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Claire has zero interest in ghosts. She keeps her mind firmly in the science of things and science says don't exist. Matter of fact, she's horrified by the fact that her dad is into all things paranormal, has even published a book of ghost stories, and runs a haunted bus tour. Mortified, in fact. Family responsibility means that one night when her dad is short-handed, Claire has to step in and help on the dumb tour. She'd rather be hanging out with her best friend, but her best friend seems to have a new BFF so off Claire goes. While on the tour, she sees a little boy who vanishes and weird stuff she can't explain starts happening.
Claire is no-nonsense when it comes to science, but still not sure of herself when it comes to relationships whether that's with family or her best friend. Rather than just asking when she feels left out by her friend, she ruminates on it internally and ends up making it more than it actually is. Her heartache and anguish are real and it's hard to put that into words at that age. Her feelings towards her father and his ghost business are legitimate as all kids start exerting their independence around that age and embarrassment of your parents comes with the territory.
The ghost part of Scritch Scratch is terrifying: scratching inside the walls, flooding that feels real but there's no evidence of later, voices, and the number 396 appearing in marker on the shower wall—amongst other places. Claire and her brother have to sleuth to find out just who the boy is and why he followed Claire home. It's bone-chilling and alarming and so good!
Scritch Scratch is just the type of book I would have loved as a kid. The characters are well written, the relationships feel genuine and the spooks are frightening. It might be a bit scary for younger readers at first but it all works out in the end. Claire learns a lot about herself and the world around her and shows great character growth and maturity. There's also a historical basis to the haunting which gave it real-world validity and just added an extra layer to it. This is definitely a story to read way past your bedtime under the covers with a flashlight. Eerie and hair-raising with heart!
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Claire is no-nonsense when it comes to science, but still not sure of herself when it comes to relationships whether that's with family or her best friend. Rather than just asking when she feels left out by her friend, she ruminates on it internally and ends up making it more than it actually is. Her heartache and anguish are real and it's hard to put that into words at that age. Her feelings towards her father and his ghost business are legitimate as all kids start exerting their independence around that age and embarrassment of your parents comes with the territory.
The ghost part of Scritch Scratch is terrifying: scratching inside the walls, flooding that feels real but there's no evidence of later, voices, and the number 396 appearing in marker on the shower wall—amongst other places. Claire and her brother have to sleuth to find out just who the boy is and why he followed Claire home. It's bone-chilling and alarming and so good!
Scritch Scratch is just the type of book I would have loved as a kid. The characters are well written, the relationships feel genuine and the spooks are frightening. It might be a bit scary for younger readers at first but it all works out in the end. Claire learns a lot about herself and the world around her and shows great character growth and maturity. There's also a historical basis to the haunting which gave it real-world validity and just added an extra layer to it. This is definitely a story to read way past your bedtime under the covers with a flashlight. Eerie and hair-raising with heart!
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Not just another apocalyptic zombie book, Survivor Song is exactly the read you didn't know you needed while on lockdown during a global pandemic. Tremblay wastes no time setting the stage. Immediate agoraphobic anxiety is created as Natalie waits and worries for her husband to get home. The tension is palpable then and for the entirety of the novel as ticking time-bomb Natalie and friend "Rams" are put through one nail-biting moment after another. The pacing is cutting and well-schemed, leaving you breathlessly waiting for the next blow.
An eerie credible likeness of 2020's COVID-19 woes—from the lack of PPE to the Presidental underreaction—is painted as the protagonists face this new rabid reality and set off on their own. Woefully bleak, Survivor Song is emotional and visceral with characters you immediately can find relatable. Tremblay's ability to convey human emotion sometimes even overshadows the plot. From the difficult decisions to the heartbreak, it's hard not to become emotionally invested in these characters, knowing it will just gut you when it all goes pear-shaped. Even then, it's not all doom and gloom. While the overall storyline is dark, ultimately the undercurrent is humanity, friendship, and standing with someone through it all.
Review originally featured in Unnerving Magazine
An eerie credible likeness of 2020's COVID-19 woes—from the lack of PPE to the Presidental underreaction—is painted as the protagonists face this new rabid reality and set off on their own. Woefully bleak, Survivor Song is emotional and visceral with characters you immediately can find relatable. Tremblay's ability to convey human emotion sometimes even overshadows the plot. From the difficult decisions to the heartbreak, it's hard not to become emotionally invested in these characters, knowing it will just gut you when it all goes pear-shaped. Even then, it's not all doom and gloom. While the overall storyline is dark, ultimately the undercurrent is humanity, friendship, and standing with someone through it all.
Review originally featured in Unnerving Magazine
A massive snowstorm, a cursed town, a haunted hotel, Native American legends, ritual human sacrifice, ghost-hunting children, and a demon-possessed cryptid make up just a few of things Seven Cleopatra Hill attempts to incorporate into its tale. To say it has a lot going on is an understatement but surprisingly, the ambitious storyline works. The ghosts are the least concern as an ancient evil will unleash its wrath upon the town unless it is appeased. A romance writer's convention happens to place James and Vic in the path of the creature's fury when the older generation fails to complete the ritual.
Other than a pair of precocious children, the eclectic character cast felt superficial. The humor and dialogue seemed forced and juvenile, often missing the mark. The strong point for Seven Cleopatra Hill definitely lies in the action propelling the story onwards. There's no shortage of grisly violence and gruesome death scenes for the gore-loving horror fans. The mystery of the creature and its origins along with the adventurous quality of the story made Seven Cleopatra Hill a fast-paced, fun horror novel though a bit more character development would have solidified the read
Review originally featured in Unnerving Magazine!
Other than a pair of precocious children, the eclectic character cast felt superficial. The humor and dialogue seemed forced and juvenile, often missing the mark. The strong point for Seven Cleopatra Hill definitely lies in the action propelling the story onwards. There's no shortage of grisly violence and gruesome death scenes for the gore-loving horror fans. The mystery of the creature and its origins along with the adventurous quality of the story made Seven Cleopatra Hill a fast-paced, fun horror novel though a bit more character development would have solidified the read
Review originally featured in Unnerving Magazine!
This is my second book by Jana Deleon (you can read my review of Wrong Side of Forty here) so I knew I was in for a hilarious good time. Dead Man Talking didn't disappoint!
Meteorologist Zoe has come back to Everlasting, Maine to help out after her aunt Sapphire takes a spill and ends up in the hospital. Zoe spent a good portion of her life in Everlasting with her quirky aunt living with her many cats in the lighthouse. She wanted to make something of herself and has spent many years of long days and nights attempting to climb the corporate ladder and prove herself as a meteorologist. She's still willing to drop everything (temporarily) for her aunt. What she didn't count on was Dane Stanton, former bf and the contractor who is revamping the lighthouse for her aunt. Zoe quickly realizes that there is more to her aunt's fall and foul play may be at work. But who would want to hurt her aunt and why would they be interested in the lighthouse? And can she stay away from Dane long enough to find out?
Dead Man Talking was so much fun. I love the town of Everlasting. All of the residents are so quirky, including her aunt Sapphire and her toilet trained cats. Zoe is extremely likeable, smart and capable, but isn't above asking for help from hunky Dane. He's an all around good guy and there's a lovely second chance romance waiting in the wings for them if they can get around their past. After all, it was Zoe's independence, drive and obstinance of leaving Everlasting that foiled their romance last time.
There's a ghost floating around the lighthouse as well, who Zoe finds out can only be seen by women and happens to be stuck wearing his boxers for eternity. He adds a light-hearted comic touch to the seriousness of what happened to Aunt Sapphire as they make sense of that night. Just one of the many oddities of Everlasting that Zoe has to come to grips with, including that her new/old beau sprouts fur!
On the down side, the romance really isn't as developed as I would like and other than a sentence or two, there's really not much about their past relationship. The mystery is the true fun here along with the amusing paranormal townspeople. This was a super fast read, well-paced, and a lot of fun.
Meteorologist Zoe has come back to Everlasting, Maine to help out after her aunt Sapphire takes a spill and ends up in the hospital. Zoe spent a good portion of her life in Everlasting with her quirky aunt living with her many cats in the lighthouse. She wanted to make something of herself and has spent many years of long days and nights attempting to climb the corporate ladder and prove herself as a meteorologist. She's still willing to drop everything (temporarily) for her aunt. What she didn't count on was Dane Stanton, former bf and the contractor who is revamping the lighthouse for her aunt. Zoe quickly realizes that there is more to her aunt's fall and foul play may be at work. But who would want to hurt her aunt and why would they be interested in the lighthouse? And can she stay away from Dane long enough to find out?
