There were far too many prose red flags in the opening chapter--like mentioning her dead brother four times in a handful of pages and the MC suddenly realizing why the postcard she's had for FIVE YEARS weirds her out because she just so happens to take a magnifying glass to it the first instance the reader is introduced to the image. Not worth the slog through poor writing decisions.
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Writer of (mostly) speculative fiction Author of Lipstick Covered Magnet Bookworm, elder emo, self-proclaimed film critic Find me here: amberherbert.com/ Or here: linksta.cc/@amberherbert
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Amber Herbert's books
2025 Reading Goal
66% complete! Amber Herbert has read 24 of 36 books.
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Amber Herbert stopped reading Girl in the Creek by Wendy N. Wagner
The Girl in the Creek by Hugo Award winner Wendy N. Wagner is an atmospheric …
Amber Herbert rated Rest Stop: 3 stars
Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy
A young musician finds himself locked inside a gas station bathroom in the middle of the night by an unseen …
Amber Herbert rated Everything Is Tuberculosis: 4 stars
Amber Herbert started reading Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
A cosy fantasy as sweet as love and as dark as night.
Shesheshen has made a fatal mistake for a …
"Debut author Jennifer Giesbrecht paints a darkly compelling fantasy of revenge in The Monster of …
More Compelling in the First Half
4 stars
I loved the opening pages and adored Johann's macabre and unrelenting nature. About halfway through, I lost immersion. Johann was so much more compelling than his royal counterpart, and I'll admit to not fully believing their connection. Overall, the writing was beautiful and visceral; the world building was subdued but highly effective. It's a shame it was lacking in plot exposition.
Amber Herbert rated Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: 4 stars
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath
Don’t. Murder. The locals.
This is small-town serial killer, upstanding citizen, and adorable brown bear Samantha Strong’s cardinal rule. After …
Amber Herbert reviewed The Long Walk by Stephen King
In the near future, where America has become a police state, one hundred boys are …
Decent Character Building But Little Context
4 stars
I picked this up after seeing the trailer for the upcoming movie. While King does a decent job of making the characters relatable, or at least understandable, not a whole lot happens plot-wise outside of each boy "buying their ticket." Sure, Garraty is thrust into introspection and asks after his friends’ reasons for signing up, but the story is missing a complete list of all the walking tips, a peek into the government’s twisted values, or the spectators’ grisly fascination. I would have liked more details about how The Long Walk came to be, why so many young men would take the exam and walk based on the harrowing reality, or why the Major created the event. Knowing more about the dystopian world would have provided a hell of a lot more intrigue, yet I was left wondering what service the Walk truly provided the country and the people within …
I picked this up after seeing the trailer for the upcoming movie. While King does a decent job of making the characters relatable, or at least understandable, not a whole lot happens plot-wise outside of each boy "buying their ticket." Sure, Garraty is thrust into introspection and asks after his friends’ reasons for signing up, but the story is missing a complete list of all the walking tips, a peek into the government’s twisted values, or the spectators’ grisly fascination. I would have liked more details about how The Long Walk came to be, why so many young men would take the exam and walk based on the harrowing reality, or why the Major created the event. Knowing more about the dystopian world would have provided a hell of a lot more intrigue, yet I was left wondering what service the Walk truly provided the country and the people within it. There are snippets of a world, but you're never given the broad strokes of the culture that paved the way for such a brutal annual event. I'm hoping the movie offers more context, and I have high hopes based on the screenwriter.
Amber Herbert rated The Secret History of the Rape Kit: 4 stars
Amber Herbert rated The Tenement: 3 stars
The Tenement by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino
From the Eisner Award winning creative team behind GIDEON FALLS and PRIMORDIAL, comes the most significant and essential project yet …
Amber Herbert reviewed Tender by Beth Hetland
Carolanne wanted a perfect wedding, a perfect husband, a perfect family. She carefully performs her …
A Quick Read with Some Strange and Gruesome Visuals
3 stars
This book isn't anything special. There's plenty of modern feminist themes, most of which have been overdone in various other works in the last decade. I picked it up because it was nominated for a Bram Stoker award. I'll admit I don't fully understand the appeal.
Amber Herbert reviewed Overgrowth by Mira Grant
This is just a story. It can't hurt you anymore.
Since she was three years …
War of the Worlds Meets Little Shop of Horrors
5 stars
Overgrowth is a sci-fi horror novel about what it means to be human narrated by Stasia, an alien plant wearing a human skin suit. The novel, while being about an impending invasion on the surface, has a beating heart that delves into the nuances of found family, identity, human rights, and marginalization. The prose is inviting and free of frills, and the characters are diverse and eclectic. If you love descriptions of alien ships, biology, and telepathic communication, you're in for a real treat.
My only complaint refers to the repetition throughout; quite a few plot points are heavy handed in their distribution, being spelled out over a dozen times each. While this isn't an inherent issue, as the story is told from Stasia's point of view and spotlights the repetition of actual thought processes, I would have appreciated less redundancy.
If you're looking for a story akin to War …
Overgrowth is a sci-fi horror novel about what it means to be human narrated by Stasia, an alien plant wearing a human skin suit. The novel, while being about an impending invasion on the surface, has a beating heart that delves into the nuances of found family, identity, human rights, and marginalization. The prose is inviting and free of frills, and the characters are diverse and eclectic. If you love descriptions of alien ships, biology, and telepathic communication, you're in for a real treat.
My only complaint refers to the repetition throughout; quite a few plot points are heavy handed in their distribution, being spelled out over a dozen times each. While this isn't an inherent issue, as the story is told from Stasia's point of view and spotlights the repetition of actual thought processes, I would have appreciated less redundancy.
If you're looking for a story akin to War of the Worlds or Little Shop of Horrors, this is for you.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the ARC.
Amber Herbert started reading Overgrowth by Mira Grant
Overgrowth by Mira Grant
This is just a story. It can't hurt you anymore.
Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been …
Amber Herbert reviewed Imagine a Door by Laura Stanfill
Imagine a Door intersperses craft insights, case studies, and checklists with personal stories about publishing …
A book about writing that focuses on intention and heart over marketability
4 stars
A solid book about publishing and authorial mindset. If you're feeling stuck in your writing journey or struggle to identify exactly why you write or what you want out of a writing career, this book is for you. It also has tons of information on different publishing paths, various levels of distribution, and career options.