Scream All Night, by Derek Milman ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Child Abuse, Contemporary Fiction, Dysfunctional Families, Humor, LGBTQ, Romance, YA Fiction

Thanks to Edelweiss and Balzer & Bray for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

400 Pages

Synopsis: A darkly hilarious contemporary realistic young adult novel about growing up and finding your place in the world, perfect for fans of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Running With Scissors.

Dario Heyward knows one thing: He’s never going back to Moldavia Studios, the iconic castle that served as the set, studio, and home to the cast and crew of dozens of cult, classic B-horror movies. It’s been three years since Dario’s even seen the place, after getting legally emancipated from his father, the infamous director of Moldavia’s creature features.

But then Dario’s brother invites him home to a mysterious ceremony involving his father and a tribute to his first film—The Curse of the Mummy’s Tongue. Dario swears his homecoming will be a one-time visit. A way for him to get closure on his past—and reunite with Hayley, his first love and costar of Zombie Children of the Harvest Sun, a production fraught with real-life tragedy—and say goodbye for good. But the unthinkable happens—Dario gets sucked back into the twisted world of Moldavia and the horrors, real and imagined, he’s left there.

With only months to rescue the sinking studio and everyone who has built their lives there, Dario must confront the demons of his past—and the uncertainties of his future. But can he escape the place that’s haunted him his whole life?

“This is a house full of misfits, everyone unmoored from the world outside these gates. They don’t belong out there. They live in a constantly moving dreamworld of imagined horrors, spurts of gore, skulking monsters—creatures more aberrant than themselves. After all, it takes true misfits to make believable monsters.” 

Where do I start? Scream All Night is one of the most creative and original, yet totally bonkers books, I’ve come across in a long time. I read it last summer, yet I still remember it like it was yesterday. As the book opens, seventeen-year-old Dario (named after Italian giallo-horror director Dario Argento), finds himself reluctantly back in the bizarre world of Moldavia Studios after having legally emancipated himself from his parents. His mother is in a mental institution and his brilliant but abusive father has planned a live funeral for which attendance is mandatory. Dario has some extremely mixed feelings regarding his childhood and family, so once he returns to deal with some of these larger than life characters, he also has to deal with both the wonderful and the traumatic memories that he escaped from.

“That’s when I learned that with beauty comes a little bit of terror. That pretty much sums up my childhood here: something cool would happen, immediately followed by something traumatic. I could never come to terms with those knee-jerk jumps.”

What ensues is a darkly comedic coming-of-age story that will have you laughing out loud one moment and tearing up the next. It’s a zany mix combining the moving story of a young man facing his childhood demons, with the ludicrous, over-the-top antics of his family. The creepy setting of a castle where B horror movies are made just makes it all even more nuts.

“The spiders will always hatch out of the flowers. But now I like to think of the moments before, when they’re just flowers, blooming and they can be pinched closed so that all that prettiness lasts a little longer before the inevitable horror comes.

Scream All Night is a YA book that I highly recommend to adults who don’t normally read books for teens. It’s quirky and heart wrenching, and you’re bound to fall in love with Dario. Derek Milman’s flawless writing has made me a fan and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

 

 

 

 

 

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Father Figure, by James Cudney ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Contemporary Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Rape, Romance, Suspense

Thanks to Shannon over at Reads & Reels for including me in this Blog Tour.

Release Date: April 2, 2018

Published By Creativia

415 Pages

Synopsis: Between the fast-paced New York City, a rural Mississippi town, and a charming Pennsylvania college campus filled with secrets, two young girls learn the consequences of growing up too quickly. Struggling to survive in a claustrophobic, unforgiving world, they embark on a journey to overcome all the pain, disappointment, and horror of their experiences.

Amalia Graeme, abused by her mother for most of her life, longs to escape her desolate hometown, connect with others, and fall in love. Contemplating an impending loss of innocence and conflicting feelings between her boyfriend and the dangerous attraction she’s developed for an older man, Amalia suffers devastating, life-altering tragedies. No matter where she turns, someone or something always steals her hope of finding happiness, protection, and love.

