Category Archives: Horror

Review: Dead Girls by Beck Kubrick

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Horror, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
Dead Girls by Beck Kubrick

Dead Girls
Beck Kubrick
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published September 22, 2026

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About Dead Girls

The teen daughter of an infamous serial killer must prove she isn’t the one behind recent copycat murders in this “tongue-in-cheek” (Booklist, starred review) graphic novel that’s a campy, feminist send-up of slashers that both celebrates and subverts classic tropes.

In the cozy town of Clossdale, a serial killer rampages! Five girls missing in as many weeks! Bodies turning up on the forest floor! And all fingers point to one vile fiend: Ash Hargreeves.

Except Ash didn’t do it. She may be the daughter of the infamous Clossdale Killer, and these copycat killings aren’t exactly convincing proof of her innocence—and okay, she’s kind of a weirdo who has two friends total, but when the murders strike a little too close to home, Ash decides to take a stand.

With the help of her besties, Ash is going to hunt down the killer, clear her mother’s name, and stop there from being any more dead girls—now and forever. After all, WWJLCD: what would Jamie Lee Curtis do?

My Review

Far from delicate damsels waiting in fear as a brutal murderer closes in, these girls have decided to run toward danger and stop it in its tracks. I love the energy on the page as Ash and company gather their courage and go on the hunt.

Though the graphic novel includes some slasher themes and tropes, I appreciated how the illustrations used the animal costumes to blunt the violence a bit. It adds just enough creepiness to have those blank-eyed costume heads looming in doorways, and yet… they’re literally cute costume pieces. I thought that was pretty genius, honestly.

Slashers aren’t my favorite horror subgenre, but something about this one really drew me in. I think it’s because it both subverts tropes and also embraces them? There’s a kind of playfulness in the writing that I can’t help but like.

Ash’s small friend group is a lot of fun, too. I loved the banter and jokes, as well as their deep commitment to one another and the unexpected bit of romance.

This book offers so much for readers looking for a fun twist on classic fall horror tropes. Definitely check this out if you’re a horror fan craving a bit more feminism in your reading life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and dating relationships.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Several characters are murdered on the page. References to past murders. Some characters fight off attackers.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Corpse de Ballet by Megan Kearney

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Corpse de Ballet
Megan Kearney
First Second
Published July 7, 2026

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About Corpse de Ballet

In her solo graphic novel debut, Megan Kearney weaves a fresh tale of dark academia and brutal competition. This psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Black Swan!

Arriving at Saint Anselmus in the middle of the year, Rosamund Hammond is ready to practice hard and prove she deserves to be there. But something at this boarding school doesn’t feel right.

It turns out that just before Rosamund enrolled, a student disappeared without telling anyone. Was it really a leave of absence—or something more sinister? Together with her new roommate, Rosamund spirals deeper and deeper into an obsession with the truth. As the school prepares for its showcase performance of Coppélia, can she commit to her hard-earned ballet dreams while solving the mystery that’s haunting her—or will she lose herself in the process?

My Review

As a former dancer, I love books that feature ballet. Graphic novels are especially fun because of the visual representation of dance. This one is no exception. I loved the way that the illustrations captured the movement of dance. The story emphasizes the difference between rote performance and transcendent embodiment of roles and movements. The panels capture that nicely.

I also enjoyed the psychological elements. For a long stretch of the story, I wasn’t sure what to believe. Is Rosamund imagining things? Which characters are trustworthy? Someone is hiding things, but who is it? As the intensity builds, I found myself reading faster, eager to reach the moment the truth is revealed.

Another wonderful surprise in this book is how much history it contains. While I was familiar with the ballet Coppélia, I didn’t know anything about the original tale it was adapted from or anything about the author of that story. That history and some information about famous performances of the story tied together really well with the story Kearney tells here.

Altogether, this is a clever, gorgeous story that will delight and haunt its readers. It’s not quite as intense as the movie The Black Swan, but if you like that kind of story, definitely check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Rosamund believes a ghost is communicating with her. References to a story about an alchemist seeking to animate an automaton.

Violent Content
Bullying and manipulation. Psychological tension. Brief reference to a ritual human sacrifice in a story.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea

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I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call (I Feed Her to the Beast #2)
Jamison Shea
Henry Holt & Co.
Published November 12, 2024

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About I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call

Monsters and mortals, rejoice! Acheron is back . . .

Though Laure has tried to close the lid on her ballet shoes and the feelings she once held for dance since the Palais Garnier incident two months ago, Laure is spinning out. Between partying, drinking, and avoiding anything and, well, everyone, she has no time to be anything but a monster.

But when Laure stumbles across a mysterious dead body during one of her nights out, she’s forced to notice the cracks stretching beyond herself. Below the streets of Paris, Elysium is dying, and Acheron and Lethe’s influence is spilling into the streets like a blight. Laure isn’t the only of Elysium’s beasts to rise from the ruins of Palais Garnier, and someone is mobilizing an army of monsters with plans greater than Laure, Andor, and Keturah could have ever guessed.

