One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson is a mix of literature and mystery. The story is full of deeply flawed, quirky characters which are very memorable. The writing is very good in this atypical mystery. The mystery is a slow burn, as it takes a while for you, the reader, to know what the mystery is all about. This story revolves around 7 characters who we all get perspectives from. This can sometimes be too much as I prefer 3 to 4 perspectives, but Kate Atkinson is such a good character writer that I was never confused with whose perspective was in charge. As the story unfolds those 7 characters will be connected through happenstance and murder plots. The story reminded me a lot of Fargo the TV series since all the characters are so quirky and could each lead their own story. One Good Turn is book two in the Jackson Brodie series. The first book is the excellent Case Histories, where the character of Jackson Brodie is introduced. One Good Turn does not require you to read Case Histories as the book does a good job of telling you what happened to Jackson Brodie in the first book. Jackson Brodie the character is so interesting as he does not want to be a detective anymore but keeps getting drawn in. One Good Turn was published on August 1, 2006.
Plot Summary: In Edinburgh, Scotland a light fender bender provokes an act of violence with a baseball bat. Was it road rage gone wrong or something more planned? A quiet small writer intervenes which is very out of character and saves the beaten man. Jackson Brodie, a now-retired detective from England, is on vacation with his girlfriend who is in a play up the street from the car accident and is just strolling by when the writer intervenes. Brodie consoles the writer and watches the suspect flee he disappears before the police arrive but makes an impression on the mystery writer he consoled. Gloria watches the accident from her window and is greeted by the police after but they are not here for the accident. Her husband is in a coma and found unresponsive with his mistress. The book starts with an accident but nothing in this book is an accident as all the characters are linked and on someone’s hit list.
What I Liked: The characters in this book are so well-rounded we know their past, their dreams, and what they are trying to change about themselves. The story is a great ensemble of characters in this Jackson Brodie series but he doesn’t have more pages than anybody else I would say Martin the writer is in the book more. I liked the balance of characters and how long the reader stays with them. The pace is pretty even if we learn more about the characters than is necessary but it is so interesting. The flashbacks reminded me of Stephen King’s writing where he dives deeper into the character than necessary but it is interesting. The ending of this book is great where most of the characters are all coming together and the action is surprising and great.
What I Disliked: After that great ending that I loved the wrap-up of all the characters is too slow. I was very satisfied with the ending but then there were forty pages after that. Only about 25% was great and gave insight into the mystery but the rest was just too much. Going into the ending the book was a 4.7star review but I don’t know if it will survive to get rounded up 5.
Recommendation: Kate Atkinson has written my favorite book of all time Life After Life, but since that, I have read 4 of her novels. where they have for the most part been good, they have not been great. One Good Turn is great and the writing and character development are so good. I don’t think everyone will like it because it is not your typical mystery it is more literature that takes place in a mystery. If you are a reader who likes a challenging at times story then this is the book for you.
Rating: I rated One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Ranking: I have read 4 Kate Atkinson books this is my ranking from best to worst: 1) Life After Life, 2) One Good Turn, 3) Case Histories, and 4) Shrines of Gaiety.
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver is a dark romance involving two serial killers who hunt other serial killers. The Butcher and Blackbird is the first book in The Ruinous Love trilogy. This is the first dark romance book and it was a bit eye-opening. I was expecting a little more sex, but when it does happen it is long and intense. It takes over half the book for the characters to have sex, which felt a little long. When the sex occurs it is fierce, dirty, and degrading. There was some kinky stuff some stuff I felt like need some consent first or a conversation about what you’re into before anal and snowballing. This book is about two psychopaths so maybe no consent is needed. I did find it funny that both characters admitted to not having sex in three years, yet one of them carried lube for anal, oh yeah they’re crazy. This book knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to be anything more which I found refreshing. the trigger warnings are on the first page of the book and the author has a note on the second page that reads, “For those of you who read the trigger warnings and said, “accidental cannibalism?! Count me in! this one’s for you. The book already started very tongue-in-cheek with humor. The story doesn’t go too heavy into the trauma of what made them monsters or the people they hunt, but it gives the reader enough to go on. The pacing is a little slow at the beginning but when the sex starts happening the pages start to fly. The book ends where it hints at what is to come. Do not skip the bonus chapter to see where the next book Leather and Lark is headed and who the villain will be. Butcher & Blackbird was published on December 12, 2023, by Slowburn.
