novella

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: 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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Review: Xmas Break by J.E. Rowney

~ megs14malloy

Xmas BreakXmas Break by J.E. Rowney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Xmas Break is a fast-paced Horror Thriller novella set on Christmas Eve. The first thing that attracted me to this was the cover. I couldn’t resist it and after reading the synopsis, I was even more stoked.

Who doesn’t love a little holiday-themed Horror/Thriller?

This story revolves around sisters, Isla and Clara, who have been estranged since their mother’s death and subsequent inheritance fallout.

It’s been years since the two have spoken, when Isla suddenly receives an invitation from Clara to join her and her partner, Greg, for the Christmas holiday at their luxury mountain retreat. After discussing it with her husband, James, Isla reluctantly accepts the invitation.

They travel to the house on a snowy winter night, and it is indeed just as luxurious as promised. Unbelievable really. And there’s her perfect sister, with her perfect husband and her perfect decorations…

But something seems off. Her sister is acting strangely, but Greg even more so. Isla and James are growing increasingly uncomfortable. They try to have a nice dinner, but things feel forced.

Nevertheless, Isla is giving it her best effort. She is, and temps do start to thaw, a little. At least on the inside. Outside the storm rages on, and wouldn’t you know it, the power goes out.

The stakes continue to escalate as the night goes on, and soon it becomes clear that these sisters are going to have to put the past behind them if they want to survive to see another Christmas Day.

While stylistically, Xmas Break may not be the strongest book ever written, it’s still wildly-entertaining. This puts the Popcorn Thriller seamlessly into the Christmas holiday, and I’m here for it. Also, I did end up appreciating the more thematic messaging towards the end.

I would say this is completely OTT, so if you aren’t down for that type of Thriller, I would steer clear of this one. For those looking for a fast, fun ride, with ridiculous action and mostly unlikable characters, it’s a must read for you next holiday-themed TBR.

Thank you to the publisher, BooksGoSocial, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I read this in a few hours, and had a lot of fun with it.

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Review: Pam Kowolski is a Monster! by Sarah Langan

~ megs14malloy

Sarah Langan. What a talent.

💙♥️💛💙♥️💛💙♥️💛💙♥️💛💙

I’m sort of at a loss for what to say about Pam Kowolski Is a Monster! This Horror Novella is a unique glimpse into one woman’s life as she works through her complicated feelings in regards to her high school nemesis, Pam Kowolski.

Our MC is Janet, who at one point felt she was going places. Unfortunately, life hasn’t panned out the way Janet expected.

Her journalism career is in the toilet, she has nobody to come home to at night, she’s a lone wolf. How did her life turn out this way?

While she’s not exactly sure, she can’t help but feel like darn Pam Kowloski had something to do with it. That girl. Grrrrrrrrrr, even thinking of her gets Janet’s hackles up.

Surfing mindless media one day, Janet comes across a super popular psychic predicting the end of the world. Sure, this could be a disturbing predication, but the predication itself isn’t what has Janet’s jaw on the floor.

This incredibly popular psychic is none other than Pam Kowolski!

Janet sees right through her. This predication is not even close to true, and Pam Kowolski is an absolute fraud. Janet will not rest until she can bring her down off her perfect pedestal.

But in order to reveal Pam as the con artist she is, Janet will have to dig deep into their past, uncovering things she may have conveniently forgotten.

This was an odd little story, but it was super compelling. I read this in a day, because I couldn’t put it down. There was no way really to predict where it was going.

I’ve read two novels from Langan before, and really enjoyed both of them. Her writing is wild and wicked, but also quite subtle. It’s not throwing a lot of body horror, or things of that nature in your face.

I feel like Langan is very smart with her choices of how she builds out characters, and naturally reveals what’s going on in their minds; their intentions and neuroses.

The vibes of this are unsettling, but it’s really difficult to explain why. I think maybe they came most from the uncomfortable position of being in Janet’s mind. I loved how the truth was revealed.

There were moments that gave me chills, just from learning new insights and seeing how the puzzle fit together. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of Weird Fiction, that you walk away from a little unsure how to classify it.

It’s surprising to me how much Langan was able to do in this with so few pages. Sometimes with a novella, I feel slightly unsatisfied, like I want more, but I didn’t feel that way here. I thought this was the length it needed to be in order to be effective.

Thank you to the publisher, Raw Dog Screaming Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Sarah Langan was already an auto-read author for me, and this only solidifies status more.

Review: The Long Walk by Stephen King, (pseudonym) Richard Bachman

~ megs14malloy

The Long WalkThe Long Walk by Richard Bachman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Long Walk is a Dystopian novel by Stephen King, originally published in December of 1978, under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman.

Eventually, it was included in the bind-up of The Bachman Books, along with Rage, Roadwork and The Running Man.

I read this book as a Tween, but have not visited it since. Recently, I have begun reading King’s works from the beginning, in the order they were originally published according to his website.

This project will mostly be rereads for me, but I NEVER get tired of revisiting King’s stories. I feel like each time I read them, depending on where I am in my life, it becomes a whole new experience. Also, the more versed you are in the Kingverse, the more connections you begin to see.

