I thought The Wild Things was written really well, the spooky element was presented well and it really created an atmosphere whilst reading. The storyline developed well and I really enjoyed it. I did think it was a bit far fetched towards the end but it was an enjoyable read.

This started well, and some of the descriptions throughout the book are exceptionally well-written. I felt the bony fingers, heard the skittering of millions of tiny, dark things, and I sensed the chill of being watched by dead eyes.

Unfortunately that is where it ended for me. I do think the author took it too far in many ways, making it implausible and frankly a bit silly in parts. I think the author could have done so much more with this.

2 and a half stars.

I really enjoyed this read! It was eerily creepy, just as i like it. However towards the ending the paranormal got a bit.. overdone. It was a bit too much for me. But overall i thought it was an interesting read!

This book kept me hooked, once I started I HAD to finish.

It had so many good twists and turns that added a slightly different element to the classic tropes in this genre.

Thank you for letting me have a copy of this book

I really enjoyed it, who doesn't love a creepy cult story, although I felt it was a bit too ambitious like there were some unnecessary elements of the story, It went from being a cult story to a supernatural one.
Also a note on the writing of the first person, it kind of felt like a narrator, it made it hard for me to get in the story.
Other than that I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for the book.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it. For some reason I thought this serial killer she was paranoid about was going to be in the picture somehow but outside of a couple mentions here and there, he was not a part of the book at all.

There were a lot of players in this book but they all kind of ease into the story really nicely and the amount of characters didn’t distract me from the plot. I did enjoy the paranormal things that were in this book but I kind of wish there had been more paranormal spread in the book and not just the little girl here and there. I think the man in the tree could have been talked about/used more.

My main con was the ending was a bit lackluster for me, while Kendall is being told the whole story and being dragged away, it ends so quickly after a whole book about being controlled and brainwashed. But I did really like this one.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for access to this ARC 📚.

🔥Quick Fire Review🔥

Genre/Themes: 🕵🏻‍♀️👻🌲🏘️🔮
Tropes: Set in a Closed Community, Garden Parties, Paranoid Thriller, Supernatural Elements, Cults, Manipulative Neighbours, Nosy Neighbours, Missing Person, Murder, Ritualistic Killing, Poisoning, Shooting, Kidnapping, Escape, Friends-to-Lovers
Positives ✅ : engaging plot, atmospheric, ambitious blend of genres
Room for Improvement 🔎 : character development, world building and lore
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗

✍🏻Full Review - RISK OF SPOILERS 🛑

Genuinely really enjoyed this! It’s not the sort of genre I usually read and I didn’t realise it was part of a series when I requested it, but turns out it worked absolutely fine as a stand-alone and was a really great blend of paranormal horror, crime mystery-thriller and even a little sci-fi.

Characterisation:
The main character, Kendall, is a true crime writer and has just bought a house in a HOA community. She is paranoid following the events in the previous book, which are helpfully referenced throughout the story. Kendall is afraid of commitment. Committing to a person, following the end of a long-term toxic relationship, or committing to staying in one place. While I did root for Kendall in the story I’m not sure I would say I found her likeable. I didn’t really register any sense of humour from her, or kindness or generosity. Outside of hiking and her career, I couldn’t really tell what she liked or disliked. The strongest aspect of her personality was her paranoia and unyielding need for answers; a burning curiosity. That lent pretty well for her writing and mystery solving. She did sometimes frustrate me with both her recklessness, putting herself in blatant danger just because she had to know, and her people-pleasing. She never seemed to be able to say no, or just stand up and leave a situation. Sometimes the plot explained this, other times it didn’t.
Kendall’s best friend Sam was very similar. I rooted for him, but realistically he was also a little one-dimensional. He at least showed kindness and community spirit in his little handyman chores, and we saw some pride and anxiety surrounding his restaurant. He appeared to be similar to Kendall in his fear of commitment and discomfort with people’s emotions. But he wasn’t particularly funny or loveable. He was just okay. I did appreciate how he didn’t gaslight all the characters in the story, and listened to them and helped them find evidence. Their friends-to-lovers arc was again, okay. I didn’t feel particularly excited about it or feel on edge ‘will-they-won’t-they’, but I suppose it felt pretty natural and not forced. The avoidance and anxiety around each other after they slept together under the influence of Blair and Flip was really well written though.
Blair and Flip were genuinely terrifying. Every scene with them left me feeling anxious. My chest would always feel taut like a bowstring waiting for them to snap, or waiting for them to make another character snap with their heavy pushing and manipulation. They’re the best villains I’ve read for a long while.
Supporting characters like the Pools, Marla or Kendall’s sister Holly could have done with more scenes, especially since they end up being quite significant to the plot. Holly was occasionally written a little stereotypically, even her ‘worn flannel shirt’ was very ‘drug addict’ archetype. And again, her addiction was sort of written as her whole personality. Kendall’s sisterly instincts didn’t quite ring true sometimes.

