I felt for a lot of this book that I didn't know the plot or direction the book was headed in. It felt like the first half of the book was background, so I think that could've been reduced. It is overall a rather bizarre book/ rather bizarre concept, so I gave it two stars for being a new idea as far as thrillers go. Overall though, the execution could've been better.

Review posted on goodreads on May 8, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6452441916

Honestly I’m still unsure if I loved this book or not. I was definitely looking forward to a good haunting story and add in the fashion, perfect! I didn’t find that the book was what I was expecting though. It was like a train wreck that you don’t want to look away from. And I don’t mean the writing. The writing was fantastic and I loved the storyline.

But the main character Samara, was a lot! At times I felt bad for her but most of time, I felt annoyed by her. Her mental state throughout the book almost overshadowed the scary things happening to and at times I was confused if she was really being haunted or if she was going crazy. I’m sure this was done intentionally but the constant mess of alcohol and breakdowns at work got repetitive and like I said, almost overshadowed the rest of the book.

The plot and premise of the story grabbed me right away. I wanted to keep reading (which is what I want in a book) to see what was going to happen or if it was all in her head. Dark, twisty, and a little supernatural. Overall a very interesting read unlike anything I’ve read before!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sometimes dreams, as wonderful as they may appear on the surface, have a darkness lurking beneath to be grappled with before too much harm comes to pass as one young woman soon discovers in Tiny Threads by Lilliam Rivera.
Samara has finally landed the life she’s dreamed of with a job working for a legendary fashion designer Antonio Mota to tell the story of his career as he launches an inspired return, which also is happily across the country from the past she’s desperate to escape in New Jersey. Though a bright and shining opportunity to begin with there’s some darkness that begins to seep in at the corners, first in some strange sounds in Samara’s apartment, then with a haunting appearance of a woman outside her apartment at night, and finally as the stress increases with the impending approach of the fashion show with some improbable appearing and disappearing stitching on clothing and photos appearing in odd places that can’t easily be explained. Retreating into alcohol to cope with the stress and anxiety, Samara’s mind becomes a fragile mess and she questions both herself and those around her as she looks into the dark reality of just what lies beneath the shiny, beautiful surface of the world she’s become part of.
In a narrative that quickly and quietly introduces hints of the supernatural throughout the course of the more mundane daily minutiae of working for a demanding fashion designer before ramping up to a more overpowering and threatening presence of the supernatural, a strong sense of suspense and something looming just beyond reach is maintained for the duration of the novel. In the treatment of the people of the neighborhood over the years there was a portrayal of gentrification as a form of colonization with a violent, forceful minimization of those who made the area vibrant in favor of things more profitable and convenient than what might have been traditional or morally right along with a manufactured story to cover the true history of the place. With the mental toll on Samara it was unfortunate that the crutch relied upon to make her unreliable and unbelievable was alcohol as it’s an overdone method, but the unraveling that occurs was an apt way to depict the concept of pulling at just one small detail and how that can begin an unspooling that creates a bigger mess that you can no longer ignore.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is DARK. I read the synopsis before diving in, but was unprepared by some of the thematic elements of this book (most notably sex/rape, drug and alcohol use). There was an undercurrent of paranormal, which kind of worked, but also could have been done differently. In my opinion, this book built too slowly for the generally short overall length of the book. It touches on spiritual elements and the gift of sight to the other world that Samira may have, but I feel like this should have been explored in more depth. It would have made Samira’s unraveling (for lack of a better word) more suspenseful. The prologue was a dramatic opening and the ending of the book tied back to that.

Ultimately, it held my interest, but it was more sinister than I expected. I’ll say 3.5 rounded up.

I was totally hyped for the setup of this story - like a spooky version of "The Devil Wears Prada," mixed with some supernatural horror vibes! But dang, it didn't quite deliver on that promise. Instead, we follow Samara, the main character, as she runs away from something bad, lands a new stressful job, and starts self-medicating like there's no tomorrow.

The problem? Well, all those creepy moments I was expecting got overshadowed by me wondering if Samara was just going off the deep end. Like, was she so high that she was hallucinating, or were there really ghosts involved? It’s giving unreliable narrator more than scary thriller.

