DeAnna Knippling

I’m finding The Witch House difficult to efficiently recap. It is a middle grade book mostly told through the alternating journal entries of middle schoolers Jayla and Lola, and also there are witches! That’s the best I can manage, because TWH is way weirder and more experimental than a simple summary. It is a really cool and scary book. Like, imagine The Babadook but told from the perspective of the kid. That is the vibe, but there is more to it. TWH is a ride for sure and requires some active engagement from the reader, which I LOVE in a middle grade book. At the end there were some things left unexplained, which I appreciated. Once the scary thing is defanged with a description, it isn’t scary anymore, and I thought TWH did a great job sort of toeing that line between scariness and satisfying explanation. Absolutely recommend!
Thank you DeAnna Knippling and LibraryThing for the ARC!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily



… (altro)

This culinary mystery will be delightful for those who enjoy mayhem and watching one thing after another going wrong for the main character. Sam is an incredibly talented chef, despite being a chronic overthinker, who definitely does not have her "stuff" together at the moment - divorce (although we never learn exactly why...maybe for another installment?), new catering business, and an internet troll who is determined to see her fail. Readers should note that this was written quite a few years ago and refers to landlines and answering machines...… (altro)

Your Soufflé Must Die by DeAnna Knippling was very different from what I was expecting. There is a mystery but no murder, or any real danger, involved. Although there are a couple of light red herrings it is pretty clear from the start who the villain is. I’m not entirely sure that matters though, since the focus is on the wacky characters and the relationship between Sam, the lead, and her ex-husband.
I really enjoyed the food descriptions, and the over-the-top, food-network-competition-style creations. There are some strange food and combinations, but they don’t seem terribly out of place for the sort of catering company Sam is hoping to build. I also liked the character of the mega-star actor and his mom—quirky but interesting.
Sam was a more difficult character for me. She is up and down, all over the place, way too overwrought in some situations and not enough in others. Her relationship with her ex is just sort of annoying. There are some places where scenes seem just sort of shoehorned in, almost like the author wanted to write something and then find a place it would go in the story which made some parts seem pretty choppy.
There were some amusing moments, and I’ve never read anything quite like this. Thank you to the author and Library thing for the advance reading copy.… (altro)