You know how everyone was like “wtf did I just read” in regards to this book? Yeah, completely valid. I did not see the plot twist coming, which is generally unusual for me. I don’t typically go for the “professor/student” love story but this one was done well, and once you get the plot twist, it made sense.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I inhaled it on my flight while traveling. I like reading books from the author, though the sometimes are a hit or miss for me. Thank you for the arc and opportunity to review.

i couldn’t get into this book , and I wanted to DNF at 52% but it’s for my bookclub so I pushed through .

it did not get better. there’s random spice in places there shouldn’t be.

the characters are so immature for their ages.

the plot was supposed to be suspenseful but it was a “gotcha” plot that was put there with no real explanation or motive. I guessed some of the smaller reveals but overall unsatisfying and made me feel icky

3.5-4 Stars.
I have always enjoyed Karina's books and I knew I would like this one too. The great gothic fantasy, horror atmosphere vibes it gave off was great. The story was super interesting and kept my attention from page one. It kinda started off a bit slow but it definitely picked up and just the whole setting of this story was interesting and learning about all these certain types of "mushrooms and fungi" was different. The mysterious characters too played a huge roll in this one. Definitely a book ill remember.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Grave Matter is the first book I have read by this author, Karina Halle. It follows student Sydney Denik who is starting an internship with the prestigious Madrona Foundation who are doing promising Alzheimer’s research using fungi. This research takes place on a foggy, isolated Vancouver Island. The Island and the Foundation are harboring terrible secrets, special mushrooms, and ghosts.

The book got off to a bit of a slow start, and there is a lot of detail and depth written into the story. I loved all of the science and the gothic vibes, and it left me spellbound and glued to the pages as the story progressed and sucked me in. The characters were very well written. Halle not only did a phenomenal job at creating a narrator who knows she can't trust herself, but she also kept so many pieces in play between the other characters and even the setting. The closer I got to the end, the more I was on the edge of my seat. As more and more secrets and truths were revealed, I got so anxious, and I honestly never saw coming!

The author truly has a way with storytelling. I am a huge fan of dark/horror romance, and this book definitely didn't disappoint. This book was a nice mix of all of my favorite genres: horror, mystery, psychological thriller, romance, even a little sci-fi. Very well done!

I highly recommend checking this book out! It is well worth the read and is good candidate for a book club pick or holiday book exchange! Read it, you won't be disappointed!

I really enjoyed this book! It did feel like it dragged a bit from 60% to 80%, but nothing crazy bad. There were some parts that were legitimately creepy. I enjoyed the overall story and the plot twists I did not see coming! I would recommend this to people who like a bit of horror in their dark romance.


Thank you to netgalley and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

This is my first Karina Halle book and I’m so excited I dove into it. I went in blind and it was a wild ride, but this is not a complaint!

In Grave Matter we follow Sydney to Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest. It’s told in first person POV.

When Sydney arrives to the island, something isn’t quite right. This book is filled with suspense, twists, gasps, and of course spice 😮‍💨

Definitely check your triggers, but if you’re good with the shopping list… buckle up!

What a wild ride... Can't decide on 3.5 or 4 stars so I rounded up.

Horror is not a genre I seek out but I like sci-fi a lot and obvi romance so I gave this a go. I've been hoping that the "formula" with romantasy would work in other genres: Roman-Si-Fi??? . I am hopeful!

For me, this definitely leaned more sci-fi than horror (good) but the romance felt forced (unfortunate). Maybe its that I was so hooked on the mystery and sci-fi of it all that when the smut would pop up, it just felt gratuitous.

It felt slow in the middle but then reeeealllly picked up in the last 25% and I think the momentum of the last quarter could have been spread out more. BUT I was super interested in the science, the setting, the ghosties, and Munawar. I also wish some of the revelations at the end could have been found out in real time in the story rather then just neatly tied in the last chapter.

Overall, I was entertained and isn't that why we read?

As always, I absolutely LOVED this book. Anything by Karina Halle never ceases to be amazing. I absolutely loved getting to know these characters and deep diving into this new world

This is the first book I've read by Karina Halle and it was AMAZING. I've never been so creeped out by a book, but this one did a number on me! I LOVED this book. The twists and turns had me wanting more!

I finished reading this book in a day and loved every second of it. With it’s PNW, cottage-core mixed with gothic vibes in an academia setting, it was the perfect fit for the fall season. The horror elements within the plot and how Kincaid was obsessed with Sydney was perfection. Loved seeing the ADHD representation. The book was beautifully written and kept me engaged. I couldn’t predict all the plot twists and turns and my jaw was on the floor by the end of the book. Definitely recommending this book for our upcoming psychological thriller book club.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of Grave Matter, in exchange for an honest review.

In Grave Matter, Sydney, a curious graduate student, embarks on a research program at the isolated Madrona Foundation, nestled deep in the Pacific Northwest. The location itself is so remote that much of its plant and fungal life remains a mystery to science. The Foundation, secretive and enigmatic in nature, has been conducting experiments on the local fungi—but Sydney quickly discovers that their work may be far more sinister than it appears. As she delves deeper into the strange happenings around her, she begins to suspect that the fungi might not only be affecting her mind, but possibly even bringing the dead back to life.

This novel marks a departure from Karina Halle’s usual style, blending her signature intrigue with an eerie, atmospheric setting that keeps readers on edge. Though Grave Matter is a departure from her more typical works, it still delivers on the tension and romance that fans of Halle have come to expect. With its unique plot and chilling undertones, it’s a refreshing and thrilling addition to her repertoire. I’m eager to see where she takes this new direction in future books!
4.5 Stars!

