spooky reads

Review: A Thief of Always by Clive Barker

~ megs14malloy

The Thief of AlwaysThe Thief of Always by Clive Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💚🦇 A modern classic. I loved this. 🦇💚

I picked up The Thief of Always as book #3 for my TBR-Haul Project. I hauled this charming paperback edition in April 2018 and she’s been gathering dust ever since.

Clive Barker is well-known as a heavy-hitter in Horror and Dark Fantasy, but this was actually the first thing I have ever picked up from him. I was very excited to check out his work for the first time. It did not disappoint!

This story, fit for all ages, follows a young boy, Harvey Swick, who is bored with his life. Aren’t they all sometimes?

One day, as Harvey is contemplating just how boring his life is, a man named Rictus appears to him and offers him the opportunity to travel somewhere exciting, away from his parents and teachers and school, a place called the Holiday House, where every day brings something to celebrate.

Granted, he doesn’t sell it to Harvey in exactly those terms, but you get the gist.

Figuring he doesn’t have any other enticing options, Harvey agrees and off he goes with Rictus. After arriving at the property he finds other children there already and befriends two of them, Lulu and Wendell.

Through them, the elderly housekeeper, Mrs. Griffin, and good old-fashioned exploration, Harvey begins to the learn the ins-and-outs of the Holiday House and it’s mysterious benefactor, Mr. Hood. Suffice it to say, it’s not all as holiday happy as they may want you to believe.

As the truth behind the property begins to be exposed, it seems Harvey needs to make a move fast or risk never returning to that boring life he took for granted before.

Y’all, I absolutely adored this story. From the very first chapter, I was completely drawn in. The writing style is lush, fluid and ominous, even when you aren’t quite sure why.

For me, that’s a characteristic of fiction that I have always been drawn to, even as a child. I would compare it to the tone of say Alice in Wonderland, or even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Where everything engaging, vibrant and beautiful, but you also have the chills for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on.

Barker absolutely nailed that tone. I loved the progression of Harvey’s story, the way he began to piece together that all wasn’t as it appeared at the Holiday House.

The more he figured out, the faster the pace got as well, so it gave me a sort of heart-racing feeling as I made my way to the conclusion. I loved that aspect. There were so many cool elements throughout to enjoy, but those final few chapters really sealed the deal for me.

I am so very happy, after all this time, that I finally made the time for this one. It’s an absolute treat. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a classic-feeling spooky story. Bonus, it’s perfect for this time of year.

I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Barker’s work!!

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Review: Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown

~ megs14malloy

Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire HuntingSerwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne A. Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting is the latest release from the fabulous Rick Riordan Presents imprint. It follows, you guessed it, a family of vampire hunters, or as they are commonly known, slayers.

More specifically, Serwa’s parents are the experienced slayers and Serwa is essentially a slayer-in-training.

More importantly though, Serwa is just a 12-year old girl trying to make her way through Middle School. That sounds scarier, doesn’t it?

Serwa and her parents are originally from Ghana, although Serwa has lived in the United States since she was very, very young. They’ve sort of bounced around, going wherever her parents skills are needed.

One day, seemingly out of nowhere an obayifo, or witch, from their past shows up at their house and attacks, allegedly searching for a magical artifact that Serwa has never heard of.

Whatever it is, it must be serious business because their home is destroyed and before Serwa can even wrap her head around what is happening, her parents are ditching her in a remote town in Maryland with an Aunt and a cousin she barely knows.

Serwa is shocked. Her parents have always included her in their adventures. She doesn’t understand why they would abandon her now. She needs them.

Making matter worse, Serwa must even attend school. After being home-schooled her whole life, this is bound to be a big adjustment. She’s the new girl and doesn’t quite fit in.

Luckily, she has her cousin and is able to make a couple of new friends. When mysterious things begin happening at the school, though, Serwa is afraid there is a adze, or shape-shifting vampire, in their midst.

