Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2018! I did this last year and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!
I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!
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Beneath
by Kristi DeMeester
Genre: Horror
My Review
I won a book of choice giveaway and chose Beneath. The title is intriguing. The cover is chilling. And the synopsis sold me.
I started the book and couldn’t get into it so I set it aside. But unfinished books haunt me so, later, I tried again. And I couldn’t stop reading it. A snake handling cult in a backwater town in Appalachia. Cora, a reporter needing a top story. And a whole lot of strange goings on.
Once Cora gets her bearings, she begins to investigate. But she’s really out of her element and some things just don’t make sense. The story changes and she’s drawn deeper and deeper. There may be no way out.
I’m so glad I gave this book another go. It slowly pulled me in as Cora sees something sinister in the preacher and chases that angle. But soon, the story changes again and that’s where the horror really begins. I didn’t have a clue what I was in for as I kept reading. The author threw me for a loop with the direction she took, buried me in atmospheric evil, and then ripped the ground open and let the dark come out to play..
All I can say about struggling with this book the first time I started to read it is, must have been my mood. I sure was in the right mood when I picked it up again.
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Synopsis
When reporter Cora Mayburn is assigned to cover a story about a snake-handling cult in rural Appalachia, she is dismayed, for the world of cruel fundamentalist stricture, repression, glossolalia, and abuse is something she has long since put behind her in favor of a more tolerant urban existence. But she accepts the assignment, dredging up long-buried memories as she seeks the truth.
As Cora begins to uncover the secrets concealed by a veneer of faith and tradition, something ancient and long concealed begins to awaken. What secrets do the townsfolk know? What might the handsome young pastor be hiding? What will happen when occulted horrors writhe to the surface, when pallid and forgotten things rise to reclaim the Earth?
Will Cora–and the earth–survive? The answers–and pure terror–can only be found in one place: Beneath.
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You can find a list of my reviews HERE.
Sounds scary. Beneath looks scary, too, with that cover!
That cover is perfect for the story in more ways than one!
Second chance reading Laura! I love this!
And I’m so glad that unfinished books haunt me until I pick them back up!
Great review and this sounds sooo creepy good..
sherry @ fundinmental
So much atmosphere, Sherry! You’d like this book.
I hate DNF’ing something too but have tried to cut myself some slack doing it. I’ve heard great things about this one and I have a short story collection by this author I received in the box-which-shall-not-be-named. But I’m curious – how snaky is it? I HATE them.
Not too snaky. LOL It’s the other things that gave me the creeps. Uh oh. That box thing rears it’s head.
That cover is really spooky. It sounds good. That has happened to me where I can’t finish a book, put it down and go back to it later and end up loving it. I think I’m just a moody reader 🙂
When I feel like I’m not in the mood for anything, I pu;; a favorite off the shelf and relax. I can’t remember why I couldn’t get into this the first time. Sure did the next time.
I have had to set books aside to try again when I am in the mood for them before. I am glad this worked out for you the second time around.
I was in the right mood the second time. Some books take more than two tries but I just can’t not finish a book.
Mood is a huge thing for me! It’s why I stopped accepting review requests and why I try to stay off of Netgalley (sometimes it works… sometimes it doesn’t lol), because if I get a review book and I read it when I’m not in the mood… well, no one has fun. Lol. I’m glad you gave it a second chance though! It’s sounds real spooky!
I know what you mean about review books. I’m careful what I accept now and try not to have too many.
I remember seeing this cover and thinking it looked so creepy, and something I’d probably enjoy. I’m glad you were finally able to enjoy it:-)
The cover was the first thing that drew me in. Then the description sold it.
Creepy cover for sure! It seems to fit the snake plot nicely.
Once you read the book you’ll see how subtly the author showed you some of the story.
I’m glad you were able to really enjoy it with another try. That happens sometimes and I also can’t just let books go. Anne – Books of My Heart
It’s happened a few times and I was always glad I tried again!
That cover is creepy. The more I look the scarier it is. Glad it was just a mood, and it turned out to be a great fall read!
It was a great spooky read. And that cover tells a story!