A chilling, atmospheric thriller with just the right touch of horror, The Girls in the Snow is a solid start to a promising series. It’s gripping without feeling overly dramatic, eerie without relying on cheap scares, and paced in a way that keeps you engaged without feeling exhausted by the tension. What makes this book…
Tag: fiction
“The Scald Crow” Hanna Park
There’s something incredibly immersive about The Scald Crow, a book that throws you headfirst into its world without hesitation. It’s rich, atmospheric, and filled with a distinct voice that sets it apart. While I admire what this book sets out to do, it wasn’t always the easiest read. The most defining element of The Scald…
“Phantasma” Kaylie Smith
Phantasma is a book that pulls you in with its lush, gothic atmosphere and unique premise, but doesn’t quite deliver the punch I wanted it to. A solid 3.75-star read that I’ll round up to 4 for the sake of its ambition, it’s a novel that thrives in aesthetics but occasionally loses its grip on…
“The House in the Pines” Ana Reyes
The House in the Pines keeps you intrigued enough to turn the pages, but leaves you wondering if it could have been something more. Ana Reyes builds an atmospheric mystery that teases psychological depth, but in the end, doesn’t quite land as powerfully as I wanted it to. The premise is strong…. there’s an eerie,…
“The Girls in the Garden” Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell has crafted a story that feels unsettlingly real. Set against the backdrop of a seemingly idyllic London communal garden, this novel weaves together the lives of its residents in a way that is both mesmerizing and quietly sinister. What truly shines in this book is the atmosphere. Jewell’s writing is lush with imagery,…
“House of Hunger” Alexis Henderson
House of Hunger starts off dripping with atmosphere and promise, pulling you into its dark, decadent world with a premise that feels fresh and intoxicating. The setting is gothic and immersive, the kind of eerie and opulent environment that immediately grabs your attention. Henderson crafts a world where hunger—both literal and metaphorical—is at the forefront,…
“Eva Luna” Isabel Allende
The entire time I was reading Eva Luna, it felt like I was living in the novel. Isabel Allende crafts a world so immersive, so rich in texture and emotion, that putting the book down feels like stepping out of another life and back into your own. Every page pulses with energy, rich with the…
“One of Us Is Dead” Jeneva Rose
I wanted to love One of Us Is Dead, but it fell flat for me in a way that left me more frustrated than entertained. The premise had potential– a wealthy, elite social circle filled with secrets, betrayals, and plenty of scandal– but the execution read more like a gossip tabloid than a tightly woven…
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
There’s something irresistible about a thriller set in an isolated location, and In a Dark, Dark Wood delivers exactly that. Ruth Ware takes a seemingly harmless hen-do weekend and transforms it into a tense, slow-burning nightmare where nothing is quite as it seems. The writing is atmospheric and immersive, pulling you straight into the cold,…
“The Wife Between Us” Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Psychological thrillers can be hit or miss, but The Wife Between Us is an absolute hit. From the first chapter, I knew this wasn’t going to be a predictable, paint-by-numbers domestic suspense novel. It’s smart, unsettling, and packed with the kind of twists that make you question everything you think you know about the story….
A Tempest Storm 