As The Plot Thickens

This is not an easy book to review because it doesn’t really feel like a book you simply read. It feels like you’re sitting quietly beside someone while they try to make sense of a loss that will never make sense. In Blue Nights, Joan Didion writes about the death of her daughter, Quintana, but also about motherhood, memory, aging, regret, and all those little moments we don’t realize are important until they’re gone. Didion’s writing is beautiful, but it’s also incredibly ra

Dark, damp, creepy, and full of secrets—basically, this book had my attention from the start. Set in 1912 England, the story follows Connie Gifford, who lives with her father in a decaying house surrounded by the remnants of his once-famous taxidermy museum. Connie has gaps in her memory, her father is clearly hiding things, and then a woman is found dead under very strange circumstances. You just know nothing good will come from digging into the past. And can we talk about t

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline was strange, twisty, atmospheric, and honestly a little hard to explain—which is part of what made it so interesting. Julia’s story pulled me in because from the beginning, something just felt off. There’s grief, secrets, an unexpected inheritance, and this gorgeous old estate in Tuscany that should feel like a dream come true…but instead has this underlying sense that something isn't quite right. And then things get weird. The deepe

Dream Under Glass by Theresa Halvorsen was one of those books that felt a little strange, a little dreamy, and just unsettling enough to keep me curious. There’s this almost hazy feeling to the story, like you’re never completely sure what’s real and what might be hiding just beneath the surface. I really liked that because it gave the book a slightly eerie atmosphere without trying too hard to be scary. The deeper I got into it, the more I wanted to figure out exactly where

This was such an interesting read! It has a little bit of everything—sci-fi, supernatural abilities, romance, danger, and a whole lot of people just trying to figure out where they belong. The story centers on Kendle, who works at the Warehouse, a school for Wild kids born with abilities they can’t always control. Society is basically terrified of them, and without the Warehouse, many of these kids would end up locked away and heavily medicated. Kendle knows exactly what that

Okay, this one was creepy in the best possible way. It starts with what seems like a stupid little trend—people sharing their biggest fears online. Harmless, right? Until students start dying in ways that match the exact fears they posted. Suddenly, it isn’t funny anymore. Izzy quickly realizes someone is taking these confessions and turning them into something terrifyingly real. And of course, everyone has secrets, everyone looks suspicious, and I spent a good portion of thi

There is something especially unsettling about true crime when it happens in a place where you should feel completely safe—and Murder on a Lonely Road definitely gave me that feeling. This was dark, disturbing, and at times incredibly frustrating. Pawlaczyk and Hundsdorfer take you through a case filled with fear, unanswered questions, investigative twists, and the determination to uncover what really happened. What got to me most was knowing this wasn't some fictional thrill

Okay…this book was absolutely BONKERS. 😂 I went into How to Sell a Haunted House expecting your typical creepy old house, some ghosts, maybe a few things going bump in the night. Nope. Grady Hendrix said, “How about possessed puppets?” 😳 And somehow he made them terrifying. After their parents die, Louise and her brother Mark are forced to deal with their childhood home—and all the baggage, resentment, secrets, and very questionable things their mother left behind. What sta

This book was just plain adorable! Candy Apple Kisses gave me all those cozy, sweet, feel-good vibes that make you want to curl up with a blanket, grab something sugary, and forget about the real world for a while. I really enjoyed the characters and the easygoing romance. It’s sweet without being too sweet, with enough little bumps along the way to keep things interesting. There’s something comforting about Amy Clipston’s writing—it feels like spending time in a small town w

Okay… creepy kid drawings? Say no more. 😂 Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak hooked me pretty quickly. Mallory takes a job as a nanny for a little boy named Teddy, and everything seems pretty normal at first. Then Teddy starts drawing pictures. And those pictures get WEIRD. What starts out as innocent little kid drawings slowly turns into something much darker, and I loved how the illustrations were actually part of the story. There's something especially creepy about turning

