Book Review: Whiteout by Gabriel Dylan

Ski Trips: For the rich kids to die on.

Charlie hopes that the school ski trip will be the escape from his unhappy home life he so desperately needs. But there is something wrong with the remote ski village of Kaldgellan. Something is out there, something ancient and evil, among the pines and the deep untracked drifts, watching and waiting. 

And when the storms blow in, Charlie and his schoolmates wake to find the resort deserted. Cut off from the rest of the world far below, as night falls the few left alive on the snowbound mountain will wish they were somewhere, anywhere else. Only ski guide Hanna seems to know of Kaldgellan’s long-buried secrets, but whether Charlie can trust her is another question…


This is the second Red Eye book to featuring snow storms that cause isolation and with it having other similarities I couldn't help but compare them, especially as 'Fir' is one my favourite Red Eye books. I was pretty excited for this concept, as Teen "30 Days of Night" which oddly is one of the vampire films not mentioned in this.
                                                 
This book has third person narration that closely follows a few different people in the group. Charlie is the main character and gets a sort of romance. There are lot of characters at the start with this meant to be school trip, with thirty pupils so probably has two or three teachers with the group, so it's slightly confusing with all the girl names thrown around. We have other characters such as Tara who is the spoiled ex-rich girl; she is a terrible person, that's her deal and she only there to undermine everyone else. She meant to be the character you dislike the most, but guess who I dislike the most?That's right, Nico. My notes involve telling Nico to go die in the snow. Nico is your toxic geek stereotype with side of sexism. This sexism comes in his first introduction so that I was able to confirm that this quote made it to the finial book by using the Amazon Preview: "Ellie’s blue eyes were locked on to Stefan, a glint of admiration hovering there that gave Nico a twinge of envy. She was pretty, although he wondered if she’d be even more attractive without so much make up."

Yeah, Ellie is described as breaching her hair and wearing fake tan, and skiing with hooped earrings so is probably in that awkward phrase of make-up but it's makes me dislike Nico immediately because girls are judged for their make-up use even when it's fantastic. There's other comments by Nico through out the book make me dislike him for his toxic geek culture. I think these comments are meant to make him relatable but he just makes me think of those guys who quiz girls when they say they like Star Wars and deny that girl geeks exist. You can have shitty characters or flawed characters, but it doesn't add to the character or more importantly challenged. So with that sexist comment, I started counting how often the characters cry, 3:1 when comes to girls to boys. One of those times Tara cried for no reason and then never again. Maybe that was to show she was attention seeking. It's really minor thing, they are diverse side of girl characters so can just ignore Nico if you want.

Another thing to mention about Nico is that lot of his geek references feel slightly dated, I mean he plays World of Warcraft which isn't much of thing anymore. Also it's subscription based game, with it being £10 a month. It does have a free mode and these kids are on a ski trip so maybe they parents would pay that a month for game but it's seems more likely they would be messing about on Gary's Mod or Skyrim. I don't think MMORPG are much of thing anymore or I don't think any fantasy games really have online player mode. Films are mentioned as well but films can be randomly discovered that game with pay wall wouldn't. Though, no date is actually state. They have phones but are never described so I guess this could easily take place when I was a teen and not going on the sky trip where someone smuggled weed into several other countries. I don't think they went to Austria.

I love vampires, and was really excited to hear that a Red Eye book would be tackling them. They're done okay, somewhat old school with side of sort of original myth. The final conflict was decent and with Red Eyes being established as having no win situations sometimes the states were pretty high till the end.

Overall, I give this 4/5 stars for h. A lot of filler characters, but there's one character with strong motivation so that's fun. I guess I don't like the ending, it's not terrible but it meant to be a redemption for these characters that didn't feel earned for at least one of them well at least for me. . I get what their arc was meant to be, maybe it would have been better to focus on less characters for this story. I guess they all like 16 or something anyway. It's a decent horror story, in probably in the middle for me of the other Red Eye books which I have reviewed all of them.

I received e-arc of this book for free to do an honest review.

Book Review: Unnatural Creatures, stories chosen by Neil Gaiman

Such cute monster on the this cover.
 

THE SUNBIRD

THE MANTICORE

THE WEREWOLF

THE GRIFFIN

Welcome to a menagerie unlike any other, where stories let AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL and occasionally TERRIFYING creatures roam free in your mind.

This is Neil Gaiman's selection of his favourite stories featuring beasts from myth, fable and imagination. Creatures extraordinary, exotic, extinct, living, dead and undead prowl the pages of this book.

BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL IF YOU INSIST ON OPENING IT. 

This is quite a long anthology, but it also contains a few re-publish stories but it writers that audiences are unlikely to be familiar with due to a lot of them being dead or just real old. The illustrations that each story has are pretty good and the formating works well.

Intro by Neil Gaiman, 5/5 stars for being a introduction.

1.
by Gahan Wilson: This was a fun creepy idea, where a stain antagonizes rich people. There's more to the story but I'm not explaining it (well). The way its incorporated into the actual text is cool. 4/5 Stars for poor butlers.


2.The Cartographer Wasps and The Anarchist Bees by E. Lily Yu: This one was weird, but also great. It's like a politician fable with insects . 4/5 stars for short lives of Bees.

3.The Griffin and The Minor Canon by Frank R.Stockton: This is a story says to be a bad person. Unless people treat you terrible. This writer is dead and this story must have appeared somewhere.   4/5 stars for Tiny Griffins.

4.Ozioma The Wicked by Nnedi Okorafor: A young Nigerian girl can speak to snakes and her community hate her for it until she usefully. 4/5 stars for Brest like waves.

5. Sunbird by Neil Gaiman: This reminds me of that the ep of Angel with the werewolf. It doesn't have a werewolf in it. A society of trying rare foods go after the last thing they haven't tried. 4/5 stars for two feathers.

6. The Sage of Theare by Diana Wynne Jones: This is another story by a dead writer and has character that appears in other works. The creature is an water dragon or something. Is a god a creature? This is a saga of short story, it was good. 4/5 stars for steaming gods.

7. Gabriel - Ernest by Saki: I think this is a story I've read before, but I thought the ending was different. Maybe Mandela effect or I've combined in my head with something else. If anyone wants to tell me what "He had suffered bittern in his study" means, feel free. This is a werewolf story which would have been a spoiler is wasn't so obvious what it was to a modern reader. 4/5 stars for missing sheep.

