Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Series: Rolling in the Deep #1
439 p.
Published: 11/14/17
Publisher: Orbit
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. 

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost. 

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. 

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

My thoughts:

I love mermaid tales. Not all admittedly have appealed to me but this one really peaked my interest. It is horror so no singing red haired girl longing for legs (although that original Grimm tale could also be horror).  It also spoke a lot to the horror of what humans have done to the ecosystem. Now this isn't a book on questioning who is the villain in this tale, as the mermaids were presented as nothing but killers... but there is an opening and this theme may come into play in later books. There is also a working knowledge of science and even the holes in biological science that has yet to be filled. This lent the book a realistic feel and you could believe that these monsters could exist.

While this is a horror tale, those who like romance will get a taste of it, but only a taste. We tend to be more engaged in why they came aboard and how they change as things start happening. The horror of what the sirens (mermaids) wrought take center stage and any more romance would have muddied the waters... so to speak. There is an opening for further romance and I think it may happen more as the series progresses.

We also journey in this tale through book excerpts from the experts on the voyage as well as diary quotes and other mediums so the tale gets broken up a bit but it enhances the peril these voyagers found themselves. This also made the tale feel unique as well.

I give this book 4 stars. If you are looking for a good horror tale, I do highly recommend this book. While the book falters a bit in the end for me, it still feels complete with open threads to be explored as we learn more about the sirens of the deep. I also really appreciated how the science was used successfully in this book.

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Art Post: Scary Potter by Dylan Pierpont

I HAD to share these pictures Dylan Pierpont made of alternative scary covers of Harry Potter. These are so good and I think these really reflect the books so well in a very scary way.

from Dylan's Deviant Art Page

from Dylan's Deviant Art Page

from Dylan's Deviant Art Page

Those of us who are fans do not need the title to know which books these pictures belong. Wouldn't you love to read a graphic Harry Potter novel by this artist?

I thought this is perfect for the season! Check his stuff out. There is more Harry Potter stuff in his links.

Artists Infomation

Portfolio: dylanpierpont.com/

Deviant Art: https://dylanpierpont.deviantart.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dylanpierpont…

Artstation: www.artstation.com/artist/Dyla…

Instagram: instagram.com/dylanpierpont

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The Awakening by Amanda Stevens

Series: Graveyard Queen #6
416 p.
Publisher: Mira
Published: 3/28/17
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

Shush…lest she awaken…

My name is Amelia Gray, a cemetery restorer who lives with the dead. An anonymous donor has hired me to restore Woodbine Cemetery, a place where the rich and powerful bury their secrets. Forty years ago, a child disappeared without a trace and now her ghost has awakened, demanding that I find out the truth about her death. Only I know that she was murdered. Only I can bring her killer to justice. But the clues that I follow—a haunting melody and an unnamed baby's grave—lead me to a series of disturbing suspects.

For generations, The Devlins have been members of Charleston's elite. John Devlin once turned his back on the traditions and expectations that came with his birthright, but now he has seemingly accepted his rightful place. His family's secrets make him a questionable ally. When my investigation brings me to the gates of his family's palatial home, I have to wonder if he is about to become my mortal enemy.

My thoughts:

The last book! I'm happy and sad about that. I've loved this series so much (if you haven't read it before, you SO need to read it) so I'm sad to see it go. I'm happy because I know I'm going to get most of my questions answered. I also know I'm going to get an adventure getting there.

I was not wrong! I really loved this book and this is a series I know I will read again one day. The atmosphere was like the others and it kept me engaged and unwilling to put the book down. I got most of my answers especially the big one about John. I'm not going to tell you if it was good or bad, but it was an answer! Unfortunately, I did end up having a couple of questions that I had specific to this book I wanted answered and one small disappointment in the end. I cannot say what those were without spoiling the book, but they were minor in the whole of the story and really just made me wishing it was a longer book. To be honest, I'd probably wish that anyway. I will say that the last line was perfect.

I give this book 4 stars. I know that some people avoided this series because it is scary. I'm a total wimp when it comes to horror and I will admit this one is scary in parts (do not read at night especially when a neighborhood cat makes noise outside your window when you are reading about scary noises in the book... *cough* just sayin'... not that I jumped or anything... LOL) but it is the characters and the mystery that will hold your hand through those parts and compel you to continue with the story. So, try it! If you have, then I have no doubt you are right with me and are so sad to see this one go and anxious to see what else this author comes up with for us in the future.

👻

A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith

Standalone
272 p.
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Published: 10/25/16
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

A time-travel story that alternates between modern day and 19th century Japan as one girl confronts the darkness lurking in her soul. 

No one knows what to do with Reiko. She is full of hatred. All she can think about is how to best hurt herself and the people closest to her. After a failed suicide attempt, Reiko’s parents send her from their Seattle home to spend the summer with family in Japan to learn to control her emotions. But while visiting Kuramagi, a historic village preserved to reflect the nineteenth-century Edo period, Reiko finds herself slipping back in time into the life of Miyu, a young woman even more bent on revenge than Reiko herself. Reiko loves being Miyu, until she discovers the secret of Kuramagi village, and must face down Miyu’s demons as well as her own.

