Review | At the End of Every Day by Arianna Reiche

Source: review copy provided by publisher. This is a review of my reading experience.

At the End of Every Day is Arianna Reiche's debut novel.

In this haunting debut novel—perfect for fans of Iain Reid, Jeff VanderMeer, and Julia Armfield—a loyal employee at a collapsing theme park questions the recent death of a celebrity visitor, the arrival of strange new guests, her boyfriend’s erratic behavior, and ultimately her own sanity.

Delphi has spent years working at a vast and iconic theme park in California after fleeing her childhood trauma in her rural hometown. But after the disturbing death of a beloved Hollywood starlet on the park grounds, Delphi is tasked with shuttering The Park for good.

Meanwhile, two siblings with ties to The Park exchange letters, trying to understand why people who work there have been disappearing. Before long, they learn that there’s a reason no one is meant to see behind The Park’s curtain.

What happens when The Park empties out? And what happens when Delphi, who seems remarkably at one with The Park, is finally forced to leave?

At once a novel about the uncanny valley, death cults, optical illusions, and the enduring power of fantasy, Reiche’s debut is a mind-bending teacup ride through an eerily familiar landscape, where the key to it all is what happens At the End of Every Day.

There were three main reasons that I was excited to read At the End of Every Day. 1) it's a debut novel 2) it's being billed as literary horror 3) it's being compared to books by Jeff VanderMeer and Ian Reed. I had hoped At the End of Every Day would be a new favorite addition to the "new weird" genre.

At the End of Every Day had a really great start. I was intrigued by the theme park setting and by the characters. I didn't realize until after I started reading At the End of Every Day that the spiral on the cover was a roller coaster!

I became less and less interested as the book progressed and by the end I was just confused. I was confused about what was happening, and I was confused about what kind of book it was supposed to be.

I felt the Ian Reed comparison briefly, and I guess I haven't read enough Jeff VanderMeer to get the comparison here. I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to. The main characters work at a large theme park that is being disassembled. The synopsis says "the key to it all is what happens at the end of every day". Frankly I'm confused why this was even a reveal. Maybe this book just went over my head.

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 stars

Review | Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca

Source: review copy provided by the publisher. This is a review of my reading experience.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes is a collection by Eric LaRocca.

Three dark and disturbing horror stories from an astonishing new voice, including the viral-sensation tale of obsession, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. For fans of Kathe Koja, Clive Barker and Stephen Graham Jones.

A whirlpool of darkness churns at the heart of a macabre ballet between two lonely young women in an internet chat room in the early 2000s—a darkness that threatens to forever transform them once they finally succumb to their most horrific desires.

A couple isolate themselves on a remote island, in an attempt to recover from their teenage son’s death, when a mysterious young man knocks on their door during a storm…

And a man confronts his neighbour when he discovers a strange object in his back yard, only to be drawn into an ever-more dangerous game.

From Bram Stoker Award® finalist Eric LaRocca, this is devastating, beautifully written horror from one of the genre’s most cutting-edge voices.

What have you done today to deserve your eyes?

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes combines three of Eric LaRocca's stories into one volume. I was excited to get this collection because I had heard great things about the titular novella Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. I was wanting to read that one, and the other two stories were a bonus.

THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE

Unfortunately, I felt like the horror in Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke was there just for horror's sake. It wasn't developed or believable - it was just horrific.

Lots of people have enjoyed Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. That's why I wanted to read it in the first place, but in this story two strangers meet over an ad for an apple peeler and a few emails later things go completely off the rails in a way that I couldn't manage to suspense my disbelief, and I had absolutely no reason to care if any of this stuff was happening or not happening. Who were these characters anyway? They were agnes_in_wonderland_76 and crushmarigolds. You, dear review reader, now know almost as much as I do about these characters. I think the horror was supposed to shock me, but I had no emotional investment whatsoever.

