Rain is a graphic novel of love, terror raining from the skies, death, and the wicked ways of the world.

Here Comes The Rain Again – An introduction from Joe Hill, did an amazing job getting readers pumped even more for the story to come. The way that Joe calls out the state of the world, but focuses mainly on the team behind getting this graphic novel on shelves was so wonderful. I went into this one dark, only snagging it because I saw Joe’s name. This intro made me so excited to get to the story!

When the story begins, we meet Honeysuckle, a young woman that can’t wait for her girlfriend, Yolanda, to arrive as she’s moving in. Many of the neighbors are also counting down her arrival! However, with this excitement, there is already a sense of dread and doom that’s hanging heavy over the opening scenes.

Before long, the first rain falls, changing everything.

This story got so brutal so quickly! Each step of the way, I kept hoping for everything to work out. Like life, some things do, some don’t. Overall, this amazing tale shows all sides of humanity, and while even in the darkest of times, what good just a few shreds of hope can do.

Each of the characters were lovely, but the little boy, Templeton, was extra special. I loved his innocence and smart outlook on the world as a whole. He was definitely a ray of sunshine in the storm.

And my goodness does the artwork from Tess Fowler in the back of the book summarize the emotion in this graphic novel perfectly.

Facing grief is like standing on a beach and looking out over the water. Some waves are small and lap at your feet, some waves are huge and engulf you completely. 

Rain was an intense graphic novel that will leave readers punctured, but with bandaids of hope healing the wounds quickly enough. A must-read for fans of horror graphic novels that will leave antsy to see what happens next while also dreading to find if anything gets worse.

Churn the Soil by Steve Stred is a tale of a broken agreement and violence where the only thing pooling faster than the terror, is the blood on the snow.

When a girl is brutally murdered on a plot of land called The Border, the locals don’t want the police from the nearby town involved. Unfortunately, someone tipped off the police and now they can’t just walk away from the scene.

When the police arrive on the scene, the locals talk about what the police think are just bizarre stories of creatures that live in the woods. However, understanding the need to be careful here, the police agree when the locals beg them to return the next day. They stated that if the body was still there, the police can then process the scene.

The next day, determined to bring justice to the fallen girl, the police venture into the woods where they’re about to learn that those stories weren’t just fiction.

Right from page one, Steve brings the terror here. My god, my heart was in my throat while reading the prologue. Then when diving into chapter one, the dread was still there in full force and there wasn’t a single moment while reading that I wasn’t wary of the horror that may be just out of sight.

Talk about books giving jump scares. The number of times my heart must have skipped a beat while reading this! 99% of the time that occurred out of terror, but a few times it occured out of happiness. On that thought, I will leave this last note before moving on to my favorite passages: Chapter 42!!!!!

The daylight was fading, the moon beginning to peak over the mountains, but not yet high enough to offer any light. With that, the snow wasn’t shining, the trees appearing darker, murkier, as though the world was conspiring to keep things hidden from his view.

Instead, the dark figure stood to its full height, the roof seeming to raise up to allow it to loom over him. He couldn’t make out a single detail, other than the graveyard rot that seemingly flowed from where its mouth should be each time it breathed out.

Brown had never felt like he was living in an action movie, not even when they’d been holed up in the farmhouse with bloodthirsty, mind-controlling Forest Guards out in the snow, but walking out of the police station, trailed by two dozen officers, he almost wished it was being filmed so he could watch it back in slow motion.
They got in the SUV, Nancy in the passenger seat, Patrick and Bruiser in the back. They pulled out, followed by the other Basco PD SUVs loaded with officers.
“Man, we should’ve got a drone to film us leaving the station,” Patrick said. “It would look fucking sick to see that footage.” 
In the front, Brown laughed.

I absolutely love how Steve can write such terrifying horror and gore, and mix it perfectly with so much heart and amazing relationships. That was certainly the case here.

Horror fans, you need this one. Don’t even hesitate to order. If you enjoy stories that will make you side-eye the edge of the woods and will add to your overall fear of the forest, this will be a hit!

Wasps in the Ice Cream by Tim McGregor is a coming-of-age story filled with life lessons and unsettling spookiness.

