Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt of Calling Back the Dead by J.R. Erickson

Author: J.R. Erickson

Narrator: Kelsey Navarro

Length: 7 hours 57 minutes

Publisher: J.R. Erickson⎮2019

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Northern Michigan Asylum, Book 2

Release date: Aug. 15, 2019

 The sprawling Kerry Manor has stood abandoned for nearly a century.

But that hasn’t kept the darkness at bay. Stories about the cursed house trickle out. Violent deaths, strange sightings, and always the chilling sound of a little girl’s song permeates the murky halls.

Today, Kerry Manor is restored to its original grandeur. Corrie and Sammy Flynn, and their daughter Isis, move into the house for a winter retreat. As they settle into the dim, gothic rooms, they cannot imagine the terror that awaits them.

Kerry Manor houses a malevolence that spans a century. A twisted tale that began when a little girl went into the Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane and emerged as something dark - something evil.

Kerry Manor is the second novel in a series of stand-alone stories in the Northern Michigan Asylum Series. Start your chilling journey today.

Buy Links for Audiobook #2

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Calling Back the Dead is the second book in  the Northern Michigan Asylum Series.  This can be read as a stand alone novel.  The Asylum plays a lesser role in this book, but there is a tie in.  I have to say that this one is my favorite between the first two books.  This time around, we are treated to a great haunted house story.  The story opens with Corrie waking up and finding her husband had been stabbed to death the night before during their Halloween party.  The story then waffles between the events that lead up to that night and the events after.

This book was really creepy.  In fact, this would make a great movie.  I love a story where I'm not sure I can trust any or all of the perspectives.  Corrie kept me guessing as she slowly fell down the rabbit hole of grief. Her husband Sammy was a horror buff and  there is a scene where I kept asking why he apparently never showed Corrie Pet Sematary.  Because maybe she would have learned something.   I highly recommend this one as well and can't wait to read more books in the series.

About the Author: J.R. Erickson

J.R. Erickson (aka Jacki) is an indie author who writes murder mysteries woven with elements of the paranormal. Since childhood, J.R. has been fascinated by otherworldly things. She started penning creepy stories in her adolescence, but didn’t pursue a career in writing until her mid-twenties. Like most paths, J.R.’s has been winding and filled with detours.

Today, she lives in the forests of northern Michigan with her excavator husband and her critter-loving son. In addition to writing, J.R. teaches yoga, hosts the true crime podcast Bitter Endings, and spends every spare minute hanging with her family and her kitties.

Her latest series, the Northern Michigan Asylum Series, is inspired by a real former asylum in Traverse City. J.R. regularly visits the former asylum that has been partially renovated into shops, restaurants and condominiums. 

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About the Narrator: Kelsey Navarro

Kelsey Navarro grew up in Las Vegas with a background in film, singing, and acting. She narrates anything from self-help to erotica. In her spare time, she reads voraciously and enjoys listening to a good podcast or audiobook. She worked in management for over nine years and nerds out over personal development, superheroes, and really great food.

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Review: The Babysitter's Coven by Kate Williams

Author: Kate Williams
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Date of publication: September 2019

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home. 

Back in the day, I was a huge Buffy fan.  (OK...I still am) So when I saw this synopsis, I knew I had to give it a try.  Esme is a great babysitter.  She and her friend are the best in town and make good money doing it. When a new girl shows up at school and wants into their "club" things start to get strange.  

I wouldn't say this was necessarily a YA.  It read more like a middle grade book or a younger YA.  I think that demographic will think this was a lot of fun.  As for me, I thought it was cute.  The characters were funny and interesting.  There were some great one-liners and I did laugh in a few places.  I liked that Esme and her friend had their own style.  Overall, it was a cute read.

What brought my rating down to about 3 stars was the blatant rip-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with demons not vampires...right down to town having its very own Hellmouth and a Watcher.   I mean, the show is referenced in the book several times.  I guess if it's mentioned, that makes it OK?  I wanted something original, like a new twist.  But, it just wasn't there.  I also feel that the author needs to spend some time with actual teens.  They don't speak using acronyms.  I know because I have one and I asked her.    So that didn't feel authentic and took me out of the story.

I would probably recommend this to middle grade level readers.  I think it could be a fun introduction into the paranormal genre.  I may pick up the next one to see the fallout of the events of this one.   

Review: The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud

Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publisher:Disney Hyperion
Date of publication: 

In the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in England, Lockwood & Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations. Finally, in a fit of anger, Anthony challenges his rival to a contest: the next time the two agencies compete on a job, the losing side will have to admit defeat in the Times newspaper.

