This was a huge miss - especially considering the concept. I was prepared for atmospheric horror in isolation, and I got a boring, lengthy read. 

The setting is a Sanatorium with a dark history (now converted into a modern hotel), hidden deep in the snowy mountains with shoddy cell service and avalanches barring escape. Sounds terrifying, right? Not here.

The pacing was maddeningly slow, the character development was nonexistent, and the men were walking red flags. The reason this is two stars instead of one is because I did appreciate some of the descriptive writing & as mentioned above, thought the concept was excellent.

Our main character, a detective dealing with lifelong panic attacks (starting with the death of her little brother as a child and amplified after a botched case), is shockingly inept. She does ... well .. just about everything wrong during her "investigation". And she is on the verge of tears throughout most of it, doubting herself and whining about her situation. I did not believe Elin was ever a detective (more like a casual true crime podcast listener).

Onto the mystery itself, which was painfully drawn out and filled with common tropes.

No spoilers, but the killer reveal and motivation was baffling. Totally far fetched - and the "clues" were ridiculous. Then, there's a tacked-on epilogue with a cliffhanger clearly intended to leave readers craving more Elin (it didn't work). 

This should have been a super high stakes read, and the setting should have been actually utilized (why wasn't the Sanatorium given any characterization?). It's too bad.

CW: murder, death, medical trauma, child death, rape, panic attacks, abortion, kidnapping, confinement, force institutionalization, psychosis, mental illness, torture

This has got to be one of the most innovative & imaginative fantasy books I've read in a long time.

Welcome to New Orleans – or, perhaps more accurately, welcome to the spirit of New Orleans. The Ballad of Perilous Graves is a love song speaking to and through the soul of the city. It's a special story with a bold, fascinating presence.

Things are going wrong in this dreamlike version of New Orleans ("Nola"): nine songs are on the loose (thanks to a ghost pianist) and wreaking havoc on the city and its inhabitants. It's up to three kids (well, two slightly-magical kids and one badass superhero kid) to save their home. 

Their heroic journey turns dangerous quickly as they face intense magical evils, tumble through various worlds and realities, and realize that they are more dependable than the adults who are too afraid to act.

Most of our narrators are children, and therefore we get to see the magic and the music through their eyes. But while there are several child POVs, let me be clear – this is an adult book and contains dark themes. By utilizing kids as main characters, Jennings invites us to explore the complexities of their reality with a special kind of openness. 

The plotting? It's madness. Like listening to a new song, you've got to embrace the rhythm of this book and allow yourself to be swept away. This story is BEGGING you to embrace the chaos and enter a world where the unexpected is expected. You WILL be confused. If you have a connection to Black NOLA or its slang, you may be less confused. But either way, there's a whole lot going on. If you are someone who requires linear storytelling and gentle worldbuilding, this is not the book for you.

We're jumping between POVs (often multiple within one chapter) and timelines and worlds. (This novel wins the prize for distinctive narrative voices, though – I never had to page flip and check who our narrator was.)

Though some twists are unveiled by the end, a lot of things are still left unanswered. This is a novel that invites a reread, and I'm sure that the next time I tackle it I'll find even more depth.

I'm sure that once more folks have a chance to read, someone will make a list of all the clever real-life references and nods to New Orleans that I missed as someone who hasn't had a chance to visit yet. Bucket list! :) 

Ultimately, this is a brilliantly creative novel with a fresh voice. It's funny and deep and it has a whole lot of heart. 

CW: murder, injury, death, child death, death of a parent, animal death, gun violence, mass shootings, abandonment, confinement, fire, gender dysphoria, lesbophobia

This was an exhilarating read. Intense stakes, a sharp written voice, and excellent pacing that goes from lingering moments of deep characterization to heart-pounding action scenes. I was shocked and horrified and triumphant. 

This is a story about inescapable poverty & racism. It's a story about family - about generational violence and struggling with identity and our MC's deep desire to be a good father. At its core, it's a story about one man yearning for freedom. Throw in a heist (where things rapidly funnel out of control) and a lot of action-packed getaway drives, and you've got me hooked.

We follow Beauregard ("Bug") as he attempts to create an honest life for himself and his family, leaving his exploits as a getaway driver in the past. But a lot of things go wrong all at once, and Bug is tempted by an old acquaintance to lean back into the Life he so desperately wanted to bury for one final heist. (Though is it ever one final heist?)
 
Bug is a deeply compelling protagonist - he makes some pretty nasty choices, but you still find yourself rooting for him. That's not easy to pull off.

The prose is overall strong, but at moments Cosby leans into the similes so much that it got a little distracting. There's also a lot of detailed car talk, but even as a reader with 0 expertise in this area I felt like I was able to follow along (it just took a little extra effort at times, and led to some descriptions that felt quite dry). 

It's a gritty read with a lot of depth. It's intense. It's violent. It's heavy on the heart. But in my opinion? It's worth it.

CW: murder, violence, gore, body horror, gun violence, drug use, racial slurs, torture, fatphobia, cancer, sexual content, car accident, animal death, fire, vomit

Feed was ... not at all what I expected! Yes, it's a novel that takes place in a world with zombies. But it's not quite a "zombie story". It's a story about politics and journalism, media frenzies and manipulation, with clever satire, elements of horror and sci fi, and great character development. 

