Such a cute story with some adorable illustrations. Short and simple but very appropriate for Halloween.

I re-read this in September of 2022. Two years after my first reading, this book is still five stars. Not only is it still a five, but it's also still one of my favorite books of all time. The writing is awesome, the nostalgia is wonderful, and the ending is beautiful and heart-wrenching in the best way. I cried again at the ending. I can't say enough good things about this book.

This book has some of the best kills I've ever read. SO CREATIVE! I definitely think the weird and unexpected ways in which McDowell kills off these characters definitely makes The Amulet worth reading. The ending was wild too!

I recommend this book to anyone who likes horror. This one has a bit of a slow start, but I think you'll be happy if you stick with it. There are lots of brutal scenes in this book, but McDowell's writing has a kind of eloquence to it at the same time. I think The Amulet truly has a great balance.

4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads.

Special thanks to the author Lily Sparks for sending me a copy of this book for review!

I was blown away by how much I loved this story. I usually don't like romance in books (at all), but I really didn't mind the romance in this book. I actually quite enjoyed it, and I can't even explain why.

There is also a compelling mystery at the center of this story, making it easy to get sucked in. I finished this book in only two sittings, and I felt like it flew by! I immediately picked up the second book and began reading once I was done with this one. I just wanted to know what was going to develop. I came to really love the characters (even though they're technically KILLERS)! Sparks did a great job at making you care about her cast of teenagers!

Sparks told me that I may like this book because I like Christopher Pike books. And, boy, was she correct! Teen Killers Club really did give me a Pike-vibe or even a 90s Point Horror vibe (especially in the way she wrote the romance).

I had such a great time reading this one because it surprised me and took me off guard. I really wasn't expecting to love it, but I do!

3.5 stars rounded down for GR.

I love McCammon, and he's definitely my favorite author. But this is definitely my least favorite book I've read by him thus far. He clearly did do an amazing amount of research for this book though. I am just not a big fan of naval history or stories with military elements involved.

However, there are some definitely creepy passages and lots of good horror imagery in this one at times! I'm still glad I read it, and I want to continue my journey of reading all of McCammon's backlist.

Another 5 star coming-of-age gem from Robert McCammon. Much like Boy's Life, this story hit me hard, and I cried at the ending. But I think there are more "horror" elements in Mystery Walk than in Boy's Life. And so if any horror fans are looking to read McCammon, I'd recommend starting with this one versus Boy's Life.

At first, there was a character that I disliked in this book, which had me concerned. I was very frustrated by their actions. However, even that character grew and evolved! And by the midway point, I actually felt a lot of sympathy for them. The two main characters, Billy and his mother Roberta, are amazingly written and very compelling. It was easy to get invested in their story and journey through life.

There are even a few scenes where Billy is traveling with a carnival! I love that setting in books! So that was a big bonus for me while digging into this book.

If you enjoy coming-of-age books and well-told stories in general, then you should pick this up. I think this one is incredibly well-written and 100% worth reading! McCammon has quickly become my favorite author! His work is on another level!

The author did an amazing job at portraying the city of New Orleans in this story. I was born and have lived in New Orleans for my entire life, so I am very impressed that Amy was able to successfully capture the feel and vibe of my city! New Orleans is obviously a great setting for a vampire story! Besides the setting, another strength of this book is the nostalgia contained within its pages! I love all the 90s references contained in the story!

The only criticism I have is that I wasn't a huge fan of the romance depicted in this story (but that's just because I'm not a big romance fan). I feel like that is prominent throughout the second half of the book.

However, I still really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend this to fans of Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer the TV show, 80s and 90s nostalgia lovers, and fans of easy-to-read vampire stories! I am really looking forward to reading the sequel: Mina and the Slayers!

I wouldn't necessarily classify this as horror, and I think some of the taglines on the cover of this book are quite misleading. However, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story. I actually ended up getting very invested in this slow-burn, coming-of-age tale which is set in the past at a Bible camp.

On the surface, this isn't the type of story I would usually gravitate to. But I think the character development in this book is top-notch, and that allows the reader to become extremely immersed in the story and the fate of the campers. Plus, the ending was surprising. I went into this not knowing what to expect, and came out of the experience pleasantly surprised.

I wouldn't recommend this book to readers who like fast-past, plot-leaning reads. This is a character-driven story.

3.5 stars rounded up for GR.

I read this for Olly's (CriminOlly on YT) event "GarbAugust." The whole point of the event is to read "trashy" books. I'd say this book qualifies (I mean this in a good way!)...it is a delightful piece of garbage! Slugs gets pretty gruesome at times, and I was there for it!

However, this isn't my favorite animal attack story that I've read. But I do think Slugs is a MUST-read for fans of the animal attack sub-genre. I know I'm glad I picked up this classic and checked it off my list!

This is a creepy and compelling read. I listened to the audiobook as I read along physically. I really enjoyed the narration.

I wanted a little more page-time for the main antagonist, but this is still an entertaining cult book with a twist. I loved the ending!