Social Horror

Review: American Rapture by C.J. Leede

~ megs14malloy

American RaptureAmerican Rapture by C.J. Leede
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

Oofhhh. American Rapture hit me like a punch to the gut. The Author’s Note made me cry legitimate grown-lady tears.

This is such a well-executed Apocalypse story; completely successful, IMO, with the topics Leede chose to explore. This is going to stick in my mind for a very long time.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, shall we? Maeve Fly. When I read Maeve Fly last year, I found it to be shocking, yes, but also smart and visceral.

That story was presented in a biting stream of consciousness narrative style from the perspective of the MC. That type of narrative choice isn’t my favorite and I often find myself struggling to determine what exactly the author is hoping for me to get out of it.

American Rapture is nothing like Maeve Fly.

I mean, I guess I shouldn’t say that, because in some ways it is. It’s also smart and visceral, as well as certainly memorable, but the tone throughout, and the way the story is presented, is vastly different.

This is a truly realistic Apocalypse story. We follow a teen girl named, Sophie, who was raised in an extremely zealous Catholic household.

Sophie has been very sheltered from the world, and as you get to know her, she feels emotionally stunted; certainly more naive than she should be at her age.

We discover that she has a twin brother, Noah, who has been removed from the household and sent away for unknown reasons. On the brink of the societal collapse, Sophie sets out to try to find him. On her own for the first time, Sophie is quickly schooled in the ways of the world.

The synopsis alludes to sexual elements and sex, as well as sexuality, are def amongst the topics explored here.

The virus in question has many symptoms, but one of the most shocking is that infected individuals act out in sexual ways, often attacking in violent, lust-filled rages. Sophie is witness to these on more than a few occasions.

For Sophie, having been completely sexually repressed, this is beyond incomprehensible. She was on the verge of her own sexual awakening when this all started, which further complicates her confusion, guilt and shame.

In a lot of ways, Sophie made me think of Carrie White. This is what would have happened if an Apocalypse had hit just prior to Carrie going to the prom.

I did love going on this journey with Sophie though. I had such empathy for her. I wished I could have been there to help guide her and reassure her through many of her most difficult moments; clearly, her parents were useless.

I will be honest, I did skip Chapter 44. I had been warned ahead of time of some content contained therein, that because of circumstances going on in my life, I wouldn’t have handled well at the moment.

Even skipping that chapter though, I still feel like I easily understood everything that was happening in the story directly thereafter.

I did listen to the audiobook and loved the narration by Moniqua Plante. They did a great job bringing Sophie to life. I felt like I was listening to her recount these events first hand. It drew me in and held me.

I do feel like even though disaster struck numerous times over the course of this story, the world was literally falling apart, it nevertheless left me with a sense of hope and light.

An understanding that no matter what you are going through, no matter what your losses, as long as you are breathing, you can push through. You can come out the other side, maybe not the same, not undamaged, but alive and with the chance to be happy again.

If you pick this up, and I recommend you do, please be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end. I appreciate the novel even more after learning a bit about Leede’s own journey and the struggles that she had recently been going through.

I feel she put a lot of heart into this story. It’s thoughtful, impactful and gripping throughout. I was really impressed, and more importantly, moved by it.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

It’s clear that C.J. Leede is an incredible talent with a lot of versatility in her writing. I cannot wait for more!!!

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Review: No Road Home by John Fram

~ megs14malloy

No Road HomeNo Road Home by John Fram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙

In No Road Home we meet Toby Tucker, who along with his young son, Luca, is traveling to Texas to meet his new wife, Alyssa’s, family for the first time.

The Wright family is well known. Alyssa’s Grandfather is a famous televangelist whose powerful Old Testament sermons have made the family millions. Toby has no idea what to expect from the visit, but he is concerned that his Queer son Luca may become a target for their religious zeal.

The family compound is lavish, and packed full of questionable characters. Even Alyssa begins acting shady once they are at the property. What’s she all about?

The more Toby interacts with the Wrights, the more unsettleded he becomes. Something is off here. Luca is seeing things and saying things that cause Toby further concern; like the man in the suit lurking in the shadows that only Luca can see. That’s abnormal, right?

After inclement weather strands the family at the property, essentially cutting them off from the outside world, the elder Wright is found murdered on the roof. Who would dare to take him out, and why?

Suspicions immediately fall on Toby, but he knows he had nothing to do with it, so who did?

