howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

 I'm surprised, given how much I love spooky carnival settings, to say that this was my least favorite of the series so far! It just didn't have as much fun of a vibe as the first two books, but I still definitely enjoyed it and recommend it. I liked the twist! This series is such a solid, underrated MG horror series and I'm excited to read the next one!
 

 Oh, this was too fun. I grew up in a very religious southern household, and while we mostly spent my childhood in Baptist churches, I definitely spent enough time in Pentecostal sermons to relate to the contents of this story. If anyone reads this and finds it unrealistic in how zealous and wild the congregation acts, I promise you, I have literally witnessed this sort of behavior so many times in my life! It was really interesting to see someone take that and turn it into this little horror short. Of course, the big moment of violence was not included in the Pentecostal churches I visited, but honestly, it doesn't feel totally outside the realm of possibility. 😂 

 What a fantastic, dreadful little story! I really love horror tales involving characters dealing with the aftermath of lost loved ones, but this story took things to a new level with the mystery surrounding what was happening in Cara's mother's house — and, more importantly, *why* it was happening. I was fully invested and couldn't put this novella down.

The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the writing felt a bit stilted at times, especially during the dialogue. That said, I definitely recommend this story and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to the author & BookSirens for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: sapphic MC and relationship 

 

I couldn't possibly tell you how I, as a horror lover since childhood, have managed to live to the age of 31 years old without being seeing The Shining or being spoiled for more than the barest bones of this story's plot, but I'm pretty sure it was thanks to some sort of universal intervention on my behalf because the cosmos knew I would adore this, or something. 😅

Seriously though, I absolutely loved this book! It's easily my new favorite Stephen King title, which is saying a lot, because it's been years since I read Misery and nothing beat that out until this novel. I was fully hooked from the first chapter and couldn't get enough of the claustrophobic setting, the lovable characters of Danny and Hallorann, and most of all, the immense feeling of dread that built in me with every turning event.

I won't spoil anything in case you're somehow like me and haven't experienced this one yet, but I will say that I didn't expect the ending we got, and I was really pleased with it. From start to finish, this was a gorgeously told story that I'm going to think about for a long time to come.

(And yes, I'll watch the movie next, but I don't have high hopes. After all, the book is always better, right?)

✨ Representation: one Black side character 

 I knew I probably shouldn't have bothered picking up this book since I was so bored and unimpressed by Legends & Lattes, but several people told me they liked this one more, so I decided to give it a chance. Unfortunately, I only somewhat enjoyed the first half of this prequel, and once it hit about the halfway point, I stopped being even remotely compelled to continue.

Most of my issue seems to be with the writing, because I found the characters very flat (which was also an issue I had with L&L), but the final straw for me was the forced inclusion of a romance. If you've read Legends & Lattes, you can already assume how this book will end, and while I can sometimes get behind a "temporary" romance with a pre-determined expiration date like this one, it didn't work for me at all in this scenario. It made me feel like every scene between Viv and the love interest was crammed in for filler material and I was beyond bored.

I wish I could love this series the way everyone else seems to, but I guess I need to accept being the odd one out here. Ah, well.

Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the audio review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: sapphic MC and side character