nicekweenreads's reviews
189 reviews

The Kill Factor by Ben Oliver

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

adventurous sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Ii picked this up because it's labeled at Horror everywhere you look but it reads more like a dark Romantasy. Nothing wrong with that if that is what you're looking for, but I found it misleading. Some inspiration was taken from fairytale but most of the issues were due to internal family drama. I found the book only seemed to pick up in the latter half unfortunately. Not my cup or tea but I can see how it'd be someone else's.

Nod by Adrian Barnes

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved it until the ending. 

This book was absolutely gripping  and managed to turn a usually harmless creature, butterflies, into something horrendous. I really enjoyed that the main character has clinical anxiety. It added a unique, although sometimes frustrating narration. As someone who also has been diagnosed with anxiety I really relate to Shur's struggles with her disorder especially during the apocalypse. The book does an excellent job at reminding you that these are teenagers, thrust into a caretaker role that they are unprepared for.

My biggest complaint is the ending. This book continues to build suspense and momentum with each page, making the short ending jar the reader with a sudden stop. 

I also wish it spent more time explaining how Jenny survived rathef than the romance that felt shoehorned.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

challenging dark 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? Yes

2.5