Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make Me Pick Up or Buy A Book!


  • My favorite authors - Unless they really, really  screw up (*ahem* Laurel K. Hamilton), I will always buy books by my fav authors ♥
  • ZOMBIES - Ever since I watched the original Night of the Living Dead with my dad when I was under ten, zombies have always had me hooked!
  • Serial killers - It's a weird, fucked up fascination, but most serial killer fiction is my guilty pleasure.
  • Medieval historical fiction - You throw Norse sagas, medieval literature, history, etc. at me, and you will have me eating out of your hand!  Hey, I wanted advanced degrees in medieval lit, specifically Norse sagas ;)
  • Awesome covers - You know how you were always told never to judge a book by it's cover?  Well, I do all the time!
  • Dystopian/apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic - Not sure why these books appeal to me, but they do. 
  • Werewolves - I love wolves!  Need more be said?
  • Good, freaky horror/ghost story - Again, this is my dad's fault ;)
  • Kick ass graphic novel/superheroes - Sucker for good art, awesome stories, and superheroes kicking ass!
  • ZOMBIES - HeeHee
Much love, Sinn

Book Review — Poison Princess

Title:  Poison Princess
Author:  Kresley Cole
Genre:  YA post-apocalypse/romance
Pages:  Hardback, 369
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster, October 2, 12012
ISBN:  978-1-4424-3664-0
Opening Lines:  "She's so lovely, so fragile.  Those haunted eyes.  Those rosebud lips . . . they'll scream so prettily."

Rating


"Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene heads a charmed life—until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations are actually visions of the future—and the visions are still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate, Jackson Deveaux.

"With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally trust Jack. But if he ever casts that wicked grin her way, can she possibly resist him?

"As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have received the same call. An ancient prophecy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side . . ."

~Jacket copy




After reading Sarah's review, I couldn't get this book out of my head!  The whole concept seemed intriguing.  As with most books I want to read, our local library didn't have it.  So, as usual, I had to put in an ILL request.  And, once I was able to start reading it, I couldn't put the damn thing down!


Finally home after a summer-long stint in a juvenile mental institution, Evangeline "Evie" is looking forward to starting school and returning to a normal life.  She is eager to put the nightmares and weird hallucinations behind her, with the help of doctors, therapy, and medication.  However, just even everything seems to be starting to return to normal, her nightmares come back, strange visions haunt her in the middle of class, and the newest student, Jackson Deveaux, has caught her attention.

While still trying to determine what is true and keep her head down, the unthinkable happens: the sun's rays blast the earth, killing most of the population, plant life, and evaporating the water sources.  And that's when Evie realizes that her hallucinations were really premonitions of this horrible apocalyptic event and a coming battle.

In an effort to find the information locked in her brain after being institutionalized, Evie goes on a cross-country trek to find her grandmother.  Along with the help of Jackson and three other people, Evie will encounter some strange things that will shake the bedrock of what she's always known.
  

When I started this book, I wasn't even sure what to expect.  Aside from the apocalypse theme, some of the other elements took me by surprise.  Granted, after reading a the review that brought this book to my attention, I fully expected the tarot element; however, it goes way beyond that.  I felt that Cole did a good job trying to imagine what it would truly be like if the tarot did start coming to life, or was, in fact, already here.  In addition, she did a good job thinking about the impact that type of sun damage would have on the Earth and how people would react without law.

In general, I liked Evie okay.  She seemed to react to her circumstances the way a normal girl would have.  Even though she was fairly pampered, to me, that didn't really get in the way of her functioning.  However, that could be due in part of her mother's role.  That being said, I did find her rather dense and a little too vapid.  Also, it seemed as though Cole was trying to hard to make her an approachable stereotype—popular, pretty, but not overly conceited.

From the moment he rode into the picture, I really liked Jackson.  Yes, he is rather rough around the edges and a Byronic archetype, but he embodies every boy I loved as a teenager.  Even though I am an adult now, it's still hard to escape those nostalgic feelings.  Also, given his past, I felt he had a lot more depth than we are shown in the book.  The Cole's dialect writing for the Cajun kids—Jackson in particular—was wonderful and added a different element to the story.  Plus, I love me some good dialect ;)

It was neat to see Evie struggle with her role in the tarot and the coming battle.  I liked seeing that internal struggle with what she wanted to be and what she had to be.  However, her powers kept reminding me of Poison Ivy.  Nonetheless, it was rather spiffy.

