What a brilliant and topical overhaul of Stephen King's Carrie. When a high school decides to have a joint prom instead of segregated ones in a supposWhat a brilliant and topical overhaul of Stephen King's Carrie. When a high school decides to have a joint prom instead of segregated ones in a supposed show of racial solidarity, the deep divide between black and white surfaces in a terrifyingly ugly way. I had no idea segregated proms were a thing but according to Mrs Google, over the last decade a small number have still been held in the US.
The characters were complex and incredibly well written and the audiobook was phenomenal. Tiffany draws attention to the casual racism that is laughed off as a joke in the local high school, whilst also showing that a clear sense of white superiority underpins these interactions. Moreover, this underlying racial hierarchy is present at all levels within the community. Alongside all of this is also of a story of a sheltered girl hoping to find acceptance and love. However, within this girl lies a dark power and when her rage and fury come forth, blood and terror follow. As prom night descends into chaos a clear line between black and white is scorched on the ground. This is an amazing novel and I thoroughly recommend it.
Zed and Murphy have really grown on me and it was fun to watch them interact with a new bunch of characters. Book 9 in my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
3.5 Stars
Zed and Murphy have really grown on me and it was fun to watch them interact with a new bunch of characters. This is definitely like GOT though in that you shouldn't get attached to any characters! On to the next!...more
Whenever I read these post apocalyptic books I get concerned about some writers' bleak outlooks of how certaiBook 8 of my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
3.5 Stars
Whenever I read these post apocalyptic books I get concerned about some writers' bleak outlooks of how certain people in our society may respond when others around them are vulnerable and weak. There is a perfect quote from this very book to summarise some writers' concerns or possibly expectations for humanity:
"The rain started pouring again, pounding the pavement in a comforting rumble, draining off the roofs and running deep between the curbs. I hoped it would wash away the city's stink. All the evidence of evil littering the streets. And I wondered if the evil resided within each of us. Were the facades we constructed to mask our wicked brutality so fragile that they could be crumbled by a tiny virus and a high fever? Were the Whites not monsters but simply our true selves with the unwanted fetters of morality erased?"
Bleak right! Anyhoo, our band of survivors are starting to work out how they are going to deal with the intelligent whites (zombies) who incidentally have decided to free themselves from the constraints of clothing and are now running around naked ...more
Zombie chain gangs! Zed was impossibly dense in this one with a super obvious betrayal meaning he was on his 3.5 Stars
Book 7 of my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
Zombie chain gangs! Zed was impossibly dense in this one with a super obvious betrayal meaning he was on his own again and desperately trying to get back to his friends. It's a dead human eat live human world with lots of live humans out to bring other survivors down, Zed! Wise up!...more
Things got frantic in this one with the odds against...well...everyone. Some hard losses in this one through Book 5 of my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
3.5 Stars
Things got frantic in this one with the odds against...well...everyone. Some hard losses in this one through both zombie attack and more sickeningly depraved humans. I'm starting to quite like our main characters. On to the next!...more
I quite like the concept of slow burns and how they don't turn into zombies but are seemingly immune after suBook 4 of my Zombie-a-thon 2022!
3.5 Stars
I quite like the concept of slow burns and how they don't turn into zombies but are seemingly immune after surviving the initial bite period. A good amount of running, mindless chomping zombies and pants-wetting terror so I am excited to continue on! I am even more excited that the audiobook box set of 9 was only one credit! That's value folks! ...more
What an exceptional story teller! This is kind of a hard-boiled crime horror hybrid, with elements of gritty crime fiction brilMy King Journey Book 1
What an exceptional story teller! This is kind of a hard-boiled crime horror hybrid, with elements of gritty crime fiction brilliantly blended with the supernatural horror elements Stephen King is famous for. Written in 2021 it is the third book by King published within the Hard Case Crime series of original hard-boiled crime novels. This is a coming of age story about a young boy called Jamie who has the unfortunate ability to see dead people. They appear to him as they were at the moment of their deaths which made for some gory apparitions. There was tension, mystery and a few 'why Stephen why!' moments, and then all too soon it was over. The novella ended quite menacingly and I love that we are left to sit there freaking out about what might happen 'later'. This was a short and entertaining read that I listened to in one sitting. Highly recommend if you want a slice of horror that will have you unsettled but not sleep deprived....more
I am not a huge fan of short stories because I always want more. This was definitely the case with this sci-fi horror story. I mean a fungus 3.5 Stars
I am not a huge fan of short stories because I always want more. This was definitely the case with this sci-fi horror story. I mean a fungus that infects people and grows within them before exploding out of their bodies and shattering them to pieces! Who doesn't want to read more about this?
That was weird. Even for Grady Hendrix. Good and fun weird, but still weird. Kris is a brilliant main character and I thought3.5 stars rounded up to 4
That was weird. Even for Grady Hendrix. Good and fun weird, but still weird. Kris is a brilliant main character and I thought the concept of the story was exceptionally cool. Things got a bit confusing at points with some of the more terrifying elements needing a bit more airtime in my opinion. Still a great read! ...more
My reading journey for this book: 1) Sweet lollipops that is a disgusting opening sequence. 2) Loving the super interesting facts about the slasher horrMy reading journey for this book: 1) Sweet lollipops that is a disgusting opening sequence. 2) Loving the super interesting facts about the slasher horror genre. 3) Loving the main character, Jade, so much. She's smart, smart-arse, and gutsy. 4) Ooooo the suspense is building and Jade is definitely on my favourite female characters list 5) More absolutely brilliant Slasher 101 segments. 6) Oh. Someone has a nail-gun. You should probably start running. Like now! RUN! 7) Dry heaving during elk carcass scene 8) Terror 9) So. Much. Gore. 10) Traumatised and in shock. 11) Eats blueberry muffin 12) Sets reminder to buy book 2 immediately on release.
