable.

I think for me though, this was much more focused on the interpersonal drama than I was expecting. I feel like it’s sort of sold as a Slasheresque story, so I was expecting much more action and intensity than I actually got.

We were very much focused on the interpersonal dramas, which is fine and it did keep it entertaining. I did like the mystery too of who was messing with the production and those involved. I just kind of wanted more of that.

I wanted more action surrounding the accidents, injuries and deaths. Then also, the reveal made me more sad than anything. It just kind of put a bit of dark cloud over a story I was just really looking to have fun with.

These small criticisms shouldn’t take away from the great story the author has created here, it just wasn’t exactly to my tastes, or what I was looking for when I picked it up. I would recommend it for anyone who thinks the synopsis sounds intriguing, and musical theater lovers.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt and Co., for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to picking up more from this author!

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Review: Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington

~ megs14malloy

Girls Who Play DeadGirls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Girls Who Play Dead is the 3rd-full length novel from one of my new go-to authors, Joelle Wellington. Wellington’s debut, Their Vicious Games, which published in 2023, was one of my top reads of that year.

I absolutely loved it and have anxiously anticipated her next 2-books, and while this isn’t my favorite from her, I still really enjoyed it.

This story follows siblings, Mikky and Kyla, who live in the small town of Prophets Lake, Massachusetts. Kyla is a dancer, popular and connected at the hip to her BFF, Erin.

Mikky, on the other hand, felt suffocated by their hometown, and ended up leaving to go live with his estranged mother closer to the city of Boston.

When Kyla’s best friend Erin is murdered though, Mikky returns in a desperate effort to be their for his sister during what’s sure to be the most difficult time of her life.

After he arrives home though, Mikky is confused by the Kyla he encounters. She hardly resembles the sister he remembers. She’s hard-edged, angry and demanding, a mean girl at school, and seems barely affected by Erin’s death. It’s hard to get close to her, but Mikky won’t give up.

Everyone grieves differently it’s true, but Kyla seems to be into something. She’s keeping dangerous secrets, Mikky can tell. He decides if he’s going to help Kyla, he needs to figure out who killed Erin and why.

Teaming up with a cute boy at school, Nasim, Mikky begins digging into Kyla and Erin’s relationship and the secrets they held together.

I didn’t have any trouble getting into this story. Wellington has the ability to pull you completely in. I find her stories fluid, engaging and easy to completely immerse yourself in.

I thought the characters were great and I loved the exploration of the different relationship dynamics, especially Kyla and Mikky, but also even learning about Kyla and Erin’s relationship was interesting.

As the Reader, we never meet Erin while she’s alive, but through the other characters it does feel like you can get a real sense of who she was. As best friends go, Kyla and Erin were as close as you can get, and I couldn’t imagine everything Kyla was going through after losing her, which made her anger understandable.

I loved Mikky’s investigation. Amateur sleuthing is one of my favorite things in a novel like this, especially with teens, and I like how Wellington incorporated it here.

In addition to the mystery though, there are some well done IRL issues being explored as well. Kyla and Mikky’s Dad is struggling with some financial hardship, trying to keep their family-run funeral home open, and we also get to see the impact of grief on Erin’s loved ones.

Mikky and Nasim’s budding relationship was another one of my favorite aspects. I liked them working together and getting to know one another, even though I may have done without some of the 3rd-act drama between them at the end.

I also always appreciate how bold Wellington’s story concepts are. This one is no exception. It does involve beauty influencing, so if that is something that interests you, this is definitely worth picking up. In general though, this is a strong YA Thriller and I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of that genre.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to see what Wellington comes up with next. Regardless of what it is, I’ll definitely be reading it!!

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Review: All of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles

~ megs14malloy

All of Us MurderersAll of Us Murderers by K.J. Charles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

In All of Us Murderers, a lush gothic mystery by K.J. Charles, we follow Zeb Wyckham after he is summoned to his wealthy Uncle’s manor home for a family gathering.

