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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1) in Books
Oct 28, 2019
Another spooky story for October! On first glance, this one is very similar to Rin Chupeco's The Girl From The Well, but the plot is actually quite different. It's still human boy, murderous ghost girl, but here the girl is bound to her house and forced to murder whoever comes inside. Unraveling the WHY is a major part of the plot.
I'd say this one is actually less creepy than The Girl From The Well, though one of the evil things Cas encounters is VERY creepy. Both of these were just about the right amount of spooky for me. I'm actually REALLY disappointed that the sequel is proving very difficult to get my hands on! I had to request it through Marina, my statewide lending program, so I'm not sure when it will arrive. But I NEEEEEEED to know what happens to Cas and Anna after this book ends!
I think I liked the relationship between boy and ghost better in Girl From The Well; you could clearly see the draw for the ghost, and the connection between them. Not so much here; Cas is trying to kill Anna, but then they become fascinated with each other for...some reason? Anna isn't compelled to kill Cas, and that's never explained, and seems to be her main source of fascination with the boy.
Another major difference is that while Tark in Girl From The Well is rather isolationist and creeps out his peers, Cas seems to attract his peers, and quickly finds friends wherever he goes. He's typically used them as contacts in the past, not really valuing them as friends, but that changes with the events of this book, as he actually comes to know a couple of the kids at his new school and value their friendship. He even puts up with their jokes about being Ghostbusters and who would be which character, which is kind of hilarious.
Both stories are great; I'd say this one is slightly more light-hearted than Girl From The Well, but only slightly. There's still lots of creepy ghosts, life-or-death situations, gory deaths of side characters, and curses. It's another great spooky October book for scaredy-cats like me!
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
I'd say this one is actually less creepy than The Girl From The Well, though one of the evil things Cas encounters is VERY creepy. Both of these were just about the right amount of spooky for me. I'm actually REALLY disappointed that the sequel is proving very difficult to get my hands on! I had to request it through Marina, my statewide lending program, so I'm not sure when it will arrive. But I NEEEEEEED to know what happens to Cas and Anna after this book ends!
I think I liked the relationship between boy and ghost better in Girl From The Well; you could clearly see the draw for the ghost, and the connection between them. Not so much here; Cas is trying to kill Anna, but then they become fascinated with each other for...some reason? Anna isn't compelled to kill Cas, and that's never explained, and seems to be her main source of fascination with the boy.
Another major difference is that while Tark in Girl From The Well is rather isolationist and creeps out his peers, Cas seems to attract his peers, and quickly finds friends wherever he goes. He's typically used them as contacts in the past, not really valuing them as friends, but that changes with the events of this book, as he actually comes to know a couple of the kids at his new school and value their friendship. He even puts up with their jokes about being Ghostbusters and who would be which character, which is kind of hilarious.
Both stories are great; I'd say this one is slightly more light-hearted than Girl From The Well, but only slightly. There's still lots of creepy ghosts, life-or-death situations, gory deaths of side characters, and curses. It's another great spooky October book for scaredy-cats like me!
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Becs (244 KP) rated The Third Act in Books
Sep 3, 2018
The history aspect. (2 more)
The storyline.
The characters and their stories.
Great young adult history read!
I received The Third Act by John Wilson as a read and review copy from Libray Thing Early Reviewers program for my full honest review.
I honestly loved reading this. It was fun, thrilling, and even fast-paced, the majority of the time. Would I change anything? Not at all. It was beautifully written for the history aspect of it and held my attention. Which is very surprising because I can never have my attention grabbed by history related books.
The cover of this little novel is really cool. I like how they have a faded ‘ghost of the past’ on the cover. I actually didn’t realize that it was there until I was about halfway through with the book. The plotline was one that I wasn’t sure I was going to like at first. But as I kept reading, the history of the Nanjing Massacre and the switching from the past to the present, drew my attention in like a mouse to cake crumbs. The characters weren’t as developed, but it worked for this storyline.
I honestly loved reading this. It was fun, thrilling, and even fast-paced, the majority of the time. Would I change anything? Not at all. It was beautifully written for the history aspect of it and held my attention. Which is very surprising because I can never have my attention grabbed by history related books.
The cover of this little novel is really cool. I like how they have a faded ‘ghost of the past’ on the cover. I actually didn’t realize that it was there until I was about halfway through with the book. The plotline was one that I wasn’t sure I was going to like at first. But as I kept reading, the history of the Nanjing Massacre and the switching from the past to the present, drew my attention in like a mouse to cake crumbs. The characters weren’t as developed, but it worked for this storyline.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Answers Are In The Forest (The Answers Series Book One) in Books
May 6, 2019
An Interesting Mystery Horror
I'm a big fan of ghost stories and haunted houses, so when I heard about The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski, I knew it was a book I had to read. Luckily, it was a good read.
I went into The Answers Are In The Forest thinking this would be more of a haunted house/ghost story, and while there are ghosts, it's not a spooky ghost story. This is more of a horror mystery than a ghost story. Local children ranging in age from 8 through 15 have been murdered. They use dead rabbits as vessels for their spirits to talk to Gabby, the main character. Gabby feels compelled to solve the mystery of who the killer is. However, this puts Gabby in grave danger. I will say that the plot has been done before in other books, but The Answers Are In The Forest still makes for an interesting read. I didn't predict who the actual killer was at all. Even those I thought were guilty turned out to be innocent. Sometimes the plot felt a bit confusing, but I was able to figure it out easily enough after reading a bit more. There is a bit of a cliff hangar at the end of the book, but this is to be expected as it's part of a new series. For those that aren't big into series, I think this book could do alright as a standalone.
All the characters felt like real life people. There were times when Gabby felt a bit spoiled, but she is a teen, and we've all had moments like that. I did admire her tenacity to find out what happened to the murdered children no matter the danger to herself. I found Gabby's mom to be annoying. This wasn't because she was written poorly, but I just didn't like how uninterested she was in what was going on with Gabby especially when Gabby ended up in the hospital. Gabby's mom started out being somewhat caring, but she seemed to just become uninterested as the book progressed. My favorite character was Rusck. I just loved how caring and loyal Rusck seemed to be. I also admired his determination.
The pacing for The Answers Are In The Forest was done well for the most part. There were a few times that it did go too quickly, and I found myself wondering what had just happened. However, it would slow down to a good pace quickly enough, and I was able to enjoy reading it again.
Trigger warnings include profanity, violence (sometimes fairly graphic), and murder (both children, adult, and animal).
Overall, The Answers Are In The Forest is an interesting read although the plot has been done before. The characters are interesting enough and the plot flows well for the most part. I would recommend The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski to those aged 15+. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series!
--
(A special thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski in exchance for an honest and unbiased review.)
I went into The Answers Are In The Forest thinking this would be more of a haunted house/ghost story, and while there are ghosts, it's not a spooky ghost story. This is more of a horror mystery than a ghost story. Local children ranging in age from 8 through 15 have been murdered. They use dead rabbits as vessels for their spirits to talk to Gabby, the main character. Gabby feels compelled to solve the mystery of who the killer is. However, this puts Gabby in grave danger. I will say that the plot has been done before in other books, but The Answers Are In The Forest still makes for an interesting read. I didn't predict who the actual killer was at all. Even those I thought were guilty turned out to be innocent. Sometimes the plot felt a bit confusing, but I was able to figure it out easily enough after reading a bit more. There is a bit of a cliff hangar at the end of the book, but this is to be expected as it's part of a new series. For those that aren't big into series, I think this book could do alright as a standalone.
All the characters felt like real life people. There were times when Gabby felt a bit spoiled, but she is a teen, and we've all had moments like that. I did admire her tenacity to find out what happened to the murdered children no matter the danger to herself. I found Gabby's mom to be annoying. This wasn't because she was written poorly, but I just didn't like how uninterested she was in what was going on with Gabby especially when Gabby ended up in the hospital. Gabby's mom started out being somewhat caring, but she seemed to just become uninterested as the book progressed. My favorite character was Rusck. I just loved how caring and loyal Rusck seemed to be. I also admired his determination.
The pacing for The Answers Are In The Forest was done well for the most part. There were a few times that it did go too quickly, and I found myself wondering what had just happened. However, it would slow down to a good pace quickly enough, and I was able to enjoy reading it again.
Trigger warnings include profanity, violence (sometimes fairly graphic), and murder (both children, adult, and animal).
Overall, The Answers Are In The Forest is an interesting read although the plot has been done before. The characters are interesting enough and the plot flows well for the most part. I would recommend The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski to those aged 15+. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series!
--
(A special thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for providing me with an eBook of The Answers Are In The Forest by Katie Kaleski in exchance for an honest and unbiased review.)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Ghost Stories (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Arch skeptic Professor Phillip Goodman embarks upon a terror-filled quest when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable 'hauntings'.
Well... when it says the brain sees what it wants to see that really is true. My brain saw a film with some potential in it, but ultimately for me, disappointing.
Like A Quiet Place I hadn't been convinced I wanted to see it. But out of the two this one had looked less worrying from the trailers, and I like supernatural things so I double billed again to see this one.
The audience was about 50/50... those who were screaming and those that were laughing. I was surprisingly in the latter category. There were several amusing bits, and I particularly enjoyed the Sooty and Sweep moment and the car scene, Alex Lawther got some very good parts.
I'm left wondering why film makers like to use pieces designed to make people physically jump. There were plenty of things in the film that would have a more chilling effect, but Ghost Stories seemed littered with a lot of the jumpy moments, most of which were obvious in their appearances.
I might have been able to let that go if it hadn't been for one thing... the ending. I don't think I've been that annoyed with an ending since Lost. Even the cheesiness of A Quiet Place's ending was forgotten. Some many things in the film were right there to be explored in more depth but were ignored for what I was hoping to be a startling ending to make up for incomplete stories... there was no satisfying ending here for me. A twisted set of tales that were cut short. In an effort to add more suspense and expectation? Who knows.
Well... when it says the brain sees what it wants to see that really is true. My brain saw a film with some potential in it, but ultimately for me, disappointing.
Like A Quiet Place I hadn't been convinced I wanted to see it. But out of the two this one had looked less worrying from the trailers, and I like supernatural things so I double billed again to see this one.
The audience was about 50/50... those who were screaming and those that were laughing. I was surprisingly in the latter category. There were several amusing bits, and I particularly enjoyed the Sooty and Sweep moment and the car scene, Alex Lawther got some very good parts.
I'm left wondering why film makers like to use pieces designed to make people physically jump. There were plenty of things in the film that would have a more chilling effect, but Ghost Stories seemed littered with a lot of the jumpy moments, most of which were obvious in their appearances.
I might have been able to let that go if it hadn't been for one thing... the ending. I don't think I've been that annoyed with an ending since Lost. Even the cheesiness of A Quiet Place's ending was forgotten. Some many things in the film were right there to be explored in more depth but were ignored for what I was hoping to be a startling ending to make up for incomplete stories... there was no satisfying ending here for me. A twisted set of tales that were cut short. In an effort to add more suspense and expectation? Who knows.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires, #1) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I found this book to be a nice change from the typical high school setting that so many Young Adult books take place in - with good reason, of course. So what if she's still only 16, she's in college! Unfortunately, she still has not outgrown the evil female clique syndrome that plague so many stories. Some elements of the story remind me of my own days in university, but the book takes them all to the extreme. On a side note, it's a good thing she's so dang smart, because from my experience, skipping classes like she does throughout the text should, in reality, result in failing grades. I guess that's the beauty of fantasy literature - you can skip all the drudgery and go straight for the exciting bits of life.
The part I did not really understand - and I am still waiting for an explanation after finishing the book - is how the psychotic Monica seems to get away with more than the resident vampires do. I mean, if the vamps both built and run the town of Morganville, it makes more sense that they would want to appear more nefarious than the lowly humans.
I also found it strangely refreshing that the vampires were wholely and completely the bad guys - no human-vampire romantic happenings, and no, Miranda the vision-plagued goth and her undead boyfriend Charles do not count. But I did find the head vampire Amelie very intriguing, since she seems less interested in bloody deaths and widespread property damage and more interested in maintaining power and protecting her assets, a trait that no other vampire in the novel seemed to exhibit.
I can not wait to get my hands on the next novel in the series, The Dead Girls' Dance, since Michael's state of ghost / not-ghost / Glass House incarnate has not been resolved enough for me at all!
The part I did not really understand - and I am still waiting for an explanation after finishing the book - is how the psychotic Monica seems to get away with more than the resident vampires do. I mean, if the vamps both built and run the town of Morganville, it makes more sense that they would want to appear more nefarious than the lowly humans.
I also found it strangely refreshing that the vampires were wholely and completely the bad guys - no human-vampire romantic happenings, and no, Miranda the vision-plagued goth and her undead boyfriend Charles do not count. But I did find the head vampire Amelie very intriguing, since she seems less interested in bloody deaths and widespread property damage and more interested in maintaining power and protecting her assets, a trait that no other vampire in the novel seemed to exhibit.
I can not wait to get my hands on the next novel in the series, The Dead Girls' Dance, since Michael's state of ghost / not-ghost / Glass House incarnate has not been resolved enough for me at all!
Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated The Ghost Camper's Tall Tales (Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic #3) in Books
Aug 12, 2021
I am so excited to go back to Destiny Falls.
Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic tells the story of Hayden, a young woman who has been transported to a magical dimension to find that she has a family she never knew and a destiny she never dreamed of. While ostensibly these are cozy mysteries, the true story is Hayden’s missing mother. She left Hayden with her grandmothers not long after she was born, but as we have learned through the books of this series, that is not entirely accurate.
Here in book 3, The Ghost Camper’s Tall Tales, Hayden along with her siblings investigate information that could finally lead her to her mom. Though, it comes with the admonition not to trust anyone.
While Hayden and feline bestie Latifa investigate a new death on the island while trying to find out more about the mysterious letter from Emily, a ghost with a penchant for storytelling brings Hayden to his world. She must decide whether his stories are for fun or more historical in nature, and what do they have to do with her investigations.
As I said, it is so great to be back. The great recurring characters of Hayden’s family, the local townspeople, and of course the wonderful animals of Destiny Falls, which in itself is a magical wonderful place, pick the story up right where the last book left, without a moment’s pause in the action. Romance takes a step up and Latifa and her extended cat family prove why cats will someday rule the world. We finally get to learn secrets, but then there are always more questions than answers, so of course I can’t wait for the next installment.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Here in book 3, The Ghost Camper’s Tall Tales, Hayden along with her siblings investigate information that could finally lead her to her mom. Though, it comes with the admonition not to trust anyone.
While Hayden and feline bestie Latifa investigate a new death on the island while trying to find out more about the mysterious letter from Emily, a ghost with a penchant for storytelling brings Hayden to his world. She must decide whether his stories are for fun or more historical in nature, and what do they have to do with her investigations.
As I said, it is so great to be back. The great recurring characters of Hayden’s family, the local townspeople, and of course the wonderful animals of Destiny Falls, which in itself is a magical wonderful place, pick the story up right where the last book left, without a moment’s pause in the action. Romance takes a step up and Latifa and her extended cat family prove why cats will someday rule the world. We finally get to learn secrets, but then there are always more questions than answers, so of course I can’t wait for the next installment.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
David McK (3245 KP) rated Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) in Movies
Nov 27, 2020 (Updated Nov 27, 2020)
"Captain Jack Sparrow. You are, without a doubt, the worst Pirate I have ever heard of" / "Ah, but you have heard of me ..."
The first Pirates of the Caribbean film (based on a Disney theme ride!), this is far less bloated and self referential than any of the later sequels, with Johnny Depp's portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow a breath of fresh air (at the time) in a genre that had become increasingly stale: indeed, I can't even remember there being any other pirate films in my lifetime other than 1995s Cutthroat Island.
The plot, here, makes much use of the superstition and folklore of the Caribbean - "You better start believing in Ghost stories again, Miss: you're in one!" (to paraphrase a certain other character - with the crew of the Black Pearl all cursed to an everlasting life by an ancient Aztec curse unless they can restore all the stolen coins.
And this is where Will Turner comes in, as the son of 'Bootstrap' Bill, a colleague of Captain Jack Sparrows before his crew mutinied, stole the treasure, and were cursed. When the governors daughter Elizabet Swann is kidnapped, Turner sets off to rescue here in the company of Sparrow and a crew of n'er do wells, in a very entertaining slice of Pirate action!
The plot, here, makes much use of the superstition and folklore of the Caribbean - "You better start believing in Ghost stories again, Miss: you're in one!" (to paraphrase a certain other character - with the crew of the Black Pearl all cursed to an everlasting life by an ancient Aztec curse unless they can restore all the stolen coins.
And this is where Will Turner comes in, as the son of 'Bootstrap' Bill, a colleague of Captain Jack Sparrows before his crew mutinied, stole the treasure, and were cursed. When the governors daughter Elizabet Swann is kidnapped, Turner sets off to rescue here in the company of Sparrow and a crew of n'er do wells, in a very entertaining slice of Pirate action!
Merissa (11805 KP) rated He Sees You When You're Sleeping in Books
Dec 10, 2020 (Updated Aug 8, 2023)
HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU'RE SLEEPING is a short, standalone, seasonal novel that is DARK! Kris is not all jolly and ho, ho, ho, but more menacing and deadly. He helps Jack as a child and sees him as time moves on. Jack grows up and still tries to do the right thing, although for him, life is also dangerous. Kris 'tries' to do the right thing, but will he learn his lesson in time?
What a brilliant short-story! I loved the lights and the Ghost of Christmas Future. Although short, this is powerful and reflects upon how life can be if circumstances are against you. It has the feel of a psychological thriller to it, and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep your attention.
