My Book Reviews

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll be honest: I went into this book having great expectations, seeing as I've been hearing how supposedly terrifying the Netflix version was.
And well, you know I'm always up for a good scare... reading-wise.

So imagine my confusion when I only had about a quarter left of the book, and there was still nothing terrifying. Spooky, sure, but nothing remotely terrifying .

That isn't to say that this had been a total fluke, of course. The plot was very immersive, and on more than one occasion, I found myself reading further than I had planned.
When we were first introduced to Eleanor, we were told that she was 32 years old. However, her imagination seemed to be that of a child, almost - daydreaming about fairies and another world. She even seemed a bit immature, almost, in her way of thinking. But she reminded me a bit of myself in her shy, socially-awkward ways, so I suppose I sort of related to her in a way. Mrs Dudley, on the other hand, was a peculiar character. And for a while, I was sure she had something to do with the haunting and/or goings-on in Hill House. But then there was a scene where Mrs Dudley seemed to actually be talking properly, to another character I've grown a dislike for, instead of her usual monotonous patter. So apparently she's one for normal conversations too eh?


Upon finishing the book, I was even more confused.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a complete wuss when it comes to horror movies; I hate them, because I get scared so easily and it tends to stick with me for longer than it should. But the reaction people gave to the Netflix version and my reaction upon finishing the book was two completely different ones!
And then I searched it up and turns out that the Netflix version had been different; for one, it referred more to the Crain family (I had been wondering why people were saying they 'felt for Theodora' when the book plot never referenced anything that might suggest that), Luke, Elanor and Theo had also been made 'Crains', and Doctor Montague is not in the picture.

Overall the book was okay. There were parts that were... I'd say eerie/creepy. But definitely not scary.

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The Dead Ex: HE CHEATED. HE LIED. HE DIED. by Jane Corry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m not happy with how long it took me to finish this. In fact, I had half a mind to give it up; but the nagging in my brain told me to just finish it and be done with it... and in part because the stubborn side of me just hates ditching a book - and I only do so if/when I find that I just really, really can’t seem to latch on to the story.

For a good half of the book, it had trouble piquing my interest. I was disappointed, as the synopsis sounded promising. But it was emotionally heavy from the off - not in the sense that it makes you cry, but the story heaps on so many negative emotions that I felt mentally drained... and I mean that in the highest praise possible.

The story initially goes back and forth between the protagonist Vicki’s point of view and a little 8-year old girl called Scarlet. I knew that their stories would eventually coincide with each other (as they do), but when they’re first introduced, they couldn’t have been more different characters. And you soon learn that the little game that Scarlet and her mother plays is actually more sinister than Scarlet is aware of.

Halfway into the story, one character’s point of view ‘disappears’, and another takes its place out of the blue. That initially confused me too.

I mentioned earlier that I just couldn’t seem to latch on to the story. Fortunately, it eventually did rather later on.

And then came the punches.

Along the story, I kind of suspected what had happened and the whodunits. And I was proved right.

And then I was proved wrong.

Yes, the author messes with your mind and makes you think your assumptions were right... and then she throws a curveball.

Oh I’m sorry, I mean several curveballs.

Now you may wonder, why a 4-star rating then instead of a 5?
Well... as amazing a book as this was, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Corry is an amazing writer, as this book proves - no doubt about that. But plot-wise, it’s just not my thing.

I think this is the first book I’ve ever read that wasn’t my cup of tea, but I’m still able to appreciate the undeniable talent of the author.

A first for everything, eh?

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Just One...: Includes Just One Day, Just One Year, and Just One Night by Gayle Forman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit I was initially a bit intimidated to start this book. Given how thick it is and the fact that I've not read anything by Forman before this (especially since this is 2 books in one), I was a bit worried that I might not finish it if I found that I didn't like it.

Turns out I didn't have to worry, because it was so easy to fall into the characters' stories. To cut a long story short (in case anyone needs it), in the first book (aka first part of this book), the story is told in Allyson/Lulu's perspective. After all the turmoil and unanswered questions, we go to book/part 2, which tells the story from the climax in Willem's perspective. Then, everything starts to fall in place, and beautifully so.

