Fiendish
by Brenna Yovanoff Book Review by Miranda Moses (Fraser) ISBN: 9781595146380 I discovered this book on a list of "creepy" YA books perfect for your Halloween reading list. The cover and description drew me in and I immediately put it in my Amazon cart. While Brenna's other "creepy" books seem to be better rated, this one has a real love hate rating system going on in the goodreads discussion section. I can see why and would like to jump into it. To begin with, the story is about a girl who's been trapped underground for over ten years. When someone discovers her and brings her to the surface everyone is confused. Why was she underground all this time? Who locked her away? How had she survived? And worst of all why does it seem that no one remembers her existence? They know her family but not her. Strange things are happening and the superstitious town folk are claiming her as a fiend. All of this sounds great, right? Spooky chick buried underground held down by willow roots with no explanation. That for me was the sum total of the creepy factor. The story continues with Clementine, the girl from the cellar, being obsessed with the boy who pulled her out. This turns into a weird love story that I would have been more invested in had I not been expecting this to be a scary book. It's even listed as a horror on goodreads, so that's disappointing. However their friendship is really cute as they both uncover more about themselves and their past. As well as come together to hone their craft. See there is obviously more to the story than a bunch of superstitious rednecks. There is magic in these back woods and the children of these bloodlines have to deal with the brunt of the hate. Not to mention learn to keep their magic low. In conclusion I do think this was an overall good story. I expected so much more and I think that's where my disappointment stems from. If you go into it ignoring the creepy cover and the spooky description then you will probably enjoy the love story and the adventure. I was on the edge of my seat and I did race through the pages waiting to see how it ended. But does it deserve to be on a list for YA horror? Absolutely not. I am going to try some of Yovanoff's other books and see if they are more fitting for that genre, so probably keep and eye out for those reviews. Read on my fellow book worms may we one day have Belle's library. And as always, links to the author's pages can be found down below.
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The Dead and Buried
by Kim Harrington Book Review by Miranda Moses (Fraser) ISBN: 978-0-545-55657-6 Now, this is a book I've been meaning to read for years. I actually found a book mark in it from the last time I attempted to read it. I don't know why I kept putting it down because honestly, it was a really good book. This is the first story I've read by Kim Harrington but her little excerpt in the back made me fall in love with her. I too was a freaky kid who turned out to be a writer, not a serial killer, lol. So I look forward to reading more books by this author. But with that being said, let's just get into the next book in our Halloween Book Review Series 2019. To begin with, our story surrounds Jade and her blended family. They move to a new town with a bigger house and better school district. Jade knows this is only for her baby brother's benefit but she doesn't really care. She loves Colby and would do anything for him. When he tells her there's a girl in his room she let's him talk through it. But when things start moving and cold spots start appearing she knows there must be more to it than his imagination. Never did she think that her parents had purchased the house where a girl had died only six months before. Not just any girl, but the most popular girl in her high school. The wicked witch who had it all: looks, brains, athleticism, and money. While Jade attempts to adjust to her new life things start get out of hand. Kayla, the ghost, is furious. She didn't fall to her death- she was pushed. And she demands Jade find her killer OR ELSE. Kayla is able to do a lot of things from her ghostly realm, including possess people. She uses Colby as her target of choice acting like the monster people knew she truly was. In desperation to save her brother she must now investigate everyone in school who could possibly have a motive to want Kayla dead. There's a lot. In the meantime, there's romance, mystery, and a little bit of horror. It was a well blended book, perfect for kids to young adults. I willll say that I called it about halfway through. The author does a great job of throwing out a lot of circumstances and theories but you can blame my Murder She Wrote obsession for the reason I guessed it so early on, lol. Still was a great story and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting to find out if I was right or not. When the real ghostly activity came out I was tickled pink. I'm so used to these scholastic 'horror' stories being more... laid back in that department. This was a nice change of pace and fun story for anyone looking for a little spooky time this Halloween season. Read on my fellow book worms may we one day have Belle's library. As always links to the author's pages can be found down below. The Women in the Walls
by Amy Lukavics Book Review by Miranda Moses (Fraser) ISBN: 978-0-373-21246-0 I really think Kendare Blake summed this book up perfectly, "unsettling from the first page". I have yet to come across a book in the Halloween series that has truly bothered me. I mean reading this was so unnerving that I refused to read it until my husband was home too! That alone makes this my favorite book so far in the 2019 Halloween Book Review series. Amy Lukavics has a few books out now, two of which have won awards. I will DEFINITELY be looking for her novels in next years series! To begin with, this novel is about a seventeen year old girl named Lucy Acosta. A very prominent last name. A lot is expected of her family- the women in particular. Something Lucy and her cousin Margaret mock heavily. They could care less about the country club pompousness. But when her aunt Penelope goes missing everything else starts to fall apart around the girls. Margaret in particular takes her mother's disappearance hard and she starts to unravel mentally. She insists on spending time in the attic claiming to hear her mother whispering to her through the walls. But when Lucy begins hearing voices herself she has to uncover the truth about the secrets of her home and the women in her family. Now, that's just the basic gist of what this story is about. But from the very first page we're walking into death and creepy scenarios. This book is loaded with gore and terrors. It was very easy to get sucked into this story and end up on the edge of my seat- easily scared by noise in the real world around me. I had goosebumps and at times a lump in my throat. Amy does not hold back on the death, gore, or creep factor. Everything happens FAST so be prepared to go from 0 to 100 REAL fast. And when you think you got it all figured out- TRUST ME, YOU DON'T. The ending was unlike anything I've ever come across in my life. I was truly sitting there going, "WHAT!?" over and over again. In conclusion, this book is definitely not for the faint of heart or the younger readers who have issues with gore, death, suicide, and self harm. I recommend this book more for the older readers looking for something harder than Hahn or Pablocki, but different from Stephen King. I am really glad I found this author. And honestly, while my head is still spinning at how the hell the book turned out the way it did.... I can't stop thinking about it. Now I wonder what surprises her other novels hold. Read on my fellow book worms. May we one day have Belle's library. As always links to the author's pages can be found down below. An Enchantment of Ravens
by Margaret Rogerson Book Review by Miranda Moses (Fraser) ISBN: 978-1-4814-9758-9 This is the first book in the Halloween Book Review Series of 2019! Woot! We made it to another Halloween series! The GORGEOUS cover of this book is what first drew me in but the story is what made me bring it home. Now, I have to say this isn't exactly the type of story I'd generally say is good for Halloween. But for someone who prefers magic over scares this might be just the thing. This is also the author's first book and I would like to applaud her on this beautiful story. Plus *high five* for being a fellow Ohioan. To begin with, this story takes place in a world where faeries and humans coexist- to an extent. The faeries live in their own courts/realm but they travel to the mortal cities and interact with them. The Fair Ones are incapable of craft of any kind- not even cooking. So humans who are masters of their craft are incredibly valuable to them. The cover insert sums it up perfectly, "These immortal creatures cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and they trade valuable enchantments for Isobel's paintings." As the quote just gave away, this story revolves around a human girl named Isobel, who is a master painter. For years Fair Ones have traveled to her for portraits of themselves. But unlike other humans she is extremely careful with her wordings. Deals for enchantments can easily turn sour if not worded perfectly. In the courts there are princes who run their seasons- spring, winter, autumn, and summer. Though summer is actually ruled by the Alder King who is the ruler of all Fair Ones. The Prince of the Autumn court, Rook, decides to call upon Isobel for a portrait. He is hard for her to paint as there is something off about his appearance. When she finally realizes what it is, she doesn't realize the damage she's done. She paints human emotion onto his face, and while accurate, it's considered a weakness amongst his people and he drags her into the immortal realm to stand trail for her sabotage. Rook is also a lover of ravens, turning into one himself most often, and thus his portrait payment to her are Ravens as a sign of danger. One if she (or her family) are in danger, 6 if danger is sure to arrive, and 12 for potential death. This abduction to stand trail leads them on a crazy adventure. There are many Fae beasts of dangerous proportions. Just like the Fair Ones themselves they wear a glamour so to appear as a regular creature making it easier to attack a mortal. For instance the Thane often glamours as a buck, though the stench of death is hard to miss. When their glamours slips you can see the bones, rot, maggots, sharp teeth, etc that really create these monsters. Between these creatures, the true nature of the Fair Ones, the spells, and constantly needing to avoid death this book could easily fit ones requirement for this time of year. But it also is a bit of a romance, something I hadn't realized until I was reading the story. I still decided to stick with it for this series for my readers who like lighter topics. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this story. I have such vivid images in my head of what it all looks like and if this were ever to be considered for a movie I want the people who animate the Witcher 3 games to do these creatures! I can see the gorgeous graphics now, and I need it! This book is a stand alone but I'd love to see more in this universe. Read on my fellow book worms, may we one day have Belle's library. And as always links to the author's pages can be found down below. |
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