The Texas Chainsaw Massacre by Joseph Stanza

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Skyhorse Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

On the surface, I guess this was a weird request for me. I have not actually seen the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and have no intention to. Why did I request this? Because I have a strong love of horror movies and am very much interested in how culture influences horror and vice versa. This book seemed right up my street as it promised to provide cultural context to a very iconic horror movie. Sadly it didn't quite deliver.

The best way I can describe this book is poor execution of some great ideas and content. My main issue was that the organisation is all over the place. Rather than linking together the context and the film, you instead get long paragraphs about the politics at the time followed by some vaguely related statement about the movie. Sometimes it's not even vaguely related. For example, there is tons of information about real-life serial killers from around the same time period but this is very loosely linked to the content of the film. It just makes for a confusing time and I found the book very hard to engage with because of this.

I also found that not much background was given to the cultural context in itself. This might sound weird as the context should be the background but I didn't feel enough detail was given so that someone unfamiliar with America's culture from the 70s could fully understand what the author was talking about. This is linked to the overall problems with cohesion but I also found the cultural aspects jumped around a lot. One minute it would focus on serial killers, then move onto something else, then go back to serial killers. The chapters did kind of group things but they also could have done with a little subheading under the chapter title to actually explain what that chapter was focusing on (all the chapters were titled with quotes/references).

Overall, this book did have some neat information in it and some interesting facts about the film. However, I just found the lack of structure and detail too much of an obstacle to enjoying the content. I will say, this is definitely not related to me not having seen the film. I know the plot very well and that wasn't what I was having issues with as the film sections were detailed enough. I just wish the cultural context had been linked better to the movie as this could have been a really great book.

Overall Rating:

Exploiting Fandom by Mel Stanfill

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher University of Iowa Press in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an interesting read to me! When I requested it, I wasn't sure what to expect. I have minor academic experience of media studies and essentially no background in business, sports or any of the topics this book could come under (apart from a personal interest in demographics). The introduction was very dull for me as it is essentially just a list of the methodology. This was probably necessary as this seems to have been adapted from a dissertation or some other academic paper, but it wasn't really a great start to the book. Thankfully it was uphill from there.

By far my favourite sections were the first two chapters which focus on how sports and the media identify and view their fans in terms of demographics. Some fascinating points were made about how the industries assume default fan is a white male and how this influences both their marketing and reaction to fan behaviour. The author uses a wide range of sources and examples which creates a very in-depth and insightful look at fandom as a whole. I loved this section and thought it was excellently written.

The next bit was about the legality and fan's knowledge of the law. I must admit, I did skip most of this section. Law has never been interesting to me and while I was curious about fanfiction and the laws surrounding that, most of the focus was on fan's perception of the law without clarifying what the actual law was. I can see this being interesting to some but sadly it was not for me.

The final chapters are what I suppose the book is mainly about-that is, how fans engage in free labour due to their love of a work/sports team and how industries exploit this. These parts were fairly interesting and again, made some very good points. I would have liked to see this section expanded more with specific examples though. Every other section has lots of examples which illustrate the arguments well but there weren't many to be found in this bit. I know fandom's mere existence is a form of free labour in itself (promoting etc) but it still could have been interesting to find anecdotes of fans' work being used professionally or something similar.

Overall, I think this book's topic wasn't actually as for me as I thought it would be but I still enjoyed it immensely. It has well-written, thoroughly researched content and a cohesive narrative that brings everything together beautifully. There are some well-argued points to be made here and I think it raises some interesting questions. I would definitely recommend this book if you have any interest in fandom and how the industries treat their fans. Just be aware that it is an academic work and so some parts might be a bit dry or less compelling than others.

Overall Rating:

Dream Woods by Patrick Lacey

Horror is one of those genres that never really feels mainstream. More than any other book genre, I struggle to hear about horror and most recommendations that I do hear about are not big sellers. Dream Woods is the perfect example of the kind of gems that you can find simply by browsing through Kindle books and I am so glad I stumbled across it.

