How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent

Published on 10/30/202303/08/2026 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent
Published by HarperCollins UK on 10/12/2022
Genres: Fiction / Feminist, Fiction / General, Fiction / Humorous / Black Humor, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: HarperCollins
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

‘A MUST-READ for fans of dark fiction!’ Readers First ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘There’s a new serial killer in town’ Readers First ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Meet Kitty Collins.
FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

He was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone.

I hadn’t intended to kill him of course. But I wasn’t displeased when I did and, despite the mess I made, I appeared to get away with it.

That’s where my addiction started...

I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it.

A deliciously dark, hilariously twisted story about friendship, love, and murder. Fans of My Sister the Serial Killer, How to Kill Your Family and Killing Eve will love this wickedly clever novel!

Readers LOVE How to Kill Men and Get Away With It!

‘I literally couldn’t put this book down, I was just so engrossed in Kitty and what the heck she was going to do next!!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book has got to be my favourite so far this year.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘There are just so many good things I could say about this book. I absolutely tore (pun intended) through this read. Everyone needs to go read it.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Being a man I really shouldn't like this book. Well I didn't like it. I loved it! Oh I just couldn't stop reading this.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘How to Kill Men was an absolute treat to read, sending out American Psycho and Promising Young Women vibes.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘One word!!! AMAZING!!! Where has Kitty been all my life?’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This is one of the most clever books I have read in quite a while.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A well-rounded cast of characters, quick pace, and thrilling twists make this one of my favourites of the year!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A twisted but witty read which will keep you up all night.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another book sent to me by my contact at HarperCollins is How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent. The cover made me laugh because at the very bottom it says “For legal purposes: a novel”.

Characters

Kitty reminds me a lot of me. She’s vegan and she doesn’t care much for human beings for the most part. Oh she loves her friends, but that’s about it. Otherwise, she seems to find dealing with other people exhausting. I quite concur with her on that. However, I don’t share her penchant for murder.

Hen strikes me as just there for the most part. It’s almost like she’s the part of the friend group that is simply there for the purpose of providing parties and the like. Nothing particularly special about her, but I didn’t really care much for her either.

Maisie is an airhead of the highest order. She’s pretty much the vapid, stupid one of the group, but is also rather sweet and at least more cordial that Hen seems to be. I liked her well enough, although we don’t see all that much of her.

Tor is probably the friend we see the most of and I love her character. She’s sweet and she’s Kitty’s best friend despite Kitty not being a huge people person. Tor has her own issues and I think that’s why she and Kitty get along so well.

Charlie is an interesting character – he’s in love with Kitty, so there’s that. We don’t see much of him that isn’t related to something going on with Kitty. He’s a nice enough fellow and I like him well enough.

Atmosphere

I kind of like the atmosphere for this book. It’s actually quite normal – it isn’t creepy, it isn’t weird, it isn’t dark. It is just normal London. It makes for an interesting read because so many mystery/thriller novels will try to make the atmosphere creepy, but this is just…. normal.

Writing

I like Katy Brent’s writing style. It is easy to read, easy to follow along with, and makes reading the book a breeze. While I can’t say that I understood all of the British lingo (I’m American), I don’t think she really used enough British lingo to actually make it difficult to read the book. I’d be willing to read more of Katy Brent’s work.

Plot

This one had an interesting plot to it. Having a murderer who does so for a specific reason but who also has to deal with a stalker is quite the interesting plot. And the twists are perfection – trust me, you’ll never guess who the stalker is!

Intrigue

Honestly, a book has to have intrigue to be a proper mystery/thriller novel and this one has it. It isn’t who is committing the murders – we know that. But the intrigue is what other secrets does Kitty have and who on earth in her stalker? The intrigue here is more subtle than most books because usually a mystery/thriller is all about who is killing the murder victims. But in this case, we have a different focus for the intrigue.

Romance

I think the romance between Kitty and Charlie is very sweet. It’s a bit rocky for a while, but it is very sweet. I liked it a lot. Not so much Maisie and Rupert’s romance, although some of the descriptions for it made me laugh out loud. It’s just enough romance to have something soft and not so much that it should be a romance novel instead.

Ending

The ending to this one contains a plot twist that you won’t see coming. It involves Kitty’s stalker and trust me, you’ll be surprised when you find out who it is. Or maybe not… anything is possible. I did enjoy the ending though because it seems like everyone got what they deserved.

Conclusion

All in all this one was a good book and I would recommend it to those looking for a mystery/thriller that is a little bit different. I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars. I will definitely check out Katy Brent’s future works.

Book Cover for The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Published on 05/10/202312/31/2024 by Charli

Today I am bringing you a review of Deya Muniz’s new graphic novel The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This review is brought to you in conjunction with TBR & Beyond Tours. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this tour.

I received an advance copy of this book from Little Brown Ink to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz
Published by Little Brown Ink on 05/09/2023
Genres: Young Adult / Graphic Novel
Format: ARC
Source: Little Brown Ink
IndieBound
Goodreads

A funny, heartfelt YA romance about finding love—and lots of grilled cheese sandwiches—in the place you least expect it, from rising talent Deya Muniz.

Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert.

But it’s hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret?

A romantic comedy about mistaken identity, true love, and lots of grilled cheese.

Content Warning: misogyny

The first thing you need to know about The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich? That it’s absolutely adorable. Well, the story is. The artwork is beautiful, but the story is just adorable.

I love Cam – she’s strong, independent, but is also lonely and bored due to the lifestyle she’s forced to lead. So when opportunity presents itself, she does what she can to make her life less miserable and falls in love in the process.

I’m also quite partial to Brie… she’s sweet, kind, loving, and funny. I love that she’s an activist because she hates injustice…

And might I say, I’m overly amused at Lady Ricotta and her inability to mind her own business.

The setting is awesome – lots of references to cheese, some of which are super amusing but I’ll let you read it yourself to see what I’m talking about. The hints of misogyny are there and they will annoy you, and probably make you wonder why they even exist, but it’s a good part of the plot and you’ll understand later in the story why they figure so much into the story.

The ending is wonderful and I think you’ll find it as adorable as I did. I gave this book four stars because it’s just a really fun, fast-paced, adorable romance in graphic novel form.

Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz

Published on 04/01/202312/31/2024 by Charli

Today’s review is for Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz. This is a YA fantasy set in Puerto Rico. Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me to be part of this blog tour!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz
Published by Page Street Kids, Page Street Publishing on 03/28/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon // IndieBound
Goodreads

Three teenagers are invited to spend seven days on the secluded island floating off the coast of Puerto Rico to learn the magic of the elves.

All they have to do is give up their dreams.

