keelreads's reviews
249 reviews

A strangely gory and beautiful novella following a mermaid, as the flees the kingdom her children devoured, and a plague doctor. There was a lyrical beauty to this novella that entranced me, but I personally found myself getting lost and confused at points. That said, it was a horrid nightmare and a fairy tale wrapped in one; dark and sweet.

Sisters of the Lost Nation is a riveting novel with an important central issue surrounding missing and murdered indigenous women.

Anna is quiet, an outcast. Bullied and broken down, she glides through life like a ghost. Her life consists of battling school, picking up after her boss at work, and trying to navigate her troubled family, all while trying to avoid the monster that has haunted her for years. Anna is concerned with the young woman, gone missing from the reservation, but that concern turns to terror when her younger sister falls victim to the odd disappearances. Anna finds herself and her voice as she fights to find her sister and stop the corruption and horrors that her reservation and her home have also fallen victim to.

It was interesting to read, the chapters jumping back and forth between times. We see everything that led up to the moment Grace, Anna's sister, went missing and everything that happened after her disappearance. We are able to see how this one, incredibly devastating event can rock a family and change someone, bringing out strength they never knew they possessed. I adore this novel.

The only "critical" thing I would say, is that there wasn't as much horror as I expected there to be. There were moments, but it sits more on the side of a thriller. Which is fine! The horror aspect is based more on folklore and mythology which brings the story together beautifully.

Sweet and spicy! Zora Books Her Happy Ever After, had me giggling at the sweet romantic words and gestures, to then have me sweating it out in a few of the steamy scenes.

This novel follows Zora, a bookstore owner who is constantly nagged by her best friend and grandmother to settle down... and get laid because Granny wants great-grandchildren. But Zora doesn't have time for that, her life centers around the bookstore, and she doesn't have time for dating until her favorite mystery writer and crush, Lawrence agrees to visit her bookstore to promote his new book. When he shows interest in Zora and asks her on a date, she decides it's time to make room for romance.

Things begin to get a little... complicated, when Lawrence's best friend, Reid, who Zora butted heads with at the book promotion, begins to show interest in her. She learns that there may be a little more to the grump that she first met, and that first impressions aren't always the true person. As she begins dating both men who are pining for her affection, she begins to learn that these friends may be hiding secrets.

I loved the theme of strong black women being central to their community, which Taj portrayed in this book. Her characters, Zora, Emma, and Granny were definitely strong, valued, and loved members of their community and family. I loved the dynamic between the three of them and how they interacted with each other.

S.A. Cosby is a fantastic storyteller whose storytelling skills really come through in All the Sinners Bleed. I was itching for more information and indication on what was going on and who was doing it and bit by bit, Cosby pulled back the veil with his main character Titus, leading the charge.

Titus is a black sheriff, previously an agent with the FBI but guilt led him back home to the small town of Charon County. Charon County has a troubled history and a worrisome present, as some people can't seem to shake their old Southern prejudice beliefs. That's not the only thing that has residents on edge. A school shooting and secrets uncovered in the aftermath have residents reeling and more divided than ever as they wonder if anyone is safe with this killer on the loose.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am so excited for its release. I found myself gravitating toward Titus's father as my favorite character in this novel, he was a broken and flawed, but entirely wholesome man and the scenes that featured him were a great reprieve from other more harsh scenes.

I was not as much of a fan of the ending of this novel though as there was so much that I felt was left unanswered,

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the troubled young man's exact involvement in the crimes was not revealed, which I would have liked,

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but understand we don't always get an answer. I just feel like the ended could have been slightly more drawn out.

Wow! Someone Is Always Watching is a novel that I tore through so quickly I am surprised I don't have whiplash!

This novel is definitely a wild ride and I don't know what to say that won't give anything away so this is all you are getting:

A tight-knit group of teenage friends starts to have doubts-- after one of them has an unexpected break in their mental state-- about everything and everyone, including each other and themselves as cracks in their memories are surfacing.

I had no idea what was going on through 80% of this novel, in a good way.

"Grief is just love looking for a place to settle."

Clover is surrounded by death. As a 36-year-old death doula, Clover helps to delicately and honestly guide people through the death process. Clover has dedicated so much time to helping the dying that she is barely living herself, she's become guarded, and the only friends she has in her life are her pets and her elderly neighbor, Leo. When life... and death bring two new people into her life, she is pushed from her comfort zone and into a new mission to grant the final wishes of a dying woman.

This was a story that I was not expecting. I went into The Collected Regrets of Clover expecting a story of a reclusive and insecure woman who through dealing with the dying goes on a grand adventure to find a long-lost love and bring closure to her dying friend. Though it is indeed that, it's also so much more. It is an incredibly moving story centered around grief, love, and belonging.

The actual "adventure" in this novel was shorter than expected, but in my opinion, the whole story was an adventure of Clover really finding herself.

"We must listen to the women who came before us. We change the future by unloading the sorrow of the past. We sever the cord of generational curses."

The Haunting of Alejandra is a beautiful and haunting tale of mothers and daughters battling a monster of a generational curse. A cautionary tale not just of La Llorona, but of the idea that if you do not choose to break that generational curse, your lineage is forced to endure the cyclical trauma. This novel blew me away. Castro created incredibly strong characters within Alejandra and each of the women that we encounter throughout the story. The characters were all incredibly well-rounded and relatable, some were even easy to hate, *cough cough* Matthew.

The Haunting of Alejandra follows Alejandra herself, as she battles what she believes is depression, suicidal thoughts, and hallucinations of a woman in a white dress. That is until her children, especially her oldest daughter, begin to encounter the same "hallucination" as she, La Llorona. Alejandra knows that La Llorona is after her and her family. With the help of her therapist and biological mother, Alejandra uncovers the truth about this monster that has been haunting her lineage for generations. Alejandra has to call on the spirits of her ancestors to rid the world of this curse before it devours her family.

This is a must-read for everyone!

I've been wanting to read this book for a while and finally decided to do so as I saw the movie is finally on Peacock.

This was an interesting novel with a great story and killer execution of plot, characters, and creating a desire to figure out how it's going to end. I am still processing everything that happened, but I definitely recommend this novel.