BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE by Anna Biller

 

Bluebeard's Castle by Anna Biller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yes, I totally bought this book because the cover is stunning and the paperback version is lovely. There's nothing wrong with that. After all, I've always loved those old gothic romance covers from the past. ☺️

Judith is a successful gothic author with a terrible childhood and complicated family connections. Labelled an ugly duckling by her mother, she has issues. But the day she meets the handsome and alluring Gavin, she becomes a romance heroine with a haunted castle and a husband. But Gavin isn't what he seems and soon, Judith finds herself trapped in a gothic novel of her own making...

Wow. This book is something else. It's a bonkers gothic trip, and I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it.

I can understand this story won't be for everyone, but I totally got the undertones in the narrative. Understand how this novel doesn't just tell the obvious story about a woman who gets swept off her feet by a mysterious, sexy man who blinds her with sexual pleasures that melt away her every defence. There's a LOT more there, but I don't want to spoil anything, so this is all I'll say.

Judith, our hopeless romantic heroine is many things—delightful, hopeful, curious, interesting, and infuriating. I was often upset with her decisions and gullible nature, but also understood what she was up against. And the eerie, isolated vibes perfectly capture this genre and kept me glued to the pages.

I liked the writing style and the depth of this tale. A lot. It might not be for everyone, but I enjoyed the hell out of it!


PS. Yes, the overuse of the word gothic was intentional.

View all my reviews

I have some awesome news!

Hey! How are you today?

Can you believe it's April? 😳

As you already know, last Friday I celebrated the release of my first Anuci Press book release. Yay! And today, I want to let you know about the next book that Anuci Press will release...

This story is my love letter to one of my favourite horror subgenres: demonic possession.

NUMB = THE EXORCIST MEETS SUPERNATURAL.

I'm really excited about this dark story, and can't wait for you all to meet Chester and Darwin.

I'll share more details as soon as I can. For now, here's the story synopsis:

SHE DOESN'T LIVE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE. THE MONSTER IS ALREADY INSIDE HER HEAD.

Chester is no stranger to hearing voices, but after her mother disappears without a trace, the demonic voice trying to consume her is getting stronger every day.

The threat of possession might be her biggest problem, but it's not her only one. Chester's confidence in the stepmother who is trying to keep her safe is now unstable. The safe and comfortable connection with her very supportive stepbrother is slowly becoming a tangled mess that threatens their strong bond.

When Chester stumbles on her mother's precious journal, she hopes to find some answers about what's happening to her. But what she really wants to uncover is how to find her missing mother. And the answer to that mystery might come from the most unexpected source. Herself.

Have a great day! ☺️

THE PROM QUEEN by R.L. Stine

The Prom Queen by R.L. Stine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, I just read another Fear Street book. I picked this one because I found out it's going to be the next Netflix movie! Oh, and because of that seriously cool and macabre cover.

It's time for prom, and that means a new Prom Queen will be picked. The five candidates—Lizzy, Dawn, Simone, Rachel and Elana—also happen to be friends. So there's a lot of excitement in the air, not to mention the drama club's spring production to look forward to as well. And there's that killer stalking girls, so when one of the candidates goes missing, everything changes...

This book is SO much fun. Loved it!

I really like how the air of dread and suspicion hangs over the story from beginning to end. Also enjoyed the many red herrings thrown our way. And that final confrontation scene is killer!

The story is told in the first-person POV of Lizzy, which I thought was a great idea. Lizzy is an interesting and easy character to follow. The poor girl goes through quite a lot. That the friendship between these five girls ranges from very close to petty to competitive to downright hateful, is also captured very well.

So far, in this series, I've read stories featuring cheerleaders and prom queens, and I think Stine has a knack for portraying teenage girls. I'm impressed. I mean, I read Goosebumps all the time so I know he can write girls very well, but these are teenagers. I can't wait to meet some of the other characters.

Anyway, I love the mysterious horror vibes in this one, and that all the boys (except Kevin) are somewhat creepy. 😬

Awesome book!

 

View all my reviews

THE FIRST EVIL by R.L. Stine

The First Evil by R.L. Stine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Goosebumps and really enjoyed the Fear Street Trilogy on Netflix, so when I noticed a bunch of the Fear Street titles on special, I picked some up for my Paperwhite.

Corky and Bobbi Corcoran are sisters who recently moved into a house on Fear Street. They also happen to be awesome cheerleaders. But when they join the Shadyside High squad, awful things start to happen...

I really enjoyed this! I'm glad I started here because it was a LOT of fun. Sure, there's also some freaky stuff, but it was all very entertaining and I had a great time. I also liked the drama and suspicion that creeps into the story.

Although, I have to admit that I was surprised by the terrible fate of one of the characters (😫) but hey, this is a horror story. It's got some creepy stuff and I enjoyed the mention of Sarah Fear because I remember her from the movies.

One thing that I always love about Stine's writing is how well he does the bare bones storytelling. He doesn't spend countless of pages on character descriptions, or even their feelings and backgrounds. Instead, he gives you just enough to get the perfect picture in your mind, which ends up being quite a bit.

I'm looking forward to reading more of these!

 

View all my reviews

GOBLIN MONDAY by R.L. Stine

Goblin Monday by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this up this afternoon and pretty much finished it in one sitting.

Mario is looking forward to seeing the snow, and now that he's tagging along with his best friends and their parents to Vermont, that's exactly what he'll be doing. Except, there's something really strange going on inside this house. And Todd and Jewel's grandparents are a little odd...

Well, that was a creepy and totally fun story! It's quite unsettling. From the very beginning, I could tell there was something lurking in the background, and those grandparents sure are weirdos. Not to mention the freaky creatures.

Anyway, I really enjoyed it. I also liked the twist followed by another twist. Very cool.

So far, I'm liking the House of Shivers series.

View all my reviews