Category: Kate’s Reviews

Kate’s Review: “Acquired Taste”

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Book: “Acquired Taste” by Clay McLeod Chapman

Publishing Info: Titan Books, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC25

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: They’re feeding on you too.

A father returns from serving in Vietnam with a strange and terrifying addiction; a man removes something horrifying from his fireplace, and becomes desperate to return it; and a right-wing news channel has its hooks in people in more ways than one. 

From department store Santas to ghost boyfriends and salamander-worshipping nuns; from the claustrophobia of the Covid-19 pandemic to small-town Chesapeake USA, Clay McLeod Chapman takes universal fears of parenthood, addiction and political divisions and makes them uniquely his own. 

Packed full of humanity, humour and above all, relentless creeping dread, Acquired Taste is a timely descent into the mind of one of modern horror’s finest authors.

Review: Thank you to Titan Books for giving me an ARC of this book and to Clay McLeod Chapman for signing it (and the delightful conversation)!

Happy October, readers!!! It’s my first post in the new month, and that month is October, and you all know what that means!! It’s time for Horrorpalooza 2025!!!

It’s the mooooost wonderfuuul tiiiiiiime of the yeaaaaaar! (source)

Horrorpalooza is my favorite time on the blog, when I devote all of my reviews to horror stories, sometimes delaying my reviews of books that came out earlier so that they can come out during this celebrated blogging time (celebrated by ME, anyway). And it made perfect sense to devote the first of those reviews to Clay McLeod Chapman’s new collection of short stories, “Acquired Taste”. I had the opportunity to attend a panel with Chapman during ALAAC25 where he talked about horror in general and this book, and had an even cooler opportunity to chat with him for awhile between panels, which only solidified how cool he is as a person in spite of the fact he concocts some of the most fucked up horror that I read these days. So I eagerly dove in recently, ready to be wholly disturbed. And I was.

As I am wont to do with short story collections, I will highlight the three stories that stood out the most, then talk about the collection as a whole.

“Stowaway”: Ah the horrors of being a teenage girl in a world where there could be predators at any turn. A girl and her family are on a family roadtrip, but whenever they stop at a motel, the same mysterious man is there, waiting for her to talk to him. While it’s implied that there is something supernatural potentially going on in this one, the way that it made me SO uncomfortable because of the very real implications of what this guy wants with her just had me on the edge of my seat.

“Psychic Santa”: I think this was POSSIBLY my favorite story in the collection (though the next one gives it a run for its money)? But there’s just something about a Christmas ghost story that really gets me. A department store Santa haunted by some parts of his past can see the ghosts of dead children, who come to ask him for what they really want for Christmas in hopes he can help them. So when I talk about Chapman being so good with the emotional beats of a grief horror story, this is the kind of story I’m talking about. I was so, so saddened by the thought of dead children, but then heartened at the idea of a man looking to repent being able to help them with their unfinished business so they can move on. Get the tissues for this one, it’s less scary and more bittersweet.

“Stay on the Line”: This is the one that may beat out “Psychic Santa”, and big surprise! It’s grief horror again! But with a little more dread. After her husband dies during a hurricane, a widow finds out that the old pay phone in her small town by the sea can actually make calls to dead loved ones. As she and the townsfolk try to make connections with those they lost, she starts to think that maybe it isn’t her husband she’s speaking with after all. The raw sadness of this story was palpable, and I wholly understood the reasoning as to why our protagonist with cling to the hope that she is actually speaking to her husband, even as terrible tragedies start to occur. This one is incredibly sad and also terrifying as the unease builds and builds.

And as a whole, it’s pretty much exactly what I would expect from Chapman, in that it’s outlandish, out there, supremely gross at times, incredibly upsetting, but also so incredibly emotional. And sometimes quite funny. The thing about his stories is that I almost can’t look away from how WILD they get, even when they make me supremely uncomfortable, as there is just something about this way with words, his imagination, and his uniqueness in the stories he tells. He’s definitely not for everyone and I can see how some people would be repulsed, but his stories almost always work for me. And the ones that don’t (there were a few here, but that can be said of basically any short story collection) would very easily work for others who like the more gross out and extreme stuff.

“Acquired Taste” is a fun and unhinged (in a good way) collection of short stories from Clay McLeod Chapman. I’m glad I saved it for the kick off of Horrorpalooza 2025!

Rating 8: A totally outlandish, nasty, and at times bittersweet collection of short stories from a horror author I have come to really appreciate.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Acquired Taste” is included on the Goodreads list “All the New Horror, Romantasy, and Other SFF Crossover Books Arriving in September 2025”.

Kate’s Review: “All of Us Murderers”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “All of Us Murderers” by K.J. Charles

Publishing Info: Poisoned Pen Press, October 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: The lush Gothic drama of Crimson Peak meets the murderous intrigue of Knives Out with an LGBTQIA+ love story to die for from award-winning author KJ Charles.

WHO WILL SURVIVE LACKADAY HOUSE?

When Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a wealthy relative’s remote Gothic manor, he is horrified to find all the people he least wants to see in the world: his estranged brother, his sneering cousin, and his bitter ex-lover Gideon Grey. Things couldn’t possibly get worse.

Then the master of the house announces the true purpose of the gathering: he intends to leave the vast family fortune to whoever marries his young ward, setting off a violent scramble for her hand. Zeb wants no part of his greedy family―but when he tries to leave, the way is barred. The walls of Lackaday House are high, and the gates firmly locked. As the Dartmoor mists roll in, there’s no way out. And something unnatural may be watching them from the house’s shadowy depths…

Fear and paranoia ramping ever-higher, Zeb has nowhere to turn but to the man who once held his heart. As the gaslight flickers and terror takes hold, can two warring lovers reunite, uncover the murderous mysteries of Lackaday House―and live to tell the tale?

Review: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me an ARC of this novel!

It’s still pretty hot here in Minnesota (THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN LATE SEPTEMBER!), but I’m definitely settling in and eager for the cooler temps, the longer nights, and the overall coziness of Fall to finally set in. And while October is dedicated to all horror reads when it comes to my reviews (Horrorpalooza 2025 starts on Thursday!), I do have a great historical mystery to put on your Autumn reading lists to talk about! I had seen “All of Us Murderers” by K.J. Charles floating around, the retro cover really catching my eye, and I was definitely interested in it when Poisoned Pen Press reached out with a request for me to take a look at it. What’s not to love? It’s Gothic! It’s Queer! It’s a SUPER VINTAGE COVER DESIGN! I was excited to dive in, and man, it did not disappoint!

I really do enjoy a Gothic thriller (well, Gothic anything), and “All of Us Murders” pretty much had my attention from the start and didn’t let go until the end. The premise is pretty straight forward: The Wyckham Family has a powerful but notorious history, and when Zeb Wyckham is called to the family estate for a meeting with his immediate and extended family, as well as his ex-lover Gideon, who is now working for head of family Wynn Wyckham who called the meeting. Wynn tells them all that he’s shifting the inheritance around and that they only way to get the money is to marry his young ward Georgina, and then the bitterness and dysfunction of the family is put to the test when he won’t let them leave and a fog rolls in. Then people start dying. It’s locked door, it’s Gothic, it’s family dysfunction, and EVERYONE IS A SUSPECT! Charles really set the scene in a way that was gripping, and as Zeb and Gideon try to figure out what is going on (is it a family curse? is someone plotting against everyone else?), the mystery deepens and the twists keep coming. I’m usually someone who can parse through red herrings and misdirections when it comes to thrillers, at least a little bit, but in this book I had a really hard time guessing where it was all going, and I was absolutely delighted by that. I also love how an isolated house surrounded by fog and a family filled with vipers just makes for that much more of a heightened stake for Zeb and Gideon, who may be in serious danger.

And on top of the really well done Gothic mystery, we also have a pretty sweet romance at the center of the book! Zeb and Gideon are just so likable, their chemistry is off the charts and I love how they aren’t perfect in their love for each other, but they also aren’t melodramatic or constantly being torn away from each other for merely dramatic purposes. Gideon is a very steady and pragmatic (and oh so patient) character, and he is a great foil for the somewhat scattered and anxious Zeb (also, side note, I LOVE seeing ADHD representation in books and Charles did a good job with Zeb, keeping it within the time frame’s understanding while also completely nailing it), and I was SO rooting for them basically from the jump. I love a solid and sexy romance in a mystery like this, it’s just so moody in the best way and I loved Zeb and Gideon.

“All of Us Murderers” is a fun and atmospheric Gothic mystery that kept me guessing up until the end. I could just feel the fog and melancholy of the moors as I was reading it, and it’s a moody read just in time for Autumn.

Rating 9: A stellar mystery, a lush Gothic setting, and a steamy romance combine to make a delightful thriller with a nasty family that may be cursed at the center.

Reader’s Advisory:

“All of Us Murderers” is included on the Goodreads list “A History or Historical Fiction Book”.

Kate’s Review: “The Captive”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Captive” by Kit Burgoyne

Publishing Info: Hell’s Hundred, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC and a finished copy from the publisher.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A darkly comedic, cinematic horror about a revolutionary group who kidnap an heiress, only to discover she’s pregnant with the antichrist, and she’s about to give birth.

From Ned Beauman, the Man Booker Prize longlisted author of The Teleportation Accident and Clarke Award winning author of Venomous Lumpsucker. Perfect for fans of Grady Hendrix and Joe Hill.

Underground revolutionary group, The Nail, and their newest member, Luke have kidnapped 23-year-old heiress Adeline Woolsaw, whose wealthy parents run the Woolsaw Group, a vast outsourcing company. They run everything from prisons and hospitals to military bases – quietly suffocating the country with the help of powerful friends in government.

