drakaina16's Reviews (2.21k)

I found the book unbelievably boring. I like a good character study normally, but this was just tedious despite my love of black metal. 

I never liked RHCP but I thought Flea's biography would be interesting, but I found myself bored halfway through. 

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 

Every year while reading books for the Indie Author Brawl in the Books of Horror Facebook group, I find one that is truly a gem and surprises me in the best way. This year, that book is Apartment 239. It's so offbeat and different, unlike anything else I've read this year. It's also extremely clever and a lot of fun. Don't sleep on this one. 5 stars

I love these books so much. I was a Choose Your Own Adventure kid when I was little, bringing home stacks of them from the library. Mark Tullius and Glenn Hedden are geniuses for bringing this format to horror novels. Dethfest is my favorite TNTD yet. as a veteran of metal festivals, this one hit closest to home. And it was really fun figuring out which bands I'd choose to represent the Dethfest bands. 5 stars

I thought Hell Night in Hopewell would be another novel about exploring a haunted sanitarium. I'm so glad I was wrong, because the truth is a whole lot wilder. I found a couple of the characters insufferable, but the pacing was pretty great, with just the right amount of build up until things really start popping off. 3.5 stars

This book is just not well-written. The dialogue sounds so stilted. 

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy. 

This book is a fun slice of 90s nostalgia (with a playlist!) with a lot of heart. And there's just... A whole lot going on, what with the Doomsday cult and the infected animals and the oozing meteors. The narrative ran a little long for me, but I really enjoyed the action and the dry humor. I also deeply appreciate Raelene and Nate's relationship. It's so rare to have a genuine man-woman friendship in books where there is no romantic interest in each other at all. So refreshing. 4.25 stars 

I ran the gamut of emotions with Cruel Summer. It's no secret from the blurb that a large part of the book centers around domestic violence and child abuse. Huge trigger warning for that - it's rough. The book is extremely well-written and gave me actual real-world anxiety, as the ending could have been taken from one of my actual nightmares. The ocean is scary anyway and Wesley Southard has managed to make it even more terrifying. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.
Ed Brubaker never disappoints, and Friday is no exception. I love the concept of "what happens after" for mystery-solving kids. The first volume definitely intrigued me and I'd love to read the rest of the series.

Thank you to the editor for providing a review copy. 
This anthology sounded right up my alley. Tragic Queer horror? Yes! I'd also only read two of the authors included the anthology and I love the opportunity discover new authors. As always, this collection is a mixed bag, but there are some extremely good pieces of Queer fiction here. 4 stars

Your Honor, I'd Like to Put You in the Shoes of One of Dr. Morehouse’s Thirty Proven Clients by M.V. Pine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Body is Not Your Home by Son M. ⭐⭐⭐
Curdled Song of the Broken Earth by Jonathan Louis Duckworth ⭐⭐
Fortune Favors Grief by Cassandra Khaw ⭐⭐⭐.25
Cleodora by August Clarke ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Summer Night by Robbie Banfitch ⭐⭐⭐.25
Bad Axe by Ed Kurtz ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sardines by Gretchen Felker-Martin ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Zero Tolerance by M.F. Rose ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Black Hole by November Rush ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lost and Found by Charlene Adhiambo ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Love Like Ours by C.M. Violet ⭐⭐⭐.75
Filthy Animals by Thomas Kearnes ⭐⭐⭐.25
Worth the Dying Shame by Matteo L. Cerilli ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
All of Our Boys are Missing by Joe Koch ⭐⭐⭐⭐