NICOLE'S REVIEW: Her Dark Curiousity by Megan Shepherd

Title: Her Dark Curiosity

Author: Megan Shepherd

Format Acquired: ARC

Publication Date: January 28 2014

Publishing House: Balzer + Bray  

ISBN: 9780062296641

Source of Copy:  HarperCollins

Summary: 

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island - and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau's horrific lefacy - though someone, or something, hasn't forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father's creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she find herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer - Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

        (Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review: 

Note that this is a sequel and a review for the previous book, The Madman's Daughter right can be found HERE. 

Juliet's back in London trying to make sense of things and make a new life for herself. Figuring out medicine to stay her illness is just one of her problems. There is talk of new murders around town and the killer leaving behind a calling card - three slashes on the victims eerily similar to what happened on her father's island. She's afraid that one of her father's monsters followed her back to London and she has no choice but to help put an end to it before another hapless innocent dies.

Poor Juliet, she has a new life - better than her last but things start going wrong when the murders start. If you're guessing it's Edward than give yourself a pat on the back. Juliet is torn between keeping him safe and finding a cure for his condition and ultimately destroying the creature that shares the same body as her beloved Edward. She makes a lot of stupid decisions which were born out of a mix of desperation and loneliness. But I suppose that's what I like about her. I mean we all make stupid decisions, why can't she? She never pretended to be perfect.

The Beast's obsession with Juliet is reason for the murders he commits - no one hurts the love of his life and the Beast will allow nothing to come in between them. I understand also her connection to Edward and why she's so adamant to save him and find a cure for him. She's desperate for a cure because if she cannot cure Edward, if he is not worthy of saving, then how about herself? 

I truly like Shepherd's writing. The story is dark, desperate and action packed filled with twists and turns and weird science that, if you think about it hard enough, doesn't quite mesh. So don't think too hard on it. Just go with it. 

Her Dark Curiosity is a step up from the first book. I liked this better. Probably because Juliet is toeing the line of her morality and seeing just how like her father she can be. I can only wonder what's going to happen in the next book.  

Rating: 

                       

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Dollhouse by Anya Allyn

Title: Dollhouse

Author: Anya Allyn

Format Acquired: eARC 

Publication Date: September 30, 2012

Publishing House: The Studio

ISBN: 9781629210230

Source of Copy: Requested from publisher via NetGalley

Summary: 

When Cassie's best friend, Aisha, disappears during a school hike, Cassie sets off with Aisha's boyfriend Ethan and their best friend Lacey, determined to find her. But the mist-enshrouded mountains hold many secrets, and what the three teens discover is far more disturbing than any of them imagined: beneath a rundown mansion in the woods lies an underground cavern full of life-size toys and kidnapped girls forced to dress as dolls.

Even as Cassie desperately tries to escape the Dollhouse, she finds herself torn between her forbidden feelings for Ethan, and her intense, instinctive attraction to The Provider, a man Cassie swears she has known before...

Because Cassie's capture wasn't accidental, and the Dollhouse is more than just a prison where her deepest fears come true - it's a portal for the powers of darkness. And Cassie may be the only one who can stop it.

        (Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary courtesy of NetGalley)

Review: 

What horror movie characters lack for depth and some interesting back stories, the actual psych-you-out stuff more than makes up for it. It is, after all, kind of hard to feel some sort of connection to someone who's either being wigged out by some paranormal, psychological stuff, or who ends up being killed just twenty minutes into the movie.

Dollhouse is like that, given that the creeptastic factor of the actual Dollhouse is actually the kind of flick Hollywood dreams are made of - if only its slew of characters weren't so darned caught up in their teenage drama, despite all the paranormal stuff that's been happening around them. (Come on, you guys. You can resume that catfight when you're outside, and not dead.)

When Cassie's best friend Aisha disappears, all fingers are pointed at Ethan, Aisha's boyfriend. Cassie knows that Ethan can't be involved in her disappearance, juvenile delinquent or no. The only way to clear Ethan's name is to find Aisha, and the only way to do that is to comb the mountains where she disappeared during the school hike. But these teens find more when they bargain for when they stumble across a decrepit house, with a different kind of horror awaiting them inside.

