|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1250318033
| 9781250318039
| 1250318033
| 3.74
| 58,701
| Jul 07, 2020
| Jul 07, 2020
|
really liked it
|
None
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 11, 2021
|
Jan 22, 2021
|
Jan 11, 2021
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 161655780X
| 9781616557805
| 161655780X
| 4.04
| 6,739
| Dec 15, 2015
| Dec 02, 2015
|
really liked it
|
None
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Apr 19, 2017
|
Apr 21, 2017
|
Oct 30, 2017
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| B01BRFLLQS
| 3.65
| 3,461
| Nov 08, 2016
| Nov 08, 2016
|
really liked it
|
None
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 18, 2017
|
May 24, 2017
|
Oct 30, 2017
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0985325895
| 9780985325893
| 0985325895
| 3.04
| 230
| Oct 28, 2015
| Nov 17, 2015
|
really liked it
|
None
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
May 10, 2017
|
May 10, 2017
|
Oct 30, 2017
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0062498606
| 9780062498601
| B01LL0S9U0
| 3.77
| 7,746
| May 30, 2017
| May 30, 2017
|
it was amazing
|
None
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Aug 18, 2017
|
Aug 23, 2017
|
Oct 30, 2017
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| B01KFX67Z8
| 3.71
| 1,894
| Aug 01, 2017
| Aug 01, 2017
|
liked it
|
None
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Oct 08, 2017
|
Oct 20, 2017
|
Oct 30, 2017
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 0451473523
| 9780451473523
| 0451473523
| 3.63
| 404
| Apr 05, 2016
| Apr 05, 2016
|
really liked it
|
As we get closer to the fall season I love picking up more horror related titles in both my book selections and film selections. I have always been a
As we get closer to the fall season I love picking up more horror related titles in both my book selections and film selections. I have always been a bit of a horror junkie. Even when I was a kid I loved reading Fear Street and Christopher Pike. My favorite shows included gems like Tales from the Darkside and Friday the 13th the series. So it should be no surprise that when I saw the Demonists I had to pick it up. Okay, so I also really like Thomas E Sniegoski a lot so that probably helped. ‘John Fogg preferred the company of ghosts”. John Fogg has spent his life traveling the world and studying the paranormal and the occult. For some, he is one of the most well-known experts on the weird and the unusual. With his wife Theodora, a powerful medium in her own right, they have built a life investigating the paranormal. One night for Halloween John, Theo, and the team of Spirit Chasers investigate the House of Tribulation hoping to get a boost in ratings for their television show. But as the night goes on they barely have a boo or a bump in the night. It was supposed to be a simple exorcism, a Halloween special…It was a trap. The world watches as the crew is massacred on live television. Authorities said it was a gas explosion, but it was so much more than that. It ended with Theodora and John Barely surviving. Now a host of malevolent demon spirits have possessed Theo’s body leaving her catatonic fighting for her life and her very soul. However, Theodora’s possession is only one piece of the plot to bring Hell on Earth. John looks for anything to help save his wife. He even travels overseas to investigate a new excavation site that might hold an ancient occult library. A mysterious group called the Coalition say that they might be able to help. But can they be trusted? Meanwhile, half a dozen children have gone missing since Halloween night. FBI Agent Brenna Isabel is determined to find the missing kids before time runs out. Time is running out for everyone. Can John save the world and his wife before it’s too late? Things I liked: Urban fantasy meets horror. Its gory. Its violent. It’s disturbing. Yep my kind of book even though, at times, it feels very much like the first book in a trilogy. I like the premise. I like that Theo risked everything, doing the only she could think of. In fact, Theo is one of my favorite characters. She struggles so much and really is the hero of the story. To save the world she became a vessel. She struggles with her sanity and her willpower. Not to mention the legion of demons eager to tear her apart from within and finally escape into the world. She wants to be reunited with her husband, but she also just wants it to stop. I like John too because of how utterly flawed he is. John loves his wife, maybe too much. Because of his love for her he makes rash decisions that threaten more lives than his own. But I like that he is flawed. It makes him more sympathetic, makes him feel more real. I also enjoyed Nana although her appearances are brief. And The Teacher, whoo, what an awesome, awesome villain. He was delightfully creepy and horrifying. Exactly the kind of villain you love to hate. Finally, the book is almost cinematic its vivid descriptions and action scenes. This is great. In fact, I think it would make a great TV show. At least I would watch it. The story is fairly solid and I am excited to read the next entry. Things I didn’t like so much: While I really enjoyed the book, there were some flaws. Theo’s character development could have been more. I want her to be more than John’s wife, his reason for everything he does now (instead of you know saving the world). At the beginning I felt like they were equals, as Theo wouldn’t have it any other way. And then she became a reason and a damsel in distress. Eventually I feel like we got her back and I look forward to seeing her grow as the trilogy continues. I also wanted to read more about Theo and John’s bond. They say they are madly in love, but I wanted to see more that reflected that. The pacing is quick which is both a good and bad thing. There is never really a dull moment for me. Though it drags slightly in the middle, it finds its footing again fairly quickly. However, I will say because the pacing is so frenetic it means that the dread never really builds. Which is a shame because all of the elements are there. Despite some minor flaws it was a solid story. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. Buy or Borrow: Buy. If you like Sniegoski or are in the mood for a little horror this might be right up your alley. Part of: A Planned Trilogy. Also Recommended: For more urban fantasy meets horror try Mike Carey’s Felix Castor series. Thomas Sniegoski’s Remy Chandler series is also a fun read. If you like your horror with some humor Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series is a lot of fun. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Aug 24, 2016
|
Aug 26, 2016
|
Aug 24, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0316300284
| 9780316300285
| 0316300284
| 3.57
| 14,496
| Apr 04, 2016
| Apr 05, 2016
|
liked it
|
None
|
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 03, 2017
|
Feb 07, 2017
|
Apr 10, 2016
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 161696202X
| 9781616962029
| 161696202X
| 4.07
| 1,092
| Aug 15, 2015
| Sep 15, 2015
|
really liked it
|
My mind has been a bit scattered of late. It’s been busy over here in our little adventurous Wonderland. When I get busy I tend to reach for Anthologi
My mind has been a bit scattered of late. It’s been busy over here in our little adventurous Wonderland. When I get busy I tend to reach for Anthologies. One: They are episodic. Instead of binging on the entire season (which I haven’t been able to do as much), I catch up on a couple of episodes when I have the time. They are also great for when you are waiting for appointments (of which we have also had a lot of lately). Two: Anthologies and the short stories within are no less entertaining than a full length novel. In fact, sometimes I like them even better. Sometimes they help accentuate an existing character or universe you love. More often they just let you escape and that is why I love books. I like Kelley Armstrong ever since I read Bitten when it first came out many moons ago. While I haven’t read Cainsville or the Darkest power books I knew this anthology would be the perfect place for me to get a quick taste. I will say this an eclectic collection, but it also gave me a bit more appreciation for Armstrong because of it. Like all anthologies there are some great stories and some less than great stories, but I didn’t skip a single one. Sometimes I do, so that says something. I do want to read more stories involving a lot of the characters I just met. However this now means