Queer

Review: Monstera by Delilah S. Dawson

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

MonsteraMonstera by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Monstera. Monstera. Monstera.

I anticipated this book for so long that I may have inadvertently set myself up for failure. Granted a 3.5-star rating is a good rating don’t get me wrong, but I was predicting this would be 5-stars for me, so was a little sad when it didn’t quite meet those lofty expectations.

This story follows Lucy, a reclusive young woman, who at the start of the novella is moving into a lovely new apartment in downtown Savannah.

Lucy has been suffering living for years under the strong arm of her overbearing Grandfather, but after his death, Lucy finds herself in the position to start afresh.

Even though the landlord is a bit of a creeper, the apartment itself has everything she could ever want, including a beautiful green space in the back. Her downstairs neighbor, Saskia, a power-lifter with a green thumb, is also quite intriguing to doe-eyed Lucy.

The two women are drawn together, and Lucy finds herself on the verge of her very first, true adult friendship. As the women grow closer, they discover they share a lot more in common than just an apartment building.

Okay, yeah, so this was fine for me. I thought it was a little plain and predictable, if I’m being honest, but you certainly can’t fault the writing, which is wonderful. Further, if you’re just here for the Sapphic vibes, that part is great. Besides that, I didn’t feel like it had much going on.

IDK. I was underwhelmed.

There is a ton of detailed character work though, so for people who enjoy more character-driven stories, this could be a huge hit. I think it’s clear that Dawson took a lot of time and care developing these two main characters, as they were very well-fleshed out.

I think for me, I was just expecting something a bit darker and more deranged. I wanted thrills and chills, in addition to the Sapphic vibes. I just feel like I didn’t get that.

Nevertheless, this is just my opinion and just because it didn’t necessarily knock me out of the park, it could be a new favorite for you. Don’t take my word for it, pick it up for yourself and see what you think.

I would definitely recommend if you pick it to try to get the audiobook. The narration from Laura English is perfect for Lucy’s character. It really helped keep me invested in the story, when I might have not been as motivated otherwise.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Though not my favorite from this author, I’ll definitely be back for more!

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Review: The Salvage by Anbara Salam

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The Salvage: A NovelThe Salvage: A Novel by Anbara Salam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Salvage is an atmospheric Historical Horror novel set on Cairnroch, a small island off the coast of Scotland, in the Winter months of 1962-63. We follow Marta Khoury, a trailblazing marine archeologist, who arrives to the island to explore a Victorian shipwreck recently freed from Arctic ice.

The wreck holds the remains of a celebrated explorer, as well as the spoils of his final expedition. On her first dive down to the ship, Marta does find what she was expecting as far as the explorer and his treasures go, but she also sees something unexpected. A dark figure, a shadow, lurking amongst the wreckage. How is that possible?

When a record-breaking winter freeze strands Marta on Cairnroch, she ends up developing a friendship with a local woman, Elsie, who works at the island’s only hotel. We get Marta’s day-to-day as she tries to navigate life on the island, among the locals, and far from her regular life.

After artifacts from the ship begin disappearing, Marta and Elsie are forced to hunt for them before anyone, most notably, Marta’s employers, find out they’re missing. With the pressures of work, and this feeling that something darker is haunting her, Marta’s looking forward to the thaw that seems will never come.

This was really good. I think Salam did an excellent job setting the scene and developing Marta’s character. While the content ended up being much more Literary than I tend to gravitate towards, it was saved by the great atmosphere and subtle creepiness. I also did become attached to Marta and was truly interested in her circumstances.

I was definitely invested in the plot, and while the ending went a bit against my tastes, I still think Salam did a great job with the story overall. There’s something so eerie about being stranded on a remote island during an icy winter. I should know, I live on one, and it’s one of my favorite, though unsettling, yearly events.

I would recommend this to Literary, or Historical, Horror Readers. Particularly if you’re an atmosphere girlie like myself. I also found Marta’s profession as a marine archeologist to be unique and it brought a lot to the story.

Anyone interested in stories involving creepy, underwater habitats should also check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Tin House, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’d definitely be interested in reading more from Anbara Salam in the future.

