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Brutal Hearts
It's 1997 and Leah just can't seem to catch a break.
A year has passed since her fiancé went missing while hiking alone on a mountain, and she can't shake the unanswered questions and nightmares Simon left behind.
On the anniversary of his disappearance, Leah and her new girlfriend Josie return to the trail where Simon disappeared with two of their best friends. Armed with incense, tarot cards, crystals, and snacks, the girls have everything they need to complete the Ritual of Closure to help Leah finally say goodbye to Simon, once and for all.
But the trails are hiding something sinister, and it's been waiting. As night falls around them, the girls find themselves in a deadly game against something vicious and wild that's made a home for itself on the mountain.
It's time to find out what really happened to Simon.
A year has passed since her fiancé went missing while hiking alone on a mountain, and she can't shake the unanswered questions and nightmares Simon left behind.
On the anniversary of his disappearance, Leah and her new girlfriend Josie return to the trail where Simon disappeared with two of their best friends. Armed with incense, tarot cards, crystals, and snacks, the girls have everything they need to complete the Ritual of Closure to help Leah finally say goodbye to Simon, once and for all.
But the trails are hiding something sinister, and it's been waiting. As night falls around them, the girls find themselves in a deadly game against something vicious and wild that's made a home for itself on the mountain.
It's time to find out what really happened to Simon.
148 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
3 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 10, 2023
Una pequeña gran aventura de terror Young Adult con representación LGTBIQ, ambientada en 1997 y con una BSO excepcional. Esta historia es especialmente para ti si: eras fan de las Spice Girls, de Jóvenes y Brujas y tenías un Tamagotchi.
December 26, 2023
"A few small teeth lay on the dirt in front of her, mostly white if not for the blood. In the low lighting, the uneven path seemed to be absorbing it, sucking the blood out of —— body and into the damp, dark earth."
I love the outdoors. Hiking through the dark wooded area as you stretch your legs and spot something off in the distance that makes your blood run cold. There is nothing better than breathing in the fresh air as you're running for your life from a mysterious monster that can crush your bones into powder. There's nothing like it.
This book was one wild piece of literature. I kept looking at my husband and whispering, "What in the actual fuck!" to him during the last half. I was not expecting that ending and when it hit I was impressed. It was barbaric and I kept thinking about Barbarian whenever I got to a certain point. You'll know when you get there. Even though the second half flew by and I was swept off of my horror-loving feet, the first half really didn't do much for me. It didn't automatically capture my attention and it took me longer than I had hoped to connect with any of the characters.
Brutal Hearts was brutal and you'll love it!
I love the outdoors. Hiking through the dark wooded area as you stretch your legs and spot something off in the distance that makes your blood run cold. There is nothing better than breathing in the fresh air as you're running for your life from a mysterious monster that can crush your bones into powder. There's nothing like it.
This book was one wild piece of literature. I kept looking at my husband and whispering, "What in the actual fuck!" to him during the last half. I was not expecting that ending and when it hit I was impressed. It was barbaric and I kept thinking about Barbarian whenever I got to a certain point. You'll know when you get there. Even though the second half flew by and I was swept off of my horror-loving feet, the first half really didn't do much for me. It didn't automatically capture my attention and it took me longer than I had hoped to connect with any of the characters.
Brutal Hearts was brutal and you'll love it!
October 22, 2023
Una pequeña novela de terror YA, con representación LGTBI, personajes con algún tipo de trastorno del espectro autista, toques de body horror y enmarcada en 1997. No cae en el pozo oscuro de la nostalgia barata y tiene los guiños necesarios a la cultura popular.
Jóvenes y brujas, Ace of base, TLC, tamagotchis y una serie de amigas intentando cerrar un ritual de adiós a un exnovio desaparecido.
Pequeña, como decía, de esas que hacen catálogo y marcan parte del carácter de una editorial.
Muy interesante, si estáis en algún camino personal, de esos que discurren tangenciales al del resto de la gente pero nunca llegan a tocarse, mientras algún monstruo oscuro te persigue (ansiedad, depresión, soledad, etc).
Jóvenes y brujas, Ace of base, TLC, tamagotchis y una serie de amigas intentando cerrar un ritual de adiós a un exnovio desaparecido.
Pequeña, como decía, de esas que hacen catálogo y marcan parte del carácter de una editorial.
Muy interesante, si estáis en algún camino personal, de esos que discurren tangenciales al del resto de la gente pero nunca llegan a tocarse, mientras algún monstruo oscuro te persigue (ansiedad, depresión, soledad, etc).
