Tag Archives: genre: horror

Blog Tour Book Review: The Murmurings by Carly Anne West

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Today I am one of the stops for Carly Anne West’s new book, THE MURMURINGS, hosted by Shane @ Itching for Books. Check out the other stops here. Also, check below my review for a dream cast and giveaway!

the murmuringsInfo:
Title: The Murmurings
Author: Carly Anne West
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher for blog tour
Series? No
Genre: YA, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Page Count: 384
Rating:

Summary:

Everyone thinks Sophie’s sister, Nell, went crazy. After all, she heard strange voices that drove her to commit suicide. But Sophie doesn’t believe that Nell would take her own life, and she’s convinced that Nell’s doctor knows more than he’s letting on.

As Sophie starts to piece together Nell’s last days, every lead ends in a web of lies. And the deeper Sophie digs, the more danger she’s in—because now she’s hearing the same haunting whispers. Sophie’s starting to think she’s going crazy too. Or worse, that maybe she’s not…. (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
I don’t usually read horror — I don’t like being scared! — but the summary for THE MURMURINGS caught my attention. Immediately I wanted to know why Nell committed suicide, what the voices said, and why Sophie was hearing them too. I also think the cover’s intense, with the girl staring right into my eyes.

The book starts out creepy, with Sophie seeing something in the mirror. I think everyone’s seen things, then really looked and nothing’s there, so it’s an easy way for the reader to relate to what’s happening to Sophie. THE MURMURINGS is also sad, a look into a family broken by grief. I really felt for Sophie, trying to cope with Nell’s death without the help of her mother.

Nell’s death has also made Sophie an outcast at school, and I liked that she wasn’t the popular girl. I did have a bit of trouble believing the relationship that sprang up between Sophie and Evan, but Evan is one of the few male characters I’ve liked lately. He’s awkward, and unsure of himself in an endearing sort of way. Refreshingly, he’s not one of the bad boys that are so trendy in YA. Ethan reads like a real guy.

The basic story of THE MURMURINGS, without giving too much away, is that Sophie is trying to find out why Nell died, and why she heard voices. The scariness for me wasn’t actually in the voices or the things in mirrors, but in the mental institution. Now, Oakside put the eep in creepy. Dr. Keller and the rest of the staff made my skin crawl.

Spread throughout the book are passages from Nell’s diary and blog posts from Adam, an orderly at the institution. Adam’s blog posts were some of my favorite parts. They were of the “crazy dude in a tinfoil hat” variety, and I didn’t know if I could trust him or not, which added to the twists in the book. But in the end, THE MURMURINGS wasn’t as full of horror as the summary implied. It’s hard to explain why without spoiling too much, but I felt like there was a lot of focus on a supernatural element that wasn’t very scary.

I’d recommend THE MURMURINGS to other readers like me, who may not like horror stories. It would be a good way to get into the genre.

Socialize with the author:
Carly Anne West:
Website
Facebook
Twitter

Dream Cast!

Sophie played by Sophie Turner. I wasn’t sure who to pick for Sophie, but when I went looking for faces, I stumbled over this picture. The hair is a bit light, but I like the combination of vulnerability and “leave me alone” on her face. Plus, the actress’s name is Sophie, so it’s like it was meant to be.


Evan played by Michael Trevino. Again, I wasn’t sure who to pick, but I found this picture and I knew it was Evan. He’s got a perfect geeky, sort of awkward expression.


Dr. Keller by Cillian Murphy. I knew immediately who I wanted to pick for Dr. Keller. Cillian Murphy does a good “I’m creepy, but you can trust me” expression.


Adam played by Colin O’Donoghue. This is inspiration from my recent infatuation with Once Upon a Time.

Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is not hosted by me. I am not responsible for prizes.

– leeanna

Book Review: The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

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the madman's daughterInfo:
Title: The Madman’s Daughter
Author: Megan Shepherd
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Amazon Vine
Series? The Madman’s Daughter #1
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Horror, Gothic, Romance
Page Count: 432

Summary:

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father’s handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it’s too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells’s classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman’s Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we’ll do anything to know and the truths we’ll go to any lengths to protect. (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
The Madman’s Daughter was inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with that classic before reading. You don’t need to be, although it definitely adds to the story if you are.

Juliet is a plucky heroine. I liked her from the very first page. She’s strong, smart, and capable. Left alone after her mother’s death from consumption and her father’s abandonment, she’s managed to make a life for herself. To be sure, it’s not a glamorous life — she’s a maid cleaning up after medical students — but she’s not fallen to the ultimate low of prostitution.

Unlike most girls of her time, Juliet is fascinated by medicine and science. It’s only natural; her father, Henri Moreau, was one of the greatest doctors in England before a scandal brought him down. Also unlike other girls, she’s not the type of faint or surrender to danger, which leads her into trouble.

After finding out that her father is alive, Juliet takes the chance to reunite with him. Beyond craving his approval and recognition, she can’t help but wonder if any of her father’s madness is in her blood.

If there was a “Worst Father of the Century” award, Juliet’s father would win it. He’s one slimy rat bastard, and that’s without going into any of his madness. My heart ached for Juliet when their reunion didn’t go as she hoped it would, and then I wanted to bash his head against the wall as the story developed further.

Overall, I really liked The Madman’s Daughter. As I said above, Juliet is a great character. My favorite things about the book were Juliet and the unexpected plots twists. I was totally surprised by the last third or so of the book, which I loved. Even though I suspected what was happening on the island, I didn’t see certain things coming, and I had some “Oh my!” moments. I’m being vague on purpose — this is one story I don’t want to spoil.

I did have a few issues with the book. One big annoyance was the love triangle. Considering the time period in which the story is set, it’s shocking, but I just didn’t want it. Juliet’s feelings flip-flopped a lot between Montgomery and Edward, sometimes on the same page. I could understand why she liked Montgomery as they grew up together, but I couldn’t see where her interest in Edward came from.

I also thought the book dragged on for too long. I had the feeling that the author was stretching the story out to make a trilogy. The book could have done without some of the jungle scenes and Juliet’s “I’m mad” moments.

I do have to mention one other thing about The Madman’s Daughter. Balthasar was my second favorite character. I wanted to give him a big hug and tell him he could come live with me. The author created a really sympathetic character in him. Balthasar is perfect for thinking about some of the deeper themes in the book.

The Madman’s Daughter is the YA book I’ve been looking for. Dark, gothic, and scary. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the story unfolds.

Rating: 4 owls

Socialize with the author:
Megan Shepherd:
Website
Twitter

– leeanna

Book Review: Broken by A.E. Rought

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brokenInfo:
Title: Broken
Author: A.E. Rought
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Series? No
Genre: YA, Romance, Horror, Gothic, Retelling
Page Count: 384

Summary:

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry’s boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she’s intrigued despite herself. He’s an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely… familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel’s.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there’s something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks’ estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows. (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
I was really excited to read Broken. First, the cover is gorgeous! I especially liked the heart in the “O” of the archway and the red background. Second, it’s billed as a “modern spin on Frankenstein,” which is one of my favorite classics.

Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last long. But before I get into the bad, let me talk about what I did like about Broken.

Emma. I liked some aspects of her personality. Many of the other girls at Shelley High are catty and cruel, like clique-y teenage girls can be. When Emma spends the first part of the school year mourning her dead boyfriend, she’s “emo.” But when she moves on to Alex, she’s “a slut.” Emma doesn’t let the mean girls get to her, which is what I liked. She has somewhat of an “I don’t give a f*ck” personality in that regard.

The other good thing about Broken? We see Emma’s parents! All too often in YA books, parents either aren’t around or are bad parents. It’s the exact opposite in this book. Emma’s parents are both present and both care about their daughter. Her mom is super over-protective, with the typical “no guy is good enough for my daughter” attitude. Her dad is pretty cool too, and having both parents in Broken allows for some parent-daughter conversations you don’t always get in YA books.

Moving on.

I almost gave up on Broken within the first few chapters. Not much happened, except Emma moping over her dead boyfriend and giving every single detail about her day from what she ate for breakfast to the clothes she wore. And when she met Alex, the new guy at school, I knew I wasn’t going to like Broken very much. Hello, insta-love! The summary for the book really spoils things in that regard, but Emma gives it away, too, with her repeated comparisons of Daniel and Alex.

I kept flicking the pages, though, somehow getting through the boring middle. Not a lot happens, at least not a lot that I can remember. Just lots of descriptions of typical teenage life, with Emma going back and forth about Alex. The “I shouldn’t feel this way about him, I barely know him, but I can’t live without him” variety. In Broken’s defense, there actually is a reason for the insta-love, but it still wasn’t something I enjoyed.

The ending of Broken finally brought the action I had been hoping. But by that point, it was too much, too fast, and too late. I didn’t get the mad scientist vibe for Dr. Franks, couldn’t understand Josh’s motivation, and I wasn’t creeped out at all, even by the half-dead animals on the Franks estate. I think this was partly due to the writing — the author has some creative and different ways of describing things, but she did it for everything.

Some examples of how Emma’s cellphone is described:
—”My cell comes to life, the vibrate setting making the pink thing look like it has legs.” (est. p9)
—”My cell phone comes alive in my locker, a swarm in a metal can.” (est. p21)
—”My cell phone buzzes, sounding like bees and chicken bones as it rattles against the pencils in the front pocket of my backpack.” (est. p121)
[page numbers are estimates, from the page counter on Aldiko]

So by the time I got to the animals that were half alive and half metal, I was numb from that type of writing. If it had been used more sparingly, I might have been more horrified by Dr. Franks and his experiments.

To conclude, Broken just wasn’t the book for me. Too much romance and too little action.

