ALL THAT CONSUMES US By Erica Waters

October 16, 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.

ALL THAT CONSUMES US By Erica WatersAll That Consumes Us by Erica Waters
Published by HarperTeen on 10/17/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 413
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Everyone knows the students in Corbin College’s elite academic society, Magni Viri, have it all—free tuition, inspirational professors, and dream jobs once they graduate. So when Tara is offered a chance to enroll, she takes it.

But once she’s settled into the gorgeous Victorian dormitory the academy calls home, something strange starts to happen. She finally has the chance to write, but her stories are dark and twisted. When she’s not sleepwalking, she’s dreaming about being trapped in a coffin, buried alive. And she’s starting to feel an unseen presence stalking her through the halls of her dorm.

As Tara slowly loses her grip on everything she’s ever known, she discovers a terrible secret at the heart of Magni Viri, one that just might turn her dreams into nightmares, one that might destroy her before she has a chance to escape.

Short and Sweet Review

Tara goes to Corbin College which she can barely afford, but after a student from the elite Magni Viri society dies, there becomes an opening that is offered to Tara. She obviously jumps on the opportunity, tuition is free and after college most students land their dream jobs. After a few nights in the society Tara begins to realize that things aren’t right, she’s writing stories that are darker than things she normally writes and she’s having nightmares. Tara thinks she’s being haunted by a ghost but soon realizes Magni Viri has a darker history then she realized and her place in the society had a higher price than she would have ever thought.

Tara is a talented writer but she’s not at the level she thinks her fellow classmate Meredith, from Magni Viri is. When Tara finds Meredith’s dead body and then soon after is invited to take her place in Magni Viri she accepts. Tara takes part in a initiation which she thinks is just like a little thing to welcome her but she’s actually inviting a spirit into her. Her new roommates are all a little weird and talk about Tara behind her back but Tara is more upset with the fact that she thought that they’d be there for her. All of the people in Magni Viri are intense and really into their work, some of them even become hospitalized. Anyway now that Tara is at Magni Viri she notices that she’s staying up at odd hours writing but she never remembers doing it. She starts to think Meredith is haunting her but she has a whole different ghost after her. The Magni Viri students are so intense because they’re basically being possessed by dead scholars who are putting out their work using the students bodies. Tara soon realizes what’s actually happening and she wants the help of her new roomies to help her. I loved the plot it was interesting and will have you wanting to know exactly what’s going on. The mystery was great and also just learning about Magni Viri and how long this has been going on. The one thing I didn’t like was that Tara would put her issues above everyone else who was obviously dealing with the same thing and I get that this was new for her and those around her have put up and shut up but it didn’t mean that they were in a better position than her.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The world building was great it was creepy and I loved the characters and the mystery. I will say that this is a perfect book to read during October to prepare for Halloween and get you in the spooky fall mood!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE FOREST DEMANDS ITS DUE By Kosoko Jackson

September 25, 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.

THE FOREST DEMANDS ITS DUE By Kosoko JacksonThe Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson
Published by Quill Tree Books on 10/3/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 426
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that surrounds it. The school is known for molding teens into leaders, but its history is far more nefarious.

Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent's king-making; he’s just trying to survive. But then a student is murdered and, for some reason, by the next day no one remembers him having ever existed, except for Douglas and the groundskeeper's son, Everett Everley. In his determination to uncover the truth, Douglas awakens a horror hidden within the forest, unearthing secrets that have been buried for centuries. A vengeful creature wants blood as payment for a debt more than 300 years in the making—or it will swallow all of Winslow in darkness.

And for the first time in his life, Douglas might have a chance to grasp the one thing he’s always felt was missing: power. But if he’s not careful, he will find out that power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely everything.

A

Short and Sweet Review

Douglas attends Regent Academy, which is known for making its students into leaders. There’s also a forrest around the campus and Douglas can hear the forest talking to him. Douglas is just trying to make it through school, but one day a student is murdered and no one else seems to remember who that student was except for Douglas and the groundkeepers son, Everett. Douglas is determined to find out what’s going on around the school and the forest and he gets more than he bargained for.