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Review: Thoughts Be Bloody by Auden Patrick

~ megs14malloy

Thoughts Be BloodyThoughts Be Bloody by Auden Patrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Thoughts Be Bloody is a Queer Hamlet retelling with a lush Dark Academia atmosphere, full of magic and mischief. While greatly outside of my comfort zone, I’m not a Dark Academia girlie, the concept caught my attention, as did the title and gorgeous cover.

This novel follows Horatio Bithersea, as he navigates school, magic, complicated friendships and identity. We learn the previous year, Horatio walked in on golden boy, Carson Hamlett, cradling the dead body of his father, a professor, in the University library. The death was ruled an accident, but a lot of mystery surrounds the incident still.

When the ghost of Hamlett’s father appears to Horatio, he believes he’s been cursed. Driven to figure out what actually happened to Hamlett’s father, and the reasons for it, Horatio and Hamlett become very close. The two work together to solve the mystery and possibly get revenge for the murder.

I liked this. I really did. I was torn on how to rate it based on my personal experience. My head says it’s a 3, or a 3.5-star, but my heart says to give it less than a 4-star isn’t doing it justice. This is an ambitious novel, and though it had moments that were stronger than others IMO, overall, I do think it’s a great book.

I found the magic very interesting, how there were different types of magic, and Horatio’s was very unique. I also liked the mystery behind what happened to Hamlett’s father, and Horatio’s visions involving his ghost.

I did feel it was ofttimes confusing, however. There’s a lot to do with mind magic, and dreams, and visions, and people being trapped within their own minds, and while I think those are fascinating concepts, they’re really challenging to execute on the page in a concise and clear manner.

Particularly in the later half, as we approach the conclusion and the action picks up, it became difficult to follow. It also, just in general, did take a minute to get used to the rhythm of the narrative. It’s definitely different, but interesting.

The highlights for me were the dynamics among the characters, specifically Horatio, Hamlett and Lia, and the dark academic setting, which I feel Patrick knocked out of the park. There was just a foreboding tone throughout that I found really enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher, DAW, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this isn’t my typical read, I’m so glad to have picked it up, and to have been introduced to a new author.

I’d definitely read more from Auden Patrick!

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Review: Adam, Mine. by K. Ancrum

~ megs14malloy

Adam, Mine.Adam, Mine. by K. Ancrum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Adam, Mine. A love letter to Frankenstein. A Queer Romantic story following Victor Frankenstein, and the teen boy who would become his monster, his curse, Elias Hilfiker.

This story does incorporate many elements of the original source material, but Ancrum absolutely brings her own passion and spin to the story. I enjoyed the set-up, meeting Victor, and the events that brought him and Elias into contact, but after that it did start to lose me.

Don’t get me wrong. I liked it. The audiobook was well narrated, and I thought the story itself was good. K. Ancrum is a beautiful writer, I just think in this moment, it wasn’t the right book for me.

I wanted a bit more darkness and sinister vibes, but I should have known from the synopsis that it would lean more in the direction of seriousness and romance.

Because of the mismatch of my mood to the story, I ended up being bored by the 2nd-half in particular. It became something very one note for me. I felt no real variation in intensity, and it definitely lost my attention over time.

I have read from K. Ancrum in the past, The Wicker King, which I absolutely loved, and honestly, the tone of this is fairly similar. That’s why I’m confident that it’s a me problem, not a book problem.

I know that a lot of Readers will really enjoy this, but sadly, it just did work for me at the time that I read it. Additionally, it’s only been 4-days since I finished it, and I literally remember next to nothing. That’s never a good sign.

With this being said, please don’t let my lackluster review keep you from picking it up. If you love K. Ancrum, the story of Frankenstein, or think the synopsis sounds intriguing, you should absolutely give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Collins Children’s Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I wish I would have picked this up in a different moment, I feel like it could have been a different experience.

Nevertheless, I have to be honest, and this one sort of missed the mark for me. I’ll absolutely be picking up more from K. Ancrum in the future though, so this doesn’t phase me a bit. We can’t love them all.

