The Fear Street books were a great young adult triller series for me. I actually read more of those books from Stine than the Goosebumps series. I thi...moreThe Fear Street books were a great young adult triller series for me. I actually read more of those books from Stine than the Goosebumps series. I think The Wrong Number was my first Fear Street book.
Jade and Deena are the two main characters. They get their immature teenage kicks by making crank phone calls. That is until one call where they end up overhearing a murder being committed and decide to investigate, putting themselves is grave danger.
For the young adult genre, this is a really engaging horror/thriller/murder mystery. It's got the whodunit elements that keep you guessing. You definitely have the feel that these characters aren't immune to being killed, so you're tempted to read the book in one sitting. I wouldn't be surprised if the Scream movies (another horror thriller revolving around phone calls and masked antagonists) took an idea of two from this book.
I recommend this series. If you don't like it, at least it's a short read.
Deanna and Jade live to see another day from the original Wrong Number story. In this chilling sequel, it's a year later and the two girls receive a s...moreDeanna and Jade live to see another day from the original Wrong Number story. In this chilling sequel, it's a year later and the two girls receive a special phone call, promising revenge. Conveniently, the murderer they put away in the first book is now out of jail. Could it be him that's out for their blood?
Like the first book, this horror/thriller/murder mystery keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Who is really after them? Though they lived through the first book, will they make it through this one?
Fans of movies like Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer would probably find this book entertaining. It is geared towards the young adult crowd, but this series isn't afraid to take risks. People die, and there is a surprise death at the end of this book. Of course, you have to read to find out.
Like Book 1, I recommend the sequel as well. In some ways it is better because you are familiar with the characters and even more attached since it's two books instead of just one.
This series is really the exception for me. I so rarely enjoy paranormal romance compared to general urban fantasy with a healthy focus on a love inte...moreThis series is really the exception for me. I so rarely enjoy paranormal romance compared to general urban fantasy with a healthy focus on a love interest though oddly enough I'm a big fan of shipping in general. But for some reason, this one's not so bad. Dare I say it's enjoyable.
Dr. Kismet Knight seems to be trying to adjust to her new life and new level of fame based on the murder mystery in the previous book. Now she actually counsels vampires for real. It helps that she's got connections, specifically to her boyfriend, 800-year-old vampire Lord Devereux. The book begins with Kismet participating in an interview. As the seedy radio jockey takes calls, we waste no time meeting a new villain, Hallow.
He's the oldest vampire in existence and is looking to add Kismet to his collection of women due to her own special abilities. One can imagine that this news doesn't go over well with Devereux. But what can he really do to control it? Hallow's older and more powerful. How will they thwart his plans? Can Kismet do this all the while keeping her new reporter friend safe from the dangers of the underworld?
This is a book is an example of first-person really working for the benefit of the reader. One of Kismet's enemies is...herself. She takes on a bit of a split personality, and that we're taken on that ride with her, we get a front row seat in witnessing her inner-struggle with this "other self" that the evil Hallow awakens and manipulates. It makes for a really interesting read because that "other self" is quite formidable. It made me wish there were more books where the central character is a bit of a schizophrenic because that adds an element of unpredictability.
I really like this style of vampires. I have no complaints whatsoever. They're sexy, they're strong, they're powerful, they have fangs, and don't sparkle. It's a plus that they can teleport and communicate telepathically, too.
I like the Devereux and Kismet's relationship isn't that easy, though they are still together. It makes much more sense to me that way. I would think by now though that simple communication would make both of their lives easier. He tends to baby her too much and she tends to make silly decisions doing the exact opposite of what he tells her, while not trusting that he knows what's best. Most of the time, Devereux's concerns are right. You don't live to be 800 without having a clue. You would think that--being the highly intelligent person that she is--she could understand that.
So all in all this is far from a perfect book, but it's an entertaining read and delivers what it promises. I really look forward to the third book being published. I'd surely like to keep up with this series.
Magic Strikes, Book 3 in the Kate Daniels series starts out feeling like the daily grind, but things soon pick up. There's a shifter murder that Jim's...moreMagic Strikes, Book 3 in the Kate Daniels series starts out feeling like the daily grind, but things soon pick up. There's a shifter murder that Jim's trying to keep under wraps from The Beast Lord. Then there's Derek. Through him Kate stumbles upon an illegal underground preternatural gladiator fighting ring, the Midnight Games; there is no doubt a connection. Derek's trying to help a friend, but these games are forbidden in the shifter community. Of course, Kate steps up to try to help. I'm sure you can imagine that things don't quite go as planned or else we'd have no book. Through these games we meet some new formidable adversaries with an HQ that reminds of Howl's Moving Castle gone Baller.
I won't spoil it but something gut-wrenching happens to a character that I grew attached to over the books. Everything was going along swimmingly and then at about a third in, you get hit like a mac truck. I read the part on the train going into work and it seriously put a damper on my morning. I guess that's a sign of good story-telling.
