The pacing of this story was good, but I did struggle with staying engaged with all the backstory interruptions. I really enjoyed the main “ creature feature” with the added stress of the storm, but overall I was not sucked in. I think it was over written, and tried to be a bit more sophisticated than what I like for horror writing.

The Street Between The Pines by J.J. Alo was a thriller horror story I didn't know I needed. A skillful combination of a H.P. Lovecraft story and a J.R.R. Tolkien saga with some cryptid lore and a natural disaster to keep the story moving. We were treated to a story woven from several different POVs, mostly Curtis', as he tries to navigate his life on its downward trend to something that is close to resembling giving up and despair. He feels that he is at the end of his rope and his life will never get better from the rock bottom he has been at since the car accident where he took someone's life. The author uses this depth of guilt and relies on it heavily for most of the story, crafting Curtis to be a character that, for me, was difficult to relate to and even like for most of the story. However, I did find myself reluctant, rooting for him as the story continued, and he was fighting for his life and his family's life against the monsters.

J.J. Alo wrote a complex and entertaining story with plenty of localized cryptid background, and I loved it. The Street Between The Pines was appropriately creepy and thrilling, and I couldn't help but continue to read to learn more about the strange creature that was terrorizing everyone on Forest Street. Between the failing marriage and PTSD from Curtis, the government coverup, crazy hurricane weather, and suspicious and mysterious deaths, the pages of the story fly by. Some may consider this story to be longer than needed and a bit wordy, but I have enjoyed the thought and work put into describing the creatures and their history, Curtis's actions in trying to keep his family safe, and the government angle in the story. I also loved the feline aspect and enjoyed their appearances in the story! I did feel that there were some parts of the book from Curtis's POV that I felt weren't imperative to the rest of the story; the author had already written a great background story for him that would carry him through to the end. There, I feel like we would not have missed out on any plot line if we didn't have that in the chapters and it would have flowed a little more smoothly.

Overall, The Street Between The Pines was a creepingly enjoyable read, and I am looking forward to more from J.J. Alo, as I like his writing style! Thank you, NetGalley and SNEHorror LLC, for this copy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and all thoughts in this review are mine and mine alone.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The Street Between The Pines was an enthralling read. At first, I had a little bit of an issue adjusting to the pacing but quickly got into the story & had a better appreciation. I loved the psychological and supernatural aspects of the story, and it kept me on the edge on my seat. I can't wait to see what this author writes next!

The absolutely stunning cover for this book was what first caught my eye. The second was the prologue! What a way to set the mood and hook a reader in. Beyond the gore, we experience the real-life horror of PTSD, insomnia, and grief. I appreciate Alo for touching on this sensitive subject matter in a way that felt....real! Instead of being trauma porn, it created a very intriguing story and background for Curtis. Plus, I love cats and a creature feature so this was right up my alley lol.

Do I think that the pacing was a bit off in part due to excessive descriptions? Yeah, but it begins to pick up once you get further in. There was unnecessary lollygagging at some points IMO, but the sheer tension in the story kept me going when I was getting bored.

Hats off to Alo, I can't wait to see what else he does!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Thank you to SNE Horror and Netgalley for the ARC of this thrilling story.

This one is a solid 3.5 rounded up.

The start of this book is INSANE and it really gets you both horrified and curious from the get go. There was a lot going on, but I think the chaos really added the tone to the story. Horror authors often try classify pointless gore as scary but I thought all of the blood and guts of this was perfectly unsettling and disturbing without being nonsense. The cover art for this is also SO awesome!

My main issue was with Curtis, who I struggled to really sympathize for (which might just be my personal taste in characters talking). I also thought the pacing kind of started to taper out with the use of unneeded details. There were also some grammatical errors such as "taught vs taut" when talking about rope.

Overall, this was engaging and it's a great read for anyone who loves folklore and monsters!

Fun and terrifying. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it, definitely interested in anything else the author thinks up and will be recommending to my fellow horror fans.

This was a fun, terrifying adventure that'll stick with me for a bit. The terminology was fantastical and I wondered if the author used a thesaurus, considering the misuse of words like pale for pail, taught instead of taut, and "emergency personal" over what should've been "emergency personnel." Despite the inconsistencies, it was still a great novel and I'm hoping for an audio version at some point.

The cover art work was great . I thought the characters were ok .story could have had better paceing . I would like to see more from J.J alo .Not a bad first book. Thanks netgally for giving me the chance to read this

While i didn’t find this as seat gripping as I’d hoped. I was still enthralled! The pacing was fantastic. And the characters had such well written personalities. The monster was an absolutely horrifying thought when I sat down to ponder things after finishing. Absolutely stoked to have gotten this arc!

✨Book Review✨⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2.5 stars rounded up)

The Street Between the Pines by J.J. Alo is an eerie debut that promises a blend of psychological thrills and supernatural horror. Unfortunately, while I love diving into new authors and genres, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

The premise is intriguing – a haunted man returns to his childhood home and finds himself face-to-face with something lurking between the trees. There are glimpses of a gripping, atmospheric story, but I found the execution lacking. The pacing felt uneven, the plot underdeveloped, and at times, the twists required more suspension of disbelief than I could manage. Horror often asks us to stretch our imagination, but this felt like a stretch too far.

That said, I know this kind of storytelling will resonate with some readers – the eerie, creeping dread will scratch the horror itch for fans of Stephen King. Books are funny and ✨magical✨that way – what doesn’t work for one reader may captivate another.

If you love folk mythology, psychological spirals, and stories about confronting inner demons (literal or otherwise), it might be worth giving this a shot. I’d love to hear other perspectives!

Trigger Warnings: PTSD, death, and horror elements.

Thank you to NetGalley and SNE Horror LLC for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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