Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.
This movie is phenomenally dark and chaotically twisty. And Kyle confirms himself as the Horror King. Go in blind and enjoy the crazy ride!
Long Legs
FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.
Oz Perkins may be one of my recent fave directors. Every movie of his has been a major hit for the horror genre, and with Long Legs you get the bonus of Nickolas Cage and Horror Queen Maika Monroe.
Oddity
After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Darcy goes after those responsible by using haunted items as her tools for revenge.
For a shoestring budget, this movie packs a brutal punch and has the best jumpscare in a long time. You may want to check out Damia McCarthy’s previous film Caveat.
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This wasn’t your usual horror movie – it has body horror, but it’s not horrific until you begin to hear the shriek the monster emits. Hunter Schafer is seventeen-year-old Gretchen who has recently lost her mother and had to relocate with her dad and his new family. She’s not keen on this, especially when they start living in the German Alps and she’s far from her US friends and the life she had there.
Dan Stevens plays the odd, Herr Konig (her dad’s boss) who fixates on her deaf sister Alma. He also offers Gretchen a job at his resort, but insists that she doesn’t work the night shift. Obviously, since this is a horror movie, we find out why when her co-worker asks Gretchen to cover her nightshift.
The movie is a mix of 70’s giallo but as the film progresses and Gretchen acquires more and more wounds, you begin to wonder how she’s going to final girl her way out of this predicament when she looks absolutely massacred. The unease that the characters feel in the movie due to the monster can be felt by the audience. When the monster shrieks, the audience cringes too as the sound is so offputting that you want it to stop. When the characters get stuck in a time loop, the audience feels just as disorientated, trying to figure out if the loop is going to continue or it’s going to end.
Cuckoo isn’t your typical horror movie, and it may not be the type of movie one might enjoy if your flavor of horror is Blumhouse horrors. But if you enjoy weird horror movies that are doing something interesting with the genre, then this might be up your alley.
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Hanna is no stranger to dark thoughts: as a young child, she tried to murder her own mother. But that was more than sixteen years ago. And extensive therapy—and writing letters to her younger brother—has since curbed those nasty tendencies.
Now twenty-four, Hanna is living an outwardly normal life of domestic content. Married to real estate agent Jacob, she’s also stepmother to his teenage daughter Joelle. They live in a beautiful home, and Hanna loves her career as a phlebotomist—a job perfectly suited to her occasional need to hurt people.
But when Joelle begins to change in ways that don’t suit Hanna’s purposes, her carefully planned existence threatens to come apart. With life slipping out of her control, Hanna reverts to old habits, determined to manipulate the events and people around her. And the only thing worse than a baby sociopath is a fully grown one.
GRADE: B-
REVIEW:
This novel is the highly anticipated sequel to Baby Teeth. When we left Hanna at the end of the first book, she was sent to an institution for troubled girls – when we meet Hanna as an adult she’s a phlebtomist, where she uses her job as a means to exact pain whenever she feels stressed on her patients. One day she meets a widowed father with a young girl and soon she marries him and becomes a stepmother. Hanna lives a very structured and mundane life, but she’s happy, until her stepdaughter becomes pregnant. This event triggers her to the point that her past sociopathic tendencies reemerge. While I found this novel very fast paced and I did like adult Hanna a lot, I kind of expected more. What I mean is that child Hanna was way more deranged than adult Hanna, and I know that adult Hanna was trying to avoid ever having to go to prison, but I kind of wished that she would’ve been more dangerous if that makes sense? I did like how the novel ended – Hanna deserved to get rid of all those terrible people in her life.
If you read the first book you might like this sequel, although this book can be read as a standalone. I don’t know if this book was much of a thriller, so if you’re into thrillers where you’re worried about any of the characters dying, this isn’t that sort of thriller. I do enjoy Stage’s novels overall, but do feel that she fills her novels with too many mundane events and details that don’t really add to the story.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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I have scratches on my thighs when I get out of bed the next morning.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Iðunn is in yet another doctor’s office. She knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something’s not right, but practitioners dismiss her symptoms and blood tests haven’t revealed any cause.
When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same ― have you tried eating better? exercising more? establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to follow their advice, buying everything from vitamins to sleeping pills to a step-counting watch. Nothing helps.
Until one night Iðunn falls asleep with the watch on, and wakes up to find she’s walked over 40,000 steps in the night . . .
What is happening when she’s asleep? Why is she waking up with increasingly disturbing injuries? And why won’t anyone believe her?
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book from an Icelandic author so I was curious about that going in. I love how the language used is direct and to the point, and the short chapters allow the story to move at a fast paced rhythm. The plot is very intriguing and mysterious, as you the reader, along with the protagonist have no idea what’s going on and what exactly is happening to her every time she falls asleep. Is she sleepwalking? Why is she waking up with bruises? Why does she feel like she has spent all night walking or lifting?