Plot Summary: Sloane also known as the Orb Weaver as she plucks her victim’s eyes out, runs into Rowan also known as the Butcher. Sloane kills the target that Rowan was after as they both hunt serial killers but Sloane ends up trapping herself as Rowan saves her. They are both infatuated with the other with Sloane calling Rowan pretty. Rowan suggests a competition a year from now they pick an unknown target and the first one that gets a kill, wins. What starts as talking trash about who will win turns into flirting, once each other sees the monster hiding inside they run away or into each other’s arms.
What I Liked: For the most part the sex was hot there were a few scenes where I’m not into that but I know others are, and most importantly you could feel the character’s connection. I loved the date scene where one of the characters thought it was about them but the the other character wanted it to be a hunt. I thought the scene was well done and you could feel the moment they realized they messed up. I loved the joke after the trigger warnings. I loved the witty banter between them. There are some good bits of humor, especially with Rowan and his brothers. I like that the author included mood music for the chapters.
What I Disliked: Rowan and his Irish-ness were very inconsistent sometimes it was there but others it was not. Sloane has three genital piercings I thought they were not described well as I’m still pondering on exact placement and do not want to look them up. So I feel they could be described better. For the killers that they hunt, I wanted more of a challenge and more of a build-up.
Recommendation: There’s a page and a half of trigger warning this book will not be for everyone. I would say you have to have dark humor to enjoy this book and a very open mind when it comes to sex scenes. I had fun with this book and will recommend it, I did request the next book Leather & Lark to read an advanced copy, but the way this book is blowing up on BookTok I don’t know if I have a chance.
Rating: I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars. I did try one dirty thing from this book and my wife approved, so that is the highest rating of all.
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles is a historical fiction that takes place in New York City between 1937 and 1938. The Great Depression was still plaguing America, as World War II was on the horizon, and people were defined by their class system. The Rules of Civility is about a group of characters who will not be defined by society’s class structure and try to change their station in it. Some characters hate where they are in society and openly mock the class that they are in, whereas other characters will fake it until they make it. The underlying theme of the book is everyone is a whore for somebody, the only way to get ahead is to prostitute oneself through money, influence, and jobs. Some of the characters do not realize that are controlled by someone else until the end. It’s powerful and still very relevant in today’s society by this phase: it is not what you know, but who you know. I love that the title is based off of George Washington’s writing a long set of rules called the Rules of Civility. The Rules of Civility are a set of rules for how one must subject one’s self in society, there are 110 rules that one character lives by and thankfully at the end of the book Amor Towles posts them all. The pacing moves along a little bit slowly but the history, the characters, and the conversations are all interesting. There are a couple of turns the book takes that I was not expecting. I did struggle for moments asking myself what the point of it was, but in the end, the book makes a strong statement on society and manipulation. This is my second Amor Towles book, and I love the way he writes characters that you grow to get behind despite their faults. Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow are getting adapted as a limited TV series. Rules of Civility is Amor Towles’s debut novel which was published on July 26, 2011.
Plot Summary: Katey Kontent and her roommate Eve have 5 dollars between themselves and still decide to go out to a jazz club on New Year’s Eve of 1937 and meet a young banker Tinker Gray. Who has money and treats them well. He loves that Katey is an intellectual and calls him on things but he also likes Eve a fun party girl that demands everyone’s attention. Tinker is infatuated with both women and both Katey and Eve want to be a part of the social class that he’s a part of. Katey is not as aggressive as Eve and still wants to earn it whereas Eve feels entitled to it. A car accident changes everything for the trio. There are Rules to Civility but not everyone plays by them. This a a fantastic look at 1938 New York City and what people would do and act to get ahead.
What I Liked: The dialogue of this book is really good, where the story sometimes lags the dialogue never does. The dialogue is fun and witty. This book gave me a new appreciation for Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, which I’ve always considered a very boring stream-of-consciousness writing about nature, but the way this book has conversations about it makes me want to love it the way the characters do. It does make sense that Amor Towles’s next book A Gentleman in Moscow is about a man trapped in one room like Walden is about a man alone in a cabin in the woods. I love the way the jazz clubs and speakeasies are described. I loved the theme of the book and how the surprises at the end shaped the book. I loved the horse racing scene.
