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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Salt Water Wounds in Books

Aug 19, 2022 (Updated Aug 19, 2022)  
Salt Water Wounds
Salt Water Wounds
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Facing Wounds from the Past and Danger in the Present
It’s been two months since Hurricane Irma devastated the island of St. John, and in that time, Sabrina Salter and her friends have been trying to figure out how they are going to rebuild. Sabrina’s grandmother has some contacts back in the Boston area that will be able to help them get supplies, and she has asked Sabrina to join her so they can begin to search for Sabrina’s mother, who abandoned her as a toddler. Meanwhile, two explosions on St. John leave behind a dead body and danger for the friends Sabrina is leaving behind. Will they figure out what happened in the past and what is happening in the present?

If you are new to the series, know that this book will mean much more if you read it in order. We are seeing developments in several storylines we’ve followed since the beginning. While the two stories do start and end together, in many ways, we are seeing two parallel plots in this book. Both were compelling for different reasons, and I had a hard time putting the book down, reading the last third when I really intended to be doing something else. Elements of the climax are rushed, although that is a minor thing. Sabrina gets some wonderful character development here, and it’s great to see the rest of the cast again. This is a step away from the cozies I typically read, so keep that in mind before you pick up the book. If you are a fan, you’ll be happy with Sabrina’s latest adventure.
  
Mary Rose
Mary Rose
Geoffrey Girard | 2018 | Horror
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to think about this book when I first saw the synopsis, I couldn’t tell whether it was going to be a horror or something else. It turned out to be something else.

Going into this book I was impressed with the writing and the building of characters. Both elements really helped set the mysterious, brooding tone that this book portrays.

I began the book enjoying Simon’s character but eventually, like a lot of over-bearing husband characters, he got on my nerves. I understand the books whole thing was about protecting Mary Rose but the way he crawled around on all fours for her got really irritating. I understand this was done to add a layer to the story, however, I didn’t enjoy that aspect of it. I much prefer books that aren’t all loved up and mushy. I think my annoyance with the characters in this ruined a certain aspect of the book and made it less enjoyable for me overall.

I really liked the story for this one, however. A twenty year old mystery of how a young girl when missing on a mysterious and creepy Scottish island is definitely the sort of book I like. The tension and paranoia built throughout the story is superb and you’re really stuck wondering is Mary Rose dead? Is Mary Rose a portal to some sort of dark magic? Is the island really filled with paranormal things? It’s a great book that keeps you guessing all the way through.

This book does give all it secrets up at once, which normally isn’t my kind of mystery book, but it worked in this one. I know many people are disappointed by the ending but I thought it was equally shocking as it was poignant. Reading the afterthought bit about the original story of Mary Rose and Hitchcock’s ideas for a movie of it really helped me understand and appreciate how the novel ended.

I would recommend this novel for readers who have a slightly different taste in mysteries than me. If you like themes such as love and loss, then you will really get on with this one. I personally thought it was going to be more spooky and less emotional, but I still enjoyed the bulk of it.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley, Adaptive Books and Sunshine Sachs for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
  
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    ** Winner of Apple Design Award 2014 ** A surreal thriller in which the written word is your map,...

A Creepshow Animated Special (2020)
A Creepshow Animated Special (2020)
2020 | Animation, Horror, Thriller
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
This Halloween Special of the Creepshow Shudder series is a nice pitstop whilst we patiently wait for the second season of its main run.
It consists of two 20-ish minute shorts based on Survivor Type by Stephen King, and Twittering from the Circus of the Dead, by King's son Joe Hill.
The animation used is not much more than a motion comic, but it still manages to be quite striking, and gets the job done. I certainly managed to stay engaged in it.

The stories are exactly the type of material that one would come to expect from Creepshow. Short, sharp, to the point, usually with some sort of underlying message. Like Aesop's Fables but with more entrails.
Survivor Type was my favourite of the two, and focuses on one man's descent into madness when he's washed up on a desert island. Kiefer Sutherland lends his voice talents to this tale, and makes it sound like a proper campfire horror story. It's pretty grim in all honesty, but it's just the right kind of grim for a Halloween Special.

Twittering is the sillier of the two, focusing on a young girl Tweeting her experience of a family getaway. They end up at a circus which proves to be more deadly than originally thought. This one was a little more difficult to get on board with at the beginning. It starts off with a typical "social media is bad" kind of vibe, but when the horror starts, it flips nicely, and ends on an entertaining, and quite horrific note. It's all good stuff!

I've really taken to the Creepshow series, and although this special isn't quite up there with the same level of quality, it's still a fun 45 minute horror trip that's worth a visit.