speculative fiction

Review: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

~ megs14malloy

Chain-Gang All-StarsChain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up*

Honestly, I had never ever heard of Chain-Gang All-Stars until early this year when I was watching numerous BookTuber’s ‘Best Books of 2024’ videos.

This novel popped up on numerous lists and each person who spoke about it talked with such passion, and it sounded genuinely like something I would be interested in. My interest was piqued.

I ended out checking out the audiobook from my library and cannot recommend that format enough. The narrative structure is a little unconventional, and I felt the various narrators helped me to keep everything straight.

So, if you are unaware of what this book is, it’s basically a near-future dystopian novel that examines the U.S. Corrections System in a wildly-creative way. Think that old show American Gladiators from the late 80s/early 90s, but all the competitors are prisoners.

They’re broadcast on live television. There’s different seasons, battles, teammates, fandoms, merch and they also travel around putting on shows; it’s a whole industry. An absolute money-maker for those at the top.

You are given the perspectives of various prisoners, of course, but you also get perspectives of others connected to the system — people at the top of the organization, viewers, protestors against the abuse in the system, people whose loved ones have been in the system, etc.

I thought this was a smart way to tell the story. Each perspective brings a new level of knowledge to the Reader about the system. I liked learning about it that way.

I also appreciated how the author set-up a space where the Reader could think for themselves about all these different aspects involved in our Justice and Correctional systems, versus hand-feeding opinions. That’s how you get people to really ruminate on a concept or idea.

Overall, Chain-Gang All-Stars is an incredibly powerful book. Equal parts heart-breaking, thought-provoking and eye-opening. It’s not one to be missed.

This is the epitome of showing-not-telling, and I felt like, even though at times, I felt the transitions between perspectives a bit jarring, I still wouldn’t really change anything. It’s done with such thought and creativity.

I highly recommend this one to any Reader who wants some high-quality substance to chew on. My Literary Fiction friends should be adding this to their TBRs with haste.

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Review: Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel

~ megs14malloy

Listen to Your SisterListen to Your Sister by Neena Viel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Listen to Your Sister follows three siblings: Calla, Dre and Jamie. They lost their father to an accident, and their mother wasn’t able to properly care for them.

Calla legally became guardian for Jamie, the youngest, with Dre’s promise that he would help her. Unfortunately, Dre, the middle-child, hasn’t really followed through on those promises. He cares, but doesn’t take it seriously enough.

Jamie, at 16, is a strong-willed and energetic teen, who is getting more difficult to parent by the day. He has many positive attributes, but Calla feels at wits end. She’s only 25-years old, and has already sacrificed so much trying to keep this family together.

Her job is at risk, as she has had to miss so much time due to being called away after Jamie gets up to one mischief, or another. She’s also finding it difficult to maintain any sort of healthy adult relationships.

After Jamie gets into serious trouble at a protest, the siblings must go on the run, taking refuge in a remote cabin. It’s there that Calla’s worst nightmares become reality.

No, seriously. Calla has been plagued by nightmares for years. Horrific dreams in which her brothers die because she’s unable to protect them.

Also, in these dreams, the worst iterations of Calla come to life. Alternate versions of herself that embody the worst things people have said, or assumed, about her; the worst feelings they’ve made her feel. It’s truly frightening stuff.

Now as Calla is pushed to the brink, by her brothers and their unstable circumstances, the things of nightmares are manifested into reality, and they’re after the trio.

Will the siblings be able to come together, move past their past traumas and be able to defeat these nightmares, or will the nightmares win out, ruining them one-by-one?

Admittedly, this is much more Fever Dream than I tend to enjoy, but there was something about how raw and real these characters felt that had me by the throat. I ended up really being drawn into the dream-like qualities.

I loved the topics and themes that Viel explored and look forward to seeing what other Readers think. Speculative stories tend to drum up a wide range of opinions.