The Nail’s to use the kidnapping to draw attention to the Woolsaw Group and their terrible practices. But with Adeline bundled into their van, The Nail discover two things. The first is that she’s just about to give birth. And the second is that this isn’t a normal baby. In fact, it has devastating supernatural powers. Because the father of this baby wasn’t a man, it was… something else. Something that her parents make human sacrifices to on an altar in the basement of their Highgate mansion. And all this time the Woolsaw Group has been preparing the ground for the Woolsaws’ real an infernal new kingdom that will rise with Adeline’s son sitting on its throne.

Review: Than you to Hell’s Hundred for sending me an ARC and a finished copy of this novel!

When I was in tenth grade, one of my friends and I watched “The Omen” during a sleepover the night of the Halloween Dance. Ever since it’s been a horror movie I enjoy, and it along with “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Exorcist” brought the idea of the antiChrist and demonic children to the forefront of horror storytelling (there is a whole argument to be made about these sorts of stories being told at this time due to people freaking out about Vatican II, as there is an argument to be made about movies like “The First Omen” being made in response to reproductive rights being under attack and more awareness of religious institution corruption, but that’s a different TED talk for a different time). It’s not a sub- genre I really seek out, but I do like checking it out every once in awhile if the opportunity presents itself. Fast forward to receiving “The Captive” by Kit Burgoyne as book mail! Looking it over it sounded like it could be a lot of fun, so I added it to the TBR pile!

I feel like this is less of a straight up ‘horror’ novel and more of a dark fantasy thriller, as I don’t think there were any moments of true dread or terror. But that didn’t make it any less fun to read for me, as I do love dark fantasy, and this one had not only fun world building, but also interesting satirical elements. We follow a leftist/anti-Capitalist group called The Nail, that is trying to expose the abuses and corruption of a sleek billionaire family with its fingers in many damaging pies, whether it’s poorly run mental facilities, detainment centers, or other places that cause harm (that can be easily ignored by the greater public all in the name of lining their pockets but under the radar). Their big plan is to do a Patty Hearst-esque sting in which they kidnap the heiress, Adeline, hoping to use her to get people to look into the Woolsaw Family and start asking questions. But two things catch them by surprise: 1) she is more than happy to go with them, and 2) she gives birth to a baby they had no clue existed, and who seems to have strange powers. It’s been a bit of a pattern when it comes to ‘antiChrist’-esque stories that it’s a religious or political group or cult or what have you behind it. So what fun to see it being a billionaire family that just keeps wanting more, more, MORE for themselves. Not that it shocks me that we’re seeing this kind of shift, given that we’re living in a new Gilded Age with billionaires getting richer and more powerful and influential as others struggle more and more. I enjoyed how Burgoyne developed that narrative with that context. I also liked that The Nail was in WAY over its head, specifically idealistic Luke to has his own reasons for wanting to take the Woolsaw Family down, but then starts questioning his compatriots actions when a postpartum woman and her child, dangerous as he may be, are being used as pawns not just by her family, but by his group as well.

But I think that what connected most with me (and I’m such a sap for this, but eh, this is me now!) was the way that Burgoyne portrayed Adeline’s relationship with her children, specifically her six year old daughter Mia…. who was a first attempt at a magical/demonic heir but then cast aside because she was a girl. While Adeline was forced to be a vessel for these children against her will due to her parents ambitions, I thought that her conflicted but also protective feelings towards her kids was very interesting, as it would have been easier for her to be portrayed as either ‘a mother’s love conquers all’ or ‘I have no connection at all to these things!’ With Mia especially I found myself teary as she wants to save her daughter at all costs.

I enjoyed “The Captive”. It wasn’t as scary as I had hoped, but it was a fun dark fantasy nevertheless. And timely in its own way!

Rating 7: Fast paced and, interestingly enough, topical in a way! “The Captive” is a pretty fun dark fantasy story that plucked at my heartstrings more than I anticipated.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Captive” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror to Look Forward to in 2025”.

Kate’s Review: “The Silenced”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Silenced” by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Publishing Info: Delacorte, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC25

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Welcome To The Farm

Hazel Perez thought her school project on the abandoned Oakwell Farms School for Girls—or “The Farm” as it’s known to locals—would be just another assignment. But when a late-night research trip ends with her falling unconscious, she reawakens with a desire for revenge that isn’t her own. Desperate to free herself from these sudden violent urges, Hazel begins to investigate.

As she delves deeper into Oakwell Farms’ past, Hazel discovers the harrowing experiences of the girls who were once forced to live within its walls—under the eyes of sinister men—and the spirits who still linger.

With the help of some unlikely allies, Hazel must navigate a treacherous path of corruption, history, and the supernatural to bring peace to the restless spirits and uncover the truth about her family’s involvement.

The Silenced delves into the Trouble Teen Industry through a riveting exploration of a reform school’s haunted past colliding with the traumatized present.

Review: Thank you to Delacorte for giving me an ARC of this novel at ALAAC25!

