Up on this hill, in this uncanny house, the wind makes this place creak, the lights they are flickering.

The Haunting
Author: Alex Bell
Publication Date: February 11th 2016
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

Some curses grow stronger with time…
People say that all Cornish inns are haunted, but the Waterwitch’s history is particularly chilling. Built from the salvaged timber of a cursed ship, the guest house’s dark secrets go further back than anyone can remember.
Emma is permanently confined to a wheelchair after an accident at the Waterwitch which took place when she was ten. Seven years later, she decides to return to the place where the awful event occurred. But the ancient inn still has its ghosts, and one particular spirit is more vengeful than ever…
A chilling new title in the Red Eye horror series from the author of Frozen Charlotte.

I loved Frozen Charlotte last year, creepy dolls + sociopathic tendencies = my kind of book, so I was wondering how Alex Bell was going to top it. Some things in Frozen Charlotte, (the writing, the pace) stayed the same in The Haunting, whilst other components (the characters, the creepy) were different.

So, did The Haunting top Frozen Charlotte? 

Short answer: Yes.

You want the long answer anyway? Yay. 

The Haunting, is creepy as hell, I described Frozen Charlotte as psychologically disturbing, well, I take it back, because this was so much more disturbing and scary and I had to turn the light on at one point. 

The characters are quirky and I felt more of a connection with them. Emma, in a wheelchair and with help from her assistance dog, lives a relatively normal life, she has her days, but she doesn't let it stop her from doing what she wants. She's also feisty and points out the way people react to people in a wheelchair, stereotyping. Jem and Shell are still reeling from leaving their abusive father behind, have barely any money, Jem’s protective of Shell, and Shell, is a little eccentric.

The Haunting, as I said is more disturbing and it messes with your head because you're not quite sure what's real or not or if it's mass hysteria. Since we have three perspectives, Emma's, Jem's and Shell's and a haunted place, two nonbelievers and a believer (guess who that is?) it'll have you believing one minute, and then the more you discover of their pasts, second guessing yourself. 

If you've read Frozen Charlotte, you'll remember the lack of romance, which was refreshing, and it's the same in The Haunting, even though I was hoping to have some romance in there, but it's still refreshing to have the story be focused on the plot and the emphasis on friendship and family. If you liked Frozen Charlotte, Alex Bell doesn't disappoint with The Haunting.

Rating: 4/5

                                

 

Dark Room Blog Tour: Review & Extract

Dark Room
Author: Tom Becker
Publication Date: September 10th 2015
Publisher: Stripes Publishig
 ~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

When Darla and her feckless dad, Hopper, move to Saffron Hills, Darla hopes it'll be a new start for the both of them. But she stands no chance of fitting in with the image-obsessed in-crowd at her new school. Then one of her classmates is brutally killed when taking a photo of herself. A murder Darla herself predicted in a bloody vision. When more teens die in a similar fashion it appears that a serial killer is on the loose - the 'Selfie Slayer'. Darla alone is convinced that the murderer might not be flesh and blood.

Dark Room is the latest instalment in the Red Eye series, and it seems that I’ve been loving every other book in it, and although I have a few little issues with it, it was a damn good one. Dark Room is very standard for YA mystery/crime, it follows the same formula and isn’t anything new, that being said, the added use of technology and a surprising killer made the Dark Room stand out.

Phoenix Rising Blog Tour: Guest Post by Bryony Pearce

Phoenix Rising
Author: Bryony Pearce
Publication Date: June 1st 2015
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
#BansheeCrew

In a future world where fossil fuels have run out and democracy has collapsed, an outlawed pirate crew fight for survival on their ship, the Phoenix, kept afloat by whatever they can salvage or scavenge on the debris-filled seas. Toby has never known anything other than life onboard the Phoenix and he's desperate for adventure. But when trouble comes hunting the Phoenix down, Toby realizes that what you wish for isn't always what you want. He meets beautiful Ayla from the Banshee, a rival pirate ship and sworn enemy of the Phoenix, and his world is thrown into disorder. How can he know who to trust and what to believe? The future rests on him making an impossible choice...A gripping novel, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Eoin Colfer and Suzanne Collins

 Ending the World

For me, one of the most fun things about being a writer is building the world and the characters that live in it.

In the case of Phoenix Rising, it wasn't so much building a world, as ending and then rebuilding it.

So I set out to think about how the world might end.

By the ‘end of the world’ of course I mean the ‘end of civilisation as we know it’. A literal earth shattering event like a meteor strike or the explosion of the sun (which is a favourite suggestion in school visits) would not leave me much scope for developing characters and a world in which to write a story afterwards. So I needed an event that would kill off most of the people and change the world itself, but not so serious that my main characters could not survive and have adventures.

