I’ve read a few fictional books recently that take the dangers of the “wellness” industry to extremes and I’m kind of loEdited to add: IT'S OUT TODAY!
I’ve read a few fictional books recently that take the dangers of the “wellness” industry to extremes and I’m kind of loving the recent genre pushback against the predatory beauty industry that profits by making people feel like absolute shit about themselves. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang, Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom and 9 Perfect Strangers (I’ve only seen the tv adaptation which was depressing but also amazing) are some other recent pieces that tackle this subgenre. Rouge, with its dark fairytale feels and exquisitely painted mother/daughter issues, is my favorite so far.
It’s very much a sister book to Awad’s book Bunny. I’m guessing if you loved Bunny for all of its WTFery and weirdness, you’re going to love Rouge probably just as much or maybe even more. Who am I to say? It’s grounded in realism while it manages to wrap itself in a dreamlike aura (or nightmare depending on your POV) and it bounces between the two until they start to merge with an almost upsetting, off-kilter feeling that kept me on edge throughout, sort of like a David Lynchscape. It’s called “seductive horror” somewhere on the cover of my book and that’s an accurate description. You’ll either be seduced by it or you won’t. I love this kind of stuff but I know it’s not for everyone.
Mirabelle has always had a difficult relationship with her beautiful and desperately unhappy mother. When her mother dies under mysterious circumstances Mira must face down her past and look deeply into her mother’s faults as well as her own as she closes out her mother's affairs. She puts on her mama’s red shoes which lead her straight to a strange beauty treatment center run by exquisitely beautiful and very eccentric wealthy party people. She’s immediately welcomed into their world and offered coveted beauty treatments as life as she knew it slowly unravels because nothing in this world comes without a steep price. It’s a tale drenched in envy, jealousy, neglect, fear, and the dissatisfaction that comes along with wanting something that you simply cannot attain.
This book is effortlessly sinister. Everything about it is unnerving, especially the “Tom Cruise” appearances
Merged review:
Edited to add: IT'S OUT TODAY!
I’ve read a few fictional books recently that take the dangers of the “wellness” industry to extremes and I’m kind of loving the recent genre pushback against the predatory beauty industry that profits by making people feel like absolute shit about themselves. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang, Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom and 9 Perfect Strangers (I’ve only seen the tv adaptation which was depressing but also amazing) are some other recent pieces that tackle this subgenre. Rouge, with its dark fairytale feels and exquisitely painted mother/daughter issues, is my favorite so far.
It’s very much a sister book to Awad’s book Bunny. I’m guessing if you loved Bunny for all of its WTFery and weirdness, you’re going to love Rouge probably just as much or maybe even more. Who am I to say? It’s grounded in realism while it manages to wrap itself in a dreamlike aura (or nightmare depending on your POV) and it bounces between the two until they start to merge with an almost upsetting, off-kilter feeling that kept me on edge throughout, sort of like a David Lynchscape. It’s called “seductive horror” somewhere on the cover of my book and that’s an accurate description. You’ll either be seduced by it or you won’t. I love this kind of stuff but I know it’s not for everyone.
Mirabelle has always had a difficult relationship with her beautiful and desperately unhappy mother. When her mother dies under mysterious circumstances Mira must face down her past and look deeply into her mother’s faults as well as her own as she closes out her mother's affairs. She puts on her mama’s red shoes which lead her straight to a strange beauty treatment center run by exquisitely beautiful and very eccentric wealthy party people. She’s immediately welcomed into their world and offered coveted beauty treatments as life as she knew it slowly unravels because nothing in this world comes without a steep price. It’s a tale drenched in envy, jealousy, neglect, fear, and the dissatisfaction that comes along with wanting something that you simply cannot attain.
This book is effortlessly sinister. Everything about it is unnerving, especially the “Tom Cruise” appearances
Merged review:
Edited to add: IT'S OUT TODAY!
I’ve read a few fictional books recently that take the dangers of the “wellness” industry to extremes and I’m kind of loving the recent genre pushback against the predatory beauty industry that profits by making people feel like absolute shit about themselves. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang, Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom and 9 Perfect Strangers (I’ve only seen the tv adaptation which was depressing but also amazing) are some other recent pieces that tackle this subgenre. Rouge, with its dark fairytale feels and exquisitely painted mother/daughter issues, is my favorite so far.
