Can't Wait for The Thirteenth Child

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

The Thirteenth Child

By: Erin A. Craig

Expected Publication: September 24, 2024 by Delacorte Press

512 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Gothic, Fantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself.

All gifts come with a price.

Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love?

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Waiting on Please Remain Calm

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Please Remain Calm (This is Not a Test, # 2)

By: Courtney Summers

Expected Publication: January 20th 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Zombies, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic

( Goodreads )

Goodreads description--In this gripping sequel to THIS IS NOT A TEST, Rhys and Sloane are headed for a safe haven when they get separated along the way. Rhys is determined to reunite with Sloane until he discovers people who might need him more--people who offer him the closest he'll get to everything he's lost, if they can just hold on long enough.

Rhys thinks he has what it takes to survive and find the girl he lost, but in a world overrun by the dead, there are no guarantees and the next leg of his journey will test him in unimaginable ways ...

AH!!!!! A sequel!!!! YAY!!! Loved This is Not a Test! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

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

All Things Halloween Review - Pretty When She Dies

Pretty When She Dies (Pretty When She Dies, # 1)

By: Rhiannon Frater

Published: November 24th 2008 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

238 pages

Genre: Paranormal, Vampires, Horror, Urban Fantasy

Source: Kindle Freebie Deal

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...

... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...

Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.

All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.

But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?

I think it’s possible that I might be in a reading slump. Or well…I think I was in a reading slump at the time I read Pretty When She Dies. Unfortunately. Since I’m scheduled in advance this review won’t go live until quite some time so hopefully I’ll be out of my slump by the time this review is posted. (I did get out of the slump, but I think I'm edging back into one! Sheesh!) Anyway, I think I would have enjoyed Pretty When She Dies more had I been in a different place with my reading life. I was browsing all my titles in my possession, looking for a short book that I would be able to read quickly and I decided on Pretty When She Dies. It being one of only two that I had under 300 pages at the time, I picked it up. Also, I can’t really remember the last time I read a vampire book so I was kind of excited to return to the genre that started it all.

I loved the very beginning of Pretty When She Dies. Amaliya wakes up buried alive and turned into something that she doesn’t know or understand. I loved how disoriented she was. And I was struck with the writing from the very beginning. Her creator watches her rise and feed for the first time. He stays long enough to tell her that he’s going to be watching to see how she handles her new life but that he won’t interfere or help her out at all. The next section was necessary but slow moving for me. Amaliya needed to establish how alone she was in the world, but this section of the book felt like it would drag on forever. Eventually, Amaliya makes her way to Austin where she meets up with Cian, another vampire who happens to have been created by the same vampire as Amaliya. Once she made it to Austin, Pretty When She Dies picked up speed for me, thankfully.

Cian has never really embraced his vampire self. Being forced to turn against his will and losing his wife and two children have damaged him. He’s made a life for himself in Austin, but he’s working so hard to be human—or as human as he can be. Unfortunately, Amaliya brings out the vampire in him like he’s never experienced before. Despite being engaged to a human, Samantha, Cian and Amaliya are drawn to each other. Their connection isn’t easily severed.

But the thing is, Cian and Amaliya’s creator likes to play with his creations. He has all kind of twisted games that they have to endure. Amaliya being his newest creation has just drawn his attention back to Cian. Things get heated, battles are fought, the series must go on. While everything is wrapped up by the end of Pretty When She Dies, Rhianon Frater adds just enough unrest to have need of continuing the series.

Pretty When She Dies is one of those vampire books that brings the heat to this genre. It wasn’t overly graphic, but in this series blood mixes with pleasure. Amaliya has a colorful vocabulary, which is a nice way to say that she drops a lot of f-bombs. While the beginning sucked me in, the middle of Pretty When She Dies dragged for me, and the end had me skimming a bit. Overall I’d happily give Pretty When She Dies 3.5 Stars. Have you read Pretty When She Dies? 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 - 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!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*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!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*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.

