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Awix (3310 KP) rated Mother! (2017) in Movies
Feb 10, 2018 (Updated Feb 10, 2018)
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em
Palpably insane fantasy psycho-horror from Darren Aronofsky that seems intentionally designed to alienate and repel mainstream audiences. The presence of Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem seems calculated to lure in innocent passersby for this unhinged tale of... of...
Well, look, Lawrence and Bardem live in a lovely house in the countryside; he is a noted poet, she is his wife, and to begin with all is well. Then mysterious strangers start appearing and dark events threaten to disrupt their idyll. Things get extreme. At points they get extremely extreme.
If this movie was your pet it would attack your furniture and howl at the moon, then fetch you your slippers with a 'who, me?' look on its face. If you're a stickler for things like naturalism and coherence, then it is probably not for you; but Aronofsky creates the fractured sense of living through an unfolding nightmare, with all the non-logic that suggests, rather well, and the stars are all on full power. It's still very nearly the proverbial movie with something to offend everyone, but you can't fault the technical expertise with which it has been made, or the director's success in realising his (highly peculiar) vision for the film.
Well, look, Lawrence and Bardem live in a lovely house in the countryside; he is a noted poet, she is his wife, and to begin with all is well. Then mysterious strangers start appearing and dark events threaten to disrupt their idyll. Things get extreme. At points they get extremely extreme.
If this movie was your pet it would attack your furniture and howl at the moon, then fetch you your slippers with a 'who, me?' look on its face. If you're a stickler for things like naturalism and coherence, then it is probably not for you; but Aronofsky creates the fractured sense of living through an unfolding nightmare, with all the non-logic that suggests, rather well, and the stars are all on full power. It's still very nearly the proverbial movie with something to offend everyone, but you can't fault the technical expertise with which it has been made, or the director's success in realising his (highly peculiar) vision for the film.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated A Christmas Peril: A Theater Cop Mystery. Book 1 in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Retired cop turned theater manager Edwina “Sully” Sullivan should be focusing on her theater’s production of A Christmas Carol. After all, the name star they’ve brought in can’t remember his lines, and actors are leaving in frustration. But what has captured her attention is the murder of Peter Whitehall. He’s not only the wealthiest man in town, but also a distant relative and the father of her friend Eric. Thanks to his security system, the police know someone in the family is the killer. Despite her intentions, Sully gets drawn into the puzzle. Can she figure out what happened?
This is a wonderful start to a new series. With my love of A Christmas Carol and live theater, I was looking forward to it, and it didn’t disappoint at all. The mystery is a modern-day twist on the isolated house mystery, and it is strong, with some surprises before we reach the logical end. Sully is already a wonderfully developed main character. There are some strong supporting characters here, and I’m looking forward to seeing the rest grow as the series progresses.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-christmas-peril-by-j.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This is a wonderful start to a new series. With my love of A Christmas Carol and live theater, I was looking forward to it, and it didn’t disappoint at all. The mystery is a modern-day twist on the isolated house mystery, and it is strong, with some surprises before we reach the logical end. Sully is already a wonderfully developed main character. There are some strong supporting characters here, and I’m looking forward to seeing the rest grow as the series progresses.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-christmas-peril-by-j.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated French Fried (Ethnic Eats Mystery #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Hubbard, Ohio, is celebrating the 130th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, and Terminal on the Tracks is getting into the act by featuring French food. Laurel has worked hard on the menu with the help of Sophie’s friend Rocky. Rocky has been looking forward to the festival, but she starts to act weird when it kicks off. After missing the fireworks, Laurel goes to Rocky’s house to find Rocky dead. But why would someone want to kill her?
This book features a nice twist on things as Laurel finds herself having to figure out why someone might want to kill Rocky and then find a potential suspect that fits that motive. I enjoyed getting to see how that played out. She does come up with the correct motive and suspect for a wonderful climax. We don’t see as much of some of the supporting characters from the first book as I expected, but this allowed Laurel to really grow here. We do get to see plenty of a couple of supporting characters, and the new characters are wonderful as well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-french-fried-by-kylie-logan.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This book features a nice twist on things as Laurel finds herself having to figure out why someone might want to kill Rocky and then find a potential suspect that fits that motive. I enjoyed getting to see how that played out. She does come up with the correct motive and suspect for a wonderful climax. We don’t see as much of some of the supporting characters from the first book as I expected, but this allowed Laurel to really grow here. We do get to see plenty of a couple of supporting characters, and the new characters are wonderful as well.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/06/book-review-french-fried-by-kylie-logan.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Georgie is off the Italy in the spring of 1935. She is going to keep her friend Belinda company until she gives birth to her baby in secret. However, when the Queen finds out about Georgie’s plans, she worms Georgie’s way into a nearby house party to Georgie can learn if the Prince of Wales has secretly married Mrs. Simpson. When Georgie arrives, she finds a strange assortment of guests, which include her mother with another mission for Georgie. Can she accomplish any of it?