Earlier, I remarked upon the creepiness factor of Dollhouse. It's like this: Think about the last horror movie you watched that involved dolls (Child's Play? Annabelle?) and take note that since this is a book where everything is fleshed out and described in very attentive detail, everything is basically playing out in your mind. Which I think, is just as bad since it amps up the creepiness factor. Live, moving dolls that beat you up when you're misbehaving? Check. A girl who forces every teenager to act like a doll? Got it. Err, ancient Greek paranormal stuff? ...Yup.

While I was morbidly fascinated with how eerie and messed-up this whole scenario was, I was still iffy about the teenagers and their little romantic drama, given that they may not even make it out alive out of that house. The paranormal Greek thing was a bit out of sorts so while it did magnify the creep factor, it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Dollhouse is still a bit fresh in my memory simply because I was really surprised at how disturbing the whole shebang was. The actual dollhouse set-up was golden for macabre-fans like me, but the forgettable characters and random plot twists was too much for me.

Rating: 

            

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard

Title: Strange and Ever After

Author: Susan Dennard

Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: July 22 2014

Publishing House:  HarperTeen

ISBN: 0062083325

Source of Copy: Edelweiss

Summary: 

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publisher's Weekly called "a roaring - and addictive - gothic world," Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus...all before it's too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination that ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationship with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has ciriously entangled herself in Eleanor's mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie's life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time - the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it's over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

        (Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review: 

Strange and Ever After is the last book in the series. Review for the second book HERE.

This is it, the final battle, the moment that will decide whether Eleanor manages to win against the evil that took her mother, her brother and now her friend Jie or ultimately lose everyone dear to her. Eleanor travels all over the place in this installment, from Paris to Marseilles and then to Egpyt, if I'm not mistaken, trying to stop Marcus and hoping to save the life of her friend.

The final installment of this series is...I can't. It's killer. As in when I read...THAT PART (no spoilers) I had to do a reread because why why why why why. Cue ugly crying people. Ugh. On to the review.

Eleanor's control of her powers is getting better but her powers and her demon companion still cause strife between her and the Spirit Hunters seeing as how they're totally against her necromancy. I'm glad that Daniel and Eleanor's relationship actually progresses in this installment and Eleanor does grow as a character. I mean sure sometimes her decisions leave me baffled but Eleanor's a smart girl and fearless too and she always manages to push through. Sometimes I wonder why Eleanor's so afraid of her magic but then I realize it's not exactly unicorns and rainbows when it comes to raising the dead. Dead is dead and zombies aren't pretty.

If you've read the second book you'll know that Eleanor and Oliver are not on good terms but I like how their friendship doesn't just disappear and they manage to bridge the gap between them. He's the one who always urges Eleanor to hone her powers and free him from their contract. And despite his anger and hurt he still cares. 

Strange and Ever After is hard to put down, Eleanor encounters trouble every which way she turns to the point that it looks like she just can't win. And when all was said and done, the ending was terribly poignant. It's one of the more conclusive endings I've read, with all the loose ends tied up. It was sad but Dennard managed to make it hopeful so while I might have thrown a little tantrum I got over it quickly enough. I'm satisfied and I will definitely read the next book the author releases. 

Thank you for this series Susan Dennard, it was wonderful.

Rating: 

      

                         

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro

Title: Dark Paradise
Author: Angie Sandro
Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: July 1 2014

Publishing House: Forever Yours

ISBN: 9781455554829
Source of Copy: NetGalley

Summary:

DARK LEGACY

Mala LaCroix has spent her whole life trying to escape her destiny. As the last in a long line of "witch women," she rejects the notion of spirits and hoodoo and instead does her best to blend in. But when she finds a dead body floating in the bayou behind her house, Mala taps into powers she never knew she had. She's haunted by visions of the dead girl, demanding justice and vengeance.

DEADLY SECRETS

Landry Prince has always had a crush on Mala but when Mala discovers his sister, murered and marked in some sort of Satanic ritual, he wonders if all the rumors about the LaCroix family are true. Yet after Mala uses her connection to the spirit world to identify his sister's killer, he starts to form his own bond to her ... a very physical one. As they move closer to each other and closer to the truth, Mala and Landry must risk everything - their families, their love, and even their lives.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads;)

Review:

Mala is in denial about her powers. She's been trying to escape her whole life but finding a dead body floating in the bayou near her house puts all those carefully crafted notions out of her head. Landry has always had his eye on Mala - hanging out where she works, looking at her, staring at her when in school - but when Mala is the one who discovers his sister's body floating in the water he's not sure what to think anymore. Satanic rituals? Hoodoo? Can Landry put his trust in a girl who's painted as a witch involved in blood rituals? Can Mala figure out what the malevolent spirit wants before she gets consumed by her own budding powers?