One of the many horrible and tragic topics that has grabbed my attention over the past few years is the Troubled Teen Industry, in which parents send their kids to ‘reform schools’ or programs in hopes of turning their ill behaved ways around… Though ultimately it’s rarely actually a helpful experience, and a terribly abusive an traumatic one (especially since so many kids that have been sent to these programs for being ‘bad’ aren’t actually bad, but behaving in ways that their parents are embarrassed by or don’t approve of). I’m always on board to read books about this, fiction or non-fiction, so when I saw that Diana Rodriguez Wallach had written a horror novel called “The Silenced” that focused on the Troubled Teen Industry as a backdrop I knew that I HAD TO READ IT. I was thrilled to get a copy at ALAAC25, and when I finally jumped into it I found myself fully invested. And fully horrified.

First the supernatural elements. Our protagonist Hazel, after having an accident at the abandoned property of the now closed reform school The Farm, is finding herself haunted by an angry spirit who may or may not be taking over her body. Hazel keeps having images of a ghostly girl hanging on her back, and feels her body being overrun by the rage and anger of this ghost that won’t leave her alone. I really, really liked the creepy imagery of this book, and the building suspense of Hazel becoming more and more unhinged as she investigates what is happening to her, and what the history of The Farm has to do with it. I also loved the strange and suspenseful moments at The Farm and the scary beats. I was unfamiliar with Wallach’s game, but now that I’ve been introduced I need to check out other books she’s written because this one was really fun.

But it’s the far more realistic horrors of the Troubled Teen Industry that really made this read a winner. I’ve mentioned before that I have a dear dear friend who was sent to a wilderness reform school, and as more horrifying stories have come out about these kinds of places in the past few years it has become VERY clear that these so called ‘helpful’ schools have caused so much damage and trauma to children who were sent to such places. And “The Silenced” doesn’t shy away from how awful and abusive these schools and programs could be. Wallach doesn’t shy away from it, and I found myself completely on edge as we see not only Hazel’s investigations, but also the dual perspective of a girl who was sent to The Farm in 1995 and the horrors that she endured all in the name of ‘help’ and ‘healing’. Even though the ghost that has attached herself to Hazel is terrifying, her rage and despair is fully explored and fleshed out in the narrative, and it’s so, so heartbreaking and haunting. I’m so glad that Wallach decided to be frank and honest with the awfulness, even if it made for a very emotional and upsetting read at times.

“The Silenced” was a fantastic and gripping read. I can’t recommend it enough for the upcoming Halloween season. Just steel yourself for the really bleak aspects.

Rating 9: Gripping, haunting, creepy and all too relevant, “The Silenced” may be a supernatural horror tale, but the real life horrors of the Troubled Teen Industry play the biggest part in this novel.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Silenced” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2025”.

Kate’s Review: “Body of Water”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Body of Water” by Adam Godfrey

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Landmark, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Don’t let the water drag you down…

It’s been six years since Glen Masters lost his wife in a tragic accident. In hopes of reconnecting with his grieving teenage daughter, Lauren, he decides to take her on a road trip through the Appalachian mountains, where he has fond memories of their past as a family. But what was supposed to be a quick diner pit stop suddenly transforms into a nightmare when armed men stumble in, ranting about a mysterious and deadly “living water” that attacked several people up the road. The story the men spin seems to be the rantings of drunken lunatics, but soon Glen, his daughter, and the other diners find themselves hostages to both the gunmen and the inexplicably terrifying entity. 

Because there’s truly something wrong with the water, and it has no mercy.

Panic grows as the diners play witness to a nature-defying being that seeks only to swallow everything in its path. With help nowhere in sight, the group of strangers must work together to devise an escape, and ultimately, Glen will have to face his worst fears to reconcile with the past or risk losing everything.

A chilling story from a brand-new voice in fiction, Body of Water explores the complicated nature of grief, terror, and the ghosts we must confront to survive.

Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me an ARC of this novel!

I am someone who has always been drawn to water. I love visiting the ocean, I love going up to Lake Superior and just vibing by the shore, and I have been known to really luxuriate in a bath, sometimes a couple times a day! I love water, but because I love it I ALSO love the idea of water becoming a villainous and carnivorous entity in a horror novel. Because I mean, how fun! So when I was sent “Body of Water” by Adam Godfrey, I was very, very amped to read it, as the idea of a bunch of people being trapped by a dangerous and hungry water-like being was just such a fun premise! And for awhile it lived up to my expectations!…. Until it kind of didn’t.

But first the good! “Body of Water” reminded me a lot of a few different things. The first is “The Mist”, which seems to be a big comparison that is being used by lots of people, but hey, if the shoe fits! We have a group of people, Glen and daughter Lauren at the forefront, stuck in a rural diner while a strange type of water lurks outside, killing and sucking the life out of anything that gets in its path. I was also thinking a lot about another Stephen King story “The Raft” as I read, as well as “The Blob”, with the viscous water entity doing a LOT of nasty body horror to anything that gets in its way much like those two stories. Throw in rising tensions between the trapped survivors in the diner (again, “The Mist” is an apt comparison) and you have a very suspenseful and dread filled story that had me on the edge of my seat as I was reading.

