Review: House of Furies

House of Furies

Rating: 4/5

Buy or Borrow: Buy

Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

After escaping a harsh school where punishment was the lesson of the day, seventeen-year-old Louisa Ditton is thrilled to find employment as a maid at a boarding house. But soon after her arrival at Coldthistle House, Louisa begins to realize that the house’s mysterious owner, Mr. Morningside, is providing much more than lodging for his guests. Far from a place of rest, the house is a place of judgment, and Mr. Morningside and his unusual staff are meant to execute their own justice on those who are past being saved.

Louisa begins to fear for a young man named Lee who is not like the other guests. He is charismatic and kind, and Louisa knows that it may be up to her to save him from an untimely judgment. But in this house of distortions and lies, how can Louisa be sure whom to trust?

Featuring stunning interior illustrations from artist Iris Compiet, plus photo-collages that bring Coldthistle House to chilling life, House of Furies invites readers to a world where the line between monsters and men is ghostly thin.

So, you guys might remember I featured this on my blog back in January as one of my new releases that I was looking forward to! I don't usually do horror, but there was something about this book that intrigued me, the cover and the synopsis both piqued my interest and it sounded like something a bit different to the usual! Even so...it still wasn't what I was expecting, and I found myself completely loving it! 

House of Furies is dark and atmospheric and it's that atmosphere along with how vivid it is that draws you in straight away and keeps you hooked to the page. I was hooked nearly immediately, and couldn't put it down, I read it in one go and the atmosphere to the book is one of the things that really makes this book memorable, and adds just something a little extra to it. I feel like a good horror book should be atmospheric but this is just perfect. I don't know how to explain it exactly, it just fit so well and I had such a good mental image as I was reading! 

You get these really cool extracts from Morningsides book that have these brilliant illustrations with them, and I felt like that was a nice extra touch that added a few hints here and there! I really enjoyed the mythology and lore surrounding the monsters/mythical beings/creatures that went in to this book, it fascinated me and definitely left me wanting to know more! Speaking of Morningside...I actually really loved him. He was smooth and intelligent and a little bit mischievous at one point, and I loved his interactions with Louisa. He cracked me up more than once as did their banter. I ship them a fair bit, I'm not going to lie! 

For me, Louisa was a great main character, she was believable and had the same kind of reaction that I imagined most of us would have when confronted with her situation. My thoughts about Lee and certain things often mirrored hers with her doubts and so on. Her situation with Lee particularly was very well done, I was pretty much with Louisa the whole time, first trusting him and not seeing how he could be bad and then the doubt seeping in. So well done. 

I found all of the characters to be a memorable bunch, they where interesting and I wanted to know more about them and what they could do and what brought them there and their pasts and just everything basically! Mary, Chijioke and Poppy in particular, I'm not going to lie! Plus you know...Morningside. 

I loved the way the author blended together the historical and the supernatural with the gothic touches. The storytelling was brilliant and like I said..atmospheric and vivid! It was just plain creepy at times, but it was always intriguing. And I'm so excited to see what happens in the next book and to get to know the characters even better! I need way more Morningside, I'm not going to lie! 

All in all House of Furies was a brilliantly written, atmospheric and vivid read that intrigues you from the start and keeps you hooked until the last page. The characters are an interesting and memorable bunch and the book leaves you wanting more! 

Slade House

Sade House
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Walk down narrow, clammy Slade Alley. Open the black iron door in the right-hand wall.

Enter the sunlit garden of an old house that doesn't exactly make sense.

A stranger greets you by name and invites you inside.

At first, you won't want to leave. Too late, you find you can't . . .

A taut, intricately woven, reality-warping tale that begins in 1979 and comes to its turbulent conclusion at the wintry end of October, 2015. Born out of the short story David Mitchell published on Twitter in 2014 and inhabiting the same universe as his latest bestselling novel The Bone Clocks, this is the perfect book to curl up with on a dark and stormy night.

As the synopsis says, this story was all thanks to a short story published on Twitter, and it's a perfect Halloween read, I have to say! I had assumed this was a standalone, so I read it without having read The Bone Clocks and the benefit of whatever knowledge came from it. It is on my TBR, I just haven't gotten around to it yet! 

That said, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book at all, I was glued to the page from the go. For such a short book, it tells the story without ever feeling rushed. There's no points where the story is rushed, the ending isn't rushed, it's got a fast pace, and it keeps it up through to the end. 

There's four parts to the story, starting in 1979 and ending in 2015. Each is linked. Why? Because each person from each part, Nathan and his Mum, Gordon etc etc, all disappear in to the house never to be seen again. And so it continues every 9 years, until 2015. You can read the book in one sitting, and enjoy the creeped out feeling it will inspire. There's not many things that creep me out, but this book managed to! 

There's a blend of different genres and different "oh that reminds me of so and so" moments, Mitchell keeps all of his signatures and uses then to delightful effect. I must say I wasn't sure what to expect from such a short book from the author, but like I keep saying....I couldn't be more pleased! I'm just sad I didn't get to read Bone Clocks first! All in all it's a cracking read! 

