Horror

WWW Wednesdays #4

| sarasreadingnook

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme formerly hosted by MizB at Daily Rhythm and now hosted on Taking on a World of Words.

The three Ws are:

Currently Reading

Title: Listen for the Lie
Author: Amy Tintera
Published: March 5th, 2024
Thoughts: I will wait to finish to give my overall feedback, but I am currently enjoying this one!

Title: Great Expectations
Author: Charles Dickens
Published: December 1st, 1860
Thoughts: This is a classic and my favourite novel. I’m listening to a little bit of this each night and savouring it!

Title: The Warmth of Other Suns
Author: Isabel Wilkerson
Published: September 7th, 2010
Thoughts: This is a challenging but very important and well-researched novel. I’ve put it down for a moment but will pick it up again soon.

Recently Finished Reading

I recently finished reading a few books! To see my thoughts on Funny Story, please check out the review. I’m going to discuss Bad Dreams in the Night during my monthly wrap-up, but I thought the contents on the cover and blurb were not what I was expecting. I’ll share reviews for One Long Weekend and The Spell of a Story in May and June; I enjoyed both titles.

Title: Funny Story
Author: Emily Henry
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024

Title: Bad Dreams in the Night
Author: Adam Ellis
Published: April 16th, 2024

Title: One Long Weekend
Author: Shari Low
Release Date: May 1st, 2024

Title: The Spell of a Story
Author: Mariajo Ilustrajo
Release Date: June 4th, 2024

Reading Next

Title: The Ghost Cat
Author: Alex Howard
Release Date: August 27th, 2024
Thoughts: I was so happy to be approved for this ARC! I am making a last-minute change and will be reading this as my comfort read for the Catathon Readathon (April 20-21st) since the book I initially wanted to read won’t be available, and I think this might fit the prompt very well. Also, I would like to focus on NetGalley reviews, hoping to complete 100 reviews (in total) within the year.

Title: The Wildings
Author: Nilanjana Roy
Published: August 17th, 2012
Thoughts: This is my “book about cats” for the Catathon Readathon. I just got it from the library – yahoo!

Title: Et Cetera
Author: Maia Lee-Chin, Marta Bertello (Illustrator)
Release Date: August 27th, 2024
Thoughts: I’m so excited to read this! It’s an illustrated guide to latin phrases and includes lots of famous latin quotes. I’m hoping the illustrations will be a great companion since otherwise it might be a bit dense. But I am up for it!

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for ARCs received for the following: Listen to the Lie (Celadon books), Funny Story (Libro.fm and Penguin Random House Audio), Bad Dreams in the Night (Andrews McMeel Publishing), One Long Weekend (Boldwood Books), The Spell of a Story (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books), The Ghost Cat (Harlequin Trade Publishing), and Et Cetera (Andrews McMeel Publishing). All opinions are my own.

QOTD: Which of the covers from the books above
is the most appealing to you? I’m curious to know!
My favourites are “The Wildings” and “The Spell of a Story”!

Review | Together We Rot

| sarasreadingnook

*Fantasy/Horror

Title: Together We Rot
Genre: YA Horror, Fantasy, Mystery
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Format: E-Book
Pages: 272 pages
Source: NetGalley and Penguin Random House

Description

A teen girl looking for the truth about her missing mother forms a reluctant alliance with her former best friend…in exchange for hiding him from his cult-leading family.

Wil Greene’s mom has been missing for over a year, and the police are ready to call the case closed–they claim she skipped town and you can’t find a woman who wants to disappear. But she knows her mom wouldn’t just leave…and she knows the family of her former best friend, Elwood Clarke, has something to do with it.

Elwood has been counting down the days until his 18th birthday–in dread. It marks leaving school and joining his pastor father in dedicating his life to their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But when he comes home after one night of after a final goodbye with his friends, already self-flagellating for the sins of drinking and disobeying his father, he discovers his path is not as virtuous as he thought. He’s not his father’s successor, but his sacrifice. For the woods he’s grown up with are thirsty, and must be paid in blood.

Now on the run from a family that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil. Together, they form a reluctant partnership; she’ll help him hide if he helps her find evidence that his family killed her mother. But in the end they dig up more secrets than they bargained for, unraveling decades of dark cult dealings in their town, led by the Clarke family.

And there’s a reason they need Elwood’s blood for their satanic rituals. Something inhuman is growing inside of him. Everywhere he goes, the plants come alive and the forest calls to him, and Wil isn’t sure if she can save the boy she can’t help but love.

