shawna_reads's Reviews (471)

"Pain is all I know. Peace is all I want."

After traveling for centuries and concealing his secrets, Deucalion returns to the city because a serial killer is on a murder spree collecting body parts to feel whole. He thinks his creator, Victor Helios, is behind it all. On his path he meets detectives Carson O'Connor and Michael Maddison whose beliefs are tested as they race to solve this crazy case.

This is the first book in the Frankenstein series and, while it lacked in some areas, I didn't hate it. The writing was simple and repetitive, and some of the characters were a little bland, but the plot itself was interesting. There was death, missing body parts, an immortal race of beings, experiments, cheesy jokes, and a monster you come to love.

I was disappointed that I didn't get enough of Deucalion (aka Frankenstein's monster) because I really liked his character, but there was quite a bit of backstory for Victor Helios (aka Frankenstein) and his diabolical schemes.

I already own books two and three, and I am interested in where the series will go so I think I will continue on in the hopes that it'll get better.

"Having a breakdown was like breaking a vase and then gluing it back together. You could never trust yourself to handle that vase again with any surety. You couldn't put a flower in it because flowers need water and water might dissolve the glue." 

I'm sure everyone knows about Night Shift so I don't need to go into too much detail. It is King's first collection of short stories ranging from a killer machine to toy soldiers to vampires to possessed trucks to creepy children to a boogeyman, etc. 

When I looked at the titles of the stories, some of them sounded familiar. I looked at the spine of the book and saw that it was cracked, but only part of it (I bought it new). I guess at some point I read a few stories but never finished. I couldn't tell you when, but I knew some of it was familiar 😂 

Anyway! This was a solid collection. Like any collection, some stories were alright, but I really enjoyed the majority of them. Out of the 20 stories, my favourites were: 

I Am the Doorway
The Mangler
The Boogeyman
Battleground
Trucks
Sometimes They Come Back
Quitters, Inc 

I'm glad I finally picked this up because it was an enjoyable read!

"Horror is the fear and the guilt and the sin that we try to keep inside us, down in the dark, and as storytellers it's our job to sort of bring that into the light."

The Finch house is an abandoned place in the countryside of Kansas that has been dormant for years. Four horror authors are invited to spend Halloween night inside the infamous house, where an entity is awakened and so begins the act of tormenting the authors into its legacy.

I first picked up this book in 2021 when it was hyped up. I read half of it and never touched it again. I'm sure there were other reasons as to why, but one of the main reasons was that it was slow. I generally enjoy slow burns as long as the story is interesting, but at the time I thought it was a slog. This time around, I started from the beginning and actually finished and enjoyed it for the most part 😅

Yes, it was a slow burn, but this was the time used to build up the atmosphere and the creepiness of the house, as well as the characters and their backstories. I liked how each author had their own definition of horror and how their writing and personalities reflected that, essentially effecting the way they viewed and navigated the Finch house.

The second half of the book was way better than the first half as that was where most of the action took place. The haunted house came alive and really brought the eeriness and bloodshed to life. And that ending? Not what I was expecting at all, but I liked it.

Overall, it was a well written story and a different take on the haunted house trope. I'm glad I took the time to actually finish it.

"People love to sleep, and yet they are so frightened of death." 

It all starts with Elizabeth receiving a letter from someone from her past who needs her help. Stolen diamonds and a mobster interest the Thursday Murder Club as they hunt for a murderer. Can they find the killer and the diamonds before the killer finds them? 

I have never loved a group of characters more than The Thursday Murder gang! They're so fun and witty, but don't let this elderly group fool you because they are also valiant and smart. It was wonderful to be back with the gang as they navigated their way through another murder mystery. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron are all loveable 🥰 And a few other recurring characters were also awesome! 

This sequel was ridiculous, mysterious, full of action, had laugh out loud moments, as well as sweet/sad moments as it tackled important elderly themes. There was a lot going on, but Osman did a great job blending it all together without any confusion. And Joyce and her Instagram page? Absolutely hilarious! 😂 

There is never a dull moment with the Thursday Murder gang. I recommend this series to anyone who loves a cozy mystery full of excitement. I can't wait to get to book 3 soon!

"When you see blood, you know blood, you feel blood."

Violet and her friends have been invited to the 2020 Senior Scavenge, which involves breaking into the Poison Apple Carnival after hours for a scavenger hunt. But someone else has other plans as the girls are hunted down one by one by a madman. Violet must fight to survive.