Even though the guest list no doubt includes many individuals Zeb would rather avoid, like his estranged brother, for example, he nevertheless accepts the invitation, curious to discover what it’s all about.

How bad can it be?

Therefore, Zeb arrives at the property at the appointed time and date and is less than thrilled to find not only his horrid brother, and his snake of a wife, but also his cad of a cousin and irritable ex, Gideon.

As they dine with their Uncle Wynn the very first evening, they discover the truth of why he’s brought them all there. It’s time for an inheritance game. The winner takes it all, and that’s a vast fortune indeed.

Wynn wants someone to marry his young ward, Jessamine, upon his death. That way, he’s assured she’ll be cared for. If one of them is willing to do that, they’ll get his full fortune.

Zeb can hardly believe what he’s hearing. Jessamine is very, very young, and from the start, she’s seemed not entirely well. He’s unsettled by his Uncle’s plan, and vows to take no part in it; money be damned.

However, that leaves his other male family members, and none of them are desirable as suitors. What is Zeb to do? How can he stop this unsavory business from playing out?

All of Us Murderers turned into a delightful reading experience for me. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started, but I’ve thought about it many times since finishing.

It’s a bit of a slow burn, and it did sneak up on me, for sure. I was pulled in quite thoroughly without even noticing how invested I had gotten. The gothic atmosphere was impeccable and I loved the MC, Zeb, soooo much.

The mystery elements, mainly revolving around the motivations and intentions of Uncle Wynn, before turning into a full-fledged Murder Mystery, were also quite entertaining. It got intense the further it progressed, with the stakes getting higher and higher.

The star of the show for me truly was the gothic setting and subsequent atmosphere. With inclement weather rolling in across the Moors, the characters are trapped at the property with no means of escape.

Even when Zeb decides he won’t play his Uncle’s little game, there’s really nothing he can do about it. I loved that element, it made it feel claustrophobic and desperate.

It also has a Scooby-Doo feel about it in places, which I enjoyed, but I can see how some Readers may find those aspects a little silly. For me, the hauntings and history of the house just added to the overall ambiance. It was giving me exactly what I wanted in that regard.

Finally, I would note how much I enjoyed Zeb’s delivery of the events happening around him. He had a wry and witty way of viewing it all, which lent it a bit of humor to the story, even though what was happening was unhinged.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this and am happy to have read from a new-to-me author. I look forward to picking up more from Charles in the future.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would def recommend this to anyone who enjoys a atmospheric Gothic Mystery.

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Review: Mirage City (Evander Mills #4) by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

Mirage City (Evander Mills, #4)Mirage City by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mirage City is the 4th-installment in Lev A.C. Rosen’s Evander Mills series. This is a Historical Mystery series set in 1950s-era San Francisco and follow a diverse cast of characters.

I have grown to love this series so much. Andy Mills is such a lovable main character, and I absolutely adore the classic detective/film noir vibes that Rosen brings to these stories.

This mystery kicks off after our MC, Private Investigator, Andy Mills, gets commissioned to find three missing members of the Mattachine Society, a secretive Queer Rights organization. Early leads point him towards L.A., which happens to be Andy’s hometown, and where his Mom lives.

Although he is apprehensive about returning to L.A., he needs to go where the clues lead. Worlds collide when further signs point him to a psychological clinic where his Mom works as a nurse.

Again, Rosen weaves together a tense mystery full of danger, long-held secrets and a lot of heart. Though it starts a little slow, the pace steadily increases until the explosive end.

I enjoyed how Rosen continued to build the tension throughout. This one felt like a spiderweb. There were so many different connections, and it ended up being quite the twisted web indeed. The inclusion of the motorcycle gang made it extra-entertaining.

This one did feel a little different because Andy had to travel to L.A., so was separated from his found family that I’ve come to love through the previous books. I did miss them, but we do get some scenes with them at the open and close.