Go into this one expecting horror - people horror, not supernatural horror - as the purpose of the story. You may love it. It's a fast read. I would have read it in one sitting if I hadn't required pizza. I'm intrigued enough to continue to the next story.

animal abuse, suicide ideation

THE ENCHANTMENT

Like Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, we are trust into a story without knowing anything about the characters. After making it more than halfway through The Enchantment, I'm going to put this aside and declare I'm not the target reader for this collection.

suicide, suicide ideation

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Book Review | The Last Beautiful Girl by Nina Laurin

The Last Beautiful Girl is a young adult horror novel by Nina Laurin.

BLACK MIRROR meets Darcy Coates in this exploration of the dangerous, dark side of beauty in the digital age, with a gothic, haunted-house setting.

When Izzy is dragged from Brooklyn to a tiny town for her parents' new job, she's not thrilled. The silver lining is the gorgeous old mansion she's moved into: the former home of an artist's muse who died tragically in a fire. But the house has its quirks: whole floors are closed off, paintings are covered up, and cell reception is nonexistent.

Izzy throws herself into starting an Instagram fashion account using the gowns and jewelry she finds hidden away in the house. She looks perfect in the photos--almost unnaturally perfect--and they quickly go viral. Soon she's got a new best friend, a potential boyfriend, and is surrounded by a group of girls who want the photoshoots and fame for themselves. But there's a darkness in the house, and a darkness growing in Izzy, too. When girls start dying, it's clear that something--or someone--in the house is growing in power, with deadly intentions.

The beginning of The Last Beautiful Girl reminded me so much of Horrid by Katrina Leno. They had a very similar setup of a girl moving to a new school, everyone knowing the history of her house but not telling her what it is, and the weird dynamic with the mom. Unfortunately, I think the similarities pulled me out of The Last Beautiful Girl. I couldn't help but compare.

The Last Beautiful Girl did eventually stand on it's own, and I loved all of the references to The Picture of Dorian Gray.

I feel like this is one of those books that might work for other people where it didn't quite come together for me. There's supposed to be a change in the main character, but I had a hard time rooting for her because I wasn't really a fan of the character to begin with. This is actually true of all of the characters now that I think about it.

The cover of The Last Beautiful Girl is one of my favorites for the year, but the story sadly didn't make it on to my list.

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 stars

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Book Review | Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie

Scritch Scratch is a middle grade horror novel by Lindsay Currie.

A ghost story about a malevolent spirit, an unlucky girl, and a haunting mystery that will tie the two together.

Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.

Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.

Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late.

I was excited about reading Scritch Scratch because it was marketed really well as a middle grade horror (versus leaning more toward fantasy or mystery). It embraced the creepy ghost story side whole-heartedly so I was thrilled to give it a read.

Unfortunately Scritch Scratch did not turn out to be a favorite middle grade book for me.

In Scritch Scratch, we are following a young girl name Claire whose father owns a ghost tour business. Early on in the book Claire has to help her father run his ghost tour one night, and not only does Claire meet a ghost - it follows her home.

I loved all of the scary things that began happening around Claire. Hauntings are my favorite subgenre, and I think it's the perfect way to pull young readers into loving horror. I did not, however, love Claire. Her attitude toward her parents and her friends just wasn't endearing. I found myself wishing this story had been told through her friend's eyes instead (think My Best Friend's Exorcism). I also didn't feel like any of the relationships or the dialog were very realistic.

 

That's the arguably objective side of my review. As for the subjective side, I had no idea this story was based on real events. I do not do well with real life child trauma and/or death. I would much prefer my horrors to all be fiction, and this book turned out to be one I personally wish I had skipped reading on that fact alone. 

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 stars

Book Review | In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

In a Holidaze is a romance novel by Christina Lauren.

One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners..

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

 

I loved the beginning of In a Holidaze so much! It was cute and hilarious and just what I needed in 2020.

