Kate’s Review: “The Haunting of Room 904”

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Book: “The Haunting of Room 904” by Erika T. Wurth

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, March 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: From the author of White Horse (“Twisty and electric.” —The New York Times Book Review) comes a terrifying and resonant novel about a woman who uses her unique gift to learn the truth about her sister’s death.

Olivia Becente was never supposed to have the gift. The ability to commune with the dead was the specialty of her sister, Naiche. But when Naiche dies unexpectedly and under strange circumstances, somehow Olivia suddenly can’t stop seeing and hearing from spirits.

A few years later, she’s the most in-demand paranormal investigator in Denver. She’s good at her job, but the loss of Naiche haunts her. That’s when she hears from the Brown Palace, a landmark Denver hotel. The owner can’t explain it, but every few years, a girl is found dead in room 904, no matter what room she checked into the night before. As Olivia tries to understand these disturbing deaths, the past and the present collide as Olivia’s investigation forces her to confront a mysterious and possibly dangerous cult, a vindictive journalist, betrayal by her friends, and shocking revelations about her sister’s secret life.

The Haunting of Room 904 is a paranormal thriller that is as edgy as it is heartfelt and simmers with intensity and longing. Erika T. Wurth lives up to her reputation as “a gritty new punkish outsider voice in American horror.”

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

It is always a double edged sword when it is time for me to approach a book that I have been very much looking forward to. I always try to temper my expectations, because in my own mind something I am SO excited about can get so hyped up. This was always in the back of my mind when I was getting ready to read “The Haunting of Room 904” by Erika T. Wurth. There were so many things I was excited about with this title. It’s a haunting story, and I LOVE a haunting story. It has a medium, and a somewhat reluctant one at that. And it’s Wurth’s newest horror novel, and after how much I loved “White Horse” this one was really, really anticipated. So combining all of these things had be buzzing with excitement and nervousness. The verdict? The nervousness was a LITTLE warranted…

Starting with the positives, I do have a good amount to say. For one, Wurth always knows how to tease out a creepy image onto the page, and for me, there are so many things you can do with ghosts in regards to creepy imagery. There were so many moments here that really unnerved me, be it sobbing ghosts being described in mirrors to uncanny movements of other supernatural beings that Olivia encounters, we have a lot of really great material that really stood out in my mind’s eye, horror wise. I also enjoyed the way that Wurth described and built up the aspect of Olivia’s paranormal investigations, and how we got to see a few of her clients and cases in action. I’ve been a huge fan of the concept of ghost hunting ever since I first saw “Ghostbusters” as a little girl, and I liked the lore and process that Wurth brought through in this story in regards to some of the cases. But the part of this book that stood out to me the most was how Wurth ties the concepts of trauma, generational or otherwise, to the story at hand, not only through Olivia’s family and the loss of her sister, but also through the exploration and connection to the Sand Creek Massacre, one of many horrendous acts of violence against Indigenous People by the United States Government. The chapters that follow the Massacre are devastating and the way that it intersects with the story at hand made it all the more emotionally powerful for me. I also really enjoyed Olivia as a character, with her snark and her scrappiness but also her vulnerability. She’s very easy to root for.

However, I did think that some of the pacing felt a little bit off, and that there was sometimes a bit TOO much stuffed into the story. We had some awkward transitions sometimes, and while parts of the story felt a bit slow, others felt rushed. In terms of overstuffing the story, I liked how we got to see different cultural themes brought into the book, but sometimes it felt like it was going a bit off track from the story that was laid out. For example, there was a piece of the puzzle involving a Golem and a Dybbuk Box and that didn’t feel like it was explored enough to have a solid reason to have it there (especially since the entire concept of a Dybbuk Box is based on a hoax and has perpetuated Jewish stereotypes and exploited Jewish folklore for modern sensationalistic ghost hunting motives; to be fair, though, Wurth does mention the original Dybbuk Box as a hoax). Especially when there were probably other ways that these puzzle pieces could have fit together that didn’t feel like we were getting off into the weeds.

So while this didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I still found “The Haunting of Room 904” to be an unsettling and very emotional ghost story, be the ghosts actual ghosts or the ghosts that still haunt American history.

Rating 7: Though it was a bit muddled at times, overall I found “The Haunting of Room 904” to be creepy, emotional, and a calling out of the way that atrocities of colonialism still haunt Native populations in America.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Haunting of Room 904” is included on the Goodreads lists “Indigenous Books 2025”, and “Horror to Look Forward to in 2025”.

Serena’s Review: “A Harvest of Hearts”

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Book: “A Harvest of Hearts” by Andrea Eames

Publishing Info: Erewhon Books, March 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Before Foss Butcher was Snagged, she thought no more of the magic-users than did anyone else in her tiny village. Sometimes gorgeous women in impossible carriages rolled into town and took bits of people’s hearts. Everyone knew hearts fueled their magic. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.

