3.5 stars. 

This was a smart creature feature. I would describe myself more as a psychological horror girlie, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this as I got into it.

Deal is our setting, a small, seaside town in England. Jay and his research colleagues, one of whom happens to be his ex-wife Emma, are there to study a shipwreck, the Lady Lovibond. During the extraction of the wreckage from the sands, they discover a much newer shipwreck, less than a hundred years old, and can't help but investigate while waiting for the Lady Lovibond to be prepared ashore.  They discover and extract a stone sarcophagus (secretly) and bring it ashore. Well, the government gets involved, the sarcophagus gets opened, and carnage ensues. The team inadvertently brought back an evil to Deal that had been sunk decades ago.

I found the beginning to be a bit slow with details of marine archaeology. That being said, I really enjoyed the scientific elements included throughout the novel, overall. My other main complaints are minor. I didn't feel like the female main characters were quite as fleshed out as Jay; they were on the backburner for a hunk of the plot. I felt that the secondary plot between Jay and Emma was underdeveloped and therefore the outcome a bit forced. 

Once the book got going, I found the pacing to be great. I loved the inclusion of the creature's perspective interspersed throughout. There were some excellent plot twists. It was a fun horror thriller with some historical and sci-fi elements. I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good monster story.

Thank you to Cranthorpe Millner & NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Things I have a special interest in:
✅ thriller/horror novels
✅ epistolary style (and found footage horror films, similar vibes, imo)
✅ theme parks in Florida
✅ hurricanes (life-long East coaster & compulsive NOAA site refresher from June to November)
✅social psychology, especially groundbreaking studies (Milgram, Zimbardo, etc.)


If you do too, I think you’ll really enjoy this. The story is about Fantasticland, a theme park in Florida, and the folks (mostly young adults) who stay behind to maintain the park after it is slammed by hurricane Sadie. Things in the park go sideways, and fast. Despite having sufficient food and water, tribes are formed and heinous atrocities ensue, while the staff wait a month for rescue. The story is presented by Adam Jakes, a journalist, through various interviews with survivors a few years later. 

I loved the story for the same reasons I love the study of social psychology. Human behavior in extreme situations can seem extreme when we don’t understand the mechanisms driving the behavior. This is an imaginary case study that shows, as research often does, that situations are more powerful than individual people. Perception becomes reality. In the worst case scenario, what could be more terrifying?

My only minor beef is keeping up with characters which is truly minor. The big picture is easy to get and the shifting voices and personalities is something I enjoy. 

What’s next, Mike Bockoven?

One of my worst recurring nightmares is about bedrooms that can only be accessed by crossing through other bedrooms. Of course I'm all in on a horror novel called Strange Houses that promises creepy blueprints. And they are creepy! I had fun pouring over them as they were presented.

Strange Houses is told by an unnamed author who is contacted by a friend for advice about a home that his young family is interested in buying. He is concerned about a "dead space" in the kitchen for seemingly no purpose and the fact that the home was newly built a year ago and already abandoned by the family who built it. The friend sends along blueprints for review by our author. The author consults with another friend who happens to be an architect. Together they discover that the format of the home is very strange, indeed, and what secret ritual the walls may have hidden, terrifying.

The excitement builds with the gradual introduction of more blueprints, more details, and more characters as our author explores the mystery. While our author does find some answers, he also finds more questions. This is a book that you could re-read and continue to spin theories. I may just do that.

I enjoyed this--I read it straight through without stopping because I found the mystery so compelling. I only wish I could have intuited a few more answers on my own, so I could feel like I was a part of "solving" the thing. A quick, fun, and very creepy read.

*Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my feedback.

Olive is in her early 30s and has struggled with establishing romantic relationships. Growing up, she struggled with enmeshment with her mother following her parent’s divorce. She is a successful radio interviewer; she holds audience with writers who are between projects. She has always been fascinated with recording conversations and the ambient sounds in her daily life and does it constantly, compulsively. 

Then she meets Theo. A 35-year old surgeon with whom she is obsessed, instantly. He seems to feel similarly. 

This book grappled with relational themes like boundaries, consent, transparency, jealousy, and longing. I liked how the exploration of things that can feel so messy became, well, tangible. 

I remember my first love and what it was to feel like you could never get close enough. I think that it’s such a human experience. This story asked, how far would you go to stay close? To keep the outside world at bay and live inside of your love? And what would you be willing to sacrifice?

What a ride. The last few pages brought me to tears. I was not expecting to be so surprised or so deeply affected. I highly recommend Open Wide and I’m looking forward to reading more by Jessica Gross. 

*Thank you to Abrams Books & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.*