my To Be Read pile is about to get a little larger. The Stories : I will try not to give too many spoilers. These are short stories and I feel like you should discover them for yourself. RAKSHASHI: Amrita has been doing penance for her crimes for over two hundred years. In that time she has grown to understand that the balance between good and evil is not so simple. She also has come to understand that what she wants, she must take. A great way to kick off the Anthology. I loved the last line as well. “Live,” I said. “I intend to.” KAT: As I said I have not read any of the Darkest Powers series, but this made me curious. In this story Kat and her protector Mags are trying to keep one step ahead of those that are pursuing them. If only that were so easy. Kat is different than most girls her age, then again so is Marguerite who is a vampire. An origin story of sorts. I liked it. It left me wanting more and I would like to read the Darkest Powers series. A HAUNTED HOUSE OF HER OWN: Tanya and Nathan just bought their dream home. It may be haunted, but that is the point or at least the illusion of being haunted. Tanya has always wanted to run a haunted Bed and Breakfast. But what happens when the haunting gets a little too real? I actually really liked this standalone and it’s one of the more memorable stories. I think it would also make a great Tales from the Darkside episode. LEARNING CURVE: Zoe Takano has been stalked by her very own vampire hunter. Except they are not very good at their job and Zoe has a few lessons she wants to teach. I like Zoe. This was fun and light, but not the most amazing. That’s fine though. It was nice to have something a little lighter after ‘Haunted House..’ THE SCREAMS OF DRAGONS: Set in Cainsville and a prequel of sorts. Bobby is an interesting young man. He hears the screams of dragons and hearing the screams have consequences. Dark, brooding, and unsettling. It was a great creepy little story though I wish I knew more about the world of Cainsville before going in. KITSUNE’S NINE TAILS: Part of the Age of Legends universe. Kitsune follows Alvar Kitsune, the former marshal of the imperial army. Sentenced to death by the emperor, Senri is bringing the traitorous Kitsune to the Forest of the Dead to answer for his crimes. But Senri and the other soldiers should know that their prisoner will try nine things before their destination. I hope they are prepared. I haven’t read the Age of Legends series, but I was intrigued. I think because I know nothing about the universe this too was a little dense for me to enjoy. Again I wish I knew more about the universe and the characters, but I imagine this is a wonderful companion piece. LAST STAND: Monica is making her last stand with the other survivors on an old farm. They know they need to fight to survive, no matter the cost. This might be a zombie tale, but there is more to the story than that. Another stand out in the Anthology I loved the twist, the dystopian setting, and I loved the characters despite spending such a brief time with them. Really great story. BAMBOOZLED: Set in the Otherworld universe in the Old West, Bamboozled is about a band of thieves who aren’t what you think. Hijinks ensure. A nice little western with werewolves. Looks like Elena isn’t the only one of her kind. It was okay. A little uneven for me. BRANDED: Another Otherwold story where humans have locked themselves away from the supernaturals that live outside their walls. When a young man is outed as a werewolf, two of the residents lives will never be the same. Another alternate universe and a bit post-apocalyptic, I liked this idea of what the Otherworld might look like if humans weren’t the majority and supernaturals didn’t hide. I also like the yearning to see what life is outside the walls, to see if your entire life has been based on fear and lives. What would you be willing to do in order to truly live? THE LIST: We return to Zoe, Toronto vampire and teacher to Brittany (whom we met earlier). There is a list going around and there are some who are unhappy that they haven’t made the cut. Another lighter read, but great to see the characters again with a quick flash forward. YOUNG BLOODS: You should always respect your elders. After all, you never know who the man sitting on public transit might be. I really liked this one. Short but well worth the read. THE DOOR: When Mommy and Daddy leave there are two doors. One of them is real and that one leads to the unknown. Heartbreaking and beautiful, this was one of my favorites in the anthology. Love the post-apocalyptic vibe, love that I don’t know what is really beyond that real door, and love that childhood ends one way or another. Especially once you look behind the curtain. Sweet, sad, and like I said, really beautiful. DEAD FLOWERS BY A ROADSIDE: A necromancer loses his wife and daughter in a car accident, a car he was driving. There are some things you cannot bring back and some voices you cannot hear. Just sad. SUFFER THE CHILDREN: Addie and her adoptive father and mother are living as best they can in frontier Canada. It’s been a hard year as many children have been taken by disease that ran through the town. When two strangers come to town promising miracles, Addie and her dad know that there is always a price. But there are some who don’t understand how high that cost could be. One of the longer entries in the Anthology. Its creepy and disturbing with some great characters. THE COLLECTOR: Puzzles can be interesting, but they can also be very very deadly. As someone who grew up with Hellraiser, I really enjoyed this one. In fact, I think I need to go and find some of the other stories that were inspired by Clive barker’s creations. GABRIEL’S GARGOYLES: We return to Cainsville again and follow young Gabriel and his quest to find the last gargoyle. What I loved about this story was Gabriel and the different sides of him that came out through friends, or Rose, or his terrible, terrible mother. His character was intriguing enough that I really want to read more. I like him. I want to know more. Great story. HARBINGER: Jenna can see the dead girls. They follow her everywhere. These drowned girls seem to be trying to tell her something, but she might find out too late. Not one of my favorites, but I can appreciate the idea behind it. V-PLATES: Reese wants Nick to help Noah lose his V plates. What better place for a young man to lose his virginity than at a brothel in the city. Except the ladies at this establishment are not what they appear to be. Oh Nick, always getting into trouble. A great story. Horrific, but funny. I can see Elena shaking her head. LIFE SENTENCE: This entry from the Otherworld universe focuses on the Cabals and just how evil they are. It follows one man’s search for immortality no matter what the cost. As the Cabals are kind of the Big Bads in this universe I knew this was going to be a little darker, but I am okay with that. What I really appreciated was that if you are a part of an organization that tries to buy, scheme, and do whatever don’t be surprised when things don’t turn out your way. PLAN B: One of the must mindane of all of th stories Plan B focuses on Gregory and Deanna. They are having an affair and Gregory wants to get rid of his wife Abby. However you should be careful when there is a Plan B involved. More mystery/thriller than fantasy this was a nice addition just because of the change of pace. Full of surprises. Like the twists. THE HUNT: William and Teddy want to go on a special kind of hunt, one with a very particular prey. Be careful what you wish for. A Wild Hunt meets Most Dangerous Game sort of story. Quick but fun. DEAD TO ME: A woman lives with the ghost of her dead ex-husband, except he keeps saying that he isn’t dead. Who is telling the truth? A great story. Another one I could see as an episode from Tales from the Darkside or Tales from the Crypt. DEVIL MAY CARE: This final story takes place in Cainsville. This is the story behind Gabriel and his parents. I so need to read the series. Buy or Borrow: Buy. Or at least pick it up from the library and give it a go. While some of the stories are a little too simplistic for me as I think they rely on the reader having met the characters or worlds described, I thought overall this was a great Anthology. If you are a Kelley Armstrong fan it is definitely worth having on your selves. Part of: Standalone Anthology though many of Armstrong’s series are featured within. Also Recommended: of course I recommend Kelley Armstrong’s other works, my favorite being Bitten. For more great Anthologies please check out Strange Brew edited by PN Elrod, Mean Streets edited by Jim Butcher, and Powers of Detection edited by Dana Stabenow ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Feb 22, 2016