8. The Cockatoucan by E. Nesbit:I own a collection of Nesbit's stories, mainly because I liked her name and it has a skull on the cover. This is basically Alice in Underland nonsense. Basically, random magic and skinny people are bitter. 4/5 stars for missed omnibuses.

9. Moveable Beast by Maria Dahvana Headley: I liked this story. Set in somewhere in America I guess, called Bastardville so fun. The "villain" is immediately unlikable. Because if someone asked for you to smile (and they're not taking a picture) they're a dick. Also Scottish connection which is fun and fitting. 4/5 stars for Ice Cream insults.

10.The Flight of The Horse by Larry Niven: This involves time travelling to find a horse with a twist so fun. Also another dead writer. 3/5 stars for made gems.

11.Prismatica by Samuel R. Delaney: This your usual quest story, with trickster and princesses. It was long enough to have chapters. There's also a unicorn and a thing in a box. 3/5 stars for my nearest and dearest friends.

12.The Manticore, The Mermaid, and Me by Megan Kurashige: This one is weird. We're back to stories that were written for this book, which two stories ago but feels long. This plays with known hoaxes or are they hoaxes. I would have liked better description of the creatures. The idea was cool. 4/5 stars for museum pass.

13.The Compleat Werewolf by Anthony Boucher: This is 80 pages long and some what mature. It was clearly written for an adult audience, not that really matters since this is YA aimed anthology. It just weird having a protagonist that is a hairy German Professor, obsessing over an ex-student. The earliest publication date I can find for this is1969, though I wonder if it was earlier than (that cause it was 1942). 4/5 stars for Communist Allegory.

14.The Smile on the Face by Nalo Hopkinson: This involves trees and negative body image. I wasn't aware of the myth this was based on, which is cool. 4/5 stars for cherry pits. (TW: Sexual Assault).

15.Or All the Seas with Oysters by Avram Davidson: Beware of bicycles. This was a cool idea from 1958. 4/5 stars for pins.

16.Come Lady Death by Peter S. Beagle: The Last Unicorn writer brings us a story about death, so fun. Also a party. I like the idea, but it's can 4/5 stars for bad wine.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for monster encounters. I like the diversity with the writers and the creatures they bring with them. Out of the 16 story, only 2 were unique to this collection, but it does show a big variety for authors to discover that older and were my first time reading them most of them so I get the effect to show older work to a younger generation. It was a pretty cool collection, with solid stories. I would recommend if like monsters and short stories or if you want to discover some new, old writers to check out.

Book Review: Zom-B: Bride by Darren Shan

Marriage is not how to solve politician issues. Anymore.


Does True Love lurk in the Darkest of Places?

Could a psychotic stalker be the man of your dreams?

Can a Killer win your heart?

Here comes the Bride...

This is the 10th in the Zom-B series (which I have review the majority of the series: Zom-B, Undergound, City, Angels, Baby, Mission, Clans, Circus, and Family). This one was odd. Odder and creepier than the other books in the series.

B is 13 years old physically and a fully grown man/clown is telling her he loves her. This isn't a spoiler with what this book is called. It stated several times that it not romantic, but it still creepy. Creeper than the babies.

There's a lot of gore for gore sake. Limbs everywhere and other dumb decorating choices.

We get more answers in this book, but B also ran away from answers. 
The Plot is clearly gearing up for Climax of the series. It's definitely going somewhere.

B's personality is her weird, soft, cult side. Not sure where her head is.

Overall, I give you this book 3.5/5 stars for blood baths. I feel my opinion might change on this book with what happens with the last two in the series so might update this rating or address that in my future reviews.

Book Review: Zom-B Family by Darren Shan

If the zombie apocalypse had came, it would probably be over by now.

Can anyone hurt you as much as a love one?

When does the fight become the much to bear?

How much pain can one person endure?

B Smith is discovering the true meaning of family...

This is the 9th book in the Zom-B series (which I review the majority of Zom-B, Undergound, City, Angels, Baby, Mission, Clans and the in between that is Circus). So now that series has been finished for over a year, I'm finally back to reading it after two years of a bit of not doing so. After this book I've only got three to read and I'm planning to read and review them one after another basically.

The book has a lot of resolutions and is definitely going somewhere which has been my biggest problem with the series in the past. It's builds on B's family issues and all that racist stuff. The KKK was still perhaps on the nose but then again why not be blunt about this things (especially the way things have/are turning out in real, non-zombified world).

I think B has pretty much had enough now, so I'm wondering where that's going to lead the series. 

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Banners. The series is building to something and I want to know what that something is. I will be reading the next books pretty soon and should have them all read and reviewed by end of February.

Book Review: Fir by Sharon Gosling

Forests are obviously evil.

Moving from Stockholm to an isolated pine plantation in northern Sweden is bad enough, but when the snows come early and all links between the Strombergs and the outside world are cut off, it gets worse. With only a grudging housekeeper and increasingly withdrawn parents for company, there is nothing to do but to explore the old plantation house. Anything to stay out of the endless pine trees pressing in on them. But soon it becomes clear that the danger within the old plantation house is even greater than what lies outside…

A chilling YA horror, perfect for fans of Dawn Kurtagich, Juno Dawson and Stephen King.

I just want to comment on the Stephen King being added on to YA horror writers. Sure, they on the same level as King's horror (Well, I know I rather read Kurtagich or Dawson again. King though...?). So finally with this book I have read all of the released books of the Red Eyes series (I don't have connections to get a book five months, that has a preview in Fir so is probably finished. We can compare in April).

So this is unique setting of Sweden (though I know of another British Horror book out there that is set in Northern Sweden and involves the Forest. Stay out of the Forests in Northern Sweden I guess).

The book is told in the POV of a unnamed protagonist in sort of a diary form, with poem from the forest every second chapter, which is why is probably compared to Kurtagich with her 'Dead House'.

The parents are generic have their own issues going on so lets solve our problems by moving to nowhere without a support unit to run a business that they know nothing about it. We also have a guide and much of kids that part of programme to educate kids about the forests. Then there's the creepy old maid that's worked at the house her whole working life.

