Book Review: Sleepwalkers

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 566 KB
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0757315887
• Publisher: HCI Teens (3 Oct 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
• Language English
• ASIN: B0058O3HKI

Privileged and popular Caleb Mason is celebrating his high school graduation when he receives a mysterious, disturbing letter from his long-lost childhood playmate, Christine. Caleb and his jokester friend Bean decide to travel to his tiny hometown of Hudsonville, Florida, to find her. Upon arrival, they discover the town has taken a horrifying turn for the worse.  Caleb's childhood home is abandoned and his father has disappeared. Children are going missing. The old insane asylum has reopened, and Christine is locked inside. Her mother, a witch, is consumed with madness, and Christine's long-dead twin sister whispers clues to Caleb through the static of an A.M. radio.

The terrifying prophesies of the spirits are coming to pass. Eighteen clocks are ticking; sixty-six murdered souls will bring about the end of the world. As Caleb peels back layer after layer of mystery, he uncovers a truth more horrible than anything he had imagined, a truth that could only be uttered by the lips of the dead.

Sleepwalkers was a perfect blend of horror and suspense. The author kept the reader fully engaged as the story developed, the tension mounting page by page.

Primarily leading us through the story is rich and privileged Caleb. He has the rest of his life planned out…until a letter from a childhood friend changes everything. After all, the best way to make God laugh is to make a plan.

Instead of heading to Africa like planned, Caleb’s letter takes him back to his roots, but things are not quite as he remembered. The place is dilapidated and falling apart, the wilderness reclaiming the man-made instrusion. Most disturbing of all was his abandoned childhood home.

The residents of the town have turned a blind eye to the mysterious disappearing of the children – certain people not even raising an eyebrow.

Caleb’s search takes him to the Dream Centre – a converted insane asylum – where he is reunited with Christine, his childhood friend, who gives him yet another cryptic clue to what is happening in his hometown.

The clock is ticking for Caleb, who must get to the bottom of the strange goings on…if he wants to escape with his own life intact.

Sleepwalkers was reminiscent of Stephen King, who is the creater of horror novels as we know today. The author has a witty and sharp dark sense of humour which I loved and lightened the  haunting pages without completely distracting from the fear.

Any YA, horror, mystery or suspense fan will love this book. It is not to be missed.

Tick tock. 

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Book Review: Hunting Kat

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 238 KB
• Publisher: Carina Press (4 July 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
• Language English
• ASIN: B005078OME
• 
  

As a mercenary, Kat Darah doesn't have to pass for a normal human. On the edge of the solar system, she's just another biped. Most of the time.

Nearing the end of his military tour, Lt. Christopher Rygard debates the idea of hanging up his uniform for good. Looking for answers at the bottom of a glass of scotch, he meets Kat. One shared night of mutual desire seems harmless. But when their tryst is interrupted by attackers hunting Rygard, Kat must reveal her other form, the predator beneath the human façade.

Together they embark on a dangerous mission—a race against time to meet the enemy's demands, while trying to deny the passion between them. Rygard is faced with a terrible choice in the face of duty: Report the existence of a human turned shape-shifter. Or forget he ever met her.

25,000 words

Hunting Kat was a sexy, action-packed and thrilling ride of sci-fi fantasy adventure.

Our protagonist, Kaitlyn, is the kick-ass heroine of the book. There is no doubt Kaitlyn is one of the most interesting characters I have come across in a long while. With a beautiful and tough exterior, she manages to keep herself distanced from most people…particularly men.

Kat is content with her life as a merc, but those closest to her feel she needs some down time. Kat is tricked into a two-day holiday, where she meets Rygard during a bar brawl. Rygard ticks all the boxes for Kat – handsome, uniform, can hold his own against her. The sparks fly between the two and it isn’t long before Kat leads him back to her room.

Their evening is ruined when Rygard is attacked and Kat reveals her closely guarded secret in order to defend him.

The tension between Rygard and Kat was incredible and had me chewing on my nails. The action was superb – incredible fight scenes with plenty of suspense and gore. I adored the tenderness between the two protagonists, carefully balanced with the scorching passion.

Hunting Kat is one to gobble up in one sitting and is definitely not to be missed.

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Book Review: Seers ARC

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bonneville (8 Oct 2011)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 1599557924
• ISBN-13: 978-1599557922

For Kate Bennet, surviving the car wreck that killed her parents means big changes and even bigger problems. As she begins to see auras and invisible people, Kate must learn to trust Patrick O'Donnell, a handsome Guardian, or risk her life being overrun with Demons. She soon realizes that both she and her heart are in big-time trouble.

Seers was a fabulous new take on paranormal YA. It is a very difficult to create an original story in a genre over-run with paranormal beings, yet the author has done just this.

Our protagonist, Kate, leads us through the story. She was a very sympathetic character and one I feel a lot of young people could identify with. Kate faces a daily struggle of keeping up appearances, making sure the mask that covers the grief she sometimes finds overbearing, doesn’t slip.

When Kate meets hot, Irish, transfer student, Patrick, her carefully maintained world stars to crack and crumble around her. As her feelings for Patrick grow, she cannot ignore what has been missing in her relationship with Aaron.

But it isn’t just boy drama Kate has to deal with. Nope. She has the added complication of being a seer – a human with the ability to read auras. This makes her the subsequent target of Demons. Good thing for Kate she has a guardian or two watching her back.

The author keeps the tension up to the limits, making the reader ache to race through the pages to find out what will happen next. The action in Seers is incredible with immortal battles and an act that threatens to further rip Kate’s fragile family apart.

Seers was an enjoyable story and I could not put it down. The only thing I found distracting was the sudden POV shift from Kate to Patrick. I enjoy split POV novels, but Patrick’s chapter seemed to come out of nowhere and I found myself tripping a little to get back into the story.  That said, Patrick’s eyes are nice to look through.

This book is perfect for any action, YA, paranormal or romance lover. Something for everyone! 

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