Brianna Porter, a sassy yet angst-ridden teenager raised in New York City, yearns to determine her life’s true purpose, conquer her fear of abandonment, and interpret an intimidating desire for her best friend Shanelle. All the confusion stems from desperately needing to find the father whom her mother refuses to reveal, but the unexpected discovery of a journal leads Brianna to a shocking revelation about her missing parent. Unfortunately, by casting the net to find him, she’s unleashed a tragic history that was meant to stay buried and might now completely change everyone’s futures.

Told in alternating chapters set two decades apart, each girl’s plight unfolds revealing the parallels between their lives and the subsequent collision that is bound to happen. In an emotional story filled with mystery, romance, and suspense, fate intervenes forcing someone to make a dreadful decision that will leave permanent scars.

Excerpt:

The red blouse is something important to Amalia, but she loses it when her mother takes another swing to knock down her daughter. This shows how awful Janet can be. Red becomes a theme in the book and aligns with the color of the cabin on the cover.

~ James J. Cudney

Amalia grabbed her bag and keys shuffling everything together to leave with her mother. In her rush, she dropped the bag to the floor. The red blouse spilled from its only protection unaware of the trouble its presence would generate. It was the only article of clothing Amalia owned that made her feel special, nor did it try to hide her body from the rest of the world.

“What is that doing here? I told you to get rid of that yesterday morning.” The room grew a few degrees cooler as Janet’s icy expression penetrated the waning of Amalia’s facade. 

“I…I just…forgot it was…in my bag when I brought it here today,” stammered Amalia.

“Give it here.”

“No, Momma. I’m bringing it home.”

“Someday you’ll understand girl.” Janet refocused her triumphant gaze from Amalia to her husband. “Have you got a pair of scissors in this store, Peter?”

Amalia closed her eyes and pictured what could have been if she’d met Bryan at the lake. She chastised herself for foolishly letting down her guard imagining the possibility of something positive happening in Brant. It was merely another one of nightmares masquerading as a silly little girl’s daydream. Fighting back was a lost cause, and so was her blouse. Amalia grabbed the scissors from the rusty mason jar and walked with unparalleled defeat toward her mother.

“Stay right there, child. I’m not gonna be the one to destroy it. Give those scissors to your father.”

Peter’s deep-set eyes grew wide with disbelief despite remaining glued to a pile of dirt in the corner. “Janet, let her keep the shirt, please. She’s not going to wear it anywhere.”

“Cut it up now, Peter. The girl needs to learn another lesson. Apparently, so do you.” Janet banged her fist against the nearest wall rattling the pipes. “Make it quick. Greg will be ready for dinner in three hours.”

As the harassment in Janet’s voice punched holes in his body, Peter’s courage went limp with burden. His shaky fingers, normally quite firm and adept from building his model trains and boats, slid into the scissors. Amalia turned away at the nagging graze of one blade against the other, grateful when the fabric muffled the awful scrape of her last hopes being dashed away for the summer. “I love you Daddy,” she mouthed to his despondent eyes and walked behind her mother to the car praying for silence on the ride home.

I’m not participating in many blog tours nowadays because of my health issues, but I just had to take part in this one for our fellow blogger, Jay Cudney’s sophomore novel, Father Figure. I absolutely loved his first book, Watching Glass Shatter so I’ve been eagerly anticipating this and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. I was completely captivated from the very first page and finished this in two sittings because I couldn’t tear myself away.

Father Figure is both a character-driven and plot-driven story that’s emotional and powerful and will have you reaching for the tissue box more than once. As usual I’m not going to reveal any spoilers, but suffice it to say Jay has created in Amalia and Brianna two characters who you won’t be able to stop yourself from becoming deeply invested in. In the beginning I did emphasize with Amalia more because of some shared childhood experiences. I also loved how she persevered despite the horrible things she was subjected to. She became a strong, self-reliant woman and I greatly admired her. Brianna is quite different in terms of personality and to be honest, in the beginning, I thought she was a spoiled brat. However, I grew to appreciate her struggles regarding the secrets being kept from her as well as her questions about her sexuality and relationship with her loyal and sassy childhood friend, Shanelle (who is my third favorite character). I have to say that Jay not only captured the voice of sweet, innocent Amalia perfectly, but he also hit all the nuances of being a teenage girl with Brianna. I was really quite impressed. The secondary characters are equally well-rounded and all of them play large roles in the development of Amalia and Brianna. It amazed me how detailed Jay was able to make each of them without slowing down the pace of the story. 