The beginning of the book really pulls you in and makes you curious and eager to learn more about the forest and what’s going on with the student that was just murdered. Douglas is our main character and he has a bit of a reputation because of something that happened in the past, he didn’t have many friends and its also hard to be the only black student at the school. Douglas ends up going to the headmaster who informs him that he knows all about the forest and students being murdered and its because of a curse, and Everett and his mom and sister are like the protectors of the border. Anyway Douglas is dragged into all of the magical things going on and learns that things called perversions are escaping the forest and killing students. When students are killed no one on campus remembers that they even existed. Through this journey Everett and Douglas become closer and we see a romance form. The romance was okay I wasn’t invested in it, it felt like because they were both in this position to save the school that they gravitated towards each other. Douglas was tasked with breaking the curse on the school and we see him, Everett, and Emma go into the forest and deal with all the creepy things that are in there. I feel like in the middle of the book the pacing was a bit off. The ending was okay but also bittersweet.

Overall, the book was okay but it wasn’t anything I was wowed by. I’m not sure what I wasn’t vibing with while reading this book but the main thing was the pacing. There were some good moments with action and all the questions were answered so there’s that.

Filed Under: Reviews

NIGHT OF THE WITCH By Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

September 22, 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.

NIGHT OF THE WITCH By Sara Raasch and Beth RevisNight of the Witch by Beth Revis, Sara Raasch
Series: Witch and Hunter #1
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on 10/3/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Fritzi is a witch. The lone survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she's determined to find her only remaining family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader, the merciless and enigmatic Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger—but that's just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjägers burned his innocent mother alive, and he has been plotting his revenge against the people who tore apart his family ever since. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they've done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other. The reluctant truce fueled by their common enemy takes them from the city at the heart of the hexenjägers' power to the wild and mysterious Black Forest. As old truths come to light and new dangers are revealed, Fritzi and Otto uncover a horrifying magical plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks that leads back to Kommandant Kirch . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

Short and Sweet Review

Fritzi is the only survivor after her coven was brutally murdered by the hexenjägers (witch hunters), and now she’s made it her mission to find her only surviving relative, her cousin Liesel. To accomplish her mission she’ll need to take down their leader, Dieter Kirch. On the other hand we have Otto who is one of the hexenjägers and Dieters second in command. Ever since the hexenjägers killed Otto’s mother he’s been planning his revenge. When Fritzi and Otto meet they’re weary of each other ones a witch and the other is a hunter but they both have a common goal.

I feel like Night of the Witch was predictable, We have Fritzi a witch teaming up with a rogue witch hunter and the villain was just weird and felt like his motive was just to be powerful and in charge. Fritzi encounters Otto and his fellow witch hunters while on the search for her cousin, which is when Fritzi becomes imprisoned herself. When the two have time alone Otto explains that he’s been working to free the other witches that are set to burn and he needs Fritzi’s help to do it. This is where things get weird because we learn how Fritzi and Dieter are connected and then Fritzi escapes with Otto and Liesel and they learn that they’ve been picked to be a Goddess’s chosen one and warrior. We also learn that there are different kind of witches, out main character Fritzi uses herbs to cast spells, while her cousin is able to control fire. I didn’t like the romance between Fritzi and Otto mainly because it felt too easy in a sense, they were supposed to be enemies but not really since Otto isn’t who he’s portraying to the world, but the romance between them felt forced and a little to instant for me. Honestly the book was slow and I think it was due to all the world building, but also the villain just seemed too predictable and the ending was ridiculous especially when you read the epilogue.

Overall, I liked that this book did have historical elements in it, but I wish there was more going on to keep my interest and hopefully in the next book there’s more action and character development. Night of the Witch was an okay book and I’m still on the fence of whether I would want to continue the series.

Filed Under: Reviews

IF I HAVE TO BE HAUNTED By Miranda Sun

September 13, 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.

