horror books – Page 7 – Amy Leigh Reads

Near the Bone Review

January 20, 2023January 21, 2023by amyleighreads1 Comment

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Mattie can’t remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they’re not alone after all. There’s something in the woods that wasn’t there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws. When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry.

Mattie’s character broke my heart in this book. Just how much she has retreated into her mind, blocking out all her old memories and just becoming accustomed to the truly terrible treatment she has had to endure from William. Just the cavalier way her mind just accepts that she is going to be beaten and tortured by this man and yet will still continue to be his dutiful wife was horrifying. I was so proud of her for talking to the strangers when they came to the cabin and listened to herself and escaped when she did.

The fantastical element to the story with the monster I would of liked to be explored a little more. Maybe go into the lore of this creature and why it’s come now. Is it just a coincidence that Mattie comes across the dead fox and can subsequently feel when it’s near or is she just more in tune with her surroundings than everyone else. Is it just a physical representation of William and how monstrous his nature is which turned on him in the end?

The setting and atmosphere really played a big role in this book. The insular setting really showcases just how isolated Mattie has been from the rest of the world and restricts her from any chance of escape most of the time. There was just this overlying sense of dread and helplessness woven into the story that sets the tone of the rest of the plot and how it plays out.

⭐️4/5 stars This was heart wrenching!

Reviews

House of Hunger Review

January 6, 2023January 6, 2023by amyleighreads1 Comment

Marion Shaw has been raised in the slums, where want and deprivation is all she knows. Despite longing to leave the city and its miseries, she has no real hope of escape until the day she spots a peculiar listing in the newspaper, seeking a bloodmaid. Though she knows little about the far north–where wealthy nobles live in luxury and drink the blood of those in their service–Marion applies to the position. In a matter of days, she finds herself the newest bloodmaid at the notorious House of Hunger. There, Marion is swept into a world of dark debauchery–and at the center of it all is her.

I really liked Marion as our main protagonist. I thought she was quite strong and resilient and doesn’t back down despite the situations she finds herself in. Although in that same vein I thought she pushed the boundaries a little too much and thought she was above all the rules and didn’t have to adhere to them like the other blood maids. I liked the evolution of Marion’s character throughout the course of the book and even though she succumbs to Lisavet and gives herself wholly to her I liked that she regained some sense to investigate when things felt off.

I just kind of wish we got to explore more of the court and debauchery that takes place, I just feel like we were always just adjacent to that side of the house and I wanted to see more of Lisavet in her element as the Countess. I also wish we get to know the other blood maids a little more, we do get introductions to them and a little bit of a back story but not enough for me to feel a connection to them.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book, the setting was wonderful and the pacing was fast and consistent. I was pulled into this world right from the start and the intrigue continued to build as we progressed through the plot with all of the twists and turns.

⭐️4/5 stars This was a ‘bloody’ good time!

Reviews

The Weight of Blood Review

November 23, 2022November 23, 2022by amyleighreads1 Comment

*SPOILERS BEWARE*

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington. After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal life.

I quite enjoyed Maddy’s character. I think the way she chose to deal with everything that has happened to her so far has been quite realistic. There is definitely that sense of not belonging to any one particular group at school and also the horrific treatment from her father has really stunted her maturity and also her confidence which leads to her inevitable psychotic break.

I wasn’t all that invested in any of the other characters to be honest. I think they were all meant to be unlikeable as we know that none of them survive prom night. Kenny’s character got on my nerves a little bit. I know it would be quite hard to not stick to the status quo when your in high school but he should of stuck up for Maddy and called out the quite obvious racists acts that his friends were pulling. His sister was one of my favourite characters and I loved how she wouldn’t stand for it and made a fuss! Wendy was totally selfish and even though her intentions might of been to help smooth everything over she was doing it all for herself and her image.

I haven’t read the original Carrie or watched the movie before so I honestly had no preconceived notions on how this should be written or how close or far from the original it is or should be. I thought it was well written and the format with the added podcast element was fun and made it easier to get through. The pacing was quite fast and I was highly entertained throughout. The prom night scene did feel a little rushed though so I wish we could of had more time to really get a grasp of what was happening and how horrible it would of been to witness.

⭐️4/5 stars seeing these characters get what they deserve was fun!

Book Lists, Top Ten Tuesdays

Hyped Horror Books

October 25, 2022October 24, 2022by amyleighreads16 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is a Halloween freebie. Last year I posted about 10 hyped horror books on my TBR and I’ve actually completed a few of the books in the last year so I figured I’d do a follow up on what I rated them!

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca – ⭐️4/5 stars

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix – ⭐️3/5 stars

Clown in the Cornfield by Adam Cesare – ⭐️4/5 stars

Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones – ⭐️3/5 stars

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Reviews

Night of the Mannequins Review

October 14, 2022November 23, 2022by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

*A FEW SPOILERS*

This book is a contemporary horror story where a teen prank goes very wrong and all hell breaks loose: is there a supernatural cause, a psychopath on the loose, or both?

Sawyer is very resolute in his thoughts that Manny the mannequin has come to life and is now hell bent on killing them all. I have to say his reasonings behind it was quite weak and the fact that he is so almost eagerly willing to murder the rest of his friends just to spare the rest of their families gives me that hero complex vibe. I don’t know how he gets away with each of them as he doesn’t really think through each little detail of the murders and executes them pretty much out in the open with a lot of witnesses.

I feel like this is basically about Sawyer not willing to grow apart from his friends and how fixated he is on trying to maintain their connection through Manny. They used to be so close and would pull all these pranks and hang out all the time and gradually that has stopped to the point where Manny has been sitting in his garage for years. Even the reoccurring theme of the super hero movie throughout the plot he uses as a way to reinforce the validity of his thought process.

One thing about Stephen Graham Jones’ books is he kind of throws you straight into the story. I just always feel a bit disoriented when I start like I missed an introduction somewhere, it’s quite strange. You definitely have to suspend a bit of belief when reading this book but it was definitely weird yet entertaining.

⭐️3/5 stars this was a wild ride!