Things look up when a new client, Mr. Saunders, hires Lockwood & Co. to be present at the excavation of Edmund Bickerstaff, a Victorian doctor who reportedly tried to communicate with the dead. Saunders needs the coffin sealed with silver to prevent any supernatural trouble. All goes well-until George's curiosity attracts a horrible phantom.

Back home at Portland Row, Lockwood accuses George of making too many careless mistakes. Lucy is distracted by urgent whispers coming from the skull in the ghost jar. Then the team is summoned to DEPRAC headquarters. Kipps is there too, much to Lockwood's annoyance. Bickerstaff's coffin was raided and a strange glass object buried with the corpse has vanished. Inspector Barnes believes the relic to be highly dangerous, and he wants it found.

The Whispering Skull is the follow up to the Screaming Staircase.  IT picks up about 6 months after the first book.  This time around, the team are paired up with another agency to find a dangerous haunted object.  The two teams are rivals and of course chaos and danger lurks around every corner. 

 I have to admit that I didn't love this one as much as the first book. For me the pacing wasn't as consistent. It was really dragged in parts.  I had no problem stopping the audiobook for long stretches of time.  It did pick up in the last third of the book though.  The strength of the story is it's spooky setting.  The author does a great job of setting the tone and making the reader feel like they are ghost hunting along with the team.  I also enjoyed getting to know George a bit more.  He plays a larger role in the mystery than he did in the first book.  Lucy is beginning to really hone her skill for speaking to the dead. 

We do learn a bit more about the Fittes agency and some secrets are revealed. The book also ends on a cliffhanger with a reveal about the mysterious locked room in Lockwood's house.  Despite its slow pace, I still did enjoy it.  I definitely recommend this series to lovers of middle grade paranormal.

Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher:Putnam Juvenile
Date of publication: September 2011

Jack the Ripper is back, and he's coming for Rory next....

Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him - the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target...unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables.

I'm a little late to the party when it comes to this early series by Maureen Johnson.  Autumn reviewed this back in 2011.  Enough time has passed that I think it's safe to out in my two cents.  I ended up really enjoying this book and want to finish out the series.  Rory is an American high school student who goes to a boarding school in London.  Someone begins murdering people in the area and the murders are reminiscent of Jack the Ripper. 

As I said, I really liked the book.  The characters were interesting. I really liked Rory and her attempts to fit into her new environment.  I thought the twist on the "I see dead people" trope was pretty cool.  I wasn't expecting a paranormal element to the book, so it was a nice surprise. 

I have seen reviews that compare this series to her later Truly Devious series.  I didn't really find any similarities other than they take place at a boarding school.  So, don't feel like you are going to get more of the same if you are hesitant to pick this one up.   I, for one, had a fun time reading it and I highly recommend it.

Review: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publisher: Doubleday Children’s Books
Publication Date: August 29th 2013

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Set in a city stalked by spectres, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again . . .

The Screaming Staircase is the first the Lockwood & Co. Series/  It's a middle grade paranormal mystery that takes place in kind of a dystopian future.  Ghosts are very real and have become a real danger to England.  Children and teens can see and sense them much easier than adults.  Agencies have been formed and employ  kids to get rid of the ghosts.  Lockwood & Co. is a very small company and is run by Anthony Lockwood.  Lucy Carlyle is their newest agent.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.  I don't usually read a lot of middle grade books, so I wasn't sure if I would like it.  Having said that, I know I would have loved it in middle school as well. 

 The story was fast paced, action packed and really spooky.  Exactly the right combination for a fun read.  The characters were interesting and I genuinely felt invested in their adventure..  Lucy, Lockwood and George made a great team.   The way Lockwood  was so focused at times really reminded me of  a young Sherlock Holmes character.   The world building was wonderful.  I felt like I was able to really immerse myself in this paranormal, alternate world.  I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed the experience. I also got the sense that there is a lot more to learn about what is really going on and hopefully, there will be more reveals in the future.   If you have been putting off trying this series out (like I have), I do recommend moving it up on your TBR.  There are four more books in the series, so I have some catching up to do.

Review: The Possession by Michael Rutger

Author: Michael Rutger

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date:July 2019

Still recovering from the shocking revelations they uncovered deep in uncharted territory in the Grand Canyon, American myth and legend investigator Nolan Moore and his team take on a new mission, investigating a rumored case of witchcraft and possession.

