Jason Cavallaro's Best and Worst of March

March was one of the busiest months of my life, because of this:

Cracking Spines: Three Decades of Horror by Jason Cavallaro

Look it up, because I just spent a whole weekend in Williamsburg, VA talking about it, and I'm kinda tired.

Because of the book launch, and my week in the Pennsylvania wilderness with Brian Keene and Kit Power, my reading output was woefully low. Nevertheless, I must pick the best and worst...

BEST OF THE MONTH

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

This was my first read of Lehane (shame!), and I can easily see why he has a huge fanbase. Every character in this story is beautifully rendered, and the plot moves along at a steady pace, with high stakes and suspense to spare. You can't ask for much more than that.

WORST OF THE MONTH

Black Stars Above by Lonnie Nadler (writer) and Jenna Cha (illustrator)

I was never invested in the plot or the characters, but I did like the art. The "elevated horror" moniker turns me off. Usually when horror is described that way, I should go the other direction.

The rest (pathetic):

A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat. I rarely enjoy gothic horror, and this is why. Too sloooooow. Grade: D

King Sorrow by Joe Hill. Great premise, but I didn't have the patience for it. It's just so freakin long. My least favorite novel from him. Grade: C

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. I know it's going to win awards and everyone will love it, etc...Not for me. Grade: C

Reviews by Jason Cavallaro
jcavallaro42@gmail.com
Twitter: @pinheadspawn
Bluesky: @jasoncavallaro.bsky.social