Review - The Hallowed Ones

by Laura Bickle
publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
date of publication: September 25, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 320
source: Netgalley

From Goodreads:

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

When I first heard about The Hallowed Ones, I was intrigued yet doubtful.  You see, I wasn't sure just how well a vampire apocalypse would work with an Amish community for a setting.  Then, I began to read and became attached the the main character, Katie, a spirited young Amish girl thirsting for knowledge of what lies beyond the fences of her community.  As calamity begins to befall the outside world, some unexpected dynamics come into play and Katie begins to undergo a transformation that will forever change her view of life.  The Hallowed Ones is an absolutely gripping work of thoughtfulness, horror, and dystopia in its purest sense.  What do you do when you discover corruption in the face of true horror?

Katie turned out to be a very compelling main character.  While those around her expect her to be a good Amish girl and to settle down into marriage with her childhood friend, Elijah, right after her Rumspringa, Katie wants more.  It is her internal fight against these wants that, in essence, prepares Katie for the events about to befall the entirety of the world.  Her resistance of denial is fascinating to observe, especially when compared to the reactions of those around her to the nature of the disaster.  There's everything from corruption to unexpected betrayal amongst this tight-knit community, which makes nearly every event so unexpected.  I really enjoyed the different aspects of human reaction that were displayed within this book.

It didn't take very long for me to be fully convinced of the effectiveness of the story's setting.  In regards to the traditional view of vampires (garlic, can't tread on holy ground, burn in sunlight, etc.), the Amish community in which Katie lives proves to be a novel, perfect backdrop.  What constitutes holy ground?  How vulnerable is it really?  What breaks the fortification that holy ground provides?  All were questions pondered in the story, making the overall plot both mentally stimulating and emotionally exciting.  I was also pleasantly surprised by the return to the traditional vampire traits from the stories of old.  It all made for a horrific, terrifying tone that I simply couldn't get enough of.

While the first few pages made me wonder as to whether the pacing would be good, the time in which it took actions to begin was nearly spot-on.  The Hallowed Ones is a well-paced, well-executed story that is more than capable of grabbing your attention and holding it for hours on end.  Even if you find yourself weary of vampire tales, as I do, you still need to read this book.  If I'm this excited about it, I can imagine that others may be completely over-the-moon when they read it.  The Hallowed Ones is well worth your time and attention thanks to such great characters and its amazing plot line.  You won't be sorry.

Buy The Hallowed Ones at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Girl of Nightmares

by Kendare Blake
publisher: Tor Teen
date of publication: August 7, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 332
source: from the publisher for review

From Goodreads:

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

Last year, Anna Dressed in Blood completely rocked my world.  Being a huge fan of ghost stories, I was looking forward to an eerie story with lots of action.  Did it ever deliver!  As I prepared to read Girl of Nightmares, I was nervous as I always am with sequels to beloved books.  Would it have the same level of spookiness, the same punch as Anna Dressed in Blood?  There was really only one way to find out, so I immersed myself into the world of Thunder Bay once more.  What I found was nothing short of amazing.  Girl of Nightmares delivered in every way and was a fantastic follow-up for Anna Dressed in Blood.  It is now left up to me to write a review free of spoilers and excessive gushing.  I'll do my best, though, because every single one of you seriously need to read this series!

We find Cas with much the same personality but a lot more forlorn.  He is visited nightly by visions of Anna undergoing horrible tortures due to his inability to determine whether or not he is losing his mind in addition to his inability to do anything to help.  As he determinedly searches for a way to pull Anna out of Hell, he shows the true extent of his resolve.  He's all the better for it as it adds even more to his character and gives him further depth.  Anna is truly heart-breaking this time around.  She is trapped in a bleak and brutal place without any hope of escaping the torment she is going through.  She cemented my opinion of her and she continues to be my favorite ghostly character ever.  She is so unique in that one moment she can bring you to tears and the next she can scare you as well as any movie monster can.  You've got to give her credit where credit is due.

I thought the premise for Anna Dressed in Blood was compelling, frightening, and thrilling.  Little did I know that Girl of Nightmares was about to turn up the level on all of the above, and then some.  From start to finish I was sucked in and did not want to put it down.  This story line is tear-jerking, spine-tingling, and breath-taking.  The settings are nothing short of spooky and provide the perfect backdrop for the events that take place.  I dare you to read the factory scene and tell me you weren't even a little freaked out.  Once again, Ms. Blake's writing wins the day with great characters, eerie settings, and a gripping plot.

To say that I loved Girl of Nightmares would be a vast understatement.  This has become one of my top 5 favorite series and I very much doubt that any other ghost series can ever top it for me.  If you haven't read either book, take my advice and do so.  If you've read Anna already, go get Girl of Nightmares now!  These books should be read frequently and are perfect for a chilly fall evening read.

Buy Girl of Nightmares at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Unquiet

by Jeannine Garsee
publisher: Bloomsbury USA
date of publication: July 17, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 388
source: Netgalley
rating: 4.5 out of 5

From Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists.

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

The Unquiet is one of those books that comes out of nowhere and takes you completely by surprise.  I hadn't heard much by way of buzz about this book, but the premise looked promising.  Little did I know I would quickly become immersed in the book past the point of reason.  What was only supposed to be a perusal of the first chapter in order to select my reads for the month turned into an 18-hour read fest that left me glued to my computer screen.  I didn't even want to stop long enough to load it onto my ereader!  I hate reading on my computer screen, so that is a pretty strong recommendation in its own right.

The cast of characters took me by surprise, as well.  Rinn Jacobs is the type of character you don't come across every day.  Her struggle with bipolar disorder and the ramifications of a tragic accident have left her on shaky ground, simply trying to maintain her footing.  When she moves to her mother's tiny hometown in Ohio, Rinn has the chance for a fresh beginning.  As more and more of her background and personality are revealed, she becomes even more captivating as a character.  She's socially naive due in part to her illness that had run rampant for so long, but she's also witty, sarcastic, and empathetic.  All of this makes her a fantastic main character that I enjoyed very much.  Nate, her neighbor and love interest, isn't an especially deep character, but his sweetness and stability are great for keeping Rinn grounded.  I just wish he had more of a spark on his own, not just when he was flirting and verbally sparring with Rinn.  A little more character development would have made it easier to see exactly why Rinn developed feelings for him aside from his appearance.  As for Rinn's friends, I just don't get it.  Two of them (Tasha and Meg) seem like nice girls on their own, but the third, Lacy, is nothing short of horrible.  I couldn't understand why any of the girls, let alone Rinn, would continue to be friends with her.  She became over-the-top and distracting in a detrimental way.  It was a little too much to believe and became a proverbial bucket of cold water that jarred me out of the reading experience more than once.

The premise for The Unquiet is nothing short of eye-catching.  I'm always in the mood for a good ghost story.  The Unquiet definitely delivers with a frightening ghost, Annaliese, and a spooky lair for her to hide in.  To say that Annaliese is vengeful is a vast understatement.  If she doesn't manage to make your spine tingle at least once, I'll be surprised.  The settings that are visited throughout the story are varied in their details.  The school and Rinn's house are vividly portrayed with clean, descriptive writing.  However, I wanted to know a bit more about the town, itself.  It felt as though it was glossed over more than it was given its share of descriptions.

The Unquiet turned out to be awesomely creepy, suspenseful, jarring, intense, and attention-grabbing.  The story has a wonderfully developed main character in Rinn and a truly intimidating adversary in the form of Annaliese.  With its theme of reality questioned, The Unquiet leaves you thoroughly considering whether everything is in Rinn's head or actually occurring.  It made for an even more intriguing book that held my attention for hours upon hours.  If you're a fan of horror fiction revolving around ghosts, this one should not be missed.  The Unquiet is now on my to-buy list, as I'm sure I will want to revisit this story in the future.

Buy The Unquiet at the Following Locations:

Amazon /  IndieBound  /  B&N  /  The Book Depository 

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Ashes

by Ilsa J. Bick
publisher: Egmont USA
date of publication: September 6, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 480
source: purchased

From Goodreads:

It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

My reaction to Ashes can be summed up in 3 words: Oh. My. Goodness!  I had been hearing just how eerie this book is and how I needed to read it ASAP from many of my blogging friends.  They are now all entitled to say, "I told you so!"  Ashes is positively teeming with tension, suspense, and horror.  I was torn between reading hundreds of pages at once or stopping for a breather when it started to become too much.  This book is more than capable of ensnaring you in each fright-filled page.  

Alex is a survivor from the very beginning.  For years she has been living with a malignant tumor in her brain that will eventually lead to her death.  At first, she believes that she has accepted her fate, though she isn't happy about it.  She realizes differently when, on one last hike into her favorite park, a mysterious event begins to affect the animals and other people in strange ways.  What starts out as a hike to honor the memory of her parents becomes a non-stop fight for her life.  You have to admire Alex for her survival skills.  Even when she is saddled with a bratty 8 year-old she proves her capabilities and kindness.  As she fights her way through each danger and traumatic experience, she comes to realize that she's not ready to give up the fight.  Overall, she made for an extremely compelling main character.  Even in her moments of weakness, she always seemed to rise above and keep going.

You may hear that there are zombies in Ashes.  That's not quite accurate, however.  What you will find are some absolutely frightening people whose brain patterns have been reduced to a primal state and who are purely cannibalistic.  All instances concerning these "brain-zapped" people (Alex's name for them) are absolutely horrifying and chilling.  The ramifications of this event are nearly as terrifying as those who remain unchanged can easily fall victim to their more predatory counterparts.  Even the setting takes on a menacing edge thanks to the catastrophic changes to the human populace.  Where before wolves and bears were the biggest concern, now feral dogs and cannibals are to be feared.  It all makes for a shudder-inducing sense of foreboding.

If I have to sum up my advice for you, it would be to read this book during daylight hours.  Otherwise, you might continue thinking about it as you are trying to go to sleep.  I know I did.  This disturbingly imaginative plot will leave you wondering, "What if?"  I was left sorry that I didn't read this sooner, yet I'm also sorry that I will have to wait a few more months to find out what happens next.  The cliffhanger in Ashes is absolutely brutal, so you know that Shadows is going to start off with a bang.  I can't wait!

Buy Ashes at the Following Locations:

Amazon /  IndieBound  /  B&N  /  The Book Depository

Review - Long Lankin

by Lindsey Barraclough
publisher: Candlewick
date of publication: July 10, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 448
source: Netgalley

From Goodreads:

Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss. . . .When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome. Auntie Ida is eccentric and rigid, and the girls are desperate to go back to London. But what they don't know is that their aunt's life was devastated the last time two young sisters were at Guerdon Hall, and she is determined to protect her nieces from an evil that has lain hidden for years. Along with Roger and Peter, two village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries -- before it's too late for little Mimi. Riveting and intensely atmospheric, this stunning debut will hold readers in its spell long after the last page is turned.

From the very first page, Long Lankin has such a bleak tone that you know you're in for an eerie read.  At the onset, Cora and Mimi are in a bad situation.  Being shipped off to an unsuspecting elderly relative by their distracted father and then dropped off to make their way up the long road to their destination by the uncouth man their father entrusted their safety to doesn't speak well for the happiness quotient.  When they lay eyes on their great aunt's house for the first time, you just know that things are about to get worse.  The stage is set for a spooky read.  Just how spooky remains to be seen, but rest assured that you are in for a frightening story.

Long Lankin is told from the perspective of three characters: Cora, the outspoken older sister to Mimi; Roger, one of the Bryers Guerdon neighborhood boys who becomes Cora's friend; and Mrs. Eastfield, Cora and Mimi's troubled, reclusive great aunt.  Each character has their own distinctive speech pattern and personality, insuring that as many details as possible are covered from multiple perspectives.  I really came to enjoy each character over time, though I was very much put off by Mrs. Eastfield, at first.  Once you learn more about her, however, you come to realize that she is a woman in torment from her past, all thanks to the story's antagonist: Long Lankin.  Oh, my.  Long Lankin (aka Cain Lankin) has to be the most frightening monsters I have read about in a long time and reminded me very much of Rawhead and Bloody-Bones, a figure from Yorkshire folklore that is absolutely horrifying.  I made the mistake of finishing the novel at night and let me tell you, I was very jumpy as I read about the main conflict with Long Lankin.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

It took me a little while to grow accustomed to the style in which Long Lankin is written.  I soon got into the dialog and the pacing and came to realize just how beautifully done it all was.  The alternating perspectives are a little different than one usually sees in multiple p.o.v. books.  Rather than alternating chapters, the three characters take turns sharing their thoughts, feelings, and observations on an event as they each experience them.  This really brought the story to life and injected so much detail into the narrative.  The pacing may seem slow at first, but it soon begins to make sense.  The truly frightening horror stories take time to build and Long Lankin is no different.  It added to the level of foreboding inherent in the plot and didn't allow me to let my guard down for a second.  It is very easy to be on edge the entire time you are reading this book.

I haven't been this freaked out by a story since I read Rawhead Rex by Clive Barker.  Much like that story, Long Lankin will stay with me for years to come.  Part monster tale, part ghost story, Long Lankin provides an unbelievable amount of thrills and chills and leaves you jumping at your own shadow.  As a fan of a good scare, I am a happy customer after finishing Long Lankin.  I will be reading this one again in the future just so I can see what other nuances I discover.  If you enjoy a good horror story, you must try Long Lankin.   

Buy Long Lankin at the Following Locations:

Amazon /  IndieBound  /  B&N  /  The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Hunt

by Andrew Fukuda
publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
date of publication: May 8, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 293
source: Netgalley
read it in: 4 days

From Goodreads:

Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

What do you do when you're prey in the middle of a city of predators?  Gene is a boy in just this type of situation.  As one of the few remaining humans in a world overrun with vampire-like beings who would tear him limb-from-limb if even a hint of his humanity was to be found out, Gene has all but annihilated all clues as to his true nature.  All of his carefully executed cleaning rituals are about to become all the more important, however, for Gene has been selected to take part in The Hunt.  If Gene fails to keep his true identity a secret, he faces the possibility of becoming an addition to the quarry selected for the slaughter... human beings.

Gene is a somewhat difficult character to figure out.  He spends much of the story worrying about keeping himself from gaining unwanted attention by hiding everything from his scent to the true extent of his intelligence.  However, while he knows he is human, he still seems to throw his lot in with the monsters surrounding him by using pronouns such as "we" and "us" in relation to them.  At times, I wondered as to whether or not he wanted his humanity.  It seemed as though it was more of an inconvenience to him, which made fully connecting to him as a character difficult.  Even when I figured out the nature of the creatures around him, I still didn't quite know what to make of Gene.  It remains a puzzle even now.

While the storyline and action found within The Hunt is riveting, the world in which Gene lives is just as confusing as Gene, himself.  There is little rhyme or reason to why things are the way they are.  There is no hint as to when the populace ceased to be human and became ravening monsters, nor is there any explanation as to how it came to be.  As a reader I like to be filled in on the origin of a book's setting.  I just didn't get that with The Hunt.  Instead, I was left to conjecture how it all came to be as I interpreted the nature of the monsters and the ways in which they operate.  I found myself the most disappointed by this aspect of the book.  I would have loved a few clues as to the history of this horrific world.  Instead, I was left with an inordinate amount of questions.

The Hunt has both its good points and its less than stellar points.  Amongst my favorite elements were the intriguing premise and the riveting action sequences.  My least favorite aspects of The Hunt come from its enigma of a main character and history deficient world-building.  As a story of the vampire variety, however, it is fresh and out of the ordinary.  If you are interested in a story surrounding a truly horrific race of vampires, The Hunt is a good choice.  It has some truly chilling moments that will leave you thinking of the days when vampires were meant to be frightening.  These certainly are! 

Buy The Hunt at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.