It involves the undead, but that aspect is surprisingly well thought-out and believable. (It's life in a pandemic, which cuts a little too close to reality - and really you could replace the zombies in this novel with a number of life-threatening events that are have happened or are currently happening). 

The world building of the bloggers (the Newsies, Irwins, and Fictionals; the way they gained the trust of the public, etc.) was SO detailed and fun. The characters each had unique voices and quirks and levels of reliability.

And the tension building ... ooo. Every time they took one of those infection tests, I was SWEATING. And I never felt secure about the fate of our characters during scenes of intense zombie action, which I can appreciate. 

It's not a perfect book - I can see how our narrator Georgia might be grating (I found her endearing ... but also, who hates animals that much?), the brother/sister relationship was a little peculiar, and there are some sections that lag. But overall? It was fantastic.

CW: death, gore, blood, animal death, child death, death of a parent, suicide, vomit, murder, body horror, chronic illness, medical content, cannibalism, religious bigotry

A dark & delicious atmospheric adventure - but though I had lots of fun with the prose and the vibes and the queer polyamorous take on vamps, I wanted more from the actual content.

While the atmosphere is deeply gothic, it's surprisingly not ... vampiric? You could pick up and put down these characters in any other circumstance and the essential story would have remained the same. I wanted more exploration of supernatural elements, and what it means to be immortal, and so on.

The creator vampire (maybe Dracula, maybe not) has been a domestic abuser for centuries, and witnessing Constanta's tortured devotion through her narration was a real strength of the novel and writing. It's an effective portrayal of uneven power dynamics and manipulation. You know what's coming from the opening lines, but I still felt anxious for Constanta and rooted for her as we sped through the recount of her life. 

The fluidity of the relationships was interesting, but again I needed more depth here. More of the day-to-day moments and slow bonding over immortal lives. There's a peculiar amount of distance between all the characters and the reader.

I really enjoyed S.T. Gibson's writing style and look forward to reading more from her.

CW: blood, murder, emotional abuse, physical abuse, toxic relationship, sexual content, confinement

This was a fun concept, although a little light on the execution. 

We're dropped into the secret society of the Library, which exists between alternate worlds and collects unique works of fiction. We follow Librarian Irene and her fresh assistant Kai as they attempt to recover a stolen book, unravel a mystery, & get out of a whole lot of trouble.

It's a playful mystery story, though it suffers a bit from underdeveloped/simple characters who lack the insight they perhaps should have had. I can imagine it would be more fun for perhaps young readers who don't catch on to the (fairly obvious) clues and suspicious situations.

The worldbuilding was intriguing and I actually liked being dropped RIGHT into the action and catching up as we went along. And of course - as a person who loves to read - a book about a mysterious society of Librarians is a pretty delightful concept. This is a long series with spin offs and I would consider reading more tales set in the world! Maybe the plotting & characterization has greater depth as we go on?

CW: body horror, injury, blood, death, violence, murder, animal death, sexual content, ableism, sexism

It's bleak, but believable. An exploration of the world "ending" bit by bit, with humanity faltering alongside it. Nothing that went wrong in California felt too far out of reach. It's happening now and it could happen tomorrow – this makes the book a bit of a devastating read.

I wish we had learned more about the rest of the world. We get a bit of info on the presidency, but what about other leaders (religious or otherwise)? Other states? They had access to a television (at first) and usually a radio, so I was curious as to why we weren't offered more tidbits.

I found Lauren to be a sharp & sensible protagonist. While some of her behavior was inconsistent (more on that below), she was easy to root for and I enjoyed witnessing her coming of age journey. Other reviewers write that they find her unlikeable, but I didn't feel that way. :) 

Some thoughts:
• The Bankole romance stuff was just ... deeply uncomfortable. It was too bad, because if they had remained platonic (just as equals forging a new community), they had an interesting balance, similar to Lauren's initial conversations with her father.
• Lauren's hyperempathy felt inconsistent. She describes it as disabling, but is always able to overcome it (besides fainting once or twice). She treats it as an incredibly dangerous weakness, but often acts without clear empathy towards others outside of feeling physical pain. AND we're reading her private journal entries, so why do they often feel cold and guarded?
• The emergence of Lauren's religion is compelling, but doesn't quite feel like its own entity. It's a little too simplistic, and Lauren's interactions with Earthseed shift from a desire to survive to some big community ideology. It's a little difficult to root for Earthseed (if we are even meant to) because it is not well-developed enough to feel aligned with. Or at least not inspiring enough? Nuanced enough? Bankole says, "that doesn't mean anything," and he's right!

CW: murder, violence, death (including child death), gun violence, rape, slavery, cannibalism, animal death, animal cruelty, drug abuse, pregnancy, trafficking, pedophilia

The VERSATILITY. The PROSE. Is there anything Akwaeke Emezi can't do?

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a romance book – but it's a bit darker and messier than what you'd expect from a typical contemporary romance. I think it leans more into literary fiction.