August 23, 2022
I don't read much (any?) YA, so I have no real point of comparison with similar books, but I loved my all-too-brief trip into the woods with Brutal Hearts. Daley perfectly captures that feeling of being in the woods as the sun goes down, and events take a surprisingly Richard Laymon-esque turn as the story unfolds. Sinister and even scary at times, this reads like Daley's third or fourth book, such is the confidence of the writing.
October 30, 2023
Un YA de terror ambientado en los 90: ligero y fácil de leer. Perfecto para devorar en una tarde 🖤
July 28, 2022
Full review to come! Enjoyed my time back in 1997!
July 31, 2022
RTC but hi I’m really proud of Cassie!!!!
April 16, 2025
Años 90: una pareja de chicas adolescentes y sus dos amigas deciden hacer un ritual de cierre para despedir al exnovio de una de ellas, que desapareció hace un año en esa misma zona de la montaña.
Tras disfrutar de un pícnic en un escenario impresionante y de llevar a cabo el ritual, caminan de vuelta al coche. Entonces, empiezan a ser perseguidas por un extraño ser y se verán obligadas a correr y pelear por sus vidas, ¿sobrevivirá alguna?
He disfrutado muchísimo la novela y me ha recordado a las películas de terror de los 90: su narración tan visual, el ritmo trepidante en ciertas escenas y la magnífica forma de narrar de la autora han hecho que me olvide por unos momentos de todo y me sienta transportada a la historia. Y ¡no me esperaba el giro del final!
La narración no es lineal, sino que va saltando del presente al pasado y dando voz a diversos personajes (una de las chicas, el chico desaparecido y el detective que investiga las desapariciones en la zona).
Además, la banda sonora que ha creado la autora (la tenéis en Spotify) me ha flipado y me ha llevado de vuelta a mi adolescencia.
Si también vivisteis vuestra adolescencia en los 90, si os flipó la película Jóvenes y brujas y os interesaban el paganismo y la Wicca como a mí, o si queréis leer novelas con romance sáfico, personajes bisexuales y representación autista, ¡este es vuestro libro! (La autora e ilustradora es también autista).
Tras disfrutar de un pícnic en un escenario impresionante y de llevar a cabo el ritual, caminan de vuelta al coche. Entonces, empiezan a ser perseguidas por un extraño ser y se verán obligadas a correr y pelear por sus vidas, ¿sobrevivirá alguna?
He disfrutado muchísimo la novela y me ha recordado a las películas de terror de los 90: su narración tan visual, el ritmo trepidante en ciertas escenas y la magnífica forma de narrar de la autora han hecho que me olvide por unos momentos de todo y me sienta transportada a la historia. Y ¡no me esperaba el giro del final!
La narración no es lineal, sino que va saltando del presente al pasado y dando voz a diversos personajes (una de las chicas, el chico desaparecido y el detective que investiga las desapariciones en la zona).
Además, la banda sonora que ha creado la autora (la tenéis en Spotify) me ha flipado y me ha llevado de vuelta a mi adolescencia.
Si también vivisteis vuestra adolescencia en los 90, si os flipó la película Jóvenes y brujas y os interesaban el paganismo y la Wicca como a mí, o si queréis leer novelas con romance sáfico, personajes bisexuales y representación autista, ¡este es vuestro libro! (La autora e ilustradora es también autista).
January 15, 2023
Read this one last year and thought it was an excellent YA debut! Had all the Goosebumps/Christopher Pike feel and nostalgia I was hoping for. Can't wait to see what Cassie churns out next!
August 19, 2022
Just for full disclosure's sake, Cassie and I have been online friends for probably about 15 years at this point. So of course I had to buy her book. But my review is an honest review.
This YA-horror-novella is difficult to put down. Once the tension starts, it stays strong to the end.
Leah's fiance Simon went missing a year ago while on a hike. On the anniversary of his disappearance, Leah, along with her girlfriend and two friends go to say their goodbyes at the same spot her disappeared. But something ominous is waiting for them.
The reason for one less star is because I wanted to know the why at the end and I didn't get that. I won't go too much into that because it would give the entire premise of the story away and then you lose a lot of the tension that Cassie did so brilliantly creating. But I wanted to know why and how we got there.
But perhaps this leaves a great opportunity for Cassie to write a sequel and give us some more horror.
This YA-horror-novella is difficult to put down. Once the tension starts, it stays strong to the end.
