ARC Book Review: Santa's Little Helper by H.D. Gordon

Format: Review Copy
Source: Author via Goodreads
Publisher: H.D. Gordon Books
Publication Date: October 31, 2014
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

He shows up in a white box, with a bright red book under his arm... He wears a jolly grin and hat, a suit with gold bells and green yarn... He watches you for Santa, or so his red book claims... But though his grin is jolly, he's not here for fun and games... The children have been chosen, such precious little souls they are... And may the Gods be with them, if they wish to make it very far... For Santa's Little Helper does not say, but knows important things... He knows when you've been bad or good, and what monsters stalk your dreams... He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake...He's picking out his presents...He's got some souls to take.

My Thoughts:

At first, I was nervous for the read...just due to the fact that this was my first horror novel, but boy was I surprised and in a good way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The twists...the turns...the evil.

I never thought that it was possible to be heart-broken from a horror book (but that is probably due to the fact that I haven't read one previously), though this book definitely broke my heart. I think the reason it did so is because the characters are so young. No, not teenagers, not ten years old, but five. I felt terrible for the kids in this book. I just wanted to jump into the book and save them because I knew their parents didn't believe them. 

This book was beautifully written, although I just found one flaw. Not flaw, but just something that I did not particularly like. The way that the five year old kids spoke. Their vocabulary was very immaculate for their age and they seemed to say things that I, myself, would not expect a child that young to speak. 

I loved the way that each paragraph changed perspectives. Whether it was one of the children talking, their parents, or their teacher -- each and every chapter brought something so wonderful to the book. At first, I was really curious as to why the children were chosen for the book, but then I made my conclusion as to why they were. I believe that each child was chosen because each one had a different background. My thought is that H.D. Gordon wanted us to see how evil effected a different variety of families and their way of life. 

I would highly recommend this read, especially around the Christmas time. If you want a thrilling, adventurous, and frightful story this is the book for you. It isn't a book that will keep you up at night (well, for me it did because I didn't want to set the book down), but you will definitely receive sporadic amounts of goosebumps while reading this novel. H.D. Gordon does a spectacular job at grabbing your attention as well as allowing your heart to feel so many different emotions: anger, sadness and happiness...all intertwined with each page turn.

I received this book through Goodreads Read It and Reap for an honest review.

 

ARC Book Review | Creed by Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: November 8, 2014
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were.

When their car breaks down, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike walk through a winter storm to take refuge in a nearby town called Purity Springs. When they arrive, the emergency sirens are blaring and the small farming town seems abandoned. With no other shelter, they spend the night in an empty house.

But they soon discover that not everything in Purity Springs is as it seems. When the town's inhabitants suddenly appear the next morning, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of the charismatic leader, Elijah Hawkins, who plans to make Dee his new wife. Elijah's son, Joseph, offers to help them escape . . . but the price of his help may be more than Dee and her friends can bear.

My Thoughts:

I'm sure that if you've followed me for a while then you probably know that I'm a sucker for horror books. There's just something about the icky, creepy and gory that calls to me. Yes, I'm a freak. Anyway, when I saw Creed, I KNEW that I had to read it ASAP and I was lucky enough to get approved on Netgalley so once I downloaded it I immediately dove right in and Creed didn't disappoint.

Dee has her anniversary with her boyfriend Luke all planned out; she even enlisted Luke’s brother, Mike, in the scheme so that they would all have alibis for the weekend and wouldn’t be missed. But when their car breaks down in a winter storm, they tough it out and walk to a near town called Purity Springs. However, when they get there, it’s like a ghost town and there isn’t a phone in the whole town. Things get weirder from there and it doesn’t take long before they discover the eeriness that is Purity Springs, but by then, it may be too late.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning, Dee’s voice was so strong, I went through all of her emotions right along with her. She has been through so much in her short life and Luke was her everything. He brought her back from the brink and he kept her from sinking back down in her past. Luke was everything a book boyfriend should be; strong, charismatic, loyal and extremely caring.

The only thing I have to say about Elijah Hawkins is…he really needs to decide to quit breathing. I don’t think I can put into words how much I LOATHE him.

