Tag: Suspense (Page 4 of 5)

BOOK REVIEW – The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner

BOOK REVIEW – The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2) by James DashnerThe Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2)
by James Dashner
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Wow. I
REALLY
loved this book. This is a series I am not likely going to be able to forget. Everything that happens is just dripping with uncertainty and you never know from one scene to the next who is going to be living and who is going to be knocked off the grid. In this installment, Thomas is put in the position of whether or not to trust certain people around him. Hell, I still don’t know who I trust-aside from Minho and Newt, of course. 🙂

Saved and brought to a safe house at the end of book 1, the boys are out of danger…right? Never. WICKED has found them again, and the stakes are even higher this time. As they go through the trials and variables yet again, more and more of Thomas’s group is eliminated.

But now there is also the danger of group B-situations have escalated and the peril is at an all time high. With little shelter and really nowhere to hide, the boys are like sitting ducks-much like in TMR. Often times they find themselves in dark, creepy tunnels that have no end in sight, and they have no idea what’s lurking in the shadows. At one point, I couldn’t read further because the whispers and shadows became too much for me whilst I read in the dark of my own home. One would think I was perfectly safe and capable of reading on, but I was frightened as if I was in a life or death situation like the boys.

Trust, betrayal, love, belonging…these are themes that are present in TST. Thomas is ultimately a teenager, so his emotions are naturally all over the place. After everything, and I do mean everything, bad that could possibly happen to him happens, he finally begins to take a stand-not just letting everyone back into his good graces. I was glad he finally figured out what was real and what should be questioned. Maybe it was too late when he started longing for a certain someone, but I was happy when he did. Some things are unforgiveable, and Thomas finally realized that while he has to act the part around untrustworthy “friends”, he can’t truly trust his full group now-he has to rely on his instincts and his closest comrades. Thank God. I might have reached into the book and stabbed him myself with that damn bladed spear if he didn’t start making wiser decisions.

So with my final word, I have to stress that this book is a must read and the series should not be passed over. I have grown to love Thomas as a character and to admire his persistence to find the knowledge he seeks. Now I just hope all of our favorite characters live long enough to see the world outside of WICKED’s killzone again.

BOOK REVIEW – Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2) by Karina Halle

BOOK REVIEW – Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2) by Karina HalleRed Fox (Experiment in Terror #2)
by Karina Halle
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Just when I thought I couldn’t enjoy the humor in this series any more than I already did, Perry opens her smartass mouth and I’m drawn to her character all over again.

The story starts with Perry sitting in front of the computer screen anxiously awaiting the webisode that shows the results of their first endeavor in the lighthouse from book one. This demo/pilot episode could make or break the opportunity for followers and the certainty of a continued webisode series. Perry desperately wants her parents to like and approve of the show, because it’s all she has at the moment. When the show doesn’t awe or inspire her family (save for her sister, Ada), she starts to feel the real pressure of her current life situation.

When Dex calls with their next big opportunity, a disturbance of a Navajo couple’s home in Red Fox, Perry knows it’s make it or break it time. Rocks being thrown at their house, wild animals appearing out of nowhere in the hallways, and sheep carcasses that are mutilated beyond comprehension are among the issues Dex and Perry will face, and there’s even more at stake than they could have ever imagined.

We are again faced with the nagging question of whether our favorite ghost hunting ‘couple’ will ultimately end up together and finally make Peclan (or Pex: Kris(KC) and I thought about this couple name smash long and hard lol) a reality.

It makes the adventure even more exciting than the already horrifying events inspire. We know something is there between them, we just don’t know what. As the story progresses, we begin to see that Perry cares for Dex more than she has ever let on, and it has you silently rooting through everything that they have at least one, brief, passionate encounter…because the sexual tension oozes in each and every scenario, making it palpable both for themselves and those around them.

Aside from the creepy, haunted animalistic storyline, what I found most endearing was that Dex and Perry (see, wouldn’t the name smash be ten times easier to use in this moment?) would do anything for each other, even go as far as to risk their lives for one another. And while there were many moments where stupidity won out over intelligent decisions, I know they had each other’s well-being in the forefront of their thoughts.

