REVIEW: THE MOURNING HOUSE BY RONALD MALFI

TITLE: THE MOURNING HOUSE

SERIES: N/A

AUTHOR: RONALD MALFI

GENRE: HORROR

EDITION READ: KINDLE

AMAZON PRICE: PB N/A / KINDLE $2.99

SYNOPSIS:

Devastated by tragedy, Dr. Sam Hatch is a shadow of his former self. He travels the byroads of America, running away from a past he cannot escape. There is no salvation for him.

And then he sees the house. Like a siren, it calls to him. Yet the house is not what it appears to be. Is it a blessing, a gift...or a curse?

MY RATING: 5 STARS

I'd like to thank Laurie (Fetch Me My Fainting Couch) for bringing this book to my attention.

I kid you not, I think this novella gave me heart palpitations. The Mourning House the haunting and frightening tale of Dr. Sam Hatch. After losing his family tragically, he is left a shell of his former self. The despair, loneliness, and guilt that Sam experiences comes across loud and clear through this expertly written novella.

With many novellas I'm left feeling like the story isn't complete and lacks the detail that draws you into the story. This is NOT true of The Mourning House. This novella was solid and complete from start to finish. This story has the “wow factor” that will have you searching out more of Malfi's work.

I usually have at least one complaint about a story, but not with this one...not even one. The Mourning House is an amazing story that I would suggest all horror fans read. 

 

*Book Hollow*

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REVIEW: IF I STAY BY GAYLE FORMAN

IF I STAY

IF I STAY #1

GAYLE FORMAN

GENRE: YA

EDITION: PAPERBACK

SYNOPSIS:

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

MY RATING: 5 STARS

I really didn't think a book where the main character is in a coma for 90-95% of the book would be worth the read—WRONG. This book is! If I Stay will is an emotional, thought provoking story that will tug at your heart strings.

The author did a wonderful job a switching between the present and Mia's memories of past events. Mia's emotions and her ultimate dilemma come through loud and clear to the reader.

“I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard.”

After having so much ripped away from her in a matter of seconds, Mia has a decision to make. Is life worth really coming back to? This book is based on that one simple question. Although this is Mia's ultimate dilemma, this story had me pondering my thoughts about life/death. What would I do in Mia's situation?

Not only is this book emotional and thought provoking, it's also very inspiring. I can't express how wonderful this book really is. To understand you really have to read it—and I suggest that you do.

*Book Hollow*

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REVIEW: WAIT FOR YOU BY J. LYNN

WAIT FOR YOU

J. LYNN (JENNIFER ARMENTROUT)

GENRE: ROMANCE

SYNOPSIS:

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

MY RATING: 5 STARS

W-O-W!! I freakin' LOVED this book! Jennifer Armentrout—you are the shiznit!

I loved the characters and the storyline. Avery had a very traumatic experience when she was 14 and has let it consume her. Her parents are unsupportive and horrible, and her friends abandoned her. She wants to put as much distance between her and her past as possible moving from Texas to attend college in West Virginia. She finds out soon enough that her problems can't be solved by pretending they don't exist. Avery tends to be her own worst enemy.

Cam is her love interest in this story and totally swoon-worthy. He's a good guy and is just what Avery needs to leave her past where it belongs.

There are some really steamy, fog-up-your-windows, scenes in this book also. Hot, hot, hot!

One thing I did notice is there are some editing errors scattered throughout the book, but (I can't believe I'm saying this) I DON'T CARE. For once, the story was so good that I don't care about the errors. I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't even bother to be annoyed by the errors. That's really saying something because that is my biggest pet peeve in a book. This story is definitely a must read!

AMAZON

*Book Hollow*

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REVIEW: AMERICAN GHOUL BY WALT MORTON

AMERICAN GHOUL

WALT MORTON

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS: Seventeen-year-old Howard Pickman has some unusual problems: He comes from a family of ghouls with a long history of digging up corpses, and he’s just moved to a new school filled with kids that are scarier than he is. American Ghoul is the story of an exceptionally odd teenager trying to survive the most terrible time anybody has to go through -- senior year at high school.