Seventeen-year-old goth Sevim Burgos hates elves. Everyone else on earth loves the elves (especially their handsome princes) and would give anything to participate in Eterna’s annual Exchange, where three teens can trade their dreams for a week of elven magic.

But Sevim knows things most people don’t. She can see through the illusions the elves use to conceal their crimes. Ever since elves killed her father, Sevim has longed for revenge. So to help support her single mother, she has been selling abandoned elf corpses on the black market.

But it turns out that the elf prince Aro has noticed Sevim bodysnatching, so he kidnaps her mother in retaliation. To get her mother back, Sevim must participate in the Exchange.

In the home of the elves, Sevim will have to surrender her dreams and put her trust in the charming prince who took the last family member she has in order to master the art of elf magic. And in working with him, she will discover how the royal elves might be more tied to her own history than she ever suspected.

CW: trauma, handling corpses

Last Sunrise in Eterna – The Review

Characters

There are so many characters in Last Sunrise in Eterna that have a lot to do with the story, so I really don’t want to go into too much detail regarding specific characters. I will say that I really enjoyed Sevim – she and I are a lot alike (aside from the fact that I am not Puerto Rican – I mean music and fashion tastes and loving to read). I also greatly enjoyed Aro – although sometimes I didn’t and you’ll understand more about that when you read the book. As far as Aro’s brother, Feyn is concerned, I don’t care much for him, but later on I came to understand why he is the way he is. I also loved Jason and Ryujin.

Atmosphere

I appreciated the fact that in Last Sunrise in Eterna we have elves (Aro, Feyn, and others) interacting with humans on EARTH… not some made up planet. But actually on Earth, in Puerto Rico. It’s pretty cool and I really loved it. It gave the book the basic elements of fantasy while actually having it be a normal setting. Loved it.

Writing

The writing style in Last Sunrise in Eterna is absolutely wonderful. It is easy to read, easy to follow, and even when something is said in Spanish, it isn’t that hard to figure out what’s going on or what’s being said. The book had wonderful pacing and I loved that I was never bored with the book. It did take me a bit to get into, but that was more of “right book, wrong time” than anything wrong with the book.

Plot

Do we have books where people are chosen to go do this or that? Yes, of course we do. But what about books where those people are heading off to an island full of elves? On Earth no less? With twists and turns you will never see coming… you have to read this book to believe how amazing this plot is. Seriously, Last Sunrise in Eterna is not a book you should be sleeping on!

Intrigue

Trust me, this is a fantasy book, YA fantasy to be exact, and it has plenty of intrigue. Unless you’re not a fan of fantasy or elves, you will love this book. There are elves, magic, danger, mystery, and the best plot twists you’ll ever see. Intrigue is definitely a part of this book.

Romance

Oh come on, what’s a good YA Fantasy without a little romance? I’m not going to tell you who the romance is between, but in all honesty, I think there might be more than one brewing in this book. However, with this book appearing to be a standalone, we may never see them come to fruition. But the romance is cute and it is a slow-burn for the romance, because there are issues. But what romance doesn’t have issues?

Ending

The ending to this book will blow you away. There are plot twists that come towards the end that just smack you out of left-field. While the absolute ending somewhat leaves things open for a possible sequel, the book is finished well enough the way it ends.

Conclusion

I gave this book 4 stars because it is an amazing read – I wouldn’t call it one of my favorites for this year, although since we’re only in April, it’s possible it could still become one! I’m telling you, this is a book you need to read!

Girl Forgotten by April Henry

Published on 03/31/202312/31/2024 by Charli

Today we are taking a look at Girl Forgotten by April Henry. Girl Forgotten is a young adult thriller novel that I have to say, I loved. This was the first time I’ve read an April Henry novel and I must say, I am definitely interested in reading her backlist! Thank you so much to TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me to be part of this blog tour!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Girl Forgotten by April Henry
on 03/28/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Thriller
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon // IndieBound
Goodreads

Piper Gray starts a true-crime podcast investigating a seventeen-year-old cold case in this thrilling YA murder mystery by New York Times bestselling author April Henry.

Seventeen years ago, Layla Trello was murdered and her killer was never found. Enter true-crime fan Piper Gray, who is determined to reopen Layla’s case and get some answers. With the help of Jonas—who has a secret of his own—Piper starts a podcast investigating Layla’s murder. But as she digs deeper into the mysteries of the past, Piper begins receiving anonymous threats telling her to back off the investigation, or else. The killer is still out there, and Piper must uncover their identity before they silence her forever.

CW: Murder, Suicide, Overdose, Drug Use

Ok, so we all know this will be the usual CAWPILE/CAWPIRE review – so here we go!

Girl Forgotten – The Review

Characters

There are a LOT of characters in this book, so I’m just going to give a quick overview of how I felt about a couple of them.

I love Piper! She’s funky, she’s cool, and she loves true crime podcasts. I also love true crime podcasts, so I connected with her from that. She’s got a secret she’s keeping, but don’t we all?

Then we have Jonas. He’s an interesting character, also keeping a secret, but again, don’t we all keep some sort of secrets? I like him quite a bit. He seems like someone I’d be friends with.

I can’t really talk too much about other characters without giving away the story, so I’m going to stop there with the characters. All I’ll say is that one character I really liked, until I didn’t!

Atmosphere

Our setting is what I’d guess is a mid-sized city in Oregon. Not quite a metropolis but not a small town either. It’s a decent place to set the story and the atmosphere there is one that I’d say fits the plot well. After all, it’s not meant to be a dark and gloomy/spooky thriller – the crime happened 17 years ago after all!

Writing

I really love April Henry’s writing style. Girl Forgotten is my first book by her and I honestly wish I’d picked up one of her books sooner! She has a way of writing that makes the books easy to read, easy to follow, and memorable enough that if life gets in your way and you have to put it down for a few days[mfn]Even though you didn’t want to…[/mfn] you’ll still know what’s happening when you pick it back up. Definitely an author I want to read more of!

Plot

Girl Forgotten has a very cool and rather unique plot. I’m sure there are other books based around true crime podcasts, but by a teenager? And detailing just one specific cold case? I’m pretty sure that’s a unique plot line and if it isn’t, well I haven’t seen a book like this before. I loved the plot for this book and found it to be very interesting and well written.

Intrigue

What’s a thriller without intrigue? Every time you think you know what’s going on in Girl Forgotten, you don’t. Trust me. If you think you know what’s going to happen next, you don’t. This book kept me wondering what was going to happen next and there are twists I would never have guessed would happen.

Romance

I know, you’re wondering why romance and not logic. Well, because I think there’s a bit of romance going on in this book, whether you want to believe it or not. It’s extremely subtle, but it is there. It’s a very sweet thing and I wish there was going to be a sequel if only to explore this romance more. But alas, from all indications, this is a standalone novel.

