All Things Halloween Review - Blood of My Blood

Blood of My Blood (Jasper Dent, # 3)

By: Barry Lyga

Published: September 9th 2014 by Little, Brown

464 pages

Genre: YA, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Crime

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Jazz Dent has been shot and left to die in New York City. His girlfriend Connie is in the clutches of Jazz's serial killer father, Billy. And his best friend Howie is bleeding to death on the floor of Jazz's own home in tiny Lobo's Nod. Somehow, these three must rise above the horrors their lives have become and find a way to come together in pursuit of Billy. But then Jazz crosses a line he's never crossed before, and soon the entire country is wondering: "Like father, like son?" Who is the true monster?

The chase is on, and beyond Billy there lurks something much, much worse. Prepare to meet...the Crow King.

In my review of Game (Jasper Dent, # 2), I said that since Game ends in a 3-way cliffhanger I would suggest having Blood of My Blood ready for you to pick up immediately upon finishing Game, but I’ve decided that I want to recant that statement. At this point, I suggest giving yourself a day or two to digest and rest before picking up Blood of My Blood. And I say that because Blood of My Blood is action-packed from start to finish in an great but exhausting way. Blood of My Blood does pick up exactly where Game left off, but so much happens in this book that you might just need a few days to gather yourself before really stepping in the brilliant madness that is Blood of My Blood.

Discussing briefly where Game ended, Jazz has been shot and left for dead by Hat in the storage unit. Connie has been captured by Billy. And Howie pulled a gun on Jasper’s aunt, Samantha, which backfired on him and he was knocked unconscious. It’s almost difficult for me to even discuss those things like that’s where Blood of My Blood began because it feels like six books ago that all of that happened compared to where things ended. I will say that if you felt sorry for Jasper, for his upbringing, for what he’s witnessed, for what he’s experienced, and for what he’s terrified of becoming…up until now…well you have no idea. There is so much I want to say, but all I’ll allow myself to say is that Jasper’s upbringing, his experiences, what he’s been through is so much more evil and twisted and wicked than I even imagined—and growing up witnessing torture and murder over and over again is pretty hard to imagine.

Where I Hunt Killers and Game had frequent appearances of the secondary characters, Blood of My Blood is so much more heavily focused on Jasper, Billy, and Jasper’s mom (who we found out in Game is still alive). The side characters, Connie, Howie, G. William, and Hughes make repeated appearances and even narrate occasionally, but nothing like the previous two books. I missed them, but Blood of My Blood is about Jasper and his family unit above all else. Jasper knows that he’s the only one who can stop his father, because it’s taken the police 20 years and they still haven’t captured Billy Dent, but also because Jasper knows how Billy thinks. And Billy wants Jasper to find him.

My heart broke for Jasper over and over and over again throughout this series, but most frequently throughout this book. Every single time I would think he could handle no more, something else was thrown at him. Something else was worth grieving over. Something else was taken away from him. But at the same time, neither I nor Jasper really had time to process any of it due to the speed and pacing of the events.

I will say that Jasper fits into that category of heroes that have literally been beaten to a pulp, put through the wringer and yet continues to press on above and beyond all natural possibilities. Jasper shouldn’t have been able to stand after everything he’d been through. All of that was a stretch on reality, but the body is capable of extremes beyond what we can imagine when put to the test.

Favorite quotes:

-“Hush, Daddy’s thinkin’.”

-“…I’m the only one who can do what needs to be done.” What needs to be done. Five simple words. Monosyllables. Nothing exceptional or special about them. But when Jazz strung them together, polychromatic spatters erupted behind Connie’s closed eyelids. “You can’t kill him.” She hated herself for saying it. Days ago, before she’d ever met the man, she had fantasized Billy Dent’s death. She lusted for it even more deeply now. But not at the expense of Jazz.

-“Remember what I told you before? If you kill him, he wins.” “And I told you: If I kill him, he’s dead.”

