Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts

5 Apr 2020

Review - Screamcatcher: Web World by Christy J. Breedlove

  Title: Screamcatcher: Web World

  Author: Christy J. Breedlove

  Synopsis:

  When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent’s deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she’s half blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Indian lore is so yesterday, but she’s willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory’s most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They’re in an alternate universe—locked inside of an insane web world. How can they find the center of the web, where all good things are allowed to pass?


I received a free e-book copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:

I'd like to thank the author for offering me a copy of Web World because I had a lot of fun reading this mystical gem of a YA. I'm sure Jory, Darcy, Choice and Lander – the four teenagers who get caught in the web of the dreamcatcher wouldn't call their adventure "fun" but it evoked in me a certain kind of nostalgia with its distant similarity to the movie Jumanji.

Since Jory lost her parents she suffers from nightmares. In the daytime she helps out in her grandfather's novelty shop but her nights are ruined by the recurring bad dream. When her friend, Choice first visits the store, his eyes wonder on the giant old-looking dreamcatcher that hangs from the ceiling and he immediately thinks if nothing else, that will help Jory to rest well and from then on trouble is guaranteed.

With two mates of theirs, the 16 year-old Darcy and the streetwise Lander they end up inside a world of night terrors from where they can only escape if they work together. I have nightmares sometimes, but nothing like with what these teenagers have to face. What I really liked in this book was that it works with Native American folklore and legends. It's not something that is normally covered in my everyday reading and so it was extremely fascinating for me to read about what creatures were the natives afraid of.

This book has horror elements. Not many, but the few it does give it spice. I don't want to give much away but something happens to one of the members of the group that gave me the creeps. This incident and its consequences kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

The novel is quite unputdownable, one action scene follows the other and you wait for the end to know how the band will fare during the last challenge. The team seems very experienced despite the fact that they are teenagers, for example Jory knows a lot about lore, plants, tracking, while the boys help out with the practical side of things. Darcy is a bit of a hindrance but at times I felt sorry for her because the others didn't handle her with much patience.

There's a love story in there somewhere too, but it wasn't overdone, which I was glad to see. To be honest, I don't even know when was the last time I've read a YA book without a love triangle or overemphasized soppy love-drama. This was just perfect, keeping all emotions at bay and very realistic. 

All in all, I definitely recommend this book if you'd like to try something fresh. Web World is a unique tale presented in a very enjoyable way.


Next in the series:



31 Oct 2019

5 star books in 5 words - Halloween edition

 Happy Halloween, Lovelies!

I've seen the 5 star books in 5 words tag on Jean Bookishthoughts booktube channel first and I thought it'd be fun to do it, especially with a Halloween twist.

The tag was originally created by Matthew Sciarappa.

As the tag's name suggests, I'll have to choose 5 books I gave the best possible rating and come up with 5 words for each that somehow describe why I liked the books as much as I did.

In the post itself no further explanations will be given why I chose the words I did and some of them might only make sense if you read the books. (Of course if you're curious, I'm happy to answer any questions in the comment section :)

 I'll go for novels and a play that fit the Halloween theme, this way I can also recommend you books that are worth to read on the spookiest night of the year.

http://giphygifs.s3.amazonaws.com/media/12JhUC7wZgbKjC/giphy.gif

My choices are the following:

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

STRANGERS | SCRAPING | ATMOSPHERE | MOTHER | MADNESS

Read my review of The Haunting of Hill House here.

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

VAMPIRES | ABANDONED | TEAM | BABY | INVINCIBLE?

Dracula by Bram Stoker

PRISONER | TRANSFUSION | DIRT | EROTICISM | SETTINGS

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

INTRODUCTION | DECEIT | PERSISTENCE | MANIA | PANIC

Read my review of The Crucible here.

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

GHOST | POWERS | STORM | DEATH | ROMANCE

Read my review of The Witch of Willow Hall here.

I tag:

Angela @ Musings of a literary wanderer 

Amy @ A magical world of words

Breana @ Our Thoughts Precisely

Lauren @ Always Me

Lauren @ Shooting Stars Mag

And everyone, who'd like to participate...

10 Jun 2018

Review - Clowders by Vanessa Morgan

Title: Clowders

Author: Vanessa Morgan

Synopsis:

Clervaux, Luxembourg. This secluded, picturesque town in the middle of Europe is home to more cats than people. For years, tourists have flocked to this place – also known as “cat haven” - to meet the cats and buy cat-related souvenirs.