Dream Woods is a story about Vincent, an ageing rock star who sees a billboard advertising a theme park from his childhood. Dream Woods is a kind of Disneyland knockoff and though it closed down mysteriously several years ago, it appears to have reopened. He decides it is the perfect way to save his crumbling family as his wife is on the brink of leaving him and one of his kids struggles from life-threatening diabetes which puts a strain on all of them. When they arrive at the park, weird stuff starts happening and it becomes pure horror from there.

I LOVED the writing style of this book. Lacey perfectly sews the horror into the story, beginning with subtle, creepy images before developing it into full-blown horror. The park works by targeting each of the family members separately in different ways which leads to some really great moments of psychological creepiness. Too often horror can be over the top or comical and there is true skill here in the way it builds up an atmosphere. Even the overt stuff is done incredibly well and I was completely hypnotised and drawn in. It morphed into a kind of horror that I am not normally a fan of but in this instance, it was done so well and fit with the story that I enjoyed every minute of it.

I was also very impressed with the characters. These tend to be weak in most horror stories since they don't have to be strong for the plot or scary elements to work. Lacey manages to create a whole family of interesting people who actually feel like real people and who I became invested in. The husband/wife relationship was done excellently and fueled the horror rather than distracted from it. The sibling dynamic was similarly believable and a key part of the plot. It's so refreshing to read in the horror genre and it helped the subtle, psychological elements of the book along well.

Overall, this is a brilliant read for fans of old school horror. Horror things set at theme parks are a particular favourite of mine and I'm pleased the setting was used so well here. My only criticism was that I wanted more of this book, more of the creepy mascot and the lore behind it. I would genuinely read multiple books set in this world and I wanted to know every creepy thing that had ever happened here. If you like atmospheric horror with strong characters and interesting story, I could not recommend this more. It definitely deserves more attention.

Overall Rating:

Sinner's Retreat by Victoria Ellis

So I got asked by the author if I would consider reviewing an ARC of this book. This is the first time I've been sought out rather than me requesting it and I was pretty nervous. What if I hated the book? How honest could I be without hurting their feelings? Thankfully my fears were unfounded because I absolutely loved Sinner's Retreat.

This book was described to me as 'Saw meets And Then There Were None' which got me pretty excited about the premise and was the main reason I agreed to read it. This is a story about five couples who get invited to a mysterious weekend retreat only to find upon arrival that they are being held captive by a killer intent on punishing them for their 'sins'. One half of each couple represents one of the sins and they are forced to confront their spouse one by one. Their spouse must then make a life or death decision-kill them or themselves. It borrows heavily from the basic premise of And Then There Were None but apart from that this stands as its own story and was all the better for it. There's not a whole lot of Saw in it to be honest and the violence is on the milder side but that wasn't a bad thing at all. The resulting tone is a mix of horror and thriller which works really well.

In terms of length, this book is pretty short and I read it entirely in a day because of that. The pace is great and it results in a fantastic binging experience. I will say that you can tell it is a debut novel. Certain details could have been expanded upon and I would have liked more of the book in general.The characters are strong but a longer book would allow for them to be explored in more depth. However, I am someone who loves a lot of character focus and so this is probably down to personal taste. As it stands, the characters work really well for the kind of story it is and they're a lot more solid than the kind you usually find in horror novels.

Maybe the weakest element of the plot is the sins themselves? Again, this is another element which was still very strong overall but it felt odd that there were seven sins and five couples. The seven deadly sins are kind of hard to define in terms of acts people can commit to embody them and the connections between sins chosen and the acts committed didn't always translate well to me. Ellis does a fantastic job considering how hard a task that is and it does result in a very cool premise for a book. I understand it's the hook but even without the sins, I think the book would have stood strong.

Overall, I was very impressed by this debut novel. It's a great read for anyone who likes thrillers, horror or both and it absolutely delivers on the kind of story you'd expect from the blurb. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Ellis's future work.

Overall Rating:

Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review.