Dead Man Talking was so much fun. I love the town of Everlasting. All of the residents are so quirky, including her aunt Sapphire and her toilet trained cats. Zoe is extremely likeable, smart and capable, but isn't above asking for help from hunky Dane. He's an all around good guy and there's a lovely second chance romance waiting in the wings for them if they can get around their past. After all, it was Zoe's independence, drive and obstinance of leaving Everlasting that foiled their romance last time.
There's a ghost floating around the lighthouse as well, who Zoe finds out can only be seen by women and happens to be stuck wearing his boxers for eternity. He adds a light-hearted comic touch to the seriousness of what happened to Aunt Sapphire as they make sense of that night. Just one of the many oddities of Everlasting that Zoe has to come to grips with, including that her new/old beau sprouts fur!
On the down side, the romance really isn't as developed as I would like and other than a sentence or two, there's really not much about their past relationship. The mystery is the true fun here along with the amusing paranormal townspeople. This was a super fast read, well-paced, and a lot of fun.
The Ghost Tree is not a reimagining like Christina Henry's other work like Alice or The Lost boys though, with a bit of imagination, it does give off Sleepy Hollow vibes. Instead, she gives us a coming of age story with a young female protagonist in a small town horror setting. There's a folkloric feel idling behind this beautiful eerie cover. Set in the 1980s, the story revolves around teenage Lauren, though this is not a nostalgic tale leaving you fondly recalling those days. This is an account of monsters, violence, and a curse laid on a provincial town and all its residents.
Lauren seems to be your typical teenager. Afraid that she is being left behind by her best friend in favor of boys and makeup, Lauren is still grieving the death of her father the year before. The titular "Ghost Tree" in the forest has always been their place to meet but since Miranda has other interests, Lauren goes alone, and while there she has frightening visions of the two girls recently found in pieces in a neighbors yard. Languidly, what's unraveled is a grim narrative of the secret the residents of this small town have been maintaining unknowingly for years.
There's no denying that Henry has beautiful prose. There's a moment in which Lauren's grandmother tells the story about three witches during the town's early days. Spellbinding and captivating, it definitely shows that the author's strong point as a narrator lies in recreating fairytales. While the rest of the story was intriguing, it didn't appeal as strongly as this section. Not to say it didn't have its merits, but there's nothing better than that ethereal fairytale aura woven viva voce.
Henry's narrative ebbed and flowed like a backwoods creek—sometimes quietly burbling along and at others racing white-capped over stones. This mystery is one that doesn't make sense until it suddenly does. It's that "ah-ha" moment where you realize everything was perfectly orchestrated to lead to that moment. The ending redeemed any slower qualities the book may have had, giving a gratifying confrontation and conclusion, bringing the curse full circle.
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Lauren seems to be your typical teenager. Afraid that she is being left behind by her best friend in favor of boys and makeup, Lauren is still grieving the death of her father the year before. The titular "Ghost Tree" in the forest has always been their place to meet but since Miranda has other interests, Lauren goes alone, and while there she has frightening visions of the two girls recently found in pieces in a neighbors yard. Languidly, what's unraveled is a grim narrative of the secret the residents of this small town have been maintaining unknowingly for years.
There's no denying that Henry has beautiful prose. There's a moment in which Lauren's grandmother tells the story about three witches during the town's early days. Spellbinding and captivating, it definitely shows that the author's strong point as a narrator lies in recreating fairytales. While the rest of the story was intriguing, it didn't appeal as strongly as this section. Not to say it didn't have its merits, but there's nothing better than that ethereal fairytale aura woven viva voce.
Henry's narrative ebbed and flowed like a backwoods creek—sometimes quietly burbling along and at others racing white-capped over stones. This mystery is one that doesn't make sense until it suddenly does. It's that "ah-ha" moment where you realize everything was perfectly orchestrated to lead to that moment. The ending redeemed any slower qualities the book may have had, giving a gratifying confrontation and conclusion, bringing the curse full circle.
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Monstre is the debut apocalyptic novel from Duncan Swan and what a brazen debut it is. It begins with a bang—literally—in a nuclear research facility underground in Meyrin, Switzerland where scientists are searching for the "god" particle in a Large Hadron Collider. Something goes exceedingly wrong and the facility is destroyed in a series of energy spikes and explosions and a billowing black cloud begins deliberately smothering the world.
"...somehow their work had created a bomb, or a black hole, or something that behaved a little like both."
