The Stray Reader

17 books read again this month! No surprise there, of course. I am unstill unemployed and I’m participating in this year’s Books of Horror Indie Brawl as a reader. Sorry for the radio silence here in my blog! My nose is so deep in books I’m barely writing any review. With so much horror books in my TBR, I needed to jump into cozy and familiar reads to bring some mood highs.

Anyway, without further delay, here are my April 2024 reads!

#1: Under the Whispering Door

⭐4 : A lighthearted novel dwelling on the heavy subject of life and the process of going to the other side. Once again, a great cozy read from T.J. Klune with a more melancholic touch that’s great for the rainy days. It was a little slower in pace for my tastes but hey this is about death. Who’s rushing?

#2: Suicide Med

⭐3 : I thoroughly enjoy a thriller story where everyone’s suspicious. This is my least favorite McFadden book because of the one-dimensional characters and an unlikeable protagonist; but Freida’s signature interwoven plots are still something to read. I wouldn’t recommend any new fans to start with this though.

#3: One by One

⭐3 : The farther back I go on McFadden’s works the more I appreciate how far her writing has improved. While this one has her signature plot twist, it wasn’t as intricate as I had expected. The characters are unfortunately shallow and there’s not enough for me to feel emotional about their deaths and circumstances.

#4: Puzzle House

⭐2.5 : Kudos to Ralston for obviously doing a lot of research for the puzzles in this book. Unfortunately, I cannot care about the characters enough to be hooked, and the plot twist needed to have more crumbs so the reveal could’ve had a bigger impact. It’s difficult to be invested in a game horror when you’re rooting for no one.

#5: Daughter’s Drawings

⭐3 : This was one of the good debuts I’ve read this past year. It has a coherent plot structure, the dialogues feel human, the characters have depth, and it successfully veered away from some dumb (as the book calls it) ‘horror movie decisions.’ I especially love the whole relocation plan; that was very smart.

#6: The House in the Cerulean Sea

⭐5 : By far my favorite TJ Klune book and a very strong contender for personal best book of the year. This is like the Miss Peregrine books but with a more magical and bright atmosphere. I laughed, shed tears… my heart was so full that I still can’t stop thinking about this book weeks later. We need more older protagonists going through life-altering perspectives and handling situations like the big men and women they are!

#7: Hollow

⭐2 : I couldn’t help but notice its eerie resemblance to the movie ‘Cabin in the Woods.’ The horror elements, though intriguing individually, failed to weave together seamlessly. The monsters, with their unsettling presence, contributed to the spine-chilling atmosphere. Unfortunately, the characters and underlying plot lacked the strength I had anticipated.

#8: Brain Damage

⭐2 : This must be my signal to stop going through McFadden’s early works because they’re clearly not as good as her latest stuff. This was a very painful, slow read with an unsatisfying ending.

#9: A Court of Mist and Fury

⭐4.5 : As this is my second reading of this book, I just felt like I was coming home. While I would love to experience reading it again for the first time, the characters are so loveable and everything is so well-written that there’s a different charm going through it again. The plot, the romance, the character development… everything here is loved.

#10: This is Where We Talk Things Out

⭐4 : Short and sweet! I love a good fast-paced, nerve-wracking story that makes me internally yell for the protagonist to survive and “get the hell out of there!!!” My only complaint is that it’s too dang short and I needed moooore. 🤣 But I really love that it gets to the good parts right away!

#11: Cadaverous

⭐3 : Good read. I think this is better for younger audiences as I feel like some aspects of the plot are a stretch or just a little too convenient. However, it hits that edgy teen vibe, and the writing was compelling.

#12: Cursed

⭐3 : An eerie short read. Yay for authors that write characters making logical decisions and clearly communicate the dilemma when they’re not! The fact that I was rooting for the protagonist all throughout speaks to the amazing way the character development was written. I never thought two cups of coffee on a bench would make such an emotional impact.

#13: Inside the Devil’s Nest

⭐3.5 : A captivating beginning, an atmospheric horror setting, an engaging set of characters, and intense action scenes – there’s so much to like! This book is full of action and portrays a realistic family going through a rough patch. While some of the supernatural aspect of it was underwhelming, overall this was a great experience.

#14: Shadow and Bone

⭐4 : Going through the Grishaverse the second time is even better than the first time. While I have forgotten how dull the protagonists of this trilogy are (except for Nikolai), I still love everything else – the world-building, the laying of the characters’ foundations, and the interlacing of every character’s paths.

#15: Siege and Storm

⭐3.5 : Nikolai is the highlight of this book. While the protagonists continue to dull me with their decisions and the childish way they act, almost everything else still works; enough that I’m compelled to continue reading. The action picks up wonderfully and the characters continue to engage in such intriguing aspects.

#16: The Odds

⭐4.5 : If it wasn’t for that underwhelming last act, this was a perfect 5-star read! Short, sweet, and straight to the meat of the plot. I love it when characters are roped into death games in a sensical manner and the stakes just kept getting higher. I could not put this book down!

#17: Lovely, Dark & Deep

⭐2 : This had a great set up – an isolated town getting ready to evacuate for the incoming storm that unknowingly brought zombie-like creatures to their shores. Unfortunately, the characters didn’t have many layers and I could not feel a rising intonation in the story. It could’ve potentially made a melancholy fitting ending but the pacing is just off.