morganjanedavis's Reviews (396)

I’m a sucker for Grady Hendrix and while this wasn’t my fave of his it was really good! He does the best job of writing female characters and this is no exception. The friendships depicted felt so REAL, especially the southern nuances (I am from the south so a lot of this stuff was like omg yes this is def how a situation like that would’ve been handled). The ending was wonderful and overall this was a super easy read. This is perfect for spooky season!

I devoured this YA book in an afternoon. This left me in tears at multiple points. Beautifully written, powerful, and modern. Rhodes does an astounding job of linking the past to the present in a way that keeps readers wanting more from the storyline while highlighting groundbreaking cases of the lynchings of young Black boys across time. I found myself wanting a happy ending but it’s evident and pertinent that Rhodes did not include one, as this is the reality many Black people (especially young boys) face today. This is a MUST read. I would recommend this to anyone with middle school aged children as well as yourself. This is the perfect catalyst to start a powerful conversation between you and someone else. PLEASE pick this up!

I refuse to believe colleen wrote this.....I did not like this at all. I felt that Ben was a douche bag and the only time I found him redeemable was towards the middle of the book when tragedy struck. I don't understand how Fallon was supposed to just fall head over heels for this man...he was manipulative and very odd the entire book. I really wish she would have ditched him for real. Along with this, the whole "meet on Nov 9" thing when they literally BARELY KNEW ONE ANOTHER was not charming or romantic to me. If it were me I would have agreed and never shown up. Maybe I enjoy Colleen's other works because they're more of an enemies to lovers/complicated past/~we shouldn't be together but we are~ type of beat but this one just did not do it for me. Overall, this was extremely disappointing and while I still love CoHo I did not love this :(

4.5...this book was so special. As a person who has been through it the past few years, seeing Nora's hurt felt so relatable. This story unfolds beautifully and I felt like I could see everything as Nora glided in and out of her different lives. The character development displayed throughout this made me emotional and the ending (while a little predictable but like it had to be this way) was everything I could have asked for to solidify the theme presented throughout. Overall, I feel that this is a feel-good must read that anyone would enjoy.

Ooh ya’ll I’m always down for a haunted house book but one this unique and atmospheric is always a treat! I heavily enjoyed the abundance of characters and the dynamics that they upheld throughout the story. The fact that the family was untraditional but close knit made the story far more interesting. One of my favorite aspects of the novel is that every character tries to convince themselves and others that nothing is going on and that it’s a collective hallucination/fever dream/etc. This made the events feel far more real and made them scarier when they did occur. Speaking of events…while they were climactic and got scarier as the book progressed, I loved that they were sporadic and more haunting than directly and consistently menacing as most horror books are. Normally I do not like when you don’t find out exactly what the root cause of an issue is in a book as it feels unfinished and lazy. With this story, it only added to the allure. The horror and gore elements depicted were perfectly timed and the fact that up until the ending most of the events took place during the day made it all the more unsettling. I’m aware I’m far behind as this book debuted in the early 80’s but this has made me SO excited to dig into more of McDowell’s works.

I say this every time but I am a sucker for Grady Hendrix. His writing style is unique and always leaves me feeling something, to which I can't say the same of every author. This book of short stories that is very loosely based on real events was so fun to read! With the 1800's jargon and general rapport between the characters I felt like I was transported back to this time period. The social commentary on political figures and events during the time felt perfect to read during 2021, when the world feels still slightly ablaze from the shit show that was 2020. My favorite aspect of the stories was the unabashed racism, sexism, exploitation, and white privilege the main characters utilized to reach their goals. Augustus is extremely open with his tools used to oppress others and get what he wants while William seemingly feels worse about it but continues on with any and all plans despite a nagging conscience. V on brand for American history as a whole. This is different from any Hendrix work I've read in the past but if your a fan of him, history, and/or books that call out terrible white folks on their terrible actions, read this!

I like to sneak in some YA books every once in a while and this one did not disappoint. The writing, themes, and symbolism throughout the book was beautifully presented and well thought out. The struggles of trust fund babies and the lies, manipulation, and secrets that stacked one on top of the other made the book that much harder to put down. I didn't enjoy Cadence as much as the supporting characters but, I did enjoy reading through her character development as the book progressed. The book could be tedious at times and I could have absolutely done without the "Once upon a time.." chapters (srsly this was so cliche and annoying and something I considered skipping through EVERY TIME I HEARD IT) but the plot was so good. I did wish more of a resolve was given about the granddad's racism because Lockheart just sort of said, "Yes he is racist" and left it at that...very weird. Quick interesting read.

I was sort of nervous going into this read but I really enjoyed this! Six novellas follow stand-alone and/or loosely intertwined characters throughout the town of Goblin. Goblin has a rich history of spirits, wronged Native Americans, and a witch that have a tendency to catch up with Gobliners throughout the novellas. My favorite stories were Welcome, A Man in Slices, and A Mix-Up at the Zoo. This novel is not one that is plot-heavy with concise endings. Instead, Malerman focuses more on the aesthetics of the town and its history that comes to haunt each character at one point or another. Normally I prefer a book with a meatier plot but this works well. By the end of the book I kept seeing mental images of a blue-green rainy town with an underlying eeriness that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Atmospheric and spooky, gory details included. A fun read overall!

"Other people saw it." Said Darrish: "And you ought to have listened careful."

Oh man. This book was incredible. McDowell does an amazing job of writing works where all of the story elements keep me entertained, not just the plot and characters. The vivid imagery, unsuspectingly intertwined characters, and theme kept me dropping all obligations to finish this book.

While white men with power everywhere have more protections and liberties than anyone of any race or gender, this particularly reigns true in the South, where the "good ol' boy" mentality is used as a scapegoat for the actions of these men. This book reinforced that notion with the downright psychopathic and evil main character slipping through the cracks each time due to his societal status and wealth. When no one bothers to investigate more closely, justice begins to take shape from beyond the grave.

This book had everything I could ask for in a true Southern Gothic, with an ending that left me satisfied. HIGHLY recommend this!

3.5
After finishing this book I felt...nothing. It kept me entertained but I just didn't feel attached to any of the characters or fully gripped by the plot. I don't have any true complaints about this book but I feel that if I decided to put it down without finishing I wouldn't have been wondering about how the story ends. While this book did have horror and gore elements, it was more in line with fantasy as far as genre is concerned. The characters were dynamic and I enjoyed the alternating pov throughout the book. While the plot was okay, I there were too many elements and it made the story become muddy at points. Questions are left unanswered and parts of the story could have been pieced together more neatly. It was an interesting read but I am very neutral about the whole experience of this book. Very much the definition of "just okay" for me.