The novel then transitions point of view between seven main characters from various backgrounds and two continents over the course of the book—all either caught under the black cloud making its way across the world or attempting to outrun it. Monstre also jumps time points, often. The reader finds themselves at day 1 one moment and day 91 the next. Regardless of what character or moment you might find yourself in, there's no lack of action. In fact, this novel grabs you by throat from the very beginning and doesn't let go.
Monstre is smart. It grips you from the get-go, gets you invested in its characters, and then crushes all their hopes and dreams while you watch in wide-eyed disbelief. It's a claustrophobic, palm-sweating doomed nightmare. It's genre-defying as well, twisting science fiction and horror seamlessly throughout. While you might be tempted to call it post-apocalyptic horror for simplicity's sake, Monstre is so much more. Enmeshed with military warfare, this bleak and desperate end of days tale delivers survivors, predators, and seekers eeking another second of existence against all odds in this terrifying new world of monster and man.
If you are worried that an intelligent horror novel may not be engaging enough, there is no worry here. You shouldn't get too attached to any of Monstre's cast because no character is shielded from awful, horrible brutality. The gore is never-ending, ripping and tearing, splashing and running red. Death just might be preferable to what the characters endure from beast and human alike. Just when you think it will end and you will finally see some shred of perseverance, it does... The book, that is. Monstre makes no secret of the fact that it is a continuing series so if cliffhangers frustrate you prepare to throw your copy across the room. This is one debut you don't want to miss.
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"...somehow their work had created a bomb, or a black hole, or something that behaved a little like both."
The novel then transitions point of view between seven main characters from various backgrounds and two continents over the course of the book—all either caught under the black cloud making its way across the world or attempting to outrun it. Monstre also jumps time points, often. The reader finds themselves at day 1 one moment and day 91 the next. Regardless of what character or moment you might find yourself in, there's no lack of action. In fact, this novel grabs you by throat from the very beginning and doesn't let go.
Monstre is smart. It grips you from the get-go, gets you invested in its characters, and then crushes all their hopes and dreams while you watch in wide-eyed disbelief. It's a claustrophobic, palm-sweating doomed nightmare. It's genre-defying as well, twisting science fiction and horror seamlessly throughout. While you might be tempted to call it post-apocalyptic horror for simplicity's sake, Monstre is so much more. Enmeshed with military warfare, this bleak and desperate end of days tale delivers survivors, predators, and seekers eeking another second of existence against all odds in this terrifying new world of monster and man.
If you are worried that an intelligent horror novel may not be engaging enough, there is no worry here. You shouldn't get too attached to any of Monstre's cast because no character is shielded from awful, horrible brutality. The gore is never-ending, ripping and tearing, splashing and running red. Death just might be preferable to what the characters endure from beast and human alike. Just when you think it will end and you will finally see some shred of perseverance, it does... The book, that is. Monstre makes no secret of the fact that it is a continuing series so if cliffhangers frustrate you prepare to throw your copy across the room. This is one debut you don't want to miss.
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Penelope literally runs into Huge...with her car, but it's okay because Hugh happens to have improved healing. He's a wolf shifter, though Penelope doesn't know that. She's coming back to town after a bad breakup. She left Everlasting as a child when her parents died, taken away to live with her grandparents who found her other grandfather to be a strange man. Her grandfather runs the antique store and they come from a long line of supernatural hunters. Let's just say her grandfather's reputation proceeds him.
Once Hunted, Twice Shy was entertaining. Of course, there is some paranormal baking involved. Hugh, who normally cusses enough to make a sailor blush, is helped along with a bet to not curse by who other than the eccentric Aunt Polly. This lead to some...er, interesting choice of cuss words. Some of them were just hilarious. Penelope who tends to be colorful in her own lack of cursing is even impressed with some of the ones that the big bad alpha werewolf comes up with.
This one is much more romance than a mystery as most of the actual action takes place off-camera. We know that as a newcomer, Penelope is under suspicion of two deaths, but that's really all we know. Two bodies found in a cove, with no real how or why until Penelope and Hugh happen upon the erstwhile murderer by complete mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As usual, they are helped along the way by the quirky and fun residents of Everlasting. Cute and light read.
Read more at Wicked Cool Flight
Once Hunted, Twice Shy was entertaining. Of course, there is some paranormal baking involved. Hugh, who normally cusses enough to make a sailor blush, is helped along with a bet to not curse by who other than the eccentric Aunt Polly. This lead to some...er, interesting choice of cuss words. Some of them were just hilarious. Penelope who tends to be colorful in her own lack of cursing is even impressed with some of the ones that the big bad alpha werewolf comes up with.