Nolan hopes their new case, in a quaint village in the middle of the woods, will prove much more like those he and his team investigated prior to their trip to Kincaid's cavern.

But as the residents accounts of strange phenomena add up, Nolan and company begin to suspect something all too real and dangerous may be at play. A force that may not be willing to let them escape the village unscathed.

The Anomaly (my review) was a pleasant surprise for me and I was eagerly awaiting The Possession. This time around the team goes to a town to investigate a disappearance as well as mysterious ancient walls that appear to have no real purpose.  I wish I could say that I loved this one just as much, but I was a little disappointed.  

My disappointment lies with the plot of the book.  I found this one kind of confusing and disjointed.  I'm still not sure I understand what was going on.  The one scene of exposition toward the later half of the book that was supposed to give the reader a clue wasn't very clear. Was it time travel, other dimensions, witchcraft?  I'm still not sure.

Having said that, I still did enjoy my time reading the book.  The setting was creepy.  There were a couple of really chilling scenes in the woods that gave me shivers.  I loved that.  The characters were still fun.  Nolan and his team work so well together and have great banter.  This can be read as a stand alone.  They do refer to the events in the first book, but don't really give anything away, so you wouldn't be spoiled if you read this first.  

Despite my disappointment, I would still recommend it.  I'm hooked enough to want to go on another adventure with Nolan and the gang again in the next book.

Review: City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Author: Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Scholastic
Date of publication: August 2018

Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself. 

City of Ghosts is the first in a middle grade series featuring 12 YO (I think) Cassidy Blake.  Cassidy almost died in a river the year before.  After being rescued by a ghost, she can now see ghosts.  Her parents are paranormal investigators and are spending the summer touring haunted cities all over the world.

I think I am going to have to admit defeat when it comes to this author.  So far, I haven't finished or enjoyed a book she has written.  I had hopes that a middle grade book would be different.  City of Ghosts was just an OK read for me.  The story was nice enough, but I'm not convinced middle grade readers will flock to it.  The story lacked any real world building and left me with so many questions.   I would hope they will be further explored later in eh series.  

One thing that I found really annoying about the book was the amount of Harry Potter references.  I'm not sure packing the book with those will make it more popular with the middle grade  readers.  I also got tired of the constant explanations for the explanation of terms like what fish and chips were or crisps.  It felt like exposition and slowed the narrative down.  Would I recommend it to my middle grader?  Maybe.   

Year One by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of publication: December 2017

It began on New Year’s Eve.

The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.

Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magic rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.  The end has come. The beginning comes next.

Nora Roberts has kind of been hit or miss with me when it comes to her fantasy series. I have loved some of her older ones. However,  I really didn't care for her last witch series and only read the first two out of the trilogy.  I had high hopes for this newest series. Year One is about a virus that wipes out 80% of the world's population with magic thrown in.  It sounded like a good read.  Unfortunately, it was more of a miss than a hit for me.

The story overall was entertaining enough.  But it honestly it was kind long and kind of boring.  That's not really something I would hope to get when I read a post apocalyptic story. There was no real suspense or sense of danger throughout most of the book. There were many predictable parts that anyone could see coming a mile away. 

The characters were just there and didn't really add much to the story.  They could have been anyone.  Except maybe Fred.  She was fun.  One of the biggest problems that I had with it was the cast of characters.  There were too many to follow. There are the initial ones that we follow throughout the majority of the book.  Then we are all of a sudden introduced to more and more once they settle in New Hope.  I lost track of who the original ones were by that point.  Then they are all dropped to follow only one for the last 20% of the book.  It felt unsatisfying to not know what happened to the rest of them.

I'm not sure the whole magic element worked for me. It made no sense why people were all of a sudden getting powers or changing into fairies and shape shifters. I guess the biggest problem is the same I have with the Walking Dead.  We have no idea what caused the virus.  I feel a bit confused.  Was it a bird? Was it magic?  Where did all of the magic come from? Hopefully in the second book there will be more of an explanation.  It was a long book with no real answers.  I also felt like it was very reminiscent of The Stand.  It had the good versus evil fight.  The good and bad making their way across the country to converge together in one place.  The big bad and the chosen good....  I'll probably try the next one just to see what happens.  I'm just holding out hope it's better than this one.

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

Author: Nova Ren Suma
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Date of publication: March 2015

On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom.

Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries…

What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?

I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It was a random audio pick from my library's new audio-book shelf.   The Walls Around Us is told through the eyes of two girls, Violet and Amber.  Both are connected by another girl, Orianna.  Amber tells us of her time in the Aurora Hills juvenile detention canter for girls where she met Ori.  Violet gives us her perspective on her friendship jealousy of Ori. There is a mystery as to what happened, but who is telling the truth?

