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The Forbidden Doors #1
Phobic
Resistance is no longer an option.
My house has a secret. A secret kept behind a closed door. A secret that led my mom to commit murder.
Lately, the same secret has begun plaguing me. Voices ring out in the night. Visions appear of people dressed in sweeping ball gowns and elegant top hats, of quiet servants trapped in their love for each other, unable to be together because of their master's obsessive, cruel control--and it all leads back to my mom. Something terrifying happened, something my mom discovered. And the worst part is, I don't think it's over yet.
My brother warns me not to open the door--even my best friend, Todd, tells me to ignore this impulse. But I'm tired of ghosts and secrets and lies. All along the answers have been at my fingertips, at the mere turn of a knob. All I have to do is open it.
I mean, seriously, would you be able to resist?
Hauntingly beautiful and daringly mysterious, if you like intrigue, the newness of first love, and the paranormal twist of the unexpected--all mixed in with a dash of spooky--then open the door to Cortney Pearson's Phobic today.
My house has a secret. A secret kept behind a closed door. A secret that led my mom to commit murder.
Lately, the same secret has begun plaguing me. Voices ring out in the night. Visions appear of people dressed in sweeping ball gowns and elegant top hats, of quiet servants trapped in their love for each other, unable to be together because of their master's obsessive, cruel control--and it all leads back to my mom. Something terrifying happened, something my mom discovered. And the worst part is, I don't think it's over yet.
My brother warns me not to open the door--even my best friend, Todd, tells me to ignore this impulse. But I'm tired of ghosts and secrets and lies. All along the answers have been at my fingertips, at the mere turn of a knob. All I have to do is open it.
I mean, seriously, would you be able to resist?
Hauntingly beautiful and daringly mysterious, if you like intrigue, the newness of first love, and the paranormal twist of the unexpected--all mixed in with a dash of spooky--then open the door to Cortney Pearson's Phobic today.
376 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2014
14 people are currently reading
1433 people want to read
About the author
Cortney Pearson
27 books328 followersCortney Pearson is the USA Today bestselling author of The Chosen Series, Curse of the Pirate Series, and The Chuzzlewit Chronicles. She writes fantasy worlds brimming with adventure, loyalty, and romance, from wizards, to steampunk, to pirates. She is the mom of four cuties, loves classical music, chocolate, slow-burn kissing scenes, and sparkles.
Don't miss a thing regarding Cortney's books. Sign up for her newsletter! www.cortneypearson.com
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Stay up-to-date in her FB group, Cortney's Secret Keepers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Cortn...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
June 16, 2014
Piper Crenshaw is a fifteen year old girl with zits, a boy-that’s-a-friend who she wishes were a boyfriend, and a pack of mean-girl bullies on her case. Piper is completely ordinary.
Except for the fact that her mother killed a man and hid his body in their house. And the fact that their house is haunted.
In fact, Piper’s house is almost a character in this creepy, thrill-filled contemporary horror story. It alternates between protecting and terrorizing Piper, sometimes locking her in, other times beating up the bullies in her life. It features stairs that lead nowhere and steaming pools of blood. In this house, the past and the present, the ordinary and the bizarre, all exist side-by-side.
Piper has been raised to accept her situation and not ask questions. Tired of passively taking what comes her way, she starts to investigate. She slowly learns that she and her family are trapped for all of eternity in the hundred year-old scheme of a madman, and she is the only one who can save them.
Author Cortney Pearson has pulled out all the stops in PHOBIC, her first novel. Piper’s high school life (including her hot potential boyfriend) are just as fully realized as the demonic history of her home and family. The story goes back and forth effortlessly between the normal and the twisted, the sane and the lunatic, the expected and the unthinkable.
I read this book fast, with a pumping heart. Expect cliff hangers and cold chills. Don’t expect to get much sleep! Highly recommended.
Except for the fact that her mother killed a man and hid his body in their house. And the fact that their house is haunted.
In fact, Piper’s house is almost a character in this creepy, thrill-filled contemporary horror story. It alternates between protecting and terrorizing Piper, sometimes locking her in, other times beating up the bullies in her life. It features stairs that lead nowhere and steaming pools of blood. In this house, the past and the present, the ordinary and the bizarre, all exist side-by-side.
Piper has been raised to accept her situation and not ask questions. Tired of passively taking what comes her way, she starts to investigate. She slowly learns that she and her family are trapped for all of eternity in the hundred year-old scheme of a madman, and she is the only one who can save them.
Author Cortney Pearson has pulled out all the stops in PHOBIC, her first novel. Piper’s high school life (including her hot potential boyfriend) are just as fully realized as the demonic history of her home and family. The story goes back and forth effortlessly between the normal and the twisted, the sane and the lunatic, the expected and the unthinkable.
I read this book fast, with a pumping heart. Expect cliff hangers and cold chills. Don’t expect to get much sleep! Highly recommended.
July 8, 2014
Absolutely LOVED this book!!!!!!
Haunting. Intense. Romantic. Suspenseful. Compelling. I could go on…
I enjoyed this very much. Piper is a great main character, and it's really fun being in her head. The voice is great, the concept original. The house is SO COOL, because it's a character in and of itself. Just the right amount of creep/gore factor. I didn't think I could be a fan of horror, but the author does a fabulous job of balancing all the elements so it's not one-sided. Definitely five stars. I highly recommend it!
Haunting. Intense. Romantic. Suspenseful. Compelling. I could go on…
I enjoyed this very much. Piper is a great main character, and it's really fun being in her head. The voice is great, the concept original. The house is SO COOL, because it's a character in and of itself. Just the right amount of creep/gore factor. I didn't think I could be a fan of horror, but the author does a fabulous job of balancing all the elements so it's not one-sided. Definitely five stars. I highly recommend it!
July 21, 2014
Review: PHOBIC by Cortney Pearson
Oh this book, this special, stunning, unstoppable, incredibly imagined, book! Can you tell how much I.loved it? I read it nonstop, truly. The characters are so.well wrought, and deal with amazingly realistic issues. Piper is a heroine of fine cattle, a girl stronger because of her turmoil.
And the horrors!!! I would categorize this as upper YA, definitely, for graphic descriptions ( and some implications). Ah, I'm ready to go read it again.
Oh this book, this special, stunning, unstoppable, incredibly imagined, book! Can you tell how much I.loved it? I read it nonstop, truly. The characters are so.well wrought, and deal with amazingly realistic issues. Piper is a heroine of fine cattle, a girl stronger because of her turmoil.
And the horrors!!! I would categorize this as upper YA, definitely, for graphic descriptions ( and some implications). Ah, I'm ready to go read it again.
June 30, 2016
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Phobic was so surprisingly awesome that I can't find words for it. Whenever I find such a hidden gem that I know I only get to read because of blogging, I feel extremely happy. At these moments I forget all the time blogging takes away from my life, or the times when I was anxious over having to read a book in time. After all that's why I do this, to find books that I'd have never ever found if I didn't join to the book blogging community and of course to meet with you all, lovely people. :)
Let's start off with the bad, shall we? The only thing I didn't like about Phobic was the blurb. I hate when the blurb ruins a big thing in the book, and that was exactly what it did when mentioning the axing. The blurb suggests that Piper already knows about her connection to the house but she did not, until getting axed, that is. I don't like finding out things before the main character, and I hate it even more when she doesn't even get the chance to learn things before me. Besides this I had no other problems with the book.
The description of the house was perfect. I was able to imagine that creepy ass house with everything in it. And did I mention how easily Courtney Person can create a creepy atmosphere? Even though I wasn't really scared, this book definitely made me shiver at some parts. The story completely sucked me in and didn't let me go until the very end. The plot was incredibly exciting and made me want to read the whole novel in one seat. There were some parts when I felt like I couldn't read fast enough because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I never once got confused, and by the end everything was neatly closed and explained.
I was pleasantly surprised about how well I could connect to the characters. In many thriller/horror stories I find that the author concentrates on the plot rather than the characters. Meanwhile I had no problem connecting the Piper, she was all kind of awesome and while she had her immature moments she was still so more mature than her age. Todd was a great addition too, while there were many parts I didn't understand him by the end I liked him well enough.
Their friendship was really sweet. I loved that I had the chance to take a look at their childhood and see how it all started. The romance was pretty awesome too, considered to a thriller. I found their love believable and sweet, something that I'm sure every teenager dreams of.
All considered Phobic is recommend to all of those who love a good creepy YA horror story with real characters. Do not think for a moment that the characters' age makes this any less good than other YA horrors because it does not.
The story idea: 4/5
The realization of the story: 4/5
The cover: 4/5
The characters: 4/5
Enjoy factor: 5/5
Final Rating: 4/5
Phobic was so surprisingly awesome that I can't find words for it. Whenever I find such a hidden gem that I know I only get to read because of blogging, I feel extremely happy. At these moments I forget all the time blogging takes away from my life, or the times when I was anxious over having to read a book in time. After all that's why I do this, to find books that I'd have never ever found if I didn't join to the book blogging community and of course to meet with you all, lovely people. :)
Let's start off with the bad, shall we? The only thing I didn't like about Phobic was the blurb. I hate when the blurb ruins a big thing in the book, and that was exactly what it did when mentioning the axing. The blurb suggests that Piper already knows about her connection to the house but she did not, until getting axed, that is. I don't like finding out things before the main character, and I hate it even more when she doesn't even get the chance to learn things before me. Besides this I had no other problems with the book.
The description of the house was perfect. I was able to imagine that creepy ass house with everything in it. And did I mention how easily Courtney Person can create a creepy atmosphere? Even though I wasn't really scared, this book definitely made me shiver at some parts. The story completely sucked me in and didn't let me go until the very end. The plot was incredibly exciting and made me want to read the whole novel in one seat. There were some parts when I felt like I couldn't read fast enough because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I never once got confused, and by the end everything was neatly closed and explained.
I was pleasantly surprised about how well I could connect to the characters. In many thriller/horror stories I find that the author concentrates on the plot rather than the characters. Meanwhile I had no problem connecting the Piper, she was all kind of awesome and while she had her immature moments she was still so more mature than her age. Todd was a great addition too, while there were many parts I didn't understand him by the end I liked him well enough.
Their friendship was really sweet. I loved that I had the chance to take a look at their childhood and see how it all started. The romance was pretty awesome too, considered to a thriller. I found their love believable and sweet, something that I'm sure every teenager dreams of.
All considered Phobic is recommend to all of those who love a good creepy YA horror story with real characters. Do not think for a moment that the characters' age makes this any less good than other YA horrors because it does not.
The story idea: 4/5
The realization of the story: 4/5
The cover: 4/5
The characters: 4/5
Enjoy factor: 5/5
Final Rating: 4/5
September 8, 2014
2.5 Stars
I couldn't resist this one after seeing the creeptastic cover and reading the synopsis. I was hoping this would be the perfect read to freak me out without scaring me too much. I pretty much got what I was hoping for but..it took awhile to get there.
Even though I knew the author needed to set up not only the atmosphere and characters for this story, but give the house that Piper resided in a personality of it's own, it felt like it took forever to get there. In fact I wasn't even sure after around 45% if would even get there.
