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Something Awful
Something lurks underneath the surface of the Hog Creek river.
Welcome to dusty and washed-out Hog Creek, where nothing ever happens. Until Grayson accidentally sees a horrifying creature disappear into the local river. He ignores the incident, but then people start to go missing...
Welcome to dusty and washed-out Hog Creek, where nothing ever happens. Until Grayson accidentally sees a horrifying creature disappear into the local river. He ignores the incident, but then people start to go missing...
216 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2022
1 person is currently reading
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 3, 2022
Cindy Paul & Renee Zonneveld are back at it again with another stunning book (seriously you have to get your hands on this book for the artwork alone because Renee clearly didn't hold herself back!). Now this review is later than I wanted simply because I HAD to give it another reread to really sink myself back in the world Cindy & Renee have crafted for us. Much like her Hepdale Rain series Something Awful is an urban fantasy story but instead of werewolves and teenage angst, we got a mysterious monster and teenage identity angst. Jokes aside, Something Awful is really a breath of fresh air as Cindy not only does an absolutely wonderful job of creating characters you will absolutely love (my favorite in this time around is Shelby who is an absolute QUEEN), but the world she creates is absolutely atmospheric with the right amount of spooky needed for a good monster story! Truthfully reading this book reminded me of Saturday mornings watching Scooby Do and other monster of the week cartoons in the best way possible. But what this book did more than those cartoons is that it gave me the representation I never had as a kid. It was truly heartwarming to see Grayson really find himself throughout his adventure and coming to terms not only with who he was as a person but how his heritage played a role in that identity. And of course there is another absolutely sweet romance thrown in the mix to really check off all the boxes for a great YA story.
If you find yourself looking for a quick read with amazing characters with representation up the wazoo, then Something Awful is the book to go!
If you find yourself looking for a quick read with amazing characters with representation up the wazoo, then Something Awful is the book to go!
April 17, 2022
Cindy really impressed me with her writing. I love how the rickety bike sort of became character or story teller. My favorite sentence is “…and it rattled grayson’s heart worse than his bike’s everything.” Also the way Cindy managed the let the title of the book become such an important part of the story without it getting annoying, very good. The story itself was very entertaining and the characters (except the bullies ofcourse) were very likeable and complex enough. Also a big plus is how culture, sexuality and taking care of the environment are weaved into the story. Definitely recommend this book!
January 29, 2022
Like always when reading books from our queen Cindy, I was immediately immersed in the story. It really felt like I was going on this amazing adventure together with our boy Grayson and together we solved the mystery of the awful monster that starts to harass the town citizens. Meanwhile, we get a look into the town dynamics, Grayson's awful relationship with his father, and his struggles with friendships. Grayson undergoes a beautiful self-development journey with the support of some new friends and he comes out of the story as a stronger person.
All the things I can say about this book are highly positive. I loved the mysterious and dark setting, the adventure, the friendships and support, the growth of the main character, the beautiful drawings in between the chapters, and as always the easy but so carefully managed writing style.
All the things I can say about this book are highly positive. I loved the mysterious and dark setting, the adventure, the friendships and support, the growth of the main character, the beautiful drawings in between the chapters, and as always the easy but so carefully managed writing style.
January 29, 2022
Something Awful is finally here and it's atmospheric, mysterious and heartfelt! Gems such as Louisa's Lizard Emporium and the great friendship between Grayson and Shelby make this such a fun read, while still dealing with serious topics authentically. There is representation and mystery and intrigue.
It is definitely a book worth reading and the amazing illustrations with their muted color palette add beautifully to the experience.
It is definitely a book worth reading and the amazing illustrations with their muted color palette add beautifully to the experience.
February 28, 2022
Something Awful is about Grayson who lives in a town called Hog Creek. Hog Creek basically is your typical American town. There's a good and a bad side, there's a diner, and there's a bunch of popular school boys who are bullies. One thing that's not so typical? The mud monster with dozens of mouths who attacks people and lives in the river. And it's up to Grayson and his sidekick Shelby to find out how to defeat this monster.
