Short but Satisfying

 

TITLE: Ushers: A Short Story

AUTHOR: Joe Hill

PUBLISHER: Amazon Original Stories

PUBLISHING DATE: November 1, 2024

PAGES: 29   

SOURCE: Kindle Unlimited

FROM GOODREADS: Martin Lorensen is a twenty-three-year-old counselor for disturbed teenagers. He’s bright, compassionate, attractive, and outgoing. He’s also—and this is the most interesting thing—not dead. Martin has improbably survived not one but two deadly disasters that claimed dozens of lives. The kid is riding one hell of a lucky streak. Two federal agents think there is something darker at play. Now that they’ve arranged to interview Martin, they want answers. Martin is ready to share everything he knows. One thing is for certain: when it comes to escaping death, luck doesn’t figure into it at all.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a short story from Amazon Originals which I was able to snag last month through a bonus First Reads choice.  I think everyone can pick it up as of today and although my review will be short given this is only a short story, I wanted to feature it on my blog.

Joe Hill is hit or miss for me.  I either love his stuff or find it just "meh."  However, I loved the horror short he did last October for Amazon Originals, The Pram, so I wanted to give this one a shot.  I will say I really loved the premise behind this one.  I think it worked great as a short story but will admit, I think I could have hopped on board for a full-length novel of this one.  Martin was a curious character and at the end, I knew where this one was headed.  Definitely one to grab if you are a Hill fan or if you just enjoy horror short stories

MY RATING: 5 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - Serial Killer Support Group

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

March 18, 2025

FROM GOODREADS: After her sister is murdered, a woman infiltrates a support group for serial killers in this biting queer feminist debut thriller, perfect for fans of The Final Girl Support Group and My Sister, the Serial Killer.

When Cyra Griffin’s younger sister is murdered by a serial killer, Cyra knows better than to expect justice from the hands of the police department. With the investigation already dying its own slow death, Cyra follows the blood trail and finds her own way forward. 

Using insider information (don’t ask) Cyra infiltrates a support group for serial killers by pretending to be one herself in the hopes of finding the person who ended her sister’s life. Proving herself to them comes at a cost, but it’s one Cyra is willing to pay in the name of revenge.

Unfortunately, the dangerous men in the group aren’t the only obstacle in Cyra’s path for vengeance, and the further Cyra descends into the deadly world of serial killers, the harder it becomes to hold on to her own humanity. 

This dark, witty debut novel is a cunning homage to women’s wrongs that will have you wondering exactly how many monsters walk unseen among us.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I love books featuring serial killers and someone infiltrating a group of one sounds like it could be a lot of fun.  I also have to admit this author's first name caught my attention - such a unique one and I personally love it.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???  

Pretty Drastic Noise Control Technique

 

TITLE: The Blonde Dies First

AUTHOR: Joelle Wellington

PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

PUBLISHING DATE: July 30, 2024

PAGES: 336   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: A group of friends fight to choose their own fates in this trope-savvy, self-referential young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games , about a demonic force that acts according to horror movie rules in the spirit of the Scream movies. 

Devon is always being left behind by her genius twin sister, Drew. At this point, it’s a fact of life. But Devon has one last plan before Drew leaves for college a whole year early—The Best Summer Ever. After committing to the bit a little too much, the twins and their chaotic circle of friends learn why you don’t ever mess with a Ouija board if you want to actually survive the Best Summer Ever, and soon find themselves being hunted down by…a demon? 

But while there’s no mistaking the creeping, venomous figure is not from around here, their method doesn’t feel very demonic at all. In fact, it’s downright human—going after them in typical slasher movie kill order. And that means Devon, the blonde, is up first and her decade-long crush, Yaya, is the Final Girl who must kill or be killed to end the cycle. 

Devon has never liked playing by anyone else’s rules though, not even a demon's, and the longer this goes on, the more she feels Drew and Yaya slipping away from her even as she tries to help them all survive. Can they use their horror movie knowledge to flip the script and become the hunters instead of the hunted? Or will their best summer ever be their last?

MY THOUGHTS: I read this as a choice for a Facebook horror book club I belong to.  I've been interested in it for a while, but I have to admit, it wasn't what I expected, and I sort of struggled to get through it.  