Ending

The ending to Girl Forgotten blew my mind. First the biggest plot twist of the entire book happens. Then in another twist, we find out exactly what happened. And when someone comes to the rescue, you’ll realize how big of a deal it is that the savior did so. This ending was perfect – I wouldn’t change a thing!

Conclusion

This book is an absolute must read. If you’re into YA thrillers, you have to check this book out. If you’re not into them but you’d like to get into YA thrillers, try this book. And if you love adult thrillers, check this out – you just might find you like it more than you think you will!

I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu

Published on 03/17/202312/31/2024 by Charli

Hello lovelies. Today I’m bringing you a blog tour and review for Sarah Lyu’s I Will Find You Again. Of course, as you all know, I’m a sucker for a YA Mystery/Thriller novel and this one was no exception. Read on to see what I thought of the book, as well as pick up some information on where to buy the book & the book’s author, Sarah Lyu. Brought to you by Charli’s Book Box and TBR & Beyond Tours.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on March 14, 2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Mystery, Young Adult Fiction / Thriller
Pages: 304
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon // IndieBound
Goodreads

All the Bright Places meets Ace of Spades in this smart, twisty teen thriller about a girl who can’t stop pushing herself to be the best—even after losing her best friend and the love of her life.

Welcome to Meadowlark, Long Island—expensive homes and good schools, ambition and loneliness. Meet Chase Ohara and Lia Vestiano: the driven overachiever and the impulsive wanderer, the future CEO and the free spirit. Best friends for years—weekend trips to Montauk, sleepovers on a yacht—and then, first love. True love.

But when Lia disappears, Chase’s life turns into a series of grim snapshots. Anger. Grief. Running. Pink pills in an Altoids tin. A cheating ring at school. Heartbreak and lies. A catastrophic secret.

And the shocking truth that will change everything about the way Chase sees Lia—and herself.

CW: Drug Use, Mentions of Suicide, Depression, Anxiety

Representation: Queer, Lesbian, Sapphic, Asian, Anxiety

I Will Find You Again – Characters

There are three characters I’m going to go over here – Chase, Lia, and Hunter. There are other characters, but they’re more background/side characters than anything else, so I won’t detail them here[mfn]If I did, this post might not ever end LOL[/mfn].

Chase

The first character from I Will Find You Again I’m going to talk about is Chase. Chase is our main character and the character from whose point of view we are being told the story. I’m not sure what to think of Chase. She reminds me a lot of Spencer from Pretty Little Liars – you know, the overachiever who keeps chugging along because it is what is expected of her. She’s got to be perfect, got to make the grades, etc.. But while I liked Spencer, I don’t know how I feel about Chase. She’s a good main character, I’m just not sure if I like her.

Lia

We don’t see much of Lia, but that’s OK. We learn enough about her over the course of the book to figure out whether or not we like her. Again, as with Chase, I’m not sure that I particularly care for Lia. She seems a bit on the whiny side – “look at me, I appear to have this great home life but it really sucks” kind of girl and that just bugs me. She was Chase’s best friend & her girlfriend. I like Chase better than I like Lia.

Hunter

Hunter is an interesting character and honestly, I think she’s the character that really makes I Will Find You Again what it is. This might sound odd, especially once you’ve read the book and understand who Hunter really is, but of the three main female characters, Hunter is my favorite. She is also a girlfriend of Lia’s… sort of. You’ll have to read the book to understand.

I Will Find You Again – Atmosphere

So the atmosphere in I Will Find You Again is basically just a run of the mill, upper-class community. There’s nothing particularly ominous about the town. Montauk will become a bit more ominous as the book goes on, but it isn’t at first. I think the most interesting thing about the atmosphere of this book is that it really isn’t creepy, ominous, or anything else you’d expect from a mystery/thriller novel, but it works. So I give it points for that because it absolutely works.

I Will Find You Again – Writing

I have to say, I very much enjoyed Sarah Lyu’s writing style in I Will Find You Again. It keeps the book moving, quickly but not too quickly, and it is easy to read and understand. You won’t be asking yourself what’s going on all the time because it’s not hard to keep up. Will there be times you’re a bit confused? Sure, but it is done in a way that is meant to set things up for later. So trust me when I say that if you are having trouble following the story, it’ll be explained later.

I Will Find You Again – Plot

This book has a plot that is absolute genius. I can’t really say much of anything about it without giving it away, but just let me say this – you won’t expect the twist that comes up, because I sure didn’t and I’m usually pretty good about figuring out what’s going to happen next.

I Will Find You Again – Intrigue

Being a mystery/thriller novel, I Will Find You Again would need to have some intrigue to it. And it does. Boy does it ever have intrigue. Trying to figure out what really happened to Lia is what will keep you reading this book. You’ll become invested in this mystery as Chase and Hunter try to figure all of this out. And again, you won’t see the plot twist coming!

I Will Find You Again – Logic

It’s a mystery/thriller. There is logic there, but it might be hard to spot at first. Things in this book don’t happen in a logical, chronological order because you need to bounce around to get to where you need to go.

I Will Find You Again – Ending

The ending to I Will Find You Again was satisfying. It didn’t leave more questions than answers and it didn’t leave anything open for a sequel because this book doesn’t need one[mfn]Unlike a book I reviewed a few months ago that is a standalone but I feel should have gotten a sequel.[/mfn]. I quite liked the ending myself.

Conclusion

I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu is a four-star read that will keep you entertained and wondering what’s going to happen next. I highly recommend this book to any fan of mystery/thriller novels, especially YA mystery/thriller novels.

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter

Published on 03/12/202312/31/2024 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter
Series: Royal Blood #1
Published by Random House Children's Books on March 7, 2023
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / General, Young Adult Fiction / Family / General
Pages: 352
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon // IndieBound
Goodreads

An American girl becomes the British Monarchy’s greatest nightmare in this thrilling new series where royal scandals just got deadlier.

As the King of England’s illegitimate daughter, 17-year-old Evan Bright knows a thing or two about keeping secrets.

But when she’s forced to spend the summer in London with her father and the royal family, who aren’t exactly thrilled she exists, her identity is mysteriously revealed, and suddenly the world is dying to know every juicy lie the press prints about her.

After a fun night turns deadly and Evan becomes the primary suspect in a murder investigation, the escalating rumors and fallout threaten to tear her life apart. As she fights to uncover the truth about what happened, she discovers royal secrets that are even more scandalous than she imagined – secrets that could change the monarchy forever.

And her own may be next.