What I Disliked: I wanted Tinker’s brother Hank to be in the book more his character was so complex yet the only character who rejected society’s class system and preferred to be lower class than play the game. I think the story came together at the end but there were times when I felt the novel wasn’t focused and leading me to the point of the story.
Recommendation: I recommend you check out Rules of Civility and the excellent dialogue writing. The story as a whole is very good and comes together so well at the end that it mirrors today’s society. I did not like Rules of Civility as much as I liked The Lincoln Highway Amor Towles’s third novel, but for a debut novel, it is very well written. I have requested A Gentleman in Moscow from the library after finishing Rules of Civility. If you have not checked out this man’s excellent writing please do.
Rating: I rated Rules for Civility by Amor Towles 4.1 out of 5 stars.
April 2024 TBR list: last month I read six books and all books from my monthly TBR and read 1 extra. I set my reading goal at 75 books for this year and have so far read 19 books. Last month I caught up on Netgalley books some ARC’s (Advanced Readers Copies) and some books I’m behind on. This month will be a mix of books some series and some Netgalley backlogs.
Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver is a love story between two serial killers that sounds insane. This book has been blowing up BookTok lately. More than a couple of blogs that I followed have raved about it. Its genre is Dark Romance not a genre I’ve read before but I’m ready for it. This book is book one of the Ruinous Love Trilogy.
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles is about society and class jumping in 1937-1938 New York. I read the Lincoln Highway two years ago and loved it. I have wanted to read another Amor Towles book and this one was available at the library. The way he writes historical fiction with an underlying theme still relevant in today’s society makes him a can’t-miss author.
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson is the second book in the Jackson Brodie mystery series. Kate Atkinson has written my favorite book ever Life After Life, so I always look forward to reading her stories. Case Histories is the first book in this Scottish detective Jackson Brodie’s series and a book I really liked and looked forward to reading further. I received an advanced readers’ copy of Death at the Sign of the Rook the sixth book in the series, and plan to read all the other books leading up to the new one.
The Ghost That Ate Us by Daniel Kraus is another insane book about the author Daniel Kraus investigating a Burger City fast food restaurant that is haunted. This farcical fake investigative novel sounds fun. I loved Daniel Kraus’ writing on The Living Dead a book he co-wrote with George A. Romero before he passed it was fun, gory, and poignant. I expect this novel to be great. This a book from my Netgalley backlogs that I’m trying to get down to get some great new ARCs. Thanks to Netgalley and Raw Dog Screaming Press for the free copy.
Parasite by Darcy Coates is a horror Science Fiction about an alien that wears its victim’s skin and adopts its personality. I’ve never read a Darcy Coates novel but she has been recommended a few times. This is another book on my Netgalley Backlogs. Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free book.
Calling All Creeps! By R.L. Stine is Goosebumps book number 50 in the original series order. My journey to read all the Goosebumps books is almost complete, with only 12 more left. I remember my sister having this book and it crept me out as a kid, will it do the same thing as an adult?
Dear Readers, March was a great month for reading. I read all books on my TBR for the month and even read an extra book. I got ahead on 2 advanced readers copies, both coming out in April. I read 3 horror, 1 mystery, 2 graphic novels, 1 science fiction and espionage adventure. I read 4 books from a book series Goosebumps Vampire Breath book 49, Injustice 2 Volume 1 the first book in the Injustice 2 series, Stranger Things: Into the Fire the 3rd Stranger Things graphic novel, and Void Moon is book 9 in The Harry Bosch Universe series. My ratings for the month are three 4 star books, and four 3 star books.
Four Star Reviews:
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes is a thrilling and intense science fiction horror novel. Ghost Station was a cross between the movie Life and Helix the SYFY network TV show (more people should watch this show it is fantastic). The pace of this book moves a little slow at the beginning, but when the horror starts at 40% the book is pretty nonstop. I liked the mystery aspect of the story what is happening are they experiencing ERS (space madness) or something else? The book has a lot of twists and turns, no earth-shattering ones but a lot of fun character reveals that lead to twists. There’s a minimal amount of characters so you get to know them pretty well I liked Suresh, the jokester, the best. Ophelia the main character took a while to warm up to she really is the worst person to be a psychiatrist. This book makes use of the trapped setting making the reader feel the claustrophobia. The ending was very satisfying and had a good twist with it. I read this advanced reader’s copy for free thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire. Ghost Station will be published on April 9, 2024.
Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser is a graphic novel sequel to Six as it explores events and characters after that book. Where Six took place before the events of Stranger Things, it has been a few years and this book takes place 3 months after the events of Stranger Things Season 2. The pacing for this story was very good, I was easily able to read this in one setting. I liked how much the characters evolved since the events in Six. This has been my favorite of the graphic novels it was original and yet tied into the series as a whole. The end of this story is great and gets to show you the danger of these powers. This story had the most action out of any of the graphic novels so far.Â
Injustice 2 Volume 1 by Tom Taylor is the sequel to Injustice which started five years in the past. Injustice started when the Joker grew tired of Batman beating him and turned to a new prey Superman. The Joker ends up making him kill Lois Lane and his unborn child. Superman does not want innocents killed and turns the world into a superhero police state that he rules. This does not sit well with Batman who wants everyone to have free will even the criminally insane. Batman defeats Superman by having a Justice League from another dimension beat him. That brings us to Injustice 2 where Batman tries to build society back up, but others want to tear it down. Both Injustice Gods Among Us and Injustice 2 are video games the comic series leads up to where both games start. Injustice 2 comic is intense with lots of heroes and villains deaths. The series acts like a What if? and has fun new origins for superheroes, especially Supergirl. There are a lot of heroes and villains featured in this book Batman, Damien Wayne, Superman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, Deadshot, Orca, Calendar Man, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Dr. Fate, Black Adam, The Atom, Poison Ivy, and Super Girl. I did not mention all the names due to spoilers, because this book has some good twists and turns.
Three Star Reviews:
The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes is an international spy thriller with a twist that jumps genres. This book was my most anticipated book of 2024 after reading I Am Pilgrim Terry Hayes’s debut. His follow-up The Year of the Locust is part great international spy thriller and part what the heck is going on here. There’s a huge twist in this book that changes this book into a completely different genre and direction. I’m going to say flat out I did not like this twist and it is really unfortunate because I was enjoying this novel up to this point. When the book is about the spy aspect you’ll think Terry Hayes was reading government files because it feels so real and reminded me of early Tom Clancy writing. The pace of the story is good with for the most part small chapters that are easy to consume, some aspects are over-explained but for the most part, they are always interesting. I will say Hayes tells a well-rounded story where every piece of dialogue and event even after the crazy twist leads you to the conclusion. The ending was great and very intense it relies on the crazy twist and it made me like the crazy twist a little bit more. I read this book for free in exchange for a review thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books. The Year of the Locust was published on February 6, 2024.
Void Moon by Michael Connelly is book 9 in the Harry Bosch Universe series. This book is unique in that it has a female lead who is on the wrong side of the law. The book is about a Las Vegas heist that goes wrong. The book has long passages where it’s all description as the character works in the dark based on feeling and sound. The book has two characters the thief and the man in pursuit. Connelly is better at writing men as he creates a full-fledged character in the Jack of Spades, where Cassie Black has layers but not as fully realized. Jack of Spades for me stole the show and made the book a whole lot more interesting when he’s involved, at first I thought he was going to be an honest investigator but he soon shows his sadistic side. The opening scene was done very well, showing Cassie’s motivation for the whole book right at the beginning. The pace of the book slows down until Jack of Spades is introduced 30% in and keeps the pace until the exciting ending.Â
Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine is Goosebumps book 49 in the original series order. I was excited since this is the first vampire book in Goosebumps so far. The vampire fun takes a while to get going as the main vampire can’t find his teeth. You see he is old and now has false Vampire teeth. I did roll my eyes at that but thankfully Stine does feature some real vampires and when one is revealed it is terrifying. One vampire reminded me a lot of Claudia from Interview with a Vampire who was constantly getting scolded for playing with her food. The book had a great opening starting with a scary story. Then a creepy hidden tunnel reveals a hidden room with Vampire Breath. The pace slows down after time travel is involved. The pace is slow but the tension of the kids just wanting to escape is throughout. The ending is very lame and one of the worst.Â
It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is a middle grade horror about twins lost in a truly bizarre village that is looked over by a giant scarecrow. I have read Strand’s work as an adult horror writer where he’s known for his comedy and going to the extreme. As a fan of his work, I wanted to check it out. It Watches in the Dark has some bizarre characters, some dark humor, and a good final twist, and where this story doesn’t go to the extreme it goes to places other children’s books will not. The story took a little while to get going for me the twins took a while to like, but I eventually got there. The scares include being trapped, getting held against your will, getting eaten by ants (I loved this scene), being thrown on roofs, Being eaten by multiple big creatures, and a being entering your mind making you harm others. The ending is wild and I loved every minute of it. There’s a twist that I should have seen coming but I did not that is totally great and very in the horror/Twilight Zone vein. The scene made me laugh out loud in a good way because of what was happening. I really liked the ending but had some issues with the character’s actions and I really wanted a history of the scarecrow which we did not get. I read this Advanced Reader’s Copy thanks to Netgalley and Source Books Young Readers for the free book. It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is published on April 2, 2024.