Rating:

Socialize with the author:
A.E. Rought:
Website
Facebook
Twitter

– leeanna

Book 131: Diaries of the Family Dracul 3: Lord of the Vampires

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Lord of the VampiresDiaries of the Family Dracul #3: Lord of the Vampires, by Jeanne Kalogridis

The final book of Kalogridis’ Diaries of the Family Dracul series, “Lord of the Vampires” merges seamlessly into the events of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” and even expands on the story.

The author incorporates another famous character of vampire legend, the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, into the series as well. Elizabeth goes to Castle Dracula at Vlad’s behest, to restore his energy and power; she also befriends Zsuzsanna, showing Vlad’s niece all the opportunities undead life provides.

Bram Van Helsing journeys to England to hunt for Vlad, determined to end his family’s curse. In England he meets a student he mentored in the past, Dr. John Seward. Readers of “Dracula” will recognize Seward as the administrator of the insane asylum, as well as a friend to Quincey Morris, Arthur Holmwood, and Lucy Westernra. Kalogridis weaves her book and Stoker’s together quite neatly, while adding to the classic novel. While Vlad was the main bad guy of “Dracula,” in “Lord of the Vampires” he’s bad, but not the baddest. That title belongs to Elizabeth Bathory, who is revealed to be extremely evil and superbly manipulative.

I really liked how the author put her own spin on the events of “Dracula,” and how she expanded the character of Dr. Seward. The inclusion of Elizabeth Bathory was great for me as well; at first I wasn’t sure about it, but she worked her into the plot quite well. As an ending to the trilogy, “Lord of the Vampires” is a good book, summing up all the story lines and providing closure for all characters. The writing mix of horror, suspense, thrill, mystery, gore, and some even darker subjects is a winning combination.

Now that I’ve finished the trilogy, I want to go back and reread all the books, to look for any little details I missed. As a fan of Dracula and vampires in general, I very much enjoyed this author’s interpretation of events, and what led up to “Dracula.” Recommended for fans of Stoker’s novel, or anyone who enjoys a well-told story.

4/5.

Book 130: Diaries of the Family Dracul 2: Children of the Vampire

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Children of the VampireDiaries of the Family Dracul #2: Children of the Vampire, by Jeanne Kalogridis

A sequel to “Covenant with the Vampire,” “Children of the Vampire” continues the Dracula prequel with diaries by Arkady, Zsuzsanna, and two new characters: Stefan and Bram Van Helsing.

Because Vlad broke the covenant he made with the Devil in the first book, he still owes the soul of the eldest son to purchase his continued immortality. Now that Arkady is a vampire, Vlad must find Stefan, Arkady’s son who was spirited away from the monster’s castle as a baby. Vlad and Arkady alternatively kidnap and save Stefan, as each tries to oppose the other.

“Children of the Vampire” is a weaker book than the first in the series; parts of it drag on and on, especially in the middle. It felt mostly like setup for the final book in the trilogy; like the author was moving all the characters and plot lines to where they needed to be for the last book. There are some metaphysical elements which start out interesting, but I got a little tired of pages and pages of them.

One thing I do like about this book, though, is that again Kalogridis isn’t afraid to broach any subject, or write any plot twist. I was never exactly sure what was going to happen, and the unpredictability was nice.

If read alone, “Children with the Vampire” suffers, but as a middle book for the Diaries of the Family Dracul series, it’s alright. I’m definitely looking forward to the last book to see how everything finishes up.

3/5.

Book 129: Diaries of the Family Dracul 1: Covenant with the Vampire

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Covenant with the VampireDiaries of the Family Dracul #1: Covenant with the Vampire, by Jeanne Kalogridis

“Covenant with the Vampire” is the first in a trilogy about the family Dracul, and is a prequel to Stoker’s classic “Dracula.”

Arkady Tsepesh and his wife Mary journey to Transylvania from London; Arkady is returning to his childhood home after the death of his father. He must take up his father’s duties as the caretaker of Vlad, Arkady’s uncle. Incredibly eccentric, Vlad shuns daylight and human contact, but welcomes strangers to his home…

As Arkady learns more about Vlad, he becomes increasingly befuddled and confused. His uncle flies into a rage over the smallest things, but is extremely benevolent at other times. And the longer Arkady and Mary stay at the castle, the younger Vlad becomes. Mary’s own suspicions are aroused when Arkady’s sister, Zsuzsanna, an invalid since birth, swings between death and vibrant life, especially after she sees Vlad and his niece sharing a night time visit.

Kalogridis pens a great tale for all vampire fans, filled with horror and chills, thrill and gore, suspense and excitement. I was a little surprised at how much I got into this book; reading it from start to finish in about a day. Her explanations for Vlad’s past and present, and the origin of vampires are creative, and even fit into “Dracula.” The characters are compelling; but the format of the story is a little limiting. “Covenant with the Vampire” is written in a diary format, alternating between Arkady, Mary, and Zsuzsanna. The diary format gives readers a view into each of the main characters, but also limits readers as the narrative is influenced by the writer they are reading.

“Covenant with the Vampire” isn’t high literature, but it’s very entertaining. I like that the author isn’t afraid to go anywhere, and this is definitely dark fantasy.

4/5.