Tag: horror

Maeve Fly

A Novel of L.A. by CJ Leede

5/5 Star Review

“Where is the savagery in women? Where is the barbarism?… I have never understood, and still do not understand the notion that a woman must first endure a victimhood of some sort – abandonment, abuse, oppression of the patriarchy – to be monstrous. Men have always been permitted in fiction and in life to simply be what they are, no matter how dark or terrifying that might be. But with a woman, we expect an answer, a reason. But why would she do it? Why, why, why?”

Holy shit! I loved this book!

Maeve Fly is the granddaughter of Tallulah Fly, a starlet and Old Hollywood Royalty. She is a wolf among sheep who spends her days working as the infamous ice queen in the happiest place on earth. Her best friend is an up-and-coming actress who portrays her sister at the theme park. She spends her days living a very specific routine until the day comes that she stops and her world turns invariably upside down.

Maeve Fly is simultaneously a love letter to Los Angeles and American Psycho. The city lives and breathes in this novel just as much as any character. To understand L.A. is to understand Maeve. She reads the classics and imitates her misanthropic literary heroes. Always hiding her real self so that she prowls and slinks unnoticed along the strip.

Maeve is a Halloween queen and loves Halloween inspired music with some Billie Holiday sprinkled on the side. The novel is full of song breakdowns, including a personal favorite of mine – Werewolf Bar Mitzvah from an episode of 30 Rock (If you don’t know what I am talking about, go to YouTube right now and look it up). Without giving away spoilers, there is a scene during which this song is played that will forever be ingrained in my mind every time I hear this song in the future.

Maeve is controlled and unhinged and I love her. She is intelligent and predatory and cultured. She is our darkest desires personified. She is who we wish we could, on some level, be. Or maybe that’s just me.

If you’re ready to sit back and let a woman take the wheel, look no further than Maeve Fly. You will not be disappointed. This was an absolutely stellar debut novel and I can’t sing its praises highly enough.

Shock Waves

A Novella of Amusement Park Terror by Matt Kurtz

5/5 Star Review

The year is 1988 and Danny and his girlfriend, Stacy, work at The Lone Star Land Amusement Park. On a Saturday in September, Stacy reveals to Danny that she is pregnant on their break and Danny doesn’t take the news very well. Later that evening, he is feeling guilty about his reaction and wants nothing more than to head over to her ride and apologize. Near the end of his shift, there is an explosion at the construction site next to the park that knocks out the power. People are stuck on rides and general chaos ensues. No one is prepared when a creeping crawling horde of mutated creatures make their way out of the blast site and into the amusement park – slaughtering and devouring everyone in their path. Danny is determined to make his way to Stacy and joined by a small group of survivors, he leads the way across the park.

Shock Waves is a whole lot of fun and it the perfect summer read! It’s chock full action, monsters, blood, gore, and tension – all set against the backdrop of an amusement park. Kurtz’s decision to set this novella in the late 80s was a smart one – the lack of modern technology added to the helplessness of our main characters as they were cut off from reaching each other ride to ride.

While Shock Waves definitely pays homage to the monster movies of yesterday, Kurtz steps it up and manages to weave a tight plot, believable dialogue, and relatable characters all in roughtly 150 pages. You felt for this tight band of survivors and cheered for them every step of the way. This isn’t just a story about the monsters, it’s a story about humanity and the lengths we go to to save our loved ones.

If you’re looking for some thrills this summer – I highly recommend checking this one out!

Chlorine

A Coming-of-Age Tale of Body Horror

5/5 Star Review

Ren Yu grew up on stories of mermaids. She knows all of the myths, legends, and truths. Mermaids drove her to swimming at a young age and now in her teens, she is a competitive swimmer. She starts and ends her days at the pool and her only goal is to get scouted so that she can get a full scholarship to college. Chlorine follows Ren on her path from girlhood to womanhood and all of the changes and pressures that transistion brings. As her junior regional competition looms ahead and the stress is as high as it’s ever been, Ren starts to lose herself as a human and gives into her mermaid desires.

This book, you guys – this book! It ticks so many boxes for me: Coming-of-age? Check. Body horror? Check. Literary horror? Check. Sapphic longing? Check. All of these elements are wound up into a tightly written narrative from a protagonist that is, to put it quite simply, other.

We experience all of these “firsts” with Ren as she looks back on her human life, through the lens of a queer, immigrant mermaid. This sounds a little out there – I know, but stick with me on this one because the prose and the story are just so good! Chlorine is one of the best debut novels that I have read in quite some time. It was unique, spellbinding, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Jade Song is one to watch out for and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of their works in the future.

