An intense read with such a beautiful and horrifying portrait of the Nigerian society that addresses so many individual issues, such as religion 5/5 â�
An intense read with such a beautiful and horrifying portrait of the Nigerian society that addresses so many individual issues, such as religion (both traditional and white man's new one), politics, education, domestic violence, human rights, gender (in)equality. At the same time it lures you into the undeniable richness of the culture. With the help of this book, I discovered Onyeka Onwenu's music that puts me in such a good mood and also, it made me crave jollof rice with such a burning desire that I won't have rest until I make some. All this and more make up a novel that will stay with you long after you're done reading it....more
If you were (by any means) looking for a new thriller that would just keep you engaged cuz it's messed up and you're into that shit, then look 4.5/5 â�
If you were (by any means) looking for a new thriller that would just keep you engaged cuz it's messed up and you're into that shit, then look no further. Here it is, my little weirdo. Dig in, you'll have fun....more
Wow. This gave me a sort of anxiety I get when I'm in a small, narrow place, but at the same time it felt so powerful yet calming. There's a lot o5/5 â�
Wow. This gave me a sort of anxiety I get when I'm in a small, narrow place, but at the same time it felt so powerful yet calming. There's a lot of contradicting emotions that have tried me during the narrative but overall, it was a wonderful book with such an actual and (it pains me a bit to say) kind of tangible subject. If you are a fan of time travelling, sci-fi stories and conspiracy theories then this is a must read! All of it is wrapped in a beautifully crafted story....more
Even though it took me a while to finish this (life got in the way), I still enjoyed it so much! It is a thrilling blend of suspense, mystery 4.75/5 â�
Even though it took me a while to finish this (life got in the way), I still enjoyed it so much! It is a thrilling blend of suspense, mystery and the supernatural and I simply couldn't say no to that!
I really appreciated the atmospheric writing of the novel. The descriptive prose creates an eerie setting and tense moments, helping us readers to immerse into the chilling world the author built for us. The pacing is well-balanced, with a gradual buildup of suspense leading to a thrilling climax.
In my opinion, there are two main characters here that seem to compete to steal each other's spotlight while also building each other up. Shea Collins is a complex character. She is dealing with her own trauma and fears because of her past dark experiences. Her passion for true crime is both a coping mechanism and a way to find purpose and her journey through the book is full of personal growth while also confronting her past. She is a victim that wants to break free and she does. Beth Greer however is a spectacular character that spices up the story in a way you won't even think before meeting her. She is enigmatic, and her aloof nature adds a layer of mystery to the story. She was accused of hideous murders in her youth, murders she may or may not have committed, but even so, her presence is always like a little bit of poison with each cup of tea you pour.
I liked the seeming similarities between Shea and Beth, they both being enveloped in their haunted past. The novel explores how trauma shapes their identities and decisions, and how confronting it is a path to healing.
The blending of supernatural elements with a crime thriller might not appeal to purists of either genre, and some may find the resolution too reliant on paranormal explanations, but to me this was so very well blended together. The plot is based on and exploring further on the world of true crime enthusiasts and how there is a very thin line between a healthy interest and obsession. Ghostly presences and unexplained phenomena are added and used effectively to build suspense and keep us on edge, building a suspenseful atmosphere that honestly is quite addictive.
I do believe that this book is worth a try and I will recommend it to all true crime enthusiasts that want some more from their reads!...more
If you have absolutely no expectations or if you're too hyped up or anything in-between, don't worry, this book will probably turn out way more4.5/5 â�
If you have absolutely no expectations or if you're too hyped up or anything in-between, don't worry, this book will probably turn out way more interesting than anything you might've pictured in your head.
I am a big fan of books about books and libraries and bookshops and secret shelves and stories and words and everything of the sort (being a nerdy bookworm makes you like that, yes, beware!). And this story built on the love for books, stories and writers binds the past and the present. And it's so much more complex than just the plot.
Each of the characters comes with a story. It looks like each of these characters and their backstories are arteries attached to the big beating heart - the plot. The plot pumps the arteries with fresh blood and they bring back raw material for the heart to keep pumping.
I was surprised by the lengths this story goes to. It's full of force, but also of emotion. Of love and loss. Of tragedy. Of little smiles that appear at the corner of one character's mouth when they think no one sees them. And most importantly, it is full of magic. And this magic is done in such a way that the life is intertwining with it....more
Okay. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this waaaaay more than I initially thought I would.
I mean, the way the whole plot of the book, from the beginnin4.35/5 â�
Okay. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this waaaaay more than I initially thought I would.
I mean, the way the whole plot of the book, from the beginning to the end, is built to be one big confession from multiple POVs, regarding (more or less) the same main issue, and it is quite captivating.
But the most captivating thing about this book is the evilness and darkness of all of the confessions. This proves to me, one more time, that: 1) having mommy issues is waaaaay worse than having daddy issues and 2) emotions might be things that set us apart from other animals, but the consciousness and intelligence is sometimes ruling over our body and soul, making us do brilliant, but horrible things....more
Very Kingesque, gave me chills and thrills, a really really tasteful psychological thriller/horror (at least for my taste).
