Book Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager

Final Girls

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Final Girls 〰️

This is my second book by this author, and it will certainly not be the last. I've already ordered two more of Sager's books, and I'm pretty sure he's now going to be an insta-buy for me.

I absolutely love horror movies. Especially ones that include final girls. Halloween, Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to name a few. So, I picked up this book on the title alone. (And also because I've read The Last Time I Lied by the same author, which I also loved). While this book isn't anything like those classic horror movies, it still has that element of thriller, mystery and suspense.

We know Sager wants us to figure out what really happened to Quincy during the Pine Cottage incident. Sager tries to make us think Quincy herself was the real killer. But it's too obvious despite all the evidence pointing towards her for most of the read. Then, when we learn about Sam's true identity, the first twist, I was like, Oh my God! It was actually her the whole time! But nope! Sager pulls a fast one, and it was probably obvious to most readers, but it wasn't to me until a chapter or so before the big reveal of who actually committed the Pine Cottage killings. To say I was shocked was an understatement. Love that Tina, despite all her flaws, was actually pretty cool in the end and formed a bond with Quincy.

That being said, I love Sager's writing style. I also love how he breathes life into each character. And the twists! I'm a super big fan of Sager from now on. I think this author is one to watch out for.

Book Review: The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

The Last Time I Lied

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The Last Time I Lied 〰️

Two truths and a lie.

One: I loved this book from the very first page.

Two: I didn't see the twists coming (it might be obvious to some, but I'm usually pretty oblivious to these kinds of things).

Three: I wouldn't say I liked this book.

Which is the lie? Did you guess number three? Because it was number three.

I absolutely loved this book, from the three chapters in the second person POV (well written), the big reveal about the girl's disappearance (both sets!), and the writing style. I loved it all. When done correctly, I also love a good unreliable narrator, and Sager delivered on that front.

My only nitpick is the side plot about the asylum. I loved that side plot and thought it was super cool and creepy. But I feel like the ending to that plot was a bit of a letdown. I mean, sure, the girls were found there and it was a perfect murder place, but I don't know. I was expecting something more for some reason. Also, I would have liked to see Emma interact with the campers more. She barely did her job and I'm surprised she didn't get in trouble for that.

Besides that, the story had a very interesting premise that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. I never wanted to put the book down and I love that feeling. This book had everything I didn't know I needed in a book. Some mystery, a bit of horror, a bit of romance, great characters, and great writing.

I think I'll be checking more of Sager's books. As for this one? I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Firestarter by Stephen King

Firestarter

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Firestarter 〰️

Actual rating 4.5/5

So I actually saw the movie (remake) first before I read the book. I really enjoyed this book, but I may have enjoyed the movie a bit more because of the changes they made. I won't go into detail stating all the changes, changes between books and screenplays are necessary, but I think the remake improved upon the story. (With the exception that they added a scene where Charlie has to kill a cat she hurt, and that made me ugly cry on the plane. Thankfully, no cats were harmed in the book. Other animals were, but I'm very sensitive when it comes to cats).

The story was engaging and piqued my curiosity from the beginning. I did feel like it dragged a little in the middle once Charlie and Andy spent months locked in The Shop. But the first half of the book and the climax and ending were perfect.

Some of the stories didn't age well, and I wonder if King was a woman if he'd be cancelled for his thoughts on casual racism and homophobic slurs that he always uses. I know many writers (mostly female) who have been called out and cancelled for less, but because King is, well, a king of writing, he gets away with it. Granted, I haven't read much of his more recent works, so I don't know if he's changed. And if he has, great. But people love bringing up the past and cancelling them for it even if they did change. (Which, if they changed, shouldn't that count for something?)

Aside from that, King really knows his stuff. He's an excellent writer and storyteller, and there's a reason we love his books so much we turn almost all of them into movies and even later remake those same movies. This story is a classic, and I loved it. The characters were unique. The storytelling enthralling. The pacing, for the most part, is perfect. All in all, a really enjoyable read. A great addition to anyone's Stephen King collection.

