justinkhchen's reviews
571 reviews

Sufficiently serves its cozy, escapist purpose, The Pumpkin Spice Café reminds me greatly of my time playing Stardew Valley (minus the steam, of course!), or any other casual games (I used to play so many of the Delicious games); from the idyllic small town setting, quirky characters, to the overall non-threatening turns of events. There's nothing truly groundbreaking here, but I think its popularity is particularly due to timing—when our urban, everyday life is going through such turmoil and uncertainty, story like this really serves as a reliable, comforting getaway. I'll probably continue the series when I need another moment of respite! 

Intricately woven and impressively engaging, The God of the Woods reminds me how it feels to be immersed in a well-crafted story, even when specific elements within might not be particular to my taste. I was initially a little hesitant in picking this up, first by its length (do I have the patience for it?), then by the story's emphasis on generational family drama (not really a subject that perks my interest). But Liz Moore paced the story beats so elegantly, interjecting doses of mysteries among the character building moments, and managing to spotlight each character in this large ensemble cast (I was able to keep track without too much effort). The subtle commentary regarding women's societal position during the time period is welcomed and never overbearing.

If one were to pick up 1 novel to read a year, The God of the Woods will cover a lot of grounds: a layered mystery, police procedural, multi-family drama, and relevant historical context. As primarily a mystery/thriller reader myself, this is definitely paced more leisurely, and the reveals are good, but nothing groundbreaking; still, I can appreciate an excellent storyteller when I encounter one! 

There's a definite 5-stars read in here if you have the patience, reading Devils Kill Devils was a constant whiplash, switching between complete engagement to groaning at its unnecessary wordiness. In the end I was glad I pressed on despite the book's monotonous first half (other than the attention-grabbing opening), because the finale was an emotionally potent, fantastically imaginative gore fest that left me in awe (and reaffirmed why I was such a fan of Johnny Compton's writing to begin with).

In some ways Devils Kill Devils comes across more like a debut than his actual debut, The Spite House, due to its obvious inconsistencies. The premise of realizing the entity one identified as a 'guardian angel' having ulterior, more sinister motive is such an intriguing starting point, and I appreciate Johnny Compton's intricate storytelling, fusing elements of vampiric lore, exploration on religion/cult, and grief into an unique modern horror fantasy.

But the absence of a vigorous editing is this novel's ultimate undoing: way too much stagnant train-of-thought passages when the plot should be developing. There are moments where consecutive paragraphs containing the same information, written differently as if the author was testing out options, somehow ended up all appearing in the final manuscript. For a short novel that's below the 300 page count, this definitely feels like a more laborious experience.

I don't think I've ever been so unsure on how to rate a novel, but Devils Kill Devils is that rare instance: there are obvious objective flaws where I know will turn readers off, yet I'm still compelled by the author's ambition, because when it is working, it works brilliantly. This might be one you'll have to try out for yourself, but Johnny Compton is still on my radar as a must-read author.

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

A fitting conclusion to an ambitious, if uneven historical romance trilogy, The Mistress Experience is overall an extremely joyful, heartfelt read, thanks to its fiery, no-filter heroine, excellent writing, and the 'sex education' premise that dives into issues rarely communicated with such frankness in a historical romance context.

While Book 2 The Portrait of a Duchess elaborated on the series' world building (really fleshing out the activities of the Society of Sirens), and being more explicit regarding its social commentary, to the point of overriding its romance, The Mistress Experience feels like an extreme course correction; with a very scaled-back domesticity story taking place primarily at a single location. Even though it is a positive change returning focus back to the featured couple, as someone who prefers dynamic plotting /multiple settings in his historical romance, this can also be perceived as a slight downgrade.

I'm glad I was able to follow through with this series; with The Rakess, still reigns as the perfect blend of familiarity and fresh ideas, The Portrait of a Duchess packed with great intentions but fumbles the execution, and The Mistress Experience lands somewhere in between, I can these stories are nothing if not memorable. I'm curious what Scarlett Peckham will write next!

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

A decent horror pick-me-up, William is an in-your-face assemblage of horror trope and setting: possessed doll, tech-gone-rouge, and haunted house to highlight a few. Beneath its funhouse style carnage and violence, there lies a thought-provoking core thesis, which reveals itself towards the end for a satisfying finale.

