Fallow Heart by K.C. Finn
Rating: ★★★★☆

As someone who typically avoids horror, Fallow Heart surprised me in the best way possible. K.C. Finn's storytelling prowess shines in this atmospheric tale that blends elements of suspense and supernatural mystery.

Set against a backdrop of eerie landscapes and unsettling encounters, the story follows characters grappling with both external threats and internal demons. Finn crafts a narrative that is as chilling as it is compelling, drawing readers into a world where fear lurks just beyond the shadows.

What impressed me most was Finn's ability to weave together a narrative that kept me on edge without relying solely on shock value. Instead, Fallow Heart delves into psychological depths, exploring themes of trauma, survival, and the haunting echoes of the past.

While horror isn't usually my genre of choice, I found myself captivated by Finn's nuanced approach and the way she builds tension with each turn of the page. Fallow Heart is a testament to Finn's skill in crafting a gripping story that transcends genre boundaries.

I gave this a four out of five stars. I really enjoyed this book. It was better than I was expecting

I liked that this had overweight representation with the main character, but I don't think it was dealt with particularly well, she was constantly putting herself down and being negative about her weight, a little more positivity would have made that representation worthwhile. The beginning of the book hooked me but that level of tension didn't continue to the end unfortunately.

This book turned out to be a like more then what I thought it would be, and it’s really not the type of thing that I enjoy reading so I had to DNF. I can definitely see how it’d be great for those who enjoy horror and such, though.

This book had an interesting concept but I did not really like Lorelai's character much. While I appreciated the representation by having an overweight character, her negative thoughts about herself distracted me and did not really add anything to the book.

This was an interesting book that was totally out of my comfort zone. I went into it not really knowing what to expect or what it was about, so it surprised me that I did enjoy the book. Fallow Heart is a book with a darker theme, an interesting yet simple plot and decent characters. It was full of action which gave me the drive to keep reading and the writing style was really enjoyable. I wasn't obsessively flicking through the pages, although I think that was just because of the genre for me.

Lori, the main character, is overweight and I liked that this was being represented however I had some issues with the way this was handled. She had a lot of negative thoughts about herself, especially her appearance, yet this was never addressed and therefore added nothing to the storyline. Going into this book, I also wasn't aware that it had a sequel, so I was left with a lot of questions at the end. Due to the genre, I don't think I will be reading the second book so this was a little disappointing and I wish I had known this beforehand.

Overall, this book was definitely good but it just never had me loving it, which could have been because this is not my usual or favourite genre. I would recommend this book to those who love to read more dark, supernatural stories.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the beginning, I didn't think I was going to like Lori in Fallow Heart but in the end, she sucker punched me into loving her. Not going to lie either, the beginning will suck you in because it starts with Lori being attacked in an alleyway. So, yeah, I had tons of questions and wanted to know what was going to happen next. Obviously.

Back to Lori, I loved her so much. Her character was completely relatable and likable. So it was pretty easy to fall in love with her (if I do say so myself). She has her own issues, like being overweight and such, but it also dove into her mental health as well. Mental and physical health were pretty important throughout the book and I really enjoyed watching her realize that there more important things for her to worry about. Mentally wise (ya know).

In the end, I really enjoyed diving into the darkness of this book and watching Lori grow as well. I look forward to my next book by K.C. Finn!

Fallow Heart
Author: K C Finn
Genre: YA Supernatural/Horror
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5
Reviewed: Maya

[Trigger Warning: graphic descriptions of dead bodies, death of a parent, murder, negative thoughts about body image, alcoholism]

This was an interesting book that was totally out of my comfort zone. I went into it not really knowing what it would be about, so it was a shock but I did enjoy the book. The beginning of the book is full of action, which continues throughout the book. I had the drive to keep reading, but I wasn’t obsessively flipping through the pages, but I think that was just the genre for me. The writing was good and the world-building was done well, but it never ‘wow’-ed me. Lori, the main character, is overweight and it was good to see that represented however I had some issues with the way this was handled. She had many negative thoughts about herself, especially with her appearance, but they were never really properly addressed so never added much to the storyline. The ending is full of more questions, so there will be a sequel at some point, but it is unlikely that I will read it due to the genre. Overall, this book was certainly good but it never had me loving it, which could have been because the genre is not my usual nor favourite. I would recommend this book if you want to read something that is dark and supernatural.