I can be a bit of a scaredy cat, but this was just the right amount of spookiness for me! The story was mysterious, making you wonder what the monster was doing in the river, and authentic, adding in so many cool little elements, like Grayson's heritage and the lizards.
I would've actually loved to have read more about the monster. I feel like it ended pretty quickly and the resolution was a bit anticlimactic. With one or two more sentences, the book could've ended in a cliffhanger.
I really loved the element of LGBTQIA+ romance, though, as it was a sweet addition to the story. I also adored Grayson's friendship with Shelby. Shelby was my favourite character, since she was such a badass and basically just has the personality I aspire to have.
The writing felt really poetical and I liked how the title 'something awful' kept appearing every now and then. (Who doesn't love it when they find the title in the book!) Plus, the artwork was just stunning! Every book should start their chapters with an illustration.
If you're looking for a quick spooky and mysterious LGBTQIA+ read, then this is the book for you!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I can be a bit of a scaredy cat, but this was just the right amount of spookiness for me! The story was mysterious, making you wonder what the monster was doing in the river, and authentic, adding in so many cool little elements, like Grayson's heritage and the lizards.
I would've actually loved to have read more about the monster. I feel like it ended pretty quickly and the resolution was a bit anticlimactic. With one or two more sentences, the book could've ended in a cliffhanger.
I really loved the element of LGBTQIA+ romance, though, as it was a sweet addition to the story. I also adored Grayson's friendship with Shelby. Shelby was my favourite character, since she was such a badass and basically just has the personality I aspire to have.
The writing felt really poetical and I liked how the title 'something awful' kept appearing every now and then. (Who doesn't love it when they find the title in the book!) Plus, the artwork was just stunning! Every book should start their chapters with an illustration.
If you're looking for a quick spooky and mysterious LGBTQIA+ read, then this is the book for you!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2022
Er schuilt iets onder het wateroppervlak van de rivier in Hog Creek.
Welkom in het stoffige en vervaagde Hog Creek, waar nooit iets gebeurt. Tot Grayson per ongeluk een huiveringwekkend wezen ziet verdwijnen in de plaatselijke rivier. In eerste instantie negeert hij het incident, maar dan beginnen er mensen te verdwijnen.
Uitgeverij EverAfterPrint staat bekend om hun boeken vol met diversiteit en verhalen die ondersteund worden door illustraties. Zo ook in Something Awful. De cover is duister, mysterieus en bevat weinig kleur. Zo wordt de sfeer die er in Hog Creek heerst meteen overgebracht op de lezer. Vervolgens vertelt het hoofdpersonage er ook nog over waardoor alles nog duidelijker wordt.
De hoofdstukken zijn kort, worden telkens voorafgegaan door een illustratie van een bepaald detail of een bepaalde plek die in het hoofdstuk voorbijkomt. Ook heeft elk hoofdstuk een titel, die op dezelfde manier bij de inhoud van het hoofdstuk past als de illustratie. Het verhaal lijkt in het begin vanuit één perspectief geschreven, maar na enkele hoofdstukken word je verrast en deze wisseling vindt zo nu en dan nog eens plaats. Dit zorgt ervoor dat het verhaal completer wordt en net wat meer diepgang heeft.
Wat betreft de verhaallijn, die is enerzijds verrassend en meegaand en anderzijds ook wel eens voorspelbaar of iet wat incompleet. De schrijfstijl is namelijk heel fijn en goed te volgen. Er worden af en toe woordspelingen gemaakt en de dialogen bevatten zo nu en dan ook wat humor. Doordat dit boek als ‘queer’ bestempeld staat, was natuurlijk te voorspellen welke richting het qua aantrekkingskracht op zou gaan. Toch heeft de auteur ook een verrassend element eraan toegevoegd: het personage Shelby. De vriendschap die tussen Grayson en Shelby ontstaat had ik niet in dit verhaal verwacht, maar was een welkome extra.
