Sinnful Books

Book Review — The Last House on Needless Street

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 15:09:00 +0000

Title: The Last House on Needless Street
Author: Catriona Ward
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-250-81264-3
Opening Lines: "Today is the anniversary of Little Girl with Popsicle."

Rating

"In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three.

"A young girl who isn't allowed outside, not after the last time.

"A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory.

"And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible"

"An unspeakable secret binsd them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all."

~ Jacket copy

Ted loves to watch the birds. Ted would be happy if he could watch the birds all day. The birds make him calm. However, when someone kills the birds, everything starts to change for Ted. Ted's world is upended and things start to crack. His relationship with his daughter becomes more chaotic and heated. His cat—his most precious and prized family member—starts to turn toxic. And, worst of all, he thinks someone has broken into his house. If only the birds had been left alone.

Warning, the following contains spoilers!

The Last House on Needless Street has been all the rage on horror book forums, and it always has a huge presence in Barnes & Noble. With gift certificate money to burned, I decided to give it a chance, Besides, based on the jacket copy, there is no way to go wrong with a Bible reading cat! And, at the beginning, I was extremely engaged. However, as the book progressed, it felt as though Ward was trying to check specific boxes, and it ended up falling short.

First and foremost, this book is not horror. The argument might be made due to the internal struggle Ted faces on a daily bases, as well as long-term child abuse (both physical and emotional); however, those issue do not make a book horror. If you're going into this hoping for a chilling horror story or something following the escapades of a serial killer, get ready for disappointment.

At the onset of the book, it is obvious that both Ted and Dee are unreliable narrators. Ward's writing style suggests that Ted is hiding something from the reader, or he suffers from some type of mental illness. This narration style usually helps create a great suspenseful atmosphere; however, it left me feeling rather disoriented and dizzy. That being said, Ward did an outstanding job writing the unreliability, and maybe that was her ultimate goal . . .

Aside from Ted, the characters were flat and two dimensional. Even after learning about LuLu's true fate, I still cannot decide why Ward chose to include Dee. She was . . . As a reader, I felt as though Dee was going to have more of a substantial role in the novel, but she just kind of fizzled out. Her role got smaller and smaller as the story progressed, and there was no true purpose to include her. Honestly, what was the point of her lake backstory, the truth behind LuLu's death, etc.? It was wasted book.

And then that leads to Ted. He was well-written. Do not get me wrong! Ward did an excellent job with him! For me, that's where is ends. I knew he was suffering with mental illness as soon as the book started. About a third of the way through the book, I figured out he suffered with DID; however, it took a bit longer to piece together which characters were his fractured psyche. Even though playing with DID might be interesting, the new TikTok trend of DID made it fall flat and feel like a trope.

Ted's mom . . . Ugh. She could have been a truly interesting character, especially with the whole pseudo Angel of Death thing going on. Yet, Ward glossed over that. She left hints throughout the novel, and then barely touched it with a gossamer veil at the end.

This book was a resounding meh for me. The writing style was excellent. Ward included some truly interesting twists and had me second-guessing many of my initial ideas. And, at first, the book held me captive. Once I finished it . . . Yeah, not so much.

Book Review — Beverly Kills

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 21:42:00 +0000

Title: Beverly Kills
Author: Sean McDonough
Genre: Slasher
Pages: Paperback 286
ISBN: 978-1-63415-278-5
Opening Lines: "The party was sick. Bro parties usually were."

Rating

"Beverly Kilbourne has it all. She's beautiful, she's popular, and she gets to kill whoever she wants. The problem is that Beverly doesn't want it all. She doesn't want to be a friend, daughter, or cheerleader anymore. She just wants to be a killer. And if she cant get through just one more year of high school, then Beverly can leave home for good and stop pretending that she's anything but a butcher.

"Anthony has nothing. He's a loser. But he's got one more year to muster up the courage to tell Beverly that he loves her and he's determined to do it before they graduate and she leaves his life forever.

"After a senior year filled with drama, confessions, and decapitations, the clock finally runs out on graduation day. As the diplomas get handed out, the question still remains . . . Will the geek get the girl? Or will the girl slaughter everyone?"

~ Jacket copy

Beverly is everything to everyone. To the girls, she's the head cheerleader, damn near the top of her class, popular, and gorgeous. To the guys, she has a killer rack, great legs, and blonde hair. Everyone either wants to be Beverly or fuck her. However, unbeknownst to everyone, Beverly has a little secret—she loves killing people on the side. To her, watching someone's life slowly leave their eyes is better than any orgasm. And, once she graduates high school, she is excited to finally have the freedom to explore being a full-blown killer. She will be done with quickies in the parking lot during parties, missing curfew because someone took longer to kill. She can finally be what she truly wants—the hunter. Unfortunately, she just has to deal with those pesky things called attachments—family, friends, expectations . . .

On the outside, Beverly seems like the average high school princess. She's a blonde bombshell, her family is rich, she is the head cheerleader, and she has been picked to be the valedictorian. On the inside, she is struggling with her internal desires. Since a young age, Beverly has known that killing people is the only thing that has given her any meaning. Unfortunately, it is hard to balance being a daughter and friend with the need to kill. And, during her senior year, it only gets worse.

Based on the author introduction, I expected this book to be a campy comedic slasher. In some ways, I was not disappointed. The book is a slasher, and it does not lack on brutality. Unfortunately, it was too cliche to be campy and funny. It felt like the author was trying to develop Beverly—especially during her little game show asides—but it completely fell short. All of the characters were flat. The author tried to garner some sympathy through Anthony and Curtis, but, again, it felt forced.

I enjoyed how the book played with stereotypes, which is what ultimately caused Beverly's inner turmoil. In addition, some of the kills were over-the-top and awesome. Sadly, even though I wanted to love this book, it kind of fell flat for me. It was a good mind-numbing, beach read; however, after coming off the high of Home Before Dark, I wanted something with a bit more oomph.

If you're looking for a campy beach read, this book should definitely make the list! Watch out, there are typos, but it's nothing egregious.

Book Review — Home Before Dark

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 21:11:00 +0000

Title: Home Before Dark
Author: Riley Sager
Genre: Horror
Pages: Oversize paperback 384
ISBN: 978-1-5247-4519-6
Opening Lines: "Every house has a story to tell and a secret to share."

Rating

"Twenty-five years ago, Maggie Holt and her parents, Ean and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. Three weeks later they fled in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book titled House of Horrors. His horror memoir of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skeptics.

"Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father's book. But she also doesn't believe a word of it. Ghost, after all, don't exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father's death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren't thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie's father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father's book, she starts to believe that what he wrote as more fact than fiction."

~ Jacket copy

After all the dust settled and the media attention died down, after years of movies and the Satanic Panic, did you ever wonder what the Lutz children thought of The Amityville Horror? This is the follow-up book/docuseries you wanted—the Lutz children returning to the sight of their harrowing encounter with the supernatural and trying to sift through the truth and the lies. (Of course, this assumes the Netflix documentary following the youngest son does not exist . . . I kind of wish it didn't.)

Maggie Holt grew up in the shadow of The Book. Every life experience was shaped by it. Everyone's perception of her was shaped by the little girl in The Book. And she's spent the majority of her childhood trying to run from what she felt was a fictional identity. She has even gone so far as to denounce her parents' claims of spiritual encounters. After all, she cannot remember anything that happened in the house, so it must be true . . . Right? Further, when questioned, her parents either outright refuse to talk to her about their time in Baneberry Hall or give her the same canned response they give on camera. When she inherits Baneberry Hall, it comes as no surprise when Maggie jumps at the opportunity to return to the house and determine the truth of The Book. What is surprising is her parents' response. Her father dies making her promise never to return to the house, while her mother tells her to sell it sight-unseen.

From start to finish, this book was a wild ride! The novel is structured as a frame narrative—The Book inside the book. Each chapter alternates between correlating chapters in The Book and Maggie's story. Further, while Maggie does venture into town, the majority of the novel takes place in Baneberry Hall, which immerses the reader in Maggie's experiences. Most of the characters were supporting, flat characters. However, Maggie's parents are more fleshed out in The Book, That added a completely different element.

This book is hard to explain without giving away the ending. Sager did a marvelous job throwing in twists and turns. After reading Final Girls, I expected it from him; however, I was still annoyed with myself for not figuring out the full ending before it hit me in the face. And something about his writing style got under my skin! I found myself feeling freaked out in broad daylight, and jumping at all the settling house noises at night. I could not put this book down! It was devoured within a few days!

