The Imaginary Corpse | Tyler Hayes

*Image and book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

 

Detective Tippy is a Friend in the StillReal. That means he's an Idea, created by a real Person, that was loved enough to become Real himself, but then was rejected by his Person. Every Friend and Idea in the StillReal has their own reasons for being there. Some were TV show ideas that never got green-lighted. Some were forcibly rejected by their Person because they became connected with bad memories. It happens. But there's one Friend the citizens of the StillReal can turn to when they need help and that's the triceratops detective himself, Detective Tippy. What started as a simple case of a lost nightmare Friend needing a home becomes the most dangerous, taxing, world-breaking case of Tippy's career and could mean the end of the StillReal.

Review:

 

This book ran me through the full gamut of emotions. For a while I thought it might be like "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" but for adults. Nope. Don't get me wrong, it's not for kids, but it's also not NSFW levels of "for adults". Hayes does an incredible job of blending all the different levels of depth that go into the Ideas and making it possible for the reader to seamlessly go from Playtime Land to Big Business without any real disorientation. Probably because Tippy, the narrator, is so used to this stuff by now and does a wonderful job of describing the process.

 

You still get a lot of stuff that's just flat out adorable. Tippy's drink of choice is root beer because his Person, who watched all the detective shows as a kid, thought that's what beer was. And Tippy's favorite way to relax? Going for a spin in the dryer! And the Friends that were created by kids have a lot of kid-like qualities. Even a nightmare like Spindleman talks like a little kid and it's freaking cute as heck! But it's also that reasoning and mentality that can really pull at your heartstrings. And Hayes does not hold back. 

 

There were times when I was in tears because, yes, this isn't a book for kids. The primary villain of the story is so monstrous and able to break so many rules of the StillReal, (and I gotta be careful here because I don't want to give any spoilers) because he is based on a real world monster. He's faster, stronger and more dangerous than any Friend has ever thought possible. He's genuinely very, very scary! Especially when you get glimpses into what he is in the real world. It's heartbreaking. 

 

I felt everything a book could ever put me through. Fear, laughter, horror, intrigue, anxiety, relief, and then-some. This book was such a full experience.  I've been out of blogging for a couple of months now because I just couldn't really bring myself to write more. Then I read this book and I HAVE to share it with the world. I HAVE to spread the word about this book. The world, the characters, the emotions, the storytelling, it's all so engaging and amazing. This book is worth 5 hoots and all the love. I'm looking forward to more from Hayes.

 

 

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Ten Dead Comedians | Fred Van Lente

*Book received from NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

Nine stand-up comedians are invited to join Dustin Walker, one of the most legendary names in the comedy business, at his island home to partake in a project. When they arrive, however, they are told by Walker's introductory video that he's brought them all to the island to die. Then the video shows him hanging himself. Sure enough, one by one, the remaining comics begin dying off. With no hope of rescue, they must figure out how to survive, if they don't kill each other first.

Review:

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It was a nice change of pace for me. I normally don't read murder mysteries, especially not ones that take place in the "real world". This book, however, was pleasantly entertaining. I had figured out the "who" kinda early on, but the "how" was so much more interesting than I thought. 

The book is a little dark. With so many deaths in so little time, what can you expect? You also get to see the darker side of the comedy show biz life. Despite there being so many comedians, there was quite a bit of drama and very few redeemable traits. And while there was a lot of death, it wasn't as gruesome as it could have been. Though you do get a fair amount of clever and funny dialogue. Heck, I was actually rooting for a couple of the comedians to survive because they were good at what they did and were smart about trying to survive. 

The ingenuity of the killer, however, that was the major selling point of this book. Sure their reasons for doing everything made me think of them as a whiny, overly sensitive, insane person. But I gotta give it to them, they really knew what they were doing. They had everything planned to precision. It was wonderful to get an intelligent villain. 

Despite not liking murder mysteries in general, I really enjoyed reading Ten Dead Comedians. It is intelligent and funny with just the right amount of dark humor. 4 hoots!

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The Rebellion's Last Traitor | Nik Korpon

*Book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

It's been many years since the resources wars. It's also been many years since anyone has seen the sun. The Tathadann Party runs the show with an iron fist, even adjusting it's people's memories so they forget what life was like. As a result, memories have become their own form of currency but are also more addictive and destructive than heroin. The only attempt at a rebellion failed and this book goes back and forth between the two former leaders of that rebellion, Henraek and Walleus, and their lives as workers for the Tathadann.

