The Progeny (Descendants of the House of Bathory #1) ~ By Tosca Lee – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal Fiction

Thank you NetGalley and Howard Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Emily Jacobs is the descendent of a serial killer. Now she’s become the hunted.

She’s on a quest that will take her to the secret underground of Europe and the inner circles of three ancient orders–one determine to kill her, one devoted to keeping her alive, and one she must ultimately save.

Filled with adrenaline, romance, and reversals, The Progeny is the present-day saga of a 400-year-old war between the uncanny descendants of “Blood Countess” Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time, and a secret society dedicated to erasing everyone of her descendants. A story about the search for self, filled with centuries-old intrigues against the backdrop of atrocity and hope.

Before I begin my review, you’re probably wondering why I have two different covers depicted above. Well, the smaller one is what was supposed to be the finished cover, but for whatever reason someone at the publishers decided to go in a different direction. Personally, I loved the red cover. I thought it was beautiful and elegant in its simplicity. The cover that they went with in the end is nice, but it just doesn’t grab me like the first did. Anyway, on with the review.

I’ve heard of Tosca Lee, but The Progeny is actually the first book of hers I’ve read and all I can do is kick myself for not trying her before. It’s one of those books that combines great characters with an exciting and multi-layered mythology. Emily/Audra is a character that you can’t help but become attached to. While in some ways she’s your typical kick-ass heroine that you often find in this genre, she also has some interesting vulnerabilities due to her memory loss. As the reader you’re swept along in her quest to discover her past as well as what happened to make her resort to voluntarily having her memory wiped. The secondary characters are equally well-developed and it’s not always obvious who is friend and who is foe. The only criticism I have is that about halfway in, the story segued into an overly long party scene which had me impatiently wanting it to get back to the good stuff. Thankfully the action does pick up and it never slows down until the unbelievable cliffhanger conclusion which had me yelling “Darn you Tosca Lee!” Seriously! How the heck am I supposed to wait for book #2? Oh well. I suppose I’ll have to content myself with reading her other books. The Progeny immediately hooked me with its fascinating characters, exotic locales, and beautiful world-building. It’s a unique and inventive twist on vampire legends which takes the historical figure of Elizabeth Bathory and creates an entirely new mythology around her. I highly recommend this to fans of horror and paranormal fiction!

Every Exquisite Thing ~ Matthew Quick – 3.0 Stars

Tags

Coming of Age Stories, YA Fiction

Thank you NetGalley and Little and Brown for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 31st, 2016

Synopsis: Nanette O’Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hardworking student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember.nBut when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of “The Bubblegum Reaper”–a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic–the rebel within Nanette awakens.

As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion sometimes comes at a high price.

Despite having loved Silver Linings Playbook, I’ve never gotten around to reading Matthew Quick’s other novels, so I was quite excited to be afforded the opportunity to read and review  his latest. After finishing it though I’m left with mixed feelings, mainly because I was unable to fully connect to the main character, Nanette. In the beginning, she’s the quintessential misfit despite her upper middle-class upbringing . She knows she should be grateful for the privileged life she has, yet she’s not happy and knows she wants more than what lies before her. Feeling completely trapped, it isn’t until Nanette reads The Bubblegum Reaper that she begins to realize she may have different options than what’s been available to her. In some ways I enjoyed reading about her journey of self-discovery and appreciated her personal growth throughout the story, but for some reason I remained emotionally detached right up until the end. Maybe because while I recognize she suffers from undiagnosed depression, because of the choices she makes I found her to be inherently selfish. She knows full well she’s behaving in a deceitful and manipulative manner yet continues with her social experiment anyway. I may not have cared for her friends/classmates, but no one deserves to be treated like pawns on a chessboard. This part of the story just left a bad taste in my mouth and kept me from fully enjoying the rest of the book. While I was a bit disappointed in it, I think many of Matthew Quick’s fans will love Every Exquisite Thing, especially teens who will identify with Nanette’s struggle with being herself as opposed to living up to other people’s expectations. It’s a coming-of-age story that’s a quick read and regardless of how you feel about the main characters, I think it will lend itself to some interesting discussion. 

