Whilst I didn't really enjoy the story itself I appreciated the in depth look at the life of a medical examiner and found that element to be quite intWhilst I didn't really enjoy the story itself I appreciated the in depth look at the life of a medical examiner and found that element to be quite interesting. I will probably pick up Judy's non-fiction book on her life as a medical examiner at some point but I won't be reading the rest of this series. The story felt a bit clunky, disjointed and flat in parts. Heaps of people loved it so it was a case of 'not for me'....more
What a brilliant and topical overhaul of Stephen King's Carrie. When a high school decides to have a joint prom instead of segregated ones in a supposWhat a brilliant and topical overhaul of Stephen King's Carrie. When a high school decides to have a joint prom instead of segregated ones in a supposed show of racial solidarity, the deep divide between black and white surfaces in a terrifyingly ugly way. I had no idea segregated proms were a thing but according to Mrs Google, over the last decade a small number have still been held in the US.
The characters were complex and incredibly well written and the audiobook was phenomenal. Tiffany draws attention to the casual racism that is laughed off as a joke in the local high school, whilst also showing that a clear sense of white superiority underpins these interactions. Moreover, this underlying racial hierarchy is present at all levels within the community. Alongside all of this is also of a story of a sheltered girl hoping to find acceptance and love. However, within this girl lies a dark power and when her rage and fury come forth, blood and terror follow. As prom night descends into chaos a clear line between black and white is scorched on the ground. This is an amazing novel and I thoroughly recommend it.
The harsh but beautiful Alaskan wilderness was the perfect backdrop to this powerful tale of survival.
Cora and Leni were characters that I wi4.5 Stars
The harsh but beautiful Alaskan wilderness was the perfect backdrop to this powerful tale of survival.
Cora and Leni were characters that I will remember for their loyalty, love, and gritty determination to survive Ernt and his PTSD driven paranoia and rage. The writing was lush and it blew my mind that, in what was essentially a slow burn, I could be on the edge of my seat for so much of it. I loved how Kristin perfectly described the realities of surviving in such an unpredictable and volatile environment and that she mirrored this with the realities of surviving in the Allbright family. The supporting cast were phenomenal too and I felt a deep affection for the Alaskan 'found family' members. A wonderful story that I thoroughly recommend.
CW: (view spoiler)[domestic violence, domestic rape, gun violence, descriptions of bloody injuries in people and animals, PTSD after war, hunting and killing animals, drowning (hide spoiler)]...more
I think the character development was much better in this sequel and the plot more focused. This is a reimagining of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, with Juliet Moreau trying to get to the bottom of the gruesome murders that have befallen people she knows. As with the first book this is a YA gothic thriller and there are certainly some sinister characters prowling the streets of London. Juliet displays a lot more sense in this book and I enjoyed the feminist views being expressed in a Victorian society. An enjoyable sequel, shame about the love triangle....more
Both have frequently featured in horror books CW: Violent gory deaths...lots of them!
Well I enjoyed this fun YA slasher horror!
Clowns and cornfields.
Both have frequently featured in horror books and movies and are super creepy. Kudos to Adam for successfully combining these two scary elements into a fast paced blood bath. The tension is built up nicely with an underlying sense of menace in the town, and then WHAM, it transitions into a thrilling action story with a lot of running, screaming, hacking and hiding. Surprisingly, we do actually get to know the characters quite well, and we also develop a good understanding of the atmosphere and conflict within the town. Highly entertaining!...more
Well that was another exquisite blend of beCW: (view spoiler)[gore, death of loved one, mysophobia, mention of cancer, poor parenting. (hide spoiler)]
Well that was another exquisite blend of beauty and horror.