All Things Halloween Review - The Fall

The Fall

By: Bethany Griffin

Expected Publication: October 7th 2014 by Greenwillow Books

400 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal, Gothic, Retelling

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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

Goodreads description--Madeline Usher is doomed.

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.

In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Fall, as the description says, is a retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. I’m not very familiar with that specific Poe story. The only Poe works I’ve read are The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart. So I didn’t know much going into The Fall. However, I think that was a good thing because The Fall was unlike anything I’ve ever read before.

The Fall jumps around in chronology but is narrated by Madeline Usher with occasionally a few journal excerpts from a prior ancestor, Lisbeth Usher. The jumps in chronology help to keep the reader a little confused about what is really going on in this house and family. Essentially what we have is a cursed family. The entire Usher line is cursed, but there does seem to be a particular affliction for the female members of the line. Madeline has always been able to “hear” the house. She knows that it has its own consciousness. Madeline’s twin brother, Roderick, is terribly afraid of the house as a child, but he has never been as attuned to it as Madeline. When Roderick is sent away to school, he steadily leans on logic and distances himself from the house and the terrors he faced while living there. Because Madeline is so attuned to the house—as a matter of fact, she is the house’s favorite—Roderick in turn distances himself from Madeline as well. He refuses to believe. Madeline starts out believing that he house is protecting her, but over the years she learns to see the house for what it really is and it’s true intentions. It thrives on chaos, confusion, fear, and grief.

I felt so bad for Madeline. Her mother favors Roderick, but her father has a particular fondness for her—when he’s lucid. Eventually both parents die, Roderick lives at school and his visits become less and less frequent and the duration of each visit becomes shorter and shorter. The servants seem to think the curse is related to Madeline herself rather than the house. And the two doctors and the doctor’s apprentice who also live in the House of Usher offer no comfort or support. They poke and prod her with needles, studying her Usher blood, and chronicling her behavior. But she’s so utterly alone. And not just alone, but constantly living in fear.

Bethany Griffin’s writing style fit this story just perfectly. It wasn’t a style that blew me away with its beauty, but it was free-flowing, smooth, and fitting. Her writing had the appropriate amount of creepy, thrill, and mystery in keeping with an Edgar Allen Poe retelling for sure. I don’t know that The Fall could have been better or more suitably written.

My favorite quotes:

-Except, in this house, the secrets hide behind secrets, and tight places like this hole in the earth make my stomach clench with fear.

-The house rewards cruelty. It loves darkness and despair and death. And I am its favorite.

-He’s horrified by this place, by the things he cannot explain. And yet he leaves me here. At this thought, he turns, his eyes wide and surprised. He’s sensed my resentment, through the bond we share, but he won’t acknowledge it. He can’t, not when he’s already thinking of leaving.

-I blink over and over, holding back tears. My fingers come away from my cheek stained with blood. The house hurt me. My legs give out, and I collapse to the floor in a heap of skirts and anxiety. The planks of the floor grow unnaturally warm. I place my hands in my lap. I should have listened to Mother. The house was not trying to hurt me. No. It’s so big, it lacks finesse. It wants me to stay close, so it can protect me. I sit completely still, showing the house that I do not plan to leave it, not now, not ever. The blade of the ax quivers back and forth. I do not move. I sit, watching the ax. Letting the house know that I trust it.

-“The house is seductive,” Father says. “It reads our deepest desires.” But if that’s true, then why was Roderick sent away? Father laughs softly, still mixing the paint. “It doesn’t always give us our desires, Madeline,” he says, as though I asked the question aloud. Did I?

-He has been waiting; I’ve seen it in his demeanor. I understand waiting. But what he’s been waiting for isn’t me. He’s falling in love with the house. “I wish you’d come before,” I say. When I still trusted the house. Because I can never trust it now, and while he’s in its thrall, I can never trust him.

-There is safety in being cursed.

-”The house is speaking to you, isn’t it?” he asks. “Saying that it loves you most of all.” Is there jealousy in his voice?

-“The spirit of the house—the consciousness of it—gets inside our heads. It sees through our eyes and feels what we feel, especially moments of extreme emotion, moments of passion. Or grief. It loves grief.”