And then there's the pacing - it's like slow-motion for a good chunk of the book. We spend ages watching Samara go through the same routine every day, dealing with her horrible boss, drowning her sorrows in vodka, and seeing things that may or may not be real. It got pretty repetitive, and honestly, I struggled to stay interested.

Who knew fashion could be so dark and haunted? TINY THREADS is a gothic thriller cleverly juxtaposed with its setting in the sunny and glamorous, Southern California. Working with a legendary fashion designer surrounded by art should be harmless, right? Except when the art is connected to a past that refuses to let you forget.

The themes of light/innocence (whiteness) and darkness/ terror are mirrored in the protagonist Samara who struggles to reconcile her past and the growing curse of her present. Will the desperate need for approval from people she works with only add to the illusion that everything is fine or will she break free?

A slow burn Latin Gothic story that digs into your mind.

Samara moves to California from Jersey for her dream job. She comes to work for an aging designer whose legendary temper drives her to drink in excess. It also doesn't help that she hasn't had a good night sleep since moving, being woken up by strange noises and shadowy figures. It all comes to a head as the fashion show looms closer.

Lilliam Rivera's prose grabs your attention from the start. She weaves theads of racism and supernatural horror beautifully together. The author slowly builds up the tension making the reader feel like they are hearing voices along with the heroine. Is Samara really experiencing something paranormal or is it a figment from her heavy alcohol consumption? Another reviewer compared this to The Devil Wears Prada if made by A24 which I completely agree with.

If you are looking for a modern Latin Gothic story then this book is for you. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Tiny Threads.

A very disturbing behind the scenes of women of Color working in factories and how they were treated my their employers and clients. I gave this book 3 stars only because there was quite a bit of Spanish and the author never translated what was being said. Otherwise great book.

Samara has landed the job of her dreams, working with an iconic fashion designer who is about to make his come back. Leaving the only home she has ever known in New York, she can't wait to begin her new life, leaving her demons behind. In the beginning, it seems her dream has come true between the companionship she feels with her coworkers and becoming the boss's new favorite. However, since she arrived, she is being woken at three a.m. every night to strange noises and even stranger visions. Between sleep deprivation and her escalating consumption of alcohol, her life quickly becomes to unravel as she can't decipher reality from fiction.

I am a little unsure of my rating. While I normally don't have issues with a slow pace, it has to have balance. It felt like it was slow in the beginning, then fast towards the middle, then slow the last quarter, and the ending a little rushed, and some things just explained a bit too quickly. The character needed a little more substance, but given the content, it actually worked. This was Devil Wears Prada in Hell. There was an eeriness to it with a perfectly detailed atmosphere, making the book stand out and giving it that certain edge. Overall, this was quick, enjoyable, and creepy, and I give it three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group, for this ARC.

Tiny Threads was a great read. I found myself trapped in Samara's mental circus while empathetically connecting with her longing for independence and purpose. The sequence of events engulfed my interest and kept me on the edge on my seat until the very last word, There are so many hidden gems buried in the social injustices of the characters in the book that I was able to finally breathe easy as the last page gave me everything I needed to bring closure to such a wonderfully written storyline. I definitely recommend this book!

The book started a little too slow for me. I didn’t mind Samara’s unlikable personality, it’s different from a lot of books in this genre. The setting of the book was different, which I liked a lot. The story felt like it was missing something and the ending felt very erupt. There were a couple things that felt like it fell down the waist side. I wanted to love this book, but I sadly could not connect with it. Thank you Lilliam Rivera, NetGalley and Del Rey for this digital copy.

Captivating and interesting, Rivera's novel is reminiscent of the vibes in Mexican Gothic but has its own story to tell. The mood is creepy and on-edge and keeps that feeling through to the end. The only thing I would have liked is if the fashion show could have been embedded more to the ending, but after the main ending wraps up the fashion itself seemed secondary to the story and it almost could have been any industry at that point which I think is a missed opportunity but doesn't make the ending less impactful.

Overall, enjoyed the story, kept me engaged, and would recommend for fans of gothic thrillers.

It’s easy to read, easy to follow, and feels compulsively readable. I stopped after chapter 1 (6%) but definitely a solid 3 to 4 stars for the target audience and 5 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey/Penguin for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and DelRay for this ARC.

