#paranormal star reviews

[books-in-a-storm]

Paranormal Star Review

Title: Scorchwood Supernatural Penitentiary #1 Chained and Confused

Author: J.B. Trepagnier

Pages: 236

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

Synopsis:

Of all the things to end up in jail for, embezzling wasn’t what I thought would bring me down. I’ve got a pretty healthy arson and murder hobby on my down time. White collar crimes never go to Scorchwood. I should have been given a fee and probation at most. Something is going on. My cell mate, Skoll is an Alpha wolf in for manslaughter. He wants me to meet Roman, a vampire and Amduscias, demon who is really shifty about what his demonic form is.

Something fishy is going down in Scorchwood with the elementals. Skoll’s last five cellmates were elementals who were framed for white collar crimes. Amduscias is cellmates with one of the worst elemental women in the entire jail and she is not pleased I’ve made friends with him.

Something is going on. Someone is framing elementals and sending them to Scorchwood. But they made a mistake framing me. They didn’t know about my little hobbies before they sent me here. They didn’t know about Fergus, my fire dragon.

First And Last Sentence: Here

[noctem-novelle]

Book: Gallant by V. E. Schwab Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Rating: ✩✩✩✩✩

Review below the cut!

This book promises a spooky family legacy, and it DELIVERS. Gallant follows Olivia, a young orphan who has spent her whole life at a dreary school for girls, perpetually othered and picked on for her inability to speak. But Olivia is also keeping a secret: she can see strange spectres. Shadowy, half-formed, and very clearly dead. Her only real companion is her mother's old journal, full of odd drawings and notes that seem to spiral into madness and ending with a warning to Olivia to stay away from something called Gallant. One day, Olivia receives a letter from her uncle and is suddenly shipped off to live with a family she never knew existed at a manor house that bears a familiar name: Gallant. Gallant is The Secret Garden meets Shirley Jackson. That combination of strange, whimsical, and a little disturbing that makes you shiver (and of which V is an absolute master). Imo, it also falls somewhere between YA and middle grade, with serious Addie LaRue and The Near Witch vibes. I absolutely devoured this book and any minute not spent reading felt like a waste.

TW: death, grief and loss, ghosts

IG: @noctem.novelle

[andreai04]

Bruises from those who should love you sting more than others. Deep and lasting, they bleed into your spirit, no matter how common they become. Something shatters with each strike, and it isn’t always bone.

[alexislunacreations]

Tomorrow is the official release day for Love in the Occult Traumatic, and the first review is five stars. I couldn't be happier 🥹 Stay tuned for tomorrow's announcement to find out where you can get your own copy!

[gahmah-raan]

This is my art summary for 2023.

I made a lot more pieces than I did last year, and I gained some new tools to work with near the end.

[lifesarchive]

THE BURNING GIRLS by C. J. TUDOR (REVIEW)

quickly: a woman of the cloth relocates to small-town England and uncovers a long-kept community secret. (single mom with a repressed past and a rebellious teen daughter / creepy blair witch stick dolls / ghostly apparitions / family secrets turning into community secrets / rich men controlling local government / a random spree killer).

quaint, quiet English towns are some of the most dangerous places on Earth. this is what The Burning Girls confirms in a story that feels like the UK version of a Fear Street novel. the chapters are short and quick, often ending with a cliffhanger. ‘good vs. evil’ and ‘nature vs. nurture’ are major motifs in this story, sometimes stereotypically so, sometimes uninspired. i wish there was more thrill and horror… with the lore behind what a ‘burning girl’ represents, there was the potential to go so much further. while i love the author’s tone and style, the substance lacked.

★ ★ ★

more thoughts: SPOILERS!

Some personal context… I picked this book out based on a search I did for ’theological horror’. I was trying to decide whether or not I was going to read the non-fiction book “Heathen: Religion and Race in American History”. As I’m already reading a non-fiction book on Indigenous American history, ”Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America”, and I just completed the lengthy “The Books of Jacob”, I was hesitant to read another lengthy non-fiction book.

My thought process was… I can soothe my horror itch and my religious history itch by reading a book that combined both. If the book was intriguing enough, then I’d move on to Heathen by Kathyrn. I found several books that fell into the theological horror genre, and ‘Burning Girl’s’ was a newer one, so I picked it. Sadly, it did not inspire me to reach for non-fiction theological history. While not bad, it didn’t capture what was interesting about the religious lore of Sussex England that the title and cover art so openly refer to.

