#horror thriller review

[hannahwatcheshorror]

DON'T MOVE (2024)

💁‍♀️Strong Female Lead

“See what you made me do?”

We love a title that gives us instructions: Run, Hold Your Breath, Let the Right One In, Talk to Me (Smile, Hush, Swallow)… And I just started watching Yellowstone (which is its own horror story) so I recognized the lead actress in this movie.

⭐⭐⭐.5

(Trigger Warning Suicide Attempt)

Iris goes to the top of a mountain to very heavily consider jumping off but is stopped by a rather odd but kind gentleman who some of us recognize from American Horror Story. After befriending the young man and walking back down the mountain with him she finds his car has parked her in and she can’t really get into hers… All part of his plan as he shocks her into unconsciousness. When she wakes he informs her that the paralytic is already taking its effects, he dosed her while she was sleeping. She has 20 minutes before her body is completely numb and she runs (which only makes the poison in her system work faster), the whole time the mad man follows behind.

She loses him for a moment and thinks she is safe with a kindly old man who was out mowing his lawn but the killer was too clever for all that, found the old man and killed him. He nearly killed her in the process of covering his tracks but the clever girl knew he wanted to save her so that he could have the satisfaction of killing her. In the car ride she finds out the killer is a doting father and husband via a phone call he takes, the whole thing reeks. Reminds me of The Den you have the version you show the world and then the real version of you… Yikes.

Oh, there was a bit with a police officer who almost figured out that Iris needed help but he went the way of all the authority figures in Kristy (aka he made an attempt but ultimately failed). Finally, Iris is taken out in a boat to where she is gonna get killed and she asks her murderer to do something but she gives him a switcheroo and stabs him instead then wrestles him out of the boat and shoots him! It was very impressive of her especially coming off of her paralysis but she powered through because she couldn’t let that fucker kill her! Pretty cool movie, I have some questions about how this guy was doing all his killings but it reminded me of Woman of the Hour just more fictional and fantastical.

[thehorrormaven]

Charity Anthology Open Call: We Bite Back

I am excited to announce that through my indie publisher, Pride with a Bite, we are putting together an anthology of queer horror/horror-adjacent and non-fiction works, and all proceeds will go to benefit Human Rights Campaign. As a part of the queer community, this is a cause near and dear to my heart. With the amount of hatred and abuse I have experienced since the election results, as well as…

[saydesole]

Must Watch 10/10

[fangdokja]

Male Yandere / Dark Romance Recommendations [Incomplete Version]

Personal Library mainly includes: Male Yandere + Dark Romance (scroll to bottom XD)

Last Updated: December 4, 2024

This should be a given already, but heed the content warnings in each story! And this list will still be updated as time goes on.

Yandere Classifications (how I classify this library): How a Yandere Says, "I love you." [GENERAL Library Classifications]

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Legend

⭐ : All-time Favorites

🏴 : Black Flag

🏁 : Checkered Flag

🚩 : Red Flag

💀 : What the fudge.

🎨 : Art Inspiration

No Mark : Anything below red flag or just green flag / or crazy.

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The following notices are extra information about my personal library:

Note #1: I have my own personal digital library and much more (e.g. Male Yandere Classifications based on my own research). But I'm not planning on posting those detailed gold mines for a long while. Think of this as just a preview, lol. And, remember, these are all just my personal takes and opinions on the stories. I wouldn't classify it as 'formally objective'.

Note #2: I have a type. Dominant sadistic actual black flags (or just 'checkered' since I come across that more often, which is basically like 'Try Begging' or 99% of web novels level to me). Those what people can call 'abusive' even. Basically they're not afraid to hurt the darling at all, or even kill the darling. So, you won't really find puppy submissive yanderes, or subs here in general, sorry. Though, some of the recommendations can be fluffy, or comedy, so yeah. And even recommendations for 'not torture porn', like how the usual Dominant yandere works (doesn't have to be the sadistic kind). Actually, I rarely find loyal sadist Dom yanderes.

Note #3: I have an extremely high tolerance for anything controversial, taboo, etc. Just dark, tragic shiz, basically. What people call 'torture porn', that's vanilla ice cream to me. Literally vanilla. I like reading the fudged up in the dark psychological genre the most, so it already tells something about my tastes.

Note #4: I haven't updated some of these recommendations in a long while, I've had this library for more than 6 years already. So, yeah. Tastes can change.

Note #5: I like older love interests, age gap romance even, but I don't like younger males and older female trope, sorry. Lol, does the daddy and mommy issues ring? Jk, jk.

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Completed / Finished Reading

Black Flags

⭐ 🏴 Who Is The Prey? (Web Novel)

Checkered Flags

⭐🏁 Who Is The Prey (Manhwa)

🏁 BORDER LINE ~My Fiendish Chinese Classmate's Psychotic Infatuation~ (Manga)

🏁 Kneel Before Me (Manhwa)

Red Flags

🚩 Is this a BAD END? (Manga)

🚩 The Innkeeper's Daughter That Was Doted On By The S-Rank Adventurer (Manga)

🚩 Yaba Ai Instructor (Manga)

🚩 The Love-Interest Prince Completely Change When I Made A Meta Comment About My Reincarnation! (Manga)

⭐🚩🎨 I Reincarnated into the Otome Game "KURODORA," but it's IMPOSSIBLE to clear. ⚠️DUB/NON CON⚠️ (Manga)

🚩 Will You Like Me if I’m Nice to you? lol (Manga)

🚩 The Tainted Half (Manhwa)

🚩 Former Villainess and the Fallen Prince (Manga)

🚩 The reincarnated villainess cannot escape from the demon king's obsession ~Part 1~ (Manga)

🚩 When You Are Reincarnated As The villain NPC's Girl And Be Loved By The Strongest Prince Who Is Not A Capture Target (Manga)

🚩 Mellis Maleficarum~ usotuki akuma no saiin tyoukyou (Manga)

🚩 Muttsuri Akazukin-kun kara wa nige rarenai” / I Can't Escape From Mr. Naughty Red Riding Hood (Manga)

🚩 I Can't Escape From Mr. Naughty Red Riding Hood 2 (Manga)

🚩 The Strongest Knightess Cannot Escape An Obsessive Prince! (Manga)

⭐🚩 Limerence [Yandere! x Chara!Reader] by Monochromatically (Fanfiction)

🚩 Winter Rabbit in Wonderland (Web Novel)

🚩 Dying Days [Dark Reader One Shots] (Fanfiction)

🚩 Infected (Yandere Harem x Reader) (Fanfiction)

🚩 They Who Shouldn't Have Loved, The Story of their Cursed Love (Manga)

🚩 The Sacrificial Maiden Corrupted by Coupling With an Oni (Manga)

🚩 The Spy Who Ravished Me ~Reborn As a Mafia Princess in a Deadly Game~ (Manga)

Below Red Flags (Orange/Yellow/Green, etc.)

Death Is The Only Ending For The Villainess / Villains are Destined to Die (Web Novel)

Teenagers [Yandere High, Quotev] (Fanfiction)

100% Perfect Girl (Manga)

The Yakuza Leader's Only Daughter and the Second in Command (Manga)

You, My Devil / The Devil and His Sacrifice (Manhwa)

Ikemen Kadouka to Seiryaku Kekkon Shitara, Ishiki ga Tobuma de Mederaremashita (Manga)

Special Class with Teacher on the Train (Manga)

BAD GUY| Yandere Mafia Boss x Reader (Fanfiction)

You Need Me ( Manipulator Yandere x Reader ) (Fanfiction)

Gratitude (Yandere x Reader, Quotev) (Fanfiction)

You’ve Got The Wrong House, Villain (Web Novel)

It Seems Like I Got Reincarnated Into The World Of A Yandere Otome Game (Web Novel)

The Epic Revenge ( Marshal Your Wife Run Away ) (Manhwa)

Jinsei 2-Shuume wa Yandere Kareshi wo Amayakashite Happy End ni Narimasu!! (Manga)

Even if I were to die, I wouldn’t choose you (Manga)

Not Yandere / Just Possessive (Protective Type)

Business Proposal (Manhwa)

Pampered by the Escape Boss (Web Novel)

Green Flags / Not Yandere / Just Crazy

Last Game (Manga)

Phoenix Destiny (Web Novel)

Tsuiraku Jk To Haijin Kyoushi (Manga)

Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! (Manga)

Evil Wang Pampers His Ghost Doctor Fei (Web Novel)

Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss (Web Novel)

The Anarchic Consort (Web Novel)

The Good for Nothing Seventh Young Lady (Web Novel)

Koi to yobu ni wa kimochi warui (Manga)

Space and Rebirth: The Favored Genius Doctor and Businesswoman (Web Novel)

