REVIEW: All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell - 3.5 stars

Title: All the Things We Do in the Dark

Genre: Young Adult Thriller/LGBT

Author: Saundra Mitchell

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication: October 29th 2019

Cover Rating: 4/5

Reading Format: Provided eARC - Edelweiss

Goodreads | Amazon

All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell is the story of Ava and how a horrible event that happened to her at the age of 9 will forever shadow her decisions she makes in life. This is a story about her highs and lows, her PTSD and the scars this event left her with, both internal and external. This story is about pain but also about healing. This story is about the horrible things we as humans do to each other. This story IS.

I am going to be upfront with you guys, I could not connect with Ava AT ALL. That made the book a bit hard to get through. It took me over two weeks to read this short book but I knew I had to finish it because even though I didn't connect with the main character the story/meaning behind this book was still important. Ava is the product of her tragic past but she is also the product of her attempts to heal from her past. 

Ava's past and her PTSD are the main reason why, when she is on her way home and stumbles upon a body, she doesn't call the police. She is afraid and worried about what they will do to Jane, the name Ava gives the poor dead girl. Ava doesn't want Jane to become another statistic to these people but she doesn't seem to realize that Jane is already a statistic just by being born female.

So the book is pretty much Ava trying to figure out what happened to Jane and her chasing ghosts and ending up in trouble. But I think Jane happening to Ava was a good thing because it seemed to break her out of her monotonous path. I think Jane helps Ava heal but she also drives her insane at the same time.

This book has a lot of LGBTQ+ representation and the way the author writes the romance is very natural, as it should be. Most of the time I shy away from queer books because I always get a weird feeling that the relationships aren't natural because the characters have to explain how they ARE queer and blah blah blah but Sandra Mitchell wrote things as they should be. They just end up together, drift towards each other, there is no huge build-up or declaration of sexuality. It. Just. Is. This was one of the reasons I kept reading the book. 

This section will be a tad spoilery but not really BUT I loved the idea of the whole 'gamer girl visiting people she met online only to have something bad happen' considering I have been a gamer girl my whole life and I even met my husband on World of Warcraft 10 years ago. This plot right here would make an excellent book on its own and is one of the other reasons I kept reading the book instead of DNFing it.

In the end, the premise itself sounded like it was going to be amazing but with my inability to connect to the main character the story just fell sort of flat. But I did enjoy the romance and how natural it was and I enjoyed the mystery/thriller portion of the book so if you can connect with Ava more that I did then you will definitely enjoy this book.

Overall, I gave the book 3.5/5 stars.

REVIEW: The Last to Die by Kelly Garrett - 3 stars

Title: The Last to Die

Genre: Young Adult Mystery

Author: Kelly Garrett

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication: November 5th 2019

Cover Rating: 2/5

Reading Format: 

Goodreads | Amazon

The Last to Die by Kelly Garrett is the story of six rich teenagers who are trying to find new ways to have a thrill. It's the story of what happens when those thrills end and someone is bitter about it. It's the story of going too far and revenge.

A group of friends decides that they want to have a bit of fun so they come up with the idea of breaking into each others houses when they are away on trips. It's really fun and exhilarating at first but it starts to become boring. So they up the ante. Breaking into other people's houses? Maybe. But what happens when someone wants even more excitement and almost gets one of them caught? What happens when some of them decide it's not worth the risk and wants to call it quits? What happens when someone does want to let them quite and ups the ante even more. What happens when the bodies start piling up?

As a little side note, I have absolutely no idea what the cover has to do with the book. I understand the house representation but the fact that it's in the middle of what looks like water with a lone girl looking out the window really confuses me. I normally don't talk about the covers outside of my initial rating in the book information above because authors usually don't get to pick their covers but this cover just.... what?!

In the end, this book was good but it didn't have a real ending and we all know how much of an annoyance that it. We never find out what happens with the biggest plot point of the book and THAT KILLED MY SOUL.

Overall, I gave the book 3/5 stars.

REVIEW: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett - 5 stars

Title: The Grace Year

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Author: Kim Liggett

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication: September 17th 2019

Cover Rating: 5/5

Reading Format: Provided eARC

Goodreads | Amazon

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett couldn't come out during a better year. With all the things happening regarding women's rights this book is very eerie. In this story, women are pretty much property and our main character, Tierney, feels like marriage is a fate worse than death. So when her Grace Year comes up she is more than happy to work the fields instead of being wed. But her best friend betrays her trust and now her entire Grace Year might be in jeopardy. She has a target on her back all because of a future she didn't ask for. 