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it was the book I needed! If you're looking for a good creepy book with some interesting plot twists, I highly recommend this one!

Book Review — Paper Girls vol. 1

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 20:26:00 +0000

Title: Paper Girls vol. 1
Author: Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
Genre: Graphic novel
ISBN: 9781632156747

Rating

"In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time.

"Suburban drama and supernatural mysteries collide in this smash-hit series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood."

~ Jacket copy

On a seemingly normal morning after Halloween, collides with three other paper delivery girls as weird stuff starts to happen. Jumped by a couple of people who steal a walkie-talkie, the girls are chased into an abandoned house where they make a discovery. This discovery will lead them on an acid trip of an adventure.

The easiest way to discuss this book is to break it down into the pros and cons.

Pros:

The art style and coloring choices were spot on!
The choice of dialogue later in the graphic novel was interesting, and it kept me wondering
A nice cliffhanger at the end

Cons:

It is extremely confusing — the dream sequence at the beginning seems random, all of the events with the unlikely saviors, etc. I felt more and more confused the further I read
Huh? Seriously, what is happening?

This series was recommended for people who love 80s nostalgia and Stranger Things. I wanted to like it. I wanted to love it. However, I spent more time asking myself "Wft is going on right now?" than actually enjoying the story. Maybe later volumes will shed light on it; however, I am absolutely not invested.

Book Review — Left to You

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 20:36:00 +0000

Title: Left to You
Author: Daniel J. Volpe
Genre: Horror
Pages: Oversize paperback 228
ISBN: 9788755781435
Opening Lines: "Robert Sinclair pushed the wobbly shopping cart down the aisle. The good ones, which the employees hid for themselves, were gone."

Rating

"Robert's mother, Helen, is ravaged with cancer. Every day could be her last, and Robert dreads losing the last member of his family. Robert's friend and Holocaust survivor, Josef, tells him an unholy story and leaves him. way to save his dying mother. But, as with everything in life, the salvation comes with a steep price.

"Will Robert accept what's left to him and save his mother? Or will the cost be too high, weighing Robert's soul down to the depths of Hell?".

~ Jacket copy

"What would you do to save a loved one?" Is there any cost too high? Any line you refuse to cross? All of these questions play through the book as the reader follows the agonizing journey of Robert Sinclair, a young man watching his mother die from stage four cancer. Working two jobs to make ends meet and keep in-home hospice for his dying mother, all Robert can do is dread coming home to find his mother dead. However, when a friend (and friend from the local L-Mart) tells Robert a story from his him in Auschwitz, Robert finds himself asking these same questions: Is there a price too high to save his mother's life?

Before reading, I make movie references which might be considered spoilers for the conclusion of the novel. If you're fine with it, continue reading. If not . . .

This book has been discussed on The Books of Horror community on Facebook since it was released. Praised for his extreme horror, Volpe wrote a book which would appeal to all audiences of horror. However, while the book deals with common horror tropes, it delves more into the terrifying aspect of human nature. And, honestly, that is far more frightening than ghosts, possessions, or brutal death scenes.

While struggling with his mother's death—based on her "second wind", it is obvious she is days, if not hours, away from death—Robert receives an invite to his friend's house. Josef, an older gentleman and frequent flyer of the L-Mart, bombards Robert with the story of his arrival and time spent in Auschwitz during WWII. Already dealing with his mother's illness, Josef details his job as one of the men tasked with unloading the gas chambers, watching Jews being executed for simply moving too slow, and his tutelage of a higher ranking SS officer. As a theology professor before the war, Lieutenant Kollmer takes a keen interest in Josef's knowledge, which saves Josef from immediate death. Even though Josef is given an hour reprieve from unloading the gas chambers and fed an officer's lunch, he does not realize his religious conversations hold a deeper meaning for Kollmer.

Sitting in Josef's kitchen several decades later, Robert learns of Kollmer's secret plans for Josef's knowledge. And those plans are the key to his mother's survival.

At the beginning of the novel, I disliked Robert as a character. His struggle was anguish were well written; however, something about him fell flat for me. As the novel progressed, he got better, and it was easier to see his internal struggle. Except for everything surrounding Sarah. That was a bit of a hard stretch for me to accept as a reader. Josef was . . . Man, the sections in Auschwitz were brutal and amazing! I read through that section within a few hours. I could not put the book down! It was visceral, compelling, and downright awful! Volpe's description of Josef's reaction to the bodies and desensitization was horrifying! And everything surrounding his "friends" . . . Ugh.

For me, the book fell flat in regard to the unholy secret. While it made perfect sense—especially given the emotional trauma and evil surrounding the Holocaust—the sections about Carafa and his friend were too close to Exorcist: The Beginning. The outcome with Carafa was too predictable, too.

On the whole, this book was good! The predictability, clichéd tropes, and "meh" character of Robert in the beginning kept this book from getting four skulls. However, it was still good! And I recommend it whether you're a horror fan or not!

Book Review — Man, Fuck This House

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 16:54:00 +0000

Title: Man, Fuck This House
Author: Brian Asman
Genre: Comedic horror
Pages: Paperback 200
ISBN: 9781736467725
Opening Lines: "Through the upstairs window, the House watched."

Rating

"Sabrina Haskins and her family havbe just moved into their dream home, a gorgeous Craftsman in the rapidly-growing Southwestern city of Jackson Hill. Sabrina's a bored and disillusioned homemaker, Hal a reverse mortgage salesman with a penchant for ill-timed sports analogies. Their two children, Damien and Michaela, are bright and precocious.

"At first glance, the house is perfect. But things aren't what they seem.

"Sabrina's hearing odd noises, seeing strange visions. Their neighbors are odd or absent. And Sabrina's already-fraught relationship with her son is about to be tested in a way no parent could ever imagine.

"Because while the Hasking family might be the newest owners of 4596 James Circle, they're far from its only residents . . ."

~ Jacket copy

When Hal gets a promotion that will move the family across country, Sabrina finally sees her dreams of leaving Ohio coming true. Living in a town full of broken promises and dreams, she sees this as an opportunity to finally grow and expand. And, on top of that, their new house is her dream home! Aside from the grumbling tweens and a boring, ho-hum marriage, this could finally be her moment. Until she starts seeing weird things in her house and everyone starts questioning her sanity.

The entire horror community has been raving about this book since it was released. And, given the title, I had to give it a chance. Besides, I am a sucker for a good haunted house story (and comedic horror). However, this book is . . . Well, I am not entirely sure what I think about it. Aside from the quirky neighbor (who we see a total of three times), the book revolves around five people—Hal (a boring reverse mortgage salesmen), Sabrina (stereotypical boring housewife), Michaela (tween daughter), Damien (Stewie Griffin knock-off), and the House. All of the characters are extremely flat and two-dimensional. And they were not likable, which made it hard to form a connection with the book.

Reading the book, I struggled determining whether Asman meant to be funny or whether he took himself too seriously. The whole subplot following Damien and his plan seemed out of place and too unbelievable to be serious . . . Honestly, his tone made me second guess myself while reading.

The ending had an interesting twist; however, it felt too Deus ex machina. It was also as though Asman did not know how to finish it, so he just threw something random in as an ending.

If you're looking for different, quirky, and light, this is not a bad read. Is it my favorite? No. It was interesting, but it only gets 3 skulls for various typo, inconsistencies, and issues with characters/ending.

Book Review — The Game

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 22:34:00 +0000

Title: The Game
Author: Matt Shaw
Genre: Extreme horror
Pages: Oversize paperback, 134
ISBN: 978154826729
Opening Lines: "The hammer connected with Colin MacGregor's head with a satisfying crunch that splintered his skull into fragments beneath the skin."

Rating

"A not so secret show aired via a private satelite on the dark web, where contestants are forced to fight one another and navigate their way through a maze of unspeakable horrors.

"In this episode it's Victoria's turn. A woman plucked from her normal life and dropped directly into hell, unaware she is being watched all across the world.

"The producers don't know if she will survive and they don't care. All they care about are the viewing figures. More gore, more ratings.

"The game was start . . ."

~ Jacket copy

Waking up in a room with a stranger and a mysterious note on the only door out is not exactly how Victoria planned to spend her day. After people break into her house, kill the family dog, and kidnap her Victoria isn't sure what to expect. The fight through a rudimentary, half-assed version of Jigsaw's puzzles did not top her list. Yet, here she is . . . But will she survive the harrowing experience?

As the back says, The Game is the special needs love child of Saw, Running Man, and 21. Heralded as the author of extreme horror, I decided to give Matt Shaw a try. I mean, hey, my husband bought the book awhile back, it was short, and I needed something quick between books. The premise sounded entertaining, and people online said it would have my stomach roiling. I assumed I could handle it.

