Erin A. Craig is a master at creating the creepiest book atmospheres; I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this book. Amity Falls is a masterfully crafted world where it’s not just about the monsters that might be hiding out in the woods, but the ones hiding within ourselves as well. You’ll find engaging and enigmatic characters that seem like friends, but might also be hiding some fiendish intent behind their easy smiles. And if you love The Village, you’re absolutely going to love this book ... This story will reel you in from the start ... it almost feels cinematic ... The monsters in this story are terribly wicked creatures, and I think readers will find them as fascinating as I did ... The ending of this story seems a bit ambiguous, a little ominous, and will definitely make you wonder. I’m not usually a fan of ambiguous endings, but it works in this story. Overall, Craig has created a creepy masterpiece that is going to look lovely sitting next to my copy of A House of Salt and Sorrows.
... another absorbing, uncanny tale that walks the fine line between fantasy and horror. A winding mystery loosely based on the fairy tale 'Rumpelstiltskin', Small Favors takes a haunting look at the limits of human civility ... Small Favors is as much about humanity as it is about horror. Perfect for readers who love mysteries and the macabre, the novel poses provocative questions.
With a strong narrative voice and a lush setting, the pervasive tension ultimately falters when the story gives way to a jarring level of violence as the town turns feral. While the author has a deft hand with themes and motifs throughout the story, some questionable choices crop up, e.g., the only dark-skinned characters mentioned are a literal monster and an Elder who turns irrationally, violently angry. Other characters are described as having pale skin ... Craig twists a slow-burn fairy tale around classic horror tropes that ultimately land on satisfying, though predictable, beats. A strictly supplementary purchase.
A blanket of hot, sticky air barely stirring in the slight, humid breeze covers the often turbulently emotional underpinnings of these tales of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and longing ... Sometimes insightful and often shot through with bursts of compassion and wry humor, these stories probe the vagaries of the human condition in a manner consistent with the southern gothic tradition.
Accomplished prose and a love of beekeeping warm this horror-tinged landscape, but the plot quickly loses momentum in repetitive threats and vague omens, and its insistence that only outside enemies cause social strife may well repel some readers. Even so, fans of Brenna Yovanoff and Erin Bowman will enjoy this lushly built, ominous rural America.