True enough, when the only sorcerer in the kingdom stepped from his glossy carriage, he didn’t intend to hook Foss. Sylvester’s riot of black curls and perfectly etched cheekbones caught her eye a moment too long, that was all. Suddenly, Foss is cursed and finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House, where her only friend is a talking cat and the walls themselves have moods.

But as Foss learns the ways of magic, she realizes she’s far from its only unwilling captive. Even Sylvester is hemmed in by spells and threats. It’s said this sorcery protects king, country, and order for thousands. If Foss wants to free herself—and, perhaps, Sylvester—she’ll have to confront it all . . . and uncover the blight nestled in the heart of the kingdom itself.

Review: I had high hopes for this book based on the unique-sounding summary (plus, who can say no to a cover with an adorable cat silhouette?). Unfortunately, this one started out a bit rough and then never quite recovered. I will talk about some of the good things first though. And primarily among those is the creativity at the heart of the this story. The idea of sorcerers who casually roll through villages and suck up parts of peoples’ hearts to gain power? Super interesting! This book has also been compared to “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and as I don’t think this fully works, there were aspects of the writing that did strike a similar note. Moments of whimsy and small interactions between Foss and Sylvester, some of these did have a certain “Howl’s” vibe to them.

However, for the most part, I didn’t connect with this book. It didn’t start off on a good note, with the very first chapter being essentially a big info-dump from the main character. It was paragraph after paragraph of basic facts about this world. This was made worse by some of the inconsistencies with the writing style for the voice of the main character. She’s meant to be have had a simple upbringing, which the author demonstrated with attempts at “folksy” language. But then some of the exposition would completely conflict with this character style, with Foss conveying information to the reader that it doesn’t seem like she would know (always a challenge with this POV style of writing, but the challenge in and of itself doesn’t excuse the error). Beyond that, this manner of introducing a world and magic system was simply clumsy, at best. From this rocky start, the pacing continued to be a problem, with large lulls happening throughout.

I also struggled to enjoy Foss as a character. I appreciate what the author was attempting to do, creating a character who struggles with self-esteem and self-perception. However, the actual execution of this was, again, very clumsy. Foss would bemoan her own looks and her expectations for a loveless future to such a degree that it felt like she was hitting readers over the head with it. And, from what the reader is given, none of these fears seem based in reality. Yes, people often struggle to view themselves as others do, and this is a believable problem. But the degree to which Foss focused on this aspect of herself was over the top and began to overwhelm any other characteristics she brought to the table.

I was also supremely uninvested in the romance. There wasn’t anything overtly bad here, but Sebastian was such a nothing character that, combined with my struggles with Foss’s self-talk, I couldn’t become invested in their love story. Perhaps others will appreciate these characters more than I did. I think each started with some interesting groundwork, but the story failed to realize them as fully-fleshed out characters.

Overall, this was a very underwhelming read. There were brief moments of light and I think the author could come into her own with future projects. But as it stands now, this book felt underdeveloped with fairly weak characters. Perhaps those fully dedicated to the cozy fantasy subgenre may find this one more appealing than I did, and I’m sure there are readers out there who will enjoy it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t me.

Rating 6: There were some creative ideas at the heart of this story, but weak characters and choppy pacing left me struggling to get through this one.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Harvest of Hearts” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Realistic Hearts and 2025 Cozy Fantasy Romance.

Kate’s Review: “Vanishing Daughters”

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Book: “Vanishing Daughters” by Cynthia Pelayo

Publishing Info: Thomas & Mercer, March 2025

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

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

Book Description: A haunted woman stalked by a serial killer confronts the horrors of fairy tales and the nightmares of real life in a breathtaking novel of psychological suspense by a Bram Stoker Award–winning author.

It started the night journalist Briar Thorne’s mother died in their rambling old mansion on Chicago’s South Side.

The nightmares of a woman in white pleading to come home, music switched on in locked rooms, and the panicked fear of being swallowed by the dark…Bri has almost convinced herself that these stirrings of dread are simply manifestations of grief and not the beyond-world of ghostly impossibilities her mother believed in. And more tangible terrors still lurk outside the decaying Victorian greystone.

A serial killer has claimed the lives of fifty-one women in the Chicago area. When Bri starts researching the murders, she meets a stranger who tells her there’s more to her sleepless nights than bad dreams—they hold the key to putting ghosts to rest and stopping a killer. But the killer has caught on and is closing in, and if Bri doesn’t answer the call of the dead soon, she’ll be walking among them.

Review: Thank you to Kaye Publicity for sending me an ARC of this novel!

I have a very special place in my heart for the story of “Sleeping Beauty”. It was my favorite Disney movie as a toddler, and my parents say that I basically wore our VHS of the film out due to watching it over and over again. I also generally enjoy the fairy tale in so many of its forms, even if those forms can be pretty dark and disturbing (no surprise given fairy tales). With all of this in mind I was so, so very excited to read Cynthia Pelayo’s new horror/thriller book “Vanishing Daughters”, as she decided to approach the story of Sleeping Beauty through the lenses of local folklore, grief, the things that haunt a person and a community, and violent misogyny. Pelayo is one of my favorite authors and I was very curious to see what she was going to do with a fairy tale so near and dear to my heart.

Pelayo once again creates a dreamy and strange world that lives within Chicago, but treads into fantastical places while still feeling very much steeped in the Midwestern metropolis through history, folklore, urban legend, and real life terrors. We follow Briar Rose, a journalist who lives in her family home in the woods, located on the Southside of Chicago, who is mourning her mother’s recent death. Briar Rose has been dreaming strange and terrifying things, and the house she lives within feels haunted, both by something otherworldly, but also by the crushing grief of the loss of her mother. Meanwhile a serial killer has been murdering women in Chicago, leaving devastation behind but capturing their spirits to holding them within a trapped other world, and his connection to Briar Rose reflects a destiny that the journalist was unaware of, even though her free spirited mother was hinting at it in life. This dark fantasy retelling is so rich and layered, with creative analogs to the original fairy tale while also connecting folklore of Chicago and its darker histories that still linger in the minds of its citizens. I loved how ethereal and odd this felt, really bringing out the idea of sleep and dreaming and all the themes that come with a Sleeping Beauty story.

The horror and thriller elements of the serial killer mystery are also on point, not only tapping into very real themes like violent misogyny and victims memories being exploited, but also the tales of cruel fairies that curse bloodlines and steal people for their own devices. For our evil fairy analog we have someone/something that is part fantastical in how it functions in this story, but also just feels like a very real threat, as women in real life can go missing and be left without a voice or justice, becoming ideas and warnings instead of being seeing as living breathing humans. It’s both a critique of the way women victims are exploited by true crime narratives, but also an interesting exploration of how real life folk lore and cautionary tales are created from tragedies and how we forget that. I enjoyed the POV of the serial killer, as it was such a jolting distinction from Briar Rose’s chapters, and it made me uneasy and on edge. You throw in the dark past of Chicago and so many cultural references to this city and its history (another thing I love about Pelayo’s books: Chicago itself is a character, and given that I really enjoy Chicago it’s so fun to see how she represents it) and you have a strong time and place with a lot of well explored history lessons.

“Vanishing Daughters” is my favorite of Pelayo’s works. This book is compelling and beautiful and raw and emotional, and I highly recommend it. If you haven’t ready anything by Cynthia Pelayo, now is the time and this is the title.

Rating 9: Probably my favorite Pelayo story to date, “Vanishing Daughters” is strange and dreamlike, while also exploring themes of grief, folklore, and the very real people who turn into myth, for better or worse.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Vanishing Daughters” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror To Look Forward To in 2025”.

Book Club Review: “The Princess Bride”

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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again reading books that have had film/TV adaptations and then comparing the two mediums. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Books: “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman

Publishing Info: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, September 1973

Where Did I Get These Books: own it!

Where You Can Get These Books: WorldCat.org | Amazon| Indiebound

What We Watched: “The Princess Bride”

Book Descriptions: What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be…well…a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad’s recitation, and only the “good parts” reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He’s reconstructed the “Good Parts Version” to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What’s it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it’s about everything.

Kate’s Thoughts

Even though I’m solidly an older millennial, I didn’t see “The Princess Bride” until I was in middle school, and didn’t really grow up with it as a result. I know that’s perhaps a bit outside the norm for my age group (clock Serena’s experience below), but I enjoyed it enough for what it was. Because of that I was curious, a few years later, to read the actual book by William Goldman, and have distinct memories of reading it while on a family trip to a rental cabin in Wisconsin. When Serena picked it for our book club book I was interested to re-read it after all these years, as I felt like perhaps I’d have a new appreciation for it. And I was, in general, correct.

What I appreciated a bit more this time was the way that Goldman was kind of sending up sweeping fantasy romances, but it never really felt in a condescending way (at least to me; I know there were people in book club who REALLY didn’t care for his sections). Whether he’d ‘redact’ sections that went way too long focusing on decoration, or food, or he would cut out long and rambling other aspects of the story and the backstory of the world it was set within, it felt like a tongue and cheek chuckle at both sweeping fantasy as well as stuck up academics who try to find meaning in so much only to miss some of the points completely.

But that isn’t to say that the story itself of Buttercup and Wesley and their friends and foes is lesser in book form. I still found the story to be very fun, and I am sure that that is part due to the fact that Goldman himself adapted his book into the screenplay. I also really liked that we got the back stories for characters like Fezzik and Inigo, who definitely have memorable roles in the movie, but don’t have much exploration. As a person who always preferred the side characters to Buttercup and Wesley (blasphemy? Maybe! But damn did Inigo do SO MUCH MORE for fourteen year old Kate…), I enjoyed having the extra exposition.

Overall it was a fun revisit with a bit of a new perspective after all this time.

Serena’s Thoughts

Like many people, I watched and loved the movie before I realized there was a book. I mean, I first watched this when I was quite young, so even if I had known there was a book, it probably wasn’t at my reading level! But once I discovered it, you know I gobbled it right up! And have re-read it a few times since! However, it had been a few years since I went back to it, so after we decided to revisit this bookclub theme, I knew that I wanted to select this as my title. Bonus that the movie adaptation is so great as well!

All of this to say, I have probably very few novel things to say about either the book or the movie other than wild gushing. I do love them both. However, as became clear during our bookclub discussion, while telling the same story, the book and movie are very different things. I’d say that the movie is a fairytale romance first and foremost. However, the book is more focused on its comedy elements. This can be seen in the “story within a story” of “The Princess Bride” itself, as well with the framework and the “character” the author portrays himself as, going back and “adapting” this “classic” work. With those expectations in mind, I think each excels at its goals! The movie includes extra scenes focused on the romance, like the reunion between Wesley and Buttercup after falling down the ravine. And the book adds a lot of comedic content with the inclusion of features like the “Zoo of Death” and more intricate backstories for the side characters.

I do think the movie is probably more approachable to general audiences. The casting is truly perfect, and this version reduces the framing device of the “story within a story” to a few wholesome scenes between a grandfather and his grandson. But if you’re looking for a more detailed version of the story with a stronger focus on comedy (especially a lot of jabs at the publishing and entertainment business), definitely give the book a go!

Kate’s Rating 8 : It was a fun revisit to a high school read with a somewhat new set of eyes. It’s both a fun send up but a well done fairy tale romance as well.

Serena’s Rating 9: I love them both! A perfect example of a story being adapted in two different ways, but succeeding in both.

Book Club Questions

  1. This is a story within a story. how does this framing serve the story? Do you think the central conceit works? What do you make of Goldman as a character himself?
  2. The structure of the story uses a lot of parentheticals and asides. Do these work for you?
  3. The book calls itself a “classic tale of true love and high adventure.” Which aspects of each stood out to you, romance and adventure? Was one stronger than the other?
  4. Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the movie. In what ways did he adhere to or later the original story? Were there bits you would have chanted or included/not included?
  5. Mot of the characters are well established in people’s minds based on the movie versions. Did the movie stay true to the versions seen in the book? Were there any that were better in the books? Better in the movie? Did you have a favorite casting?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Princess Bride” is included on the Goodreads lists Best Books Ever and The Best Fairytales and Retellings.

Next Book Club Pick: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer

Kate’s Review: “We Were Warned”

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Book: “We Were Warned” by Chelsea Ichaso

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, March 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: Everyone knows the legend of Fairport twenty years ago, a shocking murder closed the place down. This year, the ruins will be bulldozed at last. But tonight, it’s not too late to die.

All her life, Eden Stafford has heard the lore about the abandoned beach resort at the edge of ever since the notorious murder there, anyone who sets foot on the property is cursed to die, It’s more than just a over the years, two high school students who dared to explore the ruins of Fairport Village were killed there.

Eden is no stranger to notoriety, having endured a family scandal that’s made her a target at school. So when she reluctantly attends an overnight party at the ruins, she’s on edge—not because of some legend, but because the clique that has made her life hell for years is there, too, including Caleb Durham, the worst of them all.

Yet out of all the things Eden expected to happen that night, finding another student dead at Fairport Village wasn’t one of them.

Though the death is ruled an accident, Eden knows she saw something suspicious at the ruins—and Caleb and her other longtime tormentors did too. Now they’re all being followed by a deadly stranger, and to save themselves, they must work together to uncover the truth about Fairport Village. But after all that’s happened, can Eden really trust Caleb and his friends? Or will they leave her to face a killer alone?

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

One of my favorite things to do when I was working at one of my old library internships was putting together YA displays. I had this internship for half a year and I did about four or five displays, and finding common themes in books, from the obvious to the kind of quirky, was really fun. Whenever I read a YA novel I think about this fun task, and what kind of display said book would fit into. I kept thinking about that as I read “We Were Warned” by Chelsea Ichaso, because man would it have had so many possibilities! Would it have been on a YA Urban Legends display? A “If You Like “Pretty Little Liars…” display (dating myself like crazy here)? Would it have been on a “Creepy Stories By The Seaside” display? It has a lot of potential!