It's told in the alternating voices of Mala and Landry. Mala is a sort of pariah seeing as how she's a descendant of witch women and people with all their prejudice and preconceived ideas concerning witches treat her like she's got the plague. Mala's used to it though and spends her time at the police station helping out. She's over-dramatic sometimes and a little naive at others. She's also part of this confusing romance and torn between two boys - George and Landry.

George doesn't really have that much of a presence in the book. He's just this guy who Mala works with and fancies. He kind of sees Mala as this little girl or damsel in distress who needs to be sheltered and protected. I have no idea what Mala sees in him because aside from the pretty face there really is nothing to write home about.

Landry on the other hand is crazy. He's always had a crush on Mala but never really had the guts to go talk to her. When he finds out Mala's the one who finds his sister's body he is easily persuaded into believing that she's performing crazy blood rituals and his sister is an unwitting victim. And he expects Mala to fall at his feet? Expects that they could actually have a relationship together? From their first confrontation to their following interactions, Landry is either hating/angry at her or flirty and charming. Maybe if he were a little less psycho they might have a chance.

I did like the atmosphere of the book. It's creepy and mysterious and I don't know how I made it through because I am not good with ghosts. I mean just mentioning ghosts makes me feel tainted. I just kind of wished that instead of focusing on the romance because all that messy drama overshadowed the good horror/mystery vibe the book had going.

Nevertheless I'll be checking out the second book, mainly because I want to see where the author takes this series and also because Mala's powers are growing and I want to know if they're going to driver her crazy in the end. And Landry too because crazies also deserve a happy ending.

Rating:

                           

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Devil in the Corner by Patricia Elliott

Title: Devil in the Corner
Author: Patricia Elliott
Format Acquired: eARC

Publication Date: March 6, 2014

Publishing House: Hachette Children's Books

ISBN: 9780340956786
Source of Copy: Requested from publisher via NetGalley

Summary:

Penniless, and escaping the horrors of life as a governess to brutal households, Maud seeks refuge with the cousin-by-marriage she never knew. But Juliana quashes Maud's emerging friendships with the staff and locals - especially John, the artist commissioned to restore the sinister Doom in the local church. John, however, is smitten with Maud and makes every effort to woo her.

Maud, isolated and thwarted at every turn, continue to take the laudanum which was her only solace in London. Soon she becomes dependent on the drug - so is this the cause of her fresh anxieties? Or is someone - or something - plotting her demise?

Is the devil in the corner of the Doom a reality, or a figment of her imagination?

(Image, summary and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

Maud's life takes a turn for the better when a letter from an estranged relative appears out of the blue to offer her a warm bed at Windward House. Unsurprisingly, Maud finds herself as an companion to Juliana Greenwood, her sometimes overly dramatic, sometimes compassionate relative, who is only a bit more manipulative than Maud at times. Maud can't help that she sees and/or feels that there is something out there that's bent on getting her: the laudanum helps her sleep, helps her cope with her nightmares. But as the devil slowly makes its presence known as it terrorizes Grenville, has she unleashed her nightmare out into reality?

I actually don't like being omniscient when it comes to Maud's thoughts. Instead of being grateful for being offered a place to stay without wandering, entitled grown men passing by for a grope, she also cultivates a dislike for Juliana for inheriting Windward House. It's not Juliana's fault that Maud's father was rather loose with money - which Maud herself constantly turned a blind eye to. And to cap it off, she had laudanum dependency problems, so she was always paranoid and accusing people of the strangest things (like following her, because Maud is pretty self-obsessed) so no matter how John Shawcross described the loveliness of Maud, she was probably the ugliest protagonist - inside and out - I have ever come across. Some trials in life have made people stronger, and maybe a bit bitter; Maud 's tribulations in life only makes her resentful and calculating. I wanted John Shawcross to find himself a lovely girl who was not Maud, or that equally dreadful girl from the pharmacy, because even if he first fell in love with the hauntingly empty beauty of Maud, he did love her wholly, and I didn't think that Maud deserved that.

