Review: The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman

Title: The Devouring Gray 

Author:  Christine Lynn Herman
Publisher: Titan Books
Publishing Date:  April 2nd, 2019

Pages: 368
Genre: YA Fantasy Horror

Series:  The Devouring Gray #1
Source:  Audio

 

On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening…

Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbours treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid.

When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?

It seems I waited for a very long time for this book. When I first noticed the book I knew it was something I wanted to read. Creepy and freaky and scary and all that good stuff. I did find this book to be really good. It was creepy.. scary no but creepy yes. It has a very interesting story and I was completely wrapped up into the history of the gray. It was fast paced and had very interesting characters. The only downside… the ending was a bit of cliffhanger.

There is a town with four founding families. Each with powers that were needed to keep away the devouring gray… something that attacked and killed in this small town. This is the story about the children of the founding families and the gray. Can’t really say more than that without giving anything away. The gray is devouring and the families need to stop it.

This book was very interesting and it was very layered. Which is something I appreciate. The story of the gray isn’t really shared until late in the book however, that was okay. At times I did forget about the gray because I was completely into the founding families and their stories. I loved the history of each family and how they intertwined. I enjoyed know more about the powers and how they came to their powers. I liked the fact that one of the founding families moved away and came back with a daughter that knew nothing of this town or the gray or the families. So the history lesson came natural, I was able to learn as she learned. The entire thing was just captivating and interesting.

The characters I did like. They were all flawed and broken and a little messed up but it seemed to come with the territory. They were complicated and messy and I did fall in love with them. There really wasn’t much romance in this book but there were still some very complicated relationships. The story more focused on friendship and family relationships than romance. Which I was all good for. However, that being said, the ending did set up for a romance to start for the next installment. Which I don’t mind. It didn’t feel rushed and it seems it will bring in more complications… yay.

The story was well told, beautiful writing. The tone was perfect to set up the story in the right kind of setting. A gothic feel to the read at times. Old families, old secrets, old town, old houses. I am going to be honest… at times I got a Vampire Diaries- the show- vibe in this book. Which I loved. I mean no vampires but lots of old history and magic and evil. It was kind of great. The entire thing was just beautifully eerie and I l loved every moment of it.

The only thing I didn’t like… not much resolution in the end. There were answers to many questions but nothing resolved…and a bit (just a little) cliffhanger. So there is that. I have to wait another year at least to find out what is going to happen. But I guess that is okay…. I will wait patiently… kind of…


It was good. I really really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more.

Born in New York City but raised in Japan and Hong Kong, Christine Lynn Herman subscribes to the firm philosophy that home is where her books are. She returned to the United States for college, where she traded out a subtropical climate for harsh, snowy winters and an Honors English degree at the University of Rochester. Currently, Christine and her books reside in Brooklyn, along with her partner and their extremely spoiled cat.

Review: Neverwas by by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed

Title: Neverwas

Author: Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publishing Date: January 7th 2014

Pages: 320

Genre: YA Gothic/Alternate Universe

Series: The Amber House Trilogy

Source: Audio

  

"I was sixteen the second time I had my first kiss...."

At the end of AMBER HOUSE, Sarah made a choice that transformed everything--and now she must choose it all again.

Things are very different--better--for Sarah and her family: her Aunt Maggie grew up; her parents are happily married; her grandmother died after a long, productive and respected life. But other things are different too, and not for the better.

After growing up in the free country of the Pacific Northwest, Sarah Parsons has settled in at Amber House, the stately Maryland home that's been in her family for generations. But the world surrounding the House feels deeply wrong to Sarah. It's a place where the colonists lost the 1776 Insurrection, where the American Confederation of States still struggles with segregation, and where Sarah is haunted by echoes of a better world that she knows never existed.

Her friend Jackson shares these visions of a different world--and together, they manage both to remember the way things ought to be, and to plan a daring mission that will reset the universe once again. Sarah must figure out what has changed, and why, and how she can fix it--how she can find her way to another otherwhen.

 I was so excited to finally get this book. I absolutely loved the first one and was hoping I would not be disappointed by the second book. I was not. This was one was even more for me, more intense, more creepy, more haunting, more exciting, more everything.

 

Amber Housed ended on a pretty darn good note. It felt pretty wrapped up and things looked as if they were going to go well for Sarah and her family. She made a big change that effected her family, for the better. What Sarah didn't know is that there was another change made at the same time that pretty much changed history, for the worse. Her family is in a great place, everything is good, and everyone is happy. Sarah starts to have visions again, its the first time all over again. This time she doesn't only see visions of past lives in the house, but visions of her past that she doesn't remember at all. Visions and dreams later, she realizes something is wrong. Things are wrong. She must figure out why and fix it. 