Content Warning: attempted sexual assault, use of date rape drugs, death, mental health issues

I’m a sucker for thrillers and if it’s a YA thriller, then all the better. Don’t ask me why I like YA so much better than adult books, but I do. I mean, yes, I read adult books, but I have a strong preference for YA over adult books. So when I saw this come up as one of the blog tours, I knew I had to sign up. Now if you know me, you know that I’m not usually a fan of anything that involves royalty, but the description of the book sounded so good, I had to read it. I’m so glad I did.

Characters

I’m going to be honest, there’s a ton of characters in this book and it can be tough to get a feel for all of them – especially since we don’t see a lot of all of them. So if I missed a character, don’t worry, it wasn’t because I did it on purpose. Also – the royal family in this book is entirely fictional, so don’t be offended at the thought of the Royal Family being the subject of a fiction book. This isn’t the real Royal Family at all.

Evan/Evangeline

Our main character, Evangeline – who prefers to be called Evan, except by her Mom, who calls her Evie – is the illegitimate daughter of the King of England. When we meet her, she’s getting herself into a spot of trouble. She’s rebellious, doesn’t think much of her father, and loves her mother with everything in her soul. But you’ll come to find that she isn’t as hard-nosed about her father as she appears at first. I love her character because she just doesn’t give a crap – she’s more than willing to tell you like it is and won’t pull punches, even if she’s speaking of her father, the King of England or other members of the Royal Family.

Jenkins

Jenkins is the personal assistant/secretary to the King and is the one who has dealt with Evan for the majority of her life since she was 11 years old. He loves Evan dearly and she adores him as well – he’s the closest thing she’s had to a father up until the events that unfold in this book. I love Jenkins because he’s not afraid to push the envelope a little bit.

Tibby

Tibby is hilarious. She has a super long name that I’m sincerely too lazy to look up and then type out, but I do remember her first name is actually Tabitha, but everyone calls her Tibby. Tibby is helping keep Evan on schedule and quite frankly becomes one of Evan’s greatest allies. She tries to protect Evan as much as possible. I like her because she also doesn’t care who she’s talking about when it’s just her and Evan and maybe Kit.

Kit

Kit is the Queen Consort’s nephew and has a huge thing for Evan, which isn’t really all that hidden once you get to know him. It isn’t like he tries to hide it. And he doesn’t care that Evan is illegitimate… he’s there for her no matter what. Even if she tries to push him away, he won’t leave her… I love him for that.

Ben

Ben is Evan’s cousin, the King’s brother’s son, and he’s third in line for the throne. He seems like such a great guy to begin with, but isn’t that how it is with all of them? You’ll have to read the book to find out why I say that, but trust me when I say I loved him at first but then grew to despise him.

Jasper

Son of a media mogul, Jasper is a piece of work, let me tell you. He uses his charm and influence to worm his way into Evan’s life and then rips it apart. I won’t give you details obviously, but he’s not a nice guy. I really didn’t like him to begin with but after what he pulls, I disliked him even more.

Alexander

Alexander is the King of England and Evan’s father. He’s a bit startled for her to show up in Windsor Castle, but he quickly sets to making sure that she’s treated like she’s his daughter. There’s more to his relationship with her, and her mother, than meets the eye and if you don’t like him at first, give it time. You will eventually.

Helene

The Queen Consort – she’s a witch with a b and I can’t stand her. She can’t get over the idea that her husband was unfaithful to her, but honestly, the way she behaves, I can understand why he would be. Trust me, you probably won’t like her – unless you’re just like her.

Mary/Maisie

Princess Mary, Maisie to her friends and family, is the legitimate daughter of Alexander and Helene. Frostier than the North Pole to Evan at first, you’ll find she’ll eventually come around. Again, I won’t tell you why she comes around or how she does, but she does. Maisie is one of those characters that I kind of like and kind of don’t like.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere for this book is hard to describe. You’ve got various different scenes, all of which bring about different feelings and emotions. But all of the scenes work in the manner in which they’re designed to. Whether the scene is Windsor Castle, some concert at a music venue, or the curb in front of an ice cream shop, the scene is perfect for whatever is happening.

Writing

Aimee Carter has a brilliant writing style. Her writing is easy to read, paces the book in a manner that both makes sense and that works – not too fast, not too slow. She isn’t a flowery prose type of writer and I like that – I’ve seen thrillers (YA and adult alike) where the authors are just being so flowery and descriptive and it just makes me put the book down. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more books by Aimee Carter.

Plot

Obviously there has to be a death if it’s a thriller, even if it is a YA thriller. After all, what’s the point of a thriller if at least one person doesn’t die. But when you add in a member of the Royal Family (even if that member isn’t considered a member by everyone) and a whole lot of “what is going on here?” to the plot, it becomes even better. This was a unique plotline for a YA thriller and I absolutely am here for it. If you want something a bit different from the norm, I suggest this book.

Intrigue

It’s a thriller so there’s tons of intrigue. If you aren’t asking what’s going to happen next, you’re either not into thrillers, not into YA, or you’re not reading the same book I was. Or the story/plot/writing style aren’t for you (because that is a thing, no judgement here). This book had me wanting to know more, wanting to know what was going to happen next. That’s a sure sign of a good thriller.

Logic

In this book, things progress in an order that makes sense, but also gives you glimpses into the past to help you better understand the characters and what they’re thinking/doing in the present. In some cases, you have no idea why someone does something, but the story doesn’t generally need it to continue on – it’d be more for the reader’s curiosity than anything.

Ending

This book ends in a way that suggests at least one sequel will be forthcoming. There are some things that happen in the last chapter that strongly point to there being more to the story – but the ending is satisfying in and of itself because the main plot of this book was fulfilled. We know who died, we know what happened, and we have the plot’s questions answered. The question is, how much better will book 2 be (if there is one)?

Conclusion

If you’re a fan of thrillers, YA, or YA thrillers, I really recommend this book. If you like books with Royal Family drama, I also recommend this book, because there’s plenty of that in here. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Suburban Monsters by Christopher Hawkins

Published on 03/05/202312/31/2024 by Charli

Ok, so we know I love horror. I’ve said it a million times. So when I saw Suburban Monsters, a horror short story collection by Christopher Hawkins on NetGalley, I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as thrilled with the collection as I’d hoped. Read on to see my thoughts on the various stories.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Suburban Monsters by Christopher Hawkins
Published by Coronis Publishing on 03/07/2023
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, Fiction / Horror, Fiction / Short Stories (single author)
Pages: 240
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

The house at the end of the block with the overgrown lawn. The darkened store window in a forgotten corner of the shopping mall. The colorful characters of a children's TV show. What dark secrets do they hide?

From award-winning author Christopher Hawkins come thirteen tales of the horrors lurking right next door.

A shut-in sets out to make a new life for himself by losing weight at the point of a scalpel.

A store clerk with a mannequin obsession hides a macabre and tragic secret.