This is probably a great entry for the thriller genre for the target audience, but also has the goods to be entertaining to anyone looking for a quick and snappy read with some decent red herrings and an easy to follow mystery. I love the idea of an urban legend that is possibly true, and the way that it captures how a small town tragedy can take on a life of its own within the minds of the people who live within a community that has head to live with it. I’ve always been a huge sucker for mysteries and horror tales that use this kind of device, and this one had a solid background and a sufficiently eerie setting of an abandoned seaside resort that was the location of a horrific murder and some devastating fallout in the years after (including more murders). I found the mystery to be entertaining and a quick read, and I can definitely see how young adult audiences would be able to relate to Eden and Caleb, and even some of the more morally grey characters like Victoria, Caleb’s close friend and kind of Mean Girl that is Eden’s nemesis (but maybe misunderstood?). I enjoyed the dynamics between these characters and how Ichaso upended expectations for Eden and for me as a reader.

That said, as a 40 year old woman who has read MANY mysteries and thrillers over the years, “We Were Warned” definitely reads like a YA thriller to me. Which is NOT a bad thing at all. I would absolutely put this on a display for chilling thrillers in a YA section of a library, and know exactly who I would recommend this title to. But as a YA thriller, it does have some things that didn’t work for me. For one, Eden is, at times, a bit grating in the constant reminders of how Caleb must hate her and how much she hates him, while it’s pretty clear to the reader (or at least this reader) that there was more to the story on Caleb’s side. It got a bit repetitive to read about her resentment towards him and her assumptions, as it was obvious that wasn’t the case. There were also some twists in here that didn’t work for me, one in particular that followed a familiar ‘one last shock’ routine that almost never clicks with me when it happens in a thriller novel I’m reading. But again, these kinds of things are not necessarily going to hinder the audience that the book is intended for. It’s definitely a ‘your mileage may vary’ situation.

“We Were Warned” has a fun premise and an entertaining mystery. While it was a bit middle of the road for me, I am pretty certain that it will be a good fit for its intended audience!

Rating 6: Entertaining and a fast read to be sure and almost certainly a solid thriller for the audience it is written for, though more seasoned thriller fans may be underwhelmed at times.

Reader’s Advisory:

“We Were Warned” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2025”.

Serena’s Review: “The Otherwhere Post”

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

Book: “The Otherwhere Post” by Emily J. Taylor

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, February 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.

Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words: Your father was innocent.

To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.

Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.

Review: It’s been quite a while since I read Emily J. Taylor’s debut novel, “Hotel Magnifique,” but I do clearly remember liking it. So I was excited to see that she was releasing another YA fantasy novel! And I ended up liking this one even more than the first!

There are many things to praise, but I’ll start with the writing quality and the world-building first of all. Taylor writes in a clear, confident tone that easily draws readers into her fantastical world while also centering us around the characters and their own personal stakes. The serious nature of Maeve’s situation was clearly conveyed, while the transition towards more comedic or romantic moments was smooth and natural.

As for the worldbuilding, any time an author attempts to create a secondary fantasy world, there’s a risk of falling into info-dumping holes or unnatural dialogue used as exposition. Not so here. Instead, we are slowly introduced this world, its history, and its magical systems. The nature of the magic was incredibly interesting, and I enjoyed the way additional layers were papered upon the original concept as the story progressed. Beyond this, the history of this world is incredibly important to the story, and as Maeve is attempting to work through the mystery of her father’s life and death, she begins to uncover truths about her world as well. By the end, the magic system and the world itself have been built up by leaps and bounds from the foundations that the book starts with. And then, the bow on top, these are woven together for some great reveals in the very end.

Of course, none of this would work if Maeve herself hadn’t been an excellent character. From the start, her perspective and motives are clearly established, and as she works through the mysteries before her, she never loses sight of what is most important. Further, due to the secretive nature of her childhood, she’s incredibly distrustful, struggling to open up to others well past the point when others would feel secure. I appreciated that this aspect of her nature was so firmly established, even when it worked against Maeve’s own best interests.

I also really enjoyed the romantic subplot. There was a moment early in the book where I was concerned the book was going to go in one direction (I personally struggle a lot with books that hold on too long to secret identities), but luckily it jagged at the last minute. Even with certain secrets revealed, this was still a slowburn romance as these two slowly began to open up to one another with their own various secrets. They had excellent chemistry with each other throughout, however, which made all of their interactions a pleasure to read.

I ended up loving this book! There were several incredibly fresh fantasy elements included and, best of all, Maeve was written as a fully-fleshed out, complex YA heroine, something that I seem to have a harder and harder time finding recently. If you’re looking for a YA fantasy novel to restore your faith in the genre and that it’s still a good fit for you, than this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 9: Breathtaking in its creativity and incredible character work; I especially enjoyed the fantastic main character and the slowburn romance.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Otherwhere Post” can be found on these Goodreads lists: YA Novels of 2025 and 2025 YA Romantasy Releases.

Ripley’s Reviews: “Purple Noon (Plein soleil)” (1960)

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

“Ripley’s Reviews” is an ongoing series where I will review every book in Patricia Highsmith’s “Ripley” Series, as well as multiple screen adaptations of the novels. I will post my reviews on the first Thursday of the month, and delve into the twisted mind of one Tom Ripley and all the various interpretations that he has come to life within. Up next is the second film adaptation of a “Ripley” book I’m covering, the 1960 film “Purple Noon”.

Film: “Purple Noon (Plein soleil)” (1960)

It wasn’t until I started researching the Tom Ripley novels and all of their adaptations that I heard about “Purple Noon”, the 1960 French thriller that was the first Ripley screen adaptation. I am not as familiar with mid 20th century French cinema as a whole, though I’ve seen some classics like “Breathless”, “Hiroshima, Mon Amor”, and “Les Diaboliques”, so this title was brand new to me. But I was absolutely interested to see what a French adaptation of “The Talented Mr. Ripley” would look like. And it wasn’t at all what I expected. But in a mostly positive way. Though there are MANY differences between not only “Purple Noon” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley” the film, but also the book.

One of the biggest changes (of many!) is that in “Purple Noon”, Ripley’s object of sexual desire isn’t Dickie (or Philippe in this case), but it’s Marge. While Tom is still very much covetous of Philippe’s wealth and status, not once did I get the sense that he was into his pal, but man oh man was it pretty clear to me that he had the hots for Marge. It’s an interesting change, and one that simultaneously did and didn’t really work for me. I wholly understand that in 1960 the queer subtext was probably going to be left a bit behind, even in a French film, but it was still a little bit jarring to have Tom have his eyes on Marge while Philippe is definitely more a means to an end for funding and status. I kind of wondered why we even had that element when, in the original story, it’s really not at the forefront and one could argue isn’t needed. But it also kind of worked for me because the chemistry between Tom and Marge is there. It probably helps that Alain Delon and Marie Laforêt are both gorgeous and the backdrops were amazing and oof, they just crackled on screen. Which is, again, so strange to say about Tom Ripley given that in my mind he is a gay man. But hey, I’m going to allow it. I quite enjoyed their interactions. And I will say that there is a particular scene that was pretty sexy, even if the time period of the film means we didn’t get to see much.

Look, I get he’s a psychopath, but the CHEMISTRY!!! (source)

But it’s also very different from the book in other ways, including Tom’s plotting of murdering Philippe (in that he plots it at all!), the point in the timeline where our story begins (we start well after Tom has cuddled up with Philippe in Italy), and even how things start to perhaps unravel towards the end. Though all that said a good chunk of it in the middle follows the book pretty well, including the Freddie Miles plot point and some of the cat and mouse games that Tom keeps going as he passes himself off as Philippe. But then it starts to shift off again. I’m a bit conflicted about all of this, in all honesty. On one hand, it feels like there are enough changes that it doesn’t REALLY feel like a well done adaptation of “The Talented Mr. Ripley”, and that the liberties make it weaker. But on the other hand, it is such a well done film on its own standing that I really, really enjoyed it. The cinematography is gorgeous, the acting is really well done, and I was still quite entertained by the story even if I was thinking ‘that’s not quite right’ more often than not. And it also has the appropriate levels of creepy when it comes to Tom, even if he was a bit different from what I was expected and used to.

So is it a faithful adaptation? Not as much as I had expected. But it’s a well done film in its own right. I enjoyed watching “Purple Noon” and fully get why it’s a Criterion Collection member. Up next I’m going to take on “The American Friend”, which is an adaptation of “Ripley’s Game”. With Dennis Hopper as Ripley!

Serena’s Review: “The Trouble with Anna”

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Book: “The Trouble with Anna” by Rachel Griffiths

Publishing Info: Gallery Books, March 2025

Where Did I Get this Book:

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: A tart young woman and an arrogant lord collide in this flirty, sexy, and remarkably modern historical romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Anna didn’t intend to ride in a high-stakes horse race or start up a betting ring. She certainly didn’t mean to find herself in so many darkened corners with Lord Julian Ramsay, quarreling and kissing. But when her grandfather’s strange will stipulates that Anna must marry or she’ll be left broke, there’s nothing she won’t do to win her fight for independence. Even go head-to-head with Lord Ramsay, with her own heart as the prize.

Review: It’s been awhile since I’ve delved back into the historical romance subgenre. It’s one that I have really loved at times and really struggled with at others. But this one also peaked my inner “horse girl” heart, so I thought it would be a great one to check out!

While it didn’t quite hit the way I wanted it to, there were still several strengths to be found. The author’s writing style was very approachable while also (mostly) reading as appropriate to the time period it was describing. While some of the dialogue walked right up to the line of modernity, the story was written in such a way that this sort of casual style of speaking between characters seemed to fit. It was very “Bridgerton” in this way. I often prefer books that adhere a bit more strictly to the language styles of the time, but I felt that this more casual approach worked here.