Spooktober: The Watchers

The Watchers
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

1977
The Havens, Wales

My Name is Robert Wilding.

Since childhood I have been running from my parents' deaths. From my grandfather Randall Llewellyn Pritchard - his fanatical omens about fires in the sky. From what happened at Broad Haven.

But now my memories have returned to haunt me.

In the ministry of Defence Room 800 I met the man who keeps the nation's secrets - who wants me to investigate the sightings at Broad Haven: the ghostly figures, the lights from another world.

In know its is my duty to expose the truth behind 'the happenings', even if it will be dangerous. Even though I may not live to tell the tale. 

I know it is my duty, but still I am afraid. I know the Watchers will be waiting for me there.

Well then. This book is suitable Halloween reading what with the creepiness and everything! I read this in one go, I couldn't tear myself away, I kept reading wanting to know what would happen next, what was really going on and so on. The book is even more fascinating when it's revealed that the book is based on real events that happened in that exact area at the exact time the book is set. Creepy to the max. 

The book really builds up to the finale and the big reveal. The introduction is creepy with young Robert and his Grandfather and then before that the meeting with the Prime Minister. From there it's a gripping read, with the tension being ramped up, not to mention the feeling of unease. The writing is compelling and atmospheric. Giving you not only a feel for the place, but the general vibe as all of the events where taking place. It's got a very heavy atmosphere that sucks you in. 

It's all very intense, and in between Robert doing his investigating you have the little sections that really hit you with the creepiness and wrongness of events. You can tell something's going to happen, and these add to that feeling, giving you a sense of foreboding as you're reading. At points I was hearing Twilight Zone music! These little bits are extracts from a book by another character, written after everything went down. Then there's extracts from interviews with witnesses closer to the time, letters and so on. Each adding pieces of information and ramping up the tension and unease as the book speeds towards the climax and epic finale. 

There are many layers to the book, and it's fun trying to untangle everything. Robert clearly has some suppressed memories and he keeps getting flashes of his younger self and events that he was involved in, so you're trying to work out what happened to him and his parents. Then you have all the UFO's and other strange sightings that he's trying to rationalise until he just can't anymore. There's plenty of conspiracy stuff going on along with general government fuss. The ending of the book....well...that was chilling to be honest. Really chilling. I wouldn't put it past that particular prime minister either, if I'm honest. 

There's plenty of seemingly suspicious characters for you to scrutinise and decide whether or not they're involved in something. I will admit I was completely blind sided by the big reveal, the person behind it all and everything. Looking back I realise there was a clue or two but clearly I was too wrapped up in the whole UFO business to pick up on it! 

The plot was just fantastic, I mean there's mystery, there's strange goings on, suspense and even bits of horror. The plot was full of different threads and you're trying to work out how they all weave together as you're reading and being surprised left, right and centre. The book is not only atmospheric, but it has an entirely authentic feel to it, and the authors note adds some excellent information to get you thinking. 

Spring has a talent for storytelling and this is clearly something that caught his interest and sparked his imagination...not only did he decide to tell us about it in his own imaginative way, but he did so in such a way that he sparked my interest and imagination as well, and hopefully all of you lots as well!

I think I'm going to have to pick up his other book, Ghost Hunters, at some point as well, although if it's anything like this one.....I probably won't sleep very well after reading! 

BLOG TOUR: The Dead House

Hey guys! 

Time for a blog tour! I'm really excited to be part of this blog tour because it's a bit unusual. It's a mirror one in honour of the two characters in the book. I've got Carly's answer to todays question and YA Interrobang has Kaitlin's! I've also got a review down below if you fancy checking it out. 

Today's question is:

What is your favourite scary story? 

Carly: For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a puppy. It was my heart’s desire from as early as I an remember. I broke my heart weeping, begging my mother to let me have one. She always said no. It was too complicated, she said, to have a dog in the house when Kaitlyn and I were so . . . different. I couldn’t take care of a puppy if I was only there half of the day. And Kaitlyn . . . well, she didn’t want anything. No dog, no friends, nothing. She only wanted me, she would write to me.

When I was twelve, the puppy urge came on again, really strongly. But my school had noticed a decline in my homework and were keeping a closer eye on me. A puppy was simply out of the question. One morning, I opened my eyes to a Message Book entry that was longer than any Kaitlyn had ever left me before. It was a story—a whole story, just for me. 

This is what she wrote:

Once upon a time, there was a young girl, fresh out of university, living with her puppy, Lucky, in a pretty grimy flat in a backward part of London. She didn’t care. She was out of her parent’s house, qualified, employed, and best of all, she had her puppy. The girl and her puppy were closer than close.

But of course this joy at her new-found freedom didn’t quite stop the nervous fear she sometimes felt at night, all alone, without her University roommates or the sound of her parents in the other rooms, like back at home. Sometimes, she would get scared. 

It could be the dark—and then she’d put her hand under the bed where Lucky slept, and he would lick her palm reassuringly. She would feel immediately comforted to have him there, and would have no problem going back to sleep.

Sometimes it was just the thought she was all alone. And, again, she would slip her hand under the bed, and Lucky would give her a reassuring lick. 