I loved the story line, but felt it was missing something. The ideas behind the story were great though and I did find myself wanting to know more about the characters

I really enjoyed this book. Fast paced and full of energy. It was predictable in places but surprising in others. I would love to know more of Sister Agnes' and Lori's grandfather's stories. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.
I received a copy of this book free through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion

Series Info/Source: I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review. This is the first book in a series (which definitely isn’t made clear by the synopsis or on any media sites).

Story (3/5): This was a decent read but yet another book in a slew of recent reads that I didn’t like all that much. It's about an overweight teen (Lori) whose heart is pierced by a demon and then she starts to become that demon. This is the first book in a series which I did not realize. As a result this book doesn't really tie up any of the mysteries presented and pretty much just leaves the reader hanging. I wasn’t looking to start a new series, so I was a bit frustrated by this.

Most of the story involves Lori trying to figure out how to deal with the changes that are happening to her and how to survive them. Lori also struggles with figuring out who to trust in this new-to-her demon infested world. The story was fairly predictable but I liked the darker tone to it and the way demons were dealt with. There were some really interesting ideas around demons and possessions and "sowing".

Characters (3/5): I struggled a bit with this story in general because I had trouble relating to or engaging with any of the characters. Lori also did a lot of things that just didn't seem to make a lot of sense when her "smart" girl persona was considered. Most of the characters are fairly selfish and not all that pleasant to read about which just isn’t my thing.

Setting (3/5): The story is set in Chester, but could have been any generic city setting. There weren’t a ton of iconic moments that featured special areas of the city. Most of the story takes place at the trailer park Lori lives in or at her college. It was fine but the setting wasn’t the main driver behind the story.

Writing Style (3/5): I seem to be in a bit of a reading slump lately, I think this is the fourth or fifth book in a row I’ve given 3 or less stars to. This book was okay, technically it was fine to read. I just always felt like Finn keeps her readers at a distance. We never really get to engage with the characters or story but are kept apart from it. This made it hard for me to really dive into the story and enjoy it. As mentioned above I was also really disappointed to find out that this is the first book in a series; it should be advertised as such so that readers know what they are getting into.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was an okay read about a girl turning into a demon (kind of) and trying to control the side effects. There is an interesting secret world built around demons and the main character struggles with figuring out who to trust. This is the first book in a series, so this story leaves the reader on a cliffhanger. I didn’t engage with the characters or the story all that well, they all felt a bit distant. I don’t plan on continuing this series.

The story seemed super original, demon, virus. Humanity vs. evil. I really liked this idea.

Although I felt that the author wanted a protagonist never seen before, something poor of character came to me and I clashed with her on some occasions.

But I was surprised several times and the ending seemed somewhat cruel. I did not see it coming.

This was a bit average story, but I've read a lot thriller/horror books so it's really hard for me to find something what I think it's unpredictable and scary. Fallow Heart is a book with great darker theme, interesting yet simple plot and not so bad characters. The writing style was really easy to read and enjoyable, and thanks to that it was really quick read for me. Overall I would say that this book will be perfect for someone with lower expectations or for someone who wants some simple and relaxing read.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read which I love in thrillers/horror books. That didn't take away from the plot at all. In fact it added to the story because it made you realize how quickly Lori's whole world changed in the span of minutes.