Review:

I'll be honest, I've got some mixed feelings about this book. It had a lot of interesting story elements and characters. The world was a little difficult to process, but that could be because I'm not used to the egregious dichotomy between the rich and the poor in post-apocalyptic worlds (you'd think I would be by now). Overall this really felt like a thriller or mystery book way more than it was a post-apocalyptic sci-fi.

I appreciate that we're given the viewpoints of Walleus, the willing traitor to the cause, and Henraek, the man who had to be broken first. From this we get the viewpoint of the backstabbing and politics going on within the Tathadann Party and the struggle to hold onto anything worthwhile in the slums. We get to see one man continue on with what family he has while the other has nothing left of his family but memories he's harvested from others who used to know him. One person only has "friends" that will take any opportunity to throw him under the bus while the other has a single friend who is trying to get him to move on. It's quite an interesting way to give the reader different clues about what happened in the rebellion and what is happening now.

The ending was what really gave me pause. In a way it really felt like the main characters got what they deserved, but it wasn't very satisfying. And maybe that's the point. The notion that revenge, social upheaval and justice have repercussions and innocent people lose out. There is, certainly, a lot of that in this book. Parents losing their children. Husbands and wives losing each other. People even losing their sense of self because they either lose their memories or get addicted to the memories of others.

I did enjoy the book. I'm not usually one for mystery/thrillers but this was, overall, a good read. If you like thirllers or dystopian settings this is a good book for you. As for me, I give it 3.5 hoots.

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Hellboy: On Earth as it is in Hell | Brian Hodge

Summary:

When the Vatican archives are attacked by Seraphim looking to destroy a document that could cause a rift in the Church, the BPRD are called in. Hellboy, Abe and Liz seek to protect the document by taking it to BPRD headquarters, but get attacked and left for dead along the way. They soon find out that, not only are they working against demons who seek to release the document, but also an extreme sect of Christians who seek to destroy the document by, literally, any means.

Review:

I'll be honest, I'm generally the first person to praise the Hellboy novels, but this one kinda fell short for me. There were demons, ghosts, and the Leviathan, but I still found myself feeling bored for a lot of it. I'm not entirely sure why I felt bored, maybe I found the action-to-exposition ratio to be off. Maybe this just wasn't the book for me.

Hodge gets the world of BPRD right and keeps true to the heart of it. There are monsters in both human and demon form. There are pocket worlds where terrible things happen. None of it was particularly scary or mind bending for me. If it weren't for the actual inclusion of the demons and seraphim, this entire book could be an action thriller with an entirely human cast. Maybe that's what makes the book fall flat for me, the monsters and supernatural creatures feel secondary to the philosophy and human nature. And I like my monsters.

Still, if you're interested in thrillers and don't mind the supernatural aspects, you'd probably enjoy this book. As for me, I'm still gonna read Hellboy novels, but this one just doesn't work for me. 3 hoots!

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A Perfect Machine | Brett Savory

*Image and book provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary: (From Publisher)

Henry Kyllo is a Runner, a member of a secret society called the Inferne Cutis. Every day he is chased through the city by Hunters whose goal is to fill him with bullets. It is a secret war steeped in history, tradition, and mutual fear.

Rumours abound about what happens when a Runner achieves ascension, but it has supposedly never happened before, so no one knows for sure. Except that it has happened before. And it is happening again.

Review:

This book, short as is it is, had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, I don't feel it met that, and fell far short of my expectations for it. Maybe I was asking too much of it, but I was disappointed by this book.

The author does make me feel emotionally connected to the three main characters, he's done a great job of getting me interested in their story. I was genuinely concerned for Henry's sanity and Milo's sake. I was happy to read this book out of interest in these few characters.

My biggest problem with this book is the world it takes place in. Clearly it's our world, but with this subset of people that, if we were to encounter them, we'd never remember. But what is it that causes people to forget? What is it that allows the Runners to physically take on bullets? What is it that takes the loved ones of Runners who don't run? Why was one little girl, ghost character, the only one with any actual answers, forgotten almost immediately after her introduction? No one, not even the elders of the Hunters and Runners, have answers to any of these questions.