Mark Prewitt is a teenage boy entering summer break. His plans are simple; avoid his father and his new girlfriend, get through the hours spent working at his two jobs, rebuild his car to get it running, and spend as much time with friends as possible.

But something about this summer is different. Mark isn’t so sure about the decisions that his friends make. When one prank goes sideways, Mark finally tips onto the side of being fed up with the immature and dangerous antics. Determined to apologize to the girl that they harmed, he realizes he feels a strange pull toward her. As they spend more time together, that feeling grows.

But when his two worlds collide, Mark risks losing everyone.

This is one of the best coming-of-age stories I’ve read! I really enjoyed the focus on how to follow your own ethics even when your friends try to tell you to do otherwise. Of course, that was blended wonderfully with falling in love for the first time and all the struggles that comes with that.

Tim did an amazing job putting readers right into Mark’s mind to understand the decisions he was making. But even so, I was hoping for a different result in a couple of scenes. At times I wanted to shout at Mark for being such a typical teenager but other times, it was heartwarming to see how he reacted to things.

The friendship that grew between Mark and his new friend, George, was absolutely wonderful. I loved seeing the path that this took.

The very last line of the book was my favorite!

Any house that stands empty too long becomes haunted. That’s just the way it is in small towns. The old house out on Merrily Road certainly looked the part with its sagging veranda and rotting roof, a withered husk of lichen and dry rot timbers. A storybook mansion fallen into ruin, it reeked of ghosts and secrets.

There are two flashlights in my backpack. I hand one to her. “What do you think?”
“It’s creepy,” she says. “I love it.”
The stairs are appropriately squeaky as we explore the second floor.

It’s too dark to see if there are tears, but something changes in the air, like the barometer dropping real fast. Can grief do that  — change the air pressure in a room?

“Wrong. Folks are going to think whatever they want. There’s nothing you can do to change that, so don’t give them the satisfaction.” He turns off the tap. Water drips all round us inside the hut as he continues. “You think I don’t know what people say about me behind my back? That I’m crazy or off the wall? Should I change just to make them like me? Hell, no. Opinions are like assholes; everyone’s got one, and they all stink. You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to make people like you.”

A must-read for fans of coming-of-age tales. This one had such a wonderful spooky vibe, but like many terrifying tales, the people are the scariest! I absolutely loved this novel.

Major shout-out to Tim for sending me a copy! I was so excited to read and review just in time for release day!

A to Z of Horror by Kevin J. Kennedy is a collection of horror tales that range from drabbles and poems to flash fiction and short stories, covering everything from humorous horror to extreme horror! This is a collection that all horror fans will love something from!

Hearing that Kevin had another short story collection out that was all his work, I immediately couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. This author is unmatched in his short story writing skill and I can never wait to see what he is going to serve up next. Kevin has an unusual way of making me love even the stories that make my stomach turn sour and my blood boil.

I absolutely devoured this collection.

My favorites stories from A to Z of Horror include:

Per usual, below are my thoughts on each tale.

In a post-apocalyptic world where people have been forced to flee the lands to get on big ships in order to try to survive, this “survival” brings many challenges. 

What a dark opening tale! This bleak outlook is especially terrifying thinking about how people handle the current pandemic. An unsettling tale through and through!

Looking to cheer up their daughter on a gloomy day of vacation, this father tells the tale of Sawney Bean. But was it just a tale? 

Ah, when I saw Sawney Bean’s name, I immediately went right back to the terror from reading Kevin’s story, The Tale of Sawney Bean!

After a terrifying event floods the area, many dead animals are left behind. But some are still alive and are biding their time.

This story is such a funny tale of two young men just looking to find more stimulants. But there’s danger lurking. 

This chapter was made of up a slew of great drabbles! 

My favorite thing about drabbles is the sudden turns many of them take at the end! And the one with the mention of a fight between an apoc-wolf and a screecher!

While on a weekend getaway, a couple sees lights coming from a bar that they hadn’t noticed when they arrived with their camper. When they bring a woman back to the camper with them, things take a quick turn.

What a wild tale! Erotic horror fans will love this!

After meeting a group of people, this character states that he would do anything for his family.

So short and sweet, you can’t help but wonder what would come next! Things were clearly ramping up…

Always thinking they were a fish, this character decides to get one step closer to being one.

What a sad tale! 

All the young man wants is to get away from home and find work so he can afford the rich life! But realizing money is worthless without someone to share it with, he also sets his sights on a girl. 

This story has a grimy feel to it when reading, as the atmosphere seems so thick. The ending is so lovely! 

In a brutal place where fairy tale characters go when things go bad, the three little pigs are out for blood.

What a literal bloody tale! The setting was captivating and the violence was intense!

When this boy’s mom cautions him against eating too much candy, he brushes it off like all her other weird sayings. But he will soon learn he should have listened.

I loved this one! My mom and grandparents had all kinds of sayings like this as well. My gosh, if the things they warned me against had come true… 

When a work, this man learns that the city has a really big spider problem. Literally. So he rushes to make sure his mom is okay. 

Big no thank you. Like the character in this story notes, regular spiders that pop up in your house are bad enough. Spiders with feet the size of panther paws?! Nooooope. 

When the planet was on the brink of another mass extinction, two selkies were saved. But was it for the best? 

Such a heartbreaking tale of humans ruining everything. 

When a father brings an animal he thought was a cat home after an accident, the family soon learns it’s not a cat. 

I loved this one! Such innocence, until it’s not!

When a young man finds out he was left a farm by family that had passed, he moves in, ready to have more space. But this farm comes with a shocking surprise. 

My goodness! I had no idea where this was going and I was so pleasantly surprised! 

My god, this one is dark and terrifying! No summary not here. You gotta go into this one dark. Good luck!

This section had a selection of poems. Staring off with an absolutely brutal one called The Curse of the Internet. 

A man battling internal rage adopts a dog one day. Things are going well until a thug in a group of young men kicks the dog. This character goes John Wick on the group, but in a much more brutal way. 

This was so intense. The action scenes were so brutal I was wincing. 

Living in a world where everyone has to fend for themselves, this young man isn’t afraid of anything. 

I love this one! What a tale of survival and growing up. The ending too, is awesome!

In a world where the rich rule even more ridiculously than they do now, this young teen is documenting everything to stand up and make a change. 

This story is terrifying not only when thinking about the story itself, but how this could easily become our reality. 

When a drug dealer gets on the radar of a drug dealing family, he’s not afraid. No, he has a plan.

This story was BRUTAL! 

An unsettled vampire goes off on a rant about how it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.

My gosh, the passage about garlic in this one had me laughing so hard. 

While wandering a town, this young boy discovers an old run-down arcade. When he goes in, something happens and he’s transported somewhere else.

I loved this one! Anything carnival horror and I’m game, but this one was especially chilling. What an ending!

When this rare group of beings just wants to live in seclusion away from humans, they will stop at nothing to protect their home. 

A heartbreaking tale mixed in with a warning for humanity to do better before it’s too late. 

Having blacked out a few times in the past, this man is shocked to zone back in one day covered in blood…

What a turn of events! Phew! 

As the days passed by and people were focused on rescuing their own kind and salvaging food and supplies – the crabs were gathering. No one noticed until it was too late. That is when the next stage of destruction began.
— From C is for Crabs Vs the A.Y.T. 

Common sense goes a long way but not many have it.
— From I is for It’s No Fairy Tale Out There

I’d love to tell you that I woke up the next morning and that everything had been sorted out, but I don’t carry such luck. I came third in a two-person race once, and I’m not even joking. I will not tell you how I achieved that impressive goal – that’s a story for another day.
— From N is for Nightmare Farm

Then there is the no-eating-garlic pish. I fuckin’ loved garlic. I kid you not. I put it in everything. Whatever the recipe required, I doubled it. The shit tastes superb. Can’t eat it anymore. Burns the shit out of my mouth, like the hottest chilli times a billion. Why couldn’t it have just been onions, I hate those! Naw, garlic. It had to be garlic, the seasoning of the gods.
— From V  is for Vampire Fae Scotland

If you’re looking for a great collection of horror tales that are sure to leave you feeling many different emotions, then look no further! Some of these tales will leave you unsettled, some will make you laugh, and some will make you feel ill.

This is another killer collection from the master of short stories, Kevin J. Kennedy.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor is an intense, claustrophobia-inducing tale set in a post-apocalyptic world that will chill you deeply.

Hannah has awoken to find herself in a real-world nightmare; the bus that she was on has crashed and many of the students are dead, or dying. They can’t get out and they’re running out of heat inside the bus.

Like Hannah, Meg also awakens to a similar nightmare. She has found herself in a cable car that isn’t moving. Her and the group she finds herself in have no recollection of getting there and not only is the temperature dropping, one of them is also already dead.

Carter is a young man that has already met tragedy that left him missing parts of his face. But life isn’t done throwing him curveballs just yet.

In each storyline, it’s not just the things lurking outside the walls of their current prisons that are a danger. There are things sharing their small spaces that are equally deadly.

Organized by moving in and out of these three perspectives, readers will find that this book is absolutely impossible to put down! Each storyline is so captivating, you’ll need to know what happens next. The more you read, the more invested you will be in each of the characters. I personally loved them all equally as they were all perfect survivors. Each of them had been through horrible things, but that didn’t make them give up when faced with even more horror. Instead, it made them stronger.

I really enjoyed that when the story begins, readers get one singular page that really sets the tone for the book. This is by far C.J.’s darkest novel yet and of course, I absolutely loved it. And right along with that darkness, there is also plenty of gut-punch realism and emotion that steers us quickly into heartbreak-horror territory.

Per usual, the author just blew me away with her writing style! I love that in one sentence, I can be terrified, while in the next, I’m laughing! But then not long after, I could be fighting back tears. You truly never know what you’re going to get with C.J.’s work, but it’s always a blast to find out!

Then the man turned, and Carter understood why he had been staggering around so blindly. He was blind. One eyeball had spilled from its socket and was stuck, frozen, to his cheek. The other was gone completely, along with half of his face. Eaten away, leaving nothing but gristle and bone.

When you loved someone, you tried to hold on to them because letting go meant admitting you would never hold them again. Few of us were prepared for that. So, we clung on, even when Death’s bony grasp would have been kinder.

“Sometimes life gives us lemons. Sometimes diarrhea.”

When the world started to end, not with a whimper or a bang but with a slow, whistling sigh, Meg didn’t care. She had watched the news from a numb cocoon of grief and medication. As the infections spread and society crumbled, at first slowly and then like a cliff edge giving way and falling to the sea, she had barely raised an eyebrow. Her world had already been destroyed. Everyone else was just catching up.

Not all knowledge was good. And even the stuff that was good didn’t always fall into the right hands. Give the wrong idiot a shitload of knowledge and that was when the world imploded.

An apocalypse doesn’t happen because of evil men, zombies or even a virus. It happens because of ordinary people. Because somewhere along the way we lost society, lost cohesion. We forgot to try to see the other side. Instead, we all bunkered down harder in our trenches, refusing to be moved, lobbing missiles at those who dared to challenge our myopic view. No good guys or bad guys. Just a bunch of scared motherfuckers trying to find their way home.

These storylines entwine so perfectly into one. I had an absolute blast with each perspective and had various moments of shock when I started putting puzzle pieces together.

Not only was this book truly scary, it had wonderful mystery and thriller elements mixed right in! If you enjoy novels that don’t hold back from laying the terror on, but also keep you totally captivated while making you emotional, then this is a perfect book for you!

While recording Dead Headspace, Pat asked me what my favorite book of C.J.’s is. And while The Chalk Man will forever hold a special place for me, I have to say that The Drift is my favorite! I loved hearing that this was a bit of an experiment and creative project for C.J. I gotta say, I hope to see more in this vein from the author!

Deep by Aquino Loayza is a story about a small town in Maine where the people tend to make choices that are out of character and a monster lurks among the residents. But it’s not just the one monster or odd choices that the townspeople should be afraid of…

Determined to turn over every stone until he knows all of the deep, dark secrets that the town of Juneberg is hiding, Giovanni Divale is obsessed with getting answers. This obsession has already broken his relationship, and when he is called back to town for a personal matter, Gio can’t help but continue looking for answers even when he knows he shouldn’t if there’s any chance he can fix things with his ex.

But little does he know, the answers are going to come to light soon, and there’s nothing he can do one way or the other! Can Gio fight fate? Or is he doomed to repeat the same scenarios over and over again?

First things first, I have to call out this introduction quote. As a born and raised islander, this one hits just right. And what a perfect quote for this book!

The quote reads:

I really enjoyed how the author set up this tale. As a reader, you get to spend time with each character, really getting to know them and their relationships with either Gio or to the town. Each person seemed to jump right off the page! I also really appreciated that I was able to sense pretty strong vibes about each character, immediately guessing at whether they will be a good one or a bad one. And boy were there loads of bad ones! This town reeked of awful people, only out for themselves and not afraid to put others in the line of fire.

The beginning is a lovely slow opening as we get to see some very real-world scenes play out. But soon enough, Gio and Peter have hit the road and are on their way to the small town in Maine. The minute they cross town lines, the story begins to take a turn into the horror and it’s not long before that horror really dials up!

The action that plays out within this tale doesn’t hold back. While I was thrilled to be deep in the chaos, many scenes, especially toward the end, had so much heart and emotion infused in them. As readers, you get to see this action from all perspectives! And those bad characters I was talking about earlier? Your blood will boil when the story jumps to playing out from their perspective!

I knew the synopsis of this tale going in, but I was still shocked at all the twists and turns that occurred, leading up to the big showdown! What a wild and dark ride this was!

And the big bad, the Slickerman?! My goodness what a terrifying being. I loved that this character pops in and out, but is always threatening their presence behind the scenes. It made the scenes when he was seen so powerful.

His neck ached in protest from the awkward position he had slept in, and he rotated his neck until several satisfying cracks suggested he was on the right track.

Insecurity and whiskey were a poisonous pill to swallow.

The silence was getting to him. Why the hell was he here? Paranoia flowed through him like the drag of a cigarette filling a lung.

The rain danced across the swooshing waves, which smacked across the granite stones of the coastline. The nameless, formless black brine raged violently against stone, a passive collection of sediment that had outlived countless civilizations and unknowable beasts but never whispered a word of what it had seen.

He blinked – inside the car was the yellow Slickerman, the monster of Juneburg, smiling back at him, his mouth far too wide to be human. In place of his teeth were jagged rocks, like those on the coastline. Salt water with seaweed poured out of his mouth.

“I am thinking, when this is all done, I will book us a nice trip to some place where it doesn’t rain. Hope you guys like camels – the Sahara has my name written all over it.” Peter was firing on all cylinders, dangerous circumstances be damned.

When people went into survival mode, the pathway to barbarity was a quick descent.

In Deep, the dread and the unsettling atmosphere creeps in like the tide. Soon, the waves of terror are crashing! And before you know it, the tide is slowly creeping back out… As Aquino’s debut, this book is something special. I already cannot wait to see what they do next!

For horror fans, especially readers that enjoy cosmic horror, this is definitely one I would recommend to you!

Fake Somebodies, Real Nobodies by E.C. Hanson is a collection of deeply unsettling stories, each one more intense than the last!

From everyday people to the paranormal, this collection covers a wonderful array of topics!

Some tales were light horror, while others were super dark. More than a few tales made me gasp while reading at the turn of events that occurred! I loved not knowing what to expect next!

My favorites from this collection include:

Here are my thoughts on each story –

Starting the collection out with a flash fiction piece that will make you gasp! This story is about a girl having trouble with her family who come up with a devilish plan.

Greta just wants to successfully hook up with one of her classmates, but her parents have strict rules. When an assignment from school requires her to go outside, she thinks she’s won. But she has no idea what awaits her.

This story certainly takes an intense turn and the red flags at the start suddenly become very apparent. And that ending!

Discovering a creature in the woods, this poor innocent girl thinks it’s a good idea to bring the being home. But she’s about to learn why wild creatures, especially really big ones, should be left alone.

At first I thought this story was going to go in a certain direction, but instead, it went in a dark one! Phew!

While out trick-or-treating, this babysitter notices someone following them. Trying to figure out who, the list of potential people is long as the boy she is watching has upset many in that one night alone. But will she figure out who it is, or will the night end very poorly?

This was so tense! This one game me some minor It Follows vibes!

When a boy throws a rock at a gull, he thinks it’s all fun and games, while his younger brother is mortified. But what’s worse is that these gulls won’t let this fly.

What a brutal tale! I’m already not a fan of birds, so this one got to me.

When a pink liquid is seen at a school, the janitor is called to clean it up, but before he can, the liquid begins moving through the school destroying everything in its wake.

Readers that enjoyed Inside Out by Lor Gislason will love this one!

Ah! The quick trajectory of this flash fiction is intense!

After a virus wipes out the humans, a witch and a werewolf roaming Salem team up to try to find survivors. But not to help them.

This was so much fun! I need more from this setting. What a scary premise mixed with brilliant humor. I loved the scene at the movies!

Set to be observed by the principal of the school, this teacher is bordering panic-attack levels of anxiety. When she asks her student to begin the reading exercise, he ends up telling her a dark tale, sending her closer to that panic attack.

The darkness in this one is terrifying. This poor boy.

Determined to show his crush how he feels, this boy is defeated when he sees her holding hands with another book at the carnival. With angry thoughts spiraling, the boy is about to learn quite a lesson.

I am obsessed with carnival horror, and this short and brutal tale was definitely one for me. So unsettling!

When a couple with a baby realize one of them keeps accidentally leaving their front door unlocked, they discuss the importance of always keeping it locked. But when they each run the trash out, they leave it open for just a moment. They should have kept it locked.

This one is so terrifying. Haven’t we all left things unlocked for just a moment, thinking nothing will happen?

Enraged over the lack of safety when his daughters school decides to star leaving doors open for airflow during the COVID-19 pandemic, this father wants to make a statement. But things unfold very differently than he anticipated.

This is real-world horror at its most terrifying. Such a simple, quiet tale that has a dark point.

But like anyone who counts their chickens before they hatch, Lumi discovered that finding her keys only presented a new problem. A mere two feet in front of her, there was a footprint. A massive one.
Not human.
— Fast Friends

“What do you want?”
The figure slowly raises its right hand and points directly at me.
— Backtrack

I’ve loved everything Erik has written so far. With each release, things get darker and more intense. This collection continued this trajectory!

Fake Somebodies, Real Nobodies is a collection that you can pick up and devour in just a couple of hours. But don’t let the length make you think this is an easy read. The topics here are dark and the pages are filled with terror!

Dying is Easy by Joe Hill & Martin Simmonds is a bawdy crime thriller packed with dark humor, action, and blood.

Dying is Easy was created by Joe Hill and Martin Simmonds, written by Joe Hill, art by Martin Simmonds, color assists by Dee Cunniffe, and lettering and design by Shawn Lee.

This opening page had such a fun design to show off the crew that worked on the graphic novel!

Now, about the story –

Ex-cop now stand up comedian, Syd Homes a.k.a. Shit-Talk, is fed up with his comedy adversary, a man named Carl Dixon. One night at the comedy club, Syd and his friends joke about killing Carl. It’s all fun and games until Syd and Carl get into it, and Syd walks away with bloodied hands, leaving Carl on the ground in a back alley.

The next day, Syd learns that the cops are after him, but not just for assault. Carl was killed. Luckily, he was tipped off in time to narrowly avoid his arrest. He then goes around town talking to various people, determined to find out who the killer was.

This graphic novel was a wild story! I will admit, at first, I thought the tone of the humor was going to be too much for me. But then I sank into it and ended up laughing far too hard at the dark jokes. I really enjoyed the snark from the main character, Syd, and how he didn’t hold back at all when talking to people.

I mean, this quote sums up the dark humor pretty nicely. The speech bubble in one panel read: “I’ve always wondered what was the last thing to go through your sister’s mind when she stepped in front of that truck. Probably the hood ornament, huh?”