-There is no point loving the one who is cursed, is there?

-I have what I wanted. It is bitter.

The Fall was definitely a creepy read in keeping with what I know of Edgar Allen Poe. Since I’m not familiar with Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, I can’t tell you how accurate or true of a retelling The Fall is, but I can tell you that I enjoyed it immensely. It felt like the perfect Halloween type of read, perfect for this time of year. I struggled a bit with the ending. I don’t know how true to the original ending The Fall is, but it left me wondering what the point of the story was—other than just a super weird and interesting story. I’m still giving The Fall 4 stars. Have you read The Fall? 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 - Strange and Ever After

Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly, # 3)

By: Susan Dennard

Published: July 22nd 2014 by HarperTeen

400 pages

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Zombie, Horror, Paranormal, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

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

Goodreads description--In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus...all before it’s too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

*Sigh* I hate when someone I like and respect loves a book or a series, and I find that I just don’t connect with it for whatever reason. That seems like it’s been happening to me more frequently. Maybe I’m more exposed to book friends than ever before. Maybe it’s because of a starred rating system and just discussing books with my friends before blogging didn’t involve giving a book a rating. And maybe it’s because my tastes are changing. For whatever reason I just hate when it happens. I also hate when I love a book that one of my reading friends doesn’t. But as much as it sucks. It happens. I didn’t hate this series, but I didn’t love it either. And I find myself feeling relieved that it’s over.

I think the biggest reason why I struggled with this book was because I had a hard time connecting to the characters. Jie jumped to conclusions about Eleanor and her bond with Oliver simply because Oliver is a demon. Allison was never really likable in the past, even if she was making an effort now. Joseph was just as bad as Jie about his assumptions and prejudice against magic and Eleanor’s use of it. Daniel, Eleanor, and Oliver were each so all over the place all the time that I wasn’t ever sure what to expect from any of them. Eleanor & Daniel fight like no one’s business. They make assumptions. They judge each other. They both snap and pop off. And Eleanor and Oliver are the same way. Eleanor herself would be up one minute and down the next. And it wasn’t always a result of her use of magic that affected her like that.

And so yeah, maybe that’s a better explanation. I didn’t feel like anything was consistent. One minute Joseph was saying Eleanor’s use of magic was evil and the next minute he’s nodding his approval. One minute Oliver is in love with Elijah. The next minute he seems to be in love with Eleanor. One minute Allison is a friend to the Spirit-Hunters, and the next minute she’s been exacting her plan of revenge since the very beginning. One minute Oliver is scolding Eleanor for becoming more and more like Elijah (corrupt), and the next minute everything is hunky-dory and she’s saving the world with her magic with his help and guidance. One minute Daniel and Eleanor are madly in love. The next minute she’s pushing him away or he’s pushing her away. Or they’re both pushing at each other. Typically the reader needs to connect with the main character on some level and I just couldn’t. She was mean, snappish, a jerk, volatile, partially corrupted, an addict. Yet I’m supposed to see her as a hero?

I find that it’s extremely rare for me to jump ship on who I want the main character to end up with. This process was such a slow transformation for me throughout the series that I almost didn’t notice it was happening until I was an out and out turncoat. But I saw the pieces of this part of the story coming from a mile away at the same time. Strange and Ever After ended the Something Strange and Deadly series in exactly the way I would have hoped for it to end. But I still didn’t find myself connected.

Here…I’ll give you some examples of the places I was huffing and puffing in frustration or show what I’m talking about:

-”You are as volatile as Daniel is.” “Temperamental, perhaps,” Oliver admitted, swinging his gaze to me. “But only when you have earned it. Daniel is cruel whenever his feelings are hurt.”

