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Veal
Offering the atmosphere of Twin Peaks and the queer camaraderie of comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, Veal is a thrilling exploration of friendship, fear, and the thin line between justice and vengeance.
Delores “Lawrence” Franklin is a failed capitalist and a runaway headcase. Following a corporate meltdown, she decides to start fresh in Mistaken Point, a small town known for two things — Mistaken Point University, where she and her best friend, Anastasia Lanes, are now enrolled, and the grisly murders of countless young women.
At her new part-time arcade job, Lawrence meets Francesca “Franky” Delores — gritty, off-putting, and chronically serious, as opposite to Lawrence as her name would suggest. Soon, Lawrence discovers Franky is convinced there is a monster on the loose, a patchwork creature born of hatred and responsible for the supposedly solved string of violence haunting the town.
Against the advice of Franky’s closest friend, Pippa, Lawrence and Stasia join Franky in a sticky, summertime search for a yellow-eyed monster between classes, shifts at the arcade, and eating popsicles by the pool. Motivated mostly by her unquenchable attraction to Franky, Lawrence allows herself to be pulled in strange directions, trying to appease Franky’s mania. Through the trials of hunting a monster only some of them believe in, Pippa, Lawrence, Stasia, and Franky discover truths about womanhood, relationships, and the reliability of urban legends.
Delores “Lawrence” Franklin is a failed capitalist and a runaway headcase. Following a corporate meltdown, she decides to start fresh in Mistaken Point, a small town known for two things — Mistaken Point University, where she and her best friend, Anastasia Lanes, are now enrolled, and the grisly murders of countless young women.
At her new part-time arcade job, Lawrence meets Francesca “Franky” Delores — gritty, off-putting, and chronically serious, as opposite to Lawrence as her name would suggest. Soon, Lawrence discovers Franky is convinced there is a monster on the loose, a patchwork creature born of hatred and responsible for the supposedly solved string of violence haunting the town.
Against the advice of Franky’s closest friend, Pippa, Lawrence and Stasia join Franky in a sticky, summertime search for a yellow-eyed monster between classes, shifts at the arcade, and eating popsicles by the pool. Motivated mostly by her unquenchable attraction to Franky, Lawrence allows herself to be pulled in strange directions, trying to appease Franky’s mania. Through the trials of hunting a monster only some of them believe in, Pippa, Lawrence, Stasia, and Franky discover truths about womanhood, relationships, and the reliability of urban legends.
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2025
32 people are currently reading
5363 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
July 19, 2025
4.0 Stars
This was an engrossing little novel that immediately sucked me in. I enjoyed the Sapphic romance angle which reminded me of Bloom by Delilah Dawson.
The characters are one of the best aspects of this novel with complex, well drawn individuals. Like, the writing was simple yet beautiful.
I would recommend this one novel to readers who like a quiet underhyped horror novel.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was an engrossing little novel that immediately sucked me in. I enjoyed the Sapphic romance angle which reminded me of Bloom by Delilah Dawson.
The characters are one of the best aspects of this novel with complex, well drawn individuals. Like, the writing was simple yet beautiful.
I would recommend this one novel to readers who like a quiet underhyped horror novel.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
May 20, 2025
i was conflicted on how to review this. this was the perfect lesbian horror story, the premise and plot building was so promising. but i struggled with the writing? it’s like the dialogue wasn’t clicking for me. did i still enjoy this?? of course, it had some characters you get insanely annoyed with but also understand why that adds to the realism. but something about the end left this unfinished to me in a way. idk i feel so torn!! read for yourself :)
October 28, 2025
I normally enjoy campy, pulpy horror titles (see: Patricia Wants to Cuddle, Brat and a A Touch of Jen), and Veal had a fun concept that left intrigued me. Promise me a ragtag group of lesbians battling crime and solving mysteries, and I'm there!
Though this reads quickly, I struggled to have much investment in the characters (who all have a nearly identical voice) and the one-dimensional depiction of key themes. As much as Veal is a mystery, it's a commentary about violence against women and, unfortunately, only offers very literal, repetitive messaging to the reader. Despite the cast of four main characters having relatively diverse identities and backstories, their primary conflict revolves solely around gender and none of the other facets of their identity. It makes the narrative feel flat and further contributes to the lack of distinction between them.
This straddles the line between young adult and adult horror, and I think it would have been better placed in the YA space (with the appropriate revisions). There is a lot of telling-not-showing (the insta yearning is especially egregious), and combined with the extremely repetitive dialogue that often veers into the cheesy territory, I'm not sure it has the depth I'm looking for in an adult horror title. I also found the setting to be quite hollow - we are dropped into a small town which offers nothing particularly unique or memorable other than the quintessential small town tropes.
With some editing to bring down the length, I think Veal would have been closer to a 3-star read. It has the common problems that many debuts face, but there's enough promise here that I'd still recommend it to certain types of readers. Thank you to ECW Press for the gifted ARC.
Though this reads quickly, I struggled to have much investment in the characters (who all have a nearly identical voice) and the one-dimensional depiction of key themes. As much as Veal is a mystery, it's a commentary about violence against women and, unfortunately, only offers very literal, repetitive messaging to the reader. Despite the cast of four main characters having relatively diverse identities and backstories, their primary conflict revolves solely around gender and none of the other facets of their identity. It makes the narrative feel flat and further contributes to the lack of distinction between them.
This straddles the line between young adult and adult horror, and I think it would have been better placed in the YA space (with the appropriate revisions). There is a lot of telling-not-showing (the insta yearning is especially egregious), and combined with the extremely repetitive dialogue that often veers into the cheesy territory, I'm not sure it has the depth I'm looking for in an adult horror title. I also found the setting to be quite hollow - we are dropped into a small town which offers nothing particularly unique or memorable other than the quintessential small town tropes.
With some editing to bring down the length, I think Veal would have been closer to a 3-star read. It has the common problems that many debuts face, but there's enough promise here that I'd still recommend it to certain types of readers. Thank you to ECW Press for the gifted ARC.
May 13, 2025
I am actually so stunned right now. This book has me gagged like i need time to RECOVER.
Firstly the lesbian yearning DEVOUREDDDDDD. Some of the quotes actually made me pause and reevaluate my life because the way Lawrence reached the pinnacle of lesbianism it killed me. Not just the romantic quotes but some of the girls’ discussions about life and what it dealt them with actually had me taking deep breaths with how hard they hit me, just so raw.
"We have nothing in common except our sexualities, and as a result, this weird Otherness. I've felt it for as long as I've known what it means to be a girl"
I must admit that at first I wasn’t fully convinced with Lawrence becoming obsessed with Franky because we didn’t get to see much into her feelings or what led to such strong feelings for Franky so soon. But as the book went on I kinda forgot about that because i was just so consumed by the story and the character’s dynamics with each other. Lawrence ended up convincing me of her love for Franky and god did it give me yellowjackets vibes with the way she talked about her and wanting to consume her (jackieshauna, taivan wink wink).
"I look at her and I listen and I crack her open inch by inch and I want and I want and I want. I want to eat her. I want to treat her kindly"
"I would wait for her forever, wait like a dog until she has the space to want me in that insatiable way I want her."
Stassia was such an interesting character to read about because the way her internalised misogyny and the need to fit in was explored and talked about really made me think a lot about how this is a struggle for so many people, especially lesbians who struggle with their identities and fitting into society’s perceptions because they look a certain way. I also adored Pippa, she was a wonderful friend stuck between her own grief and her friend’s chase of a monster she didn’t believe in. I liked that her grief was acknowledged, that she refused to make herself smaller and yet she stuck by her friend, because she also understood her.
"We're all ostracized from womanhood in different ways,"
"Why?"
That was one hell of an adventure. The writing was so atmospheric that at times i felt like i was there in the book. I felt like i was being watched for real. It was unsettling in the best way possible.
Side Note: Her name being Franky????? BYE this made the last part of the book so much better cuz it makes sense and everything was leading up to that i’m obsessed. Also i know this was horror but the comedy in it was peak, i was cackling during the last half of the book even in serious situations especially the carabiner joke. Mackenzie Nolan you slayed the house boots down.