World-Building:
The HOA community was portrayed so accurately it was a little scary. The neighbours starting hissy fits over parking on their kerb, or decorations they don’t like, or too much noise. It was uncanny. The Robinette’s pushing their company Eau de Lune and trying to hire people like it’s a pyramid scheme was eerily accurate as well. The more real-life aspects were written well, but the horror/sci-fi stuff needed a little more refinement as I was left with more questions than answers by the end. It wasn’t clear how the paranormal creatures, other than one Familiar, came to be. It was vaguely implied they were kept alive by sacrifices, with one mention of a ‘shoe fetish’, hence the shoes of victims nailed to trees. But the experimentation of human subjects appeared to be related to the ‘men in the trees’ and their survival as well. But that wasn’t explained clearly.

Prose\Plot:
While certain aspects were somewhat obvious, i.e Eau de Lune being used to intoxicate people, on the whole I found myself really engaged with the plot and the ‘whodunnit’. I didn’t predict the Guffs being murdered, even with how annoying they were’, or Marla being manipulated into suicide. I didn’t expect the Robinette’s to be so brazen with murdering people in the community itself. However, the escape scene with Alba and her mother, plus the break in to their house, all seemed to be done a little bit too easily so could have been expanded on. Kendall’s interviews with witnesses about Eliana were a little unrealistic too sometimes, with people just telling her vital details that they didn’t tell the police. It felt a tad too convenient. I will also say that Eliana’s discovery was too glossed over. I was fine with it being linked to the Robinette’s, I thought it was quite clever actually, but I’d hoped to watch Kendall discover this rather than it be mentioned quickly at the end. The Eliana aspect of the story felt a bit forgotten for a big chunk of the book. The supernatural elements did leave too many loose ends for me. We know that ONE of the evil creatures is the ‘familiar’ of Flip’s old mentor, but what about the other ‘men in the trees’? Are they gone now that Flip and Blair are dead? And what about their daughters’ ghost that everybody is able to see? Kendall’s security cameras captured her fight with the Robinette’s clear as day, including their witchcraft and their interaction with the demons (if that’s what they were), so does everyone just know that paranormal stuff is real now? Are they gonna, y’know, do anything about all these ghosts and demons? Who actually was Oli, was she just a witch that assisted them? How did they hypnotise people into drinking their tampered drinks or eating tampered food? They explained how they used the drugs to make people more agreeable but there was reference to hypnotism and it was never explained how they compelled people into consuming things, other than being super pushy. What actually were the experiments they were performing on their captors? There was mention of using them as human hosts, but it sounded like the experiments were more varied than that. As a result it did feel a little unfinished and while I enjoyed the book I do feel it was perhaps a little too ambitious for the length of the story and could have done with being significantly longer for better pacing.

The Wild Things by London Clarke was a great read! It had just the right mix of mystery and supernatural elements to keep me hooked. The atmosphere was eerie and the story kept me guessing. A few parts were a bit slow, but overall I really enjoyed it. If you like spooky stories with a gothic feel, this one’s worth reading!