I am even more in love with this trilogy after reading the second book. I will admit that most times I have a harder time with the second book, falling into the second book trap. This one did not get trapped. The story continues but doesn't. I love the fact that its an alternate present and I was able to watch Sarah figure it out all over again. This time with a bit more help from her other self along with all the other echoes in the house. Is the same story but not. Sarah has to figure out the echoes all again, but there is a new turn in the story, something major was changed in the past and Sarah has to figure that out too, and fix it. The mystery of when, what, and how kept me interested from beginning to end. I thought it was fascinating to see all the little things and major things changed because of a few things changed by Sarah. 

Another part of the story I loved was watching all the characters unfold again. Each character was reborn in a way. Each different because the circumstances in their life were changed. Sammy was pretty much the same but Sarah was different, Jackson was a bit different but still strong, loyal, and honest. Richard was much more lovable, I actually loved him in this book. He was much kinder and very sweet.  Sarah's parents were actually parents and Sarah's Aunt Maggie was alive. Every thing was better with the characters, the world however was so wrong. 

I think the world was the best part of this book. Everything was so wrong, I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to know every detail of the new world even though it was scary. Nazi's, segregation, it's like everything was going backwards instead of forward. 

The writing I also loved. The story had a real classic feel, beautiful, dark, haunting. Completely Gothic. I knew it was present time and certain things made it feel modern, but the tone and the setting felt so vintage. 

The pacing was just a tad off for me at the beginning, but I think to get to a place where everything was explained and figured out, it had to start off a little slow. Once it was all set up and ready to rock, it rocked. 

I loved everything about this book. I loved the first book, but I thought this one was much better. It had so much more detail, feeling, and depth. Can't wait to see where the next book takes me. 

Looking like it will be one of my favorite reads of the year...I know its early but I loved it that much.

Kelly Moore is a New York Times best-selling author, former litigator, and single mother of three. Her latest project, the young adult Amber House Trilogy, is co-written with her two daughters and based loosely upon her own family history. The first book in the series was nominated for the 2014 Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award for its realistic portrayal of characters with autism.
For more information about the Amber House Trilogy, please check out the authors' official blog athttp://www.amberhouseblog.com/.

Tucker Reed is co-author of the Amber House Trilogy. The first critically-acclaimed novel in the series,Amber House, was published in October 2012 by Arthur A. Levine Books. Reed has been recognized on the national level for her essays and short stories. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree, studying theatre and film, at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Larkin Reed is co-author of the Amber House Trilogy. The first critically-acclaimed novel in the series,Amber House, was published in October 2012 by Arthur A. Levine Books. Reed is also a student filmmaker, photographer, and screenwriter.

Review: Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Title: Strands of Bronze and Gold 

Author: Jane Nickerson
Publisher:  Random House Children's Books
Publishing Date: March 12th 2013

Pages: 352
Genre:  YA Fairytale Retelling, Gothic Horror

Series: Strands of Bronze and Gold #1
Source: Audio

  

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale...

This is one of the few books this year I wanted right away. I was so happy to see it on audio and WOW is all I can say. I didn’t go into this book with any expectations because I really wasn’t familiar with the Bluebeard folktale. I started the book without any inkling what was to come. Part way through the book I did get curious and looked up the folk tale and it only excited me more for the book. If you don’t know the folktale you will need to look it up. It’s just creepy very creepy and so was this book. From the very beginning my skin prickled with creepiness knowing that Sophie was in a very bad situation. I loved this book. It was everything and more for me. 

Sophie is a part of a family with 4 children. Two boys and two girls. When her father dies, her godfather (just saying that word gives me the creeps) takes her in. An older gentleman who has a huge house, plantation and abbey. He lives alone with his help and his slaves. He lives in Mississippi but he is French and he is “looser” with his manners than American gentleman. Sophie feels very honored and thankful at first, her godfather gives her lavish gifts and spoils her, but as time goes by she starts to feel things are very strange. He doesn’t let her leave the grounds, most of the doors in the abbey are locked, and she learns he has been married several times. As she starts to investigate she learns a terrible truth about her godfather and finds herself in danger.

This book was amazing. It was a little slow in the beginning but even at the slow place I was involved right away. The narrator did an excellent job for this story. The entire tone, voice, world building, everything about this book felt eerie with a bit of flair. I was taken in by the abbey, the elegance of the characters, the ambiance that seemed to flow from the pages. I was entrapped and didn’t want to escape. The writing was just beautiful, dark, and mesmerizing.

The world building alone is worth talking about. I am not a big fan of world building. I like it just enough to make me know where the story takes place. Overdoing it kind of bores me a bit, but the world building in this story blew me away. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the book nearly as much if the world building had been less. The author didn’t take a lot of time explaining little details or going overboard, but what she was able to do in just bits and pieces was fill my head with dark shadows lurking, creepy feelings, and things that go bump in the night to make me feel alive in the story. What the author did was truly amazing for me.

The world building was beautiful, but that alone would not keep me entranced… the characters were superb too. I loved the heroine and hated the villain. It was so easy to do. I want to talk about the villain, Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, first. The way this character had my head spinning was incredible. From the very beginning he gave me the creeps. Before I even know the tale this book was retelling. He was so obvious creepy, but I still wanted to like him, then hate him, then I wanted to stab him in the eyeball a couple hundred times. He was the perfect villain… Controlling, smooth, manipulative, evil, crazy, charming, and even good looking… all rolled into a creeper. I just loved/despised him through the entire book.

