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Dark is the Grave by T.G. Reid
Dark is the Grave is a crime novel with a beating heart and a raw location. I’m late to this party but everyone needs to do themselves a favour and read this series now. I’ve never preordered the next book so quick! Well, what a freaking ride Dark is the Grave was! This was something that I kept thinking to myself while reading this banger of a crime novel. Now its no surprise that I love crime novels based in my homeland of Scotland. There’s just something about the rugged nature of the countryside that lends itself to something sinister, something mysterious – there’s just so much to be gleamed…
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Curfew by Kev Harrison
My first foray into Kev Harrison’s work was with his debut novella, The Balance. Since then, I have been obsessed not only with his ability to spin a bloody got horror story but also with his character work, which in my opinion, is one of the biggest hard hitters in the genre. Not only do you get a sense of place, but his main characters always have something you can resonate with. He’s only got better with every piece of work he’s released, The Warding and Below being favourites also. I’ve been slowly working my way through Demain Publishing’s Short Sharp Shocks! Series and I was delighted to find that…
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Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Okay, so I really don’t understand Gillian Flynn’s hype train. I stayed away from Gone Girl because of the hype. Sharp Objects missed the mark. The narrative, the characterisation, the connotations. I just disliked the writing style. There’s something about the writing that doesn’t click for me. I appreciate the talent of the author, but it wasn’t something I’d scream about. Oh man, so many things failed to hit the mark in Sharp Objects. The connection between self-harming and being a promiscuous loner, both bothered me. It just seemed disrespectful to me. Her mental illness seemed to be the primary focus of the story right away, it shouldn’t of…
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Daphne by Josh Malerman
Daphne hits you hard and fast right from the beginning. Put on your Nikes and get ready for the most exciting run of your life! The start of the story is a bit slow, and I felt that it was let down slightly by the pace. I had heard so many great things about Malerman’s work and I wanted to give it the best chance. Midway through it really started gaining momentum and I was all in. the seatbelt was engaged, and I braced my hands on the dashboard, expecting to get my head caved in at any moment. Kit Lamb and her friends are having a sleepover, and what’s…
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Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth
Arch-Conspirator was a quick and enjoyable read. Veronica Roth was a new author for me, but I found myself really enjoying her writing style – the storytelling and dialogue felt refreshing and with purpose, not a word was wasted. An Antigone retelling in a sci-fi dystopian world – the pages flew by as I was entranced by the worldbuilding. If you’ve enjoyed the original tale of Antigone, then I think you’re going to enjoy Roth’s reimagining. There’s the same feminist, control and conquer themes but with a sci-fi twist. The character development is well researched and imagined, it was really outstanding considering the low page count. The dystopian world was…
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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
The Fault in our Stars is wrenching as it is lyrical. A perfect story, with a perfect cast. It will draw readers in and shatter their hearts. This was my first read of The Fault in our Stars it didn’t fail to have me in floods of tears. How is it that this book is so utterly perfect? It captivated my heart and soul and I fell endlessly in love with Augustus and Hazel. I failed to read this book until now because I felt that I wasn’t the intended demographic, but I shouldn’t have feared. Grief and pain is a universal emotion and this story brought it all out.…