Could this be related to the attack at their old house?

When she tries to tell her parents about it over the phone, they don’t believe her and then cut themselves off from her completely.

Wow, that’s harsh. Serwa can’t tackle this very serious issue alone. Thus, she is forced to confide in her new friends. She’ll just have to train them to be slayers as well. She can always wipe their memories after…

What ensues is a wildly-magical romp following Serwa and friends as they try to solve the mystery, protect a magical artifact and save their school from evil forces.

I absolutely adored my time reading this. I listened to the audiobook and definitely recommend it. The narrator did a phenomenal job breathing life into these characters. Oh my goodness, was it fun!!

I loved the influence of Ghanaian culture and folklore felt throughout this story. I liked reading about how her family and culture impacted Serwa.

That’s really the beauty of this imprint. I’ve always learned from these books and find the different legends and folklore from around the world captivating to read about. This was certainly no exception.

The fact that it incorporates vampire lore makes it that much more fun!

I really enjoyed Serwa as a character. Her personality actually reminded me a bit of Aru Shah. I think that may have been because even though Serwa didn’t quite fit in, it didn’t stop her from being true to herself; a fun-loving, curious, determined young person.

Not everyone can be the super popular kid, nor should they want, or need to be. I loved how Serwa’s character was able to overcome being alienated from a lot of her peers. Once she found her friends, they became so close and really grew stronger together. It’s quality over quantity, y’all.

I also loved the mystery to this and the high stakes. Brown did an incredible job building the intensity as the story progressed. There wasn’t a dull moment to be found.

I did get super frustrated with Serwa’s parents though. Oh my word, I wanted to reach through the pages and shake them at times. We can’t expect adults to get everything right though, can we?

There was a truly jaw-dropping revelation towards the end of this. It basically flipped what I thought I knew on its head. I loved that! It took me completely by surprise.

Even though I found some scenes towards the end a tad confusing, I definitely think this concluded in a great spot to keep Readers drooling in anticipation of the sequel.

I cannot believe I have to wait a year to see where this story is going to go from here. You got me, Roseanne A. Brown. You got me good!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Another stellar addition to the Rick Riordan Presents imprint!!

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Review: The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie

~ megs14malloy

The Girl in WhiteThe Girl in White by Lindsay Currie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Mallory has felt out of place ever since her family moved from the bustling city of Chicago to the small seaside town of Eastport in New England.

Certain aspects of the town’s local culture drive Mallory a bit crazy if she’s being honest, like the fact that it feels like Halloween 365-days a year.

While this may sound absolutely fantastic to some of us, Mallory feels very differently. The constant reminders of local ghost stories and lore weighs on her last nerve.

Her parents, who own and run a cozy restaurant known as The Hill, have bought into it hook, line and sinker. Her mother even regales visiting guests with spooky tales during meals at the restaurant. It’s like dinner and a show.

As time goes by, instead of getting better, Mallory feels like things are getting worse. She’s having a difficult time sleeping and feels like she is being watched.

The nights are the worst. She’s losing time and waking up dirty and wet; that’s how Mallory initially starts to figure out that she’s actually been sleepwalking. That paired with the nightmares, make Mallory’s nights something to fear.

When a neighbor boy, Joshua, confesses to Mallory that he has been sleepwalking as well, the two begin to share stories. It seems they are even plagued by the same dreams.

What is going on? The more they compare notes, the more they begin to fear that what is happening to them may be connected to one of the town’s most infamous legends, that of Sweet Molly.

Together with Mallory’s other friends, Emmie and Brianne, the kids begin a deep dive into the real story of Sweet Molly.

They feel like she’s connecting with them for a reason. Even though it’s scary, maybe she just needs their help. They hope that with enough information they’ll be able to help Molly achieve peace, so that she can move on and they can finally sleep through the night.

The Girl in White was my most anticipated Spooky Middle Grade release of the year and it did not disappoint.

