I enjoyed this book. It was well written and well paced. It has an original concept and the character development is well done. The setting is easy to visualize and atmospheric. You can feel the creepiness of the woods, etc as you read the book. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

What a wonderful book! There were some great scares and creepy moments, and I really liked the tone of it. This was my first read of this author and I will be looking for more books by them. Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for letting me preview this book.

This is definitely a plot that I didn't see coming! As far as originality goes, I certainly find the whole novel to be remarkably original. Even after reading the Author's Note and seeing where the inspiration came from, I love the idea behind it and the plot. That being said, I'm not the biggest fan of the execution. Mouse doesn't sound like a 30-something year old, rather someone in their 40s trying to sound like someone in their 20s. Mouse's voice doesn't feel natural and comes across more often as forced or trying too hard. The writing also isn't that great, though I don't know whether that's due to the problems with the narration or the actual writing itself. Personally, I'd like to think that it's due to the narrator's voice more than the author's skill.

Overall, The Twisted Ones is a quick, fun read for the Halloween season, and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read it!

The Twisted Ones did have some definitely creepy parts to it but I think I was expecting more of a scary factor to it. It's possible I just don't scare as much while reading because I think if this book was a movie it would be quite scary. There is a bit of humor to the text so that probably helped dampen the scary parts. The publisher describes this book as The Blair Witch Project meets The Andy Griffith Show - that's quite the description. Set in the woods of rural North Carolina, the main character Mouse (yes - that's her name!) goes to clean out her deceased Grandmother's house. When she arrives there, she finds that her Grandmother was a hoarder and while cleaning out the house she discovers her Step-Grandfather's journal and the contents of the journal sound like crazy, terrifying rants but soon Mouse while alone in the woods with her dog Bongo, starts to experience some of the same things he has written about. If your looking for something really terrifying for the month of October, this book probably won't do that. For me this book was just average and I'd give it 3 stars. Thanks to Gallery / Saga Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Twisted Ones was a fun novel featuring the perfect blend of humor and horror, with the first element provided mainly in the form of the main character’s incredibly infectious voice, while the second came via the setting’s creeptastic atmosphere. You’ve got an old house in the middle of the woods, filled with decaying trash and other ghastly things like scary baby dolls. Meanwhile, the locals also know better than to go wandering among the trees, for it is said the laws of reality work differently here, and unwary travelers might suddenly find themselves stumbling through a veil into another world. Not to mention, the woods is home to monsters—strange, grisly creatures made from dead bodies and grinning skulls.

But of course, being a newcomer, Mouse was unaware that any of this awaited her as she rolled up to her late grandmother’s house, at the behest of her father who wanted to see if anything could be salvaged from the property. One look, however, was enough to tell Mouse the answer. Dear old granny was a mean, miserable bitch in life (no, seriously, she was a real piece of work), and in her last days, seemed to have become quite the recluse and hoarder as well. The place is filled from top to bottom with useless junk, but being the dutiful daughter, Mouse decides to stick around and help clean it out. Together with her loyal coonhound Bongo, the two get ready to settle in for the long haul.

But soon, during her walks in the woods with Bongo, Mouse starts coming across impossible things, like a grassy hill where none was supposed to be, or odd stones carved with unnerving pictures and symbols. And then came the most frightening discovery of all—a gruesome effigy made of animal bone and body parts, hanging from a tree. Mouse knows she shouldn’t let her imagination get away from her, and yet she can’t help but feel the thing might have been alive—watching and waiting. Worse, among her grandmother’s cluttered belongings, Mouse finds an old journal that belonged to her step-grandfather. To anyone else, the old man’s writings would have sounded like the nonsensical ravings of a disturbed mind, but after seeing what she did in the woods, Mouse has reason to believe her step-grandfather must have been terrorized by the same horrors plaguing her now.

