Review: The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey Book

Title: The Isle of Blood
Author: Rick Yancey
Published: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Series: The Monstrumologist #3
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Horror
Pages: 538
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 stars
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*This book review is spoiler free*

“There are those who labor in the darkness, that the rest of us might live in the light.”
― Rick Yancey, The Isle of Blood

Synopsis
When Dr. Warthrop goes hunting the "Holy Grail of Monstrumology" with his eager new assistant, Arkwright, he leaves Will Henry in New York. Finally, Will can enjoy something that always seemed out of reach: a normal life with a real family. But part of Will can't let go of Dr. Warthrop, and when Arkwright returns claiming that the doctor is dead, Will is devastated--and not convinced.

Determined to discover the truth, Will travels to London, knowing that if he succeeds, he will be plunging into depths of horror worse than anything he has experienced so far. His journey will take him to Socotra, the Isle of Blood, where human beings are used to make nests and blood rains from the sky--and will put Will Henry's loyalty to the ultimate test. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
The Isle of Blood is the heart-pounding third installment in The Monstrumologist series. Once again, Rick Yancey does not disappoint when it comes to horror and suspense, and he manages to write gory books without crossing the line into cheesy. The Monstrumologist series has reminded me of how horror should be done and it has become one of my favorite series.

Review: The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey

Title: The Curse of the Wendigo 
Author: Rick Yancey
Published: October 12, 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Series: The Monstrumologist #2
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Horror
Pages: 424
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 stars
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*This book review is spoiler free*

“There are things that are too terrible to remember, and there are things that are almost too wonderful to recall.”
― Rick Yancey, The Curse of the Wendigo

Synopsis
While attempting to disprove that Homo vampiris, the vampire, could exist, Dr. Warthrop is asked by his former fiancé to rescue her husband from the Wendigo, a creature that starves even as it gorges itself on human flesh, and which has snatched him in the Canadian wilderness. Although Warthrop also considers the Wendigo to be fictitious, he relents and rescues her husband from death and starvation, and then sees the man transform into a Wendigo.

Can the doctor and Will Henry hunt down the ultimate predator, who, like the legendary vampire, is neither living nor dead, whose hunger for human flesh is never satisfied?

This second book in The Monstrumologist series explores the line between myth and reality, love and hate, genius and madness. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
I thought it was impossible to love The Curse of the Wendigo as much as I loved The Monstrumologist. I was wrong. While The Curse of the Wendigo is not as terrifying or gruesome as its predecessor, it is a beautifully written, suspenseful and evocative read in a series that continues to impress.

Review: The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Title: The Monstrumologist
Author: Rick Yancey
Published: September 22, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Series: The Monstrumologist #1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Horror
Pages: 434
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 stars
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“Yes, my dear child, monsters are real. I happen to have one hanging in my basement.”
― Rick Yancey, The Monstrumologist

Synopsis
These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed. But he is dead now and has been for more than forty years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets. The one who saved me . . . and the one who cursed me.

So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphaned assistant to Dr. Pellinore Warthorpe, a man with a most unusual specialty: monstrumology, the study of monsters. In his time with the doctor, Will has met many a mysterious late-night visitor, and seen things he never imagined were real. But when a grave robber comes calling in the middle of the night with a gruesome find, he brings with him their most deadly case yet.

A gothic tour de force that explores the darkest heart of man and monster and asks the question: When does man become the very thing he hunts? (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Do you know that feeling you get when you've discovered a new favorite series? In my case, I am on cloud nine. I want to dance a jig, frolic through a meadow of flowers...you get the idea. This was how I felt after I started The Monstrumologist. I was captivated from the beginning. In fact, after finishing my library copy of The Monstrumologist, I proceeded to purchase all of the books that are currently out in the series, including the one I just read which I bought for rereading and loaning purposes. And after recommending the first book to my mom - well, actually after thrusting it in her face and forcing her to read it - I devoured the rest of the series. It's that phenomenal. It's creepy, spine-tingling, brillant writing, and I just might be obsessed with Rick Yancey now. Don't worry. I'm not the stalker type. Or am I?

Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Published: September 19, 2011
Publisher: Speak
Series: Shades of London #1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Pages: 372
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3 stars
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“Keep calm and carry on.
Also, stay in and hide because the Ripper is coming.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

Synopsis
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target?

In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
I have been putting off reading The Name of the Star for far too long. For some reason, I have this morbid fascination with Jack the Ripper (probably because it's still an unsolved case after more than a century has passed), and I was beyond excited to begin the Shades of London series. The Name of the Star was a captivating read that had me entranced from the start, and I could tell Maureen Johnson had done her research. Btw, I also did a bit of investigative research before diving into this book. If you didn't already know, I'm kind of a nerd and enjoy research projects. So anywho, I did some serious digging into the old case files of the Ripper murders before reading The Name of the Star. In other words, I went on Wikipedia. And I'm happy to say that the information presented in this book matched up with my findings. Go Johnson!

