Book Review | Wool by Hugh Howey

Wool is a science fiction/dystopian novel from Hugh Howey.

Book Description

This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.

The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

I am in love with this series. Wool wasn't perfect, but I loved it pretty hard core.

Dystopians and I haven't gotten along for a while now, but Wool has reminded me of everything I love about a great dystopian.

So what's the dystopian hook with Wool? A silo. The earth has become uninhabitable, and those who have survived live in a giant silo below the ground.

There is a view up top of the outside, but it's dangerous to spend time dreaming or wondering about the outside. The highest crime is professing a desire to go outside. The punishment for committing such a taboo? You get your wish. They send you outside.

The first half of the book was awesome. It was exciting to have my love for dystopia totally renewed. As Wool progressed, I had more and more trouble suspending my disbelief and there were a couple of plot holes, but overall the suspense and the characters and my curiosity about the silo and the world outside was plenty enough to overcome the technicalities.

The Wool omnibus is also the first book in the Silo series, but for those of you who are series shy, it can absolutely stand on its own. If Wool hadn't weighed in at 500+ pages, there's no doubt I would have immediately picked up the next book in the Silo series. I get reader burn out easy, though, so I know better than to jump into another chunky monkey from the same series. I'm happy to add the Silo series to my current favorites, and I look forward to reading Shift in the near future.

If you enjoy post-apocalyptic and dystopian books (with a strong female lead!), Wool is definitely a book you should put on your radar.

8/10: Great Read

If you haven't heard Hugh Howey's self publishing story, it is fascinating. Have you read Wool? Do you have any favorite dystopian books you'd like to recommend?

Book Review | Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe is a YA dystopian space mystery from Beth Revis.

Book Description

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

I'm going to say right off the bat that I did not enjoy this book. I found many things regarding the characters, the plot, the science, and the technological advancements of the spaceship to be completely illogical and highly frustrating.

The people aboard the humongous spaceship of Across the Universe are at least 10 generations of descendents from the people who left Earth 250 years ago to travel to the new world. These people, however, are still fixated on the Earth and still using Earthly terms to describe things like Amy's "sunset" hair when they've never even seen a sunset. They find exercise to be unproductive, yet instead of looking like the folks from Wall-E, they have the kind of hot muscles and carved biceps you can see through clothing.

The ship - 250 years later - is now far more advanced than it was when it left Earth. Where did they get all of the new materials and manufacturing capabilities out in space? I'd also love to know why they can create these amazing technologies but aren't capable of splicing some wires together that get cut on the ship.

I would really love to give bigger examples, but I'm about to enter into spoiler territory so I'll just say a lot of things made no sense to me at all.

There are a couple of redeeming qualities to Across the Universe. It's a fast paced read. Despite the numerous flaws, it did hold my interest until the end. I don't know that I will be joining anyone in reading A Million Suns, but I do have hopes that the series could improve from here. The dystopian framework has already been laid, and the characters have the potential to be likeable going forward.

If you enjoy reading dystopian for the sake of dystopian, Across the Universe provides a new premise within the genre. I would most compare this book to Lauren DeStefano's Wither. They have a similar appeal despite their flaws in logic.

3/10: Didn't Like It

Have you read Across the Universe? Were you able to successfully suspend your disbelief?

Book Review: Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Ashfall is the first book in the YA Ashfall series from Mike Mullin.

Book Description

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don't realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano. It has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years, and it will erupt again, changing the Earth forever.

Fifteen-year-old Alex is home alone when the supervolcano erupts. His town collapses into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, forcing him to flee. He begins a harrowing trek in search of his parents and sister, who were visiting relatives 140 miles away.

Along the way, Alex struggles through a landscape transformed by more than a foot of ash. The disaster brings out the best and worst in people desperate for food, clean water, and shelter.  When an escaped convict injures Alex, he searches for a sheltered place where he can wait--to heal or to die. Instead, he finds Darla. Together, they fight to achieve a nearly impossible goal: surviving the supervolcano.

With nonstop action, a little romance, and realistic science, debut author Mike Mullin tells a mesmerizing story. Readers will turn Ashfall's pages breathlessly, and continue to ponder Alex and Darla's fate long after they close the book.

Ashfall is a real pageturner. I made the mistake of starting Ashfall when I was ready to go to bed. Don't do that if you require lots of beauty sleep.

Mike Mullin threw build-up and foreshadowing out the window when he wrote Ashfall. The supervolcano eruption... chapter one. That's how I love my stories. There is a lot of action in Ashfall, and it is all delivered without apology.