Currie knows how to deliver that perfect, cozy, spooky small town atmosphere, all while pairing it beautifully with likable, strong-willed, curious and determined characters.

This was such a fun story and definitely had some top-notch creepy moments. I liked the investigation the kids undertook, following clues and trying to get to the truth behind the legend of Sweet Molly.

I also enjoyed the message at the heart of this story. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that it shined a light on doing the right thing, even though it might be difficult.

I did feel the ending to be a little abrupt, but that’s most likely because I didn’t want it to end. I definitely recommend this one to all Spooky Middle Grade Readers.

You know who you are…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m obsessed with Lindsay Currie’s stories. They are so cozy, spooky and fun. All the the things I love in my Middle Grade. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

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Review: Mina and the Slayers (Mina and the Undead #2) by Amy McCaw

~ megs14malloy

Mina and the Slayers (Mina and the Undead, #2)Mina and the Slayers by Amy McCaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

((…screams in 90s-pop culture…))

Mina and the Slayers is the follow-up to Amy McCaw’s 2021-debut novel, Mina and the Undead.

This super fun YA-series follows 17-year old, Mina, who moves to New Orleans from Whitby, in England ((incidentally, the town that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula)), to live with her older sister, Libby.

A lot goes down in the first novel, where McCaw does an incredible job setting the stage for what I am hoping is going to be a long running series. The New Orleans atmosphere is completely on point.

Mina and Libby work at a Horror Mansion, with interactive live scenes from some of your favorite horror movies, and that continues on into this second novel.

I had so much fun reading the first book. It was such a nostalgic treat and this one was no different. The first book definitely left off in a great spot for a sequel, so I’ve been anxiously awaiting this release for a year.

I’m happy to report, not only did it not disappoint, but it actually exceeded all my expectations. McCaw’s writing and character development has continued to grow and we absolutely love to see that!

In this installment, we have a few new things going on in Mina’s life that really helped to build out this story.

First, and my favorite new aspect, is that Mina is now job shadowing with the local police department. She’s paired up with an Investigator named Cafferty and when mysterious stabbings begin plaguing the city, she’s along for the ride and the subsequent investigation.

I love investigations of any type of violent crime, so this was such a pleasant surprise. I had no clue this was going to be a new part of Mina’s life.

We also find Mina a bit estranged from her boyfriend, Jared, due to something that happened to him in the first book.

Regardless, the couple is working on their relationship and I enjoyed watching that evolution over the course of the story.

Finally, y’all know this is a vampire book, right? Did I mention that?

Well, with that in mind, let it be known, there is slaying in this book. There are bad ones in the city, killing humans and of course, you need people who know about the existence of vamps to be willing to fight to save human lives.

Someone has to do it. When vampires walk amongst us, things can get dangerous real quick. I mean, just ask the residents of Santa Carla, California…

Yeah, so overall, I had an absolute blast with this. It was intense, with high stakes, great character development, a fun mystery and nostalgic vibes for days.

I’m not sure, but I am getting a feeling that we’ll be getting a third book and I am absolutely here for it.

Thank you so much to the author, Amy McCaw, for providing me with an early copy. This sequel would make John Carpenter, John Hughes and John Stamos proud, so I certainly hope you are proud as well!!

🖤🦇🧛‍♀️🖤🦇🧛‍♀️🖤🦇🧛‍♀️🖤🦇🧛‍♀️🖤🦇🧛‍♀️🖤🦇🧛‍♀️🖤🦇🧛‍♀️🖤

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Review: This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno

~ megs14malloy

This Thing Between UsThis Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The exploration of grief is a fairly common topic in Horror. It’s also something I really enjoy sinking my teeth into.

I knew that was going to be an aspect of Gus Moreno’s This Thing Between Us, but it still hit me like a gut punch. I’ve rarely, very rarely, experienced it done so well.