I also really enjoyed the parts of the book that focused on Anna’s love and deep knowledge of horses. Her character had a few other weak points, but she was at her best in all the scenes that had to do with her management of the horses and stables she’s hoping to protect. One of my favorite scenes was a small moment where Anna correctly comes down hard on Lord Ramsay when he undermines her authority in front of her employees. Again and again, we see that Anna knows what she’s talking about in this area, and Ramsay quickly comes to respect this about her. If things do go a bit in a wild direction as the story continued with this horse plot line, it was still fun enough to keep me reading.

I also liked the original set up between Anna and Lord Ramsay, with the use of the inheritance being tied to their marriage for reasons that neither of them understand. Unfortunately, the way that this romance played out was one of my primary struggle points (not a great thing for a romance novel!). Here, we had a good example of how hot/cold romances can go wrong. First, these two are written as uninterested in or intimidated by one another. Than they quickly fall into lust and spend several on and off page moments making out about it. Then of course there are troubles. Then more making out. Than a big rift. And of course, ultimately, the happily ever after.

Some of this is to be expected from romance (the equation with the 75% of the way through conflict before the happily every after is almost a given at this point). But I was particularly not sold on how quickly they went from strangers to making out early in the book. And, strangely, it was mostly make out scenes all around, many simply being referenced as having happened off page. Now, I don’t love books that are taken over by spice scenes typically and I definitely don’t need an incredible amount of focus on this. But this read as strangely PG, almost? Something just felt off here.

Overall, I thought this was a fun enough read, though it seemed to struggle the most in its depiction of the central couple’s romantic arc. The writing was compelling and fun, so I was able to whip through it quickly, so I think it will appeal to many readers. Especially those who are looking for less spicy options!

Rating 7: I enjoyed Anna herself quite a bit and her commitment to her horses and estate, however I struggled more with the romance, which is never great in, you know, a romance novel.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Trouble with Anna” isn’t currently on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Must Love Horses.

Kate’s Review: “The Undoing of Violet Claybourne”

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Book: “The Undoing of Violet Claybourne” by Emily Critchley

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Landmark, March 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: 1938. Gillian Larkin is used to going unnoticed, until she is sent away to school and befriended by her roommate, the vibrant and spirited Violet Claybourne. As the Christmas holidays approach, Gilly can’t believe her luck when Violet invites her to spend them at her home, the crumbling Thornleigh Hall.

At Thornleigh, Gilly is dazzled by the family’s faded grandeur, and above all by Violet’s beguiling older sisters who seem to accept her as one of their own. But following a terrible accident in the house’s grounds, Gilly begins to realise the Claybourne sisters aren’t quite what she thought they were. And if she’s to survive in their world, she may have to become just like them . . .

A captivating novel of family secrets, desperate ambition and deepest betrayal, set against the winter of 1938, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is the irresistible new mystery from the acclaimed author of One Puzzling Afternoon.

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

Back when “Downton Abbey” was all the rage I would text with my Mom about the goings on, and would occasionally go to my parents house to watch with her. We both really enjoyed it for the most part (I will admit I found later seasons to be less compelling), but my father ALWAYS hated it and would let us know how much he hated it if I was over for an episode. There was one night Dad LOST IT about the romanticization of the crumbling aristocracy blinded by privilege tramping all over the common people with no remorse after one of the Crawleys did something really callous and pretty wretched to people who worked for them, only for it to be glossed over by the show.

You’d had thought this farm boy from Iowa was a regular Enjolras from LES MIS. (source)

So that leads me to “The Undoing of Violet Claybourne” by Emily Critchley. Which pretty much puts these kinds of themes front and center as an aristocratic family clinging to power in the years leading up to WWII brings a newcomer into the fold and corrupts her with their privileged and damaging ways. I just kept thinking about my Dad’s rants as I read this book. Though admittedly, the Crawleys, for all their flaws, didn’t commit and cover up a murder…

As a historical fiction story with some thriller elements, I found “The Undoing of Violet Claybourne” to be rather tense, even if it was less about a ‘whodunnit’ and more about ‘are these spoiled rich brats going to get away with this?!’. I won’t say what ‘this’ is, as you will appreciate it more if it’s a shock, but I was definitely on pins and needles to see if the Claybourne sisters Emmeline and Laura were going to keep up their lies, with unwitting but ultimately complicit Gillian, our narrator, being slowly eaten by guilt. Especially when her complicity not only brings pain to the people at the heart of the tragedy, but also ropes Violet, her friend and the reason she was brought to this upper class home in the first place, into the web. I could see various puzzle pieces falling into place, but the absolute horror of it, knowing it was coming like a speeding train about to derail, made me SO ANXIOUS. Critchley brings in some solid shocks and twists with these various unravellings, and it was quite the ride that had me tied up in knots.

