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shadowspinner's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Death of parent
readsandsuch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The first 60% was a type of horror that really had me creeped out a scared to look out of the corner of my eye. It was thrilling, and I was sucked in. The last 30% I have mixed feeling about. The horror imagery still hit that same beat, but the plot direction and the cut-in humor was pulling me out of the story. I really don’t know exactly how I feel about the ending, but it’s not exactly positive.
I wasn’t too fond of the narrator either, but I also didn’t hate her. Mouse’s attempted southern jokes came off as sly classiest comments and that irked me. They did disappear in the later half, but there were enough comments early on for her to leave a bad impression.
I would rate lower, but I really did enjoy it a lot up until the end.
I wasn’t too fond of the narrator either, but I also didn’t hate her. Mouse’s attempted southern jokes came off as sly classiest comments and that irked me. They did disappear in the later half, but there were enough comments early on for her to leave a bad impression.
I would rate lower, but I really did enjoy it a lot up until the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Gore
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Racism and Classism
elly29's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Satisfyingly creepy and well-plotted. It's about a woman who cares for her dog, and wants to help folks when they ask for help. I loved Foxey, and that it was a woman and an older woman who get to have the adventure. And this novel. Is. Out. There.
A but slow at the beginning, and bit fast at the end. Creepy all the way through. Seriously: Cotgrave and everything surrounding his death is sooo twisted.
A but slow at the beginning, and bit fast at the end. Creepy all the way through. Seriously: Cotgrave and everything surrounding his death is sooo twisted.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Gaslighting
dreamy_demon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Blood, and Dementia
jasmine256's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Gore
Moderate: Death, Dementia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death, Racism, and Death of parent
chloseencounter's review
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Twisted Ones was my second novel by T. Kingfisher, my first being What Moves the Dead. Throughout that story I loved the atmosphere and the style of writing but historical fiction of any kind is just not for me, so I was excited to try something else by her and was not dissatisfied.
Even though the first half of the book was a bit slow, I really enjoyed getting to know our main character and her dog, as well as the relationships she forms with the people in town. The writing style was fun and even though I did find some small bits sorta…this is not how people talk but how the author imagines is a hip way to speak, I still thought a lot of the narration was humorous and I liked Mouse as a person. I’d definitely want to grab a coffee with her. Also the ongoing bit about NPR pledge week was hysterical.
I must say I did think some parts of this book where frightening. I am not someone who scares easily but folklore is probably what frightens me the most in books, when the upside down deer head was looking in Mouse’s window while she “slept”, that definitely made me feel anxious.
The ending was where things kinda flipped for me but I didn’t hate it either, some bits where good and some bits felt meh. I think it was hard for me to feel scared of Anna because faceless monsters are much more frightening than what we can put a name and description tomorrow . The uncanny valley element of folklore creatures is what makes them scary to me personally so even though I thought Anna was bad news, I wasn’t frightened by her either. I also feel like there wasn’t enough hints leading up to her reveal as a character, I just would’ve liked a little more there for her instead of some vague moments where she was seen and then all of a sudden you’re supposed to care, or be scared, or feel really much of anything toward her. Now what I did like is that Foxy and Mouse kept up. I thought Foxy was a sweet and lovable character and I was definitely afraid she would be killed. I’m glad she survived and that her and Mouse continue their friendship. I also appreciated the open ending, we don’t really know what happened to Anna so she could still be out there. That’s definitely an unnerving thought to be in the back of your mind.
Overall this was a solid read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys folklore, a good mystery, tense but not too scary or gory, and some fun characters with good humor even in the face of horror. I’ll definitely be trying something else by T. Kingfisher in the future.
Even though the first half of the book was a bit slow, I really enjoyed getting to know our main character and her dog, as well as the relationships she forms with the people in town. The writing style was fun and even though I did find some small bits sorta…this is not how people talk but how the author imagines is a hip way to speak, I still thought a lot of the narration was humorous and I liked Mouse as a person. I’d definitely want to grab a coffee with her. Also the ongoing bit about NPR pledge week was hysterical.
