Yolanda Sfetsos's Blog, page 34

AFTER: The Graphic Novel by Anna Todd

 

AFTER: The Graphic Novel by Anna Todd
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I'm not interested in reading the series this graphic novel is based on, but thought this version might be fun to check out.

Well, I was wrong. It's not fun. It's barely tolerable. Worst of all, it's not even romantic. 😕

I enjoy enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, good-girl-falls-for-the-bad-boy love stories as much as the next person, but not when it romanticizes abusive behaviour from an unstable jerk. And certainly not when it's a...

LONG LIVE THE PUMPKIN QUEEN by Shea Ernshaw

 

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas by Shea Ernshaw
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favourite movies, and I read the Disney novelisation last week, so I wanted to check this one out as well.

Sally and Jack are finally married, but with Halloween celebrations around the corner, she has to perform her queenly duties. Except, Sally wants to live her own life with Jack, not have to fulfill a bunch of expectations for Halloween To...

WALL OF DOLLS

... was released one year ago.

Can you believe it? Yikes.

Yep.

My story, set during Halloween, about a small town that loves the season and is hiding a secret family legacy, has been out in the wild for a year.

So, Happy Anniversary to my first published YA horror novel!

Yay. 🎃🎉

Although my little tale, about a group of four friends who get caught up in a creepy situation after waking an old evil in the woods, hasn't gotten much attention since it's release last October, I'm still incredibly proud of ...

THE NIGHT CYCLIST by Stephen Graham Jones

 

The Night Cyclist by Stephen Graham Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Here's another Tor.com novelette I decided to read today.

A middle-aged chef, who recently broke up with his longterm girlfriend, goes on a nightly bicycle ride home from work. But one night, he encounters a stranger...

I read this in one sitting because the tense atmosphere sizzles off the screen and kept me intrigued all the way through. I found the way the main character describes his job, as well as his enthusiasm and experience ...

ROCKET'S RED by Mary Robinette Kowal

 

Rocket's Red by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found another story set in the Lady Astronaut Universe!

Aaron and his mother are about to put together a fireworks display to celebrate the anniversary of Arrival Day on Mars, but when something goes wrong, he fears this might not work after all...

Well, this is such a charming shortie. I just love the way this author manages to sneak in how old age can creep up on strong people who have experienced the great heights of success when the...

FOR WANT OF A NAIL by Mary Robinette Kowal

 

For Want of a Nail by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I managed to squeeze this short story into my morning routine, and I'm glad I did.

Rava is a wrangler for the AI on her family's generational ship. Cordelia stores all memories and records, but dropping her causes some technical difficulties that lead to other things...

I really enjoyed this. The story might be short and seemingly focuses on the singular problem of trying to fix an AI after accidentally dropping her, but it soon lea...

THE LADY ASTRONAUT OF MARS by Mary Robinette Kowal

 

The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can't remember how I stumbled on this novelette, but I was very excited when I did because it sounded intringuing.

Elma York is an aging astronaut who actually led the expedition that made life on Mars possible. She never forgot about the stars and has longed to return for years, but no one wants an old astronaut for any mission. Now, when her husband, Nathaniel, is ill and time is running out, an unexpected offer comes...

THE LOST BOYS Volume 1 by Tim Seeley

 

The Lost Boys (2016-2017) Vol. 1 by Tim Seeley
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I'm going to start by saying that The Lost Boys is one of my most favourite movies ever, which might explain my reaction to this comic book.

Where do I start? Well, I'll begin with what caught my eye. That the sax player was a vampire hunter. That sounded like a great premise to me. But then, in the first issue, Grandpa gets killed. Okay, I didn't like that (at all) but it still seemed promising.

I put it aside for a while an...

THE HELLBOUND HEART by Clive Barker

 

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I first read this novella when I was a teenager, but with the new movie coming out in a few days, I wanted to revisit this tale of greed and gore.

Julia is married to Rory, but is still hung up on the one encounter she had with his brother years ago. Kirsty is Rory's friend, but is secretly in love with him. And Frank, he's a depraved human being who opens a portal to hell...

This might be my second time, with decades in between, but I onc...

DEMON IN THE WOOD: A Shadow and Bone Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo & Dani Pendergast

 

The Darkling's origin story comes alive in this exquisitely illustrated prequel to Shadow and Bone.
Before he led Ravka's Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power. Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha - they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by thos...