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes is a thrilling and intense science fiction horror novel. Ghost Station is the second novel from S.A. Barnes whose first was Dead Silence. I liked Dead Silence the book had a lot of great moments and promises, Ghost Station I loved it took everything I liked from Dead Silence the intensity, the plot twists, the slight humor, and the horror and turned it up while cutting out most of what I disliked out. Ghost Station was a cross between the movie Life and Helix the SYFY network TV show (more people should watch this show it is fantastic). The pace of this book moves a little slow at the beginning, but when the horror starts at 40% the book is pretty nonstop. I liked the mystery aspect of the story what is happening are they experiencing ERS (space madness) or something else? The book has a lot of twists and turns, no earth-shattering ones but a lot of fun character reveals that lead to twists. There’s a minimal amount of characters so you get to know them pretty well I liked Suresh, the jokester, the best. Ophelia the main character took a while to warm up to she really is the worst person to be a psychiatrist. This book makes use of the trapped setting making the reader feel the claustrophobia. The ending was very satisfying and had a good twist with it. I read this advanced reader’s copy for free thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire. Ghost Station will be published on April 9, 2024.
Plot Summary: Ophelia is a fill-in psychiatrist for a space mission to explore an abandoned planet that another corporation sold the rights to. Ophelia is filling in because the last crew member Ava died on mission. Ophelia has to be the new crew member, the outsider, and get the crew to talk about themselves. She has developed a new sleep study where a device puts you in a place where you’re comfortable like your old childhood bedroom. The sleep device has problems as some start sleepwalking and seeing ghosts. Ophelia would like to think the crew is going through ERS space madness, but she starts hearing and seeing ghosts. The mission is to study this newly abandoned planet, but the crew starts finding evidence that it wasn’t abandoned and that maybe the first crew never left. This is intense science fiction horror at its best.
What I Liked: The intensity of the novel is throughout. You can feel an unnerving presence lurking in the shadows. I liked how all the characters had very different voices, I never lost who was talking or being talked to. I liked the ending and how edge-of-your-seat it was. The novel did a great job of providing the flashbacks to make you feel like you were there. I thought what was haunting the crew members was interesting and terrifying. The mystery of what happened to the crew before them was really interesting.
What I Disliked: Ophelia was a horrible psychiatrist she had more secrets than anyone, and just kept making the dumbest choices not to help anyone’s psyche. ERS, space madness, was a big thing in Dead Silence I was a little annoyed that it was a thing in this book, in the end, this was a way different book than Dead Silence but I was worried it was going to be the same story in a different setting. ERS at the beginning was brought up so much I was like is this connected to Dead Silence but it was not.
Recommendations: Ghost Station is a great science fiction horror novel that I think you need to check out. It is atmospheric horror at its best, you feel the doom of being trapped where you can’t trust the people you are staying with. I like this novel over Dead Silence, which I rated 3 stars and saw a lot of potential. This novel has that potential and it was great to read.
Rating: I rated Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes 4.3 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more S.A. Barnes in the future.