This book was fun! There was blood, gore, silly teenagers, cringey jokes, a carnival, a crazy killer, and more blood and gore. The atmosphere was perfect as you know how much I love my horror taking place at an amusement park. The rides, the games, the treats, and a murderer with an ugly mask with a protruding tongue. Absolutely wild! 😂

I had an inkling of who the killer was, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment. As much as I had fun with this book, it is considered YA so the dialogue and the choices the teens were making were pretty cringe 😂 But it was still decent. It paid homage to the cheesy B list slashers we come to love so if that's what you enjoy, then this one is right up your alley!

"In even the most innocent scenes there is darkness to be found at the corners from the way the light falls on the frame."

The rules of a murder mystery are that they must have a victim, a suspect, a killer, and a detective. Thirty years ago, Grant McAllister, a math professor, calculated the different possibilities of a murder mystery by writing 7 detective stories. Now he lives in seclusion on a remote island until Juila Hart, an editor, seeks him out to discuss his book to republish it.

This book initially interested me because I thought it was going to be some kind of intricate murder mystery. Instead you get 7 detective stories, but in between each story were chapters where Grant and Julia were disecting the stories according to Grant's rules, which added an extra air of mystery. 

Don't get me wrong, my interest was further piqued because of the format. A few of the stories were interesting and I liked the dialogue between the two MCs, however as a whole, I found the book to be a bit mundane. It was imaginative and twisty, with an ending that I was not expecting, but I felt it lacked the excitement that I usually look for in a murder mystery.

"Her eyes. They see the world how I see it. There's a twinkle in them, like they've got love to give." 

Two boys live on a secluded farm with Miss Maggie, a woman who takes care of them. Some days she brings people back to the farm to join their family, which in turn makes the boys excited. 

At only 125 pages, Boden and Lutzke weaved together a beautiful novella. A horror story that tugged on your heartstrings. I enjoyed the perspectives of the two young boys and the mysterious build up of events. I had an idea of what was going on, but the reveal at the end took it to another level. I was not ready for an emotional read, but I loved every minute of it! 

That is all I'm going to say before I spoil anything as it is fast paced. Just know that it was dark and tense, yet beautifully written.

"To believe, one must care, and who's to say anyone ever cared?"

Mira fled her segregated hometown to forget her past - her best friend Celine who was the only white girl with black friends, her old neighbourhood, her memory of a ghost the day her crush Jesse got arrested, and the Woodsman plantation rumoured to be haunted by the spirits of slaves. But Mira is now back to attend Celine's wedding at the plantation that has been revamped into a resort. Mira hopes to reconnect with her friends, but things aren't as they appear.

This was a well written historical fiction horror that tackled the themes of racism, slavery, and oppression. It was dark, haunting, and atmospheric with some pretty graphic scenes.

I liked that the story included multiple timelines, going back and forth from the past to the present. This gave the reader an idea of what Mira, Jesse, and Celine were like as kids in a racist town, the events that occured at the plantation, and how it effected them in the present with racism still prevalent. It also gave a voice to the spirits of the slaves to include their POV and the brutality they faced.

While disturbing and graphic, the author did an amazing job taking real life social issues and turning it into a haunting novel.

"This was Hell, and torture was forever." 

RJ is a sex worker having problems with her abusive husband and her weird clients. One day, a cult of junkies abduct her and she is shown a bad vision of Heaven and Hell still at war. The Devil wants her on his side and sends her back with a demonic chainsaw to seek vengeance. 

First of all, what a name for a book! It just reels you right in, making you wonder what this woman is capable of and the events that led her to becoming the 'chainsaw hooker' 😆 

This story is exactly what it sounds like, but I had fun reading it. It was a revenge story full of blood, gore, and dark humour. It had a resurrection, a demonic chainsaw, a badass female protagonist, drugs, sex, the Devil, and angels. Need I say more? 

Make sure to check out the trigger warnings if you like the sound of this!

"You can't just paint a smile on your face, kid; you need to make them believe it's real. Even when most of the time, it won't be."

It's the summer of '89 and Bonkin's Bonanza is reopening. Everyone is excited to attend, but little do they know, what fun they're looking for turns into a twisted nightmare.

This book had everything I love - a carnival, clowns, blood and gore, dark humour, and great characters. The first chapter immediately sucked me right in and it was a wild ride from start to finish!

I actually loved the characters and everything they went through together. The relationships, the heartaches, the betrayal. I loved that the author took the time to make them all feel real throughout the craziness that was happening.

And nothing makes for a better atmosphere than a carnival! The setting was perfect and the clowns were outrageous and unique. The kills were bloody and the non-stop giggling was crazy 😆 I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a fun, bloody horror set at a carnival!