Patricia Hamill's Blog: I read too much! - Posts Tagged "scary"

Casting Shadows Everywhere by L.T. Vargus

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Great story! Both surprising and clever.

Casting Shadows Everywhere is a story that takes the form of a journal. The narrator is a 15 year old boy called Jake. The opening scene captures an early memory Jake has of his Cousin Nick rescuing him from a bully by nearly choking his attacker to death, a frightening start to a story I entered into without having read the description or any reviews or ratings.

Yes, I went into this one blindly, didn't even know what genre the book was. I do remember jumping over to Smashwords to pick up a copy when the author posted a free coupon on a message board, months ago. I'm always up for a freebee, after all. Anyway, I blindly got my copy, forgot about getting it for a few months and then, coming off a slew of YA fiction, vampires, and romance, came across this one again. The catchy red and black cover, featuring a long shadow, stood out, though the title gave me few clues to what I was in for. So, all that being said, my verdict is this: wow!

I love this story. It combines psychology, thrills, coming of age, and humor into a package that just works. Random asides, musings, wonderings, and sometimes even nonsense pepper the work, as someone would do in a personal journal. I loved every one. The parting entry, in particular, left me in tears from laughing so hard, but humor is only one element of the package.

Jake, the perpetual victim, wants to stand up for himself, but always finds himself backing down. He likes a girl called Beth, but lacks the confidence to connect with her. Overall, he's a pushover, and he knows it. He hates it. Then one day his Cousin Nick offers to give him lessons in confidence. Dangerous lessons. Despite misgivings, Jake keeps coming back, enraptured by the thrill of life and confidence they inspire. He finally stands up for himself, becomes friends with Beth, and learns to believe in himself.

Watching Jake gain confidence, I found myself both cheering him on and worrying about the direction he was taking. His cousin, despite being his rescuer and role model, is amoral, violent and downright scary. Jake's outlook continues to darken and draws you in deeper and deeper into the shadows with him, all building up to one of the most memorable climactic moments I've ever read. I was utterly in shock, mouth hanging open, literally (as in the correct usage of that word). I couldn't believe what I was reading, and I couldn't stop. I had to know what happened, even though I dreaded what seemed the inevitable conclusion.

Overall, I'd say this is a must read for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller with an edge of humor, all delivered in a realistic package. It's not the type of book I normally read, but I loved it. It's been several days since I finished it, and I still find myself musing over it.



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Only the Cold Remains by Curran Geist

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book doesn't hold back...

Only the Cold Remains is a complex and action packed thriller set in a dystopian future where aliens (Kuljiks) have rescued the last surviving remnants of humanity from the Earth. The company, Medtronic, that is supposed to maintain their habitat and protect them from extinction is led by a perverted, evil Kuljik who has created a secret pleasure-ship, which features human slaves as the main attraction.

This book is well written and exciting. It is told from several distinct points of view, and this was used to good effect by the author to create tension, to build emotional connection with the characters, and to draw the reader onwards through the story. I found that it was difficult to put down the story while in a certain perspective, so it's probably a good thing the author switches between them every few chapters (episodes) or so or I'd never have gotten any sleep.

Like the previous book, this one features both the good and the bad, and let me say that the bad is really bad. The author handles the themes of good vs. evil well and is particularly skilled at showing how one cannot judge someone by their heritage. Even though much of the evil and degradation is spawned by the aliens, several of the most kind-hearted and relatable characters also happen to be aliens. I think this is one of the things that makes this book such a delight to read.

And, let's not overlook the fight and chase scenes. This book is packed with them. It truly is a thrilling experience, though sometimes they might have lasted a bit too long or followed action with action in too many sequences. Still, I think this is appropriate for this genre of book.

So, with all of this, I think the only thing, other than too much action for my taste in places, was the inconsistent execution of the inner monologue. This book, being told from many perspectives, is peppered with the inner thoughts, worries and dreams of it's featured characters. For those thoughts that were identified in italics as if the character was thinking them in real time, it would have been better to word them as one would word dialog, in present tense as if the thought were spoken aloud. Many of them were in past tense, not all, but many. If you're simply describing someones thoughts, past tense is fine, but don't italicize. If you're revealing someone's thoughts, it needs to be as if you are hearing their thoughts. I know I don't think in past tense for things that are happening now.

I must also reinforce the author's 17 and up warning. He wasn't kidding. This book doesn't hold back. Love, lust, violence, death, blood, gore, perversion, all of this and more is packed into this novel. It's not for the faint of heart, but mature readers who like a good thrill will likely love this story. I highly recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest, non-reciprocal review.



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