The heroine was awesome. Sophie (love the name) arrived innocent, naive, hopeful, and a little nervous with her new living arrangements. Just 17 years old she was thrown into a life of elegance, glamour, and beauty in a very short time. She was taken by it all and yes she did miss some of the obvious clues that told of the demented mind her godfather possessed, but it was forgivable. For two reasons I looked past her lack of brains… she was new to this world and it overtook her and she did wise up and really she even tormented herself for being so clueless. Once she gets it, she becomes determined and fights with all she has. She had fire and even though her godfather tried to stomp it out, she held on to the very last spark and started a bonfire.

There is a bit of romance, but it is not focused on. I like the romance as it was presented. It was sweet and of course couldn't be, so it was also sad. The love interest is a very sweet, respectful, honest man and I liked his character. Unfortunately he wasn't in much of the book. The part he was in, I enjoyed.

So yes I liked the book. I liked the book very much and I will not so patiently anticipate the next installment.

It’s a great retelling,.. if you don’t know the original tale, look it up or don’t… it won’t make effect your enjoyment of the book. Its got mystery, horror, and bit of romance. Its good really so go pick up a copy, I don’t think you will regret it.

Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Title:  The Madman's Daughter

Author:  Megan Shepherd
Publisher:  Balzer + Bray 
Publishing Date:  January 29th 2012

Pages: 420
Genre:  YA Gothic Horror, Classic Retelling

Series: The Madman's Daughter #1
Source: Audio

  

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

I have been wanting to read this book since I first saw it mentioned on a WOW last year sometime. I have to admit that I read the synopsis quickly and didn’t realize until after I had started the book that it was a retelling of “”The Island of Dr. Moreau”. I only knew I loved the cover, the title, and the genre. I don’t think it would have made any difference in me reading the book, in fact it was a nice surprise when I figured it out. I am a fan of the original and I love retellings. This book for sure did not disappoint. In fact it surpassed all my expectations by far.

The story is not original obviously, for those who have not read The Island of Dr. Moreau, it’s a very creepy story. In short a crazy demented mad scientist moves to an island where he experiments on animals, making them smarter and more human –like. The experiments are cruel and don’t always turn out as he expected. He believes he is their God and is just plain out nuts. Ok so in this story.. all is the same except the mad scientist has a daughter that finds her way to the island after years of wondering what really happened with her father and if he was really as crazy as it has been told. She arrives on a boat with Edward Prince, a castaway, and her childhood friend Montgomery. She finds out the dark secrets of the island and must decide if she can live with the truth or if she must escape the island… oh and she must decide where her heart really lies.

A very creep, though provoking, dark, and thrilling read. Oh my I was so deep into this story, I couldn’t concentrate on anything else in my life. I just wanted more! It’s been a long time since I read the first book. over 20 years so honestly, I don’t remember too much. It really didn’t matter though. This book was a story all in its own. I loved the Gothic writing style, the darkness of the tone, and the crazy crazy characters.

The writing and the tone were just amazing. I felt it all. As I was listening to this wonderfully creepy tale I had vision of a horror movie… black and white.. running through my head. I could see it all so clearly. The world that the author wove was very dark, beautiful, and just horrific. The book made my heart pound like I was waiting for something to jump out at me any moment. It was the most disturbing read I have had in a very long time.

The writing and tone was awesome but it was made even more awesome by the cast. Never in my life have I seen such a creeptastic cast. I don’t think there was a single sane person or creature on the island…except maybe for Caesar, one of the creations. Juliet was a great character. I loved her from the beginning. She was a very determined girl and even though she spent most of her nights terrified, she kept on keeping on. She was pretty sure in what she thought was right and wrong morally, but there were times her mind wondered to the madness, amazed by what has been accomplished. It was great to see the struggle within her mind. The only thing that only slightly bothered me about Juliet was… Montgomery no Edward no Montgomery. It sort of gave me whip lash. This story does have a love triangle… but it kind of fits well into the story and I think it made things make more sense.I did have my issues with both Montgomery and Edward. They both had their strong points and both had their weaknesses. There were times I though… It has to be Montgomery and times I knew it had to be Edward. They both loved Juliet, they both wanted her, they both would do anything for her. To keep her safe and to keep her happy. They also had no boundaries or limits.

The mad scientist… oh my.. I never hated a character more. I hated him. I really did… but something also made me want to save him. I felt sorry him.. he was loony all the way. No turning back and heartless and selfish and just evil. I couldn’t help wanting Juliet to forgive him and to fix him though. It was a tough relationship for me.

Most of the story didn’t have too many surprises for me. Even in parts I should have been shocked, I don’t think I was, but it didn’t matter. The thrill of the chase was there in a slow motion kind of creepy that just kept me terrified.

For me this is a must read, must buy, begging for more kind of book. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it for sure was mine.