This is a prime example of what I am always talking about-there were grammatical errors littered throughout (subtly), but I could have cared less! Who cares if there are minor editing issues-an extra word or lack thereof in certain instances? This book is so fun that it barely made a blip on the map of awesomeness that is this book series. It’s sad, because I found my eyes sliding to the shadows beside my bed as I read and tiptoeing through the darkness in the hallway at my house on the way to the bathroom, attempting to avoid any malicious animal spirits that might be lurking in the dark corners.


 photo Down-a-Dark-Hallway_zps72597fe0.jpg

*photo courtesy of Michele! I certainly couldn’t find anything fitting.

So, I will truck onward to the next book in the series, hoping only for the best-I can’t wait any longer to continue to the next installment. I have to know what’s happening to our favorite broken leads and what occurence they will embark upon next.

**side note-I read 90% of this in the daylight…yay me! No bad dreams or mystery mirages for this girl. 😛

BOOK REVIEW – Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3) by Karina Halle

BOOK REVIEW – Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3) by Karina HalleDead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3)
by Karina Halle
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

4 “I most definitely had trouble falling asleep” stars

As I started DSM, I was giddy, excited, and couldn’t wait to delve deeper into Perry and Dex’s story. These two have been on tremulous territory since the first book, and Karina Halle is doing a great job of keeping everyone hooked- we’re just waiting for these two to realize how much they care for each other and at least hook up. But with this tremulous territory comes frustration and anger with both the characters and us readers.

The paranormal part in this story really merits 5 stars. It does. This installment was terrifying. I am not using that term lightly. It terrified me.

But, and this is a heavy but, the tension between Dex and Perry was a little obnoxious at times. Get over it Perry, he has a girlfriend. I know what it’s like to be into a guy who has a gf, we have probably all been through it, but she has taken the cute crush/love and turned it into something that can only be deemed slutty. I love Perry, she’s an awesome character and a lot like me, but it doesn’t excuse trying to get with a guy in a ‘serious’ relationship.

Something else has been nagging at me since I started Experiment in Terror as well, and until now, it’s been hazy and not quite clear as to what that something is…but, it’s now crystal clear: I am a flawed reader. Look at this scenario and tell me I am not perfectly flawed in my feelings and expectations:

-Dex has a girlfriend.
-Perry is in love with Dex.
-Dex is most likely ‘in love’ with Perry.

See, this doesn’t quite add up…I want these two to partake in the hanky panky department and Dex to drop his bitch of a girlfriend. Not in any particular order. Is it wrong that we readers root for the main characters to be together even at the expense of another [secondary] character? Even when one of these main characters has a other half that they used to/do care about? Are we seriously suggesting the main characters cheat? What does that make us? Hypocrites? If this was in real life, these people would be dubbed slut/manwhore. It seems that in literally every book, we root for two people to be together no matter what the consequences of the situation will be, and I feel it more and more as the series continues. I love Romance, and this is technically a horror/romance story. And that’s what this whole thing is: a story. They’re not really cheating, and nothing bad is really happening to anyone.

Don’t get me wrong. I am still rooting for Peclan, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t realized how wrong it seems-especially with this particular series. Now that that’s under my belt, I must say: the steam factor was through the roof in at least one scene. I loved it! It was built up sexual tension and it was a much needed ‘release’. I think readers will be satisfied, at least for a moment.

Now-the scare factor? 10/5 stars. I about died. Everything that scares me to the core was in this book. I thought-“oh, no buddy read on this one? Ok, I’ll be fine. The last two were scary, but I handled them pretty well. Piece of cake.” WRONG. This book scared me so deeply that I threw my Nook down on the bed and turned up the tv as loud as I possibly could without waking the bf. I couldn’t stop my labored breathing and my erratic heartbeat from a certain scene that gave me the chills, and I couldn’t stop looking over my shoulder or to the side of the bed. I stared straight ahead every time I would go to the restroom, and my heartrate would accelerate yet again after I had already gotten it partially calmed down. Now, this might seem dramatic to those who like this kind of book and are used to it-but I am not, and little girl ghosts are my number one creep-out factor. Gah. I had to finish during the day, and even then I had to keep looking out of the corner of my eye. To say that I was scared to death was an understatement, and I truly am astonished I fell asleep.

