thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3
’It is early fall, the cold is beginning to descend, and in thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3
’It is early fall, the cold is beginning to descend, and in three months everyone in this house will be dead�
Victorian Psycho is a book I knew I would enjoy, but it turned out to be one I LOVED.
A short-but-sweet, effortlessly engaging and endlessly gruesome story that follows Winifred Notty, a new governess to the Pounds family, who is completely and utterly psychotic. I like to say in my reviews that I support women’s wrongs as well as rights, but I have to admit that Fred was pushing me with this one.
Feito’s prose is magnetic, as quick as a whip, and every word and story-beat is perfectly executed. I found myself wishing this book was longer, but knowing that its whirlwind pace led to such an incredibly effective story. All of the characters were grisly caricatures, including the children, and I was consistently reminded of Tim Burton and the uncanny-ness of stop-motion animation. The Victorian era always lends so well to the brutal and disgusting nature of murder, and the inequalities of wealth, and Feito took this and made it into something brilliant. This entire story made me feel uncomfortable at all times, and it’s truly one of the most unique horrors I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
Overall, Victorian Psycho gets 5/5 stars. A fantastic read that I won’t be forgetting in a hurry!...more
‘I cannot keep my silence forever. I must be free�
The Silent Companions was a book I was really looking forward to, and I feel slightly let down by it‘I cannot keep my silence forever. I must be free�
The Silent Companions was a book I was really looking forward to, and I feel slightly let down by it.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing terrible out this. Technically it is well-written, with good pacing, and a great feel to the prose. The whole vibes of the book were really great, the house was described incredibly well, and I could picture every scene and setting clearly. I loved the focus on motherhood throughout the story, particularly with Anne and Hetta, and Elsie and her younger brother Jolyon. Purcell did fantastically at showing how strong a mothers love is, and how it can override any type of self-preservation.
My biggest issue with the book was how scary it was. To cut a long story short; it wasn’t. While the Companions were certainly creepy, being stalked by a creepy figurine of a person is unnerving, I can’t say I was scared. If a horror book fails to scare, I struggle to claim it’s a full success.
Overall, The Silent Companions gets 4/5 stars....more
’You are my creator, but I am your master - obey!�
Take a shot every time Mary Shelley writes ‘wretch� and I promise you you’ll pass the fuck out withi’You are my creator, but I am your master - obey!�
Take a shot every time Mary Shelley writes ‘wretch� and I promise you you’ll pass the fuck out within the first 50 pages.
Listen, big props to Mazza Shells and all, writing one of the most famous horror books of all time and quite literally creating the science-fiction genre at age 19 is extremely impressive. I’m 19, and I struggle to use a washing machine correctly, so I’m very appreciative of what she achieved.
But at the same time, it could’ve been a little less boring couldn’t it?
I took away 3 main points from Frankenstein: 1. Victor Frankenstein is pathetic (health wise). 2. Victor Frankenstein is gay. 3. Victor Frankenstein is a prick.
That’s it, that’s the book. Victor Frankenstein is just a little gay University student who creates a monster, goes into a depressive episode, is mean to the monster, the monster gains sentience and kills his family members, Victor goes into a depressive episode, Victor hunts down the monster, Victor goes into a depressive episode, Victor dies, the monster jumps out a window. It’s not really that interesting, I’m sorry.
I really wanted to like Frankenstein, and I did actually like the selection of chapters from the Monsters point of view, but everything else with Frankenstein himself was just boring and extremely repetitive. 3/5 stars for putting me into a reading slump....more
’It’s too late. I am monstrous, I am repellant, but I will live�
If I had a nickel for every time I read a book this year where the main character was ’It’s too late. I am monstrous, I am repellant, but I will live�
If I had a nickel for every time I read a book this year where the main character was a sentient parasite infecting a human body, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s strange that it’s happened twice.
The only word I have to describe Leech is bizarre. An amalgamation of science-fiction, gothic overtones, horror and family trauma, all pushed into a book that if it was a film would undoubtedly be directed by Tim Burton and produced by Laika Studios. In a nutshell, Leech had a fantastic atmosphere which was described with precision and a rich prose which served it well in this post-apocalyptic hellscape version of our world.
