Review: Stolen Tongues

5 stars. I had a tricky job picking a rating for this book, because of one thing: it scared me. We'll get into it, but I've decided based on some valuable advice to adopt a new rule for my rating process. I already have one, and that is to automatically dock a star for a UDD - an Unnecessary Dog Death. My new rule, to be employed immediately, is to automatically add a star if a book actually spooks me. It's a very rare and very special event (lol that sounds so dramatic), when a book scares me, and I think it deserves recognition. 

Stolen Tongues is about a young couple, Felix and Faye, who are offered a cabin stay in the Rockies by her parents as an engagement gift. Things almost immediately start to go wrong, though, when they hear voices from outside - voices they recognize. Faye, who has always had sleep issues, starts to change and exhibit strange behavior. They leave, but it's not that easy - whoever, or whatever, terrorized them at the cabin follows them home. 

There's something truly amazing and odd about books that started as creepypastas. I've read two now - that I know of - that came from Reddit, and in both I was immediately struck by how strange the writing style seems. It's so informal, and amateur-sounding, kind of jarring, in a way that always makes me think like... is this bad? Is this right? But I should not be the dictating voice on what writing should be. It was just noticeable. And then, like, the very thing I sort of recoiled from actually made the book itself that much more effective, even scary? The cheesy dialogue became… endearing? The nonsensical, random plot points didn’t bother me? Life is full of surprises.

Don't get me wrong - this book isn't perfect. It would've earned a solid 4 stars except for the fact that I had to keep the light on after reading it. I really didn't like the character of Faye, and how useless she was. Recognizing she's the victim, and living through a terrible trauma, I would've related to her more had she acted more motivated to... fix the damn problem. And it's a pet peeve of mine when authors throw in exposition to explain a scary moment, versus the other way around? Like "this person had a nightmare." Opening of the next chapter: "this person started having nightmares at age 3." 

I also found the "twist" at the end, particularly related to the number 5, and the conclusion itself to be a little anticlimactic. Ultimately, too, maybe this book is a little long - there are a couple of sequences that are just strings of moments with no forward momentum. A little too repetitive. But OMG OMG OMG - it was so great. Don't listen to my nitpicking and criticizing - this is a must-read for horror fans. This is the type of book I want everyone to read so I can talk about it! Blackwell has an incredible talent for DESCRIBING MOMENTS. He is clearly a VERY thoughtful author, knows how to make you care, knows how to make you scared. I am so excited to read more of his work.

Stolen Tongues on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Episode Thirteen

3 stars. Aw man, I wanted to love this so much! As a bona fide found footage aficionado, this should've been a home run. But... I hate to say it... there's a reason why found footage is found footage, and epistolary novels don't necessarily try so hard to lean in that direction. I admire the attempt, and maybe it's more successful in audio, but this kind of at times felt like it just wanted to be a screenplay. If that won't bother you, go for it! 

It features the collected journal entries, interviews, raw footage transcripts and correspondence of the paranormal investigation team behind the fictional show Fade to Black: Matt, the leader, his wife and scientist (and Virginia Tech grad! Go hokies!) Claire, cameraman Jake, ex-police officer Kevin, and wannabe actress Jessica. Together they attempt to investigate historic Foundation House for the thirteenth episode, and season finale, of their show. With the future on the line, their reputations at stake, will the secrets of the house... bring them together... or tear them apart...? *fade to black*

I will say, I couldn't put this down. The short chapters propel things along quite well, and I really appreciated that it doesn't drag on and on and on. The fact that the house had already been investigated added an interesting mystery twist, and I loved the random incorporation of 60s/70s hippie culture. Honestly? That shit IS extremely creepy, now, looking back on it lol. I also enjoyed how each character had his or her own brush with the paranormal, and how each incident came back to (ahem) haunt them in the end.

And yet the characters were so, so, so incredibly flat. I didn't buy Matt and Claire's marriage for a second, and any attempt to color in the lines seemed really cheap and amateur. I think it must be truly so challenging to write distinct character voices in any book, especially one with multiple POVs in this format, but everyone basically sounded the same with a few tweaks here and there. It was just a little... lame.

