Tag: Horror

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey

Posted on by elishasbookreview
51VIGAzd43L

*No Major Spoilers*

Everyone in Crow Hollow knows of Alvaretta Graves, the old widow who lives in the mountain. Many call her a witch; others whisper she’s insane. Everyone agrees the vengeance Alvaretta swore at her husband’s death hovers over them all. That vengeance awakens when teenagers stumble upon Alvaretta’s cabin, incurring her curse. Now a sickness moves through the Hollow. Rumors swirl that Stu Graves has risen for revenge. And the people of Crow Hollow are left to confront not only the darkness that lives on the mountain but the darkness that lives within themselves.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

When I borrowed this audiobook from the virtual library, I honestly wasn’t sure what I was going to get. I thought it might be a cozy mystery disguised as something scary or ominous. However, here lately I’ve had some decent luck with the mystery/horror genre so I thought I’d give it a try.

This novel really strikes home that when a community has something to fear, such as the witch on the mountain, they’re looking for anything to blame that’s not themselves. When people of a close-knit, closed-off community face something that they cannot identify, they need a scapegoat to place the blame.

When the girls of Crow Hollow fall ill, it reminded me of The Crucible. How the main group of girls who went up to the mountain got “cursed” and soon every girl in town started falling ill as well. In The Crucible a small group of girls in an English colony start misbehaving and claiming that someone in the colony is a witch, and soon it becomes too real, but the girls can’t just come forward and said they were making their sicknesses up just to get attention from the townsfolk.

All darkness needs to spread is for a bunch of people to stand around and do nothing.

Billy Coffey, The Curse of Crow Hollow

I found this novel to be somewhat predictable. There was a couple of twists I didn’t see coming, so that’s good. It’s not fun when you’re reading the book and know what’s going to happen before the characters do.

I liked the way the author presents the story like you’re having a discussion with the narrator. I thought this was unique and really brought home that southern charm the novel portrays.

All in all, I found The Curse of Crow Hollow to be a fun and entertaining read. If you like small-town mystery, horror, mystery, and small southern town charm, then I would recommend this novel.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: The Beast of Barcroft by Bill Schweigart

Posted on by elishasbookreview

51yaMkm4sHL

*No Major Spoilers*

Ben McKelvie believes he’s moving up in the world when he and his fiancée buy a house in the cushy Washington, D.C., suburb of Barcroft. Instead, he’s moving down—way down—thanks to Madeleine Roux, the crazy neighbor whose vermin-infested property is a permanent eyesore and looming hazard to public health.

First, Ben’s fiancée leaves him; then, his dog dies, apparently killed by a predator drawn into Barcroft by Madeleine’s noxious menagerie. But the worst is yet to come for Ben, for he’s not dealing with any ordinary wild animal. This killer is something much, much worse. Something that couldn’t possibly exist—in this world.

Now, as a devilish creature stalks the locals, Ben resolves to take action. With some grudging assistance from a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the crackpot theories of a self-styled cryptozoologist, he discovers the sinister truth behind the attacks, but knowing the Beast of Barcroft and stopping it are two different animals.

If you’ve been a reader of my blog for a while, then you’ll know I seem to have a tendency to read the monster subgenre of horror. In most of these novels I read, I felt like the monster was uncreative, and just a personal take on a Xenomorph from the Alien franchise. However, this novel is not one of those.

I liked how this monster only affected a small neighborhood and its residents. It made the stakes feel so much higher. Instead of the monster affecting a large area such as a large town or a whole state, it’s a couple of blocks of cookie-cutter houses, To me, that’s more terrifying than anything.

I won’t spoil what the monster is, but I will say that it’s one I am not familiar with and had to do some light research on it. This author gets bonus points for making me learn! I will give this hint: for something so prominent in Alaskan folklore, how it traveled to Washington D.C. is anybody’s guess.

If you are a fan of Stephen King but want a cohesive story, then this novel is definitely for you! This novel will have you looking in the bushes at night.

My favorite part is how Ben overcomes the depression brought on by his father’s death and his fiance abandoning him. The loss of his dog forces him to pull himself up and get revenge for his furry best friend’s passing. By hunting this monster, he not only defeats the monster itself but also defeats the demons inside himself.

I would highly recommend this novel for lovers of horror, monsters, folklore, and all things that go bump in the night. I felt this was a breath of fresh air for me, no xenomorphs, no predictable endings, just a good scary story.

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Awakened by James S. Murray with Darren Wearmouth

Posted on by elishasbookreview

img_4804

*No Spoilers*

After years of waiting, New York’s newest subway line is finally ready, an express train that connects the city with the burgeoning communities across the Hudson River. The shining jewel of this state-of-the-art line is a breathtaking visitors’ pavilion beneath the river.  Major dignitaries, including New York City’s Mayor and the President of the United States, are in attendance for the inaugural run, as the first train slowly pulls in.

Under the station’s bright ceiling lights, the shiny silver cars gleam. But as the train comes closer into view, a far different scene becomes visible.