Tierney is the middle daughter, the wild child, living in a world where women are property and feared to have magic so they are sent away for their 16th year in order to get rid of their magic. But none of the girls know what to expect for their Grace Years because the previous girls aren't allowed to talk about it. Tierney is ready to get her Grace Year over so she can come home and start working in the fields but her plans are thrown out when her best friend lifts her veil during the Grace Year ceremony, pledging to marry her when she comes back.

Thirty-three girls are sent to rid themselves of their "magic", but thirty-three girls will not be coming back. I had no idea what to expect at this part of the book but the author took this book through some amazing twists and turns. I was following everything on the edge of my seat, devouring page after page without putting the book down. I haven't read a book with this much excitement and commitment in a very long time. 

The girls are taught to fear the Poachers, a group of people who cut the girls up and sell their body parts to be used as aphrodisiacs. These Poachers are the reason it is believed that all the girls don't come back but there is something much more sinister at play. The minute the girls are alone, Tierney tries to get them to work together but another girl comes into her "magic" early and other girls side with her. This book shows how twisted the relationships between girls can become and how things aren't always how they appear to be.

In the end, I could not believe the amazing, beautiful and savage story I just consumed. I was watching Dragonball Super with my husband when I finished the story and I slowly sat my Kindle down and just groaned. My husband laughed because he knew that meant the book ended when I wasn't ready. RYKER!!!! 

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars. AMAZING!

Spooky/Halloween Reading Recommendations 2019

Okay, I know, I know, A POST ABOUT HALLOWEEN READS RECOMMENDATIONS ON SEPTEMBER 1ST?! ARE YOU CRAZY? Well, yes, yes I am, but that is an entirely different conversation for another post. But I have recently come across some people, my kind of people, who love the spoopy just as much as I do, and gosh darnit, I am going to spoop all over your screen. Too much? Ehh, this girl starts celebrating Fall/Halloween on September 1st, earlier actually considering I just we super Halloween shopping at Michaels yesterday, I will add 2 pictures of my haul below but I will make another full post with individual pictures after this. If anyone is looking for a quick list please scroll all the way to the bottom, I have made a written list for you.

I love how the crow is yelling at the viewer, lol.

A little side note, I created a new Instagram profile for SPOOKY BOOKISH THINGS so if you guys want to follow that I would really appreciate it, @terrifyingtomes

So, yeah, without further ado, here is my EPIC(yes I think that highly of myself) list of Spooky/Halloween reads..... Oh, and if you click on each book's picture it will take you to the  Goodreads page so you can read the synopsis for yourself but I will also be including a little excerpt of why I liked the book. 

I was going to start this off with Libba Bray, don't worry she will come next, but then I REALLY thought about it and while I completely love and adore her writing, one Duology just stands out in my head above all else and that is Mary: The Summoning and Mary: Unleashed. These books are a Bloody Mary retelling, if you couldn't tell from the covers, and I ADORE THESE BOOKS. I reread them EVERY Halloween ever since I found the first book 4/5 years ago. This author and her books are THE PERFECT representation of Young Adult Horror, in my God honest opinion. I wish she could pump out more books just to feed my black heart. 

When I first read The Diviners many many moons again, okay maybe like 6/7, I fell in love. I was engulfed in a spooky historical world and that just made me very excited. At the time, I didn't really know it was going to be a series and it's now been 7 years since the release and the last book was recently announced. I am usually VERY impatient but the level of work the author puts into these books is definitely worth the wait. They are so intricate and beautifully written for something so horrific and spine-tingling. I think the only gripe I have with this series is the fact that the cover has changed so many dang times when the first books cover and under the cover was literal perfection. -sigh-

If Stephen King wrote Young Adult Horror this would be his book, but this book belongs to the wonderful Cyn Balog. While this book IS horror, her other books are more mystery/thriller, so they are still relevant I am picking this book to represent the pack. This book is definitely great and it was inspired by The Shining!