Nothing good ever happens on a dark, deserted road—and Run on Red definitely proves that. What starts as a truck following two friends quickly turns into something much more terrifying. This one grabbed me almost immediately and didn't give me much room to breathe. It's fast, creepy, and unsettling, mostly because it feels like something that could actually happen. I definitely questioned a few decisions and had more than one WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! moment, but I couldn't stop r

Now THIS is old-school horror. The Charnel House is creepy, bizarre, disturbing, and the kind of story that starts with something strange and just keeps getting worse. The whole thing has this wonderfully unsettling feeling hanging over it. You know pretty early that something is seriously wrong, but figuring out exactly what is happening is where the fun begins. And because this is Graham Masterton, things eventually get weird, gruesome, and completely over the top. Which, h

Well, this was toxic, glamorous, completely unhinged…and I kind of loved watching the whole thing fall apart. Social Creature drops you into this glittery New York world of parties, money, beautiful people, bad decisions, and friendships that probably should come with warning labels. At the center of it all are Louise and Lavinia, and let me just say—this is NOT the kind of friendship where you exchange cute bracelets and meet for coffee. This is obsession, jealousy, manipula

Well… this book was WEIRD. And I mean that as a compliment. Plain Bad Heroines is basically what happens when you throw a creepy old boarding school, a possibly cursed book, mysterious deaths, Hollywood drama, queer romance, a whole lot of yellow jackets, and approximately 472 layers of storytelling into a blender and hit GOTHIC CHAOS. The story jumps between the early 1900s and the present, revolving around the infamous Brookhants School for Girls, where two students were fo

Rachel Harrison has a special talent for taking something that seems fun and slightly ridiculous and somehow turning it into something creepy, clever, and completely entertaining—and Kiss, Slay, Replay was no exception. This book was weird in the BEST possible way. It has horror, humor, messy characters, plenty of WTF moments, and that slightly unhinged energy that kept me wondering exactly where we were headed. And honestly? I was happy to just go along for the ride. There w

Give me witches, secrets, a creepy atmosphere, and women who don't quite fit where society thinks they should, and I'm probably going to read it. We Call Them Witches pulled me in with its dark, unsettling feel. There’s something almost eerie hanging over the story from the beginning, and I loved that sense that you’re never completely sure what’s hiding underneath everything. What I really enjoyed was the way the book played with the idea of what it actually means to call a

Well… this book is absolutely unhinged. And apparently, that’s exactly what I was in the mood for. The Order is dark, twisted, obsessive, and full of characters who should probably come with giant flashing warning signs. There are secrets, power games, questionable decisions, and enough toxicity to make you wonder why you’re still reading… while simultaneously refusing to put the book down. Angel Lawson definitely doesn't ease you into this world. She basically grabs you by t

Okay, this one was FUN. And by fun, I mean creepy, twisty, slightly stressful, and exactly the kind of book that makes me suspicious of absolutely everyone. Dead Fate by Vincent Ralph has that wonderfully unsettling feeling where you know something is wrong, but you can't quite figure out exactly what. Every time I thought I had a handle on where the story was going, it gave me another reason to change my mind. I really liked the tension in this one. There's a constant feelin

Shifting Sun was one of those books that surprised me. I went into it not really knowing what to expect, and before long I was completely caught up in the story. What I liked most was the emotion behind it. The characters felt messy and complicated in a way that made them feel real. They make mistakes, they don't always say or do the right thing, and there were definitely moments when I wanted to reach into the book and shake somebody. 😂 But honestly, that's usually a good s

Okay… creepy kid drawings? Say no more. Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak hooked me pretty quickly. Mallory takes a job as a nanny for a little boy named Teddy, and everything seems pretty normal at first. Then Teddy starts drawing pictures. And those pictures get WEIRD. What starts out as innocent little kid drawings slowly turns into something much darker, and I loved how the illustrations were actually part of the story. There's something especially creepy about turning the