MY RATING: 5 STARS

American Ghoul was a very interesting story with memorable, well-written characters.

Normally, when I think about a ghoul, I think of a dirty, nasty creature that ravages cemeteries to pick the bones of the dead. Howard and his family are ghouls, but not in the traditional sense. They rob graves occasionally to have what they call a Harvest once a month to get the nutrients, hormones, etc...that ghouls aren't born with. Without the Harvest they would become very sick and possibly die. To look at Howard and his family, you would never know they were ghouls. They are just as human as everyone else.

There is so much more to this story than just the ghoul aspect. Due to some terrible circumstances, Howard has to go live with his grandmother. This brings a whole new set of problems and situations that Howard has to work through. I really liked his grandmother. She's a little crazy and quirky, and the same could be said for the new friends Howard makes.

Having ghouls in a story, you know there is going to be some gore. Honestly, it's lite gore and nothing too stomach-churning. I would categorize this story as lite horror.

Overall, I really liked this story. It was well-written with believable characters. It kept my interest until the very end. You can get a copy of American Ghoul by clicking the Amazon link below.

*American Ghoul was provided to me by the author free of charge.

Amazon

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REVIEW: SLAMMED BY COLLEEN HOOVER

SLAMMED

SLAMMED #1

COLLEEN HOOVER

GENRE: YA

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

MY RATING: 5 STARS

I first heard of Colleen Hoover through Facebook. One of my friends recommended her new book, Hopeless, to another friend. I looked up Hoover and seen she is the author of three YA books: Slammed, Point of Retreat, and Hopeless. I bought Hopeless for my Kindle and loved it (review for Hopeless coming soon) and decided to order paperbacks of Slammed and Point of Retreat (Slammed #2).

Slammed drew me in from the very beginning. The characters are so likeable and well-written, and the storyline is excellent. I don't want to talk about what happens in the story because it was that good. I don't want to ruin anything that happens in this book for potential readers. Please do yourself a favor and buy this book! You will also want to purchase the sequel, Point of Retreat. It was excellent also (review to come for Point of Retreat). It is also my understanding there will be a third book to wrap up the story of Will and Layken. I am really looking forward to the third book and according to Hoover's website will be released later on this year.

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REVIEW: SATURDAY NIGHT AT EDDIE'S BY KEALAN PATRICK BURKE

SATURDAY NIGHT AT EDDIE'S

KEALAN PATRICK BURKE

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS

The few souls still left in the dying town call it Milestone, but a better name might be Purgatory. They are the damned, condemned to murder other sinners for a chance to escape, though escape never comes.

For the patrons of Eddie's bar, who live in the shadows of their own tragic pasts, tonight will be different.

Tonight, there will come one shot at redemption for those brave enough to take it.

MY TAKE

5 STARS

Has Burke ever written a bad novel/novella? In my experience with his work, I haven't come across one yet. I only wish more of his work was in print instead of e-book forms.

Saturday Night at Eddie's is a really unique read with a very open ending. Since reading this story, I have learned this novella has been extended into a novel called Currency of Souls (can't wait to read it!). The patrons at Eddie's bar are all there for a reason. They've all done something in their past that got them stuck at this bar every Saturday night...waiting...for Reverend Hill to come calling. Only this Saturday night, things go a little differently. Toward the end, there's like that one little sigh of relief, then bam! You realize there is far more to things than they seem and the story is really just beginning.

Highly recommended!

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Other KPB reviews:

The Toll: A Halloween Short Story

The Turtle Boy

The Grief Frequency

Kin

 

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REVIEW: THE TOLL BY KEALAN PATRICK BURKE

THE TOLL: A HALLOWEEN SHORT STORY

KEALAN PATRICK BURKE

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS

An aging millionaire wakes on Halloween night to find himself buried in a coffin with only a bell and a lamp for company, a bell meant to alert those above ground that he is alive. But Miles Camden is not quite ready to ring that bell. To him, it's an admission of defeat. No, he has not gotten to his station in life by conceding to the games of others. So he plans to wait and use the time to uncover his tormentor. But no man can hope to win a game without knowing the stakes, and Miles is about to discover that the stakes are very high indeed.

