Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Author: Carrie Ryan

Series: The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1

Publisher: Orion

Publication date: 01 Mar 2010

Format: Paperback | 336 pages

Genre: YA | Horror | Zombies

Goodreads

In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The sisterhood always knows best.

The Guardians will protect and serve.

The Unconsecrated will never relent.

And you must mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from  the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands of Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?

My thoughts:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth follows Mary as she dreams a way to escape living like cattle in a fenced in village to avoid being eaten alive by the 'Unconsecrated'. Mary is one of the only residents who dares to dream about whether or not there's a life outside the fences and if it could possibly be any worse than the way she's living trapped on the inside.

I might as well come out with it straight off and say I really didn't get on with this read. Actually, I regret finishing it. The biggest problem I had was the characters. All of them. I hated every single one. I thought Mary was a brat that couldn't focus on anything but herself and that the rest of the characters were completely spineless. It made it so hard to carry on reading even just a couple of chapters in, there wasn't much action in the beginning which didn't help, but my hate for the characters was always at the forefront of my mind which made the read a chore. 

The one aspect of this book that kept me going was the action. When it got going, this read has tons of suspense. It really was its saving grace - after the halfway point of the read I actually couldn't put it down just to find out what direction the author was going to take things.

Aside from that, everything seemed to frustrate me. Not just the characters, but the plot seemed incredibly all over the place and the love interest completely over dramatic and unrealistic. I thought there were a lot of loose ends that weren't cleared up, especially from the beginning of the book, I carried on thinking eventually it would be brought back up and explained but it never was. 

Overall I wouldn't recommend this book. There wasn't enough action or suspense that could make up for all of the characters I didn't like and all of the inconsistencies in the plot. 

My rating: 3/10

Carrie Ryan:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

The Forest of Hands and Teeth:

1. The Forest of Hands and Teeth
2. The Dead-Tossed Waves
3. The Dark and Hollow Places

Review: Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

Title: Shadows

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Series: Ashes Trilogy #2

Publisher: Quercus

Publication date: 27th September 2012

Format: Paperback | 518 pages

Genre: Horror | YA | Zombies

Goodreads

Alex and Tom, un-Changed, face unthinkable horror in their desperate struggle to find each other.

But the biggest terror of all is the monster within. Because no one yet knows which young people Change, or why.

And no one knows who will be next…

My thoughts:

Wow. This book is intense!

I pretty much went into this read with an open mind and no expectations. It wasn't anything to do with the first book in the trilogy, I just hadn't had the best of luck with the books I'd read beforehand. Of course, that meant that pretty much anything would have impressed me at that point. But this book really did blow me away.

The first thing that surprised me was that it's totally different to the first book. It has a completely different layout with different characters and their point of views. The writing gave off a different vibe and the action was just ongoing throughout the entire book. I've seriously never read a book with that much action. Not ever. 

The plot was great. It was so exciting the whole way through and it had me biting my nails at points. This author definitely loves teasing her readers with little cliffhangers at the end of chapters - sometimes they would drive me crazy (in a good way) but it would only get me reading faster. I loved how high the levels of suspense got in various points of the story. Definitely the polar opposite to a dull read.

There were a lot of new characters introduced which made me a little apprehensive. The main problem, or honestly, the thing I'm not sure about, is the fact that at times I felt like the focus was being taken away from Tom, Alex and Ellie. Ellie basically disappeared and even though there's a reason for that, I felt that the new characters took too much of the focus. I really liked getting to know the new characters and I'm so anxious to find out what happened to them, but I definitely wanted more of Alex especially.

Overall I thought this was a fantastic read. Ilsa did what any author should do when it comes to a sequel, she kicked it up a notch, making this one brilliant book.

My rating: 8/10

Ilsa J. Bick:

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Ashes trilogy:

1. Ashes (review)
2. Shadows
3. Monsters - published Sep 2013

Series Spotlight: The Gatekeepers #5

Title: Oblivion

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Series: The Gatekeepers #5

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 04 Oct 2012

Format: Hardback - 672 pages

Genre: YA | Fantasy/Horror

Goodreads

Having escaped from Hong Kong, the five gatekeepers - Matt, Pedro, Scott, Jamie and Scarlett - are scattered in a hostile and dangerous world. As they struggle to re-group and plan their next move, the malevolent King of the Old Ones gathers his forces in Oblivion: a desolate landscape where the last survivors of humanity must fight the ultimate battle.

