Review: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

4 stars. Positively delightful! A deliciously dark take on the classic Frankenstein with the right amount of themes and layers - but not too many to weigh down the sheer fun of it all. This book is written from the perspective of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Victor's childhood companion and eventual wife, who plays a twisted and fascinating role in his pursuits - and his successes. The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is the perfect title for something like this, something unexpected and topsy-turvy and atmospheric. 

This is my first by Kiersten White and I have to say I'm impressed. She peppers the horror and the action with admirable claims about gender, power, relationships, and more. Victor is a classic villain (not a spoiler!) - one we can love to play the game with. He's hateful, of course, but well-written and has a satisfying arc. 

I also loved the tone: this is not historical fiction meant for extensive research or detail, but for thunderstorms and dusty bookstores and ice shacks over lakes. And our heroine wrestles with choice and mistakes and guilt and blindness and ignorance and awareness with astounding maturity and hope. I loved the idea that guilt and blame are distinct and that under certain circumstances, one can technically be blamed but should not feel guilt. 

If I had one complaint, I'd say that the ending - as scrumptious as it was - seemed a bit abrupt! I would've loved to see a bit of a longer conclusion, maybe a post-epilogue epilogue, because I had grown to love the featured characters and wasn't convinced that the end was truly the end (always shoot twice, as they say). Otherwise, an excellent book for reading by the crackling fireplace on a cold, rainy day. 

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Stand

5 stars. This review took me FORVER to write. I've been writing and re-writing and tinkering for days, which is unusual for me, and I'm afraid this is all still a bit of a mess. The Stand is obviously an impressive masterpiece, and I could leave it at that and call it a day. But as with all of Stephen King's work I do feel the itch to think a bit, to process a bit, to consider the layers of his brilliance as well as (well, here it comes) why this one wasn't a TOTAL home run for me. 

The Stand is about good versus evil. It's about the survivors of a flu-like plague that left the world decimated and destroyed. It's about a paranormal phenomena that follows the apocalypse, and how the survivors come together and try to re-build. It's about what threatens their efforts - a creature with ill-intent who thrives in this brave new world. It's about those who stand up to this threat and fight. It's about fate and free will and battles old as time. It's about love and hate and fear and courage and sacrifice and morality and identity and death and hope and all those other Big Things We Wrestle With As Advanced Thinkers On This Planet. 

I know, I know - why would you read about a virus-driven apocalypse during what feels like quite literally a virus-driven apocalypse? I'm not alone, I'm pretty sure a ton of people are turning to this book for comfort or escapism or some sort of masochistic instinct. For me, the reason was quite simple: it became available at the library. And I honestly wasn't "reminded" of real life as much as I expected. This is a fantastical story with supernatural elements, plus, Stephen King's stories never feel too "real" to me - except this one, when I got to the ending. It wasn't the plague that ending up feeling too real. It was the ending. Humans are so fucking doomed, dude. 

Here's what I absolutely loved:

- A collection of astonishingly well-written moments including: when Frannie tells her mother that she's pregnant (and the confrontation that follows - King's use of the parlor space hit me right in the gut), the introduction of Randall Flagg (the entire chapter is breathtaking), the sequence in the Lincoln Tunnel, that fucking ending!! Stuck the landing! With a boom! 

- The narrative criss-crossing. Sometimes I'm bothered by multiple POV's on such an epic scale, but King really nails it here. Sure, the pacing is a bit odd, and sometimes loose threads get tangled up in knots, but I don't feel as though he asks too much of the reader. Plus, everything comes together in the end. 

- Harold and Glen and Tom Cullen and Lloyd and Larry and the way King explores different types of masculinity. Harold especially is a fascinating character - I genuinely couldn't predict his arc until it was over (rather abruptly). King almost always nails the Big Bad, but he truly shines with the sidekick weasels. 

- The way the “heroes” "win” but return to life changed and damaged and unable to settle for good. It’s one of my favorite things about LOTR, which served as a major point of reference for this book, and I think it’s an important part of why I liked this as well.

Here's what bothered me:

- The writing sometimes FEELS old-fashioned. It was originally written in the 70s, so of course it does. And I've never been bothered by that before. But something about the exclamations ("golly!" "gee!" "wowie!") totally jarred me out of the immersion. 