The audiobook is very good, with three narrators matching each of the MCs. I definitely recommend that format. It brought this story to life; a great production.

I was really so impressed with the character work. The siblings and their relationships were the star of this show for me. They had been through so much and I love how they related to one another. It’s not all perfect, sunshine and rainbows, but you could feel the love and dedication.

I feel like this has some great Social Horror aspects as well, I just hope the right Readers end up picking it up. The cover is giving very Haunted House vibes, and while there is a creepy cabin, it’s much more of a Literary Horror-feel than that cover may lead you to believe.

Regardless, I had a fantastic time with this one. It’s hard-hitting and memorable. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with in the future. I’m hoping for more along these lines.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I would recommend this to Horror Readers.

This is very Feminine Rage with a Twist. We love that.

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Review: How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine

~ megs14malloy

How to Survive Your MurderHow to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡

Alice is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial. It’s been a year since her older sister, Claire, was killed in a corn maze on Halloween night.

Since Claire’s death, Alice’s life has fallen apart. Their parents divorced in the aftermath, and Alice has given up on her plans for the future. She wishes more than anything that that night never happened; that Claire was still with them.

On the first day of the trial, while taking a moment for herself in the courthouse bathroom, Alice is knocked unconscious by a Sidney Prescott look-alike.

When she wakes up, it’s Halloween night exactly one year earlier, the day of Claire’s murder. Alice has until midnight to find her sister and save her, possibly changing the course of events forever.

How to Survive Your Murder was a super-engaging YA Horror-Thriller that kept me on my toes the entire time. It was way more Speculative than I anticipated, bringing to mind comparisons to Neverworld Wake and Summer’s Edge. Both of which, I loved.

I didn’t know that this story is centered around murderous events on Halloween night, so it’s the perfect time of year to read it. That was definitely a bonus.

I also really enjoyed Alice as a main character. She’s a huge fan of Slasher movies and True Crime. I felt like we had a lot in common, so it was easy for me to understand the events through her perspective.

Overall, I found this whole story fun and creative. I walked away thinking, be careful what you wish for. I feel like this author did a great job of bringing a true love for the Slasher genre to the page.

This is the fourth novel I have read by this author and I enjoy their style of Horror. Most recently I read, Two Sides to Every Murder, which I felt very similarly about as this one. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. This is absolutely their sweet spot.

Give me all the Slasher Goodness!!

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Review: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

~ megs14malloy

The Last Murder at the End of the WorldThe Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

On an island at the end of the world, a small settlement of survivors lives. Outside the island there is nothing. Well, nothing but a murderous fog that contains insect-like creatures with a taste for human flesh.

I may be exaggerating this a little, but trust me, you don’t even want to dip a toe in that fog.

122-villagers and 3-valued scientists live together on the island in harmony. It’s a simple life, but they do need to abide by some stringent rules; all for their own good. We should trust the scientists, right?

Well, the villagers certainly do. One day though, the unthinkable happens. One of their beloved scientists is found murdered, thus setting into motion a chain of events that could lead to the destruction of their world.

They need to solve the murder within the next 107-hours, or risk bringing on the fog and all the terrible little creatures that come with it.

The Last Murder at the End of the World was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024. I’ve really enjoyed both of Turton’s previously releases and was excited to see what sort of brain-teaser he was going to create for us next.

Sadly, this one just wasn’t suited to my tastes, but I can still appreciate the solid plot progression and creativity it took to create this whole world.

IMO, this book would work best for Literary Fiction fans, who enjoy stories with Speculative, or Futuristic elements.

I did enjoy the very beginning; the introduction to the setting and characters. It was all very mysterious and murky. It was giving me serious LOST vibes.

Not the attractive people suddenly stranded on a beach thing, though. More the disturbing community bits that they discover on the island way later…

I feel like I knew very early on, around page 37, what one of the big reveals was going to be. I don’t normally care about that, actually, I don’t. I don’t care about that, but unfortunately for me, the reveal I felt was coming is a trope I don’t tend to enjoy.

