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chuckstafer's reviews
745 reviews
The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was an excellent thriller! It had a twist at the end that I did not see coming AT ALL! I had two possible theories that I thought would play out at the end, and both were wrong.
I was hesitant about this title for some reason, but it sure delivered! The writing style was very easy to follow and the author did a great job of pacing the story to keep you interested without giving away too much along the way. The writing style was easy to read, and the author did a great job of setting the scene with their descriptions without being overly descriptive. I really enjoyed the scientific and neuropsychological aspects of the story as well, since I am studying some of this in my current course for my Masters degree and it was really neat to see some of the things I have been learning used in this context. The author did a great job explaining complex psychological and neurological topics in an easy-to-digest way so you fully understood what the characters were talking about which I really appreciated.
This novel was very, very good and I highly recommend it!
I was hesitant about this title for some reason, but it sure delivered! The writing style was very easy to follow and the author did a great job of pacing the story to keep you interested without giving away too much along the way. The writing style was easy to read, and the author did a great job of setting the scene with their descriptions without being overly descriptive. I really enjoyed the scientific and neuropsychological aspects of the story as well, since I am studying some of this in my current course for my Masters degree and it was really neat to see some of the things I have been learning used in this context. The author did a great job explaining complex psychological and neurological topics in an easy-to-digest way so you fully understood what the characters were talking about which I really appreciated.
This novel was very, very good and I highly recommend it!
Mind the Mirrors: Compilation of Short Horror Stories by Amanda Leanne
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? N/A
5.0
This was an excellent collection of short horror stories by an author I had not read before. Each story dealt with topics that many of us most likely have dreamed about, wondered about, or feared before (either as children or adults). They were all very creative and even the stories that were short, packed a good wallop!
I especially loved "Adventures in the Dark" which explored themes of "good Christian folk" who are actually nasty people to hide behind their faith yet still judge others and commit bad acts and what happens to these people, "She Can Help" which dealt with the trauma of domestic abuse and our attackers getting their come-upings, "Hungover", which plays on the well-worn vampire trope but in a very well-done manner, and "It Was Always the Children" which played out like an Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie.
A very well-done collection of stories for sure!
I especially loved "Adventures in the Dark" which explored themes of "good Christian folk" who are actually nasty people to hide behind their faith yet still judge others and commit bad acts and what happens to these people, "She Can Help" which dealt with the trauma of domestic abuse and our attackers getting their come-upings, "Hungover", which plays on the well-worn vampire trope but in a very well-done manner, and "It Was Always the Children" which played out like an Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie.
A very well-done collection of stories for sure!
Ushers: A Short Story by Joe Hill
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wonderful short story with Final Destination vibes.
The Book of Purrs by Luís Coelho
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Oh this book is a purr-fect read for when you need a little pick-me-up! It is chock-full of poignant messages about life's hard times and advice for looking on the bright side of things, as told by our favorite furballs. The artwork is gorgeous and I enjoyed every page!
How to Leave the House by Nathan Newman
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Well, this was....something. The concept of this novel sounded really fun: a secret package being delivered to a guy on the last day he's at home before he leaves for university not showing up and sending said guy on a hunt for this mysterious package where he encounters the eccentric townsfolk along his journey. This was the main plot device for the novel, but this wasn't a very engaging story. The characters were certainly diverse and had a myriad of different problems, but none of them were particularly interesting or memorable. Worst of all, the main character was a self-absorbed prick and I couldn't rally behind him at all.
This novel was also VERY sexual, with more references to penises than any other novel I've read before, to the point that it started to become very annoying/gross. This was WAY more of a sexually explicit novel than I thought it was going to be, with pretty much every chapter describing some sexual encounter, bodily fluid, or something. Not my cup of tea to be honest.
I'm not by any means giving this novel a bad review due to the sexual content of the novel, but I did want to mention it to others who may not realize how explicit this novel is (those like me). I am, however, giving this novel a poor review due to the lackluster story, unremarkable/unlikeable characters, and garbled nature of the story.
This novel was also VERY sexual, with more references to penises than any other novel I've read before, to the point that it started to become very annoying/gross. This was WAY more of a sexually explicit novel than I thought it was going to be, with pretty much every chapter describing some sexual encounter, bodily fluid, or something. Not my cup of tea to be honest.
I'm not by any means giving this novel a bad review due to the sexual content of the novel, but I did want to mention it to others who may not realize how explicit this novel is (those like me). I am, however, giving this novel a poor review due to the lackluster story, unremarkable/unlikeable characters, and garbled nature of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Hum by Helen Phillips
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
So this novel was a miss for me. It absolutely had promise, but really missed the mark on nailed down a major event that served as the catalyst for the story.
The prose felt very choppy, with each sentence being very short and direct and the overall tone of the novel felt pretty robotic because of that.