All the train’s cars are empty.

All the cars’ interiors are drenched in blood.

As chaos descends, all those in the pavilion scramble to get out. But the horror is only beginning. High levels of deadly methane fill the tunnels. The structure begins to flood. For those who don’t drown, choke or spark an explosion, another terrifying danger awaits—the thing that killed all those people on the train. It’s out there…and it’s coming.

There’s something living beneath New York City, and it’s not happy we’ve woken it up.

I have noticed a trend with my reading preference, this is the second horror novel that involves a monster that I’ve read and reviewed recently. Maybe I need to change it up a bit haha.

I enjoyed this novel a lot, a “locked room escape” is thrilling and exhilarating. To think that there are creatures and monsters that are unknown to the world, and having to fight against the unknown. It makes for your classic monster story.

I liked the fact that there was a small main group of citizens, reporters, police, and politicians where the main attack occurred. However, when they started bringing in “rescue teams” I felt like it made the list of main characters too many.

This novel is graphic and heavily violent. They describe the carnage in detail, so this isn’t for the faint of heart. They describe the creatures ripping bodies limb from limb leaving blood, gore, and entrails of everything from intestines to brain matter. There is no bit of violence left unsaid.

The exhilaration I felt while reading this was absolutely intense, I could sense the fear, pain, and wonderment of the entire story!

Overall, this story isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s still an excellent read! Anyone interested in gore, horror or knockoff Xenomorphs will definitely love this one!

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: First Evidence by Ken Goddard

Posted on by elishasbookreview

71gaugjv4gl

*No Spoilers*

A down-to-earth forensics expert has just discovered a crime scene that is out of this world.

In criminal forensics, they train you to uncover evidence, no matter how brutal or bizarre the murder.

But what if one night you make contact with a crime scene so terrifying, no one on earth can explain it?

It begins at a chaotic crime scene in the deep woods of the Pacific Northwest–site of a reported shoot-out. Investigator Colin Cellars cannot find a trace of perpetrator or victim–or even confirm that anyone has been killed. As he doggedly pursues the case, he realizes there is far more at stake here than murder. Someone–something?–will stop at nothing to prevent him from discovering the truth. For the truth is not “out there.” It is locked away in Cellars’ own evidence file. The evidence points to a killer far outside Cellars’s experience–far outside any earthly experience. But who will believe one maverick cop?

This novel is different from other monster stories. This novel is a mystery, mixed with Sci-Fi, with a dash of romance. The mystery involving the disappearance of multiple deputies and citizens alike. It is up to Crime Scene Investigator, Colin Cellars to figure things out while not ending up locked away in a rubber room.

This thrilling novel will have you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what the mystery is really all about!

My favorite part of this story was how it felt like Colin Cellars was the only one who knew the mystery went further than his fellow officers knew. It felt like no one was believing him, and in the beginning, I was questioning Mr. Cellars’ sanity myself.

If you thought the “shadows” in Doctor Who: Silence in the Library was terrifying, this novel cranks it up to 11. Shadows that appear will give you a new sense of uneasiness. Keep the nightlight on for this one!

decentreflectingharrierhawk-size_restricted

I would recommend this novel for lovers of horror, science fiction, and mystery. This novel keeps you hooked and invested from page one.

Posted in Movie/TV Reviews

MOVIE REVIEW: The Meg (2018)

Posted on by elishasbookreview

6266706_sa.jpg;maxheight=640;maxwidth=550

*No Spoilers*

I have been looking forward to this movie for a while. I was finally able to borrow it from my local library and watched it this past Monday.

The plot is your basic shark/monster story. Something attacks an underwater submarine, and the sole survivor is laughed at by everyone. Only to find out several years later, an exploration pod makes the first trip into the famous Mariana Trench, and things go haywire fast.

Only one man, Jonas, played by Jason Statham, can save the day. Can he save everyone? Or will he repeat history and become another sole survivor?

This movie is loosely based on the novel The Meg by Steve Alten. I read the novel in 2012, and I still remember the novel fairly well. The only problem I had with the novel itself was I didn’t understand the machinery involved with the dive.

The thought of a shark larger and more deadlier than the Great White shark sparks the imagination and the fear of adventuring into the deep end of the swimming pool. The Megladon shark was a real organism that lived in prehistoric times. It killed mainly whales and other, smaller sharks.

They went extinct when the ice age occurred and a combination of drastic temperature change in the ocean, and the whales changing their diet caused the Megladon to become extinct due to lack of food.

Unlike most monster movies, the characters aren’t stereotypes or cardboard characters. I felt like I could relate to the main group of characters. It was refreshing to see this change.

I’m not sure how accurate the movie really is, but sometimes it’s better to have fun than to critique a monster movie. Megladons are no longer around, but that doesn’t stop the mind to imagine and fantasize about a world where these prehistoric monsters did exist.

I will definitely be adding this to my “favorite movies” list. If you would like to hear my opinions on some of the movies I watch, let me down in the comments section below!

Here’s a video from PBS discussing the Megladons in more detail!