The forest is also personified with tales of creatures in it.  The house is spooky as well so the setting is great and the mystery side works.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for secret hidey-holes... I'm now conflicted because this book levels with Frozen Charlotte or is better. It has similarity with isolation and supernatural beings messing with people. Also spooky child/ren. I would recommended if like that book and just if you like YA Horror.

Dis: This is the only Red Eye book that I have currently not gotten this for Review off NetGalley. Just saying so you know I didn't forget the disclaimer.

Buy.

Book Review: The Travelling Bag: And Other Ghostly Stories by Susan Hill

Yeah, I don't know why I keep reading Susan Hill either.


From the foggy streets of Victorian London to the eerie perfection of 1950s suburbia, the everyday is invaded by the evil otherworldly in this unforgettable collection of new ghost stories from the author of The Woman in Black. 

In the title story, on a murky evening in a warmly lit club off St James, a bishop listens closely as a paranormal detective recounts his most memorable case, one whose horrifying denouement took place in that very building. 

In 'The Front Room', a devoutly Christian mother tries to protect her children from the evil influence of their grandmother, both when she is alive and when she is dead. 

A lonely boy finds a friend in 'Boy Number 21', but years later he is forced to question the nature of that friendship, and to ask whether ghosts can perish in fires.


So I have a hate-hate relationships with Hill, I find her horror to be boring and pretentious, with a lack of sympathic characters. I have reviewed two of her works (read 4 I think): The Small Hand and The Woman in Black. This book contains four short stories, which feel like Hill's abandoned works. Some of them don't feel like they have proper endings. Unlike my usual way of reviewing short stories, I'm reviewing them indivdiually from memory instead of writing mini-reviews as I read them.

The Travelling Bag: So this is the Victorianish set and we learn the story of someone getting revenge and then random fear of moths for no reason. This has a weird Narrative device as someone telling their fellow club memember the worst, spookest case they ever worked. How he knows the information he does is never explained and doesn't feel like him actually tellling the story. This feels like a series idea and I thought all the stories were going to be told as if they were cases this guy had, had, but no it was just one off. It adds nothing, but set up for disappointment. If we had just been the actual story instead of the weird narrative deice, I would have enjoyed it better. 2/5 stars for sweeping bodies.

Boy Number 21: This is the worst story. So very little happens in it and I was expecting something big with the set up. The big problem is a bigging up to nothing. Not a field trip and a possible psychotic break. 1/5 stars for squished Sandwiches.

Alice Baker:  This is probably the best. It doesn't have a weird narrator and has a concise ending that makes sense. It also from a female character's POV and it wasn't Hill's typical, terrible ghost motivation. This one takes place in an old office building where a new staff member cause a stink. I Not sure why it's was the one left out of the burb. 4/5 stars for Office Politics.

The Front Room: It's Hill's favourite thing. A spiteful person for the sake of being spiteful. Then she a spiteful ghost. A family does a nice thing by taking in an old lady, the father's step-mother. Most of it is set up and then dur-dur-DUR. 1/5 stars for only a shower.

Overall, I give this book 1/5 stars for mediocre nonsense. This book is just bad. There's one story that's worth a read but the others' are Hill's typical mess of work, except some of these feel like Hill just gave up and declare them short stories instead.

Book Review: Sleepless by Lou Morgan

Don't take pills you brought off the internet...that ain't googable victims.

The real nightmare begins when you’re awake…
 
Young, rich and good-looking, Izzy and her friends lead seemingly perfect lives. But exams are looming – and at a school like Clerkenwell, failure is not an option. Luckily, Tigs has a solution. A small pill that will make revision a breeze and help them get the results they need. Desperate to succeed, the friends begin taking the study drug.

In terms of don't mess with drugs messages that have appeared in Red Eye books this is the better one. So this was one of the first Red Eye books that were published and I have owned a physical copy since then. It's one of the better ones, so it shame I left it for so long. I have read all the Red Eye books now but Fir by Sharon Jones (working on it).

The Red Eye books are quite happy to have terrible ending which is one of the reasons I appreciated it. The characters stop sleeping and therefore go insane. There are some background stuff hinted at and I feel like we don't get a straight answer about. It doesn't matter.

The Horror starts after Lizzy and her pals take terrible smelling pills (the first major red flag) and after the horror of exams, the shadowy images start appearing from the group and they turn against each other.

The book is in first person, in Lizzy pov, which works well, especially when they start betaying each other. 

Overall, I give it 4/5 stars for Exam freak outs .I think I rank it under Frozen Charlotte but higher than the other four stars books in the series ( Flesh & Bones, The Haunting and Charlotte Says). Actually, I don't know. The Red Eye Series started badly for me, but overall the series on avange the series sits at 3.6. Yeah, one star can really tank an avenge when you do the maths. It could be rounded to 4 stars which is what the series actually sits at for me.

I technically got this book for Review off of NetGalley from the Publisher Stripes. But I was gonna do this anyway and this is my own mission now.

Book Review: Thriteen Chairs by Dave Shelton

You shouldn't go into abandoned buildings...by yourself.

 In an abandoned house, the ghosts gather. They argue, they laugh, and they tell their stories. Some tell their own stories, some tell stories they have heard elsewhere. Some of them are true, some are not. But each tale draws you closer.

One by one, the storytellers depart, until suddenly it's just you and the narrator, alone in the dark...

Usually I read and rated short stories as I read them, but as this is all by one writer I didn't. Instead I'm going back and rated them. This book also has the benefit of illustrations at the start of each story which I will share my favourite of.

Let Me Sleep: This is the standard past deeds coming back to haunt you, typical beware of actions. Probably is a weak start. 3/5 stars for bling.

The Wrong Side of the Road: The standard past deeds coming back to haunt you. Okay, this makes me think of The Midnight's society's first episode, but only because Taxi. Woods. Spoilers. Don't drink drive kids. 2/5 stars for smashed glass.

Oswald: Cats are evil. Oswald is an evil cat, a cat eviler than usual. Basically, torments his owner. Going with the motif of these being stories told, this is the first one that really feels like character telling the story. It works okay. 3/5 stars for ticker bell.

The Red Tree: This is an old grim fairy tale thing going on, matching the character telling the story. It's a good imitation and creepy idea. 3/5 stars for fool's gold.