His time away though, definitely allows Andy to reassess his life and come to a better understanding of what he wants his future to look like. I did enjoy the storyline involving his Mom. I think he needed to have the time with her, no matter what the outcome.

In addition to recommending the series as a whole, I would also highly recommend the audiobooks, splendidly-narrated by Vikas Adam. Vikas is Andy to me. I can’t imagine this series without Vikas’s voice.

I also appreciate the representation of the Queer community in these books. The way Rosen explores the historical challenges they faced, yet somehow brings an overall feeling of hope to the page via the safe spaces they have carved out for themselves in an otherwise hostile world.

I just feel those aspects are so well done, and certainly not something I’ve seen a lot of in the Adult Mystery space. I’m not sure what the future plans are for this series, but I’m really hoping it continues on.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. As you can tell, I adore this series. The characters, setting, mysteries and lush noir-style have keep me fully engaged and coming back for more.

I’m really hoping that more people discover these books and that the series continues on for a long time to come. I would pick up each and every one!

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Review: The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato

~ megs14malloy

The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and BoyfriendsThe Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D’Amato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends follows 19-year old college freshman, Brennan, after he is suddenly turned into a vampire.

Navigating life as a new vampire comes with challenges, especially considering all the other things going on in his life, like school, family stuff, mental health and dating.

He has though, by default, also become part of a secret society filled with other local vamps, so at least he’s not alone. Also, it is helpful a little as far as learning how to survive as a young vampire, even though the sheer number of informational pamphlets is at times overwhelming.

Returning to university after recovering from a suicide attempt was tough. Brennan was hoping for a fresh start, but this wasn’t exactly what he was thinking. Even though his mind may be spinning a lot of the time, Brennan is determined to make it work. He can do this.

When the super cute boy who works at the campus library, Cole, discovers Brennan drinking from a stolen blood bag however, Brennan is forced to open up and reveal his new secret earlier than he would have liked.

Cole seems more than willing to keep Brennan’s secret, and it fact, it seems he sort of likes him? Brennan can hardly believe his luck. Everything would be perfect if it wasn’t for the pesky vampire thing.

Problems bigger than his own arise when students begin to go missing, and strange ‘animal attacks’ begin occurring around campus. Brennan, and his new friend group, believe there may be a rouge vampire in their area, and they need to stop them before anyone else comes to harm.

This is a very rough synopsis of this story, because this book is so many things. It’s Brennan, a regular guy dealing with life, transitioning to college, struggling to find his identity and path, while also being turned in a vampire and meeting the boy of his dreams.

That’s a lot to navigate here, but D’Amato blended everything into this story so absolutely beautifully. I loved getting to know Brennan and his relationship with Cole was sweet, swoony and so compelling.

I also loved the concepts behind the vampire bits. The local guilds, how they got their blood, etc., it was all very creative. I was impressed with how well D’Amato meshed the IRL-stuff with the fantasy/vampire elements.

The story itself was cute and funny. I listened to the audio and Michael Crouch’s narration was spot-on for Brennan. Crouch truly brought his character life. He is such a likable MC. I loved his perspective, just how he relayed everything that was going on, it’s highly-entertaining.

The banter between Brennan and Cole was fantastic; so witty and charming. But also amongst the side characters, all of the dialogue was well done.

I think for me the only areas where I wasn’t totally blown away was some of the vampire bits in the middle area. The beginning was fab, the ending was so, so fun, but it did sort of go off for me just a little bit in the middle. That’s the only reason this isn’t a full 5-stars. Also, I’m a picky bitch.

Overall, this is the sweetest, softest, swooniest, M/M vampire romance you’re going to find. Bonus points for the fact that there’s a real plot.

It definitely snuck up on me and sort of stole my heart a bit. Cole and Brennan were just the sweetest. I was swooning for them and the progression of their relationship amidst all the fun vampire content.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Jamie D’Amato definitely impressed me!!

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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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