I look forward to this series because they are always fun, and this book is no exception. As Georgie is heading out to her ultimate destination, we get updates on everyone in her life. This may slow things down for those new to the series, but fans will absolutely love it. Once we reach Italy, things pick up and get very interesting quickly. I love how the global politics of the day was woven into this book while still giving us an entertaining mystery and keeping the tone light as always.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-on-her-majestys-frightfully.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I look forward to this series because they are always fun, and this book is no exception. As Georgie is heading out to her ultimate destination, we get updates on everyone in her life. This may slow things down for those new to the series, but fans will absolutely love it. Once we reach Italy, things pick up and get very interesting quickly. I love how the global politics of the day was woven into this book while still giving us an entertaining mystery and keeping the tone light as always.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-on-her-majestys-frightfully.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated City of Lies (Counterfeit Lady, #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Elizabeth Miles makes her living as a con woman, an unusual profession for a woman in 1917. However, when her latest con goes south, she finds herself on the run from the mark’s goons. In her attempts to escape, she joins a group of suffragists outside the White House and is delighted when they are arrested. But has she truly escaped the men searching for her?
If you pick up this book expecting a murder and five suspects, you’ll be disappointed. However, with those adjusted expectations pick up this book because it is wonderful. The story is captivating and moves quickly; I always had a hard time putting the book down. This may be the first in a series, but the characters are already strong. I’m not normally one to root for a criminal, but I couldn’t help but root for Elizabeth in this book. Real history is woven in without slowing down the fictional story at all. I’m not sure where the series will go from this wonderful beginning, but I can’t wait to find out.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-city-of-lies-by-victoria.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
If you pick up this book expecting a murder and five suspects, you’ll be disappointed. However, with those adjusted expectations pick up this book because it is wonderful. The story is captivating and moves quickly; I always had a hard time putting the book down. This may be the first in a series, but the characters are already strong. I’m not normally one to root for a criminal, but I couldn’t help but root for Elizabeth in this book. Real history is woven in without slowing down the fictional story at all. I’m not sure where the series will go from this wonderful beginning, but I can’t wait to find out.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/11/book-review-city-of-lies-by-victoria.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Desires of a Mage (Mages of the Nether, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Desires of a Mage follows Marcus as he becomes bored with being a bodyguard for Daniel and Aiden. He wants more, but doesn't appear to be able to get it. Edmond is from a scholarly house, more suited to teaching than fighting. These two have a history but Marcus broke it off for reasons unknown. All does become clear as the story progresses though, I promise you.
With meddling families, traitors in the mix, unrequited love, there is plenty of action going on. I was very pleased when things were cleared up with Tullia, but a bit disappointed when left with a hint that things still weren't in the clear regarding Camelia. There is plenty in here to move this story along, as well as laying the groundwork for future stories, full of intrigue.
This is well written, with a smooth and easy flow to it. I would recommend that you read it as part of a series, rather than a standalone, but have no hesitation at all in recommending it completely.
*A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.*
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
With meddling families, traitors in the mix, unrequited love, there is plenty of action going on. I was very pleased when things were cleared up with Tullia, but a bit disappointed when left with a hint that things still weren't in the clear regarding Camelia. There is plenty in here to move this story along, as well as laying the groundwork for future stories, full of intrigue.
This is well written, with a smooth and easy flow to it. I would recommend that you read it as part of a series, rather than a standalone, but have no hesitation at all in recommending it completely.
*A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.*
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Haunt (2019) in Movies
Jul 24, 2020
Better than expected
I love watching horror films, however the majority of them end up rather poor and lacklustre. Yet I cant say this for Haunt, which was actually a rather pleasant surprise.
