Darkness Falling by Peter Crowther: Review Posted by Tiffany at 5:43 AM

Title: Darkness Falling
Author: Peter Crowther  
Published: September 27th, 2011 by Angry Robot
Pages: 400
Series: Forever Twilight #1 
Buy: Amazon/ Book Depo/ Powell's 
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4.5/5
Synopsis: It was a typical all-American backwater – until the night the monsters came.
When four employees of KMRT Radio investigate an unearthly light that cuts off communication with the outside world, they discover that something has taken the place of their friends and fellow townfolk, and imbued them with malign intentions. Little do they know, the phenomenon is not unique to the town of Jesman’s Bend… (from Angry Robot's site) Goodreads synopsis gives stuff away, stay away from it!


Review: I knew the second that I read the praise from Steven Erikson in the front of my egalley ("If I'm going to have anyone tell me about the end of the world, it will have to be Peter") that I was going to love this book. If you are a fan of fantasy, then you have probably read something by Erikson. There is nothing I love more than picking up a random book that looks like it has potential and finding the endorsement of an author that I already love. It's like confirmation of my good taste. This book definitely did not disappoint. I'll start off with a warning: there are a few disturbing elements to this book. One of the main characters is a serial killer (yes, the choice of characters is insane and wonderful) and there are allusions to sexual abuse in his past, by his mother. There are probably only a few sentences, no drawn-out graphic scenes, but it is disturbing. Other than that, I didn't really see anything that would make me label it as inappropriate for teens. Now, on to the good stuff! The book focuses on four different characters (one is a set of four characters, actually) and switches back and forth between them. The first is a middle-aged man who is fighting with his wife on a plane because he is ogling other women (and then the other survivors on the plane). The second is a young man who happens to be a serial killer, as he is in the process of killing another girl. The third is a group of people working at a radio station. The fourth is a woman who appears to be completely insane. We get a little bit window of what was going on for each of the people right before the "event" and then follow them as they try to figure out what the heck is going on. I love, love, loved the first third of the book. It was so tense, eerie, creepy. They are wondering around, trying to figure out what has happened, and there are no clues. In fact, there are no feasible theories at all. It's not like most apocalyptic stories where there are choices; nuclear bomb, EMP, germ warfare, invasion. The characters are completely baffled, and so was (am?) I. Just when you think you can't stand the tension anymore, that things can't get any creepier, they do. In fact, they get freaking terrifying. I was reading this in the middle of the day and I was still creeped out. I moved away from the windows, locked the doors, and wished I had a baseball bat. I haven't read a book that scared me this much in years. Probably not since I bought an adult horror anthology when I was about 10 and read through it. (I guess I thought that it would be about as scary as Fear Street. Couldn't sleep for years.) I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was fast-paced and absorbing, but there was one little downside. I didn't like the characters from the radio station. I don't know why, but I just never really connected with them. Maybe it's because they're the only group with nobody "odd"? However, there is plenty of room for character development (two more books, yay!) so maybe they'll grow on me. If you are a fan of apocalyptic stories, horror stories, or amazing combinations of characters stuck together then do yourself a favor and go get this book. I can't put words to how much I enjoyed it, and I can't wait for everyone I know to read it so that I have someone to talk to about it! Also- yes, I know that the cover is cheesy. Please disregard it.

P.S. If you've read this, what did you think? How long will Virgil make it?!

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick: Review Posted by Tiffany at 12:43 PM

Title: Ashes

Author: Ilsa J. Bick (site)

Published: September 6th, 2011 by  Egmont USA

Pages: 480

Buy: Amazon / Book Depository 

Rating: 5/5

Source: NetGalley
Synopsis: A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.
This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive

 (Goodreads)

Review: I'm going to warn you right now; I am completely in love with this book. If you want my review summed up in four words, here you go: GO BUY THIS NOW! The book starts just before The Event. Alex's life is pretty much horrible. There is enough story there that I was almost sorry to see the apocalypse start. It's the first apocalyptic book that really made me feel the sense of interruption that a person would experience if the world suddenly crashed and burned. Alex isn't just your typical teenager who suddenly has to find the strength and courage to survive. She's already been through hell and then the world ends. Another thing that makes her an amazing character; she isn't perfect. She has bad thoughts about people, runs from her problems, loses patience with annoying children. She felt very real, fleshed out. The other characters that we meet are just as realistic, if not quite as fully formed. She definitely manages to avoid the stereotypes, too. I can't wait to get to know the supporting cast better (if they're even still alive, that is).

When The Event happens, we have no idea what exactly has happened. The reader is left just as much in the dark as the main character, giving the whole story a sense of terrified waiting. You think you've guessed what happened, sketched out where you think the story is going to go, and then they make a terrifying discovery at a campsite. This book is truly scary, creepy and tense throughout. The characters are not given an easy path. Nobody is safe, nothing goes as planned. I loved every minute of it. I can't believe it cut off when it did! I suppose 500-ish pages is a bit much for YA, but it felt like 150. I scoured the author's website as soon as I finished the book, looking for clues about the sequel. Alas, there were none. We are given the titles of books two and three: Shadows and Monsters and that's it. I am dying for a release date, a blurb, anything.

Ashes is a dark, terrifying book about a girl whose life is a living hell..... and then the world ends. I would suggest this book to anyone with eyeballs in their head. Please go out and support this author! I need many, many more books for Ilsa J. Bick.

Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield: Review Posted by Tiffany at 6:50 PM

Title: Aftertime

Author: Sophie Littlefield (site)

Published: Feb 15th, 2011 by Luna

Pages: 384

Buy: Amazon / Book Depository 

Rating: 4.5/5

Source: NetGalley
Synopsis: Someone once said that all apocalypses are experienced locally. In the case of Cass Dollar, the nightmare occurred with the violent abduction of two-year-old Ruthie, which she vividly remembers. Only later is young Cass assaulted also by the vague, twisting memories of a much wider conflagration that she herself only narrowly survived. A government experiment had turned the entire California landscape into the hunting grounds of zombie Beaters, but Cass can only think of the helpless toddler she is missing. A deeply arresting paperback original. (Goodreads)




Review: One thing that I'd like to make clear from the start is that this is NOT a YA book. I was under the impression that it was, but quickly realized that I had been mistaken. I would not recommend this for younger teens, probably not anyone under 18. Then again, I knew girls who were reading V.C Andrews at 14 and this is nothing compared to that, so make up your own mind. I will warn you that there is sexual content (short but explicit) and the heroine is a very damaged individual. However, she is a fantastic writer and I would recommend her YA series (which I haven't read yet) if you're curious.

On to the actual review now! I picked this book up after the sequel became available on NetGalley. This is my first book by Sophie Littlefield, but it most certainly won't be my last. I love the way she writes, her characters, the actual story... she's pretty much blown me away here. Yes, this is a post-apocalyptic zombie book. But these zombies aren't hungry for your brains. These zombies like to eat skin. They like to peel the skin off of a living person and eat it. Yes, this is just as horrifying and disgusting as it sounds. Littlefield has a way of never letting you grow accustomed to the world her characters are living in. There is no getting used to the horrifying creatures that hunt them. The details of the attacks are not spared, but described every time. This isn't to add shock value or unnecessary gore. It keeps you connected to the main character and what she's experiencing. She never gets used to seeing the people around her have their epidermis peeled away by ravenous (and fast, good lord I hate the fast ones!) monsters, so neither does the reader. I felt a little bit terrified, a bit sick with fear every time Cass stepped foot outside, waiting for another attack. It's not every book that can make you feel so connected to the characters and their situations.

