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: Silence is Goldfish by Annabel Pitcher

Parents are sadly not tradable.

'I have a voice but it isn't mine. It used to say things so I'd fit in - to please my parents, to please my teachers. It used to tell the universe I was something I wasn't. It lied.'

Fifteen-year-old Tess doesn't mean to become mute. At first, she's just too shocked to speak. And who wouldn't be? Discovering your whole life has been a lie because your dad isn't your real father is a pretty big deal. Tess sets out to find the truth of her identity, and uncovers a secret that could ruin multiple lives. But can she ask for help when she's forgotten how to use her voice?

This is an interesting book in that the main character doesn't stop speaking straight after the 'traumactic event' and develops an imaginary friend or a Tulpa I guess. I went into this book basically blind. I must have read the summary of this book where I request it for review and brought it (the cover is really cool) so mostly went on the fact that Annabell Pitcher is award winning writer who has really interesting titled books. I think that worked for this book, but I'm not the person to advocate for that (I intentionally spoil myself all the time to find out if something is worth investing the time in).  Still nothing I considered a spoiler is in this review.

Tess is a typical awkward teenager who's relationship with her parents is secretly stained. Major secrets on both sides. There were times where I wanted to shake Tess but I'm certain that was intentional. Tess has bad decision making skills, so generally a realistic teenager. Her relationships with the other characters are complex and the important one all have some form of lie attached to them.

Tess also spends a lot time of arguing and lying to herself in a form of Mr Goldfish. While this done mostly well, there were times where Tess described communication would have been noticeable to the people around her.

I think the silence that Tess develops is done well. That mainly comes from the fact it does develop and immediately after the cause. Its starts with Tess not wanting to say anything for spoiler plot reasons. Then from this she trapped in continuing not to say anything as the book goes on. I have Select Mutism so I have dealt with being unable to talk in awkward situations myself and found Tess emotions and reactions to this to be realistic. Her interaction with teachers (especially one near the end) were very reminiscent to my own. This is definitely the best book I've read so far where the main character is mute for most of the book.

That being said I declared that Main characters that don't talk was going to be a trend and I think I can say safely say it is a trend now so I might keep an on going rank with books that try the whole Selective Mutism experience on for size. I'm going to write why that problematic in another post and not side track this review for a book that does a good job of it to criticize the ones that don't (that being said I found a book that can only be pigging backing on this one). For those unaware of Selective Mutism, this is not nor is it meant to be a portrayal of it. Selective Mutism would come into play if it was long-term issue and she did talk in situations she was comfortable in. Still successfully captures some of the things you experience if have Selective Mutism.

A big part of the book relies on Tess making big leaps and doing stupid stuff. I know people can be blinded by what they want to be true, other realitity but Tess is meant to be a teenager and
often she would have a complete disregard for reality. We have Mr Goldfish to prove that she does see the reality, it just she talks about her fantasy as though they could actually become reality. She also seems to live in a world where no one else has complicated families e.g. step dads. I mean if somehow not in her own life, this stuff is on TV and various other media now.

There was also a bit of a rush to resolve everything in the book. I would have liked more time spent on her friend Isabell. She mostly just a plot device than a character and her ending is bit unsatisfying.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Redundant Taxis. This was an interesting book that deals with realistic issues with uncommon ideas. Some parts could have been executed better, but as a whole it was good read with complicated life issues in it.

I have now did a Video Review:

I got this book for review of NetGalley for review (though, I might of brought it before then) and it is published by Orion Children's Books.

Book Review: The Deviants by CJ Skuse

 Who wishes their dad was "Chris Pratt or Tom Hardy"?
 

Growing up in the sleepy English seaside town of Brynston, the fearless five – Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane – were always inseparable. Living up to their nickname, they were the adventurous, rowdy kids who lived for ghost stories and exploring the nearby islands off the coast. But when Max’s beloved older sister Jessica is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.

Now years later, only Max and Ella are in touch; still best friends and a couple since they were thirteen. Their lives are so intertwined Max’s dad even sponsors Ella’s training for the Commonwealth Games. But Ella is hiding things. Like why she hates going to Max’s house for Sunday dinner, and flinches whenever his family are near. Or the real reason she’s afraid to take their relationship to the next level.

When underdog Corey is bullied, the fearless five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them. But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves?

This is the third book by C.J. Skuse that I have read and reviewed (Dead Romantic and Monster); this is the first one not to have a link to classic horror films. This one is more the horror of people. A
 thriller mystery sort of book as we don't know what the characters are hiding or why.

The format of this book is interesting. Its told from the point of the view of the Main Character Ella as she is being asked questions by someone at the end of each chapter. I liked this technique to move the story along as well as an interesting way to introduce each chapter's content. That being said, I felt the ending was a bit forced. It reminds of a book by Susie Day (which I won't say in case you have read it and don't want to be spoiled at all for this book), in both have cool ideas but trap themselves in the execution of the end. I get the ending and fit with the theme of the book; it just didn't feel like a natural concussion for me.