Here's what I'd say: if you want sort of a popcorn, Blockbuster mash-up of House of Leaves, Annihilation, Grave Encounters, and maybe The Themis Files, you'll enjoy this book. Fair enough? I'll probably read this author again! I want more books that try something like this.

Anyway, go hokies.

Episode Thirteen on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Nettle & Bone

3 stars. I was not prepared for this! I have no idea why, but I was expecting something entirely different. I was expecting dark horror fantasy, not Diana Wynne Jones! I was so caught off guard I had no idea what to make of this for the first 25%. It's my first T. Kingfisher, surprisingly, and it definitely won't be my last. But yeah, sometimes going in blind is the move, and sometimes it actually isn't.

Nettle & Bone is about a princess, Marra, whose older sisters are married off by their mother the queen to the prince of a neighboring country as part of a political strategy to prevent war. The prince, shockingly, turns out to be abusive and cruel, and Marra, who has been sent to live with nuns at a convent, becomes determined to kill him, save her remaining sister, and save her own future in the process. To do this she must perform several impossible tasks, recruit a dust-wife, an ex-knight/prisoner and a fairy godmother. The odd crew then marches toward the city and an almost-certain death.

Couple of things I loved: the setting. The magic system. The sheer creativity and unexpectedness of each episodic obstacle - the tooth-merchant, the thief wheel, the innkeeper's cursed puppet - that made the story feel like a fairy tale. The hen with the demon in her. The sense of old wisdom baked into the narrative.

Couple of things I didn't love: the beginning which then rewound to the actual beginning. The prince - he made a very... boring antagonist, didn't he? Mostly off-page, and very basic? The bone dog's journey (I know what happens eventually but was it worth the pain?). The romance. And Marra herself. Her naivete was just way too damn much for me. 

So that lands us at a solid 3 stars. It is without a doubt a quick, fun read. I recommend it. I just wasn’t prepared or sitting right or in the mood or something. It is what it is!

Nettle & Bone on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Winterset Hollow

4 stars. To quote myself in the theater immediately after seeing Mother!: I think that was a metaphor for something. 

It was great - unusual, entertaining, funny and dark - but we have a lot to unpack.

Eamon and his two best friends, Mark and Caroline, decide to go on a day trip to visit their favorite author's old home: Addington Island. Its one-time inhabitant was inspired to write a popular book about animals having a feast on the island, and the story spoke to each of them in different, special ways. But after an apparently harmless afternoon of exploring, they realize that there's more to the island - and the story - than it seems.

Let's talk about the very, very good: the premise, and the depiction of the animals. They were perfectly characterized and I could feel them jump out from the pages of my beloved classics. I loved the twist and the intense chase/fight scenes. I truly was unsure how it would all end, and the bones of it were plotted nicely.

Let's talk about the maybe not as good: the author's writing style. It's pretty purple, pretty flowery, and while that results in some truly beautiful passages, it also results in what feels like... overwriting, or a distraction from the tension. There is also, as others have mentioned, a lot of head-hopping, which definitely tripped me up.

But back to the metaphor: I've seen conflicting reports on how successful or sensitive this author has been in representing the tragedy of colonization. I'm in no position to praise or complain. I would simply contribute that I thought this book asked really important questions, and threw out some fascinating answers.

Okay. We all know that I am pretty triggered by animal deaths and I will dock a star for a UDD. In this case I kind of sort of knew what I was getting into, and I'm not going to dock a star because every death in this story I would categorize as necessary. I absolutely, 100% got emotional - but in a good way, if that makes sense? These deaths were beautifully gorgeous and heartbreaking.

Would I have loved a happy ending for everyone? A return to the Hollow? Eamon as the island's caretaker? A celebratory, peaceful feast? Of course. I hoped. But this is basically a slasher horror/dark fantasy. This story gathered familiar aspects of our reading pasts and proceeded to chop them into little pieces. The animals grew up, suffered darkness, and learned to wield it themselves.

An amazing, incredible, savage debut.

Winterset Hollow on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Watchers

3 stars. Hmmmmmm. Loved the premise, enjoyed the spooky thrills, but I have to say I'm disappointed! What could've felt like a literary/folklore-inspired episode of The Twilight Zone instead kind of plodded along - I skimmed almost the entire second half. With complete respect for the set-up, the twist, and the incredible monsters, this story would've really benefited from being shaved down. Way down.

