Her brother’s words echo in Sam Montgomery’s ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.
She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam’s excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.
But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.
To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
This is the second book I’ve read from Kingfisher and I absolutely loved it. The protagonist Sam Montgomery is hilarious, so although the novel has very creepy and terrifying moments, her humor lightens the darkness. I love that the book explored generational trauma in ways that were very unexpected and new. Sam stays with her mother during a time when she’s currently not working and soon discovers that her mother’s actions and words are off from how she recalls her. In fact, she’s reminded more and more of her deceased Gran Mae. As Sam tries to make sense of what is happening to her mother, she soon discovers very dark family secrets and how those may also be the answer to saving her mother. I don’t want to say much else about the plot as it’ll be a treat for you to discover all the twists and turns, but rest assured that this is one hella fun novel that you can absolutely read at the beach or by the pool as it moves very quickly and the humor is very amusing.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves ghost-adjacent books and family secrets.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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What It Does: Helps minimize pores, combat shine/oily skin, and even out skintone.
Active Ingredients: Barbados Cherry, Cactus Flower, Niacinamide, Australian Lemon Myrtle, Japanese Raisin Tree, and Green Tea and Fig.
Verdict: I’m conflicted about this product because I do like it and it does feel good but it’s not enough to warrant paying $34 for toner. I haven’t seen a difference in controlling my oily skin or pores, but like I said, I do like how the toner feels on my skin. It doesn’t sting nor does it feel dry. It feels very soft and nourishing to the skin, so for that, I will say it’s a good toner. It also has some very excellent ingredients and is completely vegan. So for those points, I can see someone wanting to choose this toner over others. But I personally, haven’t seen a huge difference in my skin to warrant that price point.
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What lives in dark woods What emerges from depths What creeps within alleyways.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Cynthia Pelayo sings a song for the least of us, the victim we want to forget as soon as possible, the one who disappeared before ever really appearing. With a fairy tale gaze and a heart bigger than the world, her siren song insinuates itself past our defenses, past the hardened calluses and apathy we’ve erected to protect ourselves from the everyday horror of another missing girl.
Pelayo relates the familiar story, poem by poem; a body is found, a brutal crime investigated, clues take us in circles, and lead us nowhere. We are on an epic journey, the hero’s journey, and it must play out to the end in all its painful, ticking moments. Pelayo imbues her hero, Agent K, with the entirety of our dedication and that crumb of hope we’ve been hiding, saving for later. We will need to save for years, for decades, if we want to come out the other side. The job takes its toll, the answers are never complete and whys fracture, crack and spread. Still there is no turning away. We must bear witness, though it changes and contorts us.
GRADE: A+
REVIEW:
This poetry collection recently won the Bram Stoker for best poetry collection of 2022 and with good reason. But this isn’t your typical collection, as it reads more like an epic poem in the way one would read Homer’s classics like The Illiad or Gilgamesh. This collection opens with a horrific discovery of a body, and soon Agent K is tasked with trying to find the killer of the victim, and it’s a race against time. Each poem is titled as police report numbers, which packs a punch as a reminder that this isn’t just a story, this is real life. As we learn more about Agent K, we know that she had her own tragedy that sparked her reasoning to become a detective. Pelayo paints such detailed, dark imagery that stays with you long after you’ve reached the end. This is an excellent, heartbreaking tale, that sadly feels very close to many of the true crime stories we see time and time again, adding to the tragedy of how no matter how many victims there are, there never seems to be an end to this kind of story.
I absolutely recommend this if you love horror, true crime, and lyrical poetry with dark imagery.
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If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it?
PLOT SUMMARY:
For as long as she can remember, Belle has been insidiously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother’s considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror—and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass.
