Another Little Piece

Holy crap! What did I just finish reading?

Those were the words that floated out of my mouth the moment I finished reading this book at 2am this morning.A book really has to draw me in big time for me to stay up half the night devouring it. Another Little Piece definitely did that. First, lets just get this out of the way, this is not a book for everyone. Not everyone is going to devour this book like it's their last meal.But after a slow start, this book picked up steam and never looked back.

Normally I hate poetry in books but the poems that were in this book, worked. They were poems that Annalise wrote herself before she disappeared and they nearly always gave clues as to what was going to happen next.

The writing fit the story so well. At times it was disjointed but that made sense to me as Annalise felt disjointed herself. She didn't remember her life at all and she struggled to try to remember it. The writing was beautiful and haunting which, again fit the book so well.The use of the author's descriptive language was awesome.

I adored Dex, he was a wonderful surprise and he was good to and for Annalise which was awesome to see. There was a slight love triangle but I'm not even sure you can call it that because Logan was from the past and there was never really anything there between him and Annalise.

The paranormal elements were definitely a surprise as I didn't see that coming at all. Normally I shy away from paranormal elements in books, but it was done so well this time that I didn't mind it. It definitely added a layer to this book.

My brain literally HURT while reading this book. Not in a bad way, just in a I-gotta-know-what-happens-next kind of way. There were multiple questions I had throughout the book and every time a question was answered, another one would crop up. I mean that is a GREAT way to get people to want to keep reading, so kudos to Kate Karyus Quinn for doing that.

It was labelled as a bone chilling, spine tingling book but I didn't get that feeling. Yes there were parts that were creepy as all get out but nothing really bone chilling or spine tingling. I also didn't get many feels from this book. So those are the main reasons that I am giving this book 4 stars. Not everyone will love this book, but you should definitely give this book a try.

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
eARC received from HarperTeen via Edelweiss
On Shelves Now
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: Dark, Gritty, and Unsettling

I love and hate horror movies. I love them because I like being on the edge of my seat, waiting for something to jump out of the dark corner; but I hate them because inevitably, as soon as the lights go out, here come the nightmares. So my solution? Never watch horror movies. So, I haven’t watched a horror movie in years, and I have started to miss them. And then lo and behold, horror starts becoming a trend in YA books! Problem solved. I love this growing trend because for some reason, books can be scary and thrill me without causing nightmares.
So when I saw Kate Karyus Quinn’s debt novel a couple of months ago, I knew it was one I was going to want to read; and it definitely delivered. Kate’s world was grisly—soaked in the blood of recklessness and evil. With every new memory Annaliese regains, the truth becomes more daunting and more grotesque. Fans of Kendare Blake will love this one.

From Chapter 1, I was pulled right into the twisted world of deception and brutality. Kate’s descriptions (while overly detailed at times) were hauntingly beautiful and terrible at the same time, and I found myself lost in a maze of shadows. Annaliese was a great mc for a horror novel because she had this brokenness to her that made you want to feel sorry for her, but at the same time, she had an air of coldness that sent my teeth to chattering. She was a completely unreliable narrator which made the tension much more palpable. I also liked that I didn’t take a liking to her. Does that make sense? She’s made horrible decisions in the past and there is a part of her that would scare the dark side of the moon. Her treachery and darkness made her a great character to both love and fear.

Now the bad guy (well, one of them) really disgusted me. I won’t say much about him because it’s too spoilery, but let me just say, he definitely triggered my gag reflex. His words and actions were manipulative and sociopathic; and seeing how much he enjoyed pain and suffering totally gave me the heebie jeebies.

The only thing that really bothered me was the length of the story. I really enjoyed it, but I got to a point where I wanted it to hurry up and end so I could see how everything was going to either work out or go to hell. I truthfully think it was a good 50-75 pages too long, and maybe that’s my attention span talking, but I had a hard time finishing it as quickly as I do other books. Most books I read in 2 days, and this one took me 4 days to complete. But then again, it might be because I couldn’t sit down and devour a book with so much grotesque imagery.
Overall, while it wasn’t my favorite ya horror that I have read, it was still a story that grabbed me and pulled me under. The ending was both somber and cathartic, though, so while I was still left with an unsettling feeling from the tragic decisions, I wasn’t left thinking, “Wow, sucks to be her.” If you are a horror fan, then you should definitely check this one out.