callant's reviews
226 reviews

I first read Penpal as it was published in pieces on r/nosleep years ago so I was excited to see it published as a book and had to pick it up! A little added eeriness reading a story that was so familiar but I couldn't quite remember the details or where it would end up. My memory of the story was fragmented much like the storytellers. The way Penpal is structured might not work for a lot of people but it worked for me! Not linear, not complete, but not totally the opposite either. Maybe I should visit nosleep again? It's probably not as great as it was in the OG Penpal era though 🖤 Happy this story gets a renewed audience in book form! Weirdly nostalgic and still scary and gross!

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I think I liked this better than The Housemaid but Freida is just not for me. Despite spending most of the book in Nora's head, by the end of the book I didn't really know anything more about her than I did after the first couple chapters. Nora is a surgeon. Her dad is a serial killer (but she's not like him!! he's a killer! she saves lives!!). She's convinced her DNA makes her dangerous and refuses to get close to anyone. Idk the story was good overall and I read it quickly but noticed many typos throughout and got annoyed at how much of the book was just telling me the same things over and over again. I was surprised by the twist ending but also annoyed because it felt too out of left field? I know this sounds like I hated it, which I didn't! I just probably won't read anymore Freida McFadden 🫣

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

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adventurous mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Loved Ravi and thought Pip was one of the most annoying character's I've read in recent memory 🫣

The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Finally read the source material for one of my favorite Christmas -adjacent movies! Perfect, tense, haunting, scary tale of a predator and his prey. Also confirmed how spectacular the film adaptation is!

Dying For Christmas by Tammy Cohen

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Can't remember the last time I was so hooked! Truly a book that was hard to put down and had me exclaiming out loud and idk maybe I need to make a return to the thriller genre?? Did not expect to be so into this. Lost a little speed toward the end but not enough to knock any stars off.

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ashley literally always making my cry 🥹

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callant's reviews 226 reviews

callant's reviews
226 reviews