“The Host” by Stephenie Meyer

Sadly, not worth the effort -- 2 stars

I was passingly aware of Stephenie Meyer as the author of the “Twilight” series. I was never really interested in vampire romance stuff, but when I discovered that she had written a more “purely” science fiction book, I thought I’d give it a shot ...

I’m giving this book 2 stars instead of 1 because the premise is genuinely interesting. Unfortunately, for me, the delivery fell completely flat.

First of all, this book is slow. Seriously, the pacing is glacial. It took me almost 90 minutes just to drag myself through the prologue and first chapter. Honestly, I abandoned this book, then forced myself to pick it back up and push through about two hundred pages before my eyes started skipping lines, then whole paragraphs until I reached the bitter end. The love triangle felt contrived and tedious. For that matter, the entire romantic plot line fell completely flat for me.

The premise involves a symbiotic species of aliens cohabiting with -- or, more accurately, within -- human hosts. They profess a philosophy of peace, yet their choice of human vessels seems almost perversely risky, considering the frequency of rebellion. And rebel they do! Hosts break free, go into hiding, and scrap for survival while the collective dispatches seekers to retrieve them.

As mentioned, the central conflict unfolds at a painfully sluggish pace. And that utterly predictable love triangle just tangled up in it all. Halfway through, I wanted to just give up again. But finish it I did.

Sadly, it just really wasn’t worth the effort. 

“The Hive” by Ronald Malfi

 Long, but interesting -- 4 stars

Promoted as a “Lovecraftian” horror novel, Ronald Malfi’s “The Hive” is set in the town of Mariners Cove. This small township is picking through the wreckage after a violent storm tore through their home. As neighbors gather scattered belongings, some of the found objects seem to affect them strangely. Nightmares plague their sleep, and unwelcome voices murmur in their waking thoughts. The story traces these individuals as they uncover the source of their shared affliction and the peculiar power these fragments hold over them.

A sprawling cast of characters is introduced, with some receiving more narrative attention than others. The sheer number of perspectives means the plot advances slowly until the final quarter. For a story this long, maintaining reader engagement requires more consistent narrative momentum. While the character work is strong -- particularly Brian’s development -- the story would’ve benefited from earlier pay offs or moments of action interspersed throughout. Too much space is devoted to reiterating established information rather than driving the story forward.

Given its considerable length (768 pages), the novel might’ve been better served by one of two approaches: The first would be to reduce the cast of characters, though I’m hesitant to suggest this since their introduction was handled so skillfully. The alternative, as mentioned above, would be to weave in more plot-propelling development earlier on -- just a few narrative incentives to ensure readers feel their investment is warranted. The conclusion itself was satisfying and well-constructed, but it arrived with a hastiness that slightly undermined its impact.

In spite of its short comings, while I really considered giving it 3 stars, I ultimately opted to give it 4 stars instead. The central plot worked well for me, and certain characters were drawn with impressive depth. Where it faltered a bit was in its pacing -- some sections felt over long, while others rushed by.

(And as a heads up/non-spoiler, since the title isn’t exactly subtle about it: Readers with any degree of phobia of bees should brace themselves!)

“The House Next Door” by Anne Rivers Siddons

 A different spin on a haunted house -- 4 stars

In “The House Next Door,” Colquitt and Walter Kennedy live together in a suburb outside Atlanta, the kind of place where afternoons blend together with their vodka tonics out on the patio. For years, the vacant lot next door has been theirs in every way but deed -- its creek, its woods, its seasonal blooms are a natural extension of their life together ... until the day they learn it has been sold.

As time passes, three different families try to make a home there. But for each family, something goes wrong. And whether the house is to blame is a question that may never be answered.

In spite of its simplistic plot, I couldn’t stop turning the pages of this book -- Siddons’ story unfolded with such a skillful rhythm, I found myself reading later than intended. Colquitt’s character arc felt genuinely earned, and her marriage to Walter provided a refreshing portrait of mutual respect and quiet devotion that grounded the supernatural elements.

In “The House Next Door,” the haunting is psychological, subtle, and deeply unsettling -- in the best way. Personally, I wanted a few more plot twists earlier in the story, not just near the end, but regardless, it’s a solid read. I definitely recommend it.

“Ghost Story” by Peter Straub

 I actually preferred the movie version -- 3 stars

 I had seen the movie adaptation of “Ghost Story” many years ago, and remembered it fondly. When I came across the novel, I decided to give it a try. The resulting experience was just so-so.

Another reason I gave it a try was, I was in the mood for a book that would genuinely scare me --  the kind that follows you into the dark after you’ve closed the cover. Sadly, my hopes were misplaced. This isn’t a story that haunts or horrifies. It’s just about a group of friends in a New England town, some local shape shifter lore, and the quiet weight of things left undone. (In that regard, this was one of the few times I think a movie may have out done its source material.)

I can say, Straub’s writing did keep me turning pages, and in the end, made me glad I did. His voice is noteworthy, a current running distinct and strong even through material that might otherwise have faltered. There’s a sly confidence to his prose; he led me willingly into a story that I didn’t really like over all, and left me smiling at its dry, peculiar wit -- a kind of horror that feels more like a raised eyebrow than a scream.

Based on other reviews I have since read, some readers have found Straub’s work disorienting, and so it is worth stating plainly: this book grants the reader omniscience. We drift through discussions, events, and monologues as the characters move across the board, never obligated to say aloud what the reader already knows.