Speaking of which…the plot has many layers made up of heartbreak and loss, mystery and suspense, and even some humor to balance the darker moments. There are some difficult issues including: child abuse, death, rape, and sexual identity. Some of these could be triggers for some readers, so I wanted to include that warning. Nothing is overly graphic and Jay includes each subject with sensitivity and as an integral part of the journey each of the main characters go on.

Father Figure is a wonderful read that I can’t recommend highly enough. Expect to get angry, cry and laugh while reading this and be prepared to gasp at the many twists and turns the story takes. I’d recommend this as a perfect choice for book groups not only for the amazing story, but also for the social issues it brings up. I’d also recommend this as a stellar pick for moms to read with their adult daughters. No matter what kind of reader you are, I promise that if choose to pick this up you won’t be disappointed. This is a story you’ll be thinking about hours, days, and weeks after you’ve finished it.

About the Author:

James is my given name, most call me Jay. I grew up on Long Island and currently live in New York City, but I’ve traveled all across the US (and various parts of the world). After college, I spent 15 years working in technology and business operations in the sports, entertainment, and media industries. Although I enjoyed my job, I left in 2016 to focus on my passion: telling stories and connecting people through words. My debut novel is Watching Glass Shatter, a contemporary fiction family drama with elements of mystery, suspense, humor and romance. To see samples or receive news from my current and upcoming books, please subscribe with your email address at my website: https://jamesjcudney.com

What do I do outside of writing: I’m an avid genealogist (discovered 2K family members going back about 250 years) and cook (I find it so hard to follow a recipe). I love to read; between Goodreads and my blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com I have over 500 book reviews which will give you a full flavor for my voice and style. On my blog, I started the 365 Daily Challenge, where I post a word each day that has some meaning to me, then converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun of myself all the time. 

A bit of humor: Everything doubles as something else when you live in NYC. For me, it’s the dining room, my favorite space in the apartment, where more than just my cooking is on display! As I look out the windows onto the 12th floor terrace, various parts of nature (trees, bushes, flowers, bugs & animals) inspire me to write.

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Purchase Link:

https://amazon.com/James-J.-Cudney/e/B076B6PB3M/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39678792-father-figure?ac=1&from_search=true

~ GIVEAWAY ~

One (1) randomly chosen winner will receive a print copy of Father Figure (Available in North America only)

 

For those of you who cannot enter the giveaway because you’re outside of North America, Father Figure will be available later this month on Amazon for only $0.99!

ENTER

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0e7c6a8f37/

***

Where Else to Find Jay:

Creativia – http://www.creativia.org/author-james-cudney.html

Twitter – https://mobile.twitter.com/jamescudney4

Facebook – https://m.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4

***

Blog Tour Organized By

https://rrbooktours.com

 

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, by Preston Norton ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Child Abuse, Contemporary Fiction, Drug Abuse, High School, Homophobia, Humor, Religious Fanaticism, Suicide, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 5th, 2018

400 Pages

Synopsis: Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he’s so enormous—-6’6” and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life at his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse since his older brother’s suicide.

There’s no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there’s only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

To his own surprise, Cliff says he’s in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS—-Cliff feels like he’s part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn’t as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they’ve completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.

Neanderthal Opens the Door To The Universe is one of those books that took me by surprise in regards to how much I liked it. While some of the dialogue is a little awkward and it’s intentionally filled with high school cliches, because of the well-rounded and relatable characters, interesting plot, and positive message, it has a certain charm to it that I think will appeal to a wide audience. The story tackles many social issues: suicide, drug abuse, religious fanaticism, homophobia, bullying, and child abuse. But it never devolves into an annoying after school special/soap opera. This is partly due to the dry humor that pervades the story, but also because the darker themes are balanced by the inspiring responses from the teenage characters.

