Cavallaro's Cavalcade of Carnage
I usually inundated with Splatterpunk books for March, so I decided to do Women in Horror Month early.

I'm glad that I did, because I believe this was probably the most successful reading month of my entire life. Half of the books that I read got the top grade and that NEVER happens.

Lets get started.

BEST OF THE MONTH: Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis

In a month jam-packed with quality books, I have no problem giving best-of-month honors to this DEBUT young adult novel from Jessica Lewis. The advertising campaign compares it to Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, but I assure you that Bad Witch Burning is a much better book. It's a story about friendship, poverty, oppression and magic. The story's protagonist is realistically flawed, and you will find yourself empathizing with her the whole way.

WORST OF THE MONTH: The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales by Thersa Matsuura

The exact thing that I disliked about this one is something that would be a draw for some of you. It's a collection of Japanese folklore, told in a very traditional manner. I felt that the writing style blunted some of the impact moments in the stories, leaving me underwhelmed.

The rest:

Hold Me Closer Necromancer by Lish McBride. Skip it and read Bad Witch Burning instead. Grade: C
The Lighthouse Witches by CJ Cooke. I guess I read a lot of witch literature this month. Good setup here, but slow moving. Grade: C
Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough. Another hit from Pinborough. Grade: A
Lady Bits by Kate Jonez (collection). The good stuff is really good, but couldn't overcome the rest of it. Grade: C
Inkblot Vol 1 by Kuthbert/Gladd (graphic novel). Unbelievably cute graphic novel about a magic black cat. Grade: A
Litani by Jess Lourey. Lourey is easily one of the best mystery writers working today. Grade: A
The Hungry Ghost by Dalena Storm. Another new-to-me author. Fantastic possession story. Grade: A
A Nest of Nightmares by Lisa Tuttle (collection). Another Paperbacks from Hell fail for me. Grade: C
Possess by Gretchen McNeil. Great YA exorcism novel. Grade: B
Pretty Little Dead Girls by Mercedes Yardley. Very good dark fantasy, told in a fairy tale style. Grade: B

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

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