And maybe I'm missing the point of the book. Maybe the focus was supposed to be on these characters, but I feel like, if I knew more about the world and its laws, I could've felt more. I could've been more interested in what was going on. As it was, when the book ended, I felt nothing. There was so much that this book could have been, but wasn't.

As it is, I can only give 2.5 hoots.

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Dr. Potter's Medicine Show | Eric Scott Fischl

*I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

This book follows three stories that tie together. The first is the story of the travelling show whose participants are tortured, sometimes literally, by Lyman, their illusionist. The second is the story of Ag and Sol, two brothers trying to prove they don't need their mother. Third is the story of Dr. Hedwith, a man trying to find the secret to immortality by any means.

Review:

I'll start with a warning that this book is not for the faint of heart or stomach. More than once I wished I wasn't eating while reading. It starts out innocently enough but there are some scenes that made me think of Red Dragon. So, fair warning, not a book for everyone.

That being said, I actually did enjoy this book a lot more than I thought I would. Yes, the book is full of dark and depressing scenes, but, thankfully, Fischl has a good number of scenes with Ag and Sol. Yes, they're pretty much comic relief, but they're are so well balanced with the darker stories that you never feel like the book is taking itself too seriously or not seriously enough. Fischl has a really good sense of balance with his characters and their stories. 

I also enjoyed how Fischl wrapped things up at the end of the book. There was enough mystery that you didn't know exactly what had happened, but enough loose ends had been tied up that you didn't feel like you were missing out. Not everyone got the ending I wanted for them but I wasn't unpleasantly surprised by the endings they received. It was a really well done book.

If you're in the mood for a darker story where alchemical studies are real, taking place in the post-civil war era, I highly recommend Dr. Potter's Medicine Show. It's a good story with great characters. 

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Necrotech | K. C. Alexander

*Image from publisher site.

**This book was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Riko, one of the rare people born without a SIN chip permanently installed, is a well known street thug. She's the scattergun of her group, the brawler. When she wakes up, however, she has no idea where she is, when it is, nor why there are sirens blazing throughout the hall she's in. As she escapes, she sees her girlfriend is trapped in the building, too, but she's changed. She's covered in tech gear when, previously, she had nothing. Riko gets out and finds she's lost a few months of her life and, most importantly, the vast majority of her street cred. She needs to find out what happened, when it happened, and get her girlfriend and her cred back.

Review:

This book is definitely not for everyone. There is an intense amount of colorful language, even more colorful metaphors and violence. That being said, I loved this book! I read all 400+ pages in one day, never wanting to put the book down. If I'd had the right soundtrack playing in the background, I probably would have read it quicker. This is one of those books that hooks me in quick and keeps me guessing. Even after completing the book, I'm as in the dark as the main character. I have my theories, but I'll have to wait until I can get my hands on the next book.

I'll admit I'm not as well versed in the cyberpunk genre as I'd like to be, but if the world they're in is like this one, I'm definitely adding more to my TBR. I love seeing all the different ways authors can think of for how technology will integrate itself into our lives, and even our anatomy. The only reason Riko is able to survive as much as she does is because everyone in this world has nanobots in their blood stream that repair damage, provided they're given enough energy to do so.

Of course, there are consequences for having too much tech. At some point (different for each person) a human becomes more tech than human and the tech takes over and turns the person, essentially, into a fast zombie. These are Necrotech and they are scary. Some of the descriptions made me think of Japanese horror movies. At least one or two scenes left me feeling genuinely terrified.

The best part, for me, was that I only knew as much as Riko, the narrator, knew. I have some theories, about what happened and what will happen, but, just like Riko, I have no certainties. I am very eager for the next book to come out to either confirm or rebuke my theories. I was left guessing on a lot of things, in a good way. Plus, by having the book from Riko's perspective, we get to see just how badass she really is. I was rooting for this woman the whole way, downsides to her personality and all.

Once again, this book is not for everyone. Those that are okay with strong language and violence, however, and are looking for a cyberpunk mystery or thriller story will definitely enjoy this. I happily give this book 5 hoots and am already chomping at the bit to get the next one!

