Category: Audiobooks

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Posted on by elishasbookreview
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*No Spoilers*

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner’s family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries.

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn’t right on the prairie. She’s heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can’t be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I found this novel at my local library. After enjoying Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry, I thought I might give the Young Adult genre another chance. Now let’s see if Daughters Unto Devils will meet my expectations.

I am into the paranormal, I enjoy listening to ghost stories even though I scare easily. This novel is full of mystery and spooky tension. What made this better was the fact of how this reminded me somewhat of The Donner Party.

I felt like this book was hammering home the message of the spiritual war that is always going on. I felt bad for Amanda in the fact she had no control over her circumstances. She fell in love, and he abandoned her when she told him she was pregnant.

“You are stronger than you think you are. You are not your thoughts. The only devil inside of you is the one you created yourself.”-Amy Lukavics, Daughters Unto Devils

Overall, I felt like this was a good creepy historical fiction that chilled me. It not only had me question Amanda’s sanity but the whole prairies’. Once innocent things turned into demonic terrifying entities by the end.

I enjoyed this novel, I felt like the creepiness was made all the better in the fact that this was when we were still expanding west. Back then, mental illnesses were seen as demon possessions and other demonic entities.

If you enjoy Horror, Historical Fiction, and Young Adult Novels then I think you will enjoy Daughters Unto Devils. This novel doesn’t have much action, it’s mostly tension and suspense until the climax. I hope my readers will like this novel as much as I had.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Gone to Dust (Nils Shapiro #1) by Matt Goldman​

Posted on by elishasbookreview
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*No Major Spoilers*

Private detective Nils Shapiro is focused on forgetting his ex-wife and keeping warm during another Minneapolis winter when a former colleague, neighboring Edina Police Detective Anders Ellegaard, calls with the impossible.

Suburban divorcee Maggie Somerville was found murdered in her bedroom, her body covered with the dust from hundreds of emptied vacuum cleaner bags, all potential DNA evidence obscured by the calculating killer.

Digging into Maggie’s cell phone records, Nils finds that the most frequently called number belongs to a mysterious young woman whose true identity could shatter the Somerville family–but could she be guilty of murder?

Rating: 5 out of 5.

*Just my thoughts real quick about book summaries before my review*

Why do the authors put too much about their novel in the summary? I’ve read some novel summaries and thought yeah I already know how this is going to end. I prefer a summary that focuses on the main ideas. What is the mystery? What makes this case unique? That’s all I need to know.

I usually copy and paste the summaries from Goodreads. I have to edit them sometimes due to spoilers, and too much of the story.

Ok, now on to my review. I honestly can’t remember whether I found this on a book list or if I found this on my own. No matter, I’m glad I got the chance to read this one!

Nils Shapiro was a relatable character, he was going to be a police officer, and when he graduated from the police academy he decided to become a private detective. Since private detectives and the local police force are not quite the best of friends, the fact that the local police are asking Nils for help is surprising.

Most private investigators tend to work more in the gray areas of crime, cheating spouse, being hired to find dirt on someone important. So the police don’t usually ask them for assistance on a case unless the family of the victim(s) hires them.

This investigation was surprising and kept me guessing on how committed this heinous crime. I felt the use of the vacuum cleaner bags to cover up evidence made this mystery all the more intriguing.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. This is one of the more memorable ones I’ve read in the past months. The conclusion was thrilling and exciting. I can’t wait to hear more from Nils Shapiro in the future.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Posted on by elishasbookreview

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*No Major Spoilers*

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn’t want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.

It has been a bit since I last reviewed a zombie apocalypse novel. I was starting to get burnt out on the genre, but now that’s in the past. I had always been interested in this series, but the Young Adult genre deters me sometimes.

I decided to try it, and I started reading a physical copy but found an audiobook. So I am considering this a hybrid of the two mediums.

This novel really drove home what the differences were between the survivors, monsters (being zombies), and the real monsters (those who prey on the weak and defenseless). Being secluded like Ben had been, I could understand why he believed the only real monsters were the zombies right outside their gated safe haven.

“Often it was the most unlikely people who found within themselves a spark of something greater. It was probably always there, but most people are never tested, and they go through their whole lives without ever knowing that when things are at their worst, they are at their best.” – Jonathan Maberry, Rot & Ruin

Watching Ben grow and learn about the world after “The First Night” was endearing and heartbreaking. I can understand how you believe one thing about how the world works, and when you actually get out in it, things that you thought you knew might be completely different.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It had a great cast of characters that grew and changed throughout the novel. And I won’t spoil the ending, but you’ll be reaching for the tissues. I would recommend this for lovers of Young Adult Fiction, Post Apocalyptic novels, and for those who can’t get enough of zombies. I would also recommend this novel who are looking for a good and fulfilling story.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: The Troop by Nick Cutter

Posted on by elishasbookreview
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*No Major Spoilers*

*This Novel Is NOT for the Squeamish*

Once a year, Scoutmaster Tim Riggs leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a three-day camping trip—a tradition as comforting and reliable as a good ghost story and a roaring bonfire. But when an unexpected intruder—shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry—stumbles upon their campsite, Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. An inexplicable horror that spreads faster than fear. A harrowing struggle for survival that will pit the troop against the elements, the infected…and one another.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I found this novel on a book list (if it’s not the library it’s email newsletters). I thought the author sounded familiar, and I found out he also wrote The Deep which I reviewed previously. I had written a not-so-good review, so with that in mind, I decided to give Mr. Cutter another chance.

I’m going to state upfront if you are squeamish or have Entomophobia (the fear of bugs); another phobia this novel addresses is Vermiphobia (The fear of parasitic worms) I would be hesitant to read this novel. I do not have these phobias and at times I found myself grossed out at how detailed the boys’ struggles escalate throughout this novel.

“How could you hide from a murderer who lives under your skin?”

Nick Cutter; The Troop

The Troop reminded me of a ramped up rendition of Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Lord of the Flies follows a group of young boys that were shipwrecked on a deserted island. The parallels are there, but it’s pulled off nicely.

I found this to be more enjoyable than Mr. Cutter’s previous book The Deep. The characters were likable and relatable. I found the ending to not be too far out in the leftfield. Sometimes horror writers *cough* Stephen King *cough* tend to take things too far with the crazy and bizarre for my liking. This ending was surprising and ended on a somewhat positive note.

Overall, I thought The Troop was a good and creepy read. If you are into untraditional horror, or what something different to read then this novel is for you!

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Arsenal: Full Metal Superhero (Full Metal Superhero #1) by Jefferey H. Haskell

Posted on by elishasbookreview

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*No Major Spoilers*

Amelia Lockheart can’t walk, but she can fly. As the armored superhero-Arsenal, she has the power of a small army at her disposal. Fourteen years ago her parents disappeared after a horrific wreck which left her wheelchair bound. With thieves salivating to steal her armor, and supervillains trying to kill her, Amelia must learn to trust her new team if she wants to survive long enough to learn the truth.

This novel caught my attention because of the cover, the series name, and the concept. With the Marvel and DC movies battling it out at the theatres, one might hesitate to go into a superhero series without drawing connections to previously established characters. However, I felt that this would have been unique enough to be entertaining on its own two feet.

I felt like Amelia was amazing in the facts that she doesn’t let others tell her what to do just because she’s a handicapped woman. She is brilliant in what she can build and create with just enough imagination and determination.

At first, her thoughts about what really happened to her parents sounded like a coping mechanism. When something tragic happens, you naturally want to blame it on someone or something. Blaming her parents’ disappearance in the company they worked for is logical and reasonable.

As you go through the battles and struggles with Amelia and her new friends you find that there is something more going on than meets the eye. Is someone trying to set them up to fail? Who is really after Amelia’s armor? These questions and more are what drives this story and the over-arching plot forward.

I couldn’t help myself but draw connections between this novel and Marvel superheroes. It never took anything away from the novel, but it was kind of fun to be like “oh this guy sounds like Doctor Strange”. Or “This sounds like a combination of Captain America and The Hulk”. I found that instead of being direct rip-offs, they were their own unique identity.

The final battle shows how determined and how brilliant Amelia truly is and how her cool head and thinking under pressure is more valuable to the team overall. She is able to do just as much when she is Arsenal, and when she’s just Amelia.

I know this was meant to be an adult novel, but for some reason, I couldn’t get the thought of this being a Young Adult novel out of my head. Something about how Amelia is portrayed had me thinking she was a teenager instead of being in her early 20s.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, it was a breath of fresh air to have some new superheroes to read about. I felt like this novel is appropriate for everyone of all ages to enjoy. If you like underdog stories and superheroes, then this book is for you!