It’s very much a sister book to Awad’s book Bunny. I’m guessing if you loved Bunny for all of its WTFery and weirdness, you’re going to love Rouge probably just as much or maybe even more. Who am I to say? It’s grounded in realism while it manages to wrap itself in a dreamlike aura (or nightmare depending on your POV) and it bounces between the two until they start to merge with an almost upsetting, off-kilter feeling that kept me on edge throughout, sort of like a David Lynchscape. It’s called “seductive horror” somewhere on the cover of my book and that’s an accurate description. You’ll either be seduced by it or you won’t. I love this kind of stuff but I know it’s not for everyone.
Mirabelle has always had a difficult relationship with her beautiful and desperately unhappy mother. When her mother dies under mysterious circumstances Mira must face down her past and look deeply into her mother’s faults as well as her own as she closes out her mother's affairs. She puts on her mama’s red shoes which lead her straight to a strange beauty treatment center run by exquisitely beautiful and very eccentric wealthy party people. She’s immediately welcomed into their world and offered coveted beauty treatments as life as she knew it slowly unravels because nothing in this world comes without a steep price. It’s a tale drenched in envy, jealousy, neglect, fear, and the dissatisfaction that comes along with wanting something that you simply cannot attain.
This book is effortlessly sinister. Everything about it is unnerving, especially the “Tom Cruise” appearances
Merged review:
Edited to add: IT'S OUT TODAY!
I’ve read a few fictional books recently that take the dangers of the “wellness” industry to extremes and I’m kind of loving the recent genre pushback against the predatory beauty industry that profits by making people feel like absolute shit about themselves. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang, Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom and 9 Perfect Strangers (I’ve only seen the tv adaptation which was depressing but also amazing) are some other recent pieces that tackle this subgenre. Rouge, with its dark fairytale feels and exquisitely painted mother/daughter issues, is my favorite so far.
It’s very much a sister book to Awad’s book Bunny. I’m guessing if you loved Bunny for all of its WTFery and weirdness, you’re going to love Rouge probably just as much or maybe even more. Who am I to say? It’s grounded in realism while it manages to wrap itself in a dreamlike aura (or nightmare depending on your POV) and it bounces between the two until they start to merge with an almost upsetting, off-kilter feeling that kept me on edge throughout, sort of like a David Lynchscape. It’s called “seductive horror” somewhere on the cover of my book and that’s an accurate description. You’ll either be seduced by it or you won’t. I love this kind of stuff but I know it’s not for everyone.
Mirabelle has always had a difficult relationship with her beautiful and desperately unhappy mother. When her mother dies under mysterious circumstances Mira must face down her past and look deeply into her mother’s faults as well as her own as she closes out her mother's affairs. She puts on her mama’s red shoes which lead her straight to a strange beauty treatment center run by exquisitely beautiful and very eccentric wealthy party people. She’s immediately welcomed into their world and offered coveted beauty treatments as life as she knew it slowly unravels because nothing in this world comes without a steep price. It’s a tale drenched in envy, jealousy, neglect, fear, and the dissatisfaction that comes along with wanting something that you simply cannot attain.
This book is effortlessly sinister. Everything about it is unnerving, especially the “Tom Cruise” appearances...more
I wish I could wax poetic about this book for days but it just didn’t move me the way it has other people. It started out fantastic but then slowed toI wish I could wax poetic about this book for days but it just didn’t move me the way it has other people. It started out fantastic but then slowed to a crawl and I found it difficult to stay invested in the main character when there were so many other characters taking center stage. It was slow yet too busy and I know that makes little sense but that was my experience. ...more
DNF at 50 pages. Life is too short to read books that are a struggle. The writing didn't click with me and there are 4 (5?) teen POV's and that's justDNF at 50 pages. Life is too short to read books that are a struggle. The writing didn't click with me and there are 4 (5?) teen POV's and that's just too many when I'm not connecting to any of them.
"'There's been an accident.'
