howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

In this issue of Fables, Snow White and Rose Red take a trip upstate to the Animal Farm to check on the non-human-passing Fables. Upon arriving, they find that Weyland Smith has gone missing, and two of the pigs have taken over the farm in leading an uprising revolution to take back the Homelands.

This volume was a lot more dramatic than the first, and I really enjoyed seeing the Farm and the less human Fables! As usual, the artwork is beautiful and the plot was fully fleshed out within the confines of this one issue, which is a method I love in a graphic novel/comic book series.

I honestly had such a hard time picking a star rating for this one, because something about this graphic novel series is simultaneously intriguing and really... frustrating and boring. So much happens, yet there's no attachment to any of the characters, so it's hard to care about most of the events. I will admit, though, that the ending caught me, and I'll probably pick up Volume 3 just to see where the story goes next.

What can I even say? Maya Angelou was an incredible woman and this was such a poignant and moving window into the world of the difficulties that come with growing up as a black woman in the south. Maya underwent unspeakable horrors, yet found the strength she needed to overcome each and every one of them. <3 There were a few little essays here and there that I wasn't entirely sure "fit" the memoir as a whole, but for the most part, I was completely enraptured by her words.

Don't get me wrong, the artwork in this graphic novel series is incredible and the character designs are bomb as hell. Everything feels incredibly unique and creative, and I love that. But something about the story just doesn't really suck me in. I keep trying to love each volume as much as I loved volume 1, but it isn't happening. I think I'll give it one more volume, and if #5 isn't 4+ stars for me, I'll call it quits on this series (which sucks, because I feel like EVERYONE loves it!).

Updating this review because I should've said it sooner: MAJOR trigger warnings for child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, mental, the works), torture, slur usage, slut-shaming, victim-blaming, child death... list goes on.

I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because I can appreciate the fact that Ketchum wanted to shine a light on a true story, and on the horrific abuse that happens worldwide to children - and the ways that passersby turn a blind eye instead of righting wrongs. That said, I wasn't a fan of the writing style; I read a lot of books that are actually from the decade this book was set in, and they don't feel half this dated. I also absolutely loathed the narrator and felt like he was completely unrealistic until very near the end of the book. It was very robotic and he seemed to have no real attachment to the story or any other characters. To be frank, I felt like he was just a vehicle for us to look out from while watching the ongoing actions of the other characters. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this title to anyone.

Eh. After calling it quits on the Saga series (because I realized, several volumes deep, that I simply did not care about it), I thought I'd give a different series from Vaughan a try, because my friends all seem to love his stories so much that I kept feeling like I was missing out on something. After reading this, I'm convinced that his work just isn't for me. The artwork is super fun and lively, but this volume didn't catch me at all. I might give the second volume a try, but it's feeling unlikely right now.

Content warnings for severe homophobia and homophobic slurs (why is almost nobody talking about this...?)

I've been dying to reread this one for a while, but I was looking at its GR entry and noticed it's listed as YA fantasy. I've always considered it MG, possibly because I first read it when it was released, which was when I was 10 years old or so. Am I remembering wrong, maybe, since it's been so long?

Anyways, I'm putting it to a vote: do you consider Eragon MG or YA? What about the other books in The Inheritance Cycle?

Look at me. The stuff I buy, the shit I've made. I'm the first one you expect.

First off, this is a really tough rating to give and one of those titles that makes me DESPERATELY wish Goodreads would implement a half-star rating system, because this is a 3.5-star read if I've ever seen one. It's too much fun to be a 3-star read, but I had too many issues with the narrator for it to quite make it to 4.

The First One You Expect follows Tony, an independent filmmaker who wants to make it big in the league of horror flicks, but hasn't quite caught his big break yet. When he meets the new girl at the local grocery store he works at and she expresses an interest in being his next film protagonist, he thinks he's struck gold, but something isn't quite right with her and things become messy very quickly.