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Review: Dead First by Johnny Compton

~ megs14malloy

Dead FirstDead First by Johnny Compton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dead First follows P.I., Shyla Sinclair, who at the start of this novel gets invited to the mansion of eccentric billionaire, Saxton Braith. As it turns out, Braith wants to hire Shyla, based on her reputation for taking on peculiar cases.

Shyla enters the meeting a bit suspicious. What does Braith want with her? They run in such different worlds.

Their encounter takes a startling turn when Braith’s assistant jams a metal rod through the back of his skull. He’s dead. Wait, no he’s not. He’s been resurrected.

That’s right. Braith cannot die and he doesn’t know why. This display by Braith and his assistant was done solely to convince Shyla of their claims. He wants her to dig into his life and try to figure out why he’s immortal.

Therein lies the case at the heart of this novel. I was intrigued by this set-up, and right away enjoyed the gritty Crime Fiction tone Compton was bringing to the story.

Shyla, as well, is intrigued by Braith’s claims and the opportunity to look into it. What she doesn’t like is that he basically blackmails her into taking the case, whether she wants to or not. Braith has done some digging on Shyla and knows her darkest secrets.

She can either help him, or risk losing everything?

Shyla ends up pairing up with her, I believe, ex-girlfriend, and sometimes work partner, Jihn, a psychic, for the case. Also along for the fun is Braith’s employee, Remy.

This is an intriguing supernatural mystery, and as mentioned above, I did really like the overall tone of the story. However, I think where it lost me was including so much backstory for Shyla. I get in a way why her past is included, the events obviously shaped her as a character, but those sections slowed the pace way down for me.

Because of my mixed interest in the various plot angles, the pace went from high to low, and with it, my enjoyment level did as well. Up, down and all around.

Even though I’ve rated this as a mid-story, I still can appreciate the quality of Compton’s writing and his creativity. I do love the rhythm of his sentences, and his descriptions of the horror bits, when they pop up.

I think if this had just been a little more singularly-focused on the mystery of Braith and his past, I would have enjoyed it more. For me, it felt like it was trying to do too much with the characters and it ended up detracting from the main plot.

With this being said, this is completely a personal taste assessment. You could read this one and it could knock you out of the park, so don’t just take my word for it. If it sounds interesting to you, give it a go. It’s worth it.

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

I’m still waiting for Compton to match The Spite House. Though this didn’t, I’m still glad I picked it up, and look forward to whatever he releases next. We’re on a journey.

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Review: Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay by Lex Croucher

~ megs14malloy

Bridget & Gabe Are Not OkayBridget & Gabe Are Not Okay by Lex Croucher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bridget & Gabe Are Not Okay is the 2nd-book in Lex Croucher’s The Camelot Disasters series. This is a Queer Medieval YA Rom-Com series that is a reimagining full of Arthurian lore.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never read any of the original source materials that make up the backbone of these characters and lore. I have only ever partaken in adaptations and retellings, but I have read and watched a lot of those.

For me what sets Croucher’s versions apart is the humor and the beautifully-developed characters. This group of characters are just so lovable, but also relatable, and their interactions together are top shelf. I love them.

Whereas the 1st-book focused on Gwen and Arthur, and the peculiarities of their relationship, this 2nd-installment focuses on Gwen’s crush, the lady knight, Bridget Leclair, as well as the newly-crowned King Gabriel (Gabe).

Bridget was actually my favorite character from the 1st-book, due to the descriptions and personality that reminded me so much of Brienne of Tarth.

In this book, we find Bridget has lost their spark, and Gabe too has been struggling since the battles of the first book, having lost his father and his arm.

Don’t let this fool you though, there’s still plenty of humor and heart-warming interactions to enjoy. I also really enjoy following along with characters as they work through personal struggles. I appreciate how Croucher allows the characters to communicate openly and honestly as well.

Arriving at the end, I realized I didn’t want it to stop. The concluding bits had some fun little inclusions that I’d love to see expanded, particularly in regards to a wizened old man they came upon. I’m really hoping we get at least one more book in this series. I’m not sure what the actual plans are, but I’d happily pick up another installment.

