REVIEW: A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Dutton Books
Page Count: 480
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Format: HardCover

How got: personal buy via Amazon

First attention getter: already loved series

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

Having defeated the monstrous threat that nearly destroyed the peculiar world, Jacob Portman is back where his story began, in Florida. Except now Miss Peregrine, Emma, and their peculiar friends are with him, and doing their best to blend in. But carefree days of beach visits and normalling lessons are soon interrupted by a discovery—a subterranean bunker that belonged to Jacob’s grandfather, Abe.

Clues to Abe’s double-life as a peculiar operative start to emerge, secrets long hidden in plain sight. And Jacob begins to learn about the dangerous legacy he has inherited—truths that were part of him long before he walked into Miss Peregrine’s time loop.

Now, the stakes are higher than ever as Jacob and his friends are thrust into the untamed landscape of American peculiardom—a world with few ymbrynes, or rules—that none of them understand. New wonders, and dangers, await in this brilliant next chapter for Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children. Their story is again illustrated throughout by haunting vintage photographs, but with a striking addition for this all-new, multi-era American adventure—full color.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4

When I heard that Riggs was writing a new Peregrine trilogy, my anticipation was through the roof. I was ready and willing to dive back into the world of Peculiar-dom with vigor. So as soon as the new book hit Amazon, I put that pre-order in ASAP and got reading as soon as I got it. For the most part, Riggs has hit a home run again. There are a few blips that bugged me, but at the prospect of more Peculiar works, I’m still game.

I adored seeing Peculiar-dom explored in America. In ways it’s a far darker place than Wight/Hollow haunted Europe as it’s Peculiar on Peculiar cruelty. The way history developed in America was FAR different than Europe due to the continuing absence of certain people and the history of racism in 19th century and early 20th America. I was kept enthralled by this history and world building, a specialty that Riggs seems to excel in.

Exploring Abe’s background and getting more details and what he really did in Peculiar America made for fascinating background and plot elements. Rigg’s suspenseful storytelling never lets up as Abe and his cohorts travel north from Florida on new missions and discoveries into Abe’s past. I couldn’t help but be pulled forward chapter by chapter as the story was masterfully told.

I also enjoyed exploring Jacob’s continuing development. Riggs does a great job in showing how Jacob starts to chafe at his status in the European Peculiar world and the continuing restrictions placed by the Ymbryne overseers of that world. He’s finding his footing in his powers and his identity as a Peculiar all while still showing traits true to his true age, that of a teenager. He’s still head strong, impulsive, and at times, childish. However, I can start to see the man he’s going to become.

The one aspect I didn’t get as much enjoyment out of was Jacob’s traveling companions. Not that I didn’t enjoy more of his cadre of Peculiar friends from across the pond but it almost felt kinda random, their inclusion into the story. While elements of the story did hinge on the peculiarities of the specific individuals, I feel like the story could have been told with less individuals to put in an opinion. It almost felt like the author was just trying to keep this new book tied to the first trilogy rather than incorporating those characters into a new story arc.

I felt like the story would have been served better if he’d shed his travel companions faster. By the end, we do have Jacob firmly on his new journey; yet I felt he could have started on that new journey sooner with more exploration given to his new situation and companions. The whole thing with him and Emma just really drove me up a tree. While a part of his growing up and shedding his old identity, it felt like an add on detail that I could have done without.

Despite this little quibble, I felt this was a great new addition to the Peculiar series. With Jacob firmly on his new journey and with more maturity under his belt, I feel like his continuing adventures will keep me entertained for far into the future. I look forward to exploring Peculiar-dom in American in far greater details and can’t wait for book two!

REVIEW: The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

The Winter People
by Jennifer McMahon

Publisher: Doubleday
Page Count: 317
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Format: Trade Paperback

How got: bought used @ local library sale

First attention getter: a good review I read way back when

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. 

Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. 

Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's fate, she discovers that she's not the only person who's desperately looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 4.5

I went into this book expecting a vivid horror, ala Pet Semetery (think I got that comparison from another review I read). While there are some aspects that echo this horror classic, this one shines as much in the mystery department as it does the actual horror stuff. A great introduction to the author, I look forward to more of her creepy stuff.

McMahon has a real talent for foreshadowing and hooking together crumbs she’s left throughout the story. Several times I had that “ah ha!” moment when things clicked together to create a creepy whole. She spreads out her clues smoothly throughout the entire story, having her different plot threads overlap and touch in enthralling ways. There was never a dull spot, and I was kept on tenderhooks the entire time.

I loved Ruthie and Sara as primary storytellers, Ruthie a bit more than Sara. Sara’s life was filled with unimaginable tragedy, so much so that she reaches a breaking point and makes a fateful decision that drives the rest of the book. How the rest of her situation devolved into the bloody finale to that thread made for engrossing reading and a jaw dropping character arc.

Yet, I felt more connected to Ruthie than Sara. Maybe it’s because Ruthie was experiencing the horror and tension from a position of ignorance, learning as the events happened just like the readers. With Sara’s previous knowledge, I didn’t connect with her on that score. I liked Ruthie on a personal level, too. She’s a typical young adult facing life after graduation, the whole world at her fingertips, yet being held back by her family’s past as well. I felt she faced the events portrayed with a realistic array of actions and attitudes, liking her for it.

The horror aspects were more of an atmosphere creepiness than outright, poop-in-you-pants scarefest. McMahon has a real gift for atmosphere, from skeletal trees to utter silence to local folklore legends of missing people and the walking dead (anyone see Rick Grimes walking through the snowy landscape?? LOL). The reality of the Sleepers, how they functioned and survived, harkened back enough to a classic horror story to really make this story stand out. That last scene?? Just shiver inducing for its subtle indications…

A fantastic introduction to McMahon and her ethereal creepiness, I found her type and brand of horror to be a great departure from the usual horror fare. While there’s enough to definitely classify this story as a horror story, what’s there serves as a creepy atmosphere for a great story and characters as well. All around, we get a great package. I look forward to more!

REVIEW: Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

Library of Souls
by Ransom Riggs

Publisher: Quirk Books
Page Count: 458
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Format: Hardcover

How got: personal library; pre-ordered from Amazon

First attention getter: I'm an avid follower of the series already

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

The adventures that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued with Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls.

As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

Like its predecessors, Library of Souls blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography.

My Thoughts:
Star Rating - 5

Well this volume was a truly satisfying conclusion to the Peculiar trilogy, if a sad send off. I want more of this world, dang it! LOL It ties up all plot threads, adds more to the mythology of the Peculiar world, gives explanations where needed, and gives us a rousing, nail-biting conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat.

My particular favorite of this book was how much it built of the Peculiar world and its various “peculiarities”. The bit with the souls, how they’re stolen, and their ultimate uses especially made me shiver. They actually physically disturbed me. Seeing how this aspect of Peculiar life impacts everything else was eye opening. It determines how Peculiars live and survive now, what their various ultimate fates could be, and how they eventually die.

I also loved all the depth we get to Peculiar history and folklore. We learn all the answers for how Hollows came about and get to see into the stronghold of them and the Wights. The actual body that is the title of the book, the Library of Souls, was a very intriguing idea. What could really be called a religion for Peculiars gave the overall story such body and depth. It adds a mystical element to the story and world that I loved.

The characters were just as vibrant and real to me as in previous volumes. I loved exploring all our established characters. Getting an eye into Jacob’s powers as they grew and expanded was especially interesting. His powers play a pivotal role in the book’s ending but not in a way that one would expect. I was very pleasantly surprised. I also loved getting to explore Emma’s and Alma’s pasts more as well.

I also enjoyed meeting some new faces who would play big roles in the overall story. Bentham and his gray view of the world kept me intrigued; I loved exploring the Peculiar conflict through his eyes, siding with whomever could give him the better deal. Sharon was also a fun addition. I loved his special blend of humor and guts.

The whole book was filled with intense action, constant chases, frantic escapes, and a final showdown that blew my mind. Even when things slowed down to give some exposition or background, the tension level was still ratcheted up by overlying danger or from action sequences that bracketed those wordy sections. The finale to the book was mind-blowing. The reader never expects the alliances that are struck, the friends that betray, and the format in which everything is won.

This is truly a gem of a book, definitely being added to my best of 2015 shelf. It wraps up a world truly unique in fiction, not something that can be said every day. We say goodbye to characters both old and new, seeing them resolve all plot threads and predicaments by book’s end. The story overall is incredibly tense and suspenseful, keeping the reader flipping page and page in rapid succession. I’m sad to see the world end but satisfied as well. That’s a strange cocktail to feel and not one I feel after every read. Highly, highly recommended, not just this book but the whole series.

REVIEW: Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn

Within These Walls
by Ania Ahlborn

Publisher: Gallery Books
Page Count: 464
Release Date: April 21, 2015
Format: Kindle

How got: personal library; bought from Amazon

First attention getter: that cover! and ghosts

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

From indie horror author and bestselling sensation Ania Ahlborn, this brand-new supernatural thriller questions: how far would you go for success, and what would you be capable of if the promise of forever was real?

With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed up crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback. So when he’s promised exclusive access to notorious cult leader and death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the opportunity is too good to pass up. Lucas leaves New York for the scene of the crime—a split-level farmhouse on the gray-sanded beach of Washington State—a house whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb’s diviners; runaways who, thirty years prior, were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. Lucas wants to tell the real story of Halcomb’s faithful departed, but when Halcomb goes back on his promise of granting Lucas exclusive information on the case, he’s left to put the story together on his own. Except he is not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life…and within these walls, they’re far from dead.

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 3

The author definitely gains points with the scary factor. She incorporates many aspects popular in the ghost genre with great effect: shadowy figures, voices, poltergeist activity, eerie feelings, and things seen out of the corner of one’s eye. I got chills up my spine and hid my eyes (which while reading a book shows how effective this book was with my imagination!) more than once. His gift with description shows itself vividly here as I could picture each supernatural encounter with spooky accuracy.

The story itself and characters, though didn’t work quite as well. Not to say they were BAD per se, but I saw room for definite improvement.

Reading like a classic horror movie, the book’s overall story was intriguing enough. Cults, mass suicide, murder, supernatural powers, and a father/daughter relationship on the brink all made for a good story. I liked how the author presented the story half in modern times and half in the early ‘80s with Audra’s story, interspersed with police reports, newspaper articles, and paranormal investigative reports. That multi-layering of storyline and plot helped this book a lot, giving it added depth and liveliness.

Yet, as the book got further along, the story started to get predictable and stale. Reading like a classic horror movie got to be less of an asset and more of a millstone around the book’s metaphorical neck. I could predict what was going to happen, who was going to die, and how the ending would roll out long before events actually happened. Not a good thing in a horror novel.

Characters, too, got more and more predictable and irritating as time went on. Jeanie and Lucas started out fresh, two individuals trying to find themselves again after economic hardship and a family life in freefall. Lucas’ grasping at what seemed like a grand opportunity to rebuild his and his family’s life caught my heart and got me into the book.

But once poop started hitting the fan and life started to get weird, both he and Jeanie fell into ruts of behavior. They would react to each supernatural encounter with the same methods and thought patterns, not even c hanging as the ghost stuff escalated in the latter half of the book. They started to fall into the patterns of characters in horror movies; those people that do stupid things when faced with horrific elements and keep on doing it. It’s no wonder that what happened to them in the end did…

The horror ghost elements were done right. They made me jump and gasp in all the right places, enough to give me chills down my spine. The overall plot was good, intricate and detailed. However, as it wore on, it got predictable and stale. The characters fell into that same mold, started out intriguing but never changed throughout the book. The ending I saw coming a mile away, not a good feature for a horror novel. Would I recommend this one to horror fans? Probably not the diehard ones; they’d probably be disappointment. But for the casual horror fan who doesn’t read it often, this might be a good diversion, if only for the ghost elements.