He needs to figure it out before the authorities arrive, or he could be the one to take the fall. It’s a race against the clock as Toby tries to unravel the truth of the Wright family.

With his mind focused on protecting Luca, Toby knows there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to save his son from the vicious den of vipers they find themselves in.

No Road Home is the first novel I’ve read from John Fram, an author I have heard great things about.

This story successfully sucked me in and even though it took me a minute to get used to the writing style, it took me no time at all to be hella intrigued with everything happening.

There was a period of time in the later half where I felt things started to get a little muddled, there were a lot of Wrights to keep track of, but Fram definitely pulled it off in the end.

I really enjoyed Toby as a main character. I feel like I haven’t read too many stories following single-fathers and I feel like it’s a unique and compelling perspective to get.

Toby’s own family history, and his relationship with Luca, were quite nuanced and I loved how Fram revealed the truth of all that over the course of the story. It wasn’t as I initially expected, and I feel like it will be memorable for me.

I also just really appreciated the overall tone Fram set within this story. The setting of the Wright family compound was well done. It felt sinister and eerie, even if you didn’t quite understand why.

It’s a bit of a slow burn, but the intensity and stakes do steadily climb throughout. By the end, I was completely immersed. It was definitely a story I needed the conclusion too ASAP, which is why I read it in a day.

I would recommend this to fans of Social Horror, or novels such as Mister Magic. It’s thoughtful, sinister and cerebral; very well developed by Fram.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: A Better World by Sarah Langan

~ megs14malloy

A Better WorldA Better World by Sarah Langan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Better World brings the Reader another unsettling near-future as imagined by Sarah Langan!!

I really enjoyed Good Neighbors by Langan, so was looking forward to checking this one out. It’s absolutely as wild and wicked as that previous novel, but this one went even darker, IMO, which I adore.

This story follows the Farmer-Bowens family, a married couple, Linda and Russell, as well as their teen twins, Hip and Josie, as they are given the opportunity to join the company town of Plymouth Valley.

In this dystopian near-future a safe haven like Plymouth Valley is an unbelievable windfall for any family.

After touring the community, they realize they can’t turn it down. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Russell, a genius with numbers, is offered a job with the company and that will be their foot in the door.

Linda will have to give up her medical career, but truth be told, it’s not exactly keeping them safe anyway. The family agrees that they’re going to go for it. They’re moving to Plymouth Valley.

Once they’re there, things are…a little too perfect. You know what I mean? It’s so perfect, it’s unsettling.

Hip and Russell seem to adjust okay. Linda and Josie not so much. Maybe it’s slightly easier for the men for some reason. Is that possible?

Mainly through Linda’s perspective, we learn the truth about this seemingly-bucolic company town and watch this one family try to survive it.

It was hard to predict going in what exactly Langan was going to deliver with this one, but after reading it, it makes perfect sense. No one does unsettling perfection better than Sarah Langan.

This is The Stepford Wives on steroids. This story is nuts. The vibes are so creepy. It’s one of those fantastically-told stories, where from the start you’re creeped out, but you can’t really put your finger on why.

It’s like, you’re scared, but nothing overtly scary is happening. And reading it, it’s like peeling back the layers of an onion, everything is slowly revealed but with perfect pacing, providing optimal impact for just exactly how messed up this situation is.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a deep dive into a dark dystopian future. This provides a lot of commentary on wealth, privilege and the power of corporations, for you to sink your teeth into.

It feels a little long, as in, Langan really built out this story, but if you have the patience and just settle in for the ride, it’s so well done. I definitely believe it successfully captured the vibes the author was hoping for!

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

I’m sorry it took me so long to get to this one, because I’ve been missing out. I cannot wait to see what Langan is going to deliver next!!!

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Review: The Violence by Delilah S. Dawson

~ megs14malloy

The ViolenceThe Violence by Delilah S. Dawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Violence is a unique and compelling plague story. Dawson succeeded at so many things with this. One of the standout features for me was how attached I became to the three women we are following.

I loved the journey I went on when them, but also appreciated the themes explored. Their lives were really a reflection of our society; one that can be difficult to look at. It’s hard-hitting, and IMO, very impactful.

The world-wide plague in this story causes random acts of extreme violence. There seems to be no logic to it. It can happen at any time and to anyone.

The measures put in place to protect citizens mimic those of the COVID pandemic, but unlike other stories touching upon that horrendous time, this one didn’t annoy me, or make me want to put it down and never look back.

