Book Review: Motherthing

 

Rating: 3.5/5

From Goodreads: A darkly funny domestic horror novel about a woman who must take drastic measures to save her husband and herself from the vengeful ghost of her mother-in-law.

When Ralph and Abby Lamb move in with Ralph’s mother, Laura, Abby hopes it’s just what she and her mother-in-law need to finally connect. After a traumatic childhood, Abby is desperate for a mother figure, especially now that she and Ralph are trying to become parents themselves. Abby just has so much love to give—to Ralph, to Laura, and to Mrs. Bondy, her favorite resident at the long-term care home where she works. But Laura isn’t interested in bonding with her daughter-in-law. She’s venomous and cruel, especially to Abby, and life with her is hellish.

When Laura takes her own life, her ghost haunts Abby and Ralph in very different ways: Ralph is plunged into depression, and Abby is terrorized by a force intent on destroying everything she loves. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bondy’s daughter is threatening to move Mrs. Bondy from the home, leaving Abby totally alone. With everything on the line, Abby comes up with a chilling plan that will allow her to keep Mrs. Bondy, rescue Ralph from his tortured mind, and break Laura's hold on the family for good. All it requires is a little ingenuity, a lot of determination, and a unique recipe for chicken à la king…

This review is spoiler free!

Motherthing is weird. In the best way possible.

Written in an everchanging writing style, it's a truly atmospheric contemporary horror novel. When I first read the synopsis, I thought I knew what this book would be like. I went into Motherthing expecting one thing, and instead found myself reading an entirely different story.

This book gives an extremely real and relatable insight into living in the shadow of someone with depression, processing loss, processing pain, and is oddly poignant yet sardonic. Expect this to be a slow burn, the story of someone finding themselves going insane. The whole book culminates in such an unexpected and chilling payoff, completely veering away from the atmosphere created. I definitely recommend reading Motherthing, and also recommend going in prepared to be totally surprised by the story!

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Ask for Andrea

 

Rating: 4.5/5

From Goodreads: James Carson has gotten away with murder three times.

The only thing that might stop him from killing again? The three women he murdered.

He hunted them online, masquerading as an eligible bachelor. Then he played the perfect gentleman, a thick layer of charm and a thousand-watt smile hiding the fact that his first dates end in shallow graves.

What James doesn’t know is that his three victims have found each other. And that they're coming for him.

Brecia, Meghan, and Skye might be dead, but they’re not gone. And they won’t rest until they find a way to keep him from killing again.

The haunt is on.

Spoiler free review!

This book absolutely surprised me in the best way. When I first heard the premise, I was intrigued. Ghosts tend to be hit or miss for me, especially in horror. To me ghosts often come off as cheesy and pull me out of the plot, but I was really hoping this would be a hit.

And boy was it.

From the first few pages, I was instantly hooked in what turned into a brutal, heart pounding, page turning thrill ride of a story. Told in three alternating perspectives of the three young victims of a serial killer as they try to prevent him from causing more harm, this book blew me away. Three very different characters, three very different stories, all united by their shared trauma. Brecia, Meghan, and Skye all had their distinct voices and I felt compelled to read each one of their stories.

Excited to read more by Noelle Ihli! She certainly knows how to write a thriller!

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Just Like Home

 

Rating: 4/5

From Goodreads: “Come home.” Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of the memories -- she's come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father and the bodies he buried there.

Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. A parasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back, and is slowly stripping Vera’s childhood for spare parts. He insists that he isn’t the one leaving notes around the house in her father’s handwriting… but who else could it possibly be?

There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them, and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes. 

This review is spoiler free!

First off - I LOVED this book. It was weird and creepy and uncomfortable at times and twisted in every sense of the word. Sarah Gailey took this story in so many directions and it ended up in such a cool space I wasn't expecting. Their writing style is so well done and atmospheric. This was a one sitting read for me and I just cannot recommend it enough!

Just Like Home begins with Vera Crowder going back to the home she had left as a teenager to help care for her dying mother and settle her affairs. Vera's adult life had been spent trying to escape the Crowder house, as well as the legacy her serial killer father left behind. However, she is forced to reckon with the darkness of her past as she returns.