The thriller was exciting at first, but in the end, it fell flat. I myself couldn't settle for the paltry convenience of what actually happened, but maybe I'm a bit biased because I really didn't like Maud. While Juliana wasn't the easiest patient nor the kindest relative, I hardly think that it was enough justification for Maud to think of the inheritance she would undoubtedly come into even before Juliana has passed. Juliana may be selfish and manipulative, but then she is also unloved. And while this may not be enough to justify her actions, I just wished that Maud would have been more understanding to that. (Which I now realize, is hard because Maud is self-obsessed, so thinking of anyone besides herself would be challenging.)

While the writing of Devil in the Corner is solid, easy to read, and that it may suck you in, I just came away hollow from the whole book. There was no love lost, nor love found, but neither would I say that this is a book that I'd remember or forget.

Devil in the Corner may appeal to fans of Gothic work, if they aren't put off by the heroine's hideousness as a being, and often lack for human empathy.

Rating:

         

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: August 15, 2013

Publishing House: Dial

ISBN: 9780803738898
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White's sleepy, seaside town... until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet's crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet's grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet's already so knee-deep in love, she can't see straight. And that's just how River likes it.

(Image, summary and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

I found it very hard not to be intrigued by this book when it came popping up on GoodReads. For one, the title alone was enough to convince me that I absolutely needed this. Then out of the blue (Was that a pun? Why yes, I believe it was!) I remembered this The Killers song that had a line that had these words on it. I know that the title is obviously a saying, but there's nothing like humming Spaceman every time I see the title. Second, just look at that totally gorgeous Gothic-looking cover, and the teeny tiny humans on the cliff. They look like they're dancing, despite the grim and dangerous theme of their surroundings. The girl obviously looks like she's having fun flirting with danger, and I love the whimsical detail it poses. Third, the summary. Goodness knows how obsessed I am when it comes to horror and very unconventional romances. I have been disappointed time and time again by awesome-sounding books, but thankfully, that was not the case with this one.

Just like the evil River West, Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea is a total charmer.

With their bohemian-living parents away, Violet rents out one of the rooms in her grandmother's sprawling yet fading estate to be able to feed herself and her brother Luke. And who else rents it but the mysterious River West who seems to make Violet's heart race and whose grin almost makes her forget about the strange happenings around town. But when the gruesome and macabre goings-on start to hit closer to home, Violet starts to realize that her grandmother's warnings about the devil may not have been utter poppycock at all.

Violet would be the perfect embodiment of those shabby-chic girls you spot in magazines. She goes around wearing her grandmother's clothes with a devil-may-care attitude (I swear I am not making these puns on purpose. They just come rather naturally.) in her opulent yet faded grandmother's property, and she doesn't seem to give a rat's butt about what people think or say about her. Personality-wise, she reminded me a lot of Petunia from the webcomic Todd Allison and the Petunia Flower. While she's mostly smart with her dealings with River West, you just can't really fault her when she goes weak in the knees because, dear reader, you will too! I couldn't muster any love for Warner of Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me, nor any for Darkling of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, but I could understand why Violet fell under the spell of River West, despite him possibly being more psycho than Darkling. People, this guy is a real nut job, but a nut job I will confess to being enraptured with. Seriously. You want a really bad boy? Meet River West. I seriously didn't think I had it in me to be fascinated by a bad boy, but he's just so darn charming! River will remind you of a very mischievous cat playing with a mouse; it's not really intentional if the mouse ends up dead.

What I love about Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is that it does away with your whole black-and-white version rendition of good and evil. Instead, readers are subjected to a murky gray that will undoubtedly be good material for some self-reflection.

Also, Tucholke's writing will not clue you in that this novel is her first. She is good at pacing, and is adept in creating curious - and sometimes horrific - events that effectively counter the idyllic scenarios readers witness. 

Was the novel a bit insta-love-y, however? A little, but if you've given proper thought, it doesn't appear to be that way. Well, not on purpose anyway, and that is good enough for me.

If you like creepy books and are curious about a devil who doesn't know which side he's on, I cannot recommend this book enough. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea balances perfectly well the romance as well as the Gothic horror, making it equally appealing to horror-lovers and romance aficionados alike!

