Maureen KilmerRezensionen

I had read Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer and enjoyed it, so I was excited about what she would come up with for Hex Education. There were some really enjoyable parts, and others that were okay.

I loved the nods to The Craft and Charmed, they were handled perfectly and gave me all the nostalgia I wanted. I enjoyed the good and evil aspect, and how taking one path can influence one’s life. The everyday magic that Sarah used was charming, and I loved the talking cat… she may have been my favorite character!

I wish we had gotten some more backstory for the three main characters. Since the present day had them not that friendly to each other any more, I didn’t care so much what happened to Katrina or Alicia. If I had read more about their close relationship in college, that may have made me want to care for them more.

The end scene against the big, bad evil seemed to last for just a second, and it was an okay conclusion to that chapter of the story. Kilmer got me intrigued again with the daughter and where this story could go with her and/or one of the friends from college. Kilmer left a perfect ending for a sequel, as all good horror does!

"We awakened something natural, something buried deep in the universe , and it can’t be put back to sleep again."

This is a fun witchy book featuring a talking cat named Kitty Purry!

Years ago 3 friends cast a spell to fulfill their deepest dreams. Katrina wished for fortune and riches, Alicia wanted fame, and our main character Sarah desired love more than anything. But something went wrong with the spell and their dorm burned to t ground. They decided after that that they were done with magic. But magic isn't done with them.

A true crime podcaster comes sniffing around to find out what really caused the fire in the dorms. And then weird, magical things start to happen, forcing the coven to come back together.

This was a really neat story. If you love all things witchy then you will love this.

Publishes September 19.

Thank you netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is going to be a great read for those of you looking for something quick to read for Halloween. Although this book (in my opinion) is not as good as Suburban HellSuburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer, it is still a good, fast read.

My problem is that the characters were not likable or compelling. The secret they carried around for so long should have been let out of the bag. I didn't understand exactly what happened to Katrina at the gala and the mess that occurred. I found the twist(s) interesting and wonder if this book will have a sequel. I am hoping so!

*ARC supplied by the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons, the author, and NetGalley.½

Entertaining and great for a laugh during spooky season. I find humorous horror sometimes to be almost as good as really scare my socks off horror.

This was okay. It reminded me, in some ways, of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, only with less going on, and a rather unfulfilling and anti-climactic end. The writing is good and I did think it was fun, but I wanted more from it. There seemed to be hints at things going further but it never really transpired for me. Still, if you fancy a light-horror read set in suburban middle-America, then this could be the one for you.

A She Shed that brings out the worst in Suburban Moms. An actual demon from hell. All Liz wanted to do was build a she-shed for entertaining. She got more than she bargained for & it's up to Amy, Jess & Melissa to break the curse and send the demon back to hell. Mafia Moms unite! I originally thought this was going to be a book about a zombie outbreak, but to my surprise it was a demon possession. The sarcasm was hysterical, the fight for friendship truly inspiring. If you want a fun romp through suburbia, with demons and possession thrown in, this one is for you.

Three ladies in a suburban neighborhood have a ladies night out at one of their houses and make a "she shed." Well, they open an evil portal where a demon possesses one of them. A few spooky things happen, but honestly, this book was rather boring. The ending was rushed.

I had such a hard time putting this book down! A group of suburban moms is left to deal with the demonic possession of their good friend. The odds were against this group of ladies but I loved watching them tackle things that seemed impossible that they weren’t even sure that they believed. I found this story to be incredibly entertaining.

This story is told from Amy’s perspective. Amy is part of a group of 4 neighborhood women who do everything together. When Liz breaks ground on a She Shed for the group to use, things go horribly wrong for her. It is up to Amy, Melissa, and Jess to figure out what is going on and save their friend. There were quite a few strange happenings that kept the story incredibly interesting. I loved the mystery behind what was happening and really hoped to see the group find a way to save their friend.

I really liked the characters. I could relate to so much of their suburban mom life from juggling kids, trying to fit in, and trying to avoid the PTO. I loved how different each of these women was and liked the fact that their friendship felt very genuine. Amy’s husband, Mark, was awesome and seemed ready to support Amy no matter what. Amy’s kids even played a role that added some key pieces to the puzzle.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought it was a fun story that kept the surprises coming while keeping me glued to the pages. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

If you enjoy chick lit and horror, then Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer may be just what you are looking for!

I’ve been an avid fan of horror since I was seven (yes, really!), so for me to find a book that combines darkness with chick lit, which is usually a much lighter read, was a fun experience.

While the four female characters were written really well, I wish Kilmer had developed the men a bit more. They often felt like caricatures of a fifties housewife or a businessman who only cares about money… which is fine, but they needed a bit more depth. And I really wish Amy’s daughter’s powers would have been explored more too.

I did enjoy some of the graphic horror parts, and I will never trust my Roomba again. Suburban Hell also included some heavier feminist topics if you decide to take a deeper look at the story and not just enjoy it as a beach read.

For a debut novel, Kilmer is a welcome addition to both genres, and I’m interested to see what she comes up with next.

"Years ago, I would have never imagined that I would live in a town that became embroiled in such petty drama so often. Mark and I had vowed we weren’t going to become those suburbanites who talked about mowing their lawn and tree-trimming services. No, we were much better than that—we were city people. Who took our kids to fancy restaurants and walked everywhere. Who shared one car that we barely drove and always knew where to get the best Indian takeout. I was deeply aware of how uncool and boring the suburbs were. And yet I would soon come to find that our suburb was anything but mundane."

This was so fun and also pretty scary! A group of suburban moms accidentally get tangled up with a demon. Common household objects start coming to life and trying to kill them. Creepy dolls scare their children. But these mom's won't go down without a fight. Think of this book as wine mom vs the supernatural.

Thank you netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What do you get when you mix chick/mom lit with horror? You get "Suburban Hell," the perfect melding of both genres. Not too horrifying and not too mom-ish. Just the ideal book for a beach read or when you want something lite!

Four women with the prerequisite toddlers and Kindergarteners -Melissa, Amy, Liz, and Jess want a "She Shed". Well, one starts to get built but unbeknownst to Liz, the mom building it, something horrible is going to be unleashed. And it really isn't pretty!

Now Amy has to take steps to release what has been unleashed. So she reaches out to the others in their little group to stop what has taken over their pal.

I loved this book. The women were so diverse. The author made them come alive for me. I would want these women for my own friends, and the neighborhood was just so perfect. It was like stepping back in time what with the parties that would close off the streets and the school fairs. However, this book also had the feel of the modern what with the kitchen reveal that one neighbor devised.

Frankly, I don't know why I loved this book but suffice it to say that I did, and it is going to go on my 'comfort book' shelf so I can re-read this book for Halloween!

*ARC supplied by the publisher PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, the author, and NetGalley