In the end, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is quite uplifting and it’s a story I won’t forget anytime soon. Because of the colorful language involved and dark topics, I wouldn’t recommend this for older teens. I think it’s a wonderful choice for high school classrooms, forthcoming summer reading lists, and book discussion groups.

The Price Guide to the Occult, by Leslye Walton ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Child Abuse, Contemporary Fictio, LGBT, Self-harm, Supernatural, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 13th, 2018

288 Pages

Synopsis: The Blackburn women are cursed. Ever since the extraordinary witch Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island centuries ago and was shunned by the eight “original” settlers, Blackburn witches have been doomed to carry out a brief whirlwind affair with a descendant of the Original Eight. The vengeful curse, however, had unintended side effects: it diluted the Blackburns’ supernatural powers. That’s perfectly all right with seventeen-year-old Nor Blackburn. All she wants is a quiet, unremarkable life—-her powers are blissfully unexceptional, her love life pretty much nonexistent. Nor hopes the curse has played itself out through enough generations that she’ll finally be spared the drama. But when a mysterious book comes out promising to cast any spell for the right price, Nor senses a dark storm headed straight for Anathema—-and straight for her.

I loved Leslye Walton’s glorious debut, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, so I’ve been looking forward to The Price Guide to the Occult for the last year. While I didn’t think it was quite as magical, I think it’s a solid sophomore book.

What I loved about the previous book was the author’s exquisite and lush style of writing and storytelling and that’s definitely on display here. The protagonist, Nor, is someone many readers will relate to with her mix of vulnerability and steely determination. A word of warning, though it’s handled with care and sensitivity, self-harm is part of her story, so this could be a trigger for some. It’s an understandable outcome to a trauma in her past, and it’s written very realistically.

Some of the secondary characters aren’t quite as well-rounded. I loved Nor’s gruff yet loving grandmother, and her quirky best friend Savvy. The others, though, I just got to know enough, to want more, especially Nor’s sweet love interest.

The setting of the rainy Pacific Northwest is the perfect backdrop in terms of atmosphere, and the mythology behind Nor’s family as well as the plot is well written, albeit a little slow at times. To be honest, I wasn’t thrilled with the ending and found it a little vague, but after reading the epilogue, I’m hopeful there may be a sequel.

Despite a few issues, I thoroughly enjoyed The Price Guide to the Occult and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a second book.

 

Emma In the Night by Wendy Walker ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Dysfunctional Families, Mystery, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn’t add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister’s return might just be the beginning of the crime.

We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe. Maybe there’s no difference between wanting and needing. I don’t know. What I do know is that the truth can evade us, hiding behind our blind spots, our preconceptions, our hungry heart that long for quite. Still, it is always there if we open our eyes and try to see it. If we really try to see.

I knew as soon as I read these chilling opening lines, that I was going to enjoy Emma In the Night, and I wasn’t disappointed. I was completely mesmerized from beginning to end.

The book alternates between Cass and Dr. Abby Winters, the forensic psychiatrist who was originally assigned to the sisters case when they first disappeared three years previously. Starting with the return of Cass, the story brings the reader back to the girls’ childhood and what their lives were like growing up with their mother who has narcissistic personality disorder. From there, what happens slowly comes together, much like a puzzle. From the onset, Cass is an unreliable yet hypnotic narrator which adds to the mystery because you’re constantly wondering if she’s telling the truth. I was so sucked into Cass’s cringe-worthy story that when Abby’s chapters came, they were a little jarring, although necessary to the plot. 

The story itself is full of many twists and turns. There were quite a few times that I thought I’d figured everything out, only to be proven wrong. The only reason why I’m not giving this 5 stars is because I did think the story dragged just a bit at times, especially in the middle. But overall, I really enjoyed Emma In the Night and I highly recommend it to fans of psychological suspense and mysteries filled with sketchy characters.

