My Book Reviews

Category: Horror

This category contains any posts published in reference to books of Historical Fiction genre.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Release: Original 1959, November 28th 2006 by Penguin Classics
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Source: Amazon

The Haunting of Hill House Synopsis:

The greatest haunted house story ever written, the inspiration for a 10-part Netflix series directed by Mike Flanagan and starring Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, and Timothy Hutton

First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a “haunting”; Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

Review:

Watch my video review of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_yArbWnfPQ[/embedyt]

Basically, I had mixed reactions upon reading this book. There are some aspects which I thoroughly enjoyed and some aspects which I really found annoying. Firstly, I loved that this book focuses does not rely on any gore or blood splatter, and the author makes the story very atmospheric and spooky just on the presence of the unknown. Another thing that I liked about this story was that it focused more on the imbalance of the human psyche rather than the supernatural.

But there are a few reasons why I disliked this book. Although I found the characters to be distinctive and unique, none of them were very likable. There is also a lot of sarcastic humor in the dialogue that is exchanged between the four characters after they encounter something supernatural. Moreover, considering that this was written in 1959, I can imagine how terrifying this tale would have been to readers at that time. I did enjoy reading this book in terms of a classic horror literature and overall I would give it a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

October 20, 2018
Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick
Release: October 1989
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Amazon

Trick or Treat Synopsis:

From the author of The Lifeguard comes the exciting suspense novel about Martha. Not long after Martha moved into the Bedford house, the phone calls began: Trick or treat, Martha. You’re dead. Elizabeth Bedford had been murdered one year earlier, on Halloween night, in the very same room. The murderer was never found, and now the killer is back–for Martha.

Review:

Watch my detailed video review of Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rd47eQP1gY[/embedyt]

This book was ok, but not really the best. First of all, I feel like the author is a tamed version of R.L. Stine without the gore and chills. It has your creepy houses, cemeteries, whispers and shadows, and even a scene in an empty school. All the elements are there and there are some very eerie and suspenseful moments. However, nothing really shocking happens where you feel like it stands out from other Point Horror books.

But there are some things which are fun to read this book. The book starts off really well and is very atmospheric where each chapter ends in a cliffhanger where you want to find out what happens next. Furthermore, Martha is annoying in the beginning but I eventually started liking her as the protagonist and could relate to how she was feeling.

Overall, I feel like if I had read this book when it first came out, I would have LOVED it because it was new and fresh and one of the first in the point horror series. But re-reading this now after having read tons of such books, I thought it was very clichéd and outdated.

October 6, 2018
Witch by Christopher Pike

Witch by Christopher Pike
Release: December 1st 1990
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Bookstore

Witch Synopsis:

She Was A Good Witch. Julia is a young woman with extraordinary powers. She has the ability to heal people with her touch. Julia also knows things that are happening in far-off places when she looks in water that has sunlight shining on it. She comes from a tradition of witches — good witches. But before Julia’s mother died, she warned her daughter never to look in water that had moonlight shining on it.Unfortunately, almost by accident, Julia does. What she sees is a vision of the future, a scene in which a young man she doesn’t know is shot in a hold-up and dies in her arms.

Only later, when Julia attends a football game at school, does she meet the young man.He is her girlfriend’s new boyfriend.Julia immediately falls for the guy, but it is an ill-fated love. He does not belong to her and he is supposed to die. Or does he have to die? Julia doesn’t know if her vision of the future is set, or if it can be changed. She doesn’t know why the gunman in her vision evokes such hatred in her, and why she feels she must destroy him at all costs. But using the supernatural powers at her command, and risking her own life plus the lives of her friends, Julia will find the answers to all these questions, at a terrible cost.

Review:

Watch my booktube review of “Witch” by Christopher Pike!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9cqyPbNgtM[/embedyt]

Firstly, I loved “Witch” by and it is one of my top three of Pike novels, along with “Whisper of Death” and “Road to nowhere”. I loved Julia and all the supporting characters like Amy, Scott, Jim and Randy. Furthermore, there’s a good blend of suspense and thriller elements, along with heart breaking emotional scenes. The characters are stereotypical, but are still fun to read. Probably the only thing that threw me off was the shift Julia’s love interest between Jim and Scott. Overall, I enjoyed reading “Witch”.

September 8, 2018
You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1) by R.L. Stine

You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1) by R.L. Stine
Release: July 24th 2018
Format: Paperback
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Amazon

You May Now Kill the Bride Synopsis:

NEW Fear Street stories with a retro look, perfect for fans of Stranger Things!

Two sisters, divided by time. Each with a terrible resentment she can barely contain.

Two Fear family weddings, decades apart… Each bride will find that the ancient curse that haunts the Fears LIVES ON. It feeds off the evil that courses through their blood. It takes its toll in unexpected ways, and allows dark history to repeat itself.