Leah's fiance Simon went missing a year ago while on a hike. On the anniversary of his disappearance, Leah, along with her girlfriend and two friends go to say their goodbyes at the same spot her disappeared. But something ominous is waiting for them.
The reason for one less star is because I wanted to know the why at the end and I didn't get that. I won't go too much into that because it would give the entire premise of the story away and then you lose a lot of the tension that Cassie did so brilliantly creating. But I wanted to know why and how we got there.
But perhaps this leaves a great opportunity for Cassie to write a sequel and give us some more horror.
Read
October 20, 2022I'mma call this Tamagotchi horror. Haha. A pretty great debut from Cassie Daley. Fast-paced, emotional, and surprisingly gruesome. I honestly wasn't sure where the story was gonna go until the end. Loved the ride it took me on.
September 26, 2022
I feel a bit like a fish out of water rating and reviewing young adult fiction, but Daley’s characters and atmosphere immersed me immediately into teenage nostalgia. I *know* each of these characters, and often saw reflections of myself in them throughout the story. The teenage girls hiking through sinister woods were brave, tough, and relatable. I love that they didn’t make stupid, laughable choices that we all know and love in a slasher movie, but that we were still gifted with scares, camp, and gore from the reader’s seat. It was neat to get a touch of true crime solving through the detective’s POV as well. I really enjoyed the plot and read the book in one sitting.
The relationship dynamics were great - from betrayal to forgiveness. I am a sucker for a female friendship story, and the added queer and neurodiverse representation was a breath of fresh air. I bet fans of Wrong Turn (2021) and Malignant would dig this read.
The relationship dynamics were great - from betrayal to forgiveness. I am a sucker for a female friendship story, and the added queer and neurodiverse representation was a breath of fresh air. I bet fans of Wrong Turn (2021) and Malignant would dig this read.
May 15, 2025
En esta historia conocemos a Leah, que, junto a su novia Josie, su amiga Charlotte y la hermana de ella, May, deciden ir a un sendero en el cual se perdió la expareja de Leah, Simon, para hacer un ritual con el objetivo de intentar cerrar su etapa con él.
Ha sido buena lectura para volver a leer libros, es ligerita, pero la historia en si no ha logrado engancharme.
Por la mitad, la historia empieza a volverse un poco más interesante, ya que se incluyen elementos de terror y con toques gore, pero... no es una historia que se me vaya a quedar grabada en la cabeza.
Ha sido buena lectura para volver a leer libros, es ligerita, pero la historia en si no ha logrado engancharme.
Por la mitad, la historia empieza a volverse un poco más interesante, ya que se incluyen elementos de terror y con toques gore, pero... no es una historia que se me vaya a quedar grabada en la cabeza.
May 16, 2024
Intranscendent però divertida novel·la de terror Young Adult. M'ha recordat "Vertige", una petita pel·lícula francesa de por ambientada a la muntanya. Els personatges no creixen gaire i els perquès de tot plegat són poc satisfactoris, però passa força bé, és distreta i pot agradar molt a la franja d'edat a la qual va dirigida. Cal reconèixer que és macabra i gore (molt més del que t'esperes en un YA). A més, està ambientada als noranta, l'autora emula amb èxit les novel·les juvenils de Christopher Pike (The Midnight Club) i apareixen tamagotchis. Sona bé, però tot seria molt més rodó si estiguéssim parlant d'un relat de quaranta pàgines...
May 5, 2025
3’5/5
Esta novela nos cuenta la historia de Leah, quien tras la desaparición de su exnovio Simón hace ya un año, no ha logrado seguir adelante con normalidad, así que junto con su novia Josie, y sus dos mejores amigas Charlotte y May, deciden adentrarse en el bosque donde despareció Simon para realizar un ritual que consiga darle algo de paz.
Lo que no se imaginaban es que dentro de este mismo bosque, iba a comenzar una siniestra aventura y una terrible persecución para todas ellas.
Me ha encantado la novela. En apenas 150 páginas, esconde mucho más que una simple historia de terror. La autora va alternando capítulos del presente y el pasado para darnos un poco a conocer la historia de estas cuatro chicas y como han llegado hasta donde están.
Combina muy bien los elementos de misterio, el no saber que está pasando, con una exploración de las emociones humanas y de lo que supone la pérdida y el proceso de superación.
