Book Review: Rolling in the Deep/Into the Drowning Deep (Mira Grant)

I am a creature of habit, what can I say? I am continuously drawn to the same types of books with the same types of antagonists. I read serial killer thrillers and psychological thrillers by the bagful and relish in their twisty plots and realistic horror. So, imagine my surprise when one of the knockout books of the year for me came from Mira Grant and featured killer mermaids.

That’s right people. Killer. Mermaids.

Who knew?!

Chelsea (from The Suspense Is Thrilling Me) actually recommended this book and, I have to admit, I was a little hesitant to pick it up. I don’t generally read a lot of fantasy or science fiction and the premise of the book sort of seemed like a happy marriage of the two. As per Chelsea’s suggestions, I started with the novella prequel, Rolling in the Deep (am I the only one who reads this book title and instantly starts singing the song by Adele?) and, after a crazy time, I was finally able to obtain a copy (Thanks, Chandra!).

The prequel, Rolling in the Deep, opens with the introduction of Imagine Film Company, known for their “mockumentary” style films, as they head out into the great blue sea to create a film about mermaids.   As the ship sets out to create their “found footage” and “eyewitness accounts” for their film, the cast and crew find themselves in grave danger when they actually do discover something in the water. This only took me about an hour to read and I was completely hooked, I continuously messaged Chelsea as I was reading to comment on how REAL it felt. Although I knew I was reading a work of fiction, Grant does an amazing job with her narrative style of making you question your own logic. By the time I was finished, I was more than ready to jump into the first, full novel in the series.

Enter, Into the Drowning Deep. This novel can absolutely be read without having read the prequel (but I do think the prequel does an amazing job at setting the tone). The story opens seven years after the Atargatis was lost at sea and a new crew has been assembled to head back to the Marianas Trench to get to the bottom of the maritime tragedy (or hoax, to others).  This book was just as brilliant as its prequel. Fast-paced, intricately written and filled with chilling prose, I was on the edge of my seat and recommending this book to everyone who would listen!

I will not go into any true details because I do feel like you’d have to read it to appreciate it, but, I am pleased with the open-ended finale that leads me to believe that Grant will be providing me with another book in the series (please!!).

If you are looking for something different to add to your TBR pile, do not be turned off by the randomness of the plot, just trust Mira Grant and dive on it. You will not be disappointed.

5/5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for a digital copy of this novel.  It was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Throwback Thursday: The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty)

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme created by book blogger extraordinaire, Renee at It’s Book Talk. She started this weekly feature as a way to highlight old favourites and read books that have already been published.

This week, I decided to focus on a book that had been in my TBR pile for a while, The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty.   I don’t even think this book needs a synopsis or any other introduction; it is pretty much infamous.

I had kind of forgotten all about this book until I came across a Buzzfeed article a few weeks ago (right before Halloween) that discussed books that are ACTUALLY scary.  At this point, I was looking for something to really get me into the Halloween mood so, I picked up a copy and started reading. I figured I had seen the movie, it was scary, of course, but how bad could the book be, especially since I already know what happens?

Bad.

The answer is bad.

I had to read this one in the daylight and after a certain point, I would have to put it down.  It totally creeped me out! Between the imagery and the obscene depictions, there were points in time I wanted to give up completely.  Because of this, it took me over two weeks to get through the book- practically a lifetime- and I am sure it will take me even longer to get over it.  This one gets under your skin.

A creepy Halloween read?  Absolutely.  It did the role it was meant to do.  Would I read it again?  Nope.  Never.

Has anyone else ever read this one?  Am I the only one who had their pants scared off??!!

Book Review: Night Film (Marisha Pessl)

Night Film, by Marisha Pessl, has been on my shelf for several years; I purchased it the year it came out and completely forgot about it until I started talking with Chelsea (my friend from The Suspense Is Thrilling Me) and she demanded I read it. As one of her favourite books of all time, I knew that I had to add this one to the top of my TBR pile. Chelsea has some fantastic choices in novels and we are usually in sync when it comes to our feelings about books.

We also decided to give this book a read as part of our Suspenseful Clues and Thrilling Reviews book club for October.

Now that I have finished reading it, I am kicking myself for waiting for so long. What in the world was I thinking??!!! This book was a completely engaging wild ride that had me holding on tight and binge reading late into the night. Once I started this book, I could not put it down. Pessl brings a completely original voice to the mystery/thriller/horror genre and will have you holding your breath as she weaves her narrative.

Ah! The twists, the turns, the non-stop action; without providing any spoilers, it will be hard to discuss the book fully, but I will do my best!

Book Review: Hex (Thomas Olde Heuvelt)

I was looking for something incredibly creepy for October; a true Halloween read. Enter, Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. I read about this book in several different Buzzfeed articles about books that are ACTUALLY scary. Usually I take the word of Buzzfeed, so I went out to Chapters and picked myself up a copy.

Now, while I wouldn’t call this book truly horrifying, there was something about it that was completely unsettling.

The novel opens with the introduction of a small town called Black Spring. Seemingly picturesque, the town has a dark secret. In the 17^th century, a woman, nicknamed the Black Rock Witch, had her eyes and mouth-sewn shut and was killed for her crimes.   Now a fixture of the town, she walks the streets and enters homes at will and, using high tech surveillance, the elders of Black Spring have kept her contained and have continuously ensured that her mouth and eyes are never opened. However, when a group of the town’s teenagers, frustrated with the regulations, decide to film the haunting, the town reverts back to medieval practices of the past and Black Rock will never be the same.

Book Review: The Neighbours (Ania Ahlborn)

It is no secret to any regular reader of Clues and Reviews that I have a serious Ania Ahlborn novel obsession. She is one of my “go to” authors when I want a novel that will make me filled with unease and keep me looking over my shoulder. With Halloween approaching, The Neighbours by Ania Ahlborn, was an obvious choice to add to my TBR pile.

One of my favourite features of an Ania Ahlborn book, besides the ominious tone and chilling content, is the ease in which Ahlborn delivers her prose. She has a writing stye that cannot be beat. One that you can curl up and lose yourself in for hours. It never takes me longer than a couple of hours to get through one of her novels and The Neighbours was no exception.

The novel opens with Andrew arriving at his new home. After a rough childhood caring for his alcoholic mother, he feels as if he deserves a fresh start and the idyllic suburban neighbourhood where his friend, Mickey, resides seems like the perfect space. Upon arrival, he meets the neighbours, a perfect couple, The Wards, who feel like they came straight out a movie or a Norman Rockwell painting. However, things are not as they appear, behind the white shutters and the picket fence, Mrs. Ward is hiding a secret; a secret that Andrew is about to find out.

Comparing other Ahlborn novels to this one, I felt like this was lacking some of the classic “horror” elements that I have come to know and love with an Ahlborn’s work. I didn’t find this one as scary as some of her novels. The characters had some creepy elements but I didn’t find myself as on edge as I usually am when I pick up an Ania Ahlborn book.

I still enjoyed the plot for what it was; I loved the Twilight zone vibe and the disorienting feeling of what time period it was taking place in. I loved the backstory of Harlow’s character. However, I feel like someone who is looking for a “scare your pants off” type of horror book (like some of Ahlborn’s other work- Brother and The Devil Crept In comes to mind!) they would feel disappointed.

In the spirit of Halloween, Jessica and Chandra decided to read this one too and make it a #cjsreads pick!  Keep reading to see what those lovely ladies thought of this pick!

Book Review: The Doll’s Alphabet (Camilla Grudova) @coachhousebooks ‏

The Doll’s Alphabet, the upcoming short story collection by Camilla Grudova, was something completely different from anything I have encountered recently. These stories, thirteen in total, are dark and eerie with some sort of childlike quality about them; they are almost fairytale like in nature; each story sending a message and all provoking caution.   I was bewildered while I was reading. I found myself continuously pondering that perhaps I wasn’t smart enough to “get” these stories and spending the rest of my time thinking “Wait…WHAT??!”

This short story collection felt like something I would have studied in university; filled with motifs and symbolism, I really liked how Grudova took several political stances throughout and discussed feminism. Very much like the Southern Gothic style of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Conner, these stories read like they came from a different time period. Unstitching, the short but powerful opening story begins with women literally “unzipping” and coming out of their skin. It is only then that they feel liberated and the men are outraged to see their women so unhinged. Does this make sense? Nope! Do I think it is pretty awesome? Absolutely.

