Wicked Reads w/ Penguin Teen -- HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

**Thank you Penguin Teen/ Random House for providing the book and all other elements of this article. This has not affected my review on the book**

Title: Nightfall 

Author: Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski
Pages: 368 pages

Published: September 22nd, 2015

Source: Copy from Penguin Random House

Genre: Horror, YA Fiction

Rating: 

The dark will bring your worst nightmares to light, in this gripping and eerie survival story, perfect for fans of James Dashner and Neil Gaiman. 

On Marin's island, sunrise doesn't come every twenty-four hours-- it comes every twenty-eight years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The weather is turning cold and the shadows are growing long. 

Because sunset triggers the tide to roll out hundreds of miles, the islanders are frantically preparing to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night. 

Marin and her twin brother, Kana, help their anxious parents ready the house for departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture must be arranged. Tables must be set. The rituals are puzzling-- bizarre, even-- but none of the adults in town will discuss why it has to be done this way. 

Just as the ships are about to sail, a teenage boy goes missing-- the twins' friend Line, Marin and Kana are the only ones who know the truth about where Line's gone, and the only way to rescue him is by doing it themselves. But Night is falling. Their island is changing. 

And it may already be too late. 

Get it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

For those of you that don't know, I'm a huge horror enthusiastic. I take my scary stuff very seriously. What better way for a booklover to spend her (or his) Halloween, then to stay inside and read!  Along the lines of Stephen King, Mary Downing Hahn and other well known horror authors, reading horror and ghost stories is something I'm very much frightened out by and yet I keep doing it! Let me introduce to you today... Nightfall by Jake Halpern. 

Take this warning very seriously and do not read this book at night! I REPEAT: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK AT NIGHT. I usually never start a review with my final and closing thoughts but I figured this would be an easy way of convincing people to read this book. This book is terrifyingly scary. If I didn't know any better, this book is just an adaptation of a really gripping horror movie that was released a while ago. I cannot get over the fact at how scared I was in the process of reading the book and a long while after. Guys, guys, I think I've found my new horror author interests! Ladies and gentlemen, give a round of applause to Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski.

When you read this book, you'll find yourself paranoid and always looking behind you to make sure nothing odd is there. That's how chilling this book is. I immediately found myself engrossed in the world of this story. In any alternate universe, this book could be an exact reflection of how our future will turnout to be. You will see that you finally begin to take notice of those small noises that occur when you sleep. It's the smallest things that will freak you out, and it will be all because of this book.

The story is simple and that's what I love about it. The authors took time to focus on the creepy aspect of this book rather than abide by professional book technicalities and complex language. It's an easy and quick read that any horror book-lover's hunger for terrifying literature.

There is more to the story than these kids being stuck on an island filled with darkness. Anyone who has ever been left on the island has not survived and no one would expect a bunch of kids to survive the fall of darkness, so why should they have faith in themselves? As the reader, you're taken through their story of being left on the island and having no knowledge, whatsoever, of where to begin with staying warm and staying alive. Your supposed to be the one by their side, figuring it all out for the first time. In some ways, I found it new and enlightening to find that we were on the same level of knowledge as the narrators were.

If you're not a big fan of horror, I would still suggest you read this to make sure you 100% aren't liking the genre! This book might just change your mind (I promise).

COLORING BOOK ALERT!!

Title: The Vampire Combat Field Guide
Author: Roger Ma
Pages: 64 pages 
Published: October 6th, 2015
Source: Copy from Penguin (thanks!)
Genre: Halloween, scary, supernatural
Rating: 

In The Vampire Combat Manual, Roger Ma, the nation's preeminent expert in undead warfare, prepared the average citizen to defend against a brutal vampire attack. But without appropriate training, even the most adept slayer of bloodsuckers can be left vulnerable.

Therefore, the Institute for Undead Combat Studies has once again created an essential practice handbook for anyone seeking to avoid serious injury, infection, or death at the hands of a vampire. This comprehensive guide includes:

*Detailed illustrations to aid in identifying various types of the undead and their vulnerabilities, as well as anatomical drawings you can color to promote knowledge retention.

*Interactive mental and physical exercises that will teach invaluable fighting techniques and prepare you for battle.

*Work pages to hone weapon selection, defensive and offensive techniques, and precise staking strategies.

