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by Karina Knightingale

Reunion | By Jeff Bennington {SIGNED BOOK GIVEAWAY}

May 16, 2011 in Drama, Fiction, Horror, Suspense, Thriller

This book is a paranormal thriller, and I have to say there were two first in it for me. One: I haven’t read a book in this genre before (not counting Stephen King and Dean Koontz), two: this is a new author for me as well.


So far, the experience was extremely satisfying—and this is from someone who can’t stand watching scary movies, but loves scary books. Go figure!


ATTENTION: Minor spoilers ahead.


Plot
David Ray killed eight students and then turned the gun on himself. He thought the shooting and suicide would fix his world. It didn’t. The massacre threw Tanner Khan and the other survivors into chaos.


Twenty years later, Tanner and his fellow classmates reluctantly agree to hold a reunion to lay the past to rest. Although they suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, they come back to their hometown and reunite in the defunct school building. Old flames are rekindled, fears are ignited, and their lives are about to explode in a whirlwind of memories, haunted by the spirit of David Ray.


Once they’re inside the school, they discover that a dark entity has joined them. It has come to collect a debt, long overdue, and someone has to pay. Will Tanner and his classmates overcome their fears, putting the pieces of their lives back together, or will they be consumed by their worst nightmare?


Impressions
First of all, the story is split into two parts: the past and the present. In the past it concentrates majorly on David Ray and what was happening in his mind, which for me was the weakest part. David Ray just feels too forced, too adult in his thinking.


Apart from that, when the story continues in the present that’s when you start getting involved and invested into it.


Six survivors of the massacre agree to hold the reunion inside the school – Lana, who writes books now, helping to change the attitude to bullying to prevent such tragedies in the future; Maria – a therapist working with PTSD sufferers; Katy – a housewife, who got married to her school sweetheart Nick, whose brother was killed in the shooting; Bryan – a local policeman; aforementioned Nick who suffers from severe PTSD and alcoholism; Tanner – an adventurer and a successful businessman; and at last, Noah, an English pastor and paranormal investigator.


They all had a very hard time dealing with their post traumatic stress disorder and each of them is managing it differently.


At the same time there is a lot of paranormal activity going around the school which is kept quiet by local government. So when reunion starts, the inevitable happens, the school gets locked up, and the group has to understand what the malevolent presence wants from them in order to stay alive.


It was a gripping and at times chilling story, and apart from minor details which sometimes irritated and distracted me I found it extremely filling and satisfying. The details I’m talking about are minuscule like description of Nick‘s dream suddenly going into details of REM sleep and neurons. Or a logical question: why some people in horror stories have to make certain stupid mistakes? But I’m ranting here unnecessarily.


I have to mention that my two favorite characters were Nick and Noah. It might be a surprising choice for some, but they both kept their integrity no matter what, and that means a lot to me.


Overall, it’s a compelling and very good read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


Favorite Scene
Noah’s speech in the end was quite profound. 		WIN a SIGNED COPY of REUNION!


2 STEPS TO ENTER:
1) Comment on this review. Any comment is acceptable, but here are some suggested topics: do you have any specific views on bullies and school violence? Were you ever bullied in school or were you a bully?


2) Make sure you have liked The Bookworm Society on Facebook!


Winners will be announced in one week – Monday, May 23, 2011. Open internationally.


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Reviewer’s Final Rating



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Avatar of Mike Rowlands

by Mike Rowlands

There Is No Year | By Blake Butler

May 7, 2011 in Fiction, Horror, Thriller

Using clever and inspiring prose, Blake Butler takes us on a journey with a family of three, Father, Mother and Son, after they move into a new house. The house seems to have a dark secret that changes and shapes the life of the family as they go about their day to day business.


Plot
The Mother tries endlessly to clean the house and tidy the garden, while the son attempts to make friends with a strange girl met at school. The Father simply tries to get to work and back without the car breaking down or seemingly running out of fuel.


