I went into this book knowing very little but the plot from a high-level perspective. There is an urban legend about a man who takes a boy from camp every seven summers like Pennywise or a thief in the night. A boy goes missing after a "teaching moment" gone horribly wrong, and a couple of decades later the counselor responsible is experiencing things that make him believe the boy is alive/has returned for revenge.

I had hoped there would be some more time at the summer camp - I LIVE for camp stories! There's always just been something about that setting that puts me in the best mental state when reading/watching thrillers and horror. But after a couple dozen pages we are no longer at camp and are in the city with a whole new story happening.

I also felt let down by the ending - yes, I semi-figured out what was happening but I wanted the connection to be better and I wanted to be able to marinate with the results. Instead it was "Here it is and now here's the last page of the book." I just wanted a little more. Overall I did enjoy the book and it was a super quick read... and I will be on the lookout for more J.P. Smith!

The Prettiest Star is a beautiful yet heartbreaking and painful read. It follows a young gay man, Brian, who leaves his claustrophobic and small-minded town after not being accepted by his family. To say his family feels deep shame over their son is an understatement. Brian then ventures out into the wide world that is New York City. But within just a few years, he returns to his tiny hometown after his partner and lover has died of AIDS. Brian is now experiencing his own death sentence with HIV/AIDS firsthand. This all takes places in the 80s and many/most of his friends have lost their lives to AIDS or are in the middle of losing their own battles with it.

This book explores something in gay culture that, if you aren't in it, you may not know or experience. Family comes in many forms. Sometimes you are born with a family, and other times you choose and make the family you need. So many gay youth are shunned and kick out of their houses and forced to find a new family - a new mother and new brothers & sisters. But no matter how it comes into your life, family is an important support system.

The Prettiest Star had some difficult parts to read... because you can probably assume there is no happy ending. Again, this is HIV/AIDS in the 80s... and we all know too well the tragedy and gut-wrenching pain and devastation it caused. This is a book that is out of my normal reading genre and comfort zone, but it is also one I will be recommending for some time.

Labyrinth of the Dolls is the second in the Tom Nolan series, a follow-up to Bad People, and should be on everyone's shelves! We are immediately thrown into a new murder investigation where the victims are dressed up like life-size dolls. In this book, the eyes have it (that will make more sense when you read but I just wanted to say that)! But Tom Nolan is up to the test of putting all the puzzle pieces together... and some of these pieces are... well, let's just say they might be inside people or things...

The pacing in this story is addictive. The chapters are somewhat short with Britney Spears-esque "GIMME GIMME MORE!" endings that invite you to the next chapter. I could not put this down - that's how excellent the flow of the book is! The dialogue is on point and the descriptions of the victims and crime scenes can be so sick and demented that you just can't help yourself but to need more. This book had some serious shocking scenes and images that will definitely be staying with me! You know how there are some scenes in books that you can just SMELL?? Yea.... be ready for that here.

Blending elements of what makes Bad People so great with a little bit of Seven, I can say that Labyrinth of the Dolls truly hits the nail on the head! Part horror, part thriller, part police procedural, this book is going to stay with me... and it has truly left me wanting more Tom Nolan books. He is a fantastic character, sharp as a tack, and finds himself in the truly most disturbing and twisted situations. I can't wait to see what's next!

I actually loved this book more than the first one - which is definitely not always the case when it comes to sequels or additional installments in a series. 5 stars!

The Strange Tale of Miss Victoria Frank packs quite a punch in ~100 pages. In this story we get to examine the friendship and working relationship between Nikola Tesla and newcomer on the scene, Victoria Frank. She has taken an interest in his scientific experiments. She is quite the strong character who exhbits personality traits "unbecoming of a lady" at that time. She is willful, smart, and has ambition. At one point it is suggested she stop with the science and just learn how to type - if that puts things into perspective. But, as I mentioned, she is ambitious and she has quite the knack for Nikola Tesla's research. She comes to him with a mysterious family secret of her own. I grew quite attached to Nikola and Victoria by the end of this... well, let's just say I did not quite see the ending coming! I recommend this for fans of dark, gothic, fun! 3.5 stars!

The Flower and The Serpent is a young adult dark mystery with elements of horror. The story focuses on a group of teens who are about to put on a production of Macbeth. The production is being led by an ambitious teacher, Mr. Ravenswood, and the lead role of Lady Macbeth is being eyed by the young and also ambitious Violet. Violet, however, does not get the part. She does not even get the role of understudy. Instead, she is cast as one of the Three Witches. But now Violet will do whatever it takes to be the star of the show.

The "curse" surrounding Macbeth is at full force in this book. Ominous, dark, and creepy things seem to surround this renowned Shakespearean play. But just what is going on? Is Violet a dangerous psycho? Are there spirits haunting the play? Or does the the land on which the high school, Beacon Hill High, have its own story and dark, disturbing past that is coming forward?

This book is told via multiple perspectives and it is always clear what POV we are experiencing the story. There are two "unknown" POVs, though. Someone is writing to a journal. Who? And someone, or some THING, is calling itself the darkness. As the story unfolds we get answers behind these mysterious POVs. I was confused at first, but it all made sense in the end.

I enjoyed this story and the petty rivalry between classmates. I loved the history and the supernatural aspect involved. I will be reading more from Madeleine D'Este! 3.5 stars!