This book not only fails to live up to the hype of extreme horror, but it also fails to live up to Matt Shaw's hype. The format of the book is interesting—breaking sections up between Victoria, ads, and the host. However, the execution is sadly lacking. First, Shaw never met a dash he didn't love (or a comma splice he could walk away from). Second, for the love of everything holy, please vary your sentence length! Short sentences help the pacing. They can control the speed a which you read. The longer sentences allows you to add sensory detail, imagery, and the stuff to cause our gore to rise. Falling back on extremely long sentences ends up in verbal vomit, especially when the author fails to include figurative language. In addition, if it's extreme horror, why shy away from the extreme aspect? For example, when Victoria is in the third room, Shaw pulls away and focuses on the host right as it started tool get uncomfortable. We're only drawn back right as Victoria completes the task. Make the audience live in the discomfort!

If this book is indicative of Shaw's work, I'll pass. This book was a snooze-fest and a huge letdown. If you're looking for extreme horror, this is not the book for you. The Summer I Died was a brutal, visceral read that will fulfill the extreme horror need.

Book Review — The Tattooist of Auschwitz

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 15:09:00 +0000

Title: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Author: Heather Morris
Genre: Historical Fiction/Biography
Pages: Oversize paperback 265
ISBN: 978-1-78576-367-0
Opening Lines: "Lale tries not to look up. He reaches out to take a piece of paper being handed to him."

Rating

"In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisonhers marked for survival—scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbol of the Holocaust.

"Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale—a dandy, jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer—it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did too.

"And then the hallucinations start.

"So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the Tattooist of Auschwitz."

~ Jacket copy

Part historical fiction, part biography, The Tattooist of Auschwitz gives readers a different perspective of the Holocaust—the view of a Jew turned "traitor" and what he did to survive. Unlike many of the heart-rending stories of the victims, The Tattooist of Auschwitz finds joy and hope in the gray, desolate landscape of the most infamous concentration camp and dares readers to consider what they would do for love.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz opens with Lale's cramped train ride to Auschwitz, and follows to unlikely journey to become the traitorous tattooist set to permanently mark peoples' fate on their arms. However, despite his role, he befriends his SS guard, makes deals with workers brought into Auschwitz, and provides addition food/rations to his people. Because of his work, he meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman in the middle of Auschwitz. Through the connections he makes—and charm—he helps people escape the fate of death and secures a safe place for his love.

This book has been on my radar for while; however, despite loving these books, they usually end up on the back burning because of the emotional toll they take on me. Unfortunately, after listening to the audiobook, my husband took it upon himself to buy me a copy. And so I could no longer put off reading it.

The book tells a rich story of the actual tattooist of Auschwitz, Lale Sokolov; however, Heather Morris did take some creative liberties. The story is both heart-felt and horrifying, as well as sterile and removed. Morris' writing style reads more like a screenplay/script, which pulls the reader from the immersive experience of a narrative. She uses shorter sentences and does not use sensory detail to pull the reader into Lale's story. Usually, these books find my bawling my eyes out; however, I read this one from an emotional detachment brought on by the writing style. Despite the antiseptic writing, Lale's harrowing tale is interesting and demonstrates the power of hope/love.

Because the writing style was so detached, it only receives 3 skulls from me. It is a shame; the story is quick excellent! If you enjoy Holocaust literature, I would suggest this one. It is a relatively quick read.

Book Review — The House of Salt and Sorrows

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 13:47:00 +0000

Title: The House of Salt and Sorrow
Author: Erin A. Craig
Genre: YA Fairy Tale Retelling
Pages: Hardback 400
ISBN: 978-109848-3192-7
Opening Lines: "Candlelight reflected off the silver anchor etched onto my sister's necklace. It was an ugly piece of jewelry and something Eulalie would never have picked out for herself."

Rating

"Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but the loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is curses by the gods.

"Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister's deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

"When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next."

~ Jacket copy

In the small seaside city, a "curse" plagues the house of Thaumas—taking the wife and daughters of a lord by the sea. While all of the deaths seems to either be from natural causes such as disease or tragic accident, both the people in the surrounding villages and those on the mainland question whether the lord and his previous wife suffer from a curse. Did he anger a god? Did he anger his patron god, Pontus? Each remaining girl—while extremely beautiful—becomes ineligible on the marriage market due to the rumors. Damned to become spinsters, the girls discover a mysterious door in the family's crypt, which leads to lands where their curse is unknown. And each night, the girls escape the manor house and dance all night long. However, despite the joy of being beautiful—and anonymous—bachelorettes, Annaleigh starts to question her sisters' deaths. When she starts to see the ghosts of her sisters and strange things happen around the manor, she also questions her sanity. In a small town by the seas, audiences meet the new Twelve Dancing Princesses.

The House of Salt and Sorrows takes place in a small-ish seaside city and the Highmoor manor house. The remoteness of the small city—only able to travel between areas/other cities using a boat—lends to the isolation felt by the main character, as well as allowing the author to create a bleak atmosphere. All of this adds to the building feeling of suspense and, in some cases, a horror-esque feeling.

While there are many supporting characters in the novel, the narrative follows the Annaleigh as she tries to uncover the truth of her sisters' untimely deaths. However, unlike her other sisters and father, she is unwilling to accept that the deaths were merely accident or disease. Through her quest to uncover the truth, she finds finds love and loses her mind.

The House of Salt and Sorrow is equal parts mystery, ghost story, and romance; however, it all works together to create a beautiful retelling of a classic fairy tale. Despite narrowing the culprit down to two people early in the novel, the story still kept me on my toes. There were a few instances I felt were a little too cliché such as Cassius' true identity and the story surrounding the actual "villain"; however, the writing style and story allowed me to overlook those sections. Even though I suspected it was a plot device, the author had me questioning myself near the end of the book and wondering what was true.

If you enjoy retellings, mystery, YA romance, and ghost stories, I would recommend this book! It reminds me of a good gothic story.

Book Review — Mary, Will I Die?

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 21:13:00 +0000

Title: Mary, Will I Die?
Author: Shawn Sarles
Genre: YA horror
Pages: Hardback, 296
ISBN: 978-1-338-67927-4
Opening Lines: "She knew she should have been scaredI."

Rating:

DNF

Only one of them knew about Bloody Mary. If you say her name into the mirror thirteen times, she'll show you your future. Some legends say that she'll reveal your one true love. Others, that she'll show you how you'll die. And thens ome believe that conjuring Bloody Mary will bring her into our world.

When the four of them—Elena, Steph, Calvin, and Grace—play the game, they think it's innocent enough. Elena sees her longtime crush. Steph sees a girl she's never met before. Grace sees Calvin. And Calvin sees her—Bloody Mary. They pretend it's all fake, that they only saw their reflections. But something happens to each of them that will follow them for years to come. A demon is unleashed, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Now, five years later, the four of tem are no longer friends and the mirror is only a distant memory. But they can no linger ignore the yes that have been watching them for years. The air is thicker. Her voice whispering in their heads is louder. Accidents start happening. People get hurt. And Bloody Mary won't stop until she gets what she wants.

~ Jacket copy

Four giggling 9-year-olds gather before an old mirror and summon recite "Bloody Mary" thirteen times. We all know how the story goes, right? Surrounded by candles and your giggling friends, you dare each other to summon Bloody Mary. And, in the end, you get nothing but a good scare. This was not the case for Grace, Steph, Calvin, and Elena. Each of the four friends saw something different in the old mirror. Unfortunately, even though they are now in high school and living their separate lives, Bloody Mary has decided to come back and finish the game they started five years ago. And this time, she's playing for keeps.

I don't even know where to start with this book. Guess I shall talk about setting, writing style, and characters before the bad . . . Might as well be pseudo analytic about this. The setting of Mary, Will I Die? alternates between the local high school and the characters' houses. However, the majority of the conflict happens in the high school. The setting of the high school builds the various dynamics between the characters and shows the reader the vast gap that has formed between the four friends. The close setting of the high school forces the characters to interact with each other, which, given some of the comments made, would not have happened if characters had attended different schools.

The writing style adds to the banal setting of the book. The author relies too heavily on long sentences to add description. The wordiness TELLS the audience rather than SHOWING them and pulling them into the narrative. Unfortunately, this makes the writing clunky and repetitive. And the characters are little better. The author attempts to add some flavor to them by giving them weird quirks (Grace loves B-horror and dresses like Velma, Stephe is awkwardly tall and a lesbian, etc.); however, they all suffer from being underdeveloped clichés of high school students. As a high school teacher, these four kids do not act like freshmen.