Overall, Creed is a wonderfully crafted, bone chilling psychological thriller that will leave you seething with hate for Elijah and concern for the ones that make it out of Purity Springs. I will warn you though, this book doesn't hold back on the on the bone chilling horror or gore, so if you’re looking for a happily ever after, then you should probably find something else, but if you want a thrill, then you should definitely give this one a go, you won’t be disappointed.

ARC Book Review | Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: October 21, 2014
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There’s something about the swamp in Sticks, Louisiana. Something different, something haunting . . . something alive. Everyone knows this, and everyone avoids going near it. And even the Mardi Gras–bead-decorated fence that surrounds it keeps people away.


Until one morning when Sterling Saucier’s older brother Phineas runs into the swamp . . .

And doesn’t return.

Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out in his place, and all of a sudden, no one in Sticks remembers Phin at all. They treat Lenora May as if she’s been Sterling’s sister forever.

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp’s done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance—but first she’s got to find someone who believes her.

Heath Durham might be that someone. A loner shrouded behind rumors of drug addiction, Heath has had his own strange experience with the swamp. He and Sterling will have to piece together enough bits of memory and ancient swamp lore to get to the truth. But as the wild swamp encroaches on their town, Sterling and Heath may find a lot more than they expected . . . and Phin may be lost to them forever.

My Thoughts:

Unique, eerie, and incredibly fascinating, Beware the Wild is every one of those things. This book had me hooked from the very first page and kept me enthralled until the very end.

In Sticks, Louisiana it’s a known fact that the swamp is dangerous and for no reason do you ever go beyond the fence that contains it. However, when Sterling and her brother Phin have an argument one morning, he jumps the fence. Sterling waits all day for her brother to come back out but he doesn’t. Instead a girl named Lenora May comes out in his place and takes over his life. Everyone, including Sterling’s parents have forgotten all about Phin. Everyone except Sterling, and she is determined to send the imposter that everyone thinks is her sister back to the swamp and bring Phin out. But she quickly learns that everything isn’t as it seems and you have to be careful who you trust.

I really liked Sterling, she was so stubborn and strong and she would do anything to bring her brother back, no matter the costs. I really didn’t know what to think of Lenora May at first, but she really grew on me. I really enjoyed the baking scene, I felt like that was the moment that I realized she may be different than what I was thinking.

Heath was also an amazing character, he’s also not a stranger to the swamp. He was really sweet and he was determined to help Sterling bring her brother back.

The romance, although light, was very endearing. You couldn’t help but to want the best for Heath and Sterling and I found myself constantly hoping that they would overcome the things that were thrown their way.

Overall, Beware the Wild is a wonderful YA fantasy with the right amount of creepy and mystery to keep you engrossed. The plot was fast paced and flowed wonderfully, the twists and turns of this swampy debut makes it a book that’s not to be missed.

---- Christy

Book Review | In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Format: Hardback
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

My Thoughts:

I’ve heard such amazing things about In the Shadows of Blackbirds but not being a huge historical fiction fan, I’ve put off reading it for a while. I’m glad that I finally decided to give it a go though, because it’s such a unique story.

Mary Shelley Black lives in a time of war and disease, it’s the fall of 1918 and the Spanish Influenza is in full swing taking the lives of most people who are unlucky enough to catch it. With people dying from the flu and soldiers dying in combat everyone is turning towards séances and spirit photographers.

However, Mary Shelley doesn’t believe in all that stuff, until it comes knocking on her door in the form of her first love, Stephen. But the things that Stephen is telling her and the things she discovers doesn’t add up with what she told about his death, and it’s up to her to figure out what happened to Stephen so he can finally get the peace he deserves.

Like I said above, this story is incredibly unique and I don’t think I’ve read a ghost story quite like this one before as this was the first time I’ve ever even heard of spiritualist photographers. And while I may be just as skeptical as Mary Shelley when it comes to those type of photographers, I can see how in times of death, people would flock to them, searching for any shred of hope of life after death.

Mary Shelley was an interesting character, I loved how stubborn she was and the fact that she would fight for what she thought was right, no matter the cost to her. I wish we could’ve gotten more of Stephen as I feel like it would have made his death more devastating for the reader, but alas we can’t always have what we want.