As the house has more of an influence on each of them, their lives and routines change to reflect the dark side of the house in which they have chosen to live, ant infestations, strange visitors, black packages and moving rooms and mirrors are only a few of the ways it does this.


Impressions
This book is different to anything else I have ever read. It is driven by a deep and profound prose that brings life to the characters and each scene so well that at times you can almost reach out and touch them, but the underlying story is at times a little evasive or inaccessible because of it’s very nature.


The house reminded me of the one in House of Leaves and although written in a completely different format, is similar in nature due to it leaving much to interpretation, as the characters darken and change, the prose allows assumptions and an element of empathy but you will ultimately have to form your own opinions about what is happening.


Personally, I like this format and it works for both House of Leaves and also Raw Shark Texts. In my opinion it blows both of these away and will definitely require a second read through to make the most of it.


It won’t be for everybody, but if you like something a little different, that leaves something to your imagination, then you have to give this a try.


Favorite Scene
The opening of the book, when the family first move into the house, they discover a ‘copy family’ already there. They are very similar to each other and the Mother ends up taking some strange and somewhat drastic action to remove this family.


Being the opening scene, this is a great way to introduce you to the family but also to the house and the strange effects it will come to have


Favorite Quote
It is somewhat lengthy, but I had to share with you the instructions given to the son when he was invited to the house of a schoolfriend. It perfectly captures the nature of the book and the prose so cleverly used by Blake Butler.


“FIND AN EGG – ANY EGG! – BREAK THE EGG OPEN – IN THE EGG THERE IS A KEY – WRAP THE KEY INSIDE A TUFT OF HAIR THEN PLACE IT ON YOUR OWN TONGUE – NOW SUCK! – GO THROUG TH THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE – TAKE A RIGHT – A RIGHT – A LEFT – A SLIGHT RIGHT – A RIGHT – YOUR OTHER RIGHT – A RIGHT AGAIN – GOOD JOB – IF AT ANY POINT YOU PASS A LIBRARY – TAKE A KNEE & BURN YOUR FINGER WITH A MATCH – NOW OUTSIDE A PICTURE WINDOW WITH NO PICTURE CURL ON THE GROUND INTO A BALL – ROLL FORWARD ONCE FOR EACH TIME YOU’VE KISSED YOUR MOTHER – FOR EACH TIME YOU’VE GIGGLED, MARK YOUR ARM – RECITE THE WITNESS – CALL THE NUMBER – SPIT THE KEY INTO THE SOUND – THE KEY WILL SINK – DIG AFTER THE KEY WITH YOUR LONGER FINGER – WHEN YOU FIND THE KEY AGAIN YOU WILL HAVE FOUND A WALL – THE WALL WILL OPEN – LET THE SAND FILL IN BEHIND YOU – COME IN ALONE – I WILL BE THERE SHORTLY – NO ONE MUST KNOW – NO ONE MUST KNOW – GO!.”

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Reviewer’s Final Rating



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by Barbara Kamphuis

The Burning Wire | By Jeffery Deaver

April 13, 2011 in Drama, Fiction, Horror, Suspense, Thriller

After ending up paralyzed from the shoulders down during an accident at a crime scene, superb forensic analyst Lincoln Rhyme gathered an excellent team around him since he cannot do all the work himself anymore.


Now his partner in life and work, Amelia Sachs, is his pair of eyes, ears and nose on a crime scene.


Plot
A city wide panic, caused by a man who uses the New York electricity grid to stage horrifying murder scenes, is reason enough to bring in quadriplegic forensic analyst Lincoln Rhyme and his team to help with the case.


While new threats come in at rapid speed, the team is under great pressure to find out where the next attack will be taking place. Amelia Sachs rushes from one possible scene to the other, but it is hard to see whether there is a real threat since electricity is invisible.


She gets help from an inventor from the main power company who specializes in new forms of energy and provides her with important information how to keep herself safe.