The natural disaster aspect of Ashfall evoked a lot of emotion in me. The story itself is well written and thought provoking, but as someone who has been through multiple hurricanes, I made a lot of emotional connections to Ashfall. I'm also never, ever letting my son quit TaeKwonDo.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Ashfall to be more than a young adult book about survival. There are also strong elements of YA romance, post-apocalypse and even some dystopia. The girl lead Darla is a bad ass, but she's vulnerable when she needs to be. Alex is the opposite (in a nice way). He's vulnerable, but a badass when he needs to be.

Once again - how does this keep happening to me?! - I wasn't aware Ashfall was a series. When will I understand YA = series? Thankfully there was no frustrating cliffhanger. I feel like a received a complete story, and I'm left with the typical craving for more you get with a good first book in a series. I will definitely pick up Ashen Winter when it is released next fall.

If you are a YA fan of the post-apocalyptic flavor and you don't mind some brutal and unforgiving scenes, you need to read Ashfall. Just make sure you don't start reading it at bedtime!

8/10: Great read

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Veronica Roth's Divergent puts a unique spin on the dystopian society.  In Divergent, people are divided into "factions" in order to separate personalities that would normally conflict with each other.  At the age of 16, each person chooses the faction they will permanently join. 

Once a faction has been chosen, the individual doesn't automatically become part of that faction.  They must endure an initiation process that will weed out those who don't belong and enforce the mindset and beliefs of those who do.

Divergent begins just before Beatrice "Tris" chooses her faction.

The level of danger and suspense in Divergent makes it a great page turner.  I was always anxious to see what would happen next, and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in the Divergent series.

If you loved The Hunger Games, I highly recommend Divergent.  Not only is it similar in tone to The Hunger Games, I have high hopes that Tris will maintain the strong leadership role I longed to see in Katniss Everdeen.

Review: Liar (Icarus Helix #2) by J.E. Medrick

Oh... J.E. Medrick... I see what you did there.  And I loved it!

After enjoying Cheat (Icarus Helix #1), I thought the rest of the series would be entertaining, mostly stand alone reads, but now I'm officially hooked.  These "episodes" are much more intertwined than I expected.

The Icarus Helix series is about teenagers with special powers with each installment being about a different teenager.

Liar features Ellen - a teen who can hear the real truth behind what is actually spoken.  (What a horrible gift to have in adolescence, right?)

Book Description

Marcus Tiller gambled away all of his money to the Bad Men. No sweat - they gave him more. But when his new bets went sour, he became desperate. He signed on with Icarus Consulting to inject newborns with an experimental compound.

Fourteen years later, Ellen discovers a startling ability - she can tell if people are lying. Not only that, but when they do, she can hear their true thoughts.

When a smooth-talking stranger hints at her powers, paranoia starts. Ellen finds herself drawn into best friend drama, tip-toeing around boys and fearing a divorce.

With the masks of people around her shattering, will Ellen learn to live with her power... or be struck down by it?

If you are a fan of Kyle XY, this is the perfect series for you.  I can't wait to see what's in store in Coward (Icarus Helix #3).

Review: Survivors (Aftertime #1.5) by Sophie Littlefield

Yesterday, as I was stealing grabbing a cover pic from GoodReads for my Rebirth review post, I discovered Sophie Littlefield wrote a novella between Aftertime and Rebirth entitled Survivors (Aftertime #1.5).  Naturally I scooped it up on my Kindle and gave it a read!

Book Description

DOING RIGHT ISN'T EASY IN A WORLD GONE SO WRONG

Cass Dollar outlasted the fall of civilization. But surviving Aftertime requires the kind of toughness that can conquer the violent landscape of California and still retain its humanity.

When a young boy and his dying grandmother are brought to the Box, the survivalist community where Cass takes shelter, she realizes that without her help he won't be long for this unforgiving new world. But while the Box is a haven from the roaming marauders—and the flesh-hungry Beaters—it forbids children within its confines. The boy will be turned out to fend for himself. All that stands between him and the brutal wilderness is Cass's protective instincts, and the stubborn resolve that's gotten her this far Aftertime.

If you have read (or plan on reading) Aftertime, read Survivors before moving on to Rebirth.  I wish I had!  The second book Rebirth takes places a couple of years after Aftertime.  Survivors, however, gives you insight into how life was for Cass and Smoke (and Ruthie who seems to sleep 99% of her life) shortly after the end of book one.  I had an issue with not liking the characters in Rebirth, but they are quite likeable in Survivors and that likely would have carried over some into Rebirth.