Told both in the present, and in snippets of Vera's youth, this book is absolutely riveting and terrifying. Pacing is always something I look at closely in horror, and can make or break a book for me. While this book is definitely a "slow burn," in terms of plot, unraveling the mystery, etc. Sarah Gailey's pacing throughout is very engaging, making this book easy to devour in a single session.

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Just Like Mother

 

Rating: 5/5

From Goodreads: A girl would be such a blessing...

The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything—and everyone—at a safe distance.

When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she’s ever had. Soon she’s spending more time at Andrea’s remote Catskills estate than in her own cramped apartment. Maeve doesn’t even mind that her cousin’s wealthy work friends clearly disapprove of her single lifestyle. After all, Andrea has made her fortune in the fertility industry—baby fever comes with the territory.

The more Maeve immerses herself in Andrea’s world, the more disconnected she feels from her life back in the city; and the cousins’ increasing attachment triggers memories Maeve has fought hard to bury. But confronting the terrors of her childhood may be the only way for Maeve to transcend the nightmare still to come…

This review is spoiler free!

Wow. This book was amazing.

Creepy, horrifying, twisted. Anne Heltzel is an author to watch for sure. This novel is just as creepy as it's cover. Know going into it that this is not a book to read lightly. It is a graphic, terrifying, and gripping read. But wow is it good.

Just Like Mother tells the story of Maeve, who spent her earliest years raised in a compound of the cult the Mother Collective, a terrifying Matriarchal cult. Now in her early thirties, Maeve has spent her years trying to find her cousin, Andrea, who she hasn't seen since she was rescued from the cult as a young child. When she finds Andrea through a DNA test, she seems to have her whole life together. She's married, a successful CEO, and all around seems to have made an amazing life for herself despite the horrible situation they both grew up in.

However, Maeve quickly realizes there's something off with her cousin, her cousin's friends, and her charmed life. And yes. Yes there are lots and lots of creepy baby dolls.

I cannot recommend this book enough, and I can't wait for Anne Heltzel's next novels!

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Two Truths and a Lie

 

Rating: 4/5

From Goodreads: A group of teens are trapped in an old motel with a murderer in this chilling YA mystery by New York Times bestselling author April Henry.

Nell has always wanted to be an actor, but doubts her ability. As a member of her school’s theater program, she prefers working backstage. On the way to a contest, an unexpected blizzard strands her acting troupe in a creepy motel. Soon they meet a group of strangers from another high school—including the mysterious and handsome Knox, who insists they play the game Two Truths and a Lie. When it’s Nell’s turn, she draws a slip of paper inked in unfamiliar handwriting:

I like to watch people die.
I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed.

Suddenly a night of harmless fun turns into a matter of life and death. As guests go missing, it becomes clear that a murderer is hiding in their midst ready to strike again. In a room full of liars and performers, the truth is never quite what it seems. Nell is going to have to act like her life depends on it—because it does.

This review is spoiler free!

I don't know what it is about thrillers set in blizzards, but obviously I'm here for it as Two Truths and a Lie is the third blizzard book I've read so far in 2022! April Henry does a great job of creating a super atmospheric setting for a book that reads like a classic teen slasher movie.

The main character, Nell, and her theater troupe from school are road tripping off to a competition when they are forced to stop at a kitschy motel due to the weather. They aren't the only travelers stuck here, they are joined by another group of teens from a different high school who are on their way to a robotics competition, and a few other travelers who were stopped by the blizzard. As the night goes on, the teens discover that this hotel has quite the past, and when they decide to play a fun variation on the game "Two Truths and a Lie," they realize the past might just be repeating itself.

This book was honestly just so fun to read. It was very fast paced, and while at times it felt predictable, to be honest -- that's the genre of a teen slasher/horror, and I didn't mind it. Another goodreads reviewer mentioned that during the first half of this book, they expected this to be a 3 star read, yet when they got to the second half, they soon realized it was definitely a 4 star. I absolutely agree. The twists and turns the second half of the book takes are really fun and the payoff is absolutely worth it. I highly recommend reading this book, especially if you have a soft spot for 80s horror and creepy motels.