In this all-new Fear Street story, family ties bind sisters together—till DEATH do they part.

Review:

Watch my video review on the You May Now Kill the Bride!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhTWWZpIKfY[/embedyt]

I enjoyed reading “You May Now Kill the Bride” and thought it was a great start to the new Fear Street series! Firstly, I loved the cover design. It has a very creepy, vintage look to it that makes it look like a classic Fear Street novel. Moreover, there are many twists and turns that make you keep guessing as to what is happening to the Fear sisters. The story really picked up in the second half once Harmony starts looking for Marissa. Also, the reveal in the ending also makes sense unlike a lot of the other books in the Fear Street series. Overall, it was a fun read!

August 20, 2018
The Betrayal (The Fear Street Saga Trilogy #1)

The Betrayal (The Fear Street Saga Trilogy #1) by R.L. Stine
Release: August 1st 1993
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Amazon

Fear Street Saga #1: The Betrayal Synopsis:

The Secret is Out!

Why do so many horrifying things happen on Fear Street? Nora knows.

She knows how the terror began. Nora knows about the young girl who burned at the stake–and the bloody feud between two families that caused the unspeakable horror that has lasted 300 years!

She knows, and she wants to tell.

Are you sure you want to hear it?

Review:

I remember reading the Fear Street Saga trilogy when I was a teenager and getting scared from its creepiness. I decided to re-read them along with the continuing “Sagas” series to see if they still had that effect on me now.

While this book did not have the same effect on me this time, I still enjoyed reading it. The main highlight of “The Betrayal” is in its plot. The overall pacing is fast and consistent and never gets boring at any time. I didn’t care for the character’s love stories because it just went by way too quickly. Instead, the story of revenge, malice and betrayal made this book an enjoyable read. The story spans across generations and it was interesting to read how the feud between the Fiers and the Goodes started. There are still some eerier elements like when the skeleton falls on Ezra, and when Edward sees Susannah’s ghost in the forest. More than Susannah, I felt sorry for Mary and hoped that she got somewhat of a happy ending.

There were a few minor problems with this book though. Firstly, there are a lot of characters involved, and the pacing is also very fast, so it takes time to a hang of who’s who. There are also a few sexist remarks which are uncomfortable to read, with dialogues like ‘a woman’s place is in the kitchen’. However, I guess that was true for that time so really can’t complain about that. I would have liked to see more details on how William practiced his magic to get revenge on the Fiers. It would have been fun to also get a backstory on Benjamin and how the trials got started.

Overall, “The Betrayal” is still a fun book to read and I think those reading it for the first time will still find it intriguing and suspenseful.

August 11, 2018
Broken Hearts (Fear Street Super Chiller #4) by R.L. Stine

Broken Hearts (Fear Street Super Chiller #4) by R.L. Stine
Release: February 1st 1993
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Amazon

Broken Hearts Synopsis:

Roses are red, corpses are blue. On Valentine’s Day, you’ll die too!

There’s someone out there, someone who kills on Valentine’s Day. Josie and Melissa are scared—especially when they receive threatening valentines. Then the murders begin. Who is sending these horrible valentines to the girls of Shadyside High? And who will be the next to die?

Review:

“Broken Hearts” was pretty good in terms of its twists and turns. Just when you have figured out who the suspect is, Stine shifts the focus on someone else. This becomes very entertaining as there are quite a few suspects and almost everybody seems guilty. Even the victim, Rachel, is extremely creepy. Her childlike mannerisms add a whole new level of eeriness to the book. You really don’t know what she might do because she is not in the right state of mind. There are some really suspenseful moments like when Dave enters the house to destroy the cards, and when Melissa sees a redhead running in the street. When the murderer is revealed in the end, the person’s motives seemed legitimate, in contrast to some of the others in this series.

The downside to this book is that there are just too many characters and at times they seem to be shifting their romance interests from one to the other. Erica likes Jenkman, but Jenkman likes Josie. Melissa likes Dave but Dave likes Josie. Josie used to date Dave, but now dates Steve, who shows an interest for Erica later. Then you have Luke who used to date Rachel but now has an interest on Melissa. As if the plot didn’t have enough twists and turns, we had to deal with who is dating whom! Secondly, I despised Josie and her attitude towards everyone. She has such an arrogance and haughty attitude that I didn’t feel any empathy towards her when she was threatened. There is no reason or motive given as to why she even behaves this way.

On a side note, it really irked me that the parents didn’t spend any time with their kids. The dad is supposed to own a chain of stores but cannot afford to take time to see his family during their time of need? And why does the mother have to work such long hours? Well, as this is a Fear Street novel, we really cannot expect doting parents be depicted in them, but it just seemed very unrealistic.

Overall, “Broken Hearts” is a decent Fear Street Super Chiller book. It is worth picking up if you are a fan of the series and haven’t read it yet. P.S. I also liked that this was one of the few Fear Street books where the cover accurately showcases an actual scene from the book!