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Alice | Christina Henry

Summary:

Alice once went for an adventure in the Old City only to return to the New City covered in blood with no memory of what happened, blabbering about a man with rabbit ears. She was placed in an asylum and started talking with man named Hatcher through a mouse hole between their rooms. Hatcher also has vague memories of the Rabbit and when they escape the asylum, they had back to the Old City in search of answers. Most importantly the answer of how to stop the Jabberwock. 

Review:

This book is not for everyone. It is a very gripping book, I would put it down only with much reluctance, but it's not for everyone. There is a lot of blood, right from the start, with some very graphic depictions of violence. The majority of the violence is bloody, gruesome, and nausea inducing. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

That being said, I thought this was a really well written version of the Alice in Wonderland story. The plot was well thought out. The characters were fully developed and easily related to. The dialogue was entirely natural and I felt that there was nothing left unanswered by the end of the story. I was even quite happy with the ending. I give Henry full credit for building an interesting world. I had no idea where I was or what time period I was in the entire time.

So, if you're interested in a violent retelling of a classic story, or at least have a strong stomach and are a fan of dramas, mysteries, thrillers, and the like, I recommend this book. This isn't my particular genre, I probably won't read it again, but it's good for those with a strong constitution who are fans.

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*This book was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

14 by Peter Clines

I have been trying to get this book from my library for at least a year now. It recently became available through inter-library loan and I now know, I HAVE TO BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!

Peter Clines has been one of my favorite authors since I first read Ex-Heroes over a year ago. Clines has an amazing ability to get me to yell at characters, him, and even myself* while reading. I was bouncing around in my reading spot because this book was so intense!

Don't get me wrong, it starts out mundanely enough, just a guy looking for a new, cheap apartment in LA while working a cruddy job. We meet the neighbors and, while there are a few oddities, nothing automatically seems weird or sets you on edge. Despite that, I devoured this book. I had a hundred pages read in no time and easily got lost in the story.** Clines paces the story so that it easily builds up to the action packed scenes without you feeling like you're missing something or that too much is happening all at once.

Probably one of the reasons I love Clines, as an author, is because his dialogue is natural and his characters are so real. Several times they comment about the fact that what they're doing is stupid and make frequent allusions to Scooby-Doo as a running joke amongst them. That's not to say they don't take things seriously. There were several times I was completely creeped out by this book.*** There were a few times where I was completely blindsided by things that were going on and I certainly appreciated a joke from a character or two who had also been blindsided.

I'm still shaky from the adrenaline rush of reading this book. I am buying this book. I recommend you at least read this book as well! 5 Hoots!

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*I really should have seen that coming! How did I not put the pieces together?!
**Almost missed my stop while reading on the bus.
***If you don't like cockroaches, DON'T READ THIS BOOK!

The Poison Secret by Gregg Loomis

I'm not sure if any of my readers remember, but a while back,  I had completely given up on thrillers. They just weren't for me. They didn't thrill me. I needed to take an extended vacation from them. Then I was asked by a publisher to at least take a look at The Poison Secret. I read the description and figured, why not give it another try. That being said, I had a great time reading this book!

Though I have not yet read the previous books, I never felt like I needed to in order to understand this one. The main characters clearly have a history, but once Loomis establishes their relationship, there really is no need for back-story or excess exposition. Loomis clearly writes his books with all readers in mind, not just his regular audience.

The Poison Secret is a very fun adventure with great characters. The plot requires a little stretch of the imagination, but definitely not an uncomfortable one.* At no point did I want to put this book down. The exposition is well paced with the action.The dialog is natural. I happily give The Poison Secret by Gregg Loomis 4 hoots!

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*Especially after it's established that the main characters have a LOT of money.

The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

I was excited to get to read this book. I'm pretty hit or miss with thrillers, but Stephen King, himself, said this book was "Scary as hell."* That said, I'm so glad I'm done reading this book. I was strongly tempted to list this one as a DNF** because it had become a chore to read. It didn't even get interesting until over halfway through. 

I'm really not sure why Marwood paced the book this way. It made the entire story line painfully predictable. At the very least, I give Marwood full credit for creating realistic characters. My problem is the pacing and lack of anything interesting until the second death. Nothing in this book surprised me. Nothing in this book was scary. Barely anything was interesting. But I did finish it so, by my own standards, I have to give at least two hoots.

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*First page of the eBook. 

**Did Not Finish

***The publisher provided me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not have any affect on my overall review.