 

 

 

 

Don’t Close Your Eyes, by Holly Seddon ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Agoraphobia, Alcohol Abuse, Child Abuse, Dysfunctional Families, LGBT, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 4th, 2017

336 Pages

Synopsis: Twin sisters Robin and Sarah haven’t spoken in years.

Robin can’t leave her house. A complete shut-in, she spends her days spying on her neighbors, subtly meddling in their lives. But she can’t keep her demons out forever. Someone from her past has returned, and is desperate to get inside.

Sarah can’t go home. Her husband has kicked her out, forcibly denying her access to their toddler. Sarah will do anything to get their daughter back, but she’s unraveling under the mounting pressure of concealing the secrets of her past. And her lies are catching up to her.

The novel takes readers back in time to witness the complex family dynamics that formed Robin and Sarah into the emotionally damaged young women they’ve become. As the gripping and intricate layers of their shared past are slowly peeled away, the shocks and twists will keep readers breathless long after the final page.

Don’t Close Your Eyes is a slow burning suspense story, which takes a look at two dysfunctional families who start out as friends, but are torn apart by secrets and lies. It’s told in the alternating POVs of Robin and Sarah, and also flashes back and forth from the 1990s and the present day. Just as she did in her debut novel Try Not To Breathe, Holly Seddon is not afraid to tackle the more sinister aspects of family life. The beginning of the story is seemingly innocuous, but it’s not long before the first cracks appear, which ultimately send each character on their own self-destructive journey. Seddon is brutally honest regarding her flawed characters and they come off as being very realistic, if not completely likable. The pacing of the book stays steady until the last quarter, when everything I thought I understood was turned on its head, literally leaving me gasping in disbelief. The shocking ending tied everything up wonderfully which left me completely satisfied. I highly recommend Don’t Close Your Eyes to readers who enjoy a dark story exploring complex family relationships. 

 

Lockdown, by Laurie R. King ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Diversity, Dysfunctional Families, Gang Violence, Mystery, School Shootings, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

336 Pages

Synopsis: Career Day at Guadalupe Middle School: a day given to innocent hopes and youthful dreams. A day no one in attendance will ever forget.

A year ago, Principal Linda McDonald arrived at Guadalupe determined to overturn the school’s reputation for truancy, gang violence, and neglect. One of her initiatives is Career Day–bringing together children, teachers, and community presenters in a celebration of the future. But there are some in attendance who reject McDonald’s bright vision. 

A principal with a secret. A husband with a murky past. A cop with too many questions. A kid under pressure to prove himself. A girl struggling to escape a mother’s history. A young basketball player with an affection for guns.

Even the school janitor has a story he dare not reveal.

But no one at the gathering anticipates the shocking turn of events that will transform a day of possibilities into an explosive confrontation.

Laurie R. King is best known for her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, of which I’m a devoted fan. She’s also written the contemporary mystery Kate Martinelli series, which I haven’t tried yet, but after reading Lockdown, I definitely will be. I thought going into this, that it would be a thriller about a school shooting, and I was eagerly anticipating how the author would handle this topic. While it started off a little slow and a bit chaotic, in the end I was completely captivated by the character-driven story. It took me a little while though to get used to the way the story unfolds. It’s told from several different viewpoints including: the Principal’s, her husband, a police officer, and a few students. It also jumps between different time periods and adds in the mysterious disappearance of a young student, and because of these things I felt as though I was getting whiplash at first. But the characters are so well written, that within the first fifty pages I settled in and couldn’t tear myself away. Their lives and backstories are integral to what unfolds on Career Day, and they add to the slow- building suspense. Because each of them has something going on that could result in the violent act that happens at this small California town’s middle school, I really had no idea who the shooter was going to be. When the story arrives at its climax, what happens makes sense and leads to a satisfying conclusion. Overall I found Lockdown to be a creative standalone from Laurie R. King that solidifies her respected reputation. I highly recommend it to fans of hers, as well as readers who enjoy a good character-driven mystery.

