Smashbomb

When I heard about Krampus by Nancy Gray, it sounded like something I would love to read especially since I loved her other novel, Empty Eyes, so much. Unfortunately, Krampus was just an alright read.

The plot for Krampus is based on the central European folklore about a horned half goat, half demon who punishes naughty children during the Christmas season. Nancy Gray does a great job at sticking with the folklore in her book. Although this is a middle grade book, I felt like this would be better for upper middle grade since the subject matter is a bit more scary than Nancy Gray's previous scary novels. There are a few decent plot twists throughout Krampus. The world building is done very well, and at times, I felt like I was right there with Nick, living every moment, both good and bad, with him. Krampus is a short read which is perfect for middle schoolers who may not have the attention span for a longer book.

I had a hard time caring about the characters in Krampus at first, but about halfway through, I found myself worried about what would happen to Nick and wanting everything to turn out alright for him. I especially loved the character of Gretel/Greta. I found her to be the most interesting in the book even if she wasn't in the novel very much. I just loved her no-nonsense, straightforward attitude. I would love to read a Spine Chiller's novel about Greta. That's how much I loved her! The character of the Krampus was done very well, and as I've said before, the Krampus in this novel is very much like the one in folklore.

The pacing is what lets this book down the most in my opinion. During the first half of Krampus, the pacing is a bit all over the place although mostly it's just a bit slow. I found myself growing bored with Krampus and wondering if I should just give up. The action takes a long time to make an appearance, and I kept wondering when something major would happen. Since this is a short novel, I decided to persevere. I'm glad that I kept on reading because the second half is where the pacing picks up, and I found myself immersed in the book. I couldn't wait to learn what Nick's fate would be and what would become of the Krampus. The second half of this book definitely held my attention to the point where I stayed up a little later just to finish it so I could get closure.

Trigger warnings for Krampus include demons, monsters, violence, scary themes, one profanity, bullying, and death. Basically, this is a very dark book.

Overall, Krampus was just an alright read. I felt like it was much darker than the previous Nancy Gray book I had read. The plot is interesting enough, but the pacing during the first half is what makes Krampus just an okay read. However, I would definitely recommend Krampus by Nancy Gray to those aged 13+. The second half of this book makes it worthwhile.
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(A special thanks to Lola's Blog Tours for providing me with an eBook of Spine Chillers:Krampus by Nancy Gray in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)

Kudos

Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Local Girls in Books

May 10, 2018

Three friends walk into their favorite dive bar, The Shamrock, and are shocked to see their favorite actor, Sam Decker there. When he joins their table and starts buying drinks, the conversation turns to each others pasts and how their lives got to be at the point they are. This night will change everyone's lives forever.

From the beginning of the book, we know that someone is going to die. And now I am just trying to figure out the when and how. The book flips between present day and the past when the group of three girls used to be a foursome.

Something about this book that I liked is that you get to see how the girl get to this point in their life. I liked the flashbacks and it transported me back to my high school days. I could see me and my friends in this same situation although my friends and I were not quite as wild as these girls.

One part that really struck me was a reference to Virginia Woolf and her suicide note. In the note she says, "I don't think any two people could have been happier than we have been." The character reading this mentions that this phrase is said twice in her short suicide note. I find it ironic that the author mentions a phrase twice in this book, "Only boring people get bored." I think deep down these girls were bored, but used the antics they pulled help to add some excitement to their lives. Another interesting thing about this book, is that we are never really introduced to the narrator. I can only recall her name being mentioned twice in the book.

**I received an uncorrected proof of this book through Goodreads Giveaways and this review is based on that copy.**