A review by corsetedfeminist
Wicked Little Things by Justin Arnold

dark funny mysterious fast-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

5.0

I must be honest. I checked out this book from Libby because it had a rabbit-man villain, and I am a FNAF fan with a weakness for murder rabbits.
I was genuinely surprised at how delightful this book was. It grabbed me from the first line and held me in a death grip throughout. 
Our main character, Dane is a sarcastic, irreverent gay kid who has a good heart and an iron spine but does a lot of stupid stuff on account of being a teenager. 
The love interest, EJ, is bi, and managed to win my heart despite not having much page time, comparably, and his sassy little side hidden under a lot of nerves is precious.
Dane’s family is a delight. His mom and aunt give Mamma Mia meets Addams family vibes, and his cousin Hannah is that strong willed kid in black that this story needed, and the unfailing support that Dane needed.
The coven he ends up in, The Reds, is somehow endearing despite being incredibly annoying at times, and I think is a surprisingly profound discussion of why cliques form, humanizing the mean girls in a way that I’ve never seen without letting them get away with the bad choices they make. 
This leaves us with Aloysius. My only complaint now is that I do not have a sassy, deeply loyal raccoon familiar who can read my mind. Life is not fair, and I have been robbed. 
Our villain was incredibly creepy, and really unnerving. I don’t know how to describe him without spoilers, but he was really well written. 
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