My main issue with William is its structure: it's missing a proper first act introducing its characters and setting. Spin it positively it drops readers immediately in the midst of action (everything is already creepy/off-kilter from the get-go). However, the absence of buildup also makes the horrors less dynamic, as well as the deaths coming across as trivial (since we as readers never really get to know the characters). The writing is also uneven, very articulated in generating atmosphere and putting out philosophical discourse, but action sequences tend to be muddled and disorienting, and I find myself constantly re-reading passages trying to visualize what exactly is happening.

William offers a quick dose of satisfying horror (not a bad pick if you'll be doing a Halloween readathon this year), but has evident flaws due to the amputated storytelling (not unlike a certain character...)—a novella of strong ideas desperately needing to be fleshed out to a full length novel.

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

Put your thinking cap on for this one, The Night Guest is an effectively told psychological horror novella that is easy to consume with its concise language and short chapters (many used brilliantly to intentionally setting up tension and dread), but also trust its readers to pick up clues along the way to decode its ambiguous ending.

I'll confess when I first got to the end, I was very confused by its out of left field strangeness. It was not until digging through other reviews and comments where I started to piece together the author's intent, and how the more nuanced, layered interpretation could be constructed via the various incidents, mentions happening prior to that point.

I love puzzle games, and The Night Guest was a refreshing reminder how passive I might have become recently, expecting stories to explain themselves to me in the end. Very excited to re-read this again now knowing how the pieces fall together! vibe-wise this reminds me greatly of Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.

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

Behold the Monster is a candid documentary of Jillian's research into serial killer Samuel Little (with whom she had built an unlabelable 'friendship' before his passing), as well as dramatized fiction that sheds light on his victims—writing from their point of views moment before their death.

The overall structure reminds me of I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, where it is as much about the author's personal experience as the researched subject. Perhaps the book's nonlinear chapters resembles more closely the winding path of her investigation, but a clearer organizing structure would've helped making the information more easily digestible, as currently it tends to jump from topics such as the US justice system, deep dive into psychology, interaction with Samuel Little, the victim's POV, and Jillian's personal anecdotes at seemingly random order. Still, as a true crime nonfiction, this is packed to the brim with facts and emotions.

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

A 'just fine' time-filler domestic mystery, sometimes bad press is good press, which is exactly what led me to pick up my first Jeneva Rose, with Home Is Where the Bodies Are being claimed online as the first half-decent mystery thriller she has published (since The Perfect Marriage, apparently). After reading this (very swiftly), I can say it is not bad at all, but it is also nothing more than an amalgamation of lukewarm, recycled ideas. I'm sure I'll forget most of it almost as fast as the rate I was consuming it (which was 2 days of audiobook listening while at work).

I did predict the big reveal pretty early on, as the setup really didn't leave much alternative options (what kind of horrible truth would parents desperately take to their grave...), and the halfhearted attempts at throwing in additional suspects never really pan out to anything substantial. But the novel did have the complicated sibling dynamic nailed, as well delivering the rural American small town vibe. (which in the author's acknowledgement she mentioned a lot were inspired by her lived experience) 

I'm glad internet discourse has brought me to checking out Jeneva Rose, but I would put her in the same category as Sally Hepworth—authors whose subject matter and storytelling are probably leaning too much into familial drama (rather than mystery/thriller) for my personal taste. 

The series continues to charm, Kate Bateman always hits the spot when I'm in need for a lighthearted historical romance (with a plot), and How to Fall for a Scoundrel is no difference. Centering around a detective agency set up by the series heroine trio, I'm glad to report there's indeed a lot of sleuthing incorporated within its narrative—and the case is a densely layered one, cascading like Dominoes with 1 case leading smoothly into the next (I do have to overlook a few logic gaps, but they don't hinder the overall experience). The romance is cute (if not overly dramatic/emotional), primarily due to the snappy banters, but it does lose a bit of momentum in its last stretch—the third act conflict feels muted and halfhearted, more like a prerequisite to get to a novel-length page count rather than a necessity for its romance arc. Still, How to Fall for a Scoundrel is a solid entry to the series, and I can't wait for the third book!

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