Starling House by Alix E. Harrow My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Gist Starling House lured me in with its promise of Southern Gothic atmosphere, mysterious magic, and a heroine haunted by both grief and ghosts. I was ready for lyrical storytelling and a deeply unsettling house with a mind of its own. What I got instead was a meandering non-story drowning in its own metaphors—and a narrator whose dreamy tone nearly lulled me into a coma. The Details A Plot as Hollow as the House I’m not even sure how to describe the plot. The setup takes forever, the stakes feel imaginary, and the so-called climax arrives so…
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The Keeper of the Key
The Keeper of the Key by Nicole Willson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Keeper of the Key in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Nicole Willson crafts a gripping and atmospheric tale in The Keeper of the Key, a YA horror/paranormal novel that delivers exactly what I hoped for. From the first chapter, I felt pulled into a world full of eerie charm and unsettling secrets. The setting breathes with life—creepy without becoming cliché, vivid without overexplaining. Fans of haunted mansions and generational curses will find so much…
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The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan is a beautifully layered and haunting novel that shifts through time. Blending South Asian folklore with the eerie elegance of British gothic literature, it draws you into a story where the past never truly stays buried. Set in a crumbling English mansion called Cilmary, the story follows Ayesha, a teenager who moves in…
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Two Twisted Crowns
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Two Twisted Crowns in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist To begin with, Two Twisted Crowns picks up right where One Dark Window left off—and from the very first chapter, Rachel Gillig pulls you even deeper into the eerie, enchanted fog of Blunder. This is the kind of sequel that not only meets expectations but shatters them, rebuilding its world with higher stakes, sharper emotion, and a story that cuts clean through the heart. The Details Firstly, Elspeth…
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Wake the Bones
Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne My rating: 2 of 5 stars The Gist Wake the Bones promises a haunting, Southern Gothic tale steeped in magic and decay. In some ways, it delivers. The rural Kentucky setting is rich and eerie. The prose is lyrical and strange—sometimes beautiful, sometimes overwhelming. But despite all that promise, the story never fully came together for me. The Details Laurel Early has always been different. She can read bones. She senses things in the soil. After dropping out of college, she returns to her family’s farm. There, strange things begin to stir. Bones move on their own. The woods seem to breathe. Something old…
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Ghosts
Ghosts by Edith Wharton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Edith Wharton’s Ghosts is an absolute gem that beautifully combines her literary brilliance with the timeless allure of ghost stories. Wharton’s collection of supernatural tales is not just haunting but also exquisitely crafted, balancing spine-tingling suspense with her signature wit and elegance. Wharton uses the ghostly theme to explore deeper emotions like regret, longing, and the unseen forces that shape people’s lives. Her ghost stories are not about cheap thrills; they are about the eerie undercurrents of human experience. The haunting is subtle, making it all the more unsettling. Each story in the collection is distinct, but they all share…
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Immortality: A Love Story
Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Immortality: A Love Story in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Dana Schwartz’s Immortality: A Love Story, the sequel to Anatomy, attempts to expand on the gothic atmosphere and medical intrigue of its predecessor. It ultimately struggles to maintain momentum or deliver a satisfying continuation of the story. While there are moments of intrigue, the novel is marred by pacing issues, underdeveloped characters, and a plot that often feels meandering and unfocused. The Details At the center…
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The Cloisters
The Cloisters by Katy Hays My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Cloisters in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Katy Hays’ debut novel, The Cloisters, is a captivating and atmospheric blend of historical mystery and academic intrigue. It keeps readers on edge from beginning to end. Set primarily within the mystical, ivy-draped walls of The Cloisters, a gothic museum in New York City renowned for its medieval art collection, this novel explores the dark undercurrents of ambition, power, and obsession. The story follows Ann Stilwell, a young academic who…
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River of Ashes
River of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of River of Ashes in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. **Trigger Warning: contains rape, violence, and psychopath POV** The Gist River of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor is a dark and gripping thriller that delves into the sinister undercurrents of a small Louisiana town. With its compelling characters, atmospheric setting, and chilling narrative, this novel offers a haunting exploration of evil and obsession. The Details River of Ashes centers on the mysterious and macabre happenings…
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Little Eve
Little Eve by Catriona Ward My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Little Eve in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Little Eve by Catriona Ward is a novel that promises much but ultimately falls short in its execution. While the premise of the story is intriguing – a gothic horror set in a remote Scottish village – the novel struggles to deliver on its potential, leaving readers feeling disappointed and unsatisfied. The Details One of the main issues with Little Eve is its pacing. The narrative unfolds at a glacial…
