Shutter by Courtney Alameda: A Book Review

Title: Shutter (Shutter #1)
Author: Courtney Alameda
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publish Date: February 3, 2015
Pages: 384
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Horror has a new name: introducing Courtney Alameda.

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual: the corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She's aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera's technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.

When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn't exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she's faced before . . . or die trying.

Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a week.

I loved this book from start to finish. It had everything I could hope for in a ghost hunting book. A kickass heroin, a hot brooding Aussie, best friends and action. At moments I wanted to scream at the book and others I wanted to reach through and bitch slap her dad. I got pretty early on who we were hunting as in the entity, which wasn't a big deal. I'm glad the book played out the way it did. There was plenty of the edge of your seat nail biting moments to make up for it. I'm also really glad the ending played out like it did and it left it open in case the author decides to revisit the Helsings in the future.

A veteran bookseller and librarian, Courtney Alameda now spends her days writing thriller and horror novels for young people. Her debut novel, SHUTTER, was nominated for a Bram Stoker award and hailed as a "standout in the genre" by School Library Journal. Her forthcoming novel, PITCH DARK (Spring 2017), is a genre-blending science fiction/horror novel in the vein of Ridley Scott's 1979 film ALIEN.

Courtney holds a B.A. in English literature with an emphasis in creative writing. She is represented by the talented John M. Cusick of Folio Literary. A Northern California native, she now resides in Utah with her husband, a legion of books, and a tiny five pound cat with a giant personality.

Find Courtney: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

 Disclaimer: **Book info obtained through Goodreads. ***Book Cover Obtained through Goodreads. ****Author photo obtained through author website.

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Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn: A Book Review

Title: Another Little Piece
Author: Kate Karyus Quinn
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publish Date: June 11th 2013
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 419
Source: Purchased
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

I just couldn’t bring myself to finish this book. I tried and just to the point where I was just uninterested in it to go on. I sadly had to put this one down.

This one starts off pretty interesting where a girl is wandering through the woods to this house in a trash bag. But then it starts to get strange. Everyone believes she is this girl that was presumed dead a year prior. She looks like her and talks like her but doesn’t have her memories. Then she is taken to this hospital to talk to a shrink and then her parents take her home. She refers to them as “the Mom” and “the Dad”. Then it goes back and forth through the present and past memories. She even once had a craving for some boys blood or something. So this really wasn’t what I expected. 

This is another book that I need to put up on a shelf and try to come back to another time, hopefully. But for now, I just can’t bring myself to pick it up again to finish.

Kate Karyus Quinn is an avid reader and menthol chapstick addict. She has lived in California and Tennessee, but recently made the move back to her hometown of Buffalo, New York, with her husband and two children in tow. She promised them wonderful people, amazing food, and weather that would... build character. Another Little Piece is her first novel.

Find Kate: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Disclaimer:  **Book info obtained through Goodreads. ***Book Cover Obtained through Goodreads. ****Author photo obtained through author website.

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Haven by Mary Lindsey: A Book Review

Title: Haven
Author: Mary Lindsey
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publish Date: November 7th 2017
Pages: 371
Source: Publisher for Review
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

"We all hold a beast inside. The only difference is what form it takes when freed."

Rain Ryland has never belonged anywhere, He’s used to people judging him for his rough background, his intimidating size, and now, his orphan status. He’s always been on the outside, looking in, and he’s fine with that. Until he moves to New Wurzburg and meets Friederike Burkhart.

Freddie isn’t like normal teen girls, though. And someone wants her dead for it. Freddie warns he’d better stay far away if he wants to stay alive, but Rain’s never been good at running from trouble. For the first time, Rain has something worth fighting for, worth living for. Worth dying for.

Fast paced, action packed and hot! For fans of Twilight and Maggie Stiefvater's The Shiver trilogy. This was a seemingly quick read for me and I devoured it from start to finish. I really love Mary Lindsey and I couldn't wait to read this. The cover is completely amazing and the story had me pulled in from the beginning.

I really loved the main characters, Rain and Freddie. They both had their fair share of tragic pasts and loss. Which made them such a great pair. I felt like I was watching their relationship and romance unfold right before my eyes, almost as if I was witnessing it first hand. Also, the supporting characters helped pull the loose ends together quite nicely. I enjoyed seeing how the story unfolded as I was reading. However, there was a lot of back story to this and some characters did seem like they were being rushed into the story and thrown in when we didn't need any.

If you read where I stated that this was for fans of Twilight and that got your attention trying to figure out where the werewolf in this book crosses with the vampires of Twilight, I will say, there was one scene that, as I was reading this, was almost identical to Twilight. I don't want to spoil it for you, so you will have to read it to see what I am talking about. 

But for the most part, this was a fantastic, quick read that will pull you in from the start. Thanks to Entangled Publishing for my wonderful box of Haven inspired things and a wonderful book for review!

Mary Lindsey is a multi award-winning, RITA® nominated author of romance for adults and teens. She lives on an island in the middle of a river. Seriously, she does. When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, two Cairn Terriers, and one husband.

Inexplicably, her favorite animal is the giant anteater and at one point, she had over 200 "pet" Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. The roaches are a long story involving three science-crazed kids and a soft spot for rescue animals. The good news is, the "pet" roaches found a home... somewhere else.

She also writes under the pseudonym Marissa Clarke.

Find Mary: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

**Book info obtained through Goodreads. ***Book Cover Obtained through Goodreads. ****Author photo obtained through author website.

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Beastly Bones by William Ritter: A Book Review

Title: Beastly Bones (Jackaby #2)
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

I've found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I've known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality . . .

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, are called upon to investigate the supernatural. First, members of a particularly vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens. A day later, their owner is found murdered, with a single mysterious puncture wound to her neck. Then, in nearby Gad's Valley, dinosaur bones from a recent dig go missing, and an unidentifiable beast attacks animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Policeman Charlie Cane, exiled from New Fiddleham to the valley, calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

In true Jackaby fashion, this book does not disappoint. I read the first book over a year prior and when I picked this up to read I wasn't lost and was easily pulled back in to a world where the unexplained paranormal exists and coincides with every day life and right under our noses. 

Abigail Rook and R.F. Jackaby are pulled into a case of shape shifters, chameleomorphs to be exact. While on the case they get side tracked with yet another case that takes them to Gads Valley where bones have been unearthed, strange deaths have happened and police officer Charlie Cane resides. 

We get to see more in depth traits on all characters including Jenny Cavanaugh the friendly specter who resides with the detective and Abigail. We also get to see Abigail develop some boldness when it comes to the handsome police officer. 

I'm very anxious to read the next book and find out about Jenny's death.

Find my review of Jackaby here

 At the University of Oregon, William made questionable choices, including willfully selecting classes for the interesting stories they promised, rather than for any practical application. When he wasn't frivolously playing with words, he earned credits in such meaningful courses as Trampoline, Juggling, and 17th Century Italian Longsword. These dubious decisions notwithstanding, he regrets nothing and now holds degrees in English and Education with certificates in Creative Writing and Folklore.

He currently teaches high school Language Arts, including reading and writing, mythology and heroes. He is a proud husband and father. When reading aloud, he always does the voices.

Jackaby is his first novel. It was born in the middle of the night and written on two different hemispheres. It has survived typhoons and hurricanes, and was fostered into publication through the patient care of many hands.

Find William: Website | Twitter

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

**Book info obtained through Goodreads. 

***Book Cover Obtained through Goodreads. 

****Author photo obtained through author website.

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4 Star Review: In the Mouth of the Wolf by Nicole Maggi @medallionpress#BookReview #4Star @nicolemaggi

Title: In the Mouth of the Wolf (Twin Willows #2)
Author: Nicole Maggi
Publisher: Medallion Press
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: June 9th 2015
Source: Publisher for Review
Purchase: Amazon

The Twin Willows Waterfall is now under the control of the Benandanti, but for Alessia, the victory comes at a steep price. And the arrival of Nerina, one of the seven Concilio elders from the Friuli Clan, only complicates her life. Now she’s hiding a 450-year-old immortal on her farm, juggling school and her increasingly frustrated friends, and trying to keep the Malandanti from regaining the Waterfall. But it’s the passion that still lingers between her and Jonah that really keeps Alessia awake at night.

After a fatal visit from the Malandanti’s mage, Alessia brings in Jonah’s twin sister, Bree, to serve as a Benandanti spy. Bree has her own reasons for wanting to bring down the Malandanti, and soon she and Alessia find themselves in a tenuous alliance. But not even the powerful magic that Bree possesses nor the strong leadership that Nerina provides can stop the vicious Malandanti. As the two Clans barrel towards their inevitable collision, Alessia and Jonah are swept into the devastation and forced to make the ultimate choice.

This was an excellent sequel to Winter Falls. I actually enjoyed this one more than the first one and it picks up where the first book leaves us. In this latest book, you are taken between the POVs of Alessia and Bree, and get to see them form an unlikely alliance. But you also get to see where Bree is coming from, how much she really dislikes her life at home and how much she desperately wants to save her brother from the Malandanti, no matter what the cost.

Alessia is still mad at Jonah about the Malandanti thing, which leads her into not talking to him. But at the same time she wants to talk to him and not hate him. She kind of goes back and forth with that for a while in the book. But eventually it works out in the end and speaking of the end, there is this really cruel twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all involving her.

I am highly anticipating the final book in this trilogy. In which Jonah's panther is on the cover.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Nicole Maggi was born in the suburbs of upstate New York and began writing poems about unicorns and rainbows at a very early age. She detoured into acting, earned a BFA from Emerson College, and moved to NYC, where she performed in lots of off-off-Broadway Shakespeare. After a decade of schlepping groceries on the subway, she and her husband hightailed it to sunny Los Angeles, where they now reside, surrounded by fruit trees, with their young daughter and two oddball cats. She is also the author of the novel Heartlines and is hard at work on the rest of the Twin Willows Trilogy.

Find Nicole: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr |Goodreads


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3 Star Review: Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly #bookreview #3star @tinaconnolly

Title: Seriously Wicked
Author: Tina Connolly
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: Teen, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: May 5th 2015
Source: Publisher for Review
Purchase: Amazon

The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too?

This was a pretty decent book. I haven't read anything else by this author yet (even though I have the Ironskin trilogy sitting on my shelves), so I really don't have anything to compare this to. However, for the first time reading this author, I think that I can honestly say that I will be reading more by her.

This book, to me, starts off kind of slow. It took me until about the 50th page to finally grab on to the story and go with it. You have this girl who is being raised by a witch and this witch tries so hard to get her into magic and spells, and Camellia just doesn't want anything to do with it. She rather just go to school and do whatever it takes to make sure the witch's spells don't work.

This story felt like it was rushed though. I mean, I know that there are only 205 pages, but it seemed like towards the middle of the book the author just wanted to get through this fast and rushed the rest of the story. And even though the story felt rushed, I really did enjoy it and I did like the ending of the story, even if it was easy to figure out halfway through (well some of it was).

With likable characters, a good story (even though rushed at times) and good writing by a great author, I do recommend this book to everyone ages 12 and up that like fantasy.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

TINA CONNOLLY lives with her family in Portland, Oregon, in a house that came with a dragon in the basement and blackberry vines in the attic. Her stories have appeared all over, including in Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies.



Find Tina: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

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DNF Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Teen, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: January 13th 2015
Source: NOVL
Purchase: Amazon

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

I have never really been a fan of Holly Black's writing. I had hoped that this one would have been the exception. The synopsis of this story sounded absolutely fantastic. I love fantasy books about fairies and the like, but when I started to read this, my enthusiasm fell flat. In what I had hoped to be an amazing story about humans and fey, turned out to be confusing, at the very least to me. I don't think that I will be picking up much more of this authors works.

Disclaimer: *I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy novels for kids, teens, and adults. She is the author of the Modern Faerie Tale series, The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), and The Good Neighbors graphic novels (with Ted Naifeh) The Poison Eaters and Other Stories, a collection of short fiction, and The Curse Worker series (White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart). She is also the co-editor of three anthologies, Geektastic (with Cecil Castellucci), Zombies vs. Unicorns (with Justine Larbalestier), and Welcome to Bordertown (with Ellen Kushner). Her most recent works are the middle grade novel, Doll Bones, and the dark fantasy stand-alone, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.

She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.

Find Holly: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr

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3 Star Review: Winter Falls by Nicole Maggi #Review @nicolemaggi

Title: Winter Falls (Twin Williows #1)
Author: Nicole Maggi
Publisher: Medallion Press
Genre: Teen, Paranormal, Fantasy
Release Date: December 22nd 2014
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon

Alessia Jacobs is a typical sixteen-year-old, dying to get out of her small town of Twin Willows, Maine. Things look up when a new family comes to town, but when she falls for the hot, mysterious son, Jonah, her life turns upside down.

Weird visions of transforming into an otherworldly falcon are just the beginning. Soon she learns she’s part of the Benandanti, an ancient cult of warriors with the unique power to separate their souls from their bodies and take on the forms of magnificent animals.

Alessia never would've suspected it, but her boring town is the site of an epic struggle between the Benandanti and the Malandanti to control powerful magic in the surrounding forest.

As Alessia is drawn into the Benandanti’s mission, her relationship with Jonah intensifies. When her two worlds collide, Alessia’s forced to weigh choices a sixteen-year-old should never have to make.

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4 Star Review: My Last Kiss by Bethany Neal #BookReview @BethDazzled @fsgbooks

Title: My Last Kiss
Author: Bethany Neal
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Genre: Teen, Mystery, Paranormal
Release Date: June 10th 2014
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon

What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy?

Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss—the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died—is a blur. Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn’t a suicide as everyone assumes. She can’t remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she’s worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend.

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she’ll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made—good and bad—that led to her last kiss.

Bethany Neal’s suspenseful debut novel is about the power of first love and the haunting lies that threaten to tear it apart.

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4 Star Review: The Wicked Awakening of Anne Merchant by Joanna Wiebe #BookReview @jruthwiebe

Title: The Wicked Awakening of Anne Merchant (The V Trilogy, #2)
Author: Joanna Wiebe
Publisher: BenBella Books
Genre: Teen, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: January 20th 2015
Source: Publisher for Review
Purchase: Amazon

Life and death, light and dark, spirit and flesh-on Wormwood Island, the lines are always blurred. For Anne Merchant, who has been thrust back into this eerily secretive world, crossing the line seems inevitable, inescapable, destined.

Now, as Ben finds himself battling for the Big V and Teddy reveals the celestial plan in which Anne is entwined, Anne must choose: embrace her darkly powerful connection to a woman known as Lilith and, in doing so, save the boy she loves...or follow a safer path that is sure to lead to Ben's destruction at the hands of dark leaders. Hoping the ends will justify the means, Anne starts down the slippery slope into the underworld, intent on exploring the dark to find the light. But as the lure of Lilith proves powerfully strong, will Anne save others-only to lose herself?

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Book Review: Jackaby by William Ritter @Willothewords @AlgonquinYR

Title: Jackaby (Jackaby #1)
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Genre: Teen, Mystery, Paranormal
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Source: Books-A-Million
Purchase: Amazon | TBD | B&N

Summary from Goodreads:

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

I went into this now knowing what to expect. Sure, I read the synopsis and concluded that it was a historical mystery book, but that is pretty much all I got from it. I actually had not heard of this book before spotting the lovely cover on the shelf of my local Books-A-Million book store.

When reading this all I could picture was a crazy Johnny Depp from the movie From Hell where he was a crazy detective type person solving Jack the Ripper murders. Throw a bit of paranormal, faeries, werewolves, trolls and the like into the mix, and you got R.F. Jackaby. Along with newly arrived, Abigail Rook, you have yourself a detective team. 

The story went well. I mean, I read the first 10 chapters in a flash and couldn't wait to read more, but once you got past that, it seemed as if the story started to fall flat and drag on. After about 6 or 7 more chapters of that, it started to pick up again and then towards the end it started to come together quite nicely.

All in all, I would say this is a great first book to what seems like a truly one of kind series. I hope the next book stands up to this one.

At the University of Oregon, William made questionable choices, including willfully selecting classes for the interesting stories they promised, rather than for any practical application. When he wasn't frivolously playing with words, he earned credits in such meaningful courses as Trampoline, Juggling, and 17th Century Italian Longsword. These dubious decisions notwithstanding, he regrets nothing and now holds degrees in English and Education with certificates in Creative Writing and Folklore.

He currently teaches high school Language Arts, including reading and writing, mythology and heroes. He is a proud husband and father. When reading aloud, he always does the voices.

Jackaby is his first novel. It was born in the middle of the night and written on two different hemispheres. It has survived typhoons and hurricanes, and was fostered into publication through the patient care of many hands.

Find William: Website | Twitter

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