I'm currently over half way through the novel, and I simply cannot force myself to finish it. Mary has finally shown up; however, we've only seen her roughly twice. Each encounter was banal and lackluster.

If you have a kid in middle school looking to venture into horror, this might not be a bad book to try. However, it lacks any depth or true plot. The characters are forgettable, Mary does not play much of a role (at least not yet), and the writing is juvenile.

I was desperately wanting something more . . .

Book Review — Spinning Silve

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 20:37:00 +0000

Title: Spinning Silver

Author: Naomi Novik

Genre: YA Retelling/Fantasy

Pages: Hardback, 466

ISBN: 978-0-399-1809-9

Opening Lines: "The real story isn't half as pretty as the one you've heard."

Rating:

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of money-lenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty—until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.

When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk—grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh—Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.

But Tsat Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadily choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.

~ Jacket copy

In a small town forty minutes away from Vysnia, a young Jewish girl and her family fight for survival. Despite being the daughter of a moneylender—and the granddaughter of a renown moneylender—Miryem knows the bite of cold and the bitter sting of hunger. Unlike her grandfather, Miryem's father's generosity is his downfall. Rather than collecting the debts owed to him, he allows the townspeople to walk all over him and forgives their debts. As the town grows fat, his family goes hungry. When her mother falls ill, Miryem takes up her father's books and starts collecting the debts. Following her in grandfather's footsteps, she is rumored to "spin silver into gold". Unfortunately, the rumors find the ear of the Staryk lord—fey who are known to covet gold—and he sets a challenge for her . . . One that will ultimately mean her life.

Spinning Silver functions as a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin; however, Novik uses multiple different story lives to breathe new life into the old fairytale. The story is told from from approximately seven different points of view, which range from Miryem, the tsarina, to the tsarina's companion. Without giving too much away, all of the different narrators/stories end up leading to the end—either the destruction of the human world through the forever-winter of the Staryk or the destruction of the Staryk world by a demon. And the choice rests on both Miryem and the tsarina.

The book was beautifully written! The author has a way with words, and she had be hooked from the beginning. The alternate take on Rumpelstiltskin was a breath of fresh air. However, despite the amazing writing and the retelling aspect, I did not love this book as much as I hoped. The Staryk and their tenuous relationship with the humans was not fully explained, nor the strife connected with the demon. Further, the multiple storylines and narrators ended up distracting from the story. While the author did create rich, round characters, I did not care for many of their storylines or POVs. For example, whenever Wanda's little brother took over narrating, I ended up skimming the chapters. Unfortunately, it took away from the central story rather than adding to it. Moreover, the exposition felt too long. As a reader, I would have liked to spend more time in the Staryk kingdom and less time following Wanda/her younger brother. And, even those the tsar's storyline becomes important, too much time was spent on that—and not even on the important aspects of his story.

On the whole, if it weren't for the beautiful writing and original story, I would give this book 3 skulls. If it like retellings, definitely read this one! The different narrators were not my glass of whiskey, but don't tel that stop you from enjoying the rich writing style.

Book Review — HorrorStör

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 21:29:00 +0000

Title: HorrorStör
Author: Grady Hendrix
Genre: Horror
Pages: Oversize paperback, 243
ISBN: 978-1-59474-526-3
Opening Lines: "It was dawn, and the zombies were stumbling through the parking lot, streaming toward the massive beige box at the far end. Later they'd be resurrected by megadoses of Starbucks, but for now they were the barely living dead."

Rating:

Something strange is happening at the Orsk Furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjërring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, secuirty cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-to-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they'll patrol the empty Showroom floor, investiage strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy imagination.

~ Jacket copy

As a subpar employee, Amy is not surprised to find herself called into a meeting with Basil, the store manager. However, upon meeting Ruth Anne—a well-loved and all-star employee—waiting for the same meeting, Amy starts to question Basil's motives. Amy knows sales have been down, but firing Ruth Anne seems like a calloused and stupid move. Basil, however, has another offer for the ladies—work an overnight shift with him, make some extra money, and find the person squatting in the Showroom before the regional managers and risk assessment team arrives in the morning. With the threat of being evicted from her apartment for late rent, Amy begrudgingly accepts the offer. Besides, what could go wrong? At least that's what she thought before strange graffiti appeared in the women's bathroom, water spots started showing up on the break room ceiling, and a squatter helps them perform a seance to summon the souls of mental institution . . .

This book . . . First of all, Hendrix does a brilliant job of balancing horror and humor. The names of the furniture, the comments about IKEA, and the slowly building suspense is priceless. I had a hard time putting this book down to sleep.

The Good:

-- The ghost hunting TV show

-- Everything surrounding the beehive (it was downright creepy)

-- The setting

-- The characters

The Bad:

-- The ending. While it made sense, it felt as though it fizzled out. It left me wanting more.

If you ever wonder what it would be like to cross an horror movie with an IKEA store, HorrorStör is definitely that book! Grady Hendrix never ceases to entertain!

Book Review — Alice

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 22:45:00 +0000

Title: Alice
Author: Christina Henry
Genre: Retelling
Pages: Oversize paperback, 291
ISBN: 978-0-425-26679-3
Opening Lines: "If she moved her head all the way up against the wall and tilted it to the left she could just see the edge of the moon through the bars. Just a sliver, almost close enough to eat."

Rating

"In a warren of the crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City stands a hospital with cinder-block walls that echo the screams of the poor souls inside.

"In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blond, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn't remember why she's in such a terrible place—just a tea party long ago, and long ears and blood . . .

"Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape. She tumbles out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago.

Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful.

And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the Rabbit waits for his Alice."

~ Jacket copy

Do you ever wonder what happened to Alice after her strange adventures in Wonderland? Did her family believes her wild tales of "Eat Me, Drink Me"? Were they enraptured by the concept of a talking rabbit who is always late "for a very important date"? Maybe they merely pawned it off as the strange murmurings of a mid-afternoon nap. Or maybe—just maybe—they feared Alice might be truly and utterly mad. And, rather than allowing their mad daughter to upset their social status, Alice's family had her committed to a life of living hell—an asylum for the insane.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead

The idea of Alice being considered insane and an orphan, is not a new idea. Any true fans of Alice will remember American McGee's video games and her quest to remember her forgotten past. Maybe Wonderland is true . . . Or maybe it is the brain's way of protecting Alice from an extremely traumatic past.

Christina Henry does not deviate from this idea. Alice is another take on the insane girl trying to come to terms with horrific events and recover memories lost as a result of the trauma. However, unlike American McGee, Alice is not living in an orphanage and working with a psychiatrist trying to access her deeply buried memories. Rather, after returning from her "adventures," Alice is shipped off to an asylum to be locked away for 10 years.

The book is a combination fantasy and reality. Using the backdrop of a Victorian inner city London, it addresses the reality of crime bosses, turf rivalries, and human trafficking . . . With a splash of magic for good measure.

Despite my undying love for retellings and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this book fell flat. The concept of Alice being locked away after coming back from Wonderland is still an intriguing idea, and I absolutely love it. And Henry forcing Alice to work through the Old City to slowly recovering her lost memory also worked well. Unfortunately, she lost me about two-thirds of the way through the novel.

I can get behind the idea of the Rabbit (as well as the other bosses) being human traffickers of one variety or the other. I can also get behind Alice's friend selling her to a human trafficker. And even the Jabberwocky is a neat idea. However, it was all too much. Henry needed to settle for one or the other and not try to tackle both. Further, while readers know Alice will eventually confront the Rabbit, it took too long and ended too abruptly. She does not stand before the Rabbit until the second part of the second to last chapter, and the confrontation takes approximately 2-3 pages. And that doesn't even address everything surrounding the Jabberwocky.

For all the promise and the build-up, the book was anticlimactic and a disappointment. I wanted to love it and the concept of Alice being the victim of seedy human traffickers; however, Henry tried to do too much.

Book Review — Clariel

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 16:54:00 +0000

Title: Clariel
Author: Garth Nix
Genre: YA dark fantasy
Pages: Oversize paperback, 382
ISBN: 978-0-06-156157-3
Opening Lines: "Old Marral the fisherman lived in one of the oddest parts of Belisaere, the ancient capital of the Old Kingdom."

Rating

"Clariel is the daughter of one of the most notable families in the Old Kingdom, with blood relations to the Abhorsen and, most important, to the King. She dreams of living a simple life but discovers this is hard to achieve when a dangerous Free Magic creature is loose in the city, her parents want to marry her off to a killer, and there is a plot brewing agains the told and withdrawn King Orrikan.

"When Clariel is drawn into the efforts to find and capture the creature, she finds hidden sorcery within herself, yet it is magic that carries great dangers. Can she rise above the temptation, escape the unwanted marriage, and save the king?"

~ Jacket copy

In the Old Kingdom, Free Magic creatures roam the country, the dead rise, two different magic systems vie for control, and the old is unwilling to take control of his country. Stuck in the middle is a young girl who--despite her relation to the King and the famed Abhorsens--merely wants to live alone in the Great Forest.

I first stumbled on the Old Kingdom series in a little bookshop off of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh back in the summer of 2003. My ex-husband and I had every intention of buying the new Harry Potter book while we were visiting Rowling's home country of Scotland. However, Sabriel caught my attention, and it was actually half price! I devoured the novel while we took trains across the UK. The concept was new and different. And I adored Mogget. In fact, a later D&D character was loosely based on him :)

It has been over 20 years since I put the last book in the series down, and I completely lost track of them. Imagine my squeal of delight when I saw Clariel at our local Barnes & Noble! However, despite my excitement, the reviews online keep me from digging into it right away . . . Many readers felt as though it lacked the magic of the original Old Kingdom series and that Clariel was a repugnant character. After putting down another dud of a book, I entered into this one with trepidation. I was completely wrong!

This book is hard to explain without giving away too much. It is full of political intrigued and shows the reader a different side of the Abhorsens, Mogget, and Free Magic creatures. It also fills in some intentional holes in the original series.

In response to Clariel and her attitude, she is responding like a teenager. It reminds me of Yoda's comments in Star Wars: "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

Book Review — The Haunted

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 22:49:00 +0000

Title: The Haunted
Author: Bentley Little
Genre: Horror
Pages: Oversized paperback, 347
ISBN: 978-0=593-19997-8
Opening Lines: "'We're here again, Dad.'"

Rating

"Julian and Claire Perry and their two children, Megan and James, have made the move to a bigger, nicer home in their city's historic district. But something isn't right

"The neighbors seem reluctant to visit. Claire can't shake the feeling that someone is watching her. Megan receives increasingly menacing and obscene texts. And James is having terrible dreams. No wonder, considering what he's seen in the corner of the basement, staring at hime and shuffling ever so slowly.

"Pity no on warned them about the house. Now it's too late. Because the darkness at the bottom of the stairs is rising . . ."

~ Jacket copy

Most smaller towns in the United States have that one neighborhood with that one house. You know the one. All of the children are afraid to go near it during Halloween, and most times teenagers will dare each other to enter just to demonstrate some machismo. Unfortunately, the Perry's new home is that house. And they're about to find out what the truly entails for the inhabitants.

After dealing with increasing neighborhood problems, asshole children, and the regular riffraff, Julian and Claire decide to use their built-up equity to buy a bigger, nicer home in a better neighborhood. Not only will the move cut out all the shitty neighbors but it will allows James to move back to his old school and his friends. Despite seeing some truly nice houses, the home on Rainey Street kept calling to them. It was larger than their current home; had a spacious, mature backyard; and would allow their growing family the space they needed. And it was decently priced in a historic neighborhood. Of course they could not pass up the change!

And then things started happening. Their neighbors refused to answer their door. The basement door would mysteriously open on its own. Laundry baskets would find themselves left in the middle of the kitchen. The children started to be reluctant to stay at the house. And, finally, at the house warming party, they were confronted by a malicious spirit running down the hall at guests.

The entire premise of this book has the makings of a truly awesome supernatural, haunted house story. However, it drastically fell short of expectations. The author suffers from too much fluff and an inability to follow through. Once the book finally caught some traction (in the middle parts), it was deeply disturbing and left me feeling a bit unsettled. And the historical accounts were amazing! They left me wanting more. Unfortunately, it was anti-climactic and fizzled out at the end.

The build-up for a malevolent, old spirit was prime! Yet, the audience is never fully told whether the entity in the house is an amalgamation of the pasted wrongs or something evil which already lived on the land. We know the land was considered bad by Native Americans, but we are never told why. We can infer it feasts on the deaths around it. We know that all the evil in the neighborhood come solely from that house; however, we do not understand how/why it is able to trap the other houses. And, if it can reach across the town, why does it simply stay in that house? Further, if the entity is ancient, how is it defeated?

While there were excellent elements, this book was a bust for me and left me feeling unfulfilled. Maybe his other novels are better, but I am a bit hesitant to try them.

Book Review — Underneath

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 22:13:00 +0000

Title: Underneath
Author: Robbie Dorman
Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror
Pages: Paperback, 257
ISBN: 978-1-7336388-2-1
Opening Lines: "Mary Jensen didn't expect to see the body of the person she replaced, but it waited for her at Research Station Tau."

Rating

"Mary Jensen, a trained medic, needs a new start and she's getting one at Research Station Tau, in remote Antarctica. Called in as an emergency replacement, Mary soon finds out Tau's mission: to find a lost elementary particle, deep down in the ice.

"Dr. Ian Schuller, the station lead, thinks the particle is the key to humanity's evolution. As they drill into the ice, complications arise and Mary starts to worry about his sanity. As he pushes harder and harder for results, the group begins to fracture.

"And then the hallucinations start.

"Something is in the ice, and it is changing them.

"Now Mary must surivive, and face what's underneath."

~ Jacket copy

The sci-fo genre is ripe for horror. Something about the isolation of space coupled with the unknown, unexplored depths. Drifting alone in the "vasty nothingness" allows the brain time to contemplate the unknown . . . The things just outside our reach. This is why the Alien franchise has done so well. And why we have seen survival horror games dipping its toe into the uncharted depths of space in Dead Space. However, what we never considered is the unknown, isolating element of space is right next door—Antarctica.

Sci-fi has never been my favorite genre. And, if I am honest, I usually stay away from it. Growing up with Star Trek and Star Wars, I do enjoy the casual stroll into sci-fi; however, it is never my first choice for a pleasure read. The casual dystopian or contemplative fiction is okay and generally lauded, but . . . Sci-fi? I'll pass.

This book, however, was an accident. Viking wanted to know if he would like it, so he thrust it at me as soon as I finished Within These Walls. Being more of a supernatural, haunted house, possession girl, Underneath is not my typical read.

It is a slow burn. However, the nature of an Antarctic drilling expedition is nothing a thrilling subject. I think the author was trying to pull the reader into the isolation and tedium of the subject matter. The horror element was less typical horror and more rooted in the sci-fi, isolation aspect. It was also rooted in human nature.

Many of the characters, including the protagonist, are static and flat. However, since the story is focused on the particle, it might be the point. It was hard to feel close to any of the characters or find something to root for. Reading the book was similar to watching something happen with little to no stake/attachment. The author did a good job building up to the climax, but it still felt as though something was missing. Maybe a missed opportunity to pull the reader into the madness? Pull more on the idea of cabin fever and the encroaching madness of isolation?

All in all, it is a short, quick read. It was nice to break from my typical genre choices, and it was perfect to read during our first snowstorm of the season. If you enjoy the atypical sci-fi and the isolation motif, this is a good one.

Book Review — The Summer I Died

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 17:17:00 +0000

Title: The Summer I Died
Author: Ryan C. Thomas
Genre: Horror/slasher
Pages: Paperback, 186
ISBN: 9781977576088
Opening Lines: "To avoid the nightmares of that summer, I take caffeine and diet pills, any type of speed to keep me up for as long as possible."

When Roger Huntington comes home from college for the summer and is met by his best friend, Tooth, he knows they're going to have a good time. A summer full of beer, comic books, movies, laughs, and maybe even girls. The sun is high and the sky is clear as Roger and Tooth set out to shoot beer cans at Bobcat Mountain. Just two friends catching up on lost time, two friends thinking about their futures . . . two friends suddenly thrust into the middle of a nightmare. Forced to fight for their lives against a sadistic killer with an arsenal of razor sharp blades and a hungry dog by his side. If they are to survive, they must decide: are heroes born, or are they made? Or is it something more powerful happening to them? And more importantly, how do your survive when all roads lead to death?"

~ Jacket copy

The slasher genre has long been seen as the bastard child of the horror movie genre. Despite the critics, slasher films have always held a special place in horror. Looking closely, it supports conservative paradigms and beliefs--don't have sex outside of marriage, listen to your parents, don't drink, and so on. The unfortunate victims of the slasher always violate some type of boundary and are punished for their infraction. However, the 2000s have taken the slasher genre and started to morph it into something different--pseudo gore porn. The Summer I Died is not any different.