The premise of this book seems simple: Devil Meets Prada, but make it horror. However, there is nothing simple about Samara, the FMC, 's devolution as she unravels and her life becomes a living nightmare.

This is psychological horror at its best, with an extremely unreliable narrator. Samara has moved across the country to work alongside the legendary designer Antonio Mota. Emotionally unstable due to an unknown event back East, Samara copes with the strange noises in her haunted (or so they say) bedroom and vivid hallucinations (or so we think) by turning to alcohol, all the while trying to prove herself valuable to Mota.

I absolutely loved how you cannot tell what is real in this novel. Is what you are reading an incredible drunken stupor, or is there something more sinister going on at Mota's house?

The pace is a bit over the place, which is my only critique of the novel. The storyline was sometimes a bit erratic, as the author was trying to juggle more than one thought. However, I thought this actually added to the chaos of the entire novel. The ending was super rushed, and I had to read over it a few times until I understood what had actually transpired.

This was an extremely well-done adult debut novel for Lilliam Rivera. The tension kept rising as the novel continued, and I kept thinking about how this would end. Was Samara just crazy? Or was she not truly understanding what was happening around her? Rivera keeps you guessing until the very last chapter.

Quite honestly, I don’t know what I expected going into this book, but it exceeded my expectations! Lilliam Rivera writes a beautifully horrific story about only the fashion industry, but what brown factory workers go through day and day out. The writing was so cinematic I was truly transported and really found myself feeling like I was apart of this world. I did feel like there may have been a little too much going on. I didn’t understand the maggots I was wondering if that would be explained but overall 5/5 loved this story!!

Lilliam Rivera’s “Tiny Threads” is part horror novel, part behind-the-scenes glimpse at the workings of a fashion house.

Samara is finally ready to move away from the sphere of her parents and their life in New Jersey to take a job as a copywriter at a fashion house in Vernon, California. The designer, Antonio, welcomes her with open arms at first but slowly becomes volatile as the date of his big fashion show approaches. This, however, is not Samara’s only problem as she is plagued by noises in the walls of her historic apartment and the inability to function throughout the day without just a splash of vodka. Then there’s the beautiful woman she keeps seeing but can never really find. Is Samara being haunted, or are her own psychosis and trauma raising their ugly heads?

I love the description of this book. I think the premise and the basic plot have a lot going for them. I appreciate the details about the town of Vernon. It is definitely a character unto itself. The cast of characters surrounding Samara all contribute to her slow descent into madness, and several of them are wickedly evil. I would have liked, however, to see a little more strength from Samara. I wanted her to have more guts rather than relying on the drinking to get her through her problems. She also seems to be a horrible judge of character, despite the positive influence of her abuela early in life. Ultimately, I wanted more of the “final girl” spirit from her.

I received this ARC from NetGalley.

This took me on a wild ride and was thoroughly entertaining!!! This was my first book by this author and I can't wait to share with others and read more

***Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review***

So, I was extremely hyped to dive into this book because it combined horror and fashion. That's a combo I've never even heard of before, let alone read! The premise had me hooked from the get-go, but the execution did leave something to be desired.

Samara definitely rubbed me the wrong way. All that 'not like other girls' stuff and constantly vying for attention. Nope, couldn't stand it. I wanted to connect with her background, but every time she put on that 'white voice,' I was ready to pull my hair out.

And don't even get me started on the pacing. The book starts off slow, and while it does pick up speed eventually, it just made the descent into the lives of the characters even more uncomfortable. I was hoping for more entertainment value, to be honest.

The author does use great imagery. She really knows how to paint a scene. But the pacing? It was all over the place.

Despite its flaws, the plot kept me turning pages. It dives into some seriously dark realities of factory work and abuse, which, when mixed with supernatural horrors, makes for one heck of a ride. I just wish there was more detail, especially regarding the toxic side of the fashion world.

Overall, it was an okay read. Not mind-blowing, but not terrible either.

I appreciated the Latina representation in this book and I enjoyed the idea of Samara venturing out of her life in Jersey City to do bigger and better things. However, it became a bit repetitive and slow. The sinister aspect was interesting but then it lost me.

Pub Date: 24 Sep 2024
Archive Date: 27 Oct 2024

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine for this arc!

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this advanced reader copy!

I was so excited to be approved for this arc! IT was so good. 100% recommend this book