There are flashbacks within Flashbacks throughout this book, this worked well with the characters are dealing with the results of the past. Somehow, is only mildly confusing.

While related on the characters, this book is more plot heavy in that the characters don't feel like real people and more like archetypes; They have all have different backgrounds despite all living in the same area which is realistic. Ella herself is well defined but none of the supporting are more than support beams to the story, which is fine since they do support it and I'm at the point over-analysing.

The characters seem a bit old during the past events to be behaviouring the way they all do. They all 13 years old, but act more like eight years. 13 years old are childish but they start to get uppity about it at that age. I mean they already in Secondary School at this point. Living with thirteen year old, I just don't buy it at all.

Now it's time for the most pointless part of any review: Rachel Verna points out something odd. This novel takes place on a Wednesday, 4 August therefore happens in 2010 but couldn't have because  'Scream Eggs' are mentioned in a past section, a product not released until 2011. Probably just a mistake or in-attempt to be timeless, especially as the Commonwealth games are meant to be 2 years in the story. Funfact, the next 4th Wednesday is 2021. I'm not sad enough to figure out what the year must it be for all that to be true, just sad enough the notice the date is wrong and then to check if I was right.

An odd book for both my main disabilities to be name dropped (once you start having several you start ranking them, asthma is currently last). None have effect on the characters or the book's plot. Corey has minor cerebral palsy, doesn't come into the plot at all. It kinda tries at one point then walks out the door. During, the novel he's not really affected by it, but it does affect the way other characters see him. I don't know about enough about cerebral palsy to say whether it was a good portray or not. It seemed fine, but with the story not being told by him, it was obviously not a focus in a story with so much plot. Now, I'm going to stop the bit where I over-analysing the effort for diversity in a book.

Overall, I gave this four out of five stars for Carrie Reenactments. This book has clear moral about vengeance it tries to survey, but in my opinion kinda gets lost. CJ Skuse seems to be maturing as a author based off her last two books, definitely good improvement since Dead Romantic. Skuse continues to have interesting ideas and I'm excited for the next one.

I got this book for review off NetGalley and is being published by Mira Ink on 22rd September 2016.

Alpha Sapphire

My neck has been sore for a week. There is return in ache in the joint between skull and my spine. Lying under the surface of the skin. Its goes and comes back. With me when I wake and without me when I sleep, gone when I wake and there when I sleep.

Pains with no clear origin are the worst. I move my neck and it was there. I wonder if its there now because I'm aware of it and pain is a function of the brain. That being said it comes when I'm not thinking of it.

I have been playing a lot of Alpha Sapphire which without Pokemon of the front of it sounds like a Sci-fi game that has no plot and you're just fighting some bad government guys. Nope, just trying to catch magical animals then fight them against each other so they became more powerful animals with powers. They not really portrayed as magical but some of them apparently are gods, so science and magic. Pokemon are weird.

Uni is starting up again, which is just a thing that I will have to deal with. I haven't done much with my break from it. Wasting the days away. I am also currently lacking a home there, commuting and parking. I have ideas, urges to write but have. I also have this headache like my nose is blocked. My body is rebelling again. A growing paranoid that I have a brain tumour. Headaches and my speech seems to be getting worst. Probably not, because that's my fear of the betrayal of the brain. Tumour is the slow version typical of someone my age. Though, disease don't actually care about age.

It's probably that need new glasses (I do and eye stain causes headaches), and I've had messed up speech for years. Sometimes it hard not to wish for easier life. Green glass or whatever.

That's all for now, my headaches and I should do so many things. Sleep or catch up on Orphan Black.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Crused Child by NOT J.K. Rowling

I think this might have been written by Bellatrix Lestrange.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

At first when I was hearing all the bad things about this book. I thought it was from people not being used to reading plays and didn't understand the differences between them and a novel. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and read it when I finally got my hands on the copy I had pre-ordered months ago.  I wanted to form my own opinion and now I have.

This has to be some of the worst, laziest fanfiction I have ever read. EVER. and that is from someone who lived between Harry Potter books and has went through months of only reading fanfiction.You read (and create) a lot terrible stuff when you're fifteen; in the name of Fandom. This play even has some of the worst tropes.

This play based off a story by J.K.Rowling (e.g. fanfiction), written by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. J.K. Rowling did not write this and it pretty obvious.

