This started out promising, as we follow Mara as she starts a new job as part of the night crew on a reality TV show about renovating 'haunted' housesThis started out promising, as we follow Mara as she starts a new job as part of the night crew on a reality TV show about renovating 'haunted' houses, but quickly got a bit too self aware. It's not particularly scary, preferring to go inward and reflective rather than be genuinely scary. Also wouldn't recommend the audio - the narrator is very monotone. Quick read though....more
This was a surprisingly intriguing novella that I would love to see turned into a longer novel. The idea of ushers of death reminded me a little of PhThis was a surprisingly intriguing novella that I would love to see turned into a longer novel. The idea of ushers of death reminded me a little of Phillip Pullman's deaths - beings to guide you to the other side, stalking unseen their intended targets. This benefitted from being short in that it leans into the mysterious nature of the ushers. You purposely arent told much about them other than what they look like. Their purpose, whether kind or malevolent, is left up to reader interpretation....more
1970s Florida. A home for wayward girls. Unruly girls. Girls in trouble. That's where Neva finds herselARC received in exchange for an honest review.
1970s Florida. A home for wayward girls. Unruly girls. Girls in trouble. That's where Neva finds herself during her summer break from high school. Surrounded by girls stuck in the same situation as her, just as lost and just as helpless. But there's been whispers in the dark about witchcraft in the woods, women who bathe in the moonlight and surround themselves in sin. And they could be Neva's way to freedom, a way to keep her baby and help her friends. But help always comes at a price, and it's one Neva isn't willing to pay.
This had a really different tone to Grady Hendrix's other novels. There's less of the black comedy I've come to associate with his stories, and more depth in its discussion of real life horrors over the supernatural. Neva and the other girls are so vulnerable, stuck in a place that gives them no hope that they're susceptible to any influence that comes from outside the home. Any hint of help and they jump on it. Especially Neva, with her dreamer attitude and desire to help others. I really liked seeing her relationship with the girls develop over time, as they begin to rely on each other to see through their anxiety and pain. They only have each other to turn too and they have a common cause.
I always find that the 'evil', more malevolent aspects of Hendrix's stories always feel the same. The horror itself, this dark entity, has a presence that seeps through the story and although it takes a bit of a backseat to Neva's story this time, it still sits and watches through the eyes of the librarian. There's no scary puppets or vampires this time. The horror is firmly in the loss of identity of the girls, with Neva loosing everything about herself, including her name, when she steps through the doors of the Home. It's clever how Hendrix uses this name change to get across Neva's changing identity. Going from Neva to Fern, briefly back to Neva in signing her child's birth certificate, and back again. It's full circle.
The only reason this didn't get 5 stars is that the pacing dips in the middle, as Neva mourned the loss of Rose and her decision. Rose is the rebel of the group, the one who takes the most decisive and direct actions. To see her react the same way as every other girl makes Neva turn inward, and this slowed the story somewhat. However, overall this is up there with one of Hendrix's best.
We are the witches, the girls that got away. The ones who survived and chose to live....more
Quick review: Didn't really like it. Slow paced, with short chapters, this felt very stilted and choppy to read. And while the later scenes are quite Quick review: Didn't really like it. Slow paced, with short chapters, this felt very stilted and choppy to read. And while the later scenes are quite gory, it takes too long to build up Ji-Won's murderous decent. There are some interesting discussions relating to racial misogyny but for me it fell short of really delving into the heart of the matters expressed. It all just felt a bit superficial and obvious and missed a lot of potential for building familial and friend relationships. ...more
Given how much I've loved Alexis Henderson's previous novels, I should not have been surprised at how muARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Given how much I've loved Alexis Henderson's previous novels, I should not have been surprised at how much I enjoyed this. An Academy of Liars is a story of persuasion, the pursuit of it and how the lure of its power is intoxicating and destructive.
Lennon, our protagonist, has hit rock bottom at the start of the novel. Having discovered her fiancee in a compromising position with his work colleague, she finds herself lost and contemplating the worthiness of her life. Until she receives a mysterious phonecall stating that she's moved onto the next stage in thr selection process for an unheard of college. What follows is a rabbit hole of magical elevators, a highly competitive school hidden from the general population and mysterious societies with deadly games of admition.
I like Lennon as a protagonist. She's deeply self deprecating, having continually let everyone down in her life so far she's desperate to remain at Drayton where she finds herself to be special, unique. Her inexplicable pull to Dante is magnetic. The pair know that together they're both bad and good for each other. Two sides of the same coin, and Dante knows how to get the best out of Lennon. I did at times find their relationship a little unconvincing in that Lennon falls very easily given no encouragement from Dante whatsoever, however their chemistry cannot be denied.
The overall plot was intriguing and highly atmospheric as Lennon spends most of her time within the mysterious walls of Drayton college. It's a college that oozes gothic, dark academia - and from someone who normally hates dark academia, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the world. Some of the finer elements of the plot are left a little open to interpretation or not fully explained (such as the kids skeletons and weird dark shadow monsters for example) and the pacing did get a little off track in the middle however overall I found that it was highly entertaining and interesting. It had definite Ninth House vibes and the mysteries that Lennon becomes embroiled in were suitably creepy and satisfying to see unfold.
Another great edition to Alexis Henderson's stories. If you loved her other novels, or Ninth House I think you'll love this one. ...more
Although I liked the twist part way through this volume, the pacing suffered as a result and I found the plot had completely ortered out by the end. TAlthough I liked the twist part way through this volume, the pacing suffered as a result and I found the plot had completely ortered out by the end. The characters also weren't really that engaging. The first third was really good though, with so much potential. ...more
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