One thing I love in a story is when a strong friendship is central to the plot. Whether it’s Lord of the Rings or Scooby Doo, I think having character growth based on relationships with friends is a great choice. Bonus points if that friendship/friend group then has to go through a horrifying experience. Undead Girl Gang was pretty much exactly that: a group of teenage girls who team up to solve a series of murders at their high school. Oh, and three out of four of them are zombies.
Zombies! Hell yeah! How does that happen?
Mila Flores is a young witch who is reeling from the mysterious suicide of her best friend, Riley. Not convinced that Riley committed suicide, Mila decides to take matters into her own hands. Using a creepy old book, she casts a spell to raise Riley from the dead, hoping that Riley will have information about her murderer. Things don’t go exactly as planned. Mila does resurrect Riley, but she also brings back June and Dayton, two overachieving bullies who also recently died. Unfortunately, Riley, Dayton, and June have no memories of the nights they were killed, making them pretty useless. And, to top it all off, they keep their fatal injuries, leaving them with gashes, decay, and broken necks that make them horrifying to look at. Hell bent on getting the truth, Mila, Riley, June, and Dayton set out to solve their own murders.
Fun!
This book is really fun. One great choice Anderson made was to give this book a lighthearted tone. While yes, there are some dark moments where the dead girls grapple with their lost lives, the majority of the book is a comedy where Mila has to prevent the undead girls from terrorizing the town and deal with a motorcycle gang of older witches opposing what she’s done. The dialogue in the book was pretty realistic and not the annoying, stilted dialogue that we see when many authors try to write teens. This made the book very easy and compelling to read.
The real strength of the book is its characters. Riley and Mila act as foils to each other, but both grow and develop into their strengths. Seeing a strong friendship between girls at the heart of this book was wonderful. June and Dayton also realize the flaws in how they treated people and many of the well-meaning characters get called out for how their actions harmed others.
Later on, there’s a truly fantastic reveal of who the killer is, which literally made me say “oh damn!” I love it when books can elicit that reaction. To me, that reveal was furthered by the body horror element of the story, which was done surprisingly well. I still get a little shiver thinking about both the zombies and the curse placed upon the killer.
Finally, I also really appreciated the representation in this book. For one thing, the author treats Wicca, the religion that Mila follows, with a lot of respect where a lot of authors would have given it a much less nuanced treatment. The book is also Own Voices for the Mexican representation. Mila incorporates some of her Mexican heritage into her witchcraft and deals with being a minority in a majority-white town. Mila is also fat and accepting of her different body size. That is incredibly refreshing for me to see in a genre where fat people are often not treated very well, to say the least.
Why not give it five Cthulus then?
Ultimately, the story was pretty predictable. The first person that the girls consider was obviously not the killer, and it doesn’t take a huge leap to figure out who the murderer actually is. At the same time, though, the motives for the actual murderer were not realistic in my mind. Their motives confused me a lot. Because of that, I thought the pacing was a little bit off and that the killer’s explanation of their motives could have been explained a little more.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed Undead Girl Gang. It was a fun, quick, spooky romp that is basically like if Heathers met The Evil Dead if the Deadites weren’t evil. It’s not too scary, but has a lot of body horror and existential elements. Personally, I would definitely read more horror comedy from this author. I came out of it wishing I was part of a zombie girl gang in real life.
(4 / 5)
A chilling blend of The Devil Wears Prada and classic ghost story. Tiny Threads by Lilliam Rivera is a gripping exploration of the fashion industry’s dark underbelly. Published in September 2024, this contemporary Latina horror novel delves into themes of gender, hierarchy, gentrification, and human trafficking. All while keeping readers on the edge of their seats with its supernatural elements.
The Plot.
When Samara, a young Cuban American woman, lands her dream job working as the Executive Director, Global Brand Voice for renowned fashion designer Antonio Mota, she cannot move away from Jersey and her close-knit, although sometimes suffocating, family fast enough. Arriving in Vernon, California, Samara hopes this could be a new start. She finds the people nice enough and her new apartment is to die for. She has even met a new love interest, a wealthy investor of Mota’s fashion line.
If only she were not woken at 2am every morning by the mice living in the walls of her apartment. She also wishes the local abattoir was not so close by. It gives off the stench of death that the locals refer to as ‘the Vernon perfume’.