At the start of this story we find our main character, Thiago, working himself through the early stages of grief after the sudden, tragic loss of his beloved wife, Vera.

The narrative is second person and Thiago is expressing his thoughts and feelings to Vera, even though she’s gone. I loved this choice by Moreno. It made it feel so intimate and frankly, real.

I did listen to the audio version and the narration by Robb Moreira was so well done. He was Thiago to me.

Thiago takes us through their relationship with his musings. There was a lot of love there and many good times. There was also a smart device that started to go a little wonky. That’s where the creepiness really begins to set in.

Thiago, unable to rest comfortably in the home he and Vera once shared, decides that getting out of Chicago would be the best thing for him. Thus, he packs his bags and heads to a remote cabin in Colorado.

From here, I cannot go further into a synopsis. You’ll have to discover that for yourself. Just know, it gets crazy, weird, disturbing and I’m not quite sure I know what actually happened in the end.

I have my own conclusions I have drawn and choose to live with. Regardless, I was impressed with this. Overall, Moreno has me intrigued.

This story was weird in such a good way. It definitely made my mind work overtime, I’m not going to lie. If you pick this one up, which I recommend you do, prepare to be scratching your head at the end.

I would love to go back and annotate a physical copy someday. Maybe I could glean just a tiny bit more out of it if I did that. It would be worth it.

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Review: Stinetinglers by R.L. Stine

~ megs14malloy

Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales (Stinetinglers, #1)Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales is exactly that. An all new collection of spooky tales from the master of Horror for Young Readers, R.L. Stine.

I’m sure you know him and if you are like me, you may love him. You may have loads of nostalgia for those classic Goosebumps stories.

I was so stoked when I heard the news that he had a new collection releasing, just in time for Autumn, featuring 10-new spooky tales.

I listened to the audiobook for this and had an absolute blast with it. It’s fairly short, coming in at just over 5-hours, and it kept me completely engaged from start-to-finish.

The narration was so expressive and captivating. I thought numerous times how much fun this one would be to listen to on a family road trip.

I also really enjoyed how, as an introduction to each story, R.L. Stine wrote a bit about his inspiration and motivations for writing each story. This aspect reminded me of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King.

Personally, I feel like having that extra insight from the author on a short-story collection makes it even more memorable and in a way, personal.

Overall, I had a blast with this collection. I flew through it and honestly enjoyed every story. It’s a great example of Stine’s style and fulfilled all my nostalgia needs.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Stinetinglers is fun for the whole family this Spooky Season!

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Review: Part of Your Nightmare (Disney Chills #1) by Vera Strange

~ megs14malloy

Part of Your Nightmare (Disney Chills, Book One)Part of Your Nightmare by Vera Strange
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Part of Your Nightmare is the first book in Disney’s Chills series, which features all new characters making deals with famous Disney villains.

This is a Middle Grade anthology series and does read very true to that age group.

In this installment we follow 11-year old, Shelly Anderson, who spends a lot of her time at the aquarium owned by her parents. She loves marine science and knows a lot about the ocean and the creatures who live there.

At school, Shelly is a member of the swim team and wants so much to be accepted by the popular girls on the team. In fact, being popular is a big focus for Shelly.

On a school trip to the aquarium, Shelly is hanging out with the popular girls, Kendall, the queen bee, and the twins, Alana and Attina. She’s excited about the acceptance she is starting to feel from them. They actually consider her a friend. She can’t mess this up.

When Kendall challenges her to do something she would never normally do, Shelly succumbs to the peer pressure. Her action has horrible consequences, summoning the Sea Witch Ursula and putting Shelly within her grasp.

Shelly apparently never saw the movie The Little Mermaid, so she is unaware that Ursula is a dangerous negotiator; someone she doesn’t want to be a making a deal with.

Unfortunately, without this knowledge, Shelly does just that. She makes a deal with the witch that will allow her one wish, to be the best swimmer, that way she can win competitions for her team and secure her popularity for sure.