|
Mar 06, 2016
|
Feb 22, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0062220969
| 9780062220967
| 0062220969
| 3.64
| 60,370
| Aug 20, 2013
| Aug 20, 2013
|
did not like it
|
There is something about abandoned asylums. All of the things that are left behind, the tragic history, and the ghosts and echoes that haunt the halls
There is something about abandoned asylums. All of the things that are left behind, the tragic history, and the ghosts and echoes that haunt the halls. They also have been on my mind of late. I just recently watched Session 9 again, which is a great creepy little horror film despite having David Caruso in it. And this past week I finally got around to watching Season 2 of Bedlam on Hulu. Asylums are a great setting for a horror book especially an abandoned or converted one. I am also a big fan of young adult horror. In fact, I grew up on Christopher Pike and the Fear Street novels by R.L. Stine. Some of the books were genuinely creepy and would have made great horror films. Secretly I really wanted Fear Street to become a television series like Friday the 13th the series. So I was excited to see what a new generation of authors would bring to the table. Dan Crawford is excited to spend a summer at New Hampshire College Prep. It is a chance to get a headshot on college before his senior year. What he didn’t know was that his dorm used to be an asylum, one for the criminally insane. With his new friends, Abby and Jordan, Dan explores the abandoned wings and basement that have yet to be converted. They soon discover that it isn’t a coincidence that the trio ended up there. Something lingers and it has been waiting for them for a while. Things I liked: I picked up Asylum as I thought ‘Allison Hewitt is Trapped’ was interesting. The cover was creepy. It made me give it a chance and pick it up. I also like the premise, the serial killer plotline (despite being cliched…most horror films are after all), and I loved the idea of using old photographs to accentuate the overall story. Photo novels are great. Of course Miss Peregrine being one of the most popular ones of late. However, sometimes books disappoint. This was one of them. Unfortunately, I wound up being disappointed as I know Roux can do better than this. Things I didn’t like so much: I don’t like any of the characters. I do not believe them. Instead of acting like 16 year olds verging on their senior years in high school, teens who are willing to forgo amazing summer vacations by going to yet more school, they act like junior high kids. They are immature. They behave foolishly (even for a horror book) and unevenly. Even their friendship seems forced and unrealistic. I don’t buy that they’d become besties after such a small period of time especially based on their interactions. I want to like Dan, really I do. I like that he has a troubled past and that he has some flaws. Sure he fits the awkward but brilliant teen cliché. Then again Jordan and Abby are cookie cut as well. I get being awkward. I was there as a sixteen year old, but he doesn’t act like a teenage boy. Unfortunately he is poorly written. I just wanted so much more from him. From all of them. I wanted to be engrossed a new horror series. It just didn’t happen. The prose is a bit lacking. It’s not overall terrible, but simplified and underwhelming, certainly not what I expected. I while novel feels like there was a predetermined checklist. Asylum plot – check. Romance – check. Artsy hot girl and gay besties – check. Go into the scary basement after receiving a note from a notorious serial killer – check. Oh and don’t forget to tie up all the loose ends – check. None of it really works. Like I said it all just feels forced. I couldn’t escape into the book and that’s what books are supposed to do. But the most disappointing thing about Asylum was the utter lack of suspense. No thrills. No horror. No dread. No tension. Nothing. I don’t care that anyone is scared, because I have had more creepiness in a kids book (read Doll Bones by Holly Black). The twists are ones you see coming from a mile away. And the photos…they do nothing. Most of them feel staged and photo shopped. They don’t add to the ambience. And the ending was an utter disaster. Buy or Borrow: Borrow. Maybe the series gets better, but I am not willing to give it a try. Part of: Series. Also Recommended: For horror books that actually give a sense of dread try some old school Christopher Pike (The Remember Me series is great) or even some Old Fear Street. I am also a big fan of The Scary Stories collection by Alvin Schwartz. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
Jan 2016
|
Feb 03, 2016
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 1476714150
| 9781476714158
| 1476714150
| 3.65
| 3,145
| Jul 23, 2013
| Jul 23, 2013
|
really liked it
|
As I have said before I love anthologies. I also love carnivals. There is something about the tents, the games, the hints of the dangerous and the unk
As I have said before I love anthologies. I also love carnivals. There is something about the tents, the games, the hints of the dangerous and the unknown, cotton candy, corn dogs, and ferris wheels. I love going to the carnival and I love reading about it as well (Night Circus was a favorite). Same goes with watching it with shows like Carnival (cancelled far too early) and they just recently announced that next season’s American Horror Story will take place at the carnival. Whoo hoo. So as I was going through my to be read pile I found CarniePunk waiting to be read. It had a great set of authors and thought I would make it my next little pretty to consume during my down times. I love the cover, dark and gritty promising that the stories within are going to be a few shades of dark (no light and fluffy here). I won’t go over all of the stories, but will point out some of the best and the worst for me. Things I loved: Like most anthologies it has its strengths and its weaknesses. Some of the weaknesses are the stories that are little novellas of larger series and there is not enough time to truly flesh out these perhaps well-known characters to someone other than me and get onto your story and have it fulfill your needs for both plot and depth of character. While I truly love the extra little tales we get of some of our favorite characters, you have to have a knack for writing short stories and make them accessible to all, not just your own readers. You have to make me want to read more and that I get a sense of your series as a whole and the characters. The best anthologies for me are ones that are truly filled with short stories. Even if they do feature characters I know they can be a standalone and I don’t need a big novel to follow. The first story in the anthology did that for me. “Painted Love” by Rob Thurman: I enjoy Rob a lot. She has great prose and I love her stories. This was no exception and the absolute perfect story to set the tone of the overall anthology. It preys on your fears of the carnival, the leering carnie who might actually be a sociopath in this case and those he preys on. Doodle follows him wherever he goes never interfering until the young man decides to go after a young girl and her older sister. Really loved this one, twists and all, want it to be made into a short film, and it made me fall for Rob all over again and thinking I need to pick up her new series. Seriously poodles and tentacles. Loved it. “The Demon Barker of Wheat Street” by Kevin Hearne reminds me a bit of Harry Dresden, but there was enough there that I want to read the series. Granted it’s a bit formulaic with danger, bad guy, win…but I liked the writing style. Set in the Iron Druid series, Atticus heads to the carnival for some R&R, but of course nothing goes as planned and a simple Freak Show becomes so much more. “The Sweeter the Juice” by Mark Henry gets a mention as it features a transgendered woman as the protagonist and begs the question what is a girl to do when all the SRS docs have been nom’d on during the Zombie Apocalypse? The story has everything from zombie babies to addiction and while completely eccentric and unique was interesting to read. “The Werewife” by Jaye Wells just made me smile as twisted as it was. Annie is demanding, Brad has no spine. It doesn’t help things that the last time they went to the carnival Annie became a werewolf, so now Brad spends his time