Well written, but wonkily paced.

Really enjoyed the story itself, but felt like in the telling of it’s tale, momentum was tough to sustain.

This is well written, but the pacing is a bit off. There’s some dark themes, but they’re not so dark that this is unreadable. Definitely one for horror fans: it delivers on the scary!

This was a book that I was immediately interested in based on the cover.
It definitely brought Curtis' story to life however feel like the pacing could be improved on. I did enjoy reading about the monster and learning about the characters.

I really enjoyed the writing style. It flows nicely, setting the scene and creating the tension and horror. Each death is described in such detail that it feels as though you are watching it unfold. It was truly horrifying.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me stranger things season one vibes and is a book I recommend often to friends when they’re in a slump! Def recommend if you’re looking for something a little unique

The Street Between the Pines has a strong emotional core and an intriguing premise. J. J. Alo builds an atmosphere that feels quiet and reflective, with themes of loss, memory, and reconnection running through the story. The writing has moments of beauty, especially in the more introspective passages.

That said, the pacing is uneven. Some parts of the book move slowly and can feel repetitive, which makes it harder to stay invested in the characters’ journeys. There’s definite potential here, and the emotional tone might resonate deeply with some readers, but it didn’t fully land for me.

A solid read with heart, though it left me wishing for more momentum and a bit more tension in the plot.

Riveting And Scary

I felt sympathy for Curtis and though he has many flaws, I was afraid for him. If you're a fan of the kind of horror that takes you to dank cellars, isolated locations, natural disasters, weirdness, and suspense, you're going to love the chills from this book.

Thank you to author J.J. Alo and to NetGalley for a free advanced review copy to read. I'm under no obligation to them and my review is uninfluenced.

The Street Between the Pines was eerie, intense, and full of atmosphere. I loved the mix of psychological horror and monster mystery, and Curtis’s trauma made the story feel grounded and raw. The writing is vivid, maybe a bit too descriptive at times—it slowed things down in places. I also found myself questioning what was real and what wasn’t, which worked well for the tone but sometimes left me a little lost. Still, it kept me hooked. Not perfect, but definitely memorable. A hesitant but solid 4 stars.

Unfortunately this one was a DNF at 50% for me. Although the story itself is intriguing, the pacing just wasn’t for me. A lot of the detail slows it down, almost feels like info dumping. I can see why people really enjoy this book, but it fell short for me. Along with the overload of detail, I didn’t find the characters likable and couldn’t find it in myself to continue reading along side them and their journey. I don’t enjoy giving negative reviews, but this is NetGalley and i want to be honest with fellow readers and the author themselves! Despite that, thank you to NetGalley and to the author for sending this my way.

Original and character driven horror that I want to read more of. Also a horror novel that explores PTSD and the toll serving the military can take on mental health. This author is one to watch!

Such a suspenseful good horror book that I couldnt put down. Loved the characters the atmosphere and the story. Would highly recommend to others.

A fun and exciting creature feature read! I enjoyed the characters back stories and the whole premise was quite unique and a stand out story. Creature features aren't my favorite genre personally, but people who do like the horror genre will be very pleased for certain!

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of this book. This review is unbiased and my own.

This was ok to start with but then it got a bit lost with going underground & it seemed to roam off into stranger directions.
Yeah I know it’s horror & made up but how varied can you go.
I’m sure it’ll be someone else’s ideal & id say go for it. You’ll definitely get lost in it.

Chuck Wendig and Stephen King have a new adversary! J.J. Alo has written an incredibly frightening novel and I could not put it down. What a roller coaster! Curtis, the main character, has a one heck of a time in his basement dealing with one of the scariest moments in the book. The basement floods and what stalks out of the water still gives me the creeps! The whole book is like that, from one horror to the next. I can't wait to see what Mr. Alo writes next! I'm in!
Highly recommended reading....great story, great horror!