After promising to complete a ridiculous errand for a drunk friend, Mina is driving through an isolated part of Ireland when her car breaks down. She ventures into the woods, only to be trapped there in a terrifyingly constructed bunker with three other trapped travelers. When the sun goes down, the watchers come out, and only through desperation strict rules can the group hope to survive.

I can't not mention the bird. Couldn't care less about the human characters, but one of the reasons I started skimming was to avoid being triggered by an unnecessary animal death. Like a few other details, though, the bird actually did seem a bit useless from a narrative perspective, other than to increase the heart rates of readers like me. Which is... cheap.

I loved the twist, but the ending was very meh. I could sort of see where things were going and the final line didn't quite reach the mic drop level of epicness it was clearly trying very, very hard to achieve. Still, this wasn't a bad time. I don't regret reading it. Fans of Irish folklore will love it. I bet an adaptation could take things up a notch! 

The Watchers on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Haunted: Purgatory (Haunted #3)

3 stars. This book really stuck the landing... kind of reminded me of a Kool-Aid Man moment. I have to admit I skimmed through some parts - there's a fuckton of talking in this one - but it was all worth it in the end, and I'll definitely continue with the series. 

Picking up where the first book left off, Sarah decides to hire David and his team to conduct an investigation, which would hopefully result in obtaining an exorcism from the church and freeing the soul of her sister. Unfortunately, the house has its own devious agenda and thwarts their progress at almost every turn. Can Sarah get the evidence she needs to help her sister find peace? Can David grapple with his own history with the house? Can his team stay safe? The stakes are apocalyptic, people! 

Back to the talking: I really, really admire this author's ability to write crunchy, concise prose that feels effortless to read from a word-choice perspective. But this book really suffered from poor pacing, and, as mentioned, talking. It's not just dialogue - it's conversations designed to catch characters up to what the reader already knows; it's conversations where characters talk in circles only to land on an inevitable conclusion; it's conversations full of "but what if this?" answered with "then this" and so on and so forth. 

(Every now and then I feel like I have to throw out a disclaimer - I've never written a book, and it seems ridiculously hard. Just noting something that pulled me out of an otherwise immersive, fun, scary experience.)

Otherwise, these books are like popcorn - addicting! I always want one more handful. 

Purgatory on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Willows

5 stars. I found this terrifying. Everything about it: its familiar premise, the fresh path it carves, its tidy, concise plot, its words and sentences and sequences, its ending... it really spooked me. I would have loved to study this in a class and dissect it until I know what makes it tick, or until I discover that it bloomed from the magic of right time, right place, right idea, right author. The word that comes to mind is masterpiece.

It's a simple predicament: our unnamed narrator and his Swedish companion, after having traveled many miles via canoe on the Danube, stop for the night on an isolated island absent of life except for many crowded willows. They set up camp, gather some driftwood and settle in for the night. Soon it becomes clear, quite predictably, that something isn't quite right with the island - the river is rising, the wind is deafening, the willow branches sway, and something else... something otherworldly... doesn't want them to leave. 

It does sound a bit cheesy. In fact I think I went into this expecting cheesy. Or maybe I was expecting cliches. It's so much more than that. "There was a suggestion here of personal agency, of deliberate intention, of aggressive hostility, and it terrified me into a sort of rigidity." I was not ready for the crazy cosmic twists and turns this story takes - and yes, I know some folks argue that it isn't horror, it's weird, but often I find weird horrifying, so I'll say it's both. It's deeply unsettling, disturbing, creative in a way I haven't encountered before. It's very, very obvious that the author maybe... wanted to believe, or wanted to be open, or was sort of... daydreaming up the situation as though fantasizing. It almost felt personal. Which gives it that extra disturbing edge.

I find it really fascinating that packed into this short story is so much psychological self-analysis. The narrator is telling us the story from the future, recalling a memory, and he details almost every twist or shift of emotion he experiences, sometimes in the length of a second or a moment. From awe to disbelief to dread to confusion to "curious excitement" to mistrust to fear to deep, existential terror - we are along for every step of the ride. "Yet what I felt of dread was no ordinary ghostly fear. It was infinitely greater, stranger, and seemed to arise from some dim ancestral sense of terror more profoundly disturbing than anything I had known or dreamed of."

