I have three more review in the July 2025 issue of Booklist. As usual, I have my draft reviews here on the blog with bonus info including my three words.
By Joshua Hull
Aug. 2025. CLASH, paper, $19.95 (9781960988607).First published July 2025 (Booklist).
Paul, reeling from his last true crime podcast series blowing up in his face, heads back to his small Indiana hometown at the urgent request of his best-friend. While he has always known that his former home at 8114 South State Road 67 has been haunted by a violent and malevolent force for generations, what he finds upon his return is even more upsetting than he remembers. The podcast frame and Paul’s conversational tone draw readers into the compelling mystery and temper the shocking violence. However, it is Paul’s awareness of his own unreliability as a narrator combined with the terrifyingly realistic world building that together keep the dread building and the pages turning until it becomes clear, the only way to stop the killings is for Paul to give the property what it wants– him! For those who loved the unsettling verisimilitude of The Ghost That Ate Us by Kraus, the entrenched evil of The Good House by Due, or the cursed media, small town horror of Universal Harvester by Darnielle.
Further Appeal: Other words: podcast (as a frame and a cursed media trope), unreliable narrator-- from the start, readers know they should not trust Paul, they know he is not a good person, he knows it too. Not evil, but not a hero. At the very least he is VERY flawed. Supernatural-"true" crime (the crime is not real but it is written like a true crime book), cinematic (author is an award winning filmmaker)
Great hook to open the book.
Paul's narrative voice draws the reader in and adds to the compelling pace of this book. He is a podcaster and parts of the book are podcast transcripts but also the narrative in-between is Paul in a confessional, conversational tone.
While Paul is very developed, other characters are a little less so. Hull gives us the brush strokes but it is hard to understand their serious, violent, and terrifying choices. Now, some of this could be intentional because Paul is SO self obsessed and focused and he is our narrator, therefore, what we get of others is not deep enough. And as I read, I felt like that was the case because it works in the narrative as a whole.
The haunted, even cursed history of the town and the actual supernatural force deriving all of the evil, violence, and horror was very well built. You believe it and the story is written in a way to keep the fear going. Hull contributes to the creepiness and terror coming off the page with his acknowledgements where he lists all the parts of the book that are 100% real.
More Readalikes: Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay, The September House by Carissa Orlando, Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar.
By Rachel Eve Moulton
Aug. 2025. Putnam, $28 (9780593854600); e-book (9780593854617).
First published July 2025 (Booklist).
Moulton (The Insatiable Volt Sisters) returns with a provocative, sinister, and trope upending take on the bad seed novel. Thea had a difficult childhood and is still dealing with her trauma, even after marrying an amazing and supportive man and becoming the mother to two kind and intelligent sons. But it is with the birth of her daughter, Lucia, and the undeniable understanding that this baby is a monster, when Thea’s dangerous memories of her own upbringing start to emerge. With dark humor and Thea’s conversational tone, Moulton stakes her claim on the female rage novel. Blending supernatural horror, generational trauma, and unapologetic yet relatable anger, Moutlon’s story gives Thea power over her life and control of her rage, allowing her to own it while still remaining a “good” girl.” Original, shocking, and subversive, the purposeful disorientation and intense discomfort here will leave no reader unscathed. Suggest to a wide range of Horror readers from Flynn's Sharp Objects to Audrain's The Push but especially the work of Hailey Piper.
Three Words That Describe This Book: generational trauma, bad seed novel reimagined, sinister
This is a story that will leave no reader unscathed.
It is also Moulton staking her claim to the female rage novel in a way that will leave readers looking at the trope in a new, terrifying way-- but one that truly gives women the power over their lives and their rage-- no hiding its it can be part of who you are and you can still be a "good girl."
Provocative is a key word here. This book engages with the bad seed novel in key ways, ways that are meant to make readers think and questions. In fact, I can see many finding fault with the story because of their own discomfort with what she did here. I will be interested to see if that happens because there is a twist and it is there to make every reader question every novel like this that they have read before.
Generational trauma dialed to 11. Female rage, generational trauma: this novel reworks those tropes. So much agency here, but also straight up terror.
This is a Horror novel-- 100%. I say this because I don't want to give things away but also, know this is not a typical hysterical parent or unreliable narrator situation. Nor is it Baby Teeth. It is something new and way more sinister and powerful.
Further Readalikes: For Hailey Piper, I think Queen of Teeth and A Light Most Hateful are the best bets here. Also What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman and Now You're One of Us by Asa Nonami are also excellent readalike suggestions.
Sept. 2025. 416p. Tor Nightfire, $28.99 (9781250879066); e-book (9781250879073).
First published July 2025 (Booklist).
First published July 2025 (Booklist).
Step aside, teenagers. Make way for Rose DuBois, a final girl for the over 70 set. Quick witted and active, Rose enjoys her full life at Autumn Springs surrounded by so many friends, especially her best friend, Miller. However, when two residents end up dead in quick succession, Rose starts to suspect that they were murdered, and she may be the only person able to stop the killings. Like the best slashers, this is an emotionally resonant tale, more about its characters than the violence being perpetrated against them (of which there is plenty). But it is also a well-paced, age appropriate, kick-butt, final girl story led by Rose’s point of view with cinematic, darkly humorous glimpses into the residents’ lives as they are about to be murdered. But at the horror at the heart of this story is the terrifying reality of how disposable society views mature adults. In the tradition of the Scream films, this story will appeal to fans of Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club and Hendrix’s Final Girl Support Group.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Slasher, Mature protagonists, emotionally resonant
Further Appeal: A well executed final girl story-- it has all of the elements you need. The POV is mostly Rose but it moves to those who are about to be murdered right before they die. Very cinematic in that way-- they get their "close ups." The ways the people are killed are very well thought out but with some dark humor.
A slasher on the loose at a nursing home underscores how marginalized these older adults are. They live in this nice (but not luxurious) retirement community and while they are happy, most have no one to come help when things start going bad. Their children and grandchildren are living their lives and forget about them. When the residents start to realize what is going on and try to get picked up-- they cannot. It is sad but believable. Their families have gotten rid of them-- safely they thought.
The resistance by everyone who are not the residents to thinking this was not just a spate of the olds dying made sense. The not believing Rose and Miller et al saying they know it is a murder. Very sad.
Rose Dubois is THE final girl for the over 70 set. She is built in a fashion that makes sense. She is not abnormally strong or smart. She is just a strong, smart woman in her 70s who is tough and independent.
Rose is also the resident with the best family who care about her-- and that is part of her superpower. And a secret in her history that makes her prepared for this role as a Final Girl.
And there is just a touch of supernatural here which works very well. It is weaved into the story believably and from the start. I liked that about it. The best final girl stories have a touch or hint of supernatural.
The most important thing here is that this novel will introduce non horror readers to Fracassi and the entire Nightfire line of books-- It is The Thursday Murder Club meets Final Girl Support Group. But seriously, give this to Thursday Murder Club fans.
For those new to Horror who want to try Nightfire titles like this-- should try Mary by Nat Cassidy next.
More Readalikes: I Was a Teenaged Slasher by SGJ would be a fun pairing here. They are both emotionally resonant and violent but with just enough dark humor.
And the Clown in a Cornfield series by Cesare.
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