Wat betreft het incomplete wat ik hierboven noemde, dit heeft te maken met de onafgemaakte zaken in het verhaal. Zoals de relatie tussen Grayson en zijn vader, de werkzaamheden die Grayson verricht om extra geld te verdienen en de vermiste personen. Het feit dat niet al deze onderwerpen volledig worden afgesloten in het verhaal, gaf me het gevoel dat ik iets miste erin. Aan de andere kant droeg het wel bij aan de mysterieuze sfeer in het verhaal.
Maar ondanks dat deze zaken onafgemaakt leken, zijn andere elementen in het verhaal dat wel. Zoals de keuze van Grayson over studeren en zijn gevoelens voor Aaron. Dit getuigt van lef van de auteur, maar zorgt ervoor dat je als lezer leert inzien wat de noodzaak van het verhaal precies was. Want ondanks dat de bovennatuurlijke elementen een grote rol leken te spelen, blijkt dus achteraf dat Graysons persoonlijke ontwikkeling voor het verhaal belangrijker. Er was een bepaalde samenkomst van omstandigheden dat dit verhaal tot dit verhaal heeft gemaakt.
Al met al is Something Awful een intrigerend, duister en toch herkenbaar verhaal over een jongen op zoek naar zijn eigen identiteit.
Welkom in het stoffige en vervaagde Hog Creek, waar nooit iets gebeurt. Tot Grayson per ongeluk een huiveringwekkend wezen ziet verdwijnen in de plaatselijke rivier. In eerste instantie negeert hij het incident, maar dan beginnen er mensen te verdwijnen.
Uitgeverij EverAfterPrint staat bekend om hun boeken vol met diversiteit en verhalen die ondersteund worden door illustraties. Zo ook in Something Awful. De cover is duister, mysterieus en bevat weinig kleur. Zo wordt de sfeer die er in Hog Creek heerst meteen overgebracht op de lezer. Vervolgens vertelt het hoofdpersonage er ook nog over waardoor alles nog duidelijker wordt.
De hoofdstukken zijn kort, worden telkens voorafgegaan door een illustratie van een bepaald detail of een bepaalde plek die in het hoofdstuk voorbijkomt. Ook heeft elk hoofdstuk een titel, die op dezelfde manier bij de inhoud van het hoofdstuk past als de illustratie. Het verhaal lijkt in het begin vanuit één perspectief geschreven, maar na enkele hoofdstukken word je verrast en deze wisseling vindt zo nu en dan nog eens plaats. Dit zorgt ervoor dat het verhaal completer wordt en net wat meer diepgang heeft.
Wat betreft de verhaallijn, die is enerzijds verrassend en meegaand en anderzijds ook wel eens voorspelbaar of iet wat incompleet. De schrijfstijl is namelijk heel fijn en goed te volgen. Er worden af en toe woordspelingen gemaakt en de dialogen bevatten zo nu en dan ook wat humor. Doordat dit boek als ‘queer’ bestempeld staat, was natuurlijk te voorspellen welke richting het qua aantrekkingskracht op zou gaan. Toch heeft de auteur ook een verrassend element eraan toegevoegd: het personage Shelby. De vriendschap die tussen Grayson en Shelby ontstaat had ik niet in dit verhaal verwacht, maar was een welkome extra.
Wat betreft het incomplete wat ik hierboven noemde, dit heeft te maken met de onafgemaakte zaken in het verhaal. Zoals de relatie tussen Grayson en zijn vader, de werkzaamheden die Grayson verricht om extra geld te verdienen en de vermiste personen. Het feit dat niet al deze onderwerpen volledig worden afgesloten in het verhaal, gaf me het gevoel dat ik iets miste erin. Aan de andere kant droeg het wel bij aan de mysterieuze sfeer in het verhaal.