Book Review: The Exorcist's House by Nick Roberts

The Exorcist's House

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The Exorcist's House 〰️

This book has no business being as good as it was. This was one of the best horror books I've read in a while. (Outside of Judith Sonnet's books. But she writes more splatterpunk horror than this genre of horror). And before I get into the book, I do want to mention I love the shout-out Easter egg of sorts to William Blatty, the author of The Exorcist. It could be a tribute, could be an eater egg, but the fact that the exorcist who owned the house in the title of the book has the last name Blatty. Love that.

I found the pacing to be great, the story intriguing, and the visuals perfect. I could picture everything like it was a movie, and that's great because I could see this as a movie. In fact, I wish it was, as it's one of my favourite types of horror movies. I love the supernatural and hauntings and demons, and this had it all. And that ending. *Chef's Kiss* The kind of ambiguous ending that leaves you wanting more, yet it also somehow ends perfectly as you would expect a horror book/movie to end. It's great.

I wouldn't say I liked the head jumping, however. That's not to say it was done poorly. I just normally don't read books with multiple POVs in the same chapter. I didn't expect this book to be one of those. It worked, though. Not my usual style, but Robert's executed it perfectly and in fact, it added to the story.

Besides that, there was only one other thing that irked me of sorts. This could be a plot issue, or it could just be me nitpicking (which I most definitely am since I really enjoyed this book). Why did the Hill family have to move into the home if they planned selling it? Like it was stated they were going to flip it, but didn't they kinda already do that before they even moved in? They had contractors working to fix up the house, and when it was finished, they moved in. I get the family needed to be there for the story to take place, but it was already fixed up and ready to sell. Unless I don't fully understand house flipping, that could also be the case. But aside from that, everything was excellent. I can't sell this book enough.

All in all, if you love horror (and even Blatty's The Exorcist), this is an excellent book to read, and I highly recommend.

Book Review: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

The Writing Retreat

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The Writing Retreat 〰️

Actual rating 4.5 stars

I picked up this book solely on the title alone. Well, that and I saw a friend of mine reading it on Instagram, and the cover looked interesting, and I was looking for a new read. I glanced at the blurb, and it sounded interesting enough, so I took a chance. I'm glad I did. If I didn't, I would have missed out on this gem.

As a writer, I know firsthand many of the writlery struggles the characters feel in this book. If you are a writer, you'll for sure find that part of the book very relatable. However, I found it odd that the characters were shocked to hear they'd have to write a whole novel in a month. It's doable. I've done it. NaNoWriMo is a thing. I've never taken part in it, and granted, the goal is 50k in a month (the length a book is officially considered a novel), not 80k (average novel size), but still. It's also doable. I've known people who have written their first 80k draft in a month, so this shouldn't be too daunting for the characters whose only task to do in a day is to write.

That said, there is a larger story than just writing a novel in a month during a writing retreat. This is a thriller and a damn good one. Bartz lets you know something sinister is going to happen early on, and even though you're ready for it, it still hits hard. Like, people die, and I love it when an author commits to killing off characters.

However, I will say that the villain villains are a bit too hard at some points. She was veering close to Disney villain territory. Not that that is a bad thing. But it was close to being cartoonish to me. I did love her reasoning behind her plans, however. It was interesting to see Roza kill to become a famous writer, despite never being good enough to warrant such fame.

I loved that Alex and Wren, though reconciled at the end, don't become friends again. It really subverted my expectations, and that was a nice change. Like, we all wanted them to become friends (or maybe more?) again, but I love that Alex has accepted it wasn't a good relationship for her and moved on.

All in all, this was a gripping read, with a few good ghost stories tied in between. I would recommend giving this book a shot. It may surprise you.

Book Review: The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

The Children on the Hill

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The Children on the Hill 〰️

I would have never heard of this book if it wasn't for my friend. She told me she was reading a book about a mental hospital with kids who live there, and then one day, their grandmother just dropped a random girl in their house and basically said she's your sister; treat her as your flesh and blood with no context as to who she was before. And I was intrigued. So, thank you, friend, because, hot damn, this was one helluva good read.