Otro punto importante a mencionar es que este libro incluye personajes queer y dos personajes con autismo, y aunque en ningún momento se hable explícitamente de esto, es de agradecer, ya que como la propia autora nos dice en los agradecimientos “Para mí es importante que los personajes y las historias que escribo incluyan representaciones que desearía ver de forma más habitual”
Esta novela nos cuenta la historia de Leah, quien tras la desaparición de su exnovio Simón hace ya un año, no ha logrado seguir adelante con normalidad, así que junto con su novia Josie, y sus dos mejores amigas Charlotte y May, deciden adentrarse en el bosque donde despareció Simon para realizar un ritual que consiga darle algo de paz.
Lo que no se imaginaban es que dentro de este mismo bosque, iba a comenzar una siniestra aventura y una terrible persecución para todas ellas.
Me ha encantado la novela. En apenas 150 páginas, esconde mucho más que una simple historia de terror. La autora va alternando capítulos del presente y el pasado para darnos un poco a conocer la historia de estas cuatro chicas y como han llegado hasta donde están.
Combina muy bien los elementos de misterio, el no saber que está pasando, con una exploración de las emociones humanas y de lo que supone la pérdida y el proceso de superación.
Otro punto importante a mencionar es que este libro incluye personajes queer y dos personajes con autismo, y aunque en ningún momento se hable explícitamente de esto, es de agradecer, ya que como la propia autora nos dice en los agradecimientos “Para mí es importante que los personajes y las historias que escribo incluyan representaciones que desearía ver de forma más habitual”
October 23, 2023
Lectura 237 Corazones indómitos de Cassie Daley
Traducción Javier Martos
Estupenda aventura de terror juvenil con representación queer y del autismo. Utiliza una vieja historia (excursión con peligros) y la actualiza con un giro interesante.
4/5
Traducción Javier Martos
Estupenda aventura de terror juvenil con representación queer y del autismo. Utiliza una vieja historia (excursión con peligros) y la actualiza con un giro interesante.
4/5
August 22, 2022
Brutal Hearts is a throwback to the 90's YA horror so many of us loved, but this isn't a Christopher Pike ripoff by any means. It's a balanced dive into nostalgia rooted in modern-day themes. This fast paced, queer-centric thriller feels like it was meant to be told around a campfire with your friends.
It's a hell of a debut and I can't wait to see more from Cassie.
Definitely Recommended
It's a hell of a debut and I can't wait to see more from Cassie.
Definitely Recommended
July 29, 2022
For the sake of a disclaimer, I will say that the author and I are mutuals on Twitter. However, that won’t stop me from giving an honest review on a novella that honestly intrigued me. Pansexual representation in a YA horror novel? 90s nostalgia? An incredibly creepy forest and hiking trail? All of those sounded like complete winners to me.
In the end, Brutal Hearts proves a diverting and incredibly fast-paced read with lots of potential. However, this YA novella has a few glaring weaknesses as it winds down the mystery of Simon’s disappearance.
Read the rest of the review here.
In the end, Brutal Hearts proves a diverting and incredibly fast-paced read with lots of potential. However, this YA novella has a few glaring weaknesses as it winds down the mystery of Simon’s disappearance.
Read the rest of the review here.
August 2, 2022
This was a fun and gory creature feature, reminiscent of THE DESCENT. I read it in one day. Looking forward to reading more from Cassie Daley!
January 9, 2026
Esta es mi mierda. ¡Me ha encantado!
Perfecta para salir de un parón lector o desatascar el embudo de lecturas.
Es una lectura ligera, adictiva y bien escrita. Me he divertido mucho leyéndola, te la devoras de una sentada. Recomendadísima. Repetiré con la autora. 100/10 🖤✨
Perfecta para salir de un parón lector o desatascar el embudo de lecturas.
Es una lectura ligera, adictiva y bien escrita. Me he divertido mucho leyéndola, te la devoras de una sentada. Recomendadísima. Repetiré con la autora. 100/10 🖤✨
July 31, 2022
This was such an exciting read! Love the 90s and loved the ending. Great work!
August 26, 2023
this is one of those stories that would benefit from being longer so that it could go deeper into the characters and mystery. i enjoyed it overall but i wasn't to get as hooked.
July 31, 2022
Is a book set in 1997 considered historical fiction in 2022? If so, I am uncomfortable. But that's beside the point because Brutal Hearts is a dose of 90s kid nostalgia straight into the veins so I don't mind feeling old. (I miss my Tamagotchi that I buried in my backyard in 1996.)
I love nature, hiking, and the outdoors and don't think twice about all the various ways I could get into trouble or worse on the trail. But as Leah, Josie, Charlotte, and May discover, there are many more secrets and dangers on the mountain than forgetting flashlights.