This series has a consistent level of high quality. It's really hard for me to say if one book is better than the other. There's always an interesting case for Kate, the characters are consistently dynamic, and while some plot points are status quo, Andrews isn't afraid to take risks with her characters, so it doesn't make you feel too comfortable either.
It's really hard to truly categorize this urban fantasy. Some series are obviously dark, some are obviously more light. It's got pretty much all of the elements you can find, along with countless one-liners. My kindle's got so many bookmarks for this series I would practically read the books all the way through again if I clicked on them one by one, haha.
As a whole, I feel this series is really heavy on shifters and their customs, maybe even more than magic itself at times. The shifter content is what stands out to me most anyway. Lycan mythology usually isn't my thing, so while it is interesting here, that may be why I'm not *quite* as attached. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate good storytelling. It's a thoroughly entertaining ride and you'll be hard pressed to find many series of such high caliber.
Where was I? Categorize, categorize...I'll just throw it in the category of AWESOME and call it a day. (less)
The saga continues. Though the third book felt like it could have been a fitting end to the series, Stacia Kane got an extension and rolled with it. Chess and Terrible are back and things aren't as happily ever after as one would hope. I mean, really, how much of that can you really expect in this series?
Chess is ordered to help out Bump, her dealer and drug lord extraordinaire, to solve a set of murders caused by dark magic. Being a witch, this is her specialty and only she can get to the bottom of it. She's also got a day job as a ghost hunter for her Church where she must figure out what's behind a haunting on the other side of town, the rival side. The dead are being summoned and that's always a problem in the Downside world. They are super lethal and one must be super prepared to effectively take them on. So she has to put herself at risk once again to help everyone, including the one most important to her.
Overall, I really kind of struggle with this series. I'm not a Chess fan, and it's honestly not because she's a drug user. I just don't find her particularly interesting most of the time, but she is a very layered and flawed character, the product of too many tragedies suffered early on in life. I think in this novel we see the most introspection when it comes to Chess, and I actually laughed a couple of times. I'm honestly not a huge fan of Terrible either, and yet for some reason I like reading about their relationship. It's super raw and out of the ordinary, which makes it the most intriguing part of these novels. Though in this book there were a few instances where their situation became pretty off-putting for me by how destructive it was. It makes me hope that their personal drama won't be present in future books. I feel like once they've gotten past these issues we shouldn't go there again. So I'm wondering whether or not we'll see that pattern later on.
Kane is a very talented writer, if not a bit prolific at times. I've read a couple of her blog posts and I really respect her attitude toward the craft. She's created a distinct world, described very vividly; I get a great sense of the place. I just personally don't like to be in it for very long. I like my worlds to have some color to it. This feels way too drab, and it's not really because of the dystopian/post-apocolyptic style. I just can't put my finger on it. I would probably enjoy this series more if she shaved off 100 pages of non-Chess/Terrible content. This is probably why I enjoyed her short story, Home, a bit more than the books. It was short enough to keep me engaged, but it was still well done and included a satisfying dose of Chess and Terrible.
That said, the last 15% of this book is excellent and it had my complete attention. That's a stark contrast to a book I read before this one where the last 10% really dragged, so I give my kudos there.
The 5th book is due out very soon. It's a good series. I'm sure fans are glad the books have got an extension but I'm still not in love with it. I just can't seem to overcome my lack of love for darker urban fantasies. Different strokes, but it does keep me interested in what happens next for Chess and Terrible. I may give book 5 a read. If only my favorite series could release its next full novel only 3 months later. Downside fans are lucky!
*ARC Provided by NetGalley *Review also posted to Amazon(less)
The Living with The Dead series should be a sitcom. It’d be the anti-The Walking Dead. I don’t know what it is about these books, be it the current pop culture references or that Shaun of the Dead/Zombieland kind of feel, but I really like them. The lines are genuinely funny, there’s plenty of action and zombie gore, and it’s a perfect length for this kind of story. In short, it certainly packs a punch (or in this case, a shotgun). If you want a departure from the usual drama-filled and highly sexualized urban fantasy series, then this one comes highly recommended. Peterson writes in prose, making it very easy to visualize what’s happening so that the comedy translates better. What’s also good about these books is that you don’t really need to read the previous novels to understand the story. Sure, it does enrich the experience, but Peterson throws reminders out there at just the right time so that it isn’t a distraction or an annoyance. This helps a lot with flow and decent plot progression.