When I got to the final pages, I kept being shocked by how clever this collection was! All the little bits and pieces that were right in front of us ALL ALONG! I won’t spoil it, but things like a scene of two people talking to one another coming back again later, giving us more context the second time was brilliant!

I couldn’t figure out the case at all on my own, but I would love to hear if other readers put the puzzle pieces together on their own before the big reveal!

I also cannot wait to see if we get a follow-up here! They left it off perfectly to either close out, or welcome in another case.

If dark humor and gritty crime trillers are your jam, then this is some I would highly recommend to you!

Inside The Devil’s Nest by John Durgin is a terrifying tale with so many layers. It will keep you guessing while you hold your breath, nervous to see what horrors will come next.

When real estate agent, Anthony Graham, witnesses a murder carried out by a known crime family at one of his properties, he calls his wife to have her get the kids prepared so they can leave town immediately. Once in the car, the kids know something is very wrong based on how their father is acting, but the parents try to protect them by not discussing what was happening.

The family flees to a property in New Hampshire that Anthony had unlisted on his site as he was having trouble selling it. Thinking they are safe for a moment, this family has no idea what lurks on the property… and by the time the property manager fills them in, it’s already too late.

My goodness this one had horror flying in from all angles! The action and terror really started off with a bang, and it doesn’t let up. In just the first few chapters, I kept having to remind myself to breathe! There’s so much dread dripping off of every page and just when you think there may be a little hope, that hope sinks faster than a rock thrown into a pond.

I want readers to go into this one as dark as possible to really experience the terror, so feel free to skip these three items below. I kept it very high-level with my reactions, but still, just a heads up!

Item 1 – The fingernail scene –

My god… That scene is implanted in my brain just like the nail scene in The Ring film.

Item 3 – The tunnel –

My claustrophobia was acting up enough, but this just got more and more terrifying!

Item 2 – A reaction story –

I shared this story online:

Right now, that seemed about as achievable as climbing Mount Everest barefoot through shards of broken glass, but he would continue trying. He had no choice.

Billy’s phone only provided a few feet of light in front of them, and with her trailing behind him, she got even less of the illumination to use. She squeezed onto the back of his shirt, like a baby holding its blanky. The closeness of Billy only made her feel slightly better. The forest was dead silent, not a single cricket chirping, no wind to rustle the leaves. It only added to the eeriness as they walked deeper into the suffocating black hole of the forest.

As she ran, the voices started back up, but this time they were coming from every direction, like the trees themselves were telling her a secret.

Hearing that brought back some of his memories like a gust of wind blowing right through him.

Then the mouth closed completely around the top of his head and slid down his face like a python devouring its meal whole. Everything went black, but he was still awake. Panic set in as he began to suffocate; each attempt at a breath was like swallowing a mouthful of dirt.

He slid off the bed and his first step landed on a weak floorboard. A creak that might as well have been a blowhorn sounding off gave away their location.

The horrific atmosphere is so thick here. I usually cruise right through books when I’m loving the terror, but this one actually unsettled me so much, I had to keep putting it down!

Horror fans, you need this book!

Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen is a collection of the most adorable and funny comics about cryptids.

My sister-in-law, Aja, was my Secret Santa in 2022 and gifted me this book! After opening it, I just couldn’t wait to check it out.

My goodness, Sarah covers a lovely variety of cryptids here! Some of my favorites included Mothman, Sam (aka Big Foot), Nessie, and the Ghosts!

While each page stands on its own as a contained story in one comic, I really love that Sarah organizes the book in a way where some of the panels play off one another later on, or even continues their storyline. Not only that, throughout this collection, readers will also see how each cryptid knows the next! What a cool thought it is to think of all of these beings as friends.

So many of these comics were so heartwarming, some made me laugh wicked hard, and others made me feel bad for the little cryptids.

A true joy from start to finish. I know I will be picking this one up time and time again when I need a laugh.

If you are interested in cryptids, you’re going to absolutely love this one! If you’re not, there’s a wonderful index at the back of the book that tells you more about each one. I highly recommend checking it out!