Book Review: Bury Your Gays

Bury Your Gays 

by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s been a long time since I went into a book with relatively moderate expectations and came out blown away!! I just read the last 70% of this book within 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down. After flipping the last page I feel out of breath!!
Chuck Tingle has taken a (mostly) closeted gay man’s story in Hollywood and turned it into a Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Blake Crouch sci-fi, horror, contemporary thriller!

What’s more, this book has a clear message, stop killing off all the gays! This resonates for me as a bi-sexual woman who first saw Willow and Tara kiss on screen, and then was horrified by the storyline being crushed only ONE episode later. ONE! They couldn’t let us have happiness for our lesbian ladies for more than a week or two (between airing shows) and for less time than it takes to watch the average rom-com. These types of stories are STILL being told 25 years later. We STILL see token gay characters written out in media (of all kinds) relatively frequently. Tingle has written the perfect aesthetic of horror, love, the question of existence (AI anyone?), and technology together to take the reader on the ride of their life AND give us a message worth shouting from the heights of the Hollywood sign; queer is here!

I want to say everything and yet nothing about the major plot points of Bury Your Gays! I went in fairly blind and I recommend that for everyone. Be aware it’s horror, there are some very squeamish, gory moments (I did have to stop listening to the audio and go to my ebook as I couldn’t stand the descriptions and ‘noises’ of the narrator, done so well but too much for my sensibilities), actual gays (who may or may not die), and a King/Crichton plot to ensnare you in for the duration. Seriously, be ready to read this all the way through from 30% on. You’ve been warned!

I know I NEED to see a movie adaptation of this; and yet it might be too scary for me to do so, lol. I’m so glad my horror buff husband has gotten me into horror since COVID started. Knowing horror’s many tropes helped me understand some of the dark humour, and nods to the past that are here. It is not necessary to pick-up on them, but it does add to the surrealism of the story.

I really didn’t think anyone would rival Blake Crouch and be worthy of the Crichton, King banner this decade. Let me tell you I was wrong! I feel the same, yet different, but equally blown away by Bury Your Gays as I did after reading Dark Matter (Crouch), Prey (Crichton), any of King’s older works, and all of Mira Grant’s (love her!) worthy contributions to horror. There’s the perfect amount of everything in this novel; just as I believe those authors have done before. Watch out for some possible Easter eggs to those who came before within these pages.

I suspect Tingle has more in store for us of this nature, and I’ve already put Camp Damascus on my TBR to see if it started there. All I know is this is a mystery man that can write! It may be worth noting that a key message in Bury Your Gays is about coming out and being your true self; an irony I can’t help but chuckle at given Tingle is a pseudonym and we don’t really know anything much about the writer himself.
Hey Chuck! My message to you, after you’ve given me so many great messages in this book, is Practice what you Preach! (Lol).

Okay stop reading this blabbering review and go get Bury your Gays! Be ready for twists, turns, horrors, coming outs (in so many unique ways, heh), and a dash of love that helps keep some of our characters just stable enough to crawl away stunned, like I am after finishing this novel.

On a personal note: this will be adds to my physical bookshelf in the near future and I will be forcing my husband to read it. Just like I did after reading Dark Matter. It’s that damn good!

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Follow me on Goodreads

Book Review: Medusa

Medusa 

by Jessie Burton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

”you could cut off my head, and still not end the myth.”
This is divine! It is Jessie Burton’s inspirational story written for all women. We are given not only redemption for both Medusa herself, but for every woman living in today’s world, and throughout the ages.

This is not the Medusa story you know. Although, as one can assume with any story in which there is a hero with a sword and a gaze of snakes that turns men into stone, it does not end well for everyone.

Easily read over an evening, afternoon, or weekend this short novel packs a punch in its retelling of the stories for both Perseus and Medusa. My absolute favourite parts are when Medusa talks to her snakes (who have names!). As a snake owner I can tell you I talk to them all the time! I talk to my dog and husband too, but my discourse with my big boa is different as the narrative is distinctly one sided. Burton shows us the catharsis of speaking about traumatic events, and that having a listener is often all someone needs.