A master thief tries for one last score in a house that doesn't want him to leave.

Two friends learn the hard way that having superpowers doesn't always make you a hero. It might just make you a monster.

A lonely painter finds freedom with the help of something lurking beneath the ocean waves.

At turns whimsical and somber but always unsettling, this debut collection of short horror stories is essential reading from a rising voice in dark literary fiction.

Suburban Monsters – The Stories

Green Eyes

This story isn’t too terribly scary or creepy. It’s more sad than anything, with just a touch of horror at the very end of the story. It only takes a few minutes to read (less than 30) and it’s a nice story to start Suburban Monsters off. I rather liked it.

Moonrise Over Water With Sargassum, 2022. Oil on Canvas

Again, this story in Suburban Monsters isn’t terribly scary or creepy. It’s more sad and perhaps a cautionary tale of what can happen when a husband is so controlling that the quiet wife decides she’s had enough. As with “Green Eyes”, this one doesn’t get to the actual horror until the very end. Up until then, you could honestly believe this was a set-up scene for a mystery/thriller novel. Very good story.

Storms of the Present

This one was more creepy than the other two. It was also more unsettling. It kind of gives a new perspective on being overweight/obese, albeit a supernatural perspective. The story was good though, a bit gross in parts, but good. I enjoyed this one. The true horror part, again, was towards the end, but I think that is just a signature for this author, and not a bad one.

Origin Story

This one was OK. Wondering what someone’s superhero origin story would be and then turning it into horror is kind of a cool concept to be honest. I enjoyed this story a lot. The ending was one of the best things about the story because it was just so unexpected. This one you got the horror aspect a bit sooner than the previous stories, but it was still more towards the end.

Poppy

Ok, this one was weird and creepy. This one was pretty creepy from the start, which isn’t the norm for this author’s stories from what I’ve read. But it was a good story. If you’re weirded out or creeped out by dolls/mannequins, you might not want to read this one, but if those things don’t bother you, I’d definitely recommend giving this story a try.

Interude

This one was a story that if you’re not a fan of clowns, I don’t recommend reading. It’s weird, creepy, and the ending is just… what the hell? You’ll never look at clowns the same again, I guarantee you that. It was an OK story, but seriously… clowns… (shudders). (Side Note: This is where Suburban Monsters started to go downhill for me.)

The Stumblybum Imperative

This one was just plain weird from the start. A story about a kids’ show that turns out to be something horrific. I wasn’t overly impressed with the story as I felt it drug on and on, only to come to a rather boring ending. Definitely my least favorite so far – but wait, there will be ones I like even less in Suburban Monsters.

Shadowman

So this story wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great either. It didn’t have a horror or scary component to it, just a supernatural one. Just a boy getting back at his bullies by less than natural means. Nothing special. I mean, it isn’t the worst story in the book but it isn’t the best either. I liked it well enough.

Carpenter’s Thumb

This one was at least a bit more entertaining. I will say that I’d have liked it to be longer, perhaps given more instances of the thumb giving the guy hell. It seems to me that this is almost a take on idle hands but maybe not. I actually liked this one quite a bit, which is interesting since the second half of Suburban Monsters hasn’t really been to my liking.

Swallow

I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to think of this one. It is at once ridiculous and disgusting. Nothing about it makes much sense, particularly the ending. I just can’t understand what I’m supposed to do with this one or how I’m supposed to process it. Definitely a contender for least favorite.

Ten and Gone

Another story in Suburban Monsters relying on the supernatural to provide horror, yet failing to provide anything that was even mildly creepy or scary. A house that tries to eat intruders might be relatively unique, but it certainly wasn’t creepy or scary. However, the story in and of itself wasn’t terrible, it just needs a little tweaking to make it a bit better.

Notice

This one was one of the better stories. A very long notice of terminating employment, although there is a twist at the end you won’t be expecting. Finally, a story in the second part of the book that wasn’t completely mediocre.

A Candle for the Birthday Boy

The title doesn’t make a lick of sense but that’s OK, because the story isn’t that great. A kid’s birthday party turns dark when the piñata is broken open. The story reads like a bad dream. It just kind of fell flat to me, mostly due to it taking a while to get to the point. It does have an interesting plot twist at the end though. Not the worst story but not the best either.

Conclusion

While there are some good stories in Suburban Monsters, the majority of the book just falls flat for me. I don’t see the horror elements in most of the stories, although that could be due to my pretty much jaded nature when it comes to horror – I don’t scare easily when it comes to horror and I find most horror movies and books to not be nearly as scary as people think[mfn]I find it hilarious that Stephen King won’t read his own books because they’ll scare him into having nightmares because while I love his work, it’s not scary if you ask me.[/mfn].

Kill Joy by Holly Jackson

Published on 02/28/202312/31/2024 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
Also by this author: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Five Survive
Series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #0.5
Also in this series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Published by Delacorte Press on February 28, 2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Mystery, Young Adult Fiction / Thriller, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 208
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

Pippa Fitz-Amobi is not in the mood for her friend’s murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920’s fancy dress and pretending that their town, Little Kilton, is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder.

But as Pip plays detective, teasing out the identity of the killer clue-by-clue, the murder of the fictional Reginald Remy isn’t the only case on her mind …

Find out where it all began for Pip in this prequel to the best-selling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Good Girl, Bad Blood.

I’m back with my third review of a Holly Jackson book. This time it’s for Kill Joy, the prequel novella to the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a big fan of Holly Jackson’s books. So suffice it to say, yes, I liked this one a lot. So let’s get into the review.

Kill Joy – Characters

There are several characters in Kill Joy – seven characters that we’ll be dealing with for the majority of the story.

Pip

Pip is our main character. She’s one of those super serious, super studious girls that if you ask her what her idea of fun is, she’ll tell you doing her homework or planning out a project. She’s that annoying girl who has to be right all the time, but yet you still manage to like her. I like Pip – she’s obnoxious, but she’s also a cool character.

Connor

Connor is kind of hard to get a read on. The problem is that he’s in character for most of the book, so you don’t get too much of an idea of what he’s normally like. But for what I was able to see of him in this novella, he’s an OK kid.

Jamie

Jamie is Connor’s older brother. Again, he spends the majority of the novella in character for the murder mystery party, so you don’t get too much of a read on him either. But he wasn’t an unlikable character by any means.

Lauren

Lauren was kind of annoying. We got to see more of her out of character than we did Connor or Jamie. She’s the kind of girl who has to be glued to her phone and in contact with her boyfriend constantly. She kind of grated on my nerves because I don’t have patience for that kind of girl.

Cara

Pip’s best friend. You get some glimpses of her out of character. From what I can tell, she puts up with Pip because she simply knows how Pip is. Then again, that’s kind of the feeling you get from all of Pip’s friends. Cara can be a smart-ass, which is nice to see and balances Pip out.