Romance books are usually "safe" in the sense that they tend to follow the same basic structure; you know that despite some misunderstanding or heated moment of drama ... there is one predestined couple and they end up happily together. There is none of that security here; it is real and raw and messy.

While there are some romance tropes and fluffy magic, there's darkness and discomfort, too. Both of our MCs have lost someone they love, so there's this shadow of grief and pain alongside a fear of their feelings betraying them ... letting down their walls and getting hurt once more.

You may dislike the characters and you probably will dislike at least some of their choices. I don't want to give away the plot (I think it's better to go in unaware), but there is some discomfort in the final romantic pairing. They make selfish choices, but I kind of loved the idealization of putting yourself and your own heart first, and leaning into that passion and connection and companionship.

The truth is, it's easy to judge them when you're looking at the overall facts from afar ... but I think most people wouldn't want to let something like that - such an earth-shattering connection - go despite the difficulties and the hurt it would cause others in their life.

I did find the "instalove" aspect a bit off-putting. They fall for each other without many words or scenes together. In a book that doesn't fake happiness, it was the one trope that felt like the stereotypical contemporary romances I tend to avoid as a reader. But it is playful, and Emezi leans into the cheesiness in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way.

I also wanted to know more about Jonah and his relationship with Feyi. Her trauma depictions are centered around the nature of his death more than the loss of the person and relationship. I didn't feel like I knew anything about him except for the fact that he was "good" and that it was a generally healthy + positive relationship. This was a pretty short book (under 300 pages), and I would have happily read another 50 or 75 pages in order to flesh it out more.

Some other aspects I loved:
• Bisexual rep - our main character openly identifies as bi, and many of the supporting characters are queer as well
• Depiction of art - I could picture each piece and Emezi's lyrical writing really captured the way Feyi felt about her art
• The magical space and transition - it felt Wizard-of-Oz-esque, like we were sent through a magical portal and things turned from black and white into technicolor. I loved the magic of the island and house and Feyi's outfits and appearance. So positive and charming and enchanting.

CW: death, grief, car accident, drowning, homophobia, blood, alcohol, death of a parent, biphobia, child death

 (Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.) 

Stephen Graham Jones has such a specific, unique, peculiar voice & style of writing. I find it deep & compelling & candid, but also sometimes difficult to understand, which (for me) chopped up the pace of this horror novel.

We follow four indigenous men 10 years after they make a disturbing choice during hunting season. They're grappling with the ghosts of their past & tradition ... while an elk entity seeks to complete a karmic circle (justice? or maybe just vengeance).

The first and second halves of this book feel like completely different stories, with a huge shift in POVs and location. While I was interested in both, that threw me off stylistically and I had to reread quite a few sections. There would be a slow building ... then BOOM a whole lot of action ... then a huge slip back down into slowburn territory. It was a bit confusing.

SGJ builds dread and tension very well, and the rise of atmospheric horror as the entity approaches is delicious. There's also a thoughtful thread of social commentary here (and this is an OwnVoices story). I'm not sure I would say I was ever scared, but I was certainly disturbed.

I want to add a warning about intense dog death - lots of human death, too, but the descriptions and gore of dogs dying felt even more grotesque and was a little overbearing at times.

“When the whole world hurts, you bite it. Don't you?”

CW: death, gore, animal death (very graphic), animal cruelty, blood, gun violence, racism, alcoholism, drug abuse, child death (mentioned)

This is a peculiar, haunting story. We go back and forth between POVs and timelines leading up to the execution of Ansel, a serial killer on death row. 

While the story is initiated by a countdown over the course of a day to Ansel's death, most of the novel is told from the perspectives of 3 women connected to his life: his teenage mother who abandoned him, the twin sister to his wife, and the detective (with a personal connection) who ultimately arrests him.

It's a sad story which touches on some uncomfortable topics – the American fascination with serial killers and the attention that is taken away from those killed or left in the wake of the murders, the death penalty, the complexities that turn a person into a killer. From the blurb, Kukafka is "asking readers to consider the false promise of looking for meaning in the psyches of violent men."

While the writing was smooth and thoughtful, I felt a sense of detachment throughout the whole novel. We're meant to focus on those left in Ansel's wake, but never get more than lists and imaginings about most of the victims. We're perhaps not meant to feel sympathetic towards Ansel (some pity, maybe? and not want the death penalty for anyone?), but the story is still very much centered around him. He's just a simplistic "bad guy". Why the heck is every woman he meets in love with him?

Yes, we hear about the trauma of his first four years of life, but (in my opinion) not quite enough to provoke strong sympathy – and he seemed to be treated well during the rest of his childhood. And since there is a clear avoidance of making him the brilliant, manipulative, monster that comes to mind when we think of society's fascination with serial killers, he instead feels ... underdeveloped? We needed more information around his writing and his thoughts. The second person POV detracted from exploring his humanity.

Ultimately it was slow, but interesting. It didn't live up to my expectations, but it sparked some interesting threads of thought for me and I'm glad I read it.

CW: murder, death, grief, domestic abuse, animal cruelty, animal death, child abuse, abandonment, alcoholism, sexual assault