Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

I don't read a lot of memoirs but Sociopath caught my eye because of the unusual angle to the subject matter. There are many books about sociopaths in the context of true crime and, while these are very popular, they have never been my particular cup of tea. As a psychologist I have studied many darker aspects of humanity through a research-focused, neutral lens and so the idea of what being a sociopath feels like from a non-offending sociopath's point of view was exactly the kind of thing to grab my interest. I am so glad I got a copy of this because interesting is definitely the word for it.

It is hard to review memoirs because unlike fiction, these are the real aspects of someone's life. I found the pacing of this pretty spot on, although I was a little sad when the childhood portion was over. I think the focus on the relationship with her mother was particularly intriguing and it was something that wasn't hugely covered in the latter half of the book, which is valid but a bit of a shame. The writing was solid and I really appreciated the candid tone of the whole thing. It felt very honest and very real, which seems hugely important in this kind of book.

There is huge value in reading this memoir. I think everyone gains benefits from understanding how sociopaths might function and think, and it's also just a well-told and engaging story. I am pleased to see any kind of work which might expand or challenge people's views on a stigmatised condition and I hope more books like this get published in the future

Overall Rating:

5/5

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

 I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

It should be no surprise that I absolutely love everything Christina Henry writes at this point, and The House that Horror Built is no exception. This book tells the story of Harry, a single mother who begins cleaning the home of famous horror movie director, Javier Castillo. This involves cleaning all of the creepy props which adorn his home and following a very strict set of rules. Harry manages to successfully keep a professional distance from her boss until one day, she and her son are forced to move in with him due to her limiting financial circumstances. She then has to balance maintaining her boundaries whilst also suspecting there is something very odd about the house...

This is a hard book to pinpoint. If I had to, I'd say it was a slow-burn ghost story with a few psychological elements. Most of the book is focused on a creeping sense of dread, with only minimal horror 'stuff' actually happening. This was more than enough for me as a reader though. I found the characters interesting and I wasn't really sure where the story was going to go. I think the climax more than makes up for the slow pace of the beginning. The story gets very intense and troubled, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I am a huge fan of horror as a way of exploring human emotion and trauma, and this book does that very well in my opinion. I also like books which keep you on your toes. Which characters can you trust? Are things are sinister as they seem? This book plays with that well, and that's where the more psychological aspect comes in.

It should also come as no surprise that I am going to recommend this book. It's admittedly a little different than Henry's other, more-action filled works but I think that's a strength rather than a detriment. I think there's a lot here for horror fans to love

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Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

 I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Random House UK Children's in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a hot minute since I fell so completely in love with a book the way I did with this one.

Their Vicious Games is the story of Adina, a young black woman who has had her future snatched away after an unfortunate incident with a fellow classmate and ex-friend. Desperate to reclaim her spot at Yale, she persuades the richest guy at her school to let her join a prestigious competition that happens yearly to help propel the winner into their ideal future. What she doesn't know is that this year is a particularly special year for the competition, and things are far more deadly and intense than she expected...

This book has a fantastic premise. It is essentially The Bachelor meets Hunger Games in all the best ways. Unlike some YA thriller/horrors, it does not shy away from the dark stuff and I adore it for that. This kind of plot deserves real stakes and horrible deaths, and this book provides buckets of both.

Many YA books have a message but this one is woven so solidly through every detail of the book that is really is executed impossibly well. Every character is deliciously complex, with even those who aren't around for very long feeling like they could be real people. This in turn provides the heart which really propels the message of the book. This is 'rich people suck' done right and, despite the fictional extremities, it reflects the real world chillingly well.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It really is the best YA thriller I've read in a long time by quite a large amount (and might be the best one I've ever read tbh) and I genuinely could not put it down. I am so excited to see what this author does next and I hope this book gets the praise and attention it deserves

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Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Mariner Books in exchange for an honest review.

I am not normally a memoir reader but something about this book caught my eye, and I am so glad I took the chance and requested it. Wild Game is a fascinating examination of a mother-daughter relationship in all its complexities. It is a heartbreaking read and one that is quite difficult at times, but I was utterly sucked in.

It feels weird to review the things that happen in someone's life, so I will focus on things other than the content. The writing is brilliant, distant enough to make for a well-told story but close enough that the emotions are still there. There is just as much in what is not said in this book as there is on the page, and that creates a really powerful tone throughout. The mother-daughter dynamic is intriguing and intense, and that's really what powers the story moreso than the mother's affair.

Overall, if you like the sound of this book you should give it a try. It is thoughtfully written, deeply engaging and poignant, which is everything a good memoir should be.

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The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre in exchange for an honest review.

I could not be more in love with this book if I tried.

The Christmas Murder Game is the story of Lily, a girl whose aunt has just died but has left behind one last puzzle. The owner of a large manor house, her aunt was responsible for designing cryptic Christmas games for them to play as children. Now she has designed one last game for her relatives to play. The prize? Inheriting the entire estate. Lily herself isn't interested until she is told that solving the game will also help give her additional information about her own mother's death many years prior.

This book is an absolute blast to read. It's perfect for fans of old school murder mysteries and there are plenty of staples of the genre to be found here (large house, bickering relatives, cryptic riddles). There is also plenty to keep it fresh and interesting. I think a book like this can live or die by its characters, and every single one of these felt like real and interesting people. This really helps the book be a nod to classic murder mysteries without feeling tired or cliché.

Another delightful bonus is the puzzles woven throughout the text for the reader to spot. The framing of the novel is the 12 days of Christmas, and fittingly there are anagrams of each of the lines of the song hidden throughout. There are also the names of murder mystery novels set in old houses hidden throughout as well. I did find these interfered somewhat with my immersion, but ultimately it was a very fun idea and I did get a delightful sense of smugness whenever I managed to spot one.

Overall, if you like the idea of this book then you will not be disappointed. It is rare to find a modern murder mystery which captures the atmosphere and intrigue of a classic one, and especially for a seasonal thriller I haven't read anything which comes close. It's an absolute must read for fans of the genre.

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Extra Salty by Frederick Blichert

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher ECW Press in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a treat to read! It is essentially a collection of essays about the film Jennifer's Body, exploring the various themes and its cultural impact both when it was released and now. The mistreatment of the film at its time of release might not be an entirely new story to everyone, but this still covers a lot of detail and factors which I wasn't aware of personally and that I enjoyed reading about. The various essays about  characters and themes are expertly written and are immensely enjoyable for any fans of the film. There is a strong focus on feminism throughout and what Jennifer's Body says about being a teenage girl. Overall, this is a brilliant book for both fans of the film and fans of movie analysis, and it is well worth checking out. I shall be trying to get the others in the series.

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Autumnal by Daniel Kraus

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Independent Publishers Group, Vault Comics in exchange for an honest review.

It's rare for me to dislike a graphic novel but trust me when I say Autumnal truly blew me away. Focused on a single woman and her daughter, the story begins when she inherits a house from her mother and returns to her childhood home. Upon returning though, it quickly becomes apparent that something weird is happening with the leaves, and an old rhyme from her childhood might have more than a kernel of truth to it.

The atmosphere of this graphic novel is astounding. The art, the characters, the general story all come together in a wonderful way. There are strong Stephen King vibes here in terms of story and tone, but it also manages to be much more unique than that and bring an atmosphere all its own. The characterisation is so strong and this really helped drive the horror. I was so completely absorbed by the story, I read it all in one sitting and I know I will be thinking about this for a long while.

If you want a new creepy graphic novel for the spooky season, you can't go wrong here. It's perfect for getting you in the mood for Halloween, but also more generally is just a solid tale of horror. I would love to read more stuff like this and I can't wait to see what the artists/authors do next.

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The Decagon House Murders Vol 1 by Yukito Ayatsuji, Hiro Kiyohara

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Kodansha in exchange for an honest review.

Having read the novel version of the Decagon House Murders earlier this year and being very impressed, I was really excited to see a manga was being produced. I am pleased to report that it did not disappoint! This is a fantastic adaptation of the book's content and a really fun way to experience the story. The character designs are great and, as someone who struggled a little bit with character names in the book, I found it actually helped me tell characters apart much more easily. I also found the subplot a lot more interesting in this format than in the novel. This volume covers a decent amount of the first book and seems like fantastic value as it told more of the story than I was expecting. I 100% recommend this, both as a way of consuming the story and for the story itself. This is a brilliant murder mystery and the manga format only adds to the enjoyability. I am eagerly awaiting the other volumes.

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Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. It is very short but I quite enjoyed being able to read it in one setting. Essentially this book is exactly what it says on the tin: a delightful comedy book told in the style of a guidebook parodying all manner of British murder mysteries. I mainly noticed references to Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie, but it covers a lot of mystery tropes so there's bound to be something here for everyone. The illustrations are brilliant and the humour is very reminiscent of Lemony Snicket, which suits the style and genre perfectly. I would be delighted to get this as a gift as a mystery fan and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it.

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The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

Grady Hendrix is one of those authors I know is always going to give me a good time, and The Final Girl Support Group is no exception. From the first page this book sucked me in and I loved every second of it. 

This is the tale of Lynette, a 'final girl' of the horror genre fame. For those not in the know, a final girl is the sole survivor of a horror film, usually found in 80s and 90s slashers. She is usually pure, very resourceful and innocent, and often deeply traumatised by her experiences. In this world, famous horror movies are based on true events and our 6 members of the support group are the survivors. Scream, Friday the 13th, Halloween-they are all here under different names, and now we get to see what happened to the protagonists and who they grew up to be. The plot kicks off when Lynette suspects that someone is intent on murdering them all and goes on the run, determined that this time she will survive again.

There was so much about this book that surprised and delighted me. Firstly, the fact that each final girl comes from a recognisable franchise was completely unexpected and I adored it as a horror fan. I loved trying to guess what franchise each girl came from and putting together all the references and clues. Having said that, this book is so much more than a love letter to the genre. As always, Hendrix's characters are on point here. Lynette is ruthless and not a 'good' person, but you are 100% rooting for her as a reader. I think it does a brilliant job of recreating that familiar relationship between a victim and the public. Sure, you feel sorry for her but can you trust her? Is she telling the truth? Hendrix plays on these feelings to the book's advantage and it really is so clever in its execution.

It is truly incredible to have a book like this with a plot like it does and it be one of the most feminist horror books I have ever read. Rest assured, it is not overt and can be easily ignored if you wish. But to have such a strong cast of female characters, to truly poke and prod at the trope of the 'final girl' and how it is perceived by people, to have almost no sexual content or sexualisation of the female characters in the slasher genre: all this is so impressive to me. I think it has some fantastic things to say in the conversation of gender and horror, and these are woven effortlessly into the story so it never feels preachy or like that is the only point of the book.

There's not much more I can say to praise this book without giving things away but truly, it was everything I hoped for and more. If you're wondering what the difference between Final Girls by Riley Sager and this is, they are similar in basic premise and analysis of the trope but vastly different in content and execution. I enjoyed both thoroughly and reading The Final Girl Support Group, I didn't feel like it was being unoriginal or retreading old ground. This is definitely more of a horror than a thriller and it explores a wider cast of characters and situations.

Overall, if you enjoy horror (and in particular, slashers) please read this book. It breathes fresh life into the genre and I know this is a story I will be rereading a lot for many years to come. If you try one of Hendrix's books (and you absolutely should) this is the one I recommend the most.

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