In this story we are following 16-year old, Maine native, Ray Garraty, who has been chosen to participate in the annual Long Walk, along with 99-other teen boys.

The boys start the Walk in Northern Maine, and must maintain a steady pace of 4-mph, or risk being eliminated, not just from the Walk, but from life. They are walking straight through, no rest stops, no pee breaks, no sleep, until only one remains; the winner.

The winner is awarded the big prize, said to be anything he wants for the rest of his life. In this dystopian world, that’s a hell of a good offer, one these boys are willing to risk their lives to attain.

This quick little story sure manages to pack a punch. The commentary and character work are a masterclass in how to pull your audience in and make them feel invested. Even though it was only Garraty’s perspective that we were given, I felt such empathy for so many of these characters.

The Long Walk feels like a precursor to more recent stories, such as The Hunger Games, inspiring many other works of fiction. I actually discovered after I started my reread there’s going to be an adaptation released later this year.

I’m very excited, though nervous, to check that out.

I loved how this slowly developed and the psychological depths it went into. These waters run dark and deep. I was eating it up. I’m so glad I finally reread this one.

I would recommend this to anyone who hasn’t read it yet, or to anyone who enjoys a Dystopian story. This is gripping and powerful; a timeless tale of human endurance.

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Review: Coup de Grace by Sofia Ajram

~ megs14malloy

Coup de GrâceCoup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Coup de Grace introduces us to Vicken in the hours before he plans to end his life by throwing himself into the Saint Lawrence River near his home.

While on the subway that day, he ends up having an intimate encounter with another passenger. Afterwards, through Vicken’s thoughts, we see maybe his plan isn’t as solidified as he once believed. Maybe there is hope for him yet.

He ends up riding the subway to the end of the line and when he steps off, he finds himself in an empty, unfamiliar part of the station. Though he searches and searches, he’s unable to find his way out, or even back to where he started.

We follow along as he explores this new concrete prison, trying to make sense of how and why this is happening.

Let me be clear, this isn’t a fun read. I was fascinated by the concept and wanted to see how Ajram translated it to the page. It is compelling in a very morose sort of way, but considering the topics explored, that shouldn’t be surprising.

I appreciate so much the beautiful writing, and the way that Ajram put to words the thoughts and feelings of someone battling depression in such a believable way. I’m sure a lot of Readers will be able to connect with the visceral feel of that.

I did love the unsettling, claustrophobic atmosphere, as well and the depiction of being trapped in a stark, grey, barren concrete labyrinth. It got under my skin.

I found the symbolism of that, it kept describing the grey of the concrete and made me think, you know, what is the brain, but grey matter. Here we had an individual held captive by their brain and this concrete prison, essentially, was the perfect representation of that.

While I can appreciate how much work and thought went into this novella, I do rate books based upon my personal reading experience with them, and for me, this was a good experience, not great.

One of the aspects that didn’t quite work for me was the fever dream quality. That’s something I tend to not enjoy as much as I would a more standard narrative format.

That is 100% personal choice though, and I do feel like the author made the right choice for the story they were trying to tell, and that’s CERTAINLY more important than pleasing me, or anyone else.

With this being said, I would recommend this for Readers who enjoy Weird Fiction, who think the concept sounds intriguing, or who enjoy more thoughtful, not necessarily happy, reads.

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Review: Rose/House by Arkady Martine

~ megs14malloy

Rose/HouseRose/House by Arkady Martine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Rose/House is a tense Sci-Fi Techno-Mystery by Arkady Martine. This novella was originally published in 2023, but has been recently re-released by Tor.

The edition I read came in at 115-pages. With this being said, I’m not going to go into too much detail about plot.

In short, this novel features an AI house, not a house with AI capabilities, but a fully-AI house. The designer/creator/architect/inventor/owner, whatever designation you choose for him, died over a year ago.

As far as anyone knows, the only other person allowed inside Rose House is the creator’s former protege, Dr. Selene Gisil.

When the local policewoman, Detective Maritza Smith, gets a call from Rose House saying that there is a dead body in the house, she’s shocked.

The creator is gone and Dr. Gisil is overseas. Who the heck is the dead body, and how did they even get in there?

Maritza is dispatched to investigate, but if she’s able to get into this fortress of a house, will she be able to get back out after? The house is being less than helpful, so that outcome is definitely unclear.

This was interesting and unlike anything I have read lately. I enjoyed the 1st-half more than the latter, but still found the concepts compelling throughout.

From the moment I started learning about Rose House, I didn’t want Maritza to go in. Who cares about the body? Rose House acted deceitful and it creeped me out.

To be fully transparent, anything involving AI actually creeps me out. It’s like one of my biggest fears, pretty much in any iteration. I have nightmares about it.

At first, I’ll admit, I was thinking the writing felt a little choppy, but the further I got in, the more it made sense for the story. The feel of it is actually a bit robotic, which makes sense considering it centers around a fully AI house.

I feel like for me, the length was its biggest drawback. I wanted to know more about everything, all the concepts and all the characters. Martine gave me enough to want more, and that’s a good thing, however, as far as my experience goes, I can’t rate it any higher.