IF I HAVE TO BE HAUNTED By Miranda SunIf I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun
Published by HarperTeen on 9/26/23
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Cara Tang doesn’t want to be haunted.

Look, the dead have issues, and Cara has enough of her own. Her overbearing mother insists she be the “perfect” Chinese American daughter—which means suppressing her ghost-speaking powers—and she keeps getting into fights with Zacharias Coleson, the local golden boy whose smirk makes her want to set things on fire.

Then she stumbles across Zach’s dead body in the woods. He’s even more infuriating as a ghost, but Cara’s the only one who can see him—and save him.

Agreeing to resurrect him puts her at odds with her mother, draws her into a dangerous liminal world of monsters and magic—and worse, leaves her stuck with Zach. Yet as she and Zach grow closer, forced to depend on each other to survive, Cara finds the most terrifying thing is that she might not hate him so much after all.

Maybe this is why her mother warned her about ghosts.

Short and Sweet Review

Cara is able to see ghost and its rough because on one hand her mom doesn’t want her to but her grandma is also a ghost that she can talk to and lives in their house and gives Cara advice. At school Cara has a rivalry with another student, Zach, and they’re paired up for a project. When Cara goes to meet with Zach she ends up finding his dead body instead. Now Cara is forced to embrace her ghost speaking abilities and try to help resurrect Zach. On their journey they encounter some crazy monsters and Cara starts to understand why her mom would try to keep her away from this world.

This book was different then I thought it would be and I’m not sure why I thought that because I did read the synopsis before going into it. Anyway I thought Cara would find Zach and it’d be like a mystery and they try to find what killed him. Instead we find his body and learn that Cara can help resurrect him and they go on almost a week long adventure through different thresholds, running into different monsters to try to save him. It was a welcome surprise for me because it wasn’t what I was expecting. Cara and Zach have a relationship where they get on each others nerves and they have a reputation for doing this and everyone around them knows it, so this journey they go on gives them lots of time to cozy up to each other. Like I mentioned earlier the fantasy element was more prevalent then I thought it would be, we see our main characters travel to the liminal world which is like another dimension but using places from the real world that the characters recognize. We see different monsters and even a cannibal who was unhinged and very creepy, we even meet a new character. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this character tagging along but in the end I did like her involvement. I will say I’m not completely sure how I feel about this book, there’s things that I loved like seeing Cara embrace her powers for once and realize that the choice to be a ghost speaker is hers alone to make, and also the fantasy elements that were involved. When I didn’t like so much was how Cara and Zach conveniently overcame their years long issues with each other in a week but I guess things do change when someone is dead. I also didn’t like how quickly Cara and her moms problems were solved in the end. Lastly that last chapter didn’t feel necessary if anything that could have been the epilogue or it could have been omitted it was cringey and I didn’t like it. The epilogue did make it seem like this would have more books involved which could be interesting now that Cara is okay with being a ghost speaker and her mom is coming around.

Overall, this book had more good than bad for me but unfortunately I can’t get past the things I didn’t like. I will say this is a good book for the upcoming fall season and I did mostly enjoy it.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE SCARLET VEIL By Shelby Mahurin

September 11, 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.

THE SCARLET VEIL By Shelby MahurinThe Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
Series: The Scarlet Veil #1
Published by HarperTeen on 9/26/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 640
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Six months have passed since Célie took her sacred vows and joined the ranks of the Chasseurs as their first huntswoman. With her fiancé Jean Luc as captain, she is determined to find her foothold in her new role and help protect Belterra. But whispers from her past still haunt her, and a new evil is rising—one that Célie herself must vanquish, unless she falls prey to the darkness.

Short and Sweet Review

Six months ago Célie took her vows and became the first woman chasseur. Now she lives in chasseur tower with her fiancé Jean Luc, and she’s determined to prove herself worthy of the chasseur name. When Célie comes across a murder she sets into action trying to find the killer but darkness by the name of Michal finds her instead.