MY TAKE

5 STARS

Another amazing, well-written story from Burke. This short story (approx. 16 pages) is an eerie tale of a millionaire who never really invested emotion into anything but making more money. He knew one day his enemies would catch up with him. When one does, he is amused to find himself buried in a coffin. Instead of freaking out, he admires his enemy's creativity.

I have yet to be disappointed by anything I've read by Burke. I highly recommend this short story!

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REVIEW: DEAD SEA BY BRIAN KEENE

DEAD SEA

BRIAN KEENE

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS

With zombies taking over the cities, a group of humans escapes the carnage by taking a small Coast Guard ship out to sea, but there's no getting away-even in the wide ocean.

MY TAKE

5 STARS

This is my first Brian Keene book and certainly not my last. The zombies are grotesque and the character personalities work well together.

The opening sentence in the book gave me a giggle and upped my hopes for the rest of the book:

"I didn't shoot the bitch until she started eating Alan's face."

The main character in this book (and told from his POV) is Lamar Reed. Lamar is such an interesting character. Lamar lets you know right off he's gay, he's black, he's from the bad part of town, he's completely broke after being laid-off from his job, but he doesn't let any of that define who he is. Out of all the book's I've read, Lamar is in my top 10 favorite characters.

Lamar has been holed up in his house because of the zombies. One of his neighbors, Alan, comes to stay with him. As you can tell from the opening sentence of the book, Alan doesn't last too long. He gets attacked as he and Lamar make a run to the local grocery to scavenge for supplies.

While Lamar is on the run he meets up with two kids, Tasha and Malik. They have no one but each other until Lamar comes along. These are two really strong kids. Malik maked quite the impression. One of the first things he said upon meeting Lamar really made me laugh. He had asked Lamar if he was cool and Lamar said he was. Then Malik said:

"You better be. I ain't no punk. I'm hardcore, G. You try messing with my sister and I'll mess you up instead. And if you think I'm playing, just try me."

Just keep in mind that Malik is eight years old.

Then the journey to safety begins for the three of them. They meet up with others along the way and lose some along the way also. This was a really great book. I haven't read a lot of zombie themed books, but this has to be one of the better ones. I really look forward to reading more from Mr. Keene.

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REVIEW: DEAD MAN'S SONG

DEAD MAN'S SONG

PINE DEEP #2

JONATHAN MABERRY

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS

From the powerful imagination of a new horror master comes a bone-chilling tale set in a small town where good and evil are joined in a terrifying, deadly battle...

Evil Endures
Once an idyllic Pennsylvania village, Pine Deep awoke one morning to find itself bathed in a massive bloodletting. Twice in thirty years the townsfolk have endured the savage hungers of a murderous madman...but if the residents think the death of serial killer Karl Ruger put an end to the carnage, they're dead wrong.
The Nightmare Never Ends
Bodies mutilated beyond description, innocents driven to acts of vicious madness. A monstrous evil is preying on the living--and the dead--and turning the quiet little town into hell on earth. Their only hope is to find the source. But the secrets that lurk in the heart of Pine Deep are twisted into its very roots. This time the townspeople aren't just fighting for their lives, but for their very souls...

MY TAKE

5 STARS

The turmoil in Pine Deep continues in Dead Man's Song, the second novel in Maberry's Pine Deep trilogy.

As Halloween begins to draw near, Griswold is getting stronger and making more preparations for the Red Wave. Boyd has lead the police to believe he's skipped town. The detectives have pulled their people out of Pine Deep to go after Boyd leaving the dwindling Pine Deep police department to take care of the town—only Boyd didn't leave. He's still in town and is ready to reek more havoc.

Realizations set in for some of the characters. They are finally starting to understand what they are dealing with. What exactly they plan to do about it is still left to be seen. I'm very much looking forward to reading the final book in this trilogy, Bad Moon Rising, to see how all of this plays out.

Read my review of Ghost Road Blues (Pine Deep #1).