Brutal Hearts is adventurous and nostalgic while also horrific. There are real stakes in this novella and it seems no one is safe. This is a story heavy on gore, blood, and injury with a group of characters who all basically hurt one another in various ways. That juxtaposition of interpersonal horrors with the survival elements made for an interesting read. I can't wait to see what Cassie does next as she continues to hone her craft. This is the perfect summer horror book.
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I love nature, hiking, and the outdoors and don't think twice about all the various ways I could get into trouble or worse on the trail. But as Leah, Josie, Charlotte, and May discover, there are many more secrets and dangers on the mountain than forgetting flashlights.
"A foreboding feeling had settled over the evening, the darkness pressing in on them more suffocatingly sinister."The narrative nails descriptive, fast-paced writing with building tension. I loved the descriptive language that brought the scene to life... but be warned it goes both ways and you'll find yourself with mental images of horrifying things as well. Maybe read this one in the daytime?
"One of the shadows detached itself, separating from the others. It pulled away from the cluster of bushes and slid down in their direction, moving with a quick pace."Excellently plotted, I love the way this story comes together. My one struggle is with the third-person narration; I struggled to follow which of the 4 characters it was talking about at specific points. That said, this is partially a preference and I still enjoyed my reading experience overall.
Brutal Hearts is adventurous and nostalgic while also horrific. There are real stakes in this novella and it seems no one is safe. This is a story heavy on gore, blood, and injury with a group of characters who all basically hurt one another in various ways. That juxtaposition of interpersonal horrors with the survival elements made for an interesting read. I can't wait to see what Cassie does next as she continues to hone her craft. This is the perfect summer horror book.
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July 17, 2022
I think this is the perfect book for some summer horror reading.
There were threads I would have liked to see explored further, and moments that I felt could have been given longer to land. Some of the deepest potential for complex, emotional horror, took a backseat to the faster paced survival narrative. There is always a part of me that wants to see such tenuous character dynamics pushed to their breaking point once they have been introduced.
That being said, it was also an immense relief to sit down for a few hours with a book that was not emotionally draining.
I think Daley does an excellent job introducing conflict in a way that it feels real, but not taxing to the audience. By letting the main survival narrative take a strong focus, it puts the tiring themes of insecurities, slights, and competition between women, into perspective. You can still relate to the characters and feel empathetic for their struggles, but there is little time to linger in the second-hand self pity.
This all speaks to my favorite of the book, which was the pacing.
I read this in a single sitting, and it played out very much like a movie. I got to be fully focused in this fun, scary world, and it got my mind off of everything else for a little while. We need more books like that in the world, and they do make the perfect summer reads.
Combine that with the 90's nostalgia and some sorely needed pansexual rep from the protagonist, and this was a book that just seems to be made for me at the exact point in my life when I needed it the most.
There were threads I would have liked to see explored further, and moments that I felt could have been given longer to land. Some of the deepest potential for complex, emotional horror, took a backseat to the faster paced survival narrative. There is always a part of me that wants to see such tenuous character dynamics pushed to their breaking point once they have been introduced.
That being said, it was also an immense relief to sit down for a few hours with a book that was not emotionally draining.
I think Daley does an excellent job introducing conflict in a way that it feels real, but not taxing to the audience. By letting the main survival narrative take a strong focus, it puts the tiring themes of insecurities, slights, and competition between women, into perspective. You can still relate to the characters and feel empathetic for their struggles, but there is little time to linger in the second-hand self pity.
This all speaks to my favorite of the book, which was the pacing.
I read this in a single sitting, and it played out very much like a movie. I got to be fully focused in this fun, scary world, and it got my mind off of everything else for a little while. We need more books like that in the world, and they do make the perfect summer reads.
Combine that with the 90's nostalgia and some sorely needed pansexual rep from the protagonist, and this was a book that just seems to be made for me at the exact point in my life when I needed it the most.
March 26, 2023
Brutal Hearts by Cassie Daley
Summary (from the copy on the back of the book):
It’s 1997 and Leah just can’t seem to catch a break.
A year has passed since her fiancé went missing while hiking alone on a mountain, and she can’t shake the unanswered question and nightmares Simon left behind.
On the anniversary if his disappearance, Leah and her new girlfriend Josie return to the trail where Simon disappeared with two of their best friends. Armed with incense, tarot cards, crystals, and snacks, the girls have everything they need to complete their ritual to help Leah finally say goodbye to Simon, once and for all.