In the Shadows of Blackbirds was a unique read and while I enjoyed Mary Shelley’s story, this book didn’t blow me away like I was hoping based on all of the amazing reviews that I’ve seen but that could be because I’m not big on historical fiction, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

--- Christy

Book Review | Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Format: Hardback
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.

My Thoughts:

I seriously don’t even know where to begin writing this review. Welcome to the Dark House was one of my most anticipated summer reads, from the moment I read the synopsis, I knew that it would be one that I had to get my hands on ASAP. I tried getting a copy from Netgalley but unfortunately got denied, so I pre-ordered it and just waited. When I finally got my copy from Amazon (which was over a week AFTER the release day, grrrr) I couldn’t wait to get started. And I think this book was one of the fastest that I have read this year, less than 24 hours. I was absolutely hooked and for the life of me, I couldn’t put it down.

Ok, enough fangirling for now, let me try to explain the awesomeness that is Welcome to the Dark House. Six years ago, Ivy Jensen’s parents were brutally murdered while she was in her room right across the hall and when the killer was finished with her parents, he came for her. Luckily Ivy had called the police when she was woken up to the sounds of her parents being killed so the sounds of sirens scared him away. But he was never caught, ever since that horrific night Ivy has dreams about the man who murdered parents. In her dreams he comes back for her. Fast forward to an email that Ivy receives which invites her to share her nightmare in order to win a trip to meet famous horror director Justin Blake. Ivy doesn’t care about winning the contest and she’s not a fan of horror, but she sends in her nightmare anyway in hopes that putting it on paper will help her face her fear.

Fast forward a little more and Ivy is chosen as one of seven contestants who win a trip to the ‘Dark House’ for a weekend filled with horror. But little do the contestants know, the horror will hit closer to home than they realize.

In my hefty elf sack, your nightmares will keep. Better think twice before falling asleep.

From the moment I read the first page, I was hooked. The writing was fantastic, the story was well paced and the characters were so diverse. Sure, I had my favorites *cough* Ivy, Parker *cough* but each character had their own voice and it was really interesting to be in every single one of their heads, with the exception of Taylor, who we will hopefully find out more about in the next book. I did still have a few lingering questions after finishing, but I have complete faith that all will be revealed in time.

Welcome to the Dark House is a wonderful, haunting ride full of twists and turns. The ending will leave you on the edge of your seat, dying for more. If you are a fan of the horror genre, then you shouldn’t pass this book up.

Book Review | The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Format: Hardback
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned

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?

 

My Thoughts

 



Where do I even start with my review for this book? I actually finished it a few days ago but when I sat down to write my review, I had so much trouble putting my thoughts together that there was no way I could write them out and have them sound somewhat coherent. But, now I feel like I’ve had enough time to process the mind-f*ck that is The Merciless. I don’t know what I was expecting going in, but it definitely wasn’t that.

There was quite a few things that I liked about this book, first I liked that you never knew what was going to happen next. The books that can keep me guessing are often among my favorites. While I wouldn’t class this one as a “favorite” I really did enjoy it. I also liked Sophia, she ‘seemed’ (you will understand once you read it) like a caring girl, she comes home every day after school to take care of her sick grandmother and when things start taking a turn towards the dark side, she immediately tries to get herself out of the equation. But if I’ve learned anything in my years of reading, it’s that everything and everyone aren’t as they seem.

If you’ve read any of the reviews then I’m sure you’ve seen the ones that say that there is quite a bit of similarities between this book and the movie Mean Girls. While that is true and I did see some resemblances it wasn’t enough to overshadow the plot of the book so it didn’t bother me that much. My only real downfall was that there was enough character development for me, I would have liked to have gotten to know Brooklyn a little more before the whole basement thing. I feel like it would have made the whole torture thing more intense. Not to say that everything they were doing wasn’t intense, but I guess it didn’t hit me as much as it would have had I gotten to know Brooklyn better beforehand, does that make sense?