From the moment I opened The Wild Things, I was hooked by its eerie atmosphere and mounting tension! I love a good haunted house story, and this one delivered in ways I didn’t expect. London Clarke does a great job creating suspense without relying on overused tropes. I felt genuinely creeped out more than once! The FMC's inner conflict and emotional journey felt real and raw, and I found myself rooting for her even when she made questionable decisions.

While the pacing dragged a little in a few spots, the payoff was worth it. The tension built steadily, and I was never quite sure where the story would lead, which kept me turning the pages (digitally, of course) late into the night. If you enjoy gothic suspense with a psychological edge, The Wild Things is a haunting ride that’s definitely worth reading. Thank you, NetGalley!

This book kept me awake reading late into the night. I could not wait to see what happened with the creepy neighbors. The mind control and witchy aspects added just the right amount of supernatural energy. This is a must read for anyone who has ever had that annoying neighbor who freaks you out and you’re just not sure why.

I did not expect any of that! What an unpredictable and gripping story. I absolutely loved the mix of mystery and supernatural elements—it kept me on edge the whole way through.

This book was truly unputdownable. It pulled me in and made me feel the main character’s fear and hopelessness. Properly scary, in the best way.

Really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend!

This was wild, but I loved every second of it. This has been one my favorite books I have read so far this year. It's not your typical thriller which makes it stand out. I already purchased for the library collection.

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

This book was okay. I really liked the main character and thought the character development was good overall. However the book lost me on the paranormal stuff, which I think could have been fleshed out a bit better.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC copy. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.

In "The Wild Things", we follow true crime writer Kendall Casey, who has always been drawn to dark stories and unsolved or complicated cases, and whose latest project leads her to a neighborhood shrouded in secrets: The Cove. It may look like paradise, but nothing beyond reality, for Kendall's neighbors are like water and oil, never really mixing. The Guffs are clearly and understandably despise by everybody, while her next door neighbors, the Robinettes, are the life of the party, quite literally, and loved by all. Kendall included, at first.
Until Kendall’s wayward sister, Holly, arrives unexpectedly and vows that she’s changed, that she's leaving her addictions behind; eventually, Kendall agrees to house her for a few days until Holly goes back to their parents. An when the Robinettes make way for Holly into their inner circle, the visions and nightmares and possible paranormal encounters that are making Kendall doubt it all get worse, making her jump straight to action and seek the truth for everybody's sake.

So, I kind of got addicted to this one and read it in one sitting😂 Though, in the end, I didn't like it as much as i expected :| Yes, I'm conflicted here. The book was entertaining, I never got bored with it, the plot was consistent and the characters were goof enough. I think, my main problem is that I never quite felt the fear that assaulted Kendall from almost the first day after her arrival to the Cove, and for these type of books, that's an important point for me to really enjoy the book.

Kendall is an amazing character, three dimensional, with goals and contradictions of her own like a regular person. Her paranoia was well written and realistically depicted in my opinion, with putting up cameras and having a hard time trusting the neighbors she didn't know previously, all derived from her job. Enter Sam, and old friend of hers and the only one she had on her side at the start, because, later on, she makes more friends, which I liked for her. There's a whole twisted subplot happening with Sam and I think it was the part that I enjoyed more about this book and the changes it brought to the both of them.

The Cove is definitely an interesting place to be, though I would never lived there even if they paid me to😂 The neighborhood is definitely something else, and that's my point: the Cove feels like a real place, with all types of people living there. Even when reading contemporary I like the world to feel real, coherent within itself and, if possible, to be able to picture it vividly. And, I have to say, that London Clarke managed to do so in "The Wild Things"; my congratulations to her.

Now, the thing is that, while this book has strong elements that make it stand out from others, it didn't convince me much about the horror elements, or, better said, the aspect of fear that Kendall was going through with everything happening around her. Yes, it was messed up, and horrifying and her paranoia was absolutely right, but Kendall was supposed to be afraid of shadows visiting her house, of strange figures stalking her and the possibility that her neighbors were part of a cult. Yet, the descriptions of the book were almost never in depth or accurate enough for me.

