The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould REVIEW

The Dead and the Dark

by Courtney Gould

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.

Review

Thank you to Wednesday Books for a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Dead and the Dark is a YA paranormal horror that is set in the small town of Snakebite, Oregon. Something weird is going on, teenagers are going missing and it looks like the culprits are the popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town after many years. Their daughter, Logan, joins in on the investigation and when she finds things point to her dads she is determined to find out the truth.

This story is so deliciously dark. The slow pacing works well to enhance the overall creepiness. I was drawn into this story. I did figure out certain things before they happened but the how and the why still got me. Courtney Gould executed this book brilliantly from beginning to end. It's a wonderful debut.

The Dead and the Dark gave me strong Pet Sematary vibes. It has similar supernatural elements, dark atmosphere and the same slow eerie pacing. There are also similar themes throughout the book. With all that said, there are quite a few differences in the story that make The Dead and the Dark it's own masterpiece.

**Trigger Warnings** homophobia, child death, murder, claustrophobia, drowning and slurs

Dangerous Play by Emma Kress REVIEW

Dangerous Play

by Emma Kress

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis

Zoe Alamandar has one goal: win the State Field Hockey Championships and earn a scholarship that will get her the hell out of Central New York. She and her co-captain Ava Cervantes have assembled a fierce team of dedicated girls who will work hard and play by the rules.

But after Zoe is sexually assaulted at a party, she finds a new goal: make sure no girl feels unsafe again. Zoe and her teammates decide to stop playing by the rules and take justice into their own hands. Soon, their suburban town has a team of superheroes meting out punishments, but one night of vigilantism may cost Zoe her team, the championship, her scholarship, and her future.

Perfect for fans who loved the female friendships of Jennifer Mathieu’s Moxie and the bite of Courtney Summer’s Sadie.

Review

Thank you to the Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and netgalley for a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

There wasn't much that I didn't enjoy about this book and what I didn't like were small things but for review purposes I will still put them here. One, there were a lot of unnecessary characters in the book. We are introduced to Zoe's mom's friend group but then they don't have any significant part in the plot and we don't hear anything more from then after. They basically just pop in to say hi and are gone again. The second thing was the over use of the word "absofockinglutely". This has to be one of the most annoying words I've ever read and it's used way too much throughout the story.

I loved the lesson Zoe learns after the night of vigilantism referred to in the synopsis. It really is important. I feel like that alone could have carried the entire book by itself had it of had to.

The character arc for Zoe was done amazingly. She's tough and she's strong but she has so much to learn. Watching her grow as a character was absolutely wonderful. The characters that make up the girl's field hockey team are diverse but it isn't really talked about as much as it could have been.

The writing was good. The pacing was really good. There was a steady flow to the plot without much filler. It was fairly easy to get through and decently quick to read.

If you enjoyed the book Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu then you'll most likely enjoy this one as well. It has the same girl power spirit with a similar yet totally different cast of characters. Or if you're looking for a fictional book with teenage Feminism and girl power but haven't read Moxie, you should still give this a shot. And if you like it go read Moxie next. 

The Last Straw by Ed Duncan REVIEW

 The Last Straw

by Ed Duncan

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Synopsis

When a teenage girl witnesses a carjacking gone bad, she is marked for death by a crime boss with no apparent motive. A black lawyer and a white enforcer with an unlikely history forge an uneasy alliance to protect the girl from a hit man with an agenda of his own.

After they find out that the crime boss is the father of the black teenage carjacker, Paul Elliott - lawyer and close friend of the witness’s family - begins counseling them.

As the long-simmering feud between Rico and John D'Angelo reaches boiling point, bodies start to pile up in rapid succession... and old scores will be settled.

Review

Thank you to the author and Book Publicity Services for a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Last Straw is the second book in the Pigeon-Blood Red trilogy. While you probably could read this book without the first book, I think you would get more out of it if you read the first book first. Plus the first book is really good and gives a great introduction to the characters.

The characters were pretty good. I like Rico although I find him to be a little soft for someone in his line of work. I enjoyed him as a main character, especially his relationship with Jean. One of the main characters for this book is D'Angelo. I wasn't a fan of him at all, mainly because he was supposed to be a bad ass hitman who failed at literally everything he did. He was written to fail at everything too easily and I think I would have enjoyed the story more if he hadn't of been so easy to beat. I would have loved to of seen him be more of a competition for Rico.

