Showing posts with label Thriller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thriller. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Top Ten Underrated Horror/Thriller Books

Created by The Broke and the Bookish

This week’s topic is your top ten Underrated Authors or Books in the genre of your choice. I chose horror/thriller books! As of right now this is it. It’s not in a specific order. Thriller/horror books are definitely up there in my list of favorites and I feel like young adult in particular, doesn’t have enough horror books!  

10. The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle
The House of Dead Maids

9. Doll Bones by Holly Black
Doll Bones

8. The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington
The Dead and Buried

7. Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Ten

6. The Madman’s Daughter Trilogy by Megan Shepherd
The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter, #1)Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter, #2)A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter, #3)

5. Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend
Poor Little Dead Girls

4. Hushed by Kelley York
Hushed

3. Enclave Trilogy by Ann Aguirre
Enclave (Razorland, #1)Outpost (Razorland, #2)Horde (Razorland, #3)

2. Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
Another Little Piece

1. Frost by Marianna Baer
Frost

I definitely recommend checking some of these books out if you are into this genre like I am! Do you like this genre?? If so, what are your favorite horror/thriller books??


Friday, July 11, 2014

Review: Hide and Seek by Catherine MacPhail

Hide and Seek by Catherine MacPhail
Hide And Seek
Release Date
: June 1st 2009
Publisher:  Barrington Stoke
Format: egalley
Pages
: 128
Genre: Middle Grade - Thriller
Source:
NetGalley
Author:
Website | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

A cruel prank backfires in this spooky chiller


This book is told from a 3rd person pov from the popular bully of the school, Nicole. Her plan is to play a trick on the new girl in school. So Nicole and a bunch of her friends decide to sneak into their school to try and scare her. The new girl wants to know if the school is really haunted. The kids plan to take the ghost story and play it off as real. Everything seems different in the dark though and soon Nicole starts to wonder whether the joke might not be a joke anymore.

The characters are ok. I wasn’t a super fan of them. Nicole was the standard bully and I always hate them but that’s just the way her character is supposed to be. The twist at the end was a good one that I really didn’t see coming. This is a decent thriller that could give you creeps if you aren’t big into reading books like that.  I would not consider it horror but I read Stephen King so… yea…

This book was created for kids with dyslexia. The paragraphs are very short, with simple writing, which makes this book an easy read. I would suggest anyone read the book, not just ones with dyslexia. I am interested in picking up more books by the author and possibly letting my son read this because he is starting to read chapter books now and I think this one would be a good one for him.

My Rating:



*This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Monday, April 21, 2014

Running on Empty by Collette Ballard Trailer Reveal!




Running on Empty by Collette Ballard
Running on Empty
Release Date: May 6th 2014
Publisher: Tulip Teen/Spencer Hill Press
Pages
: 376
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary, Thriller
Author
: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads


What does it feel like when you die—in those final moments? Do you feel the physical pain, or just the pain of your regrets? What does it feel like when you realize you can’t answer these questions because you’re not the victim?

You’re the killer.

River Daniels lives an ordinary life as a high school junior growing up in the confines of rural Texas until her boyfriend’s brutal attack leaves her both a murderer and a fugitive. When River’s closest girlfriends come to her aid, they make a hasty decision to not only help her, but leave their own troubled lives behind and join in her escape.

The girls manage to elude police for months, but with every near-miss, River’s life spirals further out of control, until she finally hits rock bottom. Realizing she must stop endangering her friends and find evidence proving she acted in self-defense, the girls decide to make a risky move. River must face her ugly past and the one person she was protecting the night her world caved in, the guy she has loved for as long as she can remember.

{Trailer}



{About the Author}

Colette grew up on a dairy farm in rural Kentucky. She survived the high school experience back in the day when Aqua Net was bought in bulk and mullets were cool. That’s also when she realized that her constant daydreaming wasn’t a curse, but a useful skill—one she used like a lethal weapon to combat her frustration over the haunting question: What does the alphabet have to do with math anyway? Unfortunately, her ninja daydreaming skills only increased her desire to write—not her algebra grade.

After surviving the hairstyles and torturous math classes of her high school years, she wandered a bit—even moving to the farthest northwestern corner of the United States, then to the farthest southeastern corner. She finally settled in the one red-light town she started in, where she continues to live today with her husband and three children.


