justinkhchen's reviews
571 reviews

Saltburn + Patricia Highsmith, The Winner is like a classy psychological thriller from yesteryear, dressed up with topical, contemporary elements (tennis, the ultra-rich, salacious activities, and on a less pleasant note, Covid-19). Not at all twisty, but a slow burn human drama that builds steadily towards a pivotal incident, and letting the reader along for the ride as the protagonist trying to untangle from its aftermath. Highly recommend the audiobook—the narrator really embodies the protagonist's persona, and the prose flows smoothly as a listening experience.

The downside of The Winner is its lack of a true surprise—not only is its own synopsis overly revealing (glad I didn't read through it before starting), if I go through a particular Patricia Highsmith novel (it would be too much of a spoiler to mention), I can potentially match up the equivalent characters / events between the two novels. Still, personally I have a soft spot for stories about a morally-ambiguous underdog scheming the riches, and this one, even with the déjà vu, remains handsomely assembled and engrossing.

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

A lyrical, hypnotic nightmare, Catherine House 100% delivered on my expectation, a hallucinatory journey as we follow the protagonist through her 3 years of 'education' at the prestigious(?) 'institution'. A story that's more of a sensory experience rather than plot (but glad to see there's still one!) Elisabeth Thomas has to be a fan of David Lynch, because this is as close as one can get to a Lynchian cinematic experience in words: dream logic, time warp, and deep melancholy. I can understand the polarizing reception this novel has gotten (the 3.1 average GR rating is no joke!), but it completely works for me! 

A compulsively readable crime thriller, I was introduced to Steve Cavanagh through his excellent thriller Kill for Me, Kill for You. While the marketing for Witness 8 is filled with thriller-y buzzwords (such as 'perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Megan Miranda'), just note this is more of a crime procedural/courtroom drama, as well as the eighth entry to an ongoing series. However, I still had a blast reading it, thanks to its dynamic cast, sharp writing (with a dash of humor), and a narrative that's constantly on the move.

The ensemble cast was pretty easy to familiarize, each with their own distinguishable persona (you didn't need knowledge of prior novels for this). Witness 8's success was anchored by its illusive antagonist, Ruby, who provided the majority of the 'thriller-y' flavor—it was exhilarating reading characters trying to out-maneuver one another. I was also pleasantly surprised by Witness 8's courtroom segments; concerned they would be monotonous and laden with technical terms, but turned out I was completely captivated by the strategic moves and countermoves.

With so many fundamental aspects against it (crime procedural/courtroom drama + serial), Witness 8 couldn't have fared better for me—tonally this is very much reminiscent of Law & Order or Criminal Minds. Aside from its resolution being a little too neat, and the leniency on realism, this one is worth looking into by readers who discovered the author via Kill for Me, Kill for You, and don't mind trying something a little different.

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

Extreme highs and lows, I'll admit I did go into At Home With the Horrors with some expectation, as it came highly recommended. After reading, while there are definitely some unarguable hits (the story Theresa takes the crown in that category), being indie-published, one can tell the lack of vigorous editing does hinder the collection—aside from spelling and grammatical errors (noticeable but not distracting), the book would've rated higher if it is a more curated collection of 10 instead of 14.

Sammy Scott seems to be a stronger scenario writer rather than character, as many of my least favorites in the collection are the lengthier ones (Nancy, People You May Know, Emil Bones), where the tension and horror is diluted by uninteresting scenes of bland characters conversing in expected dialogs (with one instance of cringey attempt at writing romantic banter). The stories are at their strongest when they are told efficiently, setting up an unusual circumstance, and turning it on its head with otherworldly development (Theresa, Re-birth, Katherine).

Despite it being greatly uneven, if you have Kindle Unlimited access, I still think this is worth checking out for a selection of its stories (I like more than half of them), especially if you're craving classic horror tales akin to Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone.

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What We Have Here: 4.25 stars
An excellent opener, a well-rounded glimpse of domestic incidents that is both horrifying and thematically clear.

Theresa: 5 stars
Both bone-chilling and heartbreaking, this one features some harrowing sequences (I couldn't put it down), and the closing line really solidifies it as an obvious standout entry.

