This was the best slump buster! Atmospheric, eerie and unsettling but not is the horror scary way, more the foreshadowing anxiety inducing way. My favorite kind.

Alex has struggles with identity (gender, race, sexuality, disability, mental illness) and a history of abuse which is very cleverly layered into the narrative. All of this is covered in a way that is so matter of fact, not being a key plot, just her normal which was refreshing.

Speaking of plot, there isn’t much of one, this is all about the characters and ultimately a story of survival. An excellent debut, look forward to whatever comes next.

Well plotted, well written and full of food for thought. I liked the storytelling and the well plotted story
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I wouldn't classify this as a horror but more a delve into the phycological mind of a queer adult trying to process trauma and identity. The focus of the book is on the mental stability and turmoil of Alex who is processing their suicide attempt and the dissolution of their relationships.

I thought the voice of Alex was interesting as they depicted their own internal struggles through depression and understanding the impact their actions have on their own psyche. The change in pronouns halfway through was a little jolting comprehension wise but it also paralleled Alex's own identity and how they were not previously fully accepting of themselves since their own traumatic and abusive romantic relationship ended.

There absolutely needs to be trigger warnings with this book. Depression, suicide, and abuse are prominent themes in the book.

Well this is a fever dream of a book! Alex, for me, was a very relatable character, complete with a life of flaws and awful decisions. The book is very character heavy and lacks plot to be honest but for me the character study was worth a lot. It’s eery, mysterious and has an odd charm with the added bonus of deep character analysis. Alex struggles a lot but this is all portrayed so so well.

Alex's struggles with identity (gender, sexuality, disability, mental health, race) add so much to the story but are cleverly not the main plot points which, as a queer, disabled reader is refreshing. Sure, theres probably better representation out there but this felt very real and fleshed out.

Some will definitely find this to be a slow read, especially with how long the chapters are but this structure works, especially as the books pace changes with Alex’s paranoia

McDaniel captures the monotony of a life like Alex’s so well and I definitely think it’s worth a read.


Thank you to ECW press and Netgalley for the ARC

This book is a fever dream and a half! Alex is a sympathetic character, full of flaws and bad decisions. Though this is definitely a character study with minimal plot, the book has all the charm and tropes of a good literary horror: the eerie, isolated environment and the house that feels like another character. These aspects fell short of my expectations, but I'll admit, I did not expect the ending. (I thought I had it figured out, but alas—maybe this is me mourning the ending I thought I was going to get…)

Alex's gender, sexuality, disabilty, and race add layers to their character and story and never become the focus or main personality trait. I'm neither trans nor Vietnamese, so I can't speak on whether this is a good representation, but the narrative and characterisation felt authentic and fleshed out. 

Some readers may find this slows or drags the pace of the story, but as someone who lives with mental illness, this feels very real and true to form. This is exacerbated by the long chapters. That said,  I think this structure works for the book, and there are faster paced scenes scattered throughout, especially when Alex's paranoia ramps up! 

McDaniel wonderfully captures the monotony and meandering of living when you didn't think you'd still be alive. “Survival. This is what it is. isn't it, this relentless, airless nothing [...] This is what she'd spent so long avoiding.” Here, Alex drinks vegan protein powders, watches influencer drama videos, tries anything to stay lingering in that liminal space between institutionalisation and going back to her “normal” life. Then comes the complacency that is trying to die, failing, and continuing to live because you've given up.

This was a very difficult read for me (in a positive, cathartic way) because of how eerily similar the protagonist's mental illness manifested itself to my own, as well as the fact that my first serious relationship was almost identical to their unfortunate relationship with Adam. Alex's struggles to navigate self-identification and pronouns due to past trauma also hit very close to home, and I was so grateful to see myself so thoroughly in this book. The island felt perfectly ambiguous as to whether it was actually cursed/haunted/insidious which really allowed the spotlight to shine on the characters themselves. Thank you, R. J. McDaniel, for writing this book!

I really wish I liked Alex more than I did (or in this case, didn't). I'm also aware that they are coming back from something as awful as a suicide attempt and hospitalization, but god was I so confused by their personality. The whole point of their character was to be a not-great person, but I found it hard to root for them.
Dealing with gender dysphoria, body dysphoria, suicide attempts, a new location so quickly after being hospitalized. There's really no wonder Alex isn't the most likeable person.

Me not liking them as a character did not take away from the story. It got confusing at times because we were in their head a lot, but their attempts to reach out to make friends or to accept love (love?) from Amara made me hopeful for the future of Alex.

I sped through the last 10% because I wanted to finish it on my lunch break, but I might come back to it.