Iðunn doesn’t know what’s happening to her, and neither does the reader. It’s a dark, twisty journey and you can’t stop reading wanting to know exactly what’s going on. If you love short books, this may be exactly what you need, as it’s almost 200 pages.
The prose is sparse, but you get the feeling of loneliness and isolation that plagues Iðunn like a haunted specter. From the first page, you will be sucked into this dark tunnel of no return and yet you cannot stop, because you need to know.
I recommend this book if you love mysterious, quiet horror and enjoy short books and chapters.
*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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The directorial debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan is trying to fill her father’s footsteps in this twisty dark film. Dakota Fanning is Mina, a haunted American artist who lives in Ireland, away from her twin sister who tries to get in touch with her, but she ignores. One day her boss from the pet shop asks her to take a parrot to a remote area of Belfast and unbeknownst to Mina, it’s an area that’s notorious for people going missing. When her car stops in the middle of the forest, she has no choice but to try to find help.
In the forest, she meets another group of people who have been missing for several months but haven’t been able to leave the forest. At night, strange creatures haunt the forest and the group tells her they cannot be outside during that time. The bunker they call “The Coop” has a mirrored wall, where the strange creatures they refer to as “The Watchers” spend hours of the night gazing at them.
The movie has a mysterious atmosphere and the cinematography of the forest is very visually captivating. However, the movie loses its charm somewhere along the way when we’re spoonfed exactly what the creatures are and shots of them are shown. Somehow, the film worked best when “The Watchers” were mysterious beings we knew little about.
I can see why this film flopped at the theatres, but it’s okay to watch on streaming for its strong performances (Fanning is excellent) and original twist. It’s currently streaming on MAX.
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We are all just dry tinder. And eventually we will all burn.
PLOT SUMMARY:
A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust. Sophie, a good Catholic girl, must traverse the hellscape of the midwest to try to find her family while the world around her burns. Along the way she discovers there are far worse fates than dying a virgin.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
American Rapture is a complete departure from Maeve Fly regarding protagonists. Maeve is violent and kinky while Sophie is a tender-hearted virgin. The apocalypse is here and it comes in the form of a virus that causes those infected to become sexually feral. Sophie goes on a wild road trip across the Midwest in search of her brother but also tries to outrun a virus that is infecting everyone. While the virus sounds horrific (because the person dies a few days later after being infected), the real horror is how Sophie was brought up. Sophie had a very strict Catholic upbringing that had her parents not allowing her to watch television or read books they didn’t approve of. Her descriptions of her upbringing – the constant fear, guilt, and shame are scary (and can understand why people decided to remove themselves from religion when that is what is being preached). I guess for me, despite being Catholic, I was raised very liberal and so never understood the restrictions some of my friends had (I’ve also noticed that Italian Catholics are more chill cause Roman paganism still hovers predominately over us). This is to say that the most horrific things that happen in this novel are caused by the religious cult and misogynistic men – which are very real horrors (and ones we deal with in our own lives). If you enjoyed movies like Zombieland, you will love this novel as the group of characters get to visit and stay in some really fun Midwestern locations (I was having a blast Googling and finding pix of these crazy but cool places!). This book will make you feel all the feelings – but there are enough horrific, gory scenes for the extreme horror lovers out there. I really loved reading this and going on this wild ride, and Leede always lands her endings in ways that are hard to beat. This is a phenomenal novel that is jam-packed with emotion and grit, and never a dull moment in sight.
I recommend this book if you love horror that leans on cults, conspiracy theories, pandemics, and zombies (although not entirely zombies, what happens to the infected is close enough).
*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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A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust.
Sophie, a good Catholic girl, must traverse the hellscape of the midwest to try to find her family while the world around her burns. Along the way she discovers there are far worse fates than dying a virgin…
The end times are coming.
BURY YOUR GAYS by CHUCK TINGLE
Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell.
But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination. And the executives at the studio for his long-running streaming series know just the thing to kick his career to the next level: kill off the gay characters, “for the algorithm,” in the upcoming season finale.
Misha refuses, but he soon realizes that he’s just put a target on his back. And what’s worse, monsters from his horror movie days are stalking him and his friends through the hills above Los Angeles.
Haunted by his past, Misha must risk his entire future—before the horrors from the silver screen find a way to bury him for good.
EVIL IN ME by BROM
Aspiring musician Ruby Tucker has had enough of her small rural town and dysfunctional family. But a falling out with her best friend and bandmate has killed her dreams of escaping and making it big in the Atlanta punk scene.