Soon terrorist groups are caught in the cross hairs as the possible perpetrators and the FBI uses both modern methods of information gathering, such as information in “the cloud zone” (data gathered by monitoring phone conversations, online activity and email), and the old fashioned informants on the streets.


Evidence from these sources seem to point at eco terrorism, which would make sense since the power company’s CEO is opposed to the developments of new, greener, ways to generate power.


While working this high profile case Rhyme is being distracted by information on the case of his nemesis, the Watchmaker, who keeps slipping through his fingers and was sighted at a Mexican airport.


Furthermore his health seems to be deteriorating, which is frustrating Rhyme, a flame that is fueled by an unwanted visitor.


Impressions
This book really took me by surprise. I am normally not that much interested in a thriller with a terrorism angle, but this one was great! Deaver’s use of electricity as the murder weapon was very original and proved to be very versatile.


This results in the team being thrown off more than once. The atmosphere of fear amongst the team while walking the grid on a crime scene was well described and very realistic.


The book never moves in the direction you think and expect it to move, but it never gets far fetched or over thought, keeping you on the edge of your seat and not wanting to put the book down.


Besides the action packed crime solving, multiple characters in the book undergo a realization process of what their injuries, Rhyme’s quadriplegia and rookie Pulaski’s head injury, mean for their quality of life and their ability to keep on working the job they love.


All in all this was a great book. If you already know Lincoln Rhyme and his beloved Amelia Sachs, this is another great installment of the series, but if you are new to the work of Jeffery Deaver and his Lincoln Rhyme series, the Burning Wire is a great way to get to know them.


Favorite Scene
The scene where Rhyme meets with the disabled witness from the office building attack.


Favorite Quote
“This thought, from someone I’ve been close to, describes what I’m feeling perfectly: ‘Times change. We have to change too. Whatever the risks. Whatever we have to leave behind.’” – Letter from Lincoln Rhyme


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Reviewer’s Final Rating



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Avatar of Eula M.

by Eula M.

The Monk | By Matthew Gregory Lewis

February 28, 2011 in Classic Literature, Fiction, Horror, Romance

The Monk has got to be Gothic fiction at its finest and most hilarious. It is about—well, if you haven’t guessed yet—a monk. He is popular for his exemplary piety and virtuousness; but is, underneath it all, rotten right down to the core.


It was written within ten weeks by nineteen year-old Matthew Gregory Lewis in 1796 and surprisingly still possesses most of the shock value today as it did two centuries ago.


On a more serious note, while it may be easy for the unwary reader to consider this book as nothing more than distasteful, theatrical erotica, it actually has plenty of social and political underpinnings.


The novel itself provides a strong critique of human vices and not only of Catholicism, but of religious zeal in general. Still, amidst all the crazy, infernal stuff that goes on in the book, Lewis was still able to create inherently good characters and proved that no evil deed goes unpunished.


The Plot
Now if you aren’t convinced, here’s a synopsis: Ambrosio is the titular monk who goes about violating his vows of chastity after he discovers that one of the monks is actually a woman named Matilda. He discovers her real gender when she accidentally displays her “beauteous orbs”, as Lewis puts it. For some time they continue diddling about until Ambrosio sees Antonia whom he relentlessly pursues—oddly, with the aid of Matilda.


Meanwhile, a secondary plot thread follows one of Antonia’s lovers, Lorenzo. Through their dialogue, a tale is told about his sister named Agnes and her lover Raymond. The latter basically runs off with a “bleeding nun” whom he mistook to be Agnes. Later on they find out that it’s all a nasty mix-up, and they joyfully reunite. Agnes becomes pregnant, is punished by the nuns, and presumed to be dead.


Towards the end, the various plot threads merge—the remainder of the story is committed to narrating the outcome of Ambrosio’s nefarious plans and clearing up the different mix-ups along the way.


