I somehow filled three pages of notes on this and still feel like I can’t say much without ruining it. So here’s the safe version: this was classic Carl, and I loved every second of it.
The humor is sharp again. Not just chaotic for the sake of it, but actually landing. The emotional weight is still there too, which continues to be one of the strongest parts of this series. The crawl is brutal, and you feel it, not just for Carl and Donut, but for everyone tangled up in it.
And Carl and Donut? Still one of my favorite duos. Their dynamic hasn’t lost anything this deep into the series.
Now the unhinged highlights:
A full blown death race.
Screeching death manatees.
A baby bjorn… for Donut.
Womantars.
The Minister of Bloodletting (???)
It’s ridiculous in the best way.
I can’t wait for this book to release.
I didn’t expect to cry today. And yet here I am, emotionally wrecked.
This story is steeped in grief, love, and the quiet, devastating spaces between them. Once I started, I couldn’t look away. The moment Hamnet says he wishes to take his twin sister’s place in death, actually lying down in her place, shattered me. He’s just a boy, and yet his instinct is to protect the person he loves most. It’s tender and unbearable all at once.
The grief of the parents feels raw and unfiltered. It lingers in every corner of the story, heavy and inescapable. I can’t even begin to imagine that kind of loss, but this book makes you feel the shape of it anyway.
And the ending… I didn’t think it would hit as hard as it did. But those final words were haunting, the kind that echo long after you close the book.
Absolutely loved this story.
This is one of those books you go into expecting to feel everything. And while the subject matter is undeniably heartbreaking, I found myself a little more distanced than I anticipated.
The story itself is devastating, but I struggled to fully connect with the main character and feel the depth of his anguish. The writing felt more restrained, and I think I was wanting more inner thoughts and emotional weight to really pull me in.
That said, it’s still an important and powerful read. Heavy, sad, and absolutely worth picking up, just not quite the emotional gut punch I was expecting.
Nightmare on Nightmare Street by R.L. Stine is honestly a little cray cray. It took me straight back to my childhood… which is somehow a little scary on its own.
I loved how Stine runs two separate storylines at the same time and slowly blends them together. You never quite know what’s real and what isn’t, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, everything twists together into a chaotic, slightly unhinged ending.
Definitely a fun, nostalgic ride with just enough weird to keep you guessing.
This was an incredible true story of two people who survive a shipwreck at sea, and the situation itself is as intense and gripping as you’d expect. The survival aspect? Wild. The circumstances? Harrowing.
But… I kept waiting to feel more.
For a story packed with fear, desperation, and obsession, the emotional depth just didn’t quite land for me. I wanted more tension, more connection to the people at the center of it, more of that pulse that makes you forget you’re reading and just experience it. Instead, it stayed a bit distant.
Still, it’s a fascinating true story and absolutely worth the read. Just don’t go in expecting it to hit you in the gut.
I started this one confused… and honestly a little grossed out. The deep dive into parasitic maggots burrowing into human flesh is a lot. But knowing this author, I trusted the process.
And wow, it pays off.
The story spirals from dark → creepy → full on horrific and I loved it. The atmosphere builds so well that by the end, I was completely hooked and slightly unsettled (which feels like the goal).
Uncomfortable, eerie, and weirdly enjoyable.
This was a fun one. Not exactly original, but definitely entertaining.
Hannah is an aspiring writer who somehow lands a dream summer job abroad with her favorite author. Realistic? Not even a little. Just go with it.
Things get chaotic, and of course she ends up falling for the Prince of England (very strong Prince Harry energy).
If you don’t overthink the plot and just lean into the chaos, it’s a genuinely enjoyable read.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
