I can't remember the last time that I read a play, but if Briana Morgan's UNBOXED is any indication of the fun experience I have been missing then I have to rectify that! I am blown away by how great this play is and how much was told and conveyed in less than 100 pages. When we first settle in, I immediately sense some toxicity in the relationship between our two main characters, Greg and Alice. I thought, "There is no way I will end up liking this guy or thinking that Alice is smart for loving him." But Morgan totally flipped it on me and I found myself rooting for them both before the end of the play! It's great when an author can set you up with certain emotions from the beginning while knowing the end result and your potential feelings by that last page/line. Morgan did a superb job keeping my anxiety on pins and needles and I never, EVER, want to explore the dark web. There is not a single fiber in my being that has any desire to go there, even if the results we experience in UNBOXED only have a .001% chance of even happening to me. This twisted little play is fast paced, well-written, and eerily intoxicating. It is a must-read! 5 stars!

THIS installment is full of mystery, science, mayhem, and fun! A crazy scientist and eggs from Mars make for a wild ride ... and I have to admit I would have been terrified of being our protagonist in this one at that age or any age! Yikes!

And furthermore, this kid gets locked in a room and forced to eat macaroni and cheese... and he hates it?! GIVE ME THE MAC!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia did a fantastic job with a gloomy and dreary setting that was totes atmospheric and loaded us up with so many fantastic Gothic tropes and themes: supernatural, damsels in distress, madness, isolation, nightmares, disease, framed narratives and confusion over reality, etc. She sprinkled in folklore, rumors, and local history so effortlessly! I absolutely LOVE Noemí and wanna be besties with her! We would obviously wear silver matching lockets to express our deep and undying friendship. So many eerie scenes (bathtubs are now creepy again)... body horror and claustrophobic vibes... some GLORIOUS imagery... obviously I had to make stuffed mushrooms to go along with this review! I love love love it! 5 stars and one of my favorites of the year so far!

It's a surreal thing when you are reading a book written almost 50 years ago that still has some relevance to current political and social events. And it's an even bigger travesty that Joan Samson did not make it around to put out more books... because she's got major chops! She created something, at the time, extremely original, compelling, immersive, and chilling.

We get to follow a family who enjoy their simple life in their simple town. They are just going about everyday routines when a stranger arrives in town --- an auctioneer. This stranger starts encouraging people to get rid of items they may not need - almost regardless of physical condition - with hopes that the money can be used to expand the town and its police and security. And that is just what the auctioneer wants the townspeople to think, but he has some sinister and nasty agenda on his mind. Essentially, he is trying .... to.... make... the town great... again.... *slams face into wall repeatedly* The town is full of sheeple who just all start falling in line... and it seems no one is really questioning what is going on. Everyone is remaining silent and just giving away their things. It really frosts my cookies watching people witness evil and wrongdoing and not say or do anything... but this was the 70s, so maybe expectations and behaviors were different then. But watching this happen, I thought of myself as Sebastian from The Neverending Story screaming at the characters as if they could hear me. I mean SCREAMING! One time I slung the book to the end of the couch. I was flabbergasted at the whole situation!

This book makes you feel uneasy and, at times, a little gross. And when I say gross, that may not be the best word --- maybe 'disgusted' is a better choice. It's a fine line between the two, I know that much.

Hooooooooly Bible in a skeezy motel's bedside table! WOW! The Sun Down Motel did not hold back and I absolutely loved it. This is the first book I have read from Simone St. James and I am already a fan. I will obviously be getting more of her stuff!

This book is a great blend of horror AND thriller. I say that based on the format and style of the book. The book is written in two time periods: 1982 and 2017. In 1982, we get to know Viv as she becomes a night shift front desk clerk at a roadside motel. Not to spoil anything at all: weird shiz hits the fan and she ends up missing and presumed dead. In 2017, her niece, Carly, is in that same town and winds up working that exact same job on the hunt for answers about what happened. Weird stuff continues to happen. These two time periods start connecting over a series of murders that took place before Viv even showed up. Are these murders connected? Does it have anything to do with Viv's fate? Is Carly in danger? OH. And the hotel is freakin' haunted. OOPSY!