The Dead Inside ~ By Cyndy Drew Etler

Tags

Child Abuse, Memoirs, Sexual Abuse, Straight Inc., Substance Abuse, Tough Love Programs, YA Non-Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

288 Pages

Synopsis: For readers of Girl Interrupted and Tweak, Cyndy Etler’s gripping memoir gives readers a glimpse into the harrowing reality of her sixteen months in the notorious “tough love” program the ACLU called “a concentration camp for throwaway kids.”

I never was a badass. Or a slut, a junkie, a stoner, like they told me I was. I was just a kid looking for something good, something that felt like love. I was a wannabe in a Levi’s jean jacket. Anybody could see that. Except my mother. And the professionals at Straight.

From the outside, Straight Inc. was a drug rehab. But on the inside it was…well, it was something else.

All Cyndy wanted was to be loved and accepted/ By age fourteen, she had escaped from her violent home, only to be reported as a runaway and sent to a “drug rehabilitation” facility that changed her world.

To the public, Straight Inc. was a place of recovery. But behind closed doors, the program used bizarre and intimidating methods to “treat” its patients. In her raw and fearless memoir, Cyndy Etler recounts her sixteen months in the living nightmare that Straight Inc. considered “healing.”

I’ve decided not to rate this book because honestly, how do you give a rating to such a dark and personal memoir? It’s also not a story that I’d apply the word enjoyable to, but it’s compelling and inspirational, and I think it’s an important one that people should read. Even before Straight Inc. got their hands on her, Cynde Etler’s childhood was not a happy one. Molested by her stepfather, neglected and ignored by her mother, by the time she’s fourteen, Cyndy is experimenting with alcohol and pot, making questionable relationship choices, and constantly running away and sleeping over at friends’ houses. After being placed in a nice foster care home for a brief time, she’s told by her family that she’s being sent to this wonderful boarding school, but instead is delivered into the hands of one of the most bizarre and abusive “tough love” programs that I’ve ever heard of. Cyndy relates what happened in the voice of the young teen she was, which gives the story even more of a raw, emotional narrative. The fact that she was trapped in this nightmare of abuse and brainwashing for over a year, is heartbreaking. I found myself having to take breaks from reading this because there were so many difficult moments. Yet at the same time I just had to keep reading because I wanted to–no needed to, know she persevered. My only criticism is that at the end of the book Cyndy winds up returning to her old high school, but it cuts off rather abruptly and I was left wanting more. However, the sequel, We Can’t Be Friends, is coming out in October so perhaps this is why. In the end while The Dead Inside is a tough read, it’s one I highly recommend for older teens and adults. While Straight Inc. was finally forced to shut its doors in 1993 after being supported by both the Reagan and Bush administrations, and was even visited by Princess Diana, there are still some programs in the troubled teen industry that use similar abusive practices. The only way to to affect permanent and positive change is through education and listening to courageous survivors like Cyndy Etler.

Blood Family ~ By Anne Fine – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Child Abuse, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Family Relationships, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 21st, 2017

304 Pages

Synopsis: Edward is four years old when he is locked away with his mother by her abusive, alcoholic partner, Harris. By the time an elderly neighbor spots his pale face through a crack in the boarded-up window and raises the alarm, he is seven.

Rescue comes, but lasting damage has been done. Sent to live with a kind foster family, and then adopted, Edward struggles to adapt to normal life. Even as a smart and curious teenager it’s still clear to his new family and schoolmates there’s something odd about him. 

Then in a science museum, Edward sees an image that shocks him to the core and robs him of his hard won sense of safety. Can anyone’s past truly be left behind? And could it be that, deep down, another Harris is waiting to break out?