One night, it wasn’t the dark that startled her awake, nor was it the idea of being alone. It was a sound. 

Drip . . . drip . . . drip . . .

She got out of bed, and checked the kitchen taps. One was a little loose, so she tightened it, and climbed back into bed, slipping her hand underneath the bed, where Lucky licked it. She smiled and closed her eyes. 

But the sound came again. 

Drip . . . drip . . . drip . . . 

Irritated, she got out of bed and checked her bathroom sink. The tap was a little loose, so she tightened it and went back to bed, slipping her hand underneath so Lucky could give her a reassuring lick. 

She fell into a light doze.

But the sound came again. 

Drip, drip, drip, drip . . .

This time, pretty pissed off and tired, she went into her bathroom and checked her sink. The faucet was tightly closed. She stormed into the kitchen and checked the sink there—same story. The toilet wasn’t dripping or refilling, but she could hear the dripping! 

Finally, she realized, she hadn’t checked the shower. She pulled back the curtain and stumbled back.

Hanging from the showerhead was her precious puppy, Lucky, his head almost wholly decapitated. Scrawled in the white tiles, in Lucky’s blood, read the words: PEOPLE CAN LICK TOO.

I loved Kaitlyn more than ever after I read that story. She was telling me that a puppy could be another way for someone to hurt her. And that was why she didn’t want one. She was warning me not to be blinded by trickery. She was taking care of me. I still want a puppy, but now I get why she doesn’t. And I can live with that.

Head over to YA Interrobang to see what Kaitlin has to say! 

The Dead House
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher

Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Three people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s identical twin sister. But Carly didn’t have a twin . . . 

Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.

Who was Kaitlyn and why did she only appear at night? Did she really exist or was she a figment of a disturbed mind? What were the illicit rituals taking place at the school? And just what did happen at Elmbridge in the events leading up to ‘the Johnson Incident’?

Fair warning, this book is going to suck you in and it's partly because it's so easy to read and follow and partly because of the huge amounts of intrigue as you try to workout what the hell is going on until it takes a turn for the strange and then you're like "woah, okay, now it just got creepy" *runs around turning all the lights on and staring suspiciously at the mirrors and dark*. You should probably aim to read this in one sitting otherwise you'll end up totally obsessing over it and won't get anything else done until you can read it again anyway. You should also probably read it in daylight. Finishing the book and writing this before bed time was a tactical error haha. 

Like GoodReads says, it's a psychological thriller with the feel of an urban legend to it. You can easily picture it as being the kind of legend in your particular town about a building or a person. It had this very real and believable quality to it that made it all the more chilling. It's definitely unsettling to read, some parts more than others, and particularly towards the end. This book gets its hooks in to you from page one and those hooks stay firmly lodged, even after you've put the book down. 

The atmosphere in the book was incredibly palpable, and that's partly down to writing and partly, I think, down to the format of the book, the different mediums used to tell the story. Some of them gave off huge creepy vibes, some of them gave of this vibe I can't describe. You know when you're reading the police transcript and you can see in your mind how it looks on screen, how it would play out in a movie with the music that's kind of intrigue/creepy and you're getting all these hints dropped about what's to come, and it sends a shiver down your spine and a creeping sense of dread? That is the feeling you get reading certain parts of the book. There needs to be a word for it, and if there is my mind is blanking and not coming up with it! 

As I'm sure you've guessed from above, I actually found this book to be quite cinematic. Unusual considering it's told through transcripts a lot, but I could picture how it would play out, how it would be set up, blocked and so on. As I was reading my brain was playing it all out for me. To be quite honest with you, I really wasn't sure what I was expecting this book to be about, but I was mildly surprised when all the supernatural/paranormal stuff kicked off, but it was a good surprise, although swiftly followed by "sweet Jesus, this is going to majorly creep me out. I used to love Most Haunted, but it always, ALWAYS, creeped me out and made it hard for me to sleep. That show freaking haunts me and I think this book is going to as well. 

The format thing reminded me a bit of The Three and Day Four, the way it used all the different mediums, then gave you all the "evidence" and lets you kind of make up your own mind as you read, and at the end leaves you with no definitive answer. Was she mentally unstable or did it all actually happen like that? It's up to you to decide. That and the build up of dread. I loved the way the book was set out though. The diary entries, police interviews, medical notes, film footage/CCTV footage transcripts. It not only was an interesting approach to take, it added an extra creep factor, an extra dose of intrigue and sense of foreboding as you're reading (DAMMIT THAT'S THE WORD I WAS LOOKING FOR ABOVE METHINKS!), but it also keeps the narrative fresh as you go along. 

I'm not really sure how to describe characters to be honest, they where an interesting bunch to be sure. Kaitlyn/Carly in particular where truly fascinating to read about. Not to mention Naida and her beliefs and so on. The rest where interesting in their own ways but mostly in a "IS IT YOU!?" kind of way in regards to certain little mysteries that have to be solved. 