This starts off very slowly, almost too slowly and this means it doesn't get off to a good start. However once this actually moves into the haunted house it really starts to come into it's own and actually becomes a rather enthralling film. Storywise it isn't anything particularly new, however it's the execution that makes it stand out. It's creepy and full of blood and gore, without relying on too much CGI or jump scares. Whilst a few of the characters are rather irritating and deserve their comeuppance, it's refreshing to see some of the main protagonists actually act sensibly and don't run around like brainless idiots like most horror film victims do - although they do still make the odd silly decision or action, they are human after all. Even the acting was pretty decent. And the ending was a refreshing change and not what I was expecting at all.
Overall this was such a pleasant surprise and one of the better recent horror films I've seen in quite some time.
This starts off very slowly, almost too slowly and this means it doesn't get off to a good start. However once this actually moves into the haunted house it really starts to come into it's own and actually becomes a rather enthralling film. Storywise it isn't anything particularly new, however it's the execution that makes it stand out. It's creepy and full of blood and gore, without relying on too much CGI or jump scares. Whilst a few of the characters are rather irritating and deserve their comeuppance, it's refreshing to see some of the main protagonists actually act sensibly and don't run around like brainless idiots like most horror film victims do - although they do still make the odd silly decision or action, they are human after all. Even the acting was pretty decent. And the ending was a refreshing change and not what I was expecting at all.
Overall this was such a pleasant surprise and one of the better recent horror films I've seen in quite some time.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated House of Rougeaux in Books
Jun 10, 2018
A Family Saga Spanning Generations and the Globe
I won a copy of House of Rougeaux through a Goodreads Giveaway (my first time winning!) I don't think I would have normally picked this up - and I try to enter myself in giveaways for just this reason - to discover new authors and read stories I wouldn't normally seek out.
House of Rougeaux was a wonderful story of a family spanning across the globe and across generations. The saga is non-linear, so it jumps around a bit. I had a hard time following in the beginning and there are quite a few characters to keep straight. But once I got a few chapters in, it was fairly easy to keep track. The family tree illustration in the beginning is super helpful and I fell in love with this family - and the way the author connected the generations was clever and didn't feel forced at all.
From the early 1800's at a sugar plantation in Martinique with Abeje, a healer, and her brother - facing tremendous brutality and loss - only to survive and start the legacy of this story and this family. To more present day with Eleanor, a musician in Canada - faced with a harrowing situation and tough choices, coming full circle.
There is magic and wonder, healing and suffering, as well as music and love. You see these aspects reflected across bloodlines, across generations, from slavery to freedom and across the world. Things are passed down, and you see a bit of some characters in other, through an intricate weaving of layers. But it's easy to see how this family changed and progressed over 100 years, and the spirit that lives within them all.
The story was captivating and the writing, eloquent. Thanks to Goodreads, Jenny Jaeckel and Raincloud Press for the opportunity to read and review.
House of Rougeaux was a wonderful story of a family spanning across the globe and across generations. The saga is non-linear, so it jumps around a bit. I had a hard time following in the beginning and there are quite a few characters to keep straight. But once I got a few chapters in, it was fairly easy to keep track. The family tree illustration in the beginning is super helpful and I fell in love with this family - and the way the author connected the generations was clever and didn't feel forced at all.
From the early 1800's at a sugar plantation in Martinique with Abeje, a healer, and her brother - facing tremendous brutality and loss - only to survive and start the legacy of this story and this family. To more present day with Eleanor, a musician in Canada - faced with a harrowing situation and tough choices, coming full circle.
There is magic and wonder, healing and suffering, as well as music and love. You see these aspects reflected across bloodlines, across generations, from slavery to freedom and across the world. Things are passed down, and you see a bit of some characters in other, through an intricate weaving of layers. But it's easy to see how this family changed and progressed over 100 years, and the spirit that lives within them all.
The story was captivating and the writing, eloquent. Thanks to Goodreads, Jenny Jaeckel and Raincloud Press for the opportunity to read and review.
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Close to Home (Sawyer's Ferry #4) in Books
Jun 28, 2019
my fav of the four!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 4 in the Sawyers Ferry series, but you don't NEED to read the other books for this one to make sense. The previous stories come before this in time, and the previous characters pop up here too. But, you know? two 5 stars and a 4star read from me, so why not, eh?