Now, being a new Tucholke fan, I'll just have to languish a little bit every day like the others as I wait for the second book, Between the Spark and the Burn, which comes out in August 2014...

Rating:

  

            

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

Title: Through the Zombie Glass
Author: Gena Showalter
Format Acquired: Hardcover 

Publication Date: September 24 2013

Publishing House: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210770
Source of Copy: FullyBooked

Summary:

Alice Bell has lost so much. Family. Friends, A home. She thought she had nothing else to give. She was wrong.

After a new zombie attack, strange things begin to happen to her. Mirrors come to life, and whispers of the dead assault her ears. But the worst? A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do very wicked things.

She's never needed her team of zombie slayers more, but ultra bad-boy Cole Holland, the leader and her boyfriend, suddenly withdraws from her...from everyone. Now with her best friend, Kat, at her side, Ali must kill the zombies, uncover Cole's secret and learn to fight the darkness.

But the clock is ticking...and if she fails at a single task, they're all doomed.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Through the Zombie Glass is the second book in the series. A review for the first book can be found here.

After the events of the first book, Cole and Ali are ready to conquer the world, one zombie at a time. That is until Cole looks into Ali's eyes and sees something he's not particularly happy about. Strange things are happening to Alice, and Cole's determination to drive a wedge between them isn't helping. The introduction of new hunters to their group only adds fuel to the fire - it doesn't really help that one of them is Cole's ex.

Really, should I be surprised that another of Cole's exes pops out in the second book? Why can't they, for once, just focus on killing zombies? And how is possible that each and every single one of the hunters are inhumanly beautiful, ripped and hot? What. And why does it always have to be Cole who's the target of every female's fantasy? He's kind of a jerk albeit an incredibly hot one but still. 

I wasn't a super fan of Cole in the second book, I mean up and running the moment another guy comes into the picture instead of staying put and fighting for Ali? Ha. No thanks, Ali definitely doesn't need a guy like you Cole. Go home. But alas, the heart wants what the heart wants and all my hopes and dreams of Ali making Cole suffer were for naught.

Well of course, our dear Alice pines for Cole, and while I was irked about all the whining, she at least didn't act all wimpy and hide herself in some deep, dark cave drawing circles on the cold dirt floor and crying day in, day out. She's a fighter and she knows she's got some issues to deal with other than her broken heart. So she mans up and plows through those issues like the zombie slayer that she is.

Things get a little more interesting for Ali in the second book, strange things are happening to the zombies and who is that weird zombie-like version of herself flitting around? And why does she crave human flesh? Then there's Anima acting up again and they want Alice because they think she's got the ability to cure diseases in her blood. 

So aside from dealing with her agony over Cole, Alice has to deal with her reflections coming to life, the dark urge to take a bite out of her friends and her impending death. Boy, does Alice have things easy. The zombies she has to fight are kind of a given so...yeah.

Overall an entertaining read despite my urges to chuck the book at the nearest wall because Cole is a douche. But yes, I'm definitely buying the next book despite its steep price. And if you're into zombies and are not a fan of retellings you might want to check this out because despite the title, it's not exactly a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. 

Rating:

        

                       

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard

Title: Project Cain
Author: Geoffrey Girard
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Publishing House: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 9781442476967
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Jeff Jacobson had never heard of Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous serial killer who brutally murdered seventeen people more than twenty years ago. But Jeff's life changes forever when the man he'd thought was his father hands him a government file telling him he was constructed in a laboratory only seven years ago, part of a top-secret government cloning experiment called 'Project CAIN'.

There, he was created entirely from Jeffrey Dahmer's DNA. There are others like Jeff - those genetically engineered directly from the most notorious murderers of all time: The Son of Sam, The Boston Strangler, Ted Bundy... even other Jeffrey Dahmer clones. Some raised, like Jeff, in caring family environments; others within homes that mimicked the horrific early lives of the men they were created from.

When the most dangerous boys are set free by the geneticist who created them, the summer of killing begins. Worse, these same teens now hold a secret weapon even more dangerous than the terrible evil they carry within. Only Jeff can help track the clones down before it's too late. But will he catch the 'monsters' before becoming one himself?

