Another good ole' story and twist from Mr. Stine! That ending though...!

I'd give this one a 3.5 out of 5. I enjoyed the story and really getting into the mind of an alcoholic and substance abuser. It was shocking to realize how so many things we do in life are JUST on that edge of pushing into the land of addiction. And that line is different for everyone I think. I connected with the protagonist in more ways than I would like to admit to be honest. So I applaud the book for helping me to hold a mirror up to myself and see some things that may sometimes be going on. I would read more from this author!

loved this one! action packed, tons of Halloween vibes, and a character i could easily relate to.

giving this one a 3.5 for some of the repetitive whininess that got to me early on... but bumping the star rating up to a 4 because that ending made me drop my jaw! haha

First off I want to give a HUGE thanks to author Cameron Roubique for sending me and my fellow Night Worms in exchange for an honest review.
 
To be fair, my initial interest in this book came from the cover art.  There’s just something about skulls with eyeballs that get me.  And then pair that with some vintage looking teens rafting down the river?  SOLD!  What’s even cooler to me is that the author not only wrote this book but also designed and created this stunning cover art.  Multi-faceted authors/artists always get bonus points from me because I can’t even imagine being half as creative and talented sometimes!
 
After seeing the cover and reading what the book was about, I was immediately hooked when I saw the last lines of the synopsis:  “Kill River is a wild, water park ride, filled with blood, gore, and ‘80s nostalgia.  Slasher fans rejoice, old-school horror is back!”  Those of you who know me know that I have always been a massive fan for slasher movies and ‘80s slashers are my favorite.  I love everything about them from low budgets, questionable acting (at times), themes, methods of killing, music, and more.  Some of my favorites include: Slumber Party Massacre series, Sorority House Massacre series, Sleepaway Camp Series, Killer Party, House on Sorority Row, Black Christmas, Hide and go Shriek, Madman, The Burning, Friday the 13th series, Halloween, and I could literally go on for at least 50 more slasher films I LOVE and watch all the time.
 
Kill River is like reading an ‘80s slasher movie.  And that is pure heaven to my eyes!  I have only read few books that flow the way this one did and like that of an actual ‘80s killer movie.  I want more like this.  I NEED MORE like this to be completely honest.  From the opening scenes of the book we have kids who are getting to a summer camp.  As the setting builds and we get some character development, the story escalates with our four main characters on an adventure outside of the camp.  After a crazy, hectic night on a raft in the river, they end up at an abandoned water park and enjoy all the rides to themselves.  One of them soon disappears and the chaos ensues.
 
Again, there are so many elements of this story that parallel with ‘80s slasher movies.  We get an atmospheric introduction to a setting, we meet some characters and immediately love some and hate others, a lot of slaphappy fun happens, and then the terror, horror, blood, and gore BEGIN!  An added bonus of this book is that the author even mentions several ‘80s songs that the kids are listening to as the story progresses.  We can hear that music and we can leave our modern technological world full of smart phones and selfies and return to simpler times that give the best nostalgia vibes.
 
This book was so good and so inspiring of ‘80s slashers to me that it took me longer to read than I intended.  This is because every chapter or two I would put the book down and pop one of my favorite movies into my DVD player.  But this made the reading even that much more enjoyable for me because I truly got to savor the book.  A lot of times I love a book so much I will finish it in one or two sittings.  So I am glad I got to soak this one in as much as I did.  I also enjoyed reading this with soundtrack scores from Halloween, IT, and Suspiria in the background as that added some creepy vibes all around!
 
I absolutely give this book ALL the stars and recommend every horror slasher lover to GET. THIS. BOOK!  I have already ordered the sequel, Kill River 2, and Disco Deathtrap.  Both have stunning cover art and promising plots.  Thanks again to Cameron Roubique for sending this copy to me and allowing me into your horror-loving mind and reminding me just how passionate and better my life is with ‘80s slashers in it!

The Cabin At The End of the World is the second book I have read by Paul Tremblay. I am picking up on his style a little more with this book. And I am picking up on his flare to have his words punch you in the gut, slam your face on the table, and ram a dull, rusty knife into your back. This book made me feel all those things (in the best way possible, of course!)

The first couple of pages start off just describing any old day of a little girl collecting grasshoppers in the front yard. Then out of nowhere you find yourself clutching your chest and holding your breath dying in anticipation while your anxiety beings to rise. When this giant of a strange man tells the little girl, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault.” WHAT? A few more strangers arrive and that anxiety level never really dissipates throughout the rest of the book. Page after page we are exposed to these strangers who think the world is going to end and somehow this little girl and her parents are the solution to save it. Again…what?!

As the story unfolds and the intentions of the strangers become more transparent and explained, I could not help but just feel extremely untrustworthy, paranoid, and anxious. Tremblay’s way of writing kept me wide-eyed turning pages and I now know this is how Sebastian felt when reading The Neverending Story. I was on a mission to find out as much as possible and what was going to happen while at the same time trying to savior each stress-inducing paragraph that ultimately weighed the differences between sacrifice and survival.