June 9, 2018
The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine

The Wrong Number (Fear Street #5) by R.L. Stine
Release: March 1st 1990
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Amazon

Wrong Number Synopsis:

It begins as an innocent prank, when Deena Martinson and her best friend Jade Smith make sexy phone calls to the boys from school. But Deena’s half-brother Chuck catches them in the act and threatens to tell their parents, unless the girls let him in on the fun. Chuck begins making random calls, threatening anyone who answers. It’s dangerous and exciting. They’re even enjoying the publicity, and the uproar they’ve caused. Until Chuck calls a number on Fear Street.

To his horror, Chuck realizes he has called THE WRONG NUMBER. The jokes are over when murder is on the line. The murderer knows who they are and where they live — and they have nowhere to call for help.

Review:

I always feel like the initial Fear Street books were much more refined and fun to read than their successors. “The Wrong Number” is one of books that’s genuinely fun and campy to read.

The story doesn’t rely on gore or supernatural elements to make it interesting. It is a good old fashioned murder mystery that has a touch of the creepiness of Fear Street. In some ways, I felt like I was watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie set for the 90s teenagers. In many Fear Street novels, there are multiple red herrings and suspects that keeps you guessing who the culprit is. However, “The Wrong Number” is pretty straight forward on who is responsible, and the thrills lie on the protagonists solving the mystery. While there are readers who might dislike this book because for the same reason, I personally liked it. There are still lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing whether Deena and Jade will be successful.

The characters are ok but not really that memorable. The main characters, Deena and Jade are also fun to read when they are together. The book would have been better had it focused more on Jade than Deena, as Jade has a vibrant personality. Deena, on the other hand is not as interesting as her friend. She seemed very unsure of herself and kept relying on Jade to take the first step for almost everything. Chuck is mysterious and interesting in the beginning, but we really don’t get to know anything about him. I wish there was some reveal about his past so that we can get to understand why he behaves that way.

The only part I didn’t get were the scenes of the dead cat. I am not going to spoil it for those who are reading it, but what was the point of even having that elaborate scene? Why would someone go through all the trouble for a dead cat? There scene was very random and could have been avoided. Overall, I enjoyed reading “The Wrong Number” and thought it was one of the better “Fear Street” novels. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

June 9, 2018
Scavenger Hunt by Christopher Pike

Scavenger Hunt by Christopher Pike
Release: June 10th 1989
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Archway Paperbacks
Source: Amazon

Scavenger Hunt Synopsis:

School was almost over. A secretive club on campus had organized a scavenger hunt for the entire senior class. In small groups, and with the help of cleverly planted clues, the kids are led throughout the city, and then deep into a nighttime desert. The sponsoring club has promised a wonderful prize for the first group to reach the goal of the hunt. But for Carl Timmons, a troubled young man who has recently lost his best friend, the hunt will become a nightmare. Led astray by his love for a strangely beautiful girl, he will wander far from the others, and back into a haunted past, where the line between the living and the dead is blurred and broken.

Review:

I thought “Scavenger Hunt” was very interesting at first. The plot seemed unique and honestly unlike anything I have read. I enjoyed the way the clues were setup and how the team started to decipher them. Even though it was originally published in 1989, the story did not feel outdated. The characters also showed unique and varied qualities and it was fun reading how they reacted to the clues. I really thought this was going to be a great read. However, it all turned out to be a BIG disappointment in the second half.

There are three reasons I gave this an average rating, the first reason being that I hated Carl’s character. This guy is such a wimpy protagonist who keeps getting in trouble with the wrong crowd. He chooses the wrong team only because he thinks Cessy is hot. He’s a coward for not saving Joe and he admits it. Frequently I was put off having to deal with reading him whining over his inner conflicts. The list for me disliking him goes on. Davey was also a bit annoying. He comes off as your typical mustache-twirling villain without any complexity. Cessy is much more interesting, but she is not given much focus. My favorite character here is Tracie. I loved that she figures out what is happening and risks everything to save Carl. I also liked Paula and Rick and wished that there was more written about them.

My second reason for removing an additional star is the plot holes. I still have questions after finishing this book, such as:
– Who was that person (or creature) in the purple house?
– What happened to the other groups who did the Scavenger Hunt? Why didn’t Davey choose people from other groups as well?
– Why did Pike bring in a random alcoholic priest into the story who didn’t add any value?
– When I look at the cover of the original US edition (that I read), I still don’t know who these three people are.

Now for the third reason. I always felt like reading a Pike book was better than a Stine book because it was more profound. The author usually adds some deep philosophical texts about the universe and mankind in his books. Scavenger Hunt did not have any of that! The climax towards the end is just cartoony and I just felt ‘meh’ after reading this book. Pike has written better stories than this, and the fallout to this suspenseful plot is disappointing. Overall, if you want to read a vintage Christopher Pike novel, you can dismiss this one and pick up “Whisper of Death” or “Road to Nowhere”.