I must say I did think some parts of this book where frightening.
The ending was where things kinda flipped for me but I didn’t hate it either, some bits where good and some bits felt meh.
Overall this was a solid read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys folklore, a good mystery, tense but not too scary or gory, and some fun characters with good humor even in the face of horror. I’ll definitely be trying something else by T. Kingfisher in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Stalking, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Kidnapping and Fire/Fire injury
thekeytotheend's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racism, Torture, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death
parkerluck's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Almost a 4 star because the horror aspect is 😵💫, really really worked for me. I loved the buildup, particularly with the journal/manuscript, and all the description was very scary. I was worried the outcome would fall flat once the mystery was revealed but instead I found it very gross (affectionate) and intriguing!
Mainly I wanted just a little more from the characters and maybe like... 10% less quip during the tense scenes. The humor waned after a bit and I felt myself getting tired after reading "Hon" for the 4th time on a page. Overall it definitely wasn't a dealbreaker by any means and I found the MC very likeable!! Just wish she had a bit more going on.
Mainly I wanted just a little more from the characters and maybe like... 10% less quip during the tense scenes. The humor waned after a bit and I felt myself getting tired after reading "Hon" for the 4th time on a page. Overall it definitely wasn't a dealbreaker by any means and I found the MC very likeable!! Just wish she had a bit more going on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Animal death, Miscarriage, and Slavery
readundancies's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The pace of The Twisted Ones was a little slow at first, hence me needing 50ish pages to really get settled in the story, but once it picks up it’s fairly consistent.
I love T. Kingfisher’s writing and how she structured the narrative of this story; there were so many hypotheticals in hindsight that gave off a sort of reluctant survivor kind of tone that when you as the reader jump into all the creepy repetition, it’s so jarring and hair-raising because it feels eerie and uncomfortable and emotions are heightened because you’re on edge and it’s just wonderfully delicious to experience.
At the 110 page mark I managed to gain access to an audiobook so I’m jumped in for a hybrid read and it was a fantastic choice if I do say so myself. The audiobook is narrated by Hillary Huber and she too is fantastic. And to be honest, if we’re gonna talk about other fantastic things about this novel, Bongo and Mouse and Foxy and Tomas and Skip should all be included as well. The characterization is nothing incredibly complex but Kingfisher’s characters are always so likeable and fascinating in that relatable kind of way. They feel genuine and are often characters I would love to hang out with and have deep conversations with over a couple glasses of wine and some edibles. They’re always a good time, and this cast is no different.
There’s something so endearing about a reluctant protagonist, and T. Kingfisher writes them so well. Between Mouse and Kara from The Hollow Places, it’s clear to see that T. Kingfisher has mastered the voice of a woman who does not seek to be the main character of any story; she is fine simply coasting along and moving on with her life without having any knowledge of the unknown and what else may be out there.
The book gives off such strong cult classic movie vibes (think Tremors but no giant wormy creatures, just terrifying conglomerations of dead creatures and trash instead). It’s almost B-movie-like with the humorous voice of our narrator Mouse, and really, T. Kingfisher’s humour is a highlight for me because I am constantly amused despite the eerie atmosphere that she manages to cultivate in her novels.
I read another review calling this “comforting horror”, and I completely agree. This is not horror which is meant to instill fear and terror, it’s meant to creep you out if you read it when the sun goes down and the lights are low and the floorboards creak ominously. It’s meant to make your hackles rise but not make you choke on your own saliva moments after, you just sit in that feeling instead and let it simmer around you so you can bathe in it and breathe it in and nestle into a dark corner to watch the unsettling plot that ensues. It’s immersion in that virtual reality kind of way and I adore it.
I also really liked how this ended. The reluctant protagonist was reluctant for good reason and ends up a little broken from her ordeal but she has survived. The implication as to what or rather who Foxy shot at right before they got away from the effigies was denial at it’s finest and really enhanced Mouse’s caring nature which got her into such a shitty situation but she came out the other side in spite of her unhinged step-grandfather and cruel grandmother.
