By the time IT was released when I was a budding 13 year old horror writer, I was a die-hard Stephen King fan, as only a horror lover who grew up in the ‘80’s with a tiny town library could be - which is not to say I’m not still a fan - especially nostalgically - just that my horizons have greatly expanded.

This was my favorite kind of thriller, one where I didn't know what was going to happen next, where I literally held my breath several times, and with a protagonist who is complicated and real, but that you ultimately root for.

I haven't been on a rollercoaster since I was diagnosed with sciatica in my early 20s when stabbing pains hit me on The Big Bad Wolf in Busch Gardens Williamsburg, but reading Chuck Tingle's Fabulous Bodies was an equally (well, almost...RIP BBW) thrilling ride.

This Wretched Beauty was beautifully written but it was so full of angst and heartache as Dorian endures all the pains of not fully embracing who they are but feeling outcast from their family and society even while not knowing why or how they’re different that it wasn’t always an easy read, but I am glad I read it.