It's a really fun, intriguing story that I think every horror film lover can appreciate. You can tell that Cesare knows his horror films, and he throws in all of these fun little references and remarks that are terribly enjoyable to sift through.

Unfortunately, I just really couldn't stand the narrator. He's awful, crude, and his attitude towards everyone around him is just gross. I get that he's intended to be this walking cliche of sorts—at least, I assume it's intentional—but it was too over the top and cringe-y for me. If it hadn't been for that, and the fact that the ending felt weird and anticlimactic to me, I think this would have received much higher marks from me.

That said, The First One You Expect is still a damn good time and I will happily be checking out more of Adam Cesare's work in the future!

Another fantastic Janz read! This was his first novella ever put out into the world, and while he's grown as a writer and mastered his craft over the last 13 years, this story is so creative and fun that you can really tell he's just a natural storyteller. Jonathan has quickly become one of my favorite horror writers of all time, and this was no exception to the enjoyment rule.

Because Fridays at midnight, long after the casual moviegoers filed out of the exits, the Starlight Cinema transformed into something dark and perilous.

While this wasn't a flawless read for me due to the ending feeling a bit confusing (there were few questions I wouldn't have minded receiving the answers to as it all wrapped up), it's so easy to round up to 5 because I was on the edge of my seat through the entire story and found my heart racing from the suspense a few times.

Tonight, he could experience the thrill of being chased without the danger of actually dying. He could inhabit the minds of murderers without inflicting damage on anyone. He could be more than a meek little man sitting alone in the dark with Twizzlers dangling from his mouth.
Here, he was free.

On top of the plot, I've got to take a second to talk about our protagonist, Larry, and how relatable his inner monologue is for horror film fans everywhere. He's got a touch of elitism to him as he considers, with some snark, the idea that most film-watchers won't appreciate the classics or the B-rated horror he loves, but he also touches on the immense feeling of family that fosters between lovers of the genre, which is something I can vouch for in my own life. Witching Hour Theatre feels like a horror story first and foremost, but a love letter to horror film fans second, and that is one hell of a winning combination.

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Buddy read with Kaleena! ♥

Hahahahahahahahaha OOOOOHHHHHH, BOY.

Have you ever read something SO cringe-inducing that you just couldn't put it down because how the hell could you POSSIBLY pass up the chance for this good of a laugh? Because that was 100% me with this novella. WOW. It's not that the writing voice itself is bad—a bit cheesy, but nothing awful—but the dialogue and the hero of the story? YIKES.

So, Snow and Mistletoe is about these two people who have fallen in love over the telephone, and now they're finally meeting up, but one of them has a big secret: he's covered in scars from a car wreck and suffers tremendous insecurities due to the injuries. It started off pretty well, and I was actually really fascinated and thought there might be an interesting, dramatic plot to unfold around his self-image issues. NOPE.

Instead, we just get some really cheesy, mediocre sex scenes with a lot of REALLY bad dialogue. I dunno, I mean, if your kink is talking about pregnancy during sex scenes, then this might work better for you, but I literally laughed through the entire thing because it's so bad. Alex's inner monologue is just so obsessed with impregnating this poor young girl (who, I should add, was a virgin before they had sex, but they then proceed to have sex once an hour, for the rest of the night and WTF, HAVE MERCY).

On a more serious note, though, Alex's internal monologue is also super rape-y with a lot of thoughts on how if he gets her pregnant, she can't leave him; he wants to chain her to him; he'll never live without her after this one night together, blah blah blah. So, heads up on that note. Also, here's a gem for you from Noelle's POV:

It should be freaking me out, but thinking that he's been stalkerish makes me feel warm inside. Like he's got all these little dirty secrets about me just for himself.

Woooo, you heard it here, folks; the best way to a woman's heart is through STALKING her!

I'm going to stop now because I honestly can't stop laughing. This is one of the worst things I've ever read. If you're looking for a sweet or sexy Christmas story, PASS, PASS, PASS, but if you're looking for a very unintentionally hilarious way to spend an hour, be my guest.