Maar ondanks dat deze zaken onafgemaakt leken, zijn andere elementen in het verhaal dat wel. Zoals de keuze van Grayson over studeren en zijn gevoelens voor Aaron. Dit getuigt van lef van de auteur, maar zorgt ervoor dat je als lezer leert inzien wat de noodzaak van het verhaal precies was. Want ondanks dat de bovennatuurlijke elementen een grote rol leken te spelen, blijkt dus achteraf dat Graysons persoonlijke ontwikkeling voor het verhaal belangrijker. Er was een bepaalde samenkomst van omstandigheden dat dit verhaal tot dit verhaal heeft gemaakt.
Al met al is Something Awful een intrigerend, duister en toch herkenbaar verhaal over een jongen op zoek naar zijn eigen identiteit.
March 17, 2022
You can find the full (spoiler free) review here on my blog!
@EverAfterPrint was kind enough to send me a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Hog Creek is a town where something strange is going on. Early on in the book we find out that there’s a creature with absurdly long limbs, and thrice as many of them, just walks to a river and disappears. Things become strange when people suddenly go missing.
The book has a mystery vibe because we slowly get pieces of information, making us start with a lot of questions in the beginning. We see everything through Grayson’s eyes and slowly get more information about what his life is like. There’s also some LGBTQ+ romance in the book but it’s slow paced. Not much happens romance wise until the middle of the book.
The book felt a bit slow in the beginning because it took me a little while to figure out what the plot exactly was about. That quickly changed once Shelby was introduced. She gave the book a nice pace by pulling Grayson out of his comfort zone.
The book contains beautiful illustrations by Renée Zonneveld.
Warning: this book contains heavy topics such as bullying, abuse and homophobia.
@EverAfterPrint was kind enough to send me a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Hog Creek is a town where something strange is going on. Early on in the book we find out that there’s a creature with absurdly long limbs, and thrice as many of them, just walks to a river and disappears. Things become strange when people suddenly go missing.
The book has a mystery vibe because we slowly get pieces of information, making us start with a lot of questions in the beginning. We see everything through Grayson’s eyes and slowly get more information about what his life is like. There’s also some LGBTQ+ romance in the book but it’s slow paced. Not much happens romance wise until the middle of the book.
The book felt a bit slow in the beginning because it took me a little while to figure out what the plot exactly was about. That quickly changed once Shelby was introduced. She gave the book a nice pace by pulling Grayson out of his comfort zone.
The book contains beautiful illustrations by Renée Zonneveld.
Warning: this book contains heavy topics such as bullying, abuse and homophobia.
October 8, 2023
-- this review contains some minor spoilers --
So, I haven't read YA books for years and don't really read books covering romance... but I genuinely enjoyed this book. I followed a workshop by Cindy and Renée at Flip The Page earlier this year (which was amazing), and afterwards I checked out their booth out of curiosity. I asked the two friendly guys sitting there which book they would recommend since I mainly read thrillers and fanatasy/sci-fi with lots of action; and am not at all familiar with queer-based stories. They pointed out this book. I read almost every evening and I had a hard time putting the book away. It's an easy read and got lots to offer.
I liked the characters, no... loved them. I felt sorry for Grayson's home situation, but I'm happy for him that he found love. The relationship between him and Aaron is lovely and Shelby is a funny gal who made me laugh a couple times.
Although, I personally think that the concept of the monster could have been better. I didn't quite get the reason how he got there in the lake and why he decided to attack people now. I would've liked some more background on the monster. We don't know much about it.
Also, I think the book ended a bit abruptly. It got me wondering: did the monster stop attacking? Did the missing people actually got eaten/killed by the monster? It made me think: was that it?
Renée's illustrations are awesome! It adds a nice touch to the story and sets the atmosphere. I also like that the illustrations of the characters didn't show their faces, because we all form our own interpretation of how they look like in our head.
