Audio Tour: The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

I cannot say how excited I am about kick starting the blog tour of this amazing debut by Dawn Kurtagich’s called The Dead House. I’m not someone who reaches for a horror book as my usual genre and I started this book with some trepidation. However, I can assure you tis book was amazing. More of this will be coming later in the review but now I must proceed and squeal how delighted I am to host this blog stop. Plus I was got a surprise for you at the end. Yes a Giveaway too.

Before we go any further, let’s remind ourselves about what The Dead House is about.

Title: The Dead House
Author: Dawn Kurtagich
Publisher: Indigo Books, UK
Released: 1st August, 2015
Part-psychological thriller, part-urban legend, this is an unsettling narrative made up of diary entries, interview transcripts, film footage transcripts and medical notes. Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Three people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s identical twin sister. But Carly didn’t have a twin . . .

Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.

Who was Kaitlyn and why did she only appear at night? Did she really exist or was she a figment of a disturbed mind? What were the illicit rituals taking place at the school? And just what did happen at Elmbridge in the events leading up to ‘the Johnson Incident’?

Chilling, creepy and utterly compelling, THE DEAD HOUSE is one of those very special books that finds all the dark places in your imagination, and haunts you long after you've finished reading.
 
For, this audio blog tour, Dawn has prepared these fantastic audio teasers. I’ve been lucky enough to snag the teaser where the one of the main characters, Kaitlyn introduces herself. Listen on and I promise you will be screaming for more.


Creeped out yet? Believe me when I say I jumped a few times while reading this book and yes, it was in bright daylight. I loved the format of this book, which is written in a unique format which I’ve never come across before, It was fascinating and I was hooked. Apart for my min review above, I have a copy of the final copy of The Dean House to giveaway. It is UK/IRE only and I’m not responsible for any items lost in the post. All you have to do is enter via the rafflecoptor widget below.

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Review: Seed by Lisa Heathfield

A twisted, ugly, raw emotion churning experience.

Title: Seed
Author: Lisa Heathfield
Publisher:Electric Monkey, UK
My ratings: 4 out of 5 stars
Released: 16th April, 2014
W hile I had Seed sitting on my Kindle for a while, I did not plan on reading until I saw the glowing recommendation by one of my fellow UK Book Blogger. She urged me to pick it up and I admit I'm grateful that she did.

It also took me a while to write a review for Seed as the book left my thoughts disarrayed and scattered. I will only give a vague premise as I strongly believe even a small detail can be spoilery. So Pearl lives in a farm called Seed, with her family. She is home schooled and and worships nature with their leader Papa S. Seed and it's life is what Pearl know until one day there are new comers who bring new scenarios and new questions with them.

I'm purposely being vague here as this book is something which should be gone into as blind as possible and the way things get revealed is half the fun. Pearl's life seems perfect to her and at first she hates the newcomers who bring uncertainty with them. The relationships between the people in Seed kept me on my edge of my seat. The whole set up so weird and twisted but reading from Pearl's point of view, it seemed the other way around. Ellis and his family bring the much needed change and then events starts unfolding rather quickly. Some of them are sweet while some of them were horrifying.

What I loved most about Seed was how there were different dynamics between each family member and how skilfully Lisa Heathfield manages to capture ever glare and glances which are telling yet leaving me asking me for more clarification. The author is a master of 'showing not telling' which gave so much depth to this book.

The ending is what left me utterly gobsmacked. I wasn't sure if I wanted to applaud or scream at my Kindle for the ending. I may warn you it felt like a cliff hanger to me.

This book is highly recommended to YA readers who want to try something new bored with the regular dystopian, contemporary romance, or fantasy. It was twisted, ugly, raw, emotion churning experience which I definitely want to repeat again and again. Do yourself a favour and try this book.

Special thanks to Michelle from Tales of Yesterday for her recommendation

Review based on a copy received from the publisher via Netgalley.

Review: Under My Skin by James Dawson

James Dawson proves again why is a heavy weight in UKYA

Title: Under My Skin
Author: James Dawson
Publisher: Hot Key books, UK
My ratings: 4 out of 5 stars
Released: 5th March, 2015
While I have heard a lot about James Dawson, I haven’t read any fiction he has written before. Hence when given a chance to read Under My Skin about a haunted tattoo, I pounced on it.

Before I get down to the review, let me tell how beautiful the actual book was. With sprayed bright pick edges and filled with various tattoo inside and outside, it had a running theme throughout the book and it gave a clear picture what Molly Sue looked like.