.“Hope is a vicious beast. It sinks in its claws and it doesn't let go.” ― Seanan McGuire
Seanan's writing is stunning and her observations are profound. The Wayward children are on another rule-breaking Quest. This time they head back to the Moors so Jack and settle the score with Jill. This series is odd and quirky and I feel like it's success is owed, in part, to the fact that people relate to the children in the story. Maybe we have all been a mermaid out of water at some point in our lives? Deliciously and darkly enchanting. ...more
Well, although I wasn't scared that was still an enjoyable experience!
Max Brooks books are exactly that, experiences. I listened to t3.5 Stars
CW: Gore
Well, although I wasn't scared that was still an enjoyable experience!
Max Brooks books are exactly that, experiences. I listened to this as an audiobook so the characters felt real and engaging. It helped that Nathan Fillion was part of the cast! Yes, I am a Firefly and Castle fan. Readers should know there is a lot of build up before the action, or even the tension, really begins. The setting is an isolated eco-community and Brooks introduces us the characters and the dynamics within the small community. This background information all makes sense later as responses to the impending hairy threat differ somewhat. Here Brooks pokes fun at the survivalist mentality and capabilities within this community. I feel like the letter/diary type format was a bit odd in this instance because when you are being attack by a herd? flock? Hang on.... *googles collective noun for sasquatches*...can't find an official one...I will go with family as I seems like they were one. Anyhoo, when you are being attacked by smelly, giant, flesh eating beasts you are hardly going to slide under a table and jot down your feelings. Maybe a voice recorded diary would have made more sense? Regardless, this was lots of fun!...more
Well that was a satisfying conclusion to a good zombie action series. The Kiwis performed admirably in this imaginary apocCW: Gore, loss of loved ones
Well that was a satisfying conclusion to a good zombie action series. The Kiwis performed admirably in this imaginary apocalyptic scenario. Again, I loved the diversity and inclusion in the book it's just sad that they didn't employ a voice actor who could do justice to all the characters and cultures represented. A gory and fun series!...more
Well this wasn't quite as engaging as the first one. I also struggled to get past the lack of effort to use corre2.5 Stars
CW: Gore, loss of loved ones
Well this wasn't quite as engaging as the first one. I also struggled to get past the lack of effort to use correct Māori pronunciation. This beautiful language isn't difficult so there isn't really any excuse. I liked that there was a lot of inclusion of Māori culture and some references to historical mistreatment, so it was a shame that the author didn't find a voice actor who had some basic Te Reo Māori proficiency. It was still, however, a fun zombie romp in terms of the story itself....more
CW: Extreme gore, (view spoiler)[suicide to avoid becoming a zombie, people are experimented on in attempt to create zombBook 18 in my Zombie-a-thon!
CW: Extreme gore, (view spoiler)[suicide to avoid becoming a zombie, people are experimented on in attempt to create zombies/variants (human and animal) that can be controlled. (hide spoiler)]
Well that was a satisfying conclusion to this series. I liked the new characters, particularly the female virologist. The virus, which was originally part of a military experiment, has mutated and effects both animals and humans. The scene with the virus mutated bats eating the alligator was quite something!
Look, this wasn't a bad book but I really struggled to stay interested. I mean there was a talking zombie Book 17 in my Zombie-a-thon!
CW: Extreme gore
Look, this wasn't a bad book but I really struggled to stay interested. I mean there was a talking zombie collaborating with some dastardly humans. I don't know, it just felt a bit silly. Zombies are considerably less fearsome when they are talking like Tarzan. In addition to this, Jed started calling them "sucker faces", and I am pretty sure he said that about 10 times within about 2 minutes. Now I don't want to disrespect anyone and this is a genuine question - do Marines say 'rah' all the time? Some of the conversations felt like they were saying it so much it was just, "rah", "rah", "rah". I understood the conversation and the context, it just grew very very repetitive. Didn't quite work for me but in the interest of trying to meet my goal of 20 I will be reading book 3....more
Well that was a thoroughly entertaining zombie romp! Plenty of terrifying undead gorging on screaming humans. A couple of central characters that are engaging, especially little Peter. Some isolated soldiers trying to find a safe location to defend, and hordes of the walking dead (and the odd scary running ones) sweeping over the country and tearing apart any living creatures in their path. A good example of classic, mindless zombie fiction. I am moving to book 2 immediately because I need to know what happens to Peter!...more
Well this book has me worried that New Zealand may possibly be wiped out in the unlikely event of 2.5 Stars
CW: Extreme gore
Book 5 in my Zombie-a-thon!