covering up the neighborhood pets in the backyard after Annie turns. While the villain may have been a little too one dimensional in her arrogance, I still kinda liked it. “The Cold Girl” by Rachel Caine was another stand out story. "It took me two days to die. On the first night I met Madame Laida, and on the second night, I met the Cold Girl." Love that opening. Kiley is madly in love with her boyfriend, Jamie, but he’s been keeping some very dark secrets from her...secrets that can kill a girl at a carnival. It doesn’t help that the Cold Girl has chosen Kiley as well. Vampires are not sweet in this story. But then neither are survivors of abuse when they fight back. “A Duet with Darkness” By Alison Pang while not the strongest story was a nice little touch in the anthology. Violinist Melanie St. James is synesthetic and has more power than she knows. Pride at a carnival with a very special instrument can produce very interesting and unexpected results. This is a neat little story and I like the small snippet of world building that I was allowed to peek at. It put the series on my radar so that has to say something. “Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea” by Seanan McGuire is gorgeous. It’s not just about growing up, or secrets, or mother/daughter relationships. It’s a story of magic and for once the carnies weren’t the bad guys. Unrelated to the Toby series, this stands alone and has that sense of the carnival, full of magic. I loved Ada, her uncle, and her mother. So good. Overall a good anthology, towards the last bit of the middle and the end it got very repetitive and the lead characters blended into one. The prose started to take a dip as well and while Seanan’s story was top notch and a way to close the whole anthology, by then I was getting a bit tired of the snarky heroine vs carnies because there is far more to a carnival if you are just willing to look and imagine. Buy or Borrow: Buy. A fairly solid anthology with some great stories. Part of: Standalone Also Recommended: Other anthologies you may enjoy are Strange Brew edited by PN Elrod, Mean Streets edited by Jim Butcher, and Powers of Detection edited by Dana Stabenow ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
Apr 2014
|
Jan 28, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0356500152
| 9780356500157
| 0356500152
| 3.95
| 231,998
| Jan 14, 2014
| Jun 19, 2014
|
it was amazing
|
While Mike Carey’s book came out over a year ago and I bought it almost immediately, it took me this long to finally read it. Now, brief disclaimer, I
While Mike Carey’s book came out over a year ago and I bought it almost immediately, it took me this long to finally read it. Now, brief disclaimer, I love Mike Carey. He is amazing writer and I have both loved his comic runs with Lucifer, Hellblazer, and The Unwritten. I also enjoy his Felix Castor series, which you should all read or at least listen to the audiobook version of because it is utterly fantastic. But something stopped me from reading this book right away, though I am not quite sure why. I read the first couple of chapters and then put it down. This was not because it was slow and unengaging. I think sometimes I put away a really good book until I know I need it. I had no question that I was going to love this book. I love Carey’s writing. But I keep certain books on my shelf for when I need a good escape. The kind of escape that grabs you for a full afternoon and you devour a world and its characters. This was one of those books. And I needed it. Melanie is a strange little girl. She is highly intelligent, with pale skin, and eyes and ears that take in everything. Every day she is strapped to her chair, taken to class, and then back to her cell. Its class that she loves the most, especially when Miss Justineau teaches. Miss Justineau tells her stories about Pandora and sometimes brings in things from outside. She answers their questions and asks their opinions. These days are her favorite. Some day she hopes to go to Beacon with Miss Justineau and the other children, a romantic vision of the future. But then things change. Melanie knows she is different than her other classmates, but she doesn’t know how different until now. Melanie is becoming aware. And one day the entire world will change for her and everyone around her. Things I liked: Let me start this review by saying I love zombies. Because they are tools to tell a real story when done right. The Girl With All of the Gifts is like this. While the word zombie is never used in this book, it didn’t need to be. It is quite clear from the very beginning and the way it is used is quite human and beautiful. Which is why I absolutely loved this book. While we begin the book completely confused as to why an intelligent little girl is strapped to her chair every morning to go to class, the clues are there and suddenly everything makes sense: the terrified soldiers, the showers, the fact that Melanie only eats once a week and her meal consists of grubs, and the odd behavior of some of her other classmates. Melanie knows she is different, but not truly how different and her journey of self-discovery is great. As a reader we know she is a hungry though not the mindless sort. Melanie can learn; she is a genius in fact. Melanie can grow. Melanie wants more and I want more for her. She has this beautiful romantic vision, no bitterness, just hope. She doesn’t know that she is a hungry, that she is one of the monsters. She didn’t realize just how different she was until now. What I love about this zombie apocalypse is that it has already happened. The book is not spent on the first wave of infection or even the fifth. What it does focus on is life after the apocalypse and more importantly finding a cure for the infection. Imagine a world where the hungries decimated the population, suddenly a decade after the fall children are found who are infected. But they are intelligent…something is different. Of course there are later scenes in the book which continue this intelligent hungry which was very reminiscent of Romero’s Land of the Dead which I enjoyed for these aspects. So let’s delve into the hungries. Loved, loved, them. Very similar to one of my favorite videogames The Last Of Us or even the X-Files episode Firewalker, the hungries came about from a parasitic fungus. This fungus is none other than Ophiocordyceps unilateralis which might sound familiar. This the parasite behind zombie ants. The novel explains it just as David Attenborough once did, that the parasite attacks the ant, forces it to climb to the highest branch and then the sporangium kills its host, explodes out of the ants head, and spreads its spores for another generation. Except, this version of the fungus has infected humans who, now as hungries, only want to infect and spread the fungus even further. I love this version of a zombie. Seriously loved it. Cinematically I can see it work on so many levels. So let’s discuss characters. I love Melanie the way that she loves Helen because let’s face it this is a love story about a little girl and her teacher, who is also her hero and a mother figure. Miss Justineau is a Wendy of sorts teaching Melanie and the lost children about what life was once like, what it could be again. She gives Melanie hope and hope is at the center of the Pandora myth. Beyond that Miss Justineau is aware of Melanie’s romanticism of the world and of her crush. She tries so hard not to destroy that, to keep her innocent and full of ideals. I love that. All of this makes this story so human and so personal. I can relate. I know what it is like to view the world through rose colored glasses, to try and maintain that hope when you realize the world is not as rosy as you want it to be. I was also a big fan of mythology due to my parents who told me the origins of the constellations. I grew up with Pandora and Orpheus (I modeled my childhood bedroom after watching Clash of the Titans far too many times). Back to Melanie. Though there are chapters from some of the other character’s viewpoints, this book is mostly Melanie’s narrative. It begins with Melanie looking at the world with childish innocence and ends with Melanie making some very adult choices. By the end of the novel she knows her place, understands the world in ways she never knew before, and her self-discovery is amazing. The other characters are not as strong as Melanie or even Miss Justineau (who has her own motives, backstory and character growth). They are your usual tropes. You have Sergeant Parks who is scarred, gruff, and yay military. There is