Roger and Tooth, while out shooting, hear frantic screams. They decided to go investigate and stumble on scene straight from a horror movie--a woman with an axe sticking out of her forehead and being chased by a crazy man. Through a series of unfortunate events, both young men find themselves chained in his torture dungeon. And thus starts the roller coaster ride of The Summer I Died. It never stops . . .

I will be the first to admit that slashers are my guilty pleasure. I grew up with Freddy, Jason, and Mikey. I learned the lessons of violating the boundaries of polite society. However, for me, there was always a method to the madness of the Slasher. For me, the newer slasher-type films have taken that cultural boundary and turned it into smut porn. For example, Hostile, The Purge, The Strangers, etc. are all instances of violence for violence sake. Aside from the need for bloodshed and trying to show that humans are basically beast driven by their id, there was zero point to the violence. In some ways, The Summer I Died was no different.

I struggle trying to figure out how to rate this book or even how to approach this review. Ryan C. Thomas is an extremely talented author. His writing style is unique and holds a lyrical quality while still being simplistic. Getting down to a technical level, my problems stem from hinting at some psychological issues behind Skinny Man's behavior, but never following through with it. Maybe we don't need to know as an audience; however, I felt a little let down. And, to be honest, I struggle with how it pulled me in. The violence was almost too much.

It was a well-written. It pulled me in, and I struggled putting it down. However, I cannot give it an accurate rating. Reader beware: the book is brutal beyond words. If you enjoy brutal slashers, definitely read this book!

Book Review — The Final Girl Support Group

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 18:54:00 +0000

Title: The Final Girl Support Group
Author: Grady Hendrix
Genre: Mystery, drama
Pages: Hardback, 339
ISBN: 978-0-593-20123-7
Opening Lines: "I wake up, get out of bed, say good morning to my plant, unwrap a protein bar, and drink a liter of bottled water. I'm awake for a full five minutes before remembering I might die today."

Rating:

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who's left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre twenty-two years ago. and it has defined her every day of her life since. And she's not alone. For more than a decade she's been meeting with five other actual final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses and meeting and Lynnette's worse fears are realized—someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

~ Jacket copy

The Final Girl is a common trope in the slasher film genre. After seeing all of her friends and/or family members killed by a ruthless male killer, the Final Girl (always a good, virgin girl) must fend off—and oftentimes—kill the monster while waiting for the police to charge in a save her. Audiences are familiar with the killer being reincarnated (or another killer) and coming back to finish the initial job—killing the sole survivor of his murderous rampage. However, as seen with Nancy, Laurie Strode, Kirsty Cotton, etc., audiences never see the Final Girl after she has tangled with the monster. No, we are only privy to her fight for survival. The Final Girl Support Group puts a human spin on the Final Girls and allows the audience a backstage pass to the aftermath of the carnage.

To people familiar with the horror genre, Grady Hendrix should not be a stranger. His books are well-written, contain an element of humor, and demonstrate his deep love for the genre. So it is not surprise The Final Girl Support Group has been one of the most anticipated releases of of 2021. However, despite his acclaim, many reviews online are not satisfied with his latest novel. The biggest is gripe is the deviation from horror—while still being categorized in horror—and some of the characters lacking the depth and/or likability as some of his pervious protagonists. Despite the naysayers and the complaints, I found myself enjoying this novel.

We Sold Our Souls was my first introduction to Hendrix. As a metal head, it spoke to my dark little heart. I devoured the book during my first teaching job. Staying up late at night and sneaking time to read while I should have been grading, the book had me hooked. I passed it off to the Viking. He is not a huge reader (ADHA and all that), but he glutted himself. It was finished within two days, which is astounding for him! It was recommended to a former student who happened to love Mötley Crüe. Grady Hendrix was my new hero, and I had to devour all of his books.

I'll be honest, even though they were engaging, I was a bit disappointed with My Best Friend's Exorcism and The Southern Book Club's Guide to Vampire Slaying. They did not have the horror element found in We Sold Our Souls. Granted, they had his humor and amazing writing, but the horror element was missing.

I went into The Final Girl Support Group with the same mindset—not fully horror. And I was not disappointed!

As a fan of slasher films (hell, I've written graduate papers discussing the Final Girl!), it was a fun puzzle to figure out the members of the support group and Hendrix's take on their life after. I would text back and forth with friends about the characters, and I even got Viking in on it. It was a game. The story was engaging, and I absolutely loved the twist.

Lynnette was an interesting protagonist. Unlike most main characters, she was far from perfect and struggled immensely with her past. The other Final Girls (even Heather) managed to come to terms with their experiences. Lynnette floundered and devolved into a pseudo self-inflicted OCD. Also, the derision she received from the other ladies helped add to her uniqueness as a protagonist. However, as other people have mentioned, it was hard to get fully invested in one character. The after stories are interesting and, if you're a slasher fan, we all know the ladies; however, something about them was two static and flat.

All of this being said, the book was fun, and I enjoyed it! Will it make a good movie? It might be a better move than a book, especially if you get the specific actresses to reprise their roles. Think of this book akin to Frank Miller's Batman. This is what happens after the carnage when the Final Girls are forced to come out of retirement.

Book Review — Disco Deathtrap

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 21:40:00 +0000

Title: Disco Deathtrap
Author: Cameron Roubique
Genre: Horror
Pages: 283, paperback
ISBN: 9781729122983
Opening Lines: "Almost no one knew about the bodies lying less than four feet beneath the polished hardwood floor of the Rollerville Disco Skating Rink."

Rating:

It's New Year's Eve 1980, and the students of DeAngelo's High School are lacing up theor skates for the All-Night New Year's Lock-In at the Rollerville Roller Disco. Some of them just want to skate and dance the night away to the pounding disco music. Some want to pull a few pranks and have a few laughs. For others, like Dan Parsons, tonight is a chance to move on and forget about his ex-girlfirned, maybe even flirt with Denise, that cute girl behind the snack counter. It seems like nothing can go wrong.

But there's a massive blizzard raging outisde, thick snow and ice are piling up against all the doors. There are those rumors that Rollerville was built over part of the old graveyard next door, and someone out there is watching. Also, a strange homeless man in theparking lot says that tonight will be the start of the so-called "Year of Blood."

A night of skating and New Year's fun is about to turn into a night of violence and bloody mayhem in Disco Deathttrap. Slasher fans rejoice, old school horror is back!

~ Jacket copy

In the 1970s and into the 1990s, the rollerskating rink was the place to be! Filled with the smells of cheap concessions and old carpeting, somehow kids would find themselves lined up to get into the rinks. It was the place to request the newest hits, beat the high score on Donkey Kong, or spend your money on zombies. As a kid, the biggest danger was catching your wheel on your boyfriend/girlfriend's skate during couples' skate and nose diving it into the cement or hardwood floor. Or maybe it was the embarrassment of the Hokey Pokey. Disco Deathtrap takes the sanctuary of the rollerskating rink and turns it into an old school slasher film.

Disco Deathtrap opens with your traditional cast of slasher characters. Paul and Sarah, the 1980 Disco King and Queen, are beloved high school sweethearts. They plan to recreate their winning skate to wave "good-bye" to 1980 and welcome 1981 . . . And hopefully find a corner where they can spend their first night together. Jack and Mike are the asshole class clowns. Everyone seems to dislike them, yet they somehow manage to have a ton of friends. You know the type? Gary and Jim, while attending with their girlfriends (Lindy and Suzanne) are trying desperately to reconnect with their friend, Dan, after his disastrous break-up with Mary Anne. Dan is just trying to follow his New Year's Resolution—let the past stay in the past—and maybe flirt with Denise, the 22 year-old concessions girl. However, while the students play pranks on each other, a horrible winter storm rages outside and the phones are down.

Everyone seems to be having a good time . . . Until the ball drops on Times Square . . . And then the bloodbath starts.

It is obvious that Roubique is no stranger to the slasher genre. Disco Deathtrap reads like an 80's slasher film. While it was absolutely enjoyable, the slasher trope made the book rather predictable. Roubique does not tell the audience who the main protagonist is until mid-way through the book. Even then, however, you are left to guess until the last few chapters. The larger cast of characters makes everyone rather flat and two dimensional.