Witt somehow manages to get himself a beating, and by some miracle, drives himself to the only place he feels safe: Sawyers Ferry. His boss did not like it when Witt said no. Mason is struggling at his place with his house mates family visiting, so when Logan and Jackson ask Mason to move into their place to keep an eye on the still recovering Witt, he jumps at the chance to not only get out his house, but to get to know the shy man a whole lot better. Something about Witt pulls at Mason, and he can't figure out what, not yet. But when Witt's boss turns up in town, Mason figures it out real quick. Witt is HIS and Mason will do everything he can to protect him.
So, book 4 and this carries a far darker story line. Witt has been working with a bully, and managed to, up to now, avoid any serious confrontation but when Witt says no to more overtime, that confrontation happens and Witt suffers at the hands of his boss. How he managed to get as far as the ferry, he will never know, but Logan and Jackson are there, they will help him. Then Mason is in the house, and Witt doesn't quite know what to do about the man who seemed to have invaded his dreams somewhere along the way.
Mason works with Barrett at the Copper Creek Brewery. He met Witt some time ago, the smaller shy man trying to almost hide in the sofa. But Mason noticed, he noticed a lot about Witt. Visiting Witt at the hospital bought all kinds of rage out of Mason, and all kinds of other feelings he didn't want to examine just yet. Being able to look after Witt when Logan and Jackson go out of town is just the best thing.
Slowly, Witt comes out of himself. He is painfully shy, and Mason so darn gentle with him, it was a delight to see Witt break his shell. And when Witt decides to take the plunge and take what he wants, or rather WHO he wants, ooooeeee that was so hawt!
It was great fun watching these two dance around each other for a huge part of the book! Mason admitted his feelings to Barrett and Frnakie quite early, but Witt took a while to get there. Neither man was sure what the other was feeling!
Brody pops up, and Mason's best friend. He has a short in this series, Laguna, which is availble for free from Profilicworks. And I do mean SHORT! 34 pages is all, but I do know that Ms Ashwood will be writing Brody and Beckett's full story shortly! Can't wait for that, I tell ya!
I just got back off my holidays, and I read this on the plane. Fabulous way to pass a 4 hour flight!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 4 in the Sawyers Ferry series, but you don't NEED to read the other books for this one to make sense. The previous stories come before this in time, and the previous characters pop up here too. But, you know? two 5 stars and a 4star read from me, so why not, eh?
Witt somehow manages to get himself a beating, and by some miracle, drives himself to the only place he feels safe: Sawyers Ferry. His boss did not like it when Witt said no. Mason is struggling at his place with his house mates family visiting, so when Logan and Jackson ask Mason to move into their place to keep an eye on the still recovering Witt, he jumps at the chance to not only get out his house, but to get to know the shy man a whole lot better. Something about Witt pulls at Mason, and he can't figure out what, not yet. But when Witt's boss turns up in town, Mason figures it out real quick. Witt is HIS and Mason will do everything he can to protect him.
So, book 4 and this carries a far darker story line. Witt has been working with a bully, and managed to, up to now, avoid any serious confrontation but when Witt says no to more overtime, that confrontation happens and Witt suffers at the hands of his boss. How he managed to get as far as the ferry, he will never know, but Logan and Jackson are there, they will help him. Then Mason is in the house, and Witt doesn't quite know what to do about the man who seemed to have invaded his dreams somewhere along the way.
Mason works with Barrett at the Copper Creek Brewery. He met Witt some time ago, the smaller shy man trying to almost hide in the sofa. But Mason noticed, he noticed a lot about Witt. Visiting Witt at the hospital bought all kinds of rage out of Mason, and all kinds of other feelings he didn't want to examine just yet. Being able to look after Witt when Logan and Jackson go out of town is just the best thing.
Slowly, Witt comes out of himself. He is painfully shy, and Mason so darn gentle with him, it was a delight to see Witt break his shell. And when Witt decides to take the plunge and take what he wants, or rather WHO he wants, ooooeeee that was so hawt!
It was great fun watching these two dance around each other for a huge part of the book! Mason admitted his feelings to Barrett and Frnakie quite early, but Witt took a while to get there. Neither man was sure what the other was feeling!