Speaking of characters, Cass was amazing. She was definitely damaged, she hadn't been a very good person before the apocalypse, and I'm not sure that she's a good person now. Learning about her past was painful. Watching her make mistakes was painful. Following along as she tried to fix these mistakes was both heartbreaking and uplifting. She felt so real. Was she based on a real person or did Sophie Littlefield just spend a hell of a lot of time getting to know this character? I have no idea, but the result is amazing. Cass doesn't just suddenly find the strength she needs to overcome her problems. She stumbles repeatedly, making her journey difficult but realistic.

I became completely immersed in this book. I stayed up all night to finish it and had nightmares once I was done (not a great book for reading before bed). I would say that I can't wait for the sequel, but I really couldn't. I picked it up as soon as I got out of bed and read it in one day. Review coming soon for the second book, Rebirth.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler: Review Posted by Tiffany at 10:05 AM

Title: Hunger
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Available: 18 October 2010
Publisher: Graphia
Pages: 183 (ebook)
Price: $6.74 Book Depository $8.99 Amazon
Rating: 3.5/5
Synopsis: “Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.” 

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? 

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons? (Goodreads)

Initial Thoughts: I downloaded this book from Net Galley and read it on my Nook. I was taken with this book from the start. I love the cover, with the dark colors and the scrollwork. The blurb really grabs your attention as well. I love the idea of an anorexic girl being given the job of Famine. However, I've never read a book with an anorexic main character that didn't feel too preachy or unauthentic.


Review: The very best thing about this book was the main character. Lisa felt so very real. The way she justified what she was doing, her constant inner dialogue with The Thin Voice, and her reaction to being called out about her condition- everything was perfectly written. From the start, I was sure that the author must have had some personal experience with an eating disorder (she has a note at the end explaining that she did indeed suffer from bulimia for a while). It didn't feel preachy, or overly dramatic, like a lot of the books dealing with these issues can be. Reading about Lisa, you could almost understand why she was doing it. Her thought processes weren't 'THIN THIN THIN', they were tangled and intricate. The author showed you how she had slid slowly into anorexia, making it clear that this could happen to anyone in the right circumstances. I would recommend this to anyone who has an eating disorder or knows someone who does and wants to understand it. That being said, this story felt a bit too long. The core story was strong, but I feel that it would have worked better as a short story than it did as a novel. I loved the fantasy element, although I kept waiting for the author to reveal that it had just been a huge metaphor, or that she was hallucinating it all. This is supposed to be the first in a series, but I'm not sure how that's going to work out. Hopefully the other books will be able to keep the feeling of authenticity and add enough meat to the story to make it a full novel.


Quick Review: Hunger felt a bit long. I know that 200 pages isn't a huge amount, but it felt like there wasn't enough meat on the bones of this one (no pun intended). However, this is a must read for anyone dealing with, curious about, or trying to understand eating disorders. Lisa is one of the most realistic characters I've read lately.

On Deck: Immortal by Gillian Shields and Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler Posted by Tiffany at 11:21 AM

I've been meaning to read this one for a while. I finally got started on it earlier this week and the prologue was amazing. One short little half-page and I was completely hooked. I've posted a bit of it here, and if you don't run right out and get it, you're a stronger woman than I.

"Welcome to Wyldcliffe.

This is the place that haunts my present, my past, and my future. That is, if I still have a future. If he will permit that. If he doesn’t destroy me first.

She is by my side, as my sister, but he is in my soul.

He is my enemy, my tormentor, my demon.

He is my beloved."

This cover is amazing, and the story is even cooler.

 "Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?"

I downloaded this book from Net Galley and read it on my (super-amazing-can't-live-without-it) Nook. 

Both reviews are currently in my head, waiting to be typed out. In other words: Coming Soon.

World War Z by Max Brooks: Review Posted by Tiffany at 7:11 PM

Title: World War Z
Author: Max Brooks (site)
Published: October 16, 2007 by Three Rivers Press
Pages: 352 (Paperback)
Price: $9.99 Book Depository $10.17 Amazon
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years. 

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War. 

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, "By excluding the human factor, aren't we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn't the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as 'the living dead'?" 

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission. (Goodreads)

Initial Thoughts: I almost didn't pick this book up, mostly because the whole zombie element is a bit played down on the cover. However, after reading the small text, I couldn't wait to get started. A first-person account of the zombie apocalypse? With witnesses from all over the world? Written as a serious 'documentary' by the son of Mel Brooks? Yes, please!


Review: The first thing that surprised me about this book was how scary it was. One of the best things about zombie movies is that there's always some comedy mixed it, mostly unintentional. (The exception being those fast ones in 28 Days Later, so freakin' scary) I generally avoid Horror novels, due to my overactive imagination. I'm one of those people who become completely immersed in what they're reading. It takes me a while to disconnect from a good book. Needless to say, there was much contemplation of my home's defensibility and my odds of making it to the car and getting out of the neighborhood if a zombie horde started smashing in. (Not great; big window in the living room near the garage door, bedroom all the way upstairs.) If I'd really thought this through, I'd have realized that my imagination wouldn't add in funny zombie hijinks, it would take the tone of the novel and amplify it. The fact that I had to run to my car and lock the doors real fast when I left the house is an indicator of how thoroughly engrossing this novel was. It's written seriously, with reports from everywhere. The cultural information is the book is amazing. He must have done a heck of a lot of research. I enjoyed reading about the different cultures as much as the zombies. It really felt like I was reading the accounts of WWZ survivors. There were snapshots of both military and civilian experiences, starting in China where the zombies originated and ending on the sea, where most of the survivors were. The stories didn't all connect together, giving it a more realistic feel. It wasn't until about halfway through the novel that you began to see the overall story come together. I loved the different ways the governments responded; this guy has spent a LOT of time contemplating the ramifications of a Zombie Apocalypse.


Quick Review: World War Z a creepy and realistic read. The civilian stories were heartbreaking, the military accounts sometimes cold and clinical, and the overall feel was very realistic and terrifying. You'll definitely think about coming up with a Zombie Emergency Plan.

Also By This Author:

On Deck: World War Z by Max Brooks Posted by Tiffany at 7:25 PM

So far, I absolutely love this book. It's not YA, but it is (so far) not anything that would be completely inappropriate for YA readers. I'm really surprised by this one. I thought it would be your typical zombie apocalypse survival story, but it feels very much like the documentary that it's supposed to be. The journalist has stayed out of the story so far, every character is different (no convenient links between each one), and the snapshots we're given of the different cultures and their different reactions feel really authentic. I can't believe how much I'm learning about other countries. This has been optioned for a movie, but it would be AMAZING as a TV series, with each episode being a different character and story. Review coming soon.

Review: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer Posted by Tiffany at 7:23 PM

Title: Life As We Knew It
Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer (author's blog)
Publisher: Harcourt (site)
Pages: 337 (paperback)
Price: $7.49 Book Depository $7.99 (and 4-for-3) Amazon $8.09 B&N
Rating: 4/5
Series: The Last Survivors: Book 1
Synopsis:
It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.


Initial Thoughts: I love this cover, with the beautiful night scene and the giant moon, but what sold me on the book was the post-apocalyptic theme. I liked that it focused on how  the world ended instead of just how people were coping afterward. 


Review: This book was amazing. It was written in a stark, terrifying voice. As Miranda's life becomes more and more desperate, you feel like you're right there with her. Every time I put this one down, I had to shake off the tension and hopelessness that you feel as you read. There wasn't an awful lot to Miranda, she was a simple character. What really makes this book is the way people around her begin to throw off their civilized masks and commit acts of desperation. By the end of the book, you are almost completely without hope that any of the characters you've come to love will survive. The writing style is simple, no-nonsense, and addictive. I couldn't put this one down. In short; go out and get this book, you'll love it. It will scare you, break your heart, and leave you wondering what you would do in her shoes. Can't wait to read the sequel, The Dead and The Gone.

Other books in this series:
The Dead and The Gone(Book 2),
 This World We Live In (Book 3)