Mild out of context spoilers...
fourdelusional besties telling each other exactlyyyyyy
ARC by netgalley
Firstly the lesbian yearning DEVOUREDDDDDD. Some of the quotes actually made me pause and reevaluate my life because the way Lawrence reached the pinnacle of lesbianism it killed me. Not just the romantic quotes but some of the girls’ discussions about life and what it dealt them with actually had me taking deep breaths with how hard they hit me, just so raw.
"We have nothing in common except our sexualities, and as a result, this weird Otherness. I've felt it for as long as I've known what it means to be a girl"
I must admit that at first I wasn’t fully convinced with Lawrence becoming obsessed with Franky because we didn’t get to see much into her feelings or what led to such strong feelings for Franky so soon. But as the book went on I kinda forgot about that because i was just so consumed by the story and the character’s dynamics with each other. Lawrence ended up convincing me of her love for Franky and god did it give me yellowjackets vibes with the way she talked about her and wanting to consume her (jackieshauna, taivan wink wink).
"I look at her and I listen and I crack her open inch by inch and I want and I want and I want. I want to eat her. I want to treat her kindly"
"I would wait for her forever, wait like a dog until she has the space to want me in that insatiable way I want her."
Stassia was such an interesting character to read about because the way her internalised misogyny and the need to fit in was explored and talked about really made me think a lot about how this is a struggle for so many people, especially lesbians who struggle with their identities and fitting into society’s perceptions because they look a certain way. I also adored Pippa, she was a wonderful friend stuck between her own grief and her friend’s chase of a monster she didn’t believe in. I liked that her grief was acknowledged, that she refused to make herself smaller and yet she stuck by her friend, because she also understood her.
"We're all ostracized from womanhood in different ways,"
"Why?"
That was one hell of an adventure. The writing was so atmospheric that at times i felt like i was there in the book. I felt like i was being watched for real. It was unsettling in the best way possible.
Side Note: Her name being Franky????? BYE this made the last part of the book so much better cuz it makes sense and everything was leading up to that i’m obsessed. Also i know this was horror but the comedy in it was peak, i was cackling during the last half of the book even in serious situations especially the carabiner joke. Mackenzie Nolan you slayed the house boots down.
Mild out of context spoilers...
four
ARC by netgalley
September 19, 2025
(4.5/5, rounded up!)
full rtc!
tysm to Mackenzie Nolan & ECW Press for the #gifted ARC ❣️
full rtc!
tysm to Mackenzie Nolan & ECW Press for the #gifted ARC ❣️
April 30, 2025
love as a devotional hunger and an all-encompassing desire to consume can be something so personal. for my yellowjackets and locked tomb fans out there, you know exactly what i mean — and it turns out our dear friend lawrence does too!
i enjoyed the hell out of this, and it also creeped me out quite a bit! at one point, i was reading a very tense/scary moment when my girlfriend dropped something, and i jumped about a foot in the air. i love it when a book can actually scare me, and this one delivered (overall it wasn’t too bad, just a few scenes). it was also really special to me to read about a group of lesbians befriending each other and banding together (i believe they were all mentioned to be lesbians at one point or another? apologies if i’m wrong) — it’s not often that we see so many lesbians at once on the page, especially not the entire main cast of a book, so i just wanted to give a shoutout to that. i loved it! i’m blowing a kiss to the sky for franky, lawrence, stasia, and pippa as we speak.
thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
i enjoyed the hell out of this, and it also creeped me out quite a bit! at one point, i was reading a very tense/scary moment when my girlfriend dropped something, and i jumped about a foot in the air. i love it when a book can actually scare me, and this one delivered (overall it wasn’t too bad, just a few scenes). it was also really special to me to read about a group of lesbians befriending each other and banding together (i believe they were all mentioned to be lesbians at one point or another? apologies if i’m wrong) — it’s not often that we see so many lesbians at once on the page, especially not the entire main cast of a book, so i just wanted to give a shoutout to that. i loved it! i’m blowing a kiss to the sky for franky, lawrence, stasia, and pippa as we speak.
thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read
August 10, 2025DNF at 61%
There’s so much potential I like in here:
•the importance of decentering men
•the fact that we don’t hunt the monsters that hurt women
• the greatness of queerness and the accompanying “burden” of otherness
But I just can’t. The metaphors are too heavy handed and executed poorly. The conversations are too unnatural to happen in MOST of these peoples interactions. The relationships are strung so tightly and so quickly but it reads as shallow.
I wanted more show and less tell. I wanted to feel the rage, fear, and emotion instead of being beat over the head with it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy.
There’s so much potential I like in here:
•the importance of decentering men
•the fact that we don’t hunt the monsters that hurt women
• the greatness of queerness and the accompanying “burden” of otherness
But I just can’t. The metaphors are too heavy handed and executed poorly. The conversations are too unnatural to happen in MOST of these peoples interactions. The relationships are strung so tightly and so quickly but it reads as shallow.
I wanted more show and less tell. I wanted to feel the rage, fear, and emotion instead of being beat over the head with it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy.
October 16, 2025
This was SO good! I was instantly drawn in and I really loved the whole concept and what it said about mental health and mental illness. That’s always something that I enjoy when reading. Certain parts really got under my skin and gave me chills, especially when everything clicked together and dawned on me. It’s a silent, insidious horror. There’s no jump scares or monsters per se but it’s still one hell of a scary story. My only minor complaint is the ending, I was left wanting more from it.
October 19, 2025
I think the most compelling part about this book for me was that it was absolutely soaked with lesbian longing. I love books that depict yearning and obsession well and this book did amazing at that. And it was a true slow burn. I'd even go so far as to call it a horror romance.
Lawrence escapes her old, stifling life with conservative, religious parents and a controlling mom who tried to turn her into a heterosexual corporate drone, and couldn't accept that she was a lesbian. She runs away with her best friend and first kiss, Anastasia, to the town of Mistaken Point, a beautiful small town, where she attends grad school and is determined on a fresh start away from her mother's expectations.
The town is also the site of a series of grisly murders of young women, who all lose a limb in the struggle.
Lawrence takes a job as a bookkeeper at the local arcade, where she develops a limerence crush on her boss, the moody, eccentric and mysterious Franky. Lawrence is cringingly thirsty, but she is also sweet and hapless, and believes Franky when no one else will.
Franky's father is the one who was convicted for the murders, Franky losing her hand after they arrested him. Instead of dealing with all her trauma, she invents a monster that is the real culprit of the murders.
I was glad the book wasn't purely real life horror and you are constantly wondering if it's trauma or supernatural and it turns out to be trauma all along. This still had a heavy supernatural element. I also liked how the monster was a cryptid because I don't see enough cryptids in horror unless it's monster smut. This was not a sparkly cryptid.
I also loved how these four outcast girls, all misunderstood lesbians - Stasia and her best friend Lawrence, Franky and her best friend Pippa - banded together to go monster hunting because they cared so much about Franky, even when they believed she was inventing the monster to avoid confronting the truth of her dad.
I thought it was going to be dark academia at first but for grad students Lawrence and Stasia did not spend much time actually going to school. It was heavier on coming of age, found family, lesbian yearning and workplace crushes.
This story wasn't really that scary (at times the horror elements could seem clownish) but I was drawn into the characters and how they each responded to their trauma. I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Lawrence escapes her old, stifling life with conservative, religious parents and a controlling mom who tried to turn her into a heterosexual corporate drone, and couldn't accept that she was a lesbian. She runs away with her best friend and first kiss, Anastasia, to the town of Mistaken Point, a beautiful small town, where she attends grad school and is determined on a fresh start away from her mother's expectations.
The town is also the site of a series of grisly murders of young women, who all lose a limb in the struggle.
Lawrence takes a job as a bookkeeper at the local arcade, where she develops a limerence crush on her boss, the moody, eccentric and mysterious Franky. Lawrence is cringingly thirsty, but she is also sweet and hapless, and believes Franky when no one else will.
Franky's father is the one who was convicted for the murders, Franky losing her hand after they arrested him. Instead of dealing with all her trauma, she invents a monster that is the real culprit of the murders.
