horror – Page 3 – One Chapter

Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

Written like true crime but truly fiction, I fell for this book quite a few times while I was reading it and I could’ve sworn that what I was reading had actually occurred. With the addition of the photographs, it was hard not to lean towards true crime as the authorities tried to find their serial killer and the body count kept creeping up.

I enjoyed the concept behind how the author put the book together. I liked how the author put the book together so it read like a true crime novel. I know that I checked the genre on this book at least a couple times just like I checked Daisy Jones and the Six when I read that book. These stories play tricks with us, they want us to believe them but then, where is the memory of such events in our heads?

I was looking forward to some impressive reading when I picked up this book after looking at the title and the synopsis, as it sounded scary and intense. After reading this book though, I felt disappointed. I enjoyed the book but I guess with all the glowing reviews, the title and the synopsis, I was expecting something grander. I guess I was expecting it to be a I-can’t-stop-thinking-about-this-book, with me sitting on the edge-of-my-seat and the words just flying across the page. There were also moments where I felt the author gave me information just to give me information, where I grew bored. I wanted to be scared and I wanted to devour this book. There were moments of mystery, intense and bizarre activity but nothing that frightened or alarmed me.

I wanted to know who was killing these young girls. I needed to know what sick individual would then, take the time to pose their victim’s mutilated dead bodies for others to find. Why? What was the purpose? With a fantastic cover and a unique style of writing, this book is by an author who has some amazing talent. 4 stars

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis

I try to go into my books blind, that added mystery as to lies before me, intrigues me. This book however, it bit me! I woke up early today as I had about thirty pages left and I had to know how it ended so. Well, this is book number one! What?!? I’m left hanging for a few months as the second book isn’t due out until then. Mindy left some important questions unanswered. She definitely had me in her grips, clearing some of my uncertainty as she connected each character to the story. I didn’t know what the final outcome would be, but I wasn’t thinking, it was going to be reading a second book.

In the town of Amontillado, time carries more weight than gold. It doesn’t matter how well-off your family is or what type of car you drive, what matters is how long you’ve been a resident of this small community. A stone pillar, engraved with Amontillado’s founding fathers has been placed in the center of town, so they will never be forgotten. You too will not forget some of Amontillado’s residents.

Seven years ago, both Felicity Turnado and Tress Montor had it all. Family, friends, money, and each other. Now, they’re both trying to discover what remains. Tress is currently living with Grandpa Cecil who runs an area animal attraction. My heart immediately broke as I read about her, as she can’t quite recall what happened that turned her world 180 degrees and no one will fill in the blanks for her. Her parents are gone but where exactly, did they go? Tress knows that there were four of them together that night and now, just the two of them remain. Yet, Felicity won’t say a thing and Tress doesn’t realize what that night also did to her.

Tress will try to make Felicity talk; she has her ways. As the perfect opportunity arises, Tress has Felicity right where she wants her. I felt that Tress wanted answers yet she also wanted revenge, she wanted Felicity to feel the pain that she has felt since that night. Felicity is at Tress’ mercy, the night in question begins the conversation but it doesn’t stop there. I too, wanted answers, I wanted them quickly, what happened that was so disturbing and caused so much denial? Just tell Tress what happened to her parents. What did Tress’ parents have to do with the girls not being friends anymore?

The emotions and energy that poured out of this book was intense. Told in a dual timeline, I thought these flashbacks helped build-up the story. In the current time period, Tress and Felicity were interacting under a stressful situation. As they brought up their past, we were whisked back in time to when these events actually took place. I wanted the best for them, but there were times that I really felt my sinister laugh coming through for the characters didn’t act like they deserved it. I can’t wait to finish this one, I need to know how this one ends………I mean really ends. 4.5 stars

Harrow County, Vol. 1: Countless Haints by Cullen Bunn

If you’re looking for an interesting, eerie story, I might have found the right one for you. I picked up this graphic novel based on the illustrations, which as a horror fan, I thought they were fabulous. I can see how some readers though, might find some of them disturbing. When you’re discussing ghosts, torturing a witch, a skinned boy, and a corpse, there’s bound to be some interesting illustrations. I felt that the storyline jumped a round a bit but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this story.