The title is what truly caught my eye: THE BURNING GIRLS. That, paired with the promise of uncovering church mysteries, pulled me in.

The story opens with Reverend Jack, short for Jacqueline, who is being informed that she is being relocated to a distant Sussex community after an unfortunate occurrence at her church in Nottingham. Essentially, she wasn’t able to save an abused child from their parents and was partially blamed when the parents murdered the child. 

She moves to Chapel Croft with her 15-year-old daughter, a small village where everyone knows everyone, and her arrival is big news. Immediately, both mother and daughter have separate encounters with appearances of ‘burning girls’, ghostly apparitions who appear to be on fire, and missing bodily limbs. Reverend Jack is coincidentally informed that the creepy stick dolls everywhere are to commemorate the girls and families burned during religious wars back in Olde England. She’s also informed that seeing a ghost of a burning girl is a warning of impending danger.

As the story goes on, Revered Jack’s back story is unfurled. She comes from an abusive home with a psychotic spree-killing brother who is responsible for the death of her husband (who was also a pastor). Just before her move, she was informed that her brother was released from prison. While she thinks she is evading him by moving to Chapel Croft, unbeknownst to her, he is ruthlessly and methodically making his way to her and leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.

All the characters are dealing with some form of ‘good vs. evil’ struggle, most evident in Reverend Jack’s brother, who seems to have a voice within that he compels him to do evil deeds. There are also several references to the great question of whether or not people can be born bad, and what it means to be bad vs. being a good person doing a bad thing. To be honest, the word count could’ve been better spent exploring the wild history of the burning girls. 

Anyways, fast forward past two girls who went missing long ago being discovered in a well, the dead body of a missing priest being found buried under the church, a devious teenage boy found living with the dead body of his mother, and that same boy plotting the killing of Revered Jack’s daughter simply to please his equally devious killer girlfriend. Oh yeah, I forgot, did I mention that randomly, in the background of the main events, Reverend Jack’s brother has been traveling the countryside on foot and killing anyone who crosses his path?

The story ends in the loud gory cacophony of noise and violence that most B-level thrillers tend to end in. The psycho-killer teens confront Revered Jack and her daughter in the church for the big climax, which results in Jack killing the teens, and the church being set on fire in the process. At the last moment, just before Reverend Jack is engulfed by the flames, her psycho-killer brother rescues her. The people he killed to get to her kind of fade into the background as if his character’s sole purpose was to represent the bad person who does a good thing (in contrast to Reverend Jack being the good person who does a bad thing).

The miasma of “Good and Evil” that this story exists in is muddier than it is inspiring. Too many angels and devils in this garden if you ask me. And again, the gem, the burning girls, barely get any page time! Three stars. Not horrible, but not anything I am compelled to recommend. That said, I’d still love to try THE CHALK MAN, by this author, and give her another chance.

[ya-world-challenge]

Book Review: The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu (🇬🇧Scotland)

[image 1: book cover: a European city at night in moody blues and black with a seated classical statue to each side, and underneath, an underground chamber with pillars and stairs. Title overlaid in yellow whimsical spooky font; image 2: world map showing Scotland; image 3: North Merchiston Cemetery & St. Michael’s Parish, Edinburgh: a green cemetery with some headstones fallen over, behind trees in the background, a square church tower. Source: wikimedia commons]

The Library of the Dead

Author: T.L. Huchu

Category: MG/YA

YA World Challenge read for 🇬🇧 Scotland

My Notes

I rolled the randomizer for Zimbabwe (yeah, we're back to the randomizer, but only sometimes.) So I checked out Tendai Huchu's The Hairdresser of Harare but felt hmm, this is kind of too "mundane adult" for my purposes. But I moved on to the same author's YA book and man am I glad I did because The Library of the Dead is awesome. BUT... it's super super Scottish. Despite the MC's Zimbabwean heritage popping in a little it's one of those books where essentially the city is also a character, you know, and that city is Edinburgh. So I'm going to file this one as a read for Scotland, and either go back to the first choice or see what I can find for Zimbabwe!

First line

I’m really not supposed to be doing this, but a girl’s gotta get paid.