My thoughts:

Wow.

Honestly, I've just put this book down and I'm a little shocked as to how it ended.

I have to say, this was a brilliant book. It was incredibly long winded at times but I expected it from a story like this at some point. Plus with a book of this length, you should probably expect it to be, at least in parts. It was the kind of book where I would have to put it down and distract myself so I can give myself a second to take in everything that's happened. 

There's something to be said about reading the last book in any series. There are so many expectations I had before even turning the first page. Even though I loved the first four books, if I didn't like the last, it would all have seemed like a waste of time. But thankfully that didn't happen. I was really happy with the way this book ended and how it rounded the series off as a whole. I'm a little upset about the ending, but anybody could have seen it coming since there were quite a few clues to prepare you for it. 

Anthony Horowitz definitely knows how to write. I mean the level of suspense in this book was on another level compared to anything I've read before. It really had me turning the pages as fast as I could. I was constantly on the edge of my seat just waiting to find out how this book ends. It didn't help that I had to wait quite a while to get this one as well.

Overall this series is a definitely must read. It's creepy, full of action and packed with amazing characters. Give it a go.

My rating: 10/10

Series rating: 8/10

 

Anthony Horowitz:

 

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

 

 

 

The Gatekeepers:

 

1. Raven's Gate
2. Evil Star
3. Nightrise
4. Necropolis
5. Oblivion

Series Spotlight: The Gatekeepers #4

Title: Necropolis 

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Series: The Gatekeepers #4

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 04 May 2009

Format: Paperback - 400 pages

Genre: YA | Fantasy/Horror

Goodreads

Hong Kong has been taken over by the Old Ones and has become Necropolis, City of the Dead. Once in, there is no way out… Evil has been unleashed on the world and only five children – with special powers – can save it. Matt and the other three desperately need to find Scar, the final Gatekeeper, who has been trapped in Hong Kong, where puddles of water turn into puddles of blood, where ghosts, demons and hideous creatures stalk the streets. Matt has no choice but to follow her. Now, both imprisoned, their only hope of survival is to reach a secret door in the Man Ho temple. But even if Scar can find her psychic power, it may already be too late.

 

 

My thoughts:

This book has to be my favourite so far in the series. This is the third time I've read it and I still can't get enough. It's definitely one of those reads where you can't turn the pages fast enough - I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

I love the fact that this is the first book in which all of the five gatekeepers are together at some point. I've really enjoyed getting to know all of them, especially Matt and Scar. They all have their own distinct personalities and are all equally loveable. I found Matt and Scar to be the most relatable though - they questioned everything more than the others and they came across as more vulnerable at times. 

The plot of this book was what made it stand out in the series so far. For me, there was so much more suspense involved because as I read on, I got an immediate sense of how desperate everybody was becoming. Everything was depending on the five coming together.

This book has it all for me. It has the brilliant writing of Horowitz and the complex, loveable characters. It also has the mother of all cliffhangers so I definitely can't wait to read the last book for the first time.

My rating: 10/10

Anthony Horowitz:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

 

The Gatekeepers:

1. Raven's Gate
2. Evil Star
3. Nightrise
4. Necropolis
5. Oblivion

Series Spotlight: The Gatekeepers #3

Title: Nightrise

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Series: The Gatekeepers #3

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 02 Apr 2007

Format: Paperback - 416 pages

Genre: YA | Fantasy | Horror

Goodreads

Darkness covers the earth.

The Old Ones have returned.

The battle must begin.

Fourteen-year-old twins Scott and Jamie Tyler have never known who they are or where they came from, but they have always known that they possess extraordinary powers. When Scott is kidnapped by the sinister Nightrise Corporation and Jamie is framed for murder, they realise that they must use those powers if they are going to survive.

But Jamie is catapulted thousands of years into the past, bringing him face to face with the full horror of the Old Ones. Here Jamie learns that he is one of the five Gatekeepers whose power is all that stands in the way of eternal chaos. Together at last, the Five must fight the massed forces of evil. And they must win.

My thoughts:

I was looking forward to a change of pace with the third book in the Gatekeepers series. This one focuses on the twins Jamie and Scott instead of Matt and I welcomed it since I was dying to find out the other characters stories.

This book had everything I loved about the past two books. It was exciting to read and I really didn't want to put it down. I loved getting to know Jamie and his way of thinking. It becomes apparent straight away that Jamie and his brother are two of the Five and even though the story starts off a little slow, it gives a really big insight into the different life Jamie and Scott live compared to Matt and Pedro. 

