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Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. With illustrations by Dave McKean.

I really loved this one. The atmosphere, the pacing, the characters, everything is just right with this one. The Graveyard Book is the story of a young boy, Nobody Owens, whose parents (and sister) have been murdered. The young baby--toddler--wanders into the neighboring graveyard and happens to escape the killer. The residents of the graveyard take pity on him. They adopt him. Mr. and Mrs. Owens especially. (Along with Silas.) Give him the freedom of the grave yard. They raise him. They teach him. He is one of their own. And yet...and yet he's not quite of them. He's alive. Can the dead really and truly raise the boy right? Silas is his guardian. He is one of the few that can leave the graveyard. He walks amongst the living and the dead. Him being quite neither. They only know this. Someone is out to kill 'Bod' (their nickname for Nobody). And it is only if the boy remains there that he is safe. But how long will the boy be content with them, with only the dead for company, alone from others his own kind?

This is an adventure-filled story with great characters and amazing atmosphere. The book is slightly unusual in that it is episodic. The book spans a dozen years or so. We see Bod grow from a toddler to a young man--a teen boy of fifteen or sixteen. We see him learn to walk and talk and fade and haunt and dreamwalk. We see him learn to explore the world around him both in and out of the graveyard.

Definitely recommended.

First sentence: There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Becker, Tom. 2008. Darkside.

This one was a nice book for the R.I.P. 3 Challenge. It was an adventuresome story of two boys who happen to be half-and-half though they don't know it. Half darksider. Half lightsider. What is the Darkside? In this case, it is an underworld of London. Old Queen Victoria cleaned up the ton alright, but she sentenced all the lowlifes to Darkside...and placed them under the leadership of Jack the Ripper. Now all this time later (the book is set in modern times), the descendants of all those poor criminals are still confined to this region...a place most folks don't know about at all, a place where most are fortunate not to stumble in. But these two boys Jonathan Starling and Ricky Thomas aren't quite so lucky.

Ricky Thomas is kidnapped from a school field trip. He's taken--quite against his will--into Darkside. Jonathan foiled the first attempt of his kidnappers, but ultimately, he ends up being chased into the Darkside anyway. Unlike Ricky, he knows what he is in for...at least a little bit. His father, Jonathan's father, is thought to be a bit crazy, a bit insane with his mutterings about Darkside, etc. But these mutterings and his father's writings help the boy out in the long run.
Jonathan is seeking the help of a wereman named Carnegie. (The term werewolf being insulting to him.)

It's an interesting book full of plot twists (some original, some not) and containing lots of adventure--fights, chases, close calls, etc. And it's the first in a new series.

Generally speaking, I liked it.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Rex, Michael. Goodnight Goon.

Just in time for Halloween comes a monster-filled parody of a children's classic, Goodnight Moon. Goodnight Goon has it all--Martians, mummies, bats, werewolves, and much, much more. This book will make a great read aloud treat in October. And would definitely be a fun addition to school and classroom libraries everywhere. (This may just inspire a few more parodies of Goodnight Moon.)

In the cold gray tomb
There was a gravestone
And a black lagoon
And a picture of--
Martians taking over the moon
And there were three little mummies rubbing their tummies...

To find out what else there is...to eventually say goodnight to...in this parody, you'll need to track down a copy at your local bookstore or library and read it yourself.

From the publisher: Goodnight monsters everywhere, in this parody romp with its own special twist!

“Goodnight tomb. Goodnight goon. Goodnight Martians taking over the moon.”

It’s bedtime in the cold gray tomb with a black lagoon, and two slimy claws, and a couple of jaws, and a skull and a shoe and a pot full of goo. But as a little werewolf settles down, in comes the Goon determined at all costs to run amok and not let any monster have his rest.

A beloved classic gets a kind-hearted send up in this utterly monsterized parody; energetic art and a hilarious text will have kids begging to read this again and again.

Other reviews: A Year of Reading,

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Heyer, Georgette. 1968. Cousin Kate.

At no time during the twenty-four hours was the Bull and Mouth Inn a place of quiet or repose, and by ten o'clock in the morning, when the stage-coach from Wisbech, turning top-heavily out of Aldersgate, lumbered into its yard, it seemed, to one weary and downcast passenger at least, to be post-chaise to a wagon, with its shafts cocked up and the various packages and bundles it carried strewn over the yard.