Review

Ropa is a tough, don’t-give-a-shit teen who’s dropped out of school to be the family breadwinner with her talent for ghosttalking, delivering messages between the dead and their loved ones. She doesn’t have time to deal when a new ghost wants help finding her disappeared son, but ends up getting roped into it anyway. Along the way there’s also a magical secret society library, and Ropa’s excitable new sidekick Priya, who’s riding her wheelchair on ceiling when they meet.

So, Ropa’s voice is what makes this book. She’s cynical, irreverent, oh-so-colorful, and with a fierce duty to protect the family she’s got left. I really enjoy when books have voice, and this one really does. Sometimes I wasn’t sure when the author was using Scottish-isms or when he was making stuff up, because I think there is a mix of both, and it’s fun. 

The setting is a sort of near-future semi-dystopian Edinburgh with Magic is Officially Known mixed in. Through some mix of climate, riots, and resource scarcity that’s only hinted at, Scotland has become a proud but sharply class-divided place under an English absolute monarchy. The city features heavily, and those familiar with Edinburgh and able to recognize the streets and landmarks could probably get extra enjoyment out of this book.

The mystery itself is pretty straightforward. If you are looking for a plot to really flip your world upsidedown you won’t find it here - the book is pretty MG level in that regard. I recommend it more for the atmosphere and the characters. The library and secret society are an intriguing magical academia setting, and this book seems to be setting it up for more exploration in future books.

Though this is upper MG, as far as colorful language I think our British friends are much less prudish than Americans with regard to children’s books - just something to keep in mind. (There isn’t any sexual or overly violet content.)

Overall, I sped through this book and really enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend. It also has an all-POC core cast. 

There is a sequel, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, and a third book in the works.

Other reps: #homelessness #disabled wheelchair-using side character #no romance

Genres: #paranormal #mystery #dystopian #magic

★  ★  ★  ★  ★    5 stars    

Read it at  Bookshop.org  |  Amazon

[somewherelostinbooks]

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon- Review

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon By Sarah Hawley Genre: Paranormal Romance Publication Date: March 7,2023 Publisher: Berkley Source: Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review Rating: 4.5 Stars Amazon Indiebound Description: Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of…

[mandyloves2read]

🩸ARC Review 🩸

The Coven by Harper L. Woods

Coven Of Bones duet book 1

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+

This was such a good story from the first chapter to the last I couldn’t put it down it completely captivated me and took hostage of me from the amazing world building to the intriguing complex characters this is every fantasy romance lovers dream the chemistry between Gray and Willow was so amazing and that brutal shocking ending I can’t wait for the next book! This is going in my favorites of 2023 list !

⠀

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Thirteen promising students destined to change the world.

If the ghosts of Hollow’s Grove's victims don’t kill them first.

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The Coven, an all-new gothic, dark academia, paranormal romance and book one in the Coven Of Bones Duet from USA Today Bestselling author Harper L. Woods is available now!

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Revenge.

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Raised to be my father’s weapon against the Coven that took away his sister and his birthright, I would do anything to protect my younger brother from suffering the same fate.

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My duty forces me to the secret town of Crystal Hollow and the prestigious Hollow’s Grove University—where the best and brightest of my kind learn to practice their magic free from human judgment.

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There are no whispered words here. No condemnation for the blood that flows through my veins. The only animosity I face comes from the beautiful and infuriating Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, a man who despises me just as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for.

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But that doesn’t mean secrets don’t threaten to tear the school in two. No one talks about the bloody massacre that forced it to close decades prior, only the opportunity it can afford to those fortunate enough to attend.

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Because for the first time in fifty years, the Coven will open its wards to the Thirteen.

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Thirteen promising students destined to change the world.

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If the ghosts of Hollow’s Grove's victims don’t kill them first.

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Start reading today!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/thecoven

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/thecoven

[twochicksobsessed]

Love for the Reaper (The Elite Book 1) by Charlie Cochet: New Release Review

Love for the Reaper (The Elite Book 1) by @CharlieCochet: #NewRelease #BookReview #lgbtq #mmromance #gayromance #romanticsuspense #4stars

.                                       . Devlin “Dev” Espinosa lives in the shadows of the criminal underworld. As a Ferryman, his job is to safely transport “the dead” to their new lives, no questions asked. With no one to answer to, lots of cash, and access to The Anonymous–an exclusive club for the elite–Dev is loving life. Until Remy Corbin gets into his car. Remy is just a regular guy…

[christinaroseandrews]

To save her son, Psy scientist Ashaya makes a deal with the changelings to rescue two Forgotten children stolen by the Psy council. The rescue succeeds but now Ashaya herself is a target. With time running out, she concocts a daring plan to Extricate herself and her son... but to do that she must rely on the sniper who almost killed her, Dorian. Dorian Has a good reason to hate the Psy. After all, his sister was killed by a serial killer member of the Psy council. Still he can’t stop himself from being attracted to this scientist who would risk so much to save her son. But the council isn’t the only danger. Ashaya has a secret. A secret to die, or kill, for.