(Goodreads)

Together We Rot was a fairly compelling read. The book is true to the synopsis and does a great job of creating an eerie and mysterious atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed how the author incorporated nature visuals in this one! However, where the book lost me at times was with the characters. I didn’t find them particularly memorable or fleshed out. Despite this, I did appreciate how the novel came together and wrapped up. The ending was satisfying!

Content Warnings

This Book in Three Words

Mysterious, Dark, Creepy

Values/Themes

  • Family
  • Trust
  • Nature

Favourite Part

The last third of the book.

Feelings

  • Eerie
  • Unsettling

Overall Rating

Numerical Rating: 3.25 Stars

Acknowledgements

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

QOTD: Do you enjoy thrillers? Let us know!

Ten Books With Spooky Season Vibes

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We are excited to link up with Top Ten Tuesdays, hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

Most books Olivia and I read during this time are either cozy or scary. Here are our picks for books with Spooky Season Vibes!

Cozy Vibes

The Storygraph | Goodreads
The Storygraph | Goodreads

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks (Illustrator). Read this one for the coziest Autumnal vibes and the most delicious treats.
CW
Watch our Pumpkinheads Reading Vlog here!

Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney. Read this one to enter a fantastic cozy mystery series that features cats, The Cambridge Bookshop Series.
CW

(Note: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for Chapter and Curse. All opinions are my own).

Horror

The Storygraph | Goodreads
The Storygraph | Goodreads

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke. Spooky! This book was a five-star read for me. Read this one for witchy vibes but beware – it’s dark.
CW

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson. This book is a Carrie retelling that I highly recommend! Make sure to read the content warnings.
CW

Watch our Lighthouse Witches reading vlog here!

The Storygraph | Goodreads
The Storygraph | Goodreads

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This book is a wild ride! It’s a mixture of gothic, mystery, historical fiction and horror. It’s also one of my favourite books, though it’s not for everyone. If you like atmospheric reads, this may be for you.
CW

Watch our Mexican Gothic Reading Vlog here!

Lost Boy by Christina Henry. This book is a Peter Pan retelling told from the perspective of Captain Hook and I think it’s brilliant. There are lots of content warnings, but I do recommend it if you’re ready for a viewpoint that challenges thoughts on Peter Pan.
CW

Horror Manga

The Storygraph | Goodreads
The Storygraph | Goodreads

Lovesickness by Junji Ito. This manga is packed with scary and graphic scenes that make you want to scream! Read this if you are ready for a spook.
CW

Deathnote by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata (Art). A haunting and cunning chess game that challenges good vs. evil vs. ethics.
CW

Cozy Graphic Novels

The Storygraph | Goodreads
The Storygraph | Goodreads

Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee. Adorable! And tugs on your heartstrings.
CW

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse. It reminds me a bit of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Quirky, cute, and a perfectly cozy read.
CW

Watch our Wrap-Up for these two books here!

@sarasreadingnook

Thank you to everyone who cohosted and joined the Hello Autumn/Spring readathon! Here is our vlog and recap. Olivia and I made a Fall bucket list: to carve pumpkins, have pumpkin pie, go on lots of outdoor walks (Olivia to hang out on the catio), and to read lots of witchy books! #ReadathonVlog #48hrReadathonVlog #48HourReadathon #cozyBooks #MysteryBooks #HelloAutumnSpringReadathon Cohosts @Abigail @kaylasbookishlife @Ruby G Chiara Bianca

♬ original sound – Sara’s Reading Nook – BookTok

QOTD: Have any books caught your interest? Let us know!

Review | Jackal by Erin E. Adams

| sarasreadingnook
The Storygraph | Goodreads
Title: Jackal
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Bantam
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 336 pages
Source: Audible
Date Started: October 7th, 2022
Date Finished: October 11th, 2022

Description

It’s watching.
Liz Rocher is coming home . . . reluctantly. As a Black woman, Liz doesn’t exactly have fond memories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white town. But her best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for a weekend of awkward and passive-aggressive reunions. Liz has grown, though; she can handle whatever awaits her. But on the day of the wedding, somewhere between dancing and dessert, the bride’s daughter, Caroline, goes missing—and the only thing left behind is a piece of white fabric covered in blood.

It’s taking.
As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: a summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She’s seen this before. Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in school, walked into the woods with a mysterious man and was later found with her chest cavity ripped open and her heart missing. Liz shudders at the thought that it could have been her, and now, with Caroline missing, it can’t be a coincidence. As Liz starts to dig through the town’s history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls.

It’s your turn.
With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness.

