Krista Wagner's Blog, page 13

So Then There Were None

I was really looking forward to reading this as I love a good mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie. Unfortunately, this book is nothing like the highest selling fiction novelist's stories.A lot of the book is exposition rather than showing us, making what should have been important moments uneventful, especially as we would only hear about them afterward, through character dialogue, rather than actually participate in those moments and enjoy the thrill of seeing them unfold.A good chunk of the novel is "talky"--lots of insignificant--and unnecessary-- dialogue that does nothing to propel the story forward, and a lot of repetition of Quincy, the MC, wanting to be with Alex, but feeling insecure, nothing that makes a story intriguing. Quincy jumps to a lot of conclusions, too, without any basis for it; there's a lack of reasoning.Adams' writing gets weighted down by the long-winded unexciting dialogue; there is also confusion, as if she forgot to fix things in editing--like mentioning a wedding theme of Wizard of the Oz, which she changes to Gatsby, and a character talking about sparklers in conversation without having told the reader about it before.I was really let down by what I hoped to be a fun well written mystery.

Don't Stay Up Late

Another thrilling read from R.L. Stine, only this one is a bit more hair-raising than his other books in the Fear Street series. The horror factor is high in this tale about a teen, Lisa, who is coping with the aftermath of a car accident that killed her father and left her with terrible hallucinations.Lisa's mom and friends are her support system as she struggles to deal with the traumatic change in her life. And sharing her problems with a counselor seems to be keeping her moving forward, except for these sudden frightening images of a scary-looking creature that begins to appear.Her support system is convinced that the trauma is making her see things, but that doesn't lessen the sense of terror that plagues her.And it certainly doesn't alleviate the fact that people she knows are dying.With this story, Stine leads us into a new kind of world that brings us face to face with darkness and what lurks just beneath its surface. Lisa is an easy girl to empathize with, in spite of the disbelieving family and friends. The reality of what is actually taking place is shocking and doesn't reveal itself until the very end.Stine's execution of a teen coping with loss and change sails finely for a good chunk of the novel before sinking into a strange and dark world where something frightening is amiss, and the reader, as well as Lisa, knows it and is bent on uncovering it. A great thrill ride with spooky scenes.Chilly factor: 5/5

Party Games

I just started reading RL Stine for the first time and I am really enjoying his YA novels. This newer addition to the Fear Street series is simple but fun.Have you seen the 80's movie April Fools Day? If so, you will enjoy this story that unravels in surprising ways. There are a couple of twists here that are fun-filled and fear-filled!The MC Rachel is an easy character to relate to as she navigates the strange and shocking events that take place in Brendan Fear's house during a late night party. With lots of characters and surprises along the way, it's easy to get tangled up in the mystery and thrill of this exciting tale!

Because. . .Anonymous

This is a different kind of story. Teenage angst at its healthiest.Noah and his mom are on the run from his abusive father, but that isn't the worst of his problems. He's being accused of stalking and leaving threatening notes for one of his classmates, Mia. Only, he isn't.Unfortunately, nobody believes he is innocent.I like the premise. It is quite intricate. There is a huge cast of characters to choose from, but only a couple of them get enough description to make them tangible enough characters, which, unfrotunately, makes it difficult to invest in them and takes away the mysterious intrigue of trying to figure out who may be the real stalker.Once the reveal starts unraveling, Sharples sends us into a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, we are rushed through everything. Indeed, a good core of the novel necessitates a more structured and in-depth grasp on the characters. The story line has so much going on, which is fine, but it feels lacking and disjointed and underdeveloped. And, the fact that Noah's father's role is significant, but gets a fuzzy execution, doesn't help.I like Noah, though. He is a likeable empathetic character who keeps his cool in the face of the harshest of conditions. His behavior is commendable and he makes a good role model for teens.Overall, a a better grasp on the characters and a tightening of the plot points would make this story a more engaging read.