Shadows in the Attic

An Unfinished History of Horror by J.F. Gonzalez

5/5 Star Review

I just finished reading Shadows in the Attic and I need to sit down a minute. I knew my fictional horror education was a little lacking, but I didn’t realize by how much until I finished this collection. Shadows in the Attic collects essays written by J.F. Gonzalez on the history of horror from ancient times up through the mid-1950’s. There is also a comprehensive essay on the splatterpunks and extreme horror writers. While I can say there were a lot of names that I recognized, though not necessarily read, for every name I did know there were ten that were brand new to me. Apokrupha Books has done a beautiful job with this collection, laying it out in a sensical and easy-to-read format. This should be considered a text book and an absolute must-read for any fan of horror fiction.

I’m not fortunate enough to have ever had the pleasure of meeting J.F. Gonzalez. I only know him through his writing, but I know that he meant a great deal to many people – especially to his family and friends. Shadows in the Attic taught me that we not only lost an amazing human being, we lost a true historian of the genre.

Shadows in the Attic contains an alphabetical author index of every author and their work referenced by Gonzalez, which I will be using as a checklist for my ever-growing TBR, but Apokrupha Books has gone and done one better. They have simultaniously published The Shadows in the Attic Reader: Foundational Classic Horror edited by Jacob Haddon. This reader is a collection of nineteen tales that were referenced in Gonzalez’s essays on classic horror. For anyone who feels a little intimidated and not sure where to begin in their horror literature education – this is an excellent place to start.

We also need to take a moment to appreciate the cover art on this set. Lynne Hansen did an absolutely amazing job with these sequential covers. When the books are stacked they form one house both on the front and back covers – they are stellar!

Do yourselves a favor and pick up this gorgeous set of horror history!

Whalefall

A novel of survival and grief by Daniel Kraus

5/5 Star Review

Jay Gardiner is diving alone in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Monastery Beach. He knows that it’s dangerous and that he shouldn’t be out there by himself, but he’s come here on a mission to find his dad’s remains from his suicide the previous year. He believes it is the only way to assuage his guilt and bring closure to his mom and two sisters who mourn at an empty grave. The dive begins well enough until Jay finds himself on the edge of the drop-off and a giant squid comes along. Following the giant squid up from the depths, a huge sperm whale appears to feed and draws both Jay and the squid into its mouth. Jay finds himself pulled into the whale’s stomach with only an hour’s worth of oxygen in his tank.

This book. Oh my goodness – this book! I walked in expecting a tense, survival story and left with that and so very much more. Kraus has crafted a tale that is both bleak and hopeful, claustrophic and mind-opening. I read it in one sitting – I absolutely could not put it down!

Let’s start at the surface – Whalefall is a survival story. It is intense and nerve-wracking. The chapters are short and counted down in PSI as Jay uses his oxygen. I am a diver and found this to be wildly clever as it’s a metric you keep a constant eye on. You want to start planning your ascent to end your dive with around 500 PSI in your tank. It added an extra layer of stress to this already claustrophobic and tense novel.

Let’s dig below the surface – Whalefall is a story of grief and a broken father-and-son relationship. It is heart-breaking and gutting. The chapters are short and counted in the years leading up to Jay’s father, Mitt’s, suicide. Jay is the youngest of the three children and the only boy. Mitt wanted a son to whom he could pass on all his knowledge and Jay wasn’t sure that Mitt was the kind of guy that Jay wanted to become. As Jay is caught in the literal belly of a beast, he is forced to remember all of the diving, nature, and survival knowledge that his dad imparted on him and with that knowledge, all of the memories that came with gaining it.

This novel is as much about relationships as it is about survival and I can’t recommend it highly enough. There’s so much more that I would love to say about this book, but I don’t want to drop any spoilers. Whalefall releases on August 8, 2023 and I hope you will pre-order it.

Halloween Horror with Ronald Kelly

Since we’re almost halfway to Halloween, I thought it would be the perfect time to review two collections by Ronald Kelly – Mister Glow-Bones and Other Halloween Tales and The Halloween Store and Other Tales of All Hallow’s Eve.

Each collection contains a handful of short stories centered around Halloween and two to three non-fiction essays from Kelly’s youth. Both collections really scratch that nostalgia itch for a good old-fashioned spooky story.

