Review: The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco

Series: The Girl from the Well, #1
Release Date: August 5, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Format: Hardcover/e-galley
Genre: Young Adult - Horror
Source: NetGalley
Author: Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

You may think me biased, being murdered myself. But my state of being has nothing to do with the curiosity toward my own species, if we can be called such. We do not go gentle, as your poet encourages, into that good night.

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret - one that would just kill to get out.

The Girl from the Well is A YA Horror novel pitched as "Dexter" meets "The Grudge", based on a well-loved Japanese ghost story.

I read this book over a year ago, right when my blog pretty much stopped because I had gotten a new job. So this review is strictly going off memory. I entertained myself on my lunch break by reading this book since I didn't really know anyone there. It did a fine job and made my lunch go by way too quickly.

The Girl from the well is told from the POV of Okiku, the ghost of a young girl that was murdered and thrown down a well. She hunts murderers, specifically child killers. She has a special way of killing the men, which are very creepy. Those were definitely my favorite scenes in the book. A little back story, The Ring and The Grudge are two movies that scare the crap out of me. Those dead Japanese girls are just way to creepy. So naturally, since that is what they compared this book too, that is what I was picturing in my head the entire time. If those movies don’t scare you then you probably won’t find this book quite as creepy as I did.

The other main character in the book is Tarquin, a half Japanese tattooed boy. He doesn’t know much about his past but that his mother is dead and she tried to strangle him numerous times when he was little. He also has strange tattoos that he is constantly trying to hide. Okiku is drawn to this boy and she is unsure why. She finds herself becoming attached to him and has an almost need to protect him from the dark shadow that follows him.

Chupeco did a great job incorporating Japanese culture into the story. Her writing style really added to the creepiness of the book also. This was a fantastic debut. I believe this is just going to be a duology, which I enjoy much more than a series. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, although I’m not sure on the direction that will go (I haven’t read the synopsis yet).

In the end, I highly recommend this book. If you are into this type of story then I believe you will really enjoy this one.  

*This book was provided by NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

Wishlist Wednesday #89

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop hosted by Dani at Pen to Paper Blog where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wish-list for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wish-list and onto our wonderful shelves.

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

Release Date: September 15, 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 400
Genre: Young Adult – Mystery, Horror
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

Three students: dead.

Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace.

Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, "the girl of nowhere."

Kaitlyn's diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn't exist, and in a way, she doesn't - because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson.

Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It's during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it.

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich masterfully weaves together a thrilling and terrifying story using psychiatric reports, witness testimonials, video footage, and the discovered diary - and as the mystery grows, the horrifying truth about what happened that night unfolds.

When I first started watching Booktube videos again this book was making the rounds. Since I am a major fan of Young Adult horror/mystery this caught my interest right away. I love the creepy look of the cover and the synopsis sounds great. Not to mention I love finding a new debut author.

I have heard some mixed reviews on this book which is the one downfall. Many of the people say that it isn’t as scary as it seems it would be and that is a letdown for people. I have also heard some people say they got bored while reading it. I of course can’t wait to get my hands on it so I can find out for myself!

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts on it?

Review: The Fall by Bethany Griffin

The Fall by Bethany Griffin

Release Date: October 7^th 2014
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books
Format: eArc
Pages: 400
Genre: Young Adult – Horror, Historical fiction
Source: Edelweiss
Author: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The BookDepository
Add it: Goodreads

Madeline Usher is doomed.

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.

In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

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

Madeline Usher and her twin brother are cursed. They live in a house that is cursed. Only people who have Usher blood are drawn to the house all the way down to the servants and cooks. The house is falling apart and everyday something new is breaking, fraying, or covered in dust. The house chooses a new person to pass the curse onto. Madeline has always been close with the house. She feels what the house feels. She would fly high on the swing without her legs moving. Her father was slowly slipping into madness, her mother was an evil woman with a love for her brother, and her brother was afraid of the dark but never believed in the house. Her brother is sent off to a boarding school to protect him leaving Madaline with the relentless doctors that poke and proud her. All the while she is slowly slipping into the sickness.

