Review: House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy

Summary:

Akin to Jennifer McMahon’s The Winter People and Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box, House of Echoes is a debut thriller populated by achingly sympathetic characters, charged with psychological suspense, and rich with a small town’s strange history.

A young New York City couple with a boy and a baby in tow, Ben and Caroline Tierney had it all…until Ben’s second novel missed the mark, Caroline lost her lucrative banking job, and something went wrong with 8-year-old Charlie. When Ben inherits land way upstate from his grandmother, the two of them began to believe in second chances. But upon arriving in Swannhaven, a town that seems to have been forgotten by time, they’re beset by strange sights and disconcerting developments…and they begin to realize they might have made their worst mistake yet. But what dark secret is buried in this odd place? And will Ben and Caroline figure it out soon enough to save their young family?

Publication Date: April 14, 2015

This was a good debut with a few twists I never saw coming. I liked the creepy rural atmosphere and the mysteries surrounding the property inherited by Ben and Caroline.

The characters were good enough and I liked how they had that everyman sort of appeal. I could picture any family reacting the same way they had to the horrors they encounter after their move.

The pace was a little slow for me, but I think the author intended to gradually build the tension in the story. However, I felt like some mundane details about the couple’s life could’ve been left out to make the story flow better.

The animal mutilation stuff freaked me out and the author did make me think several times the book was going in a totally different direction than I expected. He definitely made good use of red herrings. The ending wasn’t bad, but not exactly how I saw the plotline being tied up.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Goodreads Summary:

What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.

Publication: July 22, 2014

Welcome to the Dark House was a pleasant surprise. Young adult horror books are usually hit or miss for me and I was excited that I ended up liking this novel much more than I expected. It actually reminded me a little bit of Ten by Gretchen McNeill—another YA horror book I enjoyed.

The beginning of the book was very scary. Ivy’s nightmares were disturbing and I felt for her as she revealed the horrors she had been through. It was a great start because I could feel the dread building as I continued to read.

I liked most of the characters and it was fun to see all of the contestants’ unique personalities clash or bond when they came together. Garth Vader (gotta love that name) was a scene-stealer and I loved the sweet earnestness of Ivy’s love interest Parker.

The POV switches made me confused often. I was reading an ARC, so I’m assuming the final copy will be labeled with the character’s name at the chapter start to prevent the reader from having to figure out exactly who was narrating. All of the contestants have their own chapters and I found it to be a little overkill. I would’ve preferred the story to be only told from Ivy’s, Parker’s, and Garth’s point of view.

The scares were good, but not anything I couldn’t stomach (I’m more of a horror-lite reader). The Nightmare Elf wasn’t very scary to me. For some reason, I ended up picturing him looking like Link from The Legend of Zelda games and couldn’t get the image out of my head and it took away from his creepiness factor.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to fans of teen horror. The finale was open-ended enough that I’m hoping there will be a follow-up to give the plot more closure.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Sorrow's Point by Danielle DeVor

Goodreads Summary:

Not all exorcists are created equal- especially those that are “marked”.

When defrocked ex-priest, Jimmy Holiday, agrees to help an old friend with his sick daughter, Lucy, Jimmy doesn’t expect the horrors that await him. Blackmoor, his friend’s new residence, rests upon the outskirts of the town of Sorrow’s Point. The mansion’s history of magic, mayhem, and death makes it almost a living thing – a haunted mansion straight out of Flowers in the Attic. Jimmy must decide if Lucy is only ill, or if the haunting of the house and her apparent possession is real.

After the house appears to affect him as well; seeing colors of magic when rooms of the house are warded by a witch and his voice taking on a power he doesn’t understand, Jimmy is met by a transient who tells him he has “the Mark”. Whatever being “marked” means, Jimmy doesn’t care. All he wants to do is help Lucy. Helping Lucy means performing the exorcism.

Jimmy knows the ceremony, but it's belief that matters. And if a demon is using a little girl as a meatsuit, his faith had better be strong enough to kick it back to Hell. Otherwise, he might damn them both.

Publication Date: October 15, 2013

Sorrow’s Point was probably one of the most terrifying books I’ve ever read. For me, there’s something so horrifying about innocent little kids being taken over by something dark and evil. It’s one of the reasons I consider Children of the Corn and The Exorcist the scariest movies I’ve ever seen and I was definitely reminded of the latter while reading Sorrow’s Point.

Sorrow’s Point is a book that I could easy see brought to life on screen. It just had such a movie feel to it as the tension gradually builds after the startling first chapter flashback. I liked the setup of a young girl being possessed and an ex-priest being approached to help cure her.

Characterizations were phenomenal and I had no problem picturing Jimmy and Lucy and her family in my mind. I liked how the author tied the characters together in interesting ways. I also enjoyed the switches between past and present and how the author gave subtle hints along the way about the mysteries surrounding Sorrow’s Point and the Black family.