-“…The cops will come to you eventually. It’s better if you can’t tell them anything.” “I wouldn’t squeal on you.” Howie pouted, even though Jazz couldn’t see him. “Yes, you would.” “I totally would,” Howie admitted. “I’m weak. I lack character, Jazz. That’s my problem. That’s always been my problem. I blame my mother. For coddling me.” He thought for a second. “And I guess for carrying the hemophilia gene in the first place, too.”

-“You’ve fulfilled your service. Your utility is at an end. Pawns are always sacrificed before the game’s end. When we next meet, you will witness your last vista, hear your last cry, weep your last tears. You will take your last breath.”…”When you die, […], it will be ugly. I promise you that. And I also promise you that I will be a little sad at that moment. But only a little bit.”

-It was like playing checkers, only to learn that your opponent was playing chess all along.

-What happens to the sidekick when the good guys goes off the rails?

-”There isn’t enough space on your body for the tattoos, man.” Jazz shook his head. “We’re not trading here. This isn’t I do something for you, you do something for me. This is hard-core friendship. Varsity level. This is me asking you to do something for me without getting anything in return. This is friendship, Howie.” … “You just have to ask yourself, Howie: Do you need to be repaid or not?” Every piece of him cried out to say yes, to demand that in return for what he had done and would do that Jazz give up now and live.

Blood of My Blood and the entire Jasper Dent series is brilliant. It’s madness. It’s heartbreaking. It’s stomach churning. It’s not for the faint at heart. And it’s not for those who like happy little books, with pretty little endings. Now, I’m not commenting on the ending at all. Just know that overall, this book and this series has exceeded my expectations in every way. Blood of My Blood gets 5 Stars from me. Have you read Blood of My Blood? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

All Things Halloween Review - Game

Game (Jasper Dent, # 2)

By: Barry Lyga

Published: April 16th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

520 pages

Genre: YA, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Crime

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Billy grinned. “Oh, New York,” he whispered. “We’re gonna have so much fun.”

I Hunt Killers introduced the world to Jazz, the son of history’s most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent.

In an effort to prove murder didn’t run in the family, Jazz teamed with the police in the small town of Lobo’s Nod to solve a deadly case. And now, when a determined New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz’s door asking for help, he can’t say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple–and its police force–running scared. So Jazz and his girlfriend, Connie, hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer’s murderous game.

What to say? What to say? If I Hunt Killers is the Dexter of the Jasper Dent series then Game is The Following of the series. We know that I Hunt Killers ended with Japer’s father, Billy, breaking out of prison. We know that he had to have help in his escape. And so we know that Billy possibly has a fan club like Joe Carol from The Following even if Billy’s helpers are not essentially a cult.

Game, itself, felt like a much slower book than I Hunt Killers. With coming in over 500 pages, I’m not really surprised that Game felt like a longer and slower book; however, it was more than just length. The pacing really was much slower. And even when I was completely interesting in figuring out what was going on and knowing what was going to happen next, Game still felt like an easy book to put down.

The characters that I fell in love with so much from I Hunt Killers were present: Jasper, Connie, and Howie essentially. But even Billy is such a charismatic character that while knowing he’s utterly evil, I can’t help but enjoy his presence in the book when he’s actually present, in Jasper’s memories of him, and in the running Billy-commentary that Jasper has going on in his head. Jasper’s so real as a character. He still battles wondering if he’s going to snap and turn into his father at any moment. He’s still haunted by his memories, his past, and his potential. Connie is as supportive as ever—maybe even more so in Game than in I Hunt Killers. I don’t remember any sections of I Hunt Killers being narrated by Connie so that was a nice addition to Game. And I loved her faith in Jasper, her love for him, and her willingness to do just about anything for him—even taking on--or possibly leaving--her family. However, Connie had several parts where I wanted to smack her in the head and tell her that she was being reckless and stupid. Howie wasn’t as present as I wanted him to be, yet there were plenty of parts that had me chuckling to myself. Howie brings the humor to this book and this series. He keeps things from getting too intense with his typical teenage boyness and his struggles with his hemophilia.