Snow White meets Eyes Wide Shut in this surreal descent into the dark side of beauty, envy, grief, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. With black humor and seductive horror, Rouge explores the cult-like nature of the beauty industry—as well as the danger of internalizing its pitiless gaze. Brimming with California sunshine and blood-red rose petals, Rouge holds up a warped mirror to our relationship with mortality, our collective fixation with the surface, and the wondrous, deep longing that might lie beneath.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
A fever dream, a fairytale, a nightmare. This book is all those things and more. As someone who is as skincare obsessed as Mirabelle, this novel resonated a lot with me. Awad writes some of the best mad, unhinged women in literature, and I’m absolutely here for it. When her mother unexpectedly dies in a tragic accident, and Mirabelle leaves Montreal for So-Cal, her descent to madness doesn’t take that long. Much like her previous books, Awad manages to capture the protagonist’s slip from reality in a way that is both poetic and terrifying. This novel is steeped with silent rage, mommy issues, and the color red. Often, as the reader, you can’t tell what is real and what is madness, a bit of an Alice in Wonderland moment, if you will. But one thing is certain, you can’t look away, and you continue down the proverbial rabbit hole along with Mirabelle, trying to make sense of the craziness as best as you can. This is one wild ride that explores our obsession with beauty and youth and to what lengths one might go to be beautiful.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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Verdict: First things first, the packaging is incredibly adorable, and why I selected it as one of my items for my June Ipsy bag. When you first apply this lipstick, it smells heavenly – like actual ice cream. The lipstick feels lightweight and the colour is really pretty, a berry shade. Now, the issue I had with this lipstick was that after four hours it began to BLEED/FEATHER (what this means is that it began to run over the natural lipline, into the skin). By the time it was 6pm, the lipstick looked like the Harley Quinn smudged lipstick. Usually, all the liquid lipsticks I’ve used from Urban Decay or Maybelline have lasted me from 7am-9pm sans bleeding/feathering, or smudging. So to have this one start to bleed after only four hours, it was such a letdown. So I can’t really recommend this lipstick if you’re looking for longevity, because it’ll turn messy and I’m not a fan of messy lipstick AT ALL.
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Skin cycling may sound complicated, but it’s actually based on a less-is-more approach that helps you achieve healthy-looking skin and protect your skin’s barrier. To start, you’ll follow a four-day evening routine with one key type of product designated for each night.
The rotation begins with exfoliation on the first night, followed by retinol on the second night. The third and fourth nights are dedicated to recovery skin barrier-protecting serums and moisturizers. Then, the cycle repeats.
Every Day & Night: Some products are too essential to skip out on and should be used every day of your routine. This includes serums and moisturizers.
Night One: Exfoliation
Kick off your cycle with an exfoliating formula to help minimize the look of your pores, buff away dull or rough skin, and prep your face to receive the benefits from the rest of your products throughout the cycle. First, cleanse your face and make sure it’s 100% dry. Then, apply your chosen exfoliating product. For this step, some of my favorite exfoliating creams are Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator or Glam Glow Brightmud Dual-Action Exfoliating Treatment.
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What It Does: Delivers volume and length, almost giving the illusion of false lashes.
Verdict: I’m on the fence with this mascara because it does deliver in the sense of lengthening your lashes, but I’m not really a fan of the formula. The formula is kinda gloopy and clumpy, and tar-like. I can see this working if you do one coat of the mascara and then use a clean mascara wand to fix up any clumping the mascara creates. Sadly, this is the issue with mascaras that have fibers, they do give you maximum length and volume, but there’s a learning curve on how to apply it without creating a total mess. It also flakes a little by the end of the day or if you nap. I don’t completely hate this, but there are so many other amazing mascaras out there for less price that I don’t necessarily recommend it either.
Price: $26
Where To Buy It: MAC, Ulta, and Sephora.
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Summer has so many new book releases, that I’m looking forward to these titles so very much. Many of these I’ve already read ARCs for, so I’ll be thrilled to pick up physical copies to add to my ever-growing library once they’re out into the world.
Here are a few of my fave Summer picks:
MISTER MAGIC BY KIERSTEN WHITE
Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children’s program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.
But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who—or what—the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has.
Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it’s been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven’t seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.
After all, they’re the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?
Because magic never forgets the taste of your friendship. . . .
101 HORROR BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU’RE MURDERED BY SADIE HARTMANN
Curious readers and fans of monsters and the macabre, get ready to bulk up your TBR piles! Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann has curated the best selection of modern horror books, including plenty of deep cuts. Indulge your heart’s darkest desires to be terrified, unsettled, disgusted, and heartbroken with stories that span everything from paranormal hauntings and creepy death cults to small-town terrors and apocalyptic disasters. Each recommendation includes a full synopsis as well as a quick overview of the book’s themes, style, and tone so you can narrow down your next read at a glance. Featuring a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman and five brand-new essays from rising voices in the genre, this illustrated reader’s guide is perfect for anyone who dares to delve into the dark.
EVERYTHING THE DARKNESS EATS BY ERIC LAROCCA
An insidious darkness threatens to devastate a rural New England village when occult forces are conjured and when bigotry is left unrestrained.
