Another re-read for me! And I can totally say that my feelings about Pandemonium have changed a lot since the first time around.

When I read it as a teenager, I didn’t love it as much. I was still completely attached to Alex and couldn’t imagine Lena with anyone else, which definitely affected how I experienced this book.

Rereading it now as an adult, I can see it very differently.

The romance is actually the least interesting thing here for me, but the plot more than makes up for it. The intrigue, the action, the constant tension and adrenaline are so good. This book is a full rollercoaster, and I was hooked the entire time.

Even the infuriating plot twist near the end, the one that had me foaming at the mouth, I loved. Not because it was kind, but because it worked. It made me feel things, intensely, and I respect a book that commits to emotional chaos. And that final twist? Still incredible. When I first read this as a kid, I completely lost it. Screaming, crying, jumping up and down. This time around, I’m just vibrating with anticipation, dying to see what it means and where it will lead.

Add to all of that Lauren Oliver’s gorgeous prose, and you have a book that is gripping, emotional, and wildly entertaining.

Loved, loved, loved.

Jennette McCurdy’s fiction debut is deeply uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing, and unapologetic. It tells a painful and difficult story while simultaneously delivering razor-sharp yet subtle commentary on misogyny, grooming, manipulation, consumerism, and the impact of trauma.

I was stunned by how convincingly Jennette recreated the mind of a lonely, insecure, and confused teenage girl. Immediately within the first few pages, I saw my own teenage self in Waldo. She perfectly captures the messy conglomeration of cynicism, irony, desperation, volatility, and projection that I still remember very clearly. And… it’s painful to witness. Just as painful as it was to live through. I anticipate that this disconcerting narrative style will not sit right for many readers, but I don’t think it’s supposed to. I think it’s supposed to create that painful lump in your throat that you can’t swallow and suppress.

While Half His Age is short, with chapters ranging from 1 paragraph to 5 pages, I found myself really wanting to sit with it. The prose is very straight-forward, which makes it an easy read in that aspect. However, with chapters so short, every scene, every word, every narrative choice has to be extremely precise. I could tell Jennette put a lot of thought and care into what scenes are included, what characters say and don’t say, and how every choice contributes to the book’s overall themes and story. For this reason, I found myself wanting to stop and write out my thoughts, reactions, and reflections to each chapter. I was extremely impressed by how Jennette manages to say so much with so little.

The one and only negative thing I have to say about Half His Age is that I wish there was a little bit more to the ending. It unraveled very quickly, and I wanted to spend a little bit more time in the unraveling.

This is a book about wanting to be seen. Deeply and desperately craving to connect with another person to know that you are loved, you are enough, to fill that empty void gnawing at you from the inside. It’s a book about how, often, we are our biggest obstacle in obtaining that. How learned patterns in unhealthy relationships can corrupt us to the point of not allowing real love, real connection, because if you’ve never experienced it before, it can’t possibly be real.

I’m so excited to see what Jennette will do next!

I wanna start off by saying I ADORE The Magnus Archives, and I really enjoyed Jonathan Sims' other book Thirteen Storeys. With that being said, this one was a bit disappointing. It felt a bit repetitive, certain parts would give information for it to be forgotten about for a few pages, and then brought up again as if they'd just pieced it together, and the pacing felt strange. The overall premise was very intriguing, and I enjoyed the characters, but I wish I'd gone into it without any expectations. Something about it lacked the substance his other works have.

All that being said, I'd absolutely recommend it to people who haven't read much allegorical horror and/or are interested in psychological horror! I think it's a great starting point for getting into the genre; it has a few really great body horror scenes, an overall interesting plot, and makes you think about your own mortality!