Review - The Suffering by Rin Chupeco

The Suffering by Rin Chupeco
Published: September 2015 by Sourcebooks
Source: eARC
Rating: 3 Stars

"Over the last year I've gone against faceless women, disfigured spirits, and grotesque revenants. Some people keep dangerous hobbies; skydiving and driving at monster truck rallies and glacier surfing. Me? I cast my soul into the churning waters of potential damnation and wait for a bite."

It’s been two years since Tark Halloway’s nightmare ended. Free from the evil spirit that haunted him all his life, he now aids the ghostly Okiku and avenges the souls of innocent children by hunting down their murderers. But when Okiku becomes responsible for a death at his high school, Tark begins to wonder if they’re no better than the killers they seek out.

When an old friend disappears in Aokigahara, Japan’s infamous ‘suicide forest’, both must resolve their differences and return to that country of secrets to find her. Because there is a strange village inside Aokigahara, a village people claim does not exist. A village where strange things lie waiting. A village with old ghosts and an ancient evil – one that may be stronger than even Okiku…

In this sequel, the author takes us back into Tark's world, which is more than just different from the reality we know.

Tark and Okiku are now a team of well... ghost hunters. Tark is trying to get through high school while also trying to be Okiku's right hand man. Okiku still avenges the deaths of children. She has an unquenchable thirst to kill anyone who has harmed or killed children. Ever since Okiku helped exorcise Tark of his old ghost, Okiku has up residence where the old ghost once plagued Tark. For Tark, this is a blessing. He lived so long with evil and now Okiku is always near, but now Tark has to not only endure Okiku's bloodlust, but he has to help her. He learned the rituals from his aunt and can successfully push evil spirits into vessels that come in the form of dolls. This is a very dangerous matter to involve himself in, but Tark sees it as his duty to dispose of all the evil spirits he can.

After catching up on Tark and Okiku's new way of life, we learn that Tark's aunt agreed to take a ghost hunting reality TV show crew to the infamous Aokigahara, or what the local Japenese call the "suicide forest". The legend says anyone who goes in, never comes out. So, some people go there to simply die. Days pass and there is no sign of the TV show's crew or Tark's aunt. Armed with his own spirit-dispelling knowledge and Okiku's power, Tark flies to Japan to track down his aunt. Tark and Okiku get lost in the Aokigahara and of course... they find evil spirits everywhere. Then they stumble upon a village that has quiet the history. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say the village's inhabitants are creepy as hell. This book immersed me into a reality that I feel only the gifted could see and damn I'm glad I'm not gifted.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first book in the series, but also for anyone looking for a good horror story that isn't really gory and has just the right amount of creepiness.

Review - Harrowgate by Kate Murayama

Harrowgate by Kate Murayama 
Published: September 2013 by 47North
Source: Gift from Author
Rating: 4 Stars

Michael should be overjoyed by the birth of his son, but his wife, Sarah, won't let him touch the baby or allow anyone to visit. Greta, an intrusive, sinister doula has wormed her way into their lives, driving a wedge between Michael and his family. Every time he leaves the Harrowgate, he returns to find his beloved wife and baby altered. He feels his family slipping away, and as a malevolent force begins to creep in, Michael does what any new father would do?he fights to keep his family together. Kate Maruyama's debut novel, Harrowgate, is a chilling, richly detailed story of love, loss, and the haunted place that lies between.




Holy shit. This was one creepy book. There were several times I thought I had everything figured out, and I was wrong. And then it just gets creepier... 

Michael often travels for work. He gets a message that his wife, Sarah, has gone into labor while he is out of town. He immediately packs and goes home as quickly as possible. He finally reaches the Harrowgate, his apartment complex, and Sarah is there... with his newborn, Tim. In the very beginning, Sarah acted weird... paranoid. Sarah wouldn't even let Michael hold Tim at first. Then Sarah wouldn't allow anyone in the apartment or let Michael leave. Every time he would leave, when he came back, Sarah and Tim were older, different. 

Then here comes Greta... the sinister/hippie/loving mother looking type. Michael immediately dislikes her (as do I), but Sarah is enamored with her. Greta even gives Sarah a special tea to drink that makes Sarah feel a little better, but then Greta gives some to Sarah to secretly give to Michael. What's up with that?! Greta always says, "Everything I do and help you with is so that you can be with your baby and Michael." It's awfully rhetorical... Michael and the baby, Michael and the baby... I was to the point of thinking bad thoughts about Greta by the middle of this book. 

As the story progresses, Sarah's physical condition worsens, Tim just keeps growing, and Michael realizes there is evil in his home. Something that he has to fight. He wants to keep his beautiful family and NOTHING will change that. 

It was particularly hard to review this book without unintentionally including spoilers. Its one of those books like The Exorcist... you want to experience every moment as if it was the first time you're reading it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes creepy mystery/thrillers. I'd have a giveaway for my copy, but my goober wiener dog knocked a glass of water on it so... go buy it for your nook or kindle. 

Review - Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
Published: May 2015 by Viking Juvenile
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 Stars

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and - lately - concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.
Sydney is a normal teenager with a normal life until one day her brother, Peyton, makes a tragic mistake. He drives drunk and hits a young boy who was riding his bicycle home after staying up late playing video games at a friend's house. Peyton goes to jail and the family starts to crumble. Sydney's mom tries to hold everything together with a thread so thin you can't even see, all the while Sydney can't stop thinking about David, the young boy who will now be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. 

With all the court costs and attorney fees, Sydney notices when the second car is sold and when other household luxuries are cut down. At her school (a private/very costly one), she is now known as the girl whose brother almost killed a boy drunk driving. In an attempt to escape her surroundings as well as help with finances, Sydney transfers to the local public school. Of course its awkward at first, but that's a given. After school one day, she spontaneously walks into a pizzeria that she assumed would be the local teen hangout spot, only to find it empty. Cue cute boy entrance.... Mac Chatham, the pizzeria owner's son, walks in, puts an apron on, and asks Sydney for her order. 