Book Review: Incarnate (Josh Stolberg)

As soon as October hits, I begin craving some creepy, dark, fall reads. I want scary. I want something that I can curl up with under a big cozy blanket. Basically, I want something to get my in the mood for Halloween. Enter, Incarnate by Josh Solberg, a book whose synopsis had me completely intrigued and whose horror genre classification on Netgalley had me throwing it to the top of my TBR pile.

A psychiatric resident, Dr. Kim Patterson, is known for her unconventional methods and her willingness to break the rules. So, when Scarlett comes into the psychiatric ward, Kim cannot resist getting involved. She believes Scarlett is suffering from the rare and controversial, Dissociative Identity Disorder. As Kim begins to work with Scarlett, she is shocked to find out that some of Scarlett’s alternative personalities are claiming to be people who have gone missing and they know far too much. With the help of the local police, Kim begins to dig deeper into these cases and the question of whether Scarlett is truly manifesting these lost souls or if she is playing a twisted game with her doctors and the police come to the forefront.

Incarnate ended up being something completely different from what I thought it would be. I was expecting more a graphic, horror novel and really didn’t think this book contained any of those elements at all. I loved the concept but it absolutely threw me off when I realized it was more of a random supernatural story than anything else.

Josh Stolberg is known for writing film and television scripts; this was very clear within the text. It read sort of like a stretched out script. I didn’t mind this but I could understand how this could be distracting. It ended up being a lot of descriptions of the actions instead of the actual story follow through.

Overall, this one didn’t give me the fright that I was hoping for.

Book Review: Mary Rose (Geoffrey Girard)

I am such a sucker for a horror read as soon as October hits. I want to grab a cozy blanket, cuddle up in my sweats and scare myself silly. With this in mind, I began to compile my October lineup, and my picks for #cjsreads, one of which was Mary Rose by Geoffrey Girard. Going into this novel, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I was intrigued by the description of this novel being “a chilling and modern take on a classic ghost story”. I was also intrigued when I found out that the premise for the story was actually written by J.M Barrie for a film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock; not sure what went down with that but I figured there was nothing more chilling than films by Hitchcock, so, if he deemed this story worthy of film, then I needed to check it out!

The general premise brings us Mary Rose and Simon, a couple of working professionals, who are about to be engaged. They travel to England to ask for Mary Rose’s hand and Simon’s plans are slightly derailed when he finds out that Mary Rose disappeared when she was a little girl and then randomly reappeared thirty-three days later with no memory of her time away or knowledge of where she was. Not only does this give Simon the heeby-jeebies, but he becomes obsessed with trying to solve the puzzle of where she could have been and what could have happened.

Would I call this a traditional ghost story? Not really. Did I find some moments creepy? Absolutely! Told in alternating perspectives of Simon and Mary Rose, both characters have the opportunity to show the reader their growing paranoia and fright. I think my favourite character was Mary Rose. She is quirky, to say the least, and when she was acting strangely, I was compelled to continue reading to see what her actual deal was. Would she end up being possessed? Was she actually dead? Perhaps she was a figment of Simon’s imagination? I had no idea what the actual end game would be, so, Girard definitely had me hooked in that regard. I also felt like the general setting of the story added another chilling layer to the tone.

If I am being honest, I was a little underwhelmed at the ending of the story and I felt like maybe something HUGE was missed within the pages; in reality, I feel like maybe it would have been better received on screen, which makes sense when thinking of how this story started out.

I feel like this novel had several components, which would make a chilling tale perfect for Halloween, and, although I didn’t love the full execution of the novel, I did appreciate the general tone and feel.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for a copy of this book; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Want to see what Chandra and Jessica thought of this book?  Keep reading to find out!

Book Review: The Dark Net (Benjamin Percy) @Benjamin_Percy @HMHbooks

When I first stumbled across The Dark Net by Benjamin Percy on a list of summer releases, it jumped right up to the top of my TBR pile and became one of my most anticipated reads for August. After reading a few other novels that discussed the dark net and the secret underbelly of the web, I couldn’t wait to dive into this one and creep myself out reading about this anonymous and criminal arena.

This book ended up being 100% completely different from what I was expecting.

The novel follows several characters: a young girl, Hannah, who is blind. She is being fitted for a high-tech visual prosthetic that is supposed to help her see. There is a journalist, Lela, who stumbles across a dark story that should have been kept hidden. There is Mike Juniper, a man who runs a homeless shelter to try and make up for the sins of his past and Derek, a hacker.   This random array of people comes together to try and fight literal demons that are hiding within the web.