What I also admire is that, for all the atmospheric detail included, there's very little context about the characters. They are virtually without identity. We're told again and again to include context around characters - especially in horror - so the emotional stakes feel high. This proves that technique less required. The author peppered in just enough clues, but really it's his insane adeptness at writing terror that makes it irrelevant.

That ending!

The Willows on: Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Review: Haunted: Devil's Door (Haunted #2)

3 stars. No complaints; this was a perfect follow-up to the first book. These really are fun, popcorn reads that serve as perfect palette cleansers! I was really delighted by the fact that it serves as a prequel to the first book and answers a few questions about Chloe and Sarah's pasts, and the house itself.

Rita, Ray and their daughter Chloe arrive at Perron Manor at the invitation of Rita's brother Vincent and the house's owner, Marcus Blackwell. They work together to turn the house into a hotel, slowly getting to know the old place and its dark history. As Rita becomes more and more determined to turn a profit, Ray becomes concerned for his family's wellbeing. Everything culminates with the infamous Halloween weekend massacre, proving the house's earned nickname of Devil House. 

The author does a really fantastic - maybe an improved - job of incorporating multiple POVs into this story. The pace is almost perfect, but the scares were a little less scary (to me - I think maybe the stakes don't feel as high, since we know sort of who survives and who doesn't). But the imagery is extra gross in this one, and I loved the human threat as well. I'm honestly very eager to move on to the next one and find out more!

Devil’s Door on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Hacienda

3 stars. There is some really great stuff here, especially for a debut. I believe it achieves what it sets out to do. I read it in two days, which says a lot about how compelling and concise it is. And, as so many others have mentioned, I would highly recommend it for fans of Rebecca and other gothic horrors of the like. Ultimately I think it lacks sharp edges, for me - or rather, its edges are too dull - but still. I liked it.

Young Beatriz, following the tragic destruction of her family amidst political unrest - finds a way out: marriage. She and her new husband travel to his home, Hacienda San Isidro, and she is determined to claim ownership of her new household and carve out a new life. Unfortunately, the Hacienda resists. Instead, Beatriz spends the nights terrified as the house threatens her with its destructive and horrifying secrets. 

My clumsy summary leaves out that this is really a sort of horror romance, not straight up horror. I loved its historical socio-political themes, and its depiction of Hacienda communities and the generational lore of the land, but there is also so. much. angst, which is not really my favorite (unless I'm reading romance). I also couldn't really distinguish either POV, and the twists were very predictable. 

Regardless, there should be more books like this. I really, really enjoyed Beatriz as a character - fierce AF. I enjoyed the spooky moments a LOT. I enjoyed the level of detail and apparent research that went into it. I enjoyed the very clear and obvious homages to various beloved gothic ghost stories. I do recommend it. 

The Hacienda on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Haunted: Perron Manor (Haunted #1)

4 stars. Wow, that was awesome!! Most random KU discovery ever. I am clearly in my ~ horror era ~ and I can't get enough of all the fresh, literary, disturbing, new voices out there, but sometimes I really crave your basic trope-filled fear fest. And this delivered that as a truly tasty snack and beyond. Blew my expectations out of the water. 

Sisters Chloe and Sarah inherit an old house, Perron Manor, and decide to move in and fix the place up. Chloe brings along her husband Andrew and baby daughter Emma, and Sarah has time on her hands after leaving the military. There's a creepy old furnace, a locked study full of occult artifacts, and a lot of rumors about the history of the place, which the locals call Devil's House. Eventually things escalate... you know the rest.

Think of it as an extra scary, well-written episode of A Haunting or Paranormal Witness - both shows that I absolutely adore (and were my after-school gateways to the horror I consume today). Suitable set-up, characters that are just interesting enough to care for, and some surprisingly awesome scares. Kind of like a campfire story. Dependably creepy and you pretty much know what you're going to get. In a good way!

And yeah, I maybe would mention that it escalates quickly. The pacing is fine, it just... shoots out of control a little at the end. I had no idea there would be a cliffhanger and it made me want to read the next one immediately! Seriously, don't sleep on these books. I intend to make them my new palette cleansers in-between other books. Good stuff.

Perron Manor on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads