Mini Reviews – Horror Books

A couple reviews for you from one of my favorite publishers – Tor Nightfire! They always have the best horror books and these two were no different. I know there are auto-buy authors for readers, but this is an auto-buy publisher for me. I see a book spine with that flame on it and I just grab it.

Thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review

Mini Reviews – Horror Edition

PINATA – Leopoldo Gout (Released March 14th, 2023 – Thanks for the gifted copy!)

A Head Full of Ghosts meets Hereditary in Piñata, a terrifying possession tale by author and artist Leopoldo Gout.

Carmen Sanchez is back in her home country of Mexico, overseeing the renovation of an ancient cathedral into a boutique hotel. Her teen daughters, Izel and Luna, are with her for the summer, and left to fill their afternoons unsupervised in a foreign city.

The locals treat the Sanchez women like outsiders, while Carmen’s contractors openly defy and sabotage her work. After a disastrous accident at the construction site nearly injures Luna, Carmen’s had enough. They’re leaving.

Back in New York, Luna begins acting strange, and only Izel notices the chilling changes happening to her younger sister. But it might be too late for the Sanchez family to escape what’s been awakened…

Piñata is a bone-chilling story about how the sinister repercussions of our past can return to haunt us.

My Thoughts: 5/5 stars – It’s been so long since I’ve read a possession story that actually creeped me out and got my heart rate up from the tension. I had so much fun with this. There are so many pieces that work together in this book to make it such an immersive reading experience. Characters that come to life, a spooky atmosphere, vivid imagery, rich Mexican culture/heritage, and Gods/Goddesses. I highly recommend it!

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES – T. Kingfisher (Released March 28th, 2023 – Picked this one up at the bookstore)

A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.

“Mom seems off.”

Her brother’s words echo in Sam Montgomery’s ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam’s excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.

My Thoughts: 4/5 stars – Another horror book with incredible characters and heart. The creepy crawlies that Sam deals with in her daily life as an archaeoentomologist are nothing compared to what’s in store. I always love a good dose of dark humor in my horror books and that’s what we get for the first 80% of the book as she tries to scientifically rationalize all the odd things happening. The last 20% of the book? Wow. Talk about a shift into the more visceral and gory horror we were waiting for – might make some readers squirm a bit.