Blackbird: 4 stars
Very engaging plot progression (reminiscent of the movie Inception), with a decent 'twist', but some of the details feel a bit first draft and less resolved.

The Sisters: 2.5 stars
A little bit of a filler story, goes in a particular direction as expected—at least it's really short.

Peeping Tommy: 3 stars
Great horror imagery, but the story is a little cliche (very Goosebumps), and the ending feels rushed as way more could've been done with the setting (a fabricated, staged model home).

Becca: 3.5 stars
I'm starting to notice a 'template' these stories go through (protagonist turning out to be connected to the entity that is disrupting them)—this one is still decent at delivering creepy imagery, but it's starting to feel predictable and indistinguishable from other stories in the collection.

Sleeptalker: 3.75 stars
Another solid one. Sammy Scott is really good at creating a believable suburban husband and wife dynamic/scene.

Re-birth: 4.5 stars
Extremely provocative with a slight sci-fi undertone; the concept brings up really compelling societal commentary (though not as fleshed out as what I would've liked), and I love the emotional buildup to the payoff!

Katherine: 4.25 stars
A really neat spin on the reliable haunted house story, really enjoy how the mystery unravels.

Scared Mary: 3.25 stars
Contains a bit too much info dump regarding the origin of a viral Youtube channel (though I do appreciate its overall sarcastic tone). Highlight being the unexpected, but perfectly tension-filled closing moment.

Something Else Entirely: 2 stars
Flat-lined plot with no build up and vague on detail.

Nancy: 2 stars
While I like the concept (being haunted by past mistake), the overall progression is disjointed, with inconsistent logic and odd character reaction. Even though the misdirect provided by the name 'Nancy' is effective, this one feels like the story is spinning its wheels to get to the point.

People You May Know: 2 stars
A weak drama with a tacked on 'twist' ending that comes out of nowhere. I don't think the characters are interesting enough to warrant the extended length.

Emil Bones: 2.5 stars
The longest story in this collection (taking 1/3 of the book's overall length), it is frustratingly long and padded, drowning out some excellent ideas (the final spin on reader/writer relationship is clever) and elements (there's a plot critical poem that is bone-chilling in its naivete). Clearly inspired by the film The Babadook, the story beats feel too familiar, and could've easily been condensed to half of its current length (simply by removing the romance side plot—the banters are trying way too hard to be cute to the point of cringe).

As much of a delightful escapism as The Pumpkin Spice Café, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store continues the small town charm with its cast of likable characters, easy humor, and laid-back mystery. The romantic steam in noticeably dialed up this time around, so this is now presenting itself more explicitly as a romance novel comparing to the first entry (which can be considered a 'cozy' with a dash of romance). Tonally still very much reminding me of my time playing Stardew Valley—which is a great thing. 

Hypnotic and atmospheric, Beautiful Ugly is a bit of a return to form—while I liked Daisy Darker and Good Bad Girl enough, neither of them quite captivated me the same way as Rock Paper Scissors, which remains my favorite of hers with its perfect ratio of gripping writing, mood, and outside-of-my-radar twists.

Beautiful Ugly hooks me in immediately with its cold opening, and one of its greatest strength throughout is the ominous setting of the Scottish island—even though the story unfolds relatively slowly, there are so many small, yet menacing detail/incident along the way, that really tickle readers' curiosity to keep reading/guessing the outcome. Speaking of the reveal, when the story finally laid all its cards on the table, while I did see aspects of its twist coming (I might have previously consumed the same media that inspired Alice Feeney), I was still delightfully surprised by the construct surrounding it. As much fun as I had, I can foresee this one not holding up in a re-read—not only is the protagonist comically unreliable (so he's an insomniac, alcoholic, AND emotionally distraught?), but quite a few character interaction/event will seem convoluted and unnatural knowing where the plot ultimately ends.

Beautiful Ugly is a polished entry that encapsulates everything I enjoy from Alice Feeney: an immersive, can't-put-it-down thrill ride. There's even a small literary Easter egg near the end that really takes an extra level of craftsmanship to accomplish (IYKYK). Also worth noting is its audiobook, which is very tastefully done with perfectly performed narration and sound effect—really enhances the overall foreboding hue. This is good one!