It starts off reall4.5/5 â�
Very Kingesque, gave me chills and thrills, a really really tasteful psychological thriller/horror (at least for my taste).
It starts off really strong, the atmosphere is quite gripping and the characters remind me a lot of the ones in Stephen King's Pet Sematary and even The Shining. It's a great mix of psychological horror, paranormal activity, science fiction elements and really well individualised characters.
I've been waiting for a good horror like this for quite some time and I finally found it. So if you are a fan of Stephen King's works like I am, I do recommend this for a chilling, gripping and unputdownable experience!...more
Okay okay okay, this shouldn't be a 5 star read in my book. Usually, it isn't. But given the fact that 1) this is my first read of the year, 2)4.5/5 â�
Okay okay okay, this shouldn't be a 5 star read in my book. Usually, it isn't. But given the fact that 1) this is my first read of the year, 2) I need to be back in my lovey-dovey era and 3) the only thing about this book I'm mad about is that I didn't have the time to just binge it on one sitting, I will just close an eye on the way Summer kind of annoyed me at some point and award it the most of stars I can award on this platform.
Short, quick, full of emotion and bittersweet stories, a unique concept and approach to the last few moments a person has after they die. I enj4.5/5 â�
Short, quick, full of emotion and bittersweet stories, a unique concept and approach to the last few moments a person has after they die. I enjoyed this so much and I think it deserves a try!...more
Yet another Alice Feeney novel to add to my favourites list! It had me hooked from the beginning to the end with the eerie atmosphere, slightly s5/5 â�
Yet another Alice Feeney novel to add to my favourites list! It had me hooked from the beginning to the end with the eerie atmosphere, slightly spooky elements and the thrillersque narrative. Definitely one unique way of constructing a mystery too. This book is a winter must read so just go for it!...more
Frankenstein meets Marie Curie and a little bit of Jack the Ripper in 1800s Scotland and if you love the sound of that then you're about to ha4.45/5 â�
Frankenstein meets Marie Curie and a little bit of Jack the Ripper in 1800s Scotland and if you love the sound of that then you're about to have the best time with this.
Anatomy has on one side a Jane Austen narrative vibe and on the other side, it feels like Mary Wollstonecraft also wanted to be part of the construction of the narrative and if these two had a baby in the form of YA historical fiction then this would probably be it.
The atmosphere of the book is amazing, it's honestly a Stalking Jack the Ripper but a little bit better executed in my humble opinion. It's grey and cold and rainy and it has some sort of toughness about it, but one that is enjoyable and leaves you wanting more of it.
The characters are sometimes silly, sometimes sweet, some of them are deserving of a serious caning (sorry, I feel violent today) and some others just need protection at all costs.
I am seriously surprised that I've been sleeping on this for so long because even though I don't consider it a masterpiece of the genre, it kept me wanting to read and learn more, I was entertained and I liked the way the whole narrative vibe was making me feel throughout the story. And the fact that, if you go a little bit deeper than the surface, you will most definitely see a note on what does it mean to be a woman aspiring to do something in a field that, up until a certain point, has been male-dominated. Because even though everyone can see how talented and determined Hazel is to become a female surgeon, all the people in her chosen field seem to be against her. Marriage and motherhood are the best careers for a woman, but Hazel chooses not to be the generic woman and become her own being. Which is in fact a very nice idea that I love and respect....more
Dark, heavy, brutal, strange, epic. This has been, in my opinion, an extraordinary start to a banging epic fantasy series!
Tolkien meets Sapkow4.5/5 â�
Dark, heavy, brutal, strange, epic. This has been, in my opinion, an extraordinary start to a banging epic fantasy series!
Tolkien meets Sapkowski and they have a baby and their baby is the Demon Cycle series and yes, I said what I said.
The world is really meticulously build and you can see that from the very first pages, the story in this book is a whole journey that opens with a loud noise and finished in a silent scream.
I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to reading the next books!...more
Hi. Welcome. I had no expectations for this. 384 pages later I finish it and tell myself that I am glad I didn't because I seriously enjoyed th4.5/5 â�
Hi. Welcome. I had no expectations for this. 384 pages later I finish it and tell myself that I am glad I didn't because I seriously enjoyed this so much, maybe too much. And that's mostly because it seemed quite an unique story with a plot idea that (to me) is something else in the Final Girls universe.
It was a thriller with heavy slasher horror accents, an unsettling but cinematic description of events, with good background stories and sustained arguments. The idea of taking actual slasher movies from the 70s, 80s and 90s, turning them into real-life stories that were the base of the movies, but going above and beyond and telling the story of the survivors once the show is over is a bit complicated to grasp but so so ingenious; and I'm talking big names like Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street and so on. It's like fiction about reality that inspired fiction.
(Now your head explodes)
I couldn't be completely immersed in the horror genre, but it was an excellent jump between the horror and the thriller, a very good back-and-forth that was somehow keeping me on the edge constantly.
I can see why this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it was mine and I enjoyed every single page of it. This was a great case of a page-turner book for me for sure....more
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