This book deserves a lot of kudos for not really being like anything I've read before. Five Midnights is a story set in Puerto Rico about a group of boys who are all part of the same gang (or used to be). They are being killed off one by one before their 18th birthdays, supposedly by a mythical creature called El Cuco. Our main characters are Lupe, the teenage niece of the policeman investigating the case and the cousin of one of the victims, and Javier, one of the boys who was in the gang but has cleaned up his act.

I very much enjoyed the tone and atmosphere of this book. I thought the plot was paced well and I was intrigued by the story as more and more details unfolded. Some of the characters were developed brilliantly and that helped propel the plot forwards. I did however struggle to keep track of several of the characters, and I'm not sure if this was due to my unfamiliarity with Puerto Rican names or whether this was because several members of the gang blended together. I'm inclined to go with the latter since it was specifically the boys I kept mixing up and I thought Lupe's interactions with a couple of them were very similar at the start.

The overall mystery was interesting enough to keep me reading, although I feel like the solution was revealed very early on which was a bit of a shame. There's not a lot of possibilities for what could be going on and it becomes pretty easy to work it out. The story is strong enough without the mystery though to still be an engaging read, although I would have liked more of both the mystery and monster aspect to be played up.

Overall, I did really like this book and I recommend checking it out if you like the sound of the blurb. It executes the concept it promises well and it has a wonderful setting which is described in a lot of loving detail with a lot of expert knowledge. I liked being introduced to mythology I had never heard about before and this was a refreshing and enjoyable read.

Overall Rating:

.5

Till Death Do Us Part by Stephen Edger

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Killer Reads in exchange for an honest review

Oh dear, another thriller I absolutely love until the ending. I am so disappointed to not be able to rate this book more highly because it started off so well. This is a thriller about a woman whose husband gets arrested for murder on their wedding day and this is such a fantastic premise for a thriller in my eyes. The main character was very well-written and I really felt for her as she had to navigate the horror of having her wedding spoiled by something so out of the ordinary. The other characters varied from alright to somewhat flat but in general, the writing was compelling and I was invested in the story. Not a ton happens during the middle section admittedly but my interest in the protagonist and the situation kept me reading.

Sadly I did not find the solution a satisfying one. Without giving too much away. there are two components to the conclusion of this mystery. The first one was decent enough and I actually would have preferred it if that character was responsible for the whole thing. The second one involved a character I forgot existed which is a massive problem. I can't really be shocked by something if I have no idea who the person it involves is. I really wish the ending of this had been different as it had huge potential and I enjoyed the other 75% of the book enormously.

Overall, this isn't a bad book by any means and I would definitely be interested in checking out more from the author. He crafts an interesting situation and populates it with decent characters. It's just a shame that the payoff wasn't as good as the set-up.

Overall Rating:

Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker by Nicki Sizemore

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Storey Publishing in exchange for an honest review

And now for something completely different!

I have never reviewed a cookery book before but I saw this on Net Galley and I couldn't resist. My slow cooker is one of my favourite kitchen tools and I am always on the lookout for new, simple recipes. I was a bit hesitant when I started flicking through and saw what looked like a lot of fancy stuff but thankfully I was pleasantly surprised.

This book does so much right and it really deserves kudos for it. You can tell Nicki has been writing recipes for a long time and she really does include a lot of fantastic detail. It starts off with a general introduction followed by some slow cooker tips. These weren't all new to me but it was still useful to include them and it shows the attention to detail put in.

Now onto the recipes themselves. They are divided up into 5 sections: vegetables, chicken/turkey/pork, lamb/beef, seafood and brunch/breakfast. I was actually glad not to have a dessert section since I never tend to use these parts of my recipe books but I can see some people potentially wishing it had one. This structure makes sense for the most part, although the pork does seem a little out of place with the poultry.

Each recipe is laid out fantastically. It starts with an overview of the dish, followed by ingredients which are sorted by where you use them (most dishes are slow-cooker focused but may require some stove work or other elements). Beneath this is a little box which contains information about which ingredients/steps you can plan up to days ahead. I found this incredibly useful as people using a slow cooker are often pushed for time, so it's great to know what can be done earlier. After this comes the method, followed by fridge/freezer instructions (again, incredibly useful) and finally there is a little additional tip.