As far as plot goes, I felt like Game was pretty brilliant. In some aspects, I had certain things figured out WAY in advance, but other things took me a while to piece together. I felt both really smart for figuring some pieces out and really stupid for missing some things that now feel more obvious. I think that might have been exactly the way Barry Lyga planned this book. You don’t want to completely frustrate the reader, but there has to be something they don’t get at the same time because being too predictable is the worst. I highly enjoyed the plot for Game and how it appears to play into the overall plot of the series. Yet as I mentioned earlier, the pacing was a bit slow.

I feel like it’s worth noting because apparently some readers HATE this, but Game ends in like a three-way cliffhanger. The reader is uncertain of every single character and what’s going to happen next with our favorite ones. But I’ve already started Blood of My Blood and it picks up immediately where Game leaves off so no worries there. I would just suggest perhaps making sure you have Blood of My Blood available to dive right in as soon as you finish Game.

My favorite quotes:

-“…I never met Mrs. Dent, but I know she must have been a good person because I’m pretty sure Billy Dent didn’t raise Jasper to rescue helpless hemophiliacs from bullies.”

-“Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been thinkin’ that someday you’re gonna crack and end up like your daddy. And you’ve been looking for proof that you won’t. What you don’t realize is this: The lookin’ is the proof.”

-He figured he cut a pretty dashing figure in his jeans and heavy shirt. And gloves. And hat. Not like a page out of a catalog or anything, but it showed how he thought ahead. He was prepared. Women dug guys who were prepared.

-“Howie, you’re the same age as my nephew.”
”Actually, I’m six weeks older.”
She shook her head. “It’s not going to happen.”
”You say that now.”
”I do.”
”We’re both two lonely people,” Howie said seductively, “trapped in a world created by Billy Dent.”
Samantha howled with laughter. Howie figured that wasn’t a good sign.

-“Dude! You hit on my aunt!”
”That depends on how you define ‘hit on.’”
”You totally hit on my aunt.”
”Was that wrong? Was I not supposed to do that?”
”You should think about what you just said. Think about it, Howie.”
”I’m just not seeing where I went wrong. For an older woman, she’s got a nice body, and she must moisturize like a mofo because her skin is—“

-“Watch it. That’s the mother of my illegitimate children you’re talking about.”

Also, I feel like it should be noted that I normally hate dialect, but I rarely even noticed it in either I Hunt Killers or Game. As a matter of fact, Barry Lyga did dialogue so well that I actually enjoyed it. It wasn’t always present. It wasn’t over the top. And I don’t know any other writer who could use “they’d’ve” and get away with it. But Mr. Lyga pulled it off.

Despite the pacing, I feel like Game has the makings of a brilliant book in a brilliant series. Even though I feel certain Game will probably be my least favorite in the series, Game gets 4 Stars from me easily. I can’t wait to see how things wrap up with Blood of My Blood. Have you read Game? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

The Girl Who Played with a Fire - Review

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium, # 2)

By: Stieg Larsson

Published: July 28th 2009 by Alfred A. Knopf (first published 2006)

503 pages

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--The girl with the dragon tattoo is back. Stieg Larsson's seething heroine, Lisbeth Salander, once again finds herself paired with journalist Mikael Blomkvist on the trail of a sinister criminal enterprise. Only this time, Lisbeth must return to the darkness of her own past (more specifically, an event coldly known as "All the Evil") if she is to stay one step ahead--and alive. The Girl Who Played with Fire is a break-out-in-a-cold-sweat thriller that crackles with stunning twists and dismisses any talk of a sophomore slump. Fans of Larsson's prior work will find even more to love here, and readers who do not find their hearts racing within the first five pages may want to confirm they still have a pulse. Expect healthy doses of murder, betrayal, and deceit, as well as enough espresso drinks to fuel downtown Seattle for months. --Dave Callanan

