Memorial Day Weekend really messes up all kinds of things at the end of May. So, it’s time to combine some of my reviews from the month.
Thanks to the mentioned publishers for any gifted copies here
GOING HOME IN THE DARK – Dean Koontz (Released May 20th, 2025)
FEEDERS – Matt Serafini (Released May 20th, 2025)
THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS – Chuck Wendig (Released April 29th, 2025)
GOING HOME IN THE DARK – Dean Koontz (Released May 20th, 2025 – Thank you Katie Porter PR for the gifted copy)
As kids, outcasts Rebecca, Bobby, Spencer, and Ernie were inseparable friends in the idyllic town of Maple Grove. Three left to pursue lofty dreams―and achieved them. Only Ernie never left. When he falls into a coma, his three amigos feel an urgent need to return home. Don’t they remember people lapsing into comas back then? And those people always awoke…didn’t they?
After two decades, not a lot has changed in Maple Grove, especially Ernie’s obnoxious, scary mother. But Rebecca, Bobby, and Spencer begin to remember a hulking, murderous figure and weirdness piled on mystery that they were made to forget. As Ernie sinks deeper into darkness, something strange awaits any friend who tries to save him.
For Rebecca, Bobby, and Spencer, time is running out to remember the terrors of the past in a perfect town where nothing is what it seems. For Maple Grove, it’s a chance to have the “four amigos,” as they once called themselves, back in its grasp.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars – I wish I could do a proper review right now but my brain is just gone. I had a lot of fun while reading it, the scares were great, and like every Koontz book I’ve read, I truly had no clue what to expect to happen next. Keeps things fun and interesting when you aren’t sure what genre meld you’ll get next! Sometimes, we all have a lazy book review or two.
FEEDERS – Matt Serafini (Released May 20th, 2025 – Thank you Gallery Books for the gifted copy)
A would-be influencer’s dreams of online fame spiral into nightmare territory when she encounters a mysterious and dangerous social media platform.
When a video depicting the brutal murder of a former classmate leaks online, Kylie Bennington’s curiosity gets the better of her, leading to the discovery of an off-the-grid social media app called MonoLife. As it turns out, she must adhere to certain cryptic and frightening rules in MonoLife’s user agreement—for this is a platform that primarily rewards the worst in human behavior. Now Kylie’s going to find out just how far she’s willing to go on her unyielding rise to the top—even if that means coming face-to-face with the ruthless forces behind the app.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars – Personally, I love it when horror books go into the dark and addictive side of the internet and social media. How far are people willing to go to become online famous and reach that coveted influencer level? Are you willing to do the trends and things necessary to stay relevant? Feeders dives into these themes as Kylie discovers a new social media app, MonoLife.
What begins with investigating a video of the brutal murder of a classmate turns into a deepening obsession with becoming famous. This also seems to be a cautionary tale of reading those terms and conditions on these apps and sites. Dark, depraved, and just as addictive to read as the social media apps that we all periodically open and close countless times in a day. There’s a good message hidden in here, and I couldn’t put this one down. I can’t wait for more from Serafini!
THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS – Chuck Wendig (Released April 29th, 2025 – Thank you Del Rey Books for the gifted copy)
Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what.
Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something a mysterious staircase to nowhere.
One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.
Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now, the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods.
My Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars – Who here would walk up a spiral staircase that was just chilling out in the woods? No tree house, watch tower, hunting stand, or anything attached. Personally, I’m not investigating a single creepy or out of place thing in the woods. I’m also not one to venture deep into the trees, even though we own 20 acres of woods.
I think the synopsis does a fantastic job giving the right amount of information without getting too specific. I don’t want to risk spoiling things because this is a story you want to experience. I do love the trope of the group of friends coming back together to overcome something haunting in their past.
A friend goes up the mysterious stairs to nowhere and never comes back down. Decades later, the staircase reappears, and they’re now determined to find their missing friend and see what is on the other side of that staircase. While this isn’t the scariest book I’ve ever read, this was still creepy in all the best ways.
Jessicamap Reviews 