The book is a page-turner, but definitely not for the faint of heart. There were a few chilling scenes that will leave me with nightmares for weeks. The author is one to watch and I’m going to check out her other novels available.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review: Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

Goodreads Summary:

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?
Red Hill grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

As far as zombie novels, I’ve read a few clunkers lately and I was glad Red Hill didn’t fall into that category. There were some very creepy scenes and I loved that the author chose to focus on the human element and the changes in people, both good and bad, when faced with the end of the world.

Red Hill had a weaker beginning and end with a super strong middle. The zombie outbreak happened way too fast for believability and wasn’t fully fleshed out. I also would’ve liked more characterization with Scarlet. Since the driving force behind her storyline is finding her daughters, I would’ve preferred to see more of their relationship to fully invest in her quest.

Once the main characters headed towards Red Hill, the story really took off. It was told in three POVS (more than two I normally find unnecessary) but it worked for this book, especially when the lives of the characters intersected. There were a few scenes where I almost wanted to put the book down because the tension was almost too much to take. I became invested in the characters fully and my heart broke when some of them lost their lives. The author’s descriptive writing was able to draw me into the story and I squirmed as I read the portions about the zombie attacks.

The ending wasn’t my favorite and I actually started to dislike many of the characters once the storylines merged. Between a love triangle and a case of insta-love, I was a little put off. I wished the epilogue were cut out altogether.  Without posting spoilers, I just felt like it was too far-fetched and cheesy. I’m actually wondering if I’m beginning to dislike epilogues altogether since I felt the same way at the end of Walking Disaster.

Despite a few issues with the storyline, I still enjoyed the book. It was the perfect Halloween read and it was cool to see the author try her hand at a completely new genre.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this novel for review!

The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak-Blog Tour Stop and Review

Title: The Harvesting

Author: Melanie Karsak

Release date: September 18, 2012

Age Group:  New Adult/Adult

Genre: Horror and Fantasy, Zombie

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Links to find/buy the book:

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/The-Harvesting-ebook/dp/B009GI3YBY/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/252992

Goodreads -  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16045246-the-harvesting

 From the author: I was interviewed on a local TV show, a Halloween special, about zombies.  I am first up in the special and I talk about zombies in general and the novel in particular--and I have horrible posture and they made me wear my t-shirt--but this might be something nice for people to watch if they are interested in the paranormal.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGHrhTv5YAA

Book Description:

“To label this a zombie book would be a false pretense . . . this is so much more than that. What you start out with and what you end up with are very different, and those twists and turns in the middle will make your heart beat faster over and over again."-- Colossal Pop

It's all fun and games until someone ends up undead.

Though Layla reluctantly returns home to rural Hamletville after a desperate call from her psychic grandmother, she could never have anticipated the horror of what Grandma Petrovich has foreseen. The residents of Hamletville will need Layla's help if they are to survive the zombie apocalypse that's upon them. But that is not the only problem. With mankind silenced, it soon becomes apparent that we were never alone. As the beings living on the fringe seek to reclaim power, Layla must find a way to protect the ones she loves or all humanity may be lost.

Follow the tour here: http://wp.me/p20ttU-1eO

About the Author

Melanie Karsak, steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and caffeine junkie, resides in Florida with her husband and two children. Melanie is the author of "The Harvesting" series. Visit the author at her blog, melaniekarsak.blogspot.com, to learn more about upcoming projects, book signings, and other neato things.

Social Media links:

http://melaniekarsak.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak

https://twitter.com/MelanieKarsak

My Review:

The Harvesting surpassed my expectations and it’s definitely a series to watch. I think the author has a talent for creating realistic characters in extreme situations. I was never bored and the plot kept me guessing.

I was definitely skeptical at first starting this book. I was thinking it was just another zombie novel that would get lost in my head along with the slew of other zombie books I’ve read lately. I was wrong. The zombie apocalypse at the start of the novel sets off a chain reaction for other supernatural beings to pop up and prey on the survivors.

Layla was such a cool badass heroine. She takes no crap and is shooting at and chopping up zombies from the get go. Her Russian grandmother is a hoot too and she had some of the best lines in the book. There’s a love triangle between Layla and two brothers in the novel, but it was pretty clear early on who’s right for her. The romance was secondary and didn’t take away from the action.

The pace is quick which usually isn’t a problem, but I felt some parts were rushed. I was also a little puzzled by the end, but since it is a series, it will probably segue right into the next installment.

I would recommend this book highly to fans of horror and paranormal books. I loved the world building and there were also some great incidences of black humor. Melanie’s debut is a standout!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I received a copy of this novel as part of a blog tour through ATOMR Tours.

Tour Giveaway:

(1) eBook of THE HARVESTING (International) and (1) eBook or Print copy of THE HARVESTING and theme t-shirt (US/Canada)

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