When Aidan, Jess and their five-year-old daughter, Eleonore, move from America to Clervaux, it seems as if they've arrived in paradise. It soon becomes clear, though, that the inhabitants' adoration of their cats is unhealthy. According to a local legend, each time a cat dies, nine human lives are taken as a punishment. To tourists, these tales are supernatural folklore, created to frighten children on cold winter nights. But for the inhabitants of Clervaux, the danger is darkly, horrifyingly real.

Initially, Aidan and Jess regard this as local superstition, but when Jess runs over a cat after a night out in the town, people start dying, one by one, and each time it happens, a clowder of cats can be seen roaming the premises.

Are they falling victim to the collective paranoia infecting the entire town? Or is something horrible waiting for them? Something unspeakably evil.

Aidan and Jess' move to Europe may just have been the worst decision they ever made.


I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:

I was expecting a thrilling tale going into Clowders but unfortunately I closed the book in the end fairly disappointed. The plain truth is: I was a lot more bored than thrilled while reading it and I kept waiting for a turning point that would have changed my opinion but the real rush of fear never came and I was eventually left with an empty feeling regarding the book.

Clowders tells the story of a family who moves to a small town in Luxemburg that is famous for its high cat population. Aidan and Jess, who take their 5 year old daughter Eleonore with them too, soon realize that people in the town act strangely, especially when a cat's life is in danger. They learn about a legend that keeps the townspeople in fear and that makes sure they treat the cats of the town well. When a cat dies in an accident and a mysterious feral creature starts stalking Jess and Eleonore, the legend turns out to be real. The only question is whether the family can escape from the crazy cat town in time to avoid the gruesome fate they can expect after being involved in the incident.

More than half of the novel is about Aidan and Jess trying to patch up their broken relationship. I confess I didn't like these characters at all. Aidan is the one who wanted to move to Europe, he basically dragged Jess and his little girl with him because he wanted some adventure in his life again. Almost as soon as they arrive to Clervaux he starts an affair with with a horrible woman who likes playing around with (sometimes married) men just for fun. Aidan doesn't give a fig that Jess hates their new home, that she's slowly becoming depressed because she has nothing to do all day.

I didn't like Jess mostly because she was very slow to understand what was going on around her (just like Aidan, actually) and because she complained too much about things rather than doing something to solve them. She didn't like driving Eleonore to and from school for expample, but at the same time she was always going on about how she didn't have anything to do all day. Partly I understand why the situation was tough for her but many times she annoyed me with her utter helplessness. Even when Eleanore was around, she just put the kid in front of the telly rather than playing with her. They hardly ever did anything together, mother and daughter, which was kinda strange to me.

The half-human half-cat creature wasn't scary enough for me because for the longest time it didn't do anything at all other than stalk people by standing in their bedrooms at night. It didn't attack anyone unless a cat had been killed and even then, she made a quick job of getting rid of the guilty party. What made the whole thing creepy (and why I gave it two stars/pineapples in the end instead of one) was the town's reaction; they worked together with this monster/catgirl, they actually helped the creature eliminate the cat killers. Clervaux was a little bit like the village in the movie Hot Fuzz (only that movie is waaay better than this book).

No one tried to stop the creature. Like... what?? I'm not kidding. People tried to escape but they didn't try to fight. They accepted without question that it cannot be defeated and the only thing they tried was to outrun it. 

I didn't feel like I was entertained, I asked the question why??? a million times while reading the book and in the end I didn't understand why this story had to be told. It's a shame, the premise was excellent. It could have been so much more than what it became.



29 May 2018

5 Genres of Fiction I'd Like to Read More Of






Why Horror?

As a teenager I was a scaredy cat. Truth be told though, I always felt I was missing out on something when my classmates spoke about the horror films  they'd watched. They were always so excited about them. I've been an adult for some time now and still, until recently horror didn't attract me that much. However, after watching The Woman in Black and The Exorcist in the theatre in London and reading my first Stephen King book, things changed. I feel like I want to face my fears of the supernatural, especially evil spirits and haunted houses.

One book I've read in the horror genre:

Title: 'Salem's Lot

Author: Stephen King

Goodreads

This was the first modern horror book I ever read. A small town falls under the influence of a powerful vampire and hell breaks loose. It impressed me how much inspiration Mr. King drew from the classic vampire stories, especially Bram Stoker's Dracula.


One book I'm planning to read in the horror genre: 

Title: Daughters Unto Devils

Author: Amy Lukavics

Goodreads

Actually this is only one of the books of Amy Lukavics that I'd like to read; earlier I hauled Women in the Walls which looks and sounds just as creepy as Daughter Unto Devils does. I'm really curious about this author's stories.



 


Why Western?

I always feel like I need to be in a certain mood for western, but then when I read this genre I almost always enjoy it... I like the feeling of danger that comes with it; the pistol duels and train robberies, the snake bites and the bandits that know no moral codes. If there are badass ladies in the story, I enjoy it even more. I really need to read more western...