But the trails are hiding something sinister, and it’s been waiting. As night falls around them, the girls find themselves in a deadly game against something vicious and wild that’s made a home for itself on the mountain.
It’s time to find out what really happened to Simon.
The Story:
The story focuses on Leah, the ex-girlfriend of Simon who has gone missing, where she has invited her current girlfriend Josie, best-friend Charlotte, and Charlotte’s little sister May to a mountain side hiking trail at Sapphire Bay to say their goodbyes to Simon under the presumption that he has died. After the séance held by Leah, Charlotte, and May, the four girls begin their hike back to the car park to where they are thwarted by a menacing figure that is stalking them. During their return, catastrophe befalls the four girls, and tragedy ensues. As they flee, flashbacks are interspersed to offer an insight into the relationship that Leah and Simon had, the police investigation on Simon’s disappearance, and how everything arrived to this point.
Now, what was once a moment for closure, has become a fight for survival as the night consumes the day.
The Characters:
The main protagonist is Leah, a seventeen year old high school senior, which is currently in a relationship with Josie. Leah is described as a woman of average height and curvaceous, with shoulder-length dark hair, and is adventurous in the outdoor nature sense. Josie is roughly the same height, but with dark tightly curled hair, and average build. Charlotte is slightly taller, with auburn hair in a stratified-layered style (the “Rachael”), very classically feminine, pretty much a social butterfly & flirtatious. May is younger than the other three girls, shorter, introverted if not somewhat autistic (at the very least on the spectrum), with frizzy red hair. Simon is tall, very attractive with thick, dark, wavy hair, and somewhat athletically built if not simply slim. Alvin, the detective investigating the case, is very much a by-the-book officer with no need for trivialities.
Pacing:
The book feels like it’s very evenly paced, captivating the reader to keep going, which is something that is rather rare for me. Most stories have certain difficulty to get to that moment that hooks you into keep reading, as usually that manifests itself several chapters in, where Brutal Hearts manages this within the first chapter alone. When I was reading Archangel by Richard Harris, it required me to reread entire sections, if not chapters to adequately understand what was happening because of just how slow it’s paced and how dryly it’s written. I gave Brutal Hears two complete reads, one shortly after I received it, and the second not that long ago. It took about two hours to devour the 148 pages each time. The reread wasn’t because I got lost, it’s because I enjoyed it.
The dialog and action of the story are nicely balanced, with enough description to where it paints a vivid picture (really much closer to seeing it play out like a movie) as I moved along from page to page. There was plenty of emotional charge in the story that made me worry about Leah and Josie, remorseful over May, and disdain for the Charlotte.
The Bechdel Test/Forced-Romance Narrative:
My assessments include whether a story passes the Bechdel test and/or if there is a Forced-Romance narrative. To establish this section, may I clarify what each means. To pass the Bechdel test a work must feature at least two women, these women must talk to each other, and their conversation must concern something other than a man. A Forced-Romance Narrative is where a work features two characters of which there is no established chemistry between characters or any interest between them ending up “falling in love” or in a relationship as a means of a plot driving device. Either of these two, or both, could feel slap-dash and demonstrate poor story telling as these would feel like a crutch.
The book passes the Bechdel Test, as the only conversations that the characters have about Simon are relevant to the plot, and not in a fawning manner. The relationship between Leah and Josie is already established and feels completely organic, empathetic, and endearing.
Critique:
There’s really only one small criticism that I have and it has to deal with the rush for Leah and Simon to get married after they graduate high school. Maturity changes how people think, act, and feel, and I sense that Leah and Simon would unfortunately get a divorce as they got older because the veneer of teenage love will fade. Leah and Simon have their entire futures ahead of them, and they might want to go to college, travel the world, or find something else of which that may change (or challenge outright) the direction of their relationship. This is made apparent as Josie, who doesn’t much like hiking and outdoorsy activities, participates with them because of Leah. That is maturity.
Overall:
This book doesn’t necessarily feel like it is in the vein of a YA novel, nor does it embody an adult novel, but fits very nicely for a general audience. From what I’ve read (even though it has been over twenty years since), this reads very much like something from R.L. Stein and maybe Christopher Pike. The last book I’ve read that had captivated me like this was The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Laarson, which I’ve read after I watched the movie (the original Swedish version), where it gripped me from the thrilling intrigue and danger throughout.
As I’ve already stated, I enjoyed this book. During the first read, the tension was enough to keep me engaged with the story and I didn’t want to put it down (I ultimately had to put my bookmark in so I could get a refill on my coffee). It was nicely paced with engaging characters, brilliant repartee and rapport, and with playlists paired with each as an exquisite cherry-on-top. [chef’s kiss:mwah!]
Final Rating:
9 out of 10
Summary (from the copy on the back of the book):
It’s 1997 and Leah just can’t seem to catch a break.
A year has passed since her fiancé went missing while hiking alone on a mountain, and she can’t shake the unanswered question and nightmares Simon left behind.
On the anniversary if his disappearance, Leah and her new girlfriend Josie return to the trail where Simon disappeared with two of their best friends. Armed with incense, tarot cards, crystals, and snacks, the girls have everything they need to complete their ritual to help Leah finally say goodbye to Simon, once and for all.
But the trails are hiding something sinister, and it’s been waiting. As night falls around them, the girls find themselves in a deadly game against something vicious and wild that’s made a home for itself on the mountain.
It’s time to find out what really happened to Simon.
The Story:
The story focuses on Leah, the ex-girlfriend of Simon who has gone missing, where she has invited her current girlfriend Josie, best-friend Charlotte, and Charlotte’s little sister May to a mountain side hiking trail at Sapphire Bay to say their goodbyes to Simon under the presumption that he has died. After the séance held by Leah, Charlotte, and May, the four girls begin their hike back to the car park to where they are thwarted by a menacing figure that is stalking them. During their return, catastrophe befalls the four girls, and tragedy ensues. As they flee, flashbacks are interspersed to offer an insight into the relationship that Leah and Simon had, the police investigation on Simon’s disappearance, and how everything arrived to this point.
Now, what was once a moment for closure, has become a fight for survival as the night consumes the day.
The Characters:
The main protagonist is Leah, a seventeen year old high school senior, which is currently in a relationship with Josie. Leah is described as a woman of average height and curvaceous, with shoulder-length dark hair, and is adventurous in the outdoor nature sense. Josie is roughly the same height, but with dark tightly curled hair, and average build. Charlotte is slightly taller, with auburn hair in a stratified-layered style (the “Rachael”), very classically feminine, pretty much a social butterfly & flirtatious. May is younger than the other three girls, shorter, introverted if not somewhat autistic (at the very least on the spectrum), with frizzy red hair. Simon is tall, very attractive with thick, dark, wavy hair, and somewhat athletically built if not simply slim. Alvin, the detective investigating the case, is very much a by-the-book officer with no need for trivialities.
Pacing:
The book feels like it’s very evenly paced, captivating the reader to keep going, which is something that is rather rare for me. Most stories have certain difficulty to get to that moment that hooks you into keep reading, as usually that manifests itself several chapters in, where Brutal Hearts manages this within the first chapter alone. When I was reading Archangel by Richard Harris, it required me to reread entire sections, if not chapters to adequately understand what was happening because of just how slow it’s paced and how dryly it’s written. I gave Brutal Hears two complete reads, one shortly after I received it, and the second not that long ago. It took about two hours to devour the 148 pages each time. The reread wasn’t because I got lost, it’s because I enjoyed it.
The dialog and action of the story are nicely balanced, with enough description to where it paints a vivid picture (really much closer to seeing it play out like a movie) as I moved along from page to page. There was plenty of emotional charge in the story that made me worry about Leah and Josie, remorseful over May, and disdain for the Charlotte.
The Bechdel Test/Forced-Romance Narrative:
My assessments include whether a story passes the Bechdel test and/or if there is a Forced-Romance narrative. To establish this section, may I clarify what each means. To pass the Bechdel test a work must feature at least two women, these women must talk to each other, and their conversation must concern something other than a man. A Forced-Romance Narrative is where a work features two characters of which there is no established chemistry between characters or any interest between them ending up “falling in love” or in a relationship as a means of a plot driving device. Either of these two, or both, could feel slap-dash and demonstrate poor story telling as these would feel like a crutch.
The book passes the Bechdel Test, as the only conversations that the characters have about Simon are relevant to the plot, and not in a fawning manner. The relationship between Leah and Josie is already established and feels completely organic, empathetic, and endearing.
Critique:
There’s really only one small criticism that I have and it has to deal with the rush for Leah and Simon to get married after they graduate high school. Maturity changes how people think, act, and feel, and I sense that Leah and Simon would unfortunately get a divorce as they got older because the veneer of teenage love will fade. Leah and Simon have their entire futures ahead of them, and they might want to go to college, travel the world, or find something else of which that may change (or challenge outright) the direction of their relationship. This is made apparent as Josie, who doesn’t much like hiking and outdoorsy activities, participates with them because of Leah. That is maturity.