I'm not really sure what else to say about this book without giving too much away! It's so, so creepy, chilling, it's incredibly dark and you get the darkness oozing off the page. Even after finishing the book I'm still gripped by it, I still have questions, I'm still wondering and thinking about it. No word of a lie, this book will grab you and not let go no matter how much you try to shake it off. It's incredibly written and fantastic to read. 

Don't forget to check out the other dates of the tour! 

Day Four

Day Four
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of Bookbridgr

Four days into a five day singles cruise on the Gulf of Mexico, the ageing ship Beautiful Dreamer stops dead in the water. With no electricity and no cellular signals, the passengers and crew have no way to call for help. But everyone is certain that rescue teams will come looking for them soon. All they have to do is wait.

That is, until the toilets stop working and the food begins to run out. When the body of a woman is discovered in her cabin the passengers start to panic. There's a murderer on board the Beautiful Dreamer... and maybe something worse.

Okay I used the GoodReads synopsis because I didn't want to give away too much information if I did my own synopsis, but man this was the best possible sequel to The Three. So creepy. So, so creepy. 

This isn't a proper sequel, it's a standalone book with a few little connections to The Three.....anyone remember the Small's? Yep. I thought it was very well done, kind of making it a sequel, but not really but with some mentions of events from The Three that made you flail a bit because you recognised them and then go all "aaaahhh", and you realise it's all set in the same world. 

This is one of those books you might want to read in broad daylight, because while in the beginning it was all good, you know, introducing everyone....and then the ship stops. It was all still fine, someone was murdered, I still wasn't creeped out. I got creeped out when the passengers started seeing....things. Ghosts....possibly. That's what tripped my freak out switch. I'm all good with horror films unless it's to do with ghosts, i didn't sleep properly for weeks after watching Paranormal Activity, and that film wasn't even that good. 

Then the whole thing with Celine, she's a fake showbiz medium, but after the ship shuts off, she went full creepy. Like possessed or something, and she made my skin crawl more than once. I was glued to the page with intrigue just as much as horror/terror/creeped out-ness, it was like an accident..you wanted to look away...but you couldn't bring yourself to. I was like 'okay, i'll give it a rest...but.....wait...'. 

We get multiple views again, which where done very well, everyone saw different things and had different experiences, and some where creepier than others. The view switches where well done, and added a nice creep factor considering one of them was a murderer, and then Xavier added the kind of rational take on everything that made you think about what was really going on instead of just blindly believing everything the other view points said, I had points where I was like "okay he's totally right" but then I'd read another POV and I'd be like 'okay...maybe he's not...because that doesn't even seem plausible and something really weird is going on here'. My opinion changed as I kept reading the different view points, until I was just plain shuddering creeped out and was like okay none of this is okay, something freaky is going on. 

The entire book is set on the ship, and at one point with the lifeboats it reminded me of Titanic, and then at the end it reminded me of the Mary Celeste, and the book actually mentions three cases of ghost ships that I will be googling, because I find it oddly fascinating that so many people can disappear with no explanation, and I find it fascinating right up until I get all annoyed that it's a mystery and there is no answer. This goes some way to offer some sort of explanation as to what actually could have happened to these ships, much like what happened on this one. I think the book being all set on the ship helped to add to the atmosphere as you where reading, it gave a certain sense of claustrophobia, that the passengers must have been feeling, and the atmosphere of the book certainly started to get to you at one point, your really felt the atmosphere. 

The tension grew and you could feel it. Four days with no rescue in this day and age is certainly odd, and what they saw when they got to land was certainly something that made you think, as well as truly freaking you out. I won't be going on a cruise anytime soon. You got the sense of isolation very well, they'd been off on this cruise, floating at sea for days with no rescue, and they had no idea what was going on on land, what's stopping rescue and what they where going back to. It's not hard to start picturing the worst like the characters where. 

Lotz makes everything seem so real with her descriptions and vivid world building, you feel like you're there on the ship when you're really lying in bed or sitting in your favourite chair or whatever. The book is just so gripping you need to be able to read it in one sitting to be honest. 

What I loved most was the last chapter. You end the characters view points with the engines starting to roll, and you're thinking "what!? That's it?! Whaaaaatt" and then you turn the page...and then the freakiness reaches a new level. The entire last chapter was made up of newspaper articles, blog posts, (speaking of blog posts, Xaviers where a nice little creepy touch as well as rather ominous and helped to break up the narrative to keep it fresh) and at the very end the worlds creepiest interview transcripts, leaked interview transcripts. You see when everyone was told there where no survivors....there where actually five. 

I LOVED this mixed media approach in The Three and I loved it even more in Day Four, it seemed like the perfect ending for the book, allowing you to draw your own conclusions about what happened and your own opinion as you read what each person says happened. I loved how you got little bits and pieces about what happened after the ship started moving again, and you're left to decide who you believe. You can decide what happened, who's telling the truth and what really happened to the others, and I just think it's a truly brilliant ending. Normally I'd find this sort of ending annoying, because I hate unsolved mysteries, they really vex me unless there's some sort of answer that's believable, I don't know why, they just do, but it really works for Day Four and I can't imagine the book having any other ending. Especially as, for me, it added some more creepiness. 

Day Four is brilliantly written with an astounding ending and it gives you chills the entire way through, leaving you feeling nice and creeped out and with no particular need to go on a cruise oh..say...EVER. 

The Three

The Three
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of Bookbridgr!

It was called Black Thursday, the day four planes all went down in different areas, within hours of each other, the world is in an uproar and people want answers. Was it terrorists? An act of war? The officials are under pressure to find a mechanical cause to the crashes...but what if there isn't one? Three of the crashes....well they're clutching at straws to explain it away.

Meanwhile there's three child survivors, dubbed as The Three by press. After surviving the children appear to be changed from their former selves and exhibit strange behaviour, not to mention some of the things they say. A rapture cult led by a pastor is convinced they're the horse men of the apocalypse and starts to gain a huge following after one of his church goers who died in one crash, was discovered to have left a voice message about "the boy". But as the fanatics are whipping more people in a frenzy, and the pastor is convincing his followers to do away with the Three, their guardians are starting to suspect something isn't right.....

Oh my God this book was so awesome I can't even begin to tell you guys, my synopsis is also really crappy but like I still haven't processed how incredible this book is and let's be honest it's not often, if I ever that I give a 5 star rating to a book that isn't a YA type of affair. So you can see how this book is quite clearly special.

The Three is a book within a book and it's so well done, with the first little bit intriguing you enough to grab your attention, and then the book was so cleverly done, and I really enjoyed the layout. We have a book written about The Three, inside the book, it's bookception is what it is.

In this book about the "conspiracy" of the crashes and The Three, we see transcripts from IM's, phone conversations, articles, interviews and so on from members of the family and friends of the Three and some of the investigators, and you kind of have to decide for yourself if something freaky is going on, what exactly is going on and you know....decide what you believe about the whole thing, and you're given all this evidence.

Then the end of the book, that's the end of the book inside the book, is like...boom. Mind blown. It details what happens after the book has been written, and that's when you start to realize you where either right or wrong, and that something very strange is going on and has gone on. And then the last little page? Oh my God. I can't even.

I can't being to describe how incredible this book is, it's chilling, it's creepy, it's intriguing, it's gripping, it's spellbinding, you don't want to stop reading, you have to keep going to see what happens next, what's going on, and most of all it's original and so different with it's entire layout not to mention the actual plot itself which is so rich and complex.

The author expertly juggles all these points of view, essentially, and all these sources to create a plot that's utterly captivating and engrossing. Expertly switching from source or POV seamlessly, while keeping a narrative up without having an actual overarching narrative, which doesn't make sense when I type it out, but it does when you read it!

Like I said, I really loved how the book was done, with the transcripts and interviews and so on, instead of one narrative, it was very well done, it was original, and it added another level of awesome to the book, and I can't impinge it being done any other way, the various forms of correspondence worked very well for the book, and showing, very disturbingly, how quickly panic and terror causes people to spiral out of control very quickly.

Like I said (again) it added another level of awesome because it added another level of creepy, there was a foreboding sense, some of the material/sources ended rather ominously so you knew something was up, but not what, and some of the sources including our author are perhaps...unreliable. Is she being truthful? Or has she just picked the bits most likely to cause a stir and make a certain point?

While I did find the creepy children...well...very creepy, I mean it's hard not to think creepy when the kids are acting how they are, I would say this is more suspense than horror, while I did feel creeped out it wasn't to horror level, because I hate horror, because well.....I don't get on well with it because I like my sleep haha!

I know you're all thinking four plane crashes....but three kids....right. I was too, it was a question constantly in my mind, and there wasn't as much material about it, and it's for a good reason, and you'll find out when you're reading, but it's another fantastic point of intrigue, and the UK cover I have is so fitting for it.

The Three gives you glimpses of the lives of the children, and is structured in an original way that works so very well. As you read you'll be intrigued....creeped out by creepy children, there's mystery, you'll be kept guessing, you'll second guess yourself thanks to the uncertainty, and you'll be unable to stop reading, needing to pursue answers. Paul Craddock and Jess in particular, brought the creepiness, it was totally spine chilling, I wouldn't read those bits at night!

This book was downright unnerving, and it's safe to say I'm now a huge fan of the author, and I can't wait to read what she comes up with next! Even if it does creep me out to the max!

Brood

Brood
Rating: 3/5
Buy or Borrow: Borrow
Source: Copy courtesy of Bookbridgr

Adam and Alice where conceived using a fertility treatment, a treatment that turned their parents into cannibals. Now Alice and Adam are reaching the age where other children conceived by the same means, have started to turn feral. The twins are taking steps to stop puberty hitting so they won't go the same way as their parents, but will they be able to stave it off forever? Their Aunt Cynthia has taken them and has refurbished the home their parents turned in to a dungeon of sorts, she's determined to help them get over the psychological trauma she feels they have endured due to their parents actions, and all she wants to do is show them love. As symptoms start to present themselves on the twins, the twins frequently disappear from home, leaving their aunt worrying. They're involved with a group, a group of kids just like them, but kids from this group are going missing, being kidnapped. Cynthia is doing everything in her power to get the kids to behave, but she just can't control them. What's she going to do when the twins make that final leap over the edge.

I haven't read the first book unfortunately, but I found that this could probably stand alone, I got a grasp on what had previously happened quite early on, and understood the background and such. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the book. It was suitably dark and creepy, I mean the atmosphere and the vibes spilled off the page. I think the part I enjoyed most was the atmosphere and the world being created by the author. It was the right kind of dark and creepy, not too dark and creepy, but enough to give you that little feeling when you're reading a....welll....dark and creepy book ya know.

For me, I felt like the different POV's made the story very jerky and fragmented. I felt like it didn't really work, and there where a whole load of loose ends that where annoyingly left flapping there in the breeze. Dennis and Bree for instance. Like....what happened to the poor girl? I'm gathering he killed her but why? There was no need for him to. It was all ominous like "she won't leave the apartment" but I'm kinda curious as to why. She did what he wanted, sort of. Not to mention her friends who came to rescue her, what the hell happened to them!? Rodolfo and his gang scattered off in to the world with no more word or follow up to what happened to them. I'm not entirely opposed to being left in the dark if there's enough info that you can draw your own conclusions as to what's happened, but that's not the case with this. I know, I know, there's probably going to be a third book, which is why we leave the twins as we do, but still. It felt like things where being forgotten or just left in the dust of the story.

While I did enjoy the darkness and the creepiness and the horror of it all, I did find it hard to get in to the book, if I left it for example, I found it hard to get back in stride, and I did find myself a smidge bored once or twice, but I can't deny the premise is fairly unique, and certainly intriguing, I am curious about what happens to the twins next! I've had a look at the reviews for the first book, and it would appear that while the first book was very strong, the sequel hasn't quite lived up to what it should have been or was expected to be. None the less, curiosity will abound as to the fate of the twins.

I had this the other day with another book I was reading, Timebomb, I think it was, and it's present again here, the coincidences....there's just so many and it's all so unlikely I can't get behind or believe it at all. It kind of annoyed me because it felt quite a weak attempt to wrap everything up and get the story moving on to set up the third book.

I had problems with the characters. Maybe it's because I didn't read the first book I don't know, but I found Alice to be incredibly annoying, rude, disrespectful and incredibly ungrateful to her aunt. Yeah she saved her aunt but she was a right little bitch to her the majority of the time, running off and so on.  I didn't particularly like her. I didn't really have much of an opinion on Adam, I thought he was okay seeing as he called Cynthia mum and everything, but just feeling bad wasn't enough really. Clearly he can't stand up to his sister, and went along with whatever she said or did. He felt bad but he didn't do anything about it which was quite infuriating. Then there was Cynthia. I actually felt really sorry for her the majority of the time because she was trying so hard and the kids didn't want to know, well Alice didn't, and they where constantly worrying her. But at the same time, she was almost annoyingly whiny at some points.

Cynthia was also quite boring a lot of the time, we frequently returned to her sitting there doing nothing waiting for the kids to come back, or writing in her diary or whatever. The author did do very well at showing the contrast between human behaviour and the more animal behaviour of the kids going feral.

For me Brood wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be, it was dark and creepy as promised, but I couldn't gel with the characters and the narrative, with the switching and everything was very jerky. Having said that I am curious about what's going to happen to the twins next! I'm hoping there's a third book anyways.

The Fall

The Fall
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the Publisher!

The Ushers of Usher House die young. They are all cursed, doomed thanks to a greedy and bloodthirsty ancestor. You see Usher House is different, some say it's haunted, but the Ushers know that the house has a mind of it's own. Ushers can never leave the House, it won't let them. They feel what it feels and it thrives on suffering and pain. At first, Madeline was seduced by the House, when you have a mother as cruel as  hers, who loves her twin brother more than her, the affection and the love brought from being the House's favourite, meant everything to her, especially when her mother saves her brother from the curse by sending him away. Soon enough, Madeline is alone in the House, the House the only thing that cares about her, it even sends her a dog to keep her company, although she is wary of gifts from the House. But being the House's favourite doesn't mean you're safe.

Through bursts of Madeline's memories over the years, we learn about the House, her life and watch as she makes the first friend in her entire life, watch a doctor become a murderer and watch Madeline finally hatch a plan to escape. You see, she has to destroy the House. But when she wakes up in a coffin, it seems the House has won. Can Madeline be strong enough to destroy the House to save herself and her brother?

Guys this is seriously right up there as a Halloween read, I was going to save it until closer to the time, but I kept looking at, and I watched all the other reviews roll in and I couldn't stop myself. I cracked. And I'm soooo glad I did, I zoomed through this in a couple of hours and I was hooked the entire way through! I seriously couldn't put it down.