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer 
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Published: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Pages: 466
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3 stars
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“Thinking something does not make it true. Wanting something does not make it real.”
― Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Synopsis
Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
With that mysterious synopsis, it was hard for me to guess what I was in for with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. It could have been man-eating goats as far as I was concerned. It's difficult for me to reveal anything about the book without spoiling something. So, I'll just leave out anything too concrete.

In reviews I've read, everybody has mentioned how strange this book is. It is strange, but I didn't mind. I loved the darker twists and the weirdness definitely added a creepy factor. To be honest, I wouldn't have cared if it was even weirder. In The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, we're allowed to explore Mara's mind thoroughly. Mara suffers from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) after a horrible accident she can barely remember. I loved that it was a psychological thriller, and after reading this, I almost felt tempted to whip out my huge Abnormal Psychology textbook and read up on PTSD again. This book had me from the get-go. It was fast-paced, and my eyes were glued to the page, or my Ipad, as the mystery unraveled. I wanted all of my confusion cleared!

Review: The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand

Title: The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls
Author: Claire Legrand
Published: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Pages: 352
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 stars
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“But it's hard to leave a place when you're tied to it by fear, when it's broken you with fear, when it's all you've ever known.”
― Claire Legrand, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls

Synopsis
Victoria hates nonsense. There is no need for it when your life is perfect. The only smudge on her pristine life is her best friend Lawrence. He is a disaster—lazy and dreamy, shirt always untucked, obsessed with his silly piano. Victoria often wonders why she ever bothered being his friend. (Lawrence does too.)

But then Lawrence goes missing. And he’s not the only one. Victoria soon discovers that The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is not what it appears to be. Kids go in but come out…different. Or they don’t come out at all.

If anyone can sort this out, it’s Victoria—even if it means getting a little messy. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls was such a spooktacular, shiver-inducing book. All of your childhood fears, from creepy crawlies to failure to the dark, are brought to life in this dark fantasy. Well, these are still fears held by many adults, making it the perfect book for readers of all ages, not just children. Although it's reminiscent of Coraline, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls had its own unique, twisted plot.

Recommend A...Book With A Character That Plays A Sport (3)

Recommend A... is a weekly meme hosted by Chick Loves Lit where you recommend a book based on a prompt. This week's is Recommend A...Book With A Character That Plays A Sport.

The Deep End of Fear by Elizabeth Chandler

Twelve years ago Kate's family left the Westbrook estate on a stormy night, just after young Ashley Westbrook drowned in an icy pond. Now Kate, alone in the world, has returned to the estate to tutor another spoiled Westbrook child, Patrick. The seven-year-old says he talks to Ashley by the pond. He does dangerous, deadly things because, he says, "Ashley dared me to." Just as Ashley once dared a shy, little Kate twelve years ago.

But at seventeen Kate is not so easily intimidated by "Ashley" or hostile members of her family or the forbidding housekeeper. Then Sam, the handsome stranger to whom Kate is irresistibly drawn, reveals a tragic piece of the puzzle that connects him to Kate. Sam tells Kate to leave -- either out of concern for her or due to a festering anger, she's not sure. But Kate will not abandon Patrick to the evil that is haunting him and threatens to destroy them all. (Goodreads)

This book is old school. This is the fourth book in the Dark Secrets series, but they are companion novels and don't need to be read in a certain order. Each novel has a different mystery and different characters, but all four take place in the same town. My favorite is probably the first, Legacy of Lies, but they are all great, fast reads. I reread this series SO MANY times in high school. Just countless times. I loved the creepy feel, the suspense, and the romances were always really sweet. They were my guilty pleasure. Plus, Sam plays ice hockey in this book. Probably one of the few books I've read where a character plays a sport. I'm horrible when it comes to sports. As in I'm a danger to everyone. So, I try to avoid reading books about sports. It can be traumatic. 

What's your Recommend A? 

Happy reading, 

Courtney

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta Book Review

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: August 28, 2006
419 pages
Rating: 5 stars
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“My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die."
― Melina Marchetta, Jellicoe Road

Synopsis
Abandoned on Jellicoe Road by her mother at the age of eleven, Taylor Markham is now the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm at age seventeen. Hannah, the closest thing Taylor has to family and her House coordinator, disappears. And Taylor's confronted by the past when Jonah Griggs comes back to town as leader of the Cadets, making the territory wars all the more difficult with his intense stare. 

With each clue Taylor finds, she has more questions, such as where has Hannah disappeared to, why did her mother dump her, what did the Hermit whisper in her ear before he killed himself, why does Jonah affect her so, and who are the five teenagers in Hannah's manuscript? As she uncovers the secrets of the past, she learns more about herself than she ever knew. 

My Thoughts
So, I finally got around to reading this. Wow. Just wow. I've read Marchetta before, and while I was less than impressed with Froi of the Exiles, I loved Finnikin of the Rock, and Jellicoe Road was my favorite of all. Despite all the recommendations and positive reviews for this book, I originally read the plot synopsis and thought this isn't my type of book. But I love when I'm proven wrong! Jellicoe Road was a phenomenal read, and there were shivers going down my spine when I finished. 

While the book started off slow and a little confusing, Marchetta masterfully developed the tension between the feuding territories and the chilling mysteries of Jellicoe Road. I liked how the story sort of eased into itself, and it wasn't long before I couldn't put this book down. I was fascinated by Taylor's haunting story and eager to find answers. Every chapter was written beautifully, and the story flipped smoothly between Taylor's POV and Hannah's manuscript. Hannah's story was reminiscent of The Breakfast Club, with a group of close friends tested by tragedy, and it was touching and poignant. I found myself loving each and every one of the characters. All of the mysterious five in Hannah's manuscript, Jessa, Raffy, Ben, Santangelo, Santangelo's dad, Hannah, and the Brigadier. And can't forget Chairman Meow. No one was hanging in the background, fading into insignificance, because everyone played their role. 

Taylor and Jonah were my favorite characters. The romance was wonderfully set up because it was realistic. Both of them were broken and haunted by their pasts, and it took them some time to trust in each other. There were no rainbows or puppies, but their relationship just worked so well and developed naturally. Nonetheless, there were some sweet, touching moments shared between them. I just couldn't get enough of these two together. 

I'm still a bit confused about the schooling system in Australia, as this story takes place near Sydney. But it didn't confuse me enough to interfere with my enjoyment. I loved how they spelled curb kerb and how French kissing is pashing. The territory wars were so entertaining to read about, and there were some hilarious scenes that I enjoyed so much. Plus, the connection between all of the students at Taylor's school was adorable and heartwarming. 

As for the mystery, it was wonderful how every element was beautifully interwoven. Everything came together in such a surprising, clever way. It was genius. Which explains my shivers at the ending. 

Jellicoe Road is a new favorite! I'm in love with this incredible, awe-inspiring book! 

And here's Fat Cat again because she read Jellicoe Road too! She gave it one out of five tails because she was confused. She's not a big fan of mystery, but she loved Chairman Meow. 

Happy reading, 

Courtney 

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough Book Review

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: July 10, 2012
455 pages
Rating: 4 stars
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"Said my lord to my lady, as he mounted his horse,
Beware of Long Lankin that lives in the moss.
Said my lord to my lady, as he rode away
Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the hay.
Let the doors be all bolted and the windows all pinned,
Except one little window,
where Long Lankin crept in..."

Synopsis
With their mother away and their father off on business, sisters Cora and Mimi are sent from London to the isolated village of Byers Guerdon to stay with their Auntie Ida at Guerdon Hall. But they receive a less than warm welcome, as Auntie Ida is adamant about them leaving right away. Auntie Ida is eccentric and strict, and the girls are eager to get back to London. But the girls don't know what happened last time there was two little girls at Guerdon Hall. 

As they become closer to two boys from the village, Roger and Peter, they try to find answers to their questions. Why are children forbidden to go down to the old church, All Hallows? What is their Aunt Ida so afraid of that she has to lock all the windows and doors at all times? They end up awakening an evil that has been haunting the village for ages, and Cora will have to protect Mimi from being the next victim. 

My Thoughts
Long Lankin was super creepy, but it wasn't Stephen King scary so I was able to sleep at night. I am always up for a suspenseful read with some chills, and this book had a nice blend of creepiness and mystery. While it started off slow, and it never really reached a neck breaking speed, it kept my interest with its storytelling and things that go bump in the night. I couldn't wait for Cora and Roger to uncover more secrets, and as their revelations grew in number, so did my fears. As in, they found out something and I thought oh crap. 

Roger and his brothers were adorable. Their crazy antics were hysterical. I loved learning more history about the village and all of the villagers. There were so many eccentricities and secrets just waiting to be revealed. I'm not talking about juicy gossip or drama. I'm talking about blood-chilling, traumatic memories of the past. I would not want to live in Byers Guerdon. Not my home sweet home. 

Cora grew on me eventually, but I really didn't feel any connection to her in the beginning. Or to Mimi. She was just too whiny. I know she's four years old, but it was annoying. Though you can't help feeling sorry for Mimi because if she's not being pushed around or yelled at by her sister, she's being scared to death. Poor little girl. And for the most part, I wasn't too fond of Auntie Ida. I would never condone physically punishing a child, even if it's a different time period. And if Auntie Ida was so keen on getting the girls out of Byers Guerdon, she should have taken them far away in the beginning. But then there wouldn't have been a story to tell. 

I found the constant switch between POVs interesting but, in all honesty, erratic. It was so distracting when the POV shifted almost every other page. I wasn't a fan until the end when it worked a little more and  everything came together. Since the setting was England in 1958, the vernacular was unapologetically British. As in, grizzling and blimin' and cor. While I didn't understand some of it, I could make a guess as to the meaning and it didn't interfere with my enjoyment. In fact, it made the book more authentic. 

My favorite part about Long Lankin was Guerdon Hall. It's like every hall in every Gothic novel you read before. I fell in love. The sweeping cobwebs, the creaking floorboards, and twisting passages. Its fallen beauty and disrepair. It had so much history to it, and I savored every description of its interior. I'm that lame. 

If  you like a haunting read, with some thrills and mystery, written at a leisurely pace, Long Lankin is your kind of book. It definitely is worth adding to your TBR pile. 

**Here's the creepy book trailer with some lady singing**

Happy reading,

Courtney