(Goodreads)

Review

This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year. When October came around, I knew I had to use my audible credit to purchase it because I couldn’t wait for a hold from the library, and I definitely couldn’t wait for the next day to grab the physical copy. It was a cold, chilling evening, and I had to start this book that very night. And I’m so glad that I did.

Immediately, I was drawn into Adams’ world, intrigued to understand the mystery behind the missing girls and how our main character would unravel the mystery within. Given the engaging synopsis, how could I not? There was a slow build as the story progressed, which I enjoyed. There were themes such as social horror, racism, and classism that were horrifying but important to read.

As you progress, the story only gets better and better. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I was satisfied with the ending. I recommend reading the physical book as the middle of the book was a bit slow, and I think I may have enjoyed reading the hardcover copy even more. And I think this would have been a good one to tab, highlight, and write notes.

I highly recommend you pick this one up before October 31st, but of course, check out the content warnings and the themes. Horror readers: add this to your TBR.

Content Warnings

This Book in Three Words

Impactful, Atmospheric, Haunting

Values/Themes

  • Social horror
  • Missing girls
  • Racism
  • Classism

Favourite Part

The entire ending – you’ll want to hold until because that last quarter of the book was so chilling!

Feelings

  • Dark
  • Mysterious
  • Tense

My Ratings:

Writing Style: 3.5
Characters: 3.75
Plot Development: 4
Originality: 4.5
Engagingness: 3.75
Insightfulness: 4.5
Comprehensiveness: 3.5
Impactfulness: 3.5
Narration: 3.75

Overall Rating

Numerical Rating: 4 stars

QOTD: Do you enjoy reading
horror? Let us know!

Review | Dark Room Etiquette

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The Storygraph | Goodreads
Title: Dark Room Etiquette
Genre: YA, Thriller, Horror, Contemporary
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: E-Book
Pages: 512 pages
Source: NetGalley
Date Started: September 5th, 2022
Date Finished: September 8th, 2022


Dark Room Etiquette comes out tomorrow!

Description

Sixteen-year-old Sayers Wayte has everything—until he’s kidnapped by a man who tells him the privileged life he’s been living is based on a lie.

Trapped in a windowless room, without knowing why he’s been taken or how long the man plans to keep him shut away, Sayers faces a terrifying new reality. To survive, he must forget the world he once knew, and play the part his abductor has created for him.

But as time passes, the line between fact and fiction starts to blur, and Sayers begins to wonder if he can escape . . . before he loses himself. 
(Goodreads)

Review

When I sat down to start this book, I knew a couple of things: this is about a sixteen-year-old kidnapped boy told that his former life was all a lie and that he needed to adapt to his new environment to survive. I thought I came prepared for the emotions I would feel along this journey – I was not.

First, the book is unsettling. Even before the kidnapping, I felt uneasy due to conflicting emotions. Sayers is a highly complex character; you see his weakness, strengths, and humanity. Presented as a teenager from an incredibly wealthy background, I appreciated how his privilege impacts his behaviour at school and with his family and friends.

Secondly, Sayers has to adapt to survive, and how he does so impacted me immensely. As the plot progressed, I could appreciate how a knowledge base and background research would be essential to write this story. The book presented some theories in psychology that impacted Sayers in the story, some he recalls later on.

Third, many characters were multi-dimensional – you could see a clear contrast between their personalities at the beginning and end of the book. In fact, some characters were almost unrecognizable by the end and others, such as Garrett, were static. Sayers’ personality experienced many changes; some of the directions his mind went brought me to tears.

Finally, I like that this was a story not just of the event – the kidnapping, but responses to trauma and the aftermath. Learning to cope in an abusive environment was Sayers’ key to survival. Sadly, the intense trauma he faced hindered him in some very unexpected and heartbreaking ways. At several points, I desperately wanted to plead with Sayers on what he should do – I can imagine other readers having the same response.

Please review the content warnings before reading this book. This book is such a memorable, emotional, and intense read. It is my first time reading the author’s works and I look forward to reading many more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Robin Roe, and HarperTeen for providing this review copy. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings

This Book in Three Words

Tense, Survival, Adaptation

Values/Themes

  • Kidnapping
  • Survival
  • Trauma
  • Coping Mechanisms

Favourite Part

There are two friendships that forms later on in the book that I really loved to see.

Feelings

  • Dark
  • Emotional
  • Tense

My Ratings:

Writing Style: 4.5
Characters: 4.5
Plot Development: 4.5
Originality: 4.5
Engagingness: 5
Insightfulness: 5
Comprehensiveness: 4.5
Impactfulness: 4.5

Overall Rating

Numerical Rating: 4.5 stars

QOTD: Have you read any of
Robin Roe’s books? Let us know!