In the last bit, Just One Night (I wouldn't call it a third 'book', because it's only about a chapter long. It's more an epilogue than anything if you ask me), you can almost feel the tension as Allyson and Willem meet again after a year. Then as both parties explain their sides of the story, the tension dissolves as everything falls in place.

The ending leaves room for speculations, but this time, it doesn't sound quite as bad.

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Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. The plot is not complicated, and the storyline is not too confusing; though I did have some trouble with connecting the names and what their roles were in the story, for some reason.

Since getting struck by lightning, Harper Connelly has been making use of her newfound ability to make a living.
What is this ability of hers?
Finding dead bodies and knowing how they died. Along for the ride is her half-brother Tolliver Lang, who also plays a huge part in relieving Harper’s severe separation anxiety.

But when things begin to happen to Harper and Tolliver after taking a job in Sarne, they begin to suspect that they may have uncovered and disclosed more than they were welcome to.

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Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit that the first quarter of the book was a bit boring to me, and I fell asleep while reading it on a few occasions.

But when it got good, IT WAS BLOODY GOOD

The moment you think you know what’s going on, it’s almost as if Lehane does a detour and fucks you over. I definitely did NOT expect the twist, and when that happened, I had to re-read that part for it to actually sink in.

The only reason this is not 5 stars is because it bore me at the start.

But definitely pick this up if/when you can!


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So Cold the River by Michael Koryta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eric Shaw, a former filmmaker down and out on his luck and confined to making videos for events, is paid a hefty amount to go to French Lick/West Baden to do a documentary on billionaire Campbell Bradford. While there, Eric had been tempted to drink from a bottle of what looks like unnaturally cold water. He decides to take a sip out of the bottle of Pluto Water; an old brand of mineral water that had been hugely renowned for curing almost all ailments.

That's when shit slowly starts hitting the fan, because let's face it: what do you expect from drinking out of a bottle of water that old??

The progression of events is very gradual; Eric's slow addiction and his increasing symptoms made for a very interesting read. The way Koryta connected the flow of events leading to the buildup was great. After everything, it definitely piqued my interest when Koryta mentioned in the Author's Notes in the end how the places (the West Baden Hotel & French Lick) are in fact very real places. I looked the hotel up and there it was on Booking.com, and HOLY SHIT THE PLACE IS FREAKING GORGEOUS! Go look it up and tell me it isn't impressive!
All the details I read about in the story made more sense then, and quite honestly, it is grander than I ever imagined it to be. (Then again, you can't say much about my imagination... Also, my geography is horrible)

The climax is intense, and I find myself almost skimming through the pages in a hurry (as I often do when reading interesting/intense scenes) in a bid to find out what happens next. All in all, I would definitely pick up Koryta's other works and give them a go.

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The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't... scared, per se. Creeped out, yes.

I must admit that I expected for there to be a twist at the end. I suspected that things were not as they seemed as I was reading it. When you have two siblings who can see ghosts of the previous governess and driver (whom they are well aware of are dead); and whom don't really seem to mind at all, things sound fishy.

Also when they are described as very pretty/handsome, full of charm, and seem to be of close to no trouble at all, you know that something isn't quite right (because let's face it, kids are not that well behaved; even back then). My original guess (from reading the synopsis at the back of the book) was that perhaps the ghosts and the kids are plotting something over the new governess. I won't say if I'm right or wrong; I'll let you read it and see. ;)

The ending seemed to be open-ended. I have quite a few questions regarding the ending, namely: (highlight for spoilers!)

1) What happened to Flora & Mrs Grose?
2) Did they just up and left and never came back to Bly?
3) WTF HAPPENED TO MILES?? Why the heck did he just drop dead?!
4) What became of the other workers there?


Other than that, seeing as it was only 143 pages long, it was a nice, light read.


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Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've read several books by Stephen King, and I'd like to think that I could ascertain which was written in his style and which was written in Owen's style. Still, I think they blend together pretty damn well.

The element of amazing storytelling that Stephen is so famous for is prominent in this book too, though I'm unable to say the same for Owen as I've never read any of his books.

