Category Archives: review

#HeartlessCountdown by Marissa Meyer

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The countdown to Heartless is on!! I have to tell you, I read Heartless and I ADORED it. I loved everything about it and would have loved to spend even more time in Meyer’s version of Wonderland. Speaking of Wonderland, I am here today to talk about my favorite character: The Mad Hatter.

I obviously love Cheshire a lot as well, but I find that he just doesn’t get as much time on the page (or screen) as some of the others, so I am always left wanting more. So Hatter is my favorite because he is just so eccentric and fun…when he isn’t dark and terrifying.

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The 1951 Disney version shows Hatter as rather juvenile. He is volatile and seems to be on the verge of throwing tantrums here and there but is easily pacified by compliments. He has a two second rebound rate before going back to his jovial nature. In truth, this is probably my least favorite adaptation of Hatter, but I never fell in love with this film as a child so perhaps I have a bit of a bias.

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The 2010 Disney version is more my cup of tea (hehe) and yeah, it’s probably because I love Tim Burton and I love Johnny Depp…what can I say? He takes on a much bigger role in this film, acting as Alice’s true friend and puts himself on the line for her a few times. I saw a few Johnny Depp interviews and he mentioned that his character was a bit like a “mood ring” as his appearance changed due to very strong emotions. I enjoyed that they maintained the same character who has his emotions so close to the surface but brought it a step further with his appearance.

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Probably my favorite adaptation of Hatter is in the horror novel Alice by Christina Henry. I absolutely devoured this novel. It was dark and enthralling and everything that I love. Hatter was a very twisted and sometimes scary character, though he backed Alice fiercely. Madness can go a lot of ways, you know, and not always in a happy go lucky manner. I loved that about this novel.

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Then we have the Hatter character in Heartless…I don’t want to give too much away here but let’s just say that he is a good mix between all three of my favorite adaptations in that he is fiercely loyal, sometimes dark and rather mad through and through.

The countdown to Heartless is ON!! Join us all in counting down to one of the most anticipated books of the year. You aren’t going to want to miss this one, I absolutely adored this adaptation and cannot wait for you to see what Marissa has done with Wonderland and the Red Queen. Stay tuned for my full review and join in on the countdown by checking out Fierce Reads! They are giving away advance copies of Heartless every day!!

Review: Beastly Bones by William Ritter

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Title: Beastly Bones

Author: William Ritter

Publishing Information:  September 22nd 2015 by Algonquin Young Readers

Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, Historical Fiction

Series Information: Second in the Jackaby series

Format: Hardcover, 304 pages

Source: Received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley

Recommended For: Readers interested in a novel with a paranormal mystery, slight macabre, cheeky and interesting main characters and yes, those of you who love Sherlock and Doctor Who.

Related Posts: Check out my review of Jackaby

I am sure that you all remember me singing the praises about Jackaby last year. I went on about how much I loved the quirky and entertaining adventure between Abigail and Jackaby. I am so excited to tell you that Beastly Bones was just as fun as Jackaby, and even more endearing. Beastly Bones sends Jackaby and Abigail to a new location. They are headed out to where the now exile Charlie Cane resides, and much to Abigail’s excitement, their new case revolves around newly unearthed dinosaur bones.

One of my favorite parts of Jackaby was the mystery, and the way in which it reminded me so much of Sherlock meets Doctor Who. Beastly Bones brought me a different joy than Jackaby in that we were able to meet new characters, as well as see more of my favorite characters. We are introduced to Hank Hudson, a skilled trapper who has a long standing friendship with Jackaby, and Nellie Fuller who works hard to catch THE story of the year. These characters only add to the fun of the story and I would absolutely love to hear more about the Jackaby and Hank shenanigans from back in the day. As mentioned, Charlie is central to this novel, and he and Abigail take part in some very sweet moments. Along with many other readers, I look forward to seeing how their romance blossoms. Jackaby was especially endearing in relation to these romantic developments as he reminds me so much of my father in his, “please let’s not discuss you dating” way with Abigail, but when she really needs some encouragement, he is right there to help.

Now, the main storyline was intriguing and fun, but if I’m being completely honest, my favorite parts of the novel were the parts that centered around Jenny and the story of how she came to be a ghost. I loved the way William Ritter added the twists of her story to an already interesting plot, and the cliffhanger of the novel kept me absolutely needing more. From what I have gathered, at least one more book is coming, but no other details have been shared.

Shelf Talker: William Ritter again gave us an interesting, mysterious, and all around fun novel in Beastly Bones. Wildly entertaining, Beastly Bones is a fantastic follow up to Jackaby. This novel was full of wit, and intrigue and I loved every minute. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Jackaby and company!

 

Fortnight of Fright: Mini Book Reviews by Emily of Emily Reads Everything

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Hi loves! Today we have my friend Emily sharing some creepy reads with you! Em is one of my favorites and as we both love horror, I am going to comment after her recommendations so you can hear my thoughts as well! Take it away, girl!

I’m so excited to have the chance to join you today and grateful for the opportunity to guest post! Alyssa is so fun to follow on twitter. She’s snarky, honest and hilarious. We share a love of Neil Gaiman, the fall season and Halloween. Obviously, since she loves Gaiman, she has great taste in authors and books. Obviously some of you are not as refined as we are and might not enjoy horror. That’s ok, we can work on it. Today I’d like to share with you some Halloween reads, in order from slightly creepy to scare your socks off. I tried to choose a mix of older stories and newer releases. These perfect for a dark night when you are home alone and need some company. (She’s right, I am snarky and honest. Okay, and hilarious ;D)

Odd Thomas

This is not your typical horror series. Odd is quick to point out that he’s just a simple fry cook at the local diner. He just happens to be able to see the dead. Dead people don’t talk but they do try to communicate with odd and send him messages. This series is different. There’s always something dark lurking around the corner. However, Odd is such a ray of light, it’s hard to be too concerned. (Okay so I have never read any Koontz…I don’t know why but I have never really been interested! I do like the whole “I see dead people thing” this has going on though..)

John Dies at the End

So weird. That’s the only way to describe this book. Without ruining anything, the basic premise is that when two burnouts take a new drug called soy sauce, it causes them to see a whole new layer of the world. Suddenly they can see all sorts of things that people weren’t meant to see. They can’t unsee it and now everything in this hidden layer of the world can also see them. (I have NEVER heard of this and it sounds so trippy!! Adding it to the TBR)

Through the Woods

I never would have thought a graphic novel could be so creepy before reading this one. It’s a series of short stories. Several of them are gruesome fairytale retellings that would be right at home in the original Brother’s Grimm. I think what really sets the tone is the art style. It’s dark with muted colors and then brilliant pops of red for emphasis. If you aren’t sure about this, I would highly recommend checking out this website http://emcarroll.com/comics/faceallred/01.html His Face All Red is included in this book and it’s a great example of the style and tone of this collection. (I LOVE THIS BOOK WITH A FIERY PASSION!! IT WAS WRITTEN JUST FOR ME!! That is all.) Continue reading →