Be sure not to let the cheery, affable nature and tone of the narrator fool you into thinking this is a light and airy novel, because this one was downright CREEPY. In particular, there was a scene around halfway through that made me regret my decision to read this book after dark, as I ended up having a bit of trouble falling asleep that night, my attention drawn constantly to the window to make sure nothing was peering inside. Anyone who’s read The Twisted Ones will probably know exactly which scene I’m talking about.

But let’s back up and talk about how this book captured my attention and love immediately, starting with the first page when readers were introduced to Mouse, a middle-aged editor who just got out of a bad relationship and is in desperate need of a distraction. Right away, you knew this was a strong and independent lady who knew how to take care of herself, and who wouldn’t let a setback stop her for long. In the end though, what I adored most about Mouse, and what made her so relatable, was her easygoing and funny personality, and I lost track of the number of times where she said something that made me burst out laughing.

To be sure, finding this balance between fright and fun was the best surprise, and what I loved most about The Twisted Ones. And I guess seeing such a strong, vivacious and easygoing character like Mouse go to pieces with terror at the things she sees in the woods also somehow emphasized the novel’s horror for me.

Other aspects I enjoyed include the side characters, like Foxy and Tomas, and of course, who can forget sweet, goofy Bongo, who brought so much bounce and joy and to this story—to the point where I would insist horror fans who are also dog lovers must read this book. In terms of criticisms, I honestly can’t think of much, though I suppose if push comes to shove, I would say the ending might have been a tad on the weaker side due to some disjointedness.

Still, as you can probably tell, I had a great time with The Twisted Ones. This was my first experience with Ursula Vernon, who is writing here as T. Kingfisher, but it certainly wouldn’t be my last! Overall, I loved the mix of creepiness and humor, and after a string of horror books that failed to leave much of an impression this October, I’m also relieved and happy to finally read one that didn’t disappoint! Highly recommended if you’re looking for a spine-chilling read this season that’s also tremendously entertaining.

I couldn't get into this at all. It started out so slowly, and after page after page of the main character cleaning out her grandmother's house, I had to give up.

Melissa travels to Pondsboro, NC to clear out her grandmother's house after her death. Her relationship with her grandmother was complicated. The woman was mean, difficult and just....off. Turns out she was a hoarder, too. As she slowly starts to clear out the house, she finds her step-grandfather's diary and notices strange things about the surrounding woods. Weird rock carvings. Disfigured animals. Strange effigies. And the tapping sounds....always the tapping. Melissa -- Mouse to her friends -- and her faithful dog Bongo soon discover there are a lot more things lurking in the trees than just deer. Terrible, horrible things.

I live in NC. In fact, my house sits down in a quiet neighborhood with a dense stand of woods right across the road from our house. We live in the middle of town, but deer frequently come through our yard and bound across the street in front of my car. The hills around the small town where we live are covered with tall mountain trees. The forest is beautiful.....but also thick and dark in places. Perfect setting for a horror story. I kept comparing Pondsboro to where I live.....homey, southern people with some weird commune/quirky stuff going on. And.....some real evil crap hiding in the trees. Sucked me right in. To add to the creepy feel, I waited until it was dark outside and sat to read this book on my front porch. Each time Melissa saw something in the woods or Bongo bounded off into the trees, I looked across the road at the tall, dark woods and just let that "I feel like I'm being watched" moment sink in before I continued reading. Perfect!

I loved this story! Very creepy vibe and great suspense. The author said it was based a bit on an old horror story from 1904 -- The White People by Arthur Machen. I have never read this story....but I'm definitely going to find a copy!

T. Kingfisher is a pen-name for author Ursula Vernon, who writes children's books. While I have never read any of her books for kids, I'm definitely looking forward to more of her books for adults! This story was creepy, entertaining and quite scary in places (especially when I'm reading about the NC woods.....sitting quite close to the NC woods! lol)

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Saga Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A Lovecraftian tale of folk horror. A young woman goes to clean out the house of her hoarder grandma. There, she uncovers her grandfather’s secret journal and the beings that he speaks of begin to knock on the front door ...