Tick Tick Tick: This is another mash up. There's this clock tower, the character goes there, you can probably guess what happens. Though, apparently left the other characters 'shaken' besides Jack, when its a pretty dull, obvious ending that makes me want to go read Poe. 2/5 stars for cloak, cloak, cloak.

Beneath the Surface: A boy loses his parents and brother in a boating accident and is haunted by water. I had forgot this story and had to look it up which is one of the reason, why I won't be reviewing short story collections this way again. 3/5 stars for Death Puddles.

Razor: A journalist hears a ghost story about a murder house at a pub and goes for it. 4/5 stars for tidying spirits.

The Girl in The Red Coat: A revenge story, sort of. 4/5 stars for Eyes.

The Patchwork Sailor: A revenge story where Daddy finally comes home. 3/5 stars for odd handed.

Unputdownable: My favourite story in this book. Someone moves into a Writer's Cottage and then must write and write. 5/5 stars for fill-out notebooks. 

Snowstorms: This is set in the North Pole or somewhere really snowing.  The snow messes with you. 4/5 stars for snow globe.

Among the Dead: This is the life story of the leader of this ghost telling affair and what this thing is about. These last two stories connect the narrative

device with the stories. 4/5 stars for coffins.

The House Where the Ghosts Meet: Jack tells us what lead him to the house and just what the deal is. 3/5 stars for bike safety.

Overall, I give this 4/5 stars for ghost meetings. I think it pretty good for Juvenile Horror, people on Goodreads are really harsh towards this book and I don't understand why. The choice of story placement could have been better, especially as the start stories are very similarly theme wise.  It does contain some standard horror stories but it does them well. They're not scary, but I find it odd that adults are rating Juvenile Horror for its fear level. I found this Teen/YA section of the library, I probably place in the kids' section going off the other Juvenile Horrors.

Book Review: Charlotte Says by Alex Bell

My Nana is out on that Isle somewhere...in pieces.

Following the death of her mother in a terrible fire, Jemima flees to the remote Isle of Skye, to take up a job at a school for girls. There she finds herself tormented by the mystery of what really happened that night.

Then Jemima receives a box of Frozen Charlotte dolls from a mystery sender and she begins to remember – a séance with the dolls, a violent argument with her step-father and the inferno that destroyed their home. And when it seems that the dolls are triggering a series of accidents at the school, Jemima realizes she must stop the demonic spirits possessing the dolls – whatever it takes. 

Another Red Eye book and the Prequel to Frozen Charlotte. The last book ends with a set up for a sequel, but I actually forgot that I said I would rather a prequel. Past me got what she wanted I guess. I would have to read Frozen Charlotte to see how much this book links up but there are nods to the first book in this.

Jemina is our leading lady and like most Edwardian girls without family, she needs to find work and she takes a job she barely qualified for as a teacher at Bordering School in the Isle of Sky. It's terrible, with abusive headmistress and her spooky past catches up to her.

We learn what's the deal with Frozen Charlotte books are and we get some fun Victorian ghost fun. The Victorians were obsessed with ghosts, it one of their many quirks. This book actually place ten years after Queen Victoria died, but who cares about any of the Edwards. I know I don't.

I don't care for Henry calling Jemina "Darling Girl", is he a middle-aged man? Did other young people really refer to people their own age as that? Weird thing: None of the main characters that ain't antagonists appeared to be from the Sky or Scotland. I mean this is for plot reason I guess, but why?

Overall, I give it 4/5 stars for Tiny Wigs. Alex Bell continues to be my favourite of the Red Eye writers I have read. This was decent addition to the Frozen Charlotte lore and I love them more now (but still would advise against listening to them, I'm hoping to finally read the other books in the Red Eye series before Halloween (I was an idiot who missed out on getting Fir by Sharon Gosling for review. Oh, well.) Strangely enough, it's the other female writers that I've not read yet. Though, I do own books by all of them (including the only Red Eye books I have physical copies of).

I got this for review off of NetGalley and it is being published by Stripes Publishing on 7th September 2017.

My Favourite Horror

Hello, I'm writing this while listening to 'My favourite Murder' its a comedy podcast talking about real life murders/crimes. If you've been subjected to my jokes about murder and death then you're not surprised that I like this podcast and recommend it. They are entertaining if not totally accurate in their storytelling. I don't really have a favourite murder, H. H. Holmes' murder hotel probably is it because it is insane that he almost got away with that. Its the mix creepy building and serial killing that makes it interesting. They making a film, the set design should at least be good.

I finally made it to British Cinema for Horror Week where we went over vampires. I feel like I should now not show up for any of the class. Yep, just here for horror and my own kind. I really wish I had made it last week, but oh well. Also found out my lecture knows my name and for some reason I am alarmed by this. I rather be anonymous when my crimes come to light. I know I should make joke confessions on the internet but I would lose so much of my comedy. Lets leave this thoughts here.

Glasgow is back in the house on medication. It was a worrying time, but he appears to peeing again...by peeing on me because he dislike Leia's attempt at play. She has yet to understand that the cats are not friends, nor are they likely to be friendly towards her. He is grumpy boy hiding behind the couch.

I have decided to be a Producer for uni course due to not having a story I wanted to do (I had ideas but they not ready to be born into a pitch yet). I should have probably pitch in the pursuit of making myself do uncomfortable things, but oh well. Some of the ideas are intriguing, some were problematic. The one I'm producing could be problematic but I'm going to do my best to make sure its not.

Shockingly a secret ep of 'Sherlock' did not play last week and its existence has finally been denied, along with the Queerbaiting..right...Glasgow kissing with longing looks never happened. Apple Tree Yard was boring Heterosexuality stuff then horrible trigger warning events so I won't be watching it again. The set up doesn't make me think it will be dealt with well so I won't be watching any more of it. Doesn't make me want to read the book now either.

I really hate driving, especially in Scottish Weather. I drove through ice, fog at night where I could not see anything but the slight lines of the road, hail/snow that due to the wind looked like optical illusion. Also I probably need new tires but I would have to talk to someone other my parents to fix that. So lets just die instead.

With that note, I just shall leave you this week in favour of staring at the cellar...I mean celling. I don't have a cellar. I don't. FAREWELL.

*Flees into the night.*

Book Review: I'll Be Home for Christmas by Various

My recent interaction with the Homeless was two of men swearing people out. Ar...Scotland.