Dawson captured the stress and uncertainty of that time without getting repetitive or preachy. She wasn’t just repackaging that whole episode for us, she was creating something new here, and I was loving it.

This story unfolds for the Reader from the POV’s of three different women: Chelsea, her Mom, Patricia, and Chelsea’s daughter, Ella.

I love how Dawson chose three women from the same family. Literally, three generations of women battling violence, but maybe not the violence you’re expecting.

I would recommend anyone picking up this story pay attention to the Author’s Note at the beginning, as that will give you an idea as to what you are about to get into.

I really, really, really enjoyed this. It definitely exceeded my expectations as far as the quality and creativity of the overall themes explored. I became so attached to the women we were following. I felt like I was right there with them.

Additionally, there’s a pro-wrestling aspect to this which surprised me and that I found so fun. I’m not sure if Dawson is an actual wrestling fan or not, but it certainly felt like it.

My rating is only down a half star because ((content warning)) (view spoiler)

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Review: What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris

~ megs14malloy

What You Leave BehindWhat You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

I am a huge Wanda M. Morris fan. I have no problem believing we would be friends IRL, because obviously we have similar tastes and likes.

I put off reading What You Leave Behind longer than I should have. The overall rating surprised me; less than a 4-star? Having read this now, I have no idea why. This novel deserves so much more hype and love.

Admittedly, this contains some of my favorite tropes and I’m a sucker for a compulsive Legal Thriller, but still, I think this could be enjoyed by so many Readers.

The set-up for this is one of my faves; an MC returning to their hometown after quite some time away, trying to figure out a mystery, or solve a cold case.

Our MC in this story is Deena Woods. Deena is an attorney, who has recently returned to her family home in Brunswick, Georgia, after a horrible divorce. She is now living with her Dad, Jimmy, and Step-Mom, Ruth.

We learn so much about Deena, and I loved getting to know her. Her Mom didn’t pass all that long ago, so she is still wracked with grief. Additionally, it didn’t take long for her Dad and Ruth to get together, so there’s a little resentment there, of this new woman living in her Mom’s house.

Nevertheless, they get along and you can tell there’s a lot of love in the house. For her part, Deena is trying to work through all her feelings, but it isn’t easy.

One of the things she sometimes does when she’s feeling overwhelmed, is goes for long drives. She looks for quiet places she can sit and be with her thoughts.

It’s on one of these occasions, on a beautiful waterfront parcel, that she has a run-in with the property owner that will fundamentally change her life.

He mistakenly identifies Deena as an agent of the company that has been trying to buy the property from him. The thing is, his family has owned that property since just after the Civil War and he has zero interest in selling.

He’s sick of them hounding him and let’s Deena know, in no uncertain terms, that he will never, ever sell that land. Even though Deena tries to explain herself, he’s not hearing it and she gets out of there as fast as she can.

The interaction leaves a lasting impression. She can’t stop thinking about the man and the things he said. When she asks her Dad and Ruth about the man and the property, they’re shady, like they know more than they’re letting on.

Shortly thereafter, when Deena returns to the property, the man is no where to be found, even his trailer is gone and there’s a For Sale sign on the property. What the heck? Something isn’t right.

It’s at that point, Deena knows if she doesn’t start looking into this, no one will. She’s determined to find out what happened to the man and what this organization, scooping up all these properties, really is.

I was drawn into the mystery of this from the start. The way Deena’s Dad and Step-Mom acted, I didn’t blame her for digging further in. It’s a very small town, one they’ve both lived in their whole life, they definitely knew something.

I loved how determined Deena was and how she wasn’t afraid to stick her neck out for others. She was doing the right thing and she knew it.

This was full of danger, intrigue, beautifully-developed characters, small town drama, as well as real life issues that are rarely discussed, or that people don’t even realize are a problem until it happens to them or their families.

The incorporation of the very real problem of Heirs’ Property, I thought was so well done here. As someone interested in both the law and real estate, I’ll admit, it did work particularly well for me.

However, this is a very real and very serious issue, so hopefully people who read this will be interested enough to learn more about it.

I also liked the idea of this shadow organization coming in scooping up valuable properties from vulnerable individuals. Think BlackRock, which is another very serious issue that doesn’t get enough recognition as to its threat in many markets throughout the U.S.