Well this book has me worried that New Zealand may possibly be wiped out in the unlikely event of a Zombie apocalypse!
Our border controls have been reasonably tight during COVID but the odd breach here or there in a zombie infection situation would spell disaster for Kiwis. The reason I am concerned is that there is a strong connection to having guns and surviving in the 'typical' non-thinking zombie action books. I have never even held a real gun!!!! Heck, I haven't even seen one up close that isn't in a museum. I have played paintball twice, and laser strike a few times, and I have a vague recollection of holding an air rifle when I was 11 and on an activities camp. I think I only know one person who goes duck hunting and therefore I assume they have a gun. Basically, if the zombies come, the majority of NZers I know are going to be gunless zombie fodder and the future walking dead. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely proud of our countries policies on gun ownership and have no desire to own one myself.
Actually, us Kiwis are pretty ingenious with our 'number 8 wire' thinking, our 'she'll be right mate' attitude, and our community minded spirit, so I have just decided we may very well come out on top in a Zombie apocalypse!
I should probably talk about this book. It was a surprisingly entertaining zombie story with lots of bloody entrails being ripped out and eaten, and even some good old fashioned brain consumption. There are heaps of gun-toting people with a fierce determination to survive and protect their loved ones, and some humour included to break up the blood bath. I wouldn't call this a YA book in terms of it's content, but it is a really quick and easy read. Not sure who it's target audience is to be honest. If I wasn't on a Zombie-a-thon I wouldn't continue with this series, but because I am I have started with book 2.
Yay Zomvember! I really want this to be a thing so feel free to join me!...more
Well that was a thoroughly entertaining short field study! I'm not going to put it under the microscope because it isn't trBook 1 of my Zombie-a-thon!
Well that was a thoroughly entertaining short field study! I'm not going to put it under the microscope because it isn't trying to be anything other than a light-hearted piece of zombie literature. I don't know what it says about me that I laughed my head off at the ending though....
Additional Note: Listen to the audiobook first, then follow up with the book as it has sketches etc....more
Upgrading to 4.5 after looking through the book again today and also adding to content warning based on an inquiry in the discussion thread below.
CW: Upgrading to 4.5 after looking through the book again today and also adding to content warning based on an inquiry in the discussion thread below.
CW: (view spoiler)[serial killers, murder, gore, lots of scenes of blood, violent death of parent, mention of sexual assault, cat goes missing from Simon's school but no discussion about what happened to it. Some dogs are shot (off page) with no mention of actual animal torture whilst doing it, murder scenes are very bloody and are compared to preparing animals after hunters kill them. (hide spoiler)]
Well that was an excellently dark YA thriller!
The author drew me in with engaging main characters who were damaged yet determined to face down some incredibly sinister serial killers. Whilst there are some disturbingly gory scenes and the sick machinations of psychopaths drive the story forward, this is definitely a YA book. I thought the writing was really good as the author was skillful at building up tension throughout the story. I don't think anyone will ever be able to recreate the chilling character that is Hannibal Lecter, but I did appreciate Simon's ability to psychoanalyse in order to unsettle and gain an advantage over his prey. An anxiety inducing read that is verging on horror!...more
CW: (view spoiler)[Bloody murder scene where victim was beheaded, loss of loved one, mental health, cult run by older guy who seduces teenage girls. (CW: (view spoiler)[Bloody murder scene where victim was beheaded, loss of loved one, mental health, cult run by older guy who seduces teenage girls. (hide spoiler)]
Well that last line was hilarious!