The problem is the book shifted away from all of the things that I loved in the beginning. At first I thought I was no longer enjoying it because the rom-com had lost it's comedy and shifted to simply being a romance. As the book went on, however, it was definitely more than that for me. In a Holidaze wasn't delivering on any of the promises it made in the beginning. The Christmas version of Groundhog Day was only a hook. There were also things that just didn't make sense. (And no, I'm not talking about the time travel/Groundhog Day stuff. That's not supposed to make sense.)

It's worth noting that I'm not a romance reader, and I can't speak to the expectations of the genre. I can only speak to my own experience with In a Holidaze, and it just wasn't a good fit for me. I like the idea of reading a Christmasy rom-com this time of year, though, so I think I will still give it another try next year with a different book and see how it goes.

In a Holidaze seems to be a big hit with a lot of people right now so definitely seek out other reviews - especially from people who read romance way more than I do. As for me, I was expecting all of the things that hooked me in from the beginning to continue on throughout In a Holidaze, and I was left disappointed and confused with the way things wound up progressing.

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 stars

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Book Review | Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

Catherine House is horror/thriller novel by Elisabeth Thomas.

A story about a dangerously curious young undergraduate whose rebelliousness leads her to discover a shocking secret involving an exclusive circle of students . . . and the dark truth beneath her school’s promise of prestige.

You are in the house and the house is in the woods.
You are in the house and the house is in you . . .

Catherine House is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, this crucible of reformist liberal arts study with its experimental curriculum, wildly selective admissions policy, and formidable endowment, has produced some of the world’s best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices, presidents. For those lucky few selected, tuition, room, and board are free. But acceptance comes with a price. Students are required to give the House three years—summers included—completely removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises its graduates a future of sublime power and prestige, and that they can become anything or anyone they desire.

Among this year’s incoming class is Ines, who expects to trade blurry nights of parties, pills, cruel friends, and dangerous men for rigorous intellectual discipline—only to discover an environment of sanctioned revelry. The school’s enigmatic director, Viktória, encourages the students to explore, to expand their minds, to find themselves and their place within the formidable black iron gates of Catherine.

For Ines, Catherine is the closest thing to a home she’s ever had, and her serious, timid roommate, Baby, soon becomes an unlikely friend. Yet the House’s strange protocols make this refuge, with its worn velvet and weathered leather, feel increasingly like a gilded prison. And when Baby’s obsessive desire for acceptance ends in tragedy, Ines begins to suspect that the school—in all its shabby splendor, hallowed history, advanced theories, and controlled decadence—might be hiding a dangerous agenda that is connected to a secretive, tightly knit group of students selected to study its most promising and mysterious curriculum.

Catherine House was recently chosen as a group read in the Ladies of Horror Fiction Goodreads group. I didn't manage to read it during the chosen month so I'm doing a little catch up now!

I listened to Catherine House on audio, and the narration was excellent. The narrator made this book so easy to follow despite how vague the story was. I loved the atmosphere, and I loved the school setting.

Overall, though, Catherine House didn't work very well for me. I feel like this year has been filled with ambiguous entertainment, and I am more than craving some straight forward stories right now. I think Catherine House will work best for those who like to read deeper and find the artistic meaning behind what is and isn't said.

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 stars

Book Review | The Chill by Scott Carson

The Chill is a thriller by Scott Carson (aka Michael Kortya).

In this terrifying thriller, a supernatural force—set in motion a century ago—threatens to devastate New York City.

Far upstate, in New York’s ancient forests, a drowned village lays beneath the dark, still waters of the Chilewaukee reservoir. Early in the 20th century, the town was destroyed for the greater good: bringing water to the millions living downstate. Or at least that’s what the politicians from Manhattan insisted at the time. The local families, settled there since America’s founding, were forced from their land, but they didn’t move far, and some didn’t move at all…

Now, a century later, the repercussions of human arrogance are finally making themselves known. An inspector assigned to oversee the dam, dangerously neglected for decades, witnesses something inexplicable. It turns out that more than the village was left behind in the waters of the Chill when it was abandoned. The townspeople didn’t evacuate without a fight. A dark prophecy remained, too, and the time has come for it to be fulfilled. Those who remember must ask themselves: who will be next? For sacrifices must be made. And as the dark waters begin to inexorably rise, the demand for a fresh sacrifice emerges from the deep...