Injustice 2 Volume 1 by Tom Taylor is the sequel to Injustice which started five years in the past. Injustice started when the Joker grew tired of Batman beating him and turned to a new prey Superman. The Joker ends up making him kill Lois Lane and his unborn child. Superman does not want innocents killed and turns the world into a superhero police state that he rules. This does not sit well with Batman who wants everyone to have free will even the criminally insane. Batman defeats Superman by having a Justice League from another dimension beat him. That brings us to Injustice 2 where Batman tries to build society back up, but others want to tear it down. Both Injustice Gods Among Us and Injustice 2 are video games the comic series leads up to where both games start. Injustice 2 comic is intense with lots of heroes and villains deaths. The series acts like a What if? and has fun new origins for superheroes, especially Supergirl. There are a lot of heroes and villains featured in this book Batman, Damien Wayne, Superman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, Deadshot, Orca, Calendar Man, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Dr. Fate, Black Adam, The Atom, Poison Ivy, and Super Girl. I did not mention all the names due to spoilers, because this book has some good twists and turns. The pace is rapid I thought the Supergirl new origin story was a little slow but I liked the end result. I was not prepared for how funny this book would be there were a couple of scenes that had me laugh out loud. Harley Quinn provides the best laughs and I’m happy to read a running joke throughout the first Injustice is extended into Injustice 2 and what Green Arrow calls his lair the Arrow Cave versus The Quiver. You don’t need to play the game to enjoy these books, it will help at the end though since both series lead up to the games. Injustice 2 Volume 1 collect Injustice 2 Comics 1-6. Injustice 2 was published on May 1, 2018 by DC Comics.
Plot Summary: Batman is trying to rebuild the world after Superman broke bad and had to be stopped. Batman lost all the people he cares about Alfred, Nightwing, and he lost his son Damien who joined Superman’s side. Batman hopes to form a new family to take care of this damaged world but others want to tear it down. Harley who was a big help to Batman and taking Superman down is kidnapped and has an explosive put in her brain by Amanda Waller to join the Suicide Squad. Very soon after the bomb is implanted someone takes Amanda Waller’s device and controls the Suicide Squad to do their evil bidding. Can Batman and his new team save the world? or is it too late?
What I Liked: Harley Quinn and her humor had me laughing way more than I thought this book would. The original Blue Beetle Ted Kord training Jamie. The viciousness of the Killer Croc and Orca team up. The prison break scene was fun and I liked the twist with it. The new Supergirl Origin, and the new timeline for when she arrives on Earth after Superman is in prison. I liked the twist of who is the real puppet master and what they want to do with the world. The scene between Batman and Conner (Green Arrow’s son) was very heartfelt.
What I Disliked: The Supergirl origin was a little bit too long. Batman saying someone was better than him after a quick little fight felt false to me. I wanted a quick refresher of all the events that happened before Injustice 2 began, there was not one.
Recommendation: Injustice 2 Volume 1 is a strong start to the series. I rated The first series of Injustice very high, and this one is off to the same start. The action, the humor, and the story are all great making this easy to read and a lot of fun. I recommend you Check this book out after the first series.
Rating: I rather Injustice 2 Volume 1 by Tom Taylor 4.1 out of 5 stars.
Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine is Goosebumps book 49 in the original series order. I was excited since this is the first vampire book in Goosebumps so far. The vampire fun takes a while to get going as the main vampire can’t find his teeth. You see he is old and now has false Vampire teeth. I did roll my eyes at that but thankfully Stine does feature some real vampires and when one is revealed it is terrifying. One vampire reminded me a lot of Claudia from Interview with a Vampire who was constantly getting scolded for playing with her food. The book had a great opening starting with a scary story. Then a creepy hidden tunnel reveals a hidden room with Vampire Breath. Vampire Breath has powers that all Vampires need, I guess it is not real Vampire Breath or you think the vampires would have an endless supply. The pace slows down after time travel is involved. The pace is slow but the tension of the kids just wanting to escape is throughout. The ending is very lame and one of the worst. There’s a final twist that was okay even though it is very predictable. Totally 90’s things of note kids used to have to search hard for flashlights before we could use our phones. The concept of Vampire Breath is interesting and only Stine could come up with it. I felt it could have been used better in the story. Vampire Breath was published on November 1, 1996.
Plot Summary: Freddy and his best friend Cara find a hidden room in Freddy’s house. In the hidden room sits a coffin. The kids being curious open it up but they don’t find a body, but what they do find is a bottle of Vampire Breath is an old bottle. Cara pulls the tab and the room fills with green smoke and a body is now in the coffin and starts to rise. It is a vampire who is very confused about how he got there, but one thing that he is sure of is that he’s thirsty. The kids start to run as the vampire chases them. The last time when they used the Vampire Breath it made him appear, maybe if they use it again he will disappear. But when they do things don’t go as planned as they are transported a hundred years in the past to the Vampire’s lair.
