All My Colors by David Quantick

Available now

One of my favorite things to do is find books in unlikely places. The bargain bin at Menards? Often, it’s a gold mine. Dollar Tree? I have found some wildly popular bestsellers there for a handful of quarters. This is one of those books that I discovered on the back of the shelf and it cost me four whole quarters. Why did I pick it? I liked the cover. That was my entire justification for buying it. I then let it sit on my shelf for several years as I often do with my book purchases because there is nothing wrong with that.

But then I picked it up on my quest to read more of my physical book and immediately hated every single character. Everyone is awful! Well, one person is fine but you don’t know that until nearly the end and I’m not spoiling that for you. But the story and the writing is so wild and compelling that you can’t help but get sucked in. I may have had this book for years, but I finished it in two days.

From the Publisher:

It is March 1979 in DeKalb, Illinois. Todd Milstead is a wannabe writer, a serial adulterer, and a jerk, only tolerated by his friends because he throws the best parties with the best booze. During one particular party, Todd is showing off his perfect recall, quoting poetry and literature word-for-word plucked from his eidetic memory. When he begins quoting from a book no one else seems to know, a novel called All My Colors, Todd is incredulous. He can quote it from cover to cover and yet it doesn't seem to exist. With a looming divorce and mounting financial worries, Todd finally tries to write a novel, with the vague idea of making money from his talent. The only problem is he can't write. But the book - All My Colors - is there in his head. Todd makes a decision: he will "write" this book that nobody but him can remember. After all, if nobody's heard of it, how can he get into trouble? As the dire consequences of his actions come home to both Todd and his long-suffering friends, it becomes clear that there is a high - and painful - price to pay for his crime.

This book is wild. Todd Milstead is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve ever come across. He is given numerous chances to not just be a better person, but to be the bare-minimum of a decent human being, and at every turn, he fails spectacularly. The punishments he receives for constantly choosing to be a jerk are absolutely incredible. It is so darkly comical and slapstick that I had to reread several passages multiple times to make sure I was reading it correctly. I really enjoyed how Quantick wove together the fantastical elements with the darkly humorous realistic elements. Unfortunately for some of our characters, they meet some pretty inexplicable fates.

Overall, I found this book fascinating. The characters are well-developed, the writing is absolutely compelling, and it’s perfectly paced. I found it to be darkly funny and wildly unpredictable. If you’re looking for a weird and quirky read, this should be top of your list.

If you’d like more information about this title, including ordering information, you can click on the cover above. This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

It Will Only Hurt For a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson

Available now

CW: check out The StoryGraph for a list of all content warnings.

Are you looking for a book that makes you question whether to ever enter the woods again? A book that will scare your pants off and give you nightmares? How about one that makes you slightly uncomfortable with how happy you are when bad people get what’s coming to them? Looking for a hefty and therapeutic dose of female rage?

From the Publisher:

Sarah Carpenter is starting over.

She's on the run-leaving behind her unsupportive, narcissistic ex-boyfriend and alcoholic, abusive mother-and headed for a new beginning at Tranquil Falls, a secluded artists' colony on the grounds of a closed hotel. There, with no cell signal or internet to distract her, she hopes to rediscover her love for pottery and put the broken pieces of her life back together.

But when Sarah uncovers the body of a young woman while digging a hole for a pit kiln, things start to fall apart. Her fellow artists begin to act in troubling ways. The eccentric fiber artist knits an endless scarf. The musician plays the same carousel song over and over until his fingers bleed. The calligrapher grins with ink-stained teeth. Not to mention the haunting dreams Sarah has night after night.

When she discovers glass shards in her clay, Sarah wonders if someone is out to get her-or if she's losing her grip on reality out here in the wilds, where the pounding of the waterfall never, ever fades. As she investigates the beautiful valley and the crumbling resort looming over them all, she unearths a chilling past that refuses to remain buried...

Delilah S. Dawson is one of my favorite go-to authors for all things horror, thriller, and female empowerment. It WIll Only Hurt for a Moment is a fast-paced thriller that really leans into the eeriness of its setting. Sarah, our FMC, has finally found the freedom to start her life over and on the way to Tranquil Falls, she receives a drunken call from her abusive mother. This is just the first in a series of unsettling and disturbing events that Sarah will have to persevere through in order to survive. As Sarah is facing one crisis after another, the remoteness of the artist’s colony begins to feel like a character itself. The more Sarah begins to feel in control of herself, clawing back her joy of pottery and creativity, the more unsafe the woods and what they contain become. On the property is a mysterious old hotel with a disturbing past that is strictly off-limits to the artists. I love a creepy old hotel in my horror and this one may be the creepiest yet.

If you, like me, enjoy a little “Awful Man Gets His Just Deserts” in your books, you will love what happens to the awful bastards in this story. Without being too spoiler-y, there is a character early on that was so infuriating and misogynistic that I was rooting for his downfall from the moment he was introduced. The Bad Guys in this book are incredibly awful so definitely check the content warnings carefully. There is some real karmic justice dished out and it is so, so satisfying.

This is one dark, creepy, unsettling story of female rage and self-discovery and I really loved it. I thought the characters were great, the pacing was really good, and it had the perfect blend of psychological thriller and paranormal horror. If you loved Dawson’s other book The Violence, definitely add this one to your TBR.

If you’d like to add this book to your shelf, you can find ordering information by clicking on the cover above. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.All opinions and mistakes are my own.