More than the issues though, I just really enjoyed how Morris told this story. I loved the character work, and even the incorporation of some slight paranormal elements.

There’s a lot of exploration of family legacy, love, forgiveness and grief. It’s a story about taking action and pushing through hardships. It’s a story of fresh starts and honoring those who came before you. It’s action-packed, full of intrigue and heart. It’s definitely my kind of story.

Overall, I thought this was brilliant. I was a Morris fan coming in, and I’m an even bigger Morris fan going out. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a fantastic read; highly recommend!

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Review: The Store by Bentley Little

~ megs14malloy

The StoreThe Store by Bentley Little
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️

Social Horror is one of my favorite subgenres of Horror.

For me, it’s a safe way to explore and consider a lot of pressing issues plaguing society. It feels safer than being out in the real world anyway.

Clever authors are able to create stories that reflect society back to us, making the issues maybe more in your face than a quieter, more literary-style narrative would.

The issues are exaggerated, but not to an extent that lessens their significance, it’s done more in a way that says, how ridiculous is this that this happens?

I feel like in the past few years, Social Horror has had a real heyday. Rightly, as there’s a lot of oppressive societal issues that deserve this spotlight and attention.

The Store, published in 1996, explores a major topic that was of very serious concern at that time, which was the expansion of certain retailers in small town markets.

Reading this I was transported back in time. I graduated high school in 1996, and the circumstance set-up brilliantly in this story by Little, actually happened in my hometown of Oxford, Maine.

If you grew up in small town America, and are around the same age as me, let’s just say Gen X, you may find this book as horrifyingly relatable as I did, and I would definitely recommend it. Who doesn’t love a terrifying trip down memory lane?

Before Wal-Mart came to town, our area was populated with family-run businesses. You know the kind where you know the owners and their kids go to school with you.

After the Wal-Mart announcement, like why are they coming to some random town in the mountains of Maine, now we all know, but at that time, it was a puzzler, I remember the adults in my life were not happy.

They tried to put up a fight, as did many others, but all to no avail. A piece of real estate was purchased, previously home to nothing but trees and wildlife, this was stripped and the largest building, by far, in our area was erected.

Within a few years, when I would go home to visit, after leaving for college, most small businesses had closed. Now when I go back to the area, it’s hardly recognizable as the place I once knew and called home. You would be very hard pressed to find a family-run business now.

Bentley Little beautifully captured this unique period of time in such a brilliant way. I feel like, after scanning some other reviews, this story would be most appreciated by those of us who may have shared in this type of experience.

I think for those who watched this scenario play out, it’s very easy to get into the mindset of these characters and to understand their motivations and the types of pressures they were experiencing.

I love how Little told this story as well. You get snippets from numerous characters that help to build out the town and the events occuring with the coming of The Store.

For many Readers, you can think of it as a sort of Stephen King style, ala Salem’s Lot or Needful Things, where you get a piece here and there from characters all over town to create a sense of place and building drama. I love that style, as it really allows you to dig into what makes these places tick.

Our main focus however is Bill, his wife, Ginny, and their two teenage daughters, Samantha and Shannon. Their involvement with The Store provided me with all I needed to keep me absolutely glued to the pages.

This is a truly unsettling story. I loved the Horror elements, the uncomfortability I felt while reading it, it was no joke. Little definitely didn’t hold back on the horrors of The Store.

Overall, I was really impressed with this. I’ve heard so much about Bentley Little, and even own a few of his books, but this is the first one I have picked up. I am definitely interested in getting to more from this author.

If they are anything like this one, I’m in for a good time!

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Review: Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner

~ megs14malloy

Old WoundsOld Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was really strong. I enjoyed the set-up, character work and action. I liked how the Social Horror elements were more frightful than the Monster bits…

Old Wounds is an intense and engaging YA Horror story featuring two Trans-MCs, who while on a road trip across country, end up getting stuck in a small town where they must fight for their survival.

Max and Erin are estranged friends who used to date. Max wants to go to California and ends up convincing Erin to go with him. Erin is a little confused by this, considering Max broke up with her abruptly 2-years ago.

We follow the kids from the start of the trip through to the bitter end. It was a little awkward at first. They both have a lot of thoughts swirling through their heads, but are getting comfortable communicating with one another again.

I was hooked into this from the start. I felt like the character work, from the first moments, was so well executed.

I loved getting to know both Max and Erin. They’re very different, but have a lot of history and are connected by many experiences.