This is a short novella, but it was a good dose of Littlefield's Aftertime world and a quick shot of some more zombie goodness.

Update: You can get Survivors for free on Amazon right now. I assume it is a limited offer as I just paid $2.99 for my copy.

Additional topics of interest
Book Review: Aftertime (Aftertime #1) by Sophie Littlefield
Book Review: Rebirth (Aftertime #2) by Sophie Littlefield
Dystopian book reviews

Book Review: Rebirth (Aftertime #2) by Sophie Littlefield

Rebirth is the second book in the Aftertime series by Sophie Littlefield.

Book Description

The end of the world was just the beginning

Civilization has fallen, leaving California an unforgiving, decimated place. But Cass Dollar beat terrible odds to get her missing daughter back—she and Ruthie will be happy.

Yet with the first winter, Cass is reminded that happiness is fleeting in Aftertime. Ruthie retreats into silence.

Flesh—eating Beaters still dominate the landscape. And Smoke, Cass's lover and strength, departs on a quest for vengeance, one that may end him even if he returns.

The survivalist community Cass has planted roots in is breaking apart, too. Its leader, Dor, implores Cass to help him recover his own lost daughter, taken by the totalitarian Rebuilders. And soon Cass finds herself thrust into the dark heart of an organization promising humanity's rebirth—at all costs.

Bound to two men blazing divergent paths across a savage land, Cass must overcome the darkness in her wounded heart, or lose those she loves forever.

I love the Aftertime world Sophie Littlefield has created.  This is a great "escape" series to get lost in.

In Rebirth, Cass heads back out into the world of zombies and (even more frightening) humans.  Her journey is suspenseful and even chilling at times.

The zombie "beaters" play a much larger role in the first book (Aftertime) than they do in Rebirth.  Rebirth focuses more on Cass and the dystopian "Rebuilders" of Aftertime.

I'm not a huge fan of the characters in Rebirth, but it ends on a great note introducing us to some new characters who have a lot of potential.  It has me looking forward to the final book (Horizon) in February 2012.

If you are a fan of post-apocalyptic or dystopian books, this is a series you will want to read.

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review: Wither (Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Wither is the first book in the new Chemical Garden series and the debut novel of Lauren DeStefano.

Book Description

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Wither is the story of Rhine - a 16 year old girl who will assumably die at age 20.  There is a virus/genetic defect that kills females at 20 and males at 25. Rhine is kidnapped and forced to marry a wealthy 21 year old - who is also 4 years away from death.  Despite the consequences, Rhine is determined to escape her new life and return home to her twin brother.

First and foremost, I enjoyed reading this book.  I found it well written, fast paced, and atmospheric.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the young adult dystopian genre.

I did, however, have a hard time suspending my disbelief.  I was left with many questions regarding the society, the characters, and the motivation behind the events taking place.  I think these questions would make for excellent book club discussions, but they also make it necessary for the reader to enter DeStefano's dystopia with an open mind and a willingness to let go of logic a little.

Are you a fan of dystopia?  I love it.  I'm not a huge fan of the trending series format - I prefer a resolved story, but I'm happy with all of the darker subject matter being published lately.

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull (Beyonders #1)

A World without Heroes is the first book in a new middle grade series by Brandon Mull.

Book Description

Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

Brandon Mull must be a naturally funny guy.  I laughed out loud several times while reading this book.  There is more humor in the first half, but the subject matter grows more serious as the story progresses.

A World Without Heroes follows Jason - a typical 13 year old boy - as he enters a new world and inadvertently accepts a dangerous quest.  In his quest he discovers he's not the only one who mysteriously entered the world of Lyrian that day.  He is joined by Rachel, and together they must work to defeat the evil emperor and become heroes to a world that knows none.

A World Without Heroes is a fun adventure full of danger and suspense.  The world of Lyrian is easy for the reader to enter and join in the quest.  As a stand alone book, there is not enough resolution to be satisfied with the ending.  As the beginning of a series, however, it has successfully made me want to carry on with the rest of the series.  I recommend this series to fantasy fans who love a heroic quest.

Have you read anything by Brandon Mull?  This was my first book by him.  He has also written the young adult series Fablehaven.

Review copy provided by publisher

Book [Series] Review: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

I'm choosing to review all three books of the His Dark Materials series in one post instead of reviewing them separately.

