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249 reviews
Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
4.0
3.5 stars rounded to 4. This was a good novel with a great twist that I was not expecting. Lapena did such a great job of casting doubt and suspicion on so many of the characters.
Avery is known as a "difficult" child by all who know her. She is a troublemaker in and out of school, after being disruptive at choir club, she's sent home early. Avery's Dad, William is having an affair, at least he was until his mistress ended things earlier. William goes home early to get a moment alone while the kids are still at school and his wife is at work. William isn't expecting defiant Avery to be at home, eating cookies. William's anger takes over and he ends up leaving Avery alone at the house again. When Michael, Avery's brother comes come, Avery is nowhere to be seen. Everyone seems to be holding secrets and no one knows who to believe.
Avery is known as a "difficult" child by all who know her. She is a troublemaker in and out of school, after being disruptive at choir club, she's sent home early. Avery's Dad, William is having an affair, at least he was until his mistress ended things earlier. William goes home early to get a moment alone while the kids are still at school and his wife is at work. William isn't expecting defiant Avery to be at home, eating cookies. William's anger takes over and he ends up leaving Avery alone at the house again. When Michael, Avery's brother comes come, Avery is nowhere to be seen. Everyone seems to be holding secrets and no one knows who to believe.
Malice House by Megan Shepherd
4.0
The synopsis of Malice House really intrigued me, but the story was so much more enthralling than I initially imagined! The characters were well written, the monsters eerie enough to leave my skin crawling. Let's not forget the many small twists that were successfully embedded in the story. I cannot wait to read the sequel!
Haven moves into her late father's house, trying for a fresh start when she stumbles across a hidden manuscript locked away. It's unlike anything her father had written before, a collection of interconnected short horror stories Bedtime Stories for Monsters. Intrigued by the stories and characters her father created, Haven begins to illustrate the characters with the intention to find someone interested in publishing a posthumous father-daughter collaboration. When things begin to go bump in the night and murdered individuals turn up in town, their murders strangely connected to her father, Haven believes that she may have drawn the monsters to life.
Not only does Haven have to fight the monsters under her bed, but she also has to face the people in town with an odd fascination with her father that she can't seem to get away from.
Haven moves into her late father's house, trying for a fresh start when she stumbles across a hidden manuscript locked away. It's unlike anything her father had written before, a collection of interconnected short horror stories Bedtime Stories for Monsters. Intrigued by the stories and characters her father created, Haven begins to illustrate the characters with the intention to find someone interested in publishing a posthumous father-daughter collaboration. When things begin to go bump in the night and murdered individuals turn up in town, their murders strangely connected to her father, Haven believes that she may have drawn the monsters to life.
Not only does Haven have to fight the monsters under her bed, but she also has to face the people in town with an odd fascination with her father that she can't seem to get away from.
The Inmate by Freida McFadden
3.0
4.5 rounded up
What can I say other than, I was truly impressed with this novel and how much I enjoyed it. I am a huge fan of big plot twists, and though I did guess many of the things that happened, it didn't take away from my enjoyment. The story and characters were very well written and I am excited to read more from McFadden.
Brooke Sullivan is the new nurse practitioner at Raker Men's maximum security prisoner. This is the last job she wanted, not just because it's a prison, but because it's the same prison where Shane Nelson is sentenced to life. Brooke is desperate for a job and left her ties to the prisoner off the application, chances of treating him are slim... right?
Seeing Shane is the last thing she wants, seeing as though he is there because of her anyway and she is still plagued by nightmares of the last time she was with Shane, a decade ago.
Can Brooke trust life to finally go her way? Can she trust her memories?
What can I say other than, I was truly impressed with this novel and how much I enjoyed it. I am a huge fan of big plot twists, and though I did guess many of the things that happened, it didn't take away from my enjoyment. The story and characters were very well written and I am excited to read more from McFadden.
Brooke Sullivan is the new nurse practitioner at Raker Men's maximum security prisoner. This is the last job she wanted, not just because it's a prison, but because it's the same prison where Shane Nelson is sentenced to life. Brooke is desperate for a job and left her ties to the prisoner off the application, chances of treating him are slim... right?
Seeing Shane is the last thing she wants, seeing as though he is there because of her anyway and she is still plagued by nightmares of the last time she was with Shane, a decade ago.
Can Brooke trust life to finally go her way? Can she trust her memories?