(Image, summary and information courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

Jeff is on the run. From what, he's not exactly sure. All he knows is that they are coming. He doesn't know what they want from him, because he has nothing they could possibly want. That is, until he finds out that he is the only one of seventeen boys to be 100% replicated from the DNA of notorious serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeff's not the only one cloned from a serial killer; almost every serial killer has at least one living, breathing representative, and Jeff must track them down before everything turns into the biggest living nightmare the world has ever witnessed.

I've read a lot about Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and almost all the serial killers documented from the United States. Most of them are violent because of the environment they grew up in, triggering all these synapses for brutal killing. And some, only a handful of them are, because it's in their genes. Project Cain once again brings up the old debate between nature versus nurture, wherein a fictional - at least I hope it is - US company, in conjunction with the military, use clones of serial killers to be their guinea pigs. Some families are instructed to raise the clone in a good environment, and some get paid to re-enact the clone's "original" home life. The novel is rife with conspiracy theories that I did enjoy, and short biodata of the serial killers, which did refresh some of my memory. 

But other than that, Project Cain did not really carve out a niche for itself just like I hoped. There was no internal conflict drama from the main character, which I badly wanted, and there was little to non-existent action. (Actually there are some action stuff going on, but it'll hardly keep anyone buzzed.) And could you really fault me for thinking this one was going to be good? Look at that cover! It looks more than well-versed in butt-kicking than staying in hotel rooms (which was like, what, 85% of the novel?) I get that Jeff's supposed to be hiding from the other kids, and that DIST, the company that "created" them is after them as well. (Yes, them. This other guy gets roped into helping Jeff.) But guess what? DIST doesn't seem to actually give a fig about Jeff. Those replicas of serial killers seem be to way more interested in killing people than recruiting Jeff to be part of them. And the secret weapon that's supposedly very dangerous? Heck yeah it's dangerous, but it wasn't as exciting as the blurb made it seem.

Jeff was hardly interesting, and the way he was written made it seem like he was this very young boy instead of being around sixteen or seventeen. He was fighting his inner demons for a bit, sure, but it was more like he was fighting his own delusions. And because he's technically 100% Jeffrey Dahmer (Yes, even the egg carries Jeffrey Dahmer.) he sees Dahmer's victims all over the place. Which is weird. But despite being a clone of Dahmer, Jeff is normal, for lack of a better term, to the point of being of coming across as sheltered. Well, DIST did pick this Jeff to be raised in a good environment, so the Dahmer characteristics obviously did not show up. 

If books with serial killers are your thing, I'd really rather recommend Barry Lyga's I Hunt Killers. Project Cain may have a very tempting blurb, but it hardly delivered, what with its lackluster characters and weak storyline.

Rating:

           

NICOLE'S REVIEW + Novel Nails #7: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Title: Unbreakable
Author: Kami Garcia
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: October 1 2013

Publishing House: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 9780316210171
Source of Copy: Fully Booked

Summary:

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, she doesn't realize that paranormal forces are responsible - not until mysterious identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room and destroy a deadly spirit sent to kill her.

Kennedy learns that her mother's death was no accident, and now she has to take her place in the Legion of the Black Dove - a secret society of ghost hunters formed to protect the world from a vengeful demon. A society whose five members were all murdered on the same night, leaving the Legion in the hands of the next generation: a misfit group with unique skills.

As new members race to find the only weapon capable of destroying the demon, they use their individual talents to battle paranormal entities and earn their rightful place in the Legion - except for Kennedy.

If she is truly the missing piece of the puzzle can she stay alive long enough to find out - without losing her heart in the process?

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Needing my monthly fix of paranormal fiction, I decided to pick Unbreakable up. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, seeing as how I'm not a huge fan of the Beautiful Creatures series. I'll tell you guys now that I actually liked this book despite a few cliches and that awful love triangle, it was a pretty entertaining read.

Strange things happen after Kennedy finds herself traipsing through a graveyard one evening chasing after her runaway cat. Her mother dies due to a paranormal entity and she's thrust into a world she knows nothing about. A world involving demons, ghosts and a secret society known as the Legion of the Black Dove which her mother was a part of. Well, at least that's what the devastatingly handsome twins who appear on her doorstep one night tell her while simultaneously trying to recruit her to their cause.

Garcia has pretty decent characters. I mean it took me a little while to warm up to Kennedy but she's okay. She's got abandonment issues; her dad left her when she was a little girl and her mother 's gone to the great beyond leaving behind a secret legacy of demon hunting and ghost busting. I'd have issues too if I were in her place.