With the things she will have to do later on, the next books will definitely be tense and pose different issues.  It makes me wonder if that's why the other characters weren't as fleshed out.  Also, with how it ended, I really wonder how Evie will handle her changing role.

Normally, I don't like the typical YA romance with vapid heroines: however, this one really caught my attention.  I love the whole aspect of the tarot coming to life, this ancient battle, and the apocalypse.  Yes, there were a lot of things in the book that were extremely predictable, but it kept me on the edge of my seat.  And, yes, I can see how the pre-apocalypse section of the book could be considered boring or useless.  All of that being said, I really, really enjoyed this book!  The imagery was beautiful, and I like the story.  Now I am eagerly waiting to read the next book in the series!  Kresley, please release it sooner than October!







Current Pages: 6748
Current Progress:

23/50 books


Much love, Sinn

Theme Song Saturday



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to the Theme Song Saturday introduction post to read the rules and get the code.

Here's my song this week:









 Basket Case by Green Day is kind of a half-assed song this week :-p  However, it really does kind of reflect the mood of this book, and it was a good choice by Seanan ^_~ 






What's yours?  Leave a link in the comments to your post ^_^


Much love, Sinn

Book Review — Midnight Blue-Light Special

Title:  Midnight Blue-Light Special
Author:  Seanan McGuire
Genre:  Urban fantasy
Pages:  Paperback, 328
Publisher:  Daw Fantasy, March 5, 2013
ISBN:  978-0-7564-0792-6
Opening Lines:  "Verity stood with her hands folded in front of her and her feet turned out in first position, watching her father read her report card."

Rating


"Telepathic mathematicians. Chess-playing dragons. Bogeyman nightclub owners. Talking mice. The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity—and to protect humanity from them. Verity Price is just trying to do her job, keeping the native cryptid population of Manhattan from getting into trouble, and doing a little ballroom dancing on the side. But her tenure on the East Coast is coming to an end, and she's still not sure what she wants to do with her life.

"Enter Dominic De Luca, an operative for the Covenant of St. George, and Verity's on-again, off-again boyfriend. When he tells her that the Covenant is sending a full team to assess how ready the city is for a purge, Verity finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Stay, and risk her almost-certain death, for flee, and leave the cryptids of New York with nothing between them and the Covenant.

"It's not the kind of choice that ever comes easy. With allies and enemies on every side, and no safe way to turn, it's going to take some quickstepping for Verity to waltz out of this one. There's just one question on everyone's mind. Is this the last dance for Verity Price?"

~ Jacket copy



This book is the second in the InCryptid series, so it was the next logical choice after finishing Discount Armageddon!


After the aftermath of the last book, Verity is finally settling into her new role at the Freakshow, her ever-changing relationship with the cryptid population of NYC, and trying to discover the true nature of her budding romance with Dominic. However, even though everything seems as though it is finally falling into place, Dominic tells her that the Covenant is coming into town to assess his work and field reports. He has been lying on them, and the Covenant is not convinced that he is going to reach a decision about a possible Purge.

Wanting to keep Verity safe, Dominic begs her to leave town and take any cryptid she can with her. But, being a Price girl, Verity is determined to keep the population of cryptids safe from the Covenant and try to convince them that a Purge is unnecessary. However, she questions where Dominic’s true loyalties lie, whether she can make it through this storm on her own, and keep the city safe.


This book was just as awesome, fun, and hilarious as the first book. McGuire was able to keep up the momentum and pace set in the previous book. Reading them one right after the other, I felt as though the transition was seamless between the two. Granted, time had passed; however, I didn’t feel as though I was lost or that she was skipping a lot of important stuff.

Verity did a lot of growing in the book. She was finally faced with making the decision between her dance career and following in the family business. While I will not tell her choice, it was definitely an adult and defining moment in her life. Further, she is starting to see that her cavalier attitude isn’t always a wise choice. Her actions—while surely that of a twenty-three-year-old—need to be thought out. I also appreciated seeing her inner turmoil concerning her relationship with Dominic. Even though she loved it, she was really forced to find her priorities.

It was interesting to add the familial element in this book. I really thought Uncle Mike’s character was neat. I will like to see him and her adopted grandmother in later books. He was needed to push the plot on; however, his role wasn’t huge.

I loved Istas! She was a neat minor character in the previous book; however, she really took on more of a major role in this one. Her talk about carnage, rat casserole, and her Gothic Lolita threads is absolutely priceless! I hope she is in future books, and that her character continues to develop.