No words have ever been so terrifying. It was a sunny day. Beautiful. Early September. He'd been laughing. School had just started. Someone told a joke."
Nah, not for me. I don't want to sit here and pick it to shreds and look like the jerk I probably am so I'm quitting here....more
This one was a little meh for me. It’s a short story about two old friends, one whose life has been filled with blessings and the other who has faced This one was a little meh for me. It’s a short story about two old friends, one whose life has been filled with blessings and the other who has faced nothing but tragedy. Something about the brevity didn’t work for me. I kept mixing up the characters because both were introduced so quickly. This might’ve been better in paper rather than audio....more
These stories in the "Creature Feature Collection" have been a bit hit or miss for me ranging from creepfest to snorefest. This one - a folk horror shThese stories in the "Creature Feature Collection" have been a bit hit or miss for me ranging from creepfest to snorefest. This one - a folk horror short - about a young couple dealing with grief, was excellent at the creepiness. Recommended if you like this stuff....more
Dehiscent is a quiet, ominous tale of climate catastrophe. It’s likely not too far off in our own future too unless the people with power grow some emDehiscent is a quiet, ominous tale of climate catastrophe. It’s likely not too far off in our own future too unless the people with power grow some empathy and wake the eff up.
Yi is twelve and has lived her entire life in a world ravaged by waves of extreme heat and cold. Her family lives in a home that provides them everything they need and she’s never questioned any of it. It’s just how it is. Lately, she’s struggling to understand it and longs to share some of their bounty with her classmates even though it’s strictly forbidden. Her family refuses to tell her why or the how of it. As she starts to notice more of the devastation that surrounds them, and stumbles across something horrific, the more she begins to question why they don’t struggle for scraps the way her classmates and their families do and she starts to play at the edges of rebellion.
This is a beautiful slow burn of a horror story with some gorgeous illustrations. It’s written at a leisurely pace as Yi goes about her day-to-day life showing the reader more of her world and glimpses of how terrible things are for others and how much of an absolute ruin the world has become. The description of her home, in all its weird glory, paints a picture of cozy warmth. It’s an abyss in an otherwise cruel world. But what is the cost? Because there is always a cost.
Yi is a compassionate, sensitive soul growing up in a world filled with devastation and death. She fears death at every corner and her fear is justified. This sounds incredibly depressing but there are seeds of hope here too. The world needs more Yi’s in it and more weird little stories like this one.
4 1/2 stars
Merged review:
Dehiscent is a quiet, ominous tale of climate catastrophe. It’s likely not too far off in our own future too unless the people with power grow some empathy and wake the eff up.
Yi is twelve and has lived her entire life in a world ravaged by waves of extreme heat and cold. Her family lives in a home that provides them everything they need and she’s never questioned any of it. It’s just how it is. Lately, she’s struggling to understand it and longs to share some of their bounty with her classmates even though it’s strictly forbidden. Her family refuses to tell her why or the how of it. As she starts to notice more of the devastation that surrounds them, and stumbles across something horrific, the more she begins to question why they don’t struggle for scraps the way her classmates and their families do and she starts to play at the edges of rebellion.
This is a beautiful slow burn of a horror story with some gorgeous illustrations. It’s written at a leisurely pace as Yi goes about her day-to-day life showing the reader more of her world and glimpses of how terrible things are for others and how much of an absolute ruin the world has become. The description of her home, in all its weird glory, paints a picture of cozy warmth. It’s an abyss in an otherwise cruel world. But what is the cost? Because there is always a cost.
Yi is a compassionate, sensitive soul growing up in a world filled with devastation and death. She fears death at every corner and her fear is justified. This sounds incredibly depressing but there are seeds of hope here too. The world needs more Yi’s in it and more weird little stories like this one.
