I had high hopes for this one. After Camp Damascus, I was ready for a unique perspective, but Bury Your Gays was ultimately hindered by its modernity. AI was first mentioned in chapter one, and immediately I knew it would play a great part in the horrors that followed. Instead of providing a gory and fun romp through Hollywood, this novel offered tired commentary on gay representation, intellectual property, and computers.
While it wasn't my bag, I'd recommend it to anyone seeking a timely horror about algorithms and the "gay character dies first" trope.
Haunt Sweet Home has a fun premise but ultimately falls short of both satire and thought-provoking commentary. Instead, it lands somewhere in the middle, regularly poking fun at TV hauntings while attempting to offer the main character an arc that's closer to a cliche than it is unique or interesting. While I didn't love this story, the prose was solid and I wanted to know how it ended.
This novella might appeal to readers who enjoy the TV haunting genre or like stories about "finding yourself" in your early thirties.
Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC.
Maybe you need to love slashers to enjoy this novel. Or maybe Hendrix just isn't a stellar author. The jury's still out since I'm neither a lover of the slasher genre nor a fan of Hendrix's work. But hey, at least I didn't DNF this one like I did How to Sell a Haunted House.
This novel was okay at best. Bland in character and prose. Descriptions were sparse. Not even the violence was noteworthy. Just boring, really.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone I know, but maybe you'll like it if you can handle obnoxious protagonists and meandering "mysteries" that are impossible to see coming, even in retrospect.
Camp Damascus is about queer conversion and literal demons, but it's also about finding yourself, living with your inner demons, and stitching together a quirky family of misfits.
Chuck Tingle's narrative voice is both beautiful and approachable. Where many authors would get flowery, he strikes a welcome balance between descriptive and down-to-earth prose.
What I found most effective in Tingle's horror debut is the ingenuity he brought to the Christian mythos. His demonology and twist on the Bible's depictions of demons and Hell are wildly different, analytical, and thought-provoking.
I recommend this novel to anyone looking for an entry into queer horror.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC. (I realize this review is about a year past due.)
Ever wonder if someone could grow accustomed to the hauntings in their archetypical spooky house? Surely the poltergeists would test your nerves and their shenanigans would have you rolling your eyes after a few months, at least so long as they weren't murdering your family or turning people inside out.
Carissa Orlando has a knack for straddling the line between horror and comedy. Her characters are realistic and easy to understand, even when they aren't particularly likable. She also does a phenomenal job inserting mental health issues and shining light into the dark. And don't get me started on the vivid (and often quite gory) details.
If you've ever wanted to immerse yourself in a story about a homeowner who's fed up with the constant moaning and phantoms, this novel is for you.
This anthology, like most collections, was a mixed bag. Some stories were compelling while others fell flat. Some authorial voices reeled me in immediately; others lost my attention a page in. Here are the stories, listed in order of my preference:
Hide & Seek
Flicker
Lasiren
Pressure
The Norwood Trouble
A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree
An American Fable
Origin Story
The Aesthete
The Other One
The Rider
Wandering Devil
Dark Home
Eye & Tooth
Invasion of the Baby Snatchers
Reckless Eyeballing
A Grief of the Dead
The Most Strongest Obeah Woman of the World
Overall, this was a middling anthology, but I would still recommend it to anyone wishing to read more Black fiction or short horror.
This story was fast-paced. Unfortunately, that was the only real positive it had going for it.
While the prose wasn't bad, it lacked a clear, compelling voice. The twists were boring. The "horror" was there, I guess, but it wasn't so much scary as slightly unsettling. Overall, it was a fine enough short story that suffered by being longer than a few pages.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC.
American Rapture, on the surface, is a horror novel about a lustful virus that spreads across the US. (If you're someone who can't handle sexual assault or rape depictions, I suggest skipping this one.) But this book is also about grappling with desires in a world where lust is deadly, finding yourself and your truth after being raised Catholic and sheltered, and coming to grips with the beauty and wretchedness of being human, all amid a national pandemic.
While apocalyptic stories aren't my usual go-to read (or watch), I found this book compelling and traumatizing... but in the most beautiful, heart-wrenching way. Leede's descriptions are visceral, poignant, and altogether immersive—exactly what you want from a horror narrative.
I recommend American Rapture to anyone looking for a coming-of-age horror with smatterings of religious trauma, unique pandemics, and a diverse cast of characters.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC.
I'm not sure how to adequately review this novel. Sharpson writes with elegance and poignancy, but I felt I was missing a great deal of context. There are so many references to Irish folklore and culture that breathe life into the story, but I ultimately finished this read with a longing for more. And perhaps that's part of the point.
If you're a fan of horror steeped in folklore, this is sure to whet your appetite.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC.
After reading Night's Edge last year, I wanted Mia's arc to reach a satisfying conclusion. She was left floundering after her mother's death, and I'll admit to feeling disappointed and let down by the second half of her story. While the duology ended on an okay note, there were many missed opportunities and pivots I didn't fully appreciate.
My biggest gripe was with Devon and how the author seemed to be hinting at a more nuanced relationship between him, Mia, and Izzy (Mia's mom). There were some almost heartfelt scenes between Devon and Mia, and I thoroughly enjoyed the mixed emotions Mia had after hearing his side of the story. She even unearthed the reality of his influence on ADAPT, the Sara (vampire) movement. But it all seemed gratuitous and a waste of time by the last forty pages.
I wanted to love this duology. I adore vampire stories, and the pandemic similarities were appreciated. The prose is also vibrant and compelling. It's a shame the character arcs and plot beats didn't do it for me.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC.