I agree with a fair amount of other reviewers that this is a more literary, intense novel with social horror elements, rather than a supernatural horror book that is somewhat hinted at by the synopsis. That will probably hurt the book's release, to an extent, which is a pity because this is a phenomenal book. It is, however, as I previously mentioned, incredibly intense and traumatic, but it's such an incisive look at mental illness, white supremacy, academia, and toxic relationships.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a decent book, but I was expecting it do be either more suspenseful or to have more horror vibes. This covers a lot of dark topics and has a lot of representation, but it almost felt like the author wasn't sure where they wanted the story to go.

There was not a lot of plot to this book. It's more of a character-driven story, and if you can't relate to the characters, this may not work well for you. I could luckily relate very well to the main character so I didn't ever want to abandon the story as I wanted to see if they would get a happy ending.

If you are someone who suffers with mental illness, you may want to check the trigger warnings before reading. There are some dark/important topics covered in this book.

⚠ Suicide attempts
⚠ Suicidal thoughts
⚠ Depression
⚠ Chronic Illness
⚠ Paranoia
⚠ Discrimination
⚠ Harassment/Abuse
⚠ Victim blaming

I was hoping by the end of the book some of my questions would be answered, but I just felt like the ending was quickly thrown together and it didn't really help me. The whole story kind of confused me, I was never really sure what was going on.

The author did a great job developing the characters. I really connected with the main character and the love interest. The whole book I was just hoping that there wasn't something weird or creepy going on and the love interest was real and honest. The author even succeeded in having me question the things I was reading.

This is perfect for someone who enjoys darker, character-driven stories with a slower plot line. Or someone who likes stories that cover the harder topics.

Thank you to the publisher and RJ McDaniel for providing me with a digital ARC in return for a review.

I didn’t really know what to expect going into this book, especially given that I don’t often read horror. I will say that for fans of horror they might find it a little lacking in the genre department - it’s unsettling and tense but not worthy of the horror title in my opinion.

However, I found the story and the characters compelling and richly drawn. I thought the exploration of gender was particularly interesting, and well demonstrated through the use of pronouns in the prose. I also very much enjoyed the writing style and found it easy to be swept along by McDaniels’ prose.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Unfortunately I couldn't enjoy the novel as per my capacity. My mind couldn't engaged and I found the pace off.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror + LGBTQ

This is a queer horror story that revolves around a university student in her early twenties called Alex Nguyen. Alex has profound problems that push her to commit suicide. So, after the failed suicide attempt and staying for a long time in the hospital, she needs to stand on her own two feet. But financial struggles, as well as relationship difficulties, make things even more difficult.

The story’s main focus is on the character rather than the plot, so not a lot happens there in terms of events. The primary emphasis is placed on Alex's complicated personality and the challenges she faces.

A book like that is expected to be full of challenging themes, such as trauma, struggle, healing, isolation, and mental health. It has the potential to be an intriguing investigation into the human capacity for resilience and vulnerability. Many readers may be able to identify with the character and the problems she faces as a result.

This is the second queer horror novel I have read within the past week, and I must say that I am not particularly fond of the horror aspect. The story lacked the atmosphere of the horror genre that is supposed to keep you on your toes. I’m not sure that categorizing it as a horror novel is even accurate. As a story with hard-hitting themes, it is a decent one, but still, it is not something that I have not read before. Overall, it was a mixed bag for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review:

3.5
please check trigger warnings for this one.

I really felt for the main character and her mental health struggles, I felt that part of her was really well written and it resonated with me.
I really wanted the horror to show up at some point during the book but it just never really actualized and maybe that's a marketing mistake.. this read more as dark literary fiction. I did really enjoy RJ McDaniel's writing style and would read more of their work in the future!!
Overall I did enjoy it, just wasn't ultimately what i was expecting as a book labeled as horror.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for the ARC!

2.5 stars rounding up. That being said, without giving too much away, this was not my kind of book. I'd love to just hug the protagonist in hopes to make them feel better.

3.5

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the review copy!

I mostly enjoyed this. I thought it was a fantastic read about being unapologetically queer, finding belonging, mental health issues and toxic relationships. I especially enjoyed the way it was told, it was very disjointed and, as the reader, you felt the way Alex felt which was mostly confused and on edge. Despite the page length, it was quite a slow burn to get to the stage where you felt the pieces interlock together, but it was very satisfying when it did.

My main issue with it, and it’s really a minor one, is that I feel like Alex should have gotten extended mental health treatment within the book. It’s possible that they probably got that treatment when their life continued after the book ended, but we don’t know that for sure. Also, gentrification felt like it was going to be touched upon as a theme, but ended up being something that was vaguely happening in the background.

Overall, I would really recommend this (although check the trigger warnings first).