My thoughts:

This one sounded perfect for the season. And it is also from a prospective we rarely get in YA. This one travels from contemporary Japan and 19th c. Japan. This also has the bisexual aspect that factors in a big way here as it becomes Reiko, our main character, primary reason and justification in what she does in the story. I think the cultural aspects and also the bisexual aspect of the story were handled well and with some sensitivity.

As much as I loved the setting and background of our main character, I didn't really like her until the end. Granted you really weren't supposed to but instead of feeling her rage, she felt like a spoiled brat that railed against perceived wrongs done to her. I don't know if she was really justified in her feelings since I couldn't get beyond her idea of vengeance.

The story does involve a spirit trying to take over Reiko in the present trying to wreck havoc on all those surrounding her. She also travels back into this spirit's time period and finds someone not unlike her who ends up trying to relive her bloody vengeance. At one point neither Reiko or the reader knows where one ends and the other begins and this is where she is forced to either complete the spirit's mission or find it within herself to find herself and who she wants to be in life. What I found frustrating with this part is that she knew it was history, talked about going to find out what happened and then never followed through. I so wanted to shake her at times and couldn't wait for her to wise up and figure things out like you already knew she... well... knew!

The ending was a bit too easy and a bit quick for the buildup but it was complete. She even looked at her other relationships and figured out where she fit in the most important ones. We also finally find out what she really did in her relationship that started her on this path.

I give this book 3 stars. I like the worldbuilding and the aspects of the characters. While I had problems with Reiko's character, she did grow and I did like that aspect. Things were too easily wrapped up but were complete. I think this ends up evening out the book and is a good book for the October season.

The Sinner by Amanda Stevens

Series: Graveyard Queen #5
384 p.
Publisher: Mira
Published: 9/27/16
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

I am a living ghost, a wanderer in search of my purpose and place…

I'm a cemetery restorer by trade, but my calling has evolved from that of ghost seer to death walker to detective of lost souls. I solve the riddles of the dead so the dead will leave me alone.

I've come to Seven Gates Cemetery nursing a broken heart, but peace is hard to come by…for the ghosts here and for me. When the body of a young woman is discovered in a caged grave, I know that I've been summoned for a reason. Only I can unmask her killer. I want to trust the detective assigned to the case for he is a ghost seer like me. But how can I put my faith in anyone when supernatural forces are manipulating my every thought? When reality is ever-changing? And when the one person I thought I could trust above all others has turned into a diabolical stranger?

My thoughts:

I had heard about a last book being written and I was afraid that this one would be the last in the series (...especially with that ending! NO cliffie, but open). I didn't have to worry. There will be a #6 which will be featured in an upcoming wishlist post. :) *whew* and *squee* :D

This one was so creepy that I had trouble getting to sleep the first night I started the book. I set it aside for a bit because I needed sleep, but after I was refreshed I totally went through this book quite easily. Yea, you might want to keep a nightlight on or snuggle with your own ghost detecting Angus before reading this book. Oh and speaking of Angus... he's back! I love that dog. Unfortunately I don't have one of those and my huge pup would rather me protect him from those things that go bump in the night. LOL

I didn't like where things were left off in the last book romantically and I wasn't hopeful for most of the book. By the end with all the twists and turns, I'm now hopeful again that things will turn out the way we want. I need my HEA! You don't quite get that here, but you aren't left devastated either.

The mystery is twisty and quite dark and spooky. Perfect for a graveyard book. This one had me second guessing ALL the secondary characters (except Angus, of course) and I have to say I'm still not totally convinced that all are on her side even now. It feels like personal agendas are also being played while she is forced to solve some of the scariest mysteries. This atmosphere sets us up brilliantly and gives us the perfect feel for the book and I dare say the next as well.

Oh and that ending! I knew there had to be another since there are a couple of things still needing to be solved and I cannot wait to get my hands on that book! Oh and what a great ending. So perfectly sets us up but doesn't let us down. I want to say more because I do think I squeed a bit at the end (um... I know that sounds bad, but it wasn't... LOL). I highly recommend this book to horror fans (I'm a wimp and loved it, just sayin'), UF fans, and those that love a good paranormal mystery. This is one to read in order. If you haven't started this series now, do it! We'll wait... *taps fingers*

The Fireman by Joe Hill

Standalone
768 p.
Publisher: William Morrow
Published: 5/17/16
Source: From Edelweiss and publisher for review

No one knows exactly when it began or where it originated. A terrifying new plague is spreading like wildfire across the country, striking cities one by one: Boston, Detroit, Seattle. The doctors call it Draco Incendia Trychophyton. To everyone else it’s Dragonscale, a highly contagious, deadly spore that marks its hosts with beautiful black and gold marks across their bodies—before causing them to burst into flames. Millions are infected; blazes erupt everywhere. There is no antidote. No one is safe.

Harper Grayson, a compassionate, dedicated nurse as pragmatic as Mary Poppins, treated hundreds of infected patients before her hospital burned to the ground. Now she’s discovered the telltale gold-flecked marks on her skin. When the outbreak first began, she and her husband, Jakob, had made a pact: they would take matters into their own hands if they became infected. To Jakob’s dismay, Harper wants to live—at least until the fetus she is carrying comes to term. At the hospital, she witnessed infected mothers give birth to healthy babies and believes hers will be fine too. . . if she can live long enough to deliver the child. 

