All the Books.

"Though suspenseful and eerie with the myth of the "Bone Keeper" running rampant and bodies being discovered left and right, by the end of it all the book was really rather disappointing, though some of the puzzle pieces clicking into place were fun and surprising."  2 Stars Pros:  It was definitely a page turner and suspenseful/There's more to Louise than she lets on and the author is good about playing their cards very close to their chest until the very end.  Cons : The revelation of the identity of The Bone Keeper was really rather cliche and rote/The ultimate confrontation between Louise and the Bone Keeper was really rather disappointing and anti-climactic.  Full Review:  The book begins "Before" where four children are wandering the woods in search of the mythical boogie man, the Bone Keeper. They find a tunnel and each go through it in their own turn, knowing that the Bone Keeper is in there. And when it comes to the girls' turn, she's ...

"At times the protagonist, Vic McQueen is so selfish and inconsiderate of others that my dislike for her almost made me put the book down, I decided to read it through to the end and once I did, I was glad for it. It was a tense, suspenseful page turner by the second half and in true Hill fashion, you were both entertained and horrified at everything that had happened."  3 Stars Pros: A very unique and interesting idea/Lou Carmody is the Geeky hero that you can't help but love.  Cons :  It seems that in every novel, every teenage girl is portrayed as either a foul mouthed, drinking, drugging loser, or a vapid, mindless barbie doll with no brains. Vic McQueen (protagonist) as a teenager was just plain unlikable/Manx as an antagonist was creepy but his dated way of speech was just silly at times.  Full Review:  Vic McQueen has the unique ability to travel from her home in Haverhill Massachusetts, to any destination she wishes via a dilapidated old bridge called th...

"A quick and entertaining read, as many of King's books are but one that also stays with you after you've finished it, making you think and wonder what you would do if faced with the choice that Louis Creed is faced with."  3 Stars Pros:  Quick and entertaining read, as are most of King's works/A truly disturbing concept and one that made me sit and think long after I finished it whether I would do what Creed did.   Cons: King's references to songs and protagonists strange inner monologue can be annoying/The real tragedy that occurs I felt was surprisingly glossed over.  Full Review:  Louis Creed, his wife Rachel, their daughter Ellie and infant son Gage move from Chicago to the woods of Maine so Louis can act as the chief attending at the University of Maine. It's quiet in the woods and their land follows a path up to an old pet cemetery that their kind, elderly and knowledgeable neighbor, Jud Crandall, guides them to. In Jud, Louis finds a quiet, gentle...

"An engrossing, thought provoking look into how 4 siblings choose to live their lives after they're told the exact dates of their death. A novel that shows how deeply we're connected to our family and how all of our actions have reactions/consequences that branch out to affect everyone in our lives, to the smallest degree."  5 Stars.  Pros: The four siblings, Varya, Daniel, Klara and Simon are all so very different and are all so very human/Benjamin has a real knack for making her characters believable, likable (even with their flaws) and relatable. Cons:  It got a little melodramatic during Daniel's "part" but overall it was understandable and it just showed the reader that every action we take has consequences.  Full Review:  Four siblings, Varya, Daniel, Klara and Simon go to see a fortune teller who can tell you the death of your death. Varya, the oldest, thinks she's a fraud and the date that the woman gave her, well into the year of 2044...

"A fun and interesting idea, to see what other authors do with the Lovecraft Mythos but overall, by the end of it all, it was a disappointment. " 2 Stars. Pros: Entertaining to see many different authors take on Lovecraft and his Mythos/A handful of stories were truly eerie and unsettling. Cons: After awhile it all turned into the same old thing, throw in a reference to Cthlhu here, dabble in a bit of Shoggoths there, it got boring and old and honestly by the end of it, I was glad to be done.   Full Review:  H.P. Lovecraft is a staple of horror fiction and his mythos, Cthulhu and all the Elder Gods, are a Pantheon well known in Science Fiction/Fantasy. He is more or less the Father of Horror fiction and so I was eager to see how other authors handled "Lovecraftian" fiction. Unfortunately, for the most part, it was a disappointment. There were a few stand out stories that really had that Lovecraft feel. The atmosphere of a chilly air off a New England p...

"Picking off right where Book One left off, it is a continuation of the shock-waves that Lucifer's actions in Book One created. Intricate, detailed and at points, confusing, you have to keep all the characters straight in order for it to make sense. But if you do that, then it's an enjoyable read. " 3 Stars Pros: Better the second time around/There aren't many new characters to remember/Everything comes full circle but also leaves off at a good cliffhanger. Cons: As with all Comic book series you have to have read the first volume to understand any part of the second/ The art in some issues was meh.  Full Review:  With the death and re-birth of the archangel Michael, Lucifer created his own Universe. And now everyone wants a piece of it. Lucifer (Book Two) is all about the many pieces of the puzzle that have been crafted with Lucifer creating his own "world." It is extremely intricate, every part leading into the other and you cannot read t...

"What had promise was quickly ruined by a selfish, whiny, entitled protagonist who wants what she wants and she doesn't care who she has to step on or hurt to get it." 2 Stars Pros: An interesting concept and the twist at the end was moderately surprising. Cons: Lalla is an obnoxious, spoiled, selfish brat.  ***Spoiler Alert*** Full Review:  Lallage, or Lalla, was born at the end of the world. The economy collapsed as she grew and the world around her became a war zone, a cemetery and a lawless Hell while she learned to walk, talk and read. And through all of this chaos, she was kept relatively safe.  Her Father had invented the Dove, similar to the Cloud, where those with ID Cards can be tracked, given food rations etc. And while each passes and the world gets worse, Lalla begins to hear her parents talking of a ship. She remembers people coming to their London flat, wondering who they were and how her Father would be gone for long stretches, weeks at a tim...