*and much more!

With the proper preparation, no one need fear death by exsanguination or an eternity spent in darkness. Learn to ward off these bloodthirsty creatures while you can- or say good-bye to your days in the sun...

Start coloring now!

Goodreads | Amazon 

It's not everyday I get asked to review a coloring book. I'm far too old for pony and unicorn coloring books, but no, I'm never too old for vampires. If I'm not mistaken, Roger Ma has created others from the same series of vampire combat coloring books before. This is maybe his third one! Just by flipping through the book, I've been getting a kick out of reading the small side captions and the tips and tricks.

This is not your ordinary coloring book. It's a guide to survive a vampire apocalypse, but in drawing form! It's something new, which I think YA literature and modern society needs. Ma teaches you the different tactics to taking one of those bloodsuckers down. I found one page in particular to be really helpful and it was about getting in shape to be strong enough to take one down. If you've been wanting to learn some martial art, you no longer need to pay for classes. JUST GET THIS COLORING BOOK!

Coloring books is such a therapeutic hobby. While I'm listening to e-books or class lectures, I'll usually just grab some color pencils and the closest coloring book and start doodling and filling in shapes. It's literally so easyyyy and you can get as creative as you want!

Anyone going trick-or-treating? I wish I could but I actually don't have any time between work and schoolwork. I'm going to steal some from my brother though (wink). Have a wonderful Halloween and don't forget to tell me who you're dressing as. I'm going as Uhura from Star Trek! 

Thanks for reading, as always!

A Thrilling Story- You by Caroline Kepnes

Title: You (#1 in the You series) 

Author: Caroline Kepnes

Pages: 422 pages

Published: September 30th, 2014 

Genre: Thriller, Mystery 

Source: Barnes & Noble Reserved Copy

Rating: 

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides in the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card. 

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she'll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight- the perfect place for a "chance" meeting. 

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck's life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck's perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way- even if it means murder. 

Get it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

As most of you know I'm a hermit on Instagram and taking pictures of books is my life and soul. You has been the Instagramed pic of the month of August that I've decided to give it a try and the summary was all the convincing I needed. Queen of Shadows got me in a good ole' reading slump (you guys remember those?) and I haven't been able to read since I picked up this book. So let's get started into the review.

**BE WARNED: This book is for mature audiences only as it contains sexual content, foul language, and violence.** 

Plot

The plot sounds like a thousand other stalker book summaries you've read before. But that's exactly it.. because it's not! This book is totally unique in a beautiful and lyrical way that even I enjoyed being in the head and being the eyes of a obsessive, love-sick narrator. This book is 2nd person point of view so there is a lot use of the word "You" as the narrator, Joe, observes Beck and judges her every move. It's more than just some stalking, but the stakes get higher as he becomes obsessive with the idea of this girl being his and he goes as far as violence, kidnapping, and even murder to let her find herself in his arms at the end of the day. 

The book takes us on this point in his life where he can't stop thinking about Beck and everything that he does is about her. It's like he's writing this for her because it's directed to her when he uses the pronoun 'you'. This book is geared toward older audiences than the normal YA audience that the acclaimed novel Stolen by Lucy Christopher is made for. It's an exciting read that will keep you interested at every point and turn in the book! It has a rising creep factor that increases with every chapter as the obsessed gets greater and Joe is so close to procuring the one thing he's crazy about. 

Characters

Let's talk about our narrator. The book is told in second person point of view by Joe Goldberg, a guy who works in a bookstore. Because of the fact that he's worked in this bookstore since he was very young, he just lives around books and literature. He's fond of it and that's shown in the way he speaks; how he automatically and without knowing, refers to literature and classics when he compares them to people or talks about someone else's actions. He's a very cynical character that thinks he's up to par with the idea of an image of a perfect boyfriend for Beck. He talks fondly of himself but judges everyone else including Beck's friends, ex-boyfriend, and family for being phonies. He kind of reminds me of an version of Holden Caulfield... but IN LOVE. I wouldn't go as far as to say he's crazy because someone can be totally sane and still be in love. Also the definition of crazy has varied in society so much that it's been scarred. I will say, however, that he does go a little bit too far and for what? A beautiful girl that just happened to walk into his bookstore that one day?  But it does surprise me how one could have so many sexual fantasies about a girl he's barely talked to. 

