A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS By Mara Rutherford

July 31, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS By Mara RutherfordA Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford
Published by Inkyard Press on 8/29/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 351
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

The bloody plague is finally past, but what fresh horror lies in its wake?

Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle—she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls.

Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence?

When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares ahead.

Short and Sweet Review

Princess Imogen has lived in Goslind for three years, the castle has been boarded up so that the people living in the castle could avoid catching the bloody mori roja plague which has ravaged most of the kingdom. Imogen has a secret that she’s been hiding for the past three years and its getting closer to being revealed each day, not only does she have to worry about that but the king is slowly descending into madness.

Nico Mott on the other hand used to live a good life before the plague took everything and everyone from him, if it wasn’t for Lord Crane, Nico would also have succumbed to the plague. Nico and two other boys are tasked by Lord Crane to travel to the castle to see if anyone else has survived the plague. When Nico runs into Imogen and learns she wants to leave, he has to stall to keep them alive and away from the horrors that lie outside of the castle walls.

A Multitude of Dreams is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s A Masque of the Red Death. I haven’t read Poe’s story but I did enjoy what Rutherford wrote. Princess Imogen is actually someone named Seraphina, who has been pretending to be the princess after her death and to keep the king happy. Seraphina knows she’s walking on eggshells, especially around princess Giselle who makes her distain for Seraphina well known. The king seems okay but if triggered he goes off. Seraphina wants to know what life outside the castle is like, she’s also Jewish and has seen her people persecuted so she’s sure her family isn’t alive but she still has hope that maybe someone survived. Because of her want to be outside of the castle Seraphina becomes close to Lord Greymont who suggests she should bring it up to the king. Nico on the other hand is on the way to the castle and realizes that Lord Crane isn’t the man he thought he was. Nico ends up getting into the castle and meeting Seraphina. Nico, Seraphina, and a few others make a plan to get out of the castle but first they have to get past the undead and Lord Crane.

Seraphina is a great character, she says what she means and isn’t afraid to voice her opinion, it throws some people off because they don’t think that’s how a princess should act but Seraphina isn’t a princess she’s just pretending. Nico on the other hand feels a strong obligation to make things right and to protect those around him. I did like how there was a sense of romance but that was put on the back burner until these two could solve the more pressing matters at hand. The idea of the plague was pretty well done and I liked how even after contracting the plague there was still a possibility of the people to become undead.

This was an exciting book! I loved that both Seraphina and Nico had woven a web of lies to stay alive and now their lives are on the line. There was a lot of suspense about what would happen to those inside and outside of the castle. The writing was well done and it was a good take on Poe’s story. Check out this book when it’s released!

Filed Under: Reviews

CATCHING FIRE By Suzanne Collins

July 28, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CATCHING FIRE By Suzanne CollinsCatching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #2
Published by Scholastic Press on 5/28/10
Genres: Action & Adventure, Dystopian, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Short and Sweet Review

Katniss and Peeta have won the 74th hunger games and are adjusting to life in the Victor’s Village in district 12. Katniss’s antics with the berries in the games didn’t go unnoticed, by the capitol or the people in other districts. President Snow pays Katniss a visit and tells her to be on her best behavior and make sure that people know that her actions in the games were because of her love for Peeta. After that Katniss learns of uprisings in other districts and she decides to join in but obviously on the down low. The President obviously is not about to let the uprisings or Katniss be the downfall of all he’s worked hard for, so for the 75th Hunger Games he decides to put past victors from each hunger games back into the arena. Now Katniss and Peeta have to survive in an arena with people who also have experience playing the games.

Catching Fire was more exciting to me than The Hunger Games. In The Hunger Games we see the build up to everything and we kind of see it come to a head in Catching Fire. Katniss knows she made the people in the Capitol angry but she wasn’t expecting to learn about the uprisings that are happening in other districts. Katniss isn’t sure what to make of this, the only thing on her mind is keeping her family and friends safe, she even thinks about running away again. In the end Katniss decides to be apart of the revolution but she’s not sure what to do especially after she gets the news about having to take part in the 75th Hunger Games. Katniss and Peeta still try to play the crazy love bird angle but I’m starting to think its becoming more than an act to Katniss. The two are also advised by Haymitch to start making some alliances. I did enjoy seeing all of the new competitors but was also sad when some of the people in Katniss’s alliance met their ends. Finnick was pretty useful and it was nice seeing another guy who knew what they were doing around in the arena he also had sponsors. The arena this time was different but there was a pattern the group figured out and in the end there were some things that happened that I wasn’t expecting.