Overall, The Merciless is a disturbing and shocking horror book. If you have a pretty weak stomach then you might want to steer clear of this but if you’re like me and love horror stories, then you should definitely give this one a go.

----Christy 

Review | Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

Format: ARC
Source: Won
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: October 1, 2013
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

Red Hill grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.

My Thoughts:

I know the world ended on a Friday. It was the last day I saw my children.

When I picked up Red Hill I honestly didn’t think that I would be shedding any tears, although the last line above was the ending of the prologue so that should have been a slap in the face that this book was going to be emotional. But I had never read a zombie book before that had made me cry. Sure, I knew that people would die, but in previous zombie books that I have read it wasn’t characters that I had grown attached to or it was those certain characters that weren’t written so well and you really didn’t form any sort of connection to them.

Well, Red Hill is nothing like those previous zombie books that I had read, no one is safe from death and the characters are all written so well that it’s so hard not to form any sort of connection with them. Of course, that just makes it sooo much more devastating when someone succumbs to the infection.

I wasn’t sure how long we could survive, but I knew I wasn’t dying on day one of the fucking zombie apocalypse.

Like I said above, the character development was amazing, especially since this book was told in three different POVs. Usually when there are more than two different characters narrating, I would either like one of them the best and find myself skimming the others or I just wouldn’t connect to any of them at all. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case with this book at all. I felt a connection with each of the characters from the beginning, and I found myself interested in what was happening with all of them, instead of just one and that was a huge plus for me.

This book also tore at my heart, maybe it’s because I’m a mother and I couldn’t imagine the pain that Scarlett was going through not knowing where her children where and if they were even still alive. Every day without seeing them must have been agony, but her hope never faltered and I think that made me like her so much more.

Overall, Red Hill is one hell of a rollercoaster, I laughed and I cried. McGuire is one hell of a writer and I have loved every book that I have read by her and I can’t wait to read more of her books.

---Christy

ARC Book Review | The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: August 5, 2014
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret - one that would just kill to get out.

The Girl from the Well is A YA Horror novel pitched as "Dexter" meets "The Grudge", based on a well-loved Japanese ghost story.

My Thoughts:

I am where the dead children go

Yep, that is the first line in this uniquely haunting book. How freaking creepy is that?!? VERY! Am I right?? Of course I am ;)

BUT…even though, that first line gave me the chills with its eeriness, it also really intrigued me. What does that mean?? Where do the dead children go?? I want to know! Well…..kind of. Ok, not so much, but I still had to find out.

The Girl from the Well is based on a very well-known Japanese ghost story, one that I wish I would have researched before I picked this book up as I did get a teeny bit confused at times, but it wasn’t enough to make me put this book down. Okiku is a ‘vengeful’ spirit, one that has been hunting child murderers for a very long time. Her story begins over three hundred years ago when she was thrown down a well to her death, only her spirit never left and she has been wandering around seeking vengeance on those who murder kids, much like the man who killed her.

You may think me biased, being murdered myself. But my state of being has nothing to do with the curiosity toward my own species, if we can be called such. We do not go gentle, as your poet encourages, into that good night.

Like I said above, Okiku has spent her timing unconcerned with those around her, unless of course they have dead children attached to them. However, all of this changes when a tattooed boy crosses her path and Okiku finds herself drawn to him and she doesn’t know why. The plot only grows from there but since I don’t want to give anything away I’ll just say that the tattooed boy is more than meets the ‘human’ eye. Yes, I know that’s kind of vague and you probably won’t understand it until you read the book ;)

Although I enjoyed this story, I wish I would have put it off for a few days only because the day that I finished this book, I came home from class and had NO electricity, which means I had to sleep in the dark! After reading this! Needless to say that I didn’t sleep well that night. I kept waking up and imagining a Japanese dead girl standing beside my bed *shudders*

Overall, The Girl from the Well is a disturbingly unique, haunting book. It will give you chills and you’ll probably never look at a ceiling the same way again. If you like to be scared then you should definitely give this one a try.