Brody pops up, and Mason's best friend. He has a short in this series, Laguna, which is availble for free from Profilicworks. And I do mean SHORT! 34 pages is all, but I do know that Ms Ashwood will be writing Brody and Beckett's full story shortly! Can't wait for that, I tell ya!
I just got back off my holidays, and I read this on the plane. Fabulous way to pass a 4 hour flight!
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The House by the Cemetery in Books
Jan 31, 2019 (Updated Feb 2, 2019)
I have a love-hate relationship with The House by the Cemetery by John Everson, and it’s really tearing me apart. I absolutely enjoyed the story itself, but there’s a few issues, one of which is a huge red flag, that I simply can’t allow to go unspoken–and if other reviews are any clue, I’m not the only one that’s immensely bothered by it.
The story involves a witch that died in 1963, a haunted house, a haunted house attraction, and a lot of characters (too many to keep track of without a notebook, actually). Hired to repair the haunted house so that guests can safely walk through it, Mike Kostner spends much of his time drinking beer and talking with the girls, Katie and Emery. At the same time, Jeanie’s been hired on as a makeup artist for the upcoming attraction and drags her boyfriend, Bong, into it. Then there’s Jillie and Ted, paranormal investigators. And then there are three other groups of people to form more members of the cast, which I found to be extremely overwhelming.
At this point in my review, I usually talk about characters and their development, what I like about them, what I don’t, etc. In this case, I can’t really do that. The only character I managed to forge any sort of emotional connection with was Jeanie, and it’s mainly sympathetic. As for the rest of the roles played, I’m largely disappointed. Why? Because there’s a severe lack of sensitivity in this novel–which has been mentioned in several other reviews. There are four characters whose sole defining characteristic is either their race or their weight. There’s no depth given beyond that to them as an individual. The remarks dealing with weight are largely shaming and those dealing with race are stereotypical. And here’s where I’m going to take a moment to discuss the character Bong, which I feel is the most blatant insult to another race’s customs that I’ve seen in a long time.
Bong’s full name is Bong-soon Mon. Phonetically, that sounds a lot like “bong soon man.” It’s not overly obvious if you’re not familiar with Korean names, and Bong-soon is an actual name used in the drama Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. However, in this case, Everson shortens Bong-soon, which is actually the character’s name (whether it’s his first or last, I’m not sure), to Bong. Thus he makes it more of a laughing matter (really, it’s not funny), whether it’s intentional or unintentional. Usually I’m not sensitive to these types of material, but in this book the way it comes across is really bothersome and, like several other readers, I agree with the idea that this book desperately needs an edit for sensitivity. Please bear in mind that I read an arc of this book and so I’m not sure if any of these issues were addressed in the final publication.
EDIT: After speaking with the author, he explained to me that the reason he shortened the name as he did comes from personal experience with someone that had the same name, and what they went by. Everson also assured me it was not his intent to fat shame those characters. I really appreciate that he reached out to me, and feel it's important that my misconception be corrected, but not hidden.
Plotwise, I adored this book. I can’t go too much into detail without sharing spoilers, but I can say this: the Everson does have a talent for creating beautifully grisly, albeit somewhat repetitive, scenes. The bloodbath that takes place near the end of the book is a glorious gore-fest that I felt the rest of the story worked up to quite well, even if it crawled earlier on while Mike was working on the house. As for the setting, it’s well written. I liked the idea of a house next to a cemetery, and its easy to infer its age without being told: it’s too close to a turnpike to have been put there before the turnpike was built. I was, however, confused by the juxtaposition of a heavily wooded house and cemetery in close proximity to a city or town, as in my experience turnpikes usually don’t have exits between major locales. At least, not very many present-day ones do, as most of them have been converted to, or created as, a controlled-access highway, where intersecting roads tend to cross over or under so that they do not impede traffic. That said, it strikes me as weird that a single house and cemetery would have an exit from a turnpike.
So I decided to google cemeteries and turnpikes, and what did I find? Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is an actual haunted locale found in the suburbs of Chicago. And yes, it actually is that close to a turnpike! If you like to watch Ghost Adventures, the cemetery was featured in a 2012 episode. Also, the cemetery is extremely old. Even better? Many of the ghost stories referenced in the book are actual tales surrounding the cemetery. It’s actually pretty fascinating and I wouldn’t even have known about it were it not for Everson’s book.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. I loved the homage to horror movies of all types, including lesser known genres. I absolutely adored the way in which some of the characters were manipulated, too. Hence why I stated early in this review that I have a love-hate relationship with it. Because of the lack of sensitivity though, and the way I was made to feel as a reader because of it (I’m overweight, after all), I can’t give it more than three skulls.