I loved the ending and I’m ready to see how things end in the next book. Even though I’ve seen the movies it’s been a while and I did like seeing how much more detail is in the books. On to the next!

Filed Under: Reviews

ROOK By William Ritter

July 26, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ROOK By William RitterRook by William Ritter
Series: Jackaby #5
Published by Algonquin Young Readers on 8/22/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Abigail Rook never intended to be the mortal bridge between the human and supernatural world. But now, the power of the Sight--and all the chaos that comes with seeing the essential truth of everything, every human, fairy, werewolf, enchanted slip of paper, and municipal building, at all times--is hers alone. With this overwhelming new gift, she should be able to solve crimes and help New Fiddleham, New England find calm in its supernatural chaos.

The only problem? She has no idea what she’s doing.

And New Fiddleham isn't waiting for Abigail to be ready. Local witches and other magical beings are going missing, as tensions between human and supernatural residents curdle into a hatred that could tear the city apart. Abigail's fiance, Charlie, works alongside her to unravel the magical disappearances, but as a shapeshifter, he's under threat as well. Then Abigail's parents appear, ready to take her back to England and marry her off to someone she's never met. Abigail has no choice but to follow her Sight, her instincts, and any clues she can find to track a culprit who is trying destroy everything she holds dear.

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of The Dire King, Abigail has become the new seer and she’s been struggling to adapt to her new found ability. Abigail should be ready to help solve all the supernatural phenomena happening around New Fiddleham but she’s not ready. When some magical beings start to go missing Abigail knows she needs to put aside her fears and trust in herself and do the job of a seer.

Rook is an enjoyable book, especially if you’ve read the other books in the Jackaby series. It was nice to see characters from the past books especially Jackaby, Jenny, and Charlie. Jackaby still brings his wackiness and humor which is great because he has a carefree nature about him and he still knows when things are serious. Jackaby is living his life without the sight and he’s having a good time experiencing seeing things as a normal person, which was what Abigail used to do for him. I liked seeing how all of the characters have grown since we’ve seen them in past books. What I enjoyed the most was watching Abigail get her footing and becoming more sure of herself as the seer. I liked how this book was in Abigail’s POV but now that she’s the seer we get to see how intricate everything she’s seeing really is like peoples auras and the things left behind by people. We also see that more magical beings are out and about and there’s even a magical division at the police department now. Abigail is asked by Marlowe to look into somethings, but it ends up turning into something bigger as it usually does, and Abigail learns that magical beings are going missing. This is her first big case and luckily she’s not alone she has the help of those around her. We meet Abigails parents who aren’t really sure what she’s been doing in New Fiddleham and if she should even stay there. There’s also two agents who always seem to be one step behind Abigail and Jackaby but who are also not very helpful, they seem to do more damage than good. The mystery was great, and I wasn’t quite sure where it would lead or who the culprit was, but the ending wrapped everything up quite nicely and everything was answered.

This book was a lot of fun and it was great to be back in New Fiddleham with all of the characters I’ve grown to love. Definitely get your hands on Rook and join Abigail and Jackaby for another adventure in New Fiddleham but this time with Abigail as our paranormal detective and Jackaby as her normal mentor!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE HUNGER GAMES By Suzanne Collins

July 24, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE HUNGER GAMES By Suzanne CollinsThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games #1
Published by Scholastic Press on 9/1/09
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 387
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Still, if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Short and Sweet Review

Panem has taken the place of what used to be known as North America. Around Panem’s Capitol is twelve districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by having one boy and one girl from each district participate in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live tv. Katniss Everdeen lives in district 12 one of the poorest districts, she basically keeps her mother and sister alive with her hunting skills. When it’s time for people to get called for the games, Katniss hears her sisters name called and she doesn’t really think about it but Katniss volunteers to take her place. We follow Katniss as she navigates going from surviving the harsh environment of her district into The Hunger Games where she really has to kill to survive.

I’m sure we’ve all seen the movies, but I tried to forget about those and go into reading this book with a clean slate. I do enjoy the concept and seeing everything play out in the arena. Katniss is our main character and she’s motivated by the love she has for those around her, we see that when she takes her sisters place and when she teams up with Rue and eventually Peeta during the games. As I mentioned Katniss is our main character, but we also see a lot of Peeta because he’s also from district 12. Before the games, Katniss and Peeta are mentored by Haymitch and Effie. Haymitch suggests that they play on the emotions of the rich people from the Capitol and to do that they need to seem like they’re in love. Katniss is uncomfortable with this because there’s a guy back at district 12 named Gale and they’re not dating but there’s something there. While in the arena we see how ruthless the other competitors are and we also see Katniss rely on what she knows best, hunting with the bow and arrow. I did like seeing how Katniss was able to survive and her compassion for Rue and Peeta.