I’ve had The Girl Who Played with Fire in my possession for well over two years. My sister-in-law gave it to me for Christmas at least two if not three years ago. However, that same sister-in-law plus my reliable friend, Paula, both told me that the beginning of The Girl Who Played with Fire wasn’t something that I would really enjoy. My sister-in-law actually put it down, and I don’t believe she picked it back up; whereas my friend Paula pushed through and finished it. Since I don’t really enjoy getting bogged down into a book no matter how good it ends up being, I really wasn’t looking forward to starting The Girl Who Played with Fire. But then I ran across the audiobook in my local library’s selection and realized the audiobook would serve as the perfect way for me to cross this one off my list as "read", but not feel bad about directing my reading time towards a book that would be slow for me to get through. And so I picked The Girl Who Played with Fire up on audio.

I completely agree with Paula and Tonya (my SNL). The Girl Who Played with Fire didn’t exactly have an enjoyable beginning for me. I’ve discussed before here about how I’m straight and a Christian and therefore do not enjoy GLTB literature, and so Lisbeth’s relationship with Miriam Wu no matter how brief wasn’t really one that I enjoyed reading about listening to—especially considering how things were left between Lisbeth and Blomkvist at the end of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. However, I will say that The Girl Who Played With Fire wasn't as difficult to get into for me as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo took about 150 pages for me to get hooked. This one didn't take near that long.

While The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was more about Blomkvist and by extension Lisbeth helping him out of his legal troubles, The Girl Who Played with Fire has done a flip-flop and Blomkvist is helping Lisbeth out of her legal troubles while focusing mostly on Lisbeth and her history. After the events of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth has run off to do some travelling and completely left without a word to any of her friends—which we find out she doesn’t really believe she has very many of in the first place. Blomkvist doesn’t know where she is or why she left without a word, and neither does Armansky, who she used to work for at Milton Security.

Salander gets herself accused of murder due to her fingerprints being found on the murder weapon used against Dag Svensson and Mia Johansson. And she's also connected to the murder of Nils Bjurman through the Guardianship Agency. On the surface she is the only link between all three murders. But even though Salander thinks she has few friends, we come to see how many friends she actually does have and how many of them are willing to stick their necks out for her in order to prove her innocence.

Truthfully, I loved learning more about Lisbeth, her background, and how she thinks. She's brilliant. We learned that she has a photographic memory in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but we also learn that Lisbeth likes to do crazy complicated math equations and theories for fun. Pretty much any kind of puzzle she enjoys solving. We learn about the events of the past that have scarred her. And I remember the description of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo saying "there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo." While I know Lisbeth showed that part of herself some in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, that was amplified by like 200 in The Girl Who Played with Fire. I, for one, would definitely not want to go up against her for any reason, in any area.

I love that despite not having heard from Lisbeth in over a year, Mikael doesn't hesitate to defend her against the allegations she's charged with and he doesn't hesitate to begin his own investigation into the murders in order to get Salander off the hook. She really couldn't ask for more from him.

I don't want to go into too much more detail plot wise because I don't want to ruin this one for someone who has not have read it. I will say that I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest much more than I was starting The Girl Who Played with Fire.

My favorite quotes:

"There were not so many physical threats that could not be countered with a decent hammer, Salander thought."

"Daddy, I'm coming to get you."

"Daddy, I'm here."

I struggled through the beginning, and there were a lot of f-bombs dropped, but ultimately I liked what The Girl Who Played with Fire revealed to us about Lisbeth. And I think I might like where this story is going. The Girl Who Played with Fire gets 3.5 Stars from me. Have you read The Girl Who Played with Fire? What did you think? Let me know.

