Review: The Merciless

The Merciless
by Danielle Vega

Synopsis

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.
 
Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.
 
Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . . unless she wants to be next. . . .
 
In this chilling debut, Danielle Vega delivers blood-curdling suspense and terror on every page. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us?

Review

I LOVED this book! I had been in the mood for something scary/creepy and this fit the bill just fine. It had been so long since I've read a YA book that actually creeped me out. Vega does a great job of incorporating flash backs and so-called cliches into what turns out to be quite a unique story! Through the point of view of Sofia, we get to experience so many emotions and...well, I won't give it away.

I read a review somewhere that said this was a bad imitation of Mean Girls. Well, let me tell you that, as much as I love Mean Girls, this story goes beyond the popular girls. Anyone who thinks that's what this book is about has it very very wrong. 

Vega says in her ending credits that her husband, who does not like scary stories, should prepare himself for the next one she has brewing. I cannot wait to read anything else that comes from this great debut author!

Verdict

If you love scary stories - this is for you. HOWEVER, please realize that there is talk of sex, violence, addiction and other unpleasant things in this book. It's a great story, but I don't want anyone getting triggered or feeling uncomfortable when reading should be fun!

Top Shelf Short Story: Beyond the Door

Short Story: Beyond the Door

Collection: Philip K. Dick: Short Stories
Author: Philip K. Dick

Review

Dear reader, this review is a day late. 

That's all. Seriously, what did you expect? 

Anyway, I've never read anything by Philip K. Dick and even though this was a very simple and very short story, it intrigued me to read more of his work. This story is about a man, Larry, who buys a cuckoo clock for his wife. Larry is not the most sensitive husband in the world which is why most people, and this particular clock, don't like him. 

You read right. The clock does not like Larry. The birdie inside refuses to come out for him but adores his wife. So when Larry kicks his wife out of the house...well, the birdie doesn't like that at all. 

As I said, it's a REALLY short story, but effective in its storytelling. It has that mystery/horror element that gets me (especially during this time).

Verdict

Read it! It's short and fun :)

Review: Dreams of the Dead

Dreams of the Dead
by Thomas Randall

Synopsis

Kara Foster thinks the hardest thing about moving to Japan will be fitting in as an outsider. But dark secrets are stirring at her new school. When Kara befriends Sakura, a fellow outsider whose rebellious nature sets her apart from the crowd, she learns that Sakura's sister was the victim of an unsolved murder on school grounds. And before long, terrible things begin to happen.

It starts with nightmares - strange, otherworldly dreams that wake Kara in terror every night. Then more students start turning up dead, with strange marks on their bodies. Is Sakura getting revenge on those she suspects are responsible for her sister's death? Or has her dead sister come back to take revenge for herself?


Review

I think I should start off with telling you, dear reader, how I very much love horror stories, be it in books, tv or movies. I should also add that my favorite kind of horror stories are Asian ones. So, I might be biased in reviewing my latest read.

This story begins with Kara and her father moving to Japan after the death of Kara's mother. With the worries of attending a new school in a new country comes the eerie feeling of something not being quite right. The sudden unsolved murder/death of a student a few months before has some people on edge. Little does Kara know that the school she's attending and the people within have many secrets to hide.

I haven't read many reviews about this book because I figured someone would ruin it for me. In my opinion, I think that many people do not understand or enjoy Asian horror stories. Maybe they find it too fantasy-like or gruesome, but I love the darkness of the stories. Many of them are about revenge and I think that's a topic we tend to gloss over in our fiction. Dreams of the Dead is a quiet book and that helps the tone for suspense concerning the plot. When I say quiet, by the way, I mean that it's slow and steady in parts which helps build the thrill. I can see how some who are used to action-filled horror stories or movies might be turned off by this, but the Japanese books I've read so far do a really good job at letting the suspense build slowly. I quite enjoy it.

I wish parts of the book had been a bit more detailed and the book longer, in general. Regardless, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to any horror/suspense fan.

Extra

The book is a part of a trilogy called The Waking. Both other books are already out, but I have only been able to find the third in ebook form...which makes me very sad. If anyone knows where I can get an actual copy (if it exists) please let me know!

For fans of:

Ryu Murakami
The Ring
The Grudge
Asian horror

Rating

Review: No Way Baby!

No Way Baby! is an informative read for individuals who wish to remain childfree. Basically, anyone who has made the conscious decision not to have a child. Foster makes it a point to distinguish this group from the childless. 


There is a growing number of people who are choosing not to have a family in the traditional sense - individuals who do not feel the need to have their own kids. They may love their nieces and nephews or their friends' children, but that need to have their own does not exist. Some of them decide this as soon as they are teenagers. 
Since society is always progressing in one way or another, it is important to understand the options available to us. This book is very useful in that it provides information for those of us who don't necessarily feel the calling to become a mother or a father. It provides information on the opposition and encouragement in making your own decision, not one that society has placed on you.Apart from being informative in the decision-making process, it also provides information on those lingering questions one has, such as, without kids, what happens to us when we grow old? Etc. 


This book brought up many worries I didn't even know I had. However, as someone who is not sure about having children, it is a necessary reality to think about how life will be without children. In a world full of uncertainties, this book provides you an in-depth, informative look into one of the options that we grow up not hearing about. 


With that said, I recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with the decision of not having children (either deciding or dealing with the aftermath of making the decision), as well as those who are not able to have children. Although Foster directs this books to the childfree, the later chapters help with providing information for others. I also suggest this book for anyone who has a childfree in their family or as a friend - it will help them to better understand the other side of the fence, so to speak.

Review: Revenge

I enjoyed this book - I really did. I would have given it four stars, except...well I can't honestly explain why I didn't. Revenge is based on the classic, The Count of Monte Cristo and it gives you exactly what you would expect from the title.

The story surrounds a seemingly perfect young man named Ned who apparently has it all and the three young men who hate him for it. Each one is irritated by him or covets something he has that they don't. A prank meant to get him into trouble goes completely out of control. The remainder of the story involves Ned's terrible journey of losing himself only to transform himself into something that is purely for that revenge he seeks. What I like most about this book was that there is no hero, no clear winner. It made me wanting revenge for the main character, but once I had it, I was left feeling empty. This, however, was the point.