The Forbidden Door

Another excellent chapter in the third of this four-book heart-pounding series.Evil has more than just one face, it has multiple faces. Jane refuses to stand idly by as innocent people, including those she loves, are brought under the control of a new world where freedom isn't an option.With each stress-filled, tick-tocking moment, Jane faces off with more characters of the evil brain-controlling empire that threatens to overtake the unsuspecting. Only she and a few select people know the truth, and there is only so much time and so much space for her to work with before the growing power submerges the free-willed. And you, the reader, feel the tension in each and every second as you share this journey of justice with her.Jane continues to use her tools: strength, endurance, justice, and faith, and they get her into impossible places where roles reverse and the mindcontrollers swiftly become the unsuspecting as she, bit by bit, continues to dismantle the slithering tyranny with an astounding perseverance and an unprecedented stability that grounds her both mentally and emotionally.And she is so close to seeing her previous son Travis, but for how long? Because though she has prevailed over many people behind the curtain, she is not yet done.Powerful. Enthralling. Unimaginable.

Paws, Claws, and Magic Tales: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology

This anthology was so much fun to read. With multiple short tales and tails, there is a lot of adventure and intrigue to be found on these pages.Cats that can talk, cats than can think, cats that can transform, and cats that can rule the world. It's all here in numerous pleasant-filled wild rides of excitement. Excellent edited anthology with sharp witty writing that will engage you all the way through!

My Mistletoe Mix-Up

Once again, Judy Corry delights my heart with a humorous and romantic teen story.Though situations are of the ordinary kind--mostly hanging out--what happens keeps yoususpended throughout, starting from the kiss 'mistake' at the onset of the book when Raven kisses Logan, who she thinks is his twin brother Jace. From there, Corry throws us into a spin of hesitant yet eager romantic desires between Raven and Logan, fused with humorous situations that reveal both characters' true colors and true feelings for each other. I had such fun spending time in Raven's head and watching this relationship, with all of its awkwardness and blooming love, unwind. Each page keeps you suspended, anxiously awaiting how the next moment will turn out and excited for this developing relationship to see its way through to the end.

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

An intriguing idea that spins the original taleand examines it from Elizabeth's perspective. The story dragged on for a while and Elizabeth's character is dull. She doesn't exhibit any tangible traits, but simply 'tells' us about the streets, a knocking on a door, just day-to-day mundane stuff. Not much actually happens until we get into the second half. White's depiction of Elizabeth is essentially her 'telling' us that she has terrible intentions, but we don't really get a sense of it. As the protagonist, Elizabeth needs to be much more dynamic, but she pales in comparison to the description of the other characters, especially Justine. White does a great job giving us a good solid feel for her as well as the other characters, but the reader can't connect to Elizabeth--there's just not much there unfortunately. Once we get to the premise of the story, the plot unwinds frantically and intensely. What Victor is capable of is far darker than Shelley's version. He is indifferent, cold, inhabiting the darkest of dark intentions. What Elizabeth encounters is horrifying and the moments prove startling and tangibly and darkly alluring.Unlike Shelley's version, where we see events primarily through Victor's and the creations' eyes, here we get to see the complexity of the women characters and we receive a far more complicated reveal of Victor's upbringing. The interesting parallel to Shelley's is this: Elizabeth is Victor and Victor is the Monster.

Give Me A K-I-L-L

Excellent execution of a story. The writing style is easy to follow, but so intriguing. MC Gretchen is one you root for, but then she seems a bit off and you start to wonder how trustworthy she is. Stine shakes things up a lot in this story with shocking 'accidents' one after the other. I didn't understand why Gretchen was so impatient with her mom; it seems that she really misread her a lot, that her mom was actually pretty decent. Aside from that, though, Stine brings in a second layer to Gretchen that is spellbinding. The change is subtle, yet you pick up on it just enough to notice that the mystery deepens. It's wonderfully exciting! The big problem I had was with the twist. I think there could have been better clues and character development to help explain it. Also, with a certain character unhinged in a serious way, the culprit revealed seems unlikely, as this other character is clearly sociopathic. Still, this is a real entertainer.

Short Mystery Story

She didn't know what would become of her once she died. Her life had been filled with miseries that she had never been able to untangle herself from. Her heart, she believed, would forever be fraught with the kind of agony only evil beasts could feel. The ticking clock on the wall counted the seconds until her demise. She waited dreadfully for eternity.

#MysteryWeek