the naïve young soldier, Gallagher, who wants to impress previously mentioned military figure. Finally, you have Dr. Caldwell, the doctor who is willing to cut open little children for the sake of Science. And yet I still like each of them. For Dr. Caldwell, it’s not that I like her or that I am Team Caldwell, but I can get her. She is the character I enjoy hating. I enjoy the discussion she forces and the questions she poses. Can you put aside your morality and see these children as lab subjects, a way to cure the infection for all no matter what the cost? Is it okay to cut into a child’s skull even when these children can think and feel and speak? Is she driven by Science and the quest to understand what she sees as a puzzle or is she driven by pure self-preservation and not wanting the human race to be driven to absolute extinction? I also like Caldwell because she is flawed. She’s bitchy because she wasn’t chosen for the first round of awesome scientists. She goes on power trips. She sees the children in a completely different way than others. For example she doesn’t think that Melanie or the children and their attempts at emotional connection and growth are because they are ‘real’ children, but because the fungus has evolved and found new ways of spreading itself. I guess what I really loved was that being human doesn’t make you one of the good guys. The world building in this book is one that I could see as plausible. While there are times the science is a little question-y, overall I had no problem suspending any disbelief. There is dread that evolves throughout the story, a pacing that is quick without being breakneck, and a finale that left me satisfied. Oh so satisfied. In fact, I don’t think it could have ended any other way. Things I didn’t like so much: Sometimes the book falls into some familiar and overdone tropes (the group in peril) and then it pulls itself back up into what feels like new territory. Sometimes the narrative with other characters starts to stall, but again it picks itself back up and I push those little nitpicks aside. So yeah, I pretty much have nothing here. This has been, by far, one of the best books I have read in the past six months. Buy or Borrow: Buy. Please buy. Part of: Standalone. Novel form of the short story Iphigenia in Aulis Also Recommended: For more lovely zombie goodness I recommend The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell, The Walking Dead comic series by Robert Kirkman, The Passage by Justin Cronin, Feed by Mira Grant, The Rot and Ruin series by Jonathan Mayberry, and World War Z by Max Brooks ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Jan 28, 2016
|
Feb 22, 2016
|
Jan 28, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0978970764
| 9780978970765
| 0978970764
| 3.87
| 77,628
| 2007
| Jan 01, 2007
|
really liked it
|
“Are you one of those priests who can shoot lasers out of their eyes? Because that would be really helpful right now.” How does something garner a cult “Are you one of those priests who can shoot lasers out of their eyes? Because that would be really helpful right now.” How does something garner a cult following? I have loved my share of little cult gems (Eraserhead, Rocky Horror, Hammer Horror Films, etc) and larger followings such as anything Joss Whedon, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, etc. Of course cult following occurs is a little more now that it is okay to express all of that pent up fangirl/boy geekness and express your appreciation to a far larger audience (thank you interwebs and cons). It still always surprises me how quickly a phenomenon can happen though. What is it about that particular book, story, song, movie, etc that people just grab a hold of? I heard about John Dies At the End several years ago when a friend had managed to get a copy of the story (Which was just a bound home printer sort of version). He had received it from someone else. Later that year I got him a first edition. He was ecstatic. Now 7 years later I am finally reading it myself though I have to admire how the book became so popular. David Wong (pen name for Jason Pargin who is an editor over at Cracked.com) started writing a web serial online in 2001. Some people read it and then a lot did. They began printing out the novel and passing it around. When it finally came out in print in 2007, an estimated 70,000 people read the free online versions before they were removed in September 2008. That is a cult following especially when David didn’t expect anyone to really read it. Now he even had a film made of it that has Paul Giamatti starring. Crazy. So what is it about exactly? Dave and John are best friends, slackers, and saviors of the world from an evil that no one else could possibly understand. But Dave really wants someone to know his story so he meets up with a reporter named Arnie to tell his story. You see it all started at a party when Dave meets a strange Jamaican dealing a drug named Soy Sauce and a dog named Molly. What he doesn’t know is that John has already taken the drug and is now seeing things…strange things. Things that Dave cannot see. Thinking that John is just having a bad trip he tries to take him to the hospital until he gets a phone call that is completely impossible. And yet it is possible. When Dave cuts himself on a syringe that had John’s dose of Soy Sauce, he starts seeing things too. Maybe John wasn’t tripping. You see Soy Sauce can do a lot of things for you including the ability to time travel, see things from another dimension, learn really obscure info about people you’ve never met before, dimension hop, etc. But it also allows things from the other side enter into our world, through you. Nothing’s for free right? In the events that follow John and Dave become unwilling saviors of the world, take a trip to Vegas, have a car chase with a man made of cockroaches, someone watching them through a television and lots of death. Things I loved: I will be honest it took me forever to be in the mood for how utterly absurd this book is. You would think with the question posed at the beginning of the book about the ax being the same ax that I would be over the moon. But I wasn’t. Perhaps this is because I am reading a fairly sad book, a more grounded in normality, and a crime thriller at the same time. Perhaps they do not mix well. And then suddenly I was in the mood and I loved it. I loved it because of how it came it to be. Of the absurdity of it all. And how clearly Dave and John are both afraid of dicks and like to talk about them far too much. It feels very episodic which makes sense as that is what it was originally. This both helps and hinders the novel overall. The pacing moves along once it gets going and though the tone again is a bit uneven (other than being sheer lunacy) it overall works for me. Dave and John are great. They are snarky, self-deprecating, completely unreliable, but hilarious. They are flawed and realistic characters with just the right amount of heroism that makes you hope they get out of all of this alive. Dave is a great narrator other than the fact that you cannot trust any words that actually come out of his mouth and the fact that he is a borderline sociopath. It’s weird, but you can kind of relate to him and hate him at the same time. He’s a coward, but a hero. Loves his best friend, but hates him at the same time. Wants normality, but continues to Soy Sauce. Overall he tries to do the right thing, whatever that means. And let’s face it we all either knew a guy like John or had a friend that you felt responsible for and no matter how many stupid things they got themselves into and how much you wanted to wring their necks, you were there for them. I enjoyed Dave and John’s notoriety for being amazing supernatural guys (a nice little parallel to the insane cult following the episodic tales gained in such a short time), but they are a bit hapless and would rather just chill. And above all I totally dig the corner of your eye spook story. The one where your friend is convinced there is something behind you, clinging to the wall in the corner. You turn around but cannot see a damn thing, until you change your perspective slightly look at the spot from the corner of your eye. Once you see it, know it is there, you cannot un-see it. It’s the unseen horror angle that I love. The creeping horror that is around us all of the time, but we don’t notice it which is probably just fine because once we notice it, it notices us. Things I didn’t love so much: Of course the book does have some flaws. As I said before the episodic version