I would love to say that I loved this from the moment that I opened it and began reading but the truth is, I didn't. It had to grow on me and what kept me reading more than anything, was the anticipation that things would really start moving and I would get the horror and thrill I was hoping for when I first laid eyes on the cover. And it did get there, to an extent but still it wasn't all I was hoping it would be but it was good. It did have that creep factor to it with the house having it's own personality and all the ghosts and factors that came with it but it still didn't make me want to look over my shoulder or sleep with the lights on. Overall though it was a pretty solid read even with the very slow start.
There is just enough weirdness and a slight touch of romance that it made the story interesting and different.
I couldn't resist this one after seeing the creeptastic cover and reading the synopsis. I was hoping this would be the perfect read to freak me out without scaring me too much. I pretty much got what I was hoping for but..it took awhile to get there.
Even though I knew the author needed to set up not only the atmosphere and characters for this story, but give the house that Piper resided in a personality of it's own, it felt like it took forever to get there. In fact I wasn't even sure after around 45% if would even get there.
I would love to say that I loved this from the moment that I opened it and began reading but the truth is, I didn't. It had to grow on me and what kept me reading more than anything, was the anticipation that things would really start moving and I would get the horror and thrill I was hoping for when I first laid eyes on the cover. And it did get there, to an extent but still it wasn't all I was hoping it would be but it was good. It did have that creep factor to it with the house having it's own personality and all the ghosts and factors that came with it but it still didn't make me want to look over my shoulder or sleep with the lights on. Overall though it was a pretty solid read even with the very slow start.
There is just enough weirdness and a slight touch of romance that it made the story interesting and different.
December 28, 2015
I received PHOBIC as an ARC through netgalley.com.
3.5 stars.
PHOBIC is a YA supernatural horror/thriller with a romantic subplot. For many readers, that's enough to tell them if they want to read it or not. But this book is more than its labels.
I do have some criticisms (for example, some repetitious descriptions seem to be there because the author doesn't trust the reader to remember character names) but, for the most part, I found PHOBIC to be a fun and tense read. I was hooked right from the beginning, primarily by the language--almost poetically descriptive while rarely venturing into purple/flowery territory--and was delighted when things didn't go quite how I expected. I recommend reading it in the dark on a dimly glowing e-reader screen.
I'm definitely interested in further titles in the Forbidden Doors series; I want to find out what happens to these characters next!
3.5 stars.
PHOBIC is a YA supernatural horror/thriller with a romantic subplot. For many readers, that's enough to tell them if they want to read it or not. But this book is more than its labels.
I do have some criticisms (for example, some repetitious descriptions seem to be there because the author doesn't trust the reader to remember character names) but, for the most part, I found PHOBIC to be a fun and tense read. I was hooked right from the beginning, primarily by the language--almost poetically descriptive while rarely venturing into purple/flowery territory--and was delighted when things didn't go quite how I expected. I recommend reading it in the dark on a dimly glowing e-reader screen.
I'm definitely interested in further titles in the Forbidden Doors series; I want to find out what happens to these characters next!
February 3, 2015
In this book, so far we have met Piper and Piper has a very strange house that protects her. Piper doesn’t get to have many friends over because her house is so weird and she is not always sure how the house will respond. The house is haunted and this is a good book about Piper and her haunted house. I really like ghost stories so this one is one of the good ones. A very good creepy and gripping book. I would read the next one. * This book was given to me by author in exchange for honest review*
September 25, 2014
I love a good ghostly book and even better if it involves a super creepy house dating back to the 1800's, and let's go one better because this house is ALIVE.
Yes indeed, the walls breathe and the house listens. Phobic is a young adults book that blends the drama of high school life, crushes on your male best friend with a house that does weird things and has a mind of it's own.
Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is strange. It’s never needed repairs since it was built in the 1800s, and the lights flicker in response to things she says. As if those things aren’t creepy enough, it’s also the place where her mother committed murder.
Piper is not a popular girl at school, she is the outcast, not in the cool crowd, bullied relentlessly for having bad acne and just not being like everyone else, it doesn't help that she lives in a weird looking house. Her best fried has been there for her since she was 7 but now he's running with the same group of kids at school that bully her, he thinks they can all get on. Yeah right. Not going to happen.
She is being raised by her older brother, in a house that right from the start we know is not normal. It whispers to her, it regenerates itself if it is damaged, renovations have not been required for hundreds of years, it looks in pristine condition, as if new. Smash a hole in the wall? No problem, the wall will fix itself.
I was ready for super scary creepsville and I have to say it wasn't really all that creepy at all. The first half of the book has very little creepy stuff, it's focused on Piper and her friendships, school life and her internal though processes. We start to REALLY get the taste for the weird stuff in the second half and more so even towards the end.
The plot was okay, I felt it was too slow in revealing some of the house's secrets, some more scary bits earlier on would have been perfect. It picks up pace rapidly towards the end as the secrets of the house reveals itself to Piper in rather unusual circumstances. I did think the plot was stronger and well written towards the end with more and more reveals happening. Quite interesting what happens to Piper.
We have ghost sightings, and tormented trapped ghosts they are. We have an evil ghost, who sold his soul and is a dangerous link between the supernatural and the everyday world. We have a house that has rooms you should never enter (but Piper does of course) and that is pretty much what kicks of the rapid pace of events that leads to the grand finale in the book.
The characters were okay, I liked Piper's guts and determination and her courage in the face of bullying, but aside from Piper no other character really stands out for me in this book. I was excited to hear the story of why her mother is in jail for murder and how her father died, as that was left a mystery for a lot of the book. And of course once the high school clique find out she is the daughter of a murderess Piper's likeability goes downhill even further. Not something you want your high school to know really.
What are the secrets of this house? What/who is living in the walls? Who is the man that sold his soul to the devil? Who are the ghosts that appear to Piper and why does she feel pulled to help? Why did her mother kill? And why did her father tell her never to open specific doors in the house? What is behind them? You shall have to read to find out!
Not super scary, but just enough ghostly happenings to keep it interesting, I just wanted a bit more of it earlier on. I love a good haunting!
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Yes indeed, the walls breathe and the house listens. Phobic is a young adults book that blends the drama of high school life, crushes on your male best friend with a house that does weird things and has a mind of it's own.
Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is strange. It’s never needed repairs since it was built in the 1800s, and the lights flicker in response to things she says. As if those things aren’t creepy enough, it’s also the place where her mother committed murder.
Piper is not a popular girl at school, she is the outcast, not in the cool crowd, bullied relentlessly for having bad acne and just not being like everyone else, it doesn't help that she lives in a weird looking house. Her best fried has been there for her since she was 7 but now he's running with the same group of kids at school that bully her, he thinks they can all get on. Yeah right. Not going to happen.
She is being raised by her older brother, in a house that right from the start we know is not normal. It whispers to her, it regenerates itself if it is damaged, renovations have not been required for hundreds of years, it looks in pristine condition, as if new. Smash a hole in the wall? No problem, the wall will fix itself.
I was ready for super scary creepsville and I have to say it wasn't really all that creepy at all. The first half of the book has very little creepy stuff, it's focused on Piper and her friendships, school life and her internal though processes. We start to REALLY get the taste for the weird stuff in the second half and more so even towards the end.
The plot was okay, I felt it was too slow in revealing some of the house's secrets, some more scary bits earlier on would have been perfect. It picks up pace rapidly towards the end as the secrets of the house reveals itself to Piper in rather unusual circumstances. I did think the plot was stronger and well written towards the end with more and more reveals happening. Quite interesting what happens to Piper.
We have ghost sightings, and tormented trapped ghosts they are. We have an evil ghost, who sold his soul and is a dangerous link between the supernatural and the everyday world. We have a house that has rooms you should never enter (but Piper does of course) and that is pretty much what kicks of the rapid pace of events that leads to the grand finale in the book.
The characters were okay, I liked Piper's guts and determination and her courage in the face of bullying, but aside from Piper no other character really stands out for me in this book. I was excited to hear the story of why her mother is in jail for murder and how her father died, as that was left a mystery for a lot of the book. And of course once the high school clique find out she is the daughter of a murderess Piper's likeability goes downhill even further. Not something you want your high school to know really.
What are the secrets of this house? What/who is living in the walls? Who is the man that sold his soul to the devil? Who are the ghosts that appear to Piper and why does she feel pulled to help? Why did her mother kill? And why did her father tell her never to open specific doors in the house? What is behind them? You shall have to read to find out!
Not super scary, but just enough ghostly happenings to keep it interesting, I just wanted a bit more of it earlier on. I love a good haunting!
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2014
I found that Phobic was a very well balanced novel, not too much gushy romance and not too much gore, just enough gore to frighten you but not to sicken you. It’s rare to find a good balance like that; basically it was a PG-13 version of horror movies today, but with a real twist of an ending.
Phobic starts out with Piper, who finds herself ugly because of her zits and weird because of her haunted house. Not the creaky, just old haunted a house. The house locks her in on a whim and takes care of its own maintenance. People are aware of this weird house, and after a bad mistake on Pipers and her best friend Todd’s part, all the other weird demons in Pipers closet come pouring out (Parents included), including an 137 year old secret.
This was definitely a horror YA book, nothing to graphic and perfect for ages 13 and up who like ghost stories with a hint of romance. I know quite a few who enjoy this sort of thing. Because it was a YA book there were some less than mature things in the way the characters spoke, but they are in high school and rarely do you meet a sophisticated high school student, so their vocabulary consists of, ‘duh’, ‘like’, and other overused words. Try not to be annoyed because some of the characters actually fit quite well into their dialogue, even if some of the things they say make you raise your eyebrow, wondering if people really speak like that. They do.
I was so afraid that this was going to have a stupid ending and for a moment I thought it did, and I started to get so frustrated that it would end that way then I saw that this and at least 20 more pages, I’ve rarely been so relieved. Nothing is worse than a good storyline with a bad ending. So rest assured the ending is a good one.
I understand that people can be cruel in this world, conniving and other horrible things but I felt like Piper was just a little too much of a victim. First there was her mother, then her father, her distant brother, and the snotty kids at her high school. All giving Piper the short end of the stick (sometimes unintentionally), making her personality frail and victimized in everything. Sometimes it was annoying, because it almost seemed like she wanted to be the victim. Being a victim kind of made up her personality too (up until the end), she fails at most things then runs away crying. However that is my only fault with Piper as a character, other than that she’s nice, courageous (sometimes), and overall a very decent heroine.
I feel that the author has the whole storyline written very well, not jumpy, and nicely paced and I’m satisfied and even excited knowing that this is not the end of the series. I’ll be picking up the next book in the series first chance I get.
Received copy from Netgalley.
Phobic starts out with Piper, who finds herself ugly because of her zits and weird because of her haunted house. Not the creaky, just old haunted a house. The house locks her in on a whim and takes care of its own maintenance. People are aware of this weird house, and after a bad mistake on Pipers and her best friend Todd’s part, all the other weird demons in Pipers closet come pouring out (Parents included), including an 137 year old secret.
This was definitely a horror YA book, nothing to graphic and perfect for ages 13 and up who like ghost stories with a hint of romance. I know quite a few who enjoy this sort of thing. Because it was a YA book there were some less than mature things in the way the characters spoke, but they are in high school and rarely do you meet a sophisticated high school student, so their vocabulary consists of, ‘duh’, ‘like’, and other overused words. Try not to be annoyed because some of the characters actually fit quite well into their dialogue, even if some of the things they say make you raise your eyebrow, wondering if people really speak like that. They do.
I was so afraid that this was going to have a stupid ending and for a moment I thought it did, and I started to get so frustrated that it would end that way then I saw that this and at least 20 more pages, I’ve rarely been so relieved. Nothing is worse than a good storyline with a bad ending. So rest assured the ending is a good one.
I understand that people can be cruel in this world, conniving and other horrible things but I felt like Piper was just a little too much of a victim. First there was her mother, then her father, her distant brother, and the snotty kids at her high school. All giving Piper the short end of the stick (sometimes unintentionally), making her personality frail and victimized in everything. Sometimes it was annoying, because it almost seemed like she wanted to be the victim. Being a victim kind of made up her personality too (up until the end), she fails at most things then runs away crying. However that is my only fault with Piper as a character, other than that she’s nice, courageous (sometimes), and overall a very decent heroine.
I feel that the author has the whole storyline written very well, not jumpy, and nicely paced and I’m satisfied and even excited knowing that this is not the end of the series. I’ll be picking up the next book in the series first chance I get.
Received copy from Netgalley.
April 21, 2015
Phobic by Courtney Pearson is the first book in The Forbidden Doors series. It is a young adult paranormal horror story. Piper Crenshaw is fifteen years old, has terrible acne, father died ten months ago, and her mother is in prison for murder! Just your typical teenager—wrong! Her older brother, Joel is her guardian and Todd Dawes, who lives next door, is her best friend. They live in a beautiful old Victorian home that has been in their family for a couple of generations. When they changed towns to get away from publicity regarding the murder, their father moved the house. In all the time they have owned the house they have never needed to do repairs or replace anything in the home. Everything in the house still looks brand new. They do not have to do yard work. Their home is alive.
Piper is starting to have visions while in the house. She can see scenes from the people who lived in the house when it was first built. Augustus Garrett, his maid, Ada, and driver, Thomas are in the scenes. Garrett was a nasty man who was cruel. He killed people in the basement for parts. Pipe does not know what is going on? There were certain rules her father had in place. Do not go into the basement and do not open the door behind his desk in the library. Unfortunately, Piper violates both rules. Then ten horrible teens from school come to the house one night. They want to know what is behind the door to nowhere (a door on the outside of the house above the library). When one of the teens takes an axe to the door, Pipe starts bleeding from her stomach! What is going on? Why when something happens to the house it happens to Piper? Then her brother goes missing. What is going on with the house, Piper, and where is Joel? What was Augustus Garrett doing with the body parts? Piper along with Todd set out to find answers to their questions.
I give Phobic 3.5 out of 4 stars. The book is okay, but it did not flow smoothly. It was very stilted (that is the only word that comes to mind). There is graphic violence and gore in the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Piper is starting to have visions while in the house. She can see scenes from the people who lived in the house when it was first built. Augustus Garrett, his maid, Ada, and driver, Thomas are in the scenes. Garrett was a nasty man who was cruel. He killed people in the basement for parts. Pipe does not know what is going on? There were certain rules her father had in place. Do not go into the basement and do not open the door behind his desk in the library. Unfortunately, Piper violates both rules. Then ten horrible teens from school come to the house one night. They want to know what is behind the door to nowhere (a door on the outside of the house above the library). When one of the teens takes an axe to the door, Pipe starts bleeding from her stomach! What is going on? Why when something happens to the house it happens to Piper? Then her brother goes missing. What is going on with the house, Piper, and where is Joel? What was Augustus Garrett doing with the body parts? Piper along with Todd set out to find answers to their questions.
I give Phobic 3.5 out of 4 stars. The book is okay, but it did not flow smoothly. It was very stilted (that is the only word that comes to mind). There is graphic violence and gore in the book.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2015
Phobic is an enjoyable, paranormal novel for young adults. It is narrated in the first person and in the present tense, which makes for a very dynamic reading experience. First person narrators are unreliable, because they just can’t be everywhere and know everything, yet they are more authentic, because the reader knows and accepts their limited yet honest version of the story. On the other hand, the combination of their unique voice and the use of present tense, if it’s pulled off well, can be two powerful tools which the author uses to drag the reader into and along the story. Fortunately, both are combined to great effect in the case of Phobic. The story is well written and pleasant to read.
I felt I was rushing through events with 15-year-old Piper, her brother, Joel, her friends, especially, Todd, Jordan, and Sierra. Her mysterious 19th century house is literally alive, and she bumps into the ghosts of former inhabitants, while coping with her mother’s imprisonment, supposed lunacy and cryptic messages, as well as school and some spiteful classmates. As you read, you’ll discover how this capable and resourceful heroine must face a vicious house full of ghosts, her brother’s disappearance, her father’s death, and unravel a mystery before she can find any peace. There’s tension, sometimes chaos, and lots of suspense right to the end.
A fun and spooky read for young adults.
Read
July 23, 2014Have to put this aside. Couldn't get into it.
July 2, 2017
Piper has zits and is bullied at school. Her house is haunted and full of secrets. Piper has been told not to open certain doors. Why? Piper wants to discover the secrets of the house. She doesn't know why the house never needs repair. What are the secrets? Piper starts seeing ghosts from the past and hearing voices. Will she be able to solve the mysteries of the house?
The novel is creepy and full of surprises. It is suspenseful. The novel is definitely paranormal but can also be considered. Horror novel due to cliffhangers plus more. I can't wait to read the next novel!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Net-galley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The novel is creepy and full of surprises. It is suspenseful. The novel is definitely paranormal but can also be considered. Horror novel due to cliffhangers plus more. I can't wait to read the next novel!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Net-galley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
August 10, 2014
I received an Kindle ARC copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"Death isn't the end. It's only a doorway."
This was such a fun book to read. I was so excited when I got approved to read this through NetGalley because books like this are right up my alley. I love horror novels, but I especially love YA horror. I enjoyed this book more than I disliked it, but because I did receive this book at no cost to me in exchange for an honest review, I'm going to do just that. Before I get into what I didn't like, I want to start off by saying that Pearson can write a damn book. She has a way of pulling you head first into the story and leaving you desperately eager to find out what happens next. This book is not without flaws, but what book isn't? So here we go.
Fifteen year Piper Crenshaw has a lot on her plate. Her mother is incarcerated, her father is dead, her brother is hardly around, she's not exactly sure how she feels about her best friend, and her face is covered in zits. Oh and yeah... her house is alive. That is a hell of a lot for one person to handle, let alone a fifteen year old girl. She handled the situation with her family and brother surprisingly well; in fact, it seemed almost like acne was more devastating than all those things combined. My first initial reaction of Piper was that she was a whiny, immature, doormat of a character who had the role of victimization down to a science. She was tormented mercilessly by her fellow classmates for having acne and a "freaky" house.
The whole acne/bullying situation probably bothered me the most about this entire book, and was the reason I knocked my rating down one whole star. While I sympathized with Piper because I was bullied for having severe acne as well, I believe that Pearson took the bullying to a whole new level. I mean, throwing an axe at someone's house? Really? There's bullying, and then there's harassment and torment and I'm not sure Pearson knew the difference between those three things. It was just so over the top. People treated her as though she had some fatal, contagious disease.
As for what I said about Piper basically being a human doormat, overall, I did enjoy her as a main character. Her character progression is obvious. She went from being a girl who ran crying every time something didn't go her way to finally standing up for herself and doing things she was once afraid of because she finally had enough and wasn't going to let her classmates or her house bully her any longer. I was actually really proud of her. From that point on, we see her progress into a much stronger, more level headed character. I loved her as an MC.
Then there's Todd, her love interest slash best friend. The romance between them felt a little odd and I can't help but think that Todd finally confessed his true feelings for her only when her acne cleared. But I still couldn't help but fall in love with him and deem him as my newest book boyfriend. He was adorable, if not a little clueless at times. HOWEVER. I lovelovelove that fact this book was NOT overdone by romance. The synopsis of this book implies at a love connection, but it's subtle. We're not smothered by it. This book is less romance and more thriller/horror/paranormal.
This is probably just me nitpicking, but I found the language and vocabulary to be very strange. The author threw in some words and expressions that I've never heard anyone say before, such as "wiggins" and "this sucks rocks." It was kind of charming in a way, but the vocabulary made the text seem a little bit juvenile. This did not effect my rating choice in any way; it just made me stop in my tracks a little bit and distract me from what I was reading.
Overall, I sincerely enjoyed PHOBIC and didn't want it to end! I wanted to know more, I wanted to see more of Piper and Todd's relationship, I wanted more questions answered. Most of all, I really, really want to read the next book in the series.
It was creepy, but not overwhelmingly so. It's fast paced, and will probably leave you suspicious of your own house. I love the concept of this story, how the house is alive rather than haunted, and I love the inspiration Pearson created this story from. Her concept was original, and she followed through brilliantly. This is an impressive first novel from Pearson, and I'm so excited to follow her along on her journey. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys light horror/paranormal and fast paced thrillers.
"Death isn't the end. It's only a doorway."
This was such a fun book to read. I was so excited when I got approved to read this through NetGalley because books like this are right up my alley. I love horror novels, but I especially love YA horror. I enjoyed this book more than I disliked it, but because I did receive this book at no cost to me in exchange for an honest review, I'm going to do just that. Before I get into what I didn't like, I want to start off by saying that Pearson can write a damn book. She has a way of pulling you head first into the story and leaving you desperately eager to find out what happens next. This book is not without flaws, but what book isn't? So here we go.
Fifteen year Piper Crenshaw has a lot on her plate. Her mother is incarcerated, her father is dead, her brother is hardly around, she's not exactly sure how she feels about her best friend, and her face is covered in zits. Oh and yeah... her house is alive. That is a hell of a lot for one person to handle, let alone a fifteen year old girl. She handled the situation with her family and brother surprisingly well; in fact, it seemed almost like acne was more devastating than all those things combined. My first initial reaction of Piper was that she was a whiny, immature, doormat of a character who had the role of victimization down to a science. She was tormented mercilessly by her fellow classmates for having acne and a "freaky" house.
The whole acne/bullying situation probably bothered me the most about this entire book, and was the reason I knocked my rating down one whole star. While I sympathized with Piper because I was bullied for having severe acne as well, I believe that Pearson took the bullying to a whole new level. I mean, throwing an axe at someone's house? Really? There's bullying, and then there's harassment and torment and I'm not sure Pearson knew the difference between those three things. It was just so over the top. People treated her as though she had some fatal, contagious disease.
As for what I said about Piper basically being a human doormat, overall, I did enjoy her as a main character. Her character progression is obvious. She went from being a girl who ran crying every time something didn't go her way to finally standing up for herself and doing things she was once afraid of because she finally had enough and wasn't going to let her classmates or her house bully her any longer. I was actually really proud of her. From that point on, we see her progress into a much stronger, more level headed character. I loved her as an MC.
Then there's Todd, her love interest slash best friend. The romance between them felt a little odd and I can't help but think that Todd finally confessed his true feelings for her only when her acne cleared. But I still couldn't help but fall in love with him and deem him as my newest book boyfriend. He was adorable, if not a little clueless at times. HOWEVER. I lovelovelove that fact this book was NOT overdone by romance. The synopsis of this book implies at a love connection, but it's subtle. We're not smothered by it. This book is less romance and more thriller/horror/paranormal.
This is probably just me nitpicking, but I found the language and vocabulary to be very strange. The author threw in some words and expressions that I've never heard anyone say before, such as "wiggins" and "this sucks rocks." It was kind of charming in a way, but the vocabulary made the text seem a little bit juvenile. This did not effect my rating choice in any way; it just made me stop in my tracks a little bit and distract me from what I was reading.
Overall, I sincerely enjoyed PHOBIC and didn't want it to end! I wanted to know more, I wanted to see more of Piper and Todd's relationship, I wanted more questions answered. Most of all, I really, really want to read the next book in the series.
It was creepy, but not overwhelmingly so. It's fast paced, and will probably leave you suspicious of your own house. I love the concept of this story, how the house is alive rather than haunted, and I love the inspiration Pearson created this story from. Her concept was original, and she followed through brilliantly. This is an impressive first novel from Pearson, and I'm so excited to follow her along on her journey. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys light horror/paranormal and fast paced thrillers.
June 21, 2017
This was an interesting story. I like how the house was personified and made into a character all of its own. I had a bit of trouble getting into the story. It was a bit slow to start. The story was a bit weird but it was still good. Definitely not something I would normally read but enjoyable.
September 30, 2018
Not bad
It isn't my favorite book but I'm not the right age for it either. To me there was a bit much about school and being picked on but again I'm not a teen. The end was pretty good.
It isn't my favorite book but I'm not the right age for it either. To me there was a bit much about school and being picked on but again I'm not a teen. The end was pretty good.
June 23, 2017
Phobic
I liked this book. It was slow starting but then it was good. Would read more of Cortney Pearson's books.
I liked this book. It was slow starting but then it was good. Would read more of Cortney Pearson's books.
November 24, 2017
Great and enjoyable story. This one is a Mix of horror, suspense, romance, strange Powers.
I enjoyed reading this book.
I enjoyed reading this book.
November 5, 2020
Cool story
Very teenage story with typical high school concerns of dating, zits & bullying but the haunted house plot is very cool & keeps you reading non-stop to the end
Very teenage story with typical high school concerns of dating, zits & bullying but the haunted house plot is very cool & keeps you reading non-stop to the end
August 17, 2014
Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auch auf www.buchjunkies-blog.de
Die 15-jährige Piper wusste schon immer, dass an dem alten viktorianischen Haus, in dem sie lebt, etwas sehr merkwürdig ist. Jedes alte Gebäude knarzt und stöhnt mal. Doch Pipers Haus hat ein echtes Eigenleben und lässt sie immer genau wissen, in welcher Stimmung es gerade ist.
Seit ihr Vater vor zehn Monaten gestorben ist, ist ihr älterer Bruder Joel für sie und ihr Heim verantwortlich. Denn Pipers Mutter sitzt bereits seit Jahren im Gefängnis wegen eines Mordes, den sie unter ihrem eigenen Dach begangen und zu vertuschen versucht hat. Seit einiger Zeit aber fühlt Piper, dass etwas anders ist. Joel ist ständig angespannt und ihr Haus benimmt sich merkwürdiger, als sonst. Sie weiß, dass ihr Bruder ihr etwas verheimlicht, aber so sehr sie auch auf ihn einredet, sie bekommt nichts aus ihm heraus.
Zu allem Überfluss macht ihr die Schule zur Zeit noch mehr zu schaffen, als normalerweise. Ihre Erzfeindin Sierra hat es mehr denn je auf Piper abgesehen und schreckt vor nichts zurück, um sie zu demütigen. Am allerschlimmsten ist aber, dass Todd, Pipers bester Freund, für den sie seit einiger Zeit mehr empfindet, als reine Freundschaft, in jemanden anderen verliebt ist - nämlich ausgerechnet in Sierra.
Doch als Piper beginnt, merkwürdige Stimmen zu hören und Visionen bekommt, verblassen ihre Alltagsprobleme ganz schnell. Sie hat die Nase voll, sich ständig anlügen zu lassen. Sie muss herausfinden, was es mit ihrem Haus und ihrer Familie auf sich hat, bevor sie noch den Verstand verliert.
Ich war sehr gespannt darauf, was mich bei Phobic von Cortney Pearson wohl erwarten würde. Ein gruseliges Haus, merkwürdige Geschehnisse, ein bisschen Romantik? Klingt genau nach meinem Geschmack. Und die grundsätzliche Geschichte ist auch ziemlich gut gelungen. An der Umsetzung hat es aber unglücklicherweise gehörig gehapert.
Leider konnte ich Cortney Pearsons Schreibstil oft nicht sonderlich viel abgewinnen. Sie tendiert dazu, sehr lang und ausschweifend zu beschreiben. Da kann es schon mal passieren, dass es fünf Seiten dauert, bis Piper von ihrem Zimmer bis zur Haustür gegangen ist. Manchmal haben ihre Beschreibungen gut geklappt und der Geschichte eine sehr dichte und spannende Stimmung verpasst. Meistens ging es mir aber doch einfach zu träge und langsam voran.
Das liegt aber unter anderem auch daran, dass mir Piper nicht besonders sympathisch war. Sie hat es nicht leicht in der Schule, wird wegen ihrer Akne und ihrem merkwürdigen Haus gehänselt und hat wirklich allen Grund Trübsal zu blasen. Dennoch war sie mir oft zu weinerlich. Sie lamentiert lang und breit darüber, was ihr alles zugestoßen ist. Noch weniger haben mir ihre ewigen inneren Monologe gefallen, wenn sie über ihr Haus und die Vorkommnisse darin sinniert. Sie wiederholt sich ständig und stellt sich dabei selbst manchmal die ('tschuldigung) dämlichsten Fragen. Mich hat da leider schnell die Geduld mit ihr verlassen.
Was mir allerdings die Geschichte am meisten vermiest hat, war die Tatsache, dass so viele Details einfach keinen Sinn gemacht haben: Die Reaktionen der Charaktere in verschiedenen Situationen und Konflikten; manche Erklärungen (oder vielmehr das Fehlen der Erklärungen) für Vorfälle im Haus; Todds Begründung für seine Schwärmerei für Sierra. Überhaupt bin ich mit den Verhältnissen der Charaktere untereinander überhaupt nicht klar gekommen. Wer im einen Moment noch verfeindet war, sitzt im nächsten gemeinsam in der Schulkantine oder macht zusammen Hausaufgaben. Oft gab es keinerlei Erklärung dazu. Und wenn doch, dann waren diese in der Regel sehr windig oder schlicht unstimmig.
Es ist ziemlich schade, dass Cortney Pearson nicht mit etwas mehr Struktur an dieses Buch herangegangen ist. Denn wie gesagt, die Grundstory ist wirklich gut. Ab und an gelang es dann sogar doch, der Geschichte eine dichte Stimmung zu verleihen, die mir geholfen hat, mir vor allem das Haus selbst sehr gut vorstellen zu können. Außerdem gibt es einige sehr spannende Momente und sogar ein, zwei Überraschungen, die mir ein lautes "Woah!" entlocken konnten.
Genug, um Phobic von Cortney Pearson wirklich zu retten, war es aber dennoch nicht. Dafür gab es einfach zu viel Unlogisches in dieser Geschichte. Vielleicht sieht es aber in Panic, dem zweiten Buch der The Forbidden Doors Reihe anders aus. Dieses handelt zwar nicht von Piper - ihre Geschichte ist mit Phobic abgeschlossen - lehnt sich aber wohl an die Ereignisse in diesem Buch an.
Die 15-jährige Piper wusste schon immer, dass an dem alten viktorianischen Haus, in dem sie lebt, etwas sehr merkwürdig ist. Jedes alte Gebäude knarzt und stöhnt mal. Doch Pipers Haus hat ein echtes Eigenleben und lässt sie immer genau wissen, in welcher Stimmung es gerade ist.
Seit ihr Vater vor zehn Monaten gestorben ist, ist ihr älterer Bruder Joel für sie und ihr Heim verantwortlich. Denn Pipers Mutter sitzt bereits seit Jahren im Gefängnis wegen eines Mordes, den sie unter ihrem eigenen Dach begangen und zu vertuschen versucht hat. Seit einiger Zeit aber fühlt Piper, dass etwas anders ist. Joel ist ständig angespannt und ihr Haus benimmt sich merkwürdiger, als sonst. Sie weiß, dass ihr Bruder ihr etwas verheimlicht, aber so sehr sie auch auf ihn einredet, sie bekommt nichts aus ihm heraus.
Zu allem Überfluss macht ihr die Schule zur Zeit noch mehr zu schaffen, als normalerweise. Ihre Erzfeindin Sierra hat es mehr denn je auf Piper abgesehen und schreckt vor nichts zurück, um sie zu demütigen. Am allerschlimmsten ist aber, dass Todd, Pipers bester Freund, für den sie seit einiger Zeit mehr empfindet, als reine Freundschaft, in jemanden anderen verliebt ist - nämlich ausgerechnet in Sierra.
Doch als Piper beginnt, merkwürdige Stimmen zu hören und Visionen bekommt, verblassen ihre Alltagsprobleme ganz schnell. Sie hat die Nase voll, sich ständig anlügen zu lassen. Sie muss herausfinden, was es mit ihrem Haus und ihrer Familie auf sich hat, bevor sie noch den Verstand verliert.
Ich war sehr gespannt darauf, was mich bei Phobic von Cortney Pearson wohl erwarten würde. Ein gruseliges Haus, merkwürdige Geschehnisse, ein bisschen Romantik? Klingt genau nach meinem Geschmack. Und die grundsätzliche Geschichte ist auch ziemlich gut gelungen. An der Umsetzung hat es aber unglücklicherweise gehörig gehapert.
Leider konnte ich Cortney Pearsons Schreibstil oft nicht sonderlich viel abgewinnen. Sie tendiert dazu, sehr lang und ausschweifend zu beschreiben. Da kann es schon mal passieren, dass es fünf Seiten dauert, bis Piper von ihrem Zimmer bis zur Haustür gegangen ist. Manchmal haben ihre Beschreibungen gut geklappt und der Geschichte eine sehr dichte und spannende Stimmung verpasst. Meistens ging es mir aber doch einfach zu träge und langsam voran.
Das liegt aber unter anderem auch daran, dass mir Piper nicht besonders sympathisch war. Sie hat es nicht leicht in der Schule, wird wegen ihrer Akne und ihrem merkwürdigen Haus gehänselt und hat wirklich allen Grund Trübsal zu blasen. Dennoch war sie mir oft zu weinerlich. Sie lamentiert lang und breit darüber, was ihr alles zugestoßen ist. Noch weniger haben mir ihre ewigen inneren Monologe gefallen, wenn sie über ihr Haus und die Vorkommnisse darin sinniert. Sie wiederholt sich ständig und stellt sich dabei selbst manchmal die ('tschuldigung) dämlichsten Fragen. Mich hat da leider schnell die Geduld mit ihr verlassen.