Forgive Me ~ By Daniel Palmer – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mysteries, Sex Trafficking, Thrillers, Witness Protection

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: At DeRose & Associates Private Investigators in Virginia, Angie DeRose strives to find and rescue endangered runaways–work that stands in stark contrast to her own safe, idyllic childhood. But in the wake of her mother’s sudden death, Angie makes a life-altering discovery. Hidden among mementos in her parents’ attic is a photograph of a little girl, with a code and the hand-written message on the back: “May God forgive me.”

Angie has no idea what it means or how to explain other questionable items among her mother’s possessions. Her father claims to know nothing. Could Angie have a sister or other relative she was never told about? Bryce Taggart, the US Marshal working with her agency, agrees to help Angie learn the fate of the girl in the photograph. But the lies she and Bryce unearth will bring her past and present together with terrifying force. And everything she cherishes will be threatened by the repercussions of one long-ago choice–and an enemy who will kill to keep a secret hidden forever.

Release Date: 5/31/16

While I don’t think Forgive Me is one of Daniel Palmer’s best novels to date, it’s still a good example of what makes this prolific author so popular. There are two plots unfolding in this novel, and I think that’s where I ran into trouble. There’s the heart-breaking story of sixteen-year-old Natalie, who runs away from home only to fall into the hands of a sex-trafficking ring. Her story is difficult to read at times, but it’s extremely compelling. As usual the author has thoroughly researched his subject and he pulls no punches. There are some scenes that will make you cringe, especially since you know similar scenes, or worse, are played out every day all over the world. There’s also Angie DeRose, who’s been hired by Natalie’s parents to find their daughter. Her story takes a backseat until about 3/4 of the way through when it becomes the central plot. It’s so sudden that I found myself wondering what had just happened. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I think Palmer is setting the stage for a series (his first). At least I hope so because otherwise there’s a plot hole to end all plot holes, as well as some loose threads that were never tied up. One of Palmers biggest strengths lie in the compelling characters he creates, and Angie and Natalie are no exception. Natalie, the daughter of divorced parents, is a an intelligent girl who is vulnerable because of a neglectful father and alcoholic mother. You can’t help but become emotionally invested in her. The same goes for Angie, who discovers that her idyllic childhood with her parents was based on a heinous secret. The truth when it’s unveiled is an explosive bombshell and one I didn’t see coming. The secondary characters are engaging and well-defined and the interaction between them is perfectly written. In the end Forgive Me is a bit like reading two books in one, and I wish that Daniel Palmer had written the two as two separate novels. But overall, just like with his previous works, I still enjoyed it and have no problem recommending it to readers who like mysteries and thrillers.

Smoke ~ By Dan Vyleta – 2.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Alternate History, Fantasy, London, Mystery

Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: An England where people who are wicked in thought or deed are marked by the Smoke that pours forth from their bodies, a sign of their fallen state. The aristocracy do not smoke, proof of their virtue and right to rule, while the lower classes are drenched in sin and soot. An England utterly strange and utterly real.

An elite boarding school where the sons of the wealthy are groomed to take power as their birthright. Teachers with mysterious ties to warring political factions at the highest levels of government. Three young people who learn everything they’ve been taught is a lie–knowledge that could cost them their lives. A grand estate where secrets lurk in attic rooms and hidden laboratories. A love triangle. A desperate chase. Revolutionaries and secret police. Religious fanatics and coldhearted scientists. Murder. A London filled with danger and wonder. A tortured relationship between mother and daughter, and a mother and son. Unexpected villains and unexpected heroes. Cool reason versus passion. Rich versus poor. Right versus wrong, though which is which isn’t clear.

I’ve really enjoyed Dan Vyleta’s previous books, particularly his historical mystery The Quiet Twin, so I was quite excited when I was approved on NetGalley for an e-ARC of his first historical fantasy. Despite its fascinating premise though I felt the story was overlong, and too convoluted in places, which kept me from enjoying it fully. Another problem I had was with the characters. Except for Thomas and Charlie, two of the main characters, I couldn’t stand any of the others. This includes Livia who rounds out the trio of heroes. She’s snobbish, judgemental and a religious fanatic. Unlike Thomas and Charlie she has very little personal growth through the book which makes the love triangle that develops between her and the two boys completely unbelievable. I also found myself wishing that the world building had been more fully developed. Beyond the concept of Smoke, there weren’t any other mystical elements which could have added some much needed layers to the story. For me, wrapping an entire book around one element is always risky, and in this case it just didn’t work. Smoke has been compared to Harry Potter and Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, but in my opinion it doesn’t really live up to the hype. However, it has already garnered many positive reviews, so if you do like historical fantasy or alternate history novels, I encourage you to try this. 