Nevertheless, it’s good and I recommend it for any Sci-Fi fan, in particular if you enjoy stories featuring AI. Also, I did appreciate the blending of Mystery into this Techno-heavy setting. It was unsettling.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor, 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: But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

~ megs14malloy

But Not Too BoldBut Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

But Not Too Bold is so odd, and so beautiful and so compelling. It’s oddly, beautifully-compelling.

I am almost at a loss for words. It felt at times like I didn’t understand it, but I did, at the same time. The themes, the descriptions, the gorgeous characterizations, it felt instinctual, though I can’t necessarily explain it coherently.

In fact, this is much less of a coherent narrative style than I tend to enjoy, but I fell in love with the writing instantly, so just decided to roll with it and I’m so glad I did!

But Not Too Bold is a Queer Fantasy Horror novella, of which I shall say nothing of the plot. It’s only 112-pages and well-worth the read.

The synopsis lays out everything you need to know going in, but even with that, I feel you’ll still be surprised at the depths to which this story will take you. It felt like falling down a dark, whimsical, dangerous rabbit hole, from which there’s no escape.

I loved the main character, Dália. There was something so relatable about her. I was also surprised at how intrigued I was by the mystery that Dália is trying to solve.

More than that, I was shocked by the emotional impact this little story has. How is it possible to pack this much punch into such a small space?

Somehow, Pueyo succeeded in doing just that. The conclusion was gorgeous. My only small gripes would be that there were a couple of details I felt weren’t adequately fleshed out, and also, I wish this were a little longer.

Overall though, I am so pleased with this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy Horror, or stories that feel like modern folklore. Also, a bonus if you are looking for Queer, or female-centered dark fiction.

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Review: Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries #3) by Benjamin Stevenson

~ megs14malloy

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries, #3)Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the 3rd-installment to the delightfully-meta Ernest Cunningham Mysteries series.

It’s also the perfect novella to kick off your holiday spirit!!

I binged the first 2-books in this series recently and was really excited for this holiday-focused mystery story. I definitely feel like Stevenson nailed the holiday vibes and I really enjoyed my time with it.

I rated it a little lower than the previous two stories merely because my enjoyment level wasn’t quite as high with this one as those other novels. I think it’s simply a case of there not being enough time to really feel fully immersed, or pulled, into this one.

It was still a fun mystery and I enjoyed the set-up involving Ernie’s ex. I also found the inclusion of the magician, and everyone one involved in his show, exciting and different.

As always, I loved the little nods to classic mystery stories; particularly those of Agatha Christie. My favorite part of this though was Ernie’s rules for Christmas Specials. That was so funny, and also, very true.

It sounds like there is another full-length novel in the works right now and I can’t wait for more information on it. No matter what it is about, I will be first in line.

I love this series so, so much, and definitely recommend the audiobooks for anyone looking to get into the series. The narration is perfect for this unique storytelling style.

Thank you to the publisher, Mariner Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Overall, this is a cute, fun, quick Christmas Special following Ernie Cunningham doing what he does best:

solving murders!

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Rereading Rage by Stephen King, Writing as Richard Bachman

~ megs14malloy

RageRage by Richard Bachman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rage is the first short novel that King published under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. After the Carneal incident in December of 1997, King allowed Rage to go out of print in the United States.

You can mainly find this now in rare original copies, or in old versions of The Bachman Books, which released in 1985 and was comprised of a bind-up of Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man.

I am lucky enough to have a 1st-edition hardback copy of The Bachman Books, which is how I read this story. It’s been in my family since it was published and is one of my most treasured books.

This was a reread for me, but I haven’t read it since the 6th, or 7th grade, many years before 1997. I didn’t remember too much about it except for the setting and the basic premise.

This is a well-written story. It contains wonderful character work and succeeded in pulling me in. The entire scene is set in Mrs. Underwood’s Algebra classroom, after our MC, Charlie Decker goes berserk ((his words)), kills the teacher and takes the rest of the students hostage.

We follow, fly on the wall style, all that goes down inside that classroom after Charlie takes control. I loved the dynamics and conversations amongst the students.

It’s very dialogue heavy, but in such a way that keeps you engrossed as you see an evolution of the character’s opinions within that space. By the end, it gets very Lord of the Flies as the teens develop their own system of self-reflection, judgement and even, punishment.

I really enjoyed the themes explored, especially those involving the experience of teens, or kids, and the various pressures they can feel from those in authority positions, as well as their lack of autonomy, and how that can backfire if pushed too far.

King has always showed an interest in the mind, and psychology, but that was most evident to me in his earlier works. You clearly see that interest within this story, and I loved the way he incorporated that into Charlie’s character and these events.

I understand and respect King’s opinion on this story. I do. In a way though, I think it’s a shame this story isn’t more readily available, as it does offer up a lot of important food for thought and discussion.

There are mentions of the violence children are exposed to and how that effects them over time. I think this would make an incredible Book Club pick. It would be so interesting to see how various Readers interpret this story.

I’m glad that I took the time to reread this one. I obviously have way more grounds to appreciate it as an adult reflecting back on my youth, than I did as a child picking it up.

I would recommend this if you can get it!

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