Anyway, it's a good book and it turns out that I, an avid thriller reader, enjoyed some romance. I hope that more stories of Grayson, Shelby and Aaron are to follow and I might even check out Ever After Prints' other books.
Cheers!
So, I haven't read YA books for years and don't really read books covering romance... but I genuinely enjoyed this book. I followed a workshop by Cindy and Renée at Flip The Page earlier this year (which was amazing), and afterwards I checked out their booth out of curiosity. I asked the two friendly guys sitting there which book they would recommend since I mainly read thrillers and fanatasy/sci-fi with lots of action; and am not at all familiar with queer-based stories. They pointed out this book. I read almost every evening and I had a hard time putting the book away. It's an easy read and got lots to offer.
I liked the characters, no... loved them. I felt sorry for Grayson's home situation, but I'm happy for him that he found love. The relationship between him and Aaron is lovely and Shelby is a funny gal who made me laugh a couple times.
Although, I personally think that the concept of the monster could have been better. I didn't quite get the reason how he got there in the lake and why he decided to attack people now. I would've liked some more background on the monster. We don't know much about it.
Also, I think the book ended a bit abruptly. It got me wondering: did the monster stop attacking? Did the missing people actually got eaten/killed by the monster? It made me think: was that it?
Renée's illustrations are awesome! It adds a nice touch to the story and sets the atmosphere. I also like that the illustrations of the characters didn't show their faces, because we all form our own interpretation of how they look like in our head.
Anyway, it's a good book and it turns out that I, an avid thriller reader, enjoyed some romance. I hope that more stories of Grayson, Shelby and Aaron are to follow and I might even check out Ever After Prints' other books.
Cheers!
February 10, 2022
mlm, mexican-american main character (not own voices) and black side character.
cw: abusive parent (physical abuse and homophobia)
[also one kiss scene (very short and not descriptive) and cursing.]
this is the first thing that i have ever supported on kickstarter and i'm so happy i did because i really enjoyed reading this!
it was a really quick and fun read and i liked the repetitive kinda poetical sentences and words that were used. also the monster felt very real in this book which i liked.
i think the only thing that took me little out of the story was how it took pretty long until the characters understood why the monster behaved the way it did. for me it was pretty clear early on so i wished the reasons for the monsters behavior would have been different or that the characters would have realized it earlier.
i'll definitely read more of this authors books in the future!
cw: abusive parent (physical abuse and homophobia)
[also one kiss scene (very short and not descriptive) and cursing.]
this is the first thing that i have ever supported on kickstarter and i'm so happy i did because i really enjoyed reading this!
it was a really quick and fun read and i liked the repetitive kinda poetical sentences and words that were used. also the monster felt very real in this book which i liked.
i think the only thing that took me little out of the story was how it took pretty long until the characters understood why the monster behaved the way it did. for me it was pretty clear early on so i wished the reasons for the monsters behavior would have been different or that the characters would have realized it earlier.
i'll definitely read more of this authors books in the future!
June 25, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - got sucked in and could not put it down until I reached the final page. Paul does an excellent job describing the stagnant atmosphere of Hog Creek, building up suspense, and creating an all-around eerie story that is driven by the strength of the characters and how they interact with their surroundings.
The writing style was nice to read, a bit experimental in places but it worked well. I especially liked the use of enjambments and the tactfully repeated phrases and metaphors.
The writing style was nice to read, a bit experimental in places but it worked well. I especially liked the use of enjambments and the tactfully repeated phrases and metaphors.
September 27, 2023
I ADORED THIS BOOK!!! This is one of the most beautifuly writen books I have read in a while, because it reads both easy and gorgeous. The story, omg, it was so good! I loved Shelby, she was def my favorite character! I really hope that there will be a second book to this book. I really really like the mystery feeling of this book. Also the fall vibes are so goooood in this book!!The author and illustrator or also both amazing people and I adored meeting them!
December 28, 2022
Just awesome.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews