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She didn’t run from her dark past. She moved in.: Reviewing Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly

Hi everyone! I’m back with some more books for spooky season. My spooky season books might bleed into November because I have not had a ton of free time on my hands lately. I also am very excited to announce that I have, not one, but two indie author reviews coming up. These will all be good ways to wrap up the end of the year. But that is the future and, in the present, we are going to talk about Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Strong Language, Substance Abuse

In 1992, Bill Wheeler killed his wife and three sons then himself, leaving only his infant daughter Dixie alive. Twenty-five years later, Dixie wants to know more about her family. The opportunity arises when she buys her childhood home where the grisly murders took place. She isn’t in the house for very long when she begins to see the ghosts of her family. Dixie begins to experience blackouts and other things that make her question her sanity. She decides the only way to save herself is by revisiting the murders. As Dixie begins to investigate her family’s deaths, she discovers something that will haunt her forever.

I don’t know if there is such a thing as “messy girl horror” but Theme Music definitely could be described as that. In fact, it reminded me quite a bit of Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. I appreciate horror novels where the victims aren’t necessarily perfect, because it feels a bit more realistic and relatable. T. Marie Vandelly is not afraid to share the gory details all throughout the book. It is as gratuitous as it needs to be but it is still pretty gory. If you have a weak stomach then this book is not for you. If you do like the bloodier horror novels, then you will certainly like Theme Music. It is a great mixture of a murder mystery and supernatural horror with just a dash of slasher. Dixie Wheeler is a great “final girl” and I liked her narrative voice. For a bloody good time, you should definitely check out Theme Music.

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Stop eating meat, and the world will devour you whole: Reviewing The Vegetarian by Han Kang, Translated by Deborah Smith

Hi everyone! I hope you didn’t miss me too much. I still have a couple of horror books I want to wrap up by the end of October. While this particular book isn’t technically a horror novel, I think it still fits the vibe. I’ve also been trying to read more translated books, so I have been keeping my eye out for suggestions. I actually got this book for my birthday (back in June) and have been holding off until now to read it. So, let’s finally talk about The Vegetarian.

Content Warning: Disturbing Imagery, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, Explicit Sexual Content, Sexual Assault, Animal Death, Self-Harm, Eating Disorders, Discussions and Depictions of Schizophrenia

Yeong-hye and her husband lived a perfectly harmonious, albeit boring, life. It all changes when Yeong-hye begins to have violent nightmares about blood and death. Disturbed by these dreams, she decides to completely swear off eating any meat. This decision throws her marriage and relationships with her family into turmoil. Her family’s concerns quickly turn into a desperate bid to control Yeong-hye despite her wishes. She begins to spiral and, soon, no one will be able to help her.

I am going to preface this review by saying that this book will not be for everyone. It covers a lot of heavy topics and does so with unflinching prose. The Vegetarian is, to me, reminiscent of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins-Gilman. The readers are subject to witnessing this slow descent into madness, paired with other issues like marital abuse, the treatment of mental health patients, and psychosis. Like I said in the beginning, this is not a horror novel, but that doesn’t make it any less scary. Han Kang blends together different forms of prose, which enhances the message of the narrative. It is a bit of a bleak novel, but it is so interesting and hard to put down. At the end of the day, I am going to recommend The Vegetarian because it has such a powerful message amid haunting and brutal prose.

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What was found cannot be forgotten, cannot be unseen, cannot be undone: Reviewing Found: A Anthology of Found Footage Horror Stories, Edited by Gabino Iglesias and Andrew Cull

Hi everyone! I’m back with more chills and thrills for anyone partaking in the Halloween season. It’s also been a while since I have read a short story collection. I wanted to mix things up and introduce myself to new authors. I am also a fan of analog horror and found footage, so I had to pick up this book. Now, let’s talk about Found.

General Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language, Discussions and Depictions of Severe Mental Health Issues, Religious Trauma, Animal Death, Domestic Violence, Harm Toward Children, Stalking and Harassment (Content Varies Per Story, Reader Discretion is Advised)

From a group of online sleuths trying to solve a series of disappearances in a small town to a house that might be eating its residents to a fan discovering a cursed book, Found pulls together some of the creepiest tales revolving around things that were never meant to be found.

I particularly enjoyed this collection of short stories because of how varied and unique each tale was. I also enjoyed that the authors weren’t afraid to experiment with formatting. There is one story told almost entirely through texts and emails. Two of them are meant to look like online forums. Some incorporate diary entries as part of their narratives. All of them were equally as interesting and hard to put down. They definitely gave me so “creepypasta” vibes, if that is what you are looking for. Overall, Found is a perfectly haunting series of stories if you are looking for a fresh, interesting take on your classic haunted video story.

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All monsters are mirrors: Reviewing Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

Hey everyone! I’m back and I finally have a horror novel to talk about! This is not the first novel by Paul Tremblay I have read. Feel free to check out my review of A Head Full of Ghosts. I definitely recommend that one, especially if you like possession horror. Funny enough, this is not the only horror book I am reading that is centered around found footage horror. I think it’s a really interesting genre and I hope some of you are interested in exploring this with me. For now, let’s talk about Horror Movie.

Content Warning: Violence, Disturbing Imagery, Drug Abuse, Self-Harm

In the summer of 1993, a group of college students set out to make an ambitious movie simply titled Horror Movie. Despite the notorious reputation of this movie, only three full scenes have ever been released to the public. Almost all of the main cast and crew died in tragic circumstances, save for one. Over thirty years later, a big movie studio has decided to reboot Horror Movie with the surviving cast member, who was known for playing “the Thin Kid.” As shooting for the movie begins, the lines between the past and present blur as ghosts from the past come back to haunt the lone survivor.