So, all-in-all a very good read. It gets under your skin and makes you think twice about getting up to pee in the middle of the night. I love Dex and Perry, I do, and nothing can deter me from rooting for their relationship to move forward. They are flawed and they are real. It is a very refreshing change. I just wish View Spoiler » I can’t wait to start the fourth installment, Lying Season, but I have to wait on my buddy read…buddy (lol) to even begin what are supposed to be the scariest books in the series yet. Yikes.

BOOK REVIEW – On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5) by Karina Halle

BOOK REVIEW – On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5) by Karina HalleOn Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5)
by Karina Halle
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Ok, the inner turmoil is over. While the first half of the book wasn’t my favorite, I loved when Dex was pulled into the story. I can’t deny that the minute he walked in the book got 20 times better. Left to deal with Maximus, that damn nasty, lumberjack ginger, for most of the story, I exhaled a very dramatic breath of relief the minute sexy Dexy stepped into the doorway.

ODW was by far the scariest, most spine-tingling installment yet. Was I scared to walk through the house in the dark? Check. Did I have to look straight forward at all times lest my eyes wander and see a demon in the corner? Check. Was there a terrible, evil thing hiding under her damn bed-one of my worst nightmares come true? Check. Was I at the movie theatre sitting in a bathroom stall wondering if Abby was going to make an appearance on the other side of the door while I was sitting there? Check and check. This book dealt with so many different types of ‘demons’ (tangible and emotionally) that I had no choice but to read everything with at least a little daylight seeping through the curtains. There was no other option-read with daylight, or don’t read at all. I chose the former.

A low, menacing growl filled the room.
It sounded more gluttural than a dog. Something deeper, raspier and slick with liquid.
It was coming from underneath my bed.

I think the most common misperception I made about this book would have to be the fact that people who read this are scared of what lurks in the shadows only. You know, like all the other books-just ghosts. And maybe that’s the case for most of the people and I’m just different, but regardless, there was something much more sinister in this story. ODW dealt with possession and losing yourself to something you can’t possibly fathom; even as you start to realize what’s going on, it’s too late. Perry is dealing with an even greater entity, something that she THOUGHT she had dealt with in her previous endeavors, but never truly did-evil. Soul-possessing, mind altering, take your life away just because evil. Her soul was sold without her consent, and the devil doesn’t make bargains-so she’s running for her life. Or what’s left of it.

She’s angry,” he said. “But it’s stronger than hate. It’s evil.”

The sinister undertone of ODW really grabbed onto me with it’s claws and wouldn’t let go. I felt like I was drowning in Perry’s turmoil and sorrow, her struggle to be herself and free again, for HER FAMILY to believe her and help her (the right way). I felt icky for 70% of the story, whether we were meant to or not as readers, I couldn’t help but to feel depressed with both Perry’s life changing events and the lack of Dex. And her f****** parents. W T H. They are the most ignorant, self-serving parents I have…well, that’s a lie-but they SUCK. Poor Perry-and poor Ada. At one point their father states that it’s sacrilegious for Perry and Ada to be researching why Perry’s body is being taken over-they NEVER ONCE believe their daughters.

The tears fell out of my eyes, hot and fast, streaming down my cheeks in mascara-ridden rivers.
It was all too much.
Too, too much.

Only one person, her best friend, the man she once loved, can save her. He’s been her rock, believed in her when things got so out of hand that she didn’t even believe in herself, but he’s not around. She won’t contact him, nor does she believe he is what will truly save her, but she knows that he of all people, aside from Ada, is the one person who always believed in her. And despite everything, she misses her rock-the person who would have done anything for her, and that’s probably the saddest part of the whole book. Thank God Ada has the common sense we all were begging for throughout the entire book, or the story would have been altered indefinitely.

“…You have every right to never see me again. To spit on my grave. But tonight, now, I’m not going to give up on you. I’m going to fix you or,” his voice fell with weight, “die trying.”