I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book for review.
The story involves a witch that died in 1963, a haunted house, a haunted house attraction, and a lot of characters (too many to keep track of without a notebook, actually). Hired to repair the haunted house so that guests can safely walk through it, Mike Kostner spends much of his time drinking beer and talking with the girls, Katie and Emery. At the same time, Jeanie’s been hired on as a makeup artist for the upcoming attraction and drags her boyfriend, Bong, into it. Then there’s Jillie and Ted, paranormal investigators. And then there are three other groups of people to form more members of the cast, which I found to be extremely overwhelming.
At this point in my review, I usually talk about characters and their development, what I like about them, what I don’t, etc. In this case, I can’t really do that. The only character I managed to forge any sort of emotional connection with was Jeanie, and it’s mainly sympathetic. As for the rest of the roles played, I’m largely disappointed. Why? Because there’s a severe lack of sensitivity in this novel–which has been mentioned in several other reviews. There are four characters whose sole defining characteristic is either their race or their weight. There’s no depth given beyond that to them as an individual. The remarks dealing with weight are largely shaming and those dealing with race are stereotypical. And here’s where I’m going to take a moment to discuss the character Bong, which I feel is the most blatant insult to another race’s customs that I’ve seen in a long time.
Bong’s full name is Bong-soon Mon. Phonetically, that sounds a lot like “bong soon man.” It’s not overly obvious if you’re not familiar with Korean names, and Bong-soon is an actual name used in the drama Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. However, in this case, Everson shortens Bong-soon, which is actually the character’s name (whether it’s his first or last, I’m not sure), to Bong. Thus he makes it more of a laughing matter (really, it’s not funny), whether it’s intentional or unintentional. Usually I’m not sensitive to these types of material, but in this book the way it comes across is really bothersome and, like several other readers, I agree with the idea that this book desperately needs an edit for sensitivity. Please bear in mind that I read an arc of this book and so I’m not sure if any of these issues were addressed in the final publication.
EDIT: After speaking with the author, he explained to me that the reason he shortened the name as he did comes from personal experience with someone that had the same name, and what they went by. Everson also assured me it was not his intent to fat shame those characters. I really appreciate that he reached out to me, and feel it's important that my misconception be corrected, but not hidden.
Plotwise, I adored this book. I can’t go too much into detail without sharing spoilers, but I can say this: the Everson does have a talent for creating beautifully grisly, albeit somewhat repetitive, scenes. The bloodbath that takes place near the end of the book is a glorious gore-fest that I felt the rest of the story worked up to quite well, even if it crawled earlier on while Mike was working on the house. As for the setting, it’s well written. I liked the idea of a house next to a cemetery, and its easy to infer its age without being told: it’s too close to a turnpike to have been put there before the turnpike was built. I was, however, confused by the juxtaposition of a heavily wooded house and cemetery in close proximity to a city or town, as in my experience turnpikes usually don’t have exits between major locales. At least, not very many present-day ones do, as most of them have been converted to, or created as, a controlled-access highway, where intersecting roads tend to cross over or under so that they do not impede traffic. That said, it strikes me as weird that a single house and cemetery would have an exit from a turnpike.
So I decided to google cemeteries and turnpikes, and what did I find? Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is an actual haunted locale found in the suburbs of Chicago. And yes, it actually is that close to a turnpike! If you like to watch Ghost Adventures, the cemetery was featured in a 2012 episode. Also, the cemetery is extremely old. Even better? Many of the ghost stories referenced in the book are actual tales surrounding the cemetery. It’s actually pretty fascinating and I wouldn’t even have known about it were it not for Everson’s book.
Overall, I did enjoy reading this book. I loved the homage to horror movies of all types, including lesser known genres. I absolutely adored the way in which some of the characters were manipulated, too. Hence why I stated early in this review that I have a love-hate relationship with it. Because of the lack of sensitivity though, and the way I was made to feel as a reader because of it (I’m overweight, after all), I can’t give it more than three skulls.
I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book for review.
Joe Julians (221 KP) Feb 11, 2018
Andy K (10821 KP) Feb 11, 2018