Tag Archives: review

Review: Slasher Girls and Monster Boys

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19364719Title: Slasher Girls and Monster Boys

Author: Various, edited by April Genevieve Tucholke

Publishing Information:  August 18th 2015 by Dial Books

Genre: Horror, short stories, paranormal, fantasy, myster

Series Information: Standaone anthology

Format: Hardcover, 385 pages

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss

Recommended For: Fans of literally any of the authors in the anthology or those of you looking for some creepy reads that will leave you wanting more.

I am not usually one who enjoys short stories, but this seemed right up my alley so I decided to give it a go. I am so happy that I did because it opened my eyes to some new authors and I thoroughly enjoyed most of the anthology. I am going to share a quick glance review with some blurbs about each of the stories:

  • The Birds of Azalea Street by Nova Ren Suma was creepy in a real sort of way…3.5
  • In the Forest Dark and Deep by Carrie Ryan was excellent. A retelling of sorts of Alice in Wonderland, it gave me chills and somehow made me sad. 5 stars
  • Cat Winters delivers another fantastic historical ghostly tale in Emmeline. 5 stars
  • Bardugo’s story somehow makes celebrity rehab surprisingly creepy. 4 stars
  • I liked the lore of the story by Megan Shepherd, the harbinger of Death is always a go in my book! 3.5 stars
  • I still don’t love Danielle Paige’s writing…but she wrote about basically my favorite thing ever so I dig it. 4 stars
  • April’s story was probably my least favorite. Very “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and very dull. 2 stars
  • The Maberry story was dull, and was too prequel like for my tastes. Zombies. Meh. 2 stars
  • OMG the Jay Kristoff story was awesome. 5 stars
  • Stefan Bachman’s was interesting enough…3 stars
  • The Girl Without a Face by Marie Lu actually creeped me out a bit which is a feat in itself! Vengeful ghost for the win! 5 stars
  • A Girl Who Dreamed of Snow by McCormick Templeman was quite good, and almost fable-like. 4 stars
  • Stitches by A.G. Howard is not for the squeamish, but it was fantastic. 5 stars
  • I like the vengeance in Kendare’s story. 4 stars

Shelf Talker: As you can see, I really enjoyed most of these short stories, which was a fantastic surprise for me! If you enjoy even a few of these authors, pick up this anthology and give it a go, it was the perfect creepy read that got me excited for more from these authors.

On the Same Page: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

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11408650Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Publishing Information:  September 27th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Fantasy, paranormal, romance, mystery, supernatural

Series Information: First in the Mara Dyer series

Format: Hardcover, 452 pages

Source: Bought for my personal library

Recommended For: Fans of books that you can’t put down due to the wtf is happening factor and those of you who want some swoons galore.

Related Posts: Check out Amy’s review and Brittany’s post on bingeable series!

Hey there, friends! Truth be told I read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer years ago, before book one and two were even published, and I remember finishing it and thinking, “what. just. happened.” When I finished it this time I immediately picked up book two and three and finished the whole series in just a few days. The series left me with an array of emotions, and so many swoons. There are great mystery aspects to these novels but I’ll be honest with you guys and admit that I kept reading for Noah and the swoons that surrounded him. So with that in mind I put together a Pinterest board with different swoony quotes from the novel and found some awesome playlists on 8tracks for your listening pleasure!

 

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LOVED this dedication so much, and here is a playlist to go with:

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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: Daughters Unto Devils Review & Cupcake Recipe by Becky of Stories and Sweeties

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FoF2014

Readers, you are the luckiest today! SUPER excited today to have Becky from Stories and Sweeties join me today because not only is she reviewing a book that I have been dying to read, but she is giving us an AMAZING cupcake recipe. Take it away, friend!

Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release date: September 29th, 2015

Intended audience: Young adult

Stand-alone

Source: from publisher for honest review

Rating: 4

Review: Daughters unto Devils is all the things I want for a perfect Halloween read.  Incredibly eerie atmosphere, a classic horror movie feel to it, a touch of gore, and plenty of spine-chilling scenes that make you hesitant to turn out the light at night—it’s all here.

Amanda Verner makes for a great unreliable narrator. The Verner family lives on a mountain side and their isolated family dynamic and extreme piety makes them feel like a bizarre and twisted Little House on the Prairie. They were trapped in their house during a bad winter, clinging to their lives and their sanity, while the flu-stricken mother gives birth to a deaf and blind baby.  Something happened to Amanda that winter, and it’s unclear if the isolation got to her head or if she truly saw something in the woods. Her bewildered family questions her goodness and her sanity nearly as much as she does herself. After a secret affair with a boy from town leaves her with child, she finds herself lost and at odds with her only ally, her sister Emma.

At the threat of another bad winters, the family fleas to the plains—and that’s where the creepy really sets in. Terrifying things start happening, you get a few of those classic horror moments where you find yourself yelling at the characters, “No! Why would you do that?!” The haunting past of the plains and their new house takes its toll on the whole family until things spin out of control and culminate in a wildly gut-churning end.

There are definitely no shortage of disturbing scenes in Daughters Unto Devils—not for the faint-hearted, but absolutely perfect for readers looking for a truly horrifying Halloween read.

Devilishly Sweet Cupcakes

I’ve come up with a Halloween treat to perfectly accompany you while you dive into Daughters Unto Devils!  Rich devil’s food cake, fluffy cream cheese frosting, and a bloody good surprise inside! 😉

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Continue reading →

Bard on the Blogs: Hamlet Review by Kathrine from Neon Yeti Reads

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Today we have Katherine from Neon Yeti Reads sharing her review of Hamlet by William Shakespeare! Hamlet is one of my favorite plays – and quite possibly was my favorite play to teach. I once wrote a scholarly essay titled, “Mother May I” all about the relationship between Hamlet and his mother! Good times! Take it away, Katherine!

P.S. Don’t forget to head on over to a Rafflecopter giveaway to enter for a chance to win a Shakespeare retelling of your choice!!

Title: Hamlet

Author: William Shakespeare

Publishing Information:  Originally published between 1599-1601, published in a quarto edition in 1603

For me, Hamlet was always the Shakespeare play I stayed away from for the longest time. It’s the longest of all of Shakespeare’s plays and probably the most intimidating because of that. However, earlier this year, I decided that I would finally pick up this play with the handy guide of No Fear Shakespeare and plenty of notes to help me along with reading it. I am so thankful that I did by the end of it though!

My favorite aspect of Hamlet is that there are so many different layers to our main character, Hamlet. After the death of his father and seeing the Ghost appear to him with a message of revenge, he starts slowly going crazier and crazier. I really loved the internal conflict in his character about whether or not he was acting crazy or if he was actually, mentally insane. I struggled with trying to figure out my own opinion throughout the book, and I went back and forth. Some of my favorite scenes included the moments when Hamlet was with his royal family, acting strange every time, but a little different type of strange as well. There was so much royal drama – it felt like this time period’s version of a political drama.

Another aspect of Hamlet I enjoyed were the minor characters – people like Ophelia and the Queen. Both girls were very interesting characters, especially considering the historical context of the play and when it was written. There is a little bit of dialogue about the relationship of the British Crown to the people; the little underlying themes of palace drama was really interesting. When everything starts going down in the last two scenes, everything gets really creepy and I could not stop reading! Everyone has their own ulterior motives and it’s all about figuring out who is up to what.

Of course – the language of Shakespearean time takes a little bit of getting used to. In the past experience I have had reading Shakespeare plays, I have tried to read them in large chunks so I can stay involved in the language of the play. While I wasn’t able to do that with this one, I really liked the footnotes and annotations both from No Fear Shakespeare and in the edition of my book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this play! I think that it really added so much to my Shakespeare reading experiences so far and I love the way that he is able to tie in so many underlying themes. It is a classic tale with so many themes that have been used in all of literature. It really shows how much influence Shakespeare has had across all genres and I am quite happy with how Hamlet turned out!

P.S. The movie version of Hamlet starring David Tennant was really good, so I would suggest watching that to help understand the play while reading! It adds a whole new dimension to the story.

Fortnight of Fright: Asylum Review by Sarah (Friends with Characters)

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FoF2014

Heyy friends!! Carrying on with the reviews of creepy books, we have Sarah from Friends With Characters reviewing Asylum by Madeline Roux, a book that sounds like it would be right up my alley! Take it away, Sarah!

Halloween is definitely my favorite holiday. It’s so much fun dressing up and I love scary stories. I read Asylum by Madeleine Roux and it definitely is a creepy story perfect for Halloween.

Asylum (Asylum #1)

by Madeleine Roux 

Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it’s a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it’s no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux’s teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.

My Review:

Dan is an extremely awkward person. He goes to the New Hampshire College Prep program to meet people with interests similar to his. At the NHCP he meets Abby, an artistic girl, and Jordan, a math genius. Dan and his new friends find some creepy pictures at their dorm rooms. The dorm room used to be an asylum for the criminally insane. It looks like the criminally insane haven’t exactly left.

Asylum was a creepy book. The scenes describing the old asylum were very realistic. I think that Madeleine Roux did her research. I bet the second book will be even better. Continue reading →