The beginning of The Chill had a wonderfully dark and creepy tone. It was awesome, and I was excited for the ride I was about to take.

Unfortunately, the first 20% turned out to be more of a hook instead of a promise. The Chill got bogged down in information and turned into an entirely different book.

The reviews have been great for The Chill so I think most people will be able go along with the turns and changes, but I am terrible with broken promises. The Chill weighs in at 450 pages. Combine that with the struggle of the story not matching what I expected it to be, and it just turned into a tough read for me.

⭐⭐★★★

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review | Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Sawkill Girls is a YA horror novel by Claire Legrand.

Who are the Sawkill Girls?

Marion: the new girl. Awkward and plain, steady and dependable. Weighed down by tragedy and hungry for love she’s sure she’ll never find.

Zoey: the pariah. Luckless and lonely, hurting but hiding it. Aching with grief and dreaming of vanished girls. Maybe she’s broken—or maybe everyone else is.

Val: the queen bee. Gorgeous and privileged, ruthless and regal. Words like silk and eyes like knives, a heart made of secrets and a mouth full of lies.

Their stories come together on the island of Sawkill Rock, where gleaming horses graze in rolling pastures and cold waves crash against black cliffs. Where kids whisper the legend of an insidious monster at parties and around campfires.

Where girls have been disappearing for decades, stolen away by a ravenous evil no one has dared to fight… until now.

This is going to be a hard review to write, but I'm determined to review all of the books I finish reading. Sawkill Girls just didn't work for me. It has gotten a lot of love so there is definitely an audience, but I'm not in that population.

There was a lot going on with Sawkill Girls. Instead of being a blend of genres, it felt like it meandered from one to the next. It was a very long read for me, but a lot of reviewers I trust dug it so it might still be a good fit for you. The writing within the story was great. I would be willing to read another horror novel from Legrand. I just didn't mesh well with this one.

⭐⭐★★★

Book Review | Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Bring Me Back is a thriller novel by B.A. Paris.

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.

Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?

A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax.

I really enjoyed the first 40% of Bring Me Back, but then it plummeted off of the cliff.

There was so much repetition, the characters weren't interesting, and the plot wasn't anywhere near believable.

My reaction while finishing up the second half of Bring Her Back was this was a one star read. After taking a step back and cooling my reader jets a little, I think there's something about B.A. Paris' writing that is going to keep it at two stars. Despite wanting to DNF due to content, it was very easy to pay attention to what was happening and it was a quick read for a plot that went nowhere.

I'm obviously not recommending Bring Me Back, but I'm willing to read her previous novels that have garnered much better reviews.

⭐⭐★★★

Review copy provided by publisher

Quick Reviews | Geek Love, Fountain Dead, The Haunting of Henderson Close

Here are some quick thoughts on a few books I've read recently.

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

Geek Love is the story of the Binewskis, a carny family whose mater- and paterfamilias set out–with the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopes–to breed their own exhibit of human oddities. There’s Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly normal Chick, whose mysterious gifts make him the family’s most precious–and dangerous–asset.

As the Binewskis take their act across the backwaters of the U.S., inspiring fanatical devotion and murderous revulsion; as its members conduct their own Machiavellian version of sibling rivalry, Geek Love throws its sulfurous light on our notions of the freakish and the normal, the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the obscene. Family values will never be the same.

I’ve decided this book is impossible to review. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read (which is the best part about it.) Geek Love is a character driven book and all of the characters are horrible and fascinating. It’s disturbing and well written and one of those books you really just need to read for yourself.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Fountain Dead by Theresa Braun

Mark is uprooted from his home and high school in the Twin Cities and forced to move with his family into a Victorian in Nowhere-ville. Busy with the relocation and fitting in, Mark’s parents don’t see what’s unfolding around them—the way rooms and left behind objects seem alive with a haunted past.

