hailey

i loved parts of this (the gore, the setting and the LGBTQIA rep) but the writing style wasn't my favorite and i had to knock off a couple stars for the confused plot. too much going on for not enough book. nothing had the chance to be fleshed out. also... the moms voice in the main characters head was so odd. 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Night Swim, both in its artful storytelling and commentary on the way rape culture has infected our society. Although some of the big reveals and mysterious elements of this novel were quite predictable for seasoned thriller-readers, I still feel that this was an exemplary read. The non-biased perspective of Rachel, our main character and the producer of a crime podcast, added a grounding element to the story. Her voice, both in the chapters from her perspective and the podcast chapters, sought justice and spoke volumes beyond the storyline. One of the most important sentiments of the podcast chapters was Rachel's confusion as to why murder can be seen as objectively bad, but rape is muddled in shades of gray. Overall, this book takes a nuanced and important view on rape culture, our justice system and much more, all behind the guise of a well-written fictional mystery. The enthralling nature of the story certainly makes the content more digestible, and I hope this novel can help open readers' minds to the sexism that pervades every inch of our society.

This was a super disappointing read for me since I really enjoyed Mique's debut novel, “Them”. Unfortunately, “Broken Dolls” didn't hit for me in the same way as his previous release. 
There was very little plot aside from the torture and debasement of the entire cast of characters, excluding only our main villain. If there was stellar character development driving the story, I really wouldn't have an issue with this. However, I feel like I didn't get to know any of the characters in a meaningful way. Overall, this made the novella feel very one note. 
Additionally, one of the main features I enjoyed in “Them” was the meaningful commentary, and there was almost none that I could gather from this story. Books are obviously allowed to be “just for fun” and don't always have to have something to say, but that's just what I prefer to read. I also think if there was some kind of commentary, it may have helped me to align with the characters a bit more. But again, this is just personal preference at the end of the day. 
I did thoroughly enjoy Mique's descriptive writing and the passion he has for crafting gorey scenes really shines here. There is no doubt that he is a talented writer and has a gift for creating visuals, whether those visuals are beautiful or twisted. 
I do want to note that I wasn't the biggest fan of the content in this book. The abuse described was mainly directed at a very young minor and it made me exceedingly uncomfortable throughout, which Mique might argue was the point (valid!) but it was not for me (which is also valid!). 
Lastly, the misogyny in this book was also horrifying to me... and I'm not sure that this was an intentional part of the horror created by the novel. It seemed like it stemmed from a lack of awareness and insensitivity towards the female characters, rather than a carefully crafted literary device. This is something I see a lot from male-identifying authors, particularly in the extreme horror community. I hope to see this start to shift sometime soon, but I'm not holding my breath. 
Take all of my thoughts with a grain of salt based on personal preference (not every book is for everyone!) and please go support Mique by reading “Them” on KU now!! 
Thank you to Mique for providing me with an ARC! I feel extremely privileged to be one of the early readers and I look forward to seeing how future releases grow over time. 
& that's all she wrote for this extremely (painfully) honest review! I hope y'all know that you can trust me to be 100% transparent with my literary opinions, even when I'm reviewing the work of someone I know. 

the format was actually very fun, but the story was lackluster and didn't give me the detail of extreme horror i was promised. it felt like lazy writing and a lot of the language was misogynistic and offensive (the r word, “prostitute”). i'm not sure if this was part of the “offensive” nature of extreme horror, but even so, it was poorly executed and added nothing to the story. this is a book for incels. 

I loved The Housewarming! It's a smart and suspenseful British thriller that follows a woman suffering from the tragic loss of her 2 year old daughter. The timeline switches between the day she disappeared and present day (one are after the tragic event) in a dissociative and wandering way that adds to the atmosphere. Although I predicted one of the major twists, there were plenty more at the end that caught me by surprise and left me shocked. Additionally, I love when a thriller has a message, and this one definitely does. Yes, the drama, intrigue and twists are all accounted for... but themes of grief, forgiveness, family and morals are also explored in a meaningful and authentic way. Overall, 4 stars for a suspenseful and true to life thriller!