Review - Dead Girl's Blog by Donna Burgess

Dead Girl's Blog: Two Short Tales of Zombie Horror by Donna Burgess is a collection of 2 short stories, both dealing with zombies (which should be evident from the title, but you never know).

Warning: There be spoilers ahead!

Dead Girl's Blog by Donna Burgess

Blurb:

Meet Audrey Scott. She has it all. She’s the most popular girl at Lincoln High and dates Tommy Barker, the cutest boy in the senior class. She has a credit card with no limit, is head cheerleader and was probably going to be homecoming queen again this year—until she was bitten by a Deader. Worst part of it? He ruined her best jeans. But that’s just the tip of the putrid iceberg.

This story is exactly what it sounds like. It's a collection of blog entries from a self-involved, image conscious brat with no sense of responsibility who get bitten by a zombie. The blog is her account of her last few days as a human before the virus takes over.

I didn't enjoy this short story. While it was an interesting idea, chronicling the virus as it takes hold, there was no character growth. Audrey was a spoiled brat when bitten, and she was a spoiled brat when she turned. There was no inner realization, no sense of the brevity of life or what it means to be human, no character development at all unless you count the physical change from living to undead. Audrey was angry that her popularity declined as she started rotting, and remarked that the rejection she felt must be how she made "losers" feel when taunting them, but there was no sense of regret on her part. No understanding that, just like her, those she taunted deserved better treatment. There was no sense that she regretted her actions or grew as a person. Overall, while an interesting idea and format (I enjoyed the use of blog entries to convey the narrative), it felt rather pointless to me.

Burgess's writing and concept were solid. This story simply wasn't my cup of tea. Perhaps fans of straight YA horror would enjoy it more.

Rating: 2.5/5


Under a Blanket of Blue by Donna Burgess

Description:

Sam Clark is a loser. He spends his days immaturely passing the time and pissing off his wife, until the undead rise. When he happens upon his wife eating their toddler, it's time to hit the road. Journeying to his family home away from the coast, he runs into his first love. But are they really safe?

I enjoyed this short story far more than Dead Girl's Blog. Sam is self aware. He knows his limitations and weaknesses, and he accepts them. He knows he is not the kind of guy who can make it on his own in a zombie apocalypse, so he does what he has to. The story has an open ending, allowing the reader to decide what final action Sam has taken.

Rating: 3.5/5

This short story collection (is it a collection with only 2 stories?) is available on Nook and Kindle for only $.99 cents. Buy it for Under a Blanket of Blue. I would like to read more from this author.

~Lily

Review - Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither is Lauren DeStefano's debut novel and first in her Chemical Garden Trilogy.

Blurb from back cover:

"In the not-too-distant future, because of genetic engineering, every human is a ticking time bomb - males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty.  To keep the population from dying out, girls are kidnapped and sold into polygamous marriages.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices and terrifies her.  She has everything she ever wanted - except freedom.  With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape before it is too late."

I am torn on this review.  I love the concept and just recently began delving into dystopian lit as a genre.  As an aside, being in the medical field, the possible reality of this novel is terrifying.  There have been studies (yes I am a nerd) that have deleted certain genes from mouse models in an attempt to eliminate the threat of cancer.  The mice did not get cancer, but they experienced very limited lifespans.  This is because the same mechanisms that allow cancer cells to grow, also work to replenish our normal cells on a daily basis...but I won't bore you with the details that I don't completely know anyways.  I applaud DeStefano for her research, and if this was just an idea then you are one smart cookie ;p.  I also smiled when the term heterochromia graced the pages, but like I said mega dork here.

The novel seems divided into two sections for me, leaving me with vastly different opinions.  There is Rhine pre-escape attempt and Rhine post.  I had a very hard time relating to Rhine in the beginning.  She seemed emotionally distant to me and didn't react as I would expect.  She didn't outwardly express her fear, or act as the fighter that I wanted.  The first half of the novel, I got bogged down in the writing style.  Rhine told us how she viewed people, instead of leading us to agree with her through the actions/words of the other characters.  For example, I never felt resentful toward Linden.  He always seemed to be completely naive of the origin of the girls; more a captor of this situation as well, than a force to be hated.  Rhine and the others were terrified of Vaughn, but I didn't get to fully understand why until the latter half.  For these reasons, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters and the flow of the story was almost disjointed for me as a result.

The second half was completely different.  I loved Rhine's character, her duality to dream of freedom but still think of those she would be leaving behind to the fate of the mansion made her real.  The writing style seemed to change for me too, there was more action, more dialogue, more insight into other characters.  I finally saw and despised Vaughn.  Cecily went from being a static character into a multi faceted one.  Linden still struck me the same, but Rhine finally saw him for what I had all along.  I smiled, I was moved to tears, I sped through the pages.

Imagery throughout the novel is very powerful.  The descriptions of the Gatherers hit on primal fear.  All the books, soap operas, movies portray life as it was before...when everyone had 'normal' lifespans and life was a joy not spent in fear of dying at a young age.  What hit home the hardest for me, was that all these children grow up without parents.  Everyone dies so young, that there is no hope for a child to remember much of their parents.  We have children just to leave them unprotected in a cruel world where they will be expected to reproduce and die at a premature age as well.  Who will protect these young ones, who will make sure they are not extorted in the hopes of finding a cure, who will tuck them in at night?  Who will be left to keep the hope alive?

My favorite passage is when Rhine finds out the meaning of her name; the imagery is simply compelling.
Favorite line:

'The man in white says, "What fate has brought together, let no man tear asunder."
Fate, I think, is a thief.'

Since I have two completely different views of a single work, I decided to divide my rating accordingly.  The first portion I give a 3/5.  Second half earns a 4/5.  I am seriously considering re-reading the first bit to see if my opinion would change now that I know the characters better.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

~Helena

Recommendsday Review - Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Karen Moning's Fever Series is four books deep with a fifth slated for release on January 18th.

I acquired the first novel, Darkfever, as a free promotion on the Kindle back in July.  Quite a few of my friends have vehemently demanded that I read the series with the impatient promise that "we have much to discuss."  Much like Jericho Barrons' character, my friends would not explain the reasoning behind their obsession, just that I must join them.  So, finals ended leaving me with a void of time to fill; finally, I caved in and started reading.

Darkfever introduces us to MacKayla Lane, a young twenty-some years old, bubbly, "pink and rainbows" girl with the typical self-centered and free-spirited personality of many of our current generation.  We join Mac soaking up the summer sun at her backyard pool jamming out to "It's a Wonderful World."  This wonderful world shatters when Mac's older sister, Alina, is murdered.  Mac is determined to find her sister's killer and dole out a heaping dose of revenge.  She hops on a plane to Ireland and traces her sister's footsteps, leading her straight into a world she never knew existed and into a side of herself she was completely unaware of.  The Lane sisters are sidhe-seers, capable of seeing the Fae in all their gore and glory.  Dublin is overrun with the dark and sadistic fae, hellbent on consuming all that the city has to offer.  Joining ranks with Barrons, a mysterious otherworldly bookstore owner, Mac gets sucked into a harrowing plot to stop the fae encroachment, fueled by her desire of revenge for her sister.

I was not completely sold on Darkfever.  The novel was so hyped up from my friends that I think I expected more than I got.  I also had a hard time connecting with Mac.  She was just too spoiled, self centered, and perky for my liking.  Barrons was easier for me to connect to, which makes me wonder a tad about myself, haha.  I continued with the series because I wanted to know what captured everyone's attention so raptly.  I am so glad I did. :)  Rating: 3.5/5

Bloodfever is the second in line.  The story takes on a darker air which sucked me right in.  The action is crazy fast and nerve racking!  Tension between Barrons and Mac rises, V'lane, a fae prince, becomes a larger player on the chessboard of this plot.  Mac's personality develops and we get a sense of what she is actually made of.  I adore this new change and started to connect with her.  Her plight became my plight, her confusion and frustration with Barrons and V'lane became mine.  Bit by bit, Moning reveals facts, deceptions, and secrets of the Fae-Dublin collision course.  Mac learns that there are many things to fear, including the fae, shadows, mobsters, and parts of Barrons himself.  Make sure to read Mac's journal at the end of each book, it helps to remind yourself of key plot points and build more cohesion in your quest for the answers Mac seeks.  Rating: 4.5/5

Faefever comes in third.  This series seriously gets better with each installment; easily portrayed in my increased ratings. I am vague about plot points on purpose, I really do not want to spoil this series for those that have not started it.  I will have a small spoiler section about my anticipations for Shadowfever at the end of this entry so be forewarned.  Mac continues to grow as a character, gaining more crimson and black and less of the bubblegum pink sweetness.  V'lane and Barrons continue to be major influences on Mac's actions; and continue to act as her personal saviors, yet their own personal agendas do not go unnoticed.  As Mac's powers grow, she realises more and more how big her role is in the fate of our world.  The ending to this one is not for the faint of heart.  I felt powerless, reading in horror; feeling for Mac in a way that I never would have anticipated when I read Darkfever.  Rating: 5/5

Dreamfever the fourth installment picks up right where Faefever left us hanging. The intensity between Barrons and Mac is palpable and heart wrenching.  Mac is stronger than ever, with new found powers that make her nearly invincible.  Juggling all her contacts, friends, and allies, Mac is crazy busy and still not quite sure who she can trust completely.  The action sequences are great.  World building deserves an A plus.  Despite my attempts to savor each chapter, I found myself flying through the pages.  I loved this novel.  Mac is far from the princess she appeared to be at the beginning of the series; I find myself actually wishing for some of the carefreeness back.  If she isn't careful, the dark world will completely mold her into something I don't want to even consider.  It makes me want to send her a mini rainbow or something lol.  Ending is excruciating.  I am so glad that January 18th is close!  Rating: 5/5

 And as promised:

*WARNING: SPOILERS  SPOILERS  SPOILERS*

Ye have been warned!