But what I really enjoyed about this book was the way that Critchley portrays her characters. You have Gillian, who was so eager to be accepted by posh and charismatic Laura and Emmeline that she threw her actual friend Violet to the side, only to end up in a murder cover up. You have Laura and Emmeline, scheming sisters that flaunt their privilege but are also in different ways constrained by it, and therefore make reckless and cruel decisions. And you have Violet, the most tragic of the characters, who is thrown to the side by her family due to her ‘peculiarities’ (it’s highly implied that she is OCD and perhaps neurodivergent in other ways), and then thrown aside by Gillian in favor of her callous and careless older sisters. The Claybournes are cold and callous, and they are exactly the bleak reality that “Downton Abbey” never really allowed their beloved Crowleys to transform into: the dying aristocracy in England before WWII that was gilded, nasty, and unfeeling. It adds to the overall unease.

“The Undoing of Violet Claybourne” is tense and upsetting, a well done historical thriller with some truly deplorable characters who have some interesting baggage. Prepare to be unnerved!

Rating 7: A tense mystery with some misbehaving elites at the helm, “The Undoing of Violet Claybourne” is a twisty ride with some good surprises against a historical backdrop of the unfeeling aristocracy in pre-WWII England.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Undoing of Violet Claybourne” is included on the Goodreads list “The [descriptive word] of [first-name] [last-name]”.

Highlights: March 2025

March is always a bit of a mixed bag here in Minnesota. We get the teasing of a faux Spring that makes us think that Spring is here, only to dump more snow and cold on us. But hey, lambs and lions aside, we both have some book titles we are quite looking forward to this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “The Trouble with Anna” by Rachel Griffiths

Publication Date: March 4, 2025

Why I’m Interested: It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a historical romance novel! I’ve read a few here and there, but for whatever reason, haven’t gotten around to posting full reviews. Well, I received an ARC of this one, so I’m excited to dive back into this genre! Plus, the hook of the story revolves around Anna, a young woman with a distinct knowledge of horses who sets out to save her estate and stables after her grandfather passes away. And, of course, may find love along the way!

Book: “Slaying the Vampire Conqueror” by Carissa Broadbent

Publication Date: March 25, 2025

Why I’m Interested: Bramble is really messing up my plans to draw out the process of reading Carissa Broadbent’s back catalog! They keep releasing her books one after another! So, obviously, here I am again. While I’ve enjoyed all of books, I will say I’m especially looking forward to this one as its the first stand-alone I’ve read by her (not including the novella). It’s always nice to have a contained story, and after the cliffhanger at the end of her most recent book, I feel like she owes me an HEA right now, in the meantime! This one also introduces a new god/religious order to this word. Who wants to bet that it’s extremely messed up??

Book: “Faithbreaker” by Hannah Kaner

Publication Date: March 13, 2025

Why I’m Interested: While the second book was a bit of a let down from the highs of the first, I have endless hope for this one, especially because our main trio have been reunited at last! There were a few side plots that seemed to wander a bit astray as well in the previous book, but it also ended with a bang, setting up the greater conflict to be tackled here. Beyond that, I’m simple excited to get to spend more time with Kissen; she’s such an excellent main character!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Vanishing Daughters” by Cynthia Pelayo

Publication Date: March 11, 2025

Why I’m Interested: I really love Cynthia Pelayo and have loved her for a long while, so obviously I am excited for her newest horror story with a Chicago based flair. A woman named Briar has been haunted in multiple ways since the death of her mother, whether it’s bad dreams, strange happenings in her home, or the heavy weight of grief. While Briar tries to cope, a serial killer is murdering women all over Chicago. When a mysterious person reaches out to Briar as she does her own investigating, she starts to realize that maybe there’s a connection between her personal demons and a very real monster lurking in the shadows. Pelayo always has creepy but absolutely gorgeous horror stories, so this has been a highly anticipated read for me this year.

Book: “The Haunting of Room 904” by Erika T. Wurth

Publication Date: March 18, 2025

Why I’m Interested: This was one of my overall picks for 2025 on our Highlights for the Year list, and we are now in the publication month for this new ghost story from Erika T. Wurth. Olivia is a reluctant medium who never even had the gift until her sister Naiche, who was a medium herself, passed away. Now Olivia is seeing ghosts wherever she goes, and has managed to turn this into a successful ghost hunting business. Her most recent case brings her to a hotel with a notorious room where multiple people have died. As Olivia investigates she finds unexpected connections to her own life. I loved Wurth’s previous novel “White Horse” so this has been on my radar for awhile.

Book: “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” by Stephen Graham Jones

Publication Date: March 18, 2025

Why I’m Interested: HOORAY, a new Stephen Graham Jones horror story! And this time he’s taking on VAMPIRES!!! In this epistolary horror novel we find the diary of a Lutheran pastor who, during the early 20th Century, interviews and records the life, experiences, and confession of a man named Good Stab, who has been living in and around the Black Foot reservation in the area. The confession is strange and otherworldly, and tells of many horrors, supernatural and human alike. Another most anticipated read of 2025 for me!