And I say this is conflicting to me because there were other installments were I felt what Kendall felt, the weird events, the convenience of it all some times regarding the Robinettes and whatever happened around the Cove, and even Kendall, though being strange from her sister, being protective of her the moment the Robinettes took interest. Even the mystery of it all kept me glue to the pages. But a lot of other aspects were lacking for me to make me like this book more. Also, and this is completely personal, since what drives Kendall to the Cove is her job as a true crime writer and the case she's investigating at the moment, I would have loved for it to have more of a prominent role, instead of being something that Kendall did in her free time not investigating or spending time with the people of the Cove, as if her job was more of a second thought than what was going to pay her house. But, as I said, this is personal and I'm sure other people will love it the way it is.

Overall, I was entertained making theories and proving myself right or wrong and Kendall's character was an amazing one to follow. Even though I didn't found "The Wild Things" groundbreaking or something that sticks out for me across the genre, I do recommend it to the thriller audience that may want to read about having contradicting neighbors and characters with humanly interactions leading to something sinister happening closer than expected

This is from one of my favourite horror authors. London Clarke did really a fascinating job in here. I never know this kind of topics are in there like, manipulating people and mind reading etc, but those are on next level in this book. For that, I really liked it.

Anyway so, Kendall is a true crime author, who moves to a secluded town as a part of investigating a young girl's disappearance case from a decade ago. Her college best friend, Sam, just so happens to be her neighbor. But well he’s not the only one who’s hot and entertaining because there’s Flip and Blair. Everyone loves them so much. They have the best parties, get along with everyone, and they seem to always get their way.

There was few twists and turns which kept me on my toes the whole time. Every single time I had a prediction, author would throw a twist that made me rethink my whole process because she is able to blend normal elements of thriller with horror and paranormal aspects like I said.

Clarke delivers a real wham, bam, what the heck is going on, ma'am! I started this one last night and dropped my tablet on my head when I fell asleep. I wanted to power through but didn't quite make it. So, I finished today.

This is quite the ride. Our MC, Kendall, is a true crime writer struggling through her latest project. She's moved to a remote mountain town down the block from her hunky college bestie. Twenty years after college, they've grown and tensions exist between them, but this book is not a romance. Oh, no. It's a twisty story that blends the supernatural with the superbly messed up. The Wild Things (aka The Robinettes) are the neighborhood's "it" couple and they're at the center of something very sinister.

The title here is fitting. This truly is a wild ride. Check it out if you're into dark tensions and twisty rides.

3.75⭐️
Great paranormal thriller. It got a bit far fetched at times but still a page turner. Terrifying in parts and a wild read. The story was captivating and incredibly vivid. The twist was a bit disappointing and predictable but otherwise a solid thriller.

The Wild Things is a gripping, eerie thriller with unpredictable twists and a touch of the supernatural. Kendall is a compelling protagonist, and her reactions to the strange neighborhood dynamics reveal much about her character. Chilling moments, like the trees full of shoes, create a classic thriller atmosphere. The complex “will they, won’t they” relationship between Kendall and Sam adds depth and suspense to the story.

Rowan Beck is a newly-divorced author who retreats to a remote cottage in the Appalachian wilderness to finish her novel and heal, expecting peace and solitude. Instead she finds eerie noises in the woods, vanishing items, and a growing sense that she’s being watched. As Rowan uncovers the area's dark folklore and a history of disappearances, she begins to question her sanity and whether she’s truly alone.

The Wild Things is a chilling, slow-burn psychological thriller with a touch of the supernatural. London Clarke expertly builds atmosphere, crafting a story that blurs the line between reality and delusion. Rowan is a relatable, flawed protagonist whose isolation and unraveling mental state pull the reader deep into the mystery. The pacing is deliberate but rewarding, leading to a tense, satisfying climax. Fans of gothic suspense and eerie wilderness settings will find plenty to love here. The author's evocative writing made this a memorable read for sure!!