I was glad the book wasn't purely real life horror and you are constantly wondering if it's trauma or supernatural and it turns out to be trauma all along. This still had a heavy supernatural element. I also liked how the monster was a cryptid because I don't see enough cryptids in horror unless it's monster smut. This was not a sparkly cryptid.
I also loved how these four outcast girls, all misunderstood lesbians - Stasia and her best friend Lawrence, Franky and her best friend Pippa - banded together to go monster hunting because they cared so much about Franky, even when they believed she was inventing the monster to avoid confronting the truth of her dad.
I thought it was going to be dark academia at first but for grad students Lawrence and Stasia did not spend much time actually going to school. It was heavier on coming of age, found family, lesbian yearning and workplace crushes.
This story wasn't really that scary (at times the horror elements could seem clownish) but I was drawn into the characters and how they each responded to their trauma. I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
August 11, 2025Dnf at 22% This just isn’t grabbing me at all.
The writing style is very choppy and it’s difficult to follow.
I’m completely bored.
The writing style is very choppy and it’s difficult to follow.
I’m completely bored.
June 2, 2025
disclaimer: an ARC was provided to me by netgalley. many thanks.
i liked most of the gender thing (though not a feminist masterpiece), i liked the name thing, the plot is mostly nicely woven and the book reads easily, though the characters were grating at times. and why did she throw a cowoy party after the cops were following her? i couldn’t understand the vibes.
sadly, it lacks the humor and self-awareness of dtwof while still trying to deliver zingers and political statements. what works in a comicstrip (or on screen; see: the twin peaks comparision) may not translate well to a novel.
the promise of community also felt flimsy: two pairs of lesbian best friends that each date the other is not a community akin to bechdels world, its a third of a gsa. which can be a beautiful community as well but it feels juvenile. everyone except the core four and the one queer elder butch was an enemy. no allies, no broad community, no other queer people. and maybe that was the point, a small town with isolated queer people. but that is not dykes to watch out for, which is what this book was compared to, so i am dissapointed.
while i agree with basically all the morals this book presents itself with, it felt preachy, too obvious, too forced at times. the mentioned of narrative foils and mirrors wa a bit too much for me as well. let readers figure out stuff on their own!
characters in general seem too focussed on performing some ideal archetype of funny and or gay person. it fell flat to me. but then again thats my usual problem with character-driven books; a good and exxpansive characterization is really hard to nail and especially so in a way that i like.
the same goes for romance. it wasn’t as unbelievable to me as it so often is, just a bit strange - the flirting was weird and a bit cringe to me, the dynamic didnt feel fit to handle all those snappy one-liners, it happend extremely fast and the obsession was a bit too much for me. conflict was strange and forced and god, a bit cringeworthy, though it likely would have worked on me had the relationship worked for me. but franky and lawrence were not, to me, people who had a reason to speak like that to eachother.
im sure a lot of other people will enjoy this greatly so a three star review is warranted, though it is not my personal taste. i am extremely picky with character driven novels, after all :-)
October 21, 2025
I trudged through this book; it read like a treatise encased in a horror book. Characters thought about and discussed their collective trauma, ad nauseam. This is horror as allegory; where the monsters are manifestations of womanhood. But I couldn’t get pulled in. I tried, but this book was just not for me.
I am a fan of feminist horror, and I know what the author was trying to do. If I was a young woman trying to cope with misogyny, identity, and sexuality, I think this book would be an excellent read. However, as a book of horror, it missed the mark. I think the book could have been edited to be more terse, and less repetitive.
I would like to thank NetGalley and ECW Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I am a fan of feminist horror, and I know what the author was trying to do. If I was a young woman trying to cope with misogyny, identity, and sexuality, I think this book would be an excellent read. However, as a book of horror, it missed the mark. I think the book could have been edited to be more terse, and less repetitive.
I would like to thank NetGalley and ECW Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
November 1, 2025
A quick but worthwhile read. Sort of a Stranger Things with an LGBT twist, if Stranger Things wasn't completely reliant on 80s nostalgia and Stephen King cosplay (I'm not the biggest fan of ST). I saw a few reviews saying it felt like YA, and people who read my reviews know how I feel about that, but honestly I never got the sense of that. Seemed fine to me.
October 15, 2025
“An interesting part of being a woman: Violence must never happen to you. It is always some other unlucky girl, easy to brush off and rationalize. Senseless violence must be escapable.
It must be fluke.”
Veal is a campy, unique horror novel that follows a group of lesbian friends as they fight a monster — and confront their traumatic pasts. I don’t want to say too much more, because I think this is one of those books that’s best to go into blind. It is SUCH a wild read.
This debut novel is going to be perfect for readers looking for
⭐️Queer found family
⭐️An atmospheric, creepy small town setting
⭐️Serial killer, true crime plot lines AND paranormal plot lines in the same book
⭐️Complex, sometimes unlikeable, female main characters
Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for the ARC!
It must be fluke.”
Veal is a campy, unique horror novel that follows a group of lesbian friends as they fight a monster — and confront their traumatic pasts. I don’t want to say too much more, because I think this is one of those books that’s best to go into blind. It is SUCH a wild read.
This debut novel is going to be perfect for readers looking for
⭐️Queer found family
⭐️An atmospheric, creepy small town setting
⭐️Serial killer, true crime plot lines AND paranormal plot lines in the same book
⭐️Complex, sometimes unlikeable, female main characters
Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for the ARC!
July 20, 2025
Delores "Lawrence" Franklin and her friend Anastasia Lanes move to the small coastal town of Mistaken Point, known for the grisly murders by the Frankenstein Killer and its many lighthouses. Lawrence wants to shed corporate culture and the identity she assumed to please her mother; she gets accepted into the Master of Library & Information Science program at Mistaken Point University; she also takes a part-time arcade job at Franklin's Funhouse. This is a fresh start for a couple of friends, but it also ignites a monster hunt, close female friendships, sapphic romance, and blends humor and horror.
When Lawrence starts working at the arcade, she falls for her boss, Franky. Friends Stasia and Pippa try to keep Lawrence grounded as she becomes more infatuated, maybe without good reason. She indulges Franky's obsession with hunting a yellow-eyed monster that she is sure committed all the murders. The strengths of the novel lie in the bonds formed between the friends, and while the scenes with all four friends sometimes falter with dialogue and true depth, these are some of the most fun parts to read.
The story is described as having "the atmosphere of Twin Peaks," which suggests a surreal and dreamlike quality in a small town that harbors eccentric characters and dark secrets. The Lynchian parallel that's most apparent is not specifically the murders of young girls, but how Franky's experiences of them are reflected in her distorted reality. She is driven by vengeance and ravaged by trauma.
Veal doesn't fully develop the backstory of the Mistaken murders, as this isn't a crime story; to give those details would have made this fall within a different genre. Debut author Mackenzie Nolan chooses to focus on how these murders bring the women together, commits to monster-hunting and urban legends, and remains light thematically. She has a fresh voice and unique way of writing; this Franky monster hunt may not be for everyone, but it will be interesting to see what Nolan writes next.
Thank you so much to ECW Press for providing me with the opportunity to review an early copy of this book.
When Lawrence starts working at the arcade, she falls for her boss, Franky. Friends Stasia and Pippa try to keep Lawrence grounded as she becomes more infatuated, maybe without good reason. She indulges Franky's obsession with hunting a yellow-eyed monster that she is sure committed all the murders. The strengths of the novel lie in the bonds formed between the friends, and while the scenes with all four friends sometimes falter with dialogue and true depth, these are some of the most fun parts to read.
The story is described as having "the atmosphere of Twin Peaks," which suggests a surreal and dreamlike quality in a small town that harbors eccentric characters and dark secrets. The Lynchian parallel that's most apparent is not specifically the murders of young girls, but how Franky's experiences of them are reflected in her distorted reality. She is driven by vengeance and ravaged by trauma.
Veal doesn't fully develop the backstory of the Mistaken murders, as this isn't a crime story; to give those details would have made this fall within a different genre. Debut author Mackenzie Nolan chooses to focus on how these murders bring the women together, commits to monster-hunting and urban legends, and remains light thematically. She has a fresh voice and unique way of writing; this Franky monster hunt may not be for everyone, but it will be interesting to see what Nolan writes next.
Thank you so much to ECW Press for providing me with the opportunity to review an early copy of this book.
July 12, 2025
[3.5 stars]
Lawrence runs away from her previous capitalist lifestyle, and her parents expectations of her, to start a new in the small town of Mistaken Point with her best friend Stasia. There, she meets Franky, and learns about the gruesome murders that have taken place over the last year. The culprit has been caught, and yet the women of Mistaken Point are still feeling haunted.
The first couple of pages were a little tough to get through, but once I was in the book; I was IN. It was such a page-turning read, and I never wanted to put the book down, stayed up reading WAY past my bedtime. For a long time I expected the book to be a 4-5 star read, but there were elements that just started rubbing me the wrong way.
There were a lot of repetition in themes, conversations, and interactions between the characters, that didn't progress them or the story over and over again in the book. I really disliked the ending of the book. There were so many theories floating in my head that were a lot more exciting than the straightforwardness of the resolution. And I had the same experience with the themes in the book. I kept reading more into the themes and conclusions than was explored in the book, which ultimately felt redundant and lacking depth towards the end.
I did really have so much fun with the book in general, which is why I rated it so highly despite my disappointing feelings overall. The banter and dialogue was very cleaver, and exciting to read. It was also so refreshing to read about four very different lesbians bonding, creating such tight friendship and support with each other. One of the big highlights of the book!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and ECW Press for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review<3
Lawrence runs away from her previous capitalist lifestyle, and her parents expectations of her, to start a new in the small town of Mistaken Point with her best friend Stasia. There, she meets Franky, and learns about the gruesome murders that have taken place over the last year. The culprit has been caught, and yet the women of Mistaken Point are still feeling haunted.
The first couple of pages were a little tough to get through, but once I was in the book; I was IN. It was such a page-turning read, and I never wanted to put the book down, stayed up reading WAY past my bedtime. For a long time I expected the book to be a 4-5 star read, but there were elements that just started rubbing me the wrong way.
There were a lot of repetition in themes, conversations, and interactions between the characters, that didn't progress them or the story over and over again in the book. I really disliked the ending of the book. There were so many theories floating in my head that were a lot more exciting than the straightforwardness of the resolution. And I had the same experience with the themes in the book. I kept reading more into the themes and conclusions than was explored in the book, which ultimately felt redundant and lacking depth towards the end.
I did really have so much fun with the book in general, which is why I rated it so highly despite my disappointing feelings overall. The banter and dialogue was very cleaver, and exciting to read. It was also so refreshing to read about four very different lesbians bonding, creating such tight friendship and support with each other. One of the big highlights of the book!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and ECW Press for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review<3
August 1, 2025
High 4.5
Completely absorbed
Review upcoming
The lgbtqia+ horror novel is set in small town, Mistaken Point, known for its university and for numerous murders of young women. When Lawrence has a breakdown she moves into the town with her best friend Stasia for a new start. To pay for university, Lawrence gets a part time job bookkeeping at Franklin’s Funhouse Arcade where she meets Franky, a troubled guarded woman, with an intense drive to find the ‘monster’ in the town. Lawerence, immediately attracted to Franky and with the help of Pippa(Franky’s best friend) and her own curiosity, Lawrence inserts herself into Franky’s life and delves into her past. The four women get led down a spiral of mysteries and tragedies as the more they learn about Franky to more they are driven towards her.
I was completely absorbed in the book, I couldn’t put it down. As Lawerence discovers more, so does the reader in a compelling need for information around Franky. I thought the characters were written well and the relationships between them worked so well - the sapphic yearning was unreal. I think both the characters’ development and horror plot were perfectly balanced and were addictive. I feel like Pippa as a character was more lacking in depth and I wanted to know more about her and Stasia as well despite them being more secondary characters, they added a good portion of the plot and I felt like they were left out a bit at the end. I definitely recommend for a fast paced sapphic horror.
Thank you to NetGalley for receiving the arc.
Completely absorbed
Review upcoming
The lgbtqia+ horror novel is set in small town, Mistaken Point, known for its university and for numerous murders of young women. When Lawrence has a breakdown she moves into the town with her best friend Stasia for a new start. To pay for university, Lawrence gets a part time job bookkeeping at Franklin’s Funhouse Arcade where she meets Franky, a troubled guarded woman, with an intense drive to find the ‘monster’ in the town. Lawerence, immediately attracted to Franky and with the help of Pippa(Franky’s best friend) and her own curiosity, Lawrence inserts herself into Franky’s life and delves into her past. The four women get led down a spiral of mysteries and tragedies as the more they learn about Franky to more they are driven towards her.
I was completely absorbed in the book, I couldn’t put it down. As Lawerence discovers more, so does the reader in a compelling need for information around Franky. I thought the characters were written well and the relationships between them worked so well - the sapphic yearning was unreal. I think both the characters’ development and horror plot were perfectly balanced and were addictive. I feel like Pippa as a character was more lacking in depth and I wanted to know more about her and Stasia as well despite them being more secondary characters, they added a good portion of the plot and I felt like they were left out a bit at the end. I definitely recommend for a fast paced sapphic horror.
Thank you to NetGalley for receiving the arc.
May 8, 2025
This book was soooo good! I loved each of the characters and their relationships with one another. The banter between Franky and Lawerence had me kicking my feet! It was the perfect balance of horror and humor. I think everyone should pick this book up. I’m going to need to get my hands on a physical copy when it comes out. It’s also the definition of sapphic yearning, 5 stars!
Thanks the NetGalley and ECW Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
Thanks the NetGalley and ECW Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
November 12, 2025
My Selling Pitch:
An East Coast Gothic, sapphic, lit fic horror that’s Little Red Riding Hood meets Frankenstein that’s almost a banger, but takes some debut author stumbles. Still worth the read for fans of weird girl horror!
Pre-reading:
I have thought it was bacteria on the cover for SO LONG. I figured something like Tender is the Flesh. I love femme horror. Hopefully, this delivers.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Okayyyyyy. Society preys on young women like veal calves? Talk dirty to me more.
That’s my whole schtick. You are hungry and I respect hunger.
Bundy sin
I can understand why some people don’t like to be called girls, but I personally don’t relate. I’m a girl. They’re a boy. No matter the age. They’re so interchangeable to me. It doesn’t really connote age to me. Maybe 30 is the woman cut off, but I’m approaching that at 28 and I still feel like a girl.
The narrator‘s voice reminds me of Mrs. Maisel applying.
I love sharky women.
There’s a late 80s, early 90s feel to this, but like they have smartphones so it’s clearly not. (This book would be better set in the 90s.)
I love how so many books are like the town is so unfriendly, how odd! And I just laugh and laugh in New Englander.
Where does this take place? They have a lighthouse and a beach. I was picturing the Cape or Maine, but I don’t think that’s correct. (Canada maybe? The narrator had that accent.)
Oh, the audiobook is very different from the arc.
I like these girls.
Oh, was she trying to prove her dad‘s innocence? That’s crazy. I didn’t have that on the board. I thought it was gonna be like a dead sister or a dead girlfriend.
So he’s building a Frankenstein’s monster?
This is slow, but there’s nuggets of prose that I’m really enjoying.
Whenever there’s a serial killer dad, I always think of BTK and Hannibal’s Hobbs.
This is good mommy issue nuance.
They had to have caught her dad with her severed arm, no? (That was not the arresting incident.)
I knew this was East Coast shit, baby.
This is seriously girlhood horny.
ME: ASKING WHERE THIS BOOK IS GOING. I like it but also gimmie a direction now. We are overdue.
Don’t psychoanalyze me. You wouldn’t like me when I’m psychoanalyzed.
Oh my eyebrows shot up. This audiobook narrator is killing it!
A me!
All the tension in this book vanishes if they just Nancy Drew it and force people to answer their questions. Like it’s driving me a little nuts.
Where is this book going? Like it has to be more than just a literal interpretation of the violence against women epidemic and how you literally cannot avoid it. (It is and it isn’t.)
WOW, the arc is wayyyy different from the audiobook here again.
I wonder why the arc changed so much from the final copy? There’s pieces I like in both.