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and made zero attempts to put it down. It consumed most of my daytime the whole weekend, and as much of the night as my fragile, scared mind would allow. Every time I pick up an EIT story, I fall in love with the characters and their world all over again. I have a hard time getting back to the real world and can’t seem to get into other stories which ordinarily would have been deemed 5 star worthy reads. These books consume me and they are all I think about when I have to put them down to rejoin the real world.

Now that all the messy business is out of the way, I just hope we can start moving forward with Dex and Perry’s relationship in the next installment, because I’m dying for these two to KISS and make up :P.

**************
Ok-not sure what to rate this yet. The first 75% is a four star and then enter dex and some well paced action and it teeters to 5 stars…..maybe I’ll settle on 4.5 come Monday…maybe a 5. Guess well see. What a fun ending. Review to come Monday 🙂 love my sexy dexy 😛

BOOK REVIEW – Sins and Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1) by Karina Halle

BOOK REVIEW – Sins and Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1) by Karina HalleSins and Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1)
by Karina Halle
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

How can you possibly write a coherent review when you’re speechless? Sure, I’ve read most of Karina Hall’s EIT series, and I love it so much. But there is always a little feeling I get in the back of my mind when I start a new series by an author I love for a totally different series: Doubt. Skepticism. It’s a number of things. I’ve realized something, though-Karina Halle? This badass writer cannot create a hero I don’t love. Seriously. Even the oh-so-flawed Declan of the EIT series is unforgettable. But THIS. THIS new hunk of a man? He’s a whole other beast, and I Can. Not. Stop. Thinking. About. Him.

“I only wear these for shows,” he admitted in a conspiratorial voice that made me lean in close to him. A little thing I discovered as I got older, turns out women love men in glasses. Sure would have come in handy in high school.”

Yes Camden, yes I do love men in glasses. The saddest part of the whole story is, Ellie may have been a real BITCH in high school, but it’s clear from the minute she runs into him again, he is at least still highly attracted to her, and when he looks at her, it’s as if he’s seeing into her soul. I better veer off from this topic for a minute, lest I start to fangirl. Can’t have that can we?

I could feel him smile. “Once a spazz, always a spazz”.

Ellie is a special character, because she grew up in less than desirable circumstances. The daughter of two con artists and labeled a loser at school, Ellie felt like as much of an outsider as a person possibly can. But she had Cam: Albeit a super odd, gothy, lipstick wearing Cam, but still Cam. The guy who would do anything for her, even after she broke his heart-In front of the WHOLE SCHOOL.

I hate you, Ellie Watt,” he whispered, lips coming closer to mine, “because I still love you after all these years.” *MELTS*

A child can only be expected to follow in their parents’ footsteps…but when does what she’s doing start feeling wrong? That’s why Ellie is a gray area character for me. She doesn’t know any better, but doesn’t she really? She feels remorse, and she hates being on the run. So why not try and make an honest living? Her final scam was going to be Camden, but when things go wrong, we fall into an action packed adventure where identities can’t be the same and you can never go back.

Peril, deception, lies, insurmountable love, and action throughout, I couldn’t find a moment where I felt good about putting this book down for a break. I never knew what was going to happen or where the story was going to go, and it was such an interesting read. Not everything in this story is as it appears, and you learn that sooner rather than later.

I loved this story so much. Each character had something that made them so fun to learn about, which made the experience so much more exciting. For anyone who has read anything else by her, I can say that you will most likely love this book just as much. The characters are extremely likeable and you can’t help but fall in love with the beautiful, flawed, sinfully evil, devoted Camden. And if you haven’t read anything else by her, I have to encourage you to give this one a try. It’s fun, fast-paced, and easy to get lost in. You would definitely be missing something special if you passed this one up. So go give it a try-immediately. You won’t regret it.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
sins & needles karina halle
Sins & Needles #1
Reviews:
Jen

Chelsea
karina halle shooting scars
Shooting Scars #2
Reviews:

Jen

Chelsea
Bold Tricks Karina Halle Arttists Trilogy
Bold Tricks #3
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
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