I loved this book! It had some excellent scares and was written with a fascinating voice. I plan to read more T. Kingfisher in the future, and I have already started handselling this title.

When Mouse agrees to clean out her Grandmother's house in rural North Carolina after her death, she had no idea what she was getting into. Her Grandmother was a hoarder, and poor Mouse is stuck sifting through mountains of garbage and clutter with only her trusty coon hound Bongo to keep her company. But when she discovers her Step-grandfather's journal, she starts to get curious about what else could be lurking in the house or out in the woods. She soon stops wondering and starts being afraid, very afraid. But with Bongo by her side and a crew of quirky neighbors willing to help her, Mouse dives deep into old folk magic she never thought could be real.

I blew through The Twisted Ones! T. Kingfisher's writing is so entertaining and juicy. The imagery is rich and shocking, the characters are well developed and a ton of fun, and the lore is fascinating. As a piece of folk horror, I found it gripping and compelling. When you take old-country stories and beliefs and you bring them into stark contrast with the modern era, sometimes the juxtaposition itself is unsettling. This book goes way beyond unsettling, however.

But The Twisted Ones isn't a beat-you-over-the-head scary book. It has its creepy (even horrific) moments, but it's mostly a well told adventure with some solid scares and a well developed setting. Something I appreciate the most about it is its sense of humor. Mouse is hilarious, and the neighbors she makes friends with are so fun you find yourself wanting to have dinner with them yourself.

The Twisted Ones is a well-rounded novel for those who are intrigued by the darker side of things. It's steeped in old-timey lore and family secrets, with a healthy dose of humor and adventure. I recommend this book to both horror and non-horror readers alike! It's truly a romp of a story.

I love this author’s adult fantasy novels, but this is the first fantasy/horror book by her I’ve read. While I don’t like to watch scary movies, I do enjoy a good horror book and this is one of the best I’ve read in quite awhile.

I think the setting is what did it for me. I mean how much more creepy can you get than a house set out in the woods, full of hoarded junk, and the discovery of a journal written by a deceased family member that talks about a missing book? The journal’s rambling, somewhat nonsensical narrative, with repetitive words and talk of twisted ones is also quite eerie.

The heroine, Mouse, was the perfect mix of tentativeness and bravery. She had this wonderful, deep understanding about human nature and the ability to use humor to cope with the fear of her situation. She also has an awesome relationship with her somewhat goofy, yet endearing dog.

As with every book I’ve read by this author, everything from the pacing, to the narration, to the character development, to the worldbuilding is superb. She knows how to keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats. The Twisted Ones is weird and creepy and I highly recommend. I’ve enjoyed every T. Kingfisher book I’ve read and look forward to what she has in store for her readers next.

Final grade- B+

Thank you Saga Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I've heard a lot about T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon's writing and in particular, the humor. The humor in The Twisted Ones,a dark novel, lives up to the hype. It added some needed levity to moments of intensity. I finished the book so I enjoyed it will enough but portions of it fell flat. I needed more from the characters, except for Bongo. Everyone can love and understand and feel for Bongo.

Written by T. Kingfisher, the Twisted Ones is definitely a dark story, however this is not a ghost story. This is more along the lines of... A horror novel than ghost story.

The main character and her dog must fight their way back to the normal world after getting sucked into something else while cleaning out her grandmother's house.

There are not many novels that I will say are too dark for me to handle, but this is one of them. From the get go, as this is told present day relating what she just went through, everything has a sinister twist.

With that, the horror aspect does wear off as you work your way through the book, and is just creepy.

If that's what you are looking for, then this is a great novel for you.

I did receive a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this unique, dark book full of mysterious noises, houses full of secrets, and monsters looking in through windows at night. I found the narrator very likable.

I’m a big T. Kingfisher fan and I adore her fairytale retellings, they are hilarious and have so much heart that it’s hard not to love them.