Despite this, however, I still only found this book to be mediocre. I do understand why people would love this, and I myself enjoyed the overall plot-idea and characterisation of Simone, Emile and Didier in particular, but I still found it a little lacklustre in impact and horror elements. I think Leech is a great debut novel, and shows so much potential and creativity, I just don’t think it’s the kind of book for me.
’â¶Ä�Be selfish,â€� he whispered. â€�Be brave’â¶Ä�
After reading Babel, all I really have to say is that I get it. I get what you’ve all been talking about for t’â¶Ä�Be selfish,â€� he whispered. â€�Be brave’â¶Ä�
After reading Babel, all I really have to say is that I get it. I get what you’ve all been talking about for these past two years. The beauty of it. The genius of it. The pure emotional devastation at its conclusion.
I’m aware a lot of people consider The Secret History or We Were Villains to be THE dark academia books. But those people clearly haven’t read Babel.
This book broke me in more ways than one. Not only in its devastating conclusion, or the betrayal and heartbreak in a group of friends who loved each other once. But in its thorough and rightly harsh look at the realities of colonialism Britain partook in in the 1800s. It doesn’t matter that the Institute of Translation doesn’t exist, or that silver does not have magical properties. This book shies away from no truth and forces you to confront your own biases and ignorance. Through Letty and Robin, for vastly different reasons, I felt myself realising how little I know and how many things I myself like to ignore for a so-called ‘peace of mind�. This book has so much to give and so much to tell people. I truly believe everyone can get something out of Babel.
Kuang’s fantastic writing and prose shine in this unlike any of her other novels, and I believe she is the author for dark academia and gaslamp fantasy. How she structured her arguments, made sure to include real historical citations on her quotes and was honest about her own experiences and feelings through Robin, was so perfectly done. Babel is a hard read due to its emotional weight, but she wrote this in a way that made it impossible to put down. I had to know how this story would end, and I was enraptured every step of the way.
There’s so much that can be said about Babel, and has been said about Babel, but I don’t have the intelligence nor brain-capacity to say it. Just know that I would recommend this book a thousand times over in every single life-time. This is truly deserving of all of its accolades.
’If, God willing, he survives until the morning, he promises himself a life of only mild excitement�
You’ve gotta love Toilet Ryan (this is a silly lit’If, God willing, he survives until the morning, he promises himself a life of only mild excitement�
You’ve gotta love Toilet Ryan (this is a silly little goofy joke because in England WC stood for ‘Water Closet� which was an old-fashioned name for a toilet and this guys initials are W. C. like WC, meaning toilet, so I call him Toilet Ryan, which isn’t meant as an insult because I like his books, it’s just a silly little goofy joke as I said, which I’ve really over-explained and is no longer funny, I’m sorry, I’m actually going to review the book now).
Toilet Ryan has only written two books, this and his first novel named ‘A House of Ghosts�, which I adored, and they both have the same sort of vibe. Big creepy house, set between the 1910-20s, lots of Irish, cool little murder mystery, and occasionally a spooky ghost. You know, everyone’s favourite things to read about. And no that isn’t sarcasm, I really do enjoy these books!
There’s something very comforting and painless about Ryan’s narrative style - it’s like being wrapped in a big comfy blanket and drinking a nice warm cup of tea. I feel soothed, I feel relaxed, and most of all, I feel content. There’s nothing ground-breaking about his books, nothing that I can say is particularly unique or anything that will change your perspective on life, but I can assure you that you will have an enjoyable and fulfilling time, and isn’t that all anyone really wants?
Overall, The Winter Guest gets 3/5 stars, mainly because I liked the characters less than I did in A House of Ghosts (which I gave a 4/5). And, as is expected, I will be anticipating and buying Toilet Ryan’s next little Irish murder mystery :)
Also the covers to these books are always stunning so buy them for that if nothing else!...more
’In a House of Ghosts, the Living Await, Their Certain Fate�
This book is the reason I am screaming, crying, shitting and throwing up for half stars. I’In a House of Ghosts, the Living Await, Their Certain Fate�
This book is the reason I am screaming, crying, shitting and throwing up for half stars. It is the definition of 4.5 stars.
