Playing catch up on some reviews! The holiday weekend always creates some chaos.
Thanks to the mentioned publishers for the gifted copies!
Enjoy some mini reviews for the month of May 2024 (so far!)
WHEN AMONG CROWS - Veronica Roth (Released May 14th, 2024 - Thanks to Tor Books for the copy)
We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword.
Pain is Dymitr's calling. His family is one in a long line of hunters who sacrifice their souls to slay monsters. Now he's tasked with a deadly mission: find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. To reach her, Dymitr must ally with the ones he's sworn to kill.
Pain is Ala's inheritance. A fear-eating zmora with little left to lose, Ala awaits death from the curse she carries. When Dymitr offers her a cure in exchange for her help, she has no choice but to agree.
Together they must fight against time and the wrath of the Chicago underworld. But Dymitr's secrets—and his true motives—may be the thing that actually destroys them.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars - When I got this in the mail, I hadn't seen much about it, but I saw the blurb from CJ Leede and I had to start it immediately! This novella dives into Slavic folklore while set in modern-day Chicago. Urban fantasy is a genre I don't typically pick up, at least not often, but I'm so happy I did!
I was incredibly impressed with how much Roth was able to pack into less than 200 pages! Sometimes, it can feel like there's either too much or not enough in novellas, and I think that left us with the perfect amount to want more in this universe. Modern-day Chicago, with its own little underground world filled with monsters out of Polish folklore, lurking around every corner. The visuals are incredible and leave a lasting impression, and our three main characters were fleshed out enough to really set them apart from each other. The Baba Jaga, that's a big no for me, I'll avoid her at all costs.
Definitely want more from this universe - more of the lore, more of our characters, more of this underground realm hidden beneath Chicago. All of it!
PLASTIC MONSTERS - Daniel J. Volpe (Released July 14th, 2022 - Birthday gift from Chandra!)
Beauty is... pain
But for Pamela Rose beauty is everything. She spends every day and almost every dollar fighting a losing battle against nature. When a young coworker comes to the office with a new set of breast implants, Pam's delicate psyche begins to crack.
Doctor Joseph DiBiro used to make art from flesh and plastic, but after his release from prison the only thing he's handling is a broom. He knows he has more to give the world; he's not done creating beauty. He just needs the right patient...
As the madness unwinds, Pam and Joe find themselves performing vile acts... acts from which there's no return. Will they save their souls or succumb to the monsters living inside of them?
My Thoughts: 5/5 stars - This cover perfectly reflects the book. How far are you willing to go for beauty? For Pam, it's her obsession. Joe is a disgraced doctor recently released from prison, and he is determined to find his perfect patient to make into his beautiful work of art. I'm sure you can only imagine what happens when these two cross paths. Well, I can guarantee you can't because there are some truly horrible, brutal, and gory things they do in the pursuit of beauty.
A FRIEND INDEED - Elka Ray (Released May 14th, 2024 - Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the gifted copy)
Twisty and ingenious, A Friend Indeed is an engrossing psychological thriller perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Ruth Ware.
When single mom Jo Dykstra was at her lowest—jobless and penniless—her childhood friend Dana McFarlane helped her out bigtime by securing her a teaching job and thus an opportunity for a new life in the affluent Pacific Northwest town of Glebes Bay. So, when Jo gets a frantic late-night call from Dana, sobbing and desperate for help, it feels like a chance to help her friend in return.
The last thing Jo expects to see when she arrives at Dana's oceanfront mansion? Her friend's handsome and wealthy husband, Stan, dead, sprawled face down on the floor. Dana admits to killing her husband following years of secret abuse and begs Jo not to call the police. For nearly two decades, Dana's marriage and family had looked picture perfect. Who'd ever believe that pillar-of-the-community Stan was a monster? Determined to cover up her husband's killing and shield her kids from scandal, Dana convinces Jo to help her dispose of the body.
But the cover-up starts to crumble when a blackmailer threatens to expose their crime. Hounded by gossipy neighbors, ill-fated lovers, and zealous cops, truth and lies are laid bare between Jo and Dana, putting their families in danger and threatening to shatter a thirty-year friendship. Shocking and fast-paced, A Friend Indeed is a riveting tale about the power of friendship and the deadly weight of lies.
My Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars - How far would you go to help your friend? Give them a ride? Help with bills? Help them find a job? Dispose of their spouse's body after they admitted to murdering them? Well, Jo finds herself in this exact predicament. With blackmail, a crumbling cover-up, and more pressure, will Jo be able to keep her friend Dana's secret, or will this be the end of their decades long friendship?
I had a lot of fun with this one! Some super intense moments, and it really made me think, would I help my best friends dispose of a body?? Hopefully, I'll never have to find out. I felt for Jo because she felt an obligation to help out with all Dana has done for her, and like a true friend, she delivered on her promise. I felt like it was slow to get things progressing along, but once they did then the story ramped up.
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