This book essentially has two storylines, the past, taking place in 1978 and the present (which in this novel's case is 2019). Both past and present tell their own stories and slowly intertwine and become connected. In order to understand the present, we need the story told from the past and vice versa.

And when my friend told me she did not see the big twist coming, that it was a twist she hadn't seen pulled off so well in such a long time, she wasn't lying. Because wow. That twist! I nearly threw my book across the room in disbelief. Yet, if you really think about it, it made sense, and I love that I didn't see it coming. I knew there was a twist coming, thanks to my friend, but she didn't spoil it. So I spent the whole novel trying to guess it for myself. It's safe to say I got nowhere near guessing correctly.

I applaud McMahon for her storytelling. This was a gripping and chilling read from start to finish. The characters and their motivations felt so real that I could believe this story was based on actual events. (And really, with the way people are, who is to say it isn't in some way?)

After reading this book and the synopsis of some of McMahon's other books, it's safe to say I'm a fan. I'll be diving into McMahon's other works in the future. If they are anything like this book, they are definitely worth the read. The Children on the Hill is now a book I highly recommend.

Book Review: Legion by William Peter Blatty

Legion

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Legion 〰️

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I enjoyed the first book, but this one fell flat. At least the dilouge and writing I hated in the first book had improved, so there's that.

I didn't see this book as part of the horror genre, and I barely saw anything demonic besides the killings. And this one is probably a me thing, but I found myself drifting thoughts and thus, I found the book super confusing. I didn't know what was happening most of the time. However, that's probably because I found it pretty dull and had to re-read different passages many times just to figure out what was going on.

I found the pacing to be pretty slow, and it only started being somewhat interesting in part two of the book, a little over halfway done. I felt parts one, and two were completely different novels, with part one being a whodunit and part two sort of demonic possession stuff, but not done nearly as well as The Excorcist.

Also, I wouldn't say I liked Kinderman in The Exorcist. I found him to be highly annoying. But I hated him even more because he was the main MC in this book. At least his speech was slightly different (both making him the same character from book one yet also somewhat different in this book). I felt like this book was written as a cash grab because of how popular the Excorsit was, as there are barely any returning characters from the first book, and we don't even hear about Chris or Regan in this one.

That being said, I'm sure this book appeals to some people. Maybe they may even find it terrifying. Sadly I don't think this book hit the mark.

Book Review: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

The Exorcist

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The Exorcist 〰️

This book claims to be the most terrifying novel ever written. (At least the edition I was reading has it so on the cover). It perhaps was back when it was first published. Not to say it wasn't bad. It just wasn't as "scary" as I was hoping. Not even remotely. Still a good read.

This book messes with the mind in a way I didn't expect. We know Regan is passed, most likely by the demon Pazuzu. But the way the book is written, we can almost begin to question whether she is indeed possessed or has some mental disorder. (I'm impressed with all the medical knowledge that Blatty seems to possess. He did his research for writing this book. And not just with medical knowledge but with Catholicism and Satanism as well).

Now fear can be subjective, so while I didn't feel any sense of horror in this book, it doesn't mean it isn't terrifying in its own right. I'm sure even people to this day may find it frightening. However, I will say that for its lack of horror elements, Blatty certainly knew how to make me uncomfortable. When Regan begins to masturbate with a cross (among other things), I felt highly uncomfortable, and those scenes didn't sit well for me. It worked to show she was passed by a demon, but yeah. Felt borderline child p**n, and I did not like that. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm sure they cut that out. At least, I hope they did, and if so, thank God.

I will note that I hated the dialogue. Every character sounded the same or very close to each other. The prose was wonderfully written, and it's in the prose where I got a sense of how each character is and acts. But when they opened their mouths to speak, not going to lie; I was not too fond of most of it. It did get more bearable near the end, but I wouldn't say I liked the dialogue in this book.

That being said, this is still a classic story that has earned its right to be called one of the best.