The Aggressive Reader

Tag: horror

  • The Lamb by Lucy Rose

    Rating: 5/5

    Spoilers: Light

    First off, I listened to this story on audiobook and at first I was worried I wouldn’t understand the accent of the woman who was reading, but I am so happy I continued because it added so much to the story! The narrators name is Emma Rydal and I adored her voice! I adored this absolutely vivid story and fell in love with these characters.

    The Lamb follows Margot and her Mama who live secluded away from others. One way they get by is by eating strays…no, not animals. Strays are what they call lost people that wander in their mist. Both Margot and Mama enjoy more than anything to have a good stray to eat. Strays being men, women, and children. This was their life, until one day, a stray woman entered their home and caught the Mama’s interest.

    In the Lamb, we follow Margot’s point of view as she watches her mom fall in love with this woman named Eden and watches how their lives slowly start to change. In some good and possibly bad ways for Margot. This book was so beautifully written and just left my heart shattered and full at the same time. There were definitely some horrifying descriptions and images that will not leave my mind (those damn fingers)!

    That ending…that ending is all I’m going to say. I could see a lot that happened was coming but damn…so well written that it still broke me. I AM BROKEN AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!

    Thank you for reading and subscribing!

  • Blood Like Mine by Stuart Neville

    Rating: 4/5

    Spoilers: Medium

    So, was I expecting that? NO, I WAS NOT! I thought I was getting a regular mystery/thriller story but got surprised by elements of horror. Elements? I mean this full on became horror on top of the detective story. I got this copy from the library because I wasn’t for sure if I would like it or not, but this is a story that I might want a physical copy of!

    Blood Like Mine follows a couple POV’s. One being a woman named Rebecca, who is on the run with her daughter who she calls “Moonflower.” The other being a detective named Marc Donner, who is on the search for a serial killer who has been active for 15 years. The connection between these POV’s was obvious to me but I didn’t expect the turn this story took.

    I’m not big on detective stories but the mix of genres made it easier for me to read. I don’t know how to explain it, but modern-day detective characters bore me to tears! Older stories like Sherlock Holmes are just tolerable…I think this is the only reason I didn’t rate it higher. I just can’t stand the same detective tropes of them ignoring their family for their work and spending years on one killer or making that their excuse for ignoring everything else in their lives. Also, them always being alcoholics…. Just tired of the same stuff OVER AND OVER AGAIN. It was not the usual ending for Donner like other stories similar to it though. Different endings are just what the detective stories need to even catch a glimpse of my interest.

    Adding the horror element was definitely the move to create a different and more exciting story. Of course, the first book I rent in a while is better than the last book I bought! LAWD help me. This book may be added to my shelf soon.

    Thank you for subscribing! Happy reading!

  • Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

    Rating 4.5/5

    Spoilers: light

    Lesbian vampires? SAY NO MORE! This story was not what I was expecting at all but came out of it very satisfied. I never read the original story of Carmilla (which this is a type of retelling of), but I think I might look it up after this! All I know is the original story inspired Dracula by Bram Stoker, which I actually did not enjoy (I know…very un-goth of me), so I was surprised that this was a page turner for me.

    We follow Lenore who is married to a man who doesn’t give her the time of day but expects so much out of her. In her blindness, she stays devoted to him, not knowing any better and wanting to keep their life as extravagant as possible. Coming from a harsh childhood where she lost her parents in a violent carriage accident and had to live with her never satisfied aunt, she is willing to be put through anything just to move up in society. That is until Lenore and her husband come across Carmilla, who was in a carriage accident and is invited into their home to recover. What starts out as a simple situation starts to get…creepy. Something isn’t right with Carmilla, and she seems to have latched herself to Lenore and is feeding her ways to change her life and awakens a hunger in her that she didn’t know was there.

    Lenore was definitely the picture of a woman in this age with her mannerisms and how she was taught to think growing up. Man, am I happy someone finally made her SEE! What started as creepy turns into something completely horrific but beautiful at the same time with Carmilla and I should say, a bit freeing to read. I’ve already said satisfying but MY OH MY. The spice levels could have been higher and the pace in some areas could have been quicker which is the only reason I didn’t give it a full five stars, but I am happy I chose this one from my book subscription! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

    Thank you for following! Happy reading!