Category: Blog

Terror Strikes, Coming to a City Near You, is a book within a book. The main character, Marten, is writing a book about terrorism, both nationally and internationally. The novel starts with Marten receiving a cryptic phone call and ends with (I won’t tell you that).

A lot of research went into this book. The writing style of using Marten’s book to tell this story is a detour from typical books. Terror Strikes felt like a lengthy read. However, the language  Joseph M Lenard uses is easy to read.

Unfortunately, because it was mostly Marten’s book, there was very little dialogue. As you know, I am a big fan of dialogue moving the story forward.

The final two chapters grabbed my attention, and I enjoyed the ending (still not sharing).

If you enjoy historical fiction, this is an interesting read.

Get your copy here (affiliate link).

This is the third Alex Grass book that I have had the pleasure of reviewing. Like the other two, it is odd, creepy, and dark. The story follows a carnival (not a circus) and how the father exploits his son’s talents for monetary gain.

The story arc was compelling, and I had to keep reading to put all the pieces together. There are so many interesting characters and lots of character development. The imagery puts you front and center of each act.

Each character’s vocabulary varies and is written so I can hear their voices. However, just like Alex Grass’s other books, it is written with adults in mind and a high reading level.

I thoroughly enjoy this book.

Get your copy here (affiliate link).

This is a collection of 13 short, creepy stories. I am a big fan of short scary stories because they let me get through them in one sitting. However, sometimes a short story isn’t enough, and I want more from the story.

The first story was one of those times that I wanted more! I knew where this story was headed within the first few paragraphs, but I wanted a more extended version to explain why. Why has the world become dystopian, and why do they need to sneak around (sorry can’t tell you more, or else there would be a spoiler).

Solstice was another story I enjoyed, but I wanted a more in-depth look at the characters and what brought them to where they ended. Suppression intrigued me but should have been a little longer (I know I said I liked short stories, but these were too good to be kept short).

Snap was the perfect amount of story and scare. My favourite story in the collection is Fourth Wall. The right length with a few “OH” moments captivated me to keep reading.

The book is an easy read and perfect for a teen who loves horror. Though, there were a few minor editing mistakes that shouldn’t hold you back from enjoying this masterpiece.

Something I haven’t seen in a short story collection was the author explaining where each idea came from. At the end of the book Kev Harisson describes where he got his great creepy ideas.

I loved this book and know that if you love horror, you will too!

Get your copy here (affiliate link).

This is the true story of a family escaping from death and destruction. The book begins in 1868, introducing the families that eventually become one. In the beginning, there is a family tree (I spent some time looking back at this). The book is structured with the date, location, name, and photo of the person featured in the chapter. It is written in first person perspective and transports the reader to the time and place of their lives.

I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last and felt like I had inside knowledge of the past. There was so much of the past that I had never known that came to light within these pages. For example, the family fled from the Russians and made a wonderful life in Germany (I had never thought about Germany prior to WW2), only to need to leave behind their new life and run from Hitler.

When I was in high school learning about WWI and WW2, they glossed over how Hitler slowly turned the Germans against the Jewish people. There was no insight into how families lost their homes, businesses, and each other. I wish this book would be part of the history curriculum.

Unfortunately, there were a few edits that needed to be done, and I would like to see the paragraphs formatted to be easier on the eyes.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this heartbreaking, page-turning book!

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I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was sent this book, but it sounded interesting. The authors explore the science behind what is often considered to be witchcraft. They use famous witches (from books, movies, and interviews) to explore what is behind witchcraft.

I really enjoyed the selection of witches. I knew most of the witch references (Sabrina, Williow, etc.) and was able to follow the thought process. They used conversational language so a ‘non-sciency’ person could understand.

The book is beautifully formatted with side pictures of extra facts and larger intricacies that draw your attention. Because the authors used witch references from different formats, they divided the book into those sections (Movies, TV shows, Etc). I am giving the book a great flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to see how time and the understanding of science changed what we know about witches.

Get your copy here (affiliate link).