Devon is trying to plan an epic summer.  School is out and her twin sister, Drew has graduated a year early.  Devon knows her brilliant sister is moving on to bigger and better things so she wants their friend group to have one last hurrah.  However, the summer starts with a party at the home of Drew's elite private school classmates.  Devon's friends don't know what to expect but attend anyways.  They expected pretentious kids, drugs and some alcohol but never planned for an encounter with a Ouija board which starts the summer off with a demonic filled fight for survival. 

I thought this book was a slasher. I mean, the cover screams slasher right?  However, the friend group is trying to navigate the tropes of a supernatural demon movie, all the time trying to survive.  This book didn't make a whole lot of sense at time.  They were trying to follow the rules of a cult famous horror movie they loved, but every twist and turn throws something in the way.  And while I appreciated the inclusiveness in the book, it also felt like the author was trying too hard to check off all the right boxes.  I didn't really care for any of the kids and the relationship drama between Drew and Devon was oversold and quickly became redundant. The ending was also a letdown and the motivation behind everything weak at best.

I think anyone who enjoys YA horror would be interested in at least giving this one a go.  I think the author did a lot of job talking about classism and provided some good social commentary, but sometimes, this gal just wants some good old slasher excitement.

MY RATING: 3 Paws

Feed Your TBR - Overgrowth

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

May 6, 2025

FROM GOODREADS: This is just a story. It can't hurt you anymore.

Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has been willing to listen.

Now, with an alien signal from the stars being broadcast around the world, humanity is finally starting to realize that it's already been warned, and it may be too late. The invasion is coming, Stasia's biological family is on the way to bring her home, and very few family reunions are willing to cross the gulf of space for just one misplaced child.

What happens when you know what’s coming, and just refuse to listen?

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: I can't recall ever having a bad experience reading a Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire book (well, the Wayward Children book featuring the Sugar place wasn't a hit, but I still didn't HATE it). So I'm pretty much game to give anything she writes a try.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

What If Frankenstein Was a Moody Young Adult?

 

TITLE: Helga

AUTHOR: Catherine Yu

PUBLISHER: Page Street YA

PUBLISHING DATE: August 20, 2024

PAGES: 354   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Helga is not the obedient science experiment her father intended. And though she has only just awoken, he leaves her in the care of his lab assistant Penny to go on a business trip. 

Bursting with curiosity, Helga quickly escapes from the well-meaning Penny and heads into Amaris City. There Helga finds she is as untamable as the invasive blackberry vines overtaking the island. And because of the misdeeds of her father’s scientific community, the natural world grows more volatile.

Helga soon discovers the night market, rowdy clubs, delicious food, and cute boys. Enamored with city life, she’ll do anything to find love—but she has only two weeks until her father gets back, and besides there are ominous rumblings from the volcanic island that could put her dating schemes, and even her own life, in grave peril.

MY THOUGHTS: I picked this up because one I was curious about it when I first saw it and two, I need a book that starts with "H" for an October Reading Challenge.  I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into, but it ended up being a solid read.

As the book opens, Helga awakens in a lab and is met by her "father" and his lab assistant Penny.  Helga is part of an experimental program on the Asian Island, Amaris City.  She quickly becomes acclimated to everything around her due to her "cog" programming which is whole reason her birth was such as a success.  Amaris City is divided into two communities, the elite one and the poorer but more exciting one.  Helgas wants to experience all the island has to offer but her father wants her to become his proper lab assistant and has some pretty intense rules she needs to follow - including the fact that he has named her Marietta and refuses to call her Helga.  Obviously, Helga starts to rebel.  She meets a boy named Clyde who is a loser from day one but has a typical "bad boy" quality.  Even though things don't work out with Clyde, their "relationship" leads her to find her ultimate soulmate, even if she has to create him herself.

Helga shares a lot of social commentary on classism and societal expectations.  Amaris Island is very quirky and its evident that the whole island has been negatively affected by the lab's experiments.  I enjoyed seeing Helga experience the world and really loved the relationship she builds with Penny, who is also trying to find her way in life.  And I dare to say the ending is perfect and sends a perfect message about classism, love and friendship.  