Zach

Zach is another character who spends most of the novella in character. You get a few shots of him out of character and you realize he’s just that good friend/neighbor that everyone is just used to having around. He’s part of the friend group because why wouldn’t he be? He’s a pretty cool guy.

Ant

Ant is the character that annoyed me the most. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut – he makes a couple of annoying outbursts that just grated on my nerves. He’s the friend in the group that makes you wonder why they’re willing to hang out with him as obnoxious as he is. Not a big fan of him.

Kill Joy – Atmosphere

For a mystery/thriller type book, Kill Joy didn’t really have too much of the spooky, creepy vibe to it. For the most part you’re just in the dining room of someone’s house with the exception of when they get up to look for something or investigate something. Some people might not think it’s a great atmosphere, but for this novella, it works and it works well.

Kill Joy – Writing

By now we should all know that I love Holly Jackson’s writing style. She keeps the plot for Kill Joy moving along and doesn’t let it drag out. Dragging along is one of the things I don’t like about most novellas – too many of them are just a chore to get through. But Kill Joy is easy to read – I think I read it in a couple of hours at most.

Kill Joy – Plot

Ok, the plot to Kill Joy is fairly simple. Pip and her friends are having a murder mystery party and they’re going to solve a “murder” in the course of a couple of hours. It’s a fun, simple plot designed to be a vehicle for how Pip decides to do what she does in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. It’s well written and fun. What more do you want or need?

Kill Joy – Intrigue

So when we start looking at intrigue for Kill Joy, the biggest part of it is wondering about the murder mystery the friends are going to be solving. The game is meant to be sort of a live-action game of Clue. You’re kept wondering what’s going to be revealed next and who committed the murder. I really enjoyed this as you don’t actually see too many books or novellas built around these murder mystery games.

Kill Joy – Logic

Now logic is where Kill Joy kind of loses it – but it is that way to further the story and help set up A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Once you understand that, you realize that there’s a ton of logic in the way the story is set up and the way it ends… it’s just not entirely obvious at first.

Kill Joy – Ending

The way this ends will tie everything together in a nice little package. The ending is what really ties this to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. The murder mystery party is a fun way to set everything up, but the ending really brings it together. I loved the ending to this.

Conclusion

If you’ve read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I highly recommend you read Kill Joy. It gives insight into what prompted Pip to take a second look into the murder of Andie Bell. It’s quick, fun read that will leave you wanting to read[mfn]Or re-read[/mfn] A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and its sequels.

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti

Published on 02/23/202312/31/2024 by Charli

We all know I love a good mystery/thriller, especially YA ones. Well believe me when I say Tell Me What Really Happened is a good one. A really good one. In fact, it is done in a really neat format – it is all interviews with the victim’s friends. Intrigued? Read on for my review.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on 04/04/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 416
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

There are stories about the woods around Salvation Creek and the people who have gone missing. Now their friend is one of them. A riveting, fast-paced YA mystery told entirely through first person police interviews of four teens over the course of a few hours.

It was all her idea. They would get away from their parents and spend the weekend camping. Down by Salvation Creek, the five of them would make smores, steal kisses, share secrets.

But sometime around midnight, she vanished.

Now the four friends who came back are under suspicion—and they each have a very different story to tell about what happened in the woods.

The clock is ticking. What are they hiding? Who is lying? Dark truths must come to light if their friend is to be found...

Told entirely through first-person police interviews, this riveting mystery asks: what really happened that night?

Perfect for:

Fans of Holly Jackson and Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Mysteries and police procedurals

People looking for young adult books best sellers

Also by Chelsea Sedoti:

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

As You Wish

It Came from the Sky

Praise for Chelsea Sedoti:

"Easy to read and hard to put down."—VOYA on As You Wish

"A dark, comedic mystery about a girl's quest for proof that ultimately helps her discover some truths about herself." —Justine on The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

"[A] quirky, intelligent novel." —Booklist on It Came from the Sky

CW: Death, Guns, Shooting, Murder, Blood

Tell Me What Really Happened: Characters

In Tell Me What Really Happened we have five characters to go with – the victim and her four friends. Let’s start with our victim.

Maylee

We don’t actually get to meet the real Maylee. She only speaks when one of her friends tells about something she said. From what I could gather, she’s kind of a pain in the ass. She can be rude and abrasive, manipulating and cold. But she can also be warm and loving as well. She’s definitely a dichotomy. I’m not overly fond of her, which is kind of sad, but I have to be honest.

Petra

Petra is Maylee’s best friend. She is absolutely a control freak. She’s obnoxious, abrasive, rude, and feels like she has to make sure that every little detail is scheduled. She made me want to reach through the screen and slap her more than once. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing to be honest.

Nolan

Nolan is Petra’s stepbrother. They love each other despite not being blood related. Nolan doesn’t care much for people, except for his online friends. Most of the other characters don’t believe he has real-life friends, although Nolan swears he does. He’s a bit of an odd duck. I don’t particularly like Nolan, but I don’t dislike him either. I know, that doesn’t make sense, but there it is.

John

John is Maylee’s boyfriend. There’s a lot of commentary from him and a bit from Petra, regarding the fact that he’s Black[mfn]Always stated with a capital B[/mfn]. Of course, the interviews are being conducted by unseen, unnamed police officers. However, since it seems that all four friends were being just as scrutinized as he was, it didn’t make sense to have the constant reminders of his race. He was a character that, like Nolan, I didn’t like but didn’t dislike either.

Abigail

If I had to pick a favorite character, it would be Abigail. She’s a lot like me – gets talking and gets off the subject, then has to be brought back to the subject. I do that all the time. There’s also the fact that she just seems to have a decent life but others don’t want to believe it because of who her dad is and where she lives. I admit, I really do like Abigail.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Atmosphere

The atmosphere in Tell Me What Really Happened is hard to pin down. The characters are sitting in interview rooms at the police station, that much is clear, but the rooms are never described to us. Instead, all of the atmosphere ends up being the woods in which Maylee disappeared.

Now if you’ve ever been camping you know that the woods can be pretty darned creepy at night, especially if you’re not used to going camping very much. The woods in Tell Me What Really Happened are just as creepy as you’d expect. There’s a sinister vibe to the woods that is only elevated by the stories being told by the four surviving friends. All in all, it’s a great atmosphere and a perfect setting for a disappearance.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Writing

The writing style Chelsea Sedoti used for Tell Me What Really Happened was very interesting. Have I read books where a victim’s friends/family are being interviewed? Yes, I absolutely have. But have I ever read a book in which the entire book is nothing but those interviews? No, I have not. This was a great way to handle the book. The writing is easy to read and easy to follow – at least as much as it can be. After all, these are “witness” interviews and so can be a bit – messy at times.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Plot

Ok, so here’s the thing – the plot for this book is hard to pin down at first. We know there’s a missing girl and we’re getting what her friends are saying happened. Then you realize that the plot is exactly that – the differing, mixed-up stories of the surviving friends! It’s actually brilliant because the plot is so well hidden, you don’t realize you’re in the thick of it from the beginning. Well done!