I would have loved to have read a bit more background on the world, how the HUMs became so prevalent and some other details that would have lent a bit of weight to the story as well. It felt like the reader is just plopped down in the middle of a story that has already started and there is nothing to catch you up.
Overall the novel felt very rushed and the major event that was the subject of the synopsis took up 2 short chapters so the rest of the novel felt a bit rushed and irrelevant. Just not a novel I could really connect with unfortunately.
The prose felt very choppy, with each sentence being very short and direct and the overall tone of the novel felt pretty robotic because of that.
I would have loved to have read a bit more background on the world, how the HUMs became so prevalent and some other details that would have lent a bit of weight to the story as well. It felt like the reader is just plopped down in the middle of a story that has already started and there is nothing to catch you up.
Overall the novel felt very rushed and the major event that was the subject of the synopsis took up 2 short chapters so the rest of the novel felt a bit rushed and irrelevant. Just not a novel I could really connect with unfortunately.
State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
The Atmospherians by Alex McElroy
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
What an interesting read! The concept of a cult focused on rehabilitating problematic men sounded a bit cooky from the synopsis, but the addition of the man hordes to the story took things up a notch! I liked this story and the exploration of how social media, the desire for success/fame, and the effects of cyberbullying were fleshed out pretty well and I could certainly relate to the struggles of both Sasha and Dyson. I did not however ever really connect with Sasha as a character. Right when I started to root for her, she would do something that would make me dislike her or do something that didn't seem to make much sense and I couldn't ever get a good feel for her and didn't like her all that much. Was she a villain? Was she just misunderstood? I don't know.
I liked the concept of this novel, but the execution fell a bit short for me. I got a bit confused on the purpose of The Atmosphere at times, confused on Sasha and Dyson's overall objective, and the ending didn't help me feel any less confused on the overall "mission" of the novel.
Not a bad novel, but not an overall great novel either.
I liked the concept of this novel, but the execution fell a bit short for me. I got a bit confused on the purpose of The Atmosphere at times, confused on Sasha and Dyson's overall objective, and the ending didn't help me feel any less confused on the overall "mission" of the novel.
Not a bad novel, but not an overall great novel either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
It Was All A Dream: An Anthology of Bad Horror Tropes Done Right by K.A. Wiggins, Die Booth, Nikki R. Leigh, Eric Raglin, Brandon Applegate, Helena O'Connor, Danielle Davis, Madison McSweeney, Lyndon Nicholas, Tom Coombe, Laird Barron, Laurel Hightower, Gemma Files, Gabino Iglesias, Erin Brown, Hailey Piper, Drew E. Huff, Taylor Rae, Wendy N. Wagner, Belicia Rhea, LC von Hessen, Erin Keating, Alex Woodroe, J.V. Gachs, Edward Lodi, Cormack Baldwin, Patrick Barb, Angela Sylvaine
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I'm starting to have a thing with Brandon Applegate anthologies, both ones he has written himself or ones he edits. This was another really fun short horror story anthology with a solid collection of stories. Just like the title states, all of the stories contained in It Was All a Dream are focused on one of the main pillars of the horror genre (werewolves, slasher films, demons, bump-in-the-night things) and flips the script a bit to really satisfying results. I enjoyed every story in this anthology as they each contained great writing, interesting concepts, and even some good illustrations to give you an idea of the plot of the story.
Possession by Katie Lowe
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this novel was at times a bit too slow, but overall the story was very compelling and it painted a very vivid portrait of how nasty internet trolls can be. The fad of podcasts is all the rage and this story played on a well-used trope nowadays: the true-crime podcast that exposes new evidence to either help release a wrongfully convicted felon or expose the real killer. This novel set out to do just that and it was surprisingly effective.
The main character was broken, unreliable, and at times, volatile and you did start to doubt her innocence at times during the story. The problem with this MC is that for every instance she was hot-tempered, she was equally spineless and there were so many times I was yelling at her in my head to grow a backbone!
The story was a very twisty one, chock full of different characters that kept you guessing up until the very end. There were also many, many times where the author did a phenomenal job portraying the emotional abuse that people suffer at the hands of internet trolls and many times made you wonder and think about the emotional strain that people go through that are the subject of these true-crime podcasts/documentaries.
The novel itself was very compelling and good, but as a side note, the audiobook almost ruined it for me (but that's a different review altogether).
The main character was broken, unreliable, and at times, volatile and you did start to doubt her innocence at times during the story. The problem with this MC is that for every instance she was hot-tempered, she was equally spineless and there were so many times I was yelling at her in my head to grow a backbone!
The story was a very twisty one, chock full of different characters that kept you guessing up until the very end. There were also many, many times where the author did a phenomenal job portraying the emotional abuse that people suffer at the hands of internet trolls and many times made you wonder and think about the emotional strain that people go through that are the subject of these true-crime podcasts/documentaries.
The novel itself was very compelling and good, but as a side note, the audiobook almost ruined it for me (but that's a different review altogether).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Suicidal thoughts