If the last book was pretty darn terrible, this book more than makes up for it. Oh my goodness. Is it good. I loved it. I loved the characters. And well. everything.

But before I get into why this book is so good, I need to give a whole heap ton of trigger warnings. This book includes the following: child endangerment, Mentions of child abuse, medical abuse, body trauma, reproductive trauma, lots of violence, and discussion of rape. Please make sure you’re in a good place before reading this book.

Now on to the main review!

A lot of the over arcing plot really ramps up in this book, and I would consider this book very much a Wham! episode. Or a Wham!Book, if you will. It is the kind of book that you can’t really miss in a series. Which is good that it was done so well. And for that I’m grateful. Dorian has long been a favorite of mine. In part, because he is one of the few changelings who is disabled or at least disabled in changeling terms. I like that he’s portrayed accurately when it comes to somebody who is disabled and desperately wants not to be. And would give anything to be cured. I also like that his arc is about accepting and coming to terms with several things that of happened throughout the series. As well as coming to terms with his disability.

I liked Ashaya when she was introduced in the previous book. Honestly she was the best part of the previous book. Her character intrigued me. And I really loved how immensely competent she was (competency porn is a thing of line. I love it), and I liked how she had her own story arc that was actually separate from the hero. Her backstory was quite frankly fascinating, and I do want to see more of her in the future books. She feels important enough not to relegate to the background unlike some other characters I could name... *cough*Talin*cough*.

The book does follow one of Singh’s main plots and character archetypes. Specifically this is another Assissination attempt plot (Where the protector falls for the protectee) and she’s got her Special Psychic is Special trope in play as well as her Pushy Boy/Damaged Girl pairing type. It’s a thing with her, I’ve even got a spreadsheet documenting this.

There were a couple of twists that were well telegraphed and honestly really added to my enjoyment of this book. One thing that I found that is amusing is that the author has a very specific kink That once you notice it you can’t unnotice it. In particular, characters like to nip at the lower lip or bite at their partners lips while kissing. It has shown up in every single book regardless of species or characterization. And it’s a bit of a trademark and I find it funny. It’s not something I personally like in kissing, but your kink is not my kink and that’s okay, and all.

There is one thing I do need to warn about for this book that’s a bit of a spoiler. Basically, a disability gets cured... but it is done in a logical way. Like many people with a disability, if I could get my disability cured, I would. While my allergies, migraines, arthritis, Hashimoto’s disease, severe myopia, etc. are a part of my life and I have accepted them. It doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t dump them if given the chance. And that’s a realistic portrayal of a disability and a person with one. That said, it can be a problem when all of the disabled characters get cured. It’s a fine line that worked for this book... sorta. but it does need a warning. 

So I did like this book, a lot. And because I liked it so much despite the minor niggles I’m going to give this: Five stars

If this is your jam, you can get it here.

If you like these kind of honest reviews, please consider supporting us here!

[books-in-a-storm]

Paranormal Star Review

Title: The Boogeyman

Author: J.B. Trepagnier

Pages: 216

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

Synopsis:

We’re in enemy territory. I have days to fix this or it’s war.

Things aren’t totally what they seem in the Seelie Court. Not everyone here is my enemy. Even people I thought were five minutes ago are actually on my side. This is really a wake-up call about judging an entire realm because their prince is awful and their king is an idiot.

Alastair is on the run with my dad and Brock is rotting in a cell back on. The sharks are circling in the Seelie Court. A lot of them would see themselves on the throne and some of them don’t care about getting my father safely back. In fact, I think a few of them are hoping Alastair kills him and takes care of all of us because they want war with the Unseelie Kingdom.

So while we are here, I have to rescue my father, get my revenge on Alastair, stop a war a small minority wants, and help the Red Queen change the Seelie Realm to what the majority wants.

Easy, right?