What I Liked: The Vampire Breath is a neat concept, but not without its flaws. I liked the kid’s time-traveling to the vampire’s lair. I loved the scene with Gwendolyn as she tries to help but it goes wrong. The vampire with false teeth was a little bit funny even though I did roll my eyes. The opening scene was very well done with Freddy telling a horror story to the kid he’s babysitting. The first quarter of the book was decently scary until it was revealed the vampire had no teeth. I do like the vampire’s promise that everything will be fine when I get my teeth I will not be thirsty and make you a vampire. I loved the cover art a lot I remember it very well as a kid.
What I Disliked: Vampire Breath, how did the vampires keep running out, don’t they have an endless supply it is called Vampire Breath. The end was pretty lame it reminded me of The Girl Who Cried Monster’s ending. The final twist was lame too and I saw coming. The overall story was not that great and had some plot holes.
Recommendation: Vampire Breath tried to be different and just did not work. There are some good scenes throughout this story, but as a whole, it wasn’t that good. I will not recommend reading Vampire Breath.
Rating: I rated Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine 2.7 out of 5 stars.
Ranking: Here’s my full ranking of the 49 Goosebumps books that I have read in order from my favorite to least favorite: 1) A Night in Terror Tower, 2) Stay Out of the Basement, 3) The Headless Ghost, 4) Ghost Beach, 5) Piano Lessons Can Be Murder, 6) The Haunted Mask, 7) Ghost Camp, 8) The Horror at Camp Jellyjam, 9) One Day At Horrorland, 10) Night of the Living Dummy, 11) Welcome to Camp Nightmare, 12) A Shocker on Shock Street, 13)The Phantom of the Auditorium, 14) It Came From Beneath the Sink, 15)Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns, 16)The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, 17) Say Cheese and Die, 18) Let’s Get Invisible, 19) The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, 20) Welcome to Dead House, 21) Monster Blood II, 22) The Beast From the East, 23) The Girl who Cried Monster, 24)Deep Trouble, 25) The Ghost Next Door, 26) Say Cheese and Die – Again! 27) Night of the Living Dummy 2, 28) My Hairiest Adventure, 29) Be Careful What You Wish For…, 30) Return of the Mummy, 31) Why I’m Afraid of Bees, 32) The Haunted Mask II, 33)How I Got My Shrunken Head, 34) How to Kill a Monster, 35) Attack of the Mutant, 36) Go Eat Worms!, 37) Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes, 38) The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, 39) Bad Hare Day, 40) Cuckoo Clock of Doom, 41) Vampire Breath, 42) Monster Blood, 43)Night of the Living Dummy III, 44) The Barking Ghost, 45) Egg Monsters from Mars, 46) The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena, 47) You Can’t Scare Me!, 48) Legend of the Lost Legend, and 49) Monster Blood III.
Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser is a graphic novel sequel to Six as it explores events and characters after that book. Where Six took place before the events of Stranger Things, it has been a few years and this book takes place 3 months after the events of Stranger Things Season 2. The pacing for this story was very good, I was easily able to read this in one setting. I liked how much the characters evolved since the events in Six. This has been my favorite of the graphic novels it was original and yet tied into the series as a whole. Kali (formerly Eight) who has the biggest picture on the cover and from Stranger Things season 2 is only a cameo and helps point are heroes in the right direction, but is not a big part of the book. I do like that we get to see Kali’s gang make an appearance as well. The end of this story is great and gets to show you the danger of these powers. This story had the most action out of any of the graphic novels so far. I liked the characters of Three and Nine a lot more in this book than in Six. Stranger Things: Into the Fire collects Stranger Things: Into the Fire #1-#4. Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser was published on July 28, 2020, by Dark Horse Books.
Plot Summary: After the events of Six, Three and Nine have escaped the facility while Nine’s twin sister Ten was left behind. Ten was long thought dead but Nine now believes she is alive. They reach out to Eight who has since escaped and she knows that Ten is alive and was forced to manipulate her mind, to make her feel like a forest princess. Eight has a name on her list of payback that she gives to Three and Nine to track down. They find an ex-employee of the lab in full regret and knows where Ten was taken, a supervised fully monitored building for troubled teens, that they now have to break her out of.
