Ashley O'Neal Starnes

This is not a horror story

Revisado: 02-17-25

I was specifically looking for a horror novel written by a woman. I wouldn't consider this traditional horror by a long shot, but it is poetic. If you're looking to be frightened, look elsewhere, but if you're looking for an excellent study on relationships with some unsettling elements, this is perfect. I was mildly disappointed with the ending, but I think that's probably on-brand for this particular story. Life and relationships are disappointing and there aren't answers and it's frustrating.

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John Marvel is delightfully unlikable

Revisado: 02-17-25

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. There were parts of the plot that were a bit thin, but good characters, in my opinion cover many, many literary sins. Also, Wincott's narration is just delicious.

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Not my favorite of Stage's work but still really good

Revisado: 11-18-24

'Baby Teeth' and 'Mothered' were such fun reads, I was a little underwhelmed by this story. The characters were great, well-fleshed out and alive, but the story just kind of dragged on in places.

The narrator was great. She did a great job creating differences in each of the characters' voices.

All in all, I would recommend this one. Just don't expect Baby Teeth.

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Dream-like, confusing, enjoyable

Revisado: 02-19-24

I love Mona Awad. I think she is the best horror writer since Shirley Jackson. Her prose are just delicious, and she captures the unsettlingness of childhood so well in this book. This was an unusual story, in my opinion. I kept waiting for explanations or clarification, and much like real life, none came, so I found myself disappointed. I almost feel guilt not leaving a 5-star review; I just didn't LOVE the story, even if the words that made it up were beautiful and evocative.

This is not my favorite of her stories, but this is still a worthwhile read. I still enjoyed it, and I'll probably buy a hard copy. That said, it's no "Bunny" or "All's Well." It did make me examine my relationship with hyaluronic acid though.

Also, as usual, Sophie Amoss knocked it out of the water. She's an amazing narrator. I could listen to her all day. She does an AMAZING job with character voices and accents and capturing the melancholy in Awad's words.

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You know these people.

Revisado: 02-05-23

Fun, spooky story with characters that you've definitely worked with through a shift or two. The adverts between chapters elevated the overall story from "fun but forgettable" ghost story to "behold the horrors of working in the hellscape of retail."

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If Nuka World were real...

Revisado: 01-24-23

Truthfully, I loved this. The tribes, the interviews, the way the story was pieced together, it was all great. Wonderful characterization. I kept imagining this taking place in Nuka-World from Fallout 4. That probably says more about me than it does the book, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it.

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Perfect Duo

Revisado: 09-15-22

Mona Awad might be the best modern day novelist I've read. Sophie Amoss is such a delightful narrator too. This was a trippy story, and if Mona were less talented, I might find it frustrating, but she's so good, I'm captivated. And Sophie...ugh, Sophie, so emotive and easy to listen to. The two of them together is perfection.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

I was captivated and then it just ended...

Revisado: 08-13-22

The performances are phenomenal. The sound engineering is perfect. The story is less than. It starts off so creepy and generates that uneasy, modern Gothic vibe, and then Act 2 hits and it's got this cool grittiness to it, like some kind of 90s arthouse film. And then it just...ends? All the build up, all the atmosphere just wasted. Tell me more!! Is this an allegory for how white people exploit Black labor? Is this about motherhood? What is this? What happens? This isn't a well-done "leave them wanting more" piece, it's a "someone just turned in what they had so far on the due date" piece.

It's really so good up until the last ten minutes.

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Fun and flirty

Revisado: 06-20-22

I'd always wanted a girl Hannibal Lecter. Now we have one. I thought this story was fun, maybe a little campy, and the purple prose were spot on. So fun.

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Best Sad Girl Story Ever

Revisado: 02-03-22

This book is "May" for the 2020s. The main character is one that every shy, sad girl can relate to. And the performance was phenomenal. Amoss is great with voices. Ah. I loved this book.

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