The one thing I really didn’t like was when Sarah took over the narration. Granted, I understand the circumstances that brought it about; however, I didn’t like the plot device. For me, Sarah has always been a rather weak and boring character. In the first book, she had a few funny lines and unique quirks, but she never held my attention. I wish that McGuire had found some other way to tell that side of the story, or just didn’t include it. For a cuckoo especially, Sarah is just too damn whiny and annoying. That being said, in the end, she got a tiny bit neater.

The continued romance between Dominic and Verity should prove to be an interesting story. With her grandmother’s past, it was easy to see it coming. However, it didn’t take away from the romantic and “awww” factor!

For me, this book was another hit right out of the ballpark! Seanan, I need the next books STAT! If you haven’t read the first book, GO DO IT! These books take all of the best elements of the October Daye and Newsflesh series and combine them in an awesome, funny package.







Current Pages: 6379
Current Progress:

22/50 books


Much love, Sinn

PROMO: Dead Light


 
Horror: Thriller/Suspense
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Publication Date: April 4, 2013

Synopsis


…a matter of light and death…

In the sleepy college town of Cumberton, MD, an old cemetery must be moved to make room for a new dormitory, and an ungodly Light, buried for centuries, escapes. A rash of gruesome student suicides rocks the town. Sheriff Estin Booker teams up with former Baltimore homicide detective Anna Tucci to investigate the deaths. What neither expects is to have all roads point to a 2000-year-old legend which, if true, could lead to the destruction of mankind.

The most frightening account of the power of evil breeching our world since The Exorcist, DEAD LIGHT will teach you the most improbable lesson you will ever learn:

FEAR THE LIGHT!


Excerpt


With Jill’s help, and using his previous foothold, it didn’t take long for him to crawl out of the grave. He took a couple of deep breaths and tested his ankle. Still hurt, but not as bad. Definitely just a sprain.

She pointed the light beam at the box. Looked about five inches square and maybe three or four inches high. At one time it probably had been painted red, but now was more the shade of rust. Curious. It was made of wood, yet unlike the casket, had remained intact. He shook the box. Nothing.

Jill took the box and shook it. “Empty.”
“Why would they bury a locked empty box?” he asked.
She aimed the light on the headstone, which lay on its side nearby. The letters were barely legible.

Father William Cumber
1645-1713


“The guy they named the town after?” she asked.
“Maybe it’s some religious relic. When we get back, I’ll get a screwdriver and pry it open.”
“What if there’s something valuable inside?” She turned. Momentarily, the flashlight beam moved away from the path. In that instant, Tony tripped again.
“Shit.”

They both fell, sending the flashlight flying out of Jill’s hand.

Pain from his ankle shot up Tony’s leg. “Find the flashlight,” he said through clenched teeth. He rolled over onto his stomach and tried his best to get to his knees.

Jill crawled in a short radius, groped around for the light while still holding tight to the box. “Got it.” She turned on the flashlight, pointing the beam upwards as she slowly rose to her feet.

Tony thought he felt something brush against his skin; probably a moth. And a sweet odor. Familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Must be from opening all the graves after hundreds of years.

From behind them, a deep, gravelly whisper. “Give me the box.”

Jill’s shriek reverberated throughout the entire cemetery. She turned, and the edge of the light beam caught the face of a wild-haired, crazy-eyed old man. She screamed again and dropped the flashlight; the light went out. Though he was as scared as she was, Tony hobbled back to insert himself between Jill and the old man. The man grabbed for the box. Tony flailed out with his right arm, the box flew out of the old man’s hand, smacking into a headstone. The soft wood cracked, splitting the box open along its seams. Instantly, a searing light from inside the box flashed, then disappeared.

Tony thought, how could that be possible? He must've been seeing stars from hitting his head. Frantic, he looked around but the old man had disappeared. Jill knelt in the soil, her face buried in her arms. She must’ve tripped, too. He helped her to her feet.

“You okay?” she asked, then brushed her arm.
“Moths,” he said. “They’re all over the place.”
“Tony, think I saw a flash of light coming from the box.”
Tony glanced down at the broken box. Of course there was no light inside. “From hitting your head when you fell, that’s all.”
“But I didn’t—”

The cough interrupted her. They both froze. He was still there.

Author Bio


Mike Pace was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Illinois on an art scholarship, and graduated with a BFA degree. He taught public school in Washington D.C.’s inner city, while attending law school at Georgetown University. As an attorney, he prosecuted numerous cases, including those involving murder and rape. He resigned in order to practice law part time, thereby allowing him the time to devote to his first love, creative writing. He lives on the Chesapeake Bay with his wife and two dogs, Blueberry and Scout. DEAD LIGHT is Mike’s first novel.