One book I've read in the western genre:

Title: Sawbones (Sawbones #1)

Author: Melissa Lenhardt

My Review

Goodreads

Although I gave Sawbones three pineapples only, it kinda fuelled my hunger for more stories set in the wild wild west.


One book I'm planning to read in the western genre: 

Title: Lonesome Dove

Author: Larry McMurtry

Goodreads

This will take some time to go through, given this novel is almost 1000 pages long. But still, many people love it and I'm convinced this book will blow me away. Talk about high expectations...




Why Poetry?

Poetry is food for the soul. There are so many poems out there that I know would give me the feels and I have to find them. And read them. And read them again. And again. Reading a book filled with poems is a lot different than reading a novel but it's not less amazing. I have so many collections on my to-read list I'd like to dive into!

One poetry book I've read:

Title: The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe

Author: Edgar Allan Poe

Goodreads

I adore Poe's poems as much as his short stories. The man was a genius. It doesn't take much time to read this thin volume, since he didn't write many poems. The few he did though are deliciously dark and full of crazy imaginings.



One poetry book I'm planning to read:

Title: Hold Your Own

Author: Kate Tempest

Goodreads

Hold Your Own is a sequence of poems that tells the story of the blind prophet Teiresias. Since Greek myths are close to my heart I have a feeling Kate Tempest's poems will delight me to no end.




Why Mystery & Crime?

I grew up on Sherlock Holmes short stories and Agatha Christie novels, however at some point I got bored with this genre, I'm not even sure why (probably I read too much of it if that's possible at all). Recently I've been trying to find my way back to it and I hope to rediscover it in the future.

One book I've read in the mystery & crime genre:

Title: Widdershins (Whyborne & Griffin #1)

Author: Jordan L. Hawk

Goodreads

This series is pretty awesome: it has Sherlock Holmes-like crime solving, a touch of the paranormal and gay romance too. It is the perfect combination of things I like to see in books.



One book I'm planning to read in the mystery and crime genre:

Title: A Death of No Importance

Author: Mariah Fredericks

Goodreads

A ladies' maid is the one who tires to figure out who dun it in this one. I like the historical setting, can't wait to lose myself in 1910, New York City.





Why Paranormal?

I can only come up with the same reason I did for horror I think. These days I'm like: Give me everyhing supernatural! Also, I like reading about creatures like vampires, werewolves and such. Paranormal romance is something I generally enjoy too, often more than plain romance. I have somehow skipped these kind of tales lately, which is a shame. I should definitely pick up more novels from this genre.

One book I've read in the paranormal genre:

Title: The Graveyard book

Author: Neil Gaiman

Goodreads

No list is complete without a Gaiman book (if you've frequented my blog in the past year you know this philosophy of mine already). This is my second favourite out of his novels; it's witty, funny, scary, sad, happy... you name it. Such an enchanting book.


One book I'm planning to read in the paranormal genre:

Title: Lord of the Dead (or The Vamypre)

Author: Tom Holland

Goodreads

Lord Byron becomes a vampire.

'Nuff said.

*Grabby hands*


What genres would you like to discover more? Is there a genre you've never tried?

15 Feb 2018

(Short) Review - The Dark Unseen by Andrew C. Jaxson

Title: The Dark Unseen  (Unseen Series #0.5)

Author: Andrew C Jaxson

Rating: 5/5 

Synopsis:

Hud and his friends are camping in the mountains to celebrate finally finishing school. Tonight, he can finally make his move on the girl he’s been in love with for four long years. But something lurks in the darkness, something Hud has encountered before and can't quite remember. When tragedy strikes the night turns to chaos, and Hud makes a terrifying and world-shattering discovery. As the teens run for their lives, old memories resurface, and an impossible evil will reveal itself. 


My Thoughts:

The Dark Unseen is a teaser novella that introduces Andrew C. Jaxson's new series, The Unseen. And what a fantastic prequel it is! It will chill you to the bone and once you are finished with it, you will want to seek answers!

Hud goes camping with his best friend and the girl of his dreams but he never dreamed the night would end the way it does. Something is out there; among the trees, in the night something unexplainable with an unappeasable hunger.

I am hooked! I guess these days I'm craving horror, I can't help it. This little taste of Andrew C. Jaxson's writing convinced me I need to read the first book in the series. The way the night was described, how he built the tension slowly, then led us through a series of unexpected actions... it was like a roller coaster ride that you want to repeat over and over again. It sure gave me an adrenaline rush... I loved it!



Good news!

This prequel novella is now available for free on the author's website!


Next in the series: 

The Fire Unseen


Happy reading!