- The length. I’m obsessed with the fact that everyone else seems to be obsessed with how long this book is! I’ve read arguments that say the length is why it works, and I’ve read arguments that say the length is why it doesn’t. Personally, I could’ve gone for some more editing. Especially in the middle, when things drag a bit and we’re extra focused on … like … the paperwork of rebuilding a society from scratch.

- King's portrayal of women. Mother Abigail shows a glimmer of the progressiveness King demonstrates in his other books, but Frannie cries often, as in, in almost every single one of her scenes (I started clocking halfway through and ... yep ... it's every single scene). While showing emotion like that may be realistic for a pregnant woman existing in an apocalyptic world, it drove me CRAZY. She also slips so easily into the compassionate/maternal role that it felt stereotypical and flat. And Nadine - beautiful, sexual... but just.... what was going on there? 

^^ This right here is partly why I've struggled so much with this review - I can barely articulate why I was annoyed. I just was. Maybe I expected King to shake off the sexism of the 70's when he wrote this, or the sexism in his thematic / tonal references (Westerns, Epics, etc.), maybe I expected more from him. Maybe I expected a greater spectrum of heroes, of personalities. For whatever reason I just found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit. 

Despite that weird quibble, this is obviously a masterpiece. There's something incredibly moving about the thought of doing what's right No Matter What. Even if what's right is difficult - I mean difficult right down through your bones. Even if what's right is likely impossible. But I think the standout theme for me is the fact that we all must reconcile with the consequences of our choices. We must own them and pay for them and live with them - or die by them. And that's about as epic as it gets, eh? 

The Stand on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Monster, She Wrote

“There seems to be an unspoken assumption that women aren't interested in horror and speculative fiction, despite ample evidence to the contrary.”

5 stars. Perfect for me, no doubt, but also perfectly researched, crafted, written, and printed. An extremely satisfying read that has already made my TBR list explode. I look forward to diving deeper and continuing my education in all things lady horror! The future is female indeed. 

This book collects brief biographies of fundamental, pioneering, and otherwise impactful female writers of horror. Divided by category and listed chronologically, the entries come across like dainty Wikipedia morsels packed with flavor, insight and wit. It's written simply - nothing too analytical or technical - and directly - nothing too obscure or presumptuous. 

Yeah, so I was the kid who read ghost stories in fourth grade, snuck into horror movies in tenth, wrote research papers on the Scream franchise in college. Horror is interesting to me and probably my favorite genre, though I read almost everything I can get my hands on. As soon as I saw this book from Quirk I snagged it, because I know it'd hit the spot.

And it was delicious. I enjoyed learning about the history of the genre from a specifically feminist angle. I was reminded of certain classic, familiar authors and was taught about new ones. I only wish it was longer! And perhaps dove deeper! A must-read for horror enthusiasts (there’s a ton about science fiction and fantasy as well). I highly recommend the print version, which is charmingly illustrated.

One last quote: 

“These genres of fiction are instruments with which women writers can shake up society and prod readers in an uncomfortable direction, to an unfamiliar space where our anxieties and fears run free. But this is also a space where strength emerges. Women experience horrors in everyday life; the eerie and the terrifying become tools for these writers to call attention to the dangers: frayed family relationships, domestic abuse, body image issues, mental health concerns, bigotry, oppression.”

Monster, She Wrote on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: My Favorite Thing is Monsters Vol. 1

5 stars. Absolutely perfect. This revolutionary graphic novel soothed aches in my soul I didn't even know existed. Every word - every image - is a precious treasure. This is a story wrapped in a story with other stories weaved throughout, but there's nothing precocious or overly ambitious. It reaches, it aims, it fires, and it hits the mark.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters (Vol. 1) is 10-year-old Karen Reyes' notebook, filled with her doodles and drawings and a personal narrative of her life in late-60's Chicago. Through her eyes we meet her mother (well-intentioned, strict), her brother (protective, hard-working), and a colorful cast of characters that dance in and out of her experiences. Her neighbor, Anka, has died under mysterious circumstances, and her effort to learn Anka's heartbreaking story becomes crucial in shaping her developing sense of self. Karen's identity is central here, and central to my personal reaction.

I hate when reviewers (and I am super guilty of this, too) end up competing over who appreciated a book more. It spoke to ME because XYZ. Well, it spoke to ME MORE because XYZ. That sort of thing. And I'm afraid that if I dive into why My Favorite Thing is Monsters resonated so strongly - took my breath away - it'll come across as even MORE ridiculously dramatic than the first paragraph in this response. So I'll keep myself out of it and try to keep things dry, if you will.