I will say that if you’ve read the prior novels, it is starting to become a tad predictable in terms of their companions that they meet along the way. It’s no longer a “will they disband?” rather it’s now a “when will they disband?” I do rather like some of the characters we’ve met so I don’t always want to see them go. The point is clear that this is all about Sarah, Chris, and the zombies. Thankfully, that's still good enough. (less)
This Angel omnibus includes 12 stories, so you definitely get your fill. It’s like a marathon. I enjoyed the dialogue, pacing...moreARC Provided by NetGalley
This Angel omnibus includes 12 stories, so you definitely get your fill. It’s like a marathon. I enjoyed the dialogue, pacing, and action, but the art could have been better. The coloring was acceptable, but nothing to write home about. In terms of proportions and character design, there wasn’t always a good consistency, so at best I was indifferent about reading the story in this form since I didn’t necessarily like or hate looking at it. It should sell because of its title, but if it was a relatively unknown series, the art itself wouldn’t compel me to pick it up.
All in all, I think that if you enjoy urban fantasy and enjoyed the Angel series, you might enjoy this. I watched the show occasionally, so I am not quite a die hard fanatic, but I can say from experience that I don’t always enjoy every medium for a series I like. Because of that I can’t guarantee that Angel fans would like this. I just know that when it comes to the story, it is good enough for me to want to read more installments. (less)
I decided to knock out the first three Experiment in Terror books, and I can say book 3 was by FAR the scariest one yet! They are easy reads, but the writing quality gets better book by book. This series follows amateur ghost hunters Perry Palamino and Dex Foray as they investigate locations near and far that exhibit paranormal activity. Something's always been a little special about Perry. She may not be the most beautiful or glamorous (in her eyes), but she has a special affinity with the dead, making her skills (unintentional as they may be) invaluable to producing good content for the show. Dex has his own demons as well, unraveling more and more by the book as he tries to keep Perry safe.
This particular investigation will prove to be their most dangerous and terrifying yet as they travel to a remote island between British Columbia and Washington state. There's no romantic getaway here, unless a former leper colony with dozens of unsettled souls somehow qualifies. And to make matters worse, that's the least of their problems; moment by moment, the ones they need to fear most may be each other...
I definitely came into this series wanting good creepy storytelling. The first couple of books had its moments, but it was clear that the primary focus was the evolution of Dex and Perry's relationship. It's great if you're into the slow build, but that wasn't exactly what I was looking for...until this book. It struck a much better balance with their development and the story's horror element. I got some occasional "The Shining" vibes which really worked in its favor.
One thing I notice with these books is that there's not total resolution for a case. Perry and Dex definitely get more answers, but they don't completely solve the crime or remedy things. They just get the hell out of dodge when the gettin' is good. If you want a little more resolution to the mysteries then this may not be the series for you, but I actually find this aspect somewhat refreshing. I'm curious as to if the sequels follow that pattern as well.
But now I'll switch to a personal experience with this book. I initially started this series reading the first two books during my daily commute, but I decided read the bulk of this one at home and at night just to amp up the spook factor. And let me tell you, some peculiar things happened:
1) So here I am innocently reading the book at a particularly creepy moment and then all of a sudden the power goes out completely. It's eerily quiet aside from a leaky faucet and those random noises a house tends to make. I'm alone at this point aside from the cat who was sitting next to me. Then the lights come back on a few seconds later. We rarely lose power for anything other than a storm, but it is completely dry with nary a cloud in the night sky. So I chalk it up to randomness and continue reading.
2) And then it happens again...and again...and again. So I decide to put the book down for a bit. Power is finally going strong so then I pick it back up because I want to finish the story. I just make sure to turn on every light in my vicinity.
3) No power outages this time, but the cat (who is clean of catnip at this point) is mysteriously staring at something out in the hall. You can tell because his posture is rigid and he's looking up. He even gets off the bed to get a closer look. I follow him, wondering if he's spotting a fly or something. But there is nothing there. I sort of have Paranormal Activity 2 flashbacks when the dog was presumably barking at the demon that we can't see. But of course that's just poppycock in the real world, right?
So I finished the book thoroughly freaked for more reasons than one. I will certainly continue the series, though it will no longer be in the comfort of my own home, but I'm going to take a break to read a few other books first.
Deanna and Jade live to see another day from the original Wrong Number story. In this chilling sequel, it's a year later and the two girls receive a s...moreDeanna and Jade live to see another day from the original Wrong Number story. In this chilling sequel, it's a year later and the two girls receive a special phone call, promising revenge. Conveniently, the murderer they put away in the first book is now out of jail. Could it be him that's out for their blood?
Like the first book, this horror/thriller/murder mystery keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Who is really after them? Though they lived through the first book, will they make it through this one?
Fans of movies like Scream, and I Know What You Did Last Summer would probably find this book entertaining. It is geared towards the young adult crowd, but this series isn't afraid to take risks. People die, and there is a surprise death at the end of this book. Of course, you have to read to find out.
Like Book 1, I recommend the sequel as well. In some ways it is better because you are familiar with the characters and even more attached since it's two books instead of just one. (less)
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