The Fall is fantastically, creepily atmospheric. The House can be pictured so vividly you feel as if you've been there before, and this book is so incredibly unique. You find yourself transported in to the incredibly eerie house, breathing in the dust and the decay and quite honestly, I should REALLY not have been reading this as late at night as I was, because I was completely creeped out, yet I couldn't simply close the book and put it down. I mean, I have been known to watch Most Haunted and then be able to sleep properly for a week, and the mentions of ghosts in this where so very eerie and creepy, yet, like the glutton for punishment I am, I carried on. (In case anyone was wondering, I did sleep perfectly fine after a couple of hours of mindlessly reading peoples crap on Facebook)

I keep capitalizing House in my synopsis and so far in this review, to me, I feel it should be, as the House isn't just a building, it feels like an actual character in the book. It prevents the family from leaving, I'm fairly certain the house is what causes their "illness", and ya know...it threw an axe at Madeline. The House feels incredibly vengeful, incredibly.....malicious? It enjoys grief and pain and cruelty, and so it enjoys taunting and terrorizing it's inhabitants. This really adds to the incredible atmosphere of the book, you can feel the foreboding, the fear, the dread, the hopelessness of everyone from the House that has ever tried to beat it, to leave. It feels like no-one in the House is truly living. There's incredible moments of disorientation, particularly when the House seems to be making Madeline think she's gone mad, I mean it could have been the Doctor drugging her, that was a contribution, but the House would make things disappear. Stairs go nowhere, doors open on to walls. It was astounding.

The story is strange, in that the pace is fairly slow, but you're still gripped, compelled to keep reading. The POV switches from current Madeline of 18 year's, to younger Madeline, from 8, I think the youngest was, to 17. The chapters are fairly short, but it's sufficient enough in length to give you a glimpse in to Madeline's past, to keep you reading as you try to put the pieces together. It's through these flashbacks, as well as the diary entries of Lisbeth Usher, scattered throughout Madeline's narrative? POV's? I'm not sure how to put it, that we learn of Madeline's family history. I will admit I worked out who Lisbeth was fairly quickly, but I was not expecting the conclusion of Lisbeth's story, as it where, I had assumed she was someone's mother and was very wrong!

I loved the first chapter, with Madeline in the coffin, almost the end at the beginning, you knew it was going to happen, as you read you work out why it must have happened, but  you can't wait to find out what happens next, and when it reaches the tie in, as the book is racing towards the end you're frantically turning pages, and realizing how few there are left, which is mildly worrying.

I loved the ending. If you want a definitive ending, this will probably vex you. I liked how Cassandra was there, I'd quite like to know what the deal was with the tentacle monster and how she survived! You're left wondering if Madeline and Roderick are alive, I would like to think they are, from the ending, I really do think they are, but you're left to draw your own conclusion and for me, I felt like it was the perfect ending to the book. Keeping some mystery and intrigue.

Madeline I felt for from the beginning with how her mother treated her as opposed to Roderick, and I could understand each and every feeling she had, including when she felt some resentment to him. I mean I resented him and more than once wanted to smack him one, I mean who could leave their sister alone, all by herself, on Christmas Day just because he didn't like the House. There where a few moments like that where I really hated him. But Madeline I connected with.

When you're reading you see and feel what Madeline see's and feels, for example with Emily, like Madeline, I really did think she'd taken the money and scarpered, just used Madeline with no intention of coming back, I did not, at all, expect what had really happened, I mean I knew he was cray-cray but I didn't think he was THAT bad. The Fall for me, was a good mix between being able to guess some things, and being totally shocked and surprised by others. You constantly create theories as you read and have them totally destroyed in an unexpected way.

Also, like Madeline, you doubt everything and everyone. Is Cassandra really Madeline's ally? Is Emily trustworthy? Is Dr.Paul? You question everyone and their motives, particularly the doctors. Pretty much everyone in the House has some Usher blood and was drawn in by the House so everyone is suspect, I can't imagine living questioning everyone and never trusting everyone like Madeline did every single day.

The characters and their transformations where particularly fascinating. The young Doctor being a prime example, in the beginning there where hints of genuine romance, from a young man who just wanted to solve the family illness/curse and cure Madeline, who became infected by the House and it's evil spirit, although, having said that, i'm not sure how innocent he was in the beginning after a conversation was overheard, I was starting to think he had ulterior motives for going there. He did a total 180. Then there was Roderick, who seemed to escape the curse, but changed entirely when he came back and spent a certain amount of time with the House, not to mention the House's rather (very well done) skeevy desire to have Madeline and Roderick be a liiiiiiiittle bit incestuous. They don't, because ya know...they realize it's the House.

I was very intrigued by Noah, and his relationship with Roderick, I assume he was the friend the "incident" happened with, and with how he was treating Madeline, I was very curious to see more of him, but again, you can draw your own conclusions.

The Fall is spooky, creepy, eerie, spellbinding, enchanting, mesmerizing, haunting, I could go on and on, but you get my drift. It was so fantastically vivid and atmospheric that it sucked you in to the story and in to the House along with Madeline, it's an incredible read, with fascinating characters and constant mystery and intrigue for you to work through, putting the pieces together, trying to come up with theories and trying to work out, along with Madeline, how to beat the House. I had very high expectations for this book and I wasn't disappointed, it's one that I will read again and again, particularly around this time of year! The Fall will really give your imagination a work out, from tentacled creatures and ghosts, to those times when you get no definitive answer and have to decide for yourself what happened!