The Frankie made a monster and I made a normal man is a fucking banger line. It fits so well thematically-where you have the one girl be like this cannot be humanity and the other girl being like this is just a fact of humanity. That’s 11 out of 10.
I kind of wish I had followed along closer to see what other changes the arc made, but I only catch it when I go to highlight a quote and it’s not there.
They buy a lot of coffee in this book, but that’s so accurate for 20-something girlies.
It’s Raining Men is hilarious.
It’s a little Stranger Things.
There’s gotta be something to the violence against women system and linking it to video games too.
Scared meat actually tastes worse. It was so close. And thematically it should be the lull of safety is what the complex wants. Just behave and you’ll be safe. Don’t struggle so we can eat you alive.
Ugh, I hate that they’re different again. The arc has such different messaging about her mom.
But the solution can’t be love interest kills your daddy issues. You have to do it yourself.
This has gotten kinda cheesy in the ending.
But like what about everyone’s mortgages and student debt?
Post-reading:
This book has great moments, but it’s not a great book. It needed more time to cook, more theme development. Some of the prose is gorgeous and toothy, and then other bits feel clumsy and out of place. It’s like almost there.
And I think the changes made to pivotal scenes between the arc and final copy further illustrate the thematic floundering. The book had trouble deciding if it wanted to focus on women and find empathy for mothers and daughters without condoning the behavior the patriarchy forces them into or if it wanted to go after the patriarchal industrial complex that feasts on young women. And it’s frustrating because there was room for both, but the book ends up shying away from making weighty statements about either.
I don’t like the ending. Your lover can’t save you from your mommy and daddy issues. The solution can’t be burn it all down and skip out on mortgages and student debt. That’s a fantasy, and that misguided immaturity nailguns the book’s theming between the eyes. How can it be a coming of age story when the solution is a codependent farce? She’s not moving on, she’s just transferring the burden of obsession onto another person. I think it’s pretty frustrating that there’s no resolution or reconciliation reached with their mothers. I think the book pretty carefully and pointedly sidesteps condoning survival behavior as inherently moral, but it’s bleak that the moms are more forgotten victim shrapnel.
It’s a better character study than a horror or revenge thriller. The characters are likable. Lawrence and Frankie’s chemistry is crackly if problematic. It’s a timely spin on Frankenstein. I love that the OG is the horror of creation absent women vs this book is the horror of creation precisely because of men. Like it’s got some serious legs.
The ending gets a little cheesy. The monster’s basically vanquished by the power of friendship. That’s not something I want to see in a horror. I do like that the monster isn’t real. I like that men are still ultimately responsible for the violence. I like that the monster only injures the people Frankie emotionally injures. All that works. You lose me a bit when all the other victims have seen the monster before it comes. Then it’s not Frankie’s monster. And sure, you can argue that she sees them as her victims because she should’ve stopped her father, but she couldn’t possibly have known all the randoms her father was going to target. There’s no way for them to testify about Frankie’s monster beforehand, if she didn’t know they were going to be victims. The monster needed to be a manifestation of her guilt or a literal interpretation of a predatory patriarchy. Trying to make it both just feels rushed and sloppy.
The pacing isn’t good. This book is slow. There’s slow burn, and then there’s paint drying. This book walks a fine line between the two. If you don’t latch onto the romance, you’re going to be bored. And even if you do strap in, the plot meanders. It lingers in the wrong places. It feels directionless at times. This book’s tension vanishes if a single character reacts normally and refuses to accept cryptic bullshit non-answers.
And all that being said, I still kind of liked it. The atmosphere fucks hard. It’s East Coast gothic drenched, and even the sticky summer setting doesn’t take away from that. There’s some juicy quotes to pull. I think it’s a must read for weird girl horror, flawed as it is. I think you’ll enjoy it and be as frustrated as I am because god, it was almost there. It’s a debut and you can tell, but fuck, am I excited for what she’ll put out with a little more maturity under her belt.
The audiobook is also really good. The narrator does a great job performing the dialogue and infusing it with the appropriate emotion. If you’re going to read this, I highly suggest listening to it.
Who should read this:
Weird girl horror fans
Frankenstein fans
Gothic horror fans
Ideal reading time:
August into September
Do I want to reread this:
With a book club, yeah!
Would I buy this:
Yes!
Similar books:
* Mouth by Puloma Ghosh-short story collection, angry sad girl litfic
* Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh-psychological horror, revenge thriller, unreliable narrator, family drama, queer
* The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling-psychological horror, historical, queer, unreliable narrator, religious commentary
* Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth-lit fic, mommy horror, social commentary
* Bunny by Mona Awad-psychological horror, magical realism, dark academia, unreliable narrator, queer
* Nightbitch by Rebecca Yoder-mommy horror, magical realism, social commentary
* When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy-magical realism, horror, thriller, family drama
* Mary by Nat Cassidy-psychological horror, retelling, family drama,
* Maeve Fly by C. J. Leede-psychological horror, retelling, queer
* Hot Wax by M. L. Rio-lit fic, family drama, revenge thriller, queer
* American Werewolves by Emily Jane-magical realism, horror, historical, social commentary, queer
* Black Flame by Gretchen Felker Martin-psychological horror, historical, queer
* The Book of Love by Kelly Link-lit fic, magical realism, ensemble cast, queer
* Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison-horror, revenge thriller, cults, religious community
* Private Rites by Julia Armfield-dystopian, lit fic, retelling, family drama, queer, cults, ensemble cast
* The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw-dark academia, horror, ensemble cast, myth retelling, queer
* Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez-psychological horror, magical realism, litfic, queer
* Oddbody by Rose Keating-short story collection, lit fic, horror, fairytale retelling
* Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen-gothic horror, historical, magical realism, litfic, queer
* Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker-paranormal horror, revenge thriller, social commentary
* Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell-YA dark academia, revenge thriller, magical realism, queer
* Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater-YA magical realism, ensemble cast, queer
* The Lamb by Lucy Rose-horror, family drama, queer
* The Unworthy by Augustine Bazterrica-dystopian horror, queer, cults, religious commentary
* Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin-horror, retelling, queer, trans
* Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova-magical realism, horror, family drama, queer
* Grey Dog by Elliot Gish-historical, gothic horror, family drama, queer
* Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin-dystopian, urban fantasy, family drama, queer
* Soft Core by Brittany Newell-litfic, psychological horror, unreliable narrator, social commentary, queer
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
An East Coast Gothic, sapphic, lit fic horror that’s Little Red Riding Hood meets Frankenstein that’s almost a banger, but takes some debut author stumbles. Still worth the read for fans of weird girl horror!
Pre-reading:
I have thought it was bacteria on the cover for SO LONG. I figured something like Tender is the Flesh. I love femme horror. Hopefully, this delivers.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Okayyyyyy. Society preys on young women like veal calves? Talk dirty to me more.
That’s my whole schtick. You are hungry and I respect hunger.
Bundy sin
I can understand why some people don’t like to be called girls, but I personally don’t relate. I’m a girl. They’re a boy. No matter the age. They’re so interchangeable to me. It doesn’t really connote age to me. Maybe 30 is the woman cut off, but I’m approaching that at 28 and I still feel like a girl.
The narrator‘s voice reminds me of Mrs. Maisel applying.
I love sharky women.
There’s a late 80s, early 90s feel to this, but like they have smartphones so it’s clearly not. (This book would be better set in the 90s.)
I love how so many books are like the town is so unfriendly, how odd! And I just laugh and laugh in New Englander.
Where does this take place? They have a lighthouse and a beach. I was picturing the Cape or Maine, but I don’t think that’s correct. (Canada maybe? The narrator had that accent.)
Oh, the audiobook is very different from the arc.
I like these girls.
Oh, was she trying to prove her dad‘s innocence? That’s crazy. I didn’t have that on the board. I thought it was gonna be like a dead sister or a dead girlfriend.
So he’s building a Frankenstein’s monster?
This is slow, but there’s nuggets of prose that I’m really enjoying.
Whenever there’s a serial killer dad, I always think of BTK and Hannibal’s Hobbs.
This is good mommy issue nuance.