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REVIEW: RED BY JACK KETCHUM

RED

JACK KETCHUM

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS

The old man hears them before he sees them, the three boys coming over the hill, disturbing the peace by the river where he's fishing. He smells gun oil too, too much oil on a brand-new shotgun. These aren't hunters, they're rich kids who don't care about the river and the fish and the old man. Or his dog. Red is the name of the old man's dog, his best friend in the world. And when the boys shoot the dog -- for nothing, for simple spite -- he sees red, like a mist before his eyes. And before the whole thing is done there'll be more red. Red for blood...

MY TAKE

5 STARS

It's no secret that Ketchum is one of my favorite authors. He is a master when it comes to character development and delivering an interesting, well executed story. Red is one of those stories.

Avery Ludlow is a simple old man. He lives a nice quiet life since the passing of his beloved wife. He owns a general store and his best friend is an aging dog named Red his wife gave him.

While Avery and Red are out fishing, three teenagers approach and attempt to rob him. When they can't get what they want from the old man, they shoot Red out of spite. Avery seeks help from the authorities, but no one wants to do anything about it because two of the three teenagers are from a prominent family. After trying time and time again to get justice through the proper channels, Av decides to take justice into his own hands.

This really was a great book. It also contains a bonus story called The Passenger.

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REVIEW: KIN BY KEALAN PATRICK BURKE

KIN

KEALAN PATRICK BURKE

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS

On a scorching hot summer day in Elkwood, Alabama, Claire Lambert staggers naked, wounded, and half-blind away from the scene of an atrocity. She is the sole survivor of a nightmare that claimed her friends, and even as she prays for rescue, the killers — a family of cannibalistic lunatics — are closing in.

A soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder returns from Iraq to the news that his brother is among the murdered in Elkwood.

In snowbound Detroit, a waitress trapped in an abusive relationship gets an unexpected visit that will lead to bloodshed and send her back on the road to a past she has spent years trying to outrun.

And Claire, the only survivor of the Elkwood Massacre, haunted by her dead friends, dreams of vengeance... a dream which will be realized as grief and rage turn good people into cold-blooded murderers and force alliances among strangers.

It's time to return to Elkwood.

In the spirit of such iconic horror classics as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deliverance, Kin begins at the end and studies the possible aftermath for the survivors of such traumas upon their return to the real world — the guilt, the grief, the thirst for revenge — and sets them on an unthinkable journey... back into the heart of darkness.

MY TAKE

5 STARS

I finished this e-book last night and...well, just W-O-W!

Okay, let me start off by saying I became familiar this author through his stories The Grief Frequency and The Turtle Boy. Now that I've read Kin, I am a fan for life—seriously! You wouldn't think that a story including cannibals would be very original because it's been done over and over (Ketchum's Off Season and Offspring ring a bell?), but Kin is like no other cannibalistic story I've ever read before.

There were quite a few unexpected twists in the story, many left me gaping at my Kindle and looking like a complete fool in front of my family. I don't know where Burke came up with some of the ideas in this book, but my goodness, he pushed the envelope with some of them.

The characterization in this novel was top-notch. These characters were so believable you would think they were plucked from real life and thrown into this book.

I really can't rave enough about how much I loved this book! So much that I will be purchasing the paperback version of Kin to go on my bookshelf.

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REVIEW: DARK HARVEST BY NORMAN PARTRIDGE

REVIEW: DARK HARVEST BY NORMAN PARTRIDGE

DARK HARVEST

NORMAN PARTRIDGE

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS

Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol’ Hacksaw Face, or Sawtooth Jack. Whatever the name, everybody in this small Midwestern town knows who he is. How he rises from the cornfields every Halloween, a butcher knife in his hand, and makes his way toward town, where gangs of teenage boys eagerly await their chance to confront the legendary nightmare. Both the hunter and the hunted, the October Boy is the prize in an annual rite of life and death.

Pete McCormick knows that killing the October Boy is his one chance to escape a dead-end future in this one-horse town. He’s willing to risk everything, including his life, to be a winner for once. But before the night is over, Pete will look into the saw-toothed face of horror--and discover the terrifying true secret of the October Boy . . .