This was a slightly disturbing read about a woman whose life slowly unravels page by page. I thought it was very effective in creating an atmosphere oThis was a slightly disturbing read about a woman whose life slowly unravels page by page. I thought it was very effective in creating an atmosphere of dread and fear. 4 1/2...more
This is a short story about a young guy whose childhood was marred by tragedy and who learns, in the most horrific way, that maybe his father wasn’t tThis is a short story about a young guy whose childhood was marred by tragedy and who learns, in the most horrific way, that maybe his father wasn’t telling tall tales many years earlier. I loved the beginning of this but it kind of answered nothing in the end and sort of fizzled out for me. ...more
Hmmmm this felt oddly paced and over stuffed but I liked the growth of two of the side characters. I listened on audio for a book chat but I think I mHmmmm this felt oddly paced and over stuffed but I liked the growth of two of the side characters. I listened on audio for a book chat but I think I may have set it aside if I had been reading it in paper because I am she of little patience and it took forever to get to the point.
I may or may not write more thoughts later. ...more
Starling House is a fantastic gothic fantasy with well written characters doing their best. Opal's been trying to keep herself and her younger b4 1/2
Starling House is a fantastic gothic fantasy with well written characters doing their best. Opal's been trying to keep herself and her younger brother alive since she was 15. She's learned to be sly and wily, and it suits her well when she's unexpectedly offered a job in the creepiest house in town by the young scarecrow of a guy who lives there.
I loved Opal. She is incredibly well written and her personality comes alive. She's been through hell already so when she has to face down fresh terrors it makes sense that she dives right in and doesn't cower in a closet. There's a lot going on in this story and there's a mystery and a few surprises that I'm not going to spoil. If you get the chance borrow or buy the hardcover because it contains some gorgeous artwork that adds some beautiful visuals to the story.
And bonus! There's no annoying love triangle here, thank all the gods (I'm still irritated at you Heartless Hunter.)...more
I’ve never read this author before and found this book inside one of the Little Free Libraries that I steward so I grabbed it up before someone else cI’ve never read this author before and found this book inside one of the Little Free Libraries that I steward so I grabbed it up before someone else could (don’t worry I’ll put it back soon - I am not a greed monster). I saw some buzz about this author online and for some reason I was under the impression that their writing was grossly extreme but that might just be my brain being forgetful and mixing things up. Or maybe I’m horribly jaded. Probably a bit of both. There were some nasty scenes of ick and of humans being disgusting and deplorable but the writing didn’t sit in the ick for very long and that was fine by me. Either way would’ve been fine by me. I’ll never drag a book for being too extreme or too quiet or anything else that lies between the extremes. As long as it grabs me, I’m good.
This is a weird one to write about. Not because it’s easy to give it all away (though there’s always that) but because it’s difficult to describe what’s happening here in this book. There’s a wrap-around story featuring two lovers who may be murderous, interspersed with sometimes random feeling dark poems, a repeated drawing of a centipede, and chapters from a disorienting novella about a young woman with sketchy memories who accepts a job to finish a game in a creepy mansion complete with creepy inhabitants. Or something like that. I did pay attention, believe it or not, I did take notes and I did enjoy coloring in that happy little centipede with my colored pencils whenever he appeared. And he appeared often. Sometimes every 4 pages and I never got tired of seeing him. He became my anchor and my book buddy as this story became stranger and stranger. I wish all books had a cute little book buddy tucked away inside.
So that’s all I’m going to say about the plot, I think. The story started out great. I was hooked. I was thinking I was going to blow through the book and revel in its strange, deviantness and it would become one of my newest favorites. Alas, it didn’t quite work out that way for me. I started having flashbacks to “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” which I finished sort of recently. That book made me feel as if I were trapped in a car listening to tedious conversations for half my life. I learned something about myself then. I don’t have patience for flowery speech and philosophical conversations with deeper meanings when they carry on and on and feel unnatural throughout a book. There may be people out there who talk like that but I’ll spend the rest of my life doing my best to stay away from them. Which brings me to the possibly (certainly) murderous couple who start out fine enough. I had flashbacks to “Exquisite Corpse” and I was engaged in their story but eventually their conversations devolved into the sort of thing I mentioned above and they lost my interest and I began to hope they’d murder each other (sooner rather than later) if only so I could stop hearing them talk.
There is some good squirmy writing in here, like this gem “his helpless body fruiting with more decay” but overall it all felt too disconnected for me and I found myself hoping for more emotional moments from some of the characters (in the novella) because the bones were there for some major pain and guilt and internal suffering but it didn’t dig in there deep enough for my liking.