Before the Fall ~ By Noah Hawley – 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Airplane Crashes, Mystery

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 31, 2016

Synopsis: On a foggy summer night, eleven people–ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter–depart Martha’s Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs–the painter–and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul’s family. 

With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members–including a Wall Street titan and his wife, a Texan-born party boy just in from London, a young woman questioning her path in life, and a career pilot–the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens. As the passengers’ intrigues unravel, odd coincidences point to a conspiracy. Was it merely by dumb chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something far more sinister at work? Events soon threaten to spiral out of control in an escalating storm of media outrage and accusations. And while Scott struggles to cope with fame that borders on notoriety, the authorities scramble to salvage the truth from the wreckage.

Before the Fall has an intriguing and timely premise, especially given the tragedy of EgyptAir Flight 804 and the mystery surrounding what brought it down. It’s not only the story of what happens to the two survivors but it also reflects on the lives of those who did not. Each character has their own backstory related that catches the reader up until shortly before the mysterious events that lead to the crash. You don’t actually discover what happened until the last few chapters. Reading it is a bit like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. You don’t see the whole picture until all those pieces are fitted together. While in some respects it makes for an interesting story, I was never able to really connect with any of the characters because of the format. I was fascinated by Scott, and I wish the author had focused more on his character and how he was dealing with his sudden fame, instead of getting bogged down with looking at all the other characters’ lives before the crash. It’s almost as if Noah Hawley wasn’t sure what the main theme of the book was supposed to be about. Is it a discourse on the fragility of life? Is it a look at how we and the media like to build our heroes up, only to tear them down? Is it a cautionary tale at how much influence and power the media holds over society? For me, the story never quite makes up its mind on what it’s about, and because of that I found myself struggling at times. Before the Fall is being hyped as “the thriller of the year” which I think is a bit of an overstatement. I found it to be an okay mystery, but it’s not going on my list of unforgettable thrillers. That said, it’s receiving plenty of rave reviews, so if you like the tv series Fargo (of which Hawley is the executive producer, and writer for), I definitely encourage you to try this. It kept my attention enough that I know I’ll be checking out future books by Hawley.

 

 

Book Club: Hugo Award Challenge. Five Books in Three Months #HugoChallenge

The Lovely Ellie Is Hosting This Awesome Book Challenge, So If You’re A Science Fiction Or Fantasy Fan, Go Check This Out On Her Fabulous Blog!

Ellie Maloney

Hi there! Hugo Award for the best 2015 science fiction and fantasy novel will be announced on August 20, 2016. This is exactly 13 weeks away, and there are five shortlisted sci fi and fantasy books, all are fantastic reading  choices, voted by  the fans. Would you like to join me on a reading challenge to read these five books and chat about them in the community of fans? If so, here is how we can do it.

• First, look at the reading schedule on the title image of this post. See? Five books are  spread over the 13 remaining  weeks. I broke it down  so each week you need to read about 200 pages. This  is your benchmark  to stay on track.  A lot of reading? Well,It wouldn’t be a challenge otherwise. But think how fun it will be when the awards are  coming up, and you have…

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Mercy ~ By Michael Palmer and Daniel Palmer – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Medical Thriller, Mystery

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Dr. Julie Devereux is an outspoken advocate for the right to die–until a motorcycle accident leaves her fiancé, Sam Talbot, a quadriplegic. Sam begs to end of his life, but Julie sees hope in a life together. With the help of an organization that opposes physician-assisted suicide, Julie has Sam coming around to her point of view when he suddenly dies from an unexpected heart attack.An autopsy reveals that Sam died of an unusual heart defect, one seen only in those under extreme stress–in fact, it appears that Sam had been literally scared to death.

As Julie investigates similar cases, she finds a frightening pattern…and finds herself the target of disturbing threats. The more cases Julie discovers, the more the threats escalate, until she is accused of a mercy killing of her own. To clear her name and save her career, she must track down whoever is behind these mysterious deaths…but time is running out as someone has decided that killing Julie is the only way to stop her.

Michael Palmer in my mind was the king of medical thrillers and although he passed away in 2013, his equally talented son Daniel has continued his work alongside writing his own suspense novels. Mercy is an almost perfect medical thriller that takes a thorough look at physician-assisted suicide, while not taking any sides. It’s such a complex issue and there are compelling arguments made on both sides in this book. At the same time, the authors also examine the darker side of hospitals; reminding readers that they are businesses and as such, walk a thin line between profit margins and patient care. Both of the Palmers are brilliant at creating characters readers can relate to, and that’s certainly the case here. At the beginning of the story Julie is an outspoken advocate of a patient’s right to die, but after her fiancé Sam is injured so horribly in a motorcycle accident, and she sees that quadriplegics can lead fruitful lives thanks to new therapies and technology, her beliefs change. You can see how she struggles with passing that faith and hope on to Sam. Just as he’s showing signs of being willing to fight, he dies from a mysterious heart attack. From here, the story goes into full-fledged conspiracy mode with many different characters getting involved and except for a couple of them, it’s unclear who Julie should trust. This is another thing I liked about her; while she’s careful about who she brings into her inner circle, neither does she stupidly try to go it alone. She’s smart, and resourceful, and while she makes a few mistakes, they’re perfectly understandable given the circumstances. There are many twists and turns before the exciting conclusion which makes this near impossible to put down. The only criticism I have is that for about the first 1/4 of the book there’s a lot of medical terminology and it slows down the pace of the book somewhat. While I fully expected some as this is a medical thriller, this was a little much. But once you get past that the pace picks up and never slows down. Mercy is a fantastic read for both fans of the Palmers as well as readers who might be new to their novels. If you decide to try this, I recommend you pick a time when your schedule isn’t too busy because you’re not going to want to put it down!

 

Words of Wisdom

Tags

Donald Trump, Freedom of Speech, Humor, J.K. Rowling, Quotations

 While almost every day brings some new, cringe-worthy utterance from He Who Must Not Be Named, I thought J.K. Rowling said something that bears worth repeating during her speech last night at the 2016 PEN Literary Award Gala in NYC. Making a plea for tolerance she said: 

His freedom to speak protects my freedom to call him a bigot. His freedom guarantees mine.

So, while many of us find his words repugnant and morally reprehensible, it’s important that he continues to have the right to say them. That said, we have the right not to listen.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism ~ By Grady Hendrix – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Coming of Age Stories, Demons, Friendship, Friendships, Horror, Possession, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Synopsis: Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school things change. Gretchen begins to act…different. And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With some help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you may have guessed that I absolutely LOVE Horror. Books, tv shows, movies… As long as it’s good, count me in! One of my biggest disappointments is that you don’t see a lot of authors writing horror for YAs. There are writers like Laurie Stolartz and Danielle Vega who regularly turn out some truly stellar novels, but YA Horror hasn’t yet taken off like other genres such as fantasy and dystopian fiction. After finishing My Best Friend’s Exorcism, I’m adding Grady Hendrix to my list of favorite authors in this genre. I’m going to be honest and say that some readers may be a little disappointed because most of the action takes place in the second part of the book, but for me it’s all about the anticipation. You know–that mounting sense of dread where you know bad things are gonna happen, it’s just a matter of when? The first half of the book primarily focuses on the close friendship between Abby and Gretchen. After a sleepover with two other friends turns into a terrifying night, Gretchen disappears for several hours. It’s not long after she’s found by her desperate friends that Gretchen starts exhibiting extremely odd behavior, the most heartbreaking of which is her turning on Abby. And from there things slowly get worse. While the suspense is building, Hendrix takes you back to high school life in the 1980s complete with all sorts of cultural references. I’ve had the Go-Go’s We Got the Beat stuck in my head since I finished the book a few days ago. Thankfully they were my favorite band when I was in high school so I’m okay with that. Reading this was like a trip down memory lane. Grady Hendrix not only captures the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of high school life, he is scarily good at getting into the minds of teen girls. So good that I found myself forgetting that this story is written by a guy. One weakness I found concerns the adult characters in the book. With only one exception they’re overwhelmingly portrayed as either weak and ineffectual, or bullying and abusive. After awhile this really got on my nerves but not enough to to spoil my overall enjoyment of the story. I mentioned that most of the horror-based action takes place in the second half of the book. Well, a word of warning. There are some extremely graphic passages which even had me squirming, and I read my first Stephen King book when I was 13. I don’t want to include any spoilers but for those of you who are animal lovers like me, well… Thankfully this scene is brief and I skimmed over it. There was also a scene with involving tapeworms which actually gave me a nightmare. That’s what I get for staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish this. And finally, there’s the ending which in my opinion is one of the best conclusions to a story that I’ve read in a very long time. It’s a beautiful and poignant finale that had me reaching for a tissue. At it’s heart My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a coming-of-age story about the power of friendship. Think Mean Girls with a dash of the Exorcism thrown in. It’s one of the best YA horror novels I’ve read and I’ll definitely be checking out Mr. Hendrix’s future works.