AntiSTALKER (Manhwa)

I’m Dating A Psychopath (Manhwa)

National School Prince Is A Girl (Web Novel)

Dreaming Freedom (Manhwa)

Extras: Not Romance Books

⭐ Kill The Hero (Manhwa)

⭐ Kill The Hero (Web Novel)

Juvenile Justice (K-Drama)

Yoru ni Naru to Boku wa (At Night I Move) (Manga)

Madam, Your Sockpuppet is Lost Again! (Web Novel)

⭐ Reverend Insanity (Web Novel)

Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain (Web Novel)

Incompetent Villain (Manhwa)

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Currently Reading / Tracking Updates

Black Flags

⭐🏴💀 If I Cant Have You by Deathsdoll (Ao3) (Fanfiction)

⭐🏴 How To Break Up Well (Manhwa)

Checkered Flags

🏁 Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse #1) by H.D. Carlton (Novel)

⭐🏁🎨 Chaotic Nights (Manhwa) / Tempest Night (JYL) (Manhwa)

Red Flags

⭐🚩🎨 The Beast Within (Manhwa)

🚩 To Your Moralless (Manhwa)

⭐🚩 One Husband Is Enough (Manhwa)

🚩 Betrayal of Dignity (Manhwa)

Below Red Flags (Orange/Yellow/Green, etc.)

My Body Has Been Possessed By Someone (Web Novel)

Stigma Effect (Manhwa)

Villainess Maker (Manhwa)

Quiet In The Office! (Manhwa)

Extras: Not Romance Books

How To Live as an Illegal Healer (Manhwa)

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Simmering Food / Cook Chapters First

Checkered Flags

⭐🏁 The Fallen Fruit Under the Paradise – R19 (Web Novel)

⭐🏁 Try Begging (Web Novel)

⭐🏁 Not Allowed to Leak a Single Drop (Web Novel)

⭐🏁 Chaotic Nights (Web Novel)

Red Flags

🚩 Run Away, From Me (Manhwa)

🚩 The Blackened Male King Always Wants To Set A Routine For Me (Web Novel)

🚩 Odalisque (Manhwa)

Below Red Flags (Orange/Yellow/Green, etc.)

Assassin X Cinderella / Chotto kiken na amaama Onii-san (Manga)

Death Is The Only Ending For The Villainess / Villains are Destined to Die (Manhwa)

High Society (Manhwa)

He’s Always So Kind and Caring. Truly the Ideal Boyfriend (Manga)

Reminiscence Adonis (Manhwa)

Sensei no Yasashii Koroshikata (Manga)

Leylin of Turin (Manhwa)

Please Don’t Eat Me (Manhwa)

⭐ I'm a Fake Saintess but the Constellations are Obsessed (Manhwa)

Taram Taram Taram (Manhwa)

Predatory Marriage (Manhwa)

⭐ I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway (Manga)

Destined To Love You (Web Novel)

Today the Villainess Has Fun Again / The Villainess is Happy Today (Manhwa)

I Made a Deal With The Devil (Manhwa)

I’ll Become a Villainess That Will Go Down in History (Web Novel)

Post Possession Damage Control (Manhwa)

The Hero Suddenly Proposed to Me, but . . . (Web Novel)

The Villain Went Crazy Over Me (Web Novel)

You, My Devil (Web Novel)

Not Yandere / Just Possessive (Protective Type)

The Knight Captain Wants to Monopolize the Girl Who Had Glasses (Manga)

I Was Summoned to Be a Saint, but Was Robbed of the Position (Manga)

⭐ Men of the Harem (Manhwa)

Give a Heart to the Emperor (Manhwa)

The Perks of Being a Villainess (Manhwa)

Green Flags / Not Yandere / Just Crazy

Dog Act (Manhwa)

Extras: Not Romance Books

⭐ Konoha Hypocrite (Web Novel / Fanfiction)

The Earth’s Chosen Savior (Manhwa)

⭐ Brutal: Satsujin Keisatsukan no Kokuhaku (Manga)

⭐ Blue Lock (Manga)

Hero Killer (Manhwa)

One Punch Man (Manga)

Genocide Online Playtime Diary of an Evil Young Girl (Web Novel)

Start hunting the main character from One Piece (Web Novel / Fanfiction)

I’m Not That Kind of Talent (Web Novel)

Extreme Eternal Demon (Web Novel)

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Lazy to finish right now

Checkered Flags

🏁 Break Her by BG Harlen (Novel)

Red Flags

🚩 Failed to Abandon the Villain (Manhwa)

🚩 Reminiscence Adonis (Web Novel)

Below Red Flags (Orange/Yellow/Green, etc.)