Her wit is amazing to the point that I haven’t found a romance writer or any writer for that matter who is as good as her. I mean she is just laugh out loud funny!

This book isn’t a romance but the trademark wit is there in spades. I really enjoyed the folk horror aspect. It’s not super scary if you are wondering, at least not to me. Mouse is a great heroine and I really enjoyed her story.

I really hope she returns to romance though.

I received this eARC from netgalley.

Mouse has been asked by her father to clean out her recent Grandma's home. She was not expecting the hoarding conditions that awaited her. Shortly after arriving strange things start happening. The woman walking in the woods, a creature looking in her bedroom and hanging in the woods. But when her dog returns with a note under his collar asking for help she's definitely not expecting what's to come.

I went into The Twisted Ones expecting creepy monsters in the woods. Unfortunately that's not what I got. There was one scene that creeped me out. The rest was just meh.
From the synopsis I was expecting a horror story. It read more like a science fiction or fantasy novel. Maybe it's just because I don't usually read sci-fi or fantasy or because I wasn't enjoying the story but I'm still unsure just how the heck these effigies, holler people, white rocks, nests things all came together. I felt they weren't clearly described enough for me to picture in my mind, therefore I just couldn't find them scary.

Unfortunately this was not what I was hoping for and not how I was wanting to kick off my frightening fall reads.

Kingfisher is a great storyteller and the story moves along drawing you into this, of course, unbelievable world. It's told in a folksy kind of voice which suits the setting of rural North Carolina perfectly. Mouse is an editor who was asked by her Dad to clean out her grandmother's house. When she gets there she realizes her grandmother is a hoarder and stuff is stacked everywhere, blocking doors and stairs and windows. This is going to be a huge job!

During the cleanup she finds her step-grandfather's journal which she thinks is full of nonsense, until some of the things he described start happening around her. This is such a fantastical tale that I never really got scared while reading it, just mostly grossed out by the descriptions of the things that existed.. I liked the folksy nature of Mouse and the practicality of Foxy, and, of course I enjoyed the dog, Bongo the coonhound.

This story was inspired by what I understand is a classic horror story called "The White People" which was written in 1904 by Welsh author Arthur Machen - and no, I haven't read that one.

Thanks to Saga Press through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is difficult to review because it is part horror story, part science fiction. Likeable characters and a loveable, goofy dog (no animals harmed in the story) inject a bit of comic relief and keep this tale from being too dark.

I really wanted to love The Twisted Ones but I have to admit that I struggled a bit with this one. 🙁

When Mouse’s dad asked her to clean out her grandmother’s house she never imagined the problems she would encounter. First, her grandmother was a hoarder and the place was a horrible mess. Second, there is something spooky in the woods.

While Mouse is cleaning her grandmother’s house she finds her stepgrandfather’s journal and it sounds like the rambling of an old man who may have been be on the verge of dementia or something. She gets wrapped up in what he is saying about the woods and them and about a green book and how much his wife (her grandmother) was mean to the poor guy.

Her father offered to just have the place bulldozed down but Mouse wanted to find the green book or a manuscript he said he wrote. So she decides to stay which was her first mistake. Her dog Bongo is a coonhound and he likes to go for long walks and one day they go into the woods and end up in a weird place where she recognizes some of the things Cotgrave had been talking about.

She finds something out there that freaks her out but when a cop goes to try and find it he doesn’t see anything, she somewhat wonders if she is going crazy till she sees something in the window that freaks her out. She is ready to leave by then but her dog gets away and runs off and so she can’t go and then she finds the old man’s manuscript.

I won’t say any more but let me tell you she should have just let her dad bulldoze the place down!

I am going to start with the fact that I can see why a lot of people might like this one and if you like a more atmospheric slow horror then this will appeal more to you than me. I on the other hand was a bit bored with most of it as nothing cool happened till probably the last 30% of the book. It didn’t scare me but I can see others thinking it creepy.

