Shelby Lamb

I don't know what I just read. Is it porn? Is it horror? Is it horror porn? Part of me wants to say this book is for younger readers as the main characters are in their late teens, though it would not be appropriate for anyone under 18, with it's vast amounts of sex and partying.
Aubrey is suicidal over her break up with Nathan, who unbeknownst to her has hooked up with her best friend. At one of many parties (all these kids do is drink get high and switch sex partners) someone tells a creepy story of sleep paralysis and a stick woman who moves things around and leaves twigs behind. After this, everyone starts seeing strange visions, and shadowy demonic figures, and waking up with weird marks or pustules on their bodies. It's a complicated and convoluted tale.

I received an advance copy for review.
… (mehr)

Aubrey has a personality disorder. After breaking up with her boyfriend, he’s all she can think about. All she wants is to be loved and finds herself weeping nearly every night, holding a book called Something in her arms. As the story progresses, and Aubrey begins to grow more desperate to find herself, bad things begin to happen to those around her. Something has come to town.

I think my favorite part about this book was how relatable the author was able to make the characters. So many of them had more flaws than they did redeeming traits, and I think that’s what made them feel even realer. Especially Aubrey. I wanted to feel pity for her, I really did, but her personality was so off-putting that it was hard to feel any real sympathy for her throughout the story.

I loved the mystery and suspense throughout the story though, and while it has some rather dark moments, I liked the overall feeling of the book. In a way, it reminded me of a classic slasher film with characters who are unlikable enough for you to both root for as well as to not be sad when bad things begin to happen to them.

Definitely different from my normal read.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
… (mehr)

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I was hopeful, expecting an interesting dark, gothic, horror novel. Unfortunately, Something by Shelby Lamb really misses the mark for me. The writing was gratuitous seemingly there only for shock value. The horror wasn’t developed enough to be frightening. Then, there are the characters that all feel like caricatures out of horror movies. There was nothing for me to latch onto.

Most of the novel, I just kept waiting for everything to come together, all of the various stories, but they never really did. The first quarter to half of the novel is spent flipping from character to character to character without any transition, which was jarring. Once a loose semblance of connection was formed between everyone, it did get easier to read, but not better. It only became enjoyable once I started reading this as a horror movie parody, which is the only way it made sense to me with characters this flat and one-dimensional. But then, it becomes more of a comedy than a horror story.

The part that was supposed to be scary, the mysterious book the curses everyone who reads it, doesn’t feel real. There’s no real story to it, no reason for it to be read. But fine, I’ll accept that it has some demonic pull forcing people to read it. However, as a reader, I need more. And then, even after reading it, the “scary” things that happen are brief flickers of horror tropes without a real sense of depth or description.

Though it pains me to say it, I think if you’re looking for horror, steer clear of Something by Shelby Lamb.

// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. //… (mehr)

This is the second book in the Wisteria series. Having escaped a terrifying monster, Aubrey and her friends find themselves in Wisteria but it's not quite what they expected. Rather than the sanctuary Aubrey was promised, Wisteria is a beautifully twisted place of weirdness, wonder and malice. A dangerous world full of monsters, where people worship demons, and everyone lives in an unrelenting frenzy of fashion and parties. A place where beauty and cruelty coexist in an uneasy truce.

Life in Wisteria is hard, especially for outsiders. Aubrey and her friends suffer greatly as the residents inflict one depravity after another on them. Others fair much, much worse fates. This book isn't for the faint of heart, and it comes with numerous trigger warnings (e.g. violence, rape, torture). Despite the difficult nature of these parts, most of the horror is obscured by shadows, seen through the eyes and reactions of the characters. The dizzying frenzy of colour and sound whirls around, distracting from the darkness and confusing the senses, like viewing the world through a kaleidoscope.

In Within the Darkness, we get some answers about Wisteria, Tyler James, and Demonolib, but also more questions. This book sets the stage for the next installment, where hopefully Aubrey can discover how to remove the curse, find a way home, and maybe even defeat her own personal demons.… (mehr)