They had to have caught her dad with her severed arm, no? (That was not the arresting incident.)
I knew this was East Coast shit, baby.
This is seriously girlhood horny.
ME: ASKING WHERE THIS BOOK IS GOING. I like it but also gimmie a direction now. We are overdue.
Don’t psychoanalyze me. You wouldn’t like me when I’m psychoanalyzed.
Oh my eyebrows shot up. This audiobook narrator is killing it!
A me!
All the tension in this book vanishes if they just Nancy Drew it and force people to answer their questions. Like it’s driving me a little nuts.
Where is this book going? Like it has to be more than just a literal interpretation of the violence against women epidemic and how you literally cannot avoid it. (It is and it isn’t.)
WOW, the arc is wayyyy different from the audiobook here again.
I wonder why the arc changed so much from the final copy? There’s pieces I like in both.
The Frankie made a monster and I made a normal man is a fucking banger line. It fits so well thematically-where you have the one girl be like this cannot be humanity and the other girl being like this is just a fact of humanity. That’s 11 out of 10.
I kind of wish I had followed along closer to see what other changes the arc made, but I only catch it when I go to highlight a quote and it’s not there.
They buy a lot of coffee in this book, but that’s so accurate for 20-something girlies.
It’s Raining Men is hilarious.
It’s a little Stranger Things.
There’s gotta be something to the violence against women system and linking it to video games too.
Scared meat actually tastes worse. It was so close. And thematically it should be the lull of safety is what the complex wants. Just behave and you’ll be safe. Don’t struggle so we can eat you alive.
Ugh, I hate that they’re different again. The arc has such different messaging about her mom.
But the solution can’t be love interest kills your daddy issues. You have to do it yourself.
This has gotten kinda cheesy in the ending.
But like what about everyone’s mortgages and student debt?
Post-reading:
This book has great moments, but it’s not a great book. It needed more time to cook, more theme development. Some of the prose is gorgeous and toothy, and then other bits feel clumsy and out of place. It’s like almost there.
And I think the changes made to pivotal scenes between the arc and final copy further illustrate the thematic floundering. The book had trouble deciding if it wanted to focus on women and find empathy for mothers and daughters without condoning the behavior the patriarchy forces them into or if it wanted to go after the patriarchal industrial complex that feasts on young women. And it’s frustrating because there was room for both, but the book ends up shying away from making weighty statements about either.
I don’t like the ending. Your lover can’t save you from your mommy and daddy issues. The solution can’t be burn it all down and skip out on mortgages and student debt. That’s a fantasy, and that misguided immaturity nailguns the book’s theming between the eyes. How can it be a coming of age story when the solution is a codependent farce? She’s not moving on, she’s just transferring the burden of obsession onto another person. I think it’s pretty frustrating that there’s no resolution or reconciliation reached with their mothers. I think the book pretty carefully and pointedly sidesteps condoning survival behavior as inherently moral, but it’s bleak that the moms are more forgotten victim shrapnel.
It’s a better character study than a horror or revenge thriller. The characters are likable. Lawrence and Frankie’s chemistry is crackly if problematic. It’s a timely spin on Frankenstein. I love that the OG is the horror of creation absent women vs this book is the horror of creation precisely because of men. Like it’s got some serious legs.
The ending gets a little cheesy. The monster’s basically vanquished by the power of friendship. That’s not something I want to see in a horror. I do like that the monster isn’t real. I like that men are still ultimately responsible for the violence. I like that the monster only injures the people Frankie emotionally injures. All that works. You lose me a bit when all the other victims have seen the monster before it comes. Then it’s not Frankie’s monster. And sure, you can argue that she sees them as her victims because she should’ve stopped her father, but she couldn’t possibly have known all the randoms her father was going to target. There’s no way for them to testify about Frankie’s monster beforehand, if she didn’t know they were going to be victims. The monster needed to be a manifestation of her guilt or a literal interpretation of a predatory patriarchy. Trying to make it both just feels rushed and sloppy.
The pacing isn’t good. This book is slow. There’s slow burn, and then there’s paint drying. This book walks a fine line between the two. If you don’t latch onto the romance, you’re going to be bored. And even if you do strap in, the plot meanders. It lingers in the wrong places. It feels directionless at times. This book’s tension vanishes if a single character reacts normally and refuses to accept cryptic bullshit non-answers.
And all that being said, I still kind of liked it. The atmosphere fucks hard. It’s East Coast gothic drenched, and even the sticky summer setting doesn’t take away from that. There’s some juicy quotes to pull. I think it’s a must read for weird girl horror, flawed as it is. I think you’ll enjoy it and be as frustrated as I am because god, it was almost there. It’s a debut and you can tell, but fuck, am I excited for what she’ll put out with a little more maturity under her belt.
The audiobook is also really good. The narrator does a great job performing the dialogue and infusing it with the appropriate emotion. If you’re going to read this, I highly suggest listening to it.
Who should read this:
Weird girl horror fans
Frankenstein fans
Gothic horror fans
Ideal reading time:
August into September
Do I want to reread this:
With a book club, yeah!
Would I buy this:
Yes!
Similar books:
* Mouth by Puloma Ghosh-short story collection, angry sad girl litfic
* Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh-psychological horror, revenge thriller, unreliable narrator, family drama, queer
* The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling-psychological horror, historical, queer, unreliable narrator, religious commentary
* Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth-lit fic, mommy horror, social commentary
* Bunny by Mona Awad-psychological horror, magical realism, dark academia, unreliable narrator, queer
* Nightbitch by Rebecca Yoder-mommy horror, magical realism, social commentary
* When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy-magical realism, horror, thriller, family drama
* Mary by Nat Cassidy-psychological horror, retelling, family drama,
* Maeve Fly by C. J. Leede-psychological horror, retelling, queer
* Hot Wax by M. L. Rio-lit fic, family drama, revenge thriller, queer
* American Werewolves by Emily Jane-magical realism, horror, historical, social commentary, queer
* Black Flame by Gretchen Felker Martin-psychological horror, historical, queer
* The Book of Love by Kelly Link-lit fic, magical realism, ensemble cast, queer
* Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison-horror, revenge thriller, cults, religious community
* Private Rites by Julia Armfield-dystopian, lit fic, retelling, family drama, queer, cults, ensemble cast
* The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw-dark academia, horror, ensemble cast, myth retelling, queer
* Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez-psychological horror, magical realism, litfic, queer
* Oddbody by Rose Keating-short story collection, lit fic, horror, fairytale retelling
* Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen-gothic horror, historical, magical realism, litfic, queer
* Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker-paranormal horror, revenge thriller, social commentary
* Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell-YA dark academia, revenge thriller, magical realism, queer
* Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater-YA magical realism, ensemble cast, queer
* The Lamb by Lucy Rose-horror, family drama, queer
* The Unworthy by Augustine Bazterrica-dystopian horror, queer, cults, religious commentary
* Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin-horror, retelling, queer, trans
* Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova-magical realism, horror, family drama, queer
* Grey Dog by Elliot Gish-historical, gothic horror, family drama, queer
* Night’s Edge by Liz Kerin-dystopian, urban fantasy, family drama, queer
* Soft Core by Brittany Newell-litfic, psychological horror, unreliable narrator, social commentary, queer
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2025
some parts of this were really beautiful prose about how it feels to be a lesbian, and some of it was platitudes about men written in unrealistic dialogue. perhaps it reheated frankenstein’s nachos, and maybe i didn’t understand the monster, but the moments of passionate lesbian yearning completely made up for my confusion and even intermittent displeasure
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
This was an interesting book, and although I did not love it, I still enjoyed it.
The plot was intriguing and the interactions between the characters were entertaining. It dealt with a lot of serious subject matter (misogyny and violence against women), but it also had light moments with humour.
I typically read straightforward murder mysteries/crime fiction, so this book was a bit outside of my wheelhouse in terms of genre and themes discussed. Other readers will likely enjoy it more than me, but I'm glad I read a book outside of my norm as it made me think about issues I don't normally think about.
Thanks to ECW Press for the ARC.
The plot was intriguing and the interactions between the characters were entertaining. It dealt with a lot of serious subject matter (misogyny and violence against women), but it also had light moments with humour.