The characters are really out of character. There clearly wasn't a space for Ron in this play so they turned him into his dad and this awkward comic relief. Yep, we get the wrong the Wealsey in this book, which reminds of me fanfiction because for some reason there are people who really hate Ron and think he useless, like he is in this. Harry says stuff I could never imagine Harry saying, even with 20 something years later. Also none of the character have their own voice and use odd words. I now wonder late at night "Where did a Malfoy learn the word "mate" and why would he used it when he thinks hugging is weird?" It also comes straight after a much older character using is (or maybe the other way around) to emphasise how lack of thought went into the characters dialogue.

The house sorting is dumb. I've never came across two more truer Hufflepuffs in my life. We have Draco's and Harry's son being really gay with each other (fanfict).  But not, because the religious nuts already hate Harry Potter enough without having actual gays in one of them. Poor Hugo has been written out of this play but we know he exists because he's mention once. Albus also has no relationship with his siblings. They there but only because they have to be and emphasise what a "failure"Albus is. Scorpius is also infatuated with Rose (fanfict) and Albus has a love interest to prove he's straight and it is a level of fanfict I have never read by choice until this play made me. Its giant trope that I can't get into because spoilers. Creepy, creepy heteronormative spoilers. Why couldn't they just be gay and avoid the creepiness that we presented with at the end with both of them?

I have a hard time believing that these kids were raised by the same kids we got to know so well in Harry Potter or by the adults we glimpsed in the last book.

The book deals with time travel (look here's a timeturner, even though all of them were destroyed.What happens, it is a giant troupe in the Harry Potter Fandom). The big issue that's it really lazy take on the "Butterfly Effect". There's an obvious route that the plot could have took that would make a lot more sense, but they don't do that. Instead, they add unrealistic character development, that we don't see so of course that makes it incredibility unrealistic.

The plot makes very little sense and has giant gaping plot holes that took me out of the story so much. Time Travel is complicated and not enough thought was put into it for it work and then we have odd character motivation. Time Travel thing could have been used as technique to teach Albus a lesson about his father's actual childhood, but no just hm...actually I don't know we got with that time travel.

The ending was terrible, a fanfiction troupe and utterly pointless. The whole thing was just, here lets experience this for no real reason. It was just really lazy way to end the play with emotional bow, that  at least fails on paper.

But relax true HP fans, this play opens by going against canon. I mean its written as though Albus is the first to go Hogwarts, which is just dumb. Therefore, its not the actual eighth story. I don't know if there's actual story written or plot-outline by J.K.Rowling that the play was based on but even if it was, this was not a well done adaptation. I mean literally, a parody musical got the characters better than this book. If there's an actual short story, then they should have probably published it instead or along with the play.

Overall, I give this book 2 out of five stars for gay-baiting. There's another major fanfict troupe this play has, but I can't go into because major spoiler for this joke of a play. I have other issues with it but I'm already on the borderline of Spoiler land and those thoughts belong in video discussion. Seriously though, what was the point of this? Does J.K. Rowling have a secret gambling problem so she needed to make money quick or something? Why was this ever approved? I know this is very negative review, but there was nothing good or enjoyable about reading this play. It's possible that is better acted out, you know in its intended media, but going off how bad the dialogue I really doubt it.

If this play had actually been about about Harry Potter's adult life or the challenges of being the son of a War hero then it would have been interesting.  No we got timetravel and not even the Marauders
to make it fun at least. I think it ends being a two star and not one for me because there was something thing that could have been really good but everything they got right, they twisted till it wasn't. Now, I'm off to read decent fanfiction.

Pokemon Don't Move

Like the rest of the world I've been playing Pokemon Go. Mostly from my bed, you would be surprise how many Pokemon just stroll into my house. I caught my first two in my kitchen. I catch a Gastly while watching 'My Ghost Story', her name is My Gastly Story now. Also two crab Pokemon in my bed, also a Horsea. Maybe my bed is a ocean. Now I must fight the urge to write a poem-story with that concept at this exact moment.

Quite the balancing act.

There is are three Pokestops and a gym in walking distances of my house. I don't if that's good or not as I've not played in the game in a bigger town or city yet. One of the pokestop is technically in the middle of the the road, but that's not where the map registers it being and the other is the place I go to vote.

Whoever currently has the gym either did one of the tricks to get Pokemon Go in the UK or they're from another country, because their Pokemon are at a ridiculous level for game only been out two days. I've picked the red team and will make that gym red as blood.

What could have been?

My brother and I have been out during early morning hours trying to find pokemon. Its been a struggle with servers going down all the time and the game freezing just as a decent pokemon appears. The game also freezes after I've hit a pokemon when with a pokeball. I have lost so many because of this. Sometimes the pokemon is there and sometimes its gone from my world.

All this walking has started too hurt me. I keep having back spasms so fun. I know there's apparently cheats to make you look like your walking but I'm definitely not gonna try that cause I would probably mess up something.  I wonder how quickly eggs hatch on a plane.