People to Follow by Olivia Worley
DNF'ed this one. I had high hopes as it sounded great, which at first it was, but I quickly and continually got confused. In my opinion, there were too many characters and they didn't have distinctive voices that really set them apart. I had to keep going back and rereading chapters to figure out who was who before giving up. It was a great idea and I'm sure it gets good, but I was struggling too much to justify continuing.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica
2.0
Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is a collection of dark and unique short stories from the author of Tender is the Flesh.
Though it had a few stories that I really enjoyed, I personally was not a big fan of Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird. I was expecting something fresh and terrifying, or even with a creeping sense of fear and it fell short of the mark in both fear and in my opinion, writing. I am a fan of short stories and of horror/thriller writing, but unfortunately not this.
Again, there were some great short stories sprinkled in there but not enough for me to really enjoy the whole collection.
Though it had a few stories that I really enjoyed, I personally was not a big fan of Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird. I was expecting something fresh and terrifying, or even with a creeping sense of fear and it fell short of the mark in both fear and in my opinion, writing. I am a fan of short stories and of horror/thriller writing, but unfortunately not this.
Again, there were some great short stories sprinkled in there but not enough for me to really enjoy the whole collection.
Camp Sylvania by Julie Murphy
5.0
Camp Sylvania is the perfect campy book to read this summer!
Maggie has just finished fifth-grade and is looking forward to going to Camp Rising Star with her best friend after being on the waitlist for years, but her parents throw a wrench in her highly anticipated summer plans by sending her to fat camp. Maggie is devastated, but nothing— not even reading her dad’s underground zombie and vampire novels — can prepare her for what the incredibly weird camp experience has in store for her.
Camp Sylvania, previously known as Camp New Beginnings is run by the famous influencer known as Sylvia Sylvania who is working on a patent for her new diet, the Scarlet Diet. The campers are given mandatory weigh-ins, exhausting workouts under the awful heat of summer, trips to the blood bank for a minimum for four blood donations, and all the food is RED!
Though weird, as Maggie begins making friends and even getting a role in the camp musical, she realized that she’s actually having some fun. That is until campers mysteriously go missing and she finds that out some news that changes everything.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Maggie has just finished fifth-grade and is looking forward to going to Camp Rising Star with her best friend after being on the waitlist for years, but her parents throw a wrench in her highly anticipated summer plans by sending her to fat camp. Maggie is devastated, but nothing— not even reading her dad’s underground zombie and vampire novels — can prepare her for what the incredibly weird camp experience has in store for her.
Camp Sylvania, previously known as Camp New Beginnings is run by the famous influencer known as Sylvia Sylvania who is working on a patent for her new diet, the Scarlet Diet. The campers are given mandatory weigh-ins, exhausting workouts under the awful heat of summer, trips to the blood bank for a minimum for four blood donations, and all the food is RED!
Though weird, as Maggie begins making friends and even getting a role in the camp musical, she realized that she’s actually having some fun. That is until campers mysteriously go missing and she finds that out some news that changes everything.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Finch House by Ciera Burch
4.0
Wow, wow, wow. I think I spent a total of five hours reading this book, it is so good. This story is equal parts creepy and heartwarming. The book is described as Encanto meets Coraline and it's right!
Micah's grandpa has warned her to stay away from the Finch house, with no explanations, just pleas to stay away and a promise from Micah to do just that. But a joyride around town before moving away with her mom brings her back to the Finch house, meeting its new owners. When her Poppop finds her there, he is less than pleased and immediately takes her home.
The next day her Poppop is nowhere to be found and a feeling leads her back to the Finch house, where her new friend Theo is hesitant to go back inside his haunted house and her Poppop's car is left abandoned down the street. Micah pushes back all the warnings to stay away and ventures inside to find out what happened to not only her Poppop but the children the house seems to have a hold on.
My only criticism, like so many movies and shows targeted at this age, is the total lack of parental involvement in the story. No way would I let my child step foot into a house owned by someone I have never met before, let alone stay the night.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Micah's grandpa has warned her to stay away from the Finch house, with no explanations, just pleas to stay away and a promise from Micah to do just that. But a joyride around town before moving away with her mom brings her back to the Finch house, meeting its new owners. When her Poppop finds her there, he is less than pleased and immediately takes her home.
The next day her Poppop is nowhere to be found and a feeling leads her back to the Finch house, where her new friend Theo is hesitant to go back inside his haunted house and her Poppop's car is left abandoned down the street. Micah pushes back all the warnings to stay away and ventures inside to find out what happened to not only her Poppop but the children the house seems to have a hold on.
My only criticism, like so many movies and shows targeted at this age, is the total lack of parental involvement in the story. No way would I let my child step foot into a house owned by someone I have never met before, let alone stay the night.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.*