Sizzling Sixteen Audio - Review

Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum, #16

By: Janet Evanovich

Published: A Macmillan Audiobook from St. Martin's Press

Read By: Lorelei King

Running time: 7 Hours

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Humor, Crime

Source: Borrowed from my sister

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads Description--Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a "lucky" bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn't specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck...

BAD LUCK: Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of $786,000 with mobster Bobby Sunflower and is being held until the cash can be produced. Nobody else will pay to get Vinnie back, leaving it up to Stephanie, office manager Connie, and file clerk Lula to raise the money if they want to save their jobs.

GOOD LUCK: Being in the business of tracking down people, Stephanie, Connie, and Lula have an advantage in finding Vinnie. If they can rescue him, it will buy them some time to raise the cash.

BAD LUCK: Finding a safe palce to hide Vinnie turns out to be harder than raising $786,000. Vinnie's messing up Mooner's vibe, running up pay-per-view porn charges in Ranger's apartment, and making Stephanie question genetics.

GOOD LUCK: Between a bonds office yard sale that has the entire Burg turning out,Mooner's Hobbit-Con charity event, and Uncle Pip's lucky bottle, they just might raise enough money to save the business and Vinnie from ruin.

BAD LUCK: Saving Vincent Plum Bail Bonds means Stephanie can keep being a bounty hunter. In Trenton, this involves hunting down a man wanted for polygamy, a turnpike toilet paper bandit, and a drug dealer with a pet alligator named Mr. Jingles.

GOOD LUCK: The job of bounty hunter comes with perks in the guise of Trenton's hottest cop, Joe Morelli, and the dark and dangerous security expert, Ranger. With any luck at all, Uncle Pip's lucky bottle will have Stephanie getting lucky--the only question is...with whom?

Sizzling Sixteen ...so hot, the pages might spontaneously combust!

I've not read (or listened) to the Stephanie Plum books in any kind of order. I believe my first experience wtih Stephanie Plum and Janet Evanovich was when my sister checked out Plum Lovin' from the library. Plum Lovin' is A Between-the-Numbers Novel. And it was hilarious. I just remember listening to it and busting out laughing at different parts. Then I think Finger Lickin' Fifteen was the next one I moved onto. And now Sizzling Sixteen. This is so rare for me to pick up mid-series and out of order and such. I'm a very organized and methodical person. But in my experience, any of these books could be stand-alone books.

Lorelei King is brilliant as a narrator. She has voices for the other characters in a way that makes me forget one person is actually narrating everything and in such a way that I know exactly who is speaking without having to be told just based off the voice she's using for the character. It's great. She's great. Especially her depiction of Lula. "He ate my jelly donut, so I shot him." HILARIOUS. Obviously, you need to hear (or read) that in context, but you get the picture. And I have to say that Lorelei King is one of the reasons why I'm not upset that I haven't gone at this series in order. My sister tells me that Lorelei King isn't the original narrator of the series, and I just don't think I could listen to anyone else read these books.

I do have to say that the potty mouth stands out to me a little bit more in audio version than it usually does in print. I can skim over it in print, but once you hear it, it's hard to undo and for some reason it has more of an impact that way.

The Stephanie Plum series is a great in between series and I really enjoy listening to them when I have opportunity. Janet Evanovich is very humourous and I find myself laughing out loud then looking around to see if anyone is staring at me like I'm an idiot quite often. Especially Lula and Gramma Mazur ("I can't squeeze to keep the breezers in.").

If you're looking for a quick book to blow through or a reprieve from some seriousness, Sizzling Sixteen will do the trick, especially the audio version. 3 Stars. Have you read (or listened) to Sizzling Sixteen? What did you think? Let me know!

**Side note: I've finished 4 books this week and I'm STOKED about that. Extremely rare for me to get that much accomplished in one week. I've already posted my review of City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. And I will be posting on Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Divergent by Veronica Roth later on this week. Look out for those reviews.

*Updated: February 9, 2015