Convinced that his do-gooding wife has made him sick, Jakob becomes unhinged, and eventually abandons her as their placid New England community collapses in terror. The chaos gives rise to ruthless Cremation Squads—armed, self-appointed posses roaming the streets and woods to exterminate those who they believe carry the spore. But Harper isn’t as alone as she fears: a mysterious and compelling stranger she briefly met at the hospital, a man in a dirty yellow fire fighter’s jacket, carrying a hooked iron bar, straddles the abyss between insanity and death. Known as The Fireman, he strolls the ruins of New Hampshire, a madman afflicted with Dragonscale who has learned to control the fire within himself, using it as a shield to protect the hunted . . . and as a weapon to avenge the wronged. 

In the desperate season to come, as the world burns out of control, Harper must learn the Fireman's secrets before her life—and that of her unborn child—goes up in smoke.

My thoughts:
I've been wanting to read a book by Joe Hill and when this one came up for review, I thought it was the perfect chance. However, I do think I'll be breaking from most reviews you read of this book. While I did enjoy this book, I did not love it as much as the other reviewers.

I did like the way the author brought us to a dystopian society. Well, like is an odd word for that, but it did entertain and he made it make sense in a fictional way. We follow Harper, a nurse, who is great with kids and has a lot of compassion. Unfortunately she also is a doormat and an emotionally abused wife. What I loved was her transformation into someone who was strong, still compassionate, forgiving and nobody's doormat. I actually think that was my favorite part of the book. I also really enjoyed several of the secondary characters especially a little deaf boy who is smart and adorable at the same time he is onery. There is also a lady Harper befriends who is also compassionate and loves books and gets others to read to take their mind off of things. There is also no safety net for anyone in this story so you have no idea who will survive and what that means for everyone.

The book was long and while that was good in some ways it also seemed to stretch out the drama to its limits. I would have liked it a bit more compact, but I can also see why others enjoyed the length. The story doesn't let you go and that will either make you want to speed things up or enjoy the ride as written. I did not like 2 scenes in the book, but telling you those scenes would spoil things. There is also no solid HEA in the end, but it feels like a solid conclusion... that does leave the book open for a sequel as one major problem wasn't solved. However, it did not feel like a cliffie.

I give this book 3 stars. While it was interesting and I wanted to reach the conclusion of what happens to our heroes and heroines, I just found it to have way more drama than I like. It is a horror book, but nothing that most people cannot handle. I feel is actually more dystopian in nature. I recommend it to those that enjoy Joe Hill's work, dystopian adult genre and horror.

The Visitor by Amanda Stevens

Series: Graveyard Queen #4
400 p.
Published: 3/29/16
Publisher: MIRA
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm the Graveyard Queen. 

Restoring lost and abandoned cemeteries is my profession, but I'm starting to believe that my true calling is deciphering the riddles of the dead. Legend has it that Kroll Cemetery is a puzzle no one has ever been able to solve. For over half a century, the answer has remained hidden within the strange headstone inscriptions and intricate engravings. Because uncovering the mystery of that tiny, remote graveyard may come at a terrible price. 

Years after their mass death, Ezra Kroll's disciples lie unquiet, their tormented souls trapped within the walls of Kroll Cemetery, waiting to be released by someone strong and clever enough to solve the puzzle. For whatever reason, I'm being summoned to that graveyard by both the living and the dead. Every lead I follow, every clue I unravel brings me closer to an unlikely killer and to a destiny that will threaten my sanity and a future with my love, John Devlin.

My thoughts:

I've noticed that reading horror is so much easier on me in book format. Not all movies scare me but the thinking after does. I think the book just engages me so much that I don't always make my own horror after it. There are a few exceptions. This is one of them and it did make me think about sleeping with the lights on. :) Yea, the big dog is worthless here. LOL

I have loved the previous books in this series. If you haven't started reading them, do pick them up. While it is creeptastic, they are so good even if you don't like horror, you will enjoy this series. It was a long time since the last book so if you are reading these for the first time you won't struggle like I did at the beginning to remembering what had happened in the past. It did come back eventually however. Still, you may want to reread the last book before this one. The next book is set to come out later this year so we won't have as long to wait between books. That makes me so happy.

In this one the mystery twists and turns and you are often left dangling without purchase for anything solid. While this is frustrating in most novels, it makes sense here since most of our answers hide in the ghostly realms. Things slowly come together and the graveyard information interspersed into the storyline really helps the atmosphere in the book. We get our answers, but find new ones to lead us to the next book.

My biggest problems in the story came from Devlin. Oh he frustrated me in this book. I know there is more to come, but dude... stop it. I do get it was a set up for the arc in the series so it didn't overwhelm me in irritation. I also wanted more with Angus the dog we got to know. There is just a small part with him in it. I would also love to have had more information about Micah and am hoping for more dimension within the character. Still, these are small problems and I know some of it is setting me up for more goodness in the series.

I give this book 4 stars. My only real horrid complaint about this book is that it took several years to get it. :) I enjoy this series and highly recommend it to those that enjoy a good ghostly mystery.

An Unusual DNF: Good Girls by Glen Hirshberg

Series: Motherless Children Trilogy #2
352 p.
Published: 2/23/16
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: From publisher for review

Three-time International Horror Guild and Shirley Jackson Award Winner Glen Hirshberg brings his flair for the grim, grisly, and emotionally harrowing to this standalone sequel toMotherless Child. 

