The minute I laid eyes on this cover, I knew I had to read it. Yes, I admit I'm a cover whore. I'm guilty of judging books by their cover. One very small problem in this case... I jumped to conclusions about this book, and ended up being thrown for a loop. When I first started reading, I was expecting a mature read, dark and creepy. And while this book does have its creep factor, it also has a playful lilt to it that I wasn't prepared for. 
 Something else I wasn't prepared for... Sarah Dalton is British. Obviously, the book takes place in England, but I wasn't ready for the steady stream of unfamiliar terminology. What on earth does "gormless" mean, anyway? (You don't have to look it up for me. Thanks anyway, but I already did.) There are also the quirky spelling differences, like "tyres" and "programme". The real trouble is that I don't know whether or not to put a maturity warning on this or not, for words like "tosspot", "tossers" or "bint". It did knock me out of the story once or twice, but as long as I read the story with a British accent, I got along alright. ;) 
 There were a few moments in this story that were definitely creepy. You can't possibly beat the setting! First off, they're in the middle of nowhere. Nothing for miles in any direction. No one to hear you scream... Second, there's a carnival. YAY Creepy Carnies! Throw in a couple scenes of wandering around in the deserted moors at night, and you have a recipe for nightmares! The characters are a completely mixed bag, and yet they all worked really well together. I liked the chemistry between Mary and Seth, and the way the dynamic shifts when you throw Lacey into the middle. The "quirky gay Goth couple" didn't exactly stand front and center but I have a sneaking suspicion that they'll have a major role going into further books. And those Things Mary sees? I definitely need to know more about those!!! 
 I absolutely love where this is going as a series, and I was very excited to see that there are several other stories to dig into (all with exquisite covers, I might add)! I will recommend reading the prequel, My Daylight Monsters, before Mary Hades. I haven't read it yet, but there are tons of spoilers in this book, and I would have preferred reading it right from the beginning with a fresh slate. 
 A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.