Was mir allerdings die Geschichte am meisten vermiest hat, war die Tatsache, dass so viele Details einfach keinen Sinn gemacht haben: Die Reaktionen der Charaktere in verschiedenen Situationen und Konflikten; manche Erklärungen (oder vielmehr das Fehlen der Erklärungen) für Vorfälle im Haus; Todds Begründung für seine Schwärmerei für Sierra. Überhaupt bin ich mit den Verhältnissen der Charaktere untereinander überhaupt nicht klar gekommen. Wer im einen Moment noch verfeindet war, sitzt im nächsten gemeinsam in der Schulkantine oder macht zusammen Hausaufgaben. Oft gab es keinerlei Erklärung dazu. Und wenn doch, dann waren diese in der Regel sehr windig oder schlicht unstimmig.
Es ist ziemlich schade, dass Cortney Pearson nicht mit etwas mehr Struktur an dieses Buch herangegangen ist. Denn wie gesagt, die Grundstory ist wirklich gut. Ab und an gelang es dann sogar doch, der Geschichte eine dichte Stimmung zu verleihen, die mir geholfen hat, mir vor allem das Haus selbst sehr gut vorstellen zu können. Außerdem gibt es einige sehr spannende Momente und sogar ein, zwei Überraschungen, die mir ein lautes "Woah!" entlocken konnten.
Genug, um Phobic von Cortney Pearson wirklich zu retten, war es aber dennoch nicht. Dafür gab es einfach zu viel Unlogisches in dieser Geschichte. Vielleicht sieht es aber in Panic, dem zweiten Buch der The Forbidden Doors Reihe anders aus. Dieses handelt zwar nicht von Piper - ihre Geschichte ist mit Phobic abgeschlossen - lehnt sich aber wohl an die Ereignisse in diesem Buch an.
February 28, 2016
Disclaimer- I was sent this by the author for review, but as always, thoughts and opinions are my own!
*3.5 stars*
I thought this was an entertaining and creepy read! I went in expecting that, and that’s what I got from it, so I think this book did what it was trying to accomplish. This isn’t a book that I’m going to remember years from now or anything, but it’s something different than what I usually read, since I don’t read a lot of YA “horror” books.
Plot- The plot for me is what drove this story along, as I think it should be in mystery novels like this. Even from the first few chapters we get a nice introduction to this house, the house that’s at the crux of all the strange happenings in the novel. From the beginning we know something isn’t right, and then the mystery just keeps unraveling as the plot moves on. The plot was entertaining, but not necessarily the most original. Enjoyment wise, that didn’t bother me, but I think it’s something worth mentioning. With that said though, I still think it was an interesting take on the “haunted house” set up. There were some predictable parts here and there, but overall I was kept wondering what was going to happen next, and I thought the different mysterious aspects melded well together. As a horror book, I think it did its job. I’m one that doesn’t get scared by books, so I wasn’t expecting to actually be frightened after reading this, but the plot had enough “spooky” moments to keep the reader on their toes, but not too many that it just felt overdone.
Writing- As I’ve said before, it’s hard to critique writing unless it’s either really good, or really bad. The writing in this was neither of those, it was a happy medium. It was fine to read, and I didn’t have any issues with it, but there was nothing particularly mind-blowing about it either, which is totally fine because I doubt this book’s focus was supposed to be on the writing.
Characters- For me, this was the book’s weakest link. The characters in this weren’t bad, but they all just felt pretty average to me. None of them stuck out to me, and they just seemed kind of generic. Take our main character, Piper. She wasn’t a bad main character, and I didn’t dislike her, she just felt like your average misunderstood teen girl that just didn’t seem quite real to me. Being in high school myself, I often am more critical when I see it portrayed in books, because it just doesn’t seem real. I’m just getting tired of seeing the “mean girl” trope used, so when I saw it here it disappointed me a little. I can see the point of it, objectively, it’s just not something I’m into as a reader. The same goes for Todd, I thought he was a fine love interest, but his character just seemed really convenient and typical. With that said, I’d much rather have a Todd than a romanticized abuser boyfriend, so I appreciate that she made the love interest actually be a decent person.
The House- I decided to put this in its own category, because I consider the house in this book its own character, and I all I say about the other characters in the book doesn’t apply to this one. The house was my favorite part of the book, and I think the author really succeeded in creating a character of this house, and making it fleshed out like any other human character, which really elevated the plot.
Overall- This was a nice break in between some heavier things I’ve read / am reading at the moment (Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man for example), and even though this isn’t the best thing I’ve read all year, it was entertaining and something different. It’s not that I’m not a fan of the horror genre, it’s just that I don’t find myself delving into it very often, but whenever I do read it, I always have a good time, so I’m glad to have read this. If the premise sounds interesting to you, I would recommend it because even though the characters were a bit of a letdown, I think it does deliver on the enticing premise.
*3.5 stars*
I thought this was an entertaining and creepy read! I went in expecting that, and that’s what I got from it, so I think this book did what it was trying to accomplish. This isn’t a book that I’m going to remember years from now or anything, but it’s something different than what I usually read, since I don’t read a lot of YA “horror” books.
Plot- The plot for me is what drove this story along, as I think it should be in mystery novels like this. Even from the first few chapters we get a nice introduction to this house, the house that’s at the crux of all the strange happenings in the novel. From the beginning we know something isn’t right, and then the mystery just keeps unraveling as the plot moves on. The plot was entertaining, but not necessarily the most original. Enjoyment wise, that didn’t bother me, but I think it’s something worth mentioning. With that said though, I still think it was an interesting take on the “haunted house” set up. There were some predictable parts here and there, but overall I was kept wondering what was going to happen next, and I thought the different mysterious aspects melded well together. As a horror book, I think it did its job. I’m one that doesn’t get scared by books, so I wasn’t expecting to actually be frightened after reading this, but the plot had enough “spooky” moments to keep the reader on their toes, but not too many that it just felt overdone.
Writing- As I’ve said before, it’s hard to critique writing unless it’s either really good, or really bad. The writing in this was neither of those, it was a happy medium. It was fine to read, and I didn’t have any issues with it, but there was nothing particularly mind-blowing about it either, which is totally fine because I doubt this book’s focus was supposed to be on the writing.
Characters- For me, this was the book’s weakest link. The characters in this weren’t bad, but they all just felt pretty average to me. None of them stuck out to me, and they just seemed kind of generic. Take our main character, Piper. She wasn’t a bad main character, and I didn’t dislike her, she just felt like your average misunderstood teen girl that just didn’t seem quite real to me. Being in high school myself, I often am more critical when I see it portrayed in books, because it just doesn’t seem real. I’m just getting tired of seeing the “mean girl” trope used, so when I saw it here it disappointed me a little. I can see the point of it, objectively, it’s just not something I’m into as a reader. The same goes for Todd, I thought he was a fine love interest, but his character just seemed really convenient and typical. With that said, I’d much rather have a Todd than a romanticized abuser boyfriend, so I appreciate that she made the love interest actually be a decent person.
The House- I decided to put this in its own category, because I consider the house in this book its own character, and I all I say about the other characters in the book doesn’t apply to this one. The house was my favorite part of the book, and I think the author really succeeded in creating a character of this house, and making it fleshed out like any other human character, which really elevated the plot.
Overall- This was a nice break in between some heavier things I’ve read / am reading at the moment (Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man for example), and even though this isn’t the best thing I’ve read all year, it was entertaining and something different. It’s not that I’m not a fan of the horror genre, it’s just that I don’t find myself delving into it very often, but whenever I do read it, I always have a good time, so I’m glad to have read this. If the premise sounds interesting to you, I would recommend it because even though the characters were a bit of a letdown, I think it does deliver on the enticing premise.
October 28, 2014
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DISCLAIMER: If you have been following my reviews, I think I already said this somewhere along the way... I started reading books with the horror / mystery / suspense genre. I'm a fan of Stepehen King, R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike etc. so I hope you'd all understand that I had sky high expectations for this book.
First off, things that I liked about this book:
PHOBIC is a good take on the "haunted house" theory. I always love a good haunted house. ;) I like it that this one' pretty unique. It has its own flavor.
I like how the house was presented as a weird protector first for the family. I like that it leads us to a pretty complicated plot and that the mysteries aren't to be solved until you get to the end part. It's not so predictable.
I like that our characters seem to have a good chemistry. I believe that the main characters here, Piper and Todd would look good together. Sorry, I'm also a romance reader, so I tend to dwell on the love part. I like it when they talk like real friends and I like it that the love part was visible in the entirety of the book. I think even a horror should have some sweetness in it, so hats off to the author for this.
I like that I was pretty scared because I read it during the night with the lights off. I like how I connected with the tidbit that their house is haunted, I was particularly scared of the passages about the house creaking, appliances turning on by themselves etc. I wasn't scared of the ghosts here, unfortunately. I was scared of the house itself. I could imagine it clearly because of the descriptions.
I like that the bullying part of this book isn't shrugged off like a mild thing. I like that it capitulated on the fact that everyone gets what they deserved (I'm sorry for saying this, but it's true). I won't elaborate much about this because that would be a spoiler. I just want to say that if you think that you are being like Piper at school, fight back. Tell the adults. Don't let others intimidate you and no matter what, remember that you can only be bullied if you let people do it to you. That's the bottom line.
I like the cover, but there's a twist to this, so read on.
What I didn't like much about this book is that:
The story of the house is scattered, I don't know if it's just because of my timing (again, I read it during the night) that I wasn't able to understand what happened to the house in the past right away. I was able to get bits and pieces, but I had to go back a few steps to understand what really happened. The pieces of the past just kept on jumping from one chapter to another, I found it hard to keep up.
Another thing that I didn't like much is the high school drama. I think it's a good thing that Piper was finally able to stand up for herself in the middle, but I hate it that she was still so conscious about her looks and what other people thought of her. If this is a series and I get to see more of her, I wish she'd develop that sense of peace when it comes to her physical attributes and the rumors etc.
TODD. Gosh. Where do I even start? I like you for having a good chemistry with Piper, but I hate you for not liking her and liking a girl who has a boyfriend and who's a total b****?
DISCLAIMER: If you have been following my reviews, I think I already said this somewhere along the way... I started reading books with the horror / mystery / suspense genre. I'm a fan of Stepehen King, R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike etc. so I hope you'd all understand that I had sky high expectations for this book.
First off, things that I liked about this book:
PHOBIC is a good take on the "haunted house" theory. I always love a good haunted house. ;) I like it that this one' pretty unique. It has its own flavor.
I like how the house was presented as a weird protector first for the family. I like that it leads us to a pretty complicated plot and that the mysteries aren't to be solved until you get to the end part. It's not so predictable.
I like that our characters seem to have a good chemistry. I believe that the main characters here, Piper and Todd would look good together. Sorry, I'm also a romance reader, so I tend to dwell on the love part. I like it when they talk like real friends and I like it that the love part was visible in the entirety of the book. I think even a horror should have some sweetness in it, so hats off to the author for this.
I like that I was pretty scared because I read it during the night with the lights off. I like how I connected with the tidbit that their house is haunted, I was particularly scared of the passages about the house creaking, appliances turning on by themselves etc. I wasn't scared of the ghosts here, unfortunately. I was scared of the house itself. I could imagine it clearly because of the descriptions.
I like that the bullying part of this book isn't shrugged off like a mild thing. I like that it capitulated on the fact that everyone gets what they deserved (I'm sorry for saying this, but it's true). I won't elaborate much about this because that would be a spoiler. I just want to say that if you think that you are being like Piper at school, fight back. Tell the adults. Don't let others intimidate you and no matter what, remember that you can only be bullied if you let people do it to you. That's the bottom line.
I like the cover, but there's a twist to this, so read on.
What I didn't like much about this book is that:
The story of the house is scattered, I don't know if it's just because of my timing (again, I read it during the night) that I wasn't able to understand what happened to the house in the past right away. I was able to get bits and pieces, but I had to go back a few steps to understand what really happened. The pieces of the past just kept on jumping from one chapter to another, I found it hard to keep up.
Another thing that I didn't like much is the high school drama. I think it's a good thing that Piper was finally able to stand up for herself in the middle, but I hate it that she was still so conscious about her looks and what other people thought of her. If this is a series and I get to see more of her, I wish she'd develop that sense of peace when it comes to her physical attributes and the rumors etc.
TODD. Gosh. Where do I even start? I like you for having a good chemistry with Piper, but I hate you for not liking her and liking a girl who has a boyfriend and who's a total b****?
April 19, 2015
Received from NetGalley for honest review.
This book sounded so good. And I really wanted to like it. Really. It started out well enough. A girl in her haunted house. And I did like all the parts about the house, the weird things it did, and it's twisted history. I also liked that our protag had zits! Acne, to be more precise. A heroine who's not flawless and doesn't know it--how refreshing. And the love interest, Todd, was adorable. Loved him. The other characters were all pretty one-dimensional and seemed just thrown in so our gal wouldn't be the only person in the universe. Even her brother was so weird (and kind of creepy) that I wasn't sure I should root for him and didn't really understand why our protagonist freaked out when he went missing. I mean, of course she did--he's her brother. But for the amount of love shown between them, or even interaction, he could have been a random book lying around the house that she picks up a couple times.
But I've read many a novel with a one-dimensional supporting cast. Not a huge issue for me (though supporting characters who outshine the heroine are my favorites!) so I kept reading. Great secondary characters are more like a huge bonus, not an essential for me, if the plot and main characters are fascinating enough.
What really lost me was about 3/4 of the way through, when the author begins explaining the house, why it's haunted, and more importantly, just HOW the haunting works. Now, I may not the the sharpest tool in the shed, but you tell me a logical story, and I'll follow along. It doesn't matter if it's about flying magical beans or dancing alien bugs. If it makes sense, I'll get it. And this book just...didn't. For starters, the house heals itself. And the girl who lives there. Okay, got it. So when someone AXES the house, and instead, the wound is magically transferred to our girl, I could follow. BUT WHY DIDN'T SHE HEAL???? Then she cuts her hand (AFTER THE AX) and shows her bf how it immediately heals. BUT THE AX WOUND DOESN'T! I need consistency in order to suspend disbelief. You can't just throw stuff in whenever it's convenient. And from there, pretty much everything was just...jumbled. I couldn't follow at all. Being a huge fan of Stephen King, I was reading this book and one of King's at the same time. And I kept thinking, a big fat SK book explained everything so spot-on I never had to stop reading and try to figure WTH IS GOING ON!!?!
I'm fine with books that make me stop and think. Not ones that make me so frustrated I stop trying to figure out what's going on bc it just makes no sense. An author's job is to grab me and not let go. NOT to make me spend a lot of time just not caring about the book bc it's so convoluted and inconsistent that it makes no sense. So for me, this book was just not a home run. Good concept, weird execution.
Other random sidenotes: Everyone and everything in this book is always 'cleaving.' To each other, to things, etc. It was an odd word to overuse. Also, the writing could be really odd and sort of disjointed. Word choice often left me shaking my head. Example: "Ada's gleaming orbs pour with desperation to Thomas dangling in the opposite corner." Maybe it was just me, but sentences like this were common and a bit off-putting to me. I get that saying, "she glanced at Thomas in desperation" may not sound as fancy, but sometimes, less is more.
This book sounded so good. And I really wanted to like it. Really. It started out well enough. A girl in her haunted house. And I did like all the parts about the house, the weird things it did, and it's twisted history. I also liked that our protag had zits! Acne, to be more precise. A heroine who's not flawless and doesn't know it--how refreshing. And the love interest, Todd, was adorable. Loved him. The other characters were all pretty one-dimensional and seemed just thrown in so our gal wouldn't be the only person in the universe. Even her brother was so weird (and kind of creepy) that I wasn't sure I should root for him and didn't really understand why our protagonist freaked out when he went missing. I mean, of course she did--he's her brother. But for the amount of love shown between them, or even interaction, he could have been a random book lying around the house that she picks up a couple times.
But I've read many a novel with a one-dimensional supporting cast. Not a huge issue for me (though supporting characters who outshine the heroine are my favorites!) so I kept reading. Great secondary characters are more like a huge bonus, not an essential for me, if the plot and main characters are fascinating enough.
What really lost me was about 3/4 of the way through, when the author begins explaining the house, why it's haunted, and more importantly, just HOW the haunting works. Now, I may not the the sharpest tool in the shed, but you tell me a logical story, and I'll follow along. It doesn't matter if it's about flying magical beans or dancing alien bugs. If it makes sense, I'll get it. And this book just...didn't. For starters, the house heals itself. And the girl who lives there. Okay, got it. So when someone AXES the house, and instead, the wound is magically transferred to our girl, I could follow. BUT WHY DIDN'T SHE HEAL???? Then she cuts her hand (AFTER THE AX) and shows her bf how it immediately heals. BUT THE AX WOUND DOESN'T! I need consistency in order to suspend disbelief. You can't just throw stuff in whenever it's convenient. And from there, pretty much everything was just...jumbled. I couldn't follow at all. Being a huge fan of Stephen King, I was reading this book and one of King's at the same time. And I kept thinking, a big fat SK book explained everything so spot-on I never had to stop reading and try to figure WTH IS GOING ON!!?!
I'm fine with books that make me stop and think. Not ones that make me so frustrated I stop trying to figure out what's going on bc it just makes no sense. An author's job is to grab me and not let go. NOT to make me spend a lot of time just not caring about the book bc it's so convoluted and inconsistent that it makes no sense. So for me, this book was just not a home run. Good concept, weird execution.
Other random sidenotes: Everyone and everything in this book is always 'cleaving.' To each other, to things, etc. It was an odd word to overuse. Also, the writing could be really odd and sort of disjointed. Word choice often left me shaking my head. Example: "Ada's gleaming orbs pour with desperation to Thomas dangling in the opposite corner." Maybe it was just me, but sentences like this were common and a bit off-putting to me. I get that saying, "she glanced at Thomas in desperation" may not sound as fancy, but sometimes, less is more.
April 14, 2016
i've given pearson's novel 4 stars in the same way i'd give a less-than-full endorsement to a lottery ticket that i knew was a winner but i hadn't yet cashed in.
pearson's mastery of the metaphor is simply divine. while reading Phobic i highlighted so many perfect examples that i can't include them all here. however, i want potential readers to grasp fully the extensive breadth of pearson's imagination, so consider these four:
"His lips leave echoes on mine."
"Chills tiptoe from the bottom of my spine up to my neck."
"He follows her like he’s a kitten and she’s catnip."
the main character, piper, has "huge caverns on her face," which is how she describes her inner perception of her acne, so when the 15-year-old walks down the school hallway, passing other students, she feels their "gazes stick on the back of my neck like sap."
not only are her metaphors delicious, but her humor, although too seldom exercised, is appetizing. ("Visiting my murderous mother in prison isn’t exactly a prime dating opportunity.") i suspect in her later works pearson develops her humor to where it can contend with her imaginative descriptions, and i'll be reading more of her work if only to confirm my assumption.
pearson also exercises her talent for analyzing human behavior and concisely stating truths. consider four examples:
"His brain tries to flick back to its factory-setting of denial."
"Todd’s lips spread into a small i-don’t-know-what-else-to-do-so-I’m-smiling smile."
"I’m glad the kids at school know about it. Now I have nothing to hide. I don’t have to be ashamed."
"My life was stolen from me. You barely live yours."
brilliant stuff.
unfortunately, pearson's zest for fine writing sometimes produces clumsy, even indecipherable phrases. consider three:
"My jaw grits like a vice." while "vice" might work in some arcane manner, i'm comfortable that pearson meant the homonym "vise." but when does a vise—or a vice—grit? when does a jaw grit?
"His curls froth to the sides of his head like a perfect ice cream scoop." okay, when i replace "curls" with "waves" i can see waves frothing, so that nearly works, but "like a perfect ice cream scoop?" i find that outrageously funny, but i can't conjure any accuracy from it. the humor, unintended, comes from the juxtaposition of incomparable images: wavy hair and ice cream scoops. (yes, i'm being picky, but every time clumsy writing usurps my attention, i lose the story thread, and i have too much confidence in pearson's ability to leave small stones unturned.)
"Ada’s gleaming orbs pour with desperation to thomas." huh? okay, okay, pearson is saying that ada's eyes are, uh… huh?
remember this: pearson's on-point fare far exceeds her bloopers. don't assess her enthusiasm to delight her readers as a flaw; her booboos will fade toward nothingness while her love of writing further blooms, delighting all of us who love fine writing.
finally, i'll take exception to pearson's personal portrayal of her work as appealing to a YA market. i'm older than the bible, and i enjoyed "Phobic." maybe tadpoles and nymphs are the coolest market segment, but the mature writing, thinking and character interactions demonstrated in Phobic require a broadest marketing effort.
like the uncashed lottery ticket, i can't be 100% certain of where pearson's talent will lead her—but if i was a betting man? i'd bet large; i'd bet often.
pearson's mastery of the metaphor is simply divine. while reading Phobic i highlighted so many perfect examples that i can't include them all here. however, i want potential readers to grasp fully the extensive breadth of pearson's imagination, so consider these four:
"His lips leave echoes on mine."
"Chills tiptoe from the bottom of my spine up to my neck."
"He follows her like he’s a kitten and she’s catnip."
the main character, piper, has "huge caverns on her face," which is how she describes her inner perception of her acne, so when the 15-year-old walks down the school hallway, passing other students, she feels their "gazes stick on the back of my neck like sap."
not only are her metaphors delicious, but her humor, although too seldom exercised, is appetizing. ("Visiting my murderous mother in prison isn’t exactly a prime dating opportunity.") i suspect in her later works pearson develops her humor to where it can contend with her imaginative descriptions, and i'll be reading more of her work if only to confirm my assumption.
pearson also exercises her talent for analyzing human behavior and concisely stating truths. consider four examples:
"His brain tries to flick back to its factory-setting of denial."