As mentioned above, I really was a fan of the content of the recipes. There's a fair range of dishes but I was impressed by how the main slow-cooker dish was usually simple but the side dish would be fancier/involve rarer ingredients. Firstly, the inclusion of a complementary side dish for every main one is something that added a wonderful touch to this recipe book and showed the skill of the chef behind it. Secondly, by doing it this way it means that you can easily skip the side dish if you only want a tasty simple meal, but have the option for more extravagance if you're hosting or have money/time to spare. Not counting sides, I would happily try making 24 out of 46 recipes which sounds low until you realise I don't eat beef or lamb. Excluding those, it has a much higher ratio than any other recipe book I've bought.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and will certainly be checking out the author's food blog as a result of reading it. The layout and attention to detail is phenomenal, the recipes are varied and tasty, and the tips and other notes are useful on the whole. A wonderful find for anyone with a slow cooker.

Overall Rating:

The Devil and the Deep edited by Ellen Datlow

I mentioned in my last post about Ellen Datlow how I planned to read more collections edited by her, and The Devil and the Deep is the next one I chose. I have always enjoyed stories about the sea and I was excited by the idea of reading horror stories all themed around the ocean. Sadly I didn't quite get what I wanted but I enjoyed this collection nevertheless. As per usual, I'll be going through the stories one by one.

Deadwater by Simon Bestwick-This was a great story to start with. A woman's lover is found dead, handcuffed to a post by the sea and drowned. It's ruled as a suicide but she's not so sure. This is a straightforward story, rooted in reality and it was great to read because of that. It also had a compelling main character which is very impressive in a short story.

Fodder's Jig by Lee Thomas-This was about a disease that comes from the sea, starts with people dancing uncontrollably and ends with them committing suicide by walking into the water. It was an interesting concept if a little mishmash. I would have liked more focus on the cause behind the disease and the dancing element didn't make much sense really/felt out of place with the overall theme.

The Curious Allure of the Sea by Christopher Golden-A woman's father dies at sea and she finds a strange amulet on his boat. The amulet gets stolen but she is compelled to get a tattoo of it on her arm and this tattoo calls things to her. This was a really unique story and I loved how it fit in with the collection's theme. It built up well and had this subtle sinister tone to the whole thing which made it really enjoyable.

The Tryal Attract by Terry Dowling-There is a skull coated in silver and it talks to people, although no one can ever make out the words. Our protagonist goes to check it out and becomes the first person to understand it. This was a hard story for me to get into and just when it got going, it ended. I felt the climax was too abrupt and I didn't 100% follow what was going on since I couldn't engage with it. Maybe with different pacing I could have really enjoyed this.

The Whaler's Song by Ray Cluley-A group of whalers maybe get attacked by whales? This started off so well and I think would have benefited from a more simple execution of the core concept. There was a weird mystical element and something surreal going on and it muddied the horror of the story for me. Good characterisation and certainly one of the stories that most strongly follows the anthology theme.

A Ship of the South Wind by Bradley Denton-This is a cowboy and 'indjuns' story about two mixed race Native Americans who encounter an unfriendly cowboy and his son. This wasn't a bad story but it had absolutely nothing to do with the sea, apart from a harpoon being involved. I enjoyed it but it has zero to do with the anthology concept in my opinion.

What My Mother Left Me by Alyssa Wong-God, I don't even know where to begin with this story. Our main character's mother dies and leaves her a cottage by the sea. When she gets to the cottage, a very disturbing part of her mother is still there. This might be the weirdest story of all in a pretty weird collection and I hated it at first, then it kind of grew on me. I understood what it was trying to do mythology-wise which I think helped, even if it went about it in a very unusual way. Still, points for creativity.

Broken Record by Stephen Graham Jones-A guy washes up on a desert island and strange items start washing up one by one. This has such a cool premise and the beginning was really enjoyable. It was well written but I think ultimately the idea could have been used to much greater strength. Near the end it lost the potential it had earlier on and while I still liked it a lot overall, it took a weird turn which I sadly could have done without. Still one of the strongest in the collection.