The book was simple and a good beach read; however, that is what made it great! The plot was simplistic. An avid reader could easily pick holes in the plot, especially surrounding the killer. The characters were not overly likable, and you were left wondering why some of them were even named (Jack and Mike). However, the author was able to capture the essence of the class slasher film and translate it into a novel. It was not earth shattering, but it was fun. And it went extremely fast. For me, this book was the perfect relaxing summer vacation read. Granted, given the weather in the novel, winter break might have been a better time . . .

Disco Deathrap is fun, campy horror at its best! I will definitely be reading more of his books in the future.

Book Review — Ghostland

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 14:31:00 +0000

Title: Ghostland
Author: Duncan Ralston
Genre: Horror
Pages: Oversized paperback, 375
ISBN: 9781988819181
Opening Lines: "The first time Lilian Roth saw the haunted house it was floating down Main Street, and if she'd known the trouble it would cause them, she never would have pointed it out to her best friend."

Rating

"Be the first in line for the most haunted theme park in the world GHOSTLAND! Discover and explore hundreds of haunted buildings and cursed objects! Witness spectral beings of all kinds with out patented Augmented REality glasses! Experience all the terror and thrills the afterlife has to offer safely protected by our Recurrence Field technology! Visit Ghostland today - it's the hauntedest place on earth!

"After a near-death experience caused by the park's star haunted attraction, Ben has come to Ghostland seeking to reconnect with his former best friend Lilian, whose post-traumatic stress won't let her live life to the fullest. She's come at the behest of her therapist, Dr. Allison Wexler, who tags along out of professional curiosity, eager to study the new tech's psychological effect on the user.

"When a computer virus sets the ghosts free an the park goes into lockdown, the trio find themselves trapped in an endless nightmare.

"With time running short and the dead quickly outnumbering the living, the survivors must tap into their knowledge of horror and video games to escape . . . or become Ghostland's newest exhibits."

~ Jacket copy

This book has been at the top of my Facebook newsfeed for quite some time. Being a member of an online horror book community, I have found some rather interesting books, which never would have come across my radar. This is one of those books. As a gamer, the idea of a horror amusement park struck a chord. I could not wait to get my hands on this book. Alas, it sat for months of my swap list, as well as my Amazon wishlist. Until one day, my husband's swap match sent him a copy!

After it failed to catch his attention, I tore into the book is abandon! I started the book in December (over my winter break) and just finished it a few days ago . . . And, no, it was not due to the combination of starting graduate school and still teaching full-time.

Ghostland is the lovechild of Thirteen Ghosts and Jurassic Park. If you have seen both movies, you know how this book will play out. The book relies on many tried and true horror tropes. Most of the characters are flat. Ben and Lilian could have been rather dynamic, round characters; however, even their motivations seems to fall short. Lilian suffering from PTSD and her reaction to Ben after the prologue was farfetched. And the video game references seemed to be more fan service than actually part of the story.

So why did it end up with three skulls rather than two? The book had its moments. Was it scary? Hell, no. Was it gory? Yes! The idea has great potential, and I think Ralston did a good job with some of the ghosts. For me, it truly fell short. This book is good for a mindless beach read.

Book Review — The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:21:00 +0000

Title: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Author: Grady Hendrix

Genre: Comedic Horror

Pages: Hardback, 404

ISBN: 978-1-68369-143-3

Opening Lines: "This story ends in blood."

Rating

"Patricia Campbell's life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she's always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they're as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families.

"One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor's handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. Jame is well traveled and well reda, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn't felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in.

"Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia's life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won't surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong."

~ Jacket copy

According to the author himself, this book is the adult version of My Best Friend's Exorcism. However, he makes it clear it is not a sequel, per say, rather, it is his homage to his mother's book club. All you need is the author's note to leave you with warm-fuzzies.

To be honest, the only things I knew about this book were the title and the author. After reading We Sold Our Souls, Grady Hendrix turned into one of those authors I will read without question. (Side note, if he follows in the footsteps of Joe Hill, I shall swear off horror and favorite authors!)

This book is truly hard to dig into without giving away the story. It was a roller coaster ride of emotions that ranged the gamut of outright rage to grief. During chapters 21 and 22, I was threatening to throw the book across the room. Yes, Hendrix was intentionally calling on stereotypes to make a point; however, he wrote them so well, it was . . . Yeah . . .

Parts of the book were predictable, but he was able to still keep me surprised at the end. The characters were rich and well-written. And the pacing was excellent! Toward the end, I found myself wondering if everything happened too quickly with James and if he waited too long for the climax. However, he used the time to draw the reader into the story. And it made me realize that it was less a vampire story and more of a book celebrating friendship/loyalty.

This book was just . . . Wow! I absolutely loved it!

Book Review — The Shuddering

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 14:56:00 +0000

Title: The Shuddering

Author: Ania Ahlborn

Genre: Horror

Pages: Oversize paperback, 283

ISBN: 9781611099676

Opening Lines: "Don slapped the trunks of the trees with his left hand as he ran past them, the small ax held tight in his right hand. He struggled for breath as steam rose from his lungs."

Rating

"A group of close friends gathers at a secluded cabin in the wintery mountains of Colorado for a final holiday hurrah. Instead, it may be their last stand. First a massive blizzard leaves them marooned. Then the more chilling realization: something is lurking in the woods, watching them, waiting . . .

"Now a weekend of family, friends, and fun has turned into a test of love and loyalty in the face of inhuman horros. The only hope for those huddled inside is to fight—tooth and nail, bullet and blade—for their lives. Otherwise, they'll end up like the motners' other victims: bright pools of blood on glittering snow, screams lost in the vast mountains."

~ Jacket copy

Five friends, family cabin located near Dillion, Colo., winter getaway, the possibility of love, and impending doom. That plot line sounds like some unholy mashup between Cabin in the Woods and Cabin Fever. Either way, I am game!

Ryan has accepted a job outside of the United States. While it will pull him away from his twin sister, Jane, the promises of furthering his career and doing the thing he loves is something he simply cannot pass up. Knowing that their wealthy father is selling their family cabin, Ryan decides to collect Jane and three other friends for a last getaway before they are all finally forced to grow up. Unfortunately, what they did not expect was a dynamic love triangle, a freak snowstorm, and man-eating monsters stalking the cabin.

This book does a rather wonderful job building the suspense around the monsters and playing on the characters' uncertainty. Further, the character development and dynamics were the thing that propelled this book forward.

Similar to some of her other books, Ahlborn builds the suspense throughout the novel by waiting to give the audience a peak at the monsters. However, I felt as though she was more focused on the relationships in the book and used the monsters as more of a vehicle.

Ania Ahlnorn is starting to gain traction as an excellent horror author. She has a way to weave details together to build rich, deeply disturbing stories. And her characters, while sometimes frustrating, always feel well-round and not simply static. After reading Brother and Seed, I felt as though this book fell a bit short of my expectations for her writing. The character development was fantastic. The attention to detail—especially the grotesque, pseudo humanoid monsters—was brilliant. And the ending left me gasping for air! However, it felt a bit anticlimactic, and I was left with too many unanswered questions.

Book Review — The Babysitters Coven

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 21:32:00 +0000

Title: The Babysitters Coven

Author: Kate Williams

Genre: YA Comedic Horror

Pages: Hardback, 355

ISBN: 978-0-525-70737-0

Opening Lines: "The devil was an artist. Her medium varied, from crayons to Magic Markers to finger paints, and she had coloring books, construction paper, giant pads of newsprint on a tiny plastic easel."

Rating

"Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it

"And lately Esme needs all the crash she can get because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

"Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria cooking. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even tak on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

"The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her:

"'Find the babysitters. Love, Mom'

"Turns out Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home."

~ Jacket copy

The Babysitters Coven not only has an epic cover, it blew up my Facebook horror book community! It seems as though comedic horror has move beyond film and started to eke itself in novels. John Dies at the End will certainly not be the last in the sub-horror genre! It has carved out its own niche audience, and it has declared it is here to stay. And it appears as though Kate Williams is trying to bring it to YA literature, as well!

Esme has always been a wee bit odd. She started her own babysitters club based off of pictures of her mom holding kids and The Babysitters Club books. However, what started as a good attempt at a business with a few other friends quickly turned into a hang out "sesh" with her bestie, Janis. To say Esme and Janis are eccentric might be a tad bit of an understatement. Like my mother-in-law, both girls absolutely adore spending hours searching the thrift stores for new outfits and amazing bargains. Unlike my mother-in-law, both girls coordinate their outfits based on interpretations of old 90s nostalgia. Even though everything seems normal in their eccentric life, weird things start to happen when Esme is around. First, one of her kiddos claims to be let out on her roof by the Goblin King Jareth. Next, she somehow spills a jock's drink on his lap—from across the cafeteria! However,despite being besties, she feels as though she cannot explain any of this to Janis. And then the new girl enters the scene . . .