First And Last Sentence: Here

[codenamebooks]

City of Heavenly Fire Book Review

(The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare | Goodreads | 3.5 stars | CW: violence, death, grief | Series and Plot Spoilers

In the final book of The Mortal Instruments series, we continue the journey towards what could be death and despair for many Shadowhunters. Sebastian's path to war has yet to slow down and the drama between friends and family and council don't make it any easier.

This isn't the neatest or more clear review because it took me exactly three months to read so I don't remember every little details bout the begin, but bare with me for what I do have written down to talk about.

Relationships are a huge part of the dynamics of this book and the way the plot moves. I really enjoyed the dynamic of the Seelie Queen and Sebastian. I have no idea how old she is (which makes me notice that there aren't enough old people that aren't immortal for a lot of this book to make sense...), but there sexual scene was the least awkward of them all. Their dynamic and power-seeking personalities work well together. I'm sorry to say it but... Evil King and Queen, my loves. Clary and Jace grew on me a lot during this final installment because I think they finally matured and made decisions based on helping others, and not their own selfish intents.

Breaking this down into individual characters, Sebastian really stole the show for a fully rounded, developed character. The choice to have him be so willing to be evil that he attacks virtually innocent institutes and the people inside is smart. There are many other morally gray characters that he could attack but it is solidified how terrible he is by making this decision. Once again, I'm sorry to say it but... I actually really love Sebastian as a villain. Sue me for it.

I don't have much to say about other characters, but I realized how much attention Cassandra Clare gives to characters we literally see for one scene. There were times when I couldn't keep up with the names because, well, the people talking during meetings didn't matter. It was an interesting way to fill the room with faces but we already have a large cast, I don't think unnecessary characters are needed besides a few written markers about where they may be in the room.

A lot of sad things happened in this final book. Lots of people were hurt, whether because of the Endarkened or more specifically Simon or due to family drama or wonky relationships but the second to most upsetting was killing of Jordan. He was so innocent in all of this. I can literally read Cassandra Clare's intentions clearly: he's the newest to the pack of friends (pun intended) so we, and the other friends, connected to him the least because she had to kill someone important enough to care. Who cares about Amatis when she's been an Endarkened this entire book? You know what I mean?

The moment that gut wrenched me, even though it was eventually amended, was losing Simon. He is one of four characters that I genuinely care about in this series (those being him, Magnus, Alec, and Isabelle). Him looking at Isabelle?! And not saying a word?! The possibilities he knew he'd be missing?! Please spare my heart because I actually cried. I didn't think I would but it got me knowing my favorite was taken from everyone.

Overall, I enjoy how this was wrapped up with tidy lessons about love and trust and forgiveness and memory and empathy and family and friendship. It does a lot to nullify the future of these characters they're so young. It also serves as a good way to frame the prequel trilogy because I was wondering what the hell Tessa and Zachariah and even Jocelyn and Magnus and Catarina were talking about. I expect to see a lot of the same same lessons battled with and learned, given they're the ones giving the advice.

If you loved the rest of the series, you should finish it off! If you like studies on morality, you should read this book. If you enjoy friendships and relationship drama, you should read this book.

[lilibetbombshell]

[chantireviews]

THE GHOST In The GARDEN by Alisse Lee Goldenberg - Mystery, Young Adult, Paranormal

  In Alisse Goldberg’s engaging young adult mystery, The Ghost in the Garden, a curious 11-year-old must face the challenges of moving to a new city, losing old friends, making new ones, and encountering historic specters in her new home. Sophie Madison seems none too happy about her recent move from the bustling city of Calgary, Ablerta to the smaller, quieter landscape of Stratford, Ontario.…

[lifesarchive]

HIDDEN PICTURES by JASON REKULAK (REVIEW)

quickly: a recovering addict gets a new job babysitting a haunted five-year-old. (a young woman trying to live a sober life / a child with a questionable existence / homes that come with guest houses and hidden gardens / disturbed suburbian parents / physical and spiritual battles with sobriety / weird and quirky superstitious neighbors / wickedly beautiful artwork from the spiritual realm / gardeners who make you want to break rules)

not too shabby. not too complex either, honestly. the tone sits firmly in the mystery genre, for me. the ghosts in this story don’t scare or thrill me, but they don’t bore me either. stephen king is quoted on the back cover as saying “the language is straightforward”, and that is absolutely correct. not much poetry or soul to the writing, but it was a full story! it was compelling enough to pull me to the end, but not my favorite ending. it has the kind of ending that you find in most “B” level thrillers (which is no shade, i love b-movies). the ending is a resolution, but it doesn’t take my breath away.