I didn’t like nor dislike Mouse, she was just a pretty ordinary character. I can see why she would be curious about the things in the journal and manuscript but ones this one part happened I would have just left and not looked back and felt she was a bit dumb for going in the woods after she knew it wasn’t a good idea. I just loved Bongo her dog! I will have to say my favorite character was Mouse’s neighbor Foxy, she cracked me up!

“You don’t let your neighbors get et by monsters alone…”
That quote sums up my love of Foxy! She had some pretty funny comments and was brave or dumb enough to go with Mouse into the woods.

This book was 400 pages and I think it could have been cut down at least 50 pages and been a much better and maybe not so slow of a book. Seriously who wants to read page after page about Mouse cleaning out her grandmothers horrible house?? Not me. I liked the parts with the manuscript but I don’t think I needed to read the whole thing. I think we could have just been given parts of it and then let Mouse do what she was going to do and get her thoughts on the pages. To me that was what really dragged the book and I also thought the ending was a bit long.

So I didn’t hate it but I just didn’t love this one as much as I had hoped but I do think others will like it more than I did. I would definitely try the author again.

The Twisted One
by T. Kingfisher
due 10-1-2019
Saga Press
5.0 / 5.0

#netgalley. #TheTwistedOne

I thought this was a fantastic dark horror novel. The overall tone is disturbing; it left me with terrifying visuals I could not forget or get out of my head. I liked the characters, the pace and timing. It was hard to put down.
It's the perfect book to put you in the creepy crawly mood of the Halloween Season.

Melissa, nicknamed Mouse, is a freelance editor in Pittsburgh. Her dad asks her to clean out her deceased Grandmothers home in rural North Carolina. When Mouse arrives in Pondsboro, North Carolina, she quickly realizes her Grandmother was a big time hoarder. Every room is full. She begins to empty the house and haul the stuff away, but begins to feel overwhelmed by the project. Mouse has made friends with the neighbors across the street, who have lived in the area for years. They share meals and talk. It helps her feel better and Mouse decides to finish the project of emptying the house.
Mouse uncovers a journal written by her Grandfather, that is full of entries that make no sense to her until she wanders into the woods surrounding her Grandmothers home, with her coonhound dog, Bongo. She discovers the strange things he has described in his journal, and that's only the beginning of the bizarre things Mouse and Bongo encounter and must survive.
This is an excellent dark horror or secret lands, effigies, friendship and its incredibly terrifying.

Thanks to netgalley for sending this e-book ARC for review.

I was going to give this book four stars at first, but upped it to five since I finished reading it a few weeks ago and it is still sticking with me. "The Twisted Ones" is a great creepy folk horror novel from T. Kingfisher. While some of her earlier outings have contained elements of horror (ie, retellings of stories like Bluebeard), this is her first full on nothing but horror book, and it is incredibly creepy and memorable.

The setup for this story is simple. Melissa--nickname Mouse--heads to the backwoods of North Carolina to clean out her recently deceased grandmother's house. Her only company is her dog Bongo, and few neighbors scattered throughout the forest. I don't want to say too much about the plot since books like this are better experienced blind, but I will say that the horror builds slowly, and that Mouse is, like all Ursula Vernon protagonists, refreshingly practical and realistic. There are several scenes in "The Twisted Ones" that really stuck with me, and there are also some great side characters.

A few things that I really appreciated: Mouse is an adult in her late thirties, there is no romance of any kind, the sidekick character is an aging redneck woman named Foxy who is awesome, and the horror reveals are well paced and genuinely creepy. Also, Kingfisher managed to make the PBS pledge drive vaguely unsettling, so that's pretty impressive.

One more thing to mention; the narrative is first person, so you know going in that Mouse survives her ordeal. Also, for people who would like to know more about whether things in the book might be too much for you: [1. There are references to forced pregnancy and mistreatment of subsequent children. 2. If desecration of human remains bothers you then this is not the book for you. 3. The dog survives.