I almost read this cover to cover as I couldn't pull myself away. I get that way with alternating time periods and POVs, though. But I think that is also a great benefit of an author using that style - WHEN IT WORKS. And Simone St. James nailed it with this one.

The last couple of chapters gave me chills the whole time. Some ominous phone calls, rainy weather, flickering lights, that feeling of isolation and loneliness in the middle of the night. I used to work night shift in the hospital when I was in college... and I can confirm it is just a totally different environment than that exact same job during the day. There are way more people, more lights on, a different group of people working, etc. It is wild just how different the exact same job can be in the night compared to the day. And when I finished that final page, phew, I turned that cover around to look at that abandoned, eerie motel and got chills one final time. I exhaled, looked over at my cat trying to sleep, and said, "Well, hot f*ckin' damn." 5 STARS!!!

Full review to come after book club discussions!

The premise of this novel sounds amazing and like a great horror story with thriller elements. But once I started reading, I noticed too much friendship drama and light mystery... neither were entirely horrific or thrilling.

Julie vanishes one day, leaving her husband and group of friends wondering what happened. Everyone assumes she is dead, and they even hold a funeral/memorial service for her. Everyone but Elise that is. Two years later she just resurfaces with no memory of what has happened. What better time to have a girls trip to a unique hotel...? Once we are established in this chic hotel, we start to see that something is a little wrong with Julie. She looks and acts like a different person. Her diet is different. And none of the others want to ask her too many questions.

Again, the plot sounds right up my alley. But I could not get beyond the endless descriptions from things like the rooms, the walls, the food, etc long enough for there to be just another meandering "She's fine." vs. "No, she's not fine." argument between friends. I did not come to read a story on friendship and the like. I came for a horror or thriller that was going to make me feel uneasy. The story lacked that punch that I needed or that feeling of "Oh, snap! I have to see what's happening!" Because honestly, to me this book read like a longer and more drawn out version of the movie Jennifer's Body with extra characters and lacking that amazing soundtrack.

I will say that after all of that exposition, things finally do start happening. And it got pretty cool there near the end! I just wish the rest of the book had that same pizzazz the latter portion executed so well. I know quite a few people who have enjoyed this one, but for reasons mentioned above, it just did not work so well with me.

Rory Power has proven with her sophomoric novel that she knows how to write something unique, quirky, and weird. She can write something that takes all of those things and make it work. Burn Our Bodies Down is no different!

This book features a lot of things that I enjoy: familial dynamics with some dysfunction and secrets, small town shenanigans, strong and determined female protagonist, and a whole lot more! Power is able to weave all of these elements together and leave you with a total WTF feeling... but in a great way! This review is a little difficult to write because I do not want to give away many examples or allude to the plot because unraveling all of that is one of the best things this book has to offer! Because I promise this book does not head in the direction that you think it does time and time again. This book is creepy and weird and you need it!

Games can be a ton of fun! But what about when it's a game you've never heard of? With rules you do not understand that seemingly keep changing? With a bunch of beasts? And... the loser will be eaten? This is some middle grade survival horror at it's best! We've got snakes, vines, trees, bugs... wait, are we reading The Ruins or a Goosebumps book here?! Seriously had a blast with this one and forgot how this ending had another little twist. Definitely a recommended read for this series!

If you have not heard of Israel Keyes, I urge you to correct that by reading this book. He is one of the most terrifying serial killers I have ever read about, and educating yourself is the first step in the battle for prevention and preparedness! One of the things that made him so scary was his lack of motive... he did so much at pure random. So, I guess even in reading this there really is nothing you can do to prepare yourself. Sometimes he would pick out a victim at random, set things into motion and plant "kill kits," and not even execute his attack for years. And this took place ALL over.

This book has so many extra details, but I see this book as a huge expansion of a Crime Junkie Podcast episode. I am sure I would have been more shocked and enthralled had this guy been a totally new person in my mind. I do know my mind was BLOWN hearing about him the first time. I am definitely glad that I read this - as there is so much more information that is not included in a 1-hr podcast episode.

But wow... this guy... pure evil... and totally horrifying. I still envision some of his actions and victims and will get goosebumps every time. I am so glad he is no longer alive and physically around to terrorize so many, although I know his actions have resulted in generational trauma. This is a true crime book that will haunt you.