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: The Club

 

Rating: 4/5

From Goodreads: From the author of People Like Her comes a smart and sinister murder mystery set in the secretive world of exclusive celebrity clubs.

Everyone's Dying to Join . . .

The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members' clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.

The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.

But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group's CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that's before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island.

As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.

Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW!  The Club by Ellery Lloyd is a fantastic closed-room mystery! Written from the perspectives of a new report as well as four people connected to the internationally renowned celebrity "Home" clubs, this book is for sure an interesting read. While the pacing overall feels slower than other thriller/mystery genre books, it is definitely worth sticking with. I would definitely classify this book as being a slow burn. Through the first 1/3, I definitely didn't get through it quickly. It was a little bit of a struggle to follow with so many perspectives. But as the story progressed, the very things that were less compelling at the beginning for me morphed into a plus. I don't always like books that have so many narrators, but it worked so well for this one. I absolutely recommend this book, and I recommend sticking out the beginning as it really sets the scene for the drama and mystery that unfolds. Normally, I try to avoid comparing books to works by other authors, but this book truly felt like a modern day Agatha Christie tale. It was set up very well, and at the end, I almost wanted to go back and reread it to see how much I would pick up from the beginning now that I knew the resolution. If you've been on the fence about this one, I highly recommend giving it a chance! *I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own. ~ Charlotte

Book Review: No Exit

 

Rating: 3/5

From Goodreads: A thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one?

Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape.

But who can she trust? 

SPOILER FREE REVIEW To be completely honest, I picked up this book after listening to the commercial for the upcoming movie that ran on last week's episode of Crime Junkie. I don't know what it is about the idea of being trapped in a blizzard that feels so creepy to me, but I just had to give it a try. Darby is on her way home to say her goodbyes to her estranged mother after finding out she is dying of stage IV cancer. On her perilous drive from Colorado to Utah, she is caught in a treacherous blizzard and is forced to pull over to a rest area to wait it out. Also caught in the same storm are four other strangers: Ed, Sandi, Ashley, and Lars. However, after heading outside in hopes of finding a WiFi signal, Darby soon discovers that one of these people has a secret in their van, and it instantly becomes clear that she is in grave danger. Overall, the best thing about this book was the pacing. I found myself absolutely devouring it. It was a very quick read for me, partly because I just had to know what was really going on. While the twists and turns definitely were on the predictable side, the Taylor Adams really paced the writing and plot very well to keep the reader engaged. The writing style overall was well done. Many of the scenes definitely had a very visceral feel, and the descriptions were definitely cinematic and vivid. However, there was a lot of repetition. "Ratface" "Strength in Chinese" "Coco" for example were little jokes that just kept getting thrown in over and over until they honestly became annoying. Definitely something I was able to look past, and I still was able to enjoy the book, but noticeable enough to pull me out of the narrative. SPOILERS AHEAD As I read through this, I couldn't help but be a little surprised as I realized just how much was left. After all...how much else really could happen in this setting. The answer is, not really a lot. While the pacing kept the book moving, a lot of this book felt repetitive. For example, there was an awful lot of men's restroom shenanigans, to a point where even one of the main characters made a mention of just how much use that window was getting. The whole Sandi "plot twist" really honestly annoyed me. It felt thrown in and was seeded through really poorly. Whereas the Ashley plot twist felt much more thought out and was therefore much more effective. The ending was over the top, and honestly fit the genre well. It definitely took out any shred of realism left in the book, but to be honest, the slasher genre (which this book definitely dips it's toe - or should we say pinky finger sorry, not sorry - into) is known for nothing if not unkillable, resurrecting villains. Much of the backstory of the brothers also was very well done, and to be honest, the sections written from Ashley's perspective were the most engaging sections. Very dark and well done. Overall, while I definitely had criticism for this book, I definitely did enjoy reading it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, quick, gory read. ~ Charlotte