What an exhilarating ride! A training camp for teen killers? I mean what's not to be excited about when Signal, an innocent teenager, is dropped in with these Class A ultimate murderers. Day one task: Dismember and dispose of a life-like dummy. I loved the killers themselves too, particularly 'Nobody'. You kind of get a bit charmed by them and their sassy teen vibe, right up until they prove just why they have been deemed Class A, and then you are like holy smokes Batman, they are stone cold killers! Heaps of fun with a twisty murder mystery woven in there too....more
CW: Sexual content, killing of animals, described taxidermy scenes
If you have any sensitivity to animal cruelty and aBook #4 in NZ Goodreads Readathon
CW: Sexual content, killing of animals, described taxidermy scenes
If you have any sensitivity to animal cruelty and animal death then I would give this book a wide berth. I struggled in some parts and thought I might have to dnf.
This was equal parts disturbing and dull. Weird combination right? One minute you are in the mind of a truly insane person and being drawn into their delusions and obsessions, the next minute you are yawning your way through a conversation between people about painting. It was quite jarring. To be fair, I couldn’t read an entire book from Silas’ perspective either as it was quite horrific. However, did the ‘down time’ have to be so boring? Perhaps it was because I found both Louis and Iris to be unlikeable. In my opinion it took too long to get to the point where you could feel the tension start to build. Albie was a brilliant character and it was through his investigations that the story started to move along at a better pace. The last quarter was really gripping as the horrific parts were set aside and the main plot of a Silas’ obsession with Iris came to a climax. The ending was a bit sudden but I enjoyed that you were left to understand how things turned out based on the review of a painting at the end of the novel. Stomach turning and dull parts aside, on the whole I did appreciate this book (I don't think you can enjoy it). It had a deliciously gothic horror vibe which was both exciting and unsettling....more
This had a cast of many and I have to say I found it CW: (view spoiler)[Mother commits suicide, detailed murders, mother murders child (hide spoiler)]
This had a cast of many and I have to say I found it hard to keep track of everyone. I confess I got to 60% and then had to start again as I felt like I had missed details of the crucial connections between characters. I loved the history and felt the book brought 19th century Korea to life with its rich history and beautiful culture steeped in tradition. I was intrigued by the class and gender rules that affected every interaction in this society.
I always enjoy a good murder mystery. To me this was an intricately detailed 'whodunnit' with lots of pieces of the puzzle slowly being woven together. I really like Seol and her ambition to be more than what society had assigned to her. She had a brilliant investigative mind and her keen and intelligent observations showed this. I loved the crime scene investigative elements and how they may have looked sans modern technology.
Lastly, cover appreciation people! Thoroughly enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it....more
CW: There were some unpleasant attitudes to the role of women and a lack of regard for the lives of black people in the community. Some of these attitCW: There were some unpleasant attitudes to the role of women and a lack of regard for the lives of black people in the community. Some of these attitudes didn’t seem to fit with the 1990s as Fiona expressed in her earlier review. Shout out to the Cantabs!
CW: (view spoiler)[ Rape, horrible killing of black man with racist motivations, suicide attempt, suicides as a result of their emotional state after vampire attacks. (hide spoiler)]
Well y’all aside from some of the things described in the content warning this was a great book! I mean seriously, middle aged book club housewives turned vampire slayers? Brilliant! I was pretty stressed during some really tense moments which is a refreshing change as I rarely find supposed thrillers all that thrilling but during the attic scene I was a bundle of nerves. To me this was perfect as an audiobook as it really gave you a sense of the different characters due to the excellent voice acting. I like how the story took place over a number of years as I felt quite immersed in the lives of the people in the community. I gotta say that was seriously the best (view spoiler)[dispatching of a villain I have ever read. They were so practical, calm and efficient. It was hilarious when they were discussing different cleaning methods. (hide spoiler)] Women rule! I thoroughly recommend this book for 16+ and am adding it to my favourites....more
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