Wishing For Wednesday #4

It's Wishing For Wednesday time again guys!
This week I have a mixed bag to show you guys! A bit of YA, a bit of horror.....
So first up iiisss....

The Jewel

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

The Jewel is out now, buy your copy here.

Maplecroft

Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks; and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one....
 
The people of Fall River, Massachusetts, fear me. Perhaps rightfully so. I remain a suspect in the brutal deaths of my father and his second wife despite the verdict of innocence at my trial. With our inheritance, my sister, Emma, and I have taken up residence in Maplecroft, a mansion near the sea and far from gossip and scrutiny.
 
But it is not far enough from the affliction that possessed my parents. Their characters, their very souls, were consumed from within by something that left malevolent entities in their place. It originates from the ocean’s depths, plaguing the populace with tides of nightmares and madness.
 
This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe.

Maplecroft is out now, buy your copy here.

Into The Fire 

Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.

Into The Fire is out September 9th, pre-order your copy here.

Undertow

Undertow
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy!
Source: ARC Courtesy of NetGalley

Lindsay Sterling's niece has gone missing in the New York underground. The cops will do nothing about it, except pass along a name. Jack Cole. Back in High School they where best friends, but the death of Lindsay's entire family, and her subsequent guardianship of her Niece, not to mention the two years Jack spent held captive in New York's underbelly by sub-humans, more animal than human, has changed them both. Jack's experience was soul destroying and life changing, he's been left a shell of a man.

Jack refuses to descend in to that hell again, especially for a girl who's most likely dead already after being down there a week so far. But Lindsay will go down there with, or without him. When she attempts the latter, she's nearly killed, luckily Jack's friend Reggie showed up to help her out. Jack feels compelled by years of feelings to help her, and so he agrees to go down there and find her Niece. Jack navigates Lindsay through the strange territory, an entire underground civilization. It's populated by the eccentric, the insane and the desperate. Each encounter gets them closer to Lindsay's niece, but it also gets them closer to the insane creatures, determined to have their pet back, but Jack's found a reason to live again.

This book was insane! And I mean that in the good way, it was incredible! Right from the first page you're hooked by the plot and the prose. Then, when we first go into the UnderCity, Stelmack starts to weave an incredible world.

The world building is so incredible, that you can practically smell the rank air, hear the Moles scuttling about. The atmosphere created with words, glides off the page and surrounds you, your vision is fixed on the book, unable to put it down, and you're instantly transported straight in to the world, tagging along behind our characters, observing. I was oblivious to anything else, and that's a hard feat to accomplish with me these days.

The prose is incredible, it creates this incredible story, that's so unique, so different from anything else, it's a breath of fresh air and makes you sit up and pay attention, reluctant to put the book down. The flow is smooth, the past as fast as someone running from the Moles. There's never a dull moment, each word is carefully chosen to create the world, and keep you engaged, there's no pointless filler scenes at all.

Stelmack manages to create an entire world, believable, and incredibly detailed, with the different communities, and the names of the areas and passageways, not to mention the creatures living there, the myths and legends of the UnderCity and the intrigue surrounding the Gallery. I will never, in my life, be able to go on the tube again without wondering....what's really under London? What's down those "disused" passageways? What's through those secret doors? The story and the world sticks with you when you're finished reading, truly unforgettable.

Lindsay is an amazing character. I'm going to admit right off the bat that I would never have the lady balls to go down in to the UnderCity with Jack, let alone by myself. I'd be too terrified. Lindsay has so much drive, determination, and she is fearless. Yeah she has a fear of heights, but she overcomes it in the tunnels, doing what she has to do to get Seline back. What can I say about Jack? He's resilient. He's brave. He goes back to the place he barely escaped, the place that broke him, to help Lindsay. He's an incredible character.

All of the characters where so full of life, from our main characters, right down to the Moles themselves. Each unique. Each community in the UnderCity had their own beliefs, their own story. Each character had varying personalities, varying issues to deal with. They all jumped off the page and grabbed your heart, and your imagination. Even the tiny baby Mole who played with Jack.

The plot was fantastical. The idea of an underground City beneath New York, populated by different people, is unique. As I've said, I've never read anything like it, and I doubt I ever will. The plot was quite complex, we had different parts to it. Some of it was laid out straight away, providing the original engaging factor. Other parts where hinted at, Jack's past, what's down in the underground, and so on. You where kept intrigued the entire way through, and honestly, I don't even know how anyone would be able to guess the plot twists. Every twist totally blind sided me, and it's so so rare for me to find a book that can genuinely surprise me the whole way through!

Undertow is probably the most unique book you will ever read. Fast paced, intriguing plot, incredible world building, intense mythology and legends. I'm half convinced there's a portal in the book that sucked me in to the book, that's how great the world building is. The atmosphere, this sense of a dark, dank place overwhelms you. The romance was perfect. Absolutely perfect. We have an old relationship, that both wanted to be more at the time, and blossoms back. A damaged character needing that love to heal him.

Undertow is a smooth blend of romance, intrigue, pulse racing action and imagination. I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. It was truly mind blowing for me.