REVIEW: The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

            I am where dead children go.
            Okiku is a lonely soul. She has wandered the world for centuries, freeing the spirits of the murdered dead. Once a victim herself, she now takes the lives of killers with the vengeance they’re due. But releasing innocent ghosts from their ethereal tethers does not bring Okiku peace. Still she drifts on.
            Such is her existence, until she meets Tark. Evil writhes beneath the moody teen’s skin, trapped by a series of intricate tattoos. While the neighbors fear him, Okiku knows the boy is not a monster. Tark needs to be freed from the malevolence that clings to him. There’s just one problem: if the demon dies, so does its host.

            There aren’t a lot of books that come around with fresh writing in the young adult world. The young adult world is largely controlled by trends. Rin Chupeco’s The Girl from the Well brings a lot of things into the genre that had not previously been there.
            The Girl from the Well reads like a horror film, which is reasonable since the legend Okiku belongs to be the same legend from which the film The Ring was born. I knew from the first chapter, when I was introduced to Okiku and her spine-tingling profession that I was going to love the book. Girl who hangs upside down and kills murderers? Sign me up! But not only are there a lot of really spooky scares, but the writing is superb. Plus, the Japanese lore shined through beautifully, as did all of the characters.
            There weren’t a lot of things I thought could have been done better, honestly. The only thing that stuck out to me as annoying was the lack of emphasis on the fact that if the demon inside Tarquin dies, he dies too. This wasn’t really showcased well; only in tiny little actions do we see it. I definitely think the ending could have used a little more build up in this department to make the ending pop better. Then there was the awkward shift between the U.S. and Japan that was obvious. There was just too much of a lapse in time between leaving the U.S. and finally going to Yagen Valley, and it was awkward.
            But that’s pretty much it for the cons. The characters were all amazingly well rounded, and the method of making Okiku the narrator/protagonist/omniscient POV was perfect. There were so many places that we as the readers needed to be, and Okiku being the main character provided for that.
            This might be my shortest review because the book was just brilliant. The lore, the horror, the characters, the plot. I loved it all. Plus, it’s still NaNoWriMo while I’m writing up this review, and that means I’m a little busy. But at least I’m not neglecting my other duties. Seriously, though, check out this book if you love horror even slightly as much as I do. I think this book could bring some great new ideas and stories to the young adult genre.

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

            Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

            So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

            Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

            Yet she spares Cas’s life.

            So I’ve been meaning to read this book forever now, and honestly it didn’t live up to my expectations. The excitement level and romance level were not as high as I was anticipating. Sure, I loved the book because hello, homicidal, cursed ghost and a cute hunter boy? It was like a love letter to Supernatural and Ghostbusters and I’m totally okay with that.

            The big thing that spoke to me was the characters. They were so well developed and dynamic. Cas and his mom were a great family duo, and their relationship was so great. It’s lovely to see such a strong, open relationship between a YA protagonist and his family.  Speaking of family, I loved Thomas and his grandfather! They were so eclectic and interesting. I could have read a whole series of books from them! Thomas was definitely my favorite character. I loved that he was a male witch with obvious wants (the girl) and a strong loyalty streak (which I adore in characters).The characters I wasn’t overly in love with were Anna and anyone else at Cas’s school.

            I know. Shoot me in the face, how could I not love Anna? I liked her well enough, she just wasn’t as strong of a character as I thought she was going to be. And I think certain plot points weakened her character for me. Like how easy it was to sap her power and release her from that house? The fact that there wasn’t a lot of love development between Cas and Anna, they just liked each other out of the blue? I get that Anna is the only one Cas could really talk to, but it just seemed like they had one long conversation and they liked each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love a forbidden romance but it was just a little to sudden for me.

            I just had so many hopes and wants for this book and while I really enjoyed it, some things definitely could have been better. I really think there could have been a better link or transition between saving Anna and killing the voodoo demon that killed Cas’s father. It was an abrupt shift and I just wish there’d been a little more lead in or more of a link between the killer and Anna’s past. Like maybe the voodoo man and Anna’s mother were more similar or linked in a way. Or maybe if Anna’s mother was someone Cas’s father killed way back when. It just needed something. But none of these “issues” (if you can even call it that) hindered my complete enjoyment of the book.

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong

            Sisters Moria and Ashyn are the Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood. Or at least, they were.

            Their village is gone. Their friends have betrayed them. And now, the emperor has sent them on a mission to rescue the children of Edgewood—accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of imperial warriors. But the journey proves more perilous than they could have imagined. With treachery and unrest mounting in the empire, Moria and Ashyn will have to draw on all their influence and power to overcome deadly enemies—not all of them human—and then avert an all-out war.

            Sadly I must first mention that this book did not, in any way whatsoever, live up to it’s predecessor. While I still enjoyed Empire of Night, I can honestly say it was not as good as Sea of Shadows. The problem with this book was that it read like a filler book. It felt like the first book happened and then this one was only written to move the characters to their final positions for the big finale. It felt like Kelley Armstrong wrote the first book, then the third book, and finally the second book. Clearly there were characters in the third book that weren’t in the first so she had to jam all of that into this second “filler” book. Of course, I’m not sure if this is true, it is just how it felt.

            One of my main questions is where did Tyrus even come from? He wasn’t in the first book, and then suddenly he’s Moria’s love interest and BFF in the second? Did I miss a chapter? While I loved Tyrus, I just didn’t see the point of introducing him so out of the blue. His and Moria’s friendship and relationship could have developing throughout this book instead of just existing on page one. Oh my gosh, a plotline that could have been used? Well I never. Besides, Moria and Gavriel belong together (no matter how perfect Tyrus and Moria seem!).

            Some of the things I really loved about Sea of Shadows just didn’t happen in Empire of Night. I loved the apparent personalities of Tova and DAIKO (???), but they were lost in this book. Then there was Moria’s likening to a bard what with her wide knowledge of lore and stories. I didn’t get that too much in this book. Sure there were the hellhounds, but those are nothing new and exciting like Thunderhawks and Shadow Stalkers! It was just a disappointment. All the things I wanted to see again didn’t happen. I get that due to the events of the last book the main characters have changed, but they shouldn’t be that different.

            One thing I actually hated was the fact that I had to wait for Ashyn’s POV in chapter seven to get even an inkling of a recap for the first book. It was so confusing jumping into Moria’s character with all these new people and no recap. I seriously thought I was missing chapters. And then when Ashyn ended up with her birth tribe of sorts, I was all who are these people? I couldn’t remember anything other that her living in Edgewood, so there really needed to be more of a lead in for the introduction of that tribe. The last thing I hated was how annoying Moria was with her sexual escapading. She was all “Oh it’s fine, we can just have sex because that’s normal for me and I can have as many sex partners as I want”. It was so weird and awkward to read about.

            As for what I loved…there’s of course Ronan and Ashyn. I was so sad to see them not together but of course the plot must go on. I really enjoyed learning more about Ronan’s background and the fact that he’s casteless. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Emperor and his slight deviousness. I even relished finally getting to truly meet Gavriel’s father! So good! The way this book played out just makes me want a lot of things for the final book.

            Now that Ashyn is with her birth tribe of sorts, I want to become a fighter. While Moria is stuck in enemy’s territory, I want her to become reserved. I want what their roles have been so far in the series to just swap completely. Ashyn becomes a fighter, and Moria becomes engrossed in politics and has to use her head more. I think their strengths work brilliantly but they need to become more well rounded if they’re going to save the empire and I think they’re in the perfect positions to do so.

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz

            What’s your worst nightmare?

            For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

            And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up…at least for now.

            Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

            Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

            By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.

            Well it has certainly been awhile since I’ve been able to actually read. Depressing, I know. Things have just really gotten out of hand in my life, and I’m slowly trying to pick up the pieces and figure out what the heck I’m doing. I can’t promise regular postings right now (I’ll definitely let you know when I finally find the correct puzzle pieces for the puzzle I’m working on right now), but I’m going to try and stop being a stranger. I made this blog as a commitment promise to myself and I don’t know if anyone will read my words and appreciate them as I do, but in the end this one’s for me. Now, onward to the review of this wonderful book by one of my all-time favorite authors.

            You know that one book that you read late into the night because you absolutely had to finish it? No not that one, the one that scared your grown self just enough for you to have to sleep with the lights on. So far, I’ve only really had two books do that to me, and they’re both written by one Laurie Faria Stolarz. The first is a book you may have heard of called Blue is for Nightmares (if you haven’t heard of it then I have no idea how you’re still alive). The second is titled Welcome to the Dark House, and just so happens to be the book that I’m here to talk about. Well, rave may be a more appropriate term.

            A big issue that a lot of work in the horror is running into these days is the advances in technology that have truly shaped and transformed the newest generations. The classic horror pieces involve going into the woods and no one hearing you scream. Nowadays, however, that’s becoming more and more difficult because of cell phones and social media. Writers of horror have to come up with more imaginative ways to get their victims into horrific situations than the easy, peasy no cell reception method. And trust me, it’s harder than it seems!

            The thing I really enjoyed about Welcome to the Dark House, aside from the wide array of unique characters, was the way in which Stolarz created her own horror monsters and then literally brought it to life. The Nightmare Elf happens to be quite terrifying and very original. I kind of scoffed at the name of the monster, but by the end I was truly terrified (hence the sleeping with the lights on bit). Stolarz introduces her characters into a house of horrors. There are the horror buffs and there are the scaredy cats. These characters work to both amplify the terror of the Nightmare Elf and discredit it, which are both important in horror because they keep things suspenseful. Is the Nightmare Elf real, or is it just a part of this contest? Neither the characters nor we truly know until the very end.

            Another thing I enjoyed was the twist of magic. Sometimes twists like that can make a book take a turn for the worst, but it helped build the intensity of the fear at the end. This whole contest revolved around the director of a slew of horror films, and how, in a Willy Wonka-esque style, he invites a group of teens who’ve written essays over the things that scare them most, to live in the iconic house of one of his movie horrors. The book overall deals very well with the technology of this age, but then it hinders the characters in the most perfect way when that technology is taken away.

            Lastly, the characters. I really enjoyed the variety and depth to the characters, and different point of view each chapter definitely worked in favor for the book. What I enjoyed more was that while I liked the characters when reading their POV chapters, I hated them when reading chapters in other peoples’ POVs. I think that’s what really made this book great. Each character’s chapter was completely different and I was able to truly immerse myself and become the different characters with their different thoughts and options. So while I understood why Ivy was so scared in the house, I still thought she was weak and pointless when I was reading Darth’s chapters, and vice versa. Each character was vastly different, and I hurt when they faced their fears. I loved every character despite their flaws, because I was able to really connect with all of them.

            However, this book did have its flaws. The ending was ridiculous. The necklace? Really Parker? I understand you were weak, but come on. It wasn’t believable, but there just had to be that sort of ending. I didn’t like the ending because I didn’t feel like any one of them really faced their fears in a gratifying enough way. I get that it was all a con in a way, but it didn’t work. I know this may sound like spoilers, but it’s not. Also, while I appreciated Ivy’s fear as a dose of reality in the story, I also thought it made her a weaker character. She was scared at the beginning and she was scared at the end. I don’t feel like she grew as a character, and neither did any of the others for that matter. Plus, her and Parker just fell for each other after one night. No way, Jose. The book seemed a lot like a movie, and that’s why the two are different things. Books are supposed to be in-depth and show more growth, whereas movies show just a snip of the whole story (a.k.a. the most eventful part). I’ll definitely have to read the sequel to see if I can really love this series, or if I’ll just like/appreciate it, because right now I see a flat character and an terrifying Nightmare Elf whom I’d enjoy reading kill the former. I loved how the book started out with Ivy’s fear, but I just wish she’d been more than her fear, and that’s ultimately why this book got such a low rating despite the fact that I stayed up all night reading it. 

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: The Devouring by Simon Holt

 

The Vours: Evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice.

This isn’t how the horror ended for us—this is how it began.

When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it’s clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman’s imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life.

To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

This is definitely in my list of favorite books. It’s not a super imaginative and new sort of way to present a horror story, but the monster Simon Holt creates is quite terrifying. Creatures from another dimension that possess the bodies of the alone and fearful, and then live out their lives while the original owner of the body is forced into a world where all their fears reside and torture them for the rest of their lives.

It’s an awful thought, and I love that Holt set such a story to a well-known sort of plot-backdrop. Reggie and her best friend love the macabre and all things horror. Reggie likes to read her little brother bedtime nightmares. Reggie and her best friend go all Bloody Mary on this Vours legend and Reggie’s little brother gets possessed.

Even though it’s a simple story, it packs a punch. There are a lot of twists and turns that made me question whether I could ever be as strong as Reggie and defeat my own fears. It’s a great book to read when you’re alone, at night. NOT.

Holt did a great job, though. He packed in just enough description of all the fears being brought to life, that I could really see and feel the terror. I’ve got to say, I wouldn’t have survived a day in the “fearscape” of Reggie’s little brother, Henry. But I didn’t survive the book, and look forward to reading the other two in the series!

Of course, despite there being so many things I enjoyed, there are always things that could have been done better. While I think Holt used a good amount of imagery, I’m still sad he didn’t use more. I didn’t just want to see the horrors, I wanted to smell, taste, and feel them. I’m a horror buff, so I love this genre. I also wish I’d gotten to see a little more of Henry before he was possessed. Granted, I could tell that he was not Henry once he was possessed, but I still wish I’d had a little more of the original to go off of.

Not a lot of the mechanics are described in this book. They attack your brain and push your soul to another dimension? I’m just going to assume that more will be revealed on this in the next two books. Along with that, I thought Reggie’s best friend, Aaron, was too much of a wimp for my liking. It played a great importance in the book, but I think it was a little too much. That being said, I wish Reggie had more fears than just spiders. The Vours say she’ll be an easy target because of this, and that’s fun and all, but she needed more.

Oh and the father is a total bust. He’s awful. I know Henry’s only a little boy, but little to what your daughter has to say, okay? Jeez. I’m sure this awful dynamic is only going to played on more in the next book. What an horrible parent. Well, parents if you count that “mother of the year”. Anyway, I’m done I promise. It’s a great book if you want a quick and scary read. It’s action-packed and there’s some great plot twists in there too.

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

            They hear the spirits.

The must obey.

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashlyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters must journey to find each other, sending them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

            My mind says yes, but my body asks why? I thought I knew what I was getting into when I picked up Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong, but I honestly had no idea and I did not realize how invested I was going to get. I think I know exactly how this book was pitched: Game of Thrones meets The Walking Dead. Sounds fabulous right? It really was. Fantasy meets horror, hello genre of my dreams. Maybe it’s just me on this, but I picked up a hint of Avatar: The Last Airbender (I know, more reasons why I loved it) but that, again is probably just me. Perhaps manga is a better example, because Avatar is way too cheesy for what this book was.

Anyway, The book was lashed with Japanese elements and it was amazingly done. The book can probably only be read at a young adult level and not middle school since there was a lot of death and deception but you know what? Kelley Armstrong originally writes for adults, and the fact that she is even gracing the YA world with her creativity and beauty is good enough for me. I just cannot even describe how much I enjoyed this book and the characters. Ugh the characters!

The title. NO. I do not feel that the title conveyed the book premise, story, or tone to the level which I would have liked. It makes sense once you read the book, but it did not capture my interest enough. As for the beginning, there were a few barriers to entry. The prologue was weird and felt unnecessary even though I knew Ronan was a central character and it was important to capture the whole exiled to the Forest of the Dead bit. Didn’t work well enough and I wasn’t keen on it. The book was a little difficult to get into but once the action started it STARTED (and believe me it started quick). And then, once the boys were there I was completely hooked.

The characters were great! Each one had their own voices, insecurities, relationships and secrets. Plus, even Tova and Daigo (a giant dog and wildcat, I’m sorry, Hounds of the Immortals) had their own voices without saying a word a lot. How is that even possible?  When they were all in the Forest of the Dead I was like, this place is horrible it can’t get much worse than this, but then every place after that was even worse! Inconceivable! And then the plot twist at the end. Well, I’ll leave it at that. Of course, there were dull points when there wasn’t danger and they were just walking, but I got over it because oh God the relationships between Ashyn and Ronan, and Moria and Gavriel. ‘Nuff said. So Dead. Oh and Kelley Armstrong was mean and did split POV that only changed on odd chapters until the end. I’m the kind of person who wants to end on a new POV but also wants to end on an even chapter. A dilemma, and thus I couldn’t put the book down. (One of many reasons)

I did not expect as much fantasy. I was expecting more horror. The horror lived up to my expectations and I ended up loving how fantastical it was.  Now, first things first. The characters. I love love loved all four of the main characters, and I didn’t know who I loved more. OF course, with the plot twist at the end I threw one of those characters along with the book out the window (I then I picked them up and cuddled them under my covers as I cried). But no, this book! I laughed, I cried, I threw it on the ground. The ending was horrible, in a brilliant plot twist way and I am so shattered inside. Favorite character by far: Ronan, hands down. Anyway, I just loved this book. I loved that the stories Moria told the little kids came to life and it was terrifying and I couldn’t look away.

I feel like there are books in the ballpark of the tone of this book (The Forest of Hands and Teeth being one of them), but I think the mix of Japanese elements with horror and fantasy was really original. I know I said Game of Thrones meets The Walking Dead meets Avatar: The Last Airbender and I do not rescind that statement. It’s a bit different than that but I think it strikes the same chords. Plus the voices of the characters were really original. They all had that medieval court tone but they were all unique and it was just great.  Now excuse while I go into a dark corner and go mad waiting for the next book in the series.

And please, read this book if you love fantasy and horror. Then gush with me in a dark corner until the sequel is released.

XOXO Tia