howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

It took me a while to figure out my feelings about this collection, but I've settled on 3.5 stars.

Revenge is a collection of short stories that vary from slightly unsettling to downright creepy, and each one is subtly related to the rest - sometimes, in ways that are less obvious than others.

While I enjoyed the writing well enough, and I enjoyed learning how each one was connected, the whole book left me feeling like something was missing and wanting more. I don't think it's necessarily a problem with how short the collection was so much as maybe the fact that it felt to me that all of the horror elements primarily were centered in the first 30% or so of the book, with the rest mostly feeling just melancholy and slightly disturbing.

I think this might have been, above all else, a case of mismanaged expectations. I'd had this book on my TBR for such a long time, and had been told it was very frightening, but I don't agree with that. I would recommend this for someone who enjoys odd, sad, slightly creepy stories - not someone looking for outright horror.

This was so much fun and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys MG horror short stories! I see collections frequently compared to the ever-coveted status of Scary Stories, but they rarely live up to the parallel for me; however, Hide and Don't Seek absolutely gave me ALL the Scary Stories vibes, only for a newer, younger audience! I enjoyed every single story and poem in this collection and thought the illustrations were really fun (and occasionally quite creepy). If you think this sounds like something you or a reader in your life would be interested in, I wholeheartedly recommend grabbing a copy!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was genuinely one of the most precious, wholesome, delightful things I've ever read in my life. If you enjoy cute, fluffy graphic novels featuring magical creatures, witches, vampires, beautiful artwork, and sweet, authentic anxiety rep, you absolutely, 100% need this in your life. Oh, and the main character's best friend casually uses they/them pronouns, and frankly, I would fight for Garlic and Carrot without hesitation because they're both flawless, soft little beans who deserve only happiness. No, you're emotional over fictional produce-people.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

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I'm so glad I finally continued this series! It's such a fun, fascinating premise with some really creepy, gross imagery and lovable characters. I love the art style, the storytelling, everything about it and I'm so eager to read Volume 3 next!

Spell on Wheels follows a trio of roommate/best friend witches who get sent on a road trip to hunt down a mysterious villain after finding their home broken into and several valuables stolen. This was a really fun graphic novel that I enjoyed a lot - it's gorgeous, the characters are lovable, there's a lot of casual and thoughtful diversity, and the plot is engaging. There was a little something missing that kept this from being a perfect 5-star read for me, but I definitely still highly recommend picking up a copy! I was especially fond of the "Goatman" arc, and anyone else who thought the Beast was better before he turned back into a prince probably will be, too.

We are not meant to know
how it is to look upon ourselves—
The moment of meeting our own eyes
and seeing what is, or isn't, in their depths;
That moment when we know
the evil within,
the us outside,
is the evil that chases us through
the nightmares we wave away come dawn...

I love poetry, I love horror, and I love stories of urban legends, long-remembered beasties and folklore that carries down through generations. Monstrum Poetica contains all three of those elements and executes each one with terrifying, wicked brilliance.

This collection highlights seventeen separate creatures, from the brutal aswang to the ambiguous Mothman to the shambling zombie, with a few short poems dedicated to each. Each section begins with a very short introduction to the lore behind those beasties, where it's made evident that Jezzy Wolfe has a true passion for the subject and absolutely did her research. I loved those snippets tremendously as they were not only informative and enjoyable, but the bits of prose also broke up the poems in a way that made each piece stand clearly apart from the next one.

I literally couldn't put this collection down and ended up tearing through the entire thing in one go. There aren't many poetry books I re-read, but I know this will be one of them, because it's only been two days and I'm already itching to re-visit these little horrors!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

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This was so cute and sweet. Bat is really precious, and the representation of him as an autistic character just felt tremendously thoughtful to me. I don't know if I feel comfortable calling myself an own-voice reviewer for this story because I don't know if I am or not. I was a kid in a time and an area where autism diagnoses weren't handed out except for in certain very specific situations, and then I just never thought about it much until I reached adulthood. Now, at 27, I talk to autistic friends and I read articles and tweet threads about life as an autistic person and I'm amazed by how strongly I relate to them... but I don't have a diagnosis, and I don't know how to ask for one at this age, honestly. So take this with however large a grain of salt you deem necessary when I say that I saw a lot of myself in Bat, and it made me realize we really, really need more autistic main characters painted in a loving and positive light like this, because I would've felt much less alone as a child if I'd had this story.

Rambling aside, A Boy Called Bat is also a really humorous, light, sweet story about a little boy and his baby skunk, and I had so much fun reading it. I know I'll be recommending it to anyone and everyone who will listen.

This was absolutely adorable and such a fun read. I feel like this would be a fantastic recommendation for any kid who's experiencing their first "long distance" friendships right now, whether it's due to relocating, the pandemic, or any other reasoning. There's a sweet message in here about how we have room to bring in new friends without forgetting the old, woven into a cute, humorous, sometimes very silly plot with a fun little twist. Plus, I have to rave a little about the diverse cast of characters and the main character's two dads, who are precious and definitely needed more on-page time!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was absolutely fantastic — easily one of the best releases in this new Hill House line so far. The art took a little time to grow on me, but the characters are so enjoyable and the plot is genuinely unsettling and dreadful, right down to the bone. This is going down as one of my favorite cosmic horror media pieces, no question, not only for the fear factor and the otherworldly appeal of the villains, but for how effortlessly Joe Hill made me love our little cast of misfit heroes, too.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!