I’d also highly recommend the audiobook if you have that available to you. The narration by Kishore Walker and Theodora Taylor somehow feels very time period appropriate. I’m not sure what it is, the accents, or just the delivery, but it truly transports you into the story.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me withcopies to read and review. This series introduced me to Lex Croucher and I’m super grateful for that!

I look forward to more.

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Review: The Flayed Man by Chloe Lauter

~ megs14malloy

The Flayed Man: A NovelThe Flayed Man: A Novel by Chloe Lauter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Flayed Man features a complex Mother-Daughter relationship, and is set against the stark landscape of the Mojave Desert in Nevada.

Ellis, our protagonist, works in triage in the ER at nights and she’s also a full-time caregiver for her Mom, whose health is spiraling. But the reasons behind her Mom’s health decline are not the typical ones you would expect.

Sure, it’s partially early onset dementia, but the root cause of it is what Ellis considers their family curse. They must feed daily on blood, or risk very heinous repercussions.

When Ellis’s Uncle, who is normally their main source for their blood supply disappears, Ellis has to quickly find a new source before her Mom’s condition gets worse.

She pairs up with a snarky paramedic, who she finds intriguing for all sorts of reasons, and they set out across the desert in search of blood. While on this dark and terrible adventure, Ellis discovers that the legend of the Flayed Man, that her Mom always told her, may in fact be true.

Ellis is now trying to navigate a new relationship, while not giving away all their family secrets, and revealing her true nature to her crush.

When blood hunger starts to overtake her, it becomes a battle to hold onto her humanity. Will she be successful in her endeavors, or will the deep dark finally overtake her?

I really liked this. The writing was great and I found myself completely invested in the story. It really creeped up on me. This isn’t your typical Vampire story, and I appreciated the emotional depth Lauter brought to it.

It’s such a beautiful examination of Ellis’s relationship with her Mom, but also an exploration of herself and what she ultimately wants in her life. For anyone with aging parents, what’s happening with her Mom may hit especially hard.

This is a Horror novel reminiscent of Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones. It reminded me a lot of that book, as far as the tone and the family elements went; the exploration of duty to family, and self-discovery.

I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a gruesome yet deeply thought-provoking read. This is gory, don’t let the cover fool you. There’s a lot of Body Horror and I felt like it was very well-executed.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audiobook is very well done. I’m looking forward to more from this author!

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Review: The Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev A.C. Rosen

~ megs14malloy

The Disaster Gay Detective AgencyThe Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev A.C. Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Disaster Gay Detective Agency is a, I believe, standalone Contemporary Mystery story following a diverse group of characters living in New York City.

Our core characters are a friend group, more of a found family really, comprised of Brandon, Nicole, Ian and Ollie, all 20-somethings just trying to survive in the city and navigate young adulthood.

The story begins when Brandon, a hopeless romantic, ends up having a intimate encounter with a very attractive man staying at the hotel at which he works.

The man, who tells him that his name is Jon, seems like everything Brandon has ever wanted. He can’t believe his luck, that a chance encounter could lead to love.

Jon promises to text, but to Brandon’s horror, he ends up checking out early and never reaching out as Brandon expected. What’s more confusing though is that he’s seemingly left his bag of belongings behind, as well as his cell phone.

Brandon takes the phone, thinking it’ll be the perfect excuse to track him down, to find out what really happened. Brandon’s sure that Jon felt that spark too, and he’s not willing to just be ghosted like that. He can’t just let it be.

He does eventually spot Jon again, but it’s anything but the reunion he hoped for. In fact, he ends up witnessing a murder and spies Jon fleeing the scene.

His friends, now fully invested in whatever the heck this is, decide to help Brandon solve the murder and get answers on Jon’s true identity. But are they going to be able to do that without attracting the killer’s attention? Collectively, they don’t exactly fly under the radar.

I really enjoyed my time with this novel. I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant going in, as early reviews weren’t great, and though it’s not perfect, I thought it was funny and engaging. I liked the characters and their found family group. Honestly, I’m hoping we get another book with their group in the future.