I went in blind with this book and boy was I surprised. It’s a good mix of horror, spice, mystery and a subject I never thought would interest me, fungi. Syd, our main character is an unreliable narrator and finds herself at an isolated research compound studying her the uses of fungi for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. She immediately starts seeing things and becomes paranoid it’s all in her head. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not, but something definitely isn’t right with this place and the people running it.

Incredible! I'd never read a horror romance, and Grave Matter has me on the search for more.

Sydney is an aspiring mycologist who wins the chance to study Alzheimer’s research at a mysterious research foundation, She arrives on Vancouver Island with a dozen other grad students and they all realize that something is off about the Madrona Foundation.

I absolutely loved the atmosphere at the Madrona Foundation. Halle is truly talented in describing the setting; I felt like I was there. The various fungi and wildlife were so *aware* and creepy and that was really enjoyable and scary. There were some moments where I was genuinely scared and the body horror felt so real.

The characters felt so real and flawed. To be honest, Sydney annoyed me at first, but I came to understand her and why she made the choices she did. Kincaid was interesting and I was worried that their relationship was going to be "insta-love", but I was really happy with what ended up happening.

This is such an atmospheric and suspenseful horror romance. I'd recommend it to horror fans, thriller fans, and romance fans alike!

I loved this books immensely! This was my first gothic dark romance and the level of thrills, chills and mix of spice was absolutely the perfect concoction to pull me out of a reading slump! The descriptions were incredibly written and really brought the setting to life, pulling me into the story. I would say this is one of the most unputdownable books I’ve read in a while!

I had so many friends recommend this book to me and when I asked them what they could tell me about it, they said... just go with it and expect to be disturbed (but in a fun / spooky way). This isn't typically the type of books I read but I enjoyed Halles writing and how immersed in the story I felt. Wasn't a huge fan of the FMC, but she wasn't so awful that I DNF'd the book (although I was tempted at the beginning). Thankful I pushed to the end, because it all did tie it all together and made me happy I read it and will be thinking about it for a while.

This book had me from the first moment as in did that just happen. You know something is up when instantly those around Sydney are acting weird. And it doesn't stop there things are not as they appear and the mind games continue throughout until the end when everything comes to light. Grave Matter was trippy in the best way possible and to have to have smart and determined FMC in Sydney and Wes trying to bring back the love of his life and knowing that their love is always going to find them no matter how many obstacles are placed in front of them, so good! It was nothing short of mystery, a little dash of terror and spice. All characters you didn't know who to trust and what was actually in those woods. Definitely add this to the TBR even if its not spooky season!

Wow, what did I just read? I started thinking I knew what had happened, changing my mind halfway through the book and at the end it left me with my mouth open.
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I read some reviews that said it was slow at first, but I don't know what they're talking about. the pace is perfect, because you need to read every feeling and idea that goes through Sydney's head. You need the suspense to be built slowly, to makes it become a thriller of those that you cannot get out of your head and that after the last plot twist you are left in shock wanting more chapters and imagining what happens to the characters later.
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Yes, it is that incredible and you need to read it if you love horror, suspense and all the genres it touches on before becoming an unforgettable love story.
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It is one of those books where you don't know it is in their head and what is happening in real time, what is a hallucination and who is telling the truth. Sydney has ADH and is going through a stressful situation, entering the Madrona Foundation is her only way, her salvation but when strange things start happening it is difficult to know what is real or even who to trust with so many people acting strangely around her
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The place, the characters and the dialogues are so well put together that it is difficult not to feel trapped but it is true that it becomes impossible to put down when you are in the middle of the book, and then you should sit back and enjoy where it takes you.
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Another book impossible to get out of your head by Karina Halle I can’t wait to see what comes next.
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Thanks to Karina Halle and her team for give me a copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.

This was a ride. I loved the visuals throughout the whole book, Karina made it so you could really see what she was thinking when she wrote it. The whole time I was wondering what the hell was going on… and I wasn’t even CLOSE! It did get spicy but for some reason Sydney and Wes’s relationship fell a little flat for me. Maybe it’s because I had my guard up a little.

WOW! Once again Karina Hale has blown me away! I couldn’t wait to dig in to this book after enjoying her Sleepy Hollow retelling and I was NOT disappointed! Intriguing, delightful, beautiful characters full of depth make you fall in love with them as they navigate their way through the plot that just… 🤯 Do not pass this one up!

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this novel through NetGalley in return for my honest review

Grave Matter by Karina Halle is a dark, gothic psychological thriller that mixes suspense and romance in a haunting setting. The story follows Sydney Denik, a neurodivergent mycologist who, after losing her Stanford scholarship, joins the mysterious Madrona Foundation on Vancouver Island, where they’re researching Alzheimer’s cures.

Soon after arriving, Sydney notices strange happenings—her fellow student, Amina, goes missing and no one seems to care. Sydney starts experiencing unsettling visions and dreams, leaving her unsure if she’s losing her mind or if something darker is at play. Her mandatory sessions with Professor Kincaid only add to the tension, especially as their complicated, obsessive relationship deepens.

As the strange events pile up, Sydney believes the secrets of the Madrona Foundation are far more dangerous than she could have imagined. Either that or she really is losing her mind.

This book was my introduction to thriller, and I absolutely loved it. The twists kept me hooked, and the suspense grew with every chapter. The eerie atmosphere and complex characters made it an unforgettable read.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, dark secrets, forbidden romance, a love that transcends all else, morally black characters and a gripping mystery, Grave Matter is a must-read!