Chongfei Manual (Web Novel)

This Song Only for You (Web Novel)

The Elegant Sea of Savagery (Manhwa)

Koroshi Ai (Manga)

I’m The Ex-Girlfriend of a Soldier (Manga)

I’ll Just Live On As A Villainess (Manhwa)

Hello, Wife! (Web Novel)

The Villain Discovered My Identity (Manhwa)

The Frog Prince and the Witch (Web Novel)

Not Yandere / Just Possessive (Protective Type)

Beware of the Red Thread (Manhwa)

Sensei To, Watashi Wa (Manga)

Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? (Web Novel)

The Best is Saved for Last / Nokori Mono niha Fuku ga Aru (Manga)

Love Between Fairy and Devil (C-Drama)

The Real Daughter is Back (Manhwa)

I Was Admitted To The Villain School (Web Novel)

Both the Kills and You Are Mine (Web Novel)

Father, I Don’t Want to Get Married! (Manhwa)

I Became The Sole Perfumer of A Tyrant (Web Novel)

My Master Disconnected Yet Again (Web Novel)

Of Course, I’ll Claim Palimony! (Manga)

Aidin (Manhwa)

Green Flags / Not Yandere / Just Crazy

Sweet Plunder (Manhwa)

Extras: Not Romance Books

⭐ Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Web Novel)

⭐ Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga)

Yukoku No Moriarty (Manga)

I'm the Grim Reaper (Manhwa)

Hierarchy (K-Drama)

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To Read Soon

god of malice by rina kent (killian) (west novel)

Cry, Even Better if you Beg (Web Novel)

Bastian (Web Novel)

It Doesn’t Matter If You’re Broken (Web Novel)

My Beloved Oppressor (Web Novel)

Apollo’s Heart (Web Novel)

The Skeleton King by Charity B. (Novel)

Entangled Relationships (Manhwa)

The Fake Saint Wants To Be Completely Dominated By A Horny Succubus (Manga)

50 Shades of Grey (Manhwa)

Red Fox (Manhwa)

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To Check, Dark Romance (Post-Backlog)

God’s Eye by ANSA Reads

His Dark Mercy by Amethyst Moonn

Beautiful Evil by Eris Belmont

Malevolent King by Mila Kane

Bad Intentions by Mila Kane

The King by Eris Belmont

Lemonade by Nina Pennacchi

Stolen by Jay Marie

even if it hurts - sam marrino (dare)

bitter heat singed series - mia knight (roth)

decent - sam marrino (calvin)

Rules of Bennet by Ember Michaels

Fearscape by Nenia Campbell

Gaslight her by Quinn Blackford

GODLY OBSESSION by ANSA Reads

Obsession by Gemma Weir

Mansions by Whitney Bianca

Stolen series by Jay Marie

Deadly vows by Haley Stuart

I know what love is by Whitney Bianca

Surrender by Sam Mariano

Wicked Games by Zoe Blake

Devil's Kiss series by Gemma James

love is strange by Whitney Bianca

Better Run by Alina May

24690 by A.A Dark

Nocticadia by Keri Lake

Torment by Dylan Page

Dead of summer by AJ Merlin

all your pain by hannah meadows

Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas

The Witness by AN Boyden

Brutal Conquest by Lilith Vincent

The edge of darkness by leigh rivers

The dare by Harley LaRoux

Losers Duet by Harley Laroux

The Key to Waking Up by Runa Nelson

Captured by Lauren Biel

Miranda Grant- Madness Behind the Mask

Sick Fux by Tillie Cole

Obsession by Harleigh Beck

Stolen by Jay Marie

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

Slaughter by Shantel Tessier

Pet: Genesis by Haley Inez

My Killer by Amrose

Clive Barker Damnation Game

Come Let Us Prey

Corrupt Idol by Dinah Harper

debt by Nina g jones

Heat by R lee smith

Dovetail by Whipperwill

contempt by Sam Mariano

Untouchable by Sam Mariano

Take Me With You by Nina G. Jones

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Other Recommendations

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@yanderenightmare

@yanderedrabbles

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Sample picture of my digital library in Notion (not sure if I'll post this link or not... probably not though for security reasons) But, I'll be posting my analysis of the yanderes to share with you guys (banner images do not belong to me):