Kate Malvern is our heroine in Georgette Heyer's Cousin Kate. The novel is deliciously dark. It is the story of a a woman, a woman of four and twenty, who being orphaned and recently fired from her job as a governess comes to leave with her aunt and uncle. Aunt Minerva, Sir Timothy, Cousin Torquil are the rather strange residents of Staplewood. A house that seems to be a character in and of itself as far as mood and ambiance are concerned. Minerva is her father's half-sister. And Kate is meeting this side of her family for the very first time. Being quite penniless, she's very thankful that Minerva and her husband (who is twenty years older than his wife) are willing to take her in. But it doesn't take her very long to realize that there's something not quite right about the situation--the house, the servants, her cousin, her aunt, etc. Her instincts are telling her that something is really not right. There's the fact that she hears a few screams. The fact that her aunt locks her into her room each night. There's the strangled animal(s) she comes across in the woods.

But one good at least comes from Kate's accepting the charity of her aunt and uncle. She meets "cousin" Philip. The nephew of Sir Timothy. Philip isn't immediately drawn to Kate. He thinks her to be taking advantage of Sir Timothy. He believes her to be in cahoots with Aunt Minerva and scheming to get her pretty little hands on the Staplewood estate. But a few meetings with her--a few short conversations--convinces him that they don't come sweeter than Kate. And he learns that most everyone likes her because she is genuinely good and sweet and kind. She's "quality" though penniless. A true human being worthy of respect and devotion. If only...if only he could find a way to save her from the "crushing" generosity of Aunt Minerva before it's too late.

This one isn't quite as dark and deliciously spooky as Jane Eyre or Rebecca, yet it had in some ways a similar vibe. There was an intense creepiness that just gives this one a gothic feel.

For fans of historical fiction, light mystery with a teeny gothic touch, and romance.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Holt, Simon. 2008. The Devouring: Sorry Night.

"Stop, Reggie!" Henry barked from beneath his quilt. "Don't read anymore!" Regina Halloway shut the book. (5)

Regina--called Reggie by most of her friends and family--loves to read horror. Loves it. So much so that she works at a used bookstore devoted to the genre. But perhaps Reggie should have been a bit more thoughtful as to what she was reading her younger--and much more gullible--brother, Henry. Then again, Regina hadn't any idea that her latest book, an old journal she found while unpacking boxes for the store, was nonfiction. That the Vours were real.

When Dark creeps in and eats the light, Bury your fears on Sorry Night. For in the winter's blackest hours Comes the feasting of the Vours. No one can see it, the life they stole, Your body's here but not your soul...(4)

See. Not the stuff for bedtime stories for your younger brother, right? Maybe this would have turned out just fine...if only...if only she wasn't reading it the night before "Sorry Night" the Winter Solstice, December 22nd. If only her brother hadn't been so very frightened at the thought that the Vours were real and coming for him...if only Reggie hadn't left him alone the next night to go off in pursuit of her own chills and thrills...

Then again, if she had, The Devouring wouldn't be such a chilling book.

For more about The Devouring, read my weekly geeks post where Nymeth interviewed me about the book.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Perez, Marlene. 2008. Dead is the New Black.

Dead is the New Black is similar in premise to Zombie Blondes which I reviewed earlier this week. Both books feature teen girls hesitant to join cheer leading squads, but who eventually give in despite the fact that there are clues this might prove deadly. But they're very different books in style and tone and theme. I loved Zombie Blondes. But I enjoyed this one too. A lot.

First sentence: "Being dead became fashionable approximately forty-five minutes after Samantha "the Divine" Devereaux came back from summer break."

It continues, "Although stylish as ever, there was still something off about the Divine Deveareaux. She strolled down the hall wearing a cleavage-baring top, a miniskirt, and stiletto heels. Her long blond hair had been freshly highlighted." So far sounds pretty normal, right? Stay with me, "But unlike after previous summer vacations, Samantha didn't have that sun-kissed Cabo glow. Her skin was, forgive the phrase, dead white. A large silver pendant hung around her neck, but I couldn't get a close look at it. I wasn't the only one trying to sneak a peek, because heads turned mor than usual as she strutted down the hall. 'Get out of my way, Daisy,' she snapped at me as she passed by. She was only slightly hampered by the coffin she was dragging behind her."

I think the first page was effective (in my opinion) of drawing the reader in. Our narrator--our heroine--is a teen named Daisy. Daisy has an interesting family--all her family--mother and sisters--have special psychic powers. But Daisy, "poor" Daisy, has none. Her mom helps solve cases--homicide mostly. And when our novel opens, there is an ongoing mystery. Someone (or something) is preying on teen girls. And for some reason, her mother can't get a sense of who or how or why. But Daisy and her best friend, Ryan, will take on the case secretly to see if they can't puzzle this one out on their own.

