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The Hiding Place / The Taking of Annie Thorne
The Hiding Place / The Taking of Annie Thorne
C.J. Tudor | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
9
8.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Excellent audio edition narrated by Richard Armitage available (0 more)
One book two names: The Hiding Place (US) The Taking of Annie Thorne (UK) - Very Odd (0 more)
Supernatural small town horror meets twisty thriller
I listened to this book on an audio edition narrated by Richard Armitage who did a superb job of bringing the protagonist Joe Thorne to life. There is much of the dialog in this book that is interspersed with Joe’s own contradictory thoughts but I found it all so well narrated it flowed very enjoyably. Based in a part of the world I’m very familiar with the accent and attitudes (well written) all fitted perfectly.

Returning to his childhood home; the former mining town of Arnhill has few attractive qualities; and some very upsetting memories for Joe. As we learn about Joe’s past; which is still very present in Arnhill we get a cross between a creepy mystery horror story and flat out crime thriller. Annie Thorne was Joe’s sister, she disappeared at age eight and reappeared 48 hours later but was somehow different….. When he receives a mysterious note suggesting that history is repeating itself in Arnhill he is drawn back.

It’s dark and twisty tale full of easily pictured characters. Joe himself is far from a reliable narrator and even his true motives are less than clear. The story is well written with some very high standard dialogue that really pulls you into the setting. I can imagine the supernatural nature may be a put off to those just out for a solid mystery thriller but I don’t think it’s too in your face creepy horror. In fact I could have gone for more delving into the history and supernatural origins side of things. The more standard mystery and thriller side of the book has some interesting twists and turns and I give the book a general bump for the high quality audio adaptation I experienced.
  
BK
Bone Key (Supernatural, #3)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
While I like the idea behind this, it just didn't come together very well. Part of the problem may have been that there were too many viewpoints from characters that usually had no other purpose than to die. A few of these would have been fine, but there was more than enough. The characterizations of Sam and Dean were on maybe half the time -- maybe -- though I'd venture closer to forty percent. Bobby fared better after a somewhat strange beginning. Some of the dialogue was so badly worded I couldn't imagine either of them saying what they did, or using such poor grammar in one sentence, even Dean. Now we get to the word 'gonna.' Would it kill anyone -- <i>anyone!</i> -- to say 'going to' every once in a while? Or is there some kind of curse that will give them continuous diarrhea for a year if they do? That really started setting my teeth on edge after a while. There was one passage from Dean that was particularly painful and I wish I had kept the page number so I could have typed the passage out for posterity. I can't say the book was horrible, but it wasn't good either and it's definitely the worst out of the first three <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/42135-supernatural">Supernatural</a>; books.
  
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Shane Crick (5 KP) rated Haven, Kansas in Books

Dec 10, 2018  
HK
Haven, Kansas
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A charismatic teenager, Lora Is a firm believer of the supernatural, and enjoys dabbling In witchcraft with her best friend Erin. When an unfortunate Incident occurs and a secret room Is discovered, Lora's world Is put Into a tailspin. Along with her pesky young brother Connor, their older Brother Luke, her boyfriend Ryan and her friend Spencer, they find themselves engulfed within a Haven mystery. A mysterious book holds the answers they need to stop the plight of an evil spirit, but something keeps hampering them from solving the clues. Enlisting the help of their parents, all parties work vigilantly to help stop this vengeful spirit before anymore deaths occur. The fate of Haven, Kansas lye within their hands.

Although geared toward a Young Adult crowd, many older adults will also enjoy this book. More so, If your a fan of horror and/or the supernatural. I found myself really enjoying this book as each chapter progressed and found It hard to put down at times. The storyline keeps you enthralled with wanting to know what will happen and It even has some surprise moments that you won't be expecting. This adds more depth to the story and pulls you In like a magnet wanting to know what the outcome will be. Grab a copy for yourself and find out what Haven, Kansas has In store.
  
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Shane Crick (5 KP) rated The Presence in Books

Dec 10, 2018  
TP
The Presence
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
You enter the life of Rosalind and events that occur within her personal life. She ends up landing the job of Branch Manager at a local library. This library Is rumored to be haunted and harbors some Interesting characters that Rosalind has to endure at her workplace. Finding herself suddenly homeless and armed with her furry friend Tofu, Rosalind finds herself engulfed In an supernatural adventure that will forever change her life and those around her.

I really wanted to like this book, but found myself dredging on and couldn't wait to finish. For me, I found It was quite slow at arriving upon any action that started to make the book more Interesting. I generally enjoy mystery, supernatural books, but this one was a tough cookie overall. I truly wished the Author added a bit more drama within the first chapters to keep It Interesting, Instead of slowly, Increasing to a dismal climax, to be drug back down the hill to reach another one. There are some good plots within the book that kept me reading and wanting to find out what the final outcome would be. However, predictable most times, I persevered on to the finish line.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book and In return, this Is my personal, unbiased review of this particular book.
  
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Jpb (34 KP) rated Malignant (2021) in Movies

Sep 12, 2021  
Malignant (2021)
Malignant (2021)
2021 | Crime, Drama, Horror
7
7.6 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
New, jumpy, nice fresh film (0 more)
To out there (0 more)
Not your typical Wan
Contains spoilers, click to show
So I went see this , And with it being James Wan I expected a serious supernatural horror so, I started watching it with a mind set it might be a supernatural or entity type movie like the conjuring but I couldn’t of been more wrong. Its different in a good way its on the verge of silly but by damn he made it work. The visuals, the camera angles, the music, the gore its all one fun head fu**ed up ride! The special effects are crazy cool looking and the movie even gives you a hint of nostalgia to all those original horror movies. This movie is an unexpected mind blow I enjoyed every plot twist and hidden joke because there is some comedy in the mix or perhaps its just my dark sense of humor lol. Over all a good movie to watch a refreshing plot line to be honest. James Wan is a master at what he does and once again he delivered.

I came out thinking if this was the late 80s I would of just watched elm street about a serial kill that kills u in your sleep , which was also silly fun and scary. If you want something that pushes the boundaries then this is for you.
  
DW
Doctor Who: Son of the Dragon
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Once I got over my surprise that this was not a story set in Asia and featured no dragons, I quite enjoyed myself. It feels like a long while since I heard a 5th Doctor pure historical, (not true, this being the era of Peri and Erimem, but still) and like Peri, I kept waiting for that supernatural element to appear. We are talking about Dracula, after all. But nope. Just a wonderful straightforward historical with some great performances. I tire a bit of the "let's throw Erimem to the lusty bad guy trope" but other than that, high marks. For more on this, visit www.travelingthevortex.com