I loved all of the characters in this one. I was a little disappointed in how little I got to read about Scott but it was obviously essential to the pot. I fell in love with Jamie - he was really unsure of himself at the start of the book and he just grew from there. He went a long way in the space of the story and it was great to see that brilliant character development. 

The plot itself was a little slow at the beginning and it dragged a little in the middle but overall it was fantastic. There was just the right level of suspense and excitement that I was sucked into the world of the characters and I didn't want to leave. 

This series is definitely getting better and better. I really can't wait to find out how it all comes together in the end.

My rating: 8/10

 

Anthony Horowitz:

 

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

 

 

 

The Gatekeepers:

 

1. Raven's Gate
2. Evil Star
3. Nightrise
4. Necropolis
5. Oblivion

Series Spotlight: The Gatekeepers #2

Title: Evil Star

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Series: The Gatekeepers #2

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 03 Apr 2006

Format: Paperback - 352 pages

Genre: YA | Fantasy/Horror

 

 

It began with Raven's Gate.

But it's not over yet.

Once again the enemy is stirring.

After defeating the Old Ones at Raven's Gate, Matt Freeman thought he could get on with his life. But someone has other ideas.

Far away in Peru a second hate is about to open. Only Matt has the power to stop the forces of darkness breaking through, but now they know all about him. This time they're going to destroy him first.

My thoughts:

As usual, with any book that's in a series, I can't help but compare it to the books that came before. Whilst I thought Raven's Gate was really creepy, Evil Star was incredibly thrilling.

This book definitely had its special moments. There were times where I would get a real adrenaline rush just reading a certain chapter where the characters got into a spot of bother. It made for such an exciting read that I finished in no time. Even when there wasn't anything happening much plot wise, I would be waiting for something dramatic to happen - the anticipation was great. 

The writing was as great as ever. I really love how Horowitz has never failed so far to build up so much suspense. I really managed to feel everything I was supposed to for the characters. I was full of anxiety and amazement at parts, especially the moments where I was really gunning for the characters to get away from danger.

 

The introduction of the new character, Pedro was flawless. He was there more or less from the beginning and he was brought into the story with no hiccups whatsoever. I took a liking to him immediately and I thought he and Matt interacted really nicely - they came across as close as brothers sometimes which was incredibly sweet. 

 

Overall I thought this was a great read. I'm really anxious to find out when all of the characters get together because judging by this book, when the five come together, it's going to be epic. 

 

 

My rating: 8/10

 

Anthony Horowitz:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

 

The Gatekeepers:

1. Raven's Gate
2. Evil Star
3. Nightrise
4. Necropolis
5. Oblivion

Series Spotlight: The Gatekeepers #1

Title: Raven's Gate

Author: Anthony Horowitz

Series: The Gatekeepers #1

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 01 Aug 2005

Format: Paperback - 288 pages

Genre: YA | Fantasy/Horror

 

 

He always knew he was different.

First there were the dreams.

The the deaths began.

When Matt Freeman gets into trouble with the police, he's sent to be fostered in Yorkshire. It's not long before he senses there's something wrong with his guardian: with the whole village.

Then Matt learns about the Old Ones and begins to understand just how he's different. But no one will believe him; no one can help.

There is no proof.

There is no logic.

There is just the Gate.

My thoughts:

This is one of the first books I read when I started to read constantly. I've always had a soft spot for this series, similar to Harry Potter, because I kind of grew up reading it. Since I haven't read it since starting the blog, and the fact that the last book in the series, Oblivion, just came out, I thought it would be good to do a series spotlight on it.

I remember reading this when I was about eleven years old and being seriously creeped out. It brought back memories of that feeling reading it this time round too. This book definitely has elements of a classic horror story to it. The character gets lost in the woods, gets chased by demonic dogs and is living in a village of seriously crazy people. It definitely has the basics of a great creepy read and I thought it still managed it with me reading it eight years later. 

I still really enjoyed Horowitz's writing. It has this simple structure to it that makes you breeze through the book in no time. It's also got bucket loads of suspense and that creepy factor that sends a shiver down your spine. It's simple and effective.

Raven's Gate's plot is great but you can definitely tell it's the beginning of a series. It mostly feels like an introduction into Matt and Richard's new world and an introduction into the series' plot as a whole. Two of the main characters are introduced and you can tell that a lot more are going to be included along the way. It doesn't really take anything away from the main plot of the first book but it has a certain kind of charm in itself. You feel that you're at the start of a great journey if you want me to be cheesy about it. However, if it was a stand alone, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much - I have a load of questions I need answering. 

My rating: 8/10

 

Anthony Horowitz:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

 

The Gatekeepers:

1. Raven's Gate
2. Evil Star
3. Nightrise
4. Necropolis
5. Oblivion

Review: Black Feathers by Joseph D'Lacey

Title: Black Feathers

Author: Joseph D'Lacey

Series: Black Dawn #1

Publisher: Angry Robot

Publication date: 4th April 2013

Format: ebook | Netgalley

Genre: Fantasy | Horror

Goodreads

 

Black Feathers is a modern fantasy set in two epochs: the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, and generations into the future in its aftermath, the Bright Day.

In each era, a child undertakes a perilous journey to find a dark messiah known as The Crowman. In their hands lies the fate of the planet as they attempt to discover whether The Crowman is our saviour… or the final incarnation of evil.

 

 

My thoughts

This is probably going to be a really short review since I found it really hard to like this book.

This is usually my kind of book. The creepy kind of read that is full of suspense and weird happenings. I was actually really excited to read it without having any sort of high hopes or big expectations.

I just couldn't get into it. I found it incredibly difficult to connect to any of the characters for some reason. I thought they were lacking personality and substance that would make me care about what happened to them and the journey they were beginning to undertake. 

However, I thought the story itself was pretty good. The idea behind it and what actually happens was great. It just didn't work for me when I didn't like the characters.

I have to say though, I know a lot of people will love this book. It has the right settings and happenings for a really creepy story. I would recommend you at least try it and hopefully you'll enjoy it even if I didn't.

My rating:  4/10

Joseph D'Lacey:

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Review: Tamed by Douglas R. Brown

Title: Tamed

Author: Douglas R. Brown

Publisher: Rhemelda 

Publication date: Jan 26th 2012

Format: ebook | Netgalley

Genre: Paranormal | Horror

Goodreads

Werewolves are real.

And they make excellent pets.

Owning one of the legendary creatures is the latest fad. The WereHouse insists their werepets are loyal, docile, and 100% safe, but what happens when these gentle giants turn on their masters?

While on a routine EMS call, paramedic Christine Alt is attacked by a rogue werepet. She escapes with her life, but the encounter leaves her with more than just scars. As her body begins to change, she discovers the WereHouse is hiding a terrible secret, and they will stop at nothing to keep her from exposing them.

My thoughts:

When I read the summary of this book I just had to read it. Pet werewolves that turn on their masters? The chance to read a book where werewolves are the horrific, gruesome creatures they were first portrayed as before they became cuddly, romantic beasts? Yes please. 

I really liked the different take on werewolves in this book. I do enjoy the occasional mysterious, hot guy turned werewolf love story as much as anyone but there's a bit too much of it out there nowadays. I thought this version was refreshing and it kind of made me love werewolves again. 

What surprised me was the level of horror. I thought there would be some but what I found was nothing like I was expecting. There were little moments in the story that actually made me wince and for me ( I've read a lot of horror) that's unusual. They were few and far between but when they came around it surprised me which was great. 

What I found annoying with this read though was how the characters were introduced. The first part of the book is all to do with introducing individual characters in a one character per chapter kind of way. At first it was a little overwhelming because there were quite a few and then they would just disappear so it felt a little like there was no point to them. After a while, when all of the characters had their say, the story changed completely. When it did change, I found it really predictable. It was pretty obvious what was going to happen half the time so I ended up getting a little frustrated. 

That being said, Brown really did a great job of keeping the read exciting. There was loads of suspense and chair gripping moments. I couldn't take my eyes off the pages and I stayed up well into the morning to finish it.

My rating: 7/10

Douglas R. Brown:

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter

Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Title: Warm Bodies

Author: Isaac Marion

Series: Warm Bodies #1

Publisher: Vintage

Publication date: Oct 28th 2010

Format: Paperback - 240 pages

Genre: Horror | Paranormal Romance

Goodreads

'R' is a zombie. He has no name, no memories and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons he can't understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her, and a tense yet strangely tender relationship begins.