Sorry to be the outlier and I'll probably lose my horror card here but I’m giving it a 2. You might love it though so give it a go if you stumble across a copy like I did!...more
AHS (American Horror Story) adapted Delicate for the newest season and the final half will be airing soon. I’m so excited to see what they do with thiAHS (American Horror Story) adapted Delicate for the newest season and the final half will be airing soon. I’m so excited to see what they do with this story and I hope they don’t do what they sometimes do and go off on weird and pointless directions.
I started this book in October. Oh, what a simpler time it was. I put it down in November because it wasn’t grabbing me and I felt like I was too distracted to appreciate all it was telling me. This was back before the dumbass politicians in my country began to further fuck with a woman’s personal decisions and healthcare by saying fertilized eggs are now children so IVF treatments may be out of reach for anyone but the wildly wealthy. And maybe not even them unless they want to pay to keep their eggs on ice forever . . . It’s so disgusting and disturbing. Anyhow, I picked it back up a few days ago and with all of that going on it adds another layer of horror to this story that wasn’t there just a few weeks ago. Content warning for (view spoiler)[painful IVF treatments, medical gaslighting and miscarriage. (hide spoiler)]
Anna and her husband Dex had a whirlwind romance, and they want babies right away but are having a difficult time and go the IVF route. Things seem to have worked just as Anna’s career has taken off. The IVF was beyond stressful and now Anna is experiencing strange and sinister events. When she tells the people closest to her, she’s met with disbelief and left feeling like she’s overreacting (Dex, you dick). As the book moves on (a bit too slowly, if you ask me) everyone from Dex to the doctors make her feel as if her pain is all in her head, that she’s being a bit hysterical - treating her like she’s a Victorian child in an old movie, one who can’t make her own decisions or who doesn’t know that something may be wrong with her own body. It is infuriating. I was infuriated on her behalf which is the entire point of the story. The horror part of the story is a bit tame compared to the real-life horror happening.
I feared this would be a simple Rosemary’s Baby retelling as things were slowly revealed but fortunately, I was wrong. I love being wrong like that! I’m giving this one a 3 because it felt too dragged out and kept losing my attention but it does have some very important things to say about how women’s pain is still treated in this day and age. It’s shameful, honestly, that we have to fight to be believed - if we’re ever believed at all. Anyhow, the ending was great. No complaints....more
Frost Bite is a wild action-packed tale set in the 90’s that gets gruesome but doesn’t forget to create memorable characters too. It would make a fun Frost Bite is a wild action-packed tale set in the 90’s that gets gruesome but doesn’t forget to create memorable characters too. It would make a fun B movie for sure and I hope we see it someday. Maybe with a double feature of Bee Tornado!
Anyhow, Realene has had to forgo her pre-med scholarship in order to return home to care for her mom who is suffering from Alzheimer's She’s bored and lamenting about the state of her life when a meteor hits. Alas, finally some excitement in her small, freezing town! But things quickly take a turn for the weird when prairie dogs pop up out of their holes out of season and start getting bitey with the neighbors which then escalates into more strangeness which I won’t spoil.
This story was a bit more brutal and heavier than I anticipated with such a premise and I loved that. It was a very nice surprise. The outlandish bits were well balanced with moments of real-life horror (be warned there are some rather painful scenes of (view spoiler)[ domestic abuse (hide spoiler)]). I thought the care for her mom's ailing memory was handled with grace and kindness and there’s a cast of colorful characters you’re going to love and plenty you will absolutely despise.
The action is pretty much non-stop once things get going. Everyone is in constant danger and at one point I feared the cat would be the last breathing creature standing, lol. It’s that intense and the stakes really are that high.
It’s a fun but not all fun read with plenty of moments of icky horror and silly humor.
Beware there is a LOT of animal death here! Also people death too but you're reading horror so that goes without saying....more
Well shit, I lost my notes for this one and finished it over a week ago. I’m going back to a handwritten journal because google notes is not t4 1/2 ☀️
Well shit, I lost my notes for this one and finished it over a week ago. I’m going back to a handwritten journal because google notes is not to be trusted ...more
Laurie (barksbooks)
>
Books:
horror
(545)
Loading...