April 21, 2018
The Dead Boyfriend (Fear Street Relaunch #5)

The Dead Boyfriend by R.L. Stine
Release: September 27th 2016
Format: Kindle Edition
Publisher: A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin’s Griffin
Source: Amazon

Dead Boyfriend Synopsis:

Caitlin has never had a real boyfriend before. When she starts seeing Blade, she throws herself into the relationship with fervor. She ignores her friends, who warn her that Blade may be a phony and that she is taking the whole thing too seriously. Caitlin is smitten. She doesn’t care if she loses her friends. All she wants is Blade. When Caitlin sees Blade with another girl, she completely loses it. She snaps. Everything goes red. When she comes back to her senses, she realizes that Blade is dead—and she has killed him. But if Colin is dead, how is he staring at her across a crowded party?

Review:

R.L. Stine continues to be one of those authors I gravitate towards for short, campy horror books for nostalgia. “Fear Street” and “Point Horror” were one of my favorite series growing up, and I still love re-reading some of these titles. So far, I am enjoying the new books in the Relaunch series and “The Dead Boyfriend” is a nice addition.

Unlike some of the other reviews I’ve come across, I thought the characters were well written. I felt that all three protagonists were strange enough to make the story feel like “Fear Street”. Caitlyn plays the perfect role of the girl gone crazy from being traumatized of the horror. Deena is very weird and creepy with her black magic, and you never really know what she might do next. Blade comes back as a zombie version and torments Caitlyn that also adds well to the horror. Stine cleverly blended various elements, like witches, zombies, black magic and murder and made the story very interesting.

The story is gripping for most part and keeps you wondering what will happen next. There were parts that completely surprised me, like when Caitlyn suddenly attacks Blade, or when Blade gets animated in church. It also has an interesting moment where it connects the characters and scenes to “The Lost Girl”, another book in the Relaunch series.

Now, the main part that ruined the book for me – the frustrating ending! We know that Stine’s novels always has a twist in the end that make you go WTH! But this one could have been better. It reminded me a bit about how his other Fear Street novel “Switched” ended. However, while the ending of “Switched” made the story creepier, this felt like a let-down. I guess the ending makes logical sense, but I would have expected something more innovative from the author.

I feel like I want to love this series as how I did back in the 90s. I’m not sure if I have outgrown this type of horror genre, or if Stine’s writing skills have dimmed, but I don’t find myself enjoying these books like I used to. Having said that, “The Dead Boyfriend” comes very close to creating the eerie suspense to the original, more than the other books in the Relaunch. Overall, I would have loved the book if the ending was written with a more original climax.

April 3, 2018
The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics
Released: September 27, 2016
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: Amazon
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle,

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Lucy Acosta’s mother died when she was three. Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, she explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They’re inseparable—a family.

But her aunt Penelope, the only mother she ever knew about, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate. Then Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother’s voice whispering from the walls. Her father shuts her out emotionally . So Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin’s sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.

About the Author:

Ever since she was little, horror books and movies intrigued Amy. She grew up in a small mountain town in Arizona, and sustained herself on a steady diet of Goosebumps, Fear Street, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books before discovering Stephen King in her mother’s bookshelf.

Amy lives with her husband, their two precious squidlings, and an old gentleman cat by the name of Frodo. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing games across many platforms.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

The Women in the Walls Review:

The story writing is good for most of the part. And I enjoyed the steady pacing of the storyline that had me engrossed throughout. There are some cleverly designed plot twists , but some of these twists had gruesome details that made me cringe. While I didn’t have any issues with the grisly details, the only part of the writing that I found puzzling was the consistency in the setting. In some parts of the book, it felt like the story is taking place a long time ago, but then in some scenes, the characters curse foul language and use the internet etc. which I thought didn’t fit well with the setup.

The depiction of characters are good , and I enjoyed the conflict between Lucy and Margaret. In fact, I liked Margaret’s character more than Lucy, as she seemed truly psychotic and on the edge, and I had no idea what she would do to Lucy. I also enjoyed Vanessa’s character, and wished that she was involved more in the book. While I didn’t have any issues with Lucy as such, I thought the girl was whiny and suicidal and not that strong to be the main character in the book.

There was disappointment towards the end of the book, mainly because all the revelations provided were not very clear. Also, the pacing seemed rushed, and the author didn’t provide closure to the storyline. It was as though Amy Lukavics got tired of writing towards the end, and just wanted to finish it somehow. Considering the good narration of the story for most of the book, I wish it had ended with the same consistency and a better explanation for the events.

Overall, this was a pretty good book to read, but one that is easily forgettable.

October 22, 2016