This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight…

My thoughts:

Like a lot of people, I rushed to get this book before I go and see the film that just came out - I saw the trailer and it looked bloody hilarious. It had been on my wishlist since it first came out but I just forgot about it for some reason. I'm kind of glad I did though since I didn't have long to wait before the film came out.

I found myself liking this book more than I thought I would. I'd read a whole lot of reviews before even thinking about picking the book up, most of them saying the book was really enjoyable, but I couldn't help being very apprehensive. 

I thought was R was the highlight of the whole story. I loved his narrative and his personality. He was sweet, sometimes to the point of being cheesy, and then he would become incredibly philosophical when it came down to explaining his own existence. 

Most of all though, R was just completely unexpected. When people talk about their favourite romantic characters it's always the bad boys who change or the mysterious vampire/werewolves, not the zombie who doesn't want to be dead. But I fell in love with R! He had this really unusual charm to him with the way he interacts with others, being alive or dead, and with himself too. His mind was completely open to readers and that made for a fantastic read. I really love R.

I thought the plot was amazing too. I really liked the idea that if somebody has hope then there will always be somewhere you can go and something you can do to change things - giving up wasn't an option for certain characters in this book. It had its lovely, heartwarming moments and moments where nothing seems to be going right. The fact that I stayed up well into the night to finish this book really says it all.

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic read and I only wish it was a lot, lot longer.

 

My rating: 9/10

 

 

 

Isaac Marion

Goodreads | Website | Twitter

 

Review: White Horse by Alex Adams

Title: White Horse

Author: Alex Adams

Series: White Horse #1

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publication date: April 2012

Format: ebook (NetGalley)

Genre: Horror - Post Apocalyptic

 

 

THE WORLD HAS ENDED, BUT HER JOURNEY HAS JUST BEGUN.

Thirty-year-old Zoe leads an ordinary life until the end of the world arrives. She is cleaning cages and floors at Pope Pharmaceuticals when the president of the United States announces that human beings are no longer a viable species. When Zoe realises that everyone she loves is disappearing, she starts running. Scared and alone in a shockingly changed world, she embarks on a remarkable journey of survival and redemption. Along the way, Zoe comes to see that humans are defined not by their genetic code, but rather by their actions and choices. White Horse offers hope for a broken world, where love can lead to the most unexpected places.

My thoughts:

My first thought about this read was that it really did pleasantly surprise me - in the spine tingly, horrifying way. It was definitely more towards the creepy side than I expected which made it that much better since I love a good scary read.

 

What I loved most about this book was how intense it was. I loved how I couldn't stop reading and I got little adrenaline rushes at moments where characters were trying to beat the odds. It was an incredibly suspenseful read which had me on the edge of my seat -  always a good thing.

 

The plot was great. It was realistic to an extent too which gave the story a little more depth. The settings of the book and the apocalypse was explained in detail which was great. There's so many zombie-like novels where the settings just start off with loads of zombies and there's no given reason for it - it just happened. This one gives a lot of backstory throughout the whole book which gave a lot of a sense of how desperate the world got at some points.

 

The chapters are split between what happens to the main character in the past (before the apocalypse) and what's happening in the present. It's what gives the plot some backstory which I already said is a good thing but sometimes it got a little frustrating. It made for a lot of suspense when a character is about to die or something just as extreme and then the chapter jumps right back into the past again. It was great in that sense, it made me want to read on to find out what happens as soon as possible. But sometimes, it confused me, especially at the beginning, Something would be mentioned in the present in a way that I thought I should have known about it already - I thought, at times, that I had missed out on something important. Said event would only be explained about three quarters of the way through the book which I didn't really like. 

 

The characters were great. The main character, Zoe, was really relatable. I thought she was written perfectly - she was flawed and she knew it, she was strong and yet had her vulnerable moments and she had these great loveable moments in the story that made me root for her the entire book. I thought the other characters in the book weren't so great though. They were introduced too late in my opinion. It takes a little bit of time to get to know a character, so when the others were introduced halfway through, I pretty much didn't really care what happened to them.

 

The writing was good. I didn't love it, it wasn't the most amazing book ever that blew my mind but it was a good read. I liked how the author made the book to be so intense and full of desperation but I was confused by the writing sometimes. I had those moments where I had to go back and read over a couple of paragraphs because something about them made me feel that it wasn't worded right. Other than that though, it was good.

 

Overall, I like this read and I want to find out what happens next. For those of you who are a fan of creepy novels or zombies, I recommend it. It has an edge to it that I really liked.