Website: http:// Mikepacebooks.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MikePacebooks

Much love, Sinn

Book Review — Discount Armageddon

Title:  Discount Armageddon
Author:  Seanan McGuire
Genre:  Urban fantasy
Pages:  Paperback, 344
Publisher:  Daw Fantasy, March 6, 2012
ISBN:  978-0-7564-0713-1
Opening Lines:  "Verity Danced circles around the living room, her amateurish pirouettes and unsteady leaps accompanied by cheers and exultations from the horde of Aeslin mice perched on the back of the couch."

Rating


"Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night . . . and that's just the beginning. The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity—and to protect humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a crytozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance.

"Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter send by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city . . .

"A lifetime of training isn't enough to prepare Verity for what's ahead—especially not for Dominic De Luca, the Covenant's newest operative. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed."

~ Jacket copy




When this book first hit the shelves, my interest was most definitely piqued.  However, for whatever reason (or lack thereof) that possesses me while buying new books, this never made it off of the shelves and into my hands.  I kept kicking myself for the longest time, and decided to go on a quest to find it at used bookstores.  Unfortunately, everybody loved it!  A dear friend of mine, hearing my plight, packaged this (and the second book) up and sent it to me media mail!


Wanting to pursue a career in professional dance—and still completely torn as to whether she should continue in the family business—Verity gets permission to move to Manhattan on a trial run.  However, she has strict instructions to keep an eye on the local cryptid population.  However, that is easier said than done when a Covenant operative comes into town and local cryptid girls are disappearing.

Realizing that they are better as a team, Verity and Dominic team up to root out the reason behind these disappearances and follow the rumors of the last dragon to their source.  However, what the don't expect are the different players involved, the high stakes, and a budding romance.


I loved this book!  Granted, I would not classify it as earth-shattering prose or completely life-altering.  However, it was a fun and lighthearted read!  Honestly, sometimes you cannot go wrong with a light, funny book.  ^_^

Verity was a refreshing heroine.  Too many books out there have these insipid, dull, stupid, arrogant, and whiny heroines.  For me, Verity has none of these qualities.  In some ways, she reminds me of younger Anita Blake.  That being said, she doesn't have this overwhelming snarky quality to her, which has been overdone to death.  And, honestly, she is just plain cute!

As with the October Daye novels, McGuire has a lot of detail in this book and spends a lot of time world building.  However, it doesn't bog the reader down as much, and it is extremely successful.  With the various cryptid species and different locales in NYC, McGuire had to spend a certain amount of time describing things.  She did a good job of balancing these descriptions in the story and making them humorous.  Furthermore, since this is the first book in the series, she needs to set a lot of this up in advance.

For the most part, the characters were pretty well-rounded.  Dominic wasn't fleshed out nearly as much; however, some of that could be due to his continued character development and evolution.  Verity was puerile in a lot of ways, but that gave credence to her age and how green she truly was.  And, in a lot of ways, it made for a more enjoyable experience to watch her grow.

McGuire really pulls on a lot of folklore with her creatures, which makes for neat read.  However, one thing of note, Verity doesn't come into contact with too many non-sentient cryptids.  This might be due to the fact that they wouldn't make as interesting a story.  Either way, I didn't feel a lack.

On way or the other, this book was fun!  If you're looking for an escape and something outside of the normal urban fantasy genre, give this book a try.  You will find yourself roaring with laughter and occasionally snorting.

Favorite Lines

"'Telepaths have ethics?' Dominic's eyes narrowed, tone and posture united to convey his disbelief.
'My mother and I do,' said Sarah, letting her head settle against the back of the chair. 'We mostly got them from Babylon 5, but they still work.'"

"'What's to stop the populace from decrying you as a witch and rising against you?'
'I don't know. A couple hundred years of social evolution, combined with a general failure to believe in anything that doesn't have Wikipedia entry? Except most cryptids have Wikipedia entries these days, so that's maybe not such a good measuring stick. You know, most of the edits on the Sasquatch entry are actually made by Sasquatch? They think it's hysterical watching the human editors argue about whether or not to let one of their corrections stand.'"








Current Pages: 6051
Current Progress:

21/50 books


Much love, Sinn

Theme Song Saturday



Welcome to Theme Song Saturdays, a new weekly meme, hosted by yours truly, in which we share our love of music and books! Since I love books and music, this meme is for fun to try to incorporate those two loves! Whenever I read a book, a certain song -- kind of like a soundtrack or theme song -- plays through my head.