The Fall is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and it was wonderfully written. As for accuracy compared to Poe’s story, I don’t know because I haven’t read it but the settings were eerie (especially the attic) and I was totally pulled in by the prologue.  The chapters of the book jump time frames from when Madeline was a young girl to pages in a diary she found and then to her present day. This continues until about half way through the book and then it just stays in the present time. Since there is so much time jumping this results in a ton of short chapters. I am all for short chapters because I feel like I am reading really fast, which was good because I felt sort of just blah throughout the book. Now don’t get me wrong, it was a good book, but for some reason I just wasn’t feeling it as much as I had hoped I would. There were definitely some good parts but it wasn’t everything I thought it would be. I did read Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin and I had really enjoyed that one so I’m not sure what it was about this.

I recommend picking this one up If you enjoy Poe retellings, historical fiction, or if you have read Griffin’s books before. It was a quick read, even for the length. Now this is classified as horror but I wouldn’t put it quite that far. I was never scared while reading this book so don’t let that put you off. Even though this wasn't my favorite book I still plan on picking up whatever else Bethany Griffin writes next.

Review: Nil by Lynne Matson

Nil by Lynne Matson

Series: Nil, #1
Release Date: March 4th 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt
Format: e-galley
Pages: 384
Genre: Young Adult – Science Fiction,
Source: Netgalley
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

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

Charley was just minding her own business while walking through a parking lot when all of a sudden she she’s a bright flash of light and searing heat. Then everything goes black. Then Charley is awake in a different location, and she’s naked and terrified. Finally finding clothes and eventually finding people, she finds out she is on a island that they call Nil. When you are on Nil you have 365 days to get back home. Those who find the portals in time get to leave, those that don’t never come back. Not only human’s come through the portals either. Thad is view point number two. He has been on the island for 266 days. Naturally, the two hit it off and the rest of the book is the two of them trying to save each other.

I always like books more when they have two viewpoints. I really like it when one is a boy and one is a girl so this was a plus for me during the book. Thad and Charley are two of the very few constants in this book since so many people are coming and going throughout the story. This is very much a survival based story since it is just a bunch of teens that are thrown onto an unknown island. All the information they have is passed down from person to person. There are obviously no older people here and because of all that there is pretty much no world building. You just have to kind of accept it all.

Another thing I liked about the book was that at the beginning of each chapter it showed how many days each of them had been there. This added a sort of urgency to find out whether they were going to make it or not. The further along the book went the less days they had and the more you started to wander. However, since I write non-spoiler reviews I won’t go into too much description but the ending was sort of silly for me. I’m not sure how I would have done it differently since I’m not a writer but I felt it was a little unbelievable, even if you had to throw out your believability at the beginning of the book.  

This was a quick, easy, book; I read the majority of it in one day (although my Goodreads doesn’t say that). I have seen that some people thought it was a long boring read though so I recommend picking it up and at least giving it a try.  I have to give this book some props because it was the only book that I picked up and read during the month of June so that has to say something. I think I will pick up the next book from the library if I remember. Goodread's says it comes out in May of 2015 and it looks to be about two different people on the Island.

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

9. Doll Bones by Holly Black

8. The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

7. Ten by Gretchen McNeil

6. The Madman’s Daughter Trilogy by Megan Shepherd

5. Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend

4. Hushed by Kelley York

3. Enclave Trilogy by Ann Aguirre

2. Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

1. Frost by Marianna Baer

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??

Review: This One Summer by Mariko & Jillian Tamaki

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
Illustrator: Jillian Tamaki

Release Date: May 6th 2014
Publisher:  First Second
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult – Graphic Novel, Realistic fiction
Source: Library
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. It's a summer of secrets and sorrow and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

In This One Summer two stellar creators redefine the teen graphic novel. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of her teen age—a story of renewal and revelation.

I can’t really say that I was disappointed in this book because I didn’t really have any expectations for it. I went into it completely blind. I had only picked it up from the library because I had heard someone talk about it before. If my memory serves me right though, that person wasn’t the biggest fan of it either so I guess I went into the book knowing that.

The first main point about a graphic novel is the artwork. Obviously the artwork can really make or break a graphic novel. I enjoyed the artwork in this book it was pretty standard drawing but instead of being different shades of gray, it had a blue hue to it. This was different from any other graphic novel I have read so I did enjoy that. The book has different types of panels, such as square and rectangle, but it also has full page and double full page pictures also. That was pretty much all I enjoyed about the book though.

The story itself was pretty boring to me. It follows around a young girl, Rose, who has been coming to this lake house with her family for many years. She has a friend that she has made over the years that also has been coming to the lake. However, this girl is two years younger than her and you can tell in the story that the girl is a little more immature than the main character. I felt like Rose was sometimes sort of a jerk to her friend Windy. Rosie’s parents are having problems of their own while at the house and you can see how Rosie is dealing with everything. Rosie and Windy have distracted themselves with rated R movies from a boy that works at the convenience shop, a boy that Rosie has a crush on. Too bad this boy has some problems of his own. The story has both speech bubbles and a stream of conscience from the main character.

That’s pretty much the whole story. Nothing outstanding happens, it’s really just the story of a young girl’s summer. I almost put it down but the fact that it was a graphic novel made me keep reading because I knew it wouldn’t take me that long to finish it. If this had been a novel I definitely would have put it down. If you are going to pick it up, I would recommend it from the library. That way you save yourself some money if you aren't that crazy about it. 

My Rating:

Review: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Series: The Sweet Trilogy, #3

Release Date: April 29th 2014
Publisher:  HarperTeen
Format: egalley
Pages: 379
Genre: Young Adult – Paranormal Romance
Source: Edelweiss
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

*This is a review of the second book and it may contain spoilers.*

This book was so so good. I marathoned this trilogy straight through and even bought this book on the day it came out just so I would be able to go back and re-read parts that I enjoyed. That’s how good I thought it was. THE FEELS! I have to say this review is probably not going to be one of my bests (I’m pretty much just gonna say how much I love the book) because I actually read the book a couple months ago and I was so excited to read it that I didn’t even take notes. I was just flying through it. That says a lot since I think this is one of the only paranormal books I have read. Paranormal is just not my genre. Angels and Demons I apparently like though.

Ok anyway, on to the sort of review. This was probably my favorite book out of the trilogy. Even though I thought they were all great. Kaidan and Anna’s relationship in this book is fantastic and man there are a couple of steamy scenes and the ending was wow. Wendy Higgins is a fantastic writer and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. There is actually going to be a fourth book to this trilogy, which is going to be a companion novel, in Kaidan’s POV. AHHH I’m dying right now. Make sure and check out the short stories that Wendy wrote on her website that have certain scenes from Kaidan’s POV. I loved those so I’m sure that will be great too.

I completely recommend this trilogy and if you haven’t checked it out you should do so now. If you are hesitant on paranormal books like I was then at least go check it out from the library. It will be totally worth it.

My Rating:

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

Wishlist Wednesday #82

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop hosted by Dani at Pen to Paper Blog where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wish-list for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wish-list and onto our wonderful shelves.








Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: April 15th 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 384
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary, Mystery
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

So, I’m not going to lie, when this book was making its rounds as an ARC I totally judged it by its cover. Which you should never do! But I saw a ballerina on the US cover and immediately thought, “No thanks, I’ll pass.” The more I heard about it though, the more I became interested. It sounds good and has excellent ratings on Goodreads, so I need it. I really enjoy memory loss books, especially if they are written well. So I now I can’t wait to get my hands on this!

Have you read this book yet? What are your thoughts on it?