They didn’t just hang Hester in the tree, but they beat, shot, and stabbed the witch before finally setting her body on fire, to make sure that she would finally leave this world once and for all. As Hester’s body scorched the tree from which she hung, she told those in attendance that she would return and they should be ready, a vow that would hang over them.

Emmy lives with her Pa and in a few days, she’ll be turning 18. Is it a coincidence that Emmy has dreams of a tree and she sometimes feels that there’s something beside her? There’s something special about Emmy, she has a gift and I wasn’t quite sure what this was until I read further but I knew that she was using it for good. Emmy begins to wonder if she should find herself a man, now that she’s turning 18, which makes sense. Her Pa knew something and was suggesting that she stay with him on the farm as he needed help. Wait, wait, wait……what the heck is Emmy doing now? This is some twisted stuff and why is that all happening.

https://harrowcounty.bandcamp.com/album/harrow-county-vol-1

Sweet Emmy was such a nice person and now all this!?! Leaving me with a cliffhanger was not good either. I absolutely loved the illustrations in this graphic novel and then, just when I finally got the storyline all in sync, I now, have to find the second volume in this series. 4 stars

No Exit by Taylor Adams

I’ve read this book almost 2 books ago and I still can’t get this book out of my head. The ending of the book had more twists than a rollercoaster and boy, do I love rollercoasters. Once the adrenaline rush came, it came crashing down on me again and again, as Darby struggled to outwit her opponents in a war where she mentally or physically she could not rest.

I don’t like snow or driving in snow yet where I live the possibility of snow is about 40% to 50% of my entire year. It’s the unpredictability of snow and how other individuals behave in the snow, that makes me not like to drive in it. Sitting behind the wheel with Darby, the snow creating a lacey veil for the struggling car to stay onto the assigned path, I’m finding myself, holding my breath. Darby was stressed before hitting the road and now, the weather just adds to her frustration. Since receiving the news, Darby just wanted to see her mother but now, just finding somewhere to park her car for a bit, would be a great relief. When the windshield wiper flew off her car, I knew she was in trouble and as she limped into the rest area parking lot, I thought if she could at least stay in her vehicle, she would be fine. But, had she pack her car for winter driving? I had a feeling that she didn’t.

Oh Darby! Making her way into the rest area, Darby takes in her surroundings. The individuals hanging around inside and the location of different parts of this rest area. When she hears that they’ve closed some of the roads due to the blizzard, she immediately began assessing the situation. I wish she would’ve been this detailed before hitting the road, for I think it might have helped her considerably. Darby is now stuck at a rest area with some total strangers, with no cell service and with a phone that’s almost dead. They won’t be coming to clear the roads for quite some time and when Darby goes back outside, she notices someone caged in a van. Yes, I said caged and this someone is a small girl.

Who is this girl? Which one of the individuals inside the rest area owns the van? Oh, the questions just start coming as nothing about what has just transpired is good. Darby can’t keep still as she needs to do something to correct the situation but where does she begin?

Thank goodness that Darby has an almost dead cell phone and no, my friends she hadn’t packed her car for winter driving nor had she prepared herself for any type of an emergency before she left. She’s surrounded by a blizzard, alone, confronted with a nightmare which she has to put an end to tonight.

This was a fantastic, high-energy book. It definitely got my adrenaline going and it still gets me pumped up when I think about it. I would recommend it but with a warning, you might not get any sleep once you start it.

They Threw Us Away by Daniel Kraus

Why? Just why, would anyone throw a teddy bear away? The whole cover of this book grabbed my attention from the fun text fonts used, to the unique teddies on the front who seemed to be in a wasteland, to how the author made this topic into a series, I had to know more. Enter the world of Furringon Teddies. Where a group of five teddies finally make it free out into the world and realize, perhaps they being inside the store was better.

When Buddy wakes up, he finds that he’s no longer trapped. It hot, bright and he’s sitting. As he moves his paws to shield his eyes, he makes a huge discover, he can actually move his paws! He’s always been upright, bounded by white plastic cords but now, he could physically move every part of his body! He’s made it outside the store! The teddies in the store have always wondered about this place.