At its core, Helga is also about found family, so if you enjoy that trope, you might want to check this one out.  It really doesn't contain as much horror as I was hoping, but it still hit the mark and is one I would recommend if someone wants to experience a new take on an old classic.

MY RATING: 4 Paws

Feed Your TBR - The Baby Dragon Cafe

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

January 16, 2025

FROM GOODREADS: When Saphira opened up her café for baby dragons and their humans, she wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult to keep the fires burning. It turns out, young dragons are not the best magical animals to keep in a café, and replacing all that burnt furniture is costing Saphira more than she can afford from selling dragon-roasted coffee.

Aiden is a local gardener, and local heart-throb, more interested in his plants than actually spending time with his disobedient baby dragon. When Aiden walks into Saphira’s café, he has a genius idea – he'll ask Saphira to train his baby dragon, and he'll pay her enough to keep the café afloat.

Saphira’s happy-go-lucky attitude doesn’t seem to do anything but irritate the grumpy-but-gorgeous Aiden, except that everywhere she goes, she finds him there. But can this dragon café owner turn her fortunes around, and maybe find love along the way?

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  Cozy baby dragons.  Need I say more?

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK????

2 Bloggers 1 Series - Alliance Vampires

 

It took us a while, but Vamptember have Stormi and I the extra push to pick up the next novel in the Alliance Vampire series by Shannon Drake (aka: Heather Graham).  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads for hers.

 

TITLE: When Darkness Falls (Alliance Vampires #2)

AUTHOR: Shannon Drake (aka Heather Graham)

PUBLISHER: Zebra

PUBLISHING DATE: October 1, 2000

PAGES: 432   

SOURCE: Own

FROM GOODREADS: WHEN DARKNESS FALLS... 

In a windswept Scottish cemetery, Jade MacGregor's carefree vacation abroad is marred by a seemingly random tragedy. A year later, back home on a shadowy French Quarter street, she glimpses an oddly familiar face. Coincidence--or something far more disturbing? 

AND TERROR TAKES HOLD... 

Surrounded by her friends and engrossed in her work, Jade should feel secure. But somebody is dogging her every move. Somebody who knows what she saw on that long ago afternoon. Somebody who will try to rescue her from the evil that is waiting to destroy her. 

INNOCENCE DIES...

MY THOUGHTS: I must have purchased a really old Kindle copy when I was looking for this book (for some reason, none of my Libby cards had access to it) because it was full of typos and punctuation errors, and I found it often pulling me out of the story. However, all that aside, once I did manage to focus on the plot and not the small details (although is proper editing a small detail?) I really liked it.

Jade was visiting Scotland a year before the majority of the book happened, doing research for one of her books.  While on a tour, she and several other people are led to a dark cemetery and an incident happens which ends in major bloodshed and dismemberment for some of the other tourists, and almost death for Jade.  She is basically saved by a mysterious dark man and when she comes to, has a hard time grasping what actually occurred.  Fast forward a year and similar killing sprees are happening in the US.  However, upon closer look, the victims are people who survived the Scotland incident.  Jade keeps having dreams about the man who saved her and soon her shows up in New Orleans and introduces her to a world she never thought existed, one of vampires and ancient vampire history. Can he save her before it's too late?

I won't lie, Jade kind of grated my nerves.  She made some stupid decisions and even when faced with the fact that the man she was falling in love with was a centuries old vampire, refused to believe what was staring her in the face.  I also didn't like that Jade had a perfectly good cop boyfriend who she cheated on with Lucien, her vampire love interest.  On top of that, while he on his deathbed with a mysterious illness.  Yet I did love Lucien, who played a major role in book one, and I did enjoy learning more about his history and seeing him finally fall in love and find a mate.  We get to see the main characters from book one quite a bit which I enjoyed, and I found Jade's family and friend group interesting as well.  

Overall, I'm glad I continued on with this series and would probably have given this a higher rating if it wasn't for the issues I mentioned regarding editing and Jade's cheating.  If you like vampires or enjoy Heather Graham and have never picked up this series, it might be something you want to consider.

MY RATING: 3 PAWS