reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

What a fantastic dark academia!! The atmosphere was unsettling, the mystery intriguing, and the friendships everything.

Highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a thriller set in an elite boarding school setting!

An interesting read with a lot of insight into what it means to be a sociopath. However, there seems to be some skepticism around the author's credentials and the events of this memoir and that has me feeling 🫠

Five spooky stars for this one!

It’s rare that I’ll enjoy every story in an anthology, but I’m pleased to report that this one is an exception!

The first story really set the mood for the whole collection (I literally gasped at the end of it haha), and there were soo many stories that will stick with me for a while!

Roos has a spirit companion only she can see named Ruth. Growing up, Mama used Roos' paranormal abilities to lure clients to their home with promises of channeling their passed loved ones. One of those clients is Agnes, who takes a liking to Roos and pays for her to become her real world companion.

MY DARLING DREADFUL THING by Johanna van Veen is a gothic horror novel, but above all else, it is a love story.

Told through flashbacks of Roos' life and transcripts with her present-day doctor (while awaiting to stand trial for a murder 👀), I found myself absolutely unable to put this book down!

The possession itself was extremely intriguing (and disgusting) and had me questioning the realities of it alongside Roos' doctor, and learning about both Roos' and Agnes' pasts was heartbreaking in a very vengeful way.

Highly recommend for all the gothic horror fans out there! Johanna is a new voice we should all be on the lookout for!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: May 14

After Jo's childhood friend Dana recently helps her out in a life-changing way, she feels indebted to her, so when she receives a late night call from her friend, she doesn't hesitate to drive to her home. Upon arriving, she finds Dana standing over her husband Stan, who's dead on the floor. The women make the decision to hide all of the evidence and carry on as if nothing had happened...

Huge thanks to Libro.fm and Blackstone Publishing for my ALC of A FRIEND INDEED by Elka Ray!

I started off really enjoying this one - it has pretty strong Dead to Me (tv show!) vibes, which I'm obsessed with!

However, our two main characters quickly devolve as protagonists, becoming selfish and often oblivious to any and all common sense. I'm not often turned away by unlikeable lead characters, but Jo and Dana ultimately had me rolling my eyes more than I'd like to admit.

I think some readers will really enjoy this one, but it missed the mark for me a bit by the end.

Publication Date: May 14

Thanks to Berkley for an early finished copy of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book has such a fun, unique, spooky premise - told from the point of view of a house cleaner, tasked with cleaning a famous horror director's prop and memorabilia-filled home, who soon starts hearing and seeing things that can't be full explained away 👀

It was so interesting to learn about our main girl, Harry's backstory, while also showcasing her and her teen son's shared love of horror films! I also just love when filmmaking is tied into a book, and a horror book makes it even more fun.

However, I found this book to, ultimately, be incredibly predictable and repetitive and there was more talking about spooky stuff than there was actual spooky stuff happening.

Definitely not my favorite horror book about horror movies, but I can see someone younger (teen me!!!) enjoying this one!

Publication Date: May 14

THE HONEY WITCH was the coziest witchy book I could ever wish for!

I read it via audio and a) the narrator was so incredibly good and b) I felt so immersed in the time and place, it was always such a joy to pop my earbuds back in!

I loved Marigold as a character so much and I loved seeing her growth from the start when she turns the geriatric age of 21 🙃 to coming into her witchiness and realizing that she deserves love, too.

Huge thanks to Libro.fm and Hachette Audio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: May 14

Firstly, I loved getting multiple characters who had prosthetics (and the fact that they were so badass!!)

This one was a slow-burn, but it kept me invested all the way through. I loved the time jumps and the POV switches, and getting to know the main characters.

Overall, a lot of really powerful messages in this one!

Presley has been grinding away as an assistant at the Late Night Show for nearly two years, while finding a home for herself in New York City. While avoiding forming any sort of meaningful romantic connections, she leans on her friend and roommate Isabelle to keep her social life active. When Presley runs into one of her late mother’s friends, their connection has her facing past grievances and has this mid-twenty-something opening herself for all to see.

Huge thanks to Celadon Books for sending me an ARC of this one - out July 9, 2024!

After absolutely loving Cat Shook’s debut novel IF WE’RE BEING HONEST, I was beyond thrilled to not only hear about her next book, but to find out that it would be set where I currently call home - New York!

HUMOR ME is a love letter to the city and its boroughs 🫶but it’s also heavily focused on the importance of friendship and dealing with grief.

It made me laugh and cry -  Shook is great at writing imperfect characters that are so multi-faceted it hurts 🥲and she had sooo many references to some of my fave things (Tom Hanks, Nora Ephron films, Lorde, Broad City, The Office, etc etc!!)

I can’t wait for this one to get in the hands of more readers!

tw: alcoholism, death of a parent, finance bros

This book felt too predictable to be 640 pages 🥲

I enjoyed the concept, but the book itself could have easily been half as long.