I loved the Serpent and Dove trilogy but I have a feeling that The Scarlet Veil is going to blow us all away when its finished. I may have liked the witches in the other series but they have nothing on the vampires that are introduced in this book. Célie is now to being a chasseur and she has to prove herself because its hard being the only woman in a place where men think they’re superior and are always in charge. There has been a string of murders around town and Célie is left in the dark about them until she finds one of the victims. This spurs Célie to try to find the killer but instead she meets Michal and his cousins Odessa and Dimitri who basically kidnap her and bring her to the Isle of Requiem. Célie learns that the island is dying and although he may be a brooding vampire Michal needs her help. On the island Célie learns that she can see ghost and that there’s something different about her but she’s not sure what exactly it is.

This book was so good! I haven’t read a book with vampires in a while and was a bit apprehensive but these vampires were serving and it reminded me of the vampires we would see in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Anyway there’s some tension between Célie and Michal and I loved every minute of it especially when one of them would give in. We see a lot of character growth from Célie and she proves that she’s stronger than people give her credit for and that she’s not only there to look pretty. Célie did annoy me a few times in her bid to be morally right mainly because she tried to do the right thing in every situation which is great and all but sometimes it would just be better if she chose the other option which is what other characters would try to get her to understand. We also get to see characters from the past books which was great and interesting to see how they still played a part. The quest Célie goes on here was so much fun the Island of Requiem was like a darker version of wonderland and even included a talking cat and I still can’t get over the vampires. The ending to this book was chaotic but in the best way and I want the next book immediately!

The Scarlet Veil was an amazing book and I could not put it down! If you loved the Serpent and Dove series get ready to fall in love with Célie and the vampires in The Scarlet Veil because they’re unforgettable and will leave you wanting more!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS By Rachel Moore

August 14, 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.

THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS By Rachel MooreThe Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
Published by HarperTeen on 9/5/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Radcliffe Prep. The third most haunted school in the country, where a student disappearance isn’t uncommon and no one dares stay in the library after dark. And Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father.

Not literally, of course. She doesn’t believe in ghosts. Going to her dad’s school just seems like her best hope at figuring out who he was.

But then Este meets Mateo, who is maybe—probably—definitely—a real ghost. And an annoying one at that.

When Mateo frames Este for the theft of a rare book from the library’s secret spire and then vanishes, Este will have to track him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father did.

Except following her father’s footsteps might be more dangerous than Este ever anticipated. As she investigates the library with its secret passageways, hidden tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren’t just myth. And if she isn’t careful, she’ll be next.

Short and Sweet Review

Este has enrolled at Radcliffe Prep one of the most haunted schools in the country in hopes of finding her dead father. Instead she ends up meeting Mateo who frames Este for stealing a valuable book, now Este has to find the book or risk being expelled. Este wants to follow in her father’s footsteps but she didn’t realize how dangerous it could be. The more Este investigates the library she learns that the school has a dark past that includes students going missing and if she isn’t careful, she’ll be next.

The Library of Shadows was an engrossing book. Este wants to figure out what happened to her father and that leads her to Radcliffe Prep. While investigating the library and finding a book called the Book of Fades, Este meets Mateo who eventually steals the book. Este is forced to find the book or get expelled. Mateo and Este eventually work together and she finds out that he’s a ghost and he’s missing his soul. Mateo isn’t the only ghost, there’s a few more in the same predicament as him. The Book of Fades is the solution to their problem and learning about why every ten years a student disappears. Este also has a pretty cool roommate, Posy, who starts a paranormal investigation club. I do wish that Este was nicer to Posy but Este is used to living a life where she feels that she can only depend on herself. I’m not sure how I feel about the romance seeing as though Mateo is dead. Mateo and Este have an interesting back and forth, she’s stubborn and Mateo isn’t exactly forthcoming with information. I did like the cast of characters and the mystery. The setting of the library with secret passageways was fun and set the mood. There are a lot of twists but they were good and keeps you on your toes guessing what could really be happening.

Overall, this book was great! I enjoyed the plot and the pacing and the thought of hanging out in a library full of ghost makes this the perfect book for the fall season!

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 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