Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
You know exactly what you're in for when you pick up a book by Kingfisher. It's going to be a little dark and a lot weird, and this one was no exception. I love how she can make you laugh and gross you out all at the same time. While I found this one entertaining, it wasn't my favorite of hers. I thought the plot took a lot of time to develop. The beginning felt slow, and nothing really happened until the last 80 pages or so, and then it wrapped up pretty quickly. The characters were fine, but it did seem like Sam's personality only consisted of bugs and boxed wine. It was still a fun read, and if you're looking to ease into the horror genre, I'd recommend checking out any of Kingfisher's books.
When it comes to fantasy stand alones, I find they're either hit or miss, and this one sadly fell into the latter category. It didn't feel fully developed. I never got a sense of who the characters were, the world itself, or even how the magic worked. There's all this talk about curses and dark magic, yet nothing about the story felt tense or suspenseful. The stakes are very low throughout this to the point where it was almost boring at times. It's also marketed as a romance, but there's no chemistry between Clara and Xavier. The talk surrounding mental health was interesting but could've been explored more. Overall, it was whimsical, but I wanted more substance.
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| Pub Date: 3-28-23 Adult - Horror |
A House with Good Bones- T. Kingfisher: As an archaeoentomologist, Sam Montgomery spends most of her time digging up bugs, but when her latest job gets postponed, she has nowhere to go but back home to her mother's house. Sam's looking forward to relaxing, watching cozy mystery shows, and drinking boxed wine with her mom. But when she arrives at the sleepy cul-de-sac, it doesn't take long for Sam to realize something is off. The brightly colored walls are now a drab ecru, vultures have taken up sentry by the mailbox, and her mom seems even jumpier than usual. Soon, Sam starts to experience strange hallucinations and, worst of all, uncovers a jar of teeth buried in the backyard. Determined to figure out what's happening to her home, Sam starts looking into her family's past, but some secrets should stay buried.
You know exactly what you're in for when you pick up a book by Kingfisher. It's going to be a little dark and a lot weird, and this one was no exception. I love how she can make you laugh and gross you out all at the same time. While I found this one entertaining, it wasn't my favorite of hers. I thought the plot took a lot of time to develop. The beginning felt slow, and nothing really happened until the last 80 pages or so, and then it wrapped up pretty quickly. The characters were fine, but it did seem like Sam's personality only consisted of bugs and boxed wine. It was still a fun read, and if you're looking to ease into the horror genre, I'd recommend checking out any of Kingfisher's books.
Rating: 3.5/5
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| Pub Date: 3-14-23 YA - Fantasy |
Flowerheart- Catherine Bakewell: Clara has always dreamt of becoming a witch, but her magic has a mind of its own. No matter how hard she tries, Clara has never gotten a firm grasp on her magic, causing it to lash out at inopportune moments. Wild as it is, her magic has never been dangerous-- until now. Distraught after learning she'd never become a full-fledged witch, Clara's touch accidentally curses her father, causing poisonous flowers to bloom inside him. The only way to heal him is with powerful magic, so Clara turns to her estranged childhood best friend, Xavier, for help. Knowing she'll do whatever it takes to save her father, Xavier asks for a steep price in return: Clara's magic. As Clara struggles to heal her father, she discovers Xavier is hiding a dark secret that affects the entire queendom, and only her power is strong enough to stop it.
When it comes to fantasy stand alones, I find they're either hit or miss, and this one sadly fell into the latter category. It didn't feel fully developed. I never got a sense of who the characters were, the world itself, or even how the magic worked. There's all this talk about curses and dark magic, yet nothing about the story felt tense or suspenseful. The stakes are very low throughout this to the point where it was almost boring at times. It's also marketed as a romance, but there's no chemistry between Clara and Xavier. The talk surrounding mental health was interesting but could've been explored more. Overall, it was whimsical, but I wanted more substance.
Rating: 2/5
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| Pub Date: 1-17-23 Adult - Mystery |
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone- Benjamin Stevenson: Ernest "Ern" Cunningham doesn't have the best relationship with his family. The tension was always there, but it boiled over after Ern testified against his brother in a murder case and had him sent to prison. Now three years later, his brother is being released, and his family has all decided to meet at a resort to celebrate. But when they arrive, a mysterious stranger is found dead on the slope, and the Cunninghams are the prime suspects. You see, everyone in Ernest's family has killed before, and it's up to Ernest to find out which one did it.
Like most, I was drawn in by the title of this book. You can't look at it and not want to know more about it. The cover design also gave me Clue vibes, which was even more of a reason to pick it up. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I didn't like the narrative style. It's very tongue-in-cheek, and all the breaking of the fourth wall kept taking me out of the story. I'm usually all for a book with dark humor, but it didn't work for me here. There were also so many moments that felt way too farfetched. I'll give it props for being entertaining, but overall, it was a bit meh.
Like most, I was drawn in by the title of this book. You can't look at it and not want to know more about it. The cover design also gave me Clue vibes, which was even more of a reason to pick it up. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I didn't like the narrative style. It's very tongue-in-cheek, and all the breaking of the fourth wall kept taking me out of the story. I'm usually all for a book with dark humor, but it didn't work for me here. There were also so many moments that felt way too farfetched. I'll give it props for being entertaining, but overall, it was a bit meh.
Rating: 2/5
Still so disappointed about Flowerheart :( Hopefully we'll get a good cottagecore book in the near future!
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