Queer

Review: Dead First by Johnny Compton

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

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 ~ Leave a comment

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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Review: Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran

~ megs14malloy

Spoiled MilkSpoiled Milk by Avery Curran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Spoiled Milk is a engaging Gothic Horror novel set in 1928 at the Briarley School for Girls. Our MC is Emily, and we follow her and a group of her friends after one of them, Violet, plunges to her death following her birthday celebration.

Emily and her rival, Evelyn, are in agreement that Violet’s death was no accident. They believe she was pushed purposefully and they have a particular suspect in mind.

They believe the French Schoolmistress, to whom Violet had recently become quite attached, is the one to blame, but how can they prove it?

Violet was the sun in Emily’s sky, she would do anything for her, living or dead. No matter what it takes, she’s going to prove Emily was done dirty. Let the investigation begin.

This isn’t your standard murder mystery, however, as the ladies turn to more unconventional methods to get the answers they seek. They turn to spiritualism, and even invoke the help of local medium to assist them.

To their great surprise, they’re actually able to summon Violet’s spirit, who chooses Evelyn as her host to convey her important message: the danger has just begun.

An evil presence is infecting Briarley and its grounds. It starts with simple things like rotten apples and spoiled milk, but soon escalates to much more dangerous levels.

As the body count rises, and students begin to get plucked from the school by worried parents, Emily, Evelyn, and their friends, must double-down their efforts if they wish to defeat that which haunts them.

I was so pleasantly surprised by Spoiled Milk. I loved all the occult elements and the overall tone of this private school story. Even though I have a hard copy, I ended up listening to the audiobook and highly recommend that format.

The narration by Charlotte Ryder fit the story perfectly. Her accent and delivery sold me on Emily’s character and made the story feel believable and realistic.

I always tend to love private school stories, and this had just the right amount of school elements to help build out that backdrop. The young women we follow are on the cusp of adulthood, and this does focus a bit on that as they explore things like identity and sexuality.

It definitely went deeper into the occult and supernatural than I was expecting and I loved it all within the historical context. I’m hoping Avery Curran stays in this lane. I’d love more stories like this.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys lush, historically-set Horror novels, or stories with seances and the like. Additionally, those seeking Sapphic representation could enjoy this as well. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

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Review: Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen

~ megs14malloy

Bone of My BoneBone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️

Bone of My Bone is a historically-set Religious Horror novel set during the time of the Thirty Years’ War. It’s Sapphic, contains a lot of gore, and also some really interesting elements stemming from Germanic Folklore.

We follow Ursula, a nun, and a peasant girl named Elsebeth. Both women are fleeing from marauding soldiers. Ursula has fled her convent, and Elsebeth, after the loss of her entire family, is trying to make her way to her Aunt’s home.

They meet on the road after Elsebeth jumps in to protect Ursula from an attacking soldier. Once they’re safe, the women have a chat, and decide it would be safer for them both if they travel together. Safety in numbers, and all that.

Keeping to the woods in the hopes they won’t be spotted by any more soldiers, they happen upon a dying man. He’s clutching a glass box, within which lies the gilded skull of a Saint. Ursula immediately recognizes it for what it is, and also knows that it’s said that if you reunite the Saint’s skull with it’s body, you’ll be granted a wish.

In these horrific times, both women have a lot to wish for. They discuss it a bit, and decide they have nothing to lose. It’s worth a shot. Thus, they scoop up the reliquary and begin their quest.

There’s a map to where the Saint’s body is said to be, but there’s certainly a lot of ground to cover. Unfortunately, the dangers on the road are plentiful, and it’s not just the soldiers they need to fear. There’s also a Necromancer, drawn to the power of the skull, who is hot on their heels.

Will they be able to survive the dangers of the road, dodge the Necromancer and be able to reunite the Saint’s skull with her body? There’s only one way to find out.

Johanna van Veen has done it again!

This is such an excellent blend of Historical, Religious and Folk Horror. The setting is rich with detail, gritty and brutal. There’s dirt, grime, gore, blood, and everything in between.

Ursula and Elsebeth were both well-developed and I found their quest to be gripping. Gore is mentioned-above, and I loved how gory it was, but I also appreciated the softer character moments than van Veen included.

I was a bit intimidated by this going in, but instantly found it so accessible. I had concerns it would be challenging, I think because I found the synopsis a little confusing. Nevertheless, I had nothing to be concerned about.

Having the quest gave the story great focus, and also allowed Ursula and Elsebeth to bond more quickly due to their reliance upon one another for safety.

I’ve heard some people mention it’s too heavily-focused on religion, and understand people having those opinions, but I feel like it makes sense due to the historical context of the story, and Ursula’s role within the church as a nun.

The Thirty Years’ War is such a horrible period of history, and it’s not one I’ve read a lot about in a fictional way. I liked that van Veen chose that time period. It’s certainly made me more curious about that war and to imagine what life was like during that time is truly horrifying.

This is only the 2nd-novel I’ve read from van Veen, but she’s quickly jumped the ranks of my go-to authors list. I still need to read My Darling Dreadful Thing. I have a feeling I’m going to love that one just as much.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to get a hard copy of this for my shelves!!

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Review: Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews

~ megs14malloy

HazelthornHazelthorn by C.G. Drews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Hazelthorn is a YA Gothic Horror story from C.G. Drews. I read from Drews for the first time last year when I read their popular novel, Don’t Let the Forest In.

I was immediately impressed by the style of their prose, the relationships developed within the story and the vivid imagery evoked. I’m happy to report, all of these top-shelf qualities are again on display within the pages of Hazelthorn.

This story follows Evander, who has lived like a ghost within the walls of Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in as a small child by Byron Lennox-Hall, the reclusive billionaire owner of the estate.

Evander has very specific rules that he is made to abide by, such as he can never leave the estate, he isn’t to go into the gardens, and he shouldn’t ever be left alone with Laurie, Byron’s mischievous grandson.

The last rule was actually established for good reason, when 7-years ago, Laurie tried to kill Evander, a situation which he barely survived. In spite of this though, Evander does have a bit of an unhealthy attraction to Laurie. Honestly, he’s hard to resist.

When Byron unexpectedly dies, and it’s announced the entire estate is being left to Evander, he suddenly has threats coming from all sides. As you can imagine, other family members aren’t exactly pleased with this turn of events.

Despite his sudden windfall, Evander’s not happy. He’s suspicious about the way the way Byron died. He believes he was killed, but why? And how can he prove it?

Suddenly, Laurie becomes Evander’s best ally for getting to the bottom of what really happened to Byron, and figuring out the true that lies at the heart of Hazelthorn.

This was great. It’s dark and engaging and I was intrigued by Hazelthorn and everything going on there. Actually the more I think about it, perhaps I underrated this one a bit. It’s probably closer to a full 4-star rating for me.

I just think in comparison to Don’t Let the Forest In, I didn’t find this one as easy to track, and I also didn’t feel as emotionally invested, although there was still so much to love about this story.

In some ways, this story did remind me of a few other things I’ve read before, for example, These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall. What did stand out was the level of botanical horror that Drews included. That I really, really enjoyed.

This did have some interesting twists and some dangerous family drama, which I also thought was a lot of fun. I actually wouldn’t mind reading this again someday, maybe getting a hard copy and annotating could help bring more of the nuances of the story to the forefront for me.

At the end of the day, this is another fantastic story from Drews, delivering on their signature writing style and lush, gothic atmosphere.

Thank you to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. C.G. Drews is such a talent, and I cannot wait to continue to follow their career. I know we’re going to have a long and beautiful friendship!

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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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