Winner of the Stoker Award and named one of the 100 Best Novels of 2006 by Publishers Weekly, Dark Harvest is a powerhouse thrill-ride with all the resonance of Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery."

MY TAKE

It never fails—while shopping I just HAD to stop by the book section. The cover art for Dark Harvest drew me in. The synopsis sounded promising, a nice blurb by Peter Straub on the cover, and also mention of this book winning the Bram Stoker Award sealed the deal for me.

Dark Harvest was a very engaging read. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire 197 pages of this story. It reminded me somewhat of a story that you could see on The Twilight Zone (TTZ is actually mentioned a couple of times in the book) or Tales From the Crypt.

Halloween night is a little different for the people of this small no-name town. The teenage boys have been locked away in their rooms without food for the past five days in preparation for “The Run”. The starved teenage boys are let out to hunt the October Boy, a scarecrow brought to life. The winner gets to leave town, which is a dream for these teenage boys. Winning this game is not all what it seems to be.

I would recommend Dark Harvest as a great little Halloween read. 

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REVIEW: THE GRIEF FREQUENCY BY KEALAN PATRICK BURKE

REVIEW

THE GRIEF FREQUENCY

KEALAN PATRICK BURKE

GENRE: HORROR

SYNOPSIS

After losing his wife in a car accident, a husband struggles with survivor's guilt. But in the dark, he realizes that the dead are never very far away. Not when there are secrets yet to be uncovered. Because Paul hasn't lost everything. Not yet. And as he struggles to separate dreams from reality, he is forced to answer the ultimate question: How far would you go to get back those you've lost?

MY TAKE 

 

The Grief Frequency is an amazing short story. It's a story that will chill you to the bone without the need of blood, gore, and monsters. This story plays on the fear of loss and guilt, and will send your emotions reeling.

Paul loses his wife in an auto accident in which he was the driver. As if dealing with the loss of his wife isn't enough, her father hates him for it. With guilt and grief eating away at him, he begins to have hallucinations and drowns his sorrows with alcohol. Her father, Bill, drops a bomb on Paul about a secret that his wife had been keeping from him. This drives Paul over the edge.

Like I said before, this was a great short story. Even if you don't normally read horror, you can/will enjoy this story. The Grief Frequency can be downloaded on Kindle for FREE right now! Please don't miss reading this great story. Follow the link below to download the Grief Frequency on Amazon.

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REVIEW: COMPLETE POEMS BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

COMPLETE POEMS

EDGAR ALLAN POE

GENRE: POETRY

SYNOPSIS

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is internationally renowned as a pioneering master of the macabre. He is regarded as one of the world's great short story writers as well as a great lyric poet, and is credited with inventing the detective story and the modern gothic horror tale. He has been an important influence on many major American and European writers including William Faulkner, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Baudelaire, H.P. Lovecraft, and William Butler Yeats, among many others.
Poe's poetry, which is collected in this volume, is more personal than his prose. The themes of love, death, and despair which recur throughout reflect the anguish he suffered in his own troubled life. "Annabel Lee" is a haunting lament to his young wife, Virginia, who died of tuberculosis. "The Bells" is an eerie and melancholy meditation which recreates with brilliant musical language the hypnotic, funereal aura of ringing bells. "The Raven" is a comic tour de force in which the protagonist turns his strange visitor into a symbol of his own sorrow and loss. Poe's best poems remain some of the most popular and technically accomplished in the English language.
This book features a deluxe cover, ribbon marker, top stain, and decorative endpaper with a name plate.

MY TAKE

If you have never read anything (short story or poem) by Edgar Allan Poe, I would suggest starting with this book. You may find that many of Poe's poems strange, depressing, or just downright weird. Some of them strike me that way as well. However, this collection contains some poems that MUST be read. My all time favorite by Poe is The Raven, which is included in this book. Others that I feel are worth mentioning are: Annabel Lee, A Dream Within a Dream, Serenade, The Sleeper, Romance, and Evening Star. 

 

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