A House of Ghosts is set in Winter 1917, WW1, and we join our 2 main characters and pov’s, Donovan (a tall Irish military man who I’m in love with) and Kate (a short English Secret Service woman who can see ghosts). Mystery ensues, and they find themselves trapped in a very big house, on a very small island, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a storm and hell of a lot of dead people. Oh, and they’re being hunted by an unknown figure. Sounds pretty good right?
Well yes, it is pretty good (understatement). The author has such engaging writing which makes his characters likeable, or unlikeable, and is complex enough to keep you constantly entertained. The entire story was fast-paced, and I was never bored, but also managed to rev up the tension and mystery throughout. I did manage to guess who the murderer was but only near the very end, so I count that as a win for a who-dunnit. The ghost element was subtle enough for it to be an important plot detail, but didn’t take over the entire book - it gave me slight Ninth House vibes - and I enjoyed that because I wanted to focus more on the mystery and the characters. I loved the developing romance between Donovan and Kate, and Ryan really made me believe these characters liked each other. Every ‘main� side character stood out and was unique and intriguing, and I particularly liked Orlov (a Russian Count who can also see ghosts). The ending was fulfilling and all the twists and turns and putting the pieces together was not only fun but super rewarding, as all the motivations made sense. And hey, it will give you a deep hatred for the corruptness of armaments manufacturing in WW1. Which I’m sure is what everyone wants out of their ghost book�?
Overall, this is a really perfect winter read, not just because the book itself is set in winter, but because I find supernatural themed books / historical fiction to be the sort of cosyness needed for the colder months. I just loved this, and I’m so disappointed it’s a standalone, because I’d love to read more about the characters! However, I’m very highly anticipating Ryan’s second release next year, I’m hoping it will be just as good <3
’Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone�
I decided to read The Haunting of Hill House a’Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone�
I decided to read The Haunting of Hill House as the Netflix tv show (of the same name) is by far one of the best shows I’ve ever watched and is definitely one of my favourites if not THE favourite. I think the show perfectly blends horror, pacing, cinematography, acting, characters, story and it’s themes of loss and grief to create something that is severely underrated online, and is what I would consider a tv masterpiece.
After reading the book, I realise just how grateful I truly am that they made the changes they did for the show. If the show had stuck even slightly closer to its source material, it would not be as good as it is. Hill House is an old book but I don’t think the writing portrays that, I think it’s actually very accessible for its age, and I’ve read far more modern books with a more irritating and complicated prose. What lets Hill House down, more than anything, is the plot. It’s simply just boring. I’m sorry, but that’s the unfortunate truth. The first about 60 pages are mind numbing, and while it did improve once Nellie was actually IN the house, I was still confused as to what the point of anything was. I wasn’t at all attached to any of the characters and I found most of them just plain old unlikeable. The way Theo and Luke taunted and basically bullied Nellie was just gross, and I found myself wishing one of them would just up and get possessed. I’m still not entirely sure if I would, after finishing the book, be able to describe the plot to anyone or what the point of anything was.
Most disappointingly, was that this book isn’t scary. At all. Not even remotely. Sure, it has some ~spooky~ moments here and there and I liked the scene in which Nellie realised she wasn’t holding Theo’s hand at night, that was extremely well done. Other than that though? I wasn’t even slightly spooked. I do always take horror books with a pinch of salt as I rarely get scared of horror anything at this point. Years of watching / playing horror video games has given me some sort of immunity, but even still I can read horror books (take The Troop by Nick Cutter for example) that do actually freak me out. This book tremendously failed on, what is really, its main job. If a horror book can’t horrify you, what exactly is the point?
I wouldn’t say don’t read this, but I would say don’t expect it to be like the show and absolutely do NOT expect to be scared!...more
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