The Hiatus is Over

If you're like me, this time of year is awkward for you. There's a lot of people that think that Christmas things should wait till after Thanksgiving. Even if that means breaking out the Christmas music right after the last dish of turkey and mashed with potatoes gravy is cleared. I am definitely one of those people. So this post is for those of you still have a few scary movies on your watchlist and feel like October flew by way too fast. These four books will prolong the spooky vibes.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

A dystopian twist on a classically chilling vampire tale. This book tells of a society overrun by vampires and the disease is spreading fast. If you are found to have the disease or think you may have it you are quarantined in a Coldtown, famous cities broadcasted to the outside world. But things aren't always as they seem on TV. Caution to readers: While this book only has some mild sexual content (kissing and some talk), the violence is realistically described and sometimes gruesome.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith

A timeless classic with a twist. All of the characters you love in a thrilling new setting. What girl needs a man when she's the most skilled zombie slayer in England? This book takes the original text by Austin and seamlessly interweaves Graham-Smith's apocalyptic world. A word to the wise, while most violence is not gorey and almost comical, it is blunt.

Betrayal by R.L. Stine

From the man who brought you Goosebumps a story that begins in one of Americas darker times. The witch trials. The town’s most powerful brothers, the Fiers, are responsible for finding the witches in their settlement. But, when a wife and daughter are wrongly accused of performing witchcraft the Fiers unknowingly take on an evil that will haunt their family for centuries. I am currently reading this book and so far it's only scary enough to give me minor doubts about the security of my room at night. I'll post a full length review when I finish it.

The Occupied by Craig Parshall

This book is on my TBR list and it looks like it will be a good one. Here’s an excerpt from the back cover:

As a youth, Trevor Black unleashed spiritual forces he couldn't comprehend. Years later, Trevor is a high-flying criminal defense lawyer in New York City, with a six-figure Aston Martin and a trophy wife. But in an extraordinary turn of events, he receives a burdensome gift: the ability to perceive the invisible. And the dark forces he now sees are all gunning for him.

When one of Trevor's hometown friends is murdered, the MO is eerily similar to a shocking trail of murders that have already crossed the lawyer's path. So Trevor must return home to find the killer. . . and face not only his own personal demons, but supernatural ones as well.

Currently Reading: Betrayal by R.L. Stine

*All Photos taken from https://www.goodreads.com/

Half-bloods

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

           I will be posting on Tuesday for a little while and after next weeks review I will be taking a break from blogging until SATs are over. Also, I decided to flip this weeks and next week’s books because I finished this one first. Is that cool? Okay, good.  Percy has just found out he is a demi-god. Half Greek god, half human. He accepts a quest: retrieve Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt in order to restore peace in Olympia. Along the way he comes across many monsters and gods who try to stop him from completing his quest.

“At its core it is a wild adventure story about friendship, courage, and rising above labels.”

Language:

              

  None

Alcohol/drugs:

             

        Percy’s step-father has poker parties where beer is abundant. Throughout the book Percy shows his disgust for him and his treatment of his mother. Basically, the guy is the typical "jerk" character that provides conflict for the main character.

Violence:

              

        As this is a fantasy novel battles and monsters being slayed are frequent throughout the book. It is mentioned that the stepfather has hit Percy’s mother. I would rate the violence a 4.5.

Sexual Content:

              

        The whole idea of demi-gods stems from the fact that gods came to earth and had affairs. It’s not explained upon or talked about in a sexual way but as a fact of their existence.

Spiritual Content:

             

         By now, you have definitely picked up on the fact that this book is about Greek gods. They are pictured as immortal beings who each have their own personalities and faults. They are not depicted as things to be worshiped and certainly not as a religion. To put it plainly, it’s more like they are just giant people with super powers who live up in the sky. It follows Greek mythology and all its stories as if they really happened (which includes the underworld).

            

         Percy inquires once as to whether or not there is an all-powerful God and it is quickly made clear that that is not something to be discussed at the moment. My impression of the exchange was that God existed but, his exact role in this fantasy world was not going to be explained.

