Wild and Wicked Things is a slow burn sapphic fantasy with a bit of spooky and witchy flavor. There is a heavy Gatsby-ish feel to the atmosphere and the locale, which drew me in pretty well, and the plot is semi-reminiscent of Practical Magic though a bit heavier on the darkness. This is not a light and fluffy read.

The pacing is quite slow and I did struggle with getting immersed in the story at the beginning, but there was some decent suspense and I was very curious to see where things would go. Some readers may find this frustrating or a deal breaker.

Though the story was enjoyable and I enjoyed the character dynamics, I would have liked to have seen a bit more development in the characters. There were times when the plot felt a bit info-dumpy rather than allowing the story to tell itself and this approach did make the characters a bit thinner than they otherwise could have been. The characters are also not necessarily likable, but I tend to be more entertained by this tactic than turned off.

The historical content was really great. It generated a world and magic system that was both intriguing and original, so I had a good time with my read. That being said, the magic system was not fully explored and definitely could have been given more backstory, especially as I found it interesting.

Creative and filled with beautiful writing, this debut was fun and intriguing. Francesca May is one to watch as her imagination may bring some magnificent things in the future.

If you're looking for creepy, this baby delivers. A fantastic Gothic Horror with some haunting, gloomy, disturbing atmosphere. In fact, it's this writing and the creation of an eerie, nail-biting setting that makes the majority of the book.

The character relations are super messed up and really give off a disjointed vibe from the get go. Vera's relationship with her mother is highly disturbing. I couldn't understand how a mother could be so incredibly vicious to her own child. I also found myself irrationally angry at all the people around her, judging her for what happened while she was still so young. Her relationship with her father was likewise weird. He was two totally different people, the gentle way he dealt with Vera was totally off base from what I expected. And his alter ego? Oh boy...welcome to crazy land.

Though I really enjoyed the development of the atmosphere and all the setup, there were some issues with the construction. There is definitely a slow burn to this novel, so prepare yourself for a bit of minutiae as it gets all laid out. The last chunk is a crazy whirlwind that creates an odd balance and kind of left my head reeling. I think I needed a bit more even development. This was particularly an issue with the artist story line. Things seemed to escalate quickly and go a bit sideways with that side plot and it felt a bit awkward...it was an off-putting situation that I really couldn't agree with as it was presented.

A super creepy read with a good hook and worth the time to work through the initial slow pace. It's well-crafted and has great atmospheric quality. It's not perfection, but it sure is a dang good time.

3.25 stars.

Slow burn literary exploration of a father-daughter relationship cut short by Ellie's father's unexpected death due to cardiac arrest. When she is left a tie rack rather than her father's treasured baseball, Ellie is sent on a journey of emotions to manage her grief and come to an understanding of why her father left her this seemingly insignificant item rather than the one thing she held in highest regard.

The writing is well-constructed and the journey is incredibly beautiful while remaining a logical pathway for dealing with loss. There are some pieces which seem extraneous and/or are not fully developed, which unfortunately does lend a little bit of a rambling feel to some of the narrative. Ellie's relationship felt unnecessary to the plot and made her a less likable character for her selfishness and childishness.

The conclusion of the novel was simply satisfactory. It made sense and it fit with the journey Ellie took over the course of the book, but there wasn't anything really hard-hitting about it. While I enjoyed the quality of the writing and think that there were some incredibly beautiful an poignant things said, the construction and lack of a real conclusion just left me feeling meh overall. I like Fairbrother's style, but I need more of a structured story.

3.5 stars.

An okay thriller. Mostly fun, with a good atmospheric setting and a dark undercurrent. The characters are interesting for the most part, but there are a few who lack a completely rounded backstory and they wind up being cardboard cutouts rather than true players in the game. I did have some trouble keeping Amma and Brittany straight for a chunk of the narrative, so there was definitely an issue with distinctiveness for me overall.

The plot is full of gambits and red herrings. There is a lot of suspense and plenty of twists and turns, but there are moments where the pacing drags and things seem to run in loops for a bit before moving on. I did figure out a good chunk of the "reveal" very early on, so the ending didn't pack as much of a punch for me as I would have hoped. I'd consider this something of a light thriller simply from the predictability standpoint. There are some high stakes and there is some tense action, but there weren't any points where I was on the edge of my seat. Still, the journey was mostly entertaining and I don't regret my decision to take on this read.

Loved this book! Fractured, twisted and dark fairy tale with a goblin market, demon chicken, and a bone dog raised from the dead? It's like T. Kingfisher just knows how to make me salivate for a novel.

Why does it always seem like the ones you love the most leave you at a loss for words in reviews??? Nettle & Bone had me hooked right away and I devoured this book. I had to put it down because of adulting, but went right back to it with every second I had available to read. Like all of T. Kingfisher's novels and novellas that have come my way, this was a solid win and I will be rereading as well as placing a permanent copy in my personal library. Weird, wonderful, and strongly feminist. Kingfisher just knows how to write dark fantasy with the right whimsical touch.

Love me a cult book, especially one with a dystopian angle. Just like Mother is akin to The Stepford Wives but with mothers and infertility. This is a super skin-crawling read that hit the gas right from the beginning. There are a ton of creepy moments and eerie situations that had me squirming in my seat. Though it is horror, it's low on the gore scale and higher on in psychological just messed up category.

The plot moved at a steady clip with some good twists and some definitely unsettling moments. Creepy dolls will always be a winner as a trope device for me. There is some decent predictability, so I wasn't really exposed to any effective jump scares, but I was definitely disturbed by the characters and their weirdo actions and convictions.

Maeve was a good character and I appreciated how strong she was in her own beliefs, but there were a handful of times that she was just dumb. Seriously. She made some ridiculous choices and was totally oblivious to some strong "this is a trap" vibes.

But...I still had a good time with my read and enjoyed it overall. There were some things left unresolved and I definitely could have used more to the wrap up, but it was an effective novel with some good intrigue and some excellent ick character.

Ali Hazelwood writes a cute romance. The characters in this one are fairly reminiscent of The Love Hypothesis, but it was still a fun little romp. Though it had the potential for a full novel, this cute little novella still stood on its own. I enjoyed the quick pace and the relationship had me in a I don't want to put this down situation. There isn't a full development of the plot or characters, but it's a novella so I let that slide just a little. It was just a fun little treat of a book.

3.5 stars.

I went into this one completely blind...the cover is too pretty and I had to know what all the hype was about. I liked the artistic style and color. The story took a little longer for me to enjoy. I was very confused for a good portion of the volume, probably just as lost as the Paper Girls were. By the end though I was warming to the characters and curious about the plot, especially when I hit the last page. I'm going to be continuing on to the next volume just to see what it has in store.

Adorable and heartwarming middle grade contemporary. I loved that the story was set so often in the library. Fantastic anxiety rep that is dealt with in a healthy way, though do be aware of content warnings for physical manifestations of anxiety. June is a cute character and her relationship with her mother is wonderful. The majority of the story felt very realistic and moved smoothly, but the character of Mrs. Tandy was a distraction. She felt a bit too predictable and problematic, a bit of a stereotype for the crotchety character who wrecks the plan for the whole town. If she had been softened a bit around the edges and made to feel more human and believable this book would have been a 5-star. As is, this is still definitely a middle grade worth the read. Wholesome, inspiring, and cozy.