True to trend, it didn’t work for me here either. Obviously, I am not going to spoil for you what that is, but I’m aware that is strictly a personal taste issue, and is no way a reflection on Turton, or his work.

In fact, I doff my cap to Turton’s writing, creativity and overall mental prowess. It’s clear, if you’ve ever read one of his books, that his brain works better than around 95% of the rest of us.

For me though, this failed to capture my attention. I feel like some of it was kept too obscure, meaning, I couldn’t picture any of this. I was being told a lot of things, but I couldn’t actually imagine it, in my mind’s eye, playing out.

I also did find the pace to be incredibly slow, and not in an enticing slow burn sort of way. More in a, I’m starting to fall asleep way. And once I started to feel that, I couldn’t shake it. I really just wanted it to be over, which hurts me to say, but we’re all about honesty in this house.

I was fortunate to receive an early copy of the audiobook, because that definitely helped me to get through this one. I did find the narration quite charming.

At the end of the day, this just wasn’t a great fit for my tastes. The content wasn’t something I enjoyed. Nevertheless, I still love and admire Stuart Turton as an author and I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next!

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Even though this wasn’t my cup of tea, I am still very glad I had the chance to pick it up!

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Review: Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry

~ megs14malloy

Good Girls Don’t DieGood Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good Girls Don’t Die was quite unique in both its construction and content. I had fun going on this journey and trying to figure out what in the hell was going on.

This was a 5-star read for me for the majority of the book. Unfortunately, the last portion lost me a little bit. Honestly, I found it to be a bit anti-climactic after the exciting build.

Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed it, and ended up only dropping a star due to my discontent with the ending. A 4-star read is still highly enjoyable and I would recommend it to fans of Christina Henry’s quirky and creative writing.

Three women. Three stories. Only one way out. This pitch from the publisher’s synopsis is a great way to sell this story and it’s accurate. We love to see that.

This story is told in four parts, the first three each follow a different character: Celia, Allie and Maggie. The fourth, ties everything together.

The three women’s perspectives were captivating. They each find themselves in a bit of a personal nightmare, but it’s clear that they’re awake. They’re confused, they don’t know what’s going on, and are desperate to figure it out.

I found it so easy to empathize with these women. To feel their fear and desperation. In fact, I started to feel it myself. I was intrigued by the goings-on; so creepy. There seemed to be a relation to stories, as each perspective felt like a perilous journey through a different genre.

When you think about it, it was such a great example of Henry’s skill as a writer. To be able to capture these different genre-feels in such a short space of time. It was really cool.

The fourth section, again, was a bit of let down for me, but it was eye-opening and interesting as to how these women were ultimately connected.

Sadly, I just felt the villain was a bit of a joke; cookie cutter. They felt like an animated movie baddie, or something of that ilk. Also, the messaging around the who and the why was a bit heavy-handed for my tastes.

Overall though, this is well worth the read. A lot of fun. A unique twist of a Thriller, impressive in its creativity. I’m glad I finally got around to picking it up.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’ll continue to look forward to any book wit Henry’s name on the cover!

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Review: Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine

~ megs14malloy

Your Shadow Half RemainsYour Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Your Shadow Half Remains is a difficult book to talk about. Frankly, I’m not sure I really understood it. At least not in the way the author intended. Nevertheless, I shall try…

Regardless of how much I actually comprehended though, I still enjoyed the reading experience. It’s a puzzler.

This is presented as a sort of post-apocalyptic world, where a virus has caused those infected to go into a violent, murderous rage if they look into another person’s eyes.

Our main character, Riley, hasn’t looked at, or interacted with any other humans in at least two years, maybe more. In fact, Riley hasn’t even dared look in a mirror, just in case.

She’s done a great job at keeping herself shut off from the rest of the world, if there’s even a rest of the world left. That is until she stumbles across a new neighbor.