Tell Me What Really Happened: Intrigue

A mystery/thriller has to have intrigue or it wouldn’t be a mystery/thriller. This one has plenty of it. From Nolan’s cryptozoological conspiracy theories to Petra’s constant complaining about everyone and every thing, I found myself wanting to know what was going to be said next. The twists and turns and backtracking in the interviews is amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tell Me What Really Happened has some amazing intrigue – and you’ll never guess what’s happening next.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Logic

Ok, so with this particular story and plot, logic goes straight out the window. This isn’t a bad thing – it just means that with four different people telling four stories and contradicting each other one moment and agreeing the next, logic doesn’t play a huge part in Tell Me What Really Happened.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Ending

Ok, the ending to this book may be polarizing. Some people will love it, others will hate it. There are parts of the story and information revealed that will make no sense. There are also parts of the story and information revealed that will make all the sense in the world. The problem is… how will the story actually end? That my friends is the best part… because the ending is absolutely unexpected. I loved it.

Conclusion

I gave this book 5 stars because I was captivated. I didn’t want to put this book down. It was so good and I just kept wanting to see what the friends would say next. If you love mystery/thriller books, you should pick this one up. Even though it’s a YA novel, trust me, you’ll love it.

Zoomers vs Boomers by Sawyer Black

Published on 02/19/202312/31/2024 by Charli

Today’s book review is for Zoomers vs Boomers by Sawyer Black. Read on to find out what I had to say about this very interesting horror novel.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Zoomers vs Boomers by Sawyer Black
Published by Sterling & Stone LLC on 05/05/2022
Genres: Fiction / Horror, Fiction / Thrillers / General
Pages: 202
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

They’re live-streaming for their lives.

When the influencers and live-streamers of Jackson High are selected as the winner of the Operation Gen Z contest, Craig Boucher and his friends can’t believe their luck. Sure, it’s a little awkward that Craig’s ex is on the team – and so is the former best friend who abandoned him for the cool crowd freshman year. But at least Craig’s got his BFF to lean on. And his hundreds of thousands of followers, of course.

The Zoomers think they’ve been chosen to compete in a secret competition to win a million-dollar scholarship. But when they get to the site – the rundown building that used to be the Oakridge Academy, an infamous school shut down after rumors of torture and brainwashing – they discover that they’re pawns in a brutal game of survival.

As they search for a way out of the booby-trapped campus, Craig and his friends are hunted by three fanatical Boomers determined to prove that Generation Z embodies everything that’s wrong with the modern world.

Millions tune in as the live stream goes viral, and the cameras transmit every move to the enemy. As the streamers begin to turn on each other in their attempts to survive, Craig doesn’t know who to trust or how to keep his friends alive. Will they die before uncovering the truth behind this vicious contest?

Zoomers vs Boomers is an intense new stand-alone slasher-horror novel by Sawyer Black. Fans of Squid Game and The Hunt will be thrilled to death by Zoomers vs Boomers.

CW: murder, blood, gore, mentions of racism, bullying, homophobia

We all know I love a good horror novel – but when you pit Gen Z against the “Boomers”, I have to stop and take notice. I’m going to do the usual CAWPILE but I’m not going to detail specific characters because there’s just too many.

Zoomers vs Boomers – Characters

Our characters in Zoomers vs Boomers range from “we are rooting for this guy” to the “please just kill this dude already, seriously, before I jump in and do it for you”. For me, this was not an exaggeration. There were people – on the bad guys’ side – that I was wishing someone would hurry up and just off them so I didn’t have to put up with reading their idiocy anymore.

There were a couple of characters on the “good guys” side that I kind of wanted to die too… just because they were annoying. But they were supposed to be annoying so I suppose… but ugh. All in all the characters did their jobs. They either annoyed the daylights out of you or they made you want to cheer for them. They weren’t particularly well developed, but for the sake of the story, they didn’t need to be. The ones that needed building and development got it, the ones that didn’t, well… didn’t.

Zoomers vs Boomers – Atmosphere

Nothing like a run down, creepy-ass school to be the backdrop for your murder-fest, am I right? The atmosphere was creepy enough, although it seemed to me the depictions were more just gross and dirty than actually creepy. But there were some factors to make it a bit creepier than it seems at first glance. It was a decent atmosphere for the book and didn’t distract from the main story.

Sawyer Black – Writing

Sawyer Black has a great writing style. Zoomers vs Boomers had great pacing – it moved quickly but not too quickly. It doesn’t drag along with unnecessary descriptions of everything but it does give descriptions of what you need to have described to you. The writing was clear and easy to understand, something I’ve noticed some writers are not very good at. Definitely a fan of Sawyer Black’s writing style.

Zoomers vs Boomers – Plot

Ok, so the plot here is pretty great. Taking a bunch of high school students who are addicted to their electronic devices and streaming their lives, having them be the winners of a contest to enter another contest… then having the entire thing be a front for something else? Awesome. But you’ll have to read the book to find out why the entire thing was a front for something else, because I’m not telling you the entire plot. I will say it’s a fairly unique plot and I’m quite happy with it.

Zoomers vs Boomers – Intrigue

So for Zoomers vs Boomers, the intrigue is mostly wondering who is going to make it out of this book alive. I admit, I had a hard time putting the book down because I was so invested in who was going to die and who was going to live. I think it deserves a lot of credit for this.

Zoomers vs Boomers – Logic

I’m going to say it – this book didn’t use a lot of logic, but then again, it’s a horror novel. Exactly how much logic would you expect from a horror novel? Just saying.

Zoomers vs Boomers – Ending

Over all the ending was really good – not great, but really good. We had the big boss fight at the end, but it seemed a bit on the rushed side as it didn’t take long to happen. But maybe I play too many video games where you have to jump through hoops A, B, & C to be able to beat the final boss. I think the “epilogue” was a better ending to the book than the ending of the plot was, but that’s just my opinion.

Conclusion

I definitely recommend Zoomers vs Boomers by Sawyer Black to horror fans and even to people who don’t like horror – this could also be considered a thriller of sorts. If you’re not too squeamish, I’d give it a try.