As I am sure you can imagine, there’s hidden aspects to this deal and it doesn’t go as Shelly imagined at all. Life as she knows it is now at stake, can she figure out a way to break the deal before it’s too late!?

Part of Your Nightmare is a great start for this anthology series. I enjoyed this one. The ending took me completely by surprise. It was definitely chilling with a heavy dose of Goosebumps vibes. Fun and frightening!

The dialogue wasn’t the greatest, but I am hoping this author can improve with that over the course of the series. It just didn’t feel natural, or in any way like kids this age would talk.

Other than that, I enjoyed the imagery, the incorporation of Ursula and the lessons taught over the course of the story. I absolutely plan to continue on with this Spooky Middle Grade series.

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Review: Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie

~ megs14malloy ~ 2 Comments

Scritch ScratchScritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read Scritch Scratch in a 24-hour period at the beginning of June. For some reason, even though I absolutely adored this Spooky Middle Grade story, I completely forgot to review it.

I am here to change that. The thing is, I really want more people to pick this one up. I need to hear more chatter about it. It’s so fun, clever and immersive.

This story follows Claire, whose Dad runs a ghost-themed Chicago bus tour.

Generally speaking, Claire chooses to distance herself from her Dad’s business. She’s a science-girl at heart and all that supernatural mumbo-jumbo is just not for her.

Unfortunately, one night her Dad needs her help on the tour. No one else can do it and he can’t do it himself. Their family can’t afford to refund all the tickets, so Claire begrudgingly agrees to assist for one tour.

As the night slowly progresses, it seems to be going okay, but then Claire notices a little boy all alone. He’s dressed strangely, like his clothes come from a different time and he doesn’t seem to be interacting with anyone.

Claire is disturbed by his presence. She doesn’t know what to think about it. At the end of the tour, when she goes to check on him, he’s gone. Did she just imagine the whole thing?

It’s after that night that the scratching starts and the number 396 begins popping up everywhere for Claire.

It doesn’t take long for her to put tw0-and-two together. She is being haunted by that boy from the bus, or at least by his spirit. He seems to want something from her, but what?

Claire tries to parse out the identity of this mystery boy. Maybe if she learns something about his life, she’ll be able to help him in some way.

An investigation ensues, full of Middle Grade clues and logic. I absolutely adored that aspect. Actually there were many aspects about this story I enjoyed; pretty much of of them.

Currie’s writing was fantastic and it absolutely drew me in from the start. I did listen to the audiobook and highly recommend that format.

I felt like due to the top-notch narration, the story was made even more creepy. If you are a fan of Spooky Middle Grade, you need to check this one out. It’s so much fun!

I’m super excited to read more from Lindsay Currie. If this story is any indication of her overall style, I feel like we are going to have a long and beautiful friendship.

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Review: The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones

~ megs14malloy

The Babysitter LivesThe Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On her first night babysitting the Wilbanks twins, Charlotte has one thing in mind, extra study time for the SATs. She’s taking the test the following morning on Halloween Day.

Since the twins, Ron and Desi, are only 6-years old, she figures they’ll be tucked safely in bed fairly early. The rest of the night she can dedicate to cramming for her test.

Once at the beautiful home, Charlotte receives a full tour from Mrs. Wilbanks and a word of warning, the kids may try to play tricks on her. They’re in a bit of a phase.

Mr. Wilbanks chimes in to list the off-limits areas of the house, his office mainly, and as the couple depart for the night, Mrs. Wilbanks secretly gives Charlotte one more tip regarding Mr. Wilbanks. She knew he was a creep.

Alone in the house, Charlotte’s interactions with the children definitely start out with a bang. These kids are weird.

Additionally, the house is unsettling. As it should be, considering its history. Charlotte quickly begins to feel out of sorts. Are the kids playing games with her?

The Babysitter Lives is a trippy, claustrophic read. This takes haunted house to a whole new level. I had no idea what was happening half the time, but I was eating it up.