[lifesarchive]

OUT THERE SCREAMING edited by JORDAN PEELE (REVIEW)

quickly: the ‘horrors’ of blackness have its natural and supernatural roots revealed (bad cop with a third eye / grandma’s love is deadly / wandering man running from nothing / in vivo alien invasion / unstable ex’s / sea siren with your sister’s face / dead man’s swamp revenge / serial killer targeting black robots / white men ruining the atmosphere / daddy’s secret / chaos in the dark / part woman part fish-devil / black magic as an HOA / grief and its blindness / games that ghosts play / negro folk tales as an american requiem / prison industrial complex goes A.I. / black magic as an addiction / whiteness as psyche and psychosis)

A fantastically original collection of short horror stories that span quite a range of horror sub-genres (sci-fi, thriller, romance, and even americana). All unapologetically Black. A superb addition to the limited number of Black horror anthologies (Tales from the Hood, anyone?).

My favorites were Wandering Devil (loverboy with wandering feet can outrun everyone but himself), The Rider (a dead man intervenes on behalf of two black women traveling alone), Flicker (an intermittent darkness unleashes chaos from the shadows), The Norwood Trouble (a group of black ‘practitioners’ will be damned if white rioters try to destroy their town), A Grief of The Dead (grief separates and reunites a pair of twin brothers), Your Happy Place (an incarcerated man must decide his reality after having it stolen from him), Hide & Seek (brothers learn to protect themselves with the same magic that wants to harm them).

★★★★★ Superb.

[pokcster]

https://www.instagram.com/pokcster/

[shallansolem]

ARC Review: Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

5/5 stars

Wow, this book is amazing. I don't even know how to start my review because there are so many important topics covered in Bury Your Gays. This book is jam packed with horror and action and queerness. I didn't want it to end. What a perfect thriller.

The author did an incredible job handling queer trauma and I literally had to stop and breathe a few times because it all hit so close to home. Growing up queer is hard and while the author didn't shy away from that, the author made sure we knew that there's joy in queerness, too. I also greatly enjoyed the discourse surrounding capitalism and AI and how queer identities are discussed.

Bury Your Gays is incredibly well written and a breath of fresh air amongst horror books (and this is coming from a huge horror fan). I'm already thinking about rereading it in the near future because so much happened. Truly, the queer horror book of my dreams. I wish I could thank the author for writing it. I have never preordered a physical copy so quickly.

PS. The ace representation in this book is 🤌🏽.

This book comes out on July 9th, 2024.

[tristfulnico]

i will never ever EVER get over "i saw the tv glow"

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: October 27, 2024

Only a couple this time—and not a ton to say about either—so this should be quick.

Woman of the Hour (Anna Kendrick, 2024)

When the structure is first introduced, I was a little skeptical. But Anna's directorial vision very quickly becomes clear and all skepticism was gone. That this is her directorial debut speaks volumes about the artist that Anna Kendrick has evolved into over the years. Her understanding of these characters and themes—and her care and respect for the victims throughout—is loud and clear, allowing her to not only be able to capture the chilling truths behind the monstrous acts, but also the inherent discomfort, fear and even humor in her own central character's arc. - 9/10

Late Night with the Devil (Colin & Cameron Cairnes, 2024)

This was a blast. Well executed, high concept possession horror with an interesting perspective, phenomenal atmosphere, appropriately weird performances, and an ending that's as bizarre as it is genuinely shocking. And Dastmalchian is just so, so damn good. - 8.5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[softpine]

caroline must have been so sick when insidious came out

[tiffsflickpicks]

“Don’t look at the acts. Look at the works.”

The House that Jack Built (2018)

Dir. Lars von Trier

Horror/ Crime

tiffsflickpick score: 3.5/5

rotten tomatoes: 60%

This movie dives into the mind of a serial killer “Mr. Sophistication” . It is chilling and disturbing… with high levels of gore. While this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, I think Jack’s mind (Mr. Sophistication) is shown to be extremely fascinating. He is intelligent and he isn’t shown to be a one dimensional character. Shown as “incidents” , we see his murders take place over 12 years as he led by Virgil (Inferno) to the underworld. It is almost like a confessional. If you can stomach it, it is definitely worth a watch.