Having said that, this could have been a different kind of book, and I wish it had been. If it had leaned into the premise of old friends swapping ghost stories, each haunted by their own guilts and regrets, I might have forgiven it the paranormal elements that surface later and feel so out of place. The bones are there: a group of men, friends for fifty years, who gather sometimes to tell each other stories. One of those stories makes it to the page, and it is genuinely monstrous. I wanted more of that. I kept waiting for more of that. The resentful eyes of the shape shifting demons lacked the visceral dread inspired by the ghost of the child molester, who continued to haunt the siblings he had tormented in life.

Horror, of course, is a matter of personal taste. On paper, the slaughter of a town by ghouls should be terrifying. But their actions and words never truly unnerved me, and that was precisely what I had hoped for.

Even so, I found myself drawn through its pages. There was much to admire, and as I’ve noted, Straub’s prose alone compelled me to finish. He writes with deep insight into his characters and their motives, and that careful understanding demands a reader’s time and attention.

I am glad, ultimately, to have read it. But it’s not a great ghost story, and I would not recommend it as one. But it is a testament to how beautiful good writing can be.

"The Laughing Dead" Jess Lourey

 Another great “Steinbeck and Reed” novel -- 5 stars

 I have already read and reviewed the first two books in the “Steinbeck and Reed” series, and thoroughly enjoyed them both (even if they did give me the willies!). I was feeling a little guilty about not reviewing a book last month, so for July, I decided to return to Jess Lourey’s playground.

We return to cold case agent Evangeline “Van” Reid and her forensic science partner Harry Steinbeck. And Van and Harry know something is wrong the moment arrive at their latest crime scene: Van’s old police ID -- the one she hasn’t touched since she transferred to cold cases, the one she thought was buried in a box at the back of her closet -- was found here. She keeps her expression neutral as the detective explains this to her. Harry doesn’t know about the dark secrets of her past, and she intends to keep it that way. But then she sees the girl. The body is otherwise unremarkable, but the victim’s face is stretched into an enormous grin, ear to ear, like something painted on. Strange indeed!

The investigation leads Van and her team to another cold case from decades earlier: Three girls, each found in bed, each wearing the same horrific grin. The past case bleeds into the present one, and Van and Harry begin drawing lines between them. But the deeper Van digs, the more she finds threads that pull at something closer to home. The families of those three girls have waited decades for answers. Van might finally be able to give them some, if she can keep her own secrets buried in the process.

“The Laughing Dead” is yet another Lourey thriller, with more sleepless night for this reader. This book left me wrecked by the final page -- I won’t say more than that. Five stars, no hesitation! Pick it up if you have any tolerance at all for a thriller that doesn’t play fair with your expectations. 

“All Superheroes Need PR” by Elizabeth Stephens

 Decent enough, but no “Paranormals” -- 3 stars

I’ve had moderate luck with super hero books in the past. A few of the ones back on DC Comics were just okay, but I really enjoy the “Paranormals” series by Christopher Andrews. So I decided to take my chances on a super hero romance by author Elizabeth Stephens, just to mix things up a little. Sadly, the experience was more “meh” than anything.

“All Superheroes Need PR” was passable. The world building in the early chapters was sharp and immersive, the characters just compelling enough that I did find myself reading past my bed time. I kept waiting for the story to do something worthy of its own opening.

But somewhere around half way through, I noticed I had stopped caring. I’m not sure I can explain why, either. The plot held together all right, the writing stayed competent -- nothing broke, exactly. The pacing may have dragged, or perhaps the emotional stakes just didn’t deepen the way I wanted them to. It just slipped from enjoyment to feeling like a task to finish it.

There were parts that did work. The characters’ personal histories felt considered -- not in a way that made me care about them exactly, but in a way that made them feel like they could really exist. And the world itself was drawn at the right level of detail -- enough to orient me without spelling everything out, which I was grateful for in those first few chapters.

I DID finish it, though something had definitely slipped away from me by the final pages. I won’t be continuing on to Book #2, and I doubt I’ll return to this author -- not because the talent isn’t there, because it is, but because the way she tells a story and I simply don’t speak the same language. Or something.

Again, “All Superheroes Need PR” isn’t terrible. But after reading the “Paranormals” series ... well, some books just aren’t meant for certain readers, and I think this was one of those. Sorry.

“The Reaping” by Jess Lourey

Another solid entry in the “Steinbeck and Reed” series -- 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the “Steinbeck and Reed” series so much that I decided to read Book #2 sooner rather than later. If author Jess Lourey keeps up with this much quality, she’ll be up there with Christopher Andrews and Dean R. Koontz as one of my favorite writers.

“The Reaping” had me shivering with unease from start to finish. As mentioned, I loved “The Taken Ones,” but I think “The Reaping” may have surpassed it entirely.

The story rejoins cold case investigator Evangeline “Van” Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck as they plunge into the enigmatic and shadowy Finnish town of Alku, Minnesota, where the threads of an old case weave together with a chilling recent murder.

I finished the book last night, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking all morning -- “The Reaping” is the kind of book that lingers on your mind. The folklore elements are woven seamlessly through out -- there’s something deeply unsettling about an insular town where everyone knows everyone else’s secrets, and outsiders are never truly welcome. Layer on top of that (get this) a nursing home for serial killers, a blood witch prowling the woods, and the quietly inhumane rhythms of daily life in Alku, and you have something genuinely creepy.

As always, I strive to avoid spoilers, so I’d rather not give away any more details about the plot. 

Suffice to say, the epilogue left my jaw on the floor, and I’m very much looking forward to Book #3. Kudos, Ms. Lourey!