This is my first read by author JJ Alo and it won’t be my last. Creepy, eerie, intriguing, fleshed out, suspenseful, disturbing, written in a descriptive immersive style with great characterization—are a few ways I’d describe The Street Between the Pines. For me, it’s a solid 4.25/5 read.

The protagonist, Curtis, suffers from various forms of PTSD. Hi life is spiraling down a dirty drain of misery as a hurricane approaches, threatening his family and home. The level of detailing and weaving together of multiple oppositional forces and conflicts, impressed me. As did the author’s ability to paint the characters’ world, whether physical or emotional, realistically.

Unexpected nightmares, difficulties, and twists of events compelled me to read quickly. The pacing is good. There are layers to this story, and not one of those subplots became lost as the story unfold, which is a rarity.

If you’re looking for a creature feature with some mad scientist vibes like some of Koontz’s work with a good spicing of King, this one may be for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Overworked Curtis Reynolds is called back home due to a hurricane approaching his Connecticut riverfront house. He has a lot on his plate between a home life that is deteriorating and the possibility of losing the house, not by the hurricane, but by the government. There is also the trauma sustained in both war and on the streets. Due to the latter of which is the result of a fatal accident, having fallen asleep at the wheel. His return to the neighborhood is nightmarish, finding it devastated by the storm. The thing in his basement isn't just one of the many unfettered felines meandering around, and the formerly alive but now dead or on life-support residents of his neighborhood do not appear to have succumbed to natural causes.

The author’s writing is focused, creating a fast-paced and action-packed narrative that never slows down.. His ability to intertwine multiple threads of tension—the raging storm, PTSD-induced hallucinations, nightmarish creatures, marital conflict, and secret government installations—keeps the intensity impressively high throughout, weaving a thick tapestry of terror. The overuse of description in places sometimes slows the narrative momentum. However the jaw-dropping plot twists will keep one on the edges of their seats. It is page-turning horror.

I was hooked from the beginning, but then gradually let down with the amount of unnecessary words and details. The character backstories could have been shortened to keep the story from dragging on, but I kept reading because of the horror/mystery elements and I wanted to know more. I especially wanted to see more of the “monster”. Overall, great writing and pacing, I would definitely read more from
this author.

I really enjoyed the way this built up throughout the book, and kept me on my toes. Definitely something I have recommended to friends and customers alike, even when out of stock!

'The Street Between the Pines' was another early copy for review, thanks Netgalley. This book nearly broke my already fragile spirit. I had to take a break from reading for a week after. I just couldn't. The prose is well-written, more or less, and the characters are interesting. But... BUT...

There were paragraphs that made no sense. Characters with motivations so cracked it left me wondering if I'm the problem, it's me. A man must HURRY and defeat the villain. Then he sits and watches home videos for hours. And hours.

A basement that one moment if full of blood, then it isn't, then it is. A man suspected of multiple counts of murder because he accidentally killed someone in a car crash years ago. So many elements didn't make sense, which was disappointing as the author can write a good sentence.

4 stars

Curtis Reynolds is struggling - PTSD from an earlier accident is affecting his job, his homelife, everything. The insomnia and hallucinations are certainly not helping things either. Curtis comes home for a short furlough, only to discover his next-door neighbour was brutally killed. Between weird visits from numerous stray cats, strange activity happening at the abandoned pharmaceutical facility across the water, and a monstrous presence that keeps popping up around the neighbourhood, Curtis is pretty sure he's losing his mind. But is he really crazy, or is there something truly terrifying stalking the residents of Forest Street?

This was definitely a spooky thrill ride, albeit a bit of a slow burn to start. After Curtis returns home and the impending storm hits, things really seemed to ramp up exponentially. I really enjoyed that the story went in an unexpected way (to me) once Curtis got underground; there were conspiracy-theory-like inklings about what was going on with the old pharmaceutical site but I still didn't expect where everything wound up! Overall, this was a terrifying plot and I'm looking forward to the next stories in this promised horror anthology.

Thanks to NetGalley, author J.J. Alo, and SNE Horror LLC for giving me access to a free digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.