I am going to be posting the reviews for the 31 (or 13) Days of Halloween here; so, here is the
link for the list of possibilities.
Book #1: Playing with Fire Review: ****
This is a great
collection of horror stories. Perfect for October and reading in anticipation
for Halloween. I totally felt myself getting shivers even snuggled in the
warmth of my bed.
I did not like the
layout much though, it was hard to tell where one story started and another
ended. I would have wanted to see a title page for each new story. I also did
not like the fact that excerpts were included because after reading them I
wanted to read the whole story. But, these are really the only negative thing I
have to say about it.
This anthology had a
really good mix of different types of horror stories from ghost stories to
zombies to dystopian end of the world type stories. I really enjoyed all of the
stories but I am only going to talk about the complete works and not the
excerpts. (I’m kind of boycotting those because they left me feeling
unsatisfied -- now I have "I can't get no Satisfaction..." stuck
in my head)
Best Served: Anna's character is fairly complicated, because
you feel for her because her friend was killed but she is kind of unsympathetic
in the fact that she went out with the intention of killing the murder. But you
understand her emotions and the reason she wants to get revenge, but the act
itself makes her just as bad as the murderers.
Widows of the Night: Warning: If you have arachnophobia, this
story is not for you! I really enjoyed this one, it is probably my
favorite in this anthology because of the heightened emotions that the story
evokes as well as the creepy, skin crawly way it ends.
Bitten: is about a man who gets revenge on his cruel
wife after he is bitten by the family dog and becomes a Zombie.
What makes this story
interesting is that it comes from the husband (zombie's) perspective. I have
not read any books or stories where it comes from the Zombie's point of view. I
think it added some humanity to a usually shock/gore value type of story. I
also think that Knight does a good job of giving us a mindless zombie but also
giving him enough of a consciousness to make the character even more creepy
than a normal zombie. Knowing that he had enough reason to not kill his
wife but decided to any way just adds to the creepy factor.
Playing with Fire: is about a boy, Kalen,
who discovers the monster that is lurking beneath the surface in
himself. First of all I feel like I have been reading the name Kalen a lot
lately or maybe I am just going crazy because I can't think of any
examples.
This story is
interesting because of the revelations that are made about Kalen and his past.
I don't think I have read a story quite like this. It had a Frankenstein feel
but the monsters were more creative. They are a kind of cross between demons,
vampires and gargoyles. Very cool. I totally felt sorry for Kalen and hated his
father. Why would someone do that to their child?
Devil of a Ghost Tour: is about a couple, Lynn and Lee Holt, who go
on a ghost tour only to have Lee become possessed by a demon called
up out of hell by a man seeking fortune in 1885.
I really liked the fact
that despite the fact that this is a short story, Coral Russell was able to
show us two time periods without me feeling like the story was rushed. I
thought the relationship between Lynn and Lee was very cute and the concept of
a ghost tour was really neat. I have been on several ghost tours but
nothing nearly as eventful as what happened in the story happened to me
(thank God!)
Key to a Haunting: again deals with a haunted house but the
romance and family history added a new and unique quality. I liked the way
Russell was able to take true historical events (if moved to a new location-
I'm not sure if one such fire actually happened in El Passo) with the fire of a
factory where factory girls perished because of bosses locking doors
so employees could not leave until the end of the work day.
I also liked the fact that the ghost hunters were carried over from the
previous story.
Flawed: is a story about a house that brings out the
worst in the people who live there. I think that this story was very creepy
and suspenseful. It had a Stephen King sort of feel to it mixed with a
Charlotte Perkins Gillman (The Yellow Wallpaper) feel where the house drives
people crazy. The first sentence of the second paragraph is really great "
At the moment I am barricaded inside my niece's bedroom while my eldest
brother prowls the outside corridor like a modern day Cain, ready to
strike me down."
I thought it was
especially creepy because of the fact that these traits were already present in
the people but the house just magnified them. And I liked the fact that it
looks like this is just going to keep happening with every
new tenant
The Stuff Dreams aren't Made of: Despite the kind of clunky title, this is a
really great story. Very shiver worthy. The world has become a place where sin
and greed have taken over. The cities were abandoned because of the corruption
but soon, the refugee shanty towns have become just as bad as the cities. Those
fleeing the cities have brought the same sickness and corruption with them. The
main character is a man who is willing to lose everything for a small moment of
escape. He trades his blood or his life essence for someone else's happy
memories.
I find the whole
concept very freaky because of the nature of escapism that is in our
culture with movies, books and video games catering to it. I could actually see
someone giving up their life for an escape from reality. Very thought provoking.
This Dark Magic: is about a journalist
who discovers that black magic is being used against him and other
people in the city. I really liked that it sounded like a black and white
detective movie it was very well written and suspenseful.
Book #2: Pride Predjudice and Zombies Review ****
I have to admit that I was not too excited to read this one. I was afraid that Seth Grahame-Smith had just added scenes of Zombies into the Pride and Prejudice story but I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was able to add them realistically into all aspects of the story. From the actual encounters with zombies to the songs they sing and the games they play. I did not really like Elizabeth's character in the original story (*gasp*, I know) but I really liked her as a Warrior and Zombie slayer. When she told Jane to slay Miss Bingley because she did not want Jane to marry her brother, made me laugh so hard. Also, there are ninjas, ninjas!! Need I say more?
Book #3: The Graveyard Book Review: *****
I love Neil Gaiman's books. All of the ones I have read so far, and this one does not dissapoint. It was magical and immaginative and full of adventure, suspense and danger. It was absolutely perfect for a Halloween book. I loved that all of the dead characters were the ones I related to and loved and the living characters were the source of danger and suspense. I really want to know how Neil Gaiman comes up with his story ideas because I have not read any other books like his. I really did not want The Graveyard Book to end!
Book #4 White Witch Pond review can be found here ****