"Todd’s lips spread into a small i-don’t-know-what-else-to-do-so-I’m-smiling smile."
"I’m glad the kids at school know about it. Now I have nothing to hide. I don’t have to be ashamed."
"My life was stolen from me. You barely live yours."
brilliant stuff.
unfortunately, pearson's zest for fine writing sometimes produces clumsy, even indecipherable phrases. consider three:
"My jaw grits like a vice." while "vice" might work in some arcane manner, i'm comfortable that pearson meant the homonym "vise." but when does a vise—or a vice—grit? when does a jaw grit?
"His curls froth to the sides of his head like a perfect ice cream scoop." okay, when i replace "curls" with "waves" i can see waves frothing, so that nearly works, but "like a perfect ice cream scoop?" i find that outrageously funny, but i can't conjure any accuracy from it. the humor, unintended, comes from the juxtaposition of incomparable images: wavy hair and ice cream scoops. (yes, i'm being picky, but every time clumsy writing usurps my attention, i lose the story thread, and i have too much confidence in pearson's ability to leave small stones unturned.)
"Ada’s gleaming orbs pour with desperation to thomas." huh? okay, okay, pearson is saying that ada's eyes are, uh… huh?
remember this: pearson's on-point fare far exceeds her bloopers. don't assess her enthusiasm to delight her readers as a flaw; her booboos will fade toward nothingness while her love of writing further blooms, delighting all of us who love fine writing.
finally, i'll take exception to pearson's personal portrayal of her work as appealing to a YA market. i'm older than the bible, and i enjoyed "Phobic." maybe tadpoles and nymphs are the coolest market segment, but the mature writing, thinking and character interactions demonstrated in Phobic require a broadest marketing effort.
like the uncashed lottery ticket, i can't be 100% certain of where pearson's talent will lead her—but if i was a betting man? i'd bet large; i'd bet often.
January 19, 2015
I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FOR FREE FROM NETGALLEY FOR REVIEW IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST OPINION. IN NO WAY DID GETTING THIS BOOK FOR FREE CHANGE MY THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS OF THIS BOOK.
The book Phobic is about this girl named Piper. She lives in this house that her mother killed someone in, and stuffed them into this cell in their floorboards. That’s not the only secret that is hiding within the walls of this household. There’s something going on with the house and Piper needs to find out what. Soon she realizes that the house is alive and that all the ties are connected to her somehow. She has to find out how to stop everything that is going on before it is too late.
This book was such a riveting read. It drew you in with the characters and it made you stay for the plot. The whole premise of the book was extremely interesting. There was a lot of character building for the characters. Especially with Piper and Todd. It was really great to see that everyone in the story had their own story about their life and how it played out so well within the book. You’d think that this book would be just a typical cliché book about haunted houses, but this is a new twist on haunted places and freaky stuff.
I really got attached to Piper and her brother Joel, but also was really attached to Todd. When one of them went through something heartbreaking it tugged on my heartstrings and made me feel sad too. Which, was really hard, especially when everything played out. This was also really amazing because this gave the book a sense of having every aspect in it. You get to see the horror/thriller side with the secrets of the house, the paranormal side because of the house, there’s also a relationship/love aspect to it between two of the characters which made it all the more better. This book had everything in it.
There was really no dull moments with Phobic. It was one of those books that whenever you thought you knew something it would change it up on you. It was so fast paced and was never leaving you not sitting on the edge of your seat, or in my case on the edge of your bed. This book kept me up at night being scared, for one, but also, making me want to read it even more. As each chapter ended I just wanted to read even more and more and more of it. It drew me in and made me want to know what happened next.
There was one thing I didn’t like about the book was that the ending was a bit anti climactic at parts. I mean this in the nicest way possible. The only reason I’m saying this is because what happened at the end dealing with Ada and Piper and what Piper had to do. It was really dramatic, but what happened after with Todd and Piper was just too cliché. Other than the lack of climactic acts at this one part, the book was terrific.
If I were to recommend this to anyone, I would definitely recommend it to people who have read Anna Dressed in Blood, but also anyone who really just loves creepy horror thriller books. It wasn’t as scary as I was expecting, but that’s okay, because this book definitely helped me realize that the hype that I had for this book was well deserved. If I were to rate it out of five stars it would be 5/5! Everyone should go read this book!
The book Phobic is about this girl named Piper. She lives in this house that her mother killed someone in, and stuffed them into this cell in their floorboards. That’s not the only secret that is hiding within the walls of this household. There’s something going on with the house and Piper needs to find out what. Soon she realizes that the house is alive and that all the ties are connected to her somehow. She has to find out how to stop everything that is going on before it is too late.
This book was such a riveting read. It drew you in with the characters and it made you stay for the plot. The whole premise of the book was extremely interesting. There was a lot of character building for the characters. Especially with Piper and Todd. It was really great to see that everyone in the story had their own story about their life and how it played out so well within the book. You’d think that this book would be just a typical cliché book about haunted houses, but this is a new twist on haunted places and freaky stuff.
I really got attached to Piper and her brother Joel, but also was really attached to Todd. When one of them went through something heartbreaking it tugged on my heartstrings and made me feel sad too. Which, was really hard, especially when everything played out. This was also really amazing because this gave the book a sense of having every aspect in it. You get to see the horror/thriller side with the secrets of the house, the paranormal side because of the house, there’s also a relationship/love aspect to it between two of the characters which made it all the more better. This book had everything in it.
There was really no dull moments with Phobic. It was one of those books that whenever you thought you knew something it would change it up on you. It was so fast paced and was never leaving you not sitting on the edge of your seat, or in my case on the edge of your bed. This book kept me up at night being scared, for one, but also, making me want to read it even more. As each chapter ended I just wanted to read even more and more and more of it. It drew me in and made me want to know what happened next.
There was one thing I didn’t like about the book was that the ending was a bit anti climactic at parts. I mean this in the nicest way possible. The only reason I’m saying this is because what happened at the end dealing with Ada and Piper and what Piper had to do. It was really dramatic, but what happened after with Todd and Piper was just too cliché. Other than the lack of climactic acts at this one part, the book was terrific.
If I were to recommend this to anyone, I would definitely recommend it to people who have read Anna Dressed in Blood, but also anyone who really just loves creepy horror thriller books. It wasn’t as scary as I was expecting, but that’s okay, because this book definitely helped me realize that the hype that I had for this book was well deserved. If I were to rate it out of five stars it would be 5/5! Everyone should go read this book!
December 29, 2014
Fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw knows her house is anything but ordinary. The walls groan, doors slam on their own accord, and once, her room turned upside down. With a dead father and a mother in prison, Piper’s life has been torn apart by events that happened years earlier. Teased and tormented by the popular kids at school, Piper clings to her best friend Todd and her talent at playing the clarinet. But when things start to get incredibly creepy at her house, and Piper starts seeing the dead former inhabitants of the old home, she knows there’s a mystery that needs to be unraveled. A mystery that propels her into another reality and becomes a matter of life and death.
I was pulled into this book from the first page. Cortney's writing is beautiful and descriptive while still maintaing that important young adult voice. Here are some of my favorite lines from the book:
“My best friend Todd’s red pickup appears at the curb, spewing exhaust like the truck has a cigarette up its backside. I jerk up. My pulse kicks at the sight of him. That’s been happening a lot more lately, my insides flaring up and doing some sort of spastic dance whenever I catch sight of his alluring smile and dark curls.” -Piper Crenshaw
In reference to high school:
“I don’t get how one place can offer Spectacular for some and then Suckfest for others.”
-Piper Crenshaw
This book is a mixture of creepy, intriguing, mysterious, and romantic. As the reader, I felt for Piper and this crazy life she’s living devoid of parents to love and protect her. When the haunted aspects of her house intensified as did the ridicule from classmates, I wanted things to work out for Piper, including her “getting the guy.” Piper has a great teenage voice, especially when she talks about Pop-Tarts, the popular kids, and school in general. Cortney did a fabulous job of capturing the teenage mind and putting it onto paper.
As a fan of romance, I loved the romantic elements of the story. Piper and Todd have been friends for years, but suddenly the heat kicks up between them. They are more “aware” of each other and yet, neither of them is willing to admit it. And of course, there’s feelings of jealousy and betrayal that only adds to the conflict of the story.
Cortney weaves a tale rich in language and description with a full-blown mystery that needs to be solved. Add to that a teenage girl tormented by her peers and a romance blossoming between her and her best friend, and you have an enthralling read. Of course, there are those characters you love to hate, and without giving anything away, all I can say is they definitely get what they deserve. I would recommend Phobic for anyone who loves a good YA novel with a compelling story that makes you want to stay up way too late reading it.
I was pulled into this book from the first page. Cortney's writing is beautiful and descriptive while still maintaing that important young adult voice. Here are some of my favorite lines from the book:
“My best friend Todd’s red pickup appears at the curb, spewing exhaust like the truck has a cigarette up its backside. I jerk up. My pulse kicks at the sight of him. That’s been happening a lot more lately, my insides flaring up and doing some sort of spastic dance whenever I catch sight of his alluring smile and dark curls.” -Piper Crenshaw
In reference to high school:
“I don’t get how one place can offer Spectacular for some and then Suckfest for others.”
-Piper Crenshaw
This book is a mixture of creepy, intriguing, mysterious, and romantic. As the reader, I felt for Piper and this crazy life she’s living devoid of parents to love and protect her. When the haunted aspects of her house intensified as did the ridicule from classmates, I wanted things to work out for Piper, including her “getting the guy.” Piper has a great teenage voice, especially when she talks about Pop-Tarts, the popular kids, and school in general. Cortney did a fabulous job of capturing the teenage mind and putting it onto paper.
As a fan of romance, I loved the romantic elements of the story. Piper and Todd have been friends for years, but suddenly the heat kicks up between them. They are more “aware” of each other and yet, neither of them is willing to admit it. And of course, there’s feelings of jealousy and betrayal that only adds to the conflict of the story.
Cortney weaves a tale rich in language and description with a full-blown mystery that needs to be solved. Add to that a teenage girl tormented by her peers and a romance blossoming between her and her best friend, and you have an enthralling read. Of course, there are those characters you love to hate, and without giving anything away, all I can say is they definitely get what they deserve. I would recommend Phobic for anyone who loves a good YA novel with a compelling story that makes you want to stay up way too late reading it.
January 22, 2016
“When I was six years old, I found the man my mother murdered stuffed under a trap door in our kitchen. The smell gave him away.” Pearson immediately captivates readers with these first two lines in her debut YA horror novel, PHOBIC.
The main character, Piper Crenshaw, has a lot of secrets—secrets she keeps from her best friend, Todd, her brother, Joel, and even from the reader. Nearly the entire novel is written from Piper’s point-of-view, so the reader only knows as much as Piper reveals through her dialogue, action, and narration. Because of this, Pearson is able to keep her readers speculating and on-edge while suspense mounts throughout the course of the story.