Reeling from the violent death of her daughter and a confrontation with the Whistler--the monster who wrecked her life--Jess has fled the South for a tiny college town in New Hampshire. There she huddles in a fire-blackened house with her crippled lover, her infant grandson, and the creature that was once her daughter’s best friend, who may or may not be a threat. 

Rebecca, an orphan undergrad caring for Jess’s grandson, finds in Jess’ house the promise of a family she has never known, but also a terrifying secret.
Meanwhile, unhinged and unmoored, the Whistler watches from the rooftops and awaits his moment. 

And deep in the Mississippi Delta, the evil that spawned him stirs…

My thoughts:

I did DNF this book at about the 1/2 mark, so I will not give stars for the review. However, unlike other DNF "reviews" (since I didn't read the whole thing, it really isn't a review) I have to say I did like what I read. My problem is that I just didn't quite understand what I was reading. Confused? I wouldn't blame you.

I don't mind books that befuddle me somewhat, but should have a thread or come together at least by the half mark. While I did start to see a thread, it just wasn't enough. I didn't read the first book but was assured that I would be fine reading this as a standalone. I don't think this was the case for me. I think what I needed was in that first book and I aim to find out what what thread or key I needed to pull more of the images together. What I did read was strange and just disjointed but in a way that really captivated me and interested me. In fact, the more confusing parts were the most interesting. Usually it is the most frustrating but I didn't feel that way. I did want to continue the book and hope that it all came together in the end, but I kept feeling that I was missing the most important aspect of the trilogy and so needed that first book to do this one justice. So while I DNF'd this one, I am determined to come back to it once I read the first book. I think those with more patience possibly could read this one without reading the first, but it wasn't that way for me.

Btw, for those that don't like horror, it was a bit horrific, but more on the creepy end than terror (or what I did read). If you read the first book, let me know what you think, but I am intrigued enough to try it.

We'll Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean

Standalone
288 p.
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Published: 11/6/15
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

Murder.

Fire.

Revenge.

That’s all seventeen-year-old Alice Monroe thinks about. Committed to a mental ward at Savage Isle, Alice is haunted by memories of the fire that killed her boyfriend, Jason. A blaze her twin sister Cellie set. But when Chase, a mysterious, charismatic patient, agrees to help her seek vengeance, Alice begins to rethink everything. Writing out the story of her troubled past in a journal, she must confront hidden truths. 

Is the one person she trusts only telling her half the story? Nothing is as it seems in this edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller from the debut author Emiko Jean.

My thoughts:

I knew I was in for a twisty mystery with this book. It is very much a psychological thriller that had me guessing more than once. While things get slowly revealed the scene of what happened changes and so the characters also seem to morph before our eyes. It also deals with a young girl's psychological illness but more in a way that enhances the story rather than teaches about a condition.

A slight warning. I swear I worried over any and all animals that came into this book. There is one incident where an animal is harmed, but it isn't graphic and it does lend itself to the story. I still didn't like it but it didn't make me put the book down or dnf the book. Usually that is a subject that will get me to dnf a book quickly. Still, perhaps I will save some worry by saying again, it wasn't graphic and it was a very small part of the book, but if you are like me, it will probably linger on your palate.

I give this book 3 stars. I highly recommend it for those that like psychological twisty mysteries and always trying to outguess the author. It is a very dark book and I know that the ending will surprise you as it did me.

DNF

Occasionally this happens to me. In this case I do think it was a question of timing...

Standalone
432 p.
Published: 9/15/15
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

Over two decades have passed since the fire at Elmbridge High, an inferno that took the lives of three teenagers. Not much was known about the events leading up to the tragedy - only that one student, Carly Johnson, vanished without a trace...
...until a diary is found hidden in the ruins. 

But the diary, badly scorched, does not belong to Carly Johnson. It belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, a girl who shouldn't exist Who was Kaitlyn? Why did she come out only at night? What is her connection to Carly? 

The case has been reopened. Police records are being reexamined: psychiatric reports, video footage, text messages, e-mails. And the diary.
The diary that paints a much more sinister version of events than was ever made publicly known.

My thoughts:

I don't dnf too often, but I did in this case. I also feel that it was a me not you kind of situation. The format was unusual but that also made it interesting. The diary format always takes me a while to get into the story and this was no exception. It was actually written as a case file with diary entries and that is what gave me problems.

I was fully getting into the story but the "notes" given by the investigator kept pulling me out of the story every time. Finally when another POV was introduced between the notes I just gave up. I actually think this would make an excellent movie and would really get into the telling of it easily in that form. As it was, I just couldn't keep myself in the creepiness of the story.

I do plan on trying it another time. I am a bit burned out and that probably played into this for me. I think when I'm ready to tackle something different, this may be on the top of the list.

Do not take my word for it, Maja at the Nocturnal Library has an excellent positive review of this book.

The Suffering by Rin Chupeco

Series: The Girl From the Well #2
272 p.
Published: 9/8/15
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Source: NetGalley and Publisher for review

Over the last year I've gone against faceless women, disfigured spirits, and grotesque revenants. Some people keep dangerous hobbies; skydiving and driving at monster truck rallies and glacier surfing. Me? I cast my soul into the churning waters of potential damnation and wait for a bite.