Want to know how to play? Head over to the Theme Song Saturday introduction post to read the rules and get the code.

Here's my song this week:









Freak Like Me by Halestorm goes out to all of those InCryptids out there!  This song is an anthem for everyone who is different and isn't afraid to show it.  So, screw the Covenant and embrace your freakish nature!  Honestly, I think Verity and the Prices would be proud ^_~






What's yours?  Leave a link in the comments to your post ^_^

And, as a completely band-geeky side note, as a former drummer, Arejay has to be one of my all-time favorite drummers out there!  He's such a goof and amazing at his craft!


Much love, Sinn

Follow Friday

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. The point is to follow as many book blog as you can and make new friends! As part of the adventure, she gives a weekly question.

Here's this week's question:

Q: If you could hang out with any author (living) who would it be and what would you want to do?



I would love to spend some time with Dana Fredsti!  She has amazing taste in books and B horror movies!  As for what we would do, I presume we would geek out, talk about books, cat wrangle, and walk her puppy on the beach.  However, it would be awesome if I could convince her to teach me how to surf :)


Much love, Sinn

Book Review — A Local Habitation

Title:  A Local Habitation
Author:  Seanan McGuire
Genre:  Urban fantasy
Pages:  Paperback, 377
Published:  March 2010
Publisher:  Daw
ISBN:  978-0-7564-0596-0
Opening Lines:  "The last train out of San Francisco leaves at midnight; miss it and you're stuck until morning."

Rating:


"Toby Daye-a half-human, half-fae changeling-has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating to a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world had other ideas...

"Now her liege, the Duke of the Shadowed Hills, has asked Toby to go to the County of Tamed Lightning to make sure all is well with his niece, Countess January O'Leary. It seems like a simple enough assignment-until Toby discovers that someone has begun murdering people close to January, and that if the killer isn't stopped, January may be the next victim."

~ Goodreads




After finishing Rosemary and Rue, I had to pick up this book to see what would happen in Toby Daye's continued adventures.  Unfortunately, our local library only has the first book it the series.  It's enough to whet my appetite, but not enough to fulfill it.  Needless to say, I ILLed a copy!



Toby is finally back doing her P.I. work.  She has been getting steady work and seems to be doing just fine.  However, Lord Sylvester, her liege, has decided her needs her to do a job.  He has been out of contact with his niece in a neighboring county for quite some time.  Since they usually talk on a regular basis and she isn't returning his calls, he is quite concerned.  However, to avoid a diplomatic incident, he cannot go check on her himself.  So he sends Toby to make sure she is alright.

Once in the county of Tamed Lightning, Toby find some very interesting things.  Not only is the world advancing in technology, but the Fae—especially Sylvester's niece—in Silicon Valley are taking it to a whole different level.  What she doesn't expect to find are mysterious murders, no way to trace the victims' blood, and the night-haunts refusing to take Fae bodies.

Armed with only Quentin, her wits, and Dare's knife, Toby must find out who is killing people, why the night-haunts are not coming for the bodies, and keep Sylvester's niece—and Quentin—alive.



Okay, this sounded like an interesting premise.  And it honestly could have been.  However, the book just fell flat.  I kept groaning at Toby's stupidity.  For someone who is supposed to be a pretty good P.I., the obvious can waltz by her in an evening gown with a sign around it's neck and she would still miss it!  Honestly, the phones and the weirdness between Terrie and Alex couldn't have been more transparent.  And, even though I couldn't be 100% sure, I had a suspicion about the night-haunts leaving the bodies.

Everything surrounding the computer jargon and methodology was jaw-dropping.  My husband, a systems administrator for over fifteen years, was just baffled and confounded.  He couldn't understand why a router needed these elaborate schematics.  Further, all of it seemed a little too farfetched even for someone not as computer savvy.  In addition, the whole reason behind the murders was another thing that was just too much. Really? Really?!

Aside from my issues with the technology, I did find April to be quite interesting.  The whole back story around her and how she was still alive was fairly creative.  My hat goes off to the author on that one.  Also, I felt she put some thought into the function and livelihood of the knowe.  That being said, she never went into much detail about it, so it was a little flat.