As I learned their reasoning for making the trip to California, it made me sad, but I could definitely appreciate their reasoning. I think for Erin, she was more concerned for Max than herself. I liked that dedication to a friend.

It doesn’t take long before they get to the small town where they get stuck. This is where the main action will play out. I loved the Horror vibes of that. The creepy small town feel, it was like you could feel the walls closing in on them.

That’s one of my favorite Horror tropes; protagonists ending up in strange town where the locals aren’t behaving normally. You just know that some scary stuff is about to go down. That the MCs are in serious danger.

Kisner nailed that set-up. It was very cinematic.

The kids meet a few locals, after having some car troubles, and they’re told a legend about the town involving a monster. To me, it sounded like a story of sacrifice, but Erin and Max didn’t see it that way. At least not initially.

You follow Max and Erin as things get weirder and weirder, and as their circumstances get increasingly more dangerous.

This is all you need to know about the plot. It gets wild and crazy. It had me glued to the pages. There’s a ton of social commentary and I need to doff my cap to the author for the way it was all presented.

The social elements were seamless with the rest of the narrative. Everything flowed smoothly after the incredible character development and plot set-up. It was easy, as the Reader, to interpret what I believe the author was trying to get across, without it feeling forced.

I’m NGL, this is a heavy read and I would recommend being sure that you are in the right headspace when you read it.

Overall though, I think it was beautifully done. I could have done with a little more towards the end, but that could’ve been because I was attached Erin and Max by that point.

I was impressed by this. I went in with zero expectations and Logan-Ashley Kisner has captured my attention. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really hope this book gets the attention it deserves. Well done!

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Stephen King Publication Project: Re-Reading Carrie

~ megs14malloy

CarrieCarrie by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5-MODERN CLASSIC STARS YET AGAIN!!!

Recently, I’ve started this thing. It’s not unique to me. Many people have attempted it, some have even succeeded, but I’m currently reading all of King’s books in publication order.

I’ve already read 52-books of King’s extensive list of works, many multiple times, but I’ve never read them in order. I think this will be a fun way to experience the trajectory of his career, as well as his different eras, if you will.

I’m also annotating this time through and recording my final thoughts in a King-designated Book Journal, courtesy of Clever Fox planners. I’m so stoked for this journey, you have no idea.

With this being said, I don’t plan on really updating any of my thoughts on this one. Please see my previous review below for full thoughts. I’m pretty proud of this one, and feel very much the same this time through, as far as the execution of this novel, its importance and my love for it.

I did notice a couple of fun little Easter Egg type things this time around though that I’ll mention real quick. King gave Carrie his birthday, although he would have been turning 16 on the day she was born. Also, her English teacher that she turned a noted poem into was named Mr. Edwin King, and Stephen’s middle name is Edwin — that was fun.

Also, I believe I found some foreshadowing to Christine, Firestarter, and if you think about it, maybe even The Institute.

Oh, and did anyone else notice that in one of the news reports of what happened in Chamberlain on that fateful night, the first casualty was reported to be a firefighter, his first name escapes me now, but middle initial, B, last name, Mears? I found that fun, since King’s protagonist in his 2nd-novel, a little known work called ‘Salem’s Lot, is Ben Mears.

Final thought, Margaret White is one of the most heinous villains King has ever created. Every scene with her makes me want to knock her head off a wall.

That’s talent.

Previously:

Carrie, Stephen King’s first published full-length novel was released in 1974 and at this point, I think it’s fair to say it’s a modern classic. This novel has been adapted to film four times, the most well-known being the original 1976-release starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie.

Incidentally, I did decide to listen to the audiobook for this reread, as I had only read the print copy before, and the audio was narrated by Spacek.

It was fantastic and I highly recommend that audio-version. Spacek clearly has an intimate connection with this story and with Carrie in particular. I felt like it made the audio experience extra special.

Assuming most people at least have a general idea of what this story is about, I will keep this short and simple. This story, through the incredible use of mixed media, tells the story of Carrie White, a bullied teen who lives in the small town of Chamberlain, Maine.

At the beginning, there’s an infamous scene taking place in the girls locker room at school, wherein Carrie experiences her first menstruation. Raised by a single-mother, a religious fanatic, who believes only women who sin grow breasts, Carrie has no idea what her period is.

She’s frightened at the sight of the blood and panics. Her peers, who have already been bullying her mercilessly for years, are brutal in their reaction to the event, pelting her with feminine products and screaming at her.

It’s awful. The girls are awful. Carrie gets sent home for the day and the young women involved in torturing her are given a light slap on the wrist.

It’s at that time, under distress, that the first public signs of Carrie’s powers appear. At least since that rock incident when she was a child…

The plot progresses from there, advancing Carrie’s story from that point forward, as well as filling in some of her backstory, including her gut-wrenching, abusive relationship with her mother.

When one of the girls involved, Sue Snell, starts to feel remorse for the locker room incident, she concocts a slightly hair-brained and uber-naive plot wherein her popular, jock boyfriend, Tommy Ross, will take Carrie to the Spring dance instead of her.

Tommy isn’t crazy about the idea. Not because he has anything against Carrie, he’s not that kind of guy, but because he doesn’t feel like Sue’s tepid attempt at ridding herself of guilt will make any real difference in Carrie’s life.

Nevertheless, he loves Sue and is willing to do anything she asks. If only he hadn’t…

I had such a blast listening to this. I haven’t read this story in over 20-years and it was so great to revisit one of King’s earliest hits. Imagine reading and reviewing this in 1974, like ‘this Stephen King guy is an author to watch.’

I was struck immediately by the creative use of mixed media. I have read from other authors who have mentioned how this novel influenced them with that format and I can see why. It is so incredibly well done here. IMO, definitely still one of the best displays of that format published to date.

I think it is important to keep in mind how unique that would have been at the time of publication.

There have been numerous novels in the past few years that have embraced that narrative style, particularly if you think of all the ones including podcasting elements. It seems now an obvious choice as a way to tell a story, but it’s really not traditionally.

I’ll be honest, it did make me sad reading this though. I was reminded why I have never reread it until now. There are certain King’s, mainly this and Cujo, that are so good, yet so painful to read, because of how much empathy I feel for the characters involved, that I sort of avoid them.

As a Horror story, one could categorize Carrie as the ‘baddie’, but you feel for her and I would assume that 99.9% of Readers will be on her side.

To me, it’s a bit like Frankenstein, another book I could only read once because I felt so damn bad for Frankenstein’s monster, and in a way, Carrie is the Frankenstein’s monster of modern times.

Carrie was created by the abuse of her mother and the constant harassment and ridicule of her peers. Sure, there’s an argument in the book that her powers are genetic and I get that, but having telekinetic powers doesn’t necessarily equate to killing hundreds of your peers and burning down your entire town.

I feel like there could have been other options for Carrie if she hadn’t been treated like complete trash her entire life.

I loved how this wrapped up too, how the speed that the mixed media jumped around in the aftermath of prom night increased the intensity of the conclusion. I just thought it was so well done and then that final little snippet, PERFECTION.

I’m so happy that I took the time to reread this one. Even though Carrie’s story is a painful one, it’s also powerful and absolutely one that will stick in your mind once you’re done.

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Review: The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

~ megs14malloy

The Eyes Are the Best PartThe Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Eyes Are the Best Part is definitely one of the most memorable and engaging debut novels I’ve ever read!

Monika Kim’s haunting ideas moved me, and shall now live rent free in my brain. This story sucked me in from the start and refused to let go. I was thinking about it all the time, even when I wasn’t reading it.

In this story we follow Ji-Won, who has just entered her first year of college. She lives in small apartment with her Umma and her younger sister, Ji-Hyun. Her Appa has deserted them for another woman, leaving Ji-Won as the logical next head of household.

Umma is a mess, barely holding it together enough to make it to her job at the grocery store, and Ji-Hyun is just 15-years old. Ji-Won is feeling a responsibility to care for them both.

It’s not just her family situation causing her stress though. Ji-Won also didn’t get into the college she once dreamed of with her best high school friends. She ended up losing those friends because of that.

Ji-Won’s on her own now, at a new school, and she feels very alone. She doesn’t have anyone she can open up to about all the pressures bearing down on her. She loves her sister and her Umma so much, but she needs to keep strong around them.

When Umma brings about her new boyfriend, a startlingly-obnoxious man named, George, Ji-Won can hardly believe this is her life. George starts coming by the apartment, and then beginning to stay there more often than not.

It’s during this time of incredible stress and change that Ji-Won first starts thinking about the eyes. In particular, blue eyes, just like George’s. She desires them. She dreams of them. She wants to consume them; all the blue eyes.

It’s with no immediate plan in mind, more an act of opportunity, that Ji-Won first proceeds with these overwhelming desires. Once she starts though, it’s empowering, fulfilling, and impossible to stop. Ji-Won is now the ruler of her world. It feels good.

This was incredibly immersive. Ji-Won is such a well-developed character. I loved following her story, being in her mind was a slightly disturbing place to be, but I got it.

I felt what she was going through. I empathized with her as I would a friend and frankly, I was more than happy to go on this f*ed up journey with her.

I loved the relationships that Kim created here, particularly between the sisters. Their connection was palpable. I could feel how much Ji-Won cared for her sister, even when she was being bratty. She wanted to protect her and shelter her.

It wasn’t just that relationship though, every side character that Ji-Won interacted with, I felt like I knew the ins-and-outs of them. Kim took great care when creating this whole cast and it shows.

We get a couple of students, Alexis and Geoffrey, that Ji-Won meets at school and I liked watching those friendships evolve. That whole avenue of the story went in a direction I was sort of expecting, but I still loved it.

I also thought the pace was spot on. It was perfectly-crafted for maximum impact, that’s for sure. Once the spiral begins, she went quickly and with great flourish.

I’m obsessed with the quality of Kim’s Horror imagery most of all. The body horror was fantastic. I read a lot of body horror and this, it got me. I was cringing. I was exclaiming things out loud that I can’t type here. It was perfect. I never knew what vivid description was gonna come next.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the exceptional social commentary/social horror aspects. I felt this was so well done in that regard. In expressing Ji-Won’s experience as a Korean-American young woman in modern-day California, Kim got the points across she needed to make.

This is an exciting story. It’s exciting in its own right, in the fact that it’s a gripping, disturbing story of feminine rage, but it’s also exciting because this is Monika Kim’s first novel. I’m so excited for more from her.

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

I’m so happy that talent like Monika Kim’s exists in the world. This book will def be on my BESTS List for 2024!!!

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Review: Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

~ megs14malloy

Bury Your GaysBury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Bury Your Gays is a novel that’s perfectly-aligned with a new trend in my reading for 2024, and that is reading books set in, or revolving around, the television and movie industry.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first picked this up. I’ve heard great things about this author’s 2023-release, Camp Damascus, but I’ve never actually read their work before. My final judgement = I need more Tingle!!!

In this story we are following Misha, a long-time Hollywood script writer who has just been nominated for his first Oscar.

It’s as he is on the precipice of this great event that he gets called into a meeting with a studio executive and told that he needs to kill off two popular gay characters from his Travelers series. Misha is alarmed. He doesn’t want to do that; not at all, but he’s told if he doesn’t he may be let go.

Thus, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows hit our MC pretty much simultaneously. His back is to the wall and he is struggling to make a decision. What is he going to do?

The synopsis doesn’t really go into too much of the action here, therefore, I don’t want to either. All I will say is that I was pleasantly surprised to discover this involves one of my favorite Horror tropes, and that’s dark fictional characters coming to life and interacting with their creators.

I loved how Tingle decided to tell Misha’s story. In the current timeline, we get to know a bit about his work and personal life, but we also get glimpses into Misha’s past through sections aptly referred to as, Inspiration.

These Inspiration sections were among my favorites. It’s there we learn the pivotal moments and people from Misha’s life that helped to shape his writing. These sections felt intimate and had a lovely Coming of Age quality to them that I found incredibly captivating.

In additional to the fantastic character work and strong writing, I thoroughly enjoyed the social commentary and reflective exploration of issues within this novel.

In particular, I found it to be thought-provoking in the area of intellectual property rights, the power of creators and their rights to their work. I also enjoyed how Tingle touched upon the greed within the system, and the development and use of AI in writing and the arts.

You’ll never think of the algorithm the same again…

I did listen to the audiobook and cannot recommend that format highly enough. It’s a full cast audio with sound effects that truly help bring this crazy story to life!

I would recommend this to every Horror Reader, but particularly to Social Horror lovers, or those looking for strong Queer stories. Also, if you were a fan of The X-Files, something about this one just brought that to mind for me; maybe the light Sci-Fi concepts, or the villains…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. The audio production was chef’s kiss!

This book is smart, original, engaging and eerie. I walk away with a full heart, looking forward to more from Tingle!

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