It’s been two years since Tark Halloway’s nightmare ended. Free from the evil spirit that haunted him all his life, he now aids the ghostly Okiku and avenges the souls of innocent children by hunting down their murderers. But when Okiku becomes responsible for a death at his high school, Tark begins to wonder if they’re no better than the killers they seek out. 

When an old friend disappears in Aokigahara, Japan’s infamous ‘suicide forest’, both must resolve their differences and return to that country of secrets to find her.

Because there is a strange village inside Aokigahara, a village people claim does not exist. A village where strange things lie waiting.
A village with old ghosts and an ancient evil – one that may be stronger than even Okiku…

My thoughts:

Well, I've said I was a wimp. I always shied away from horror. However, I've been reading more zombie novels and more paranormal with a horror flair and not even had a wimper. I do remember the first book and I remember saying that yea... this is horror. It was one of the few that could scare me. This one is no exception and I would suggest that lights on or at least daylight be your friend when reading this book. I also recommend reading it in order because the characters are established in the first book.

Now those that are saying, "No way!" because it is horror... I want to give you a pause. While this did creep me out and make me dive under the covers, it also captivated me. The story was so good and the twists in this book made you want to know more and what happens next. The characters are outstanding and you fall for Okiku the unusual ghost. There is also the Japanese flair to mythology in this book and that is a bonus for those who want to read different mythologies than what we usually get. The only flaw I can say is that there is a time toward the end that Tark struggles and we don't get to see much of that. Granted the volume would be huge, but I'm fine with that when it is a good book. The other flaw is that it made me cry. Okay, not a flaw for most but I hate to cry. :)

I will give this book 4 1/2 stars. I really enjoyed it and it does have a sort of a HEA. It is one that you both want and don't want at the same time. One that will make you happy and sad but still call it an HEA. Curious? ;)

Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson

Series: The Sisters of Witchdown #1
290 p.
Publisher: Pyr
Published: 5/5/15
Source: From publisher for review

Luci Jenifer Inacio das Neves, Lucifer for short, isn't your typical teenaged girl. She's a thief who survives by stealing bad things from bad people in the magical and mystical underworld hidden beneath our own. So when a policeman's daughter, Gina, is kidnapped by a force he can't explain, Lucifer is the only one who has a chance at getting his daughter back.

With the unsolicited help of Gina's friends, including Gina's boyfriend David, Lucifer's investigation leads to the unfortunate truth of the kidnapping. Gina was taken to an otherworldly dimension by a creature of unspeakable evil: one of the Seven Sisters of Witchdown. Against all odds, Lucifer must use every magical tool hidden in her trick bag to steal her way into the Shade and bring Gina back before the Sister sacrifices her for her own dark ends. But the closer Lucifer gets to Gina, the closer she gets to David. And David to her. Lucifer must risk her life by confronting demons, witches, and the cruel demigoddess controlling her destiny - all to save the one girl who stands in the way of Lucifer finally finding love.

My thoughts:
This is a book that is based on a comic series. I haven't read the comic so I was curious as to how this translates into book format. It is well written and I think that even those YA readers who are rather young would enjoy this one. It does have a horror element to it so I guess it depends on the reader as to how well they would be able to handle it. Those that read adult horror will have absolutely no problems with this one.

While I did enjoy Lucifer and how she got her name, I did not enjoy the romance that developed here. I also didn't care for her attitude about the romance. It was someone I just didn't see her falling for but I did get how she craved normalcy. The distraction of the boy just didn't ring true to me and I would have loved to see her more confident at least when she wasn't directly dealing with the relationship. She might be a girl, but one that supposedly lived though a great number of tragedies.

While I didn't enjoy her foray into a romantic relationship, I did like the adventure and the insurmountable odds she was pitted against. It was a bit repetitious in the telling of the story, but I do think kids wouldn't mind it at all. I give this book 3 stars and do recommend it to the young YA crowd that likes horror. It's not too scary but gives enough horror to satisfy.

Anthology review: The Doll Collection Edited by Ellen Datlow

Anthology
Edited by Ellen Datlow
Authors: Stephen Gallagher, Miranda Siemienowicz, Mary Robinette Kowal, Richard Bowes, Genevieve Valentine, Richard Kadrey, Veronica Schanoes ,John Langan, Jeffrey Ford, Joyce Carol Oates, Gemma Files, Pat Cadigan, Lucy Sussex, Tim Lebbon, Seanan McGuire, Carrie Vaughn, Stephen Graham Jones
352 p.
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 3/10/15
Source: From publisher for review

The Doll Collection is exactly what it sounds like: a treasured toy box of all-original dark stories about dolls of all types, including everything from puppets and poppets to mannequins and baby dolls. Featuring everything from life-sized clockwork dolls to all-too-human Betsy Wetsy-type baby dolls, these stories play into the true creepiness of the doll trope, but avoid the clichés that often show up in stories of this type.Master anthologist Ellen Datlow has assembled a list of beautiful and terrifying stories from bestselling and critically acclaimed authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Seanan McGuire, Carrie Vaughn, Pat Cadigan, Tim Lebbon, Richard Kadrey, Genevieve Valentine, and Jeffrey Ford. The collection is illustrated with photographs of dolls taken by Datlow and other devoted doll collectors from the science fiction and fantasy field. The result is a star-studded collection exploring one of the most primal fears of readers of dark fiction everywhere, and one that every reader will want to add to their own collection.

My thoughts:
As with almost all anthologies it has some great stories, some "eh" stories and a couple that confounded me. Still, I would have to say that as a whole, the collection stayed within the boundaries of horror and dolls. Two things I think go great together. For those that shy away from horror, it isn't too scary that you can't handle it (I'm an admitted wimp) but it is creepy. Not one is a happy go lucky, feel good story. That's a good thing for this collection. :)

I have to say that my favorite stories didn't surprise me. Seanan McGuire and Carrie Vaughn are worth the price of admission for the book. Other stories captured me and creeped me out but there were also a couple that just confused me to no end. I don't want to call out those specific stories since it could rightly be just me and I don't want to color your view of the story before you get to it.

I give this collection 3 stars and I highly recommend it to those that love horror and just being creeped out. :)

Dead Spots by Rhiannon Frater

 400 p.
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 2/24/15
Source: From publisher for review

In the dead spots, dreams become reality, terror knows your name, and nightmares can kill you. 

The stillbirth of Mackenzie's son destroyed her marriage. Grieving, Mac reluctantly heads for her childhood home to seek refuge with her mother, who constantly reminds her of life's dangers. 

Driving across Texas, Mac swerves to avoid hitting a deer...and winds up in a dead spot, a frightening place that lies between the worlds of the living and the dead. If they can control their imaginations, people can literally bring their dreams to life—but most are beseiged by fears and nightmares which pursue them relentlessly.

Mackenzie's mother and husband haunt her, driving her to the brink of madness. Then she hears a child call for help and her maternal instincts kick into overdrive. Grant, Mac's ally in the dead spots, insists Johnny is a phantom, but the boy seems so real, so alive.... 

As the true horrors of the dead spots are slowly revealed, Mackenzie realizes that time is running out. But exits from the dead spots are nearly impossible to find, and defended by things almost beyond imagination.In the dead spots, dreams become reality, terror knows your name, and nightmares can kill you.

My thoughts:
This book felt like a twilight zone movie. You are thrust into an unknown realm full of rules you don't know and don't understand. It is dangerous to not know these rules and most things out there want to drain you and make you their prisoner. It isn't a jaunty tour of the backroad country.

We start with Mackenzie who is overwhelmed with several losses at once. Her life is in a total upheaval and her grief is threatening to consume her. She does what she can to move forward, but it seems like she is going in slow motion. She stumbles into a "dead spot" and that is where her adventure starts all at once twisting our sense of what is real and what is fantasy.

Although I did enjoy the twists in this story (one of them I was almost yelling at Mackenzie to "get it") what I really loved was her transformation. The grief and emotional and physical attacks could either tear a person down or build to a stronger person. She chose the latter and I really enjoyed the person she became at the end of the story.

My biggest complaint is a small one. I need an epilogue. I need to know that there is truly an HEA. What occurred to me is that there was no escape or that they stumbled onto another world. Actually there are too many possibilities to think about and I blame this book! :) It had so many twists I started inventing possibilities with the ending. Do note that despite my want of an epilogue the ending was complete.

I give this book 4 stars and I recommend it to those that enjoy a twisty tale with a strong contemporary woman.

Blog Tour: The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

Standalone
272p.
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Published: 8/5/14
Source: NetGalley and Publisher for review

You may think me biased, being murdered myself. But my state of being has nothing to do with the curiosity toward my own species, if we can be called such. We do not go gentle, as your poet encourages, into that good night.

A dead girl walks the streets. 

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago. 

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.
Because the boy has a terrifying secret - one that would just kill to get out.

My thoughts:
Total confession here: I really like dark books, but I'm a total wimp when it comes to horror. For some reason I can handle it better in books, but this one was very creepy and even made me want to read this book in the light.

I really enjoyed the different culture and mythology in this one. The ghosts in this story are like humans in terms of good and evil. They choose their nature as we do when we are alive. For the ghosts, however, their horror they extend toward others is shown on how they look to the outer world. Humans are able to hide their evil much better.

We get an unusual narrative within these pages. We follow Okiku the ghost from the well. The narrative can be odd at times since she is interested in the living but totally detached. In this way we also become interested in the characters of the book but do not become attached to them. This is deliberate and I liked how different it felt. Usually I have to have some sort of attachment to characters but because this was purposeful, I didn't have problems with it at all.

I give this horror book 4 stars. If you want something unusual and different do try this book. If you are a fan of horror movies like The Ring, then I think this book is for you.

Author Bio: Despite uncanny resemblances to Japanese revenants, Rin Chupeco has always maintained her sense of humor. Raised in Manila, Philippines, she keeps four pets: a dog, two birds, and a husband. She’s been a technical writer and travel blogger, but now makes things up for a living. The Girl from the Well is her debut novel. Connect with Rin atwww.rinchupeco.com.

Unwept (The Nightbirds #1) by Tracy and Laura Hickman

Series: The Nightbirds #1
272p.
Publisher: Tor Books
Available Now
Source: From publisher for review

Gamin, Maine, is a remote seaside town where everyone seems to know Ellis Harkington better than she knows herself—but she doesn’t remember any of them. 

Unknown events have robbed Ellis of her memory. Concerned individuals, who purport to be her friends and loved ones, insist that she simply needs to recuperate, that her memories may return in time, but refuse to divulge what has brought her to this state. For her own sake, so they say. 

Ellis finds herself adrift in a town of ominous mysteries, cryptic hints, and disturbingly familiar strangers. The Nightbirds, a clique of fashionable young men and women, claim her as one of their own, but who among them can she truly trust? And what of the phantom suitor who visits her in her dreams? Is he a memory, a figment of her imagination, or a living nightmare beyond rational explanation?
Only her lost past hold the answers she seeks—if she can uncover its secrets before she fall prey to an unearthly killer.

My thoughts:
This is book 1 of a trilogy. It is also a book I think people will love or hate. It has horror elements to it, but it really seems more of a twisty dark mystery to me. The main character is sympathetic but you want her to stand up for herself more, but it is understandable why she is that way throughout the book. The secondary characters are quite interesting but you probably won't figure out who is good or evil by the end. It is confusing there is a dark nightmarish quality about it. And just as you start to get some answers...

it ends.

Yes, that I why I think people will love or hate the book. I enjoyed it and really did like the writing. The ending however was another story. I think that it being only 272p. it could have added the next book onto this one. Make it a duology. :) But then I hate being left hanging in any way in a book. The ending isn't quite a cliffie nor is it too abrupt, but it keeps your answers just out of reach.

I give this one 3 1/2 stars. I am looking forward to the next book and I really do already want to read the third book as well. I hope that the next 2 covers rock as much as this one does. I recommend it to those that like a very dark twisty tale!

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart (Magic Most Foul #2) by Leanna Renee Hieber

Series: Magic Most Foul #2
336p.
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Available Now
Source: TBR pile

I'm coming for you. 

The whispers haunt her dreams and fill her waking hours with dread. Something odd is happening. Something...unnatural. 

Possession of the living. Resurrection of the dead. And Natalie Stewart is caught right in the middle. Jonathon, the one person she thought she could trust, has become a double agent for the dark side. But he plays the part so well, Natalie has to wonder just how much he's really acting. 

She can't even see what it is she's fighting. But the cost of losing her heart, her sanity...her soul.

My thoughts:
As the first book hinged around the Portrait of Dorian Gray,  this one also revolves around another horror tale, but to a much less degree. Still, the nod to the other horror book is unmistakeable. Not sure if I should share what story it revolves around because I'm not sure if it would be seen as a spoiler, but it is obvious within the book.

This book picks up where the last left off so I would say that you should read these books in order. I figured it would build upon the first book in the same way her other series, Strangely Beautiful, had done. I have to say that I enjoyed this one as much as I did the first. I do like this author's gothic romances. It is as dark as the first tale and still leaves you with questions in the end. No cliffies, but just knowing there is a continuation of the tale and an unfolding of the mystery of "The Society". A group of either people or demons with a horrifying agenda.

We also get introduced to more secondary characters in this book, Rev. Blessing and Rachel. Both unique in their own way and quite compelling as well. They are great compliments to our already known secondary characters whom we met in the first book. There is also a couple of hounds (greyhounds) we are briefly introduced but are based on real characters rescued by a friend of the author. Yea, I know... but I'm a sucker for a good dog character. LOL

I give this book 4 stars. If you like gothic tales based loosely on horror books (it's not too horrifying... I'm a wimp and had no problems), then I suggest this series. I'm curious as to what the next book aludes to in the horror genre.

Ghosts Know by Ramsey Campbell

Standalone
288p.
Publisher: Tor Books
Available Now
Source: From publisher for review

Ramsey Campbell's Ghosts Know is a fascinating exploration of the twists and turns of reality-media personalities, the line between the dead and the living… and how the truth can be twisted to serve all manner of reality. 

Graham Wilde is a contentious, bombastic host of the talk radio program Wilde Card. His job, as he sees it, is to stir the pot, and he is quite good at it, provoking many a heated call with his eccentric and often irrational audience. He invites Frank Jasper, a purported psychic, to come on the program. He firmly believes that the man is a charlatan, albeit a talented one. When Jasper appears on his show, Wilde draws upon personal knowledge about the man to embarrass him on air, using patter similar to that which Jasper utilizes in his act. 

Wilde's attack on Jasper earns him the enmity of his guest and some of the members of his audience. He next encounters Jasper when the psychic is hired by the family of a missing adolescent girl to help them find her. Wilde is stunned and then horrified when Jasper seems to suggest that he might be behind the girl's disappearance. 

Thus begins a nightmarish journey as circumstantial evidence against Wilde begins to mount, alienating his listeners, the radio station, and eventually, his lover. As Wilde descends into a pit of despair, reality and fantasy begin to blur in a kaleidoscope of terror…

My thoughts:
The author writes horror, but for me this book was more a thriller mystery book. I could see how it is labeled horror as you did feel like you were on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what was going on. The main character, Graham Wilde is an arrogant radio show host who is trying to please everyone for a job he hates. He is quick to anger, but has not shown any real aggression... or has he? Unfortunately I did not like his character until the end. Still, I was drawn to what was happening and wanted to solve the murder mystery he found himself surrounded.