Beck, on the other hand, is like any normal woman living in the city. She's spunky, has a great personality, and loves to flirt, which all ladies know is the key to surviving in a well-populated area (wink wink). I thought her character was one I really admired and yet she was so oblivious over the fact that this guy was stalking her and watching her from her window. I don't know about you guys but I can sense shadows and feel people's presence! 

Romance

How else can I word this? The romance in this book is sick! Being stalked by a sexual-driven and obsessive man is not fun. It's really not and I think this book truly showed me what we all have to be afraid of. This may not be based off of a true story, but it sure can be! Even though it's obvious that this was insta-love, it wasn't as cliche as most insta-loves are made out to be. You know what I mean? What I'm trying to say is that the author, from the start, expands on this problem that the main narrator has. He's the kind of person that becomes obsessed and overprotective of one thing for a while and once he has it, he moves on to something else. He's characterized wonderfully and Caroline Kepnes did a marvelous job at making him sound like a creep and someone you just wouldn't want to encounter. 

Summary: 

Caroline Kepnes brings a moving and hypnotic thriller to the table that will give you the chills for years and, not to mention, make you want to purchase seals for all your windows around your house. Not only did it feel so real almost like a true story, but we get a glimpse into the eyes of a broken character that didn't have a perfect childhood or gets way too attached to things easily. She brings this scary story to life and the eeriness of the story is something you'll dearly miss soon after you're finished reading it. Frightening till the last page... I couldn't recommend a better book than this one! 

For audiences of...

Have you read this book? What did you think?

Survive the Night Blog Tour + GIVEAWAY & INTERVIEW

Title: Survive the Night 

Author: Danielle Vega 

Pages: 272 pages 

Published: July 7th, 2015 

Genre: YA Horror
Source: ARC from Penguin Random House

Rating: 

We're all gonna die down here....

Julie lies dead and disemboweled in a dank, black subway tunnel, red-eyed rats nibbling at her fingers. Her fingers think she's just off with some guy- no one could hear her getting torn apart over the sound of pulsing music. 

In a tunnel nearby, Casey regrets coming to Survive the Night, the all-night underground rave in the New York City subway. Her best friend Shana talked her into it, even though Casey just got out of rehab. Alone and lost in the dark, creepy tunnels, Casey doesn't think Survive the Night could get any worse...

.... until she comes across Julie's body, and the party turns deadly. 

Desperate for help, Casey and her friends find themselves running through the putrid subway system, searching for a way out. But every manhole is sealed shut, and every noise echoes eerily in the dark, reminding them they're not alone. 

They're being hunted. 

Trapped underground with someone- or something- out to get them, Casey can't help but listen to her friend's terrified refrain: "We're all gonna die down here..." in this bone-chilling sophomore novel by the acclaimed author of The Merciless. 

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Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

**I received an ARC copy from Penguin. This has in no way affected my thoughts on this book**  

WARNING: This is a YA Horror novel. Although its intended age group is young adult, some imagery and things mentioned are more disturbing. I suggest you read the quote below to see if you're okay with the horror of the novel. That's as scary as it gets :D 

When I saw that Penguin was going to publish this horror YA novel, I was completely flabbergasted and rushed to get my hands on an ARC copy. Horror is super awesome to read and I love how I can imagine all the blood and gore. Now I had really high hopes for this one because Danielle Vega is no newbie when it comes to the horror genre. Her debut novel The Merciless had high ratings on Goodreads and from my friends, so I was more than confident that this book was going to give me the scare of my life.

As a warning, I know some of you readers appreciate your very beautiful and elegant writing styles which can be seen in some books such as Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy or the poetic style of Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. The writing style of this book is generic and simple, nothing sophisticated, which I have to admit kept me asleep half the time. There's nothing really special about the writing style.

The story follows Casey and a group of friends that she chooses to go with to an underground club that plays a game called Survive the Night. Casey makes some bad decisions, and I feel like as a character who didn't hold a great reputation in the beginning, she began to pick herself up at the end and realize her mistakes. That's really all the character development you could ask for in a character who makes terrible choices. She redeems herself. The story itself was all too fast, I felt. There was no background information about our character other than that she was in rehab and now she was out. I wanted to know what happened before rehab and what occurred to get her in there. 