That's all from me on the written form but I've tons of videos going on my YouTube as soon as I edit them. Filmed way too much today. Off to hunt for pokemon.

Book Review: Eight Rivers of Shadow by Leo Hunt

Teen Pregnancy is gonna happen one way or another in this series.

Luke Manchett used to be one of the most popular boys at school.

That was before his necromancer father died and left him a host of vengeful ghosts that wanted him dead.

Now everyone thinks he's a freak.

To make matters worse, the mysterious new girl at school is actually the daughter of his father's deadliest enemy...

And she's out for revenge

This is the sequel to 13 Days of Midnight, while I enjoyed the first book, I had issues with it that have carried on to the next book. Most of them have doubled.

The plot was still strong but was too reliant on the sheer stupidity of the protagonist. It could be augured it's is naivety but at this point he's straight up not learning from his mistakes.The world building while interesting, it didn't compensate for the characters this time.

Luke and Elza are giant clichés. A popular jock and a snobby goth are the most unlikable stereotypes that you can find in a Teen Medium without a immediate threat; it becomes clear how characterless they are. I had a problem with the romantic aspect of their relationship in the previous book and in this one it rings even more false for me. This is a big issue as a lot of the novel is their relationship being tested and I'm just in the corner thinking you should have broke up by now, like Big Brother contestants do when they come out the house. Their bonding is experience is over and has been for months at the start of this book. Friendships are valid and in high school you be friends with people if you have nothing really in common except being outsiders and lonely. You're less likely to question your differences in friendship than a romance. Their high tolerance for each is never explained which we just know how they annoy each other.

Also both Luke's mum and Elza's parents are completely fine with them staying over at each others' places over night without a discussion. There's at least an awkward sex talk in there. That's never discussed in the book and they are just teenagers who both lucked on parents that up for having grand kids in 9 months. All of the parents are involve and actually care about their locations. This is odd absence of responsibility is just weird extension of the absent parents trope in YA. A world without consequences.

The new characters in this book are bland and American meaning their actions have little emotional consequence to the story. But I like them more than Luke and Elza so problematic again for the plot.

Random Fact: Luke has disdain towards having his Dad's last name, but he's 16 years he can change his name to his mum's (or anything) if he wants. Its the 21st century and lots of people decided to do that. If it's to show disdain towards his father, I think the back story does this pretty clearly and if to explain his mum different last name, why bring her last name up? No one actively calls her by it and the story is told completely by Luke. If meant to show Luke still wants a connection with his dad, how many people would question one line at the the start of the book this much.

I give this 2.5 stars for Ghost Fights. I like the world of this book, but the characters really let the book down. I'm not all invested in them at all after two books. Last time I said I didn't think of I would read the sequel but who knows, probably wouldn't buy it. I think I would definitely read a spin off or future work from Leo Hunt. If you a more plot person than a character person then I would recommend it to you.

I got this off NetGalley for review and is being published by Orchard Books on 14 July 2016.

Book Review: Urban Legend by Helen Grant

Surprisingly reading a whole series based off the title of last book paid off.

A GROUP OF STORY-TELLERS DISAPPEARING ONE BY ONE.

A YOUNG WOMAN HAUNTED BY HER PAST.

A SERIAL KILLER WITH ONE TARGET HE IS DESPERATE TO HUNT DOWN.

 Veerle is trying to lie low, to live as 'normal' a life as she possibly can.

But when you've thwarted a serial killer, it's hard to do this.

ESPECIALLY WHEN HE WANTS REVENGE...

This is the final book in the Forbidden Space trilogy by Helen Grant. I have reviews of the other two books, Silent Saturday and Demons of Ghent if you're not familiar with the series.

This book is called Urban Legends and surprisingly has Urban Legends. The main reason I read this series is because I love Legends and ghost stories I picked up this book solely on this when I saw in the library and then I read the whole series. I really like the way these stories were incorporated into the novel and think think it worked really well. Urban legends are sprinkled through the main story, (my favourite is Angel Smile as its own thing while being based on a popular Legend. Also such a cute renaming).

The plot is involves abandoned buildings and more urban exploring. We have more interesting murders (be honest and admit that you rate fictional murders). I like the climax and the build up to it.

This book continues the romances from the two previous, but its quickly resolves if you're not about pointless love triangles (while on the real side of those situations, I'm just not about romances in general).

Overall, I give it 4/5 stars for lost flashlights. This was a good strong ending to the series and I'm glad that I read the whole series, just based on this book's title. I wish had written this review sooner after I finished reading the book, but Oh well. Time is fleeting thing that gets away from us all. Would had of have a better review though.

P.S. Nice final sentence. "They stood together and watched the coin rise and fall in the air, golden and glittering as it turned over and over in the light from the street lamps, and waited to see which way it would fall."