philibin's reviews
831 reviews

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig DiLouie

Go to review page

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

3.0

(3.0 Stars)

This was entertaining and good, but I think it was a little too long and drawn out. There is a big cast of characters, and the book reads like a screenplay... where the character building is done like a synopsis before a scene. 

The narration is good and the plot is unique. It was fun to read. 
Oak Avenue by Brandi Reeds

Go to review page

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

4.5

4.5 Stars - This was a lot of story packed into a compact short story. It was a great classical haunted house tale. Definitely worth the time.
The Remedy by Adam Haslett

Go to review page

dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

3.0 Stars - This one started off really strong, but then kind of fizzled out at the end into a typical "black Mirror" ending. The Narration was good
The Tangled Woods by Emily Raboteau

Go to review page

sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was basically a road trip of self-discovery with someone who worries about the toxicity around him… but what he discovers isn't what he thought he would find. It was just a "meh" for me. Not bad, but not great either.
Miao Dao by Joyce Carol Oates

Go to review page

dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

5.0 Stars - This is a disturbing little story about feelings of being unwanted, toxic masculinity, introversion, and cats. It was very well written and thought provoking.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
There's a Giant Trapdoor Spider Under Your Bed by Edgar Cantero

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

4.5 Stars - Cute little story. Geekdom gone wild! This author is very promising… an adept student of pop culture and speculative fiction. Very enjoyable.
The Sleep Tight Motel by Lisa Unger

Go to review page

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

4.0

4.0 Stars - I really liked this one, It was very short, but packed full of "big story". It time-jumps a lot, so you have to pay close attention. I will read more by this author.
Hannah-Beast by Jennifer McMahon

Go to review page

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

2.5

2.5 Stars - Traditional story, not bad. Good little psychological horror story about mean girls and the monsters they create
A Butt of Heads by Simon Haynes

Go to review page

adventurous funny slow-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? No

3.0

(3.0 Stars)

This was the second book in a series of three. It was very punny and clever. I didn't like it as much as the first book, it felt like "filler" before the ending. It did grow some of the characters, and advanced some of the story arcs but it just felt like nothing really happened of consequence. 

I understand that this book is meant to be taken as a whole, so I am hoping that the last book really pulls things together. This book is good for anyone into light fantasy/sci-fi, filled with humor and hijinks. It is a quick book to read and the audiobook narration is paced nicely. 

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Go to review page

dark funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.75

(3.75 Stars)

I am one of those people that has a really hard time remembering names, and this story has a lot of characters to keep track of. With that being said, the author does a great job at prompting the characters with name recognition hacks, so it was a lot easier to keep track of them. 

The story itself was fun, and a very enjoyable whodunit mystery. It would make a great movie (if it was made in the same narrative style as the book). Speaking of, the narration was very good, and breaks the fourth wall more than a few times.

This book would be good for anyone who likes a good murder mystery, without relying on "romance" as a selling point. And anyone who thinks their family drama is bad, this family will probably make yours look sane.

I look forward to reading the rest in this series.