This brilliantly put together story should be in the hands of every woman in the world. It is a reminder that our beauty is not there to be exploited by others, that we can break free of constraints and make our own fate, and that ultimately us ladies belong to no one but ourselves. We can leave enduring stories behind, and while the matriarchy may twist those stories to make them more favourable to the ‘hero’, there will always be someone, like Burton, who can reclaim the story for what it should be and remind us all that women are neither weak, nor property to be owned.

This is a brilliantly twisted story that reinforces women’s strength and endurance. Burton is saying, and allowing her reader to say, I am woman hear me HISS!

Follow me on Goodreads

Book Review: Dreadful

Dreadful 

by Caitlin Rozakis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well this is just super fun!
A little bit of romance, a lot of funny quips, the identity of what it means to be evil (versus good); with a focus on stereotypes and how entrenched they are in people’s perceptions and expectations.
I like that the ending is fairly closed, could maybe do a sequel, but kind of hope this remains a stand-alone. All the characters, especially the goblins, are quite endearing, or at least interesting, and the focus on how everyone looks, sounds, etc. just amplifies these differences and makes our characters even more likeable.
The plot is not as thin as I expected, and the magic set-up, rituals, etc. explained better than I had hoped for. Overall this is a funny, cosy little fantasy which features a less-pretty princess, our leading dark lord with no memories, some (cuddly?) goblins, a few sinister dark wizards (or lords), and a lot of garlic. Yes that’s right, garlic.
You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out why Dreadful is dreadfully great.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Follow me on Goodreads

Book Review: A Tempest of Tea

A Tempest of Tea

by Hafsah Faizal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars, rounding down because I’m so disappointed in the ending. A Tempest of Tea is a pretty good book until about 80% of the way through. The characters are (mostly) believable and likeable (if morally subject) in their own ways. The setting is well put together, the world building is vague (but that didn’t seem like a deal breaker at first), and the plot is intriguing. Seems like a heist in a fantasy realm with some minor romances possibly bubbling up on the side… and then something happens that felt so out of character, that came off awkward, that just ruined every page that came after. It’s the first of a couple ‘bigger’ reveals; and it came off as cheap. It annoyed me as it didn’t feel natural (and the lack of world building just makes it seem more abrupt and ‘cheapens’ the whole set-up, as had we known more it wouldn’t have been such a big surprise…), and overall just irritated me. I am not a fan of books that change the rules or seem to leave rules out just to have reveals. I like when reveals are done in a way whereas soon as I read the reveal I can recall all the hints throughout the book, even if I never guessed what the reveal would be. In those books where I do guess the reveal I’m still less annoyed than with cheap reveals because at least it feels in line with what has happened and fits the narrative.

The reveal also leads us into a very odd little section and ending. Things are happening quickly as its climax time, and suddenly all the romances are brought together (presumably?) because characters are in peril. Another troupe I am not a big fan of. What’s worse is how lame and stilted the romantic moments come off as, and the lack of gothic allure (set up earlier in the book) is suddenly gone. It’s as though someone told Hafsah Faizal she had to put romance in her book and so she did. It would have been so much better with teasers and adhering to the less is more philosophy (to clarify it’s not raunchy romance or anything it just feels forced). Also less is more (should) make readers want to carry onto the next book in the series (not yet published). Instead this big ending made me go, meh. It’s truly unfortunate as Faizal has a knack for writing great one liner quotes, has cute little jokes throughout and real talent for sarcasm in her characters actions and words. But none of that matters if the core story and world building is not there. The plot was good, the characters (mostly) good, the writing very good; and yet I walk away from this one just feeling ‘meh’.

Is that a recommendation you might ask? I couldn’t say. If you love mild YA vampires then yes I might recommend you read this. However, if you are hoping for something more gothic or intimate then A Tempest of Tea will likely disappoint you in the end. It just feels too immature; not because it’s YA, but because the ending doesn’t seem like the same narrative. An unfortunate situation as the potential is all there; but final delivery must be bang on (for me) to make a book rise above being more than just good enough.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Follow me on Goodreads