Hearing something, Buddy spies a box that looks familiar. Disappointed that it’s not his own box, Buddy realizes that it’s an identical box and there’s 3 more of them close by. Buddy has found 4 other Teddies like himself. They can’t stand around after Buddy releases them as there’s a group of gulls moving towards them. How did this group of five end up in the trashlands? They read their boxes later, hoping to find clues, and they realize a few things about themselves. They’re supposed to “snuggle, cuddle, nap, sleep” and not talk, walk, get in trouble, and be mean. The group decides that they need to get out of the trashlands but as teddies, is any place safe?

This book was different than how I thought it would be. I liked how detailed the author was with setting the book up and how he shares that information. There’s Reginald, he’s a gray teddy. He has a lot of knowledge, he’s been on the shelf the longest, and he’s also the cautious one. Then, there’s Sugar. Her box had a “sticker reading damaged merchandise” which had affected the box that she was found in and her face. Her actions and the way that others reacted to her were different than the other characters. Her actions at the end of this book surprised me. These are just some of the subtle ways that the author “tells” the reader about the world that they’re painting for them.

It’s quite a journey for the group as they make their way out, the store shelves are long gone. They’re no longer the Furrington Teddies they once were. I was surprised at how dark this book became as they were met with outside influences.

I liked how this story flowed and the variety of characters but I think my main issue was the use of the teddy bear characters. For it being a children’s book, I became concerned for those who would be upset when they were reading it and suddenly, they came upon a section that they weren’t prepared for. If I think along the lines of Toy Story, where dangerous situations happen to those characters, to me, those characters are toys. Toys fall apart, you put them back together. Toys get their voices and attitudes from the children who play with them, typically. These are teddy bears, most individuals think of teddy bears as sweet, loveable, huggable animals.

I did think the ending was sweet and I look forward to the next book. Make sure you know your reader before handing this book to them.

The Institute by Stephen King

I haven’t read a Stephen King book in a long time and I do believe, this is the first SK book that I have listened to. I remember reading him back in the 1980’s, for he was the master of creepy. As I listened to this book, it wasn’t like the SK that I remembered, this was a slow burn for me. I got attached to the main character of Luke and I felt protective of him.

I liked how there were very few characters in this book. I really enjoyed the character of Luke and his personality. He was only 12-years old yet you would never know that. I enjoyed all the little references in the book that brought back memories. It’s always fun when an author adds some fun information into the book. I thought the audio was very good. I was nervous about reading a SK book again but I’m glad that I did. I should now read a Dean Koontz book as he was my other favorite thriller writer from the 80’s.

MonsterStreet: Camp of No Return by J.H. Reynolds

Every time I read one of these MonsterStreet books, I swear it’s the best one that I have read. So, I will say it again, these books just keep getting better and better! I’m hooked on this series! Every time that I hear that a new one is coming out, I’m all over it, just waiting for release day and I’m over 50 years old. This book had it all. It had the creep factor, the suspense, the cliff hangers at the ends of some of the chapters and fantastic characters. Do you need to start at the beginning of this series to enjoy this? No, but I guarantee that you’ll be inhaling them, once you start reading them.

As you read books in this series, you’ll come across aspects in the mystery that you know or you feel that you know, are not as scary as they come across. What I like about this series is that the author, dismisses many of these aspects immediately, instead of letting them add up, and then dismissing them later in the book. An example: if a character in the book finds a cloth with red liquid on it. Instead of having the reader believe that this cloth is a bloody towel throughout the book, the author lets the characters uncover what the cloth might be immediately and dismisses it as a napkin with ketchup on it. I feel that helps put the important pieces of the mystery together in the book.

Riding to summer camp on the bus, a few of the kids, made friends. They each felt special, as they were amongst a selected group to be invited to Camp Moon Lake. It was said to be magical yet they have promised, like all previous campers before them, not to disclose what occurs while at camp.

When Brodie tells Harper and Darla the rumor that he heard about the camp, this summer camp just took on a chill. As a fog smothers the camp and a scream welcomes the campers, this week at camp will be one that everyone will remember.

I enjoyed the horror aspects of this for young readers. No blood or gore but I would know your audience before letting young elementary children read this. Some children might not be able to handle it, and I’d hate to hear about someone having a nightmare. If a child is able to distinguish reality from everything else, they should be okay reading this. I’m not going to go into what this book was about as I don’t want to spoil it. I really loved the book and the ending was amazing! I can’t wait for the next one!