Devil and the Bluebird ~ By Jennifer Mason-Black – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Coming-of age, Domestic Abuse, LGBT, Relationships, Sex Trafficking, Supernatural, YA Fiction

Thank you NetGalley and Amulet Books for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Synopsis: Blue Riley has wrestled with her own demons ever since the loss of her mother to cancer. But when she encounters a beautiful devil at her town’s crossroads, it’s her runaway sister’s soul she fights to save. The devil steals Blues voice–inherited from her musically gifted mother–in exchange for a single shot at finding Cass.

Armed with her mother’s guitar, a knapsack of cherished mementos, and a pair of magical books, Blue journeys west in search of her sister. When the devil changes the terms of their deal, Blue must reevaluate her understanding of good and evil and open herself to finding family in unexpected places.

I have to admit that when I requested Devil And The Bluebird, it was because the synopsis with it’s mention of crossroad demons reminded me of the tv show Supernatural, which if you’ve been following me you might have noticed my slight, ahem, obsession. For those of you not familiar with crossroads demon folklore, these are the demons you can make a supernatural deal with. Unfortunately it also involves the giving up of your soul, and in Supernatural when your contract is up, you’re  brutally killed by Hellhounds, who then drag your soul to Hell. Nasty huh? So, in this instance 17-year-old Blue is desperately trying to save her sister Cass who disappeared after making a deal with a devil. Blue makes a bargain: the demon gives her six months to find Cass and if Blue fails then she can collect both sisters’ souls. Of course, as is often the case with demons, this one pulls a sneaky trick on Blue. While Blue sets off on her journey with her guitar and a pair of magical boots, she does so without her voice. Yep. No singing, no talking, nada.

Naturally the devil has other tricks up her sleeves as well, but I’m going to let you discover them on your own if you choose to read this. Blue is a picture-perfect tragically flawed character. She’s smart, loyal and stubbornly determined. She has more love in her heart than she realizes. Mourning her mother deeply, Blue will do whatever it takes to reunite with her sister which gets her into some pretty awful situations. As she makes friends and allies on her journey, she also learns some of different types of evil that are out there, and I’m not talking about the paranormal kind. Throughout the book Mason-Black does a beautiful job with Blue’s voice which rings with clarity and sincerity. The secondary characters, of which there are quite a few, are richly drawn. Each one, no matter how brief their role, is a fully realized person. I fully believed that all these characters who walk in and out of Blue’s life, also have lives of their own. While some of them show that greed, selfishness, indifference and cruelty can take many forms, they also show the same for kindness, compassion and love. It’s these last three that allow Blue to continue on her quest. Alongside the paranormal elements that are in the story, there are also many real-life issues explored including: loss of a parent, teen runaways, transgender teens, drug abuse, homelessness, domestic abuse, and sex trafficking. It amazes me that the author was able to include all of this in a 336 page novel without once slowing the pace down. Devil And The Bluebird is a lyrical and poignant debut that despite its touching on some of the uglier parts of life, still manages to be a beautiful redemption tale. Because of the mature themes I recommend this to older teens and adults. I also think it would be a perfect novel for a book discussion group. And now for some reason I’m feeling an overwhelming need to binge- watch the Winchesters.