Family drama. School drama. Light romance. Supernatural mysteries. It's a fun and playful book that entertains. The book is set in the obviously fictional town of Nightshade. And with a name like that, well, expect some supernatural residents. This is the first in a new series, the next book, Dead is a State of Mind, will be out in 2009.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Noyes, Deborah. 2008. The Ghosts of Kerfol.

The Ghosts of Kerfol is an enjoyable short story collection that pays tribute to Edith Wharton's short story "Kerfol". I'd encourage you to take a few minutes (about ten or twenty actually) and read this haunting story about an old-and-creepy manor. The Ghosts of Kerfol is a collection of five short stories: "Hunger Moon," "These Heads Would Speak," "The Figure Under the Sheet," "When I Love You Best," and "The Red of Berries." The first two especially--"Hunger Moon" and "These Heads Would Speak" pay tribute to Wharton's original story. The remaining stories are imaginative what-ifs that bring the story into the modern world.

The original story is a story-within-a-story. Kerfol is the manor in question. The framework of the story is about a person (I don't think it says if it is a man or woman; if it did I missed it) who is considering buying Kerfol. The narrator is there at the estate exploring the grounds and hoping for a closer view of the house itself. But the narrator keeps seeing a handful of dogs around the place. We later realize--along with the narrator--that these dogs are ghosts. That one day a year--on the terrible anniversary--they appear. The guardian and his daughter always leave that day to avoid the creepy factor as much as possible. The narrator then reads an account of the history of Kerfol.

This second story, the inner story, is set in the seventeenth century. It involves an old man and a young woman in a "seemingly" "happy" but childless marriage. Happy if you think such a thing is possible when the woman has no freedom to move about on her own even on her own estate in and about her home, her gardens, etc. Sensing on some level at least her loneliness, he buys her a dog. What happens next isn't pretty. One day he becomes jealous and he strangles her dog. And it only gets worse from there. Believe me. Dog-lovers will be crushed at the cruelty. But the husband does get his comeuppance, he's murdered--and according to his wife's claims--by these dead dogs of hers.

The story isn't pretty. It's melancholy at best. And the stories crafted in The Ghosts of Kerfol are bittersweet and haunting. The first, "Hunger Moon," re-envisions the second story (Yves de Cornault and Anne de Barrigan) as told by a servant girl, a waiting woman. The second story, "These Heads Would Speak," is about a young man visiting the estate. He's there while his mother seeks to straighten out his inheritance. Anyway, this story parallels the frame story of the original in a way.

The remaining stories interconnect with the previous and the original. It was a well-crafted book. The creepiness was perfect. I enjoyed all the stories.

Other reviews: Teenreads.com, ReadSpace, The Well-Read Child.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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James, Brian. 2008. Zombie Blondes.

I loved this book. I just LOVED this book. It was just so readable. Compelling I guess is the proper word for it. I was just hooked from the very beginning. "There aren't any rules to running away from your problems. No checklist of things to cross off. No instructions. Eeny, meeny, pick a path and go. That's how my dad does it anyway because apparently there's no age limit to running away, either." Our narrator, a teen girl named Hannah Sanders, is tired of running away. Dragged away is more like it. Her father, a former cop, is always on the move. But when the two move to the seemingly quiet town of Maplecrest, it will be Hannah who wants to run. And not without good reason.

Zombie Blondes could have been named ... Pretties or I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader or Geek Magnet, for example. (I'm not saying that the book resembles the plot lines of those books. Just that taken at face value, the titles could work for Zombie Blondes.) Hannah was hoping--really hoping--that in a town as small as this one, a town as dead as this one--that she'd have a chance to be one of the pretty people, the beautiful people, the popular people. Instead, against all the odds, the town is full of strangely attractive beautiful-and-popular people (from the cheerleaders, the football players, the teachers and coaches, the town sheriff, etc.) Some of these people seem to have a mesmerizing, hypnotic effect on others. (Especially when the cheerleaders perform their routines.)

This is something Hannah notices on her first day of school. How beautiful the popular girls are. How they all look the same. How they do everything the same really. And it's something that Lukas, a geeky boy who is unmistakably drawn to Hannah, points out to her as well. He offers his friendship, yes, but more importantly he offers her advice. Again and again and again and again. His advice is strange to her ears. Very strange indeed. He keeps rambling on and on about how the cheerleaders are zombies. About how she needs to stay away from them...and above all else she MUST not join them or she'll be turned.