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

Enjoyed the corporate office setting and the accompanied comedic bits (relatable!), but the main plot is a little too mundane, slice-of-life and leaning into women's fiction category. Objectively well-done at crafting a story centering around an easily unlikable protagonist, but does not fully resonate with me. Tonally reminds me of Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke. 

5-star beginning and end, with a 2-star middle, Shark Heart really captivated me from the start, loving the outlandish premise (an alternate universe where there's a known rare disease of people turning into animal), and how it serves metaphorically as a visceral day-by-day experience of gradually losing a loved one to something beyond one's control. When it's at its imaginative high, Shark Heart's insightful storytelling and emotive writing style reminds me of Matt Haig and Fredrik Backman.

Divided into 3 parts (Part 1: 50%, Part 2: 35%, Part 3:15%), unfortunately Part 2 sticks out like an sore thumb in term of its content and style. Following a different character, not only does the story progresses like a Nicholas Sparks reject (disillusioned young love with all the tragic tropes one can imagine: uncaring parents, teenage pregnancy, domestic abuse, etc.), also absent is the surrealist tone, as it doesn't reference the human-to-animal condition until the very end. Overall this section feels like a throwaway tangent with the sole purpose being beefing up the book to a more marketable novel length.

Shark Heart reads like a proper debut, in the sense it is extremely uneven: Part 1 & 3 are delightfully immersive comparing to the overtly sentimental Part 2. Emily Habeck is still a promising author on my radar—fingers crossed her future work is more in the vein of imaginative humans story, and not sappy tragic romance. 

A tense, engrossing psychological suspense, Sweet Fury's promo material heavily mentions The Silent Patient, while genre-wise not exactly the same (The Silent Patient a thriller, Sweet Fury a drama—goes a lot more in depth in its characters' psyche), I understand the comparison in that both stories share a brisk pace with relentless tension, as well as gasp-worthy character behaviors motivated by objectionable impulse.

With F. Scott Fitzgerald's work being heavily featured, prior knowledge to his novels would be beneficial (particularly The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the Night), Sweet Fury does a decent job providing the necessary context, but one will get more out it if already familiar with the source material. For the majority of its length, Sweet Fury has me completely immersed in its tightly-wound mind game, unfortunately, the conclusion tilts the scale a bit too far into silly popcorn thriller zone, with over-the-top action and an oddly placed epilogues that is in stark contrast to the more nuanced construction prior.

As a debut, Sweet Fury sets itself apart by being painstaking with its character work, but incorporating shades of thriller storytelling, making it memorable and unputdownable. There are some minor rough patches that come with a first novel, but overall a completely worthy read—especially if you have enjoyed Alex Michaelides' novels in the past (The Fury is another apt comparison, a title I enjoyed it though universally is less well-liked).

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

Superb romantic leads and chemistry, Beverly Jenkins has always excelled at conjuring up heroines and heroes who are believably dimensional with undeniable charm, and Loreli +Jake in A Chance at Love might take the crown as the best pairing I've read from her thus far — the conservative, yet earnest hero interacting with a worldly, fire-cracker personality of the heroine generated many hilarious scenes (the outcome from their first physical act after a lengthy romantic tension was hilarious and true-to-character!) as well as tenderly emotional ones. This novel is pick-up worthy just for the character work alone.

Plot-wise, I thoroughly enjoyed the small town shenanigans, as well as the historical facts sprinkled throughout (Beverly Jenkins can get side-tracked by being overly generous with laying out her research, but the balance in this novel felt just right). Unfortunately, the last 10-15% of the novel took a turn, with a hastily-introduced antagonist becoming its focal point (a character I assumed previously to be merely a mention in one scene), and the resolution to the romance that felt very temporary with many conflicts unresolved. This 'closing-a-story-with-an-action-set piece' has been a template executed across a couple novels of hers I've read, it is too bad it has always stuck out like narrative sore thumb in an otherwise perfectly told tale.

Still, this might be my new favorite Beverly Jenkins novel, despite the absence of a fitting finale. My previous favorite has been Topaz, which in the Afterword was mentioned to have character overlap with this one, so that's a pleasant nugget of information!

***Historical Hellions Book Club | Octorber 2024 Selection***