It has a good theme/plot: What would happen if, one day, all women disappeared from earth? How would the men cope on their own? There are things/reactions that you would expect from men, but what intrigued me was Evie.
As with all Stephen King's books, this has a supernatural element in it too. One day Evie appears, women start being encompassed in cocoons when they fall asleep, and removing those webs would cause chaos. Naturally, Evie becomes famous faster than Trump can say 'Fuck her right in the pussy'.
She's the only woman that can sleep and wake up without being in a cocoon, and she seems to know everything about everyone, and how things were going to end up. And what's up with that huge tree??

This deserves a nod for character development too, because one particular character that I originally felt really annoyed at, turned out to be not so bad after all. (Situations change people, as we all know.) Though one character, whom I grew to despise, met his fitting fate, I think, because that leopard never changed his stripes, and stuck with his mentality through and through.

I love this book; as I do with almost all of Stephen King's other books. I love the suspense, the addictive events, the whole shebang. What can I say? I'm a fan.

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The Dark Half by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As with all of King’s books, they have a way of sucking you in to it’s stories. I like this one (as I do most of his books, actually), and something about it sticks with me the way Doctor Sleep did.

The Dark Half dabbles with topics of the paranormal, as with most of his books. In this case, the ‘person’ in question, George Stark, really ‘isn’t a nice guy’. Apparently writer Thaddeus Beaumont’s ‘evil twin’, Stark does everything in his power to become real, take over Thad, and rule his life. Kinda like a creepy osmosis.

I don’t think I have to tell you, and I think that it would not technically classify as a ‘spoiler’, but of course good trumps over evil, and George Stark is thwarted (obvs). It was a nice touch though, I think, on how King writes out Stark’s eventual (and well-deserved) end. Stark’s weakness, which he himself had been oblivious about for the most part, had been very satisfying to read about; especially since Stark was the cold-blooded, bloody killer that he is. Of course it was nice to read about how THE feared George Stark had a weakness in which he himself had not been aware of. Makes the offing more satisfying eh?

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Pet Sematary by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stephen King himself said, when asked which of his book is the scariest, that Pet Sematary was it. Well, now that I've read it, this is what I think:

I read a quarter of it, and didn't find it scary in the least. No matter. Some books take about halfway through to get to the good bits, right? So then I got through half of it. Still nothing. Not quite scary; a bit of an unease would be best fitted. I still didn't see why King himself deemed it the 'scariest book' he wrote. And I've read Cujo, The Shining, It, and the likes.

Then again, as all his fans will be aware of, the description above wouldn't quite be King.

And rightfully so.

The last 'prelude', if you will, packed so much intensity and was so gripping that I felt spooked. Suddenly being alone in an air-conditioned room, with the sound of rain pelting on my window, didn't seem too calming anymore. Suddenly the slightest sounds just about creeped me out more than it should.
And now, minutes after finishing the book, I'm still jittery. The epilogue scene is stuck in my head. I'm creeped out. Not so much scared, but disturbed. Help.

Even the epilogue ended in a cliffhanger, which made it all the more disturbing, in my opinion.

I actually downloaded the movie, thinking that I'd want to watch it after I'm done with the book.
Now I'm not so sure. At least I definitely won't be watching it alone.

I stayed up till the wee hours just to finish this book, and now I'm not sure if I can go right to bed. *gulps*

You got me, Stephen King. You got me good.

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The Twilight Pariah by Jeffrey Ford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The synopsis of this book really intrigued me. I got this from PageHabit's book bundle, so it had little annotations by the author. The annotations were just little random facts though, and not necessarily about the story.

As this a thin book, it is what I'd call a rather short story. 3 young adults (Henry, Russel, and Maggie) unearth a skeleton of a baby with horns and a jar of some liquidy stuff, and as expected, things start happening to the people close to the 3. The confusing thing was though, at the back of the book in the synopsis, it mentions that the liquid in the jar was red.


However, there was no mention of the colour when they first found it in the book. When the colour of the substance was described though, it was described as being brown; which is rather confusing.