This one is much more romance than a mystery as most of the actual action takes place off-camera. We know that as a newcomer, Penelope is under suspicion of two deaths, but that's really all we know. Two bodies found in a cove, with no real how or why until Penelope and Hugh happen upon the erstwhile murderer by complete mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As usual, they are helped along the way by the quirky and fun residents of Everlasting. Cute and light read.
Read more at Wicked Cool Flight
From the first page, I was captivated by Greg. Having fallen off a ladder while on the job, simple daily tasks are now maddening and all consuming. He embodies the spoon metaphor frequently used by those with chronic pain. You start the day with a limited amount of spoons and every activity performed throughout the day takes one of those spoons. When you are out of spoons, you’re done. That’s where Greg is. He’s done. Rock bottom. When the opportunity arises to live “normally”, Greg seizes the chance and sets off to join others in a clinical trial that promises to cure them of their pain.
I typically don't like books that have multiple POVs. I find all that jumping around to be distracting. In the case of Painless, it wasn't so much that there were multiple narrators, but rather an opportunity for the reader to get inside each person’s head. Instead of having the story told to you, you actually got to experience it with each character. This allowed me to feel invested in each character and more sympathetic to their plight.
As each of the patients in turn undergo the procedure, we realize that this cure might just be a curse. Each of the patients start experiencing horrifying side effects, while the walls start running with blood. Buckets and buckets of blood.
Painless is not for the faint-hearted. Gruesome and bloody, Painless gleefully imparts all the gory details. I found myself cringing, laughing, and then reading passages out loud to share. What unfurls next is burned into my brain so explicitly that days later, I'm still mulling it over and chuckling.
While I will say some parts were slightly predictable, the cringe factor more than made up for it. If this were a movie, I'd be there with my bucket of popcorn. Painless would make a wonderfully blood-spattered script for the big screen for us horror geeks.
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I typically don't like books that have multiple POVs. I find all that jumping around to be distracting. In the case of Painless, it wasn't so much that there were multiple narrators, but rather an opportunity for the reader to get inside each person’s head. Instead of having the story told to you, you actually got to experience it with each character. This allowed me to feel invested in each character and more sympathetic to their plight.
As each of the patients in turn undergo the procedure, we realize that this cure might just be a curse. Each of the patients start experiencing horrifying side effects, while the walls start running with blood. Buckets and buckets of blood.
Painless is not for the faint-hearted. Gruesome and bloody, Painless gleefully imparts all the gory details. I found myself cringing, laughing, and then reading passages out loud to share. What unfurls next is burned into my brain so explicitly that days later, I'm still mulling it over and chuckling.
While I will say some parts were slightly predictable, the cringe factor more than made up for it. If this were a movie, I'd be there with my bucket of popcorn. Painless would make a wonderfully blood-spattered script for the big screen for us horror geeks.
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This is my second book by Jana Deleon (you can read my review of Wrong Side of Forty here) so I knew I was in for a hilariously good time. Dead Man Talking didn't disappoint!
Meteorologist Zoe has come back to Everlasting, Maine to help out after her aunt Sapphire takes a spill and ends up in the hospital. Zoe spent a good portion of her life in Everlasting with her quirky aunt living with her many cats in the lighthouse. She wanted to make something of herself and has spent many years of long days and nights attempting to climb the corporate ladder and prove herself as a meteorologist. She's still willing to drop everything (temporarily) for her aunt. What she didn't count on was Dane Stanton, former bf and the contractor who is revamping the lighthouse for her aunt. Zoe quickly realizes that there is more to her aunt's fall and foul play may be at work. But who would want to hurt her aunt and why would they be interested in the lighthouse? And can she stay away from Dane long enough to find out?
Dead Man Talking was so much fun. I love the town of Everlasting. All of the residents are so quirky, including her aunt Sapphire and her toilet trained cats. Zoe is extremely likeable, smart and capable, but isn't above asking for help from hunky Dane. He's an all around good guy and there's a lovely second chance romance waiting in the wings for them if they can get around their past. After all, it was Zoe's independence, drive and obstinance of leaving Everlasting that foiled their romance last time.