Narratively, it works. Each component of the story is immersive in its own way and doesn't ask too much of the reader. It avoids tropes and/or anything particularly gratuitous, though there is nudity and many mature themes. It addresses many difficult topics: murder, death, illness, mortality, the Holocaust, racism, discrimination, bullying, sexuality, etc. with grace and ease and also a freshness I haven't encountered before.

Visually, it's stunning. The artwork consists of doodles, portraits, illustrations and spectacular recreations of famous pieces of art. Several pages depict not only incredibly accurate individuals - but incredibly accurate expressions. 

If I had one quibble, it would be the age of the protagonist: she seems WAY too talented/intelligent for a 10-year-old! Nothing against 10-year-olds, but I would've been thrilled to have mastered the fancy S at that age. 

I'd recommend this for: outsiders. People who feel like aliens in their own bodies. Art lovers. Horror lovers. People who have struggled - who are still struggling. Minorities. Young folks. Old folks. People who have suffered tragedy at the hands of others. Victims. Creatives. Those who are constantly slapped in the face with the fact that the world is not what they expected nor what they hoped. Those who have to endure regardless. 

My Favorite Thing is Monsters Vol. 1 on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: House of Leaves

Kelly: stuck in the house.

Kelly: decides to read a book about a murderous house.

5 stars. This was ... really something. Unlike anything I've read before. I'm so excited to have read it - I feel accomplished - but I also feel ... hollowed out with a spoon. Scarred, scared, maybe a little shaky. Maybe a little traumatized. There are moments from this book that I will drag around with me for a long time (like for example the image of a man trying to read a book by the light of its burning pages … shiver).

I'd say it was worth it for someone like me: willing to put in the work and super interested in unsettling academic horror. GET READY FOR A LOT. YES, it gave me a headache like five times. YES, I had to turn the book upside down and read from different angles. YES, it's a little bit up its own ass. But I'd say it's pretty brilliant, and pretty scary.

Ahhh, how to describe it. Well, there are essentially three stories here: one about a family who moves into a peculiar house, one about an old man who writes about their experiences / their captured film about it, and one about a young man who finds the old man's writing. It's sort of a Russian Doll novel like Cloud Atlas, except the stories are woven together with footnotes, not neatly divided with chapters. And it's gorgeous. Visually.

Like if Kubrick directed a version of Alice in Wonderland.

It's also - delightfully and unexpectedly - funny. There's a lot of satire here and I found myself snorting at Danielewski's brilliant mockery of academia and analysis. It all felt so familiar and so accurate and so hilarious. Very clever. Overwrought in a good way. I also enjoyed, without knowing how or why, feeling like I was in L.A. in the 90's. L.A. is hard to capture but it works here, simply. <- That's a super random detail to pull from such an epic, expansive book but there you go.

I am super, super tempted to dive into an in-depth exploration of how women are portrayed - would love to analyze every female character - but, well, hmm. To offer commentary on something like that would be playing into the books hands ... falling into its trap ... exhuming a skeleton of sorts. Better left alone, I'd say.

Beyond all that though, under the layers, behind the door... this book stretches. It stretches what a book can be, it stretches your imagination, it stretches fear into something really thoughtful and provocative. The author takes primarily intangible, abstract "things:" space, time, walls, a staircase; and makes them profoundly eerie. Ultimately, though, I was left feeling warm. It's not just horror. It's deeply wonderful and romantic. 

House of Leaves on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Horrorstör

5 stars. I LOVED THIS! That ending! *Punches the air ecstatically* This is the clever type of horror that really scratches an itch! And it only took me like forty billion years to read it during the apocalypse! Ahhhhhhhhh.

I can't read these days. I have all the time in the world and no energy or focus. As much as I absolutely loved this, I could barely get through it. I know a lot of readers are experiencing something similar and I just want to say: it's cool. No pressure. Do what feels right.

ANYHOO. Horrorstör. Brilliant. It's about a young woman named Amy who feels a bit trapped - trapped by her circumstances and her job and her poor financial situation. She works at an Ikea-adjacent furniture store called Orsk and slogs through the day with sarcasm and eye rolls.

But something is off at Orsk! Something mysterious is happening and Amy gets roped into investigating. She and her uber-enthusiastic manager Basil find themselves in a nightmare of epic proportions as the store transforms into something gross and dangerous - and I'm not just talking about Corporate America.

