Reviews

The Darkest Lullaby by Jonathan Janz

kimana_mccallum's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars.

Although this book had a slow start for me, it quickly become an intense and shocking ride filled with danger at every turn. With the two main characters not being able to trust themselves or each other, you'll spend the book in constant suspense about what they will do next and who will get hurt in the process. Highly recommend.

groovykathy's review against another edition

2.0

I found it difficult to care about the main characters, and for me, horror is most effective when I invested in the characters. I found the husband, Chris, unlikeable. I thought the wife, I’ve already forgotten her name, spent way too much time rationalizing what was going on. And the paranormal sex aspect didn’t work for me—and there is lots of it. I just couldn’t get into it.

kellyvandamme's review against another edition

4.0

Hi and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Darkest Lullaby! Many thanks to Anne Cater for the invitation and to Flame Tree Press for the eARC through NetGalley. And kudos to both for seducing me into accepting the invite when I had sworn I would most certainly not take on any more tours this month

readbyashleyd's review against another edition

4.0

This is pure in your face horror and I absolutely loved it! Janz does not shy away from guts and gore and terror and it is FANTASTIC. I feel like I’m watching an old school horror flick when I’m reading his books, especially this one, I could just picture certain scenes in my head. My only minor complaint with this story and why it gets four stars rather than five is the characters. I’m big on characters when I’m reading and I just absolutely hated everyone in this book and while I can appreciate a character you love to hate, this cast was just too much for me. The brilliant story more than makes up for that though, it truly is bloody amazing. There were so many twists I didn’t see coming, it was chock full of moments to make my spine tingle and the ending was just INSANE and left me in total awe.

paloma_sanchezh's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.25

cre8tivebeauty's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

lucyreads's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jeanne25's review against another edition

4.0

I own several Janz books but this is the first I have read. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the story flowed. In addition to a solid story, there was a lot of great imagery. I often paused in my reading to think "this would work great in a movie". Started The Darkest Game last night. I am hoping I have discovered a new favorite author.

kiastillreadsandwrites's review

4.0

I was fortunate enough to win an ARC of The Darkest Lullaby from Flame Tree Press, and I loved having the opportunity to read another book by Jonathan Janz. It’s a dark, creepy take on a haunted location story, bringing with it a unique version of vampires, cults, and family secrets.

There are some scenes that seem somewhat rushed, that leave you wondering how you got to that particular plot point, but overall, this book is a great read, with moments that make your skin crawl and leave you glancing around the room while you read. Janz is rapidly becoming one of my favorite horror writers, and I can’t wait to add more of his work to my collection.