The imagery and depth kept me totally engaged, but I will admit to rereading entire chapters just trying to parse out what in the heck was going on.

It was horrifying. It made me nervous. Charlotte is a fantastic main character. She’s haunted a bit by a previous babysitting job and you get little glimpses of that throughout, but now she’s haunted by all new evils.

I also loved the tiny details that kept coming back. Nothing was wasted. Everything has a point. I feel like you could read this three or four times and continue to discover new things each time. I love that type of narrative.

SGJ’s writing never disappoints for me. I always enjoy his distinctive style. It feels classic and somehow cutting edge at the same time. It’s extremely well-presented.

This story is smart, graphic and really freaking strange. Seriously, some of the imagery presented here, I was cringing. Oh my goodness, eyes and bugs and a whole host of other creepy things. It just kept coming.

Currently, this is available on audio only. That worked well for me. The narration is great by Isabella Star LeBlanc. I definitely recommend getting your hands on this if you love unique, mind-bending, toe-curling Horror stories.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon and Schuster Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a lot of fun with this. My brain hurts.

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Review: Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

~ megs14malloy

Just Like HomeJust Like Home by Sarah Gailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Coming back to her childhood home is a very difficult decision for Vera Crowder. There’s a lot of hurdles mentally to overcome. As she stands before it, ready to enter for the first time in 12-years, she’s filled with doubts.

Her mother, Daphne, is extremely ill and in her final days she seems to want Vera by her side; odd considering she never showed interest in Vera before.

In fact, their relationship has been hostile for years, not your typical mother-daughter relationship, but Vera’s whole family history is complicated. That can happen when your father is an infamous serial killer.

Making matters worse is the fact that Vera’s mother has a tenant living on the property, some sort of artist whose interest in the house makes Vera very uncomfortable.

Regardless of his annoying presence, being back in the home definitely stirs up a lot of unresolved issues for Vera. She feels things in the house, it’s unsettling. She’s remembering things she had forgotten.

Through past and present perspectives the Reader is filled in on the truth behind the Crowder house, Vera’s family and unconventional upbringing.

Just Like Home was a highly anticipated release for me. I knew with Sarah Gailey’s impressive writing skills and imagination this would be a memorable story.

It absolutely was. I was drawn in from the very first paragraph. It feels morose, Vera is not necessarily a happy camper. There’s not a lot to be happy about in this situation, but it was absolutely captivating in its quiet intensity.

The way Gailey weaved this story together was so good. There’s a lot of balls in the air, as the Reader you are learning so much in every moment. There are no chapters wasted.

I loved being in Vera’s head as she reflected on her life and the past timeline was so gripping to watch play out. In some ways it felt like a simple story, like the way it unfolded, but when you take the time to think about it, there are so many layers.

Most interesting to me was the relationship that Vera had with her father. An assumption may be that because he was a killer, he would be a harsh and dominating force in her life, but that’s not quite the case.

Additionally, to see the tension between her and her mother, it almost seemed upside-down from what you would expect. And then there was the whole dynamic between the mother and father, which was equally as interesting.

One of the most important aspects for me in any story is atmosphere. I need a strong atmosphere to truly be swept up into a story. I want to feel it, smell it, taste it and generally, be unsettled by it.

Gailey nailed the atmosphere here. This house, oh my word, make no mistake, the house has soul, the house has energy. I always love when the sense of place is this thick in a story. A great example would be The Overlook Hotel in The Shining; where the place is as impactful as any of the characters.

I really had to think about this one after I finished it in order to decide on a rating. Initially, I was thinking it started too slow, but looking back, I feel it was appropriately done.

It is a bit of a slow burn, but the payoff is so over-the-top, vivid and immersive, that it just makes sense this way. Gailey crushed this. It was so freaking weird and creative in such an incredible way.

Thank you so very much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I will remember this one for a long time to come!

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