★ ★ ★

more thoughts: SPOILERS!

Some personal context… after a reading sprint that began sometime in March, I spent the past few weeks with THE BOOKS OF JACOB. It is a tome of a book, 900+ pages, and the most time I’ve spent with a book in years. It was an interesting and detailed world to be in, but I couldn’t wait to get back to the thriller/mystery/horror genre, and HIDDEN PICTURES is my return. I read it in less than 24 hours. 

The artwork really pulled me in, and wasn’t as gimmicky as it could have been.

The story opens up with Mallory reflecting on a paid health study she participated in which involved her being blindfolded in front of a group of men. She was instructed to raise her hand if she felt eyes on her, testing her ability to sense the male gaze. She was insanely accurate, telling the instructor that she felt a buzz in her mind whenever she sensed looks. The instructor offers to do more research with her, but Mallory trades her phone for Oxy and the lady is unable to reach her.

After this, we are immediately thrown into the present where Mallory is now sober and has been for 18 months. She is preparing to interview for a babysitting job with The Maxwells, youngish parents living in an affluent suburban enclave. After an awkward and stressful interview that involves her pulling out a piss test to prove her commitment to sobriety, she is hired. Caroline, the Mom, says they believe in giving people second chances, but you learn fast that you can’t believe anything they say.

Soon enough, five-year-old Teddy has formed a close bond with Mallory. The creepy pictures he draws always seem to show an entity hanging around him that no one else can see (but Mallory can sense). Teddy’s mom brushes the pictures off and tells Mallory not to encourage him. After the quirky next-door neighbor tells Mallory about the ghost stories surrounding the guest house where she lives, she eventually convinces herself that her guest house is haunted and the ghost is speaking through Teddy. Half right.

Of course, her pursuit of this tightens the underwear of The Maxwells, and so she begins to investigate under the radar. She enlists the help of The Maxwells’ gardener whom she’s told that she was a local student (and not a recovering person being given a second chance to get her life on track). Fast forwarding past the awkwardness of living with a married couple whose marriage is a thin facade of happiness, the “hauntings”, the creepy photos with the Samura-like girl in them, Mallory trying to confront the super rationalist parents about the supernatural realm, and Mallory trying to make contact to the ghost by ouija board… eventually the ghost jumps into Mallory’s body while she is napping and causes her to draw all over the walls of The Maxwell’s pristine white walls.

The rest is a loud and gory climax with a small scoop of falling action on the side. The parents fire Mallory because of the “artwork”, attributing it to some sort of mental break caused by recovery, and they give her 48 hours to get out. Alex, the gardener, is told about her true background as a recovering addict (but still wants to help her). She miraculously solves the mystery at the last minute and proceeds to do the dumbest thing that characters can do in a mystery/thriller… confront the bad guys with no backup, collateral, witness, or weaponry. The Maxwells reveal their devilry… they are kidnappers who stole a little girl and made her disguise herself as a boy. The child’s real mother, whom Caroline Maxwell killed, is who has been haunting little Teddy.

Caroline Maxwell plans to kill Mallory by drug overdose, but she’s saved by Ted Maxwell who secretly hates his kidnapping murderess wife (but has done nothing but enable her). A delusional Ted is killed by Caroline, in the midst of some pipe dream of him running away to some foreign land with Mallory. A chase ensues, with Mallory running into the woods with Teddy and hiding in a tree. Just as Caroline has hunted them down, the spirit of Teddy’s dead mother possesses her, getting Teddy to kill Caroline with an arrowhead conveniently found earlier in the story. 

That’s how most elements of this story felt. Convenient. The end, while loud and gory, seemed staged. Like I could see the beginning from the end. All the little easter eggs stood out like they had billboards above them pointing out “CLUE HERE”, or “FORESHADOWING”. Yet, I still enjoyed it. Like I would an R.L. Fear Street book. Three stars, but a high three. 

ADDENDUM: seeing from other reviewers how this author's work includes, deceptively, various ideologies used to other and vilify trans children and their parents (which makes me think back to that errant Harry Potter reference). Unfortunate and gross. Knowing makes the work even cheaper than it already was. Keeping my same rating, which was written and determined before I found out. I will definitely be more critical in the future.