What I Liked: The ending scene was written very well and the best of the graphic novel series it is brutal and right all at the same time, it shows the danger that three is and can be. I liked the sister bond. I loved Kali and her gang being a small part of this story. I love that Eleven was mentioned and discussed briefly. The flashbacks of what Kali did to Ten were great and very visual. I thought the locked-up princess bit worked well. I liked the relationship between Three and Nine.
What I Disliked: The first issue was disjointed and it took me until the second to like the direction of the story. I did not like the deception in the cover featuring Kali so prominently to only me in this book 5 pages.
Recommendation: This book is my favorite out of the three Stranger Things Graphic novels. The novel is both an original and connects to the existing narrative of the TV show. The end scene was so good. I recommend you check this story out.
Rating: I rated Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser 4.3 out of 5 stars.
Book Order: The book order for the three Stranger Things novels that I have read are: 1) The Other Side, 2) Six, and 3) Into the Fire
Ranking: I have ranked the three graphic novels from best to worst: 1) Into the Fire, 2) The Other Side, and 3) Six
It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is a middle grade horror about twins lost in a truly bizarre village that is looked over by a giant scarecrow. I have read Strand’s work as an adult horror writer where he’s known for his comedy and going to the extreme. As a fan of his work, I wanted to check it out. It Watches in the Dark has some bizarre characters, some dark humor, and a good final twist, and where this story doesn’t go to the extreme it goes to places other children’s books will not. The story took a little while to get going for me the twins took a while to like, but I eventually got there. The scares include being trapped, getting held against your will, getting eaten by ants (I loved this scene), being thrown on roofs, Being eaten by multiple big creatures, and a being entering your mind making you harm others. The ending is wild and I loved every minute of it. There’s a twist that I should have seen coming but I did not that is totally great and very in the horror/Twilight Zone vein. The scene made me laugh out loud in a good way because of what was happening. I really liked the ending but had some issues with the character’s actions and I really wanted a history of the scarecrow which we did not get. I thought the story could have added more humor there’s some but I wanted more. The story felt like it was a cross between Goosebumps and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read this Advanced Reader’s Copy thanks to Netgalley and Source Books Young Readers for the free book. It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is published on April 2, 2024.
Plot Summary: Two twins Oliver and Trisha celebrate their 12th Birthday with their dad with a 5 day canoe trip down the river in Missouri. An accident happens on the trip that knocks out the father, and the kids look for help the go down the river until they find an old dock. The kids only see a forest after the dock, but don’t see anywhere else and follow a trail that leads to a small town. Who can help their dad? The kids aren’t allowed in the hospital and have to spend a day in the weird town that has a giant Scarecrow in the center that they feel is creepy and watching them. Everybody in town is very thankful for the scarecrow and doesn’t think it is creepy at all. The kids get yelled at and told they are ungrateful when they don’t finish a huge ice cream sundae, the mayor makes a deal with the kids to see their dad, they have to sit in front of the scarecrow for one hour, which they do but are horrified when they hear a voice asking them do violence to each other. When they finally get to see their dad he has an outrageous amount of wires hanging out of him. The kids are told they have to stay the night but plan to escape with their dad as Trisha steals the key to the hospital. when they do escape the house they were staying the night, they notice something the scarecrow is not where it was, and is actively moving around looking for them.
What I Liked: The dark humor about the mayor, the owner of the diner, and various townspeople who see the world as one way, and these kids are rude. The kids and the fire ants scene is great. How vicious the scarecrow is when he throws them and goes through buildings to find them. The twist with all the wires in the dad was a good one. The final twist in the story was amazing and made me so happy as a horror fan. I liked the conversations with the mayor, he was so odd and easily offended to have all this power. The case scenes with the scarecrow.
What I Disliked: The action took a long time to start the scarecrow doesn’t move until after 50%. Trisha felt older than 12. The actions of Belinda made no sense at all. The scarecrow is inconsistent as well, he had so many chances to kill the kids through the townspeople but does not say anything.
Recommendation: This story has a great twist that makes it worth it. The pace was a little slow for a Jeff Strand novel that usually has a rapid pace. I will barely recommend this story. I have read a lot of Goosebumps books and I would say this book is better than half of them. the novel brings the scares when things get going.
Rating: I rated It Watches in the Dark 3.4 out of 5 stars. My Favorite Jeff Strand novel is Wolf Hunt, and A Bad Day for Voodoo is a very entertaining book books are not for children.
Reading with My Eyes 
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