Overall:
This book doesn’t necessarily feel like it is in the vein of a YA novel, nor does it embody an adult novel, but fits very nicely for a general audience. From what I’ve read (even though it has been over twenty years since), this reads very much like something from R.L. Stein and maybe Christopher Pike. The last book I’ve read that had captivated me like this was The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Laarson, which I’ve read after I watched the movie (the original Swedish version), where it gripped me from the thrilling intrigue and danger throughout.
As I’ve already stated, I enjoyed this book. During the first read, the tension was enough to keep me engaged with the story and I didn’t want to put it down (I ultimately had to put my bookmark in so I could get a refill on my coffee). It was nicely paced with engaging characters, brilliant repartee and rapport, and with playlists paired with each as an exquisite cherry-on-top. [chef’s kiss:mwah!]
Final Rating:
9 out of 10
July 12, 2022
I had heard of Cassie through the Pikecast podcast, and from the cover and description I could tell this was a homage to those classic campy 80s and 90s YA horror novels so many of us loved back then. Other than that I went into this having no idea what to expect, which is the perfect way to go.
Mild spoilers ahead!
I devoured this in a day. From the beginning I was ready for anything. Was there a witchy black magic curse involved? Is this whole hike a ruse to get revenge? Demons? Aliens? VAMPIRES?? It literally could have gone anywhere. I was left guessing until the very end. And what an end it was! It reminded me somewhat of the Descent (I guess more of an Ascent in this case) with it’s primal brutality. The level of gore is far beyond those old YA books and I loved how unexpected that was. The graphic descriptions totally caught me off guard, which was fun. Going from a pretty light teenage mystery romp to seriously scary body horror nightmare was such a trip. Overall very engaging, I wish it was longer! An excellent first novel that absolutely captured that nostalgic vibe, only with less problematic elements and more queer representation. I look forward to whatever spooky stories Cassie cooks up in the future.
Mild spoilers ahead!
I devoured this in a day. From the beginning I was ready for anything. Was there a witchy black magic curse involved? Is this whole hike a ruse to get revenge? Demons? Aliens? VAMPIRES?? It literally could have gone anywhere. I was left guessing until the very end. And what an end it was! It reminded me somewhat of the Descent (I guess more of an Ascent in this case) with it’s primal brutality. The level of gore is far beyond those old YA books and I loved how unexpected that was. The graphic descriptions totally caught me off guard, which was fun. Going from a pretty light teenage mystery romp to seriously scary body horror nightmare was such a trip. Overall very engaging, I wish it was longer! An excellent first novel that absolutely captured that nostalgic vibe, only with less problematic elements and more queer representation. I look forward to whatever spooky stories Cassie cooks up in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 12, 2022This novella reads rather quickly. I was able to finish it in two sittings.
The situation:
A group of young women set off to “the mountain” on a hiking trail where the main character’s fiancé, Simon, went missing one year ago. Although she’s moved on romantically, she still seeks some sort of peace and closure surrounding Simon’s disappearance.
While the girls are out on their trek, things begin to go horribly wrong (as things tend to do in horror stories) and the girls find themselves in a fight for survival against an unknown assailant. I won’t say more, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers.
The vibe of this story was well done. There were enough 90s references to please those of us who like nostalgia. In the acknowledgements, the author cites Christopher Pike as an influence. Having devoured many of his novels as a teenager, I can see that.
Verdict:
A short and thrilling read that will be easy to blow through. Come for the 90s nostalgia, and stay for the creepy mystery.
The situation:
A group of young women set off to “the mountain” on a hiking trail where the main character’s fiancé, Simon, went missing one year ago. Although she’s moved on romantically, she still seeks some sort of peace and closure surrounding Simon’s disappearance.
While the girls are out on their trek, things begin to go horribly wrong (as things tend to do in horror stories) and the girls find themselves in a fight for survival against an unknown assailant. I won’t say more, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers.
The vibe of this story was well done. There were enough 90s references to please those of us who like nostalgia. In the acknowledgements, the author cites Christopher Pike as an influence. Having devoured many of his novels as a teenager, I can see that.
Verdict:
A short and thrilling read that will be easy to blow through. Come for the 90s nostalgia, and stay for the creepy mystery.
July 21, 2022
I really got the feeling that this was a campfire story being told deep in the night with the fire crackle.
I really enjoyed it
I really enjoyed it
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