I am not recommending a book so much as an author here. Dawn Kurtagich can write some pretty freaky stories. I have a love/hate relationship with her books but either way they pack the horror punch a lot of us are looking for. Now, I have never outright actually hated any of her books I just had a hard time swallowing her last one, And the Trees Crept in. It wasn't a bad book AT ALL I just found myself going WTF?! a lot. I have no read her most recent book, Teeth in the Mist but it's on my Halloween list for this year. I can't wait to see what else this author's twisted mind can come up with in the future.

This is another author recommendation. Amy Lukavics has written some pretty gruesome and horrific books, THANK GOD. I have enjoyed all of her books enough to put them on this list but they still lack that ultimate horror level for me. Then again, I have been watching horror movies since I was 7 soooo, these books would be great for someone who isn't as well versed in the horror world as me.

Now this book, this book was freaky. It isn't so much horror as it is freakshow. This story was so awesome and earned a place on my favorites shelves. 

Here I am recommending another author but there is a catch this time. I have not personally read any of her books. I own all the ones that are currently out but I haven't read them. I plan to remedy that this year so stay tuned for next year to see if any of her books actually make the cut onto my personal recommendations list. This is just an in general recommendation 

This next author recommendation is a personal favorite of mine and she is the lovely Gretchen McNeil. Ya'll need to read her books NOW. I love #Murdertrending and Ten so much. I love her other books but the titles are escaping my mind. 

Now this series is weird for me. When I first read the books something made me dislike them. But I reread them when the last book came out and for some reason I ended up loving them. It might have something to do with the fact that I watched the Asylum season for American Horror Story(this is also a Halloween recommendation even though it's a TV show and not a book it still counts for SPOOPY) but we shall never know. Either way, Asylums = Good Spoopage. Yes, I am making up words now. 

This is another good asylum type book. I really enjoyed this one when I read it a few years ago. I might have to reread it this season, we shall see.

For some reason, I don't remember much about this duology, only that I enjoyed it. I have bits and pieces floating through my head so this one will definitely need to be reread.

Now this one I personally HATED but I am putting it on this list because someone else might love it and I'm all about people finding books they love. Always remember, just because you didn't enjoy a book doesn't mean someone else will feel the same way. But if you want my opinion on this book, it's like a bad version of Scream and the author should have stuck to Contemporary Romance. 🤷🏼‍♀️

And lastly, I have saved the best recommendation I can give. This series is more macabre than anything but that still earns it a place on this list. The books in this series are bizarre and twisted and not to be missed! The last book, Capturing the Devil comes out on September 10th so now is the perfect time to read these books! Thank you Kerri Maniscalco for writing these amazing books! 

This is not the end of the list, I am sure I will add more later as I think of them but this is a good enough list to get you guys started. Please feel free to let me know either in the comments here or on Instagram @terrifyingtomes if you have or plan to read any of these and what your thoughts are if you have read or after you do read any of the books!

Each year I will have certain books I recommend over and over again but I am going to try my best to add new spoopy reads to this list. I will probably just do a repeat of this post with a new introduction and then add the new reads at the bottom. I have been hoping more authors will write some YA horror so maybe my wish will come true. Either way, I hope you enjoyed my post and may these books bring fear to your hearts and pee to your pants!

Here is the quick Halloween list for anyone who doesn't want to read all my jibberjabber. 

Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

Mary: Unleashed by Hillary Monahan

The Diviners series by Libba Bray

Alone by Cyn Balog

Any book by Dawn Kurtagich

Any book by Amy Lukavics

The Devils You Know by M.C. Atwood

Anything by Courtney Almeda
Anything by Gretchen McNeil
Asylum series by Madeleine Roux
The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender
Welcome to the Dark House duology by Laurie Faria Stolarz
There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco

REVIEW: Birthday by Meredith Russo - 4.5/5 stars

Title: Birthday

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary/LGBTQ+

Author: Meredith Russo

Publisher: Flatiron/Usborne

Publication: May 31st 2019

Cover Rating: 5/5

Reading Format: Owned Paperback

Goodreads | Amazon

Birthday by Meredith Russo is the story of Morgan and Eric and how they traverse through life while trying to figure out who they truly are and who they want to be. 