There are several scenes in which I felt like I was watching a stereotypical horror movie where the audience is screaming at someone who is obviously walking right into the path of imminent danger. It’s as though Piper lacks enough common sense to NOT investigate horrifying noises, otherworldly visitors, and paranormal occurrences; her bravery can be mistaken for stupidity and, unfortunately, this makes her a little bit less likeable or authentic. (Is death really a better option than having someone not believe what is happening to her?) She constantly ventures into dangerous places and doesn’t confide in her older brother (and legal guardian) Joel about strange and near-death experiences in their house. Piper doesn’t want to upset him, and she’s afraid he won’t believe her, yet at one point her hands are covered in blood (which should compelling evidence that Piper isn’t imagining circumstances that she can’t explain).
Pearson masterfully slips a red herring into her story, distracting readers from what is actually happening, and she does this so seamlessly that I was overcome with an I-can’t-put-down-this-book-until-I-know-what’s-really-going-on attitude. Well played, Pearson, well played. This is an element of well-crafted storytelling that has PHOBIC taking on elements of suspense and horror that will thrill fans of writers like Lois Duncan and Caroline B. Cooney.
Suspense, mystery, the supernatural, and a romantic undercurrent all collide in PHOBIC, making this novel a compelling story for a wide variety of readers, and I look forward to reading many more books from Pearson in the future.
NOTE: I WAS GIVEN A FREE COPY OF PHOBIC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW OF THE BOOK.
The main character, Piper Crenshaw, has a lot of secrets—secrets she keeps from her best friend, Todd, her brother, Joel, and even from the reader. Nearly the entire novel is written from Piper’s point-of-view, so the reader only knows as much as Piper reveals through her dialogue, action, and narration. Because of this, Pearson is able to keep her readers speculating and on-edge while suspense mounts throughout the course of the story.
There are several scenes in which I felt like I was watching a stereotypical horror movie where the audience is screaming at someone who is obviously walking right into the path of imminent danger. It’s as though Piper lacks enough common sense to NOT investigate horrifying noises, otherworldly visitors, and paranormal occurrences; her bravery can be mistaken for stupidity and, unfortunately, this makes her a little bit less likeable or authentic. (Is death really a better option than having someone not believe what is happening to her?) She constantly ventures into dangerous places and doesn’t confide in her older brother (and legal guardian) Joel about strange and near-death experiences in their house. Piper doesn’t want to upset him, and she’s afraid he won’t believe her, yet at one point her hands are covered in blood (which should compelling evidence that Piper isn’t imagining circumstances that she can’t explain).
Pearson masterfully slips a red herring into her story, distracting readers from what is actually happening, and she does this so seamlessly that I was overcome with an I-can’t-put-down-this-book-until-I-know-what’s-really-going-on attitude. Well played, Pearson, well played. This is an element of well-crafted storytelling that has PHOBIC taking on elements of suspense and horror that will thrill fans of writers like Lois Duncan and Caroline B. Cooney.
Suspense, mystery, the supernatural, and a romantic undercurrent all collide in PHOBIC, making this novel a compelling story for a wide variety of readers, and I look forward to reading many more books from Pearson in the future.
NOTE: I WAS GIVEN A FREE COPY OF PHOBIC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW OF THE BOOK.
September 30, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
Let’s start with the good. In Phobic, fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw lives in the strangest house imaginable. It was the place where her mother committed murder, the house repairs itself, sometimes rooms change of their own accords, and the lights flicker whenever Piper says something. When she opens up a forbidden door, that’s when trouble really starts.
The plot about the house, the history of the house, and the connection it has with Piper, is pretty much amazing. I loved everything about that. The mystery takes a while to take shape, and to be revealed, and the pacing on that was just right.
Unfortunately, the secondary plots were not of the same quality. The characters, except for Piper, all lack personality. They’re not developed well, and what little personality they have, switches as often as one would switch clothes. They’re not consistent. Even the bullying seems over the top – I understand she might be bullied because she lives in a strange house and her Mom murdered someone, but it just went too far here.
Piper, at first, acts like a human doormat. I was glad to see her gain some personality and guts toward the end of the novel. At least she didn’t let people walk over her like that anymore. She’s the only character showing development though, which wasn’t exactly great.
The writing was overall solid, but there were some strange expressions, and the editing wasn’t always stellar. The book was creepy enough though, and the house, and the house’s history were highly entertaining. If the secondary plots hadn’t been so over the top, I probably would’ve loved this one. Now I enjoyed it, but I can’t give it more than a three-star rating. Concept is original though, and anyone interested in YA horror should definitely take a look at this book.
Let’s start with the good. In Phobic, fifteen-year-old Piper Crenshaw lives in the strangest house imaginable. It was the place where her mother committed murder, the house repairs itself, sometimes rooms change of their own accords, and the lights flicker whenever Piper says something. When she opens up a forbidden door, that’s when trouble really starts.
The plot about the house, the history of the house, and the connection it has with Piper, is pretty much amazing. I loved everything about that. The mystery takes a while to take shape, and to be revealed, and the pacing on that was just right.
Unfortunately, the secondary plots were not of the same quality. The characters, except for Piper, all lack personality. They’re not developed well, and what little personality they have, switches as often as one would switch clothes. They’re not consistent. Even the bullying seems over the top – I understand she might be bullied because she lives in a strange house and her Mom murdered someone, but it just went too far here.
Piper, at first, acts like a human doormat. I was glad to see her gain some personality and guts toward the end of the novel. At least she didn’t let people walk over her like that anymore. She’s the only character showing development though, which wasn’t exactly great.
The writing was overall solid, but there were some strange expressions, and the editing wasn’t always stellar. The book was creepy enough though, and the house, and the house’s history were highly entertaining. If the secondary plots hadn’t been so over the top, I probably would’ve loved this one. Now I enjoyed it, but I can’t give it more than a three-star rating. Concept is original though, and anyone interested in YA horror should definitely take a look at this book.
August 9, 2014
SLIGHT SPOILERS
When I first read the summary for this book, I thought it was going to be really intriguing, and that looked great.
Honestly, this book could have been a LOT better. Yeah, the creep house starts right from the word go (which, in this case, was GOOD), and (YESSSSS!) there was already a characer set up for me to hate.
However, both Piper and Todd (the two mains) got on my nerves. Oops. Piper was just too whingey and angstey about EVERYTHING, and the whole "Romantic Subplot" that she had going on with Todd (even though most of it was her pining and beings angsty about him) was completely unnecessary. The only moment in which Piper's character development pleased me was when she stood up to Sierra.
Todd was full of Douchebaggery right from the beginning, stright through to the end. He goes from oggling Sierra to 'having always had a crush' on Piper. Erm...THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS, DICKWAD!. At one point, he gets mad becuase she wants to look at a ghost scenario THAT WILL TEACHER WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH HER HOUSE instead of making out with him (granted, he doesn't know that the scenario exhists, but still.) Arse.
Nevertheless, I did like the portrayal of Piper's mother, and the whole house's backstory. The intrigue is good, and it's a shame is sometimes gets put on the backburner. The last chapter for the reveal of the reson of the hauntedness of the house are A TOTAL MINDFUCK (in a good way, of course)
Finally, i feel as though the fact that noone in the book swears is something i should address. Obviously, it's the writer's choice, and ultimately, to get a wider audience range, it's probavly better, but i felt the lack of cuss words limeted the vocality of the entire cast (becaue they're teenagers - and what kind of teenagers don't swear?),and contributed to Piper's petulance.
When I first read the summary for this book, I thought it was going to be really intriguing, and that looked great.
Honestly, this book could have been a LOT better. Yeah, the creep house starts right from the word go (which, in this case, was GOOD), and (YESSSSS!) there was already a characer set up for me to hate.
However, both Piper and Todd (the two mains) got on my nerves. Oops. Piper was just too whingey and angstey about EVERYTHING, and the whole "Romantic Subplot" that she had going on with Todd (even though most of it was her pining and beings angsty about him) was completely unnecessary. The only moment in which Piper's character development pleased me was when she stood up to Sierra.
Todd was full of Douchebaggery right from the beginning, stright through to the end. He goes from oggling Sierra to 'having always had a crush' on Piper. Erm...THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS, DICKWAD!. At one point, he gets mad becuase she wants to look at a ghost scenario THAT WILL TEACHER WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH HER HOUSE instead of making out with him (granted, he doesn't know that the scenario exhists, but still.) Arse.
Nevertheless, I did like the portrayal of Piper's mother, and the whole house's backstory. The intrigue is good, and it's a shame is sometimes gets put on the backburner. The last chapter for the reveal of the reson of the hauntedness of the house are A TOTAL MINDFUCK (in a good way, of course)
Finally, i feel as though the fact that noone in the book swears is something i should address. Obviously, it's the writer's choice, and ultimately, to get a wider audience range, it's probavly better, but i felt the lack of cuss words limeted the vocality of the entire cast (becaue they're teenagers - and what kind of teenagers don't swear?),and contributed to Piper's petulance.
August 10, 2014
*I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What a different, creepy and interesting novel this was. It wasn't a romance, but there was romance. It wasn't a horror, but there sure was horror to be had. It was a ghost story, but it was a human story.
In the beginning I admit that I almost put it down until around 40% when suddenly Piper grew a backbone and I thought I could cheer for her. When she started to take action, I was totally invested.
Half the time I wanted to throttle Todd, and the other half I wanted to just throw him in front of a bus...so, in other words he was your typical male. In the end he did the right thing and I was in love with him again. :)
I loved the execution of the mystery and the resolution. I don't want to say too much and create spoilers, but it was well-handled, although I felt Piper was too blindly stupid about a thing or two. Todd wasn't the only one who had trouble believing things--Piper did too, and that led to the problem with the hitch, and the one time I wanted to shake the girl and ask her what she was thinking.
Overall, a good 4* rating. I didn't have any clue this was a series until I went to write the review, because the story had a really solid conclusion that I can't imagine a second book. Although I'd like to see if Piper & Todd can get their heads on straight and actually have a real relationship...not to mention what her life is like after all of this, and how her social life and status change.
What a different, creepy and interesting novel this was. It wasn't a romance, but there was romance. It wasn't a horror, but there sure was horror to be had. It was a ghost story, but it was a human story.
In the beginning I admit that I almost put it down until around 40% when suddenly Piper grew a backbone and I thought I could cheer for her. When she started to take action, I was totally invested.
Half the time I wanted to throttle Todd, and the other half I wanted to just throw him in front of a bus...so, in other words he was your typical male. In the end he did the right thing and I was in love with him again. :)
I loved the execution of the mystery and the resolution. I don't want to say too much and create spoilers, but it was well-handled, although I felt Piper was too blindly stupid about a thing or two. Todd wasn't the only one who had trouble believing things--Piper did too, and that led to the problem with the hitch, and the one time I wanted to shake the girl and ask her what she was thinking.
Overall, a good 4* rating. I didn't have any clue this was a series until I went to write the review, because the story had a really solid conclusion that I can't imagine a second book. Although I'd like to see if Piper & Todd can get their heads on straight and actually have a real relationship...not to mention what her life is like after all of this, and how her social life and status change.
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