The sequel to The Dead-Tossed Waves, this book picks up where the story of Gabry, Catcher, and Elias left off, but with a twist. The story's narrator is Annah, Gabry's long-lost twin sister who lives in the city. After caring for herself for 3 years without Elias, Annah is about to leave the city when she spots Gabry and recognizes her. Gabry, unfortunately, is captured and Annah, Catcher, and Elias must find her before the zombie horde destroys the city.
There are some complex emotional issues in the book. Self-esteem issues and jealousy force some of the characters to examine who they are and what they want. Just for that (and the zombie-sponsored gore) the book is a worthy read.
Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Ryan
This book is a companion novel to Forest of Hands and Teeth. The zombie world is pretty much the same, but with a heartless central government and a crazy cult thrown in for fun. There's still a love triangle and, unfortunately, this one isn't as well crafted as the last. And there's definitely a sequel.
It's good, but not the magnum opus the first one was.
It's good, but not the magnum opus the first one was.
Blood and Chocolate by Klause
Vivian is a werewolf. She was born one, as were her parents. Her pack lives in out-of-the-way places in the country, trying not to attract suspicion or mobs of angry humans carrying torches. Life is pretty simple in the pack - obey the alpha, don't do anything stupid, etc. Vivian complicates things when she goes and falls in love with a human. She believes that, because of his artistic soul, he'll understand and appreciate their seemingly insurmountable differences.
The book is a bit, uh, steamy. As my mother would say, it makes your eyeballs fog up.
Never judge a book by its movie, especially not this one. The film version is terrible.
The book is a bit, uh, steamy. As my mother would say, it makes your eyeballs fog up.
Never judge a book by its movie, especially not this one. The film version is terrible.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Austen and Grahame-Smith
Elizabeth is the spunky daughter of a 19th century landowner who lives beyond his means. Mr. Darcy is a reserved gazillionaire who is entranced by Elizabeth's humor and liveliness. Will Elizabeth let go of her prejudice against Darcy? Will Darcy overcome his pride and tell Elizabeth his true feelings? Or will zombies kill them both?
You wouldn't think this combination would work - zombies set loose in Jane Austen's orderly world of courtship and marriage. But it does. Graham-Smith's revision of this timeless classic is an undead romp through the English countryside. My personal favorite scene is when Darcy proposes. Elizabeth tells him to drop dead - and then tries to slice him to bits with a katana sword.
The black humor is awesome. So are the action sequences. Love it, love it, love it.
You wouldn't think this combination would work - zombies set loose in Jane Austen's orderly world of courtship and marriage. But it does. Graham-Smith's revision of this timeless classic is an undead romp through the English countryside. My personal favorite scene is when Darcy proposes. Elizabeth tells him to drop dead - and then tries to slice him to bits with a katana sword.
The black humor is awesome. So are the action sequences. Love it, love it, love it.
The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Bray
I was reluctant to read this series. The cheesy-romance novel cover of the first novel, A Great and Terrible Beauty, kind of turned me off. On the recommendation of someone I trust, I decided to give them a shot.
Gemma Doyle lives in India with her mother, prat of a brother Tom, and her doting father. Following the tragic murder of her mother, the family relocates to England where Gemma is inducted to stuffy Victorian society - boarding school, corsets, and all. There, a beloved teacher fills Gemma's head with stories of "The Order," a mysterious circle of women with extraordinary powers. These stories launch Gemma and her friends on a beautiful and terrifying journey into the world between life and death.
As Gemma deals with unraveling the secret of her mother's death, controlling her new-found powers, and coping with the petty rivalries of upper-class English society, she grows into a powerful and formidable heroine. It takes a bit to warm up to this series, but once you do, you'll be hooked.
Gemma Doyle lives in India with her mother, prat of a brother Tom, and her doting father. Following the tragic murder of her mother, the family relocates to England where Gemma is inducted to stuffy Victorian society - boarding school, corsets, and all. There, a beloved teacher fills Gemma's head with stories of "The Order," a mysterious circle of women with extraordinary powers. These stories launch Gemma and her friends on a beautiful and terrifying journey into the world between life and death.
As Gemma deals with unraveling the secret of her mother's death, controlling her new-found powers, and coping with the petty rivalries of upper-class English society, she grows into a powerful and formidable heroine. It takes a bit to warm up to this series, but once you do, you'll be hooked.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Ryan
Mary lives with her mother and brother in a village isolated from the outside world by a fence. Beyond the fence are trees and zombies. When Mary's mother becomes infected with the disease and her brother disowns her, Mary is taken in by the mysterious Sisterhood, the governing force of this strange place. Plagued by questions and a longing for things she can't have, Mary learns to recognize what she loves most when the village is overrun by the undead.
I don't cry easily, so when I say that this book brought tears to my eyes, it's a big thing. The story is filled with drama, horror, and suspense. To anyone who has ever loved, The Forest of Hands and Teeth is hauntingly tragic.
I don't cry easily, so when I say that this book brought tears to my eyes, it's a big thing. The story is filled with drama, horror, and suspense. To anyone who has ever loved, The Forest of Hands and Teeth is hauntingly tragic.
Peeps by Westerfeld
Before there was the ruckus over Twilight and all other things vampire, there was Peeps. The book offers a fresh and interesting view of vampires. According to Westerfeld, vampirism is a fluid-borne disease with interesting side-effects, like an aversion to anything or anyone you used to love. (Hence, why vampires hate crosses and garlic - some of them used to be good Italian Catholics).
Because these monsters are a product of science rather than evil, there's a good deal of cool information about diseases, parasites, and other biology. The story follows Cal, a kid who is positive for the disease but doesn't have any of the unpleasant, people-eating symptoms. He works with a secret branch of the government to track down active vampires, contain them, and treat them.
The book is a bit mature (the parasite is passed through *ahem* sexual contact) but it never gets too lurid. Due to the cannibalism and sensuality, it's probably not a book for the squeemish, but it's still a good story. This book has a sequel, called The Last Days. Please do not read it, as it is horrible.
Because these monsters are a product of science rather than evil, there's a good deal of cool information about diseases, parasites, and other biology. The story follows Cal, a kid who is positive for the disease but doesn't have any of the unpleasant, people-eating symptoms. He works with a secret branch of the government to track down active vampires, contain them, and treat them.
The book is a bit mature (the parasite is passed through *ahem* sexual contact) but it never gets too lurid. Due to the cannibalism and sensuality, it's probably not a book for the squeemish, but it's still a good story. This book has a sequel, called The Last Days. Please do not read it, as it is horrible.
Full Tilt by Shusterman
This was the first book I'd ever read by Shusterman, who is now my personal writing god. I devoured it in about 2 hours because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Literally. It's that good.
The story follows a pair of brothers, as unlike each other as possible. Blake is a college-bound brainiac with a guilt complex. Quinn is a dysfunctional oddball with a middle finger ball cap. The first chapter details how he climbed 50 feet to rescue said ball cap from off the tracks of a moving roller coaster. He's a quintessential thrill seeker.
The boys get invited to a secret, free, nighttime carnival by a gorgeous redhead. The redhead is, unfortunately, Satan. Each ride in the carnival is a piece of the rider's personal hell. All the victim has to do to escape is successfully ride seven rides before dawn without dying or going insane. In typical headlong fashion, Quinn enters the carnival. Blake and two friends go in after Quinn to try and bring him out. The resulting tale is an intelligent, insightful tale that has a Dante's inferno feel. The writing is an 8 and the story is a 9. Definitely worth the few hours needed to read this book.
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