The UK’s top Young Adult authors join together in this collection of new stories and poems on the theme of home.

Contributors include: Tom Becker, Holly Bourne, Sita Brahmachari, Kevin Brooks, Melvin Burgess, Katy Cannon , Cat Clarke, Juno Dawson, Julie Mayhew, Non Pratt, Marcus Sedgwick, Lisa Williamson and Benjamin Zephaniah.

£1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Crisis, the national homelessness charity. To find out more about Crisis, see www.crisis.org.uk

Before reading this book I was concerned that this would be an anthology where the stories didn't match at all with each other. Christmas,  Home and Homeless are the themes I'm guessing the writer were given. This book does contains some writers I really like, one I studied in school and one I have yet to find anything likable about. I wasn't going to request this book, until I realise Cat Clarke was in it and I must read everything she ever published.

Home and Away by Benjamin Zephaniah: This a poem and despite being taught several times how to citizens and write poems I don't feel confident on the matter,  but I still have a  jotter full of Face's quote. It's about how you could become homeless.

Ghosts of Christmas Past by Non Pratt: There are no actual ghosts and this is just a standard contemporary Sam is dealing with now living with his Nan and being awkward with girls. 4/5 stars for Tree Cravings.

If Only in my Dreams by Marcus Sedgwick: returning to the tradition of horror at Christmas and Space. Bit of a cliché plot. Also Also the British don't care about American poems about Christmas. It's written well as always by Sedgwick. 4/5 stars for darkness dreams.

Family You Choose by Cat Clarke: Queer fun. With a character that doesn't speak.  Very nice. Unusual Christmas dinner. Hinting at bigger life. Birthday blues. 5/5 stars for silent cake.

 The Associates by Kevin Brooks: The day in the life of two Homeless men who mainly hassle people. I don't know if I'm missing the point or if Brooks is missing the mark in trying to humanise homelessness. I think this story needs to be fleshed out a bit more, especially as for a day in life, big gaps are hinting at being missing.  Also have no clue by what is meant by the title. 3/5 stars for cliché needles.

The Afterschool Club by Holly Bourne: Rich Boy, Poor Girl, spending time together to avoid going home and do their homework together. I liked the characters in this one and the writing, as well the hinting at the deep issues at play as well as the ones on the surface. 4/5 stars for Coat swapping.

Homo for Christmas by Juno Dawson: The lesson in this story is to use private mode. We also have another uni age character dealing with their sexuality similar to Cat Clarke's story. These two fit together at least, but these one did feel a little more mature than the ones before it.  5/5 stars for Skinful.

Amir and George by Sita Brahmachari: This story deals with the series and current topic of refugee. Its also write in the style of someone whose not good at English (as though it was foreign language to them) which was interesting stab at realism. 5/5 stars for found lemons.

The Letter by Tracy Darnton: Darnton won a contest to be included in this book.
This doesn’t feel like a short story and more like the start up of a novel as the eventful stuff has either happened or about to happen.There's interesting story there, but this glimpse into Amber's life is a small catalyst that hints at several possibility. Though, I can tell from this that Darnton is a skilled writer. 4/5 stars for Bowling shoes.

Claws by Tom Becker: Everything I have ever read before by Becker has been insultingly terrible, at least this was just insulting, but I feel like that Becker liked the title of Claws and was gonna force that to make sense. It was alright, its the "someone does something stupid" version of horror therefore you don't care about the main character which is unsuccessfully. 2/5 stars for fishhooks ribbons. 
 
Christmas, Take Two by Katy Cannon: Heather is being forced to spend Christmas with her Father's new shorty and her monstrous children. Its mostly be grateful and its Christmas so be happy that no one takes you into account when making important decisions, learned all from a romantic encounter. 3/5 stars for forced stockings.
 
When Daddy Comes Home by Melvin Burgess: Nothing says Christmas like a dystopia of Politic Corruption. Interesting in that it comes in the form of a monologue. 4/5 stars for Christmas Tricks.

The Bluebird by Julie Mayhew: A modern fairy tale told in the form of a fairy tale, but modern setting. I enjoy writing confusing sentences. Parents holding their kids captive and a romance that might be a lot more alarming than its meant to be. 3/5 stars for burning chips.
 
Routes and Wings by Lisa Williamson: I really liked this one and does a good job of humanizing Homelessness. 5/5 stars for Bus Fare.

Overall, I give this 4/5 stars for multiple themes. Okay, I get why this book was done and that it for a good cause, but in terms of a coherent anthology most of the stories don't go together. Some of them fit and there could all be sketched to have a theme of home, or at least have the setting of Christmas. I'm probably just way over thinking of this, especially as I'm someone who reads all these genres about the same (except Poetry) within YA. I would recommend this if you're a general YA lover. 

I got this book off Netgalley for review and it is published by Stripes Publishing.

Falling Dimension

I haven't forgot about you. I have given up the pretence that I have been writing posts every week. Its not a lack of having anything to say. It isn't even that I haven't had time. I've just been life writing stump where I go to write and then get stuck. I'm back to writing reviews by forcing them out with the Knowledge that I'm current;y sitting on the number of reviews that are left in the year. But I have wrote the ones enough the rest of November so November will have reviews for the rest of the year.

I will make myself write the reviews for the rest of the year. The terrible thing is the one I have negated to write for almost ten months. I might leave it for last for kicks. Uni is still going. Making films and learning about film. I got taught about Sigmund Freud's theory about men having a fear being castigated because women don't have a penis therefore it was cut off. Yeah, literally no idea what that has to do with horror, which what we were meant to be learning about. I mean Freud has been mostly discredited and is the one with the mother issues. Mutilation of the genitalia is horrifying, but I don't think Freud's theory should be taught in any class, unless it directly influences a film. We also watched the Psycho remake It is god awful. He mess up the iconic scene so much. I know everyone knows the twist by now, as it is a iconic film and has had a massive influence, but that doesn't mean you give up on it if you going to go to the effect of a remake.

I honestly don't get what Freud's theory about Castration anxiety had to do with the appeal of Horror. He's came up before in another class,though that was the ego and the id which are probably nonsense but is fiction not all nonsense. That being said I don't want to be taught seriously the theories of a man who thought all women wanted to be men and that everyone fancies their mothers. Penis Envy is not a real thing. Yes, they are transgender men but no one thinks that a penis was taken from them at birth. Oh, it would blown his mind to know that in fact we start out we all start out as female in the womb. It is just Freud pushing his own, sexist ideas on other people.