I typically read straightforward murder mysteries/crime fiction, so this book was a bit outside of my wheelhouse in terms of genre and themes discussed. Other readers will likely enjoy it more than me, but I'm glad I read a book outside of my norm as it made me think about issues I don't normally think about.
Thanks to ECW Press for the ARC.
September 1, 2025
"Your loophole of safety has become a noose."
Mackenzie Nolan's new novel is about Delores "Lawrence" Franklin. She move to the town of Mistaken Point to attend university with her best friend however the other reason is that the town is famous for the disturbing murders of many young women. Taking on a part time arcade job, Lawrence meets Franky. Soon she realises that Franky believes there is a monster responsible for the murders. Pippa who is Franky's closest friend joins the ranks and all four of them spend the summer trying to piece together the truth behind the violent acts and the monster that is at large.
That lingering unease when you know something is different to what is being portrayed echoes from the outset of this book. In this case its not just the back story of each of the characters but also their dynamics with each other make this an addictive and intriguing story.
The horror aspect of this story did well in bringing an intense and unsettling atmosphere to every encounter between these characters and that of the evil that is taunting them.
Deeper than that is the highlight on generational trauma and pain. The way these people have had to endure so much and although it may seem they are working through it, many aspects suggest the opposite.
This was an interesting and addictive read that I did enjoy.
Mackenzie Nolan's new novel is about Delores "Lawrence" Franklin. She move to the town of Mistaken Point to attend university with her best friend however the other reason is that the town is famous for the disturbing murders of many young women. Taking on a part time arcade job, Lawrence meets Franky. Soon she realises that Franky believes there is a monster responsible for the murders. Pippa who is Franky's closest friend joins the ranks and all four of them spend the summer trying to piece together the truth behind the violent acts and the monster that is at large.
That lingering unease when you know something is different to what is being portrayed echoes from the outset of this book. In this case its not just the back story of each of the characters but also their dynamics with each other make this an addictive and intriguing story.
The horror aspect of this story did well in bringing an intense and unsettling atmosphere to every encounter between these characters and that of the evil that is taunting them.
Deeper than that is the highlight on generational trauma and pain. The way these people have had to endure so much and although it may seem they are working through it, many aspects suggest the opposite.
This was an interesting and addictive read that I did enjoy.
October 19, 2025
5 stars honayy. One of my favorites this year!
more later
more later
July 10, 2025
A horror novel that tackles misogyny, generational trauma, the threats women face, and features a group of lesbians teaming up to take down a monster should’ve been right up my alley. But unfortunately this didn’t end up working for me. While I really appreciated what the book was saying, the execution held me back from being able to love it.
I ended up feeling like the book was very slow and repetitive, like a lot of the scenes were accomplishing the same task or certain conversations were happening over and over again. Also, I felt like more needed to be done to convince me of the connection between Lawrence and Franky. And while I agreed with what the book was saying thematically about misogyny and violence against women, I felt like the ways it was incorporated into the horror plot was too on the nose. Some of the conversations or explanations ended up feeling clunky and a little bit corny.
While this book overall wasn’t a winner for me, it still did have some scenes and aspects that I appreciated. There were some great moments of tension with the monster and nice scenes of queer camaraderie.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I ended up feeling like the book was very slow and repetitive, like a lot of the scenes were accomplishing the same task or certain conversations were happening over and over again. Also, I felt like more needed to be done to convince me of the connection between Lawrence and Franky. And while I agreed with what the book was saying thematically about misogyny and violence against women, I felt like the ways it was incorporated into the horror plot was too on the nose. Some of the conversations or explanations ended up feeling clunky and a little bit corny.
While this book overall wasn’t a winner for me, it still did have some scenes and aspects that I appreciated. There were some great moments of tension with the monster and nice scenes of queer camaraderie.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 31, 2025
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley.
Two best friends, Lawrence and Stasia, move to a small town together to start grad school. What is supposed to be a fresh start away from old jobs, families that do not accept their sexualities, is somewhat hampered by what at first appears to be small town standoffishness and weirdness towards newcomers. But is that really all there is to it? Why does Stasia manage to find connection with the town’s people, when they literally cross the street to avoid Lawrence? Why is Lawrence’s boss, Frankie, obsessed with the disappearances and murders of young women that happened in town? And why does nobody really seem to care when more women start disappearing?
I really enjoyed the characters and the character building and development here. A group of four lesbians trying to solve the unsolved murders of young women in a town where misogyny stops any serious investigation by the powers that be is certainly an interesting premise. It was also intriguing to see the interactions of four very different lesbians with different approaches to their queerness, from trying to be otherwise as conforming as possible to railing against a sexist system constantly and facing the societal repercussions for it.
However, some of the explorations of oppression presented here seemed a bit underexplored to me. When Frankie is harassed for being an amputee, ableism is not mentioned and instead the harassment is only blamed on sexism. In general, intersectionality was not explored. Any oppression experienced by the main characters was solely due to misogyny with only a very small exploration of class. Trans identity is mentioned once, when a character assumes the main character may be transmasculine, something which is shot down with disdain, race is mentioned as the town is described as very white and both Stasia and Pippa might be non-white, but if they face any additional pressure due to being women of color, this is not explored. The only intersectionality that is explored is that of lesbian sexuality and the way lesbians face additional pressures and harassment from heteropatriarchal societies for not being with men.
I enjoyed the relationship between Lawrence and Frankie, their push-and-pull was intriguing to read and I love unhinged lesbians. I struggled a bit with Lawrence’s immediate obsession as well as her messy internal monologues about becoming a monster to attract Frankie’s attention in the context of the rather cutesy banter that was going on otherwise at first, but once I just accepted that the difference would feel jarring, it was fine. If the author ever wants to write something were there is more focus on the unhinged lesbians I’d love to read it though, because that was fun.
All in all, I enjoyed this story, but it is not the thrilling monster hunt I was expecting. Instead, it is more of a character study of women deeply hurt by patriarchal violence. The story explores misogyny and lesbophobia well, but feels a little one-dimensional in its exploration of it as intersections of oppression are not explored. I did really enjoy the ending and all in all, it was fine.
TW: ableism, csa (past, threat), child abuse (physical, psychological), homophobia, injury, sexism, sexual assault (past), suicide mention (past – considered, joked about)
Two best friends, Lawrence and Stasia, move to a small town together to start grad school. What is supposed to be a fresh start away from old jobs, families that do not accept their sexualities, is somewhat hampered by what at first appears to be small town standoffishness and weirdness towards newcomers. But is that really all there is to it? Why does Stasia manage to find connection with the town’s people, when they literally cross the street to avoid Lawrence? Why is Lawrence’s boss, Frankie, obsessed with the disappearances and murders of young women that happened in town? And why does nobody really seem to care when more women start disappearing?
I really enjoyed the characters and the character building and development here. A group of four lesbians trying to solve the unsolved murders of young women in a town where misogyny stops any serious investigation by the powers that be is certainly an interesting premise. It was also intriguing to see the interactions of four very different lesbians with different approaches to their queerness, from trying to be otherwise as conforming as possible to railing against a sexist system constantly and facing the societal repercussions for it.
However, some of the explorations of oppression presented here seemed a bit underexplored to me. When Frankie is harassed for being an amputee, ableism is not mentioned and instead the harassment is only blamed on sexism. In general, intersectionality was not explored. Any oppression experienced by the main characters was solely due to misogyny with only a very small exploration of class. Trans identity is mentioned once, when a character assumes the main character may be transmasculine, something which is shot down with disdain, race is mentioned as the town is described as very white and both Stasia and Pippa might be non-white, but if they face any additional pressure due to being women of color, this is not explored. The only intersectionality that is explored is that of lesbian sexuality and the way lesbians face additional pressures and harassment from heteropatriarchal societies for not being with men.
I enjoyed the relationship between Lawrence and Frankie, their push-and-pull was intriguing to read and I love unhinged lesbians. I struggled a bit with Lawrence’s immediate obsession as well as her messy internal monologues about becoming a monster to attract Frankie’s attention in the context of the rather cutesy banter that was going on otherwise at first, but once I just accepted that the difference would feel jarring, it was fine. If the author ever wants to write something were there is more focus on the unhinged lesbians I’d love to read it though, because that was fun.