Currently Reading: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Next Post: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Hellhounds

Nasty Left Overs by Guy L. Pace

                Book two after Sudden Mission by Guy L. Pace picks up after the crazy events now called “The Troubles.” The main character is still Paul and we get to see a little bit of a deeper side to him. This book is strictly Y/A.

Reality is back on track, but the world is devastated with only a remnant of humanity left. On a mission to restore Washington, D.C., Paul Shannon and Amy Grossman must face a sinister presence left behind by Satan.

In the ensuing battle, physical and spiritual warfare is waged against the possessed, hellhounds, and even the evil presence itself.

In this fast-paced sequel to Sudden Mission, can Paul, Amy, and their army of faithful triumph against such impossible odds?

                Wow, this book was intense! The beginning didn’t grab me from the start but it picked up quickly. I found some of the possession and demonic encounters to be quite creepy. There were a couple nights I refused to read it before bed because I was so creeped out! I spook easily though and it’s definitely not horror. I enjoyed the creepy parts as it's  not something I usually seek out and they were well written.

              

             I loved the scenes where groups of people prayed over someone possessed and cast out the demon. It showed the Lord’s power in an awesome way. The spiritual warfare in this book is so evident and just laid out in front of you in a way that I haven’t seen before in a book. I really enjoyed the supernatural aspect as well in this sequel.

               

             This book was what a second book should be: Better in every way. I saw the areas of improvement and characters were more unique and like-able. I would definitely recommend this book.

I took out three of the categories because there was not anything to rate. . .

Violence: 5.5

Spiritual Content: Just like in Sudden Mission, this book deals with a lot of spiritual warfare and in a Christian novel it’s kind of a given.

Currently Reading: I’m in-between books at the moment

Next Post: April Wrap-up

Halflings

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in their earthly mission, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

This book definitely has an interesting concept. This is a young adult urban fantasy/supernatural novel and that in itself intrigued me because I hadn't read a book in this genre before. The book starts off with Genesis 6:2 “The sons of God saw that the daughters of earth were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.”

 In the book, the offspring of these sons of God are still on the earth and have been shown mercy by God who has assigned several angels to look out for and mentor them. They are given a chance to be allowed entrance into heaven upon their death if they do not become like their fathers, fallen angels, or succumb to earthly desires like their mothers, humans.

Three Halfling brothers (Mace, Raven, and Vine) save a human girl, Nikki, from demon dogs and so the drama begins. I found Nikki a bit confusing one moment I thought I knew her character and could relate and another I found her a bit…bi-polar. She is sassy, and sometimes irresponsibly strong willed but, she is smart and is able to make pretty good decisions in the face of a threat though they might be risky. Although, I feel she didn’t have as much character depth as I would like to have seen and the same goes for the brothers.

 The brothers…I would have to describe them as stereotypically dreamy. Mace, the kind-of leader of three is tall with blond hair and blue eyes. Nikki goes into great detail about how attractive he is. I would definitely say he was the “Good Guy” out of the three. He’s responsible, kind, and respectful. Raven, also tall, blond hair and blues eyes is the “Bad Boy.” He is the exact opposite of mace. Rude, selfish, vain, and irresponsible. I mean, he even has a bad boy name. Vine is the youngest and has the same qualities as his brothers. He is the only brother who we don’t get a POV from in the book.

Writing was decent. A bit amateur, but decent. I noticed that the transition between some scenes were a bit awkward and unexplained. The characters would say they were going somewhere or doing something. Then, it would go to the next scene and you would have to assume they have already done although it was not mentioned or written about. I think, it would have been beneficial to the story if Burch went into better detail about how or when they did it.

But, all that said. It is a very enjoyable fun and easy read if you wish to take a break from literary greatness and just cruise. I got through this book quickly and had no trouble reading it for extended periods of time and not becoming tired of the story or characters.

Language: none

Alcohol/drugs: none

Violence: 4.5

Sexual Content: none

Spiritual Content: The main theme is supernatural warfare. There is a big distinction between God as the good side and “The Enemy” as well…the enemy. The only blurred line is the Halfings who struggle with the fact they are on caught in the middle of the war of good and evil.

Currently Reading: Nothing, because I haven't decided what to read next :/

Next Post: Cress (Lunar Chronicles # 3) by Marissa Meyer