Tag: horror

Reviews

Bloom Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Bloom Review

*BEWARE OF SPOILERS AHEAD*

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Rosemary meets Ash at the farmers’ market. Ash—precise, pretty, and practically perfect—sells bars of soap in delicate pastel colours, sprinkle-spackled cupcakes stacked on scalloped stands, beeswax candles, jelly jars of honey, and glossy green plants. Ro has never felt this way about another woman; with Ash, she wants to be her and have her in equal measure. But as her obsession with Ash consumes her, she may find she’s not the one doing the devouring…

Being in Ro’s head for the majority of this book was tiring and frustrating. They way she latches on to Ash and how her thoughts about her just consume her every waking moment got to be a bit annoying. I literally just wanted to shake her and tell her to get a grip, you coming on a bit strong there love. Though I can see why she would be second guessing herself at every turn and pushing a bit on Ash’s boundaries after the nasty breakup she just had with her ex.

Right from the start I knew there was something up with Ash. I could tell from her demeanour at the market stall, changing basically her whole personality depending on who walked in told me she was a calculative and potentially manipulative. Especially after she reprimanded Ro so many times for pushing her boundaries, I knew something was up but I couldn’t predict what, which was entertaining for sure.

I like the fact that this book elicited so many emotions from me. It starts off so unassuming and quite cute so I was a unprepared for the wild ride that was about to ensue. I definitely had my theories on what was happening but I was surprised at every turn which was why I think I enjoyed this as much as I did.

⭐️4/5 stars Wow.. this was good!!!

Reviews

Starling House Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Starling House Review

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland–and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot. Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

I absolutely loved the atmosphere of this book! The small town, haunted house vibes were immaculate and I was soo invested in the lore and the family history that was attached to it too! Opal’s perspective is so raw and unyielding and the struggles she’s had to overcome since her mother’s death really shows how strong willed she is.

The house wasn’t as spooky as what I was anticipating. I thought this was a haunted house story so I was waiting for the focus to swing back to the house but the main mystery was more so surrounding Eleanor and the Underland. It was interesting to kind of piece together the story from all of the different sources Eden went to and then ultimately getting the story straight from Eleanor was gratifying!

⭐️4/5 stars I lowkey want to stay the night there… sans the monsters of course lol

Reviews

Natural Beauty Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Natural Beauty Review

Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can. She employs a technique she learned from her parents—also talented musicians—who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City. Holistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures—from remoras that suck out cheap Botox to eyelash extensions made of spider silk—and her new job affords her entry into a world of privilege and a long-awaited sense of belonging. She becomes transfixed by Helen, the niece of Holistik’s charismatic owner, and the two strike up a friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, our narrator is plied with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, and lighten her hair. But beneath these creams and tinctures lies something sinister.

I enjoyed reading from our main perspective. I think her story was very sad and kind of tragic but also quite relatable in a way. Wanting to conform to societal expectations is I think what every young person coming from a minority goes through throughout adolescence. I liked how it kind of comes full circle and she acknowledges how she lost those facial features her parents passed down to her and how much she regrets letting things go so far.

I thought the other characters were interesting but it took me a little while to differentiate between them all. None of them were all that memorable to me and I didn’t really have an emotional connection to anyone other than our main protagonist so I didn’t really care what happened to any of them.

⭐️3/5 stars Interesting but lacking oomph!

Book Lists

5 Horror Books I Want to Read in 2024

by amyleighreads1 Comment on 5 Horror Books I Want to Read in 2024

I’m going to do small little TBRs of books I really want to get to in 2024 and break them down by genre! So these are the 5 horror books that I have been seeing around a lot that I really want to get to this year and they are:

Chlorine by Jade Song

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson

Reviews

The Burning Girls Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Burning Girls Review

*BEWARE OF SPOILERS*

Welcome to Chapel Croft. For Rev Jack Brooks and teenage daughter Flo it’s supposed to be a fresh start. New job, new home. But, as Jack knows, the past isn’t easily forgotten. And in a close-knit community where the residents seem as proud as they are haunted by Chapel Croft’s history, Jack must tread carefully. Ancient superstitions as well as a mistrust of outsiders will be hard to overcome. Yet right away Jack has more frightening concerns. Why is Flo plagued by visions of burning girls? Who’s sending them sinister, threatening messages? And why did no one mention that the last vicar killed himself? Chapel Croft’s secrets lie deep and dark as the tomb. Jack wouldn’t touch them if not for Flo – anything to protect Flo.

I really enjoyed Jack as our main protagonist. She acknowledges her past mistakes and still has regrets but we learn as the story progresses why and how these mistakes have come to pass and what she has done to atone for them. I knew there was sooo much more to Jack’s story that we weren’t getting right from the start and I was very gratified by the way all the information was given to us.

Flo is a typical teenage character and makes a lot of choices that didn’t seem very wise but I was happy to accept that she is driving the plot along and I probably would of done this same thing had I been her age. I’m not sure I like the fact that the visions of the burnings girls wasn’t explained especially since that was the only real supernatural events in the book and everything else was realistic.

I was surprised at every turn of this book. I went into it knowing pretty much nothing at all and being that this started out so innocuous with just some creepy atmospheric vibes I was shocked with the way it devolved into some pretty horrifying situations and themes. I loved the way the story unfolded and how we just kept being fed little tidbits of information until everything clicks and I was like wtf is going on!

⭐️4/5 stars I was on the edge of my seat!