I also love the way that Tremblay wrote the main family. We have Wen and her two dads. And I love how we see some of the events through the eyes of Wen as well as the way she sees her parents making sense of what’s happening. It’s just such an interesting and, in my opinion, honest look at a family and what they would do in a situation like this to protect themselves. Wen is my spirit animal and I absolutely love her!

Any type of “invasion” story always has my pulse racing, whether it is a movie, book, or show. The psychological suspense of this book, guys! And then the parts that made me gasp and scream, “NO!” I highly recommend this book even though I think it took a small piece of my heart… FIVE stars on this one for me! And the next time you are out helping a young kid collect grasshoppers or caterpillars, just be mindful of your surroundings…

Duma Key is a book that I have always loved simply because of the cover art. Sometimes a cover is indicative of how I will feel about a book, especially when the cover makes sense to what the book is about. This is the case for Duma Key. As I made progress with the book I would sometimes just turn and look at the cover and think, “Where is this going from here??” And now that I have finished the book, the cover just makes SO much sense and means even more. It is absolutely one of my favorite covers of his books.

Duma Key is the story of Edgar Freemantle, who suffers a terrible injury after a giant crane crushes his truck. He loses his arm and suffers some mental setbacks, and as a result ends up divorced and looking for a new place to live. He ventures to Duma Key, which is gorgeous, remote, and mysterious. Nothing from that point will be the same! As Edgar settles into the house he has nicknamed Big Pink, he uncovers his impressive skills with a paintbrush. And with each painting he completes, he gets closer to the truth of the island, his newfound “gift,” and connecting all the dots.

My favorite thing about the book is King’s description of the island’s geography, the sky, the shells, the house, etc. He really does a fantastic job setting up this beautiful and eerie atmosphere to which we are about to immerse ourselves in for the next 600+ pages.

King is a master of creating friendships and developing highly likable characters. Edgar’s neighbor, Wireman, is easily on my top ten list of favorite characters of all the King books that I have read thus far on my Constant Reader journey. He is so charismatic and the way he talks with interspersed Spanish kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat, so to speak, every time he entered the conversation. There is just something about Wireman that you can’t help but love!

The way that King approaches his Father/Daughter relationship in this one just melts my heart, too. It makes me want little girls to raise and watch grow up. The way they all get each other and love each other and how King illustrates it and makes you feel the warmth is incredible.

I went into this book with ZERO knowledge of what it was about. I don’t even think I read a synopsis! I love going blind into a book from an author who is always executing and meeting/exceeding my expectations because, in the end, it may not even MATTER if I enjoy the story. I just love the way King writes and reading his stuff. Thankfully in this case I DID enjoy the plot. Double points for King! There are times in this story where I literally had to get up and close the door because I didn’t want to look up or see something spooky in my peripheral vision. That’s just how haunting this story can be at times and how effective King is at being able to make you feel vulnerable.

I am in love with Duma Key.

Awakened, written by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth, is a story that involves a big fear of mine: underground subways. It may be the claustrophobia talking, but there is something I just can’t handle when it comes to dark tunnels full of nothingness, bugs, and more that could just come collapsing down at any moment. I mean what if the train stalled and there’s nothing around?! I am not getting out and walking in that… bye. I’ve seen movies like Cloverfield where that TERRIFIES me.

Awakened is the story of New York finally getting an express train that connects itself with even more communities than ever before. It goes fast, too! We open the book with the inaugural run of the express train and all the bigwigs are there for it. But what we see first horrifies us. The train cars come back empty, soaked, and covered in blood! What the hell? There’s definitely something underneath New York City that has just been awakened.

The plot sounds 100% fire to me! Right? Things I really enjoyed about this book: the opening few chapters, the pace at which the book reads, the badass female character we have in Bowcut. This story is a blend of Aliens, The Descent, and The Strain for me. We have primal creatures and a political conspiracy combining as a huge threat to mankind. But that is where the book also begins to lose me. I was expecting FULL on horror, and that is how the book began. But it morphs into this action-packed political thriller with government conspiracies and a history of corrupt people. The few times we see more of the creatures I was enthralled – I loved them and they were seriously freaking me out! But I wanted and needed MORE scary creatures and MORE blood and gore. There seemed to be the wrong mix of action vs. suspense that affected me not enjoying this more than I do.

I would recommend this book, but not as a pure horror novel. It is more of a thriller with monsters than it is a monster horror book with suspenseful moments, if that makes sense. It is a quick read with some great moments and I was entertained most of the book. The reader is also left to assume there is going to be a sequel in the works. I am going to give it three out of five stars. If there is a sequel, I know I will read it. But I will also go into it knowing that it is not a pure horror novel and has extreme aspects similar to political thrillers/mysteries.

Thanks to Harper Voyager for sending a copy in exchange for an honest review!

well that was unsettling and slightly optimistic at the same time. 4 out of 5 stars- full review to come!