All in all, I enjoyed this story, but it is not the thrilling monster hunt I was expecting. Instead, it is more of a character study of women deeply hurt by patriarchal violence. The story explores misogyny and lesbophobia well, but feels a little one-dimensional in its exploration of it as intersections of oppression are not explored. I did really enjoy the ending and all in all, it was fine.
TW: ableism, csa (past, threat), child abuse (physical, psychological), homophobia, injury, sexism, sexual assault (past), suicide mention (past – considered, joked about)
July 18, 2025
Veal is an inventive, genre-blurring horror story with a compelling core concept and a monster that functions as a striking metaphor for toxic masculinity and the patriarchy. While the symbolism is front and center, and a bit too obvious, the narrative still manages to pull you in with urgency and stakes.
The heart of the book lies in the dynamic between Lawrence and Franky. Their relationship is intentionally messy and emotionally charged, and while the banter between them didn’t always land for me, I still found myself surprisingly invested in their fate. There were moments where the chemistry felt uneven and the tone of Lawrence’s internal narration and desperate pining clashed with the rest of the prose, but at the same time, their bond had enough depth and development that I did genuinely care about them.
The writing style flips between lyrical and conversational, which sometimes created jarring mood shifts, especially in scenes where humor was layered into otherwise serious or horrific moments. For me, the sudden tonal shifts occasionally broke the tension and made it difficult to stay immersed in the horror atmosphere. While some readers might interpret this as dark humor or camp, it honestly didn’t work for me.
That said, the story is undeniably gripping. I found myself turning the pages quickly, ready to face the monster head on. Despite some tonal inconsistencies and character interactions that didn’t always feel organic, Veal has a unique voice and is a fresh take on sapphic horror.
The heart of the book lies in the dynamic between Lawrence and Franky. Their relationship is intentionally messy and emotionally charged, and while the banter between them didn’t always land for me, I still found myself surprisingly invested in their fate. There were moments where the chemistry felt uneven and the tone of Lawrence’s internal narration and desperate pining clashed with the rest of the prose, but at the same time, their bond had enough depth and development that I did genuinely care about them.
The writing style flips between lyrical and conversational, which sometimes created jarring mood shifts, especially in scenes where humor was layered into otherwise serious or horrific moments. For me, the sudden tonal shifts occasionally broke the tension and made it difficult to stay immersed in the horror atmosphere. While some readers might interpret this as dark humor or camp, it honestly didn’t work for me.
That said, the story is undeniably gripping. I found myself turning the pages quickly, ready to face the monster head on. Despite some tonal inconsistencies and character interactions that didn’t always feel organic, Veal has a unique voice and is a fresh take on sapphic horror.
May 8, 2025
I was really excited to read Veal, it sounded perfect for me. A lesbian main character, female friendships, monster hunting and horror? It sounded tailor made for me, but I didn’t really connect with this one overall. It started out really strong, but it started to lose momentum towards the middle.
I didn’t really enjoy the relationship between Lawrence and Franky. Lawrence falls for Franky at first sight and even though we are reading from Lawrences perspective, I never really understood why. I wish the writing would’ve dug a little deeper into the characters feelings and motivations. We hear a lot of exposition, but a lot of the things we get told we never actually see.
I loved the setting and the mystery surrounding the small town, and I think the horror elements were really well done. You really feel like you are in Mistaken Point while reading, you feel the anxiety in the air. I think this would be a fun October read.
I think if you’re looking for a short book with some horror and wlw romance, this might be the one for you!
Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC
I didn’t really enjoy the relationship between Lawrence and Franky. Lawrence falls for Franky at first sight and even though we are reading from Lawrences perspective, I never really understood why. I wish the writing would’ve dug a little deeper into the characters feelings and motivations. We hear a lot of exposition, but a lot of the things we get told we never actually see.
I loved the setting and the mystery surrounding the small town, and I think the horror elements were really well done. You really feel like you are in Mistaken Point while reading, you feel the anxiety in the air. I think this would be a fun October read.
I think if you’re looking for a short book with some horror and wlw romance, this might be the one for you!
Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC
September 6, 2025
3.5 💫
A lot of this really, really worked for me. The pacing, the eerie vibes of the setting, the gorgeous prose, well done suspense/action sequences, and of course, the queer camaraderie - as promised in the description blurb. While Lawrence's insta-love for Franky wasn't my favorite and never quite made sense to me, the yearning in this book is done so well and written so beautifully, it's hard for me to even complain about it.
Some of the dialogue struggled to read as natural, and it took me out of the story at times. I appreciate the heart of this novel and the themes it was centered on, though it did feel a tad too on the nose in some parts. I think some points could have been driven home in a more subtle fashion and the message still would have gotten across in a meaningful way. Overall a lot of it felt like it could have been polished just a bit more, but it was still a fun time, and an enjoyable read. A solid debut and I'll definitely be watching for more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC.
A lot of this really, really worked for me. The pacing, the eerie vibes of the setting, the gorgeous prose, well done suspense/action sequences, and of course, the queer camaraderie - as promised in the description blurb. While Lawrence's insta-love for Franky wasn't my favorite and never quite made sense to me, the yearning in this book is done so well and written so beautifully, it's hard for me to even complain about it.
Some of the dialogue struggled to read as natural, and it took me out of the story at times. I appreciate the heart of this novel and the themes it was centered on, though it did feel a tad too on the nose in some parts. I think some points could have been driven home in a more subtle fashion and the message still would have gotten across in a meaningful way. Overall a lot of it felt like it could have been polished just a bit more, but it was still a fun time, and an enjoyable read. A solid debut and I'll definitely be watching for more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC.
May 10, 2025
Veal isn't your typical monster story. The monsters in this read aren't just some vicious inhuman horror - they're also very human as well.
Overall Veal was an easy read, but there were definitely some points that could have been refined a little more. Some of the dialogue felt a little clunky and the motivations didn't always feel genuine, but I'm not mad I read it.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall Veal was an easy read, but there were definitely some points that could have been refined a little more. Some of the dialogue felt a little clunky and the motivations didn't always feel genuine, but I'm not mad I read it.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2025
A meandering monster hunt set in a small town, with a backdrop of Serial Killers and Sexism. The writing is pretty at face value; the scenes felt very cinematic, like I could definitely imagine this as a Limited Series type of show, but it also felt a bit bland? Part of the reason may be the pacing, as the central mystery, the monster roaming the town and possibly endangering the lives of women everywhere, felt quite dragging, and the build-up to it was whelming, to say the least. However, when the monster finally DOES show up in the flesh, I finally felt like I was enjoying the story. Unfortuantely, that doesn't happen until we're well into the book, but when it finally appeared I was like yes!! Terror and fright and dread!! Emotions at last! The friendships were very good but the central romance wasn't a strong point for me. I just could not understand why Lawrence was so down bad for Franky like... girl... get up? We do get to see her make some (snail-paced) progress, and the progression would probably have been fine if told through 3rd Person, but instead we are graced by First Person Simpering for an Ice Queen, which is good if you're into that. If you lack the forebearance though... good luck. I will say though, each character stood out in their own way, and I love an entirely female main cast like this one. Stasia and Lawrence (she's funnier when she's not simping) were my faves, gifts fhat kept giving, etc.
It's honestly a bit hard to pin this book in terms of genre, the horror and supernatural elements are more metaphorical than not. There isnt much in the way of gore, but the story itself is waterlogged with societal gravitas. For those who enjoy slow-burn mysteries with a tinge of the supernatural, this may be less of a miss and more of a hit. The fun, well-written female cast is just the cherry on top (or the consolation prize, in my case).
Thank you to ECW Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's honestly a bit hard to pin this book in terms of genre, the horror and supernatural elements are more metaphorical than not. There isnt much in the way of gore, but the story itself is waterlogged with societal gravitas. For those who enjoy slow-burn mysteries with a tinge of the supernatural, this may be less of a miss and more of a hit. The fun, well-written female cast is just the cherry on top (or the consolation prize, in my case).
Thank you to ECW Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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