Issues: bullying, friendship, family,

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

I liked how this book had an eerie feeling to it as I read it. When I finish reading a novel, I always take a few minutes to look at the novel’s cover to see if what I had just read, matches what the outside looks like. When I looked at this book’s cover, I realized that this cover described this book perfectly. It was everything: from that deer, to the variety of texts, to the use of shadowing and the dark colors chosen on the cover, this was the novel. I thought this novel had a taunting, shadowy feeling which I really enjoyed. I never knew what would happen when I turned the next page.

The novel is about what happened when four Native American guys were out hunting one day. It was the last time these four guys would be together hunting. Cass was driving, the weather was getting bad, but they couldn’t stop now, they wanted to end their season on a high note. They were hunting elk and they went into an area that was off-limits to them. Yeah, I was thinking all kinds of problems now but nothing like what was coming.

It’s been ten years since that day that the boys went hunting. Out hunting that day, Cass told his friends that he would take the heat for whatever happened that day but it doesn’t work that way because every single one of them was involved and they’ll all pay a price.

I like how Jones lets us get to know the characters. Jones has a unique style of writing. I love the times when I get so involved in my reading that I yearn to be inside the book and get the full effect. With Jones’ writing, I wanted to jump inside his book and witness first-hand what was transpiring. I wanted to see the characters faces, see exactly everything that they’re seeing and witness the events. This was an entertaining read for me.

Thank you to BookishFirst for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bazaar of Bad Dreams (audio) by Stephen King

This was one great collection of stories! I listened to them in my car as I drove around and there were many, that after I got done listening to them, had earned the title of the “best story in the whole book” award. I would like to revisit this title in the near future.

I had heard a few of these titles before yet to listen to hours of King’s work was a treat. I liked how King narrated the novel, telling me a bit about each book before that book was read by another individual. This gave a personal touch to the novel and I felt we had made a connection. His stories still amaze me, they each just reach that boundary which we normally don’t cross. We don’t venture too far into this area but just enough to make the experience worthwhile.

It was a long book, the CD’s just kept coming out of the case but it was well worth it. I’ll definitely revisit King Bad Dreams in the future.

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly

Creepy, weird, and the details……this book was right up my alley! I’d read that this book shouldn’t be read in the dark but I’ve read that statement many other times for other books which I felt didn’t actually apply but this book, it’s twisted so dark would be perfect. I can’t tell you how many times I chatted, shouted and questioned this book while reading it, I really needed to step away from this book but I just couldn’t.

So, what made this so grand? First, let me tell you that the story moves quickly, which I enjoyed. The book starts off swiftly and it doesn’t let up until the very end. As I was speeding along, flipping the pages, there were times that I was shaking my head, and yelling at the main character Dixie, as I couldn’t believe what she was doing, she had to be crazy!

What happened? When Dixie was 18-months-old, her father killed their entire family and then, committed suicide. Dixie lost her parents and her four siblings that day and was then, raised by her Aunt Celia who has never really told Dixie about that day. Guess what? Dixie is an adult now and her childhood home is for sale, so she visits it.

Yeah, it should be okay, she was 18-months-old when her life was turned upside down inside that house, she was too little to remember. Except, Dixie doesn’t see the houses best features on her showing but something more personal and startling. She still falls in love with the house and she buys it! Of course, she does! Talk about strange. The creepy doesn’t stop there though, as it’s Dixie’s LUCKY day and she’s blessed with the actual furniture that her parents kept in that house. Her relatives are so thoughtful and saved it. If you are thinking what I thought, you are correct, what is wrong with her?

The fun or bizarre activity continued and I just couldn’t stop gripping the sides of this book. The book is very descriptive (which I loved) but it’s not done in a disgusting and/or exaggerated way. I enjoyed the way the author kept the book moving forward, how there were reveals along the way so I could check things off that were going on inside my head as I tried to figure out exactly what was happening. There were not a lot of characters in this book either. I liked the author’s execution and her style and I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future.

I liked the journey that I took while reading this book, it’s not always about if someone can solve the book early or not. It’s about the journey.