Other than that, the story panned out pretty nicely. Needless to say, the 'monster' was defeated pretty easily (understandable, as it was not a thick book to begin with). The storyline didn't feel rushed either, so that was good.

Overall, I liked it. Not too heavy a plot, and no over-complicated scenes. It won't scare you silly, but it's just enough paranormality.

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*WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS, WHICH I WILL HIGHLIGHT OFF* 

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Firstly, let me just say: what's a Mitch Albom book if it doesn't make you cry, eh? And I can proudly say that I now own ALL of Mitch Albom's books! *throws confetti*

Ahem. Ok, now for the review.

Let me just say that I applaud Mitch for the depth of the subject in which he writes about. All his books tackle different topics, and he tells it as if he's a master of them. Because come on, if someone like me who isn't too familiar with music, composers, chords and whatnot, tell me you did not look up at least one of the pieces mentioned in this book. I dare you.

The story begins and is told by Music, at Frankie's funeral. Actual artistes also give their 'rendition' of how they knew Frankie Presto, compiling the story of his life. Since the beginning, you can't help feeling sorry for Frankie. He has to overcome obstacles all his life, and just when things seem to be looking up, something happens that turns him into ruins again. And all that since he was a baby, mind. All he seemed to know was heartache and pain, and yet, he was hopeful. However, as he grew up, he grew less and less optimistic. I think that very clearly explains how different a kid and an adult's perspectives are.

I admired his persistence to find Aurora. I admired her for staying with him too, despite everything. At first, I couldn't stand that she kept disappearing when she's had enough of him, yet appear again a few years later, only to do the same thing numerous times. I was frustrated that she still came back so many times.
But then I realized: she must have loved him that much. She left for a few years, hoping that he'd get his shit together before coming back to him. So I must applaud her for even coming back, after all he had put her through.

The most beautiful part, in my opinion, is at the end when everything comes together. All the missing pieces are put in place, and it ends on such a beautiful but sad note.

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99 Red Balloons by Elisabeth Carpenter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Starting this book, I didn’t have any expectations. I was confused about the story about halfway through, but then when the revelation came, it all made sense.

And no, it had nothing to do with red balloons (or 99 of them).

I won’t say a lot for fear of spoiling it, but there is a cliffhanger at the end of about 2-3 chapters. 8 year old Grace has been kidnapped at a sweet shop, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to the disappearance of 5 year old Zoe years ago. Why is Emma’s mother acting so suspiciously, and what does widower Maggie have to do in the equation?

I never expected to love this story like I have; just when you think you’re starting to grasp it, you don’t. The story goes to and fro with a handful of the characters, giving the reader an insight to each of their lives before coming together as one beautifully.

Elisabeth Carpenter, I’ve got my eyes out for more of your books.

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The Choice by Samantha King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Out of all the books I’ve read before, this was the only one where my suspicions are about 95% true. Having saying that though, The Choice got me hooked.

Without giving too much away, I suspected Annabel’s fate from the off. I also suspected Dom & Max’s intentions (it was an either/or situation) and to find out that I had been right had been a smug moment for me.
Madeleine’s suffering was very relatable. The way King describes how Maddie is feeling seems to perforate through the pages of the book, because I felt them as if I was living it as well.

The climatic scenes got me breezing through the pages, eager to find out what happens next. The grief she felt, the relief, the panic; this book basically took me on a roller coaster of emotions. There were times I felt so frustrated with one of the characters. However, the ending was perfect, and I admit I almost got teary.

Samantha King is definitely an author to look out for; I know I’d be looking out for her future books!

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I Do Not Sleep by Judy Finnigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very easy and pleasant read. Each chapter was only about 10 pages or less, and the font was fairly big. For a story about loss, the plot was fairly light, tone-wise.

Unlike other novels that tackle a grief-stricken protagonist, Molly was very relatable. She had her moments, but at the same time, I thought she was level-headed about it. Whenever she was being ‘unreasonable’, she would later contemplate her actions and the reactions of others. She did not wallow in self-pity and constantly feel sorry for herself; although the grief of losing Joey turned her into somewhat a zombie emotion-wise, she could still deliberate her actions after.

The theme also happened to coincide with a life event of mine, and the message that this book gave me had given somewhat of a comfort for me.

There was a pleasant surprise at the end too.

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The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I vaguely remember seeing this book in a must-read list somewhere. So when I saw it in the Bargain Books store, I knew I wanted it; to see what the hype was about.

And true enough, I loved it. I spotted a few sentence structural errors, but it wasn't as bad as Zombie Britannica. And for me (a self-proclaimed Grammar Nazi) to still rate it 4 stars despite the errors, you know it's good.

There was just something about the story that pulls you in; making you feel like you're actually living it (as all good books tend to do). I could almost feel the damp, salty air described, and the relationship between Angus and Sarah had me spooked; it seems like any one of them could snap at any moment. Though granted, I feel that Angus, as frustrated as he was, was quite patient with Sarah. And from Sarah's point of view, I can feel her anxiety; her paranoid-ness towards Angus. The both of them seem to be treading on dangerous waters (pun intended heh) with each other, and that atmosphere, I feel, was thick whenever they were together.

It might be just me, but the 'epilogue' six months later surprised me towards the end. It sounded like it was going one way, and then it was revealed that it was actually another.

An excellent read.

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Blood Born by Kathryn Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After my bad bout with a Kathy Reich book, I was a bit skeptical with this one. The former had bored me to death with with the terms used.

The little synopsis at the back of the book was interesting. Although this book had many forensic science-y terms, it was easy to keep up with. And if I came across a term that I didn't understand, I'd simply google it up.

Certain novels can be very heavy on courtroom and law terms, and can be hard to follow for someone who has no knowledge of the field. So I liked that this one had an equal amount.

Also, my frustrations with the Harbourn family are yay high. I feel mentally tired just hearing the lengths that the family goes to plan and cover up their crimes. Noelle (understandably, I think) annoys me the most.

I initially had a bit of trouble keeping up with who was who, and what their expertise were, though. And like Anya, I didn't get the initial verdict of the case. It made my heart hammer though because after that, one surprise came after the other; just when you thought it was done with.

All in all, I really liked this book, even with the little grammatical and sentence structural errors that I spotted. Might just pick up another book by Fox, f her other books are as good as this.

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this book to be similar to Rainbow Rowell's books. The chapters are short and the storyline light. The story is told in Lara Jean's perspective, and was a nice, light read that was addictive.

There were several parts that got me frustrated with Lara Jean. But then again, she's a teenager.

There was one character I never liked much in the beginning, and my feelings were the same throughout the character development. Although yes, there were developments, but I still found the character very full of themselves.

There is also a particular event that I felt did not have a proper closure; and that Lara Jean throwing herself back into it without that closure was a bit... rash and unreasonable, in my opinion. The character that I suspected had been the one to send out Lara Jean's letters had also turned out to be correct, with my guessed reason.

All in all, a nice light read.

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Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew from reading the first few pages that I was going to love it. Yes I've heard of the title before, but I've never got around to reading it.

It was interesting to read about how Susie's 'heaven' was and what was in it. Without spoiling it, I have to say I was intrigued by the Ray-Ruth-Susie thing, and I'm still not exactly sure what happened. O.o

I can't seem to to put in words though the exact way that this book attracted me. There was this pull that reeled me in the minute I read the first chapter.

Give this a go if you haven't already.

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The Hospital: How I Survived the Secret Child Experiments at Aston Hall by Barbara O'Hare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is amazing.
Not only for how it's written, but the story in itself.

More than once, I had to remind myself that this was a true story. It's easy to forget, seeing as how similar stories are usually fictional.

It broke my heart to see how she was mistreated at home, but then when she went to Aston Hall, I was appalled by how the kids were treated; how their innocence were exploited and how they were so tightly controlled.

I had mixed emotions about the nurses there. They were described as strict and emotionless, yet sometimes they showed hints of humanity; as if they themselves had not known the extent of the experiments carried out.

What I didn't agree on, however, was the person she claimed had 'saved her life'. Quite honestly, I felt that this person would not have done it if it weren't for another wee character.

One can only imagine what it must be like for someone so young to go through such torture on a regular basis...

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