Okay let's talk horror. I can see why Danielle Vega is known for her horror stories! This book gave me the chills and freaked me out. Just imagine being trapped in an underground club, think sewer-like, with a serial-killer on the loose that likes to pull your intestines out and make a hole in your stomach. I bet the line I'll insert below will scare you!

"My eyes travel to the wound in her stomach. Raw meat stares out from the gaping hole. The flesh looks shredded, like it's been put through a lawn mower. Blood clumps around her ruined skin, and intestines drip from her gut in a gruesome, glistening tangle. I can see the moldy walls through the wound. Something tunneled straight through Julie's body.

Julie's body rocks forward again and a bloody eyeball hits the ground with a sickening plop. It rolls across the tunnel, stopping at the toe of my shoe. The familiar brown iris stares up at me." 

- Danielle Vega, Survive the Night

Did this imagery convince you to read this book?  

I definitely had my qualms with this book and it wasn't a perfect read, but it was unpredictable and fun to visualize ( I mean this in the non-nastiest way possible :) ). It was scary, for one thing, which I really enjoyed and feel like the people who want a scare are definitely getting it here. There is so much character development and because the group has to work together in order to get out alive, there is a lot of support from the girls and the guys. It wasn't a knock-your-socks-off-5-star book but I know all fans of the horror genre will love this and readers who want something a little more excitement than their mainstream fantasy read. I highly suggest giving it a try! 

Will you be picking up Survive the Night? 

Interview with Danielle Vega 

1.     Wow, a YA horror novel! What's it like to write in the horror genre but still keep the writing appropriate for YA audiences? Is it difficult?

It’s not as difficult as you’d think. Content-wise, teens can handle as much as adults can—most horror movies are marketed to teens, after all! I think the real difficult is in making sure that the fear comes from a place teens can identify with. Their fears are largely different from the fears of adults, and it’s important to me to make sure I keep the stories grounded in their day-to-day reality. I want the stories to be relatable! The scariest stories are the ones you can imagining being true.

2.     I'm a huge Goosebumps R.L. Stine and Stephen King kind of girl! What were some of your favorite horror novels growing up, if you had any? Any scary TV shows or movies?

I was a really big SCREAM fan. In fact, a friend and I wrote down all the lines from the first few scenes (this was before you could find any movie scripts you wanted online.) We’d each pick a character and do a read through of the script, and then we’d switch and read the entire thing again. Horror movies of the 90s were absolutely magical—I also loved THE CRAFT, and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.

When it comes to books, I’ve long been a Stephen King fan, and I’m just starting to get into Thomas Harris. I think Gillian Flynn is one of the best horror writers today, and Mark Danielewski’s HOUSE OF LEAVES is still one of the only books that’s ever really scared me. As far as TV goes, HANNIBAL is beautiful and eerie and wonderful. I’m also a huge fan of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS.

3.     Do you see yourself writing in any other genres but horror?

I have a dark and twisted sci-fi book coming out next April under a different name (BURNING, by Danielle Rollins) and I can see continuing in that genre for a little while. But I’m a horror girl at heart! Even when I write something slightly different, I’ll always come back to the scary.

4.     I've never read any of your horror novels so I must ask: What kind of experience do you want your new/old readers who pick up this novel to get from reading it?

There are so many different ways to write a good horror novel. I see authors like Nova Ren Suma doing the slow-burn filled with creeping dread, or books like HOUSE OF LEAVES, where the horror is all psychological. My books are fast-paced, and I think they’re enjoyed best when read in one, intense, breathless sitting. I want readers to keep turning the pages to see what happens next.

5.     I've heard of your novel The Merciless. How do the two novels compare (The Merciless and Survive the Night), except from the fact that they're both terrifying :D?

Both books are about peer pressure and twisted friendships, and both take place over just one night but, other than that, they don’t have much in common. THE MERCILESS is about a new kid in town—Sofia—who falls in with a group of girls who seem cool, but have a wicked side. The girls kidnap another student at their school, and perform an exorcism on her while Sofia watches, horrified she might be next. SURVIVE THE NIGHT is about a girl fresh out of rehab, who immediately gets talked into going to an illegal rave—but the party takes a terrible twist, and she finds herself racing through the subways with her friends, worried she’s being hunted. Both books are visceral and fast paced, but you don’t have to read one to enjoy the other.

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