Thursday, March 6, 2014

Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway: Peaceful Genocide by J.A. Reynolds



Peaceful Genocide by J. A. Reynolds

Release Date: November 25th 2013
Publisher: CreateSpace
Format:
eARC
Pages
: 282
Genre: Young Adult – Science Fiction, Thriller
Source:
Author
Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads


Seventeen-year-old Mitzi and Deuce can recall how many drops of water were on a leaf from a rainstorm five years ago and conversations from last week, month, or year. They have the ability to remember every second of everyday—since birth.

This gift has blessed Mitzi with a history of being sexually assaulted by researchers and abused by her own parents. She trusts no one. Likes no one. Deuce, however, is a high school standout. His gift has made him a superstar on the football field and his memory promises him endless opportunities.

When they both end up at an Alzheimer’s research facility under false proviso, they quickly realize this place isn’t what it seems to be. They endure crazy military-style tests, are forcefully drugged, and complete real-life simulations that haunt them.

Mitzi and Deuce have no idea what the researchers want to do with them or their memories. But one thing is clear: the researchers will go to any lengths to get what they want.


* I received the eARC from the author via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.

Peaceful Genocide is about a group of kids that have been taken into some top secret government facility under the preface that they will be doing a study to help Alzheimer’s patients. There are two younger kids, Ralph and Paisley, and the two main characters, Mitzi and Deuce. All four kids have the ability to remember everything from the minute they are born. Each of them also has another ability that is explained in the book.

The book alternates points of view in the chapters. Mitzi is a rebel. She hates her parents for pretty much using her as a paycheck. She has been beaten and abused by past researchers and her parents. Her past has made her only trust herself and doesn’t want anything to do with anyone else. She is heading to this study thinking she is going to a juvenile detention center for trying to kill her father.

Deuce on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He is a pro football player at his high school and is at this study so that he can use the extra money to pay for what his scholarship doesn’t. He is all jock and pretty egotistical about anything physical fitness related. Naturally, he and Mitzi do not start off well.

Once inside the facility, and almost dying right away, Mitzi is furious. She meets the other three kids and they all seem excited about what is going on. Soon Mark, the head scientist, comes out and explains what is going on and what will be happening and that this is an 8 week study. All the kids have to have a device inserted into their brain so the researchers can remove information gathered from the tests. When Mitzi says she wants nothing to do with it and storm out the room something happens to her and she come back acting different. She can’t remember things that just happened. This turns out to be a trending thing.

When Mitzi starts loosing pieces of her memory, she knows something is bad is happening. She explains this to Deuce but he just thinks she is crazy. She takes it upon herself to figure out what is really going on in this place. Why they can’t leave, why all their answers go unanswered, and why all the crazy simulations.

The action scenes were perfectly timed to keep your interest going. They were fast paced and really well done. Mitzi’s character grows and changes for the good but she is still able to keep her rebel spunk. People becomes friends with people they never thought they would.

I can easily say that Peaceful Genocide had me hooked from the start. I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this but it was pretty much an action scene right away. I actually finished this book in one day. Most books can’t keep me interested long enough to do that. The ending of the book said there would be a sequel in 2015 so I hope that is true because I will definitely be picking it up to continue on with Mitzi and Deuce’s story.

My Rating:


{About J.A. Reynolds}
JA Reynolds lives in the Midwest with a normal family, raising a normal daughter, with some abnormal pets. It’s extraordinarily ordinary.


{Giveaway}
a Rafflecopter giveaway





Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Review: Uninvited by Sophie Jordan (28 Days of Reviews #11)

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Series: Uninvited, #1
Release Date
: January 28th 2014
Publisher:
  HarperTeen
Format: ebook
Pages
: 384
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopia, Sci-fi, thriller
Source:
Edelweiss
Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.




Uninvited is about a child prodigy named Davina, also known as Dav or Davy. She taught herself to play the piano at the age of three, she also plays numerous other instruments and she can sing. She has a best friend named Tori and a boyfriend all the girls want. She goes to a exclusive private school, at least until she tests positive with the HTS gene.

The Homicidal Tendency Syndrome gene is also known as the kill gene. Once you are found to have the kill gene everyone looks at you different and you lose pretty much all your rights. Davy loses her friends and her mom and dad treat her different. The only one there for her is her brother. Even her boyfriend thinks she should fall into bed with him because she has no one else. She is forced to go to a public school because she in uninvited from the school she’s been at her whole life.

