This book had an interesting, eerie plot. An all too real haunted house in New Orleans on Halloween night. What could be spookier.

My main problem is that the MC isn't really likeable. I realize she's only 17 which explains some of her angst, but overall she was self centered in a negative way. She was horrible to the one friend always there for her. Maybe younger readers will find her more sympathetic.

It's an interesting read, but not one of my favorites.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This was an absolutely riveting tale!

I loved the character building.
I loved New Orleans.

I love that this book was tied to my emotions!

Would you fight your way through the (literal) Thirteen Realms of Hell for $10,000?

This story is infused with magic.
Crawling with witches.
And will follow an interesting path to self discovery.

((For me, it did lull for a moment between realms 5-8 but it still held my attention. ))

This fantastic journey is available for pre-order and will be available for purchase 12-14-21


Thank you to #netgalley and #swordandsilkbooks / #victoryediting for this epic ARC of #mindlikeadiamond !

This has been reviewed on Goodreads and will be reviewed on Instagram on 12/10 11am CST (US).

This story follows seventeen-year-old Lisette, who is trying to uncover her mother's secrets, criminal nature, and the lies about magic all while trying to not be brought down by the family money problems. So when a mysterious Halloween attraction comes to town she doesn't think twice about going. Her goal? To win the ten thousand dollar prize to whoever makes it though the entire "13th Realm of Hell".

Amanda Pavlov does an amazing job letting the reader into Lisette's life, and relationships. Pavlov writing style is amazing, and help me in such anticipation. he easily painted a picture in my mind of what was going on.

Do you love haunted houses? Do you watch horror movies for fun? Does the thought of ghost walks and the macabre history of witchcraft and voodoo in New Orleans get your pulse racing? Then this book is for YOU!!

I first want to thank NetGalley and the author for sending this book to me free in exchange for my honest review. Because honestly I LOVED this wild ride! It was unlike anything I’ve ever read before and for the person who ran out of a theme park haunted house crying one Halloween it was thrillingly enjoyable.

I would certainly classify this as thriller/horror so if that is NOT your cup of tea do not read this book. You have been warned.

We meet our lead character Lisette in the weeks leading up to Halloween. The daughter of a thief/con artist mother, we watch her struggle with her potential as a good student at a private school and an aspiring gymnast versus the life she knows and the inevitable fate of turning into the woman who raised her.

Through a few chance meetings Lisette and her best friend Xavier decide to enter a haunted house on Halloween night that promises a $10,000 reward to the winner who escapes the 13th Realm of Hell before the witching hour. Propelled by determination and desperation having just received an eviction notice on their apartment door, Lisette believes she has the grit it takes to be the winner at all costs. And it certainly costs.

There are 13 levels or “realms” that need to be completed within the house. Think less carnival or boardwalk haunted house and more haunted maze at an amusement park terror night. And as you can imagine an attraction being run by actual witch covens makes it the perfect haunted maze on steroids. All manner of horror staples are featured including but not limited to dolls, clowns, zombies, and cannibalistic animal-headed butchers. There are plenty of atmospheric fears tackled as well including a death trap vehicle ride, Amazon jungle with deadly animals, small spaces, being buried alive, and one seriously creepy hospital.

In dealing with such “dark” elements there are plenty of trigger warnings to be had including drug use and references, alcohol use and references, orgies, sexual assault/attempted rape of a side character, themes of witchcraft/occultism/exorcism/voodoo, and a whole lot of murder and death.

Through all of this what shines brightest is the growth of Lisette. You see her in the beginning trying to be “good” and “do the right thing”, then you see her almost give up and settle into the life she assumes she is stuck in despite the amount of strength she has, and then you see the Realms test everything she thinks she knows about herself. She tries (and succeeds sometimes) to hold on to her selfish, every-man-for-himself attitude, but as she finally comes to the close of her journey she sets it all aside and taps into her true inner strength where she learns what it is to be a good friend, how to truly care for others and their well-being, what it means to finds a place where she can finally “belong”. A place she can call home.

There is no real “happily ever after” to be had with a book this intense, but the ending was like a warm hug after a nightmare and brought closure to all of my favorite characters in a very satisfying way. Overall, should you dare to mine inside its pages and sift through to the end, this book shines like a diamond.

Mind Like a Diamond by Amanda Pavlov introduces us to the magical and twisted world of Lisette Colbert.
Tired of her mother's secrets, delusions about magic and criminal nature, while the money problems are constantly looming over their heads, seventeen-year-old Lisette doesn't spare a second to question the new and mysterious Halloween activity that shows up in town. There is only one thing that drives her: a prize of ten thousand dolars to whoever manages to get through "The 13th Realm of Hell". This is an escape-room style Haunted House that sounds like a perfect way to get the money (and a perfect bait). Lisette's bestie, Xavier, is not that enthusiastic, but nothing can stand in Lisette's way. Soon, though, she starts to convince herself that everything is just an illusion. The things happening in that haunted house can't be real.
She fights with all of her might, determinted to escape the Hell and prove to herself and to the world that she is capable. Although, is her determination enough? What awaits her at the end of that 13th realm?
This Halloween activity was the perfect blend of escape room and hell, with the last challenge being so complicated it made me think: is it selfishness or is it Lisette being the only person who would do that - save herself?
I loved how Lisette's relationships with others unraveled, especially with her parents. At times I didn't understand her relationship with Xavi, why all that distancing and the lost-in-translations, but I understand it now that I've gotten to know Lisette's character.
The author's writing style is worth of every praise. The story held me in anticipation, and the sentences were so beautifully decorated it blew my mind. The metaphors and similes were very clever and served to confirm and accentuate the author's talent.