According to her author bio, Kate Williams has written for Seventeen magazine. While that is not a negative against her, it was obvious as I was reading this book. The overuse of slang, text lingo, and so on felt akin to an adult desperately trying to fit in with their teen. After teaching high school, I can say with some assurance that most teens do not actually speak in text speech. Further, this book is fully of name drops of obscure 90s references from music to random cult classics such as the Heathers. It is possible for 17-year-olds to enjoy their parents' childhood, this came across more as a way to recapture the author's youth. At first, it was cute, but it ended up getting cliche when each outfit brought up another movie reference.

This book was touted as being a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Adventures in Babysitting. However, it felt as though it was more of a mix between Buffy, Stranger Things, Charmed, and possibly Supernatural. Some of the element were original, and it was fun to see the girls make fun of the Giles wannabe. However, as with the 90s nostalgia, it relied too heavily on these type of TV shows and did not try to stand on its own. As a consequence, it took too long to react the climax, which made the resolution exceedingly rushed. At the end of the book, I had more questions than answers.

Now that I'm done with my beefs, this book was refreshing! Normally my jaded-read-too-many-books self would have found this book annoyingly cliched and unoriginal; however, this was just what I needed! I found myself rolling my eyes, groaning, and complete unable to put it down. It was lighthearted, humorous, and it did not demand me to think. And that is absolutely not a knock!

If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted summer/beach read, I highly suggest this book! Is it brilliant literature? No. However, when you need to cool down after the deathly heat of Moab, grab this book and a bottle of cold booze. You will not be disappointed!

Book Review — The Bone Houses

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 18:17:00 +0000

Title: The Bone Houses
Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: Hardback, 335
ISBN: 978-0-316-41841-6
Opening Lines: "The gravedigger's children were troublemakers. They chased chickens through the neighbors' yards, brandishing sticks like swords, claiming that the fowl were monsters in disguise."

Rating

"Seventeen-year-old Ryn cares about only two things: her family and her family's graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scaping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the food of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don't always stay dead.

"The risen corpses are known as bone houses, and legend says that they're the result of an old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with a new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

"Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the deeply buried truths about themselves. Equal parts classic horror novel and original fairy tale, The Bone Houses will have you spellbound from the very first page."

~ Jacket copy

Bānhūs is a kenning in Anglo-Saxon literature meaning "body". It is one of the many kennings made famous by Beowulf. When the title of this novel caught my attention while I was teaching Beowulf to sophomores. (It was not actually during the middle of class. Rather, Viking and I were wandering through Barnes & Noble, and I squealed with excitement while repeating "bānhūs" over and over again . . .)

This book stuck with me for several months; however, with my work schedule, it is oftentimes hard to find the time to actually read non-work-related book. However, through an amazing Facebook group (and an amazing swap partner), I finally found myself in possession of this truly beautiful book.

Ryn has always had a good relationship with death. Her father, being a gravedigger, taught her not to fear death—especially the Bone Houses that wander the forest. However, after the disappearance of her father, the death of her mother, and the arrival of a stranger, the Bone Houses are no longer sticking to the forest. With the growing unease over the Bone Houses, the villagers of Colbren are no longer content to bury their dead; rather, they burn them. Quickly losing her source of income, Ryn reluctantly agrees to help the stranger navigate—and map—the forest in hopes of finding the source of the Bone Houses.

When I first picked up this book, I fully anticipated encountering a mixture of Norse mythology, fairy tale, and fantasy. However, this book is nothing less than a fairy tale. That is not to say it lacked for plot or character development or relied on classic fairy tale tropes (damsel in distress, large dragons to fight, and all that). On the contrary, this story was a bit closer to a combination of Hunted and Brave. The female protagonist does not need to be saved nor does her male counterpart. Instead, they need each other to find the keys to the Bone Houses . . . And his past.

This story was nothing short of beautiful! The writing style, the word choice, the characters, the setting, the history, and even the subtle hints of romance are profoundly rich. I found myself easily getting lost in the pages of the book, and I struggled to put it down at night. Unfortunately, it seems as though recent additions to the YA genre truly lack any kind of depth, which made The Bone Houses a refreshing surprise!

Despite the amazing storytelling prowess of Emily Lloyd-Jones, I felt as though the ending was a bit rushed, as well as Ellis' past being a bit predictable. I wanted to know more about the relationship between Ellis and his family. I also wanted to see a bit more between Ryn and her father later in the book. That aside, I do not feel as though these instances took away from the story. They were merely questions I still had when I finished reading.

If you're looking for a completely unique fairy tale and an engaging read, I highly recommend this book! After finishing the novel, I felt refreshed. It has been a long time since a book was able to elicit that type of response from me.

Book Review — Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell

noreply@blogger.com (sinn) — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 21:48:00 +0000

Title: Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell
Author: Paul Kane
Genre: Horror/mystery crossover
Pages: Paperback, 274
ISBN: 978-7-1-78108-455-7
Opening Lines: "The box was full of possibilities; full of answers to questions he didn't even know he'd asked. It was a puzzle, yes, but so much more than that."

Rating

"Late 1895, and Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion Dr John Watson are called upon to investigate a missing persons case. On the face of it, this seems like a mystery that Holmes might relish — as the person in question vanished from a locked room. But this is just the start of an investigation that will draw the pair into contact with a shadowy organization talked about in whispers, known only as the 'Order of the Gash.'

"As more people go missing in a similar fashion, the clues point to a sinister asylum in France and to the underworld of London. However, it is an altogether different underworld that Holmes will soon discover — as he comes face to face not only with those followers who do the Order's bidding on Earth, but those who serve it in Hell: the Cenobites. Holmes' most outlandish adventure to date, on that has remained shrouded in secrecy until now, launches him headlong into Clive Barker's famous Hellraising universe . . . and things will never be the same again."

~ Jacket copy

Hellraiser was my first introduction to Clive Barker. I remember sitting on my friend's couch during our weekly "beer and pie" nights. We were slowly working our way through 80's horror flicks. For him, he was reliving old childhood memories. For me, I was finally able to watch many of the movies my mother forbade. (And, in the case of Jason X, wondering why people decided to drag out a franchise.)

My brother had always been fascinate with Pinhead; however, the knowledge was always over my head. After watching Hellraiser and taking part in underage drinking, I was excited to phone my brother. During our conversation, he inquired as to whether I had actually read Clive Barker's works. My brother has always been a voracious reader (it runs in the family), so I was not surprised to learn he knew Clive Barker was actually the author of novels about Pinhead. What surprised me was the knowledge of written work about Pinhead and the world of Hellraiser. Being the gracious older brother that he is, he let me borrow his copy of The Hellbound Heart. I was forever lost to the world of Hellraiser.

And it cannot be surprising to anyone that I married a Hellraiser junkie . . .

Fast forward to the Books of Horror community on Facebook and my introduction to the Sherlock Holmes crossover world!

Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell has been in our Amazon cart for a dog's age; however, for some reason or the other, we kept putting it off. At the beginning of the month, during our mad dash to finish our horror swap boxes, we finally decided to take the plunge.

I have always known about Sherlock Holmes (who hasn't?), but, aside from the RDJ movies, my experience with him is rather limited. Unlike Holmes, I do know Clive Barker's world of the Cenobites!

The story started off with a bang! The prologue had me begging for me, and I was honestly intrigued to see how it would play out. The story of the first disappearance mirrored Barker's novella, which brought back wonderfully warm feelings of nostalgia. Kane did a wonderful job building the story and keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Based on conversations with a aunt (a Holmes fan), Kane is able to stay true to the Holmes mythos. And, based on The Hellbound Heart, the Lament Configuration, the Cenobites, and so on are spot on. All of these elements mesh well and work together to make an edge-of-your-seat mystery. However, Kane lost me in the last me around chapter 23. Without spoiling the ending, the climax and resolution seemed a bit out of character for Barker's world. Maybe diving into the graphic novels would shed a bit more light on the subject, but it just seemed . . . Out of place. Further, the ending was a bit lackluster after the maelstrom of the first 22 chapters.

For a crossover, this was a fun adventure! The only thing that lost it a skull was the last part of the book. It was too out of place, which pulled me entirely out of the story. Nevertheless, the book is a creative addition to the Sherlock Holmes and Hellraiser canon. Besides, you cannot go wrong when the author receives the seal of approval from the female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II and Clive Barker himself.

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