However, beneath the surface, cracks begin to appear. A reoccurring name, a rude seamstress and a spontaneously appearing and disappearing model, it doesn’t take long before her fragile sense of normalcy begins to unravel .
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As the pressure mounts to deliver a successful fashion show, Samara’s coping mechanisms spiral out of control. She turns to alcohol and pills, blurring the lines between reality and dream. With her sanity teetering on the edge, Samara faces a critical choice: succumb to the darkness or fight for a brighter future, even if it means confronting a trauma she thought she had left all but forgotten.
Highlights.
One of the highlights of Tiny Threads is the inclusion of Spanish dialogue. In many stories featuring multilingual characters, the non-English language is often translated directly into the text or presented in a different font. However, Rivera has chosen to maintain the original Spanish, which I found refreshing and immersive. Translating certain songs and names, such as the name ‘Piedad,’ which means ‘Pity,’ enriched my understanding of the story. In regards to this, I was very glad that I was reading on my Kindle with the translation tool open and ready.
Drawbacks.
Don’t begin this book expecting a constant barrage of ghosts and supernatural occurrences. Tiny Threads is a more of a slow-burn psychological horror novel, where the otherworldly elements are subtle and understated. The narrative takes an unexpected turn into a revenge story, which is both surprising and satisfying.
I think the main drawback is the repetition of Samara’s days. This might have been purposeful representing the drudgery she was experiencing in a world that is toted as being glamorous and vibrant, but it slows down the pacing and deadened the tension of the story. The repetition began to feel like Groundhog Day. The only thing that drove time forward was the buildup to the fashion show which is counted down in each chapter. The final quarter of the book, culminating in said dramatic fashion show, picks up the pace significantly.
The Final Take.
Tiny Threads is a supernatural horror where the ghosts, surprisingly, aren’t the most terrifying aspect. Rivera expertly captures the harsh realities faced by lower-level fashion industry employees and the lengths people go to for success in this often brutal field. Despite its difficulties with repetition and pacing, this is a must-read for those who appreciate a complex protagonist grappling with self-deception. Rivera’s Tiny Threads is a thought-provoking exploration of the fashion industry’s darker side.
Published in April 2023, Catriona Ward’s novel, Looking Glass Sound, continues her tradition of crafting intricate narratives that defy easy categorization. Like her acclaimed The House on Needless Street, Ward expertly weaves a web of clues and red herrings that will unravel with each reread. Is it an atmospheric horror, a twisted serial killer mystery, or the coming-of-age tale of a writer? The answer, as Ward skillfully demonstrates, is all three.
The Plot.
In 1989, sixteen-year-old Wilder Harlow, travels to the Maine coast with his mother and father, for the summer. His family has inherited a cottage on Whistler’s Bay, all hope that this will be a fresh start for him.
On the first day, Wilder meets Harper and Nat; teens who roam the town with little to no adult supervision. The two quickly become his guides to the town’s hidden secrets.
As they explore the bay’s eerie beauty, Wilder discovers a sinister undercurrent. A terrifying figure known as the “Dagger Man” has been terrorizing families; breaking into homes and photographing sleeping children at knifepoint. Meanwhile, a more chilling mystery unfolds: women have been vanishing from the town for over a decade.
Wilder and his new friends are drawn into the mysteries and the truth begins to unravel as they explore the hidden corners of the bay.
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This is only the first section of the book. What follows is Wilder’s experience through college, eventually returning to Whistler Bay as an elderly man. On his return things begin to twist and we find that everything we’ve been told is not strictly fact.
Highlights.
Catriona Ward is known for writing strong characters and here she does not disappoint. The novel introduces us to Wilder, Nat, and Harper as teenagers whose complex dynamics and relatable angst draw us in. Wilder’s college roommate, Sky, adds another layer of depth, offering a poignant exploration of queer coming-of-age. While Ward’s intricate plot keeps us guessing, it also presents a minor challenge: the sheer number of twists and turns can sometimes blur the lines between characters: making it difficult to keep track of names and relationships. The introduction of two characters named Sky and Skye, in particular, can be confusing. Despite this, Ward’s character development remains consistently strong. Looking Glass Sound is a compelling exploration of human connection and the complexities of memory.
Drawbacks.
The overwhelming drawback for this novel was the structure. The first half of the novel follows a straightforward, linear timeline, allowing us to connect with Wilder and his friends on a personal level. However, the narrative takes a significant detour in the second half, adopting a complex frame-within-a-frame structure, or perhaps more accurately a book within a book… within a book. This shift can be disorienting, as readers are constantly pulled back and forth between different time periods and perspectives, often only to discover that certain events were not entirely as they seemed.
While this unconventional approach adds a layer of intrigue, it can also make the plot feel fragmented and difficult to follow. Ward’s decision to interrupt the narrative with explanations and asides can sometimes disrupt the pacing and immersion. While this choice may be intentional, it can also leave readers feeling lost and confused.
The Final Take.
This is not my first Catriona Ward novel, nor it will be my last. Ward writes stories that are built to confound the reader and make them question everything they’ve read. Looking Glass Sound pushes this a little too far. In my opinion is the weakest of her novels that I have read so far. In saying that I did enjoy the atmospheric horror of the introductory chapters and the dark academic feel of the college section. Following that I found myself becoming a little fed up with deciphering the plot.
“You can’t win against the mountain. The mountain always finds a way.”
Published in July 2024, Alisa Alering’s debut novel, Smothermoss, is a chilling blend of folk horror and dark fairytale. Though concise, this novel packs a powerful punch, its narrative dense with metaphor and a suffocating atmosphere. Not for the faint of heart, Smothermoss is a haunting exploration of the sinister lurking beneath the surface of the ordinary.
The Story.
Set in the rugged Appalachian Mountains of the 1980s, Smothermoss follows the lives of sisters, Sheila (17) and Angie (12). The two live with their mother and an elderly woman in a crumbling cottage in the forest. Both Sheila and Angie are the object of ridicule and bullying within their school community, the sisters cope with this bullying in starkly different ways. Sheila retreats into silence, avoiding conflict and longing for escape. Angie, meanwhile, immerses herself in a fantasy world, battling imaginary Russians and believing her handmade cards hold prophetic power.
When two women hikers are brutally murdered on the nearby Appalachian Trail, Sheila becomes more withdrawn and avoidant of the world, while Angie becomes convinced she’s destined to capture the killer. Little do they know; a far greater evil lurks in the forest.
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Highlights.
Alering’s masterful characterization of Sheila and Angie was the true gem of Smothermoss. Despite being told in the third person, the alternating chapters offer a bone deep immersion into each sister’s perspective. In recent fiction, author’s have not quite captured the authentic voice of a young character. However, Alering nails it. Angie’s pre-teen naivety shines through and never accidently matures past its 12-year-old existence. While Sheila’s late teenage anxieties and queer coming-of-age struggles are beautifully rendered.
Another highlight of this story is the lyrical prose. Smothermoss has a rhythm; it reads like poetry in places and in others could be mistaken for a children’s fable. Reading about the visceral and raw events and thoughts contained in Smothermoss, in such beautiful but simple language adds to the unsettling experience, and enjoyability, of reading this story
Drawbacks.
There were a couple of things that had me a little confused during this book. Several shorter chapters leave the sisters entirely behind and focus on rabbits and other forest animals. At first, I interpreted these to be metaphoric. The animals standing in for the killers point of view, or perhaps the murdered women. This book is so heavy with metaphor that this seems plausible, but I finished the book still questioning myself about this.
The other issue I found was that many of the subplots in this story are left unexplained or unfinished, turning to the last page with many questions that will never be answered. (Which has resulted in sleepless nights because I just want to know what exactly that rope is among other things!)
The Final Take.
At its core, this is the story of two sisters growing to understand each other and supporting each other through adversity.
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Beyond that, Smothermoss feels like a fairytale dragged through the mud.
The small size of this book (just over 250 pages) might lead people to think it is a quick or easy read. Don’t be fooled, as Shakespeare said, “though she be but little, she is fierce.” This is a complex story, with heavy themes and dark subtext.
I want, and hope, to read this story again because I know that there is much more to uncover here. The metaphors are dark and unnerving, the characters deep and moving, the natural imagery thick. I was not at all surprised to find out that Alering grew up in the Appalachian Mountains. Only someone familiar with the area could have described the people and place with so much heart.
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northernplunder
July 22, 2020 at 10:26 am
omg i loved this review and its reminded me to be excited about this book again. definitely going to move it up my TBR pile 🙂 thank you