I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher.

Honestly this book was bad. I feel terrible to rate an ARC so badly but it was a pain to get through.
This read like a conspiracy theory blog written by a maniac. Not in an entertaining way more like a wtf kind of way.
Non of this was explained, the author just kept throwing random theories and characters at the reader and it just got more and more ridiculous.
There are so many subplots here (Theos relationship with her family, her relationship with Delilah etc etc) it’s just so hard to keep track of the plot.
And can we talk about the severe alcoholism in this book? Theo is drinking non stop and if she’s not drinking she’s thinking or talking about drinking. Personally I don’t think it’s bad to have a character with an alcohol problem if it’s executed well.
In this case I always felt like Theos addiction was used as an edgy and cool trait even though it’s definitely not. And I think this is nothing to normalize.
All in all I just think none of this made sense, it lacked depth and the author repeated themselves over and over.
The only reason I’m giving this 2 stars is because of Bear - the real (and only) hero of this book.

I think this one had major potential, but what I thought it was going to be and what it actually was were completely separate. I could hardly focus while reading this. I think partially it was because I hated Theo’s character. The self sacrificial, self saboteur role with an alcohol problem is getting old to me, and it’s ALWAYS a woman that can’t seek to forgive herself for something totally not her fault. I would have liked to see her in a more empowering role. There is nothing wrong with giving women confidence!!!

I also wish the world development was a bit more complex. I felt like the actual in between worlds concept would have had more duality.

Per usual I find this one coming to a close too quickly, I’m not a slow burn fan, the major build up to 20 pages of excitement just isn’t my cup of tea.

Good not great. 3 ⭐️

Theo has always tried her best and gave it her all and has typically come up short in love, her job, and mostly in her mind being a big sister. Flora has been missing for years and though she’d be an adult by now Theo still thinks one day her sister will come walking out of the woods. But sometimes things appear in the woods as opposed to leaving them, hounds, mysterious stair cases, even toilet seats in trees… But where is this all coming from and why are things getting more and more unexplainable everyday?

I may have not chosen this book for myself but the cover drew me in. And though it was a bit slow going i’m glad i stuck through and finished it.

I enjoyed reading Eye of the Ouroboros by
Megan Bontrager. Thank you to netgalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for an arc in exchange for an honest review

The title and the book cover interested me enough to request this book. The book has a fantastic start. The first scene where Theo sees her lost sister literally gave me the chills followed by nightmares that very night. The narration of this portion basically got me going with this book. The book was getting stagnant at some point but I’m not one to give up on books and the authors effort that easy. A lot of elements blended in this book - horror, sci-fi etc. It does get too complex in some areas but it was a good read overall. I didn’t personally like the idea of Theo being favored by the thing for the reasons provided. But that’s just me. Read the book for sure and you will have fun enjoying the varieties of areas discussed. Dark but fun!

Theo is a woman driven by failure. Her failure as a lover, a daughter, and most importantly of all … as a sister. One summer day, Theo’s sister Flora went missing in the West Virginia woods and was never found. Neither Theo nor her parents have forgiven Theo for not being there, for not finding Flora. It’s led Theo to a life as a Park Ranger, searching for missing hikers, searching for Flora.

Theo finds a girl, Olivia, a child who seems to have been lost for longer than she’s been missing, who whispers about music in the woods and is missing toes. For all that, Theo is able to hand Olivia to her parents, all while wishing she had found someone else instead. Between depression, despair, and drunkenness, Theo stumbles across stairs in the middle of the forest. Stairs that, quite obviously, don’t belong. Neither does the creature that chases her through the woods, the toilet stall by the river, a stag trapped in a cave it couldn’t have gotten into, dogs that … aren’t quite dogs, and men in black clothing and sunglasses hunting her. It’s a lot, and it calls for a drink.

However, drinks don’t help the voices in her head, the visions of her sister in the woods, or the loneliness eating away at her. Drinks don’t keep Theo from kissing her ex and wishing things had been different, and they don’t help her deal with her mother who refuses to forgive her. When a stranger reaches out, telling Theo he knows about her sister and where to find her, Theo is at first angry and then desperate. Something, anything has to change.

And it does. Stairs in the woods, doors that lead to other worlds, and the five-faced man keeping her sister from her. Maybe Theo should be scared. Instead, Theo’s angry. And she’s going to get her sister back.