While Laure is warring between her wants and Acheron’s ever-demanding appetite, she and her circle of monsters are left to reckon with a not-so-simple how do you save yourself from oblivion?

Jamison Shea’s sharp and unflinching voice will bring readers to terrifying new heights in this vicious sequel to the “relentlessly gory and almost euphoric in its embrace of the horrific” (NPR) I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me.

My Review

I forgot how engaging Shea’s writing is until I dove back into this duology. In 2023, I reviewed I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me. I remember being so impressed with the way that the author incorporated details about Laure’s ballet experience. There were things that you really wouldn’t know unless you danced or spent a lot of time with ballet dancers.

Though it’s not the focus of this story, Laure’s dancing still has a deep impact on it. I cannot express how strongly I love that Shea uses Laure’s struggle as a classically trained ballet dancer trying to learn to dance in other styles as a metaphor for how disconnected she feels from her body and how alien she feels as the vessel of a god among humans. Would that parallel resonate as strongly for someone without dance experience? I don’t know, but I am so into it. I felt like I instantly understood her struggle on a physical and emotional level.

This is a story about a young woman finding her place, defining herself, and weighing the personal costs of following norms versus creating her role from scratch. Over and over Laure faces frustration and shame when she doesn’t fit the roles she’s assigned, from ballerina to immortal vessel. At first, she blames herself and vacillates between trying harder and breaking down. She begins to break away from those patterns and look for ways to embrace who she is. She starts to see those attributes as strengths rather than hindrances. I loved watching that transformation.

As with Shea’s first book, I found it so easy to get lost in the writing and the strangeness of the story. It’s horror, so it does have some gore, body horror, and other scary elements. This duology might be my favorite representation of ballet in young adult fiction that I’ve read so far.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Laure has become a vessel for a god named Acheron. Others made bargains with Acheron or another god in exchange for power.

Violent Content
Body horror and depictions of gore. Descriptions of dead animals (deaths not shown). References to and brief descriptions of murder, cannibalism, and being buried alive.

Drug Content
Early in the story, Laure drinks heavily at nightclubs as part of a destructive pattern. She recognizes the destructiveness of her behavior and eventually decides to make healthier choices.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: These Bodies Ain’t Broken edited by Madeline Dyer

Anthology or Collection, Book Review and Content, Horror, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

These Bodies Ain’t Broken
edited by Madeline Dyer
Page Street YA
Published October 7, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About These Bodies Ain’t Broken

A monstrous transformation within your own body.
A sacrificial imprisonment.
A fight to the death against an ancient evil.

These stories showcase disabled characters winning against all odds.

Outsmarting deadly video games, hunting the predatory monster in the woods, rooting out evil within their community, finding love and revenge with their newly turned vampire friend—this anthology upends expectations of the roles disabled people can play in horror. With visibly and invisibly disabled characters whose illnesses include Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, PTSD, and more, each entry also includes a short essay from the author about the conditions portrayed in their stories to further contextualize their characters’ perspectives. From breaking ancient curses to defying death itself, these 13 horror stories cast disabled characters as heroes we can all root for.

Contributors include bestselling and award-winning as well as emerging authors: Dana Mele, Lillie Lainoff, Soumi Roy, Anandi, Fin Leary, S.E. Anderson, K. Ancrum, Pintip Dunn, Lily Meade, Mo Netz, P.H. Low, and Carly Nugent.

My Review

I love the premise of this collection and how it’s set up. The anthology opens with a note from Madeline Dyer commenting on how horror often limits the presence of disabled characters to the villain roles. (For more on this, please read Amanda LeDuc’s incredible book, Disfigured: On Fairytales, Disability, and Making Space.) This collection gives its disabled characters protagonist roles. A brief essay by the author accompanies each short story, where the author will, if desired, offer information about their experiences that informed the writing in the short story. The essay offers some context about the disability represented in the work, too.

I really like how the disabilities represented in each story impact the protagonist’s experience. There’s no magical healing. There’s no special exception to the rules simply because plot. These protagonists must fight their way through literal horrors despite the limits of their bodies.

The stories span many places and range from long past to present-day settings. Some characters are in the midst of adjusting to or preparing to leave for college while others navigate grief, military capture, and long distance moves.

Because horror has so many layers and often requires buildup, I imagine it was challenging to write succinct, compelling tales. While a few had some meandering moments, most drew me immediately into the strangeness of the story and had me rooting for the main character to make it through.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to romantic feelings. Kissing. Mentions of marriage and pressure to become pregnant. References to child marriage.

Spiritual Content
Reference to spiritual beliefs and practices, including sacrificial rituals. Reference to Catholic services and practices.

Violent Content
Some stories contain instances of ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and bullying. Some instances of body horror and gore. References to murder, imprisonment, and assault. One story has implied sexual assault, reference to child marriage, and emotional abuse. Some stories show self-harm, suicidal ideation, or mention of suicide. A couple stories include references to cannibalism, and one includes human sacrifice.

Drug Content
Characters drink alcohol in several stories.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Unfinished by Cheryl Isaacs

Book Review and Content, Horror, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

The Unfinished(The Unfinished #1)
Cheryl Isaacs
Heartdrum
Published October 15, 2024

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About The Unfinished

In this debut YA horror novel by Cheryl Isaacs (Mohawk), small-town athlete Avery is haunted by the black water and Unfinished beings of Kanyen’kehá:ka stories and must turn to the culture she hasn’t felt connected to in order to save her town.

The black water has been waiting. Watching. Hungry for the souls it needs to survive.

When small-town athlete Avery’s morning run leads her to a strange pond in the middle of the forest, she awakens a horror the townspeople of Crook’s Falls have long forgotten.

Avery can smell the water, see it flooding everywhere; she thinks she’s losing her mind. And as the black water haunts Avery—taking a new form each time—people in town begin to go missing.

Though Avery had heard whispers of monsters from her Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) relatives, she’s never really connected to her Indigenous culture or understood the stories. But the Elders she has distanced herself from now may have the answers she needs.

When Key, her best friend and longtime crush, is the next to disappear, Avery is faced with a choice: listen to the Kanyen’kehá:ka and save the town but lose her friend forever…or listen to her heart and risk everything to get Key back.

In her stunning debut, Cheryl Isaacs pulls the reader down into an unsettling tale of monsters, mystery, and secrets that refuse to stay submerged.

My Review

Unsettling is the perfect word to describe some moments in this story. Like, how does the author make a simple, undisturbed body of water seem so sinister? It’s wild.

I like a lot of things about this book. It’s set in a small town, and Avery works at a local bookstore after school. She’s a runner, so she’s very aware of her body and thinks about things in terms of her sport. She’s also Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk), though she doesn’t feel particularly connected to her community. That changes through the course of the story, though.

She has two best friends, and gradually begins to accept that she has feelings for her friend Key. Of course she realizes this right about the time he disappears.

I love how the author uses spiritual beliefs throughout the story. At one point, an Elder shares the creation story with Avery and her friends. Avery knows the story already, but it becomes this touchstone for her through the rest of the book. I loved that.

Avery’s story doesn’t end with this book, either. A sequel, The Others, continues where this one leaves off, which I think is a little more unusual for a horror novel. I’m excited to see where it goes.

Give this one to readers who like environmental horror, especially eerie stories set in the woods. There’s not really blood or gore in the book, which is nice. It’s unsettling, for sure, but more in a “make you jump at shadows” way.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to attraction between characters.

Spiritual Content
An Elder tribe member shares the creation story with Avery and her friends. Avery references this spiritual story later in the book. A dark force in a lake in the woods has supernatural abilities and appears to be causing people to disappear into it.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Strong descriptions of fear and panic. The lake appears to be sending sinister humanlike messengers after Avery.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews

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Hazelthorn
C.G. Drews
Feiwel & Friends
Published October 28, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hazelthorn

CG Drews, acclaimed author of Don’t Let the Forest In, returns with another deeply unsettling and yet hauntingly beautiful tale of murder and botanical body horror, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow:

He can never leave the estate. He can never go into the gardens. And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron’s charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie.

That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him.

When Byron suddenly dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn’s immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family’s vast wealth. But Evander’s sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next.

Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is refusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day. As the family’s dark secrets unravel alongside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he’s really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more.

My Review

If you wanted to read The Secret Garden as a horror novel, you need this book. It’s intense from the early pages. Events unfold so quickly and with so much suspense that there’s hardly a moment to catch your breath.

If you’ve read C.G. Drews work before, the loveable, tortured characters won’t surprise you at all. Evander is so eager to please and so desperate to see the good in others, even if he can’t imagine any good in himself. He believes some truly toxic things as the start of the story. As the plot unfolds, he begins unpacking some of those ideas and discarding the uglier ones.

From the beginning, he’s obsessed with Laurie, the boy who apparently tried to kill him years before the story begins. I was a little hedgy about the obsessive feelings because I struggle to get into a story where the enemies fall for one another too easily because *plot*.

However, by now I should know that I can trust the author to reveal reasons the obsession makes sense, and eventually, Evander’s feelings do make sense.

While this isn’t exactly a Halloween story, it’s got all the goopy, gory, darkness the genre promises, and Drews’ signature tortured, yearning romance. Reading this book was such a wild ride. Sometimes I wanted to look away, but more often, I wanted to know what happened. I’m already looking forward to what the author publishes next.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used pretty frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. In one scene, the kissing leads to some violence.

Spiritual Content
Sentient or paranormally responsive plants.

Violent Content
Body horror, blood and gore. Some scenes show child abuse (locking a child in their room for extended time periods, physically harming them, forcing them to take medication), and disordered eating. One character feels intense shame about the way their mind works, which seems to result, at least in part, from ableist caretakers. Some scenes show a character eating or wanting to eat strange things.

Drug Content
Evander’s guardians force him to take a sedative, telling him it will help with his “episodes”.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.