 

My rating: 7/10

 

Alex Adams:

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

Review: Tales of Terror from the Black Ship

Title: Tales of Terror from the Black Ship

Author: Chris Priestley

Publisher: Bloomsbury 

Publication date: 07/03/2011

Format: Paperback - 272 pages

Genre: YA - Horror

 

 

Two sick children wait alone for a doctor one storm-lashed night. But instead a sailor knocks on their door seeking shelter.

Telling gruesome and creepy seafaring tales, he helps them while away the dark hours. Before the night is through Ethan and Cathy will learn the secret of the Black Ship and many more terrible truths.

My thoughts:

I love me a good horror story and this book had more than its fair few.

This book has a few creepy tales within the actual main plot. A sailor turns up at an inn while a storm rages outside and spends the time telling the two children, Ethan and Cathy, a collection of tales from his seafaring days. 

I will say that I did start to get bored of the little stories being told. It seemed quite repetitive at times and I found myself wanting to skip a few chapters. As a whole the stories genuinely creeped me the hell out but when it's story after story with little or no introduction between them, it becomes redundant. 

I loved, loved, loved the overall plot that didn't include the scary stories told by the sailor. What happened was so unexpected that I had to sit and think about the book for five minutes after finishing it. It was so shocking and downright horrifying - I'm still not over it. I thought I knew what was coming but Priestley took it to a whole new level and then some. 

What I loved most about this book was definitely the writing. I really enjoyed how Priestley kept this bleak and edgy atmosphere throughout the whole read even when nothing was happening at that given moment. 

Overall, this was a really creepy read that I finished in just two hours. I really recommend it for fans of horror if only to get a feel of this author's writing. 

My rating: 7/10

Chris Priestley:

Goodreads | Website 

Review: The Thin Executioner

Title: The Thin Executioner

Author: Darren Shan

Publisher: UK - HarperCollins | US -  Little Brown

Publication date: UK - 30 September 2010 | US - 08/03/2011

Format: Paperback - 410 pages

Genre: YA - Horror

 

 

 Jebel Rum's biggest weakness…is weakness.

As the son of Um Wadi's executioner, he's expected to try out for his father's job - except that he's too skinny to wield the heavy axe. A laughing stock in his home town, Jebel embarks on a perilous quest to the lair of a mysterious god. It is a dark, brutal, terrifying journey.

But to Jebel Rum, the risk is worth it...

My thoughts:

I am a huge fan of Darren Shan's books and this was no exception even if I did feel like it didn't live up to his other work.

It was definitely not what I was expecting from Shan. I was actually pleasantly surprised when I finished in since it was more about the characters and the plot (as it usually is) but with less emphasis on the horror side than usual. It did fit with the story in this case. I thought that the characters in this read just carried me through the whole book.

There was definitely still a whole load of horror and gore involved. I love how Shan never shies away from including the little details that are lacking in most horror reads. The level of hardship in the settings of this book really adds to the story. At times I felt there was no hope for anybody. That everybody was just going to end up dead because of their ignorance and the rest of the several towns involved would suffer for it - it was definitely a page turner. 

Like I said before, I thought the characters were really well written. My favourite characters definitely have to be Master Bush and Master Blair. The only reason is because they thoroughly creeped me out to the extreme! Every time they cropped up in the story I would immediately start flicking through pages as fast  as I could just to find out what they were going to do. They are the kind of characters that you would avoid to the ends of the earth if they existed in real life...

 

 The big problem I had with this book was its predictability. It's something I cannot stand at all in any way and in any book. I enjoyed the read but throughout the whole thing I was wishing I couldn't just guess what was going to happen. It makes everything seem so anticlimactic in the end. I knew how the book was going to end by the middle of the read, therefore, when it eventually came to it, I was dreading reading the end because I already knew what I was going to read to a big extent. 

 

All in all, I did enjoy the read and do recommend it to fans of this genre and definitely to Darren Shan fans.

 

My rating: 7/10

 

Darren Shan:

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Review: Dead of Night

Title: Dead of Night

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Series: Dead of Night #1

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 

Publication date: October 2011 

Format: Paperback - 368 pages

Genre: Horror 

 

 

A prison doctor injects a condemned serial killer with a formula designed to keep his consciousness awake while his body rots in the grave. But all drugs have unforeseen side effects. Before he can be buried, the killer wakes up. Hungry. Infected. Contagious. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang...but a bite.