Just to put it out in the open, this is not a book with an easy ending. It’s not a book where the good guys win and the bad guys lose and lost children are found. It’s a book about grief, with time travel, alternate dimensions, and undercover organizations. There’s no explanation of who did what to whom or why, no tying up of loose ends, no redemption arc or happy ending. It’s not going to be a book for everyone; however, if you’re a fan of vibes or No Sleep stories, you might have fun with this one.

Theo isn’t a good person. She’s not terrible, she’s just … normal. She drinks way too much, using it as armor and weapon against her mother — who is a terrible person; a woman who grieves so much and so publicly for the daughter she lost that she has thrown away the daughter she has left — as well as the world. She pushes herself, believing her mother’s lies that she’s responsible for what happened to her sister, a story that is never really told or gone into. One day Flora was gone; that’s it, and Theo was left behind.

Delilah is a local reporter who, at the time of Flora’s vanishing, was Theo’s girlfriend. After Delilah reported on the case, something Theo felt was a violation of their closeness, of her own tightly held and private grief for her sister, the two of them parted ways. Theo still misses her, still wants what they could have had, but that’s all behind her. Now, Delilah is both someone to hate and someone who, at the very least, she can trust to always be Delilah.

Along with Quinn, Theo’s best friend and an all around good guy, and Wesley, the conspiracy theorist who introduces Theo to the Ouroboros, it’s up to Theo and Delilah to try to get Flora back. And … that’s all I’ll say about that. The plot is half vibes, half hand waving, and best experienced, I think, from reading the book. Any explanation or summary I give will both lessen it and point out the holes in it. Now, the holes aren’t bad; they’re just areas where logic and story have rubbed up against each other and — as it should — the story won.

I had fun with this book, but I’m pretty sure that this is going to be one of those books that will either very much work for you … or very much not. For me, it did.

DNF @ 69%

the premise of the book sounds so good but when I started it, I had a hard time getting into the book until I believe 10% than I was kinda enjoying it. after the 50% mark I started losing interest again and I don’t have any motivation to continue but that could just be because I had different expectation of how this would end. I really wanted to know what happened to Theo sisters but I can’t bring myself to continue, reading at least at the moment.

I 100% love our characters I just think it’s the plot for me tbh. but I would definitely say give it a try because you might end up loving it.


might come back to this later and give updated review if I ever finish it.

thank you netgalley for an arc, in exchange for a honest review.

First of all, Happy Pub Day!

I was truly blown away by this one. Did not know what to expect at all coming in but it was definitely worth the read. Eye of the Ouroboros presents itself as a beautifully written work with text that comes to life through amazing word choice. Megan Botrager did a phenomenal job at creating multiple realities filled with journey and heartstring-tugging scenes. This was a book of continuous battle and a fight to repair a relationship culminating into a devastating fight in the end. Enjoyed this one immensely and can only look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for the ARC in exchange for an honest rate and review!

In the beginning stages of this book I thought there’s no way I'm making it to the end of the story, but hear me out because it got better. At least, plot-wise. Even though it ended up being a mediocre enough experience, I think I should air out my grievances before I forget what frustrated me so much about this read.
My main issue with this thankfully wasn’t the creativity or entertainment, legends know i hate a snore, but the main character. GOD WAS SHE INSUFFERABLE. The whole time she was either starving, bleeding, drinking, or all three in tandem. Not once was I saying onika burgers. So she’s mentally ill and an alcoholic, along with half the population on this planet. But she’s also supposedly in her mid thirties and still absolutely incapable of taking care of herself or making mature decisions. Literally how was I supposed to root for this girl? The whole time I'm questioning if she’s actually an adult or if she’s just a preteen pretending to be one. Her life objective is to find her sister who disappeared in the woods OVER A DECADE AGO, and maybe that would be admirable if it made any sense, but she has absolutely zero leads or clues that this sister is even alive AND she makes sure to mention plenty of times how it’s her fault she went missing in the first place. So… her guilty conscience has caused her to throw her life away and pursue a delusional quest? The premise of the situation is based on some ridiculous self-pitying selfishness that I just couldn’t get on board with. Plus, I never learned how exactly it was supposed to have been her fault that her little sister wandered into the woods alone at nighttime? Does she feel guilty for passing down the stupidity gene? Anyway, I refuse to attend that pity party.
After a while I got pretty hooked and started to think fine, I can overlook this weird complex and just enjoy the story. But no. What really started to get on my nerves was the way her behaviors were laid out. It almost sounded like she was bragging about not eating for a whole day or knocking back a bunch of hard liquor as if these are acceptable things in times of grief. I felt like the narrative was to admire her perseverance for fighting through all these crazy activities despite severe injuries and nausea. Girl SIT DOWN A SECOND. And these things were never addressed! I’m pretty sure she’s drunk the entire time, constantly pulling out a flask or random bottle of vodka. And then she complains about drinking on an empty stomach, like bitch I’m certain there is a McDonalds within a five mile radius go get yourself a goddamn apple fritter and shut tf up. At one point her ankle was described to be practically hanging on by a thread and the next page she's on her feet bashing someone’s head in. ??? No amount of ibuprofen can make someone shrug off a severed ankle, trust.
I’m not sure the pity ploy is the worst part, though. What got me is how she has two extremely dedicated friends who she supposedly cares about very much but constantly puts their lives in danger because she just can’t be rational. I’m not asking for some altruistic teresa from the maze runner look-alike, but when you care about people you usually try to keep them away from your danger and delusion, not drag them into it. Plus, I just could not get over the whole situation with her ex-girlfriend. She’s a journalist… they met because she wanted to do a piece on our mc… she publishes a piece and mc acts like she betrayed her honor? Why else was she there in the first place? What about a journalist publishing a story she told you she was writing betrayed mc’s trust?? She was too honest? Made you sound like a lunatic? BITCH YOU ARE A LUNATIC AND YOU KNOW IT! Make it make sense.
Anyway, the story was actually pretty good. I was super entertained by the shit that went on, just totally unimpressed by how the characters were written, specifically mrs. Theodora feelsorryformemore-a. The pacing felt great, twists were unpredictable (if only for how absurd mc’s thought processes were), and I felt satisfied by the end. The writing was good enough despite some cringe one-liners in the first few chapters. Adequate ⅗.