-”Use me, Eleanor.” Oliver leaned toward me. “Betray me so that for that brief moment while my magic keeps you warm, you can pretend your life is not broken. Why, I bet if you try hard enough, you could even pretend your mother is still alive.” His words crashed into me. I rocked back on my heels, and all my guilt for mistreating him vanished. “Heal me,” I said. “Heal my woulds now, Oliver. Sum veritas.” …”You will push everyone away,” he growled beneath his breath. “Just like he did, you will lose us all.” … I stepped toward him. “I am not Elijah.” “Yet you are becoming him.”

-The further I sank into it, the less I had to feel. The less I had to think. Yet I could not seem to make the heady contentment come. It wasn’t muffling my troubles as it usually did. The magic was fading too fast—so quickly, in fact, that I feared there was a hole in my chest through which it leaked.

-”You cannot stay with us, Allison. You must return to Philadelphia. There’s no place for you here.” “No place for me here,” she said sharply. “Of course there isn’t. You are Eleanor Fitt. You do not want me now, just as you never wanted my company before.”

Eleanor who refuses to answer to the name “Miss Fitt” has told someone else that she doesn’t belong.

-It isn’t your fault, I told myself. It is Oliver who pushes your friends away.

-Perhaps Oliver was right: perhaps I did push my friends away—but it was not only me. They pushed back. From all directions, everyone wanted something from me. Oliver wanted his freedom, Allison wanted companionship, and Daniel wanted my heart. Jospeh was the only person on this ship who seemed to understand that all that mattered right now was Jie and Marcus. But even Joseph wanted me to stay away from necromancy—even Joseph made stupid demands regarding friendship and power that I could not meet. … But at least with no one telling me what to do, I would be left with the lone person who could kill Marcus and get this job done. Me.

-”My loss is part of me, El. I cope with it as best I can. But you?” His gaze roamed over my face. “You fight to keep what you cannot have back.”

-”What is the line, El? From A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Something about a spaniel…” “’I am your spaniel,’” I said hollowly, watching him cross the cabin. “’And the more you beat me, I will fawn on you.’” He snapped his fingers. “That’s the one. Except…” He pulled the door lightly open and glanced back at me with a pained smile. “I am not a spaniel, and the more you beat me, I will run.”

-”It amazes me how easily you forget all the darkness surrounding you, El. How blind you are to your own corruption.”

-”Remember this, El: not everyone who you invite in will wish to be there.”

For one reason or other, the only character I really ended up liking was Oliver and even that was tenuous.

As I guess you can see, I had some struggles and frustrations with Strange and Ever After and with the Something Strange and Deadly series altogether. I can’t say that I would really recommend this series to other readers. It wasn’t awful, but I just didn’t have much of a connection to it either. In the end, I’m giving Strange and Ever After 3 Stars. Have you read Strange and Ever After? 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.

Parasite - Review

Parasite

By: Mira Grant

Published: October 29th 2013 by Orbit

512 pages

Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Dystopian

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!)

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Goodreads description--A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

I have to say that the concept for Parasite is one of my worst nightmares. As a child, I remember hearing about tapeworms and being utterly terrified. The idea that humanity would begin purposefully ingesting tapeworms for medical reasons is literally a scene out of my nightmares. Although, it's not like tapeworms haven't been marketed to human beings before--for dieting reasons.

Because Parasite is so long, it felt like it took me forever to read it. I think this is where physical book copies come in handy. Knowing I've read 50 pages in a book is a lot more motivating than only seeing 10% move in my progress bar on my kindle.

The description above does a great job of giving an overview of the big picture without telling you anything about the characters involved in this story. Our main character is Sally who was involved in a car accident and was almost declared brain dead before she was implanted with her bio-engineered tapeworm. Her tapeworm saved her live and she has now become the poster child for the Intestinal Bodyguard and SymboGen, the company that created it.

However, all is not as it seems. That fact was easy to pick up on, but not so easy to nail down what was actually going on. About halfway through I felt like it became obvious to me what was going on with Sally, but the book doesn't spell it out until literally the last couple of pages. So the big revelation, or what should have been the cliffhanger, didn't feel like a big revelation or cliffhanger at all.