That was weird route to go down. Have you missed the nonsense of my own brain? The world has became more horrifying since we last spoke like this. Clowns attacking people and Lex Luther is on his way to be president, with no Batman or Superman.We live in a terrible dimension. I would like to collide with another dimension at this point.

I recently came to the realisation I don't really know what horror is in the written form. Horror in film is obvious due it format. Horror in books, especially as supernatural and thrillers are their own genres in books and I am immune to fake fear apparently. People tell me that they find films I find laughable scary. I can't even see it.

In summary I'm making a horror film and I don't know if its going to be remotely scary. But it will follow the format. I'm running out of things to say so I shall leave now. I am here and on the YouTube. See me there.

Haunted: Anthology by Various

Not all of these stories have ghosts.

No Summary was given with this book. Spooky.

I found this random Anthology in the library. Yes, it was in the kids section but as always that is not a excuse for the level of bad in these the stories. Most of these authors are unknown to me and none of the stories have made me motivated to go out to find more about the authors I wasn't already aware of before. As always I have review each stories, though this time I didn't review each one straight after listening.

The Castle Ghosts by Joseph Delaney - Spooky castle I saw the ending coming for miles. 3/5 stars for mysterious contents.

The Caretakers by Susan Cooper - This story was ruined for me straight off the bat by the protagonist describing her brother James as "not being autistic but something that has no name". He's autistic. Unless you actually going to give a diagnosis of something else then don't bring up the fact that the character with clearly autistic traits is not autistic. Maybe because an autistic person will be listening to the audio book adaptation of your story and be done with your shit. I don't really rate much besides the 'not autistic thing'. It's yourstandard creepy haunted house/island story. The title doesn't work, it's just a straight up misdirect and think this would have been more interesting from James POV instead of someone with no character traits at all. 2/5 stars for Lake screaming. 1/5 stars for Ableism.

 Good Boy by Mal Peet -  I liked this one. It's  not obvious in execution and creepy concept that would be terrifying. 4/5 stars for dog paws.

The Blood Line by Jamila Gavin - This story contains two actual creepy things: Mirrors and Work houses. Except has really complicated and convoluted way of getting the main character into the story and distracts from everything else. This story could worked, but didn't for me. 3/5 stars for monkey thief.

The Ghost in the Machine by  Eleanor Updale - This one really works as an audio book (story?), though I was promised pictures. I did actually think something had went wrong with my phone when this came on, like it was really weird virus I was listening to while in Waterstones. I also actually felt for the character in this one as well. 4/5 stars for high-tech ghosts.

Songs the Dead Sing by Derek Landy -This is a lot of darker than the other stories (except maybe the first one) in that involves Cult Murder and appropriately I was listening to it while trying to find the toilet in an old building  4/5 stars for lying leaders.

The Beach Hut by Robin Jarvis - This one was okay, it tried, but felt rather cope outy, probably due to this being aimed at kids and adults like to think  kids can't handle the extreme. I found the main ghost in this to be too annoying to deal with and therefore that end the ghostly experience there for me. 2.5 stars for mouthfuls of sea water. Also the voice actor is really whinny sounding.

The Praying Down of Vaughan Darkness by Sam Llewellyn - The framing of this story is unnecessary and doesn't stick to it well. There's a good idea in here but is not done well. 3/5 stars for cheesy breath. 

The Ghost Walk by Matt Haig - This story takes a lot of clichés and doesn't do much with them. Not at all creepy and an bad attempt to tell the Hitchhiker ghost story. What happens in this story could just be someone messing with them. 2/5 stars for pointless umbrella. 

The Ghost Wood by Philip Reeve - Meh. Another featuring dreaming about dogs. 3/5 stars for wood stones. 

The Little Ship's Boy by Berlie Doherty - Dumb and obvious. 1/5 stars for drowning. 

Overall, I give this 3/5 stars for dog clichés. I don't know if the writers were given prompts for this, but the similarity between these stories actually made the worse ones worst. There were some decent stories in here; the majority were just meh. The voice actors varied from good to terrible. I wouldn't recommend this book as a whole but there are some decent stories buried here. A library pick up sort of book.

Book Review: The Haunting by Alex Bell

Water and Witches don't traditionally go together.

Some curses grow stronger with time… 

People say that all Cornish inns are haunted, but the Waterwitch’s history is particularly chilling. Built from the salvaged timber of a cursed ship, the guest house’s dark secrets go further back than anyone can remember. 

Emma is permanently confined to a wheelchair after an accident at the Waterwitch which took place when she was ten. Seven years later, she decides to return to the place where the awful event occurred. But the ancient inn still has its ghosts, and one particular spirit is more vengeful than ever…

This is Alex Bell's second book in the Red Eye series (I have reviewed them all but Sleepless which I'm technically currently reading, they are all labelled Red Eye). I was a big fan of Frozen Charlotte and had big hopes for this book especially as I had found the other Red Eye books to be a bit lacking.

Not quite sure what was with the changing first person point of view. I think the book would have worked better with just one. Especially as our starting narrator just falls by the waste lines at a certain point. We do have the experience of unreliable narrator but I'm not sure if it works. In a way it just distracts from the book.

I know one of the main character is disabled and that sucks, but why did she hate her wheelchair so much. She just kinda hates on it without any emotional depth behind it, especially as she hates on her spine as well. It just feels really out of place sometimes with the situation that Emma is facing. With my other issues with the choice of POV through the novel, this character feels unnecessary. While diversity is important in books, I think its also important that the character belongs to the story and I'm not sure what she brings to the story other than her disability and her service dog. Or I'm just over analysing, as I am probably hasher to media that feature characters with disabilities/disorders/chronic illness as lot of it does it terribly or just gets it completely wrong. She does contribution to the plot somewhat and doesn't fall into any of the clichés that for some reason often come paired with disabled characters.

The horror has a good foundation but is a bit underdeveloped. There is a lot of great set ups that don't go anywhere sometimes. There is disturbing imagery, except it somewhat ruined by who sees it. I did enjoy the mythos of the ghost and the Waterwitch. It is both creepy and exactly like hotel you find in Tourist Hot spots by the British Sea. I wish we had gotten more the building and it permanent residence. The magic was interesting and I haven't came across something like it.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for incense sticks. I think there is good base for a story here, but the execution could have better. I enjoyed the story and think this would be a good introduction to the horror genre. While not as good as Frozen Charlotte, I would definitely read more of Alex Bell's work in the future. This is still the better side of Red Series and would probably rank it with Flesh & Bones, not that scary but good attempts.

I got this book for Review off Netgalley and it is being publish by Stripes Publishing on 11 February 2016.

Foggy, Spooky Night

Merry Halloween everyone, the moon and the weather have combined to make the perfect Halloween where I live. I've actually got a story idea from tonight, not that I'm likely to use it any time soon. It was a foggy night and made driving in the country a nightmare.

I went to three Halloween Events this week. A horror movie showing where I saw most of Grave Encounters so now I know where that meme comes from and also V/H/S which was hilarious. I don't think it was meant to be as funny as we all found it. Hardly any of the short films had any real scares in them. It was one of those nudity for the sake of nudity ones.

In terms of horror films that's one of the worst things do. It's the thing that sinks down horror film to the Misogyny
levels of other Hollywood films. They have female protagonists that are left to deal with what evil that they have to fight. It's the one place where the audience is expecting a female point of view. Very few films work There is a whole argument in there about what that says about Society but I dropped out of Sociology. I want to film and write stuff that fixes that stuff.

My horror dream is making a female horror icon that's not the victim. There is the girl from the ring and 'Sleep Away Camp' franchise but 'The Ring' isn't that relevant any more and the latter just has issues at it's core (also not really thought as good).

The other vent was drinking whilst dressed up. Well, I wasn't drinking. Yeah, still don't know the appeal. Tonight, I went to a 4+ event to see a thing I sort of helped make in the summer. It seemed to be mostly recaps of the other films. My beautiful door opening is gone. I will never recover.

This week horror of reality is my sleep pattern is back to being whack and uni is stressfully. We need to do a presentation with each other. I could potentially get out of it, but there's whole not having the diagnosis. Screw having the actual word.

I got a letter for appointment to see if I'm magical mushroom. I'm sick of using the word and that was what came out. I usually censored the dumb shit I write when bored. I'm off to enjoyed the last of Halloween whilst I picked off the terrible job I did of my make-up this year. Cotton wool and liquid latex.

Book Review: Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell

We get it Sophie, you have the hots for your cousins.

We're waiting for you to come and play.  
 
Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind…

Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lillias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there’s her other cousin.

The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn’t be there.

The girl that died.

This is another book in the Red Eye series and so far it's my favourite. Not just because it mostly takes place in Scotland and an isle of heritage importance to me (heritage is meaningless). This involves odd Victorian dolls with a matching folk song if that doesn't scream creepy then you have never seen an a doll or know the horror of Folk singers.

The chapters are headed by lyrics of the song Frozen Charlotte. This was interesting tactic as the song isn't creepy or really at all related to the dolls. It does involves two idiots dying but that's all. Okay, maybe some people would find that creepy.

The Protagonist Sophie is a likable character, surrounded by sympathetic characters. Some of the characters are almost horror archetypes, but they didn't feel that way when I was reading it. The horror is built up well, with a extreme start but Sophie's fear gradually grows and there is an effect to create tension.

This is also involves an old house in an isolated cliff that was once a bordering School (see, it checking off a lot from the Spooky List of Horror). Also Ouija board and at least one ghost. There is one small modernisation but I think it really works and it is realistic thing someone would do.

The ending does play more like a horror film punchline than a novel conclusion(, Slight Spoiler:it really reminds me of the start of Jurassic Part II). Especially, if anything it's a prequel this novel deserves, more than a sequel.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for Sealed Windows. Whilst not being that scary, the horror elements are done well and I buy the story.  Also I loved anything with evil dolls that tell you to do bad things. Update: I have now reviewed the prequel, Charlotte Says.

I got this for review off NetGalley and it' is published by Stripes Publishing. (Though, I also actually owned a copy for ages, this was getting review no matter what, but I'm at uni and I couldn't take every book I own and ebooks are handy for times when feel awkward taking a book and reading it, say the student union). 

Book Review: Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

My mother doesn't like it when I mimic the Night Vale style.

Night Vale is a small desert town where all the conspiracy theories you've ever heard are actually true. It is here that the lives of two women, with two mysteries, will converge.

Nineteen-year-old Night Vale pawn shop owner Jackie Fierro is given a paper marked 'KING CITY' by a mysterious man in a tan jacket. She can't seem to get the paper to leave her hand, and no one who meets this man can remember anything about him. Jackie is determined to uncover the mystery of King City before she herself unravels.

Diane Crayton's son, Josh, is moody and also a shape shifter. And lately Diane's started to see her son's father everywhere she goes, looking the same as the day he left years earlier. Josh, looking different every time Diane sees him, shows a stronger and stronger interest in his estranged father, leading to a disaster Diane can see coming, even as she is helpless to prevent it.

Diane's search to reconnect with her son and Jackie's search for her former routine life collide as they find themselves coming back to two words: 'KING CITY'. It is King City that holds the key to both of their mysteries, and their futures . . . if they can ever find it.

 Do you like the Night Vale Podcast? Then you probably like this book. The thing is that this book is very much written in the the style of the podcast and I have no idea what someone whose not familiar with the podcast would think it about it. Compared to other books, it would be jarring I imagine.
 
 It's interesting to see this town from another point of view, other than Cecil's (or whoever somehow took over the local radio signal). He's still there as a character and radio presenter with radio updates through out the novel, with the latest happenings in Night Vale. It also made me realise how annoying Cecil's infatuation with Carlos can be. It's not that charming when written down.

With it not being tramped inside a radio booth, sending the latest intern to their dea...to report on what's happening, we get to see a lot of Night Vale fixtures for ourselves such as the library and surprisingly where our protagonists work.

The characters are appealing and very real people despite being a very surreal setting. They deal both with the strangeness of Night Vale and struggles we all have or can have, like raising children. I do like the dynamics between the most important characters to this story.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars for absentee fathers. This is the Welcome to the Night Vale Novel, it very much of an extension of the podcast. The story is contend within the novel, but reference things that have been going on in the podcast since it's start. The thing is I have no idea what someone who hasn't listen to the podcast would think of it. It doesn't really matter as the podcast is free and great listening. The novel is good reading and I got the same experience from it as I do with the podcast. You should definitely pick it up, if you regularly visit Night Vale or you just a tourist.

I got this for review off NetGalley and it was published by Orbit on 20th October 2015. 
(Though, tune in this Saturday to hear my story with my odd experience of pre-ordering the special edition of this novel).

Short Story: The Short Cut

I witness someone adding salt to salad and it was most the horrifying thing I have ever seen. I hate salt and even with the the knowledge that is a thing, it is terrible. Salt is disgusting.  This story was totally based on this.

The Short Cut

We were twenty minutes into the walk when I realise we couldn't have possible gone the right way. I didn't know how to get where we going, but we had just walked pasted something that only took five minutes to walk to. Yet I didn't say anything, I wasn't that enthusiastic about where we were going so getting hopelessly lost sounded more fun. I finally said something due to Bert wanting to go through a graveyard and it was now dark.

"It's too late now," I protest, as he jumps the wall instead of using the gate. I followed him glumly through the gate. "It was meant to start at five."

"We still have ten minutes," he says rushing forward. I half run to keep up with him. The graveyard is unkempt and full of leaves from the trees that frame it so I'm having to watch where I'm walking.

"Bert, lets just go home."

"That is where we going," he shouts stopping. I stood shocked, trying to grasping  what he was saying.

"They left us," I said finally. He turns around ignoring me.

"We can still make it," he says and starts running through graves.

I run after him, but lose sight of him quickly. Damn his long legs.  I stop and decide to go home. He can go where he ever damn wants.

Home. I can't believe he thinks of them as anything like a home.

I scan around the graveyard, trying to find my way out of there, realising I'm not sure which way we came. Damn Bert, who runs into a graveyard at night? Why the fuck did I follow him?

Family. I had enough of family. I pull my phone, hoping it magically has a signal. Nope. The GPS is too crappy to tell me where I am on a good day. I start walking, we can't have got to far from where we entered.

I'm getting a new phone and a new brother tomorrow. I sigh as neither is possible. Though, I could save up for a new mobile if I really wanted. Brothers on the other hand are something you're stuck with. But I didn't need to speak to him. Nor did I have to speak tor our grandparents. They had proved that in the last twenty years.

He was younger than me. Maybe that's why he was more forgiving. Four years was long time at his age. We still had each other, we didn't need them. I stop walking and look around again. It's getting darker and I can't see the wall yet. I probably shouldn't have left a fifteen year old running into darkness.

I try to follow the disturbed leaves. It's hard to see and I'm probably going the wrong way. I struggle to hear the traffic from the road, but despite it being rush hour, all I can hear is the sounds of birds. The hoot of a owl is a distinct sound. I'm fight my urge to freak out and just to run wildly.

"VEDA!"

I jump at my name being shouted, without thinking run towards it blindly. I run straight into a gravestone flip over it on to my back. I can't breath. The stars tingling in my eyes. I breath in and out breathes gently. I roll on to my stomach and push myself up.

I look around, hoping to see Bert. It's too dark to see farer than the headstone I ran into. I rub my hip that took the blunt of the force.

"Bert," I shout as loud as I can, which is not. I dragged myself in the direction of where I think my name had.

I keep calling Bert's name as I wander through the headstones. There is no way that this is a short cut. We should have just too the damn taxi they offered to pay for. Or better yet just refuse to go.

"BERT" I shout desperately.

"Veda?" Bert says from behind me. I must have got really turned around, to see him standing there. I dragged myself towards him. "What happen?" he meets.

"I ran into a gravestone," I say, trying to down play. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he says looking around. He's lost too.

"Why did you shout my name like that then?" He looks confused.

"I never said your name till I heard you shout mine."

"Now, is not the time to be messing with me," I say angrily.

"I'm not, I thought you left." I look hard at him, he must be lying, but I can't be arsed to fight him on it.

"I was trying to. Do you know the way out of here?"  He nods at first, before shaking his head. I groaned.

"Why did you think this was short cut?"

"They said they were staying at the north-side of the graveyard." I stare at him blankly.

"There's only woods to the north of here." They either confused or messing with us. He looks awkwardly off to the centre.

"Let's just get out of here," I say no longer wanting to get out of this creepy arse place. 

"We're walk straight till we find a wall or a path," I say, feeling a lot calmer, now that I have Bert with me. We don't say anything and just listen to the sounds of the Owls hooting to each other. Bert stops suddenly. 

"What's the matter?" 

"There's a house," he says, looking to the right of us. I squirt my eyes but see nothing. 

"You're weren't meant to bring her," a male voice says from our left. I swing my head around to see, who I recognize as my uncle from old pictures. He's obviously older, but still young looking. A lot like mum before she got ill.

"You never said that," Bert says insolently
.

"You have been raised wrong, so you don't know that girls are useless..."

"Don't fill his head with that nonsense,"I interrupt. Mum had warned me about the family attitudes that one of the major reasons I didn't want to meet them as proud feminist. I grab Bert's hand.  Uncle Win smiles at us.

"You have been raised wrong too." I fill with rage. How dare he insult my dead mother, his sister like that.

"I'm certain I was raised better than you." His parents threw out a fifteen year for being pregnant. I pull Bert along, deciding that I have should have went with the parent role left with me, more than the supportive sister. 

 "He's need to be introduced to his powers," he shouted behind me. I stop and smiled. I turn around slowly and decide to break mum's rules just this one time. I push into myself, feeling my pain vanish, pull out the light I keep hidden most of the time.

"I'm working on it," I say, walking into the direction of the exit. I'm so used to life without my powers than I never even thought to use them to find my way out of here.

I'm just glad that it was just our creepy uncle waiting in the dark and maybe voice of someone too feminine to be either Bert or Uncle Vin. 

"My mother still missed you at the end," I say hoping those words stab him. None of the came with news she was dying and that should have been enough for Bert to stay away. Still, I feel slight resistant from him.

"Next time you can visit us," I say finally.

***

Yeah, that didn't go where I thought it was going. Maybe werewolves. Oh, well, I'm now off to do the writing I should be doing for class.