--- Christy

ARC Book Review | Insanity by Susan Vaught

Format: e-ARC

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
Publication Date: February 18, 2014

Goodreads

 Never, Kentucky is not your average scenic small town. It is a crossways, a place where the dead and the living can find no peace. Not that Forest, an 18-year-old foster kid who works the graveyard shift at Lincoln Hospital, knew this when she applied for the job. Lincoln is a huge state mental institution, a good place for Forest to make some money to pay for college. But along with hundreds of very unstable patients, it also has underground tunnels, bell towers that ring unexpectedly, and a closet that holds more than just donated clothing....When the dead husband of one of Forest's patients makes an appearance late one night, seemingly accompanied by an agent of the Devil, Forest loses all sense of reality and all sense of time. Terrified, she knows she has a part to play, and when she does so, she finds a heritage that she never expected.

With her deep knowledge of mental illness and mental institutions, Susan Vaught brings readers a fascinating and completely creepy new book intertwining the stories of three young people who find themselves haunted beyond imagining in the depths of Lincoln Hospital.

I'm a sucker for creepy books so when I saw this book on Netgalley with that ghostly cover, it immediately got my attention and when I saw that it was set in my state, I was sold.  Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.   

Right after Forest's 18 birthday, she took a job working the graveyard shift at the Lincoln Psychiatric hospital in Never, Kentucky so that she could save up for college.  But Forest wasn't expecting that her place of employment would be a crossroads between the dead and the living. 

I found out very quickly that this would be a very confusing book, or at least it was for me.  From the beginning I had a hard time keeping up with what was going on, I thought I might have missed something and I would go back and reread but I never found what I was looking for.  It seemed like one minute nothing was happening and then suddenly with no warning, dogs and geese and darkness, I just really didn't know what was going on by that point.  All I know is that I was very confused by then. 

I feel like this story had promise but between all the POVs and the confusion, it just wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean that someone else won't love it.    

Book Review | Sick by Tom Leveen

 

Format: e-ARC

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Amulet Books
 

Publication Date: October 1, 2013
 

Pages: 288

Goodreads | Amazon

Breakfast Club meets The Walking Dead as a group of unlikely allies tries to survive a deadly outbreak.

Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They’re the misfits and the troublemakers—the ones who jump their high school’s fence to skip class regularly. So when a deadly virus breaks out, they’re the only ones with a chance of surviving.

The virus turns Brian’s classmates and teachers into bloodthirsty attackers who don’t die easily. The whole school goes on lockdown, but Brian and his best friend, Chad, are safe (and stuck) in the theater department—far from Brian’s sister, Kenzie, and his ex-girlfriend with a panic attack problem, Laura. Brian and Chad, along with some of the theater kids Brian had never given the time of day before, decide to find the girls and bring them to the safety of the theater. But it won’t be easy, and it will test everything they thought they knew about themselves and their classmates.

I am a HUGE fan of The Walking Dead, so when I saw that this book was recommended for fans of that show, I immediately added it to my wishlist and requested it on Netgalley because there was no way that I could wait until it’s release date to read it. While this book is as amazing as The Walking Dead, it’s still a really good book that is very engrossing.

 

This book centers on Brian and his group of friends as they try to survive an outbreak of zombies at their school. But the thing about their school is that it’s fenced in with a gate that stays locked 99 percent of the time so it will be very hard for them to get off of school grounds without being eaten by the other students.

 

This book isn’t like the ordinary zombie books that I have read in the sense that it doesn’t start out with the outbreak having already occurred. In this book, we get to witness everything that happens while leading up to the epidemic. Also, the zombies are a little bit different in this book. Yes, they still attack and eat you and they are really hard to kill since they don’t feel any pain but there is a few differences in them. What kind of differences? You’ll have to read the book to find out ;)

Sick has amazingly strong characters, I was actually surprised how brave they were considering that they were all still in high school. Brian was just awesome, all he could think about was getting to his sister and making sure that she was ok. Chad really astonished me, at the beginning I thought that he was just going to be a troublemaker. But, as it turns out, he was the bravest of them all. That’s really all that I can say without giving anything away.

Overall, Sick is a great addition to the horror genre. It was gripping and very fast-paced. If you like zombie books and don’t mind blood and gore, then you should definitely give this book a chance.