Though this is only the second novel I have read by Paul Tremblay, I have come to appreciate is takes on classic horror tropes. Much like A Head Full of Ghosts, Horror Movie takes an intimate look at a horrifying occurance. Tremblay likes to play with the line between realism and the supernatural. I have come to expect an interesting, but subtle twist in his story telling style. Horror Movie is as much a love letter to amature film making as it to the found footage horror genre, with its own twists and turns. I definitely didn’t know where this novel was going as I was reading but that was the best part. Overall, Horror Movie is a nice solid, spooky read that is definitely worth checking out for any horror fans out there.

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This is how we fight: throw ourselves at each other and see whose parts give out first: Reviewing All Systems Red (Book 1 of the Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well! I also hope you are staying safe, especially if you live in the path of Hurrican Helene or Milton. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones. If you have to hunker down, maybe this post will distract you for just a bit. After this review, I will be getting into the spooky stuff so fear not! (Or fear a little because, you know, Halloween and stuff). Either way, I’m sending you all my love. Now, let’s talk about All Systems Red.

Content Warning: Violence, Strong Language

Corporations rule outer space. Missions are regulated and delegated by these corporations. Safety, though, isn’t much of a concern. Humans rely on specialized robots for protection on dangerous planets. One particular robot, who refers to itself as “Murderbot”, is reluctant to leave its serials and venture out with a team of human scientists. The mission quickly takes a dangerous turn and its up to the Murderbot and humans to figure out the truth.

All Systems Red is a fun, fast-paced read with plenty of classic sci-fi thrills and wry humor. What really helped this novella stand out is Murderbot as the narrator. I related to the Murderbot because I too don’t like being important at my place of work. Martha Wells manages to pack in a lot of interesting world building and concepts in less than 150 pages. I personally would have loved for this book to be longer because I loved Murderbot’s voice and wanted to know more about the world of this novel. I will probably be picking up the sequel some time in the future. If you are looking for your next sci-fi read, look no further than The Murderbot Diaries.

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When a traumatic memory is unable to die, it learns how to become alive: Reviewing The Dawn Chorus (Book 2 of the Capherayna Chronicles) by Karen Menezes

Hi everyone! I’m back again and I am revisiting an indie author who I have reviewed previously. You are welcome to check out my review for the first book in this series, Safe Passage. I want to give a huge shout out to Karen for asking me to review her books. I will be linking all of her social media information below so you can show her your love and support. I absolutely love when authors reach out to me to review their books. If you are an aspiring author, then reach out to me! My contact info is listed on my blog. In the meantime, let’s talk about The Dawn Chorus.

Content Warning: Discussions of War, Explicit Sexual Content, Some Mild Language

Years ago, a terrible tragedy happened in the borderlands of Capherayna. Years later, its memory still haunts the Lightbender. He wanders the world, comforting the sick and dying, desperate to forget the ghosts of his past. He finally returns to Capherayna and makes peace with settled life. In the ancient city of Dorsfield, he rents a loft from a conspiracy theorist whose niece is rather gorgeous. She introduces him to a powerful man who knows too much about a terrible secret.

Where Safe Passage was more focused on the war itself, Dawn Chorus is a look at the aftermath of war on a personal scale and a public scale. The narrative here is a bit more of an intimate character study with slice of life moments that are peppered with details that almost feel too private for the reader. It made it all the more interesting, though. I liked Menezes took the time to develop all of the characters and make them feel like real people. All of the details add up into an interesting picture of different people dealing with the world around them. We also get an interesting range of characters, from a king to a nomad. The book cover quite a bit as it continues to explore the impact of war. Overall, Dawn Chorus was an interesting sequel and I am excited to see where the series goes.

Once again, thank you to Karen! You’re the best

Website: https://karenmenezes.com/the-chronicles-of-capherayna.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.menezes/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50832081.Karen_Menezes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karen_menezes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechroniclesofcapherayna

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There is no glory in slaying the defeated: Reviewing The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Haywood

Hi everyone! I’m back and excited for spooky season! I have two other non-horror books to review and then I’ll get to the creepy stuff. For now, I just had to read another Greek Mythology related book. You all know that I love some Greek Mythology and I have been particularly hyperfixated as of late. I have plenty of other recommendations on my blogs so you are more than welcome to check those out. It is time to talk about my latest read. Let’s discuss The Shadow of Perseus.

Content Warning: Discussions of Misogyny, Sexual Assault, Violence and Gore, Abuse

From a young age, Perseus was obsessed with becoming a hero and fulfilling his destiny. His journey, though, comes at a cost. His mother Danae must watch her son grow from a sweet boy to a fiersome young man. Medusa, a woman trying to reclaim her life, comes face to face with the man who will be her undoing. Andromeda, his wife, is forced to leave behind the life she knows for a stranger. The three women are bound together by one man’s journey to greatness and it will cost them all dearly.

The Shadow of Perseus offers a different perspective on the classic tale of the young hero. Instead, we get a realistic take on the story through the eyes of the women who definitely suffered for the sake of revenge. It isn’t just a simple retelling. Haywood explores the mistreatment of women, nature versus nurture, and how famous myths often come from exaggerated tales. Haywood presents complicated characters who are all just trying to survive. She doesn’t praise Perseus, but she doesn’t allow for too much sympathy. Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda are all relatable as they struggles against oppressive gender roles. Haywood faces these issues head on and doesn’t dance around the reality of women during this particular time period. Overall, The Shadow of Perseus is a refreshing take on the male-dominated Greek hero myths and I would certainly recommend it.

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