I've heard great things about Mira Grant's Newsflesh series and so I wanted to get hooked into this horrific world she's created where people purposefully ingest tapeworms, but something was just missing for me. The characters were okay. Minus Tansey. I think she was designed to be comedic relief maybe, but she just fell a little flat to me.

While the plot was intriguing enough, the execution was just missing something for me. The characters were missing something. I don't really know how to put my finger on just what it was. I wasn't dying to put it down, but I wasn't dying it pick it up either. I wasn't sure I could predict what was happening, yet I did predict what was happening.

Truthfully, if book 2's description doesn't blow me away, I probably won't continue this series. I'm giving Parasite 3 Stars. Have you read Parasite? What did you think? Let me know.

Also, we've got the cliche gay character box check marked in this one as well. SURPRISE!

This review is part of my "All Things Halloween" October review event.

Deadlocked 3 - Review

Deadlocked 3 (Deadlocked, # 3)

By: AR Wise

Genre: Horror, Zombies

Source: Borrowed from my SNL, Holly @ Words Fueled by Love

( Goodreads | Amazon Currently $2.99 )

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Goodreads description--The Deadlocked series continues as Billy heads into the city in search of his mother. During his quest, he will meet a strident military figure that will alter his journey and two brothers that will become his closest allies. However, his trip will endanger the family he has only just met, and he might not be able to save them.

Billy's journey into the city will reveal many of the secrets of this penultimate novella. No characters are safe from the terror that has engulfed the city, and as the motives of those in charge begin to be revealed, the fate of all mankind will be in question.

Keeping with AR Wise's pattern for the Deadlocked series, Deadlocked 3 switches from Laura's POV to Billy. Billy is leaving Laura and the girls at the docks and heading into the city to find his mother. Billy's story and Laura's story (Deadlocked 2) actually take place simultaneously unlike Laura and David's story (Deadlocked) where Laura picks up where David left off.

Billy's a likable character. He's a good guy, and he's trying to hold onto that through this horrible new world he's found himself in, yet it's practically impossible when there are enemies on every side. And to be truthful, Billy isn't even sure who all his enemies are. It's kill or be killed. And Billy has to do what it takes to survive and make it back to the docks where Laura and the girls are.

The thing that I like about this series by AR Wise is that the characters don't just have everything handed to them because they're the main characters. Sometimes the main characters die. But situations like shooting a pad lock don't always work out for the main characters of Deadlocked. And truthfully you just never really know what will happen.

I did find Deadlocked 3 to be very much less gruesome than Deadlocked 2. Laura's story was brutal. And in some ways it seemed like Billy had it a lot easier than she did. But at the same time, not every character's experiences will be the same. Of course, like the other stories, Billy comes across other characters who have all kinds of intentions.

I wasn't sure about the addition of Levon and Mark. Levon seemed to be a play on a stereotype which I typically get annoyed with, but Mark balances him out I think. And then there's Captain Reagan who we're told will play an crucial part in Deadlocked 4.

As with the other books, I enjoyed the author's notes at the end. AR Wise explains his thinking process in a way that gives more meaning to the series. I sometimes wish all authors would do the same thing. There are just so many thousands of decisions authors make throughout the writing process that make the stories into more than they appear on the surface.

Deadlocked 3 does have a ton of cursing. There are f-bombs left and right. While I understand this is the apocalypse and people probably aren't all concerned about their language, I don't see everyone in the world suddenly developing a need to drop f-bombs like this. This also falls into one of my frustrations with authors who don't differentiate enough between characters. Not every character thinks, talks, or acts the same way. And I think a lot of times authors fall into the trap of writing only characters who behave and speak exactly the way the author themselves think, act, and speak. I imagine it's difficult to make each character unique in all aspects, but this is one that is important to me. While AR Wise's characters definitely have distinct personalities, I have picked up on them having too similar (for my taste) speech patterns.

All in all, I'd give Deadlocked 3 3.5 stars. It's a really solid zombie read, but not as intense as Deadlocked 1 or 2. Have you read Deadlocked 3? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my "All Things Halloween" October review event.