There's a ghost floating around the lighthouse as well, who Zoe finds out can only be seen by women and happens to be stuck wearing his boxers for eternity. He adds a light-hearted comic touch to the seriousness of what happened to Aunt Sapphire as they make sense of that night. Just one of the many oddities of Everlasting that Zoe has to come to grips with, including that her new/old beau sprouts fur!
On the downside, the romance really isn't as developed as I would like, and other than a sentence or two, there's really not much about their past relationship. The mystery is the true fun here along with the amusing paranormal townspeople. This was a super-fast read, well-paced, and a lot of fun.
Meteorologist Zoe has come back to Everlasting, Maine to help out after her aunt Sapphire takes a spill and ends up in the hospital. Zoe spent a good portion of her life in Everlasting with her quirky aunt living with her many cats in the lighthouse. She wanted to make something of herself and has spent many years of long days and nights attempting to climb the corporate ladder and prove herself as a meteorologist. She's still willing to drop everything (temporarily) for her aunt. What she didn't count on was Dane Stanton, former bf and the contractor who is revamping the lighthouse for her aunt. Zoe quickly realizes that there is more to her aunt's fall and foul play may be at work. But who would want to hurt her aunt and why would they be interested in the lighthouse? And can she stay away from Dane long enough to find out?
Dead Man Talking was so much fun. I love the town of Everlasting. All of the residents are so quirky, including her aunt Sapphire and her toilet trained cats. Zoe is extremely likeable, smart and capable, but isn't above asking for help from hunky Dane. He's an all around good guy and there's a lovely second chance romance waiting in the wings for them if they can get around their past. After all, it was Zoe's independence, drive and obstinance of leaving Everlasting that foiled their romance last time.
There's a ghost floating around the lighthouse as well, who Zoe finds out can only be seen by women and happens to be stuck wearing his boxers for eternity. He adds a light-hearted comic touch to the seriousness of what happened to Aunt Sapphire as they make sense of that night. Just one of the many oddities of Everlasting that Zoe has to come to grips with, including that her new/old beau sprouts fur!
On the downside, the romance really isn't as developed as I would like, and other than a sentence or two, there's really not much about their past relationship. The mystery is the true fun here along with the amusing paranormal townspeople. This was a super-fast read, well-paced, and a lot of fun.
Blood Lake Monster is Book 12 in the Rewind-or-Die series, a series of novellas giving you that charming nostalgia of the glorious B-movies of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Number 12, written by Renee Miller, takes its turn by channeling the voice of urban legend. As we are often lead to believe, this urban legend has its origins in the truth—in this case, of what really happened to Maribel Daniels. After Maribel Daniels disappeared, no one knew the reality of that night. Now her sister Anya is back to find the answers that eluded her all these years.
Miller has written a very character-driven story. Both Maribel and Anya well-fleshed out and are portrayed in a way to be relatable. What happened to Maribel is horrific and the reader is there to experience it along with her. Afterward, the focus switches to Anya and her drive to discover what happened to Maribel. Her arc and the evolution of her character is no less important than Maribel's.
While the B-movie "toxic avenger" trope is carrying the weight of Blood Lake Monster, there's a lot more here to be traversed. The trailer park that the girls grow up in and life of poverty is explored in some detail as is the obvious bullying that occurred. While Maribel's ill-timed pressured swim was badly fated to occur at the moment that a truck accident permeates the lake with toxic waste, under all that sludge is a story of a girl turned vengeful lake monster, able to enact her retribution angrily on all of the male species that dare to enter her waters. There's a bit of a twist at the end that didn't particularly sit well, but aside from that, Blood Lake Monster was entertaining and original.
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Miller has written a very character-driven story. Both Maribel and Anya well-fleshed out and are portrayed in a way to be relatable. What happened to Maribel is horrific and the reader is there to experience it along with her. Afterward, the focus switches to Anya and her drive to discover what happened to Maribel. Her arc and the evolution of her character is no less important than Maribel's.
While the B-movie "toxic avenger" trope is carrying the weight of Blood Lake Monster, there's a lot more here to be traversed. The trailer park that the girls grow up in and life of poverty is explored in some detail as is the obvious bullying that occurred. While Maribel's ill-timed pressured swim was badly fated to occur at the moment that a truck accident permeates the lake with toxic waste, under all that sludge is a story of a girl turned vengeful lake monster, able to enact her retribution angrily on all of the male species that dare to enter her waters. There's a bit of a twist at the end that didn't particularly sit well, but aside from that, Blood Lake Monster was entertaining and original.
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