💛💛Book Review💛💛
3.5 Stars
All things seen and unseen by #rjmcdanielauthor

This was a @netgalley read! It was not what I expected but unique and kept me questioning. Alex, a troubled human, was just released from a hospital due to psychiatric incidents. Now that Alex is out, they must figure out how to survive day-to-day with no job, no money, and no family to help. Alex bumps into their rich ex-girlfriend who offers Alex a job for the summer to house-sit their hideaway mansion on an island. Alex jumps on this and heads out! However, weird things start being seen and happening. Alex thinks they are crazy but when a new friend is made, Amara, Alex soon find the direction that is best to take. Alex needs to heal. This book is a journey of finding oneself while trying to push through the deprt

I'm not sure if I'd classify this as horror, it's definitely disturbing but I found nothing about it to be horror. Alex is a deeply disturbed individual with a history of mental issues, drug and alcohol abuse, and attempted suicides, who goes off all her medications against medical advice after their latest psychological breakdown and hospitalization. Antipsychotic medication is specifically mentioned so Alex is at best an unreliable narrator and at worst deep in a psychotic episode. Alex's constant worry and self doubt are exhausting and Amara is over accommodating and unable to see the very serious mental and emotional stare Alex is in. I'd definitely like to have seen the end of the book resulting in Alex seeking and receiving medical treatment fir her issues as well as her mysterious physical malady.

This is one of those slower than slow burn that entices you in with a great synopsis but the final product just doesn't have the outcome you were hoping for.

For something advertised as horror, it includes nothing of the sort, and I'd say it was one of the ones where nothing literally happens, and they only want to to believe that something is happening under the surface.

Not for me, unfortunately.

I absolutely adored this book and I’m so sad that it’s finished!! The writing was stunning and really pulled me into the story. I was able to climb inside Alex’s head and experienced everything alongside her. She was a brilliant protagonist and her character development was some of the best I’ve ever seen. I’m so excited to see what this author writes next.

I would say that this book is horror in the same way that The Haunting of Hill House is horror in that it is mainly psychological and deals a lot with trauma. A lot of the story's horror comes from the main character experiencing paranoia and anxiety due to being gaslit by an emotionally and physically abusive partner for years to the point that they feel that they’re crazy, struggling with mental illness and s*icidal thoughts, being chronically ill, losing touch with most of their friends, having no familial support, and almost becoming houseless. There was also horror in the sense that Alex is a queer and trans person of color surrounded by white people who wish them ill-will and harm in the village that they move nearby to, which was especially disturbing with the men who would follow them on the road and taunt them. I appreciated the portrayal of the main character’s struggle with their gender and how confusing it all is–from my understanding, the main character identified as nonbinary at one point and got top surgery before socially detransitioning after being invalidated by their abusive ex who said he would only view them as a girl. Towards the end of the story, as the main character is enveloped into a small trans group of friends and gets a transmasc love interest, they slowly start to become comfortable enough to identify as trans again and come back out of the closet. I loved how the pronouns switched throughout the story as the main character tried to figure themself out, and I thought it was extremely well done.
I also thought that the main character’s anxiety was portrayed so well, and I have so many of the same overthinking anxious thoughts as them, which was nice to see represented. Overall, I loved Alex’s character, and they felt so real to me. Their humor was great, their thought processes and actions made sense to me, and I overall loved reading from their point of view. They reminded me a little bit of Mae from the game Night in the Woods with how they think and talk, which I enjoyed. I genuinely cared for Alex as a character and wanted the best for them-I was invested!
I do think that I got a little confused as to what was happening at certain points in the story, such as when Alex goes up the elevator, and the whole storm scene in general, but I also feel like that was the intention since the main character was so disoriented during that scene? I was also often confused about why Amara would get upset with Alex, especially for wanting them to pull over to let the truck driven by racist white men pass when they were in danger. I wish there had been some resolution to the dog killer subplot since that felt unresolved. It also felt like the story was building up to Amara not being who they said they were for a while with Alex’s suspicions of him and nobody having heard of him, but I’m glad that he ended up being someone that cared for Alex when they had no other support. I kind of wish more of the story took place in the creepy mansion they were housesitting because there was so much setting detailed there and so much anticipation built up with the security cameras in the creepy basement, the voice system to activate the lights, the shadow of a person at the door of the mansion in the security cameras, the security codes for everything, and the elevator they weren’t allowed to use, but very little of the plot actually happened there, which makes sense because it was so inaccessible, which is its own kind of horror for a disabled person. I did like the ending with Alex getting a mobility device that works for them, as well as living with their old friend group of queer and trans people because I think that they deserved and needed to have that support system.