[hannahwatcheshorror]

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990)

💁‍♀️Strong Female Lead

A classic retold into another classic! And with Tony Todd no less! This version makes Barbara into a much more interesting character that I like a whole lot more than her 1968 predecessor. A fun if not slightly tense romp through an evening of the unalive live. I also appreciate the general speed and strength of the zombies, it felt accurate to what the living dead would be.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

(Trigger Warning Suicide, Domestic Violence)

So this is a straight up remake of Night of the Living Dead 1968 but with better zombies, I mean, really, they have some good old gruesome boys in this film. I knew right away it was a remake, not because the scenes were exactly the same but because the Z-boys were tool-using and that astounded me during the first Night of the Living Dead. When that first dead man picked up a heavy object to bust open the car window my jaw dropped, that is some advanced thinking for a corpse!

Barbara is our female heroine who we follow in the beginning, she was with her brother initially but they encounter some Zombs and her brother takes a bit of a swan dive into a gravestone (can’t be good for the neck). Barb makes her way to an “abandoned” house after escaping a deadly scene in the car with no keys but the smart girl pulls the emergency break!  Zombies in the house but Tony Todd shows up in a truck! Tony Todd embracing you to comfort you as opposed to embracing you to hold you captive in a fire, um, yeah. 

Barb and Tony Todd meet up with the basement dwellers, the couple and the family of three, the couple are chill but the family sucks because the dad sucks. There is a debate on what is safer, staying upstairs or holing up in the basement and the majority choose upstairs while the family stays downstairs. Also in this edition of Night you can tell that the little girl is sick from a zombie bite right away which I think is kind of funny. They actually just outright say it which is also wild. After barricading all the windows they try to get gas but we end up losing the couple in a split second shotgun decision which I think worked much better than a jacket getting caught.

Then Tony Todd and the crazy dad have a shootout, the daughter finally turns but I think the dad just got tired of not being a complete and total asshole to everyone. Bad daddy escapes into the attic (which, why didn’t they go there in the first place?) and Barbara says she will send help for poor Tony if she can evade the Zambinos. She actually finds help (who almost shoots her) but by the time she makes it back, Tony Todd has already turned (sad!). And who comes around the corner but bad daddy, thanking her for coming back to save him, and Barb doesn't hesitate to put a bullet in his brain. "Another one for the fire.”

I really loved the change from the 1968 version of Barbara to this version, she was so much stronger, she didn’t go catatonic immediately, and she survived. Well, part of her did, I don’t know that we can say her humanity survived after all she went through.

[grenadesandroses]

this game increased my blood pressure during gameplay for sure. the first time I saw that mutant underwater-dwelling human(?) darting across my screen, I legit jumped off my seat. and I can't decide if I prefer the eeriness of being alone in vast, dark structures over the anxiety of not getting caught around other humans. I hate both, thanks. and what a great and solid game this is

[solreads]

Compound Fracture - Review

Title: Compound Fracture

Author: Andrew Joseph White

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Audience: Young Adult

Format: Novel

Representation: Trans boy POV character

  Nonbinary queerplatonic love interest

  Trans side character

Summary: In the mountains of West Virginia, a hundred-year feud between the Abernathys and Davies sweeps up to sixteen-year-old trans boy, Miles Abernathy, as the violence reignites for a new generation. 

Stemming from the murder of Miles’ ancestor Saint Abernathy by law enforcement after a miners’ rebellion, the conflict still rages along the same lines – the Abernathys and the poor residents of Twist Creek in a desperate struggle against the oppressive power of the Sheriff and his supporters. Miles, in possession of evidence of the Sheriff’s crimes against his parents and the activists of their generation, is eager to expose him and bring an end to it all. However, a bloodless end is not in sight for Twist Creek. An attempted murder by the Sheriff’s son leaves him brutalized, threatened into silence, and seeing the ghost of his long-dead ancestor.

Joining the cycle of retribution and violence only becomes more inevitable as the conflict heats up again and the accidental death of one of the boys who attacked him falls on his hands.

Reflections: I was excited about this one and thrilled to get an advanced copy. The history and culture of Appalachia interest me a lot, in part because of my proximity to it. There’s been a history of socialist movements and worker solidarity in many areas that still permeates the culture, but also a strongly conservative lean in the impoverished rural communities that could (and have in patches of history) benefit most from these movements. The book description seemed to promise a nuanced exploration of these elements without glorification or erasure of the bigotry just because the people perpetuating it are victims in their own right. The cycle of violence, and the lofty ideals struggling to manifest in a dirty reality, all weaved through a thriller/horror plot line literally haunted by the bloody, cyclic history (not to mention the bonus of exploring trans and queer culture and identity in this environment through a gay, aromantic trans protagonist), what a pitch.