Lori is possessed by a demon and she goes to the only people she thinks can help, the D.C., an organization that helps infected children.. When people around her start dying, she starts sleep walking and losing track of time, and she starts having uncontrollable fits of rage, she starts to wonder who the culprit of these terrible crimes are. With a demon coming for her and a detective that is looking into his only connection in a string of murders, her, she must find the culprit of these crimes and learn to master her inner darkness with the help of her rebellious friend Kasabian.

I truly enjoyed the characters in this book. I wish Kasabian was involved a little more and some of the side characters were a little more developed but I realized this is Lori's story. Regardless I think its definitely worth the read.

I really enjoyed reading this, it had what I was looking for in a horror novel, from the cover to the end it was a great horror novel.

I enjoyed this coming of age novel quite a bit. A possession novel that was a bit different for a change. Very good writing. The author is extremely talented and I look forward to more of her work. This is a YA novel that older person's can very much enjoy as well. Highly recommended.

Fallow Heart is a very interesting read. A little different from the standard demonic possession tale, though that could be because it's set in Chester, England. The concept was great, a young girl is marked for harvest from a demon, and in turn, gains that demon's characteristics. Throughout the book we get glimpses of what's happening around Lori and are on constant edge on wether she's responsible. But thanks to a beautifully written twist, we find out it's quite the opposite.

First of all, I'd like to praise KC Finn for doing one of those rare things in a YA Novel - including a plus size protagonist. One that is well written, realistic and most importantly, does not spend the whole book obsessing over her weight - she quite literally has bigger demons to deal with.

As a fan of supernatural stories and murder mysteries this book is a perfect blend of both and brilliantly weaves a narrative that is dark, thrilling and above all a story of Hope and triumph over adversity.

The protagonist, Lorelei, finds she is treading a balancing act between demon and human, and it is thrilling to watch her try to overcome the dark voice in her head that becomes more malevolent by the day.

This is a perfect book for horror fans, but the narrative also mixes in detective story, coming of age novel themes and magical supernatural. It is a little bit of something for everyone.

I was really excited to get this book. It’s the fall season and I am ready for something spooky. I liked this book, but did not love. It is a supernatural new adult fiction story, about a girl that gets attacked on her way to work by something she can’t explain and the horrible events that happen after. It was spooky, action packed with a number of twist. The story had a really interesting take on demons, I have not read anything quite like it. I really wanted to more about the demon’s in this world, which was one of the things that was missing from this book for me. I am interested in reading the next book and hoping that those elements will be in the next installment. The first four chapters I had a hard time getting through. The wording in several passages at the beginning of the book, were confusing and took couple rereads to understand were it’s was going. After those initial chapters the writing smoothed out and was very enjoyable and fast paced. There was several mysteries going on at once and you just wanted answers so you can’t help but keep reading to find out what’s going on. There are several trigger warnings in this book that include alcoholism, body shaming, violence and murder. Overall I would recommend this book it was a good read. I received this ebook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

-Minor spoilers

“I’ve separated the demon from myself. I know it’s there. I feel it getting angry, wanting to break out, but I don’t let it. It’s like I told you. No stress. Just calming thoughts. It takes practice, but it can be done.”

Another work of demonic possession (hold it, give this one a chance) where the story’s protagonist, Lori Blake, is up against the clock to solve a beastly murder case in her home town of Chester, England, all while she herself transcends into a nightmarish form. The manifestation occurs after Lori is assaulted by a diabolical creature, and from there, she becomes submerged with the gruesome encounter. Like many demonic counterparts in the literary world, the novel takes a somewhat archaic approach as the mystery unfolds. There are Spanish and Roman historical nods scattered throughout the book, and of course, we come a cross a few nuns. These references suited me just fine.

Lori is consistently bullied in the early chapters, and I wish the author had made this the major theme of her finished product. Various points occur where some of the other characters begin to question their own dignity, but by that point there’s a hybridized plot involving a secret medical research facility. Kind of reminded me of ‘X-Men.’

‘Fallow Heart.’ was predictable, and dissipating at times, but I also found it just as intriguing and grisly.