After a recent string of disappearances in a small Connecticut town, a grieving widower with a grim secret is drawn into a dangerous ritual of dark magic by a powerful and mysterious older gentleman named Heart Crowley. Meanwhile, a member of local law enforcement tasked with uncovering the culprit responsible for the bizarre disappearances soon begins to learn of a current of unbridled hatred simmering beneath the guise of the town’s idyllic community—a hatred that will eventually burst and forever change the lives of those who once found peace in the quiet town of Henley’s Edge.
THE BEAST YOU ARE: STORIES BY PAUL TREMBLAY
A haunting collection of short fiction from the bestselling author of The Pallbearers Club,A Head Full of Ghosts, and The Cabin at the End of the World.
Paul Tremblay has won widespread acclaim for illuminating the dark horrors of the mind in novels and stories that push the boundaries of storytelling itself. The fifteen pieces in this brilliant collection, The Beast You Are, are all monsters of a kind, ready to loudly (and lovingly) smash through your head and into your heart.
In “The Dead Thing,” a middle-schooler struggles to deal with the aftermath of her parents’ substance addictions and split. One day, her little brother claims he found a shoebox with “the dead thing” inside. He won’t show it to her and he won’t let the box out of his sight. In “The Last Conversation,” a person wakes in a sterile, white room and begins to receive instructions via intercom from a woman named Anne. When they are finally allowed to leave the room to complete a task, what they find is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.
The title novella, “The Beast You Are,” is a mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog, and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every thirty years.
A masterpiece of literary horror and psychological suspense, The Beast You Are is a fearlessly imagined collection from one of the most electrifying and innovative writers working today.
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What It Is: A brightening and depuffing eye cream.
What It Does: Brightens, depuffs, and hydrates the eye area.
Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Peptides, and green caffeine.
Verdict: First things first, I loved the consistency of this cream. It’s not too thick and not too thin either. But I also wouldn’t necessarily call it a gel, as it is more of a cream. Now, I have no delusions that this cream would solve my dark eye circles because mine are hereditary, but I do like that it kind of helped (or at least they weren’t as noticeable). Apart from this, the cream is very hydrating and you wake up feeling your eye area is nourished and refreshed. I’ve only been using it at night, so I don’t know how it holds up beneath makeup. Although, since it isn’t greasy, I’d venture that it would do well under concealer. I’ve been wanting to try out Glow Recipe products and was excited that Ipsy had this in their Glam Icon Box this month. I did like this eye cream but overall I wasn’t obsessed with it, but for the price point it is a good investment.
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Do I have to smash a glass over the head of every single man I come into contact with, just so I leave a fucking mark?
PLOT SUMMARY
Exiled from the art world and on sabbatical from her dead-end bar job, Irina obsessively takes explicit photographs of the average-looking men she persuades to model for her, scouted from the streets of Newcastle.
But her talent has not gone unnoticed, and Irina is invited to display her work at a fashionable London gallery. It is a chance to revive her career and escape from the rut of drugs, alcohol, and extreme cinema she’s fallen into. Yet the news instead triggers a self-destructive tailspin, centered around Irina’s consuming relationship with her best friend, and a shy young man from her local supermarket who has attracted her attention. . . .
GRADE: A
REVIEW
If Patrick Bateman were a hot girl living in Newcastle upon Tyne, he’d definitely be Irina Sturges. Despite being a narcissistic and deeply flawed individual, Irina is a trainwreck you simply can’t take your eyes off of. You’re compelled to continue reading what degrading things she has her so-called “models” do in the name of art, as she takes photos of them. I loved how every photograph she had saved unlocked new memories and we got to see what she had been up to in those years prior to us, readers, getting to know her. Clark’s writing is razor sharp, and although we can agree that Irina isn’t the best person and her relationships are all terrible (her mother is evil, her best friend is awful, and the men in her life are either simps or losers), you can’t help but feel some bit of empathy in the way that she’s the way she is because both society and her interactions with people have shaped her in this way (I don’t want to delve too much into her past because of *spoilers* ).
The horror isn’t smack dab in your face, but it’s there and it’s vicious when it comes to the surface. But overall, this is a crazy adventure of human depravity, looking for artistic approval, and trying to leave a mark in the world however fucked up that may be. I totally recommend this if you loved books such as American Psycho, Maeve Fly, and Into The Miso Soup.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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The Inkblotters 