Sydney quickly befriends Mac's sister, Layla, whom she can tell everything to. They hang out and study at her dad's pizzeria almost every weekday while Mac takes orders and makes deliveries. While we're talking about Mac... he's in a band, is very smart, and well... he's what every teenage girl wants in a boy. Sydney starts hanging out with the whole gang... the band, Layla, Mac, and even their friends. She starts to feel vaguely normal again. Then her brother's calls from jail dislodge her new life. Her parents either ignore her or treat her like she's been bad in the past like her brother, even though she never has. 

Sydney finds herself at a standstill several times with the Chathams. She has to keep secrets from Mac, she has to keep secrets for Layla... but there is a special sort of connection between Sydney and Mrs. Chatham. She has MS and is totally awesome and down to Earth. And yes... I just said totally awesome. But Sydney's thoughts are never far from Peyton or the boy he accidentally hurt, David. These thoughts cause extreme turmoil within Sydney and throughout the book, we struggle right along with her. 

This was my first Dessen novel and it won't be my last. I loved the detailed personalities each character had, which just brought the book to life for me. I also enjoyed the subject matter. I was worried it would just be another YA romance, but it was much more. I am an adamant Jodi Picoult fan and this book was very much like a YA version of a Picoult book... which is a definite compliment. 

Review - Wool: The Graphic Novel by Hugh Howey

Wool: The Graphic Novel by Hugh Howey
Published: June 2014 by Jet City Comics
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3 Stars

Wool as you’ve never read it before: The New York Times bestselling novel is now told in graphic novel format. This contemporary dystopian classic—hailed by Justin Cronin, New York Times bestselling author of The Passage, as “an epic feat of imagination”—will captivate readers both familiar and new.

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.



I am already a HUGE fan of Hugh Howey's Silo Series, so I decided to dabble in the world of graphic novels and see what I'd come up with. 

I'll admit, I'm still not a graphic novel fan, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this one. The pictures/paintings/sketches were just perfect for the book's bleak environment. I LOVED when at just the right moment, every picture was tinted different shades of red for a particular scene. These graphic novelists have perfect timing. 

The story follows the book fairly well in my opinion. I think I only remember one or two differences that weren't a big deal. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys graphic novels... especially if you also like the dystopian or post-apocalyptic genres. 

Review - Serpentine by Cindy Pon

Serpentine by Cindy Pon
Published: September 2015 by Month9Books 
Source: eARC
Rating: 5 Stars

Serpentine is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.
 
When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self - even as she falls in love for the first time. 

I adored this book. I adore mythology. I adore Chinese mythology even more because I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING. Instead of just summarizing a book without spoilers speckled with my opinions, for this review, I'm going for short and sweet. 

The author captured the essence of the ancient Chinese Kingdom of Xia so gracefully that I truly felt as if I was there. Historical fiction was my first genre love and this book was just begging for me to pick it up. The world building, the details pertaining to mortals, demons, even the immortals... I could imagine everything so clearly in my mind. The bravery of the main character was inspiring. If I went through the changes she did, were faced with the same challenges... I'm not sure I'd measure up. The plot was seamless, as was the author's writing. I devoured this book in hours and you will too. 

Review - In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
Published: August 2015 by Scout Press
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 Stars

Nora hasn’t seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.
In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house
Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her?
And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room
But something goes wrong. Very wrong.
And in the dark, dark room…
Some things can’t stay secret for ever.




This was a decent mystery/thriller for me. I honestly bought it thinking it was a horror novel, but it turned out to be a good mistake. The main character is Nora, a writer who enjoys her independent lifestyle, including her precious alone time. She once dated a boy named James when she was a teenager. They broke it off and kept the secret of why... well, a secret for over ten years. Nora denies it even to herself, but she's still not over James. 

Out of the blue, a woman named Flo emails Nora inviting her to a hen party weekend at a secluded house in the woods for one of Nora's old high school friends, Claire. Claire was an amazing best friend ten years ago. Nora and Claire did everything together, but Claire was always the one of the two who shined brightest. Nora was confused when she read the invitation... Nora and Claire had drifted apart years ago. Claire spends a few days thinking on whether or not to accept the invite. She eventually decides to go and rides up to the secluded house with another one of her old friends, Nina. There are a few other characters who come along for the weekend getaway as well such as Mel and Tom. It can't be a party without people, right? 

As soon as Claire arrives at the house, she drops a bomb on Nora. Claire is marrying Nora's old flame, James. Nora finally understands why she was invited to a party for someone she hasn't even heard from in ten years. This was Claire's way of making sure that Nora knew, but by breaking the news as easily as possible. Of course, Nora is upset, but she reminds herself that her and James' relationship ended ten years ago. Nora and the rest of the group try to enjoy the weekend as much as possible. 

Let me talk about Flo... she is quite the character. Flo, the overprotective friend of Claire, now starts to act strangle. She makes everyone uncomfortable, including me. She's very snippy and reminds everyone how they should be eternally grateful to even be considered one of Claire's friends. Flo even dresses like Claire, which unfortunately looks unflattering because of the body type difference between Claire and Flo. Everyone just assumes Flo is obsessed with Claire and they try to ignore her strangeness and get on with the weekend, or more truthfully... get to the end of the weekend. 

So many deceptions, secrets, lies, truths... all unfold during this weekend getaway. It seemed never-ending. I thought I had it figured out several times, but I was fooled. If you're looking for a mystery/thriller with a great well-rounded group of characters, then this one is for you.