The following is a text conversation I had with one of my friends privy to the series:

Helena: What?!  No!  Son of a bitch!  Damn you fever series!
Friend:  Lol I told u
F: It's f*cking horrible
F: At least we only have to wait 19 more days
H: I was happily reading thru at 91 percent done on my kindle.  So I was like, ok still have about 5 percent left of story.  Then bam I hit the next button and was like woah woah woah not cool ahhhh
F: I know.  F*cking cliff hanger
F: And the worst too.  Bc I keep thinking it's barrons
H: I dunno.  I mean she heard the monster when he was right there in the garage.  Im wondering if its dreamy eyed boy.  I gotta find the one passage at the bar and read it again.  If you read his entry in her journal at the end of dreamfever it sounds strange.  But nothing is certain with that series.  It could be V'lane, Barrons, apparitions of her family, or Alina, too many possibles
F: I know. Gah
H: And Ryodan told her not to look and to run.  So he knew.  Geez not fair lol.  It's bittersweet though that it's the last novel of the series.
F: I know.  And it was actually written really well too
H: It was.  I didn't really like the first book, but then it picked up and hooked me.  I wanna know who her dad is.  I bet its a doozy.

Coming into this series so late in the game, I was granted the reprieve of not having to wait for cliff hanger resolution.  Now I am clinging to the edge of a precipice with nails chewed down to the quick.  Ahhh!  Come on Moning, I am dying here!

My mind is swirling with questions.  Who is laying at her feet?  Who is her father?  Where is the LM?  What are Rowena and the other sidhe seers doing?  Where is Christian?  Where/Who is Barrons really?  Will Mac and Barrons finally admit their feelings for each other?  What happened to V'lane?  Are Mac's parents ok?  What is the LM's ultimate goal?  And where/what is that freaking book?!


What are your questions/theories/musings about this series and the upcoming Shadowfever release?

~Helena

Review - Night Runner by Max Turner

Night Runner is Max Turner's first novel.  He is quite active with his fans and can be contacted (like everyone and their mom) on facebook.


 Synopsis:

"For Zack Thomson, living in the Nicholls Ward isn't so bad. After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after. As strange as it was, it was home. He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend Charlie visited him often enough; and Nurse Ophelia--the prettiest no-nonsense nurse ever--sometimes took him bowling. Of course, that didn't mean he had it easy. His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital could get lonely. But it never once crossed Zack's mind to leave...until the night someone crashed through the front doors and told him to run. Now he's on a race for answers--about his past, his parents, and his strange sickness--even as every step takes him closer to the darkest of truths."

I came across this novel while browsing ARCs.  The End of Days, the anticipated second installment in the Night Runner series was available for sign up.  Piercing orange eyes apparently draw me like a moth to a flame, fast forward two days and Night Runner was downloaded to my Kindle and devoured.  Ever since I have been stalking my mailman for the second novel, which came in the mail today!  Expect a review in the next week or so :)

Night Runner is a refreshing addition to the young adult vampire lore of today.  Turner presents a DNA altering virus which converts bitten individuals with debilitated immune systems into creatures of the night.  Creating a degree of diversity, every bloodsucker develops a special unique ability, like shapeshifting, invisibility, scuba diving sans air tank (ability to breathe underwater), etc.


Zack is unaware of who, what, or why he exists.  All he knows is where...the looney bin.  Apparently the only place that can offer a safe haven for people with allergies to the sun and most foods is the crazy house; kind of a stretch, but I can deal with it.  Every day...well night...is the same ol' same ol' until CRASH! BANG! enter old man on motorcycle through the lobby windows and into Zack's life.  And with one phrase uttered from the man's mouth, Zack's life is changed forever "Run...Don't let the cops get you.  He's coming.  Run!".


Eventually Zack does what any sane person from an insane asylum would do...run.  The novel unfolds with a steady level of momentum, revealing bit by bit his true past, the secrets behind his allergies, his parents and the story behind their downfall, and even a dash of teen love with a decent helping of friendship.  Turner sprinkles in one liners chockfull of sarcasm and humor that had me chuckling.  Any novel that actually puts the word "powned" in black and white is a win!


The sentence structure was simple and a bit choppy at parts; however, the plot twists and turns kept me interested.  As mentioned above, the humor pulled me through the rougher spots to a worthy conclusion.  Night Runner is definitely worth looking into.  It is a light and refreshing young adult read that can be finished within a day or two.  Pick up a copy, chat with Turner on facebook, and keep checking back for my review of the End of Days.  The Night Runner series has great potential that I hope with continue through the second installment.


Rating: 3.5/5


~Helena