Thanks to NetGalley and CLASH Books for the ARC.

A cosmic horror way of saying you can't fix someone without fixing yourself first. A lot of strange stuff happens throughout, but the overall message is very self-reflective.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC.

It's a good story, starts like a thriller, ends as a family drama. I liked the characters for the most part, but the ending came off a little melodramatic. I didn't think this would be the type of book with a bad guy, but thats what we got by the end, and I don't know if that really worked in its favor.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC.

Even though this book is now pulled from being published due to the AI allegations, I am still reviewing it because I spent the time to read it. I am in no way an expert in AI writing, I think the video by Frankie's Shelf covers the whole thing pretty well; I also recommend the thread by author Silvia Moreno-Garcia on the matter of how bigger publishers handle the acquisition of indie published works.

Whether there was AI or not, this book needed so much more work put into it before it should be published, and I think the fault lies with both the author and the publisher. The use of similes was repetitive and made no sense, often multiple similes in the same sentence.The main character Gia is supposed to be 30 and acts like she's 18. Her race and OCD are occasionally mentioned for some effect, but then quickly forgotten about as soon as she is kidnapped. The eviction notice was weirdly phrased, I don't think anyone calls it 'quitting'? The plot was predictable as a feminine rage horror, but most of the story Gia is a passive participant in the events, and the ending was rushed. There were moments that had potential: I liked that she started to transform into a dog/human hybrid, and the scene with the miscarriage was really intense in a good way! Its just not backed up by the rest of the book, the transformation didn't seem consistently applied from that point on. The idea of a man's dog fetish getting too far out of his control is interesting, but there needed to be more editing, more human eyes on this, before it ever got to the hands of readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Graywolf Press for the ARC.

I first discovered Donika Kelly in college for a poetry class; our professor wanted us to write on a collection of our choice, and I liked the cover of Bestiary. It was a great choice at the time, and this new reaffirms that she is great at playing with the form. The way she uses imagery of mythology, art, and nature to muse on identity and sexuality is so good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the ARC.

Back for more moon spiders, now with an additional centipede cult on Jupiter, and a feud between the Irish and Italian mob. I'd be lying if I said I understood everything that happened, but it sure kept my interest, and it was a quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the ARC.

Interesting subject, maybe too many footnotes to flip between. Some sections are better argued for than others; my favorite was the rats chapter.