Contamination Prequel - Guest Review

When TW Piperbrook contacted me about reviewing the prequel to his Contamination series, I found myself completely overwhelmed with the books already on my TBR list that I had in my possession needing to be read. But seeing that it was a zombie series (and a short read), I knew just the person to ask to read it and do a guest review.

My friend Amanda and I met at work. At the time neither of us were readers. After being exposed to Twilight, I went to work and begged Amanda to read it--she was the only one who got to work as early as I did at the time. Sure enough, she read it and loved it. She then entered my circle of friends who read. She was usually 2nd in line after I finished a book to pass it off to next (after Paula because Paula reads faster--or more). Well Amanda and I share a love of all things zombie and so this was the perfect read for her--I thought. Without further ado, here's Amanda and her review.

Contamination Prequel (Contamination 0)

By: TW Piperbrook

Published: November 25th 2012 by Post Script Publishing

93 pages

Genre: Horror, Zombie

Source: Amanda's personal library (currently free on Amazon)

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Goodreads description--St. Matthews, Arizona

The infection starts with Frank, one of the locals at the town bar. In just a few hours, it has consumed the entire town.

Dan Lowery, one of only four police officers in St. Matthews, soon realizes he is no match for the impending destruction. Violence and bloodshed litter the streets, and the infected roam freely. No one is safe here—not even his family.

Somewhere, someone knows what is happening, and about the horrors to come…but is it too late?

I enjoyed this book for the realistic way the story is told. The main character, Dan lowery, is just your average police offerer with a wife and daughter. Like all of us, he's thinking about what he will do when he gets home at the end of his shift and expects all to be the same...But he walks in to absolute terror. From then on, he's fighting to survive and find his daughter.

When we get the perspective of his daughter, it takes us to a darker, creepier place. Quinn Lowery is running alone and scared. This poor girl is trying to save herself but she is flooded with awful visions and memories. I couldn't stop reading until she got somewhere semi-safe. But I quickly found out people once trusted had evil ties.

The only thing I would have changed is the length of the book. I would have liked some more background and that kind of thing. But to me that's just how a good book is.

The book was short but so much happens. Just about every chapter has a twist and left me wanting to know more. At the same time, I liked getting some answers along the way. I am glad there is more to come! If you enjoy zombie stories, this one is a good quick read!

I would give Contamination Prequel an overall rating of 4 out of 5. But only because I wanted to read more.

Sandy here again. I saved an email from Amanda telling me that she stayed up until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore reading this one. She actually said that she didn't want to read it on breaks at work because she'd get frustrated when she had to put it down. She also told me that the way TW Piperbrook uses his descriptions made her feel like she was "right beside him in this little adventure."

Have you read Contamination Prequel? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my "All Things Halloween" October review event.

Hare Moon - Review

Hare Moon (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, # 0.7)

By: Carrie Ryan

Published: April 5th 2011

40 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Zombie, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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Goodreads description--Tabitha can’t shake the feeling that something exists beyond the fences of her village. And when she sneaks out, past the gates and down the path into the Forest of Hands and Teeth, she meets a boy who teaches her heart things she never knew. But love in a world surrounded by so much death doesn’t come without its sacrifices, and Tabitha gradually realizes just how much she’ll have to give up to live among the Unconsecrated.

From New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ryan comes an original story of love after the Return.

Hare Moon gets 3 Stars.

Hare Moon is a prequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth and it tells Sister Tabitha's story. Some of this makes The Forest of Hands and Teeth make a little more sense because it is just another piece of the puzzle. Sister Tabitha, when she was younger, it turns out was very much like Mary (or should I say, turns out Mary was very much like a young Sister Tabitha). Tabitha feels a call to the forest, to see if there's more to the outside world than what she's always been told. She feels a call to anything that remains hidden or forbidden from her. Sound familiar? It makes her being so hard on Mary make more sense because she sees herself in Mary, but Tabitha made a very different choice than Mary will make. And I believe Sister Tabitha can see that coming.