Sean is the main bad boy in her new school. He never shows any emotion but is quickly drawn to Davy. Not enough though that I would call it insta-love but it is pretty close. I would love to know what he did to get imprinted. Sean, Davy, and another boy named Gil are all taken to a secret government facility where they are being trained. For what, we don’t know.

Uninvited was so good. There were still a couple things that bothered me. I wish that Davy could have fought through it and saved herself at least once. However, every time something happened Sean would come to the rescue. I also would have liked to see some more about her ex- boyfriend. He seemed to be having doubts but nothing else happened there. I would have also liked to see a little more world building or what they were actually planning on doing with the group of kids they selected.

I loved the writing style in the book and it makes me want to pick up more of Sophie Jordan’s novels. This book also has random data thrown in between chapters such as text message conversations, government letters, and press conferences. I read this as an ebook and I would love to see how it looks in the physical book. I will be picking it up just to have it on my shelf. I highly recommend picking this book up. It will definitely be going on my 2014 favorites list and I can’t wait until the second book comes out.


My Rating:



*This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Review: Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd (28 Day of Reviews #8)

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

Series: The Madman’s Daughter, #2
Release Date
: January 28th 2014
Publisher:  Balzer + Bray
Format: eBook
Pages
: 420
Genre: Young Adult – Historical Fiction, Thriller
Source:
Edelweiss
Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.



Juliet is back in London after spending three weeks at sea before finally being rescued. She spends some time in a hospital before being discovered by the mean Dr. Hastings that caused her problems in the first book. He has her thrown in jail for when she cut open his wrist. A former friend of her father comes to the rescue and takes her in to his home. He says he feels bad for not stopping her father sooner. Now that she is living with a very important person she is living her rich lifestyle again and is able to come and go with her friend Lucy as often as she wants. She also doesn’t have to work.

She does however take some business from a flower shop in order to make money for the medicine that she has to take. She secretly rents a room at the top of store that she uses as her workshop at nights. Her medicine is starting to fail her and she is determined to find a cure. She fears that vivisection is the only way but refuses to become like her father, even though she may be becoming more and more like him every day.

Soon murders start happening throughout a section of White Chapel and this murderer is named the White Chapel Wolf. Soon she realizes that she knows all the people that are being murdered and that it may be someone that followed her back from the island. That isn’t the only person that has come back from the island though.

As with the first book, this book is also based off of an old story. This is based off of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which I own a copy of but have never actually read. I know the basis of the story and can definitely see some similarities. The writing in this novel is just as good as the first novel. There are still the dark and creepy parts but not as much gross scenes as the first book. I sometimes worry that the second books are just filler books and are sometimes not as good but this does not do that at all! It is a great sequel. So much starts to unravel at the end of the book and I totally didn’t see the ending coming. Juliet is clearly starting to go mad but I can’t wait to see what happens in the third book. I already know what story it is going to be retelling and I have a feeling that it is going to be really good.

If you read the first book then I highly recommend continuing the series. If you haven’t read them then you definitely should. Can't wait to add a physical copy to my shelf! If you want to check out my review of the first book, click HERE!

My Rating:


*This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday, February 7, 2014

Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd (28 Days of Reviews #7)

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Series: The Madman’s Daughter, #1
Release Date: January 29th 2013
Publisher:  Balzer + Bray
Format: Hardcover
Pages
: 420
Genre: Young Adult – Historical Fiction, Thriller
Source:
My Collection
Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads
In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.




The Madman’s Daughter is a story told from Juliet Moreau, the daughter of a very well-known London Doctor. Her father was run out of town when it was discovered that he was doing some very gruesome experiments. It was presumed that he was dead but nothing was ever confirmed. After her father left, it was just Juliet and her mom. They were forced to sell everything and move into a small apartment. Her mother was reduced to selling herself to keep them alive. Soon her mother passed away and all her things were sold and Juliet was left to find for herself. The daughter of a once very rich father was no reduced to a cleaning maid. She lost all her friends, except one who she actually wasn’t supposed to talk to, and had no family to turn to.

