Sleepless by Thomas Fahy (4)

SOMEONE ELSE WILL DIE SOON she tells herself.

SOMEONE ELSE WILL DIE AND I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE.

A few days after the first time you walk in your sleep, you kill someone. That's how the end begins.

Emma Montgomery has been having gruesome nightmares. Even worse, when she wakes up, she isn't where she was when she fell asleep. And she's not the only one. One by one the students of Saint Opportuna High start having nightmares, and sleepwalking. And the next morning one of their classmates turns up dead.

Something is making them kill in their sleep. Emma and her friends need to band together, to keep themselves awake until they can figure out what's behind the murders--before anyone else dies.

Thomas Fahy, author of The Unspoken, which Pubishers Weekly called, "a page-turner that just might keep readers up at night," again brings readers a nail-bitingly horrifying novel.

I purchased this novel because: Loved the cover .... Very creepy :)

Opening Lines: Emma doesn't really notice the cold night air or the damp grass beneath her feet. Only the howling sound in her ears. That same sound dragged her out of bed a while ago. It made her walk downstairs and go outside to the shed where her dad keeps the old splintery shovel. That sound is the reason she has to keep digging - to find out what it wants ...

Lovin the cover ... Very 'I know what you did last summer' and 'final destination' .... If you do not like a good horror book this book is not for you .... I have to admit I did read it in bed at night but I did leave the light on ........ lol ...

There is abit of swearing in the book a few words and it is definitely not a novel for young teens as some of the scenes are pretty graphic ... This novel will keep you guessing until the end of the book which is great :) .... And would be a pretty good film if someone picked it up ...

There are two major characters in this book Emma the female lead who is scared to fall asleep as strange things happen when you are asleep .... And Jake the male lead ...... Between the two of them can they figure out what is happening in time to save their friends and themselves ...

Some of my favourite quotes are:

She used to say that lists can remind you that the world isn't such a big place after all, that small things matter. Pg 23

Emma has been thinking about that wand - wishing that there were enough magic in the world to undo painful things. Pg 44

We can be so unaware of the messages behind what we're really seeing. Pg 139

Well if you want to get your blood pumping and your heart rate racing a little bit then read this wee book ... Just make sure you keep the lights on ...... You have been warned :)

I rate this book 4 ****

Jekel loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey (31/2)

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

I purchased this because: Really like the cover and the storyline sounded fascinating ..


Opening Lines: I buried my father the day after my seventeenth birthday. Even the sun was cruel that morning, an obscenely bright but cold January day. The snow that smothered the cemetery glared harshly white, blinding those mourners who couldn't squeeze under the tent that covered Dad's open grave.

I am in two minds about this book .... At the beginning I found that I couldn't stop reading it and didn't want it to end ... And then about 2/3's in I felt it went off base somehow and got really dark with the storyline and Language .... Then it redeemed itself in the end .........

I love how the author based the story around Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ... It was very cleverly done and you did feel the sinister edge to the story ..... So much so that I really did want to pick up the original book of 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' ... You did feel the torment of Tristen Hyde's character which was great but I think for me at one point it did go to far ... I loved the way that each chapter was told from either Jill's or Tristen's view point ... So you are getting a complete picture of how each of the main characters are feeling ...

This book is definitely a older adult theme .... As it touches on adult themes such as violence and suicide ... But as a romance book it is one of those books that even thought they are wrong for each other they are destined to be together .... Will the good girl Jill win the heart of bad boy Tristen ... And will Tristen be able to save and keep Jill out of trouble ...

Favourite lines from the book: 'What I felt holding Jill was almost like surrender. The cutting away of a barrier that I'd put up years ago. A wall that I needed to maintain.' Pg 84


'It's interesting to me' I said with a shrug. ' I like to think about how we can control the smallest things in the universe and get reactions or make new substances.' Pg 88


'Don't try to get revenge,' he cautioned. 'Adding violence to violence .... it's never a good idea.' Pg182

Like I said this book is akinda of a mixed bag for me ....... I loved the concept but felt that it verged off the path for me in some parts which is a shame ...... I would definitely read more of Beth's works .....

I rate this book 31/2 ***

Other books by Beth Fantaskey
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side ( if your a fan of this book you will be interested to go to Beth's site and read the continuation of this story ..... Click here

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (5)

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

Twenty-five-year-old Jackson Pearce delivers a dark, taut fairy tale with heart-pounding action, fierce sisterly love, and a romance that will leave readers breathless.

I purchased this book because: Just look at the cover !!!!! and the story line sounded great !!

Opening Lines: A Fairy Tale, Seven Years Ago ... Strangers never walk down this road, the sisters though in unison as the man trudged towards them. Certainly not strangers in business suits - there was just no reason for them to be out here in the middle of nowhere.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end .... Just have to wait now for the 2 companion books that go with this series .... grrrrr .....

The story has a little bit of the Red Riding Hood Twist on it which is just great. Except it is set in modern times ... It did make me what to go out and buy myself a lovely red Cape .. There seems to be alot of books out there at the moment that are putting their own twist on Fairy Tales and I am loving it ....

Each Chapter tells the story from one of the two sisters point of view ..... Scarlett who is the strong and fiercely determined fighter and so not afraid of the big bad wolf ... And Rosie the younger sister who is struggling to find her path in life ...... And of course you gotta have some hunky boy action which is where Silas comes into play :) ....

Lovin the werewolves and there are great action scenes throughout the novel .......

Some of my favourite quotes are: 'By jumping on me? Your apology sucks.' Pg 39

'So, Schatzi, who made the wiser choice? John, who refuse to believe in the sunshine because it was strange and new, or Mary, who let her eyes get used to the light?' Pg 42

'The microfilm room is freezing, as though book lovers don't heat this space out of loyalty to real pages.' Pg 151

I am really excited to see what the next two books are going to be like and was really impressed with this one :) ........ And it did me think .... Do we actually really live our lives the way we want or do we live our lives to please other people? ......

So bring on the werewolves because I know that the Girls can handle themselves ...... This book is universal because boys and girls can read it ...... The girls for the romance and the boys for the action scenes ...

There are going to be two companion books to this novel .... SWEETLY a modernization of Hansel and Gretel and FATHOMLESS a modernization of The Little Mermaid ... cannot wait ...

I rate this book 5 *****

Here is a wee taste of the book .... Enjoy :)



Books in the Series in order:
1) Sisters Red
2) Sweetly
3) FATHOMLESS

The Hollow by Jessica Verday (31/2)

When Abbey’s best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead…and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey has never felt so desperately alone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen’s funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey’s life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he’s the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.


Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen’s betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her—one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity.

I Purchased this book because: Saw it ages ago being reviewed and loved the storyline ...


Opening Lines: They said she killed herself. Everyone was saying it. What started out as a rumor, quietly whispered among small gatherings of polite people, quickly grew into something that was openly discussed in large gatherings of impolite people. I was so sick of hearing them talk about it.

This is the first installment of a series called 'The Hollow' and it is being described as a spine-tingling paranormal romance set in the legendary town of 'Sleepy Hollow' where you have the ghostly figure of the 'Headless Horseman' was made famous ..... Sounds great and I couldn't wait to dive in ....

Unfortunately for me I thought it was abit slow ... It started out great and then it just plodded along ... It is a little over 500 pages and even though it is a big print it did take me a few days to read it .... Not that I didn't enjoy it just that it did drag for me ... I really wanted the story to really grab me and pull me in which it really didn't do until the last 50 pages of the book ... I understand that this is the first installment and you need to set up the characters but I still prefer the story to have some meat in it so I can really sink my teeth into it ... And is difficult for me to rate this book because I like it but just didn't love it .... And there are so many different questions that have still been left unanswered ...

I loved the way the author used quotes from 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' at the beginning of each chapter and how it fitted perfectly with the story line ... If anything it has make me want to go out and purchased the book that Washington Irving imagined ... That and watching the movie .... Who am I kidding ....To be honest I really don't need a reason to watch Johnny Depp lol .....

There is alot of weird things that are happening in the small town of Sleepy Hollow ... And Abbey is smack in the middle of it all .... I do like her character ... She is gusty which I love and not afraid to search for the truth ...

Some of my favourite quotes: 'Thank you for your help today, Abbey, and try to remember the good memories. They will help the sad ones'. Pg 79


'I profess not to know how women's hearts are wooed and won. To me they have always been matters of riddle and admiration' The legend of Sleepy Hollow pg 92


'I never thought about it that way, Abbey. I always pictured it as Dickens's way of portraying how a single moment can affect our lives so profoundly.' Pg 103


'The kiss suddenly turned harder, and more desperate. I tasted the urgency in it and thought that I would die from the pleasure. Would they lock up the library for the night and find us dead in each other's arms? Perished from pleasure? That thought send delicious goose bumps travelling over my entire body. Pg233


'His notable little wife, too, had enough to do to attend to her housekeeping and manage her poultry, for as she sagely observed, ducks and geese are foolish things, and must be looked after, but girls can take care of themselves'. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow pg 301

I am going to rate this book around 3 1/2 stars mainly because I did love the storyline but it was abit slow for me to get started .... Then sped up in the last 50 pages or so so now you are left waiting for the next installment .... grrrrr ... So really you either really love this book or you don't and so that is why it is great everyone is different and you should pick up a copy and see what you think .... But I am excited to get my hands on the next novel ...

I rate this book 3 1/2 *** ( sigh .... wish I could have rated it better :( ... )

You can check out the lovely Johnny Depp ...



Books in 'The Hollow' Series in order

1) The Hollow
2) The Haunting ( released in Hardback on the 31st August 2010 and Paperback 2 September 2010)
3)

Vlad the Last Confession by C.C Humphreys. {4 stars}

All was still in the forest. The last snowflakes of the sudden storm had just fallen. Everything paused.

In the crook of a copper beech sat a man. His arms were crossed, gloved hands folded into his lap, the right beneath to support the weight of the goshawk on his left. They had been there for a long time, as long as the blizzard lasted. Man and bird - part of the stillness, part of the silence. Both had their eyes closed. Neither were asleep.

A rip-roaring adventure packed with action, drama and passion.

C.C Humphreys has combined fiction with enough historical background that you can't put it down until you know how it finishes. While it can be quite blood thirsty and violent, it also shows how Vlad came to be known as Dracula. You are transported back in time and reliving everything that happens.

Thoroughly enjoyed it, but it's not a book for the faint-hearted.

4 stars