Ellis, the newcomer, throws a kink in Riley’s routine and causes her to feel things she hasn’t in a long, long time. Unfortunately, this new swell of emotions causes her to question reality in the most extreme ways.

How much does Riley really know about the world around her? Can we trust her perspective at all, or is it all just the jaded creation of a diseased mind?

We are give the story entirely through Riley’s perspective. Initially, she seems confident in what she is relaying to the Reader. She seems to have a good handle on her situation, even though some details are hazy.

Once her interactions with Ellis begin though, Riley’s grip seems to slip. Before you know it, you are hurtling along through a fever dream of Riley’s own making. It’s unsettling to say the least.

For the most part, I enjoyed trying to decipher what exactly was real in this world. It was confusing, but not in a way that I found to be grating, or annoying.

I was surprised how much the author was able to pack into so few pages; it felt complete. I think it’s a great example of their skill as a writer, because this makes quite an impact in under 200-pages. That’s hard to do.

Overall, I found this to be eerie, disturbing, confusing and compelling. I was initially drawn to this because of the cover. It was giving me serious The Dark Half vibes and I was totally down for that.

While it’s a completely different kind of story than that, I feel like the unsettling cover still matches this story perfectly. I’m glad I picked this one up.

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

I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

~ megs14malloy

The Tusks of ExtinctionThe Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

The Tusks of Extinction wasn’t what I expected at all and I don’t think I should give it a rating.

It’s an important work of Speculative Fiction, that really takes its time exploring a heartbreaking topic, and my enjoyment level is fairly irrelevant.

I was moved by it and it’s written well, but I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it in the way I expected or wanted.

I definitely respect the heck out of this author for tackling this subject though. It couldn’t have been easy to do the research necessary to write this story.

To bring you up to speed, this explores, and I will caution, in detail, the poaching of elephants and the decimation of species in general.

I would equate my experience of reading this to my experience with The Vanished Birds. Also a fantastic book, just not necessarily a book for me.

With this being said, I would strongly encourage anyone who thinks this sounds interesting to check it out. The synopsis however, IMO, is a little misleading, as calling this a tense eco-thriller is off the mark.

I would classify this more as a slow-moving Speculative Science Fiction, with a philosophical bent. I know a ton of Readers are going to really be wowed by this one, so please don’t let my ‘no rating’ sway you.

There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. This is an important story, just not necessarily one I care to explore in my free time when I am looking to relax.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Spotify Audiobooks, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate this author’s writing and the importance of the topic.

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Review: The Beast You Are: Stories by Paul Tremblay

~ megs14malloy

The Beast You Are: StoriesThe Beast You Are: Stories by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-star rounded up**

The Beast You Are: Stories is a recently compiled collection of short works from beloved author, Paul Tremblay.

I have enjoyed three previous novels from Tremblay, but have never read any of his shorter works. I was happy to receive a copy from the publisher and check them out.

Overall, I felt like this was an interesting collection. It’s quite a mix of topics, which made every new story feel fresh and unique. Additionally, I think it’s a great example of Tremblay’s creativity and speculative style of storytelling.

Unfortunately though, the last story, the novella for which the collection is named, was my least favorite. Therefore, it ended up leaving a bad taste in my mouth at the close, which isn’t how I like to finish off a collection.

Other than that one though, I felt it was very solid.

I loved how a couple of the stories are lightly connected to A Head Full of Ghosts. That was fun, like little Easter Eggs.

That has been my favorite of Tremblay’s novels, so it was exciting to see those connections revisited here.

I believe the majority of these stories have been previously published in other collections, or magazines, etc., but this is the first time they have ever been presented together.

I think for long-time Tremblay fans, this will be an enjoyable way to get your hands on so many of his shorter works. I would absolutely recommend it to those readers looking to get easy access to that type of story.

I’m happy I read this. Always happy to be reading Tremblay and am looking forward to whatever he publishes next!!

Thank you so much to William Morrow for providing me with a copy. I appreciate it!

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Review: The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast #0) by Adam Silvera

~ megs14malloy

The First to Die at the EndThe First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved, loved, loved They Both Die at the End when I read it all the way back in February 2019. Trust me when I say, since that time it has lived rent free in my heart.

I, along with most other people, believed it to be a standalone novel. Then shockingly, a prequel novel was announced. The First to Die at the End is that prequel. I’ll be honest, I’ve been so scared to pick this up.

I wasn’t sure any other content was necessary. How could it possibly live up to the story told in TBDATE?

Finally, however, I could resist my curiosity no more. I had to read it and ultimately, I am really glad that I did. Silvera successfully pulled off the unasked for prequel.

In this story, our main characters are Valentino and Orion. The stage is set on the eve of the launch of Death Cast. Valentino, with dreams of becoming a professional model, has just, as in this very day, moved to New York City.

Orion, is a life-long New Yorker with a tragic past. He is anxious for the launch of Death Cast due to the way death has previously touched his life. Also, he has a very serious heart condition. He always feels the clock is ticking for him.

Through a twist of fate, these two boys meet in Times Square and feel an instant connection. As Death Cast goes live, one of them gets a call and the other does not.

They decide, no matter how it is going to turn out, they are going to spend the next 24-hours together. Death Cast is untried. Will their prediction be correct, or will it all end up being nothing more than an elaborate hoax?

Woven throughout the over-arching storyline, we also get vignettes of side characters that Valentino and Orion encounter along the way.

I know not everyone is crazy about the inclusion of these types of tiny slivers of life, but I loved them and the way it demonstrated the interconnections in general.

It’s like all the tiny connections that we may never realize or understand, but we are all connected in one way or another. I think Silvera showed that beautifully.

As far as the main characters go, they were fantastic. They were complex with plenty of backstory to make you want to fight for them. I enjoyed the relationship that developed between the boys.

Of course it is a bit instalovey, but it sort of had to be, considering the brief time-frame of the narrative. I actually didn’t mind it. I sort of feel like if I had met Valentino on the streets, I could have fallen in love with him just as quickly.

The banter was great and Silvera provided plenty of hard-hitting issues to consider. It really showed a range for emotion and difficult circumstances, but also the power to rise above and keep living every day with intent.

There were also some fun connections to the original book and the NYC setting was vivid. So, while this wasn’t quite as powerful for me as the first book, I still really, really liked it and appreciate the characters and the heartfelt way Silvera told their stories.

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Review: A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor

~ megs14malloy

A Sliver of DarknessA Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

A Sliver of Darkness is a short-story collection comprised of 10-tales by beloved author, C.J. Tudor. This was Tudor’s only 2022 release, a fact that she addresses within this book.

Anything from Tudor would get me excited, but I was particularly looking forward to trying out some shorter fiction from her. This collection was definitely interesting.

I found these stories to be unique and entertaining. It’s pretty clear Tudor has entered her dystopian/post-apocalyptic era and I’m not mad about it.

This explored themes that felt fresh and relevant to our post-pandemic world. It also got pretty murdery and twisted; two things I adore in dark, or speculative, fiction.

I enjoyed how each story had a short introduction by the author. This reminded me of King’s The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. I always enjoy when an author includes these types of insights into their inspirations, or connections, to each story. It makes the experience more personal.

Additionally, I feel like it helps to set-up the proper tone for each story. I’m definitely glad that Tudor decided to include them in the final copy of the book.

Overall, I found this collection to be varied, unpredictable, well-written, engaging and it definitely gave me a lot to think about.

Considering all the world has been through over the past 3-years, I don’t think it is surprising that this is the type of creativity Tudor felt like expressing. It definitely feels apropos for the times.

Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I love Tudor’s style and will continue to pick up everything she writes!

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