CW: So. Much. Gore. Please read the hidden warnings (view spoiler)[very vividly described suicide attempt through cutting, self-harm, sexual abuse of minor (hide spoiler)]...more
This was not what I was expecting so I feel tad disappointed. I don't think 'an Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre' is a very accurate This was not what I was expecting so I feel tad disappointed. I don't think 'an Ethiopian-inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre' is a very accurate description of this book. I would have loved that book! It was yearny relationship heavy with quite an unlikeable 'Rochester' and instalove. Seriously guys, I thought I had accidentally skipped ahead in the audiobook because for me the romance came totally out of the blue. The horror parts were kind of intense in terms of their speed and ferocity but then they abruptly stopped and we were back in the love angst again. There are lots of positive reviews so this must be a case of not for me....more
There was a lot going on in this incredibly atmospheric and creepy horror story.
Nate and Maggie return to their home town where memories of childhood There was a lot going on in this incredibly atmospheric and creepy horror story.
Nate and Maggie return to their home town where memories of childhood trauma have been awakened by an old and dark magic. The safe haven they had hoped for is ripped apart when evil forces make moves to change the world as we know it. There were a few points where I was had no idea what was happening as the story jumps POVs frequently but I can't say more than that with out spoiling it. Lets just say that things eventually became clear, and quite frankly, a little bit terrifying. I really enjoyed the writing style and will check out other books by this author.
CW: (view spoiler)[on page suicide attempts, theme of suicide as sacrifice for greater good, domestic abuse, child abuse, murder, blood and gore (hide spoiler)]...more
Clandestine paranormal agencies with women who are totally awesome gun-toting, magic wielding badarses? Sign me up!
What a cracking good read!4.5 Stars
Clandestine paranormal agencies with women who are totally awesome gun-toting, magic wielding badarses? Sign me up!
What a cracking good read! It was creepily entertaining with suitably sinister dark forces terrorising towns by stealing children from their homes. I love the world Craig has created where witches, werewolves and demons, unbeknownst to most humans, live among us. When Harmony Black returns to her home town, Talbot Cove, she is forced to find the strength and power to destroy the demon that ruined her life many years ago.
Harmony and Jessi had such good chemistry and I look forward to reading the next in the series. The audiobook was brilliant and I thoroughly recommend listening to this story as the actor really brought the characters to life for me. I'm gonna need to buy more credits!
Well the hairs on my arms were pretty much at attention throughout most of this bookCW: (view spoiler)[suicide, abuse, murder, torture (hide spoiler)]
Well the hairs on my arms were pretty much at attention throughout most of this book.
What an amazingly unsettling story! I am not sure how I felt about the direction it took in the end but kudos for freaking me out for most of the novel. It's one where you actually can't say too much due to the way it unfolds, but it truly was a well crafted novel....more
Crikey, that was quite a ride! I love sci-fi horrors and this one was well paced with loads of spine chilling moments. There is something terrifying aCrikey, that was quite a ride! I love sci-fi horrors and this one was well paced with loads of spine chilling moments. There is something terrifying about the quiet and isolation of space that amplifies fear because you know you'd be screaming into black silence. When a maintenance crew finds a long lost luxury ship adrift in space they decide to stake their claim. What follows is eerie, sinister and downright disturbing. It had similar vibes to the movie Event Horizon featuring Sam Neil in the late 1990s. The writing was vivid and the hairs on my arms stood up at some of the descriptions of the horrific scenes onboard. Be warned there is a lot of extreme violence and self-harm. Definitely an author I will be following from now on....more
Well after a verCW: (view spoiler)[suicidal thoughts, gruesome murder scenes, described murders of young kids (hide spoiler)]
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
Well after a very slow start this suddenly did a 180 and actually ended up being a really fun slasher book.
Yes it was over the top, but I think that is one of the characteristics of this genre. I wouldn't call this a thriller myself as it lacked tension but I loved that the author paid homage to some of the characters of 'classic' slasher movies. I thought Lynette was the perfect character to tell this story with her paranoia and OCD level defensive preparations. A truly entertaining book once you get past the first 40 percent....more
Book 10 of my zombie-a-thon! I made it to double figures!
CW: All of them
Well this is a good place to leave this series. I can2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Book 10 of my zombie-a-thon! I made it to double figures!
CW: All of them
Well this is a good place to leave this series. I can't say I got particularly attached to any of the people in the story as it was mostly about the act of surviving in a gore filled world rather than character development. I know some of you are thinking, why would you expect otherwise? Some zombie books are about more than running away from moaning and hungry decaying corpses. Some are a bit more of an exploration of human nature and how nations collapse or rise under the onslaught of society levelling events. Don't get me wrong, I love the simple survival ones too but this particular series lacked characters I was rooting for to survive. Just okay for me. ...more
Well a lot more happened in the 3rd instalment of this series and there were some g2.5 Stars rounded up to 3
CW: All of them
Book 9 of my zombie-a-thon!
Well a lot more happened in the 3rd instalment of this series and there were some great zombie attack scenes. I will read one more in this series to hopefully see what happens to a particularly unlikeable character. ...more
Loading...
