Name: Strange Gods
ISBN: 9781953491145

Alice Kimble

Strange Gods

Christine

Heather Harrington

*I received a copy of this via the author in exchange for an honest review*

This was a wild ride from beginning to end and I was here for it! The premise of this is so bizarre and out there, but Kimble's writing just made everything work. She blends in elements of fantasy, sci-fi, and even some thriller bits to craft a story that is totally unlike anything I've read before. I enjoyed her world-building and thought her characters, especially our main character Spooky, were well developed and entertaining. I'm also just such a fan of a quest trope in a book. The main highlight for me was all the creatures we got to cross paths with; they were all so unique and brought something fun and different to the plot. There were a few times when I felt the pacing could've been a little faster, but other than that I thought this was super enjoyable and original.

Sarah

[*ARC sent by the author in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine*]
⭑⭑⭑⭑

4.5

 tw: blood, minor violence in battles, bullying, kidnapping. 

Favourite quote 

She didn’t have to be the spooky girl waiting for an opportunity to do something or be someone. She already was someone.

I recommend this for 

If you like strange stories with deep meaning, adventure and friendship then this is perfect for you.

What I liked 

This is how I can perfectly describe this book: Alice In Wonderland meets Tim Burton meets Neil Gaiman.
I sold you on it already, right? This story is so strange and strange is also the feeling you have while reading it. And I mean that in the best way possible. Half of the time I was asking myself what the hell was happening, are these characters even okay and why the hell am I reading about a God who discovers wifi and falls in love with it?
These all seem like the wrong questions to ask, but if you’ve read this, then you would understand when I say they’re not negative questions at all.
Honestly, this is one of those books that hit you only after you finish reading. This is why I waited a bit before writing my thoughts. I had to sit with it and really process all the different nuances of the story. Reading about a God who loves wifi might seem ridiculous until you realise that *everything else* happened. This book is surprisingly deep.
I loved watching the main character, Spooky, grow as she goes on her very peculiar journey to try and save the world. Her character arc is really well written.
The ending left me too surprised to react. I honestly thought it wasn’t going to happen, but then it did and now I want more. 

What I didn’t like 

This book is too strange to pin-point negative things and again, this won’t make sense unless you’ve read it.

Final thoughts 

Overall, this is a strong debut and I cannot wait to see how this story progresses (I’m assuming and hoping it does!). This is only her debut, I cannot wait to see what more Alison will write in the future.

Katie Bell

THIS BOOK. I was so intrigued by the concept - weird boot camp in the middle of nowhere with punishments tailored to each individual???? yes please?? And then a main character (named Spooky!! SPOOKY!) who falls into a sort of parallel universe and meets a god and ends up on a thrilling adventure of EPIC proportions??? It was weird in the most delightful ways, it was funny, it was just a lil creepy, and had me thinking about it constantly. The character development was top tier and I honestly cannot wait for the next book because that ending was just 🤯 

Thank you to Alison Kimble for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review. I HONESTLY truly loved this book. Preorder it as soon as it’s available and then read it so we can talk about it. K thanks.

Kayla | @thereaderkayla

3 stars.

Thank you to the author Alison Kimble for reaching out to me and offering me an arc for an honest review!

Strange Gods follows Spooky, an outcast for most of her life, as she is sent to a camp for delinquent children. After an encounter with a rather peculiar god, Spooky is thrust into a game of gods, wars, and deception.

Plot
Strange Gods is a complex story about finding redemption in the most unlikely of circumstances. In the beginning of the novel we follow a rather timid Spooky as she navigates her time at summer camp. Very quickly, we are introduced to the the god named Carcass that flips Spooky’s life upside down. 

The beginning was quite slow for me, but then it was like a constant barrage of problem after problem after problem. Spooky and Co. never got a break! I thought the pacing was a bit off due to the constant problem>solution>problem>solution formula. The last chapter felt rushed and then it was just over! I think the last 25% could have been flushed out a bit more.

Somethings in this novel were a bit out there and a little too strange (which I should have anticipated due to the title). It was hard for me to adjust to the terminology and interactions with the different gods. I had a hard time imagining what the worlds and gods looked like as well. 

Characters 
While I felt like we didn’t get a lot of time to develop our characters the way I typically prefer, the character arc was still certainly there. Spooky goes from being very timid to ultimately trying to save the world. I love an ambitious main character!

I also really enjoyed the small banter we got from our main 3 characters. But I felt a little disconnected in the end from all of them. We didn’t get much closure from our trio and I felt underwhelmed to say the least.

Overall I enjoyed the storytelling element and the interesting take on a redemption story!

Strange Gods

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Highlights