I’m going to start by saying that Blood Family isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s an issue laden story that can be tough reading, especially as it focuses on a young boy who has been so badly traumatized. It is a heartbreaking and realistic look at Eddie from the age of seven to fifteen and how he copes with what happened to him. The story is made even more interesting as it’s not only told by Eddie, but by the people who become part of his life, from the authorities who rescue him and his mother Lucy, to his foster parents, and adoptive parents, and the psychologists who treat him. Seeing Eddie through their eyes gives the reader a better sense  of his development. It’s Eddie’s chapters though that are particularly gut-wrenching and hard to read at times. I’m going to be honest and admit that I wound up forming a close connection with him in part due to my own childhood experiences. But, I also think that any reader won’t be able to become emotionally invested in him. Eddie struggles to overcome so much and while he loses his way at times the end leaves you with hope that he has overcome what was done to him during his early childhood. The story also raises the question of nature vs nurture in an interesting and thought-provoking way When Blood Family first was published in 2014 in England, it was short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, and after reading this, I can certainly understand why. My one problem is while it falls under the YA category, how young is too young as far as who to recommend this for? While the style of writing is fine for middle-grade students, because of the subject matter, I don’t think I’d recommend this to anyone under the age of fourteen. Otherwise, this is a poignant and realistic exploration at domestic abuse and its aftermath, that I think would lend itself well to individual readers as well as teen book discussion groups. 

The Devil Crept In ~ By Ania Ahlborn – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Horror, Relationships

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 7th, 2016

384 Pages

Synopsis: Young Jude Brighton has been missing for three days, and while the search for him is in full swing in the small town of Deer Valley, Oregon, the locals are starting to lose hope. They’re well aware that the first forty-eight hours are critical and after that, the odds usually point to a worst-case scenario. And despite Stevie Clark’s youth, he knows that, too; he’s seen the cop shows. He knows what each ticking moment may mean for Jude, his cousin and best friend.

That, and there was that boy, Max Larson…the one from years ago, found dead after also disappearing under mysterious circumstances. And then there were the animals: pets gone missing out of yards. For years, the residents of Deer Valley have murmured about these unsolved crimes…and that a killer may still be lurking around their quiet town. Now fear is reborn–and for Stevie, who is determined to find out what really happened to Jude, the awful truth might be too horrifying to imagine.

I loved Ania Ahlborn’s previous book, Brother, and while I had a few issues with The Devil Crept In, it’s clear that she is an excellent storyteller along the same lines of horror writers like Stephen King. The book is divided into three sections with part one focusing on ten-year-old Stevie Clark’s determination to find his cousin and best friend, Jude. While I’m all for slow-building horror and suspense, I found myself getting a bit impatient with the pacing in the beginning. I felt as though Ahlborn spent a little too much time on the set-up. The second part takes you back in time, detailing a creepy house in the woods and the backstory of Rosie, the woman who lives there. The third part brings both storylines together.  I never once felt disconnected and Ahlborn does a brilliant job at fitting all the pieces together. My biggest issue was that with the exception of a few, the majority of adults in this story are completely one-dimensional and do not come across in a positive light. You’ve got the abusive step-father stereotype, the abused mother who can’t/won’t protect her children, and the judgmental, holier-than-thou townsfolk. There are two characters that don’t fall into these stereotypes. One is Stevie’s teacher, but sadly she only makes a brief appearance. The other is an elderly shop keeper who tries to help Stevie, but he’s maddeningly slow at giving him much needed information. And of course there’s Rosie, who I found utterly exasperating at times, yet still emphasized with the horror her life had become. Ania Ahlborn is also an absolute genius at creating subtle and menacing atmospheres and creepy goosebump-raising storylines. I was completely sucked into the small town of Deer Creek and its hidden horrors and I felt as though I were actually in the story. But the absolute best part of the book is ten-year-old Stevie, whose courage and innocence is what drives the story and his attributes are in direct contrast to the disturbing nature of the narrative and the rest of the characters. His resilience is remarkable given that he’s surrounded by adults, who at best don’t believe the things he insists he’s witnessed, and at worst are verbally and physically abusive. Making things worse is that Stevie suffers from an unnamed disorder(s), which further adds to the suspicion and doubt that people view him with. Yet despite all this, this small child never gives up and I absolutely loved him. The ending is complicated, and there’s some questions I had that weren’t answered, yet for the most part it’s in keeping with the rest of the story. Despite its flaws, I found The Devil Crept In to be a disturbing and emotional read, and one which I have no problem recommending. It’s a solid blend of horror, mystery and suspense and it’s left me excited for Ania Ahlborn’s next venture.