Juliet is invited to a party with her good friend Lucy but she doesn’t feel like she belongs with that crowed anymore. Soon she is talked into going to the university where she works to prove a point. They stumble upon a group of students doing a live dissection of a rabbit and it turns out they have something that once belonged to her father. From there on she is determined that her father is alive and does everything she can to find out. She ends up on a ship to an island located near Australia with a man, only a couple years older than herself who used to be a servant in her house when she was young. She has always admired him and now she feels even more connected. Then in comes a very mysterious castaway, who seems to be very interested in Juliet. When Juliet arrives at the island she learns quite a bit about her father and discovers some very disturbing things.

This is a retelling of H.G. Wells book The Island of Dr. Moreau. I have never read that story so I have no idea if it is a descent retelling or not. The book has a very creepy, dark mood to it and it does a very good job of maintaining that mood throughout. Even the happy parts still have a dark feel to them. This book was described as having some gross scenes and I would totally agree with that. They talk about vivisection (live dissection) of animals and even people and the details are rather gross. I don’t have a problem reading this but I could see how some people would. Most of the disturbing scenes involve animals but there are a couple scenes that involve people. Juliet’s father is definitely a madman and rightly earns that title. He is a horrible father or person in general.

I really enjoyed the writing, the characters, and everything about this book. The ending was so intense! Definitely the best part of the book. This is obviously a good thing because I couldn’t wait to pick up the second book! If you are into gothic thrillers then I highly recommend this. Just be prepared for the gross parts. I also sort of want to pick up the H.G. Wells book now!

My Rating:


Saturday, December 21, 2013

Review: Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend

Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend
Poor Little Dead Girls

Release Date: November 29th 2013
Publisher: Merit Press
Format: ebook

Pages: 285
Genre: Young Adult – Mystery/ Thriller
Source:
NetGalley
Autho
r: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Perfect people aren't just born. They're made.

The first time she is blindfolded and kidnapped, star-athlete and posh boarding school newbie Sadie is terrified. She wakes up in a dark room surrounded by hushed whispers, hooded strangers, and a mysterious voice whispering not-so-sweet nothings in her ear.

But once the robes come off, she realizes it’s just an elaborate prank designed to induct her into the group that’s been pulling the strings at Keating Hall for generations. The circle has it all--incredible connections; fabulous parties; and, of course, an in with the brother society’s gorgeous pledges.

The instant popularity is enough to make Sadie forget about the unexplained marks on her body, the creepy ceremonial rituals, and the incident that befell one of her teammates the year before. So the next time Sadie is kidnapped, she isn’t scared, but she should be. The worst of Keating Hall is yet to come.


I went into this book without reading the synopsis and that made a big different to me. Not knowing why she was being abducted made a more suspenseful story. Because of that I am not going to talk about that part of the story, just in case there are other people that do the same thing as me.

This story follows around Sadie. She has received a full ride Lacrosse scholarship to Keanting Hall, a prestigious, all female, boarding school for the rich. She is very worried that she won’t fit in, but she feels it is a good change. This also almost guarantees she will get scouted and land a scholarship to college. Her dad had apprehensions on her attending this school because it is across the country from her home in Portland, Oregon. She is an only child and her mother passed away from suicide after being committed to a mental hospital. Dealing with her mother has left her family in major debt.

The school is very set on its rules, although with enough money, who needs rules. At least that’s how it seems in this school. Sadie’s roommates are minor celebrities and they pretty much come and go as they please with no repercussions. This also seems to happen quite a bit with Sadie and some of her other classmates. With how strict the head lady was I really thought that we would see the girls getting into more trouble. That was pretty much nonexistent though.

After Sadie is kidnapped, drugged, and interrogated for hours, she is thrown into a world that she never could have imagined. She also starts to learn things about her own life and mother. With the help of her friends that she has acquired at Keating and a special boy from the boy’s equivalent of Keating, she has to save herself.

Without giving too much of a spoiler. I feel that a lot more could have been done with her boyfriend, Jeremy. This could have made the story much more suspenseful. This book is categorized as a thriller but I’m not sure if it quite falls into that. There is definitely some mystery though and I enjoyed those parts. There seemed to be quite a bit of research done to make this story more believable. I enjoy the writing and the story was successful in holding my interest. I would recommend this for older teens because there is drinking and some sexual references made.

The ending was good but it was sort of anti-climactic. I wasn’t too worried about what was going to happen. It was a quick read though and I finished it in one day. So I would still recommend it if you are into boarding schools and interrogations from hooded figures.


My Rating:
closer to a 3.5/5 star


*I received this book from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.