Tabitha meets a boy and falls in love. And this shows us that the Sister Tabitha we thought we knew from The Forest of Hands and Teeth wasn't always cold and uncaring. She wasn't always without feeling or ambition. She didn't always know which course she was going to take. You get the impression from The Forest of Hands and Teeth that Sister Tabitha views Mary as this horrible person, that Sister Tabitha believes Mary will bring about the downfall of their village, the village she gave up everything to protect, but Mary didn't even push the limits as much as Tabitha did when she was younger. Mary never ventured outside the gates until the breech occurred first. Tabitha did. Mary didn't choose to pursue the ocean until no other option presented itself. Tabitha did. Mary didn't let infection inside the village. Tabitha did. And even though Sister Tabitha could undoubtedly see herself in Mary, it wasn't Mary who brought about the downfall of their village like Sister Tabitha feared.

Tabitha is faced with the decision to flee and pursue love or to stay and sacrifice it all for the protection of her village. We all know what she chose.

That's the story. Now to how I felt about the story. Tabitha's story so closely follows Mary's own story that it frustrated me. I felt like I was re-reading parts of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I understand why they needed to be similar in some ways and almost exactly the same in others, but that doesn't mean that experiencing it again under a different name made it feel any different (or any better). The best parts weren't fully explored and the things that frustrated me about Mary I just got to relive through Tabitha. So while I felt this was an addition to The Forest of Hands and Teeth and it did make me understand Sister Tabitha more and why she behaves the way she does in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, this was only worth 3 Stars for me.

Have you read Hare Moon? What did you think? Let me know!

Updated: January 30, 2015

Hollowland - Review

Hollowland (The Hollows, # 1)

By: Amanda Hocking

Published: September 28th 2010 by Amanda Hocking

312 pages

Genre: YA, Horror, Zombies

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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Goodreads description--"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

Let see… I’d give Hollowland 4 Stars. For not having this book go through the typical publisher with editor and line editor process that most books go through, Amanda Hocking did a really superb job and I really have to commend her for that.

Hollowland kept my interest the entire way. I did have some opportunities to put it down in the beginning but that was mostly because I was finishing up some other books and not because I wasn’t interested in the story. Some of the storyline felt convenient, like finding a fully gassed up vehicle at the first house they stop. And then being provided with another fully gassed vehicle later. However, I’m sure the same could be said for plenty of other books on the market. In the same way, the condition of Remy’s brother Max was really convenient as well.

I can’t really think of any plot twists that threw me for a loop or that I couldn’t see coming. But I also didn’t feel like everything was predictable. The characters definitely faced ongoing peril instead of persistent safety. And then there’s the ending. It pretty much just ended. I mean I think she was going for a cliffhanger. And while I do really want to know what happens next, overall the ending felt…unpolished.

Good book. Much better than I could have done self-published. And also much better than some books I’ve read over the last year that had the help of seasoned publishers and editors. 4 stars. Check out Hollowland.

*Updated: September 6, 2013

The Dark & Hollow Places - Review

The Dark and Hollow Places (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, # 3)

By: Carrie Ryan

Publication: March 22nd 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Zombies, Horror

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again. But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

I just finished The Dark & Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. I just love Carrie Ryan. Her writing is beautiful and heartbreaking. It took me a little longer to get into the beginning of this book versus the other two, but looking back I really like the way she leads into Annah's story.

All of my predictions for this book were off except two. I won't tell you what those predictions were, right or wrong, because I don't want to ruin anything for a potential reader. But, I'm stoked that my predictions were off because there's nothing more disappointing than knowing exactly what's going to happen before you even get started. I also really liked the last couple of paragraphs in the book binding the beginning of the story, the essence of The Forest of Hands & Teeth, to the ending.

Although I really enjoyed this book, The Dead Tossed Waves is still my favorite in the series and possibly one of my favorite stand-alone books of all time. And though I wish I could give this book 5 stars just because Carrie Ryan is awesome, it fell a little short of The Dead Tossed Waves for me...meaning I'll have to give this book 4.9 stars.

Updated: July 7, 2018