The story is about Sally Feather, a shy, introverted girl who is bullied at school. With old fashioned parents and only a few friends she somehow gets tricked into getting a tattoo of Molly Sue. The tattoo make her feel rebellious and powerful but then it starts talking. That’s right. Her tattoo starts talking and moving around.

Sally Feather was a well written protagonist whom readers will be able to relate to instantly. Sally’s parents are conservative and Sally feels they don’t understand her. Her only life-line are her childhood friends. I loved how getting Molly Sue, Sally grows as a character. At the beginning when she is awkward, shy and a pushover by the end of this book she gains confidence and a personality.

My copy. (via my Instagram Account)

My favourite thing about this book was Molly sue. My feelings were so conflicted about her. I loved what she did for Sally, helping her gain confidence and standing up for herself. She was the little jolt of energy that Sally needed. Molly Sue helps her navigate the dangerous waters of high school and achieve whatever Sally wanted. However this is where the twist is, that Molly Sue was out of control. She takes things to another level. She was willing to go to any length to get what she wanted. Soon she was taking over Sally’s body and committing crimes which were being blamed on Sally.

I really enjoyed the sassy and mouthy Molly Sue even if she was evil. The whole thing was creepy and edgy. The concept of a haunted tattoo which spoke, moved and took over your body will stay in my psyche for a long time and I don’t think I’m ever getting a tattoo. I loved how diverse this story was and how concepts like feminism and homosexuality were addressed.

Overall, I really enjoyed my first foray into James Dawson’s fiction. Under My skin was beautiful, poignant, creepy and eerie. With a dash of romance, friendship and family, Under My Skin was highly entertaining and has convinced me why James Dawson is such a heavy weight when it comes to UKYA.

Review copy received from Hot Key Books, UK

 

Review: Vampire Seeker (Samantha Carter #1) by Tim O'Rourke + Giveaway [INT]

Thrilling, exhilarating and exciting

Title: Vampire Seeker
Series: Samantha Carter
Author: Tim O’Rourke
Publisher: Piatkus Books, UK  
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Releases: 16th January, 2014
When offered the opportunity to try out Tim O’Rourke’s Vampire Seeker, I was reluctant as I have not read any male writers who have done this genre justice. I’m pleased to say that Tim proved me wrong many times over.

Samantha Carter is your regular student in London who is convinced that the recent vicious murders occurring in Whitechapel are the doings of a vampire and not some crazy criminal. Convinced of her theory, she follows the perpetrator into the London subway only to be ambushed and wakes up in 1888 Wild West America. There she meets a bunch of ‘vampire hunters’ and before she knows it, she is travelling with them, hunting and having an adventure of a life time.

I really really enjoyed Vampire Seeker. It was such an unexpected find for me that it brought back my mojo in reading. It was exhilarating and exciting. There was romance in the air with the mysterious Harry and the other fellow vampire hunters were such an enigmatic bunch. There were many mysteries to be uncovered and throughout book and I could not predict what was going to happen next.

It kept me on the edge of my seat and made me keep turning the pages late into the night. The world building was spot on and Samantha was a character that I could root for. Her bevy of companions had their own side stories and I adored the breath-taking imagery and action.

Just a warning; Vampire Seeker is an adult read and it has scenes unsuitable for a younger audience. Needless to say, I loved watching Sam and Harry turn circles around each other.

Rest assured Tim O’Rourke has found a new fan in me and after writing this review I’ll be running off to read Vampire Watchmen as I simple cannot wait.

Review based on a copy provided by Piatkus Books, UK


Released on 16th January, 2011

Now I have have got signed copies of Vampire Seeker and Vampire Twin to giveaway to one lucky winner. It is open internationally so don't wait and start entering for a chance to win and read this awesome series.

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 About the author

Tim has written over twenty novels and is the author of the bestselling Kiera Hudsonseries. Visit his website http://timorourkeauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

For more chances to win, visit the other blogs below participating in the blog tour. Good luck.

 

Audiobook Review: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Compelling and all-consuming

Title: The Raven Boys
Series: The Raven Cycle
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic, UK
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 12th September, 2012
Having read mixed reviews about Maggie Stiefvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls, this author had been on my TBR list for a while. But a couple for years ago I heard that her new book The Raven Boys is absolutely brilliant. Dismissing it as ramblings of die-hard fans, I ignored it. Now after listening to The Raven Boys I realise what a huge mistake I was about to do.

