morganjanedavis's Reviews (396)

When a group of teens decide to break into an abandoned circus-themed amusement park & the site of multiple gristly murders back in the 90’s, everything seems super chill and like *nothing* could go wrong—right?! It’s all fun and games until people begin to go missing one-by-one and bodies are being discovered. Who’s behind this? Why would someone copy the cirque berserk murders 20+ years later? One of these seniors better figure it out quick, before Cirque Berserk and its demons swallow everyone up, for good.

This is my favorite book in the rewind or die series to date. It radiates an American Horror Story type of energy, showcasing modern characters who are far more sinister than they appear. There were fun twists throughout and the novella kept a perfect pace: weaving between backstory and current events flawlessly. Cirque Berserk’s high-energy plot can be attributed to the multitude and variety of slasher scenes. It was so fun to anticipate the gory deaths but never know how they’d play out. Although the ending wasn’t what I anticipated, I loved it and it made me hopeful for a 2nd installment

Andi is jealous of the vultures that circle her home. She longs to live their life: eating rotting flesh, soaring through the skies, freedom. Andi knows this is weird…she shouldn’t want to gobble up dead things. Blood should make her stomach churn not growl. Good thing she has her girlfriend, Luna, and her therapist Dr. Fawning to keep her thoughts positive and healthy…but is that enough? What happens when Andi lets go of all her inhibitions; lets the hunger become her? Andi only wants to be free.

What a unique novella. Andi’s condition was unlike any I’ve read about before. No detail was spared, reading about her wants made me feel nauseous at times. The writing was poetic, Tantlinger did an exceptional job describing disgusting scenes in a way that made them seem acceptable and/or like our main character HAD TO give into this. I wasn’t sure how the story was going to play out and the ending came out of left field entirely. I was under the impression Andi had more self control than she truly did, leading to the surprises to be gristlier than I could’ve anticipated. Because this is a super short read, I don’t want to give too much away but I highly recommend this one! To Be Devoured is available on Kindle Unlimited, check it out if you’re looking for a psychological novella with blood n guts elements

Hazel will do anything in order to become a surgeon. Being a high-society woman in 18th Century Scotland has put a damper on these dreams but, she’s persevered. With her parents being absent, she can more or less do as she pleases to work towards her goal. When her initial plan to sneak into the all male surgical school becomes unveiled, she begins to seek out resurrection men of the city for practice; enter Jack Currer. Jack is able to get bodies for Hazel so that she can pass the board anatomy exam to become an actual surgeon. All is well until Hazel notices some of the bodies of the dead (and living) are missing vital organs. Is someone getting to the bodies before her or is something more sinister at play?

I’m not normally a YA reader. By normally I mean hardly ever; as an adult the content is corny most of the time. Admittedly, this was a cover/hype buy and I was nervous that I wouldn’t enjoy it. I’m happy to report that I loved! Anatomy was endearing. I felt the love and heart that Schwartz put into the story, especially in developing Hazel’s character. She absolutely flourished, blossoming off the page with nuanced character traits and ambitions. The plot was well developed and I enjoyed the little pieces of information placed throughout the story for the reader to complete the puzzle. It did get a tinge predictable towards the end, but it didn’t spoil the reading experience. The historical fiction aspect was very well done. I felt as if I was brought back in time and it’s evident that the way of life throughout this time period was heavily researched. Because of the ending, I’m hoping Schwartz continues Hazel’s story with a sequel. She’s a fictional pioneer of her time and I’d love to keep up with where her gifts will take her…and to figure out what happened to a certain someone