Category: 3 stars

AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS by Alexis Henderson – Review

AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS by Alexis Henderson – Review
Posted September 27, 2024 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 12 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Despite a strong dark academia vibe and some interesting world building elements, An Academy For Liars lacked a cohesive plot and likeable characters. “Lennon was no hero. And she wasn’t even sure she had the spine to call herself a villain.” I had high hopes for An Academy of Liars, but unfortunately it […]

HAUNT SWEET HOME by Sarah Pinsker – Review

HAUNT SWEET HOME by Sarah Pinsker – Review
Posted September 5, 2024 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 21 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Light on scares but big on character growth and emotion, Haunt Sweet Home offers up interesting characters but is a disappointing ghost story. Haunt Sweet Home is described as a “spooky ghost story,” but unfortunately, that description doesn’t fit the story at all. There isn’t a single scary moment in the book, which […]

KEY LIME SKY by Al Hess – Review

KEY LIME SKY by Al Hess – Review
Posted August 23, 2024 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 21 Comments

The nitty-gritty: A focus on relationships rather than plot left me with mixed feelings for this cozy, science fiction alien invasion story. Key Lime Sky is the second book I’ve read by Al Hess, and although it has elements I love, like humor and interesting queer characters, it didn’t hit the highs I experienced when […]

WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT by T. Kingfisher – Review

WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT by T. Kingfisher – Review
Posted February 8, 2024 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 21 Comments

The nitty-gritty: I wanted the gothic creepiness of What Moves the Dead, but instead this sequel lacked the elements that made the first book so good. “This isn’t just a dream, though. It’s the war.” I absolutely loved What Moves the Dead last year, and I was honestly surprised to see Kingfisher had written a […]

YOUR SHADOW HALF REMAINS by Sunny Moraine – Review

YOUR SHADOW HALF REMAINS by Sunny Moraine – Review
Posted January 26, 2024 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 27 Comments

The nitty-gritty: A short, psychological horror story that is heavy on mood and light on plot. Your Shadow Half Remains is a psychological horror story that takes place after a pandemic-like event, and it’s definitely more “psychological” than “horror,” in my opinion, which is probably why I didn’t rate it higher. I do love Sunny […]

DEEP FREEZE by Michael C. Grumley – Review

DEEP FREEZE by Michael C. Grumley – Review
Posted January 22, 2024 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 21 Comments

The nitty-gritty: A fascinating idea—cryonics—held my attention, but the plot was confusing at times, as the author kept his readers in the dark far too long. Deep Freeze is a sci-fi thriller about cryonics, and I enjoyed parts of it very much. Saying that, I struggled with the way the story was told, which I’ll […]

BLOOM by Delilah S. Dawson – Review

BLOOM by Delilah S. Dawson – Review
Posted October 13, 2023 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 22 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Cottagecore turns bloody in this uneven slasher/romance. I’ve been looking forward to another book by Delilah S. Dawson ever since I read and loved The Violence. Bloom seemed promising, with it’s beautiful but disturbing cover, but unfortunately this was just OK for me. Maybe the novella length had something to do with that, […]

MISTER MAGIC by Kiersten White – Review

MISTER MAGIC by Kiersten White – Review
Posted August 21, 2023 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 24 Comments

The nitty-gritty: A long-running, mysterious children’s television show is the catalyst for emotional trauma in this intriguing but uneven and confusing story. “What did Mister Magic look like? He was tall and enormous. He was slight and lithe. He didn’t have arms or legs. He was all arms and legs. He was a person. He […]

WILD SPACES by S.L. Coney – Review

WILD SPACES by S.L. Coney – Review
Posted July 28, 2023 by Tammy in 3 stars, Reviews / 17 Comments

The nitty-gritty: Dreamy, evocative writing and emotional themes make this an intriguing tale, but I didn’t enjoy the ending at all. “There are two kinds of family,” his father says. “The kind you share genes with, and the kind you welcome into your heart.” Please note, spoilers about the dog ahead. I’m so sad that […]