Tag Archives: thriller

Book Review: The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller

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The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller
Publisher: Quirk Books (thank you for my gifted ARC!)
Pub date: May 7th, 2024
My rating: 4.5/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Chaotic bisexual Wendy is trying to find her place in the queer community of San Lazaro, Arizona, after a bad breakup—which is particularly difficult because her ex is hooking up with some of her friends. And when the people around them start turning into violent, terrifying mindless husks, well, that makes things harder. Especially since the infection seems to be spreading.

Now, Wendy and her friends and frenemies—drag queen Logan, silver fox Beau, sword lesbian Aurelia and her wife Sam, mysterious pizza delivery stoner Sunshine, and, oh yeah, Wendy’s ex-girlfriend Leah—have to team up to stay alive, save Pride, and track the zombie outbreak to its shocking source. Hopefully without killing each other first.

The Z Word is a propulsive, funny, emotional horror debut about a found family coming together to fight corporate greed, political corruption, gay drama, and zombies.”

My thoughts:

Wow! Zombie books are pretty out of my comfort zone, but once I heard how THE Z WORD blends queerness with the undead, I was immediately sold. I’m so glad I took a chance on this title, because I loved it so much that it has now opened up an entire new sub-genre of books for me. Seeing yourself represented in literature can be a complete game-changer.

THE Z WORD absolutely kept me on the edge of my seat—It truly has traits that span over many types of books, such as literary, horror, and thriller titles. The way Lindsay King-Miller marries these genres? *Chef’s kiss*! There are also a plethora of queer inside-jokes scattered throughout the pages, which makes the book feel like a fun easter-egg hunt. Reading THE Z WORD was an exciting, suspenseful (especially towards the end), and enjoyable experience.

If a story that incorporates zombies, gore, and horror with drag shows, gay culture, and a bisexual main character sounds exciting to you: THE Z WORD should definitely be on your TBR! Thank you so much to Quirk Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review- The Girl in 6E

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The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre

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Rating: 5/5 stars

“I like the sound of screams- real screams, not the pathetic excuse that most movies try to pass off as the sound of terror“

Deanna Madden lives most of her life as JessReilly19, a seductive college freshman who spends hours on hours having internet sex with men and women from around the world. When she isn’t earning insane amounts of cash via the pay-by-minute feature on her private website, Deanna locks herself up in a two-bedroom apartment and tries to push away her homicidal fantasies. Deanna has a daily routine that only has one rule:Don’t Kill Anyone. This rule is fairly easy to keep so long as she stays locked up and alone, but Deanna finds herself in a situation that requires her to be around people, people she could potentially kill.

This book was fantastic. I know that so many thrillers are compared to Gone Girl these days, but this book really took me on a ride similar to the ones Gillian Flynn writes. I found myself flying through the pages towards the last third of the novel. I was stuck between “get to the ending ASAP” and “try to savor every page of this incredible novel”. The first thought took over my brain and I, consequently, probably missed some really cool plot details.

I really like the light that this book shone on people, specifically women, working in the sex industry. Deanna is a full-time internet sex cammer and is in control of all of her sessions. If a man is getting too creepy or aggressive, she has the power to disconnect and block them from further contact. She is an empowered woman who finds no shame in the way she lives her life. She is content with her lifestyle, not miserable as some people would presume. I thought this was an extremely positive quality of the novel.

The Girl in 6E had been sitting on my bookshelf for a few months before I picked it up this week. I think I was mentally preparing myself for a heavy thriller. This was such an exciting read and I’m glad I got to it this month. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Sunday Book Recommendation 2/22

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Inferno by Dan Brown

Inferno-coverIt’s inevitable that one of my recommendations is going to be a Dan Brown book. Like all of his Robert Langdon books, this one is a bit formulaic (if you’ve read any of Brown’s books you’ll know what I mean). Still, this was a fantastic story with a great connection to Dante’s Inferno if you’re interested in the classics like I am.

I read this book about 2 years ago and I honestly can’t remember exactly the plot line, except that it involves Robert Langdon (yet again!) confused and caught in the middle of a deadly plan. It is incredibly fast-paced and definitely grabs the reader’s attention from the very beginning.

Out of the few Brown books that I’ve read, this one is my favorite. I’m minoring in the classics at my university and, consequentially, have great respect for Dante’s work. Dan Brown does a great job working text and illusions from Dante’s original Inferno into his book. If you’re craving a thriller that’ll have you reading until 3am, this is it.