So, so smart. Seriously. This is intelligent, self-aware horror that is also SUPER campy and SUPER intense. It's funny, scary, gory, and manages to critically probe corporate / consumer culture while keeping it shallow and light. It's mockery at its FINEST. Readers who have worked in retail will especially appreciate the references here. Oh, and the design - incredible. I suggest buying this in print.

I won't strip away the incredible layers embedded within every ironic plot device, cause that would ruin the fun. Take my advice and read it and enjoy it and let something ridiculous soothe your soul.

Horrorstör on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: The Outsider

3 stars. When I started this, I was kinda disappointed. It took me a minute to readjust to King's gleeful / outdated colloquialisms (a kid literally says, "gee" at one point, as in "gee mister, I got a nickel to take to the diner for a milkshake"), but by 20% I was hooked. Only he could take one of my least favorite premises - where every. single. character is stuck between a rock and a hard place - and make it so captivating (I just finished The Expanse #4, in which the entire plot is one clusterfuck after another, so I may be sensitive to this ATM). 

The Outsider focuses on the horrible abduction and murder of a young boy in a small town. The forensic evidence points exclusively and conclusively to one man - a beloved Little League couch with no history of violent behavior or criminal tendencies - so the police arrest him. Unfortunately, he has a rock solid alibi, which leads everyone (the cops, his family, his lawyer, his kids) to question: how can one man be in two places at once?

It has all the ingredients for a great King read: distinct, well-intentioned characters, a fleshed out small town setting, a gruesome murder, and an impossible, slightly supernatural mystery at its heart. I really respect the eerie unfolding of this particular plot - I didn't find anything too frightening, but I was definitely unsettled. King filled this book with more metadata than usual (expect easter eggs, kids), but it moves along nicely with all the finesse you'd expect.

So, if you can get beyond the somewhat eyeroll-y dialogue (a woman literally says "let's get funky" to her "husband of mine" in one conversation), this is great. But (Sarah Jessica Parker voice) I can't help but wonder: does this feel more cookie cutter than King's earlier works? It felt a little long and a little predictable. I think maybe it's because - ugh, I hate even letting this impact my reading experience - I knew what to expect. The supernatural aspects weren't a surprise, and I went in anticipating a high level of detail and characterization, and then ... I didn't get the gut punch I was hoping for. 

I guess the problem is that when you're That Good, I expect Great. And King can't help but continue to explore his favorite themes: addiction, justice, monster-hunting. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it reminded me a lot of 'Salem's Lot and a little of It. I think I was hoping for something that tasted a little spicier. Still, I've said it before and I'll say it again: mediocre King is still miles above the rest. 

I absolutely cannot wait to watch the adaptation. I’ve heard such good things.

The Outsider on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: Imaginary Friend

3 stars. UMMMMM WOW. Okay. Was NOT expecting that. This is going to be a weird review to write, because Imaginary Friend was a weird book to read. Full disclosure: I have not read Perks of Being a Wallflower - it’s decidedly NOT my cup of tea (I did see the movie and am aware of the basic themes). However, I was really excited to sink my teeth into a long horror story said to resemble King, my king.

This is going to be an epic fail of a summary, but I'll try. Essentially, a young boy, Christopher, moves to a new town with his mother Kate. He is lured into the creepy woods nearby and disappears for six days. When he returns, he's different: school is easier, his financial situation improves, he can read more easily, and he has a new "friend" - an invisible voice persuading him to return to the woods and build a treehouse. He does, and .... very weird shit happens.

Here’s what I liked about this: it’s a pageturner. It has multiple distinct characters. It’s detailed and well-written and has some GREAT villains. It explores religious mythology in an interesting way (more on that below). The plot doesn’t always involve kids versus adults (“you don’t believe me!” “well, you’re grounded” for forty chapters is always fun).

Here’s what I didn’t like: it’s way too long. It’s preachy. The ages of the kids don't quite match up with their characters, even before they become geniuses. It isn’t quite scary enough for me. It becomes VERY abstract and even a bit confusing. It’s cartoonish, which distracts from what could’ve been super genuinely disturbing. And it tries way too hard.

On the religious aspect of this book: I didn’t realize there would be one when I picked it up. As an atheist, I don’t always enjoy books that paint such certain and steadfast messages about faith. But, and this is going to sound a bit snooty, I do find it very interesting to read the Bible, and learn religious lore (of all religions) from a historical standpoint. Or from a literary standpoint. I don’t know what the author intended, but I’ll just consider this (I’m trying to be as vague as possible to avoid spoilers!) an exploration of a religious story many of us know and subscribe to, rather than a sermon. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the right audience, and I’d be annoyed.