Sara Tantlinger is brilliant. I said it and I will stand by it! She has a knack for creating such illustrative and beautiful poetry while centralizing/being influenced by such dark horrors. In the case of Cradleland of Parasites, that horror is THE BLACK PLAGUE. And believe me, we need some magical horror poetry about a plague right now... I devoured this collection quicker than I anticipated... but I could not stop myself! I know I will be re-reading this collection and there are definite poems that stand out for me:

"The Demon of Constantinople," "Her Face of Bones and Needles," "Second Pandemic," "Crimson Mercy," "The Corpses Burn," "The King's Ulcer," "Blackbirds, Black Death," and "Island of Ghosts."

There is not a single poem in here that I did not fawn over, but those were some of my favorites. I highly recommend this collection. And if you are still on the fence about horror poetry... here is your chance to start with a powerful collection! 5 stars!

Jon Bassoff really creates something special with Captain Clive's Dreamworld. Here we see deputy Sam Hardy sent away to this new town, Angels and Hope, which has a very Stepford feel to it. Everyone is idyllic and peaceful. So why would this town even need a deputy? Is there even crime? And what is this theme park associated with the town? And who the heck is paying for all of this??

Most of the book left me feverishly turning pages as I could not wait to see just what in tarnation was going on. While reading I kept getting vibes of Wayward Pines mixed with Wicker Man mixed with House of Wax movie remake. I could not tell if I was being frustrated WITH or frustrated FOR Sam Hardy as he tries to navigate this strange town and its quirky and somewhat detached residents. I definitely know I wanted to be slapping SOMEbody... I just couldn't figure out who! Bassoff does an excellent job at building this world full of confusion, paranoia, and deception.

When we finally start getting some solid answers and epiphanies about what is going on, who is involved, and how everything is working out... my jaw dropped. And it stayed that way until the last page. ONE SCENE IN PARTICULAR MADE ME DO A TRIPLE TAKE AND A LOT OF VERBAL 'UH UH!!!!' OVER AND OVER.

This book is wild... and highly addictive. I definitely recommend it! Thanks to Eraserhead Press and Night Worms for this advance copy for our book party!

The Night She Fell is the first book by Jennifer Soucy that I've read... and it's not going to be the last! There's actually already a sequel announced to this one which I will absolutely be checking out - come on 2021! In this story, we follow Cori with her ambition to be a strong witch like her mama as she navigates through a quick, passionate romance with a man whose family with a dark, sordid past could not be more different from her own. Cori and her mama are restaurant owners just making it work day to day. They are not wealthy or social elitists. And this new man, Hayden, is from one of the wealthiest families around. What secrets connect Cori and Hayden? Will the past repeat itself? And will Cori discover and unleash her powers before they are all doomed? All of these questions buzzed through my mind while trying to put all the pieces together on how his parents are connected with Cori's.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It has a great blend of so many elements: witchy, horror, romance, sexy (ooh la la!), mystery, etc. I tore through this book because I couldn't stand not knowing what would happen to Cori, her mama, Hayden, his family, etc. It seemed that once the 30% mark was hit that the story took an accelerated route down "What-is-happening?!"-land and there was no turning back.

Cori is extremely likable... and I enjoyed the fun friendship she has with Monica as it allows us another viewpoint into all that is going on in the story. Cori's rushed and explosive relationship with Hayden swings like a pendulum. Do we trust him? Does he have ulterior motives? Does he truly love her? We go back and forth - and that just adds to the mystery and intrigue of the story even more! Safety is priority number one here... and just how safe is everyone?!

I loved all the witchy goodness in this book... from spelling foods/drinks to Hekate herself. I am so eager for the next book because this is a world I could stay in for quite some time!

Thank you to the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Dark Land is a fast-paced action horror story (with a dash of romance) that takes place in the dark, cold forests of Alaska's back-country. The author writes this setting so vividly that I could practically see my own breath and my skin was cold. I truly felt like I was in this isolate national park deep in the recesses of Alaska. Our main characters, Rose and Ulrik, are extremely likable and easy to root for. Rose is that strong protagonist we always talk about needing! While out in the middle of nowhere, they are looking for a long lost friend/friend's son and are encountered by these creatures. I do wish the creatures had been a little scarier, but I mean, I am sure if I saw one I would die of fright on the spot. But since this is a book, I would have liked them fleshed out and scarier to read about. This is a quick read that I am sure many will ravage and enjoy!

With quite the interesting passion/fetish, Sadie Snow is the main character in this modern-day retelling of Frankenstein with a feminist twist. Some people like feet, green eyes, or even ridiculously over-sized body parts. Sadie just likes things cold - and that does not mean she is a necrophiliac by any means. There are so many cold options out there... but... who can actually love her back and stay cold? If you are starting to think you're in for a wild story then you are absolutely correct.

I am not sure if anyone remembers a movie from 1990 called Frankenhooker (obviously also a Frankenstein retelling with a twist)... but pieces of this narrative reminded me of that. And anything that evokes nostalgia for me is a win because that feeling is just something that can't ever fully be described or realized by anyone but yourself.

I enjoyed the twists and turns this book took. I kept waiting to see just what Sadie would do or say next. She is unapologetic in what she wants... she is a woman with a plan. She has zero time to waste in getting what she feels is rightfully deserved by her or anyone on this planet. I got a little overwhelmed with the constant euphemisms for body parts, though. When there are multiple names, and some extremely juvenile, for the same body part within the same page or two, I could not help but feel like I was either at the lunch table or locker room in 6th grade. But I pushed past that and ignored it, trying to engage with the story more instead of being distracted by what was becoming the world's biggest sexual thesaurus.

All You Need is Love and a Strong Electric Current is another fun and quirky addition to the Rewind or Die series from Unnerving. It embodies that whole catalog with its throwbacks and modernized twists. I see this one making the rounds with all my friends and us all having some great discussions! 3.5 stars!