Publication Date: 5th October 2021 (US) / 28th October 2021 (UK) by Little, Brown
Format: Netgalley ARC
Target Audience: Middle Grade
Goodreads • Amazon • Blackwells • Barnes and Noble • Book Depository • Waterstones
Synopsis
Rating
Thursday, 7 October 2021
Book Review + Favourite Quotes (Blog Tour) | Dust & Grim by Chuck Wendig
Thursday, 23 September 2021
Book Review + Playlist (Blog Tour) | To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames
Format: Netgalley ARC
Target Audience: Young Adult
Goodreads • Amazon • Blackwells • Barnes and Noble • Book Depository
Content warnings: Gore! lots of gore/blood (human and animal), body horror (human and animal), claustrophobia, hallucinations/nightmares, death, animal death, parent death (mentioned), parental conflict (being afraid of a parent), mention of alcohol/drinking, mention of self - harm, mention of divorce, mental illness (perceived/actual), mention of child death/killing, mention of suicide, drow ning, paranormal activity.
Synopsis
Moon Basin has been haunted for as long as anyone can remember. It started when an explosion in the mine kil led sixteen people. The disaster made it impossible to live in town, with underground fires spewing ash into the sky. But life in New Basin is just as fraught. The ex - mining town relies on its haunted reputation to bring in tourists, but there’s more truth to the rumours than most are willing to admit, and the mine still has a hold on everyone who lives there. Clem and Nina form a perfect loop — best friends forever, and perhaps something more. Their circle opens up for a strange girl named Lisey with a knack for training crows, and Piper, whose father is fascinated with the mine in a way that’s anything but ordinary. The people of New Basin start experiencing strange phenomena — sleepwalking, night terrors, voices that only they can hear. And no matter how many vans of ghost hunters roll through, nobody can get to the bottom of what’s really going on. Which is why the girls decide to enter the mine themselves.
Rating
My Thoughts
Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Book Review (Blog Tour) | Wicked Little Deeds by Kat Ellis
Publication Date: 5th August 2021 (UK) by Penguin
Format: Netgalley ARC
Target Audience: Young Adult
Goodreads • Waterstones • Blackwells
Content warnings: on page death, parental death.
Synopsis
From its creepy town mascot to the story of its cursed waterfall, Burden Falls is a small town dripping with superstition. Ava Thorn knows this well - since the horrific accident she witnessed a year ago, she's been plagued by nightmares.
But when someone close to her is brutally murdered and Ava is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction.
Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there's a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns...
Rating
My Thoughts
Thursday, 19 November 2020
Book Review | Horrid by Katrina Leno
Title: Horrid
Author: Katrina Leno • Author's Site
Publication Date: 15th September 2020 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Owned Physical Copy
Target Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Goodreads • Waterstones • Blackwells
Trigger and Content Warnings: pica (mostly xylophagia/paper, but mention of hair and flowers, too), loss of a parent/sibling/child, scenes with blood, panic attacks
Following her father's death, Jane North-Robinson and her mom move from sunny California to the dreary, dilapidated old house in Maine where her mother grew up. All they want is a fresh start, but behind North Manor's doors lurks a history that leaves them feeling more alone...and more tormented.
As the cold New England autumn arrives, and Jane settles in to her new home, she finds solace in old books and memories of her dad. She steadily begins making new friends, but also faces bullying from the resident "bad seed," struggling to tamp down her own worst nature in response. Jane's mom also seems to be spiraling with the return of her childhood home, but she won't reveal why. Then Jane discovers that the "storage room" her mom has kept locked isn't for storage at all--it's a little girl's bedroom, left untouched for years and not quite as empty of inhabitants as it appears....
Is it grief? Mental illness? Or something more...horrid?
Rating
Friday, 13 November 2020
Book Review | My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
Title: My Best Friend's Exorcism
Author: Grady Hendrix • Author's Site
Publication Date: 17th May 2016 by Quirk Books
Format: Owned Physical Copy
Target Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Goodreads • Waterstones • Blackwells
Trigger Warnings: Attempted suicide, child abuse (physical, on page), references to sexual assault, drug use.
The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act...different. She's moody. She's irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she's nearby. Abby's investigation leads her to some startling discoveries--and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?
Rating
My Thoughts
“By the power of Phil Collins, I rebuke you!”
This was my most anticipated read of October and boy, did it not disappoint. As soon as I saw people talking about this book in, I think it was late 2018/early 2019, I knew I had to get my hands on it purely because I am completely infatuated with everything 80's. Plus, look at that cover! Look how amazing it is, I love the design so much!
This is a YA horror/paranormal book that is set in the late 80's and follows two childhood best friends, Abby and Gretchen. After they try acid for the first time, that's when things start to get weird. Abby notices changes in Gretchen's behaviour that can only be explained by one thing; Gretchen has been possessed by the devil. Abby makes it her mission to drive this demon from her friend at any cost.
I'll admit it took me a while to get into the writing and the plot but after a couple of chapters I was completely sucked in. The events that happen in this book are so wacky and completely ridiculous so I can understand why it won't be to everyone's taste but it's exactly the kind of weird that I like.
The friendship between Abby and Gretchen is the main focal point and it's truly a great friendship. I loved that we got to see their relationship develop from kids to teenagers. It was incredibly relatable, they bond over obscure interests (E.T., Phil Collins and shit parents!) and you truly felt the depth of their bond. I never once doubted their friendship or thought they wouldn't go to the ends of the earth for each other.
It's jam packed with 80's references as you'd expect and I was living for it! I wasn't even born until 1996 but something about the 80's is just so appealing to me. The colours and the music and the films, it's just everything that I love. The chapter titles were 80's songs, roller skating was still a massive deal and big, big hair was in! The dialogue and atmosphere, it all felt genuine to the decade. Hendrix also did a great job of portraying the teenage angst of high school, the obsession of wanting to fit in and the petty bitchiness that emerges in friendship groups.
I don't want to talk too much about the horror side because, spoilers, but I will say it's executed and paced really well. It's mixed in with the other adolescent drama and neither side felt overpowering. The conclusion worked so well and it was a rare book that I loved the ending of.
This is just such a fun book, it's humerous and relatable and kinda gross at times. I'm already itching to pick up another of Grady Hendrix's books so I'll just leave you with this little message...
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