Of course, Mark keeps his ghostly encounters to himself, all the while sinking deeper into the house's dark, alluring, and ultimately terrifying history. As romantic entanglements intensify, the paranormal activity escalates. Past and present come together. Everything is connected—from the bricks in the walls to the hearts beating in their chests, all the secrets of Fountain Dead are finally unearthed.

Fountain Dead was one of my selections for the Ladies of Horror Fiction readathon. Unfortunately, the format of Fountain Dead didn't work for me. The timeline in Fountain Dead shifted back and forth between 1988 and the 1860s. There was a lot of jumping not just between timelines but also within the narrative of each section. It was hard to keep up with what was happening. I wasn't able to properly lose myself in the story or the lives of the characters.

⭐⭐★★★

Review copy provided by the author

The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish

Ghosts have always walked there. Now they’re not alone…

In the depths of Edinburgh, an evil presence is released.

Hannah and her colleagues are tour guides who lead their visitors along the spooky, derelict Henderson Close, thrilling them with tales of spectres and murder. For Hannah it is her dream job, but not for long. Who is the mysterious figure that disappears around a corner? What is happening in the old print shop? And who is the little girl with no face?

The legends of Henderson Close are becoming all too real. The Auld De’il is out – and even the spirits are afraid.

The Haunting of Henderson Close was a very atmospheric read. There were so many elements of haunting and supernatural stories that I love, but it may have suffered a little from having too much and a lack of focus.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review | The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower #3) by Stephen King

The Waste Lands is the third book in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series.

Book Description:

Roland the Gunfighter and his two companions continue the quest for the tower at the portal of all the worlds...in this third volume in the epic that continues to dominate the bestseller lists.

The Waste Lands continues the ka-tet's journey toward The Dark Tower.  Roland is going a little crazy (as am I the reader) trying to mentally handle the conflicting events between book 1 and book 2.  The mental instability does draw to a close (for all of us involved), however, and our quest continues through Mid-World.

This was not a remarkable book, in my opinion, but a satisfying read in my own journey toward The Dark Tower.  I'm still quite invested in these characters, and this book brings about a wonderous addition to the ka-tet in the form of an intelligent doglike "billy-bumbler" named Oy.

The Waste Lands does end on a cliffhanger, so I would recommend having The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass in a short queue.

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 Stars

Let me hear your thoughts on The Waste Lands and The Dark Tower!

Additional topics of interest:
Book Review: The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King
Book Review: The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower #2) by Stephen King
Book Review: Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower #4) by Stephen King

Book Review | The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King

Source: personal purchase. This is a review of my reading experience.

The Gunslinger is the first book in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series.

This heroic fantasy, set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace, features one of Stephen King's most powerful creations-The Gunslinger. The book opens with "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.".  (A favorite quote among Dark Tower fans.)  The Gunslinger follows Roland's journey across the desert searching for the man in black.

I have no other way to say it, but I didn't particularly like this book.  I felt lost, I felt confused.  I felt disappointed by acts I did not know would serve a purpose later in the series.

This book seems to be either the start or the end of most readers' Dark Tower journey.  I read this book about 10 years or so ago, and I didn't give it another try until just a few months ago.  I'll talk more about the second book in the series this week, but I will say I was glad to pick the series up again.

If you would like to give this series a try, but you find you are just not getting in to or enjoying The Gunslinger - skip it.  That's sounds kind of crazy, but it's actually not crucial that you read it.  Book 2 begins with an "argument" containing the only information you need to draw from book 1.  My honest recommendation would be to read The Gunslinger's wikipedia page and start with book 2.  Someone suggested to me that The Gunslinger would be a good read at the end of the series rather than the beginning.  I find that to be a fair recommendation.

The artwork for this book was done by one of my favorite artists: Michael Whelan

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 Stars

Have you read any of King's Dark Tower books?  I'd love to hear from you!

Additional topics of interest:
Reading: Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower #4) by Stephen King
Fantasy Book Reviews