Messed Up, Uncomfortable Reads | Dark Book Reviews #horrorbooks #darkbooks | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

This video contains book reviews of dark and weird fiction, including Mayfly by CJ Lead, The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill, Little Star by John Ajvide Lindqvist, My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottam, Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz, and A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong.

Key Insights

• 😫 "Mayfly" by CJ Lead evokes American Psycho with its strange and literary story set in LA, featuring an unlikable main character and a dissection of Hollywood culture.
• 😒 "The Crane Husband" by Kelly Barnhill uses magical realism to explore domestic abuse, portraying it through the metaphor of a crane as a new husband.
• 🧑 "Living Dead Girl" by Elizabeth Scott blurs the lines between young adult and adult fiction with its mature themes of kidnapping and abuse.
• 💀 "Orphan X" by Gregg Hurwitz introduces readers to a thriller series about an assassin who was orphaned as a child and must navigate the world of espionage and danger.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How would you describe the writing style of "Mayfly"?

The writing in "Mayfly" is beautiful in a creepy and messed up way, with a literary quality that adds to the sharp and concise prose.

Q: Is "The Crane Husband" a fantasy book?

While "The Crane Husband" has elements of magical realism, it is not a traditional fantasy book. The fantasy elements serve as metaphors for domestic abuse.

Q: Are the books "Little Star" and "My Dearest Darkest" suitable for readers with triggering content warnings?

Both books contain dark themes, with "Little Star" exploring the consequences of fame and "My Dearest Darkest" dealing with a real-life story of a young girl's abusive relationship with an older man. Readers should approach these books with caution.

Q: Is "Living Dead Girl" appropriate for younger readers?

While the language and writing style of "Living Dead Girl" may be suitable for younger readers, the mature themes of kidnapping and abuse may not be appropriate for all audiences. Parents should exercise discretion.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• "Mayfly" by CJ Lead is a strange and literary story that follows a woman in LA who recreates herself as a new actress persona, drawing inspiration from psychopaths like American Psycho.

• "The Crane Husband" by Kelly Barnhill is a piece of literary magical realism about a young girl who must take care of her family and her mother's new husband, who is actually a crane, serving as a metaphor for domestic abuse.

• "Little Star" by John Ajvide Lindqvist follows a family who takes in a strange baby found in the woods, only to discover that she has a beautiful singing voice, leading to unexpected consequences.

• "My Dearest Darkest" by Kayla Cottom is a young adult horror novel about a girl who survives a car accident that kills her parents and ends up attending a prestigious arts boarding school.

• "Living Dead Girl" by Elizabeth Scott is a young adult thriller about a girl who is kidnapped and raised by a man, who poses as her father but has more sinister intentions.

• "Orphan X" by Gregg Hurwitz is a thriller about a man who was trained as an assassin by an organization after being orphaned as a child.

• "A Rip Through Time" by Kelley Armstrong is a historical mystery thriller series about a detective who gets pulled back in time to different eras, solving crimes and trying to find her way back to the present.