Blue is a psychic's daughter who lives with her her aunt's in a small town called Henrietta. In the same town is the private school for the privileged children of the rich and the famous called Aglionby. The students are called the Raven Boys due to the emblems on their sweaters. Blue wants to stay away from these boys but little does she know what is in store for her when one night on St. Mark's Day she sees an Aglionby Boy's spirit on the corpse Road which means that this boy is going to die in a year.

I had my reservations about listening to a male narrator and that too in third person but I think Will Patton's voice did justice to every character, which is so important in this story as it is so characters centered. He does the accents so well that I knew who was speaking by the voice alone.

The Raven Boys may not be liked by all as the main plot is slow moving and the characters play such an important role that the the mystery sometimes seems more like a subplot. If I'm ruthlessly honest, not much happens in most of the book until the very end. So if you are looking for an adventurous book with action and mayhem, this book is not for you. However this book is unmissable if you are looking for an intelligent, sweet, atmospheric, character-driven story which makes you invested in the world and forget that anything part from Henrietta exists.

I've never been a fan of bromance in fact it usually puts me off but Maggie Stiefvater makes the relationship between the four boys so utterly complicated and beautiful, that all I can do is just keep going.

The characters relationship with each other is complex and unique and Stiefvater knows them so well that I feel them to my bones. She is a master in show not tell that the subtle changes and progression is a sweet pain. At the beginning it seems like it's Blue's story but in fact it is all of theirs story, Blue, Adam, Noah, Ronan, and Gansey. They are perfectly imperfect with their flaws and shortcomings.

At first I liked Adam but as the story progress I got more and more intrigued by Gansey. Their are so many layers to him that unraveling him slowly keeps me fascinated just as Blue. I think that scene where he is sat in Blue's house with his glasses on sealed the deal for me.

I really should stop writing now as if I'm given the opportunity, I will keep going on as to how much I loved this deeply atmospheric, magical and extraordinarily unique book but I have to stop at some point.

If you are a fan of YA, I urge you to give this book a chance, if you don't like it, that's fine but if you appreciate great writing and a characters which will stay with you, this book is a blessing. I think this line will forever encompass this series for me.

“Is that all?" she whispered. 
Gansey closed his eyes. "That's all there is.”

ARC Review: As Red as Blood (Lumikki Anderson #1) by Salla Simukka

Dark and chilling

Title: As Red As Blood
Series: Lumikki Anderson
Author: Salla Simukka
Publisher: Hot Key Books, UK
My ratings: 3 out of 5 stars
Releases: 6th August, 2014
As Red As Blood is a crime novel written by Salla Simukka and translated from Finnish to English by Owen Witesman . It’s a story about Lumikki Anderson, a high school student who finds 100 Euro notes drying in the school photography room. Soon she is embroiled into the crime underbelly for Finland with criminal and underworld mafia chasing her.

As Red as Blood took me a while to really make me interested. I loved the setting of frozen Tampere, which was featured in all its brutal and beautiful glory. The tittle really fits as the story starts with blood. Blood on the notes, blood on the floor, blood slowly soaking the virgin snow red. The imagery was beautifully done and not one minute did I forget that this postcard perfect beauty was dangerous and would take your life if you let it. The side characters were interesting enough and the narration was done in a third person view, so it was less of a mystery but more of a thriller as the reader is anticipating as to what event will unfold next.

As for the main character, she was as much an asset as she was a burden to the story. She was the perfect person to be in a situation like this. She was deceptively dangerous, she knew how to fight and she was clever. We get glimpses of her life before here time in Tampere but they showed so little that instead for making me curious they just made me frustrated. There was a reason she was so cold and distant and some of the reason were explored but not fully and the ending left me with more questions about the Lumikki than answers.

The plot started off really slow. While some scenes were beautifully done other felt half baked. The writing was good, the setting added to the atmosphere but the plot was quite simplistic. I suppose it is meant to be a YA book but it read like an adult book but for the uncomplicated minds. The fairy tale references added a sinister edge to the crime underbelly and the dark setting.

I am hoping the second book will be able to give me some answer about what happened with Lumikki, Polar Bear and who the heck is the blue eyed guy in the photo.

Over all As Red as Blood is a scenic, crime thriller, which may have started slow but when the action starts it really pulls you in. It was a short book but the writing makes up for it and it will give a few good hours of entertainment.

There is even a Good Reads Giveaway going for UK residents only.  