could have been good thing once upon a time as it would have felt like an episode in a series, but in chapter form sometimes it is easy to bring things up in one chapter (episode) only to never really talk about them again. It happens. Where are my ladies at? You pretty much have Amy, Jennifer Lopez, Krissy, and Molly. Of the four Molly is around the most with Amy a close second whom Dave thinks might be a retard because they went to the same behavioral school, but who ultimately becomes his girlfriend. And most of the women other than Molly are your typical damsels in distress though that is how Dave likes his women. Urgh. I guess sometimes it was clearly evident that it was written by a man (not that men cannot write female writers and in saying this I am sexist in my own way I suppose), but it just reminds me of fanboy college humor at times. This isn’t always a bad thing mind you, but sometimes I was annoyed by the utter lack of ladies that I could relate to while reading this. “And watch out for Molly. See if she does anything unusual. There’s something I don’t trust about the way she exploded and then came back from the dead like that.” Buy or Borrow: Buy. There is a reason why this is a cult hit. Part of: Part of a series. Also Recommended: This Book is Full of Spiders also detailing John and Dave’s adventures. For more horror that makes you smile at the same time try anything by Chuck Wendig, or A Lee Martinez. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
Jun 2014
|
Jan 28, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1616961716
| 9781616961718
| 1616961716
| 3.74
| 4,364
| Jul 21, 2014
| Aug 12, 2014
|
really liked it
|
I am always a big fan of aftermath stories. You know the ones that I am talking about. It doesn’t mean that everyone is safe, but there is something I
I am always a big fan of aftermath stories. You know the ones that I am talking about. It doesn’t mean that everyone is safe, but there is something I truly enjoy about rebuilding stories or aftermath stories or hell even PTSD stories. In a way this is one of those aftermath stories. The premise is fairly simple. Group therapy for survivors of the supernatural. Harrison was made famous for stopping the world’s destruction as a teenager and infamous after a series of books came out about him. Barbara survived the Schrimshander though she has never been able to see the carvings he left on her bones, only the scars. Stan survived a Texas Chainsaw Massacre clan of cannibals but not without a cost. Martin never takes off his glasses because he can see things with them that others cannot. Greta lived in a cult for most of her life and has the scars everywhere on her body to prove it. And finally Jan, our therapist who believes their stories and has secrets of her own. Things I loved: On occasion the lovely folks over at Tachyon Publishing send me some ARCs and I dig what they send me as they are largely anthologies which I am a big fan of. And then sometimes they send me things that completely surprise me. This book was like that. I liked the premise, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. Then I liked it…a lot. Sure there are some problems and we will get to those later, but this is one of the first books in a long time where I read it in one sitting. It helps being a novella, but still. I absolutely love the premise. I wanted to know about each character and what they had witnessed or survived and how that changed them. Of course if you a horror fan like I am you can see echoes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the works of Lovecraft, and more. A nod to the things I love is great. Each group member had an interesting story and each dealt with what they had gone through and how they dealt with the other group members differently. Things I didn’t love so much: It was short. Incredibly short. And while most of the book starts building on connections, revelations and growing the therapy group as a whole, when they go to fight and really come together it seems rushed. The big bad seems itty bitty and I wanted something more. I wanted every single member to use the skills that they have acquired to battle. I wanted them to use their knowledge. Like I said I wanted something more. I want a full length book. I want to know more about Harrison (who seems to be the only one we really don’t get to explore with a backstory chapter). I want my rag tag group to do something greater. The voice of the novella got a bit annoying. Sometimes it was first person and then suddenly it would change to third person. I am not a big fan of the first person plural as when everyone is referred to as ‘we’ it means that the individual voices disappear which I think are very important as you spend enough time establishing them as such. Not everyone is going to look at the situation the same way or have the same feelings about the situation. It took away from the story, and kept me from getting as immersed as I would have liked. Buy or Borrow: Buy. I enjoyed it enough that I am really hoping Gregory is preparing a sequel as we speak. Part of: Stand Alone. Also Recommended: For more Daryl Gregory please try Pandemonium and Afterparty. For more horror fiction try Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
Jul 2014
|
Jan 28, 2016
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1250051614
| 9781250051615
| 1250051614
| 3.39
| 4,901
| Sep 30, 2014
| Sep 30, 2014
|
it was ok
|
When I think about some of my favorite books growing up, RL Stine’s Fear Street series and anything by Christopher Pike were pretty numerous on the te
When I think about some of my favorite books growing up, RL Stine’s Fear Street series and anything by Christopher Pike were pretty numerous on the teenage self’s bookshelves. Ooh how I loved the Fear street saga with the murders and the ghosts and the monsters. And Christopher Pike…he was my King and Koontz. Seriously it was all murder, mayhem, sex, booze…everything I wasn’t supposed to read all in a lovely paperback form. Babysitter’s Club and Nancy Drew they were not. I still have some of my favorites on my bookshelf such as Remember Me, Fall into Darkness, Witch, Whisper of Death, Scavenger Hunt, and the Last Vampires series. There were other horror lite books as well from Lois Duncan, Caroline Cooney, and others but those two were my favorite. Ooh I still love them as batshit crazy as some of the plots were (looking at you Scavenger Hunt). When I heard that RL Stine was reviving the Fear Street saga after 15 years, my inner me may have squealed a bit. But love for nostalgia can be sometimes disappointing. Sometimes things we loved as kids don’t hold up to the ages. We have become different people with different tastes and higher vocabularies. And yet, there is something about the Fear Street books and that whole genre of YA horror that I still love to this day and I want more of to be honest. Plus nostalgia can be a wonderful thing sometimes and as I waited to get my hands on Party Games I started thinking about a lot of different things from my childhood and how they shaped me to be what I am today. Party Games begins with Rachel Martin, a typical high school girl who lives in Shadyside and spends her afternoons as a waitress at one of the local diners. When her crush, Brendan Fear, invites her to his birthday party she cannot help but be excited. Sure he is a Fear and the party is on the isolated Fear Island, but those stories about the Fears are just stupid tales that no one really believes anymore. Her best friend warns her not to go, and the ominous dead rat in her bed should be a warning as well, but Rachel will not cave in. This is her chance. As soon as the group of teens show up on Fear island, the accidents begin. It began with the boat captain, their only way off the island. Determined not to let an accident ruin his Birthday party Brendan sets up a scavenger party and asks Rachel to be his partner. But when the scavenger hunt turns deadly, Rachel finds herself fighting for her life instead of first place. Is Brendan really what he seems? Is there a Fear family curse? And is Rachel destined to be one of its victims? Things I liked: I was looking forward to this book so much. And because of that I had some high expectations. While Christopher Pike’s books were my favorite, the Fear Street saga came in at a close second. They were full of the supernatural, of ghosts in mirrors, and curses, and murder and mayhem. The story began slowly, but the plot of Fear Island and a Scavenger Hunt by famed game master Brendan had me intrigued. Add in an old