I'm typically more into Fantasy, but I decided to step out of my genre comfort zone with this book and I was not disappointed! Eye of the Ouroboros is beautifully written with great world-building, well-written characters, and a very intriguing plot. If you have a soft spot for flawed FMCs, LGBTQIA representation, heartfelt relationships (romantic and platonic) all with a mix of action, horror, and a bit of conspiracy theorism, you'll definitely enjoy this read!

This was an interesting meditation on the choices we make for ourselves and others set against an SCP/Control-esque background. I'm not quite convinced that the ending followed the characters' story arcs (at least not in my interpretation) but I loved the parallels and comparisons between the protagonist's single-minded pursuit and the antagonist's similar journey. The equal importance of romantic, familial, and platonic relationships in Theo's life was extremely compelling and endearing.

Megan Bontrager’s “Eye of the Ouroboros” explores the complexities of relationships and the sacrifices we make for loved ones. Theo, the protagonist of this emotional journey, is a character who is flawlessly imperfect, leaving a lasting impact on readers with her struggles and triumphs.

What I loved about the book
Rich and Descriptive Writing

Megan Bontrager’s Eye of the Ouroboros takes you on a captivating journey through the interwoven web of relationships and reality. Bontrager’s writing is undeniably rich and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the world within the pages.

Authentic Characters

Theo’s authenticity shines through, her struggles and flaws rendering her refreshingly human amidst the chaos. The characters in the narrative won my heart, especially the core group introduced later. The dynamic between the characters, from the troubled sister to the conspiracy theorist, was flawlessly shown, highlighting their stark differences.

Sapphic Representation and World-Building

The sapphic representation is a standout feature, adding layers of complexity to the narrative and enhancing the richness of the world-building. Bontrager skillfully blurs the lines between reality and the unknown, keeping you hooked until the final page.

What didn’t resonate with me
Slow Start and Pacing Issues

While the depth of character development is commendable, some readers may find themselves grappling with the pacing. The slow start, though crucial for character introduction and immersion, may test the patience of those seeking instant gratification. It’s not until chapter eight that the narrative truly gains momentum, which could deter some from continuing. I feel like the first half of the book was better paced than the last part.

Unresolved Plot Threads and Confusion

Where Eye of the Ouroboros falters is in the sheer scope of its plot. While ambitious in its execution, some may find the narrative threads too many and unresolved. The occasional confusion and rushed pacing detract from an otherwise immersive experience, with random elements disrupting the flow of the story.

If you enjoy flawed female characters, creepy forests, parallel realities, and action-packed horror, then you should definitely give this book a try.

Do you remember the late 2000s, when CreepyPasta was all the rage and one could spend hours going down the rabbit hole of horror that could be found there? That is precisely the vibe of Eye of the Ouroboros: a sometimes chaotic, sometimes horrifying, entertaining ride through a mix of horror, scifi, and human nature. None of the characters, except Quinn, are good people, and honestly I liked it that way. I loved the grief and unhealthy ways it manifested in nearly all the cast. Was Theo a drunk and borderline abusive to her friends sometimes? Sure. Was she also grieving and dealing with trauma and reacting in a very human way? Also yes.

I'll admit there were some wild plot twists, and not always in the best way. There were some odd shifts in theme and some things just came out of nowhere. But if I'm just going on vibes, this book was a lot of fun.

"You fight and fight— for what? To die valiantly ? Or to die at the hands of your own hubris?”

There are some genuinely poignant and meaningful lines throughout. The ending brought me to tears over several chapters and I wouldn't change a thing about how it ended. Not a thing.

I believe this is a debut novel for this author and if so, this is a great first impression. I'll be watching for more from Megan going forward!

Megan Bontrager's 'Eye of the Ouroboros' is an excellent horror adventure, fast-paced from the start, with a sense of mystery and an atmosphere of dread throughout. It starts with some serious nods to those "Search and Rescue" creepypastas, with people disappearing in the woods, a park ranger stumbling on creepy things in the forest, from staircases and doors to doppelgangers and bizarre animals; once past the middlepoint, however, the plot goes into an entirely different (though equally interesting) direction, blending large-scale sci-fi horror with James Bond-like shenanigans. At no point did I get bored, but I found the characters a bit too unpromising to invest in them - they did not feel really genuine to me and the dialogue was quite stilted. Moreover, I'm still not sure the first POV narration was a wise choice; the MC's constant grief and reminiscence of family trauma got old rather early (apparently she has no other emotions inside?!, no other significant memories?!), though the situations were diverse enough for it not to bother me all that much. I did not find the story predictable, just not twisty enough: once I realized what's going on (again, towards the middle of the book), the story pretty much wrote itself. Bontrager's writing style was pleasant enough and perfectly styled for the setting of the book. Despite the novel's lacking earth-shattering originality (and who can really claim such a thing nowadays), I enjoyed myself!

Posted on Goodreads:

4.25/5⭐️

Thro Buchanan is really good at her job as a Park Ranger. That’s because she has the best track record in finding missing persons. Her motivation? Years prior, as a young teenager, instead of taking care of her sister Flora, she left her at the grocery store and directed her to get back home. However, Flora never made it home and it seems like the forest just swallowed her whole.

Packed with guilt, grief, obsession and alcohol, Theo works hard to find as many missing people in hopes of finding her sister or some information about her sister.

Now, more people are going missing, more stranger objects are being found in the forest and strange happenings are occurring. With help of her best friend Quinn, her backstabbing ex lover Delilah, a conspiracy theorist and a former member of a government agency no one knows about, they embark of finding out what is happening, is Flora still alive and what is the Bureau of Reality up to.

This novel got going immediately and never stopped. There was a bit of stalling at around 30% that has a transition from spooky to supernatural and it was not smooth. Cause some confusion. But it picks up and I’m glad I stuck around.

One of my fave parts is the backdrop of the West Virginia Appalachian Mountains and cave system. It tackles the stories of the staircases and random doors seen in the middle of the forest. Cryptids that have human and animal features and the disappearances.

This book is an episode out of the XFiles.

Thank you netgalley, quill & crow publishing house and Megan Bontrager for the opportunity to read this novel.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #QuillAndCrowPublishingHouse for sending this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I had yet to learn what this book was about when I requested it on NetGalley. I was browsing through the horror category, sorting out a horror novel that could break the mold yet still bear the classic gothic and supernatural elements that would send shivers down my spine. Choosing this book was a breeze, considering the word "ouroboros" holds an ancient mystique and sounds eerie enough to elicit introspection.

Fast forward, I'm now penning my review for this book about a park ranger, Theo, who is burdened by guilt over her sister's disappearance. Upon discovering the existence of a parallel universe, she and her closest friend Quinn and former lover Delilah grow increasingly determined to unravel the mystery surrounding Theo's sister's whereabouts and the numerous others missing over the years.

While the plot may not be original, considering interdimensional travel, parallel realities, and secret bureaus are slowly becoming oversaturated in an industry whose fascination over the existence of life beyond ours borders on obsession, "The Eye of the Ouroboros" puts the spotlight on the protagonist's internal battle.

The author explores Theo's character, backstory, and descent into a self-imposed exile as she endures her unwarranted guilt for years. The irony isn't lost on me that Theo's parents selfishly kept her at bay, the weight of her mother's grief shoved onto her remaining daughter. The narrative explores how the onus of sorrow and remorse compels Theo to leave no stone unturned until she finds her sister, for whom she would even trade her life.

Marked with an initial atmosphere of horror and mystery, the author shifts toward a lighter tone as the characters start to come together, sharing a bond, all while infusing humorous banter and witty repartees. References to pop culture didn't go unnoticed. Wesley's character is an homage to the archetype of a quirky conspiracy theorist with a penchant for extraterrestrial beliefs, known for donning a tinfoil hat and boasting their camper van adorned with maps and evidence of alien existence. The book did not miss out on the usual elements of alternate universe exploration, like the use of portals, visual distortion, parallel selves, and its quota of horror and gore scenes.

One thing any reader of this book becomes aware of - is the writing. "The Eye of the Ouroboros" is a literary immersion. Taking away the quantum mechanics concepts and jargon (which are not common knowledge), the narrative boasts of vivid imagery and sensory details crafted in lush, poetic prose - a hallmark of wordsmithery only a few authors possess. However, it seems overdone, eclipsing particular scenes of tension. I have often wondered which scene transpires as Theo's stream of consciousness - characterized by superfluous descriptions and lengthy evocative passages - disrupts the flow of the narrative. Don’t get me wrong; I can’t help but be in awe of the author’s skill at fusing all the right words to convey a scene. But ornate passages tend to slow the pace, disengaging me from the dynamics of science fiction demanding undivided attention from its readers.

Despite a few misgivings, this book is a food for thought, guiding readers to speculate on the possibility of mirror universes. Considering its dark approach, it might not be for everyone, but it's easy enough to understand what the author wishes to convey. It is an ode and elegy addressed to a persona whose sacrifices are catalyzed by love and salvation endeavors. But the narrative will also lead you to speculate that even with good intentions, those you believe you're saving might not require saving at all if it would mean for them to endure the guilt and burden of one's sacrifice perpetually.

i had no idea what to expect going into this and i ended up being so surprised by how the story genuinely sucked me in. there’s a lot of emotion behind each of the characters motivations and it produced a almost melancholic tone. i didn’t think i would enjoy this as much as i did, but the bittersweet feeling in the end really did grab me and the horror elements were done in a way that was so engaging and well thought out for the story. i got so connected to Theo and her best friend Quinn especially. i loved the focus on alternate realities and the blend of genres had this playing like a movie in my head.

A very atmospheric read. The beginning hooked me in right away, the horror and mystery elements are very intriguing. The main character, Theo, is complex, and I found myself really feeling for her. However, sometimes the prose gets a little repetitive and hard to follow. Overall, a great spooky read that could benefit from edits and revisions, but I really think the author has great potential!

I mainly read fantasy books, however when I seen this beautiful cover I couldn’t resist reading this book.

Where this book fell flat for me was the unnecessary descriptions, long winded sentences, and real world slang. If these parts were edited and fine tuned a little more, it wouldn’t have dragged so much. It felt like the author was trying to hit a word count with how much was repeated, and I think the writing would’ve been better portrayed in third person POV so the prose didn’t sound so monotonous.

I seen the ending coming from the beginning, and it felt lazy. I’m not saying I needed a happily ever after, but what was the point of anything if it was going to end that way?

Ultimately, I think this book has good ideas and aspects but it never clicked for me. Too many concepts and too ambitious of a world for what the book was trying to do.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me.
I’m pretty bummed because when I first got this I was so excited and the first chapter was amazing and had me hooked. Then the FMC became insufferable, unreliable and just not good.
The writing took a down hill turn fast and at one point when she kept talking about the flask and her drinking I wondered if this verbiage was meant to mimic being drunk. But I don’t think that’s the case.
I got pretty far but I couldn’t take it any longer. The fmc contracted herself constantly and was angry at how people choose to grieve and then would circle back and say she felt the same way.
I’m really disappointed because I wanted to love this. It had all the makings of a book I love but the character being this unlikable for me is a pass, I can’t connect with her.

The grammar and sentence structure needs a once over and could use another serious round of editing. Sometimes less words is best when describing things.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for this copy of "Eye of the Ourboros."

I'm on a Horror novel binge right now and the description for "Ouroboros" sounded creepy and spine-tingly.

Theo is a park ranger and has spent her life looking for her younger sister who was lost in the woods.

Her sister is not the only one that's been taken. In fact, one of the ranger instructors told them not to climb any stairs they find in the woods. And guess why?