Impressions
I’m pretty sure Lewis hadn’t intended to generate laughs out of his novel, but I found it hilarious simply because the story was completely absurd and outlandish. Not to mention, the prose was so extravagant and melodramatic to the extent of sounding so cheap that you can’t help but laugh out loud. It’s almost so bad, that it’s good.

Don’t get me wrong though; the novel is still exceptionally written as with most novels at the time. Plus the language, despite being outdated, is very accessible and easy to follow, even for those who don’t typically read the classics.


I particularly liked how Lewis used poetry instead of dialogue to tell some parts of the story though. However, the icing on the cake for me is definitely the giant twist at the end. You’ll just have to take my word for it when I say that it was highly satisfying and absolutely hilarious at the same time.


In summary, I can’t wholeheartedly say that The Monk is one of my most favorite books, but it definitely is the most memorable. Pick up The Monk if you’re looking for a scary, awesome read. I mean–demon virgins, bleeding nuns and fiendish monks? Seriously, how can you go wrong?


Favorite Quotes
“An author, whether good or bad, or between both, is an animal whom everybody is privileged to attack; for though all are not able to write books, all conceive themselves able to judge them. A bad composition carries with it its own punishment, contempt and ridicule. A good one excites envy, and entails upon its author a thousand mortifications. He finds himself assailed by partial and ill-humored criticism: one man finds fault with the plan. Another with the style, a third with the precept, which it strives to inculcate; and they who cannot succeed in finding fault with the book, employ themselves in stigmatizing its author. They maliciously rake out from obscurity every little circumstance which may throw ridicule upon his private character or conduct, and aim at wounding the man, since they cannot hurt the writer. In short, to enter the lists of literature is willfully to expose yourself to the arrows of neglect, ridicule, envy, and disappointment.”

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Reviewer’s Final Rating



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by Saren Roberts

Lunar Park | By Brett Easton Ellis

January 28, 2011 in Fiction, Horror, Memoirs

Lunar Park is a semi-autobiographical story written by Brett Easton Ellis, the controversial author American Psycho and Rules of Attraction. The novel tells the story of Ellis’ childhood and early life as a successful author. It details his relationship with his father and the hedonism of his early days in New York as a famous writer. As the book progresses and Brett Easton Ellis ages, he meets Jayne Dennis and attempts to settle down in Connecticut with her and the children. What follows is a truly scary tale about a possessed toy, a creature in the woods and a copy cat serial killer straight from the pages of American Psycho.

What is most surprising about Lunar Park is just how scary it is. Ellis stated that he had set out to write a horror story and that he most definitely did. The first part of the book matches expectations with a satirical look at suburban America. However, the second part of the book was more like a Stephen King novel than what you would expect from Ellis. The possessed Terby which belongs to Ellis’ step-daughter is up there with Chucky in terms of scary toys. Falling asleep and waking up with a toy that has been haunting you sitting on your chest, is bound to leave you with a few sleepless nights.

Lunar Park is always going to be compared with the work of Stephen King as there are a lot of similar concepts. The monster in the woods which attacks the house could be straight out of King’s darkest dream. In short, the second half of the book does have a Stephen King vibe with the way the horror unfolds and builds. However, this is a not a reason to criticize the book; Stephen King is such a prolific writer that it would be very hard to write a horror novel without touching on aspects used in King’s novels.

One thing that Brett Easton Ellis can do though is write beautiful prose and it is this skill which raises the story above King’s recent work. Lunar Park is told with such dark humor and beauty that you don’t want to put it down. It takes hold of you and keeps you reading far into the night, long past your bedtime. The final few pages in particular are a delight to read and a fantastic example of beautiful writing.

In summary, Lunar Park is a fantastic novel that shows a maturity to Ellis’ writing and imagination. The main character, him if you believe the hype, is very shallow and can be hard to like at times but he is meant to be shallow and his drug use and building paranoia is an important aspect to the plot. If you are looking for a scary read that has some darkly funny moments and will leave you checking under the bed at night, then this is the book for you.

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Reviewer’s Final Rating



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