Saudade by Steve Rasnic Tem-While on a cruise for lonely singles, a man encounters a strange woman at night. Early on I thought I knew where this story was going and I was very glad when I was wrong. However, it's another one that ended weaker than it started off. It had some good moments and it wasn't forgettable but it wasn't one of my favourites either.

A Moment Before Breaking by A. C. Wise-Sadly I didn't really 'get' this story. It's about a girl being transported somewhere by boat I think but beyond that, I couldn't really say what was going on. There's a storytelling mechanic which I think is meant to explain what is going on but it doesn't work for me. One of the weakest in my eyes.

Sister, Dearest Sister, Let Me Show You to the Sea by Seanan McGuire-I am always LIVING for Seanan McGuire's contributions to these anthologies and this is no different. A girl wakes up to find herself being drowned by her sister, only to be offered an opportunity to survive...at a price. This had a fantastic atmosphere, intriguing characters and it packed so much good stuff into such a short amount. I would read a whole book with this concept and I loved it.

The Deep Sea Swell by John Langan-I forgot this story when writing this review which is never a good sign. It's about a couple who go on a boat trip and end up in the worst accommodation when they insult a staff member. As is becoming a theme with this anthology, it started off well and then just became incoherent and hard to follow. A poor execution of a good idea.

He Sings of Salt and Wormwood by Brian Hodge-This one deserves kudos for having a very surreal and unusual premise and actually executing it well. A surfer guy is dating a woman who regularly receives presents from the sea that wash up on the shore. Things soon take an unsettling note however and he begins to worry about what the presents mean. I was utterly drawn into this story and I had no idea where it was going which is always good. I am getting the ending of it a little confused with another story in this collection but I really liked it overall.

Shit Happens by Michael Marshall Smith-This story has the weirdest premise and it shouldn't work but it does? While on a business trip taking place on a cruise ship, a mysterious affliction strikes people who are close to the sea. This is one of those short stories I could see being expanded into a whole book and it would make a great comedy horror one. It worked extremely well as a short story in my eyes but I did kinda want more from the world and the characters. One of the strongest in the anthology.

Haunt by Siobhan Carroll-I possibly didn't give this story the chance it deserved because I was sort of done with the anthology by the time I reached it. It has the strong general premise of a ghost ship relating to slaves being drowned but the execution just wasn't there. It had some good moments but overall it wasn't enough to keep my attention or leave a lasting impact.

Overall, this anthology falls into the usual 'mixed bag' category. I did find myself loving many of the stories and I was pleased that most of them managed to stick to the theme so strongly. A major running problem for me was that many of the stories had strong concepts but executed them in bizarre or muddled ways. Maybe it comes down to personal taste but I do enjoy short stories that are simple but effective, and that doesn't describe many of the ones found here. However, I would still recommend this anthology and it definitely has some real belters.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful beautiful book. I was so excited to read this because the words 'queer witches' are instant attention-grabbers for me, and thankfully The Lost Coast did not disappoint. This is the story of a close-knit group of witches who live in a town surrounded by redwoods. One of their group has recently 'changed' so while she is physically present, she is no longer herself mentally. They cast a spell to call someone to them to help find her and the spell brings Danny, a girl who does not know she is a witch but has strong finding magic. When Danny arrives, a boy is found dead and the mystery behind what happened to their friend becomes a little more complicated.

I think the first thing I have to discuss about this book is the writing style. I am normally not a fan of overly poetic books and this certainly counts as one. Usually extended metaphors and dreamy prose yank me out of the story and distract me from the plot. However, Capetta's writing is beautiful and I found the story so compelling that it was only occasionally that the flowery language distracted me. It still did happen but there were also some powerful and/or beautiful sentences which I really did love. This writing style definitely won't be for everyone though and it's something to bear in mind. The book also switched between third and first person between chapters which bothered me at first but I soon got used to. Again, I can see this bothering some people.