My thoughts:

I cannot even put how much I love this book into words - I don't think a review could do it justice. Safe to say - Jonathan Maberry is fast becoming one of my all-time favourite authors.

 

After a serial killer, Homer Gibbons, who happens to be infected with deadly parasites, is let loose in the county of Stebbins, all hell breaks loose. Dez, JT and Billy Trout soon find themselves fighting to keep themselves alive as well as most of the children of Stebbins.

 

This is basically everything that makes a good read, horror book and zombie thriller. To me it really is faultless. For a start the characters are really fun to read about. Dez is a right character - she's incredibly feisty and has a mouth on her. She was by far my favourite - really strong and yet had really bad abandonment issues that made her a 'real' person instead of your average 'do no wrong' heroine.

 

JT was just a sweetheart. He was the father figure to Dez and an all round great guy. Trout was also a darling. He was kind of the 'smart guy' of the book. Being a journalist with a best friend who knew social media inside and out really came in handy in the end.

 

As for the plot it was fantastic. The storyline was perfect, the settings were spot on and the build up of fear and suspense was nail-biting. One thing I do like about Maberry is that he's not afraid to make the book that extra bit detailed with the gore involved. This read is definitely not for readers who aren't fans of horror in general. 

 

Overall this was a fantastic read that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of horror.

 

My rating: 10/10

 

 

Jonathan Maberry:

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Books in the series:

1. Dead of Night
2. Fall of Night

Review: Rot and Ruin

 

Title: Rot and Ruin

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Series: Benny Imura #1

Publisher: Simon and Schuster (UK & US)

Publication: March 2011 (UK) | May 2011(US)

Format: Paperback | 464 pages

Genre: Horror | Zombies

Young Adult

Nearly fourteen years ago, a freak virus swept across the world turning the living into the undead. Benny Imura was only a toddler, but his last memory of his parents is tainted by the image of them becoming zombies, and he blames his older brother, Tom, for not saving them.

 

Now Benny is fifteen, and Tom wants them to put their difficult relationship behind them and work together in the "family business" : as zombie killers. It's the last thing Benny wants to do, but he needs a job and he thinks it'll be an easy ride.

 

But when they head into the Rot and Ruin, an area full of wandering zombies, Benny soon realises that there's more to the job than just whacking zombies. And, as he's confronted with the truth about the world around him, Benny makes the most terrifying discovery of all, that the worst monsters you can imagine might actually be human ...

 

 

My thoughts:

 

 Rot and Ruin is about Benny Imura, his friends and what remains of his family. After 'First Night' most of the world's population were infected with a freak virus causing anyone who dies or is bitten to rise from the dead as a freaky flesh-eating zombie. Those who managed to escape, including Benny's brother Tom, chanced upon a small community in the mountains who have salvaged what they could to survive and do their best to fend off any 'walkers' in the area.

 

This book took me no time at all to finish purely because it was so gripping that I didn't want to do anything related to real life until I was done. Admittedly, I did think it was incredibly dull in the beginning where Benny was deciding which career he was going to settle into. It literally picked up after 20 pages though after which I was racing through pages.

 

I loved the fact that although this book is based on zombies, the author hasn't taken any spotlight off of the relationship between Benny and his brother Tom. Straight from the introduction of the protagonist, the difficulty Benny has with forgiving his brother for running away on 'First Night' is highlighted and Tom's reactions to Benny thinking him a coward are really apparent. It keeps the story getting repetitive with zombie after zombie shuffling towards somebody - that gets old really quickly. Instead the zombies become an extra problem hidden in the background, the primary problem being Benny seeing his brother the way everybody else sees him.

 

There are so many elements to this story that it stays captivating the whole way through until it gets to the point where you can feel the number of pages left thinning and you really don't want it to end. As soon as you think you are going to start to settle into the story and can sort of guess where it's going you're thrown right off the trail. 

 

Every single character in this book is amazing in their own way and I got excited when any one of the them came back into the story. I can't fault the characters in any way. Not for the development, personalities or even for how many there are. There's no confusion, every one of them plays a part in the story perfectly.

 

This is definitely a book I'm going to add to my 'favourite reads' list and I really do urge everyone to pick this one up. I'm off to go and get the second in the series!

 

 

 My rating:10/10

 

Jonathan Maberry:

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Benny Imura series:

1. Rot and Ruin
2. Dust and Decay
3. Flesh and Bone
4. Fire and Ash