I found The Last Straw to be a bit.. overly wordy. I find scenes to be dragged out a little longer than necessary which can drag the story on. Thankfully the story doesn't get lost and the book is still quite enjoyable.

With that said I still really enjoyed the story. I found myself flying through the pages every time I picked it up. I'm really looking forward to finding out what happens in the third book Rico Stays. I'm hoping to get started on that one very soon.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward REVIEW

The Last House on Needless Street

by Catriona Ward

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Synopsis

This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.

All these things are true. And yet they are all lies...

You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you've read this story before. That's where you're wrong.

In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. But it's not what you think...

Review

Thank you Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

At around 50% through this book I almost DNF'D it. I was so freaking close to just closing the book, and walking away. In the end I decided to give it another chapter or two and I ended up finishing the rest of it in one sitting.

As you can guess from my earlier contemplation of continuing to read or not, there was clearly something that just wasn't working for me. At first I was into the story, then I became very bored. I was especially bored during the chapters from the cat's point of view. I really dislike animal narrators and I couldn't see this book going anywhere interesting. As far as I was concerned the book was boring, predictable and I had a lot of other things I could read rather than waste my time.

But then something happened.. and I won't say what but it convinced me to keep going. And then one thing lead to another and next thing I knew I had consumed the entire book and was wrong about everything.

This was a really good book. I really enjoyed it. I loved being wrong the most because this was way better than I  thought it was going to be. 

Sealfinger by Heide Goody and Iain Grant REVIEW

Sealfinger

by Heide Goody and Iain Grant

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Synopsis

Some bodies just won’t stay buried.

When a client tells Sam Applewhite she’s seen ghosts in the nearby graveyard, Sam dismisses it as the ramblings of an old woman. She’s got bigger things to worry about — Keeping on top of her job at DefCon4 Security Services isn’t easy – particularly since her manager is a cactus and no one will tell her what her job actually is.

But when the ghost-spotting client goes missing and only Sam suspects foul play, she is compelled to dig deeper.

Aided by her retired stage magician father and the owner of the most outlandish junk shop on the sea front, Sam dives into a mystery involving psychotic seals, unexploded air force munitions, DIY foot surgery and a corpse that just won’t quit.

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealfinger-Sam-Applewhite-Book-1-ebook/dp/B095LRYSTN/
US - https://www.amazon.com/Sealfinger-Sam-Applewhite-Book-1-ebook/dp/B095LRYSTN/

CAN - https://www.amazon.ca/Sealfinger-Sam-Applewhite-Book-1-ebook/dp/B095LRYSTN/

Review

Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and the authors for a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sam Applewhite primarily works at DefCon4 Security Services. However, she also delivers meals to the elderly every so often. On one delivery her client tells her about a ghost in the nearby graveyard. At first Sam dismisses the claim as an elderly woman's delusion, but when the old lady goes missing without a trace and the police dismiss her disappearance Sam decides to investigate herself. Her investigation takes you on a ride that is anything but ordinary.

There is a lot going on here, you have a crazy seal, murder, cover ups, a hungry alligator, a retired musician and so much more. I found there was a lot of filler and unnecessary shenanigans. I found this didn't take away from the story, I just found that for my specific tastes it didn't need to be as long as it was and it would have been just as good. With that said, the book is still really enjoyable. It is a slow burn with lots of details and you really get to know the characters. I know a lot of people would really enjoy it. I had a good time reading it and found it to be a positive experience. 

Sealfinger is a great book for a rainy day. It's the kind of book you snuggle up with and just enjoy the experience. The way the writing just flows slow and steady will just carry you away. Despite there being murder and some other crime, this book is an extremely light and easy read.

There are 3 books in the Sam Applewhite series and I can absolutely see myself continuing on with the next 2 books.

Author Bio

Heide lives in North Warwickshire with her husband and a fluctuating mix of offspring and animals. Iain lives in South Birmingham with his wife and a fluctuating mix of offspring and animals. They aren’t sure how many novels they’ve written together since 2011 but it’s a surprisingly large number.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.pigeonparkpress.com/
Facebook group (the comedy kitchen): https://www.facebook.com/groups/2098850213744767
Twitter @IainMGrant and @HeideGoody