The titular tale in Mister Glow-Bones and Other Halloween Tales is my favorite in the collection. It’s the story of an articulated cardboard skeleton who kills on Halloween night. I also really enjoyed Pins & Needles, about a man who gets comuppance after poisoning and putting razors and pins into children’s treats; and Pelingrad’s Pit, about a mysterious pit in Old Man Pelingrad’s back yard.

Pretty Little Lanterns in The Halloween Store and Other Tales of All Hallow’s Eve was my favorite in this second collection. It’s a little tale of mystery about jack-o-latern’s made of human heads. Other notable tales are The Halloween Store, about kids turning into their Halloween costumes; and Mr. Mack is Back in Town, a follow-up to Mister Mack and the Monster Mobile from Mister Glow-Bones.

For those of us who cut our fangs on Goosebumps growing up, these collections will be especially appealing. The just have that feel, you know? Crisp, cool air; autumn leaves, reading under a blanket with a flashlight, sneaking candy. They remind you of the idealistic Halloween that everyone loves.

If you need something to help you make it through to October, I recommend picking up these short little collections. If you really want a treat, order them from Ronald Kelly’s webstore. Every book comes signed and he will draw a little doodle in them as well!

The Prettiest Girl in the Grave

A Novel of Pageantry Hell by Kristopher Triana

5/5 Star Review

“Some girls are fearful, others are brave. One girl’s a princess, the next one, a slave. But all girls are equal, when they’re down in this cave, until just one is left standing – The Prettiest Girl in the Grave.”

Kristopher Triana continues to prove himself as a voice to be reckoned with in the horror genre. His latest, The Prettiest Girl in the Grave, is a must-read for fans of Gone to See the River Man and The Long Shadows of October.

“What do you fear?”

In the small town of Greenwalk there is a forgotten cemetery in the woods. Every generation, a group of girls manages to find their way to it and become embroiled in a century old game – Who will become The Prettiest Girl in the Grave?

“Who do you love?”

Bella, Rose, Celeste, Aubrey, Savannah, and Marnie all sneak out at midnight to meet at the old cemetery. Aubrey has learned about a secret game that’s only played by local girls in this graveyard, at one specific crypt. As the girls begin to play, they open themselves up to a night which they may not survive.

“What happens when you die?”

When Bella’s mother, Holly, wakes up to find her daughter missing she has a horrible suspicion that she knows where her daughter and her friends are and what may be happening to them. Holly played the game when she was a teen and barely escaped with her life. Holly returns to the crypt and tries to save her daughter from the very fate she faced as a young girl.

Fans of Triana’s trangressive horror, rejoice! The Prettiest Girl in the Grave delivers a supernatural punch filled with all sorts of nasty little surprises. He has deftly crafted his own folklore and surrounding urban legend for the town of Greenwalk – think Bloody Mary, but amp it up to eleven. As the reader, more and more of the history is revealed to us as it is told through Bella’s point-of-view and in flashbacks from her mother, Holly. I couldn’t put this one down and blew through it in one day and I think you will too!

It’s worth a mention that if you’re a fan of Triana’s more extreme horror, you won’t find it here. While there is a good amount of violence and blood in this novel, it’s far more subtle compared to some of his other novels, like Body Art or Full Brutal. If you’re looking for a good place to start reading Triana, or to turn a new reader onto his work, The Prettiest Girl in the Grave is an excellent place to start.

The Prettiest Girl in the Grave releases on May 12, 2023 from Grindhouse Press. Pre-order the paperback or ebook now! OR Be one of the really cool kids and pre-order the limited edition hardcover bundle straight from Triana’s site here. It’s an absolute steal at only $45!

All Hallows

A nostalgic Halloween read by Christopher Golden

4/5 Star Review

It’s Halloween night, 1984, in the small town of Coventry, Massachsetts. In the neighborhood surrounding Parmenter Road, the Barbosas are setting up their annual Haunted Woods spook walk for charity; The Koenigs are setting up for their big Halloween party; Barbara Sweeney is out looking for her drunken, philandering husband; and all the kids are getting ready for trick-or-treat. During the evening, four children show up who do not belong and beg the neighbors and neighborhood children to help them – to hide them from The Cunning Man. Tension and fear escalate as the night wears on and the mysterious children become more frantic and long-held neighborhood secrets come to light.

“Nothing in these woods could be more dreadful, more terrifying, than the selfish cruelty of ordinary people.”

All Hallows is part supernatural thriller and part suburban drama. We have a cast of characters that the reader feels very strongly about and can easily relate to. Love them, or hate them, you care what happens to them. Almost to the detriment of caring much about the supernatural element. The human monsters are the real stars of the show in this one, folks.

This novel breathes Halloween. You can smell the autumn leaves and crisp, cool air; you can taste the apple cider and the candy bars. All Hallows pulls all of the heartstrings to bring you back to the Halloweens of your youth where you used to race each other to houses and it was safe to go out with your friends. That sick feeling of sadness in your gut when you know it’s going to be your last year of trick-or-treat – Golden excels at giving life to the emotions surrounding the holiday.

If you’re looking for a slow-burn horror novel, chock full of character development – this read is for you. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, gory, supernatural monster book – you may want to take a pass on this one.

Hill House Comics: A Look at Daphne Byrne and The Dollhouse Family

A few years ago, Joe Hill joined forces with DC Comics’ Black Label and cultivated his own line of horror comics. The series launched with Basketful of Heads, written by Hill himself. The line continued in the following months with The Dollhouse Family; The Low, Low Woods; Daphne Byrne; and Plunge. I decided to start my journey into Hill House with Daphne Bryne.

This would prove to be a poor decision.

Daphne Byrne, written by Laura Marks, follows fourteen year-old Daphne in the mourning period after her father’s untimely death. Set in New York in 1886, the setting is perfect for the spiritualist background of the story. Daphne’s mother is drawn in by a charlatan medium who claims to converse with her dead husband and will not believe her daughter’s attempts to disprove the woman. Daphne watches as her mother wastes their dwindling coin and wrestles with troubling dreams she is beginning to have, about a young man who claims to be her friend, but who also appears to her during the daytime as well.

On the surface, Daphne Byrne sounded great and I wanted to love this story. What I got instead was a mess of convoluted ideas, many of which never went anywhere and they did absolutely nothing to advance the story. At best this was derivative of Rosemary’s Baby and honestly, it was barely passable as a cohesive narrative. Unless you are a series completist, I can’t think of any reason to recommend this title.

The bar was set low for Hill House Comics.

The Dollhouse Family, written by M.R. Carey, was my next dive into this curated graphic novel line. This story follows Alice who inherits a beautiful 19th-century dollhouse from an estranged great aunt. Alice quickly falls in love with the house and the little antique dolls inside. It’s not long before she realizes that she can magically enter the house and interact with the dolls. What starts off as a joyous escape quickly becomes a nightmare as Alice discovers the Black Room and what it asks of her to do.

Aaaand we are back on track.

The Dollhouse Family was exactly what I wanted Hill House Comics to be – dark, haunting, mysterious, cohesive – you get the picture. Dollhouse delivered with demons, a mystery, and nods to Alice in Wonderland, while still maintaining its own identity. In Alice, we have a character who takes no guff and delivers as a solid protagonist. I genuinely liked this story and would recommend it for Sandman fans. There are parts of this story that made me think of the Gaiman classic quite a few times.

Thanks to The Dollhouse Family, my faith has not been completely lost in Hill House Comics. I will be continuing on next with Basketful of Heads.

Parachute

A novella of cosmic horror by Holly Rae Garcia

5/5 Star Review

If you were a child in the 80s or 90s, you will likely remember the parachutes from physical education class. Those were always fun days in school – the whole class gathered around in a giant circle with the parachute spread out in the center. Everyone would take a handful and lift at the same time and you would stare up into the rainbow colored dome as it circled above your head. Magical days, amiright?

For the characters in Holly Rae Garcia’s Parachute, this is not the case. Angela Rodriguez and her friends have just graduated high school and are hanging out together for one of the last times before they all go their separate ways. When they start to reminisce about the parachute from their grade school days, they decide to break into the abandoned elementary school and see if there is still an old parachute in the gym. They luck out and find one, but when they spread it out and lift it up they realize this parachute is nothing like the one from their childhoods. Every time they lift it up, they are exposed to a strange new world. They think they’ve figured out the rules for coming and going, but are about to be proved terribly wrong.

Parachute is a fun cosmic horror novella. What starts off as a nostalgic trip quickly unfolds into realms of unknowable terror. Each new world that the teenagers venture into is worse than the last. Garcia does a fantastic job of disorienting the reader, as the standard momentum of time is thrown out the window as the teens hop in and out of realities. It could be minutes, it could be days. In a lot of ways, Parachute reminded me of an episode of The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. My only complaint is that I wish we could have spent more time in some the worlds – they were fascinating! Overall, I greatly enjoyed this little novella and I think you will to.