IF you were Hannah, you'd be thinking this Lukas is one strange guy. Don't deny it. After all, Hannah doesn't have the benefit of knowing that she's in a book called ZOMBIE BLONDES.

So when one of the cheerleaders offers her a chance to try out....Hannah decides that it's worth a try. What could go wrong, right?

Do I recommend Zombie Blondes? Yes!!! A bit predictable....maybe. But it's fun. Part of the appeal, at least the way I see it, is that it reads like realistic fiction. Hannah is a person that is easy to relate to. Who doesn't wish to have a best friend? to have a boyfriend? to be loved? Hannah wants something that most of us would readily admit to wanting back in high school--a place she fits in, a place to belong, a place to blend in and feel comfortable. She wants to NOT be different. She wants to be "normal." And Hannah's home life, in a way, also adds another layer to the novel. Her father is absent even when present. He's emotionally shut down, unavailable, checked out. And Hannah is tired of being the grown up in the house. Very tired of this relationship being stuck in the same old patterns.

First sentence: "I can usually pick out the popular kids soon after setting foot into a new school. The girls, anyway. They wear popularity like a uniform for everyone to see. From their hairstyles to their expensive shoes. Everything about them is torn from the glossy pages of the latest teen fashion magazines. Everything about them is perfect. At least on the outside, anyway."

Back cover:

He’s about to walk away but stops. Turns to me and opens his mouth and starts to stutter like he’s not sure if he should say what he wants to. Then finally deciding to go ahead and say it, but refusing to take his eyes off the floor when he does. “It’s just . . . you’re kind of pretty . . . and she might try to turn you into one of them . . . one of her clones,” he says. “I don’t want to see that happen to you, that’s all.”

232 pages.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Ellwand, David and Ruth. 2008. The Mystery of the Fool & The Vanisher.

At just a little over a hundred pages, The Mystery of the Fool & The Vanisher is a perfect way to begin Carl's R.I.P. Challenge. The book evokes all these deliciously dark and creepy vibes. It's a mood piece, really, when I come to think of it. First, it's a work of fiction. I state this clearly because it is one of those works that presents itself like a journal. In this case, it would be a journal within a journal. On the one hand, it is the story of a man, a photographer, who happens to discover a mystery chest one day. On the other hand, it is the story of a man--a photographer--who is exploring and documenting these same woods, this same locale. Did I mention that this inner story is set within the 1880s? Both narrators--present and past--have a curiosity, a fascination, with all things faery, with these "superstitions" found in folklore. Both love cameras and photographs. Second, the book is illustrated. I would say the photographs do most of the work actually. And if the book succeeds in evoking the look and feel intended, it will be because the reader has a deep appreciation for the artistic merit of the illustrations, of the photographs.

I read this book and immediately thought of Carl. Not that I know him extremely well. But I just have this gut feeling that he'd really like this one. Maybe Chris as well. But definitely Carl.

Here's the book trailer:



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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It's that time of year again!!! Time for the R.I.P. Challenge. Readers Imbibing Peril. Our host is the wonderfully fabulous Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings.

1. R.I.P. III runs from September 1st through October 31st, 2008. But I’m no stickler, start reading now if you feel so inclined.

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

2. Choose one of more of the perils listed below:

Peril the First:

Read Four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose.

Peril the Second:

Read Two books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose.

Peril the First:

Read One book of any length from one of the subgenres listed above.

This peril is for those who want to participate but don’t want to get bogged down in a long list of books. It is also for those who feel this type of reading is not their proverbial cup of tea but are willing to challenge themselves by giving just one book a try.

The reviews will be shared through Mr. Linky here.

Becky's list. (Peril the Third)

Classics I may or may not be likely to read: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, The Monk by Matthew G. Lewis, The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, The Italian by Ann Radcliffe.

YA books: Vampirates: Blood Captain by Justin Somper, Zombie Blondes by Brian James, Darkside by Tom Becker, Lifeblood by Tom Becker, Evernight by Claudia Gray, Poison Ink by Christopher Golden, Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez, Oddest of All by Bruce Coville, Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr, Triskellion by Will Peterson, 666 Number of the Beast short stories by various authors, Thirsty by M.T. Anderson, The Ghosts of Kerfol Deborah Noyes, Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley, Heck: Where All the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye, The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher by David Ellwand, Billy Bones: A Tale from the Secrets Closet by Christopher Lincoln, Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, What the Dickens by Gregory Maguire.

Other adult books: Pemberley Shades by D.A. Bonavia-Hunt, Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer.



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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