Morgan was given the wrong body at birth. She knows she is supposed to be a girl but the universe didn't get the memo. But how do you tell everyone you are a girl when on the outside you appear to be a boy? And how do you go about telling people you are scared and confused when you live in a small football town in Tennessee? You don't. You can't even tell your best friend because you've already lost your mom and you couldn't handle losing anyone else. Oh, and your father happens to be the football coach in this small homophobic town. 

Eric is confused about his life too, but for different reasons. For one, his father is a very nasty person and all of his sons MUST play football and MUST get a scholarship. But Morgan's mother gave him a guitar before she passed away and he feels like music might be his real calling. He also knows he isn't gay but he has feelings for Morgan that a straight guy should never have. 

Meredith Russo is a very needed and very strong voice for the LGBTQ community. If you or someone you know is struggling with their sexuality or you just want to read a diverse book then I highly suggest giving her books a read. 

In the end, this book was painful but it's meant to be. When I got to the last few pages I also realized something. The entire book I thought that Morgan was scared to come out as herself because she was afraid to lose her father or Eric but now I think she just wasn't ready. Yes, she went through years of pain and she could have came out and Eric or Jasmine could have offered to buy her makeup or take her to get clothes but in the end, I don't think Morgan was ready for that step and that is also extremely important. You might be able to tell that someone is queer by looking or talking with them but if they aren't out it's not your job to try and bring them out. It's a massive process both mentally, emotionally and physically and you can be supportive but the person has to choose when the time is right for them and realizing that about this story made it even more impactful. You truly never know what a person goes through just to be themselves, just to be happy.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

REVIEW: Heartwood Box by Ann Aquirre - 4.5/5 stars

Title: Heartwood Box

Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi/Suspense

Author: Ann Aquirre

Publisher: TorTeen 

Publication: July 9th 2019

Cover Rating: 4/5

Reading Format: Owned Hardcover

Goodreads | Amazon

The Heartwood Box by Ann Aquirre is the story of Araceli and the small town her parents force her to move to so she can live with her Great Aunt while they are off reporting on dangerous activities in war-torn places. The best way I can describe this book is The Lakehouse meets Stranger Things. 

Araceli might have been born in the US but her entire life has been spent in very dangerous places while her parents fight to help people who can't help themselves. Her life has been nothing but active so being sent to live with her Great Aunt in some very White town will be very new to her. 

Upon arrival in this strange, stuck in the past town Araceli notices something strange. The amount of missing posters far exceeds the amount any town of this size should have. What could have happened to all of these people? But things get even more strange when she meets her Great Aunt and finds out her Uncle is among the missing. And things just keep getting weirder when Araceli finds a special box in her Aunt's storage room that appears to have special powers. Araceli wants to figure out what is wrong with this town but it isn't until her friend becomes one of the missing that she REALLY starts trying to put the pieces together and boy, oh boy, is this town even more twisted than she could have imagined.

In the end, this book was very intricate and I adored the storyline and all the characters were fleshed out very well. If you are looking for a book to help keep your Stranger Things feelings going then I highly suggest picking this up. 

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

REVIEW: That Night by Cyn Balog - 4.5 stars

Title: That Night

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary(Mental Illness)

Author: Cyn Balog

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication: June 4th 2019 2019

Cover Rating: 3/5

Reading Format: Provided eARC

Goodreads | Amazon

That Night by Cyn Balog is the story of Hailey and The Week's brothers, Kane and Declan and how they got tangled in a very deadly web of love and obsession. Sometimes, the line between love and obsession is so thin you don't know you've crossed it until someone gets hurt.

Hailey was on top of the world. She had her best friend, Kane, she had her boyfriend, Declan, and everything seemed perfect. Until it wasn't. Until Declan went into his families shed and shot himself in the head. Until she went to stay in a mental health hospital. Until, until... until. Hailey can't seem to remember what happened the day Declan died. But it turned out maybe there is also more she can't remember. But from what we learn about Declan there is no way he would have killed himself. So what happens when someone might have gotten away with murder?


I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of emotion and mystery to it but it also had a lot of character development that I enjoyed watching. I loved the relationship dynamic and drama between Kane and Hailey, no matter how good or bad it was. I even liked the relationship between Kane and his "girlfriend" even though that was obviously toxic. The author knows how to write characters, I will always say that.

In the end, I kept going back and forth on how this book would end. I know how the author writes so I kept saying there was NO WAY this could just be a contemporary story about a boy committing suicide and I was definitely right. 

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.