This little thing I wasn't real fond of was the love triangle. When the summary mentioned "twins" I feared the worst. I mean, just what are the chances of two brothers falling in love with the same girl at the same time? It made the romance aspect of the book seem a little unbelievable.

But what I liked about Unbreakable was its creep factor. I read this at around 3am and I seriously felt like someone had their eyes pinned to my back as I read. Maybe I was being a little paranoid then but still, this book managed to scare me a little. Good job, Unbreakable. It's fast pace and scene after scene of ghostly encounters kept me from getting bored, the lore is quite interesting and I'd like to find out more about this Legion of the Black Dove. 

Unbreakable is pretty straight forward -join the Legion, find the weapon, destroy the demon, save the world. There's a little bit of sleuthing involved but nothing too heavy. Looking for your next paranormal read? Give Unbreakable a shot.

Rating:

     

"Novel Nails" is a feature of the blog that showcases nail art inspired by books and their covers. Nail art will be created by either Michelle or Nicole and will be featured alongside their reviews.

Hi guys! It's been a month I think, since we last posted Novel Nails. I'm sorry, I think I'm a bit out of practice. 

In case you guys are curious I used Orly Liquid Vinyl and Spa Ritual Solstice to create my nails. They're really easy to do, black and gold french tips right? And a free hand drawing of a symbol found on p.180

Nails with the book.

On my right hand you'll see that I added a teardrop shaped stud on the accent nail.

Here's the symbol I was talking about. I drew it on my accent nail.

Nails with the book again.

Hope you liked this! I'll try to do more next time around but with a few months till my thesis defense, I'm going to be real busy. If you want to check out my past bookish nails just head on over to instagram and look for nicolereadsbooks.

Yes or No to black and gold nails?

                                

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland

Title: Vengeance Bound
Author: Justina Ireland
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: April 2 2013

Publishing House: Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 9781442444621
Source of Copy: Fully Booked

Summary:

Revenge is not always sweet.

Amelie Ainsworth had no choice. She prayed for help. The Furies were the ones to answer her call.

She owes Them her life.

But They are too powerful. Amelie can no longer justify giving in to Their dark urges.

Can she ever be normal with Them in her head?

Starting fresh at yet another school, Amelie meets new people. Good people like Niko who could offer her something more than vengeance.

But They are not finished with Amelie and They do no handle rejection well.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

I should have known to be wary of  book that's being touted as "The Goddess Test meets Dexter". I never really hit it off with the Goddess Test but I decided that that shouldn't be reason for me to shy away from this book.

When Amelie cries out for vengeance, she never really expected an answer. Especially not from the mythical Greek Furies with their bloodlust and thirst for revenge. A number of kills later and her stint at a mental facility, Amelie finds herself wondering if she's truly capable of controlling the Furies or will she soon crumble to their needs of death and destruction one human soul at a time.

One thing I was really looking forward to was the prospect of blood and gore. I mean sharing your mind and being a conduit for the Furies has got to be an interesting experience despite the little mishaps and all that. But despite the promising concept and the infusion of Greek mythology I found this book sadly lacking.

Amelie or Cory as she's called has been through a lot, crazy men locking her in a basement, loony doctors and a crazy friend who's way too clingy and stalkerish. I mean I think Amelie would be an interesting character if only I could connect with her. Which I couldn't. The story lacked characterization which didn't please me at all. The secondary characters were like stiff props meant to fill a certain role; the mean girl, the pothead friend, the crazy best friend and so on. They never felt real to me.

As for the romance...well Amelie's infatuated with Niko from the get-go and their romance is fast paced and instant. I would've liked to see a little more romance or passion and some sparks or maybe fireworks but I just couldn't feel a thing. I mean sure, Niko's a good boy, a little worse for wear but a good boy. Aside from that? Nothing. 

I would have liked more action, more vengeance and a whole lot more blood. And maybe a better resolution to the story because that ending felt a little bit too abrupt. 

Now if you're a fan of Greek myth and you like your stories jam packed with ancient lore and whatnot, this one isn't for you. But if you're looking for a fast paced read that's a little violent and involves the Greek Furies then yes, you could always pick this one up.

Rating: