Jason Cavalarro's Best and Worst of July

It's the post-Scares That Care/jet lag episode of my monthly column. Let's start before I fall asleep.

BEST OF THE MONTH: Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

Full disclosure: I know that some of Sarah's back catalog are well-regarded in the genre. I tried a few, and was just never hooked. And then....along comes Good Neighbors to change everything. Good Neighbors feels like a found footage domestic drama, complete with touches of nightmare logic. It's a fast-paced, crisis-in-motion suspense thriller. If you're already a Langan fan, then you've already read it and probably agree. If you aren't....now you are.

WORST OF THE MONTH: Celeste by Maire O'Regan

Not all books about an ancient succubus are fun, although it seems they should be.

The rest:

Dreamthorp by Chet Williamson. The concept is brilliant. Expected more fun out of it. Grade: C
The Book Tour by Andi Watson (graphic novel). Quirky story that I'm assuming has much basis in reality. Grade: C
Rabbits by Terry Miles. Read The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak instead. Grade: C
Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C Clarke. The premise seems boring, but I was captivated. Grade: B
Rough Cut by Brian Pinkerton. Very fun homage to grindhouse filmmaking. Grade: B
M.A.F.I.A. by Tom Monteleone. Collection of essays by the overly-honest and awesome Monteleone. Grade: A
A Fine Evening in Hell Kristopher Triana. Not as good as his other crime novel, And The Devil Cried. Grade: C
Forgetting Places by SP Somtow. Wonderfully inventive and emotional YA story. Grade: A
Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry. Maberry's first shot at sword and sorcery. Grade: B
Spinal Remains by Chad Lutzke (collection). Consistent quality; a rarity in collections. Grade: B
More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon. The Dreaming Jewels was definitely better. Grade: C

Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn