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elenhill's reviews
27 reviews
Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5. I’ve been in a reading slump and this really helped. A serial killer from the victims POV and how they joined forces in the afterlife to take him down. Short chapters are always a plus! It was a fast paced read with some emotional moments.
The September House by Carissa Orlando
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Margaret and her husband Hal move into their dream Victorian house. Shortly after moving it, they realize something is wrong. Every September, the Hastings get much worse. Including blood dripping from their walls every night, practically covering the whole house. “Pranksters” haunt this house, but are pretty much harmless, but what lives in the basement is angry.
I absolutely LOVED this book. Very season 1 American Horror Story vibes. It was gory at parts and super creepy. This was a super fun read and I enjoyed watching the characters develop. There was no super shocking twist, but it really didn’t need it in order to keep you interested. The author gives great detailed descriptions of the children and their wounds/story. I’ve been in a reading slump for over and months this definitely fixed that.
I absolutely LOVED this book. Very season 1 American Horror Story vibes. It was gory at parts and super creepy. This was a super fun read and I enjoyed watching the characters develop. There was no super shocking twist, but it really didn’t need it in order to keep you interested. The author gives great detailed descriptions of the children and their wounds/story. I’ve been in a reading slump for over and months this definitely fixed that.
Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was almost a perfect book! Think the movie ghost ship but in futuristic space.
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Recovering addict Mallory is hired to be a live in baby sitter for 5 year old teddy. Teddy has a strange imaginary friend, who encourages him to draw some pretty disturbing pictures.
It does start out slow, but the last 1/3 of the book makes up for and I stayed up super late because I wanted to see how it ended. I had some idea of who the bad guy was….i just wasn’t sure how and it ended in a very unpredictable way. The drawings add an extra element that adds to the creepiness and I thought it was well executed. There definitely were some creepy parts, but I certainly wouldn’t say it was scary… which was a little disappointing. Otherwise it was a great and fun read!
It does start out slow, but the last 1/3 of the book makes up for and I stayed up super late because I wanted to see how it ended. I had some idea of who the bad guy was….i just wasn’t sure how and it ended in a very unpredictable way. The drawings add an extra element that adds to the creepiness and I thought it was well executed. There definitely were some creepy parts, but I certainly wouldn’t say it was scary… which was a little disappointing. Otherwise it was a great and fun read!
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
5.0
I have always been intrigued with the Dyatlov pass mystery, so not much in this book was news to me. With that aside, I really enjoyed this book. It’s easy to forget that these were real people with lives and families and I think the narrator did a great job bringing them to life.
I don’t 100% ageee with the theory he ends with, although I do think it’s entirely possible, I was hoping for a more conspiratorial theory, I guess to keep it more exciting. But either way, it was well researched, he put a lot of time into it and wrapped it up very well to where I can actually imagine what their last hours were like.
I don’t 100% ageee with the theory he ends with, although I do think it’s entirely possible, I was hoping for a more conspiratorial theory, I guess to keep it more exciting. But either way, it was well researched, he put a lot of time into it and wrapped it up very well to where I can actually imagine what their last hours were like.
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I have always been intrigued with the Dyatlov pass mystery, so not much in this book was news to me. With that aside, I really enjoyed this book. It’s easy to forget that these were real people with lives and families and I think the narrator did a great job bringing them to life.
I don’t 100% ageee with the theory he ends with, although I do think it’s entirely possible, I was hoping for a more conspiratorial theory, I guess to keep it more exciting. But either way, it was well researched, he put a lot of time into it and wrapped it up very well to where I can actually imagine what their last hours were like.
I don’t 100% ageee with the theory he ends with, although I do think it’s entirely possible, I was hoping for a more conspiratorial theory, I guess to keep it more exciting. But either way, it was well researched, he put a lot of time into it and wrapped it up very well to where I can actually imagine what their last hours were like.
Who Haunts You by Mark Wheaton
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Bex, a senior in high school usually keeps to herself and has few friends. Students in her senior class begin dying in strange circumstances. Before their deaths they all seem to be haunted by relatives their family swears never existed. Soon, Bex begins seeing an aunt that she believes wasn’t real, but everyone in her family says she was. They prove this with family pictures and an obituary from her untimely death in the 60s. Bex starts digging into the families of her now passed classmates to find connections and stop what happened to them to continue.
This was a great read! Bex’s struggle with autism felt very authentic and the mystery kept me so engaged that I finished this book in two sittings. It was very well written and the story line was complicated but in a good way. I had put some thought into what was actually happening at the end otherwise it might not make any sense. With it being a young adult book, the deaths were gory and it wasn’t over the top scary by any means.
This was a great read! Bex’s struggle with autism felt very authentic and the mystery kept me so engaged that I finished this book in two sittings. It was very well written and the story line was complicated but in a good way. I had put some thought into what was actually happening at the end otherwise it might not make any sense. With it being a young adult book, the deaths were gory and it wasn’t over the top scary by any means.
Carni by R. Saint Claire
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Although the story line and theme of the book is fun, I found pretty much all of the characters insufferable. The main character, Dag, is an egotistical misogynist. I think Carni was a really great idea, and would make a great B rated movie. But it would help if there was at least one likable character who didn’t make you annoyed and frustrated.