While helping her eccentric neighbor organize his religious artifacts, an ancient ring clamps down on her finger—possessing her with the spirit of a blood-thirsty demon. There’s no exorcizing it unless hundreds of people chant a spell to set Ruby free. And what’s worse, the ring is a beacon for evil, drawing an unimaginably wicked mob straight to Ruby, hungry for her flesh.
If Ruby can get her band back together, she has a shot at salvation. It’s time for her to face the music and put her whole soul into a song—one powerful enough to raise some Hell.
Are any of these books on your current TBR? Which books do you have?
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Seventeen-year-old Gretchen reluctantly leaves America to live with her father at a resort in the German Alps. Plagued by strange noises and bloody visions, she soon discovers a shocking secret that concerns her own family.
Bonus: Stars Hunter Schafer.
STRANGE DARLING
Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.
Bonus: Stars Scream King Kyle Gallner. I will absolutely watch any horror movie that stars him.
TERRIFIER 3
Art the Clown unleashes a night of bloody chaos as the unsuspecting residents of Miles County peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Bonus: I loooove slashers and love that horror finally has a new villain in Art the Clown.
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For childhood friends Gabe, Xavier, Tavo, Paul, and Bimbo, death has always been close. Hurricanes. Car accidents. Gang violence. Suicide. Estamos rodeados de fantasmas was Gabe’s grandmother’s refrain. We are surrounded by ghosts. But this time is different. Bimbo’s mom has been shot dead. We’re gonna kill the guys who killed her Bimbo swears. And they all agree.
Feral with grief, Bimbo has become unrecognizable, taking no prisoners in his search for names. Soon, they learn Maria was gunned down by guys working for the drug kingpin of Puerto Rico. No one has ever gone up against him and survived. As the boys strategize, a storm gathers far from the coast. Hurricanes are known to carry evil spirits in their currents and bring them ashore, spirits which impose their own order.
Blurring the boundaries between myth, mysticism, and the grim realities of our world, House of Bone and Rain is a harrowing coming of age story; a doomed tale of devotion, the afterlife of violence, and what rolls in on the tide.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
I’ve read Gabino Iglesias’ Bram Stoker-winning debut novel and enjoyed it very much. So I was very excited when I received an ARC for his latest novel. I decided to go in blind, not reading the plot summary because I feel like his books are a real treat if you experience them as the protagonist does, learning on the way. In House of Bone and Rain, Gabe gets lured into avenging the death of his best friend Bimbo’s mother, Maria. Coincidentally, the hurricane that’s approaching Puerto Rico is also named Maria. Residents of Puerto Rico have a lot of trauma when it comes to hurricanes, as mentioned in the book, it devastates whole populations, kill so many, and keeps the island without electricity and water for months.
Prior to the hurricane, Gabe along with his friends Tavo, Paul, and Xavier helped Bimbo gain more info about who killed his mother – but someone is now targeting the friend group, and it looks like Gabe might be next. The horrors of the book are both real and supernatural, as they intermingle and you can’t decide what’s worse, the horror done by humans or the ones brought by the supernatural, because they’re both equally horrifying.
This is a tale of grief, processing colonialism and racism, and coming of age. I love how Gabino writes his characters and how they act how one realistically would, meaning that there isn’t a character that is only good and one that is only bad, they all have good traits but also are heavily flawed because of their loyalty to each other (which I can’t blame them because a strong friendship won’t have you bailing when things get tough). Although this book is fiction, I feel like there are a lot of living situations that the writer experienced himself and it shows, which makes the book even more poignant and powerful.
I recommend this book for those who love fast-paced thrillers with supernatural elements woven into the plot.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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Be happy you weren’t there. Be happy you’re only reading about it.
PLOT SUMMARY:
1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton—and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, the unfairness of being on the outside, through the slasher horror he lives but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic.
GRADE: A
REVIEW:
All hail the slasher king. Stephen Graham Jones is to horror books as Wes Craven was to horror movies. Meaning that he absolutely knows the genre and all the tropes of said genre. I love that the book was written in a confessional sort of way, with Tolly, the protagonist, trying to have us understand what happened that summer of 1989. With book is steeped in nostalgia and feelings – but at the same time is hella hilarious. I love that Jones is a huge fan of slashers and that he knows how to deliver unhinged violence, but at the same time truly tug at our hearts.
This book is filled with all the fun of a horror film, but also all the feelings of a coming-of-age novel. I loved Tolly’s friendship with Amber because the friendships of your youth are never quite the same as an adult. Childhood friendships are so intense, and truly ride and die – and I loved how that was presented and explored.
I don’t want to discuss too much about the plot because I think it’s best to jump into this blindly but rest assured, if you loved SGJ’s The Indian Lake trilogy series, you will absolutely love this novel too. This is top-tier horror at its finest and if you’re new to SGJ it’s a good book to start!
*Thank you so much to Saga Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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The Inkblotters 