 Enter to win a copy

Releases on the 7th of August, 2014 

ARC received via Hot Key Books, UK

 

Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between #1) by April G. Tucholke

Deeply atmospheric with morally ambiguous characters

Title: Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea
Series: Between
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publisher: Faber and Faber, UK
My ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Released: 3rd April, 2014
Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea was one of the highly anticipated books on NetGalley. So when I got a copy from the UK publishers I was thrilled. As this book had mixed reviews I was torn as to read this or not but I’m glad I did. Violet White lives at this old manor house on the West Coast in a sleepy town filled with its own share of legends and stories. Her twin brother and her frenemy, Summer, spend their time around the crumbling gothic manor on the cliff. Then one day comes the mysterious boy named River West who wants to rent a room in the gloomy, dark and seemingly haunted mansion. But for some reason Violet is really taken in by River. Every time she sees him, she likes him more and she imagines herself madly in love with him but can she truly ignore the series of weird attacks and murders happening in the town coinciding with River’s arrival?

I know why some people did not enjoy Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. It is not everybody’s cup of tea. Not only is the heroine stupid, there is insta love and even a hint of a love triangle in a seemingly boring and slow moving plot. And that is exactly why I loved this book. I hate the above cliché’s as much as any adult YA reader but this book needed the above to make the story work.
The plot seems to be slow but important events are happening at the same time. Events, which sent a chill down my spine and gave goose bumps. Violet is incredibly naïve and trust worthy and feels this inexplicable attraction to River. Even if she can’t put a finger on what exactly she should be worried about but she falls for him anyway. She freaking sleeps (only sleep ok) with him after she has known him for a few hours.

There are two things which I loved about this book which were the morally ambiguous characters whom I wasn’t sure I liked or hated and then there was the atmosphere which felt like the author painted stroke by stroke and added each element to the scene unfolding in front of me. I could imagine the wooden shutters of the flapping against the wind and smelled the salted air from the sea. Imagine the sleepy town and see the cemetery with the trees which seems to have a life of their own and the tombstones with family secrets on them.

And there was Freddie. She was Violet’s Grandmother who was long dead but could very well have been alive with the roles she played in Violet’s life. At one point I was sure Freddie will rise from her grave and come to haunt Violet.

Overall, Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea is an incredibly atmospheric book, with multidimensional characters, with writing which will make you look over your shoulder. It is a perfect book to curl up and read preferably deep into a winter night where you keep telling yourself to read a few more pages just so you know what these characters will do next.

ARC received by Faber and Faber, UK, via NetGalley

The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones #1) by Laura Bicke

Vampires in an Amish community

Title: The Hallowed Ones
Author: Laura Bickle
Series: The Hallowed Ones
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars.  
Released: 25th September, 2013
Gground breaking original horror story, The Hallowed Ones gripped me from the first few pages.

Katie is an Amish girl, living in an Amish community, few days before her Rumspringa when the end of the world happens. The community is not sure what is happening and to combat this, they decide to close the gates so that no one leaves or enters their land. However, when Katie's finds a wounded young man, he cannot abandon him so she brings recues him against the Elders orders.

The Hallowed Ones is not for the faint hearted. It was spooky, gruesome and grotesque. Detailed were hashed out in gory details like white bones jutting out of bloody remains, flies, falling intestines and innards. Yep, I'd suggest you don't eat while reading this, like I did. Some of the scene had me really spooked that I was looking over my shoulder in broad daylight. I loved the atmosphere Laura Bickle had set up which was quaint, simple with death lurking in corners. The vampires were monsters from hell, with claws and red eyes who'd rip you limb to limb.

Katie was a delight to read. She was straight forward, sensible and a dry sense of humour. She was not out right rebellious but she followed all order by thinking on it and then acting. I was pleased to see how through the book she learns to think through and unravelling the intricacies of her religion.

Of course there was a love interest, and I was happy that it sizzled slowly and developed over time. It was convincing and sweet. I enjoyed Alex and it was great to see a contrast between the Amish way of life and how a young man of our generation perceives them.

If you're looking for something different in the YA genre, something more mature, intelligent, entertaining, The Hallowed Ones is just right for you. It has a grown up concept about the perception of god and our beliefs surrounding it but it is brutal, clever and makes you question your own thinking. I really enjoyed Katie, her way of thinking, and in fact I learnt a lot from her too.

The Hallowed Ones is a brutally honest, robust, gruesome and terrifying book, which leaves you wanting more. I think it's a must read for anyone who calls themselves a YA fan, as I believe it has something for everyone.

Meeting Joe Hill

Hi guys, 

I'm really excited to share with you guys that I got to meet Joe Hill today.

My friend is his massive fan and she always insisted that I read his books. I'm ashamed to say that at that time had little interest in horror. However, I will admit after meeting and listening to such a famed writer I have been really inspired to explore this genre.

Thank fully we already had booked tickets for this sold out event, Infact there were people outside the door who wanted to buy tickets but none were available.

We all sat down comfortablly, and then at nearly 7 pm Joe Hill made an appearence. And the first thing he does was take out photos to post it on Twitter. LOL

Then he talked about his new book NOS4R2, which was recently published. He was kind enough to read the first chapter and let me tell you he was great. He read it so well that I thought I was listening to an audiobook. 

After wards, there was a Q&A session, when we got to ask him some interesting and silly question.

In the end, we queued up to get our copies signed. 

I really enjoyed this event and I realised I have been missing out on this wonderful authors writing. He somehow made horror funny without making it camp and cheesy. He had a great sense of humor and I'm sure that's what reflects in his writing.
Check out Joe's other books. In fact, Horns is being made into a movie soon. It comes out at the end of this year.

I will surely pick up more of his books now.

NOS4R2 released on 30th April by Orion in the UK.

Review: Red Fox (Experiment in Terror # 2) by Karina Halle

My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars.
Tensions are high when Perry and Dex, the new ghost hunters on town have to shoot their second episode of the internet series Experiment in Terror where they have to pretend that they are a married couple. A couple living on a farm have reported some strange happenings which may have ghosts involved and Dex is on a mission to get it on camera. This couple are devout Christians, so both of them have to pretend they are a married couple. As usual, things get bad to worse and Perry and Dex are thrown into the middle of strange happenings.

Karina Halle doesn’t disappoint you.

Halle has written such real characters which are not perfect in any regards and some may call them crazy too but I could not stop loving them. Secrets and pasts were revealed and we get to know more of the mystery called Dex. If even some things cam out in the light it raised more questions. Why is Dex with Jen? What is he hiding? Is he really mad or Perry imagining everything? I liked Perry in DarkHouse but I loved her in this book. She is still Perry, insecure and humble (and funny, of course) but we see her wanting to be more. Dex and Perry’s relationship develops a notch more but as with everything with Dex you are left thinking ‘What is this bloke thinking?”. A new character, Maximus is introduced who gives us an insight on Dex’s old life. Jealousy is brought to the forefront but you are left thinking is Dex jealous or just being an arse.

“What do we act like?” Dex asked.
Rudy was silent. Then he said. You act like people who are forever on thier fist date.”

I loved that not short cuts were taken and the growth in their relationship has been well paced and normal. I really admire how the different emotions are written and expressed with eyes. Even with all the hints, I still cannot read Dex and I keep loving him for it. They are so similar to each other and they don’t even realise it either. What I love about the characters is that they are so down to earth. I mean they have their weaknesses, secrets and pasts which they keep trying to hide.

This book was especially scary and creepy. It’s where you cannot trust anyone or anything. Dex and Perry only have each other to go through this. It was full of juicy bits as both of them had to pretend that they were married (awkward) but it was great to see there old tension coming to the front. They obviously are attracted to each other and you want to scream at them to get in on. The mystery, sexual tension keeps you on the edge and hoping that both of them will get their moment.

The parched air swarmed furiously with sky-seeking embers that spanned the spectrum of orange and yellow. They emerged from flames of fire with the vibrating sound of cracking bones and formed abstract waves in the space above my head drifting off into the darkness.

Halle has a gift of story telling and she spins a tale where not only does she make the desert dangerous but creepy and horrifying. I liked how the Navajo myth and folklore was so well woven into the story but you still could not guess what or who was to be blamed. In Red Fox, I see great narration and interesting story line. It kept me engaged and wondering what will happen next. Some of the questions were resolved some were not but at this point I did not care. All I wanted was Perry and Dex to be safe and get the hell out of that crazy ranch/farm.

This was unputdown-able and the pages kept turning without effort. After completing this book I wanted my next Dex and Perry hit immediately. If anyone wants to read horror with supernatural elements to it but not sure where to start this is the book for you. If you haven’t read this yet, what are you waiting for?
There were so many moments and quotes which I would have loved to share but they would give too much away so I would leave you with this.

“Dex,” I whispered.
“Mmmm?” he grunted.
“I hope you never stop feeling alive.”
I could have sworn his heart skipped a few beats. He tensed. Then relaxed.
“ As long as you’re around,” he said softly, “I’ll be alive.”