boyfriend for Rachel and it was promising. Even more so when you hear the story of how the Fear family may have been bored one night on the island and so decided to turn out all of the servants and go hunt them for sport. Ooh potential ghosties. I am down. Now it didn’t all go down the way I expected and there are some major flaws in the book, but we will get to that in a moment. There are some nice old school Fear Street references and little fan shout outs like that make me smile. Especially since Stine was inspired to go back to Fear Street after reading some tweets from fans who were and still are such big fans of the series. Sure the series is 15 years old and most of us teens are now pretending to be adults and kids of our own that may someday dig the series like we did. I love anything with Scavenger Hunts and the Party Game murders were clever. I didn’t hate Rachel so that was a plus and I like the small twist in the story. There was the cheese factor that I am expecting in a Fear Street or YA horror novel (not unlike my favorite horror film). Things I didn’t like so much: But overall I cannot help but be a little disappointed. I know I had some high expectations and some pretty big nostalgia fondness going in, but both the pacing and the prose were a bit lacking. One of the things that I loved about the YA Horror trend is that I felt like I was reading a Stephen King story I could relate to. It wasn’t middle grade reading, but it also wasn’t full of words I had to go look up. This prose feels too Goosebumps and not enough Fear Street. When I read a Fear Street book I want Fear Street. I want ghosts, I want the supernatural. I want curses. And Party Games really could have taken place anywhere, certainly not specifically Shadyside. I wanted more impending doom and glimpses of horror, but I really just got a story that was never really followed through and a dead rodent in a bed. I needed more than just the Fear name. I could have had so much more. This is your return to Shadyside Mr. Stine, a chance to please your readers from a bit of a go and to excite new readers and perhaps, if I am lucky, bring horror back to YA. In the end I don’t think this was RL Stine’s best, that he may be a little rusty when it comes to the Fears. Don’t talk down to your readers. Trust me they like to be scared and they will read your books if you give them the thrills they are looking for. To finish this all off…I didn’t like the ending. Too neat. Too easy. It just doesn’t work like that. Also teenagers don’t say half of the things that were in the dialogue. Maybe I am just getting old, but I was disappointed in Party Games. Sure, I will wait for the next one and see if maybe Stine hits his stride again. And by the Powers that Be I really do hope there is a resurgence in YA horror. This just wasn’t it. Buy or Borrow: Borrow. Part of: Part of the Fear Street Series Also Recommended: Remember Me by Christopher Pike, The Fog by Caroline B Cooney, Fear Park by RL Stine, and Witch by Christopher Pike ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
Nov 2014
|
Aug 14, 2014
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0316081051
| 9780316081054
| 0316081051
| 3.85
| 59,654
| Apr 10, 2010
| May 01, 2010
|
it was amazing
|
I am a multitasker. I also get bored easily and sometimes need a distraction. This is why I love audiobooks. When I am not browsing the many fanmixes
I am a multitasker. I also get bored easily and sometimes need a distraction. This is why I love audiobooks. When I am not browsing the many fanmixes on 8tracks, I am usually listening to something from audible. There is something about audiobooks that I love. Maybe it is the reading performances. Maybe because it means I can be doing work while escaping into a story. Granted getting through a book takes a little bit longer (I am a very fast reader), I enjoy the overall performances. Which is why I chose Feed by Mira Grant (also known as Seanan Mcguire) as my next book escape. Okay maybe I also chose it because it was Seanan doing the zombie genre and that maybe made me a little giddy as I love her to pieces. But when I listened to the excerpt on audible I loved the reader’s cadence, and it is two readers who read either Georgia or Sean’s parts. “Our story opens where countless stories have ended in the last twenty-six years: with an idiot—in this case, my brother Shaun—deciding it would be a good idea to go out and poke a zombie with a stick to see what happens.” So what is Feed about? The zombie apocalypse has happened. Sure we found a cure for cancer and the common cold, but when the two cures combined it created Kellis-Amberlee. Such a pretty name right? If only the virus was as pretty. Sadly it reanimates the dead which is not as pretty and far more deadly. It decimated populations creating small heavily protected havens across the country. Heavy precautions have been put in place such as no more pet Rufus if your dog exceeds the mass index for the virus. No one wants the family pet to turn the family into the undead. Kellis-Amberlee also did something incredibly interesting to the media. Bloggers, and ultimately zombie nerds, were the first to respond to the outbreak responding faster and more accurately to the masses than traditional media. In a time when you need to learn how to defend and protect the bloggers were there with plenty of Romero tips to keep as many people alive and safe as possible. Bloggers are the truth and make a hell of a living, if not a dangerous one. They have privileges in this new world and even have different class access points depending on your rank within the community. Twenty years later Georgia ‘George’ Mason (your traditional ‘Newsie’) and her brother Shaun (an adventurous ‘Irwin’) are two of those reporters. They have never known a life without the undead. Adopted by the Masons (whose biological son was one of the first infected when he was bitten by a dog), George and Sean grew up in the blogging world and they have become masters at their jobs. When they win a contract, along with their partner Buffy Mesonnier, to follow Republican Presidential candidate Senator Peter Ryman on his run for the highest office in the nation they are hopeful that is the break they have needed in their careers. But nothing is ever that easy. When the Senator’s campaign comes under attack (not just politically), George and her crew will discover the truth…no matter what the cost. Things I loved: I have been a fan of Seanan (Mira) for a while now and her October Daye series is one of my favorites. So I know she can craft a story and break my heart. She can make me laugh and make me invest in her characters. Feed is no different. From the beginning of the book I love Shaun and George. George is snarky, pessimistic, protective, loyal, curious, and everything I like in a character. Shaun is impulsive, takes risk, but would do anything for his sister. They are relatable characters, flawed, cynical, and yet I would follow them to the end. And I did. Their relationship is the strongest selling point for me (though the zombies and the world Seanan has created is a close second). Truthfully most of the characters are well thought out and I found myself liking Steve, Buffy, and Emily just as much. Plus George and her mates have great names (‘George’ Romero, ‘Shaun’ of the Dead, and ‘Buffy’ Slayer Extraordinaire). Another thing I liked about George is that she is our window into the world and helps expand and explain this universe. As the newsie of the group she provides the info dump explaining historical, political, social context to all that has happened with the KA virus (As a side note, I loved the way that tobacco companies quickly rose to power now that cigarettes will not kill anyone). Granted the info dump aspect can get a little monotonous at times and extremely wordy. Overall I think her describing the world as a reporter would really helped the story not hinder it. George also has a mutated form of Kellis-Amberlee (in her case it is retinal KA which renders her pupils permanently dilated). This means she occasionally has a false positive on the testing machines. It is a condition that is brought up frequently, but again helps tell the story. In this zombie filled world security and blood testing is everywhere you look. Hotels have decontamination chambers and you had better get used to pricking your finger as blood tests are required pretty much everywhere you go. It’s a world that you don’t have to suspend your disbelief for. As much as there are zombies in the novel (your opening scene involves quite a few when Shaun’s Irwin sensibilities get him into trouble) and trust me you will get your grr arghy moments, this is not really a zombie book and that is kind of how I like my zombie fiction. Zombies are the best when they are used as a tool to discuss humanity, what society will do in the face of an apocalypse, and how it shapes you into a new person. Feed is about fear, about truth and information, politics, lies and how people use it all. It’s about relationships, about survival, hope, courage, and the stories. We all have stories to tell after all. So to say it is zombie fiction does it an injustice as it is so much more. I also have to give props to the reading performances on the audiobook by Jesse Bernstein (who does the Percy Jackson audiobooks) and Paula Christensen (who needs to do more audiobooks). Paula is George and there is a moment at the end of the book that almost had me in tears she did such a great job. Her different accents and characterizations were great to listen to (she does a bit better than Jesse) and made me feel as if she were George instead of someone reading a novel. Things I didn’t love so much: As I said earlier sometimes the info dumping can break the flow of the overall narrative of the book and make me a shade impatient. But I get impatient easily. Also Tate was a little too one dimensional for me though he did have some great bits of dialogue. He was just so obviously a douche. I also was completely shocked with the final act. It’s something that few authors can pull off and the audiobook made it even more shocking. I keep hoping there is some trick and am trying desperately not to spoil myself with the other two books of the trilogy. Buy or Borrow: Buy. It’s a great book and I look forward to finishing the trilogy. Part of: The Newsflesh Trilogy. It continues with Deadline and finishes with Blackout. Also Recommended: For more zombies I would recommend World War Z by Max Brooks, The Walking Dead comic series by Robert Kirkman, and the Zombie Survival Guide also by Max Brooks. Feed by Mira Grant, Patient Zero by Jonathan Mayberry, Infected by Scott Sigler, and Rot And Ruin also by Jonathan Mayberry. Yeah zombies. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
not set
|
Jul 2014
|
Apr 20, 2013
|
Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 1616960884
| 9781616960889
| 1616960884
| 3.64
| 313
| Jan 01, 2013
| Apr 01, 2013
|
really liked it
|
There is something incredibly satisfying about anthologies for me. I like them as they are perfect night time reads, as in you can read one or two of
There is something incredibly satisfying about anthologies for me. I like them as they are perfect night time reads, as in you can read one or two of the short stories and put the book down instead of staying up all night (Of course this completely depends on not being completely engrossed in the stories and wanting to read all of them at once because they are so good) . I also like them as it takes skill to tell an entire story in just a few pages rather than over the course of a trilogy or a lengthy series. It is also not something that a whole lot have mastered. Essentially you are hooking me with the first paragraph and giving me enough to build a world, tell a story, have some plot and character development, all within a few pages. Now admittedly I am the kind of gal who looks at the authors who have done some of the stories, but there is one person whom I always dig, and that is Ellen Datlow as an editor. She is the one who has chosen each in order to take you on a journey as much as the author’s stories themselves. Now my first really memorable anthologies that I loved were also Datlow’s doing (along with Terri Windling). They were Snow White, Blood Red and Black Thorn, White Heart. They were tales from my childhood except oh so much more sinister. I loved them, still do as those volumes still sit on my bookshelves. The Story List: 1. “Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie” by Pat Cadigan 2. “Hunger: A Confession” by Dale Bailey 3. “Cargo E.” by Michael Lewis 4. “Delta Sly Honey” by Lucius Shepard 5. “Nothing Will Hurt You” by David Morrell 6. “The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad #4)” by Caitlín R. Kiernan 7. “Haunted” by Joyce Carol Oates 8. “The Have-Nots” by Elizabeth Hand 9. “Closing Time” by Neil Gaiman 10. “Anna” by F. Paul Wilson 11. “Mr. Fiddlehead” by Jonathan Carroll 12. “The Fooly” by Terry Dowling 13. “The Toll” by Paul Walther 14. “The Pennine Tower Restaurant” by Simon Kurt Unsworth 15. “Distress Call” by Connie Willis 16. “The Horn” by Stephen Gallagher 17. “Everybody Goes” by Michael Marshall Smith 18. “Transfigured Night” by Richard Bowes 19. “Hula Ville” by James P. Blaylock 20. “The Bedroom Light” by Jeffrey Ford 21. “Spectral Evidence” by Gemma Files 22. “Two Houses” by Kelly Link 23. “Where Angels Come In” by Adam L. G. Nevill 24. “Hunger: An Introduction” by by Peter Straub Things I loved: Now I love the folks over at Tachyon Publishing. Not only do they send me out ARCs every now and again to read and review, but they are nice people to boot. And I love that they send me anthologies. This one was all about hauntings and not just of the ghostly variety and that interested me. I won’t go into each of the stories but rather highlight my favorites. As far as the what I like and didn’t like it really only comes down to what stories I liked and did not like. Hunger by Dale Bailey was great about a young boy who is tormented by his older brother’s horror stories which so often leave him shuddering in the dark. But when the siblings move into an old house with a sordid and horrific past, the roles are reversed. I love the way it is told, very much like a fireside ghost story and quite chilling. Immediately following Hunger was also one of the best stories in the anthology, Cargo by E. Michael Lewis about a loadmaster and some precious cargo he has aboard. Not exactly scary, but thought provoking and emotional. I love that each of the those two ghost stories had such different reactions from me. Surprisingly I loved Caitlin R. Kiernan’s The Ammonite Violin as I thought the story was a bit of a retread, but she has a wonderful gift with words and teh way the story is told is what makes it special. But it also makes me want to put on Jamie Bell and watch the Red Violin. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Of course sometimes you need some lighter fare, and Terry Dowling’s The Fooley is one of them about one man’s adventure when he comes across a stranger on the road. Two of my favorite tales in the anthology were Transfigured night by Richard Bowes and Where Angels Come In by Adam Nevill but for very different reasons. One is about a little boy who wishes for a best friend and the other is about the creepy house on the hill. Another great story is The Pennine Tower Restaraunt by Simon Kurt Unsworth which is delightfully creepy and atmospheric. There are other great stories mixed within as well and even the ones I didn’t care for as much certainly have their merits. Things I didn’t love so much: I wasn’t in love with Delta Sly Honey by Lucius Shepard as the pacing was a bit too slow for me and the story just not my cup of tea overall. Distress Call by Connie Willis was just confusing with a lot of loose ends and not in the good way. Surprisingly I didn’t love Neil Gaiman’s Closing Time (I know weird huh?) as much as I thought I would as I felt it spent too much time setting up the tale rather than telling it, though the "ghost story" bit was wonderful and creepy. Not that any of these tales are bad, but they didn’t hook me the way that the others did. Buy or Borrow: Buy. The great things about anthologies is there is usually something for everyone, kind of like a soundtrack. And if you are looking for some atypical ghost stories this anthology is also great. Part of: Standalone Also Recommended: Please try some of Ellen’s other anthologies. As I mentioned earlier the Blood Red Anthology is divine especially if you like the retelling of some of your favorite childhood fairy tales and some you may not have heard of. I would also recommend Sirens and other Daemon Lovers, the Best Horror of the Year Anthologies and More. For more urban fantasy fare in anthology form are The Unusual Suspects, the Blood Lite anthologies, Urban Fantasy Anthology and more. As I said there is usually something for everyone when it comes to Anthologies ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Apr 07, 2013
|
May 12, 2013
|
Apr 07, 2013
|
Paperback
|
Loading...
17 of 17 loaded