I was kind of hoping that the fact that Mouse’s grandmother’s blood runs through her veins would’ve played more of a role in her overcoming the holler people and the effigies, like perhaps the evil that her grandmother had put out into the universe would’ve repelled the effigies due to their intentional avoidance of her. But I still enjoyed how her grandma played a minor role anyways with the whole hardwood floor covered with slippy linoleum moment.
All in all, I enjoyed this to a lesser extent than The Hollow Places but it was still a solidly entertaining cozy horror story which is all I asked from it. I wouldn’t go into this expecting to be terrified because this is not that kind of horror novel, but I still recommend it because this book has cemented T. Kingfisher as one of my favourite authors.
I love T. Kingfisher’s writing and how she structured the narrative of this story; there were so many hypotheticals in hindsight that gave off a sort of reluctant survivor kind of tone that when you as the reader jump into all the creepy repetition, it’s so jarring and hair-raising because it feels eerie and uncomfortable and emotions are heightened because you’re on edge and it’s just wonderfully delicious to experience.
At the 110 page mark I managed to gain access to an audiobook so I’m jumped in for a hybrid read and it was a fantastic choice if I do say so myself. The audiobook is narrated by Hillary Huber and she too is fantastic. And to be honest, if we’re gonna talk about other fantastic things about this novel, Bongo and Mouse and Foxy and Tomas and Skip should all be included as well. The characterization is nothing incredibly complex but Kingfisher’s characters are always so likeable and fascinating in that relatable kind of way. They feel genuine and are often characters I would love to hang out with and have deep conversations with over a couple glasses of wine and some edibles. They’re always a good time, and this cast is no different.
There’s something so endearing about a reluctant protagonist, and T. Kingfisher writes them so well. Between Mouse and Kara from The Hollow Places, it’s clear to see that T. Kingfisher has mastered the voice of a woman who does not seek to be the main character of any story; she is fine simply coasting along and moving on with her life without having any knowledge of the unknown and what else may be out there.
The book gives off such strong cult classic movie vibes (think Tremors but no giant wormy creatures, just terrifying conglomerations of dead creatures and trash instead). It’s almost B-movie-like with the humorous voice of our narrator Mouse, and really, T. Kingfisher’s humour is a highlight for me because I am constantly amused despite the eerie atmosphere that she manages to cultivate in her novels.
I read another review calling this “comforting horror”, and I completely agree. This is not horror which is meant to instill fear and terror, it’s meant to creep you out if you read it when the sun goes down and the lights are low and the floorboards creak ominously. It’s meant to make your hackles rise but not make you choke on your own saliva moments after, you just sit in that feeling instead and let it simmer around you so you can bathe in it and breathe it in and nestle into a dark corner to watch the unsettling plot that ensues. It’s immersion in that virtual reality kind of way and I adore it.
I also really liked how this ended. The reluctant protagonist was reluctant for good reason and ends up a little broken from her ordeal but she has survived. The implication as to what or rather who Foxy shot at right before they got away from the effigies was denial at it’s finest and really enhanced Mouse’s caring nature which got her into such a shitty situation but she came out the other side in spite of her unhinged step-grandfather and cruel grandmother.
I was kind of hoping that the fact that Mouse’s grandmother’s blood runs through her veins would’ve played more of a role in her overcoming the holler people and the effigies, like perhaps the evil that her grandmother had put out into the universe would’ve repelled the effigies due to their intentional avoidance of her. But I still enjoyed how her grandma played a minor role anyways with the whole hardwood floor covered with slippy linoleum moment.
All in all, I enjoyed this to a lesser extent than The Hollow Places but it was still a solidly entertaining cozy horror story which is all I asked from it. I wouldn’t go into this expecting to be terrified because this is not that kind of horror novel, but I still recommend it because this book has cemented T. Kingfisher as one of my favourite authors.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury