leahrosereads's Reviews (1.04k)

I'm going to try and share most of the positive aspects of this book first.  I loved the premise!  It was a fantastically interesting concept that was going to be a claustrophobic sea horror, which I was totally ready for! Plus, getting POVs from the creatures of the ocean - yes, please, more of that!

Unfortunately, the length and cast of characters really didn't do any favors here.  I usually really love a lot of POVs, but it didn't feel like a lot of them were bringing anything interesting to the table.  The length was both too long and too short/didn't provide enough information for the vast infodump we would have needed for a lot of this to make any sense.  I ended up ignoring most of the "science" on the pages, because it didn't seem to matter.

Definitely interested in checking out more from this author!  I think she has some strong ideas, and I'm looking forward to finding a book of hers that knocks my socks off!

Absolutely gothic horror at its finest!  I love how Kingfisher pulled inspiration from the classic story and turned it into something more brilliant, and horrifying. The characters, the setting, and the unsettled nature of it all kept me turning the pages until I got to the very end.

I really liked how Kingfisher including identities outside of the binary and showed that any person had the capabilities to do whatever their heart's desire.

This is the type of story that once I started it, I couldn't put it down until I was finished!

This was brilliantly done!  Loved how it all came together in such few pages.  This, this is why I love short stories.  They bring so many elements together, so smartly, quickly, and then it wraps up, leaving the reader to wonder - what will happen next. 

This was also frightening and very topical with what's happen in the US and the lack of bodily autonomy for folks with uteruses.  This could be our future, if we're not careful, and if we don't stand up now.

There's discovering and finding your true self, friendships, family issues, and selkies!  What more do you need?

Molly’s art is, as always, absolutely exceptional, and I really loved these characters (even when they got a bit messy)!

All of the stars for this delightful read!  I absolutely adored Sean and Crest and the growth they both go through during the book.  The fantastical elements add such a fun aspect to the story, and I just loved the merfolk history we get here.

This is definitely over the top in the best ways.  

Just Like Mother was an absolutely trippy ride! I especially enjoyed seeing the past and present between the different chapters and how Heltzel weaved both stories together.

While I saw pretty much every twist coming, it didn't take away from how much I was enthralled by everything happening.

Great debut!

The Fervor was an absolutely perfect blend of history and horror! Alma Katsu's storytelling kept me completely invested from start to finish.  This was horrific and a lot of that came from the historical elements and what Japanese Americans went through in the interment camps.

I highly recommend reading this, and I plan to dive into Alma Katsu's backlist as soon as possible.  An auto-buy author for me, for sure!

First, thank you to the publisher for providing me an ARC.  As always, I absolutely appreciate it.

This was a very relevant and topical story surrounding Hollywood, the dark dealings that young stars deal with, and how femme folk are treated in Western society. I really liked those elements and thought the book could've just been that and may have been a tad stronger for it.

Then there was the romance.  Of course, the readers don't see the whole past relationship but the characters have known each other for years, drifted apart and then came back together. Even so, the relationship felt a bit rushed.  I didn't love Fiona and Sam together.

There's a lot that's not answered here and that's always a mix of enjoyment for readers. Didn't bother me too much, but I think that may disappoint some.