The book was needlessly too long.  A lot of the fat could have been trimmed, which would have made it a better book.  Yes, I understand that the knowe changes on the whim of the ruler; however, there has to be some way to navigate it.  Everyone else didn't seem to have a problem.  Besides, she never traveled that far.  Toby continuing to get lost, drinking endless amounts of coffee, and so on, was just too much repetition.  Did the reader need to be told every time she got lost? 

Throughout the book, I felt as though I was reading a book about a stupid, female form of Harry Dresden.  Not only is she a P.I. with dark hair and a trainee, but she also drives a damn Beetle!  Also, sustaining life-threatening injuries and being able to come back from the brink is classic Dresden.  Come on, we need a different P.I. archetype.

I really had a hard time getting traction in this book.  The parts with Tybalt were cute, and I enjoy him as a character  And some of the other characters could have been interesting, but they were never fleshed out.  Toby was too stupid and things were too farfetched to enjoy this book.  Further, it felt as though it was dragging until forty pages from the end.  It took some time to force myself to finish the book.  That being said, I will end up reading more in the series.  I've heard it gets better, and I am very curious to see what happens between Toby and Tybalt.







Current Pages: 5707
Current Progress:

20/50 books


Much love, Sinn

Book Review — Grim

Title:  Grim
Author:  Joseph Spencer
Genre:  Mystery/supernatural suspense
Published:  September 1, 2012
Publisher:  Damnation Books, LLC
ISBN-10:   1615727531
Rating:


"When everything is taken from him, Detective Adam White must choose what’s most important. Does he stick to the heroic ideals which made him a famed paragon of justice and take down a murderous madman? Or does he give in to his vigilante impulses, avenge his wife’s murder, and become the type of killer he’s hunted for so many years?"

~ Goodreads




I heard about this book as part of a book tour. Since I like serial killers and a good murder mystery, this book seemed like a winner!


Honestly, even after reading the book, I am not entirely clear what it was really and truly about. What I know is that a series of murders are happening that appear to be in the style of an old mob killer. However, according to all reports, the hitman is dead. The police department’s poster boy, Adam White, is on the case. His investigation leads him to Heath Grim, the masked and disfigured owner of the apartments across from the crime scene. This tangled mess of a story involves two warring mob families, death, horrible violence, and the supernatural.


I’m not even sure where to start with this book. The idea was interesting; however, that’s where it stopped. The beginning was rather engaging. Unfortunately, it went from meh to ugh pretty quickly. It might be easier to break it down.

The Good

  • The whole serial killer angle was a big draw 
  • I like the supernatural element that was behind a lot of the motives
  • The casino game near the end was well played 
  • The use of masks was an interesting idea

The Bad

  • Voorhees and Myers cross streets in front of Grim’s apartment complex was way too obvious. Further, on the next page, White compared Grim to Jason Voorhees. In addition, the stripper being named Gemma Jamerson was a *facepalm* moment. And, sadly, that isn’t the worst of it. The author makes pop culture references to Batman, movies, and so on; however, he suddenly changes the name of well known comic book characters, movie titles, and an actress. Why? I’m sorry, but that was just way too much for me. 
  • There were a lot of inconsistencies throughout the book. One of them was Grim’s Rosacea. On one page, he says that it appear a few years ago and doctors didn’t know why; however, on the very next page, he tells White that he has battled with it his whole life. Huh?
  • Bruno’s cussing was too much. While I understand a character cussing like a sailor, when it interrupts the flow and halts the reader, it is way too much. 
  • As the book neared its conclusion, I found myself heavily reminded of The Dark Knight and Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. Grim, in a weird fashion, was an archetype of Bruce Wayne: his parents were taken from him, he lost someone dear to him, made a bargain to get revenge, and acted as a masked vigilante. And, if Grim was Bruce Wayne, Adam White was Harvey Dent. Along with the Batman theme, Grim’s comment about his girlfriend thinking he didn’t smile enough was just like Joker. As far as Red Dragon, the split personality/possession reminded me of Francis Dolarhyde.
  • I didn’t like the pacing of the book. 

All in all, I just didn’t like Grim. For me, it really wasn’t original and pulled too much from other sources. In addition, the grammar really tripped me up. I think, given some time and work, it might be better. Unfortunately, at this point, it felt like ripping teeth to finish the book, and it didn’t do it for me. Further, some of the violence seemed a little too over the top.


Much love, Sinn

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"If you’re a freak like me, Wave your flag! If you’re a freak like me, Get off your ass! It’s our time now, To let it all hang out!" I am a recovering English major, closet bibliophile, breve addicted, zombie lover with a rockabilly and heavy metal fetish.
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