But we have to talk about the reason that this book has a lower score than one might assume with my previous paragraph’s praise. I won’t spoil anything here because I don’t want to ruin anyone else’s fun when this could very well be a ‘me’ thing. BUT. There is a crazy, CRAZY twist in this book that completely reframes basically the entire plot within the last couple of chapters of the story, negating basically everything before it. This one is particularly out there, as while looking back the seeds were certainly planted throughout the narrative, it still felt like whiplash. And as someone who has recently had a very difficult time abiding nutty twists for the sake of twists and shock value, this one really didn’t work for me.

But that won’t necessarily apply to everyone! And until that moment, “Body of Water” was, indeed, a suspenseful horror novel that I was enjoying. Just because it didn’t work for me, it doesn’t mean that it won’t work for you!

Rating 6: A really suspenseful and solid horror novel was derailed a bit by a very random twist.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Body of Water” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror to Look Forward to in 2025”.

Kate’s Review: “When We Were Monsters”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “When We Were Monsters” by Jennifer Niven

Publishing Info: Knopf Books for Young Readers, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC25

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A simmering psychological thriller about a dead teacher at an elite boarding school, the students who had every reason to want her gone, and the tangled web of rivalry and romance concealing the truth—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places.

At an elite boarding school, 8 students are selected for an exclusive program, but only one will walk away with a lifechanging opportunity to realize their creative dreams. 

Effy is piecing together a story about the tragic betrayal that led to her mother’s death. Arlo hopes to publish a novel—but he’s also trying to start a new chapter with Effy after he broke her heart and ghosted 3 years earlier. Everyone has a compelling reason to be there—they all want a big break—but only the most ambitious will prevail as the students are eliminated one by one.

Their mentor is the one and only Meredith Graffam, an enigmatic writer, director and actress, whose unorthodox teaching methods push them past the breaking point. Under Graffam’s tutelage, the students reveal their darkest secrets, take unthinkable risks, and slowly start to turn on one another. But Graffam never expected they would turn on her . . .

Review: Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers for giving me an ARC of this novel at ALAAC25!

There were times at ALAAC25 that I would find myself in a line that I hadn’t intended to join. What can I say, I sometimes go full lemming mode and follow the crowd, especially when books are involved. So when I found myself in a signing line to get an ARC of Jennifer Niven’s new book “When We Were Monsters”, I didn’t really have any expectations, I just knew that if others were in line, I should be in line (in my defense in this case, Serena was in line too and I was following her lead). But once I had it in my hands, and read the description, I was pretty interested. Sometimes just jumping in line pays off!

We have two perspectives in this book, both students at the workshop of the mysterious and possibly nefarious Meredith Graffam, famous and notorious author who is running a writing workshop for J-Term at a boarding school wtih a dark history. The first is Effy, a girl who is trying to unpack the trauma of her mother being killed in a drunk driving accident where her father was the drunk driver. The other is Arlo, Effy’s ex who is trying to work through his own trauma where he feels like he is the one at fault, and who also feels bad about hooking up with Effy and then ghosting her. I enjoyed both of their perspectives, as they felt different enough that there was a contrast between the two, but at the same time I liked seeing how each of them approached the unfolding mystery, and also their past and their feelings for each other. I think that I liked Arlo a bit more, as his voice felt a bit more well rounded than Effy, but Niven did both of them justice. And I also enjoyed their romance, call me sappy or whatever. I just enjoyed seeing them reconnect and strengthen a bond between each other.

As for the mystery and thriller aspects of this book, it’s a promising foundation. I love the idea of a sinister authority figure pressuring and manipulating those under their authority, especially seeing how the manipulated players fall into trap after trap and the intensity that comes with it. Meredith Graffam is a pretty well developed antagonist, lording over her eight students who depend on her not only for their potential future dreams as creators and artists, but also as one of the only adults at the program, and pushing them to the limits until they get close to breaking. It has the frog in the boiling water moments, it has gaslighting, it has a lot of tension as things get worse but Effy, Arlo, and the others aren’t certain if they are overreacting. I will say, however, that sometimes the frog in the pot of boiling water felt like it could move a little bit faster. I like a slow burn, but there were times I felt like things were dragging a bit.

As a whole, I enjoyed “When We Were Monsters”. It’s a solid psychological thriller with an enjoyable romance, and it’s a good dark academia read.

Rating 7: I liked the perspectives and I liked the unfolding of the mystery within this thriller, though the slow burn may have been a LITTLE slow at times.

Reader’s Advisory:

“When We Were Monsters” is included on the Goodreads list “2025 Dark Academia Releases”.

Kate’s Review: “Fiend”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Fiend” by Alma Katsu

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Historical horror maven Alma Katsu turns her talents to the modern world for the first time, in this terrifying tale about an all-powerful family with an ancient evil under its thumb.

Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call.

The Berisha family runs one of the largest import-export companies in the world, and they’ve always been lucky. Their rivals suffer strokes. Inconvenient buildings catch on fire. Earthquakes swallow up manufacturing plants, destroying harmful evidence. Things always seem to work outfor the Berishas. They’re blessed.

At least that is what Zef, the patriarch, has always told his three children. And each of them knows their place in the family—Dardan, as the only male heir, must prepare to take over as keeper of the Berisha secrets, Maris’s most powerful contribution, much to her dismay, will be to marry strategically, and Nora’s job, as the youngest, is to just stay out of the way. But when things stop going as planned, and the family blessing starts looking more like a curse, the Berishas begin to splinter, each hatching their own secret scheme. They didn’t get to be one of the richest families in the world without spilling a little blood, but this time, it might be their own.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this novel!

I’ve been a fan of Alma Katsu for a good number of years now, always impressed with her historical fiction novels and how she can take real life events and bring in some strange supernatural elements that send chills down my spine. It has been a few years since she has written a full novel, and imagine my surprise when not only did she have a new novel coming out, it was going to be set in modern times! Unexpected! But reading about “Fiend”, it kind of made sense why she wanted to have it take place in the present, as the themes, although timeless, have an extra oomph in a time where billionaires are taking advantage of other people and causing lots of pain with few consequences (I suppose this also could have been a Gilded Age theme, but oh well). And since it’s Katsu, we gotta have SOMETHING spooky. And in “Fiend”, a greedy corporate family of billionaires have a supernatural presence at their beck and call to fulfill many a whim.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I am always here for a book about nasty billionaires getting their comeuppance, and the Berisha Family definitely has shades of the Roys in “Succession” meets the Ushers from Mike Flanagan’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”. We have the patriarch Zef, who is trying to figure out who is going to take over once he has passed on, his traditionalist values leaning towards his son Dardan even though middle child Maris is probably the most qualified (with youngest Nora just kind of in the wings doing her own thing). The family is filled with pretty nasty people, but as things start to go awry and Maris is trying her best to right the ship (though little appreciation is thrown her way), the family starts to fracture. And all of the ‘convenient’ ill fortunes thrown at their rivals starts to turn back on themselves. Katsu has written a shorter book her, and while that means it reads fast and the pace is quick, it does mean that we have a LOT of world building to do along with fully exploring a dysfunctional family line that’s falling towards ruin. Plot wise, I kind of wish we had more mythos and building blocks regarding what, exactly, has been helping this family for so many years, especially as the being starts to seemingly go rogue. We do find out, but I wanted more exploration of it.

But as a family drama? I really enjoyed it. We have Kef, who is such a dick who has pigeonholed his kids into roles that they don’t really want while also stoking rivalries that can ebb and flow depending on what each sibling wants. We have Dardan, who knows that the weight of the world is going to be on his shoulders, though he also knows that he probably can’t hack it at the end of the day. We have Maris, who is VERY competent but is a girl, who then takes out her frustrations of those weaker than her. And we have Nora, who is discounted as the youngest and also a girl, but wants to be more than the ruthless Berishas that they have always been. I really liked the family dynamics and seeing all of the siblings try to maneuver through the entire mess as it unfolds. And as I mentioned above multiple times: the horrible billionaires causing pain and misfortune to line their own pockets? That feels rather apt.

“Fiend” is another enjoyable book from Alma Katsu! I’m so happy she has come back with another novel!

Rating 8: “Fiend” will fill that void that “Succession” left, especially if you wanted the Roys to have a little more supernatural punishment thrown their way.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Fiend” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror to Look Forward To in 2025”.

Kate’s Review: “Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests”

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Book: “Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests” by K.J.Whittle

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Landmark, September 2025

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Three courses. Seven guests. One card. It’s a deadly evening they’ll never forget. 

Seven strangers meet for an anonymously hosted dinner party. As the evening winds down, seven cards appear, one in front of each of the guests. On each card is a number – the age at which the guest will die. Spooked but skeptical, the guests disperse into the rainy night with the hope of forgetting the morbid turn of events. 

Two weeks later, one guest is dead. At exactly the age the card predicted. 

More guests begin to die as the years go on, each one dead at the same age as their card. It soon becomes clear that something much more sinister is abound. Now, it’s up to the quickly dwindling group of dinner guests to figure out who (or what) was behind that fateful dinner party all those years ago, before their numbers catch up with them too. 

Told from the perspectives of each of the seven guests, which span from hilarious to hateful, Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests is a spellbinding and mysterious exploration of mortality, begging the how would you live your life if you knew your number was up?

Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me an ARC of this novel!

Well I was all excited because last week it really felt like Fall had arrived, and then THIS week we were once again in the 80s with sun and humidity. Once we get to mid-September, my attitude turns to Autumn things in all their forms, and that includes looking for books that have a certain feel to them. That can be cozy, or spooky, or an undefinable third thing that has me like ‘yeah, this feels like a Fall book’ as I read. The book “Seen Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests” by K.J. Whittle definitely had that feeling to me as I was reading, as an Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit just feels like Fall.

As a mystery, “Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests” has a pretty standard set up: seven strangers are called to a mysterious dinner party with no obvious host, and at the end of the night they all receive envelopes that tell them at what age they are going to die. For many of them, it’s in the very near future, and when it starts happening they realize that someone, for whatever reason, wants them all dead. Throw in some Seven Deadly Sins themes, and you have a solid premise and a mystery that mostly kept me guessing, or at the very least invested and interested. I liked that we got different perspective points in the book so that we could get clues from different people that added to the whole, and I found myself surprised a few times. I also have always loved a Seven Deadly Sins theme, and liked seeing how various players lined up within that theme. Did I figure some stuff out? Sure. But there were some twists that had me guessing.

The characters run the gamut from complicated but relatable to genuinely frustrating and terrible. They all had their flaws, but some were a bit more well articulated than others. I liked Vivienne, the cold but intrepid and determined journalist who is our main perspective as she tries to figure out what is going on with all of her compatriots dropping dead after the ill fated and mysterious dinner party. She’s not very kind or nice, but I thought that she felt pretty realistic, and has her moments. I also liked how Whittle explores other unlikable characters and gives them SOME humanizing edges, whether it’s the outlandish and somewhat vapid Janet, who has experienced trauma and sadness around her inability to have a baby, or the closeted cop Melvin who pines for his partner in secret but feels guilt with a sick wife at home. There are also interesting plays on people who are full on hypocrites, like the famous Doctor Gordon who preaches stringent and health conscious lifestyles, but is hiding an eating disorder to maintain his own physique. Other characters were kind of bland or two dimensional, but it was the little quirks of these characters that stood out the most as I was reading.

“Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests” is solid and serviceable as a mystery, and it just felt like the perfect Fall read as we head towards a changing of the seasons. Cozy up with some unlikable characters and just have fun with it!

Rating 7: A solid whodunnit with an enjoyable take on the Seven Deadly Sins, “Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests” is an entertaining mystery that just feels like an Autumn read.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests” isn’t on many relevant Goodreads lists as of now, but would probably fit in on the shelf “Culinary Mystery Books”.

Kate’s Review: “Queer As All Get Out”

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Book: “Queer As All Get Out: 10 People Who’ve Inspired Me” by Shelby Criswell

Publishing Info: Street Noise Books, October 2021

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eBook from the publisher

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: This graphic novel paints a picture of the lives of 10 specific LGBTQIA people from history, framed by the personal struggles of the author to find acceptance and to carve out a meaningful life as a genderqueer person. Each chapter focuses on a different relatively little-known historical character, presented within the context of the author’s own life. Shelby Criswell’s art is fun and engaging and brings a comic book feel to this enlightening and important subject matter.

Review: Thank you to Street Noise Books for sending me an eBook of this graphic novel!

In honor of Street Noise Books’s 5th Anniversary in publishing, they were kind enough to ask if I would like to help celebrate this achievement with them by highlighting one of their titles from the past five years. I was absolutely into this idea, as I really enjoyed the other works they’ve sent me and because I love the focus on political and social conscious themes. So today I bring you the graphic novel memoir/history book “Queer As All Get Out: 10 People Who’ve Inspired Me” by Shelby Criswell, a book about important queer people in history who have kind of been lost or forgotten to mainstream history as time has gone on. I was very eager to dive into this book, and I was very, very impressed by it.

As a history based graphic novel, this is a great read. While I had heard of a few of the people that Criswell highlights, there were so many that I had absolutely no clue existed even though their contributions and achievements are impressive and impactful. They stories are separated into different sections interspersed with Criswell’s own perspectives of being an out queer person (more on that in a bit), and you can tell that there was a lot of research and a lot of care put into telling these peoples stories correctly and respectfully. From people like Magnus Hirshfeld to Nancy Cárdenas to We’wha and more, the contributions range from the arts, medicine, politics, music, science, and it’s so comprehensive without feeling overwhelming or overstuffed. Criswell clearly did their homework and provides great overviews of these important figures in queer/LGBTQIA+ history, but goes even a step further and has an extensive bibliography for readers to do even more delving if they so choose. I learned so much and it was always very accessible and never felt overwhelming with information.

But I also I really enjoyed how Criswell managed to tie their own story as a queer person living in San Antonio into a really well done exploration of queer people in history who have been overlooked for so many years. Representation is so important for people to be able to see themselves in stories and history, and for far too long many marginalized groups didn’t get as many examples of people like them to be able to see and resonate with. Not only do we get these great minibiographies, we also get the story of a queer person who is trying to figure out their own self, and how these people who have been largely ignored or forgotten are being remembered and being inspirational in their journey of self-discovery. It’s a great way to show the importance of representation in a personal way that the reader can see first hand, and I thought it never detracted from the history bits, which was really great to see.

“Queer As All Get Out” is a great history book, and I mean that not only for LGBTQIA+ history, but also just history in general. The research is there, the facts are accessible, and the point is clear. I definitely recommend it.