It just didn’t fully stick the landing in my opinion. While Miles has a strong sense of his principles, politically, and awareness of the large-scale issues in his community, the morality and motivations for the violence done in the story proper by him and his generation were shallower. A lot of complexity was left to the past and to infodumps about history, culture, and ideologies, rather than deeply integrated into the narrative.

It came to a head with the ending where I felt the underlying problems of Miles’ community that went beyond the sheriff and his abuse of power were somewhat brushed off. All the handful of bad people who were really seduced by violence (unlike Miles who only liked it a little) were gone and so the conservative populace would rally behind the socialists and queers? I know that’s not exactly what the ending wants to say. It’s trying to be a hard-won, but hopeful look at the cycle of violence finally ending and a marginalized person being able to carve out space for himself in a home he cares for. But (despite the literal gore and death) it was maybe too clean for a story that paid lip service to many complexities. There are acknowledgments of the racism, misogyny, queerphobia, and all the hatred, trauma, and pain that go far beyond and far deeper than the feud that gets the main focus and the resolution in the end. With all that put out in the open earlier in the story, but not worked on, I’m wondering where it all went.

Sometimes I think I’m asking the wrong thing from a story when I’m unsatisfied with the direction or the ending, but in this case, I do believe I wanted mostly the same thing the story was trying to give, I just wanted it to go deeper and to give more.

There was a lot to like — the portrayal of the setting, the political awareness, Miles’ journey to understanding himself as autistic, his pride in his home and insistence on making it better, the realistic writing of his family’s imperfect yet unconditional love — but also potential left untouched.

Warnings: Depictions of transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, and public outing.

Notes on Rep: MC identifies explicitly, on-page as a transgender boy. 

[fangdokja]

Zero-Triggers Library

Book Recommendations / Book Thoughts

The Zero-Triggers Library is a meticulously curated, multi-year collection dedicated to male yandere and dark romance themes, blending obsessive passion with complex character dynamics. From dominant, sadistic archetypes to nuanced psychological classifications, this library explores the intense spectrum of yandere love through a personal lens. With detailed research tools, tiered classifications, and exclusive recommendations, it's a haven for fans of twisted romance and compelling storytelling. Every entry reflects a unique journey, balancing dark obsession with moments of surprisingly wholesome depth. Perfect for those seeking tailored, unapologetically bold narratives.

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Official Personal Library: Male Yandere / Dark Romance Library {Complete Edition}

Preview of Personal Library: Male Yandere Recommendations [Incomplete Version]

Yandere Classifications: How a Yandere Says, "I love you." [GENERAL Library Classifications]

Comprehensive Guide to Male Yanderes: Yandere Psychology: A Comprehensive Taxonomy of Obsessive and Possessive Love {Complete Edition}

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Table of Contents

⭐ - Author's Personal Favorites The following stories are released or scheduled for release:

Book Thoughts / Reviews

Post Possession Damage Control (Manhwa) / My Body Has Been Possessed By Someone (Novel) [First Thoughts / Informal Review]

Daddy Appreciation Collection (includes Art)

Odalisque (Manhwa)

To Your Moralless (Manhwa)

Chaotic Nights (Manhwa)

Game Recommendations

Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss is real in these games.

[thecountvoncurdles]

Clearcut (1991)

There's this impulse I have, as a white guy who leans left, to joke about direct action. As shitheads like Trump and DeSantis and Abbott brutalize everyone but me, that impulse leaps to the forefront of my mind. It's an anxious reaction to the real suffering I see all around, a wormy means of mitigating the guilt I feel for being able to turn away. It takes a certain privilege to joke about political violence.

Clearcut knows that. The white lead makes a joke and Arthur--an incomparable, spellbinding Graham Greene--drags him into the wilderness to make good on it. He has no sympathy and less patience for this man who has the privilege to joke, who enjoys the option to turn away. He knows that colonizers only respect force, and thus there's only one way to talk to them.

He never says this. He refuses to meet you on any terms but his own; that's what lends Clearcut so much power. It's a stark critique of white pacifism all sketched out through grimy survival and bloodletting and struggle. Essential viewing.