The characters are perhaps this book's biggest strength. I didn't quite fall in love with everyone in the admittedly-large cast but I almost did. Hawthorne was definitely the weakest and I kept getting her mixed up with Haven due to their similar names. Everyone else had fairly distinct personalities and I found myself missing them in the second half where there seems to be less focus on the side characters. There is a lot of queer content in this which was great and it was incorporated well into the plot. The plot itself is actually stronger than I expected from this kind of story and I found the ending satisfying which almost never happens with books where plot isn't the main focus.

Overall, this is a gorgeously-written and compelling book about queer witches and the complexities of close-knit groups. If you like the sound of this book, you're almost certain to enjoy it as the blurb gives a perfect sense of what you're going to get. This is a standalone as far as I'm aware and I'm not sure a sequel would work but I almost wish I had more from this world and I would certainly love more about these characters. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Capetta's future work.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill

No book review can ever be objective but in most cases, my ratings given to books reflect how I think most people will react to it. If I rate a book highly, not only do I love it but I usually think most people will enjoy it as well. The Surface Breaks is a book that hasn't always been well-received and I completely understand why but I love Louise O'Neill's writing with a burning passion and so I have to love this book.

This book has a fair few problems. Firstly, the feminism is very overt and not remotely subtle. This will definitely annoy some people regardless of their political beliefs. Secondly, this follows the plot of The Little Mermaid almost identically so there aren't any surprises here. This is definitely a retelling rather than an reimagining and that may disappoint some people as well. Every beat of the story can be predicted which some may see as a huge flaw.

However, having said all that I could not put down The Surface Breaks. O'Neill is one of my favourite writers and I love her poetic, brutal, gut-punch prose. She packs so much emotion and bleakness into every line that it's hypnotic to read. Only Ever Yours is one of my favourite books ever and The Surface Breaks shares many of the same qualities as that, albeit done less subtly. The feminism fits the world less and the protagonist comes across as weaker given the change of setting from a dystopian society to an underwater one. However, it remains beautifully-written and certainly has a lot to say.

If you only read one O'Neill book, I would not recommend this one. That being said, this is a fantastic retelling of The Little Mermaid with strong themes of feminism, sexism and the dangers of not questioning your choices. It is full of heartbreak but also strong worldbuilding and a somewhat interesting take on the traditional story. I cannot wait to read the rest of O'Neill's work and this is a book I will not forget in a hurry.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Secret Child by Caroline Mitchell

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I saw this book was coming out. I read the first book in this series, Truth and Lies, only a few months ago and I found it to be a really enjoyable thriller. I am pleased to say that the sequel continues this trend.

My main concern upon finishing the first one was that I wasn't sure where the story could go. The main plot of Truth and Lies is that a detective discovers her birth mother is a serial killer and she must work with her secretly to uncover the locations of victims' bodies to give their families closure. This plot actually follows neatly on from this and the crime that must be solved involves a secret facility that experimented on children. One of these children supposedly died in a fire years ago but now someone claiming to be him is kidnapping children in the modern day and forcing their parents to play a deadly game to ensure their child's safe return. This plot wasn't quite as compelling to me as the first one but it did neatly incorporate the themes of children being lied to about their past and it offered some nice character moments for Amy, our main protagonist.

The writing in this continues to be of top quality. It was engaging and well-paced, although the plot was a lot more linear than the first book. While the first one had various intriguing subplots going on, this lacks pretty much any. That's not really a huge negative quality, it was just something missing that I had really enjoyed. There is sort of a subplot involving Amy's reporter ex-boyfriend but it's largely downplayed. Her serial killer mother is clearly going to play a large part in the next book but her presence in this one was a little intrusive and mostly seemed to serve to make sure we didn't forget who she was.

Overall, this is still a really enjoyable police procedural series and I am definitely excited for the next ones to come out. I appreciate police procedurals with consistent themes and interesting characters which this provides in spades. The crime of this could have been stronger but it was a great thriller on the whole.

Overall Rating:

.5