Rating 9: An illuminating history of queer and trans people who have contributed to culture and society but have been lost to history, “Queer As All Get Out” is a great history book, LGBTQIA+ or otherwise.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Queer As All Get Out” is included on the Goodreads lists “Reading Rainbow – Queer Graphic Novels”, and “Books for Baby Queers”.

Kate’s Review: “The Long Walk”

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Book: “The Long Walk” by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman)

Publishing Info: Signet Books, July 1979

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Against the wishes of his mother, sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as The Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour without ever stopping… with the winner being awarded “The Prize”—anything he wants for the rest of his life. But, as part of this national tournament that sweeps through a dystopian America year after year, there are some harsh rules that Garraty and ninety-nine others must adhere to in order to beat out the rest. There is no finish line—the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you’re given a warning. Three warnings and you’re out of the game—permanently…

Review: I first read “The Long Walk”, one of Stephen King’s ‘Bachman Books’, in 2015, just a couple of months before we started the blog. So about ten years ago! It had be recommended to me by one of my very closest coworkers at the library I was working at at the time, and I was absolutely enthralled with it. It instantly skyrocketed up to my top 3 Stephen King books (with “The Stand” and “Carrie” along with it). When I saw that they were going to make a movie based on this book I was excited, but nervous. Then I saw the trailer, and was like “I NEEEEEED TO SEEEEEE IT!!!” Serena and I are actually planning on going at some point, and I have plans to see it with other people too. And the time is almost upon us, as the movie comes out this Friday. So I thought that it would be the perfect time for a reread and to finally review it on this blog, since it JUST missed out. And wow. It hit even harder this time around.

Actual footage of me reeling on the couch while reading as the kittens come to see what’s happening…. (source)

I’ve always said that when King was writing as Bachman he felt no need to be hopeful or optimistic. Most of King’s books have some kind of hints at hope even in all the darkness (there ARE exceptions; “Pet Sematary”, “Cujo”, “Carrie” all come to mind), but when he wrote as Bachman he was just fine being a huge bummer. “The Long Walk” basically keeps up with that pattern, as a group of teenage boys participate in an unending walk in hopes of being the last man standing to receive a prize to make their lives better. After all, in “The Long Walk” America has been taken over by cruel authoritarian fascists who value control and violence to maintain it (ughhhhh), and the televised Long Walk competition is entertainment built from children being killed if they stop walking at the speeds they are supposed to be at. Our protagonist is Ray Garraty, who joined like all others thinking that walking at 5 miles per hour is easy and that the money will be his, but as the walk keeps going he and his companions start to break down as they are all picked off one by one (and let me tell you, when I was originally reading this I tried to walk as long as I could at 5mph while on a treadmill at the gym. It was NOT EASY). Garraty and other contestants, like the steadfast and snarky McVries, the antagonistic and crude Barkovitch, and the mysterious Stebbins, enter in and out of each other’s orbits as their companions are killed, they become physically exhausted, and their mental faculties start to break down. It’s tense, it’s awful, and it is relentless. I know that King has said he originally wrote this book when he was in college, when boys he knew were being drafted and sent to Vietnam, and the hopelessness and bleakness definitely harkens to the idea of young men and boys being sent into a meat grinder for a country’s own devices. But as someone who now has a kid of her own this book hit THAT MUCH HARDER, with these children sobbing, screaming, or in some cases dying slowly and painfully before actually being shot for losing (one character contracts pneumonia while walking, and my God it was harrowing as he slips further and further into illness with no ways to rest and heal). There was one moment with a character screaming about his feet for prolonged moments where I couldn’t go any further for a bit. I just had to put it down. It’s an effective and dark dystopian nightmare.

BUT. There are also moments of intimacy and camaraderie between some of the characters, specifically Garraty and McVries, that show that even in the darkest and most terrible times and experiences, if you can find someone, or a community, to hold onto, there will always be bits of hope. The relationship between Garraty and McVries was so, so lovely, as while it has its ups and downs as the contest goes on and their stress, exhaustion, and fear kick in, you can tell that they both have a connection that keeps each other going. There has long been queer subtext speculated about these characters, which is definitely a fair way to interpret it, but what I loved about their friendship is that it’s another example of one of my favorite relationship portrayals: when two people connect to each other and get each other on a level that transcends platonic and romantic and is a whole other thing that isn’t quite definable. It makes them that much more touching and intimate, and that much more tragic as the story goes on. This book isn’t optimistic or hopeful as a whole, but these bits as these boys keep each other going DO have small bright spots in a sea of despair. And it’s a reminder of how important that can be.

“The Long Walk” is still one of my favorite Stephen King novels. It’ll wreck you if you let it. But it’s so, so good.

Rating 10: This is still one of my favorite Stephen King books. Devastating, tense, and bleak, but so incredibly emotional with glimmers of intimacy and camaraderie.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Long Walk” is included on the Goodreads lists “Dystopia!”, and “Games of Death”.