Imaginary Friend reminds me much more of Joe Hill than Stephen King. Just because it’s long and detailed and plays with many characters just makes it a little Kingish, not totally King! I’m not surprised by the comparison but definitely expected more. I did love the 'Salem's Lot vibe featuring a town entirely corrupted. The suburbs are always full of secrets...

Anyhoo, I don't think I can quite recommend this, because it's such a big effort for such a weird payoff. But it kept me pretty entertained for a few days.

Imaginary Friend on: Amazon | Goodreads

FINAL Retro Review: Disappearance at Devil's Rock

When I started this blog, I had been posting reviews on Goodreads for about 6 months. In the interest of having all of my book writing in one place, I will post one of these old reviews every Friday. They weren't written with a blog in mind, so please forgive the lack of summary and off-the-cuff tone.

THIS IS THE FINAL RETRO REVIEW - I’M ALL CAUGHT UP!! WOOOOOO!!

3 stars. I don't usually say things like this, but what an epic roller coaster ride. And I'm not just talking about the plot.

I absolutely loved A Head Full of Ghosts and opened this with high expectations. 25% into it, though, I was ready to give up. I rolled my eyes at the dialogue (it was almost embarrassing, like Tremblay was trying to be a cool dad who knows about things like Snapchat and video games and "the suck") and the hilarious analogies ("She speed-walks across the front lawn, moving like a broken robot alternating short strides with big, uneven steps that threaten to topple her over." ... "Elizabeth offers Josh’s mom a weak smile that instantly collapsed like a long-neglected bridge."). But a quarter of the way through, something clicked into place. I was engulfed.

Tremblay knows his way around ambiguous evil. It wasn't as atmospheric as I expected, but I was legitimately creeped out. The tension was quite real and quite scary and the story itself was crunchy in a satisfying way. I didn't predict any of the twists and turns except (view spoiler) and I was blown away by how the primary antagonist was portrayed. I also absolutely LOVE stories in which an individual encounters - quite literally - his or her own mortality (I recommend the Australian horror movie Lake Mungo for anyone interested) and was delighted to detect that particular undercurrent. It was deeply unsettling in the best way.

Tremblay plays with format here and is - for the most part - successful. There were several instances of pre-teens not sounding like any pre-teen I've ever known (honestly, for me, he failed across the board to breathe realistic life into any of the kids) and some cringe-worthy sequences about a glitchy camera recording app. But the conclusion really makes the book scary and makes the book worth it. Horror fans should read. 

Disappearance at Devil’s Rock on: Amazon | Goodreads

Review: 'Salem's Lot

3 stars - but absolutely worth the effort. 3 star King is still better than 5 star anyone else, so I'm really glad I powered through this. Yes, it took some time and yes, I considered not finishing at several points. But it's a classic vampire tale and I REALLY enjoyed it. I wish I had read this in college, when the vampire craze was sort of at its peak, because this would've made an EXCELLENT comparison topic for a paper, lol.

'Salem's Lot is about a small town in Maine suffering from an invasion of sorts; an infection of the vampiric variety. There are several main characters, but the primary image here is that of the town itself and it's slow, steady descent into darkness. In that sense it's an interesting portrait of America in the 70's - it is patriotic but also aware of the political and social identity crisis seen by towns small and large alike. Appearance versus reality threads its way through the narrative in a way I really liked.

We have a typically large cast of characters here, and each of them are distinct and charming and quirky in the Kingish way I love. I didn't grow to love any of them, like I did in The Shining, but that's okay. There are also some truly terrifying sequences, though the meandering nature of the writing sometimes cuts the tension (I love King's use of detail and depth, but here he seemed a little ... untethered).

My favorite part about this, though, is the strong and spicy connection to Bram Stoker's Dracula. Dracula is one of my favorite classics, and King really found a similar flavor here. There are subtle references and obvious ones, and it just makes me really damn happy that someone successfully wrote a love letter to Dracula wrapped in an entertaining (calling you out, The Historian) and well-written work of fiction. It's derivative in the BEST WAY.

Really glad I stuck with this. Also, the afterword was such a treat. I almost enjoyed reading King's writing on the book more than the book itself.

‘Salem’s Lot on: Amazon | Goodreads