Little Crazy Children by James Renner

Published on 02/17/202312/31/2024 by Charli

Ok, so whether you want to believe it or not, I actually do like true crime books. I don’t read a lot of them, but I’m picky about them . Honestly, I’m not even sure what made me decide to request to read Little Crazy Children by James Renner. Now for this book, the usual CAWPILE review isn’t going to cut it, so this time around you’re just going to get my thoughts.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Little, Crazy Children by James Renner
Published by Kensington on 06/27/2023
Genres: Social Science / Criminology, True Crime / Forensics, True Crime / Murder / General
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

In this riveting work of investigative journalism, the author of True Crime Addict and host of “True Crime This Week,” James Renner, explores the tragic unsolved 1990 murder of Lisa Pruett in the privileged enclave of Shaker Heights, Ohio, its troubling aftershocks, and the dark secrets teens tell—and keep.

TWIN PEAKS meets THE CRUCIBLE in 1990s Shaker Heights, the setting of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE.

In September of 1990, in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, sixteen-year-old Lisa Pruett, a poetry lover and member of a church youth group, was on her way to a midnight tryst with her boyfriend, when she was viciously stabbed to death only thirty feet from the boy’s home.

The murder cast a palpable gloom over the upscale community and sparked accusations, theories, and rumors among Lisa’s friends and peers. Together they wove a damning narrative that circled back to a likely suspect: “weird” high school outcast Kevin Young. Without a shred of evidence the teen was arrested, charged, and tried for the crime. His eventual acquittal didn’t squelch the anger and outrage among those who believed that Kevin got away with murder.

With a fresh perspective and painstaking research culled from police files, court records, transcripts, uncollected evidence, and new interviews, James Renner reconstructs the events leading up to and following that heartbreaking night. What emerges is a portrait of a community seething with dark undercurrents—its single-minded authorities, protective status-conscious parents, and the deeply peer-pressured teens within Lisa’s circle.

Who had the capacity for such unchecked violence? What monsters still lurk in the dark? After more than thirty years, questions like these continue to fester among the community of Shaker Heights, Ohio, still deeply scarred by wounds that remain hidden, unspoken, and unhealed.

CW: Murder, suicide, mentions of rape, drinking, drugs

About Little Crazy Children

Little Crazy Children takes on the 1990 murder case of 16-year-old Lisa Lee Pruett. The book details how the Shaker Heights police honed in on one suspect despite there being other suspects.

My Thoughts

First off, this book is very well written. It makes sense, and the investigative work done to ensure that the facts are presented was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the final few chapters in which Mr. Renner chose to give us insight as to how he came to write the book as well as his insights into who the real killer might have been.

Little Crazy Children really showcases the court of public opinion and how people’s lives can be ruined by false accusations. People don’t want to hear the truth once they’ve made up their minds, unless that truth coincides with their opinion on the matter. It also does an excellent job of showcasing the way in which law enforcement officials can influence the court of public opinion when they want to.

The case of Lisa Lee Pruett’s death has never been solved. This is mostly because no one wants to believe that Kevin Young isn’t guilty. Is it possible Kevin Young is guilty? Sure, anything is possible. But to be honest, I’m inclined to agree with Mr. Renner on this one – it isn’t him. As you read Little Crazy Children, you’ll find that there are plenty of other people who are more likely to have done it. But I’ll leave you to find out who those people are on your own.

This is a great true crime book and I encourage people to read it – especially if you live in Shaker Heights and have never heard of this case. It’s a very interesting read.

Tales from An Exorcist cover - read February 2023

Tales From an Exorcist by Reverend William J Bean

Published on 02/12/202312/31/2024 by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Tales From an Exorcist by Reverend William J Bean

Tales From An Exorcist by William J Bean
Published by Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp on 10/04/2022
Pages: 200
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley

This book is based on some of the personal experiences and Case Files of Reverend William J. Bean. Some of the names, locations, dates, and events have been changed in order to protect the identities of the victims and families.

I'm Reverend Bill Bean, and I'm also known as The Spiritual Warrior. I have performed exorcism for people from all over America and the world. I've been involved in every type of case imaginable, and I can tell you with great certainty that demons possess people, places, and things.

A battle has been taking place ever since the creation of mankind. It's the battle for the souls of human beings. Some might scoff at this, not believing in GOD, the devil, heaven, hell, angels or demons. I can personally verify and attest to the reality and validity of all of the above.

I travel all over America, helping people to become free from a variety of issues. Whether it may be depression, suicidal thoughts or attempts, relationship problems, anger and emotional issues, trauma issues, curses, drug, alcohol and porn addictions, demonic attachment, demonic oppression to demonic possession. I have encountered all of it and then some.

This book is going to take you on quite a journey, from my personal experiences with demonic forces, to my battles against them as a spiritual warrior.

CW: Religion, Suicide/Suicidal Thoughts, Demonic Possession, Abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental Illness

When I saw this book on NetGalley, I chose to read/review it because I recognized Reverend Bean. I’d actually seen him on an episode of Ghost Nation that featured a plantation that was purported to possibly have demonic activity going on in the house/on the property. While I wasn’t overly impressed with his methods on the show, I thought it would be interesting to read about some of his cases – because that’s what Tales From an Exorcist is – recountings of a selection of the exorcisms he’s performed.

I’m going to come right out and say it – I’m still not impressed by Reverend Bean. The entire book gives me the impression that he doesn’t actually believe in mental illness, addiction, etc. as actual issues/conditions, but instead believes that demons are to blame for these things. This is a viewpoint I absolutely can’t stand and absolute abhor when it comes up in books, television shows, etc.. While nothing ever actually comes right out and states this is his viewpoint, he blames a demon for attempting to kill one of the people he was helping when she attempted suicide while he was present in one of the cases told about in the book.

Reverend Bean also makes an interesting connection – conveniently, most, if not all, cases of demonic possession he’s dealt with involve people who were victims of some sort of childhood trauma and/or abuse. He states that these people are “low” and are “more susceptible” to demonic possession due to not having a good relationship with God.

I find his writing style to be obnoxious as well – there is no need to use all-caps when referring to God[mfn] Examples: GOD, YOU, YOUR, YAHWEH, HalleluYAH, etc..[/mfn] – a simple capitalization of the first letter is all that is necessary. Even the Bible doesn’t use all-caps for God’s various names. Yet when Reverend Bean refers to Jesus, he only capitalizes the first letter of Jesus’ name. I also found that I felt like Reverend Bean was a bit too boastful in his writing – it almost made me feel as though he were saying “look at me, look what I did to help these people” while also attempting to give credit to God for helping him “rid someone of demonic possession”.

All in all I found this book to be very off-putting – the idea that one’s relationship with God makes them more or less likely to be possessed by demons, making claims that being abused as a child allows demons to possess someone, etc., just strikes me as self-serving and irritating. Unless you’re into this kind of thing, I wouldn’t recommend reading the book.