Tag: horror

Reviews

My Dearest Darkest Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on My Dearest Darkest Review

*BEWARE OF SPOILERS*

Finch Chamberlin is the newest transfer student to the ultra-competitive Ulalume Academy… but she’s also not what she seems. Months before school started, Finch and her parents got into an accident that should have left her dead at the bottom of a river. But something monstrous, and ancient, and terrifying, wouldn’t let her drown. Finch doesn’t know why she woke up after her heart stopped, but since dying she’s felt a constant pull from the school and the surrounding town of Rainwater, like something on the island is calling to her. Selena St. Clair sees right through Finch, and she knows something is seriously wrong with her. But despite Selena’s suspicion, she feels drawn to Finch and has a sinking feeling that from now on the two will be inexplicably linked to one another.

Finch is an interesting character for sure. I think when we are introduced to her she seems quite innocent and unassuming. She is very much a loner and wants to be by herself which contrasts starkly with Selena. A lot is revealed to Finch over the course of the storyline and she does evolve and become more accepting of her parents death and starts to live a bit more through the help of her new friends.

Selena was the more entertaining of the two perspectives. Her life is way more chaotic being the popular girl and trying to maintain her reputation even though it’s not necessarily who she is as a person. I think all teenage girls can relate to putting on a façade when they are in high school to try and appear more put together and become popular but Selena becoming a mean girl kind of went to the extreme. As we learn more about her throughout the course of the plot I became more attached to her and seeing how her feelings for Finch grew and her trying to push them away was very endearing.

The premise was super interesting, finding out about the history of the town and how everything connects back to Nerosi. I liked all of the representation within the book but some of the side characters weren’t very distinct and distinguishable from each other. As the plot progressed and we get more revelations it did start to feel a bit predictable though it didn’t shy away from getting a bit dark which I enjoyed!

⭐️3/5 stars was a slow start

Reviews

The Hacienda Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Hacienda Review

*KIND OF SPOILERY*

In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost. But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined. When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz has had a lot to deal with since her father was executed and I think she jumped at the chance to step out from the shadows of her aunt and cousins even though Don Solórzano might not have been the right match for her. Definitely naïve and stubborn when she first comes to her husband’s estate. She wanted to come straight in and make all of these demands and changes and didn’t get off on the right foot with the staff. I think if she maybe would of had a bit more humility they would of warmed up to her a lot faster and explained the history of the hacienda and what happened in there.

Andrés I thought was an interesting character for sure; being from this long line of witches in his family while still being a priest and helping out his community. I’m not a religious person so all of the talk about faith and religion didn’t really do anything for me, but I can appreciate how it impacts all of his decisions and adds that layer of conflict for him in regards to letting his powers come forth. I also appreciated how slow the relationship between him and Beatriz developed. It wasn’t rushed or insta-lovey at all and they both really tried to maintain their morals but circumstance kept bringing them together and their feelings grew naturally.

The pacing in this book was on the slower side but I appreciate how the the dread and horror really creeps into the story. I was very much invested in the finding out what this spirit that resides in the Hacienda is and how it got there. I’m still not sure why it chose to target, torture and try and kill Beatriz when Juana and Rodolfo are the one’s at fault here. All of the twists and turns were very entertaining and I was pretty much invested from the start.

⭐️4/5 stars I just wish we could of got a little more of a satisfying ending

Reviews

The Honeys Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Honeys Review

*SOME SPOILERS*

Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline’s radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who’d grown tragically distant. Mars’s genderfluidity means he’s often excluded from the traditions — and expectations — of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place.

Mars as a character I enjoyed but didn’t connect with as much as I would of liked to. I think because the start of the book is so jarring and intense it took me a little longer to get situated in the plot and understand what was happening. I thought Mars’ reasonings for wanting to go back to Aspen Academy was fair and if was in his place I would of wanted to go back too. I just thought it took him too long to really make a move and start to fully investigate the honeys and Aspen as a whole.

All the other characters aside from Mars were kind of hard to distinguish between. None of them really felt fleshed out to me and were kind of blurred together (I’m even having a hard time remembering any of their names). I just felt like because this was titled as the honeys and they were the ones who were closest to Caroline before she died we would of got to know them a lot more than what we did.

I could in no way predict how this book was going to end. It took a turn for the weird and strange and I wasn’t prepared for it so it definitely took me by surprise! I liked how broad the scope of the book got and it wasn’t just isolated to Aspen and the fact that Mars wasn’t able to escape from the inevitability of this organisation.

The prose was very lyrical and beautiful but almost a little too flowery for me. I think the overly descriptive language and the perceptive shifts that occur throughout the course of the plot kept confusing me which may have been intentional by the author. I don’t really enjoy for the most part not fulling knowing and understanding what was going on so that kind of pulled me out of the story a bit.

⭐️3/5 stars Loved the premise, the pacing was just a bit off

Reviews

Near the Bone Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Near the Bone Review

*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

by amyleighreads1 Comment on House of Hunger Review

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!