This was a fantastic seasonal read, so different from the warm and fuzzy stories you normally get. I thought the ending was unexpected and perfect, and so I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this amazing story.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 10, 2020
What a brilliant short-story! I loved the lights and the Ghost of Christmas Future. Although short, this is powerful and reflects upon how life can be if circumstances are against you. It has the feel of a psychological thriller to it, and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep your attention.
This was a fantastic seasonal read, so different from the warm and fuzzy stories you normally get. I thought the ending was unexpected and perfect, and so I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this amazing story.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 10, 2020
CloudsGirl27 (2 KP) rated Severed Threads (Threads #1) in Books
May 23, 2018
First off, I don't want to admit that I judge a book by it's cover... but I do. This cover looked intriguing to me so that is why I chose to review it.
I read the first chapter and wasn't too sold on what was going on. But I continued on, to really give it a fair chance. The more I got farther into the book, the more complex the story line became, and it was just too confusing to follow. Between scuba diving (in which the author explained in great detail, which was a plus), a past love affair, a kidnapping by people who seem to be mobsters, buried treasure from long ago and ghost stories, I think it's just too much for a reader to process. I felt like there wasn't even a chance to connect with the main characters (Chase and Rachel) because the story was taking me this way and that way and all over the place. Some parts of the book were well written, just not the entire book as a whole.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic book from a website (in which I was told not to post the name of). I was not required to write a positive review, only an honest one. The opinions I have expressed here are my own.
I read the first chapter and wasn't too sold on what was going on. But I continued on, to really give it a fair chance. The more I got farther into the book, the more complex the story line became, and it was just too confusing to follow. Between scuba diving (in which the author explained in great detail, which was a plus), a past love affair, a kidnapping by people who seem to be mobsters, buried treasure from long ago and ghost stories, I think it's just too much for a reader to process. I felt like there wasn't even a chance to connect with the main characters (Chase and Rachel) because the story was taking me this way and that way and all over the place. Some parts of the book were well written, just not the entire book as a whole.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic book from a website (in which I was told not to post the name of). I was not required to write a positive review, only an honest one. The opinions I have expressed here are my own.
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Every House is Haunted in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Standouts:
Cabin D - Intriguing beginning gave way to fascinating ending.
The Nanny - This just made for a neat ghost story.
The Cat - I could use a cat like this, but I don't know if I'd survive.
Charlotte's Frequency - Creepy and weird. Me likey. After reading, I wondered who'd win in a Cat vs. Charlotte battle. <spoiler>I vote for draw, or else they team up and annihilate humanity. That's probably more likely.</spoiler>
The Tattletail - Kinda cute, actually.
Inheritor - I kinda saw where this was headed but it still made for a darned good yarn.
The Candle - Appropriately creepy and a good book ender although I'm not exactly sure what the heck happened.
Ho-hum
Autumnology - I get it, but I think I'd get it more when I'm an old geezer. Physically, not just in mind.
The Dark and the Young - This was just too long and explained things too much but with little point.
Woods - I liked the thought behind this but the ending just didn't do anything for me.
Relaxed Best - In a different anthology, I might have liked this better as I like noir, but I just didn't care for where it went.
Twillingate - Meh.
All the rest of the tales fell somewhere in between awesome and meh, but even in the Ho-hum category, I didn't actually hate any of the stories.
3.5 stars
Cabin D - Intriguing beginning gave way to fascinating ending.
The Nanny - This just made for a neat ghost story.
The Cat - I could use a cat like this, but I don't know if I'd survive.
Charlotte's Frequency - Creepy and weird. Me likey. After reading, I wondered who'd win in a Cat vs. Charlotte battle. <spoiler>I vote for draw, or else they team up and annihilate humanity. That's probably more likely.</spoiler>
The Tattletail - Kinda cute, actually.
Inheritor - I kinda saw where this was headed but it still made for a darned good yarn.
The Candle - Appropriately creepy and a good book ender although I'm not exactly sure what the heck happened.
Ho-hum
Autumnology - I get it, but I think I'd get it more when I'm an old geezer. Physically, not just in mind.
The Dark and the Young - This was just too long and explained things too much but with little point.
Woods - I liked the thought behind this but the ending just didn't do anything for me.
Relaxed Best - In a different anthology, I might have liked this better as I like noir, but I just didn't care for where it went.
Twillingate - Meh.
All the rest of the tales fell somewhere in between awesome and meh, but even in the Ho-hum category, I didn't actually hate any of the stories.
3.5 stars