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catsncoffee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
sleepingwtlo's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Safer: In a locked down Los Angeles, Soledad takes a new job as an au pair for a celebrity couple and their child Story. The parents are high maintenance and the house has its fair share of actual ghosts, but its worth it - the money’s good, she’s safe from COVID, and Story is a delight.But a series of strange occurrences, and an unsettling encounter with a stranger leave Soledad certain that Story’s parents are hiding something huge…
Family Solstice: Shea is in training. For what, she doesn’t know. But she’s the last of the Masseys to undertake the family tradition and head into the basement on the Solstice.Forbidden to share the truth of what happened when each of them descended beneath the house, Shea’s siblings can’t say a word to prepare her. And even if they could, what Shea finds down there will see the teenager face an impossible choice.
The first in the Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena series, Kate Maruyama’s Bleak Houses showcases two very different homes haunted in very different ways.
Safer was an engaging read, with its lockdown setting and reminder that the living pose far more dangers than the dead. That’s not to say it’s light on the scares - Maruyama strikes a great balance between the ghosts that haunt Soledad’s new residence, and the dark truth that haunts the family that lives there. A lot is packed into its short page count, including a genuinely quite thrilling final chase.
But of the two stories, Family Solstice was the one for me. Maruyama builds the lore of Shea’s family so beautifully, and the tale itself has twists and turns galore as we - and Shea - discover the truth of what lives in the Massey’s basement. Family Solstice is generational trauma made manifest; an ancient, manipulative evil that no family member is exempt from.
Fans of short horror stories would do well to keep an eye on this ongoing series from Raw Dog Screaming Press.
But of the two stories, Family Solstice was the one for me. Maruyama builds the lore of Shea’s family so beautifully, and the tale itself has twists and turns galore as we - and Shea - discover the truth of what lives in the Massey’s basement. Family Solstice is generational trauma made manifest; an ancient, manipulative evil that no family member is exempt from.
Fans of short horror stories would do well to keep an eye on this ongoing series from Raw Dog Screaming Press.
lisathepoetlibrarian's review
5.0
Maruyama is a master storyteller weaving compelling spooky mysteries in which characters and readers must contend with the demons of our reality—racism & classism— leaving both to choose complicity or resistance.
hauntedvictoria24's review
5.0
These stories were great! I wasn't expecting the ending to either of them which made them very interesting. They both have creepy elements making them great for horror lovers. I would reccomend this to anyone who enjoys horror or mysteries. 10/10 highly recommend! Special Thank You to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
latoyajordan's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Kate Maruyama's book is two novellas.
Safer introduced me to the Wolf Castle and I want to know more. Lots of interesting details about the castle & LA. Kate Maruyama captured what it was like in the early part of the pandemic back when we were washing groceries. I was pleasantly surprised by this story because I thought it was going one way with the ghosts but ended up in a different direction. Very suspenseful page turner.
Family Solstice is one of my favorite stories written by Kate. It is creepy, scary, and it is a story that will stay with you.
Kate does young characters and family dynamics very well. I also love how her stories touch on race and class all while also making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Safer introduced me to the Wolf Castle and I want to know more. Lots of interesting details about the castle & LA. Kate Maruyama captured what it was like in the early part of the pandemic back when we were washing groceries. I was pleasantly surprised by this story because I thought it was going one way with the ghosts but ended up in a different direction. Very suspenseful page turner.
Family Solstice is one of my favorite stories written by Kate. It is creepy, scary, and it is a story that will stay with you.
Kate does young characters and family dynamics very well. I also love how her stories touch on race and class all while also making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
midnitebrz's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Thank you netgalley and Raw Dog Screaming for an Advanced Copy for review. All opinions are my own :) Also thank you to Kate Maruyama for putting her work into the world
A collection of two thrilling novellas that had me entertained from beginning to end
Safer
Sole is looking for a summer job and finds an Au Pair position for a famous celebrity. Their son, Story, is 4 years old and his family works hard to keep him out of the media, so hard that there is no trace of him. All is well until Sole discovers the truth behind his birth.
I will be honest, I never saw the twist coming, and I was glued to the book trying to figure out what Sole was going to do. It is tense and will have your heart racing. I was invested and truly concerned for the outcome for Story and Sole, which is telling because Kate Maruyama made me fall in love with the characters in the short amount of time before things went wrong. She mastered luring you into a sense of normalcy and made the characters feel alive.
Family Solstice
All families have secrets, but the Massey family has a massive secret. This plays on childhood fears of what is lurking in the dark corners of the basement and dials it up to 10. The children are being raised to fight the thing of nightmares and Shea is determined to do something about it. It shows how despite best intentions, things can still go wrong. I enjoyed this as it brought me back to my roots and felt like a very grown up RL Stine type monster situation.
A collection of two thrilling novellas that had me entertained from beginning to end
Safer
Sole is looking for a summer job and finds an Au Pair position for a famous celebrity. Their son, Story, is 4 years old and his family works hard to keep him out of the media, so hard that there is no trace of him. All is well until Sole discovers the truth behind his birth.
I will be honest, I never saw the twist coming, and I was glued to the book trying to figure out what Sole was going to do. It is tense and will have your heart racing. I was invested and truly concerned for the outcome for Story and Sole, which is telling because Kate Maruyama made me fall in love with the characters in the short amount of time before things went wrong. She mastered luring you into a sense of normalcy and made the characters feel alive.
Family Solstice
All families have secrets, but the Massey family has a massive secret. This plays on childhood fears of what is lurking in the dark corners of the basement and dials it up to 10. The children are being raised to fight the thing of nightmares and Shea is determined to do something about it. It shows how despite best intentions, things can still go wrong. I enjoyed this as it brought me back to my roots and felt like a very grown up RL Stine type monster situation.
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