I didn't like Graham because he was arrogant, too quick to anger and he kept pulling stupid stunts and getting himself integrated into the murder mystery. He just couldn't see what he was doing to himself because he was too busy pointing the finger at others. However, it was a very clever way by the author to get him involved in a murder he wouldn't have any real association with otherwise.

I also admit that I was a bit lost at the beginning. Not sure why or if it was me or the book, but I just couldn't keep who was who straight in my head until about 1/2 the book. It wasn't crucial to the mystery, just confusing. This also wasn't a big character driven book for me, but it drove me in it's plot. I really became involved in who did what and why.

I give this book 3 stars. I personally like a more character driven plot but I will say that the mystery itself really drew me in. I do like the twists and turns this book took and I didn't guess who did it in the end. So for those that like a book that keeps you guessing, this may be your book!

The Heavens Rise by Christopher Rice

Series: standalone?
336p.
Publisher: Gallery Books
Available NOW
Source: From publisher for review

It’s been a decade since the Delongpre family vanished near Bayou Rabineaux, and still no one can explain the events of that dark and sweltering night. No one except Niquette Delongpre, the survivor who ran away from the mangled stretch of guardrail on Highway 22 where the impossible occurred…and kept on running. Who left behind her best friends, Ben and Anthem, to save them from her newfound capacity for destruction…and who alone knows the source of her very bizarre—and very deadly—abilities: an isolated strip of swampland called Elysium. 

An accomplished surgeon, Niquette’s father dreamed of transforming the dense acreage surrounded by murky waters into a palatial compound befitting the name his beloved wife gave to it, Elysium: “the final resting place for the heroic and virtuous.” Then, ten years ago, construction workers dug into a long-hidden well, one that snaked down into the deep, black waters of the Louisiana swamp and stirred something that had been there for centuries—a microscopic parasite that perverts the mind and corrupts the body. 

Niquette is living proof that things done can’t be undone. Nothing will put her family back together again. And nothing can save her. But as Niquette, Ben, and Anthem uncover the truth of a devastating parasite that has the potential to alter the future of humankind, Niquette grasps the most chilling truths of all: someone else has been infected too. And unlike her, this man is not content to live in the shadows. He is intent to use his newfound powers for one reason only: revenge.

 I've been wanting to read a book by Christopher Rice for a while now. Was happy when I got the chance. This is not a sweet story, but a horror book. I seem to be able to handle horror books better than movies (paranormal and monster movies are good, but no slasher films). This does have blood, guts and gore, but not so much you are running for the bathroom. It has just the right amount to keep the atmosphere of horror running throughout the book.

I do have to warn those that are like me and do not like to see animals hurt. There are a lot of scenes with animals being killed or dying. However, this is more a plot driven book so a lot of these scenes are kept a bit at arms length. Still, those like me will have a bit of trouble getting through those scenes. They are there with purpose. It lends the correct amount of horror to what is going on and who is doing it.

Now even though this is plot driven more than character driven, I think it works. You do connect on some level more to the secondary characters (who really come out as primary). Still, it isn't a book where you connect to those characters deeply. I feel it is purposeful in that way so it works. It helps keep up the suspenseful world in which these characters live.

In the end I give this book 4 stars. I found the first half of the book a bit tighter than the last, but it was still enjoyable and has an opening for a series if the author wants to go there.

Blood and Other Cravings: Anthology edited by Ellen Datlow

Description:

When we think of vampires, instantly the image arises: fangs sunk deep into the throat of the victim. But bloodsucking is merely one form of vampirism. For this brilliantly original anthology, Ellen Datlow has commissioned stories from many of the most powerfully dark voices in contemporary horror, who conjure tales of vampirism that will chill readers to the marrow. 

In addition to the traditional fanged vampires, Datlow presents stories about the leeching of emotion, the draining of the soul, and other dark deeds of predation and exploitation, infestation, and evisceration…tales of life essence, literal or metaphorical, stolen. 

Seventeen stories, by such award-winning authors as Elizabeth Bear, Richard Bowes, Kathe Koja, Margo Lanagan, Carol Emshwiller, and Lisa Tuttle will petrify readers. With dark tales by Laird Barron, Barry Malzberg and Bill Pronzini, Kaaron Warren, and other powerful voices, this anthology will redefine the terror of vampires and vampirism.

Tired of the HEA? Sick of things that just easily work out for the characters? Will one more story where everything is just fixed in the end wanting to make you scream? Well, if you are feeling this way and you are looking for a dark read that sometimes makes you think, "wait... what?" well, look no further. Here is your book!

Am I kidding? Heh. No. As some of you know... I enjoy my HEA. I crave it. However, not one of these stories has an HEA. Not really even and HEA of sorts. In fact the best you get is people resolved to what they know is going to happen to them. However, I did not end up hating the stories. They were creative and different that what I usually read. Darn it! ;) I enjoyed several of them. I really liked the way they explored the characters.

Yes, all you Addams family descendants will sigh with pleasure as all these macabre stories freak you out, make you look under the bed and have horrid endings. So, therefore I give this book 3 1/2 Uncle Fester lightbulbs! There were (as with all anthologies) some that really stand out and those that don't quite reach the full dark. However, in all, I admit I enjoyed it.

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So, have I made you curious? Don't forget you can still go around the Trick or Treat for books blogs to enter for the grand prize. This book is one of them! Go HERE for the deets if you missed it.