8-17-25 — Christina Critiques

Happy Sunday, nerds! I am back with a very odd yet exciting bunch of reviews.

From a Booker List nominee to Clive Barker, to Candace Nola to a story about Pubes. And I tie with a bow of an afterlife from hell.

Let’s get into them!

BOOKER LIST LONGLIST NOMINEE

AUDITION

By: Katie Kitamura

Release: 4/17/25

Page count: 200

KU: No     Hoopla: No

Synopsis: What happens when one must audition to play oneself in life? Will the audience react favorably as the curtain falls, or will the show go on without you?

First line: “It seemed an unlikely choice, this large establishment in the financial district, so that I stood outside and checked the address, the name of the restaurant, I wondered if I had made a mistake.”

Favorite line: “Your approval means a great deal to him.”

Thoughts: AUDITION broke my heart. The female main character both needs and is needed for approval in life. How one sensitive interview question years before can rewrite an entire life or lives in this case. How easy it is to lose oneself in love, life, and marriage to the point of resentment for yourself and others. But the main question to answer when reading this is - who is in the spotlight on stage, the characters or you?

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: INTIMACIES

Find it here: https://a.co/d/bLO7LIs

VIOLENT NIGHTS

By: Candace Nola

Release: 8/12/25

Page count: 162

KU: Yes        Hoopla: No

Synopsis: Eight stories to take care of any reading slump: body horror, ecohorror, strange stew and parties you don’t want to miss.

First line: “I pulled in the long driveway and parked, then looked around.”

Favorite line: “Devon was not impressed, and he was pissed she had died before he could get his dick wet.”

Thoughts: VIOLENT NIGHTS feels personal. From the actions of many shitty characters to the misunderstood or those taken advantage of - it reads different. It reads as if she knows the reader and that we need catharsis. She hears our stories, fears, needs and reveals a type of ending that we can take away knowing the struggles aren’t in vain. As usual with Nola, this is a stellar, must read collection.

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: GOLD AND GORE, DEMONS IN MY BLOODSTREAM

Find it here: https://a.co/d/6e385zN

BOOKS OF BLOOD VOL. 4

By: Clive Barker

Release: 2013

Page count: 215

KU: No           Hoopla: No

Synopsis: Five more stories to make you question your boundaries and sanity. Karma, uncontrollable body parts, a possible reconciliation, a fanboy of Stan, and a bad experiment grace these ghastly pages.

First line: “‘Are you the one then?’ Red demanded, seizing hold of the derelict by the shoulder of his squalid gabardine.”

Thoughts: This collection was CRAZY! Probably my second favorite (after the Vol. 1). “Revelations” was absolutely brilliant and had such an array of social commentary: domestic violence, sexual assault, evangelical insanity, and so much more. I am curious about the theme or use of the ape/primate storyline in his stories. (If anyone has any theories, let me know!)

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: Vol 1-3

Find it here: https://a.co/d/73pBdBQ

PUBES

By: R.J. Benetti

Release: 6/27/25

Page count: 21

KU: No        Hoopla: No

Synopsis: Danny has been chosen to keep the world safe; the problem is - what has to do to keep it that way not only hurts, but makes others question his sanity.

First line: “They called it trichotillomania, or trich, for short.”

Favorite line: “He did, however, possess a swath of scabs that oozed a Peep-colored pus.”

Thoughts: Ah, I missed Benetti’s bizarro books. PUBES is just that - about pubes. But Benetti adds such a creepy and bizarro twist, that you can’t help but grimace. Gross, witty, and cringe-inducing, Benetti gives us just enough of a hit of his literary shenanigans that we can wait a bit longer for the next one.

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: UNFIT, THE SLAPPENING

Find it here: https://godless.com/products/pubes-by-rj-benetti?_pos=1&_sid=3e4012fc3&_ss=r

EARLY REVIEW

NEVER BEEN DEADER: Lifeless Carl and the Not-So-Sweet Embrace of Death

By: Tommy Devoid

Release: 9/23/25

Page count: 112

KU: No    Hoopla: TBD

Synopsis: Carl is dead. Deader than dead. But the problem is, life was the easiest part and he would rather be in Hell.

First line: “Morning, Furball.”

Favorite line: “So cry it out in the bathroom.”

Thoughts: Carl, I tell you. Just when he thinks it can’t get worse, it does… he has a job in the afterlife. What a fun and quick mood changer. Bad day at work? Read this graphic novel. Bad day with the kids? Pick up ol’ Carl and Myrtle. Need to cackle a bit before dealing with the in-laws? Check in with Furball. Adorable from the first cell to the last, I will definitely keep my eyes on this artist/writer.

Rating: 4/5

Other recommendations: SKELETONS ARE PEOPLE TOO: The Art of Tommy Devoid

Find it here: https://a.co/d/281bCiR