I liked that this book kept me guessing.  Throughout the story, I kind of had a sense of what the ending would be.  I was both right and wrong...even better! Both narrators are pretty unreliable, so the reader is constantly guessing. I felt the plot was well planned out with no major reveals coming too early.  The ending was both dark, yet satisfying at the same time. The characters were interesting and helped keep my attention on the book.  I really liked how the author didn't sugar coat what the juvenile detention center was like.  

I'm not sure if I would classify this as a YA novel.  It does have some adult themed stuff in it, so I would probably keep it to the over 16 crowd.  I definitely recommend giving this one a shot.

Wicked Charms by Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton

Authors: Janet Evanovich, Phoef Sutton
Publisher: Bantam
Date of publication: June 2015

Murdered and mummified more than ninety years ago, bootlegger Collier “Peg Leg” Dazzle once found and re-hid a famous pirate’s treasure somewhere along the coast of New England. A vast collection of gold and silver coins and precious gems, the bounty also contains the Stone of Avarice — the very item reluctant treasure seeker, Lizzy Tucker, and her partner, Diesel, have been enlisted to find. While Lizzy would just like to live a quiet, semi-normal life, Diesel is all about the hunt. And this hunt is going to require a genuine treasure map and a ship worthy of sailing the seven seas . . . or at least getting them from Salem Harbor to Maine.

Greed is eternal and insatiable, and Lizzy and Diesel aren’t the only ones searching for the lost pirate’s chest. There are people who have dedicated their entire lives to finding it, and are willing to commit murder or make a deal with the devil, just to hold the fortune in their hands. One of those people may even be Wulf, Diesel’s deceptively charming and enigmatic cousin. Wulf desires the Stone of Avarice. He also desires Lizzy. It’s hard to say how far he’s willing to go to gain either one.


I have been waiting to read Wicked Charms for a long time.  It's been 4 years since the second book came out.  I have to say, that it was worth the wait. I really enjoyed this book.  I haven't laughed out loud during a book so much in a long time.  You always know with Lizzy and Diesel, there is going to be a crazy adventure. This time around, there are pirate legends, treasure maps and hidden treasure.  And of course, the hunt for the next Stone of Avarice.

As I said, I loved the humor in this one.  It is what I have always loved about this author's writing.  While there was definite sexual tension between Diesel and Lizzy, there was much less of "will they or won't they?".  That made me happy.  Knowing that they can't do anything about it because one of them could lose their powers is fine, I just didn't want it reminded to me every page like in the last book.  I still think they make a great team.  I would love for them to ultimately be together.  The ending with Wulf proves to make things very interesting though.

Once again, the peripheral characters round out the story nicely.  Glo with her spell book is my favorite.  Her attempts at doing spells always make for interesting situations.  This time around, the dog spell was very amusing.  If you haven't picked this series up, I do suggest starting with the first book, Wicked Appetite. I think there is some essential back story that is not present in this one. But, you won't be sorry!

The Line by JD Horn

Author: J. D. Horn
Publisher: 47North
Date of publication: February 2014

Savannah is considered a Southern treasure, a city of beauty with a rich, colorful past. Some might even call it magical . . .To the uninitiated, Savannah shows only her bright face and genteel manner. Those who know her well, though, can see beyond her colonial trappings and small-city charm to a world where witchcraft is respected, Hoodoo is feared, and spirits linger. Mercy Taylor is all too familiar with the supernatural side of Savannah, being a member of the most powerful family of witches in the South. Despite being powerless herself, of course. Having grown up without magic of her own, in the shadow of her talented and charismatic twin sister, Mercy has always thought herself content. But when a series of mishaps—culminating in the death of the Taylor matriarch—leaves a vacuum in the mystical underpinnings of Savannah, she finds herself thrust into a mystery that could shake her family apart . . . and unleash a darkness the line of Taylor witches has been keeping at bay for generations. 

The Line is a paranormal story about an extensive family of witches who live in Savannah. Except for Mercy.  She was the twin born without any power.  When her great aunt is murdered she finds herself involved in a fight for her life.  I liked the overall story-line.  There were a couple of twists and surprises toward the end that I thought were clever.  I also like Mercy's character.  I felt kind of bad for her having to grow up in a house full of witches and being the odd man out. 

While I liked the book, I didn't love it.  My biggest issue with the story was the lack of world building.  I kept getting the sense that I had walked into the middle of a movie.  I felt like there was something missing.  I'm not sure I understood the idea of the 'line holders" or what the fight with the demons was all about.  I also needed more back story about the family members.  Things became a little clearer in the end, but for I felt like it too a little too long.  The Line is the first in a series and not bad for a debut book.  I do want to pick up the next one to see how Mercy handles the job she was given in the end. Check out what others are saying on their tour stops below!

About the author:

J. D. Horn was raised in rural Tennessee, and has since carried a bit of its red clay in him while traveling the world, from Hollywood, to Paris, to Tokyo. He studied comparative literature as an undergrad, focusing on French and Russian in particular. He also holds an MBA in international business and worked as a financial
analyst before becoming a novelist. When not writing he is likely running, and he has race bibs from two full marathons and about thirty half marathons. He and his spouse, Rich, and their three pets split their time between Portland, Oregon and San Francisco.
Connect with J.D. on Goodreads | Facebook

Tour stops:
Monday, February 3rd:  The Whimsical Cottage
Tuesday, February 4th:  Books and Bindings
Wednesday, February 5th:  Mystery Playground
Thursday, February 6th:  The Reader’s Hollow
Tuesday, February 11th:  Nerdophiles
Wednesday, February 12th:  Midnight Book Girl
Monday, February 17th:  Cheryl’s Book  Nook
Wednesday, February 19th:  Books Without Any Pictures
Sunday, February 23rd:  Book Marks the Spot
Tuesday, February 25th:  Must Read Faster
Wednesday, February 26th:  Bibliophilia, Please
Monday, March 3rd:  Walking With Nora
Monday, March 3rd:  Florida Hillbilly
Tuesday, March 4th:  A Dream Within a Dream
Wednesday, March 5th:  From the TBR Pile
Thursday, March 6th:  A Novel Idea
Friday, March 7th:  Sweet Southern Home

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

by:  Lisa McMann
published by:  Simon Pulse
publish date:  February 15, 2011

Kendall Fletcher had big problems even before her two high school classmates went missing. Her intrusive OCD put her at loose ends, constantly searching for lost threads. The Cryer's Cross freshman was shaken by the disappearance of the first student, but she was totally thunderstruck when her close friend vanished. With her mind already in overdrive, she attempts to put together the pieces of crimes that stump even the police.

Cryer's Cross was one of those just sort of average, middle-of the road, YA mysteries.  It had the flawed main character that gets stuck in a weird love triangle.  It had the little bit of paranormal element to make it a bit on the strange side.

Kendall is living is a really tiny town.  The entire high school seems to all fit in one classroom.  When one goes missing they are all devastated.  However, when a second student goes missing it makes the national news.  Is there a serial kidnapper out there?  Were the students in on it together?  The second student to go missing is Nico, Kendall's boyfriend, and her OCD mind starts making connections that no one else would be able to.  

Like I said, it was ok.  The answer to the mystery was a little weird and honestly didn't make much sense to me, but up until that point, I thought the book was fairly good.  There was a lot time spent on the fact that the only reason Kendall was with Nico was because they grew up together and there weren't too many other options, and that's kind of sad.  It paved the way for the love triangle though.  So I guess bottom line, eh so-so, would have been better with a more realistic ending in my opinion.

Blog Tour: Fallen by Laury Falter

Author: Laury Falter
Publisher: self
Date of Publication: April 2009

Maggie is unaware of the terrifying fate that awaits her. It isn’t until she lands in New Orleans for a full year at a private high school and her unknown enemies find her does she realize that her life is in danger. 

As a mystifying stranger repeatedly intervenes and blocks the attempts on her life, she begins to learn that there is more to him than his need to protect her and that he may be the key to understanding why her enemies have just now arrived.

Let me first point out that this book should not be confused with the book with the same title written by Lauren Kate.  I tried that book, but just couldn't get into it.  This book, titled Fallen by Laury Falter was a much different experience for me.  I was intrigued from the beginning and sucked right into the story.  This was actually a fairly fast read for me as I didn't want to put it down.

I liked the main character, Maggie.  She has a unique ability that allows her to speak to the dead in her dreams.  She uses this talent to deliver messages for those left behind.  When she moves to New Orleans to finish out her last year of high school, strange things start happening to her.  The story is an interesting twist on angels and fallen ones.  I really liked how the author described the afterlife. This Heaven sounds like a place anyone would want to end up.  