I think perhaps it isn’t as much of a Murder Mystery as people were expecting. It’s more like a gay-version of Dial A for Aunties. It’s all about the characters, their relationships and the hi-jinks that ensue after they’re adjacent to a murder, than it is about the mystery itself.

I think if you go in with that in mind, that it’s a Contemporary, very much character-driven, story with a touch of murder, you could really enjoy it like I did.

The main group of characters, their interactions with each other felt very believable, IMO. It’s sort of a messy group, but they all have different strengths that they’re bringing to the table and they’re able to support the others weaknesses because of that.

They’re stronger together, y’all.

The mystery does get completely wild and over the top, but I appreciated how it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The truth about who Jon is, and the situation revolving around the murder, it’s straight out of an action movie, and our main characters seemed so out of place in that plot.

But honestly, that was half the fun. For example, part of their investigative strategy is to host a Game Night, where they can question parties of interest on such topics as guns, drugs and international black market dealings, all under the guise of a trivia game.

I would recommend this for anyone looking for a humorous, diverse Queer story, with a light mystery and very strong found family elements.

Lev A.C. Rosen does found families so well. I’ve read his entire Evander Mills series, which I absolutely adore and highly recommend for anyone looking for Queer Historical Mysteries, and that was one of my favorite elements of that series. The found family.

Rosen also brings just the right amount of humor to his stories for my tastes, while also highlighting some important real world issues. I like the mix. Even with difficult issues explored though, I still find his stories heartwarming and full of hope.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As mentioned above, I’d love to see these characters in another novel.

Keeping my fingers crossed for that!

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Review: You Won’t Forget Me by Mazey Eddings

~ megs14malloy

You Won't Forget Me: A NovelYou Won’t Forget Me: A Novel by Mazey Eddings
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

You Won’t Forget Me follows Cubby Clark and her band as they start to breakout on the world stage.

Part of the buzz around the band, and Cubby in particular, is driven by the success of their ex-bandmate, Connor, who has recently began his own solo career.

Cubby and Connor were in a relationship for years, and after they broke up and he left to do his own thing, he sort of threw her under the bus, using their private moments for lyric inspiration and worse.

The things he’s said haven’t painted Cubby in the best light, and she finds all of the scrutiny and speculation super embarrassing. Nevertheless, he’s getting attention from it, and seemingly to Connor, that’s all that matters.

Cubby and the rest of the band try their best to just ignore Connor and do their own thing. They have a unique sound and they eventually are able to gain some traction.

We follow the band after they get the opportunity to travel to the U.S. to perform on a Summer Tour. In the midst of that, Cubby and BFF, Darcy’s relationship starts to heat up. The close proximity and emotions of the road have left them both with unavoidable feelings.

Will they be able to overcome the obstacles in their way, or would walking away be the easier path?

Y’all, I’m bummed out that this only ended up being a 2-star read for me. I really like Mazey Eddings, and reading the Author’s Note, you can tell that this was a personal and challenging story for Eddings to write. I have to be honest though, and I really didn’t enjoy it.

I was bored, annoyed, and I just wanted it to be over. The only part that worked for me was the bands Tour. Even then though, some of the interactions amongst them felt cringey.

I’ve enjoyed many of Eddings books in the past, but this one just didn’t work for my tastes. I was looking for fun banter and swoony romance, and that’s not what I got, unfortunately. IMO, there’s nothing cute or fun about this, as the cover would suggest.

Additionally, to me the romance between Cubby and Darcy felt forced and desperate. I feel like both girls need to do a lot of work on themselves before they can possibly be in a healthy relationship.

With all of this being said, this is just my opinion and as far as the content goes, breaks down to personal taste. If you think it sounds interesting, absolutely give it a go. It could end up working for you.

Even though this one didn’t work out for me, I still plan to pick up whatever Eddings releases next. I’ve read four of her other novels and really enjoyed them all, so I’m guessing this is just a one off for me.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. The audiobook was well narrated, and if you’re going to pick it up, I would recommend that format.

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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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