The Hunger Games is a good book and it keeps you hooked, because you’re invested in not only Katniss but Peeta too. It’s interesting to see how different each district is and how in the games the latter districts are seen as weaker. I’m ready to continue the series and see what happens next especially because Katniss made some bold decisions that not everyone was happy with.

Filed Under: Reviews

BLOOD DEBTS By Terry J. Benton-Walker

July 21, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

BLOOD DEBTS By Terry J. Benton-WalkerBlood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker
Series: Blood Debts #1
Published by Tor Teen on 4/4/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 404
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.

On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau—the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family—are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick—she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.

Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.

Cristina and Clement used to be each other’s most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other and their family's magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city’s magical and non-magical communities. And if they don't succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.

Short and Sweet Review

Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered and the person blamed ended up being lynched and in the process her daughter lost the throne to the magical council. Now Clement and Cristina are mourning their father and taking care of their sick mother, but after they do a spell they realize their mother isn’t sick someone put a curse on her. Cristina used to do magic but after casting a spell and thinking it backfired, she’s given it up. Clement on the other hand uses magic as a distraction from the things going on in his life. Cristina and Clem used to have a good relationship but as of late they barely speak, but now that they know someone is after their family, they have to put their differences aside and work together.

I expected a lot from this book, I wanted more mystery aspects and more magic taking place in the great city of New Orleans, what I got instead was a whole lot of petty fighting and too many characters. Now that I’m thinking about characters I remember a POV of one who I don’t even think was important in this book. Anyway Cristina and Clem are always at each others throats and even though they’re supposed to be working together its like pulling teeth to get them to get over what happened in the past and move on to save their family’s legacy. After finding out that their mother has been cursed, Cristina and Clement have to get the rest of the family together to cast a protection spell, unfortunately all of their aunts are also distant from each other and have petty arguments which means it just runs in the family. Cristina is determined to find out who did this to her mom and starts investigating but she knows she has to get Clem to help her. I was excited about trying to find out who hexed their mother and we get to see the murder from 30 years ago get solved. All of this was fine, my biggest problem was how many characters there were and how petty they all were. I think there was too much fighting and it took away from what the synopsis said the book would be about. We have characters trying to kill each other for power and others who are just pawns. Lenora is the queen of the magical council and she’s ruthless and her granddaughter Valentina is just as awful and has it out for Cristina. I don’t really want to talk about the romance because it all just seemed forced and nothing too genuine. We see the family reunite at the end and it also seemed too little too late.

It took me longer to read this book than I thought it would and I will attribute that to feeling duped by the synopsis. There were a lot of loose ends in this book and although this book didn’t convince me I should read the next book I’m interested to see what will happen next and I’m hoping for A LOT of character development.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE DIRE KING By William Ritter

July 19, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE DIRE KING By William RitterThe Dire King by William Ritter
Series: Jackaby #4
Published by Algonquin Young Readers on 8/22/17
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 353
Format: Ebook, Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push the earth and the otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve mysteries in New Fiddleham, New England—like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why the undead are appearing around town.

At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, Jenny Cavanaugh, begins to give way. But before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of the last book, the fate of the world is basically in Jackaby and Abigail’s hand. This moment has been building up since the first book, The Dire King is planning on ripping the veil between Earth and the magical realm. All of the things that Abigail and Jackaby have investigated were all leading up to us finding the Dire King, who is an old and powerful evil, who is ready to cause mayhem.

This is my second time reading this series and it was just as enjoyable as the first time. We see characters from past books and I liked seeing the camaraderie between the secondary characters and our main characters. We also see Charlie again and this time his family is also around so we get to see the life he left behind. With Charlie being back we see a little more romance between him and Abigail which was nice but we still had bigger things to worry about. When Jackaby and Abigail learn more about the Dire King, they begin to worry because of the amount of loyal followers he has and if they will even be able to defeat him. The book is filled with action, and some suspense because time is of the most importance with this case. We still get a few comedic moments thanks to Jackaby, which I love because he has a certain element with his delivery.

I don’t want to give any spoilers as this is the fourth and final book of the series. Actually no it’s not we have a book about Abigail coming out. Anyway the ending was great and Abigail has some new abilities, and I love how Jackaby is ready for the next chapter of his life. This is one of my favorite series, I love the mix of supernatural elements with mystery solving. Jackaby and Abigail were great characters and I can’t wait to see what Rook has in store!

Filed Under: Reviews

GHOSTLY ECHOES By William Ritter

July 17, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

GHOSTLY ECHOES By William RitterGhostly Echoes by William Ritter
Series: Jackaby #3
Published by Algonquin Young Readers on 8/23/16
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 353
Format: Ebook, Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the services of her detective-agency tenants to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all. Soon Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her down to the mythical underworld and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

Short and Sweet Review

Jenny Cavanaugh the ghost who lives at 926 Augar Lane, is ready for Jackaby to solve the mystery around her murder. Jenny has always tried to avoid talking about her past but now that she’s ready we get glimpses of what her life was like and what she was doing with her fiancé before her murder occurred. I did like learning more about Jenny, we also see how hard doing some of this is for her, she ends up having echoes which is when she gets stuck in her memories and can’t remember where she currently is.

Jenny’s case is an interesting one, before Abigail even met Jackaby, he started to investigate her case but wasn’t able to make progress because Jenny wasn’t ready. Now Jackaby and Abigail are following some leads, but those leads end up taking them in different directions but it always comes back to one central person, who ends up being the cause for a lot of the messes we’ve seen in the last two books. We’ve seen a lot of development and growth from these characters, but especially from Abigail our narrator. Abigail is a lot more confident and willing to take risks to help the ones she cares about the most. We do see Charlie in this book, but there wasn’t a lot of romance mainly because this was supposed to be Jenny’s story. I did enjoy all the twist and turns that the book took and how it was revealed that there was one main villain calling all the shots.

This was a good book, and I’m glad we got to see more of Jenny’s story because it’s been hinted at in past books that her murder was pretty brutal and there haven’t been any clues as to what happened. Seeing how this book ended I’m sure the next book will be full of action now that our group has found its main antagonist and has to work to stop them. I’m excited to see how everything will wrap up!

Filed Under: Reviews

HORROR HOTEL By Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren

July 14, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

HORROR HOTEL By Victoria Fulton and Faith McClarenHorror Hotel by Faith McClaren, Victoria Fulton
Series: Horror Hotel #1
Published by Underlined on 2/1/22
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 246
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

When the YouTube-famous Ghost Gang—Chrissy, Chase, Emma, and Kiki—visit a haunted LA hotel notorious for tragedy to secretly film after dark, they expect it to be just like their previous paranormal huntings. Spooky enough to attract subscribers—and ultimately harmless.

But when they stumble upon something unexpected in the former room of a gruesome serial killer, they quickly realize that they’re in over their heads.

Sometimes, it’s the dead who need our help—and the living we should fear.

Short and Sweet Review

The Ghost Gang consists of Chrissy, Chase, Emma, and Kiki, they make videos that are pretty popular on YouTube and this time they’re going to visit the Hearst Hotel. The hotel is known for paranormal activity and the group is ready to go into this thinking it’ll be like their previous ghost explorations. When the group stumbles upon a murder in the room of a former serial killer they realize there’s something very wrong.

When I started reading the book I saw parallels between the hotel and an actual hotel, The Cecil. The book uses a lot of the things that have happened at The Cecil and use it in the book, for example a character that recently died at the hotel was supposed to be like Elisa Lam, and also the serial killer that stayed at the hotel was a reference of Richard Ramirez. I do like the idea of a haunted hotel but I didn’t like how much they used actual events that occurred at The Cecil to do this. Anyway our four main characters each add something to the Ghost Gang, we get all four characters POVs but it’s clear that everything really revolves around Chrissy. Chrissy is a psychic and she’s able to see the ghost and read the minds of those around her. Chase is kind of like the leader the others look to him, Emma is the skeptic, and Kiki is the scaredy cat. Chase’s goal is to get 1 million subscribers on YouTube but when we get to the hotel we see his goal blinds him from acting like he has any sense and at some point it does end up pushing some of the other characters away. The book basically follows the group as they explore the hotel and try to get film for their new video. We see some ghost and even see a few murders. I will say that it was predictable and I was able to guess who the bad guy was.

Horror Hotel was an okay book, it was short and entertaining. I will say the downfall for me was the predictability, but if you’re into shows like Ghost Hunters than this is a fun book to read.

Filed Under: Reviews

HOLLY HORROR By Michelle Jabès Corpora

July 12, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

HOLLY HORROR By Michelle Jabès CorporaHolly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora
Series: Holly Horror #1
Published by Penguin Workshop on 8/15/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

After her parents' painful divorce, Evie Archer hopes that moving to Ravenglass, Massachusetts, is the fresh start that her family needs. But Evie quickly realizes that her new home—known by locals as the Horror House—carries its own dark past after learning about Holly Hobbie, who mysteriously vanished in her bedroom one night.

But traces of Holly linger in the Horror House and slowly begin to take over Evie's life. A strange shadow follows her everywhere she goes, and Evie starts to lose sight of what's real and what isn't the more she learns about The Lost Girl.

Can Evie find out what happened the night of Holly's disappearance? Or is history doomed to repeat itself in the Horror House?

Short and Sweet Review

Evie, her mom, and younger brother, are moving to Ravenglass MA, after her parents divorce. Evie is hoping this will be a fresh start but they’re moving into Hobbie house also known to locals as Horror house. Holly Hobbie is the cousin of Evie’s mom and a couple of decades ago Holly went missing and no one was able to find her. Evie notices that there are still remains of Holly around the house and the more that Evie investigates the more she loses sight of what’s real and what’s not.

When coming to Ravenglass, Evie knew what to expect, she knew about Holly but she didn’t realize how much everyone would want to talk about it. Evie meets Tina a local who’s really into the story of Hobbie house and ends up sucking Evie in to learning about the stories, which in turn makes Evie want to investigate more and she becomes determined to learn what happened to Holly. Evie also connects with another classmate named Desmond and they have a bit of a romance but nothing too serious. When Evie starts messing with Hollys things she begins to act strangely, everyone around her notices the changes but Evie is in denial. We end up learning that Evie is able to see things that others can’t and maybe that’s why she was so susceptible to what’s happening in the house. I did like the mystery of trying to find out what happened to Holly the night she disappeared and we also get some insight from people who grew up with Holly. The writing was great and added to the creepy vibes and was really able to show how the house and the investigation was messing with Evie’s mental state. I didn’t like how absent Evie’s mom and brother were it was like they avoided each other on purpose. I would have liked to see more of Evie’s aunt Martha because she’s a psychic but she’s also able to see things that most can’t and she would have been able to help Evie.

The ending was great and did answer questions about what happened. I really want to see what will happen in the next book especially now that Evie is more willing to accept what she can do. This book was a page turner and I can’t wait until book two is released and see where things go from there!

Filed Under: Reviews

BEASTLY BONES By William Ritter

July 10, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

BEASTLY BONES By William RitterBeastly Bones by William Ritter
Series: Jackaby #2
Published by Algonquin Young Readers on 9/22/15
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 305
Format: Ebook, Hardcover
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, are called upon to investigate the supernatural. First vicious shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt—for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

Short and Sweet Review

Abigail is still working with Jackaby and they’ve been asked to investigate the supernatural. Their day starts off with investigating some shape shifting kittens and a day later the owner of the kittens is found murdered. In a nearby town, Gads Valley dinosaur bones from a recent dig go missing and a beast is attacking the townspeople. Abigail and Jackaby head there to see if they can figure out what is going on in the Valley and report back to Police chief Marlowe and they end up reconnecting with policeman Charlie Cane.

Abigail has already helped Jackaby solve one case and she was still learning about the supernatural world, but in this book we see Abigail shine and put her knowledge of fossils and bones out there. Abigail and Jackaby have a lot on their plates but their main focus is finding the dinosaur bones that have gone missing, but not only that they have to try to avoid the beast that is attacking people and animals. I loved seeing these characters back for the sequel. Jackaby is able to see supernatural things that most don’t and Abigail can catch the details that he misses that are considered normal. I do like their partnership, Abigail is able to keep up with Jackaby and offer her own opinions and he respects them and I love that about them. We also see Charlie and it was great because him and Abigail like each other and I did like seeing the shy nature of their romance. We meet some new characters in this book a couple of paleontologist, Hank a skilled hunter, and Nellie a reporter, each character adds a little something to the plot. There was a big climax at the end and a wrap up, there was a cliffhanger that involves Jenny and what happened in her life.

I’m ready to read the next installment and see where Abigail and Jackaby end up and what new mystery they’ll take on (even though I already have a good idea).

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