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1)

Book Description

In a landmark epic of fantasy and storytelling, Philip Pullman invites readers into a world as convincing and thoroughly realized as Narnia, Earthsea, or Redwall. Here lives an orphaned ward named Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. He leaves Lyra in the care of Mrs. Coulter, an enigmatic scholar and explorer who offers to give Lyra the attention her uncle has long refused her. In this multilayered narrative, however, nothing is as it seems. Lyra sets out for the top of the world in search of her kidnapped playmate, Roger, bearing a rare truth-telling instrument, the compass of the title. All around her children are disappearing—victims of so-called "Gobblers"—and being used as subjects in terrible experiments that separate humans from their daemons, creatures that reflect each person's inner being. And somehow, both Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter are involved.

The first book of the series was the hardest read for me.  I'm not an avid fantasy reader, and sometimes it's hard for me to fully enter a world and "see" things properly while I read.  Even though I struggled through this one a bit, I never lost interest.  By the end I was fully invested in the characters - Lyra! - and ready to immediately pick up book 2.

The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials #2)

Book Description

Here is the highly anticipated second installment of Philip Pullman's epic fantasy trilogy, begun with the critically acclaimed The Golden Compass. Lyra and Will, her newfound friend, tumble separately into the strange tropical otherworld of Cittàgazze, "the city of magpies," where adults are curiously absent and children run wild. Here their lives become inextricably entwined when Lyra's alethiometer gives her a simple command: find Will's father. Their search is plagued with obstacles--some familiar and some horribly new and unfathomable--but it eventually brings them closer to Will's father and to the Subtle Knife, a deadly, magical, ancient tool that cuts windows between worlds. Through it all, Will and Lyra find themselves hurtling toward the center of a fierce battle against a force so awesome that leagues of mortals, witches, beasts, and spirits from every world are uniting in fear and anger against it. This breathtaking sequel will leave readers eager for the third and final volume of His Dark Materials.

The second book of the series was set in a world much like our own.  This was a much easier read for me.  I was so hooked and loved the new characters Pullman introduced - Will and Mary Malone.

The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials #3)

Book Description

The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife to a heart-stopping end, making the final volume of His Dark Materials the most powerful of the trilogy.

Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, come a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. So, too, come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live--and who will die--for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that--in its shocking outcome--will uncover the secret of Dust. Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliff-hangers and mysteries of His Dark Materials to an earthshattering conclusion--and confirms his fantasy trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic.

The third book contained a world completely different than ours, but one I had absolutely no trouble losing myself in.  In fact, I didn't want to leave.

As stand alone books, these are good reads.  As a series, however, they become something great.  I ended the series with that ultimate feeling of having lost a friend.  I don't experience that often so I am quite fond of this series.  If you want to be captivated by something new, I highly recommend you check it out!

Have you read any of the His Dark Material books?  I love when I can lose myself in a new world and make new friends through a book!

Book Review: Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Gideon's Sword is the first book in a new series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

Book Description:

At twelve, Gideon Crew witnessed his father, a world-class mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down.

At twenty-four, summoned to his dying mother's bedside, Gideon learned the truth: His father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. With her last breath, she begged her son to avenge him.

Now, with a new purpose in his life, Gideon crafts a one-time mission of vengeance, aimed at the perpetrator of his father's destruction. His plan is meticulous, spectacular, and successful.

But from the shadows, someone is watching. A very powerful someone, who is impressed by Gideon's special skills. Someone who has need of just such a renegade.

For Gideon, this operation may be only the beginning . . .

I'm a fan of Preston and Child.  For years I have enjoyed their Pendergast series with Relic being one of my favorite all time reads.  I was excited to have the chance to read the debut of their new Gideon Crew series - Gideon's Sword.

I was hooked from page 2.  Gideon's Sword had a fantastic start with the story of Gideon's father.  Unfortunately the exciting first chapter turned out to be background information.  While the rest of Gideon's Sword did not disappoint, I was left longing for the full story of his father Melvin Crew.

Thankfully, Gideon has his own story to tell.  I do have some unanswered questions - several things seemed too easy for Crew to pull off - but I'm hoping we will learn more about Crew and his past as the series moves forward.

Gideon's Sword is fast paced and full of action.  If you haven't read Preston and Child yet, I highly recommend you check them out by either starting this Gideon Crew series or starting on their Pendergast series.  Either way, I think you'll come back around to this one.

Are you a Preston/Child fan?  I have a few Pendergast books I still need to catch up on.  I've loved every one that I've read.

Review copy provided by publisher

TBR: Pine Deep Trilogy by Jonathan Maberry

Books 2 and 3 have been on my shelf *forever*.  I finally came across a copy of book 1.  Woohoo!  I cannot wait to finally read these.

From Wikipedia:

The Pine Deep Trilogy is a series of supernatural horror novels by Jonathan Maberry, multiple Bram Stoker Award winning author. The trilogy is set in the fictional rural Pennsylvania town of Pine Deep, which has the reputation of being the Most Haunted Town in America. Pine Deep’s entire tourism industry is built around a celebration of hauntings and Halloween. Unfortunately the town is lot more haunted than they think, which turns out to be a very bad thing for everyone living there.

Ghost Road Blues (Pine Deep #1) by Jonathan Maberry

Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel

From a new master of horror comes an apocalyptic showdown between the residents of a secluded, rural town and the deadly evil that confronts them wherever they turn . . .

Evil Doesn't Die

The cozy little town of Pine Deep buried the horrors of its past a long time ago. Thirty years have gone by since the darkness descended and the Black Harvest began, a time when a serial killer sheared a bloody swath through the quiet Pennsylvania village. The evil that once coursed through Pine Deep has been replaced by cheerful tourists getting ready to enjoy the country's largest Halloween celebration in what is now called "The Spookiest Town in America."

It Just Grows Stronger

But then--a month before Halloween--it begins. Unspeakably desecrated bodies. Inexplicable insanity. And an ancient evil walking the streets, drawing in those who would fall to their own demons and seeking to shred the very soul of this rapidly fracturing community. Yes, the residents of Pine Deep have drawn together and faced a killer before. But this time, evil has many faces--and the lust and will to rule the earth. This struggle will be epic.

Dead Man's Song (Pine Deep #2) by Jonathan Maberry

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...

Bad Moon Rising (Pine Deep #3) by Jonathan Maberry

 A new master of terror reigns supreme. And in his most horrifying novel yet, the clash between good and evil explodes in an apocalyptic showdown few will survive...

From A Funfest...

Each year, the residents of Pine Deep host the Halloween Festival, drawing tourists and celebrities from across the country to enjoy the deliciously creepy fun. Those who visit the small Pennsylvania town are out for a good time, but those who live there are desperately trying to survive...

To A Bloodfest

For a monstrous evil lives among them, a savage presence whose malicious power has grown too powerful even for death to hold it back. Only a handful of brave souls stand against the King of the Dead and a red wave of destruction. Daylight is fading and a bad moon is rising over Pine Deep. Keep watching the shadows...

Sounds great, right?  Stay tuned for some reviews!

Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I am so in love with love right now.

Book Description

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

This book was strangely captivating. I feel like I just fell in love - backward - somehow.

Love in Delirium isn't just about the romantic love between two people. It's the love of friends, the love of hobbies, the love of the small details as well as the large.

Despite all the love stuff there was a lot of nail biting action in this book. I really enjoyed it. As a mother I had a hard time coming to grips and accepting a few things, but I also really enjoyed this book as a mother. I'm certain I said "I love you" to my kids a few more times than normal last night, and this morning we danced extra long before we left for the day.

It's a beautiful thing.

Book Review | Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield

I love a good zombie book.

Book Description

Awakening in a bleak landscape as scarred as her body, Cass Dollar vaguely recalls surviving something terrible. Having no idea how many weeks have passed, she slowly realizes the horrifying truth: Ruthie has vanished.

And with her, nearly all of civilization.  Where once-lush hills carried cars and commerce, the roads today see only cannibalistic Beaters—people turned hungry for human flesh by a government experiment gone wrong.

In a broken, barren California, Cass will undergo a harrowing quest to get Ruthie back. Few people trust an outsider, let alone a woman who became a zombie and somehow turned back, but she finds help from an enigmatic outlaw, Smoke. Smoke is her savior, and her safety.  For the Beaters are out there.  And the humans grip at survival with their trigger fingers. Especially when they learn that she and Ruthie have become the most feared, and desired, of weapons in a brave new world….

Cass Dollar was sheltering in a library with her daughter Ruthie when the zombies took her.  Cass recalls some of the events leading up to the attack, but she doesn't remember what happened, how much time has past, or how she has even survived.  She is desperate to get back to her daughter.

I did not want to put this book down.  As scary as the flesh eating zombies were in this book, the humans were even more frightening. 

If you are a zombie fan, this is a great read, but I'm also recommending this book to anyone who likes to be on the edge of their seat.

Aftertime is the first book in a planned trilogy.  While Littlefield delivered a strong story in this first installment, I have the feeling we are just getting started.  I will be anxiously waiting to get my hands on the next book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★
4/5 Stars

Let me hear your thoughts on Aftertime!

Review copy provided by publisher

Additional topics of interest:
Book Review: The Rising by Brian Keene