The other characters were interesting and fun.  I loved Maggie's roommates.  I also liked Eran. Their fall into love may seem sudden, but it makes sense once you read more about Eran and Maggie  I was so glad that there while there was a bit of angst, it didn't drag on forever.  There was also a lack of a love triangle, yay!   

I do recommend trying this one out. I think most YA readers will enjoy it.  Even though Maggie is 18, it's a fairly clean book.  The other books in the trilogy,  Eternity and Reckoning are out as well.  I look forward to reading them.

About the author:

Laury Falter is the bestselling author of the Guardian Trilogy (Fallen, Eternity, & Reckoning). When she isn't writing, she likes to take her two stray dogs for walks and enjoy date nights with her husband.

Laury's debut novel, Fallen, hit Amazon's Top 100 list in three genres and the remaining two books in the trilogy made showings in the Top 100 of the same genres as well. With a new series available, Residue, about a teenage girl who learns she is a witch and falls in love with a boy from a feuding family, her reader following continues to grow rapidly.

Fallen on Amazon.com:  http://www.lauryfalter.com/

Laury's website:  http://www.lauryfalter.com/

Laury on Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4061922.Laury_Falter

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LauryFalter

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laury-Falter/196033543803745

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

by:  Maggie Stiefvater
published by:  Scholastic Press
publish date:  September 18, 2012

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Blue Sergeant grew up in a family of clairvoyant women.  All her life they've been telling her that she will cause her true love to die.  Because of this she pretty much stays away from boys.  She especially stays aways from the Aglionby boys, the boys from the fancy prep school.  They are known as the Raven boys because of the ravens on their uniforms.

While Blue isn't a psychic, she has the ability to turn up the volume for other psychics.  She increases the energy around them.  So one of the psychic women is using her to help commune with the dead when Blue actually sees and talks to her first spirit.  The spirit's name is Gansey.  The pyschic tells Blue that the reason she can see him is because he will die within one year, he is her true love or she will kill him.

Gansey is in Henrietta going to Aglionby because of his life's pursuit of ley lines.  He's convinced they run through the town.  Blue gets involved with Gansey and his friend during his search for the ley lines despite all her mother's predictions and warnings.

I ended up really liking The Raven Boys.  I listened to the audiobook.  It was read by Will Patton.  If you don't know the name, you probably know the face from movies and television.  It was extremely well done. 

I have to give props to Maggie Stiefvater for keeping things fresh.  From werewolves to water horses to raven boy, she's definitely covering a lot of territory.  The writing is awesome.   I'm bummed that this is the first book in a series/trilogy/whatever but it's to be expected in YA now.  Hopefully we don't have to wait forever for the next book.

 

Joint Review: Niceville by Carsten Stroud

by:  Carsten Stroud
published by:  Knopf
publish date:  June 12, 2012

Something is wrong in Niceville. . .  
A boy literally disappears from Main Street.  A security camera captures the moment of his instant, inexplicable vanishing. An audacious bank robbery goes seriously wrong: four cops are gunned down; a TV news helicopter is shot and spins crazily out of the sky, triggering a disastrous cascade of events that ricochet across twenty different lives over the course of just thirty-six hours.
 . . .Something is wrong in Niceville, where evil lives far longer than men do.

I was excited to read Niceville because I thought the synopsis sounded very interesting.  About a quarter of the way into the book, I wasn't so excited anymore.  Niceville was a disappointment to me.  It think it tried to be too many things at once.  The ghost story was really cool and had it been the main focal point of the story, I would have liked it a lot more.  For me, there were too many characters to keep track of as well as too many points of view.  The bank robbery really had nothing to do with the ghost story part, so it made the book very disjointed to me.  The ending was just in a word, cheesy.  I'll be honest, I'm not even sure why I finished the book.  I think I wanted to see how the ghost story ended.  

This book is being compared to be  Stephen King-like...for me, not so much.  I'm not sure I would recommend this title.  

I could see the Stephen King influences on this book.  Niceville had multiple, intertwining storylines taking place in a small town.  I didn't dislike this book as much as Kari did, but it wasn't one of my favorites.  I also found it to be a little unconnected.  It was almost like the writer had two story ideas, but there wasn't enough there with either one of them for a whole book so they got squashed together in this one book.
Unlike Kari, I liked the bank robbery storyline over the ghost story.  It felt better plotted out.  The ghost story seemed to take a back burner at times then at the end, there was just a kinda quick almost offhanded conclusion to it.  I would have liked a little more development of that aspect of the book.

Will I be singing the praises of this book?  Probably not.  But I might be inclined to check out what this author wrote and see how it compares.