Book Review: The Exorcist's House by Nick Roberts

The Exorcist's House

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The Exorcist's House 〰️

This book has no business being as good as it was. This was one of the best horror books I've read in a while. (Outside of Judith Sonnet's books. But she writes more splatterpunk horror than this genre of horror). And before I get into the book, I do want to mention I love the shout-out Easter egg of sorts to William Blatty, the author of The Exorcist. It could be a tribute, could be an eater egg, but the fact that the exorcist who owned the house in the title of the book has the last name Blatty. Love that.

I found the pacing to be great, the story intriguing, and the visuals perfect. I could picture everything like it was a movie, and that's great because I could see this as a movie. In fact, I wish it was, as it's one of my favourite types of horror movies. I love the supernatural and hauntings and demons, and this had it all. And that ending. *Chef's Kiss* The kind of ambiguous ending that leaves you wanting more, yet it also somehow ends perfectly as you would expect a horror book/movie to end. It's great.

I wouldn't say I liked the head jumping, however. That's not to say it was done poorly. I just normally don't read books with multiple POVs in the same chapter. I didn't expect this book to be one of those. It worked, though. Not my usual style, but Robert's executed it perfectly and in fact, it added to the story.

Besides that, there was only one other thing that irked me of sorts. This could be a plot issue, or it could just be me nitpicking (which I most definitely am since I really enjoyed this book). Why did the Hill family have to move into the home if they planned selling it? Like it was stated they were going to flip it, but didn't they kinda already do that before they even moved in? They had contractors working to fix up the house, and when it was finished, they moved in. I get the family needed to be there for the story to take place, but it was already fixed up and ready to sell. Unless I don't fully understand house flipping, that could also be the case. But aside from that, everything was excellent. I can't sell this book enough.

All in all, if you love horror (and even Blatty's The Exorcist), this is an excellent book to read, and I highly recommend.

Book Review: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

The Writing Retreat

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The Writing Retreat 〰️

Actual rating 4.5 stars

I picked up this book solely on the title alone. Well, that and I saw a friend of mine reading it on Instagram, and the cover looked interesting, and I was looking for a new read. I glanced at the blurb, and it sounded interesting enough, so I took a chance. I'm glad I did. If I didn't, I would have missed out on this gem.

As a writer, I know firsthand many of the writlery struggles the characters feel in this book. If you are a writer, you'll for sure find that part of the book very relatable. However, I found it odd that the characters were shocked to hear they'd have to write a whole novel in a month. It's doable. I've done it. NaNoWriMo is a thing. I've never taken part in it, and granted, the goal is 50k in a month (the length a book is officially considered a novel), not 80k (average novel size), but still. It's also doable. I've known people who have written their first 80k draft in a month, so this shouldn't be too daunting for the characters whose only task to do in a day is to write.

That said, there is a larger story than just writing a novel in a month during a writing retreat. This is a thriller and a damn good one. Bartz lets you know something sinister is going to happen early on, and even though you're ready for it, it still hits hard. Like, people die, and I love it when an author commits to killing off characters.

However, I will say that the villain villains are a bit too hard at some points. She was veering close to Disney villain territory. Not that that is a bad thing. But it was close to being cartoonish to me. I did love her reasoning behind her plans, however. It was interesting to see Roza kill to become a famous writer, despite never being good enough to warrant such fame.

I loved that Alex and Wren, though reconciled at the end, don't become friends again. It really subverted my expectations, and that was a nice change. Like, we all wanted them to become friends (or maybe more?) again, but I love that Alex has accepted it wasn't a good relationship for her and moved on.

All in all, this was a gripping read, with a few good ghost stories tied in between. I would recommend giving this book a shot. It may surprise you.

Book Review: The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

The Children on the Hill

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The Children on the Hill 〰️

I would have never heard of this book if it wasn't for my friend. She told me she was reading a book about a mental hospital with kids who live there, and then one day, their grandmother just dropped a random girl in their house and basically said she's your sister; treat her as your flesh and blood with no context as to who she was before. And I was intrigued. So, thank you, friend, because, hot damn, this was one helluva good read.

This book essentially has two storylines, the past, taking place in 1978 and the present (which in this novel's case is 2019). Both past and present tell their own stories and slowly intertwine and become connected. In order to understand the present, we need the story told from the past and vice versa.

And when my friend told me she did not see the big twist coming, that it was a twist she hadn't seen pulled off so well in such a long time, she wasn't lying. Because wow. That twist! I nearly threw my book across the room in disbelief. Yet, if you really think about it, it made sense, and I love that I didn't see it coming. I knew there was a twist coming, thanks to my friend, but she didn't spoil it. So I spent the whole novel trying to guess it for myself. It's safe to say I got nowhere near guessing correctly.

I applaud McMahon for her storytelling. This was a gripping and chilling read from start to finish. The characters and their motivations felt so real that I could believe this story was based on actual events. (And really, with the way people are, who is to say it isn't in some way?)

After reading this book and the synopsis of some of McMahon's other books, it's safe to say I'm a fan. I'll be diving into McMahon's other works in the future. If they are anything like this book, they are definitely worth the read. The Children on the Hill is now a book I highly recommend.

Book Review: Legion by William Peter Blatty

Legion

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Legion 〰️

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I enjoyed the first book, but this one fell flat. At least the dilouge and writing I hated in the first book had improved, so there's that.

I didn't see this book as part of the horror genre, and I barely saw anything demonic besides the killings. And this one is probably a me thing, but I found myself drifting thoughts and thus, I found the book super confusing. I didn't know what was happening most of the time. However, that's probably because I found it pretty dull and had to re-read different passages many times just to figure out what was going on.

I found the pacing to be pretty slow, and it only started being somewhat interesting in part two of the book, a little over halfway done. I felt parts one, and two were completely different novels, with part one being a whodunit and part two sort of demonic possession stuff, but not done nearly as well as The Excorcist.

Also, I wouldn't say I liked Kinderman in The Exorcist. I found him to be highly annoying. But I hated him even more because he was the main MC in this book. At least his speech was slightly different (both making him the same character from book one yet also somewhat different in this book). I felt like this book was written as a cash grab because of how popular the Excorsit was, as there are barely any returning characters from the first book, and we don't even hear about Chris or Regan in this one.

That being said, I'm sure this book appeals to some people. Maybe they may even find it terrifying. Sadly I don't think this book hit the mark.

Book Review: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

The Exorcist

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The Exorcist 〰️

This book claims to be the most terrifying novel ever written. (At least the edition I was reading has it so on the cover). It perhaps was back when it was first published. Not to say it wasn't bad. It just wasn't as "scary" as I was hoping. Not even remotely. Still a good read.

This book messes with the mind in a way I didn't expect. We know Regan is passed, most likely by the demon Pazuzu. But the way the book is written, we can almost begin to question whether she is indeed possessed or has some mental disorder. (I'm impressed with all the medical knowledge that Blatty seems to possess. He did his research for writing this book. And not just with medical knowledge but with Catholicism and Satanism as well).

Now fear can be subjective, so while I didn't feel any sense of horror in this book, it doesn't mean it isn't terrifying in its own right. I'm sure even people to this day may find it frightening. However, I will say that for its lack of horror elements, Blatty certainly knew how to make me uncomfortable. When Regan begins to masturbate with a cross (among other things), I felt highly uncomfortable, and those scenes didn't sit well for me. It worked to show she was passed by a demon, but yeah. Felt borderline child p**n, and I did not like that. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm sure they cut that out. At least, I hope they did, and if so, thank God.

I will note that I hated the dialogue. Every character sounded the same or very close to each other. The prose was wonderfully written, and it's in the prose where I got a sense of how each character is and acts. But when they opened their mouths to speak, not going to lie; I was not too fond of most of it. It did get more bearable near the end, but I wouldn't say I liked the dialogue in this book.

That being said, this is still a classic story that has earned its right to be called one of the best.

Book Review: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

The Final Girl Support Group

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The Final Girl Support Group 〰️

I have been waiting a long time to read this book. I bought it last year in October and was waiting until this October to read it as it's now "spooky month." I had great expectations for this book based on the title alone and was super pumped to read it. Did it meet said expectations? Was it worth the wait? Mostly.

I loved the premise of this book, and I loved that I recognized all the movies that each final girl was based on. I thought this book had an excellent story, having all the final girls going to a support group and then they picked off one by one.

Sadly, while the first few chapters were interesting, I did find it to drag a bit in the middle, and the MC was going from destination to destination of shoddy guesswork at best. But don't get me wrong. I still enjoyed it. And it did pick up in the later half of the book to deliver the slasher stuff we were expecting. I didn't like how the MC kept guessing who the killer was, then proven wrong, then immediately suspecting someone else. Sure she is right in the end, and she figures out the true motives behind the killings. But for a while, it felt like she was bouncing around while things happened to her.

But besides that middle bit, I still thoroughly enjoyed my read. And I loved the showdown at the end. I felt like I was inside the mind of someone who had survived unspeakable horrors. It was nice to read the aftermath of a slasher movie (or book, in this case) many years later from the survivors.

If the middle of this book were a tad different, I would have rated it higher. But still, I recommend this to anyone who loves a good slasher movie and wants to hear more of the final girl's story.

Book Review: White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

White Smoke

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White Smoke 〰️

I pre-ordered this book during Halloween, and now that it's October once again, I finally got a chance to dig into it. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.

This book is everything I love in horror movies and more. I was legit on the edge of my seat reading this. The buildup to everything and pacing was spot on. Jackson knows how to deliver a killer story. I do hope this does become a movie or something someday. I would watch the hell out of it.

And in a twist, this book wasn't even supernatural at all! But it was still written like it was, and when the truth was found out, it was still all believable.

I loved the random bed bug facts throughout the book, and it was interesting to see them come into play at the end. Mari had some significant character growth (and not just with the bugs). She learns she is deserving of love and how to be a better sister/daughter. I loved reading about her growth.

I will say, however, that the last chapter felt rushed and a bit unfinished. Although a lot of horror movies I've watched are also kind of like that, so I guess it's normal. I still wanted more resolve, though. But besides that, it was my only negative about the book, and that's a small one at that.

I'm glad I finally got the chance to read this; it was well worth the wait. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves horror and spooky things in general. Great characters, world-building and engaging writing. This book has it all. Could you give it a go and pick up a copy today?