This is something that, as an imaginative individual with a propensity towards the macabre, I have considered many times over the course of my lifetime.

Review: Bad Bones

Bad Bones (Red Eye)
Author: Graham Marks
Publication Date: May 4th 2015
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~
 

Some things are best left buried. Gabe is feeling the pressure. His family has money troubles, he's hardly talking to his dad, plus lowlife Benny is on his case. Needing some space to think, he heads off into the hills surrounding LA. And he suddenly stumbles across a secret that will change everything. A shallow grave. Gabe doesn't think twice about taking the gold bracelet he finds buried there. Even from the clutches of skeletal hands. But he has no idea what he's awakening...A chilling new story in the Red Eye series

I've been loving the Red Eye series so far, though my favourites have been Frozen Charlotte and Flesh and Blood, Bad Bones is still a good addition to it. I did, however, have a few issues with it, but I'll start with the good.

Cover Reveal: Phoenix Rising

Today I'm helping reveal the cover of Phoenix Rising by Bryony Pearce. So, what's it about?

In a future world where fossil fuels have run out and democracy has collapsed, an outlawed pirate crew fight for survival on their ship, the Phoenix, kept afloat by whatever they can salvage or scavenge on the debris-filled seas. Toby has never known anything other than life onboard the Phoenix and he's desperate for adventure. But when trouble comes hunting the Phoenix down, Toby realizes that what you wish for isn't always what you want. He meets beautiful Ayla from the Banshee, a rival pirate ship and sworn enemy of the Phoenix, and his world is thrown into disorder. How can he know who to trust and what to believe? The future rests on him making an impossible choice...A gripping novel, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Eoin Colfer and Suzanne Collins

Sounds awesome, right?   

 Now, for the cover....

Flesh and Blood Blog Tour: Review & Guest Post

Flesh and Blood
Author: Simon Cheshire
Publication Date: March 2nd 2015
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

I must record the facts that have led me to where I am now. So that, when someone reads this, they understand. Sam Hunter's neighbours are pillars of the community, the most influential people in town. But they're liars too. The Greenhills are hiding something and Sam's determined to find out what it is. As his investigation unfolds, he realizes the lies reach further than he ever imagined - is there anyone he can trust? Uncovering the horror is one thing ...escaping is another. A chilling new story in the Red Eye series

Flesh and Blood is not a mild horror book. It's not the horror you expect, or even the Gothic you expect. It's underrated, because it is subtle, and although it is questionable, it's also could be terrifyingly real. It's also not one to skimp on details. Or the gory details. Or the I-think-I'm-going-to-be-sick details and the dear-god-save-me details. Depending on how well your stomach can keep food in it, you might not want to eat whilst reading it.

Red Eye Blog Tour: Q&A with Alex Bell

Welcome to my spot on the Red Eye Blog Tour, I have Alex Bell on the blog today with a Q&A, so a great thank you to Alex for answering my questions.

If you guys haven't read or heard of Frozen Charlotte (you can read my review here), it's a  part of the Red Eye Horror series that's being published by Stripes Publishing, the first in the series, Frozen Charlotte along with Sleepless by Lou Morgan were simultaneously published on the 5th January, so they're out now to buy, Frozen Charlotte here, and Sleepless here. You can also check out the trailer here.

 Q&A Time!

1. What was the last book you read? And if you can remember, the first book you read?

The last book I read was The Executioner's Daughter by Jane Hardstaff. A brilliant, magical tale set in London during the time of Henry VIII. Highly recommended.

I don't think I can remember the first book I read. Possibly a Meg and Mog book? 

Review: Sleepless

Sleepless
Author: Lou Morgan
Publication Date: 5th January, 2015
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

Young, rich and good-looking, Izzy and her friends lead seemingly perfect lives. But exams are looming – and at a school like Clerkenwell, failure is not an option. Luckily, Tigs has a solution. A small pill that will make revision a breeze and help them get the results they need. Desperate to succeed, the group begin taking the study drug.

It doesn’t take long before they realize there are far worse things than failing a few exams

Sleepless, you were crazy. A lot of crazy. This will probably be short because Sleepless is that book you don't have a lot to say about. You know the ones...you liked it enough, you didn't hate it, but there wasn't anything that made you love it. Whether it was the writing, the characters, the story, etc, etc.

Review: Frozen Charlotte

Frozen Charlotte
Author: Alex Bell
Publication Date: January 5th 2015        
Publisher:  Stripes Publishing
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

We're waiting for you to come and play. Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind...Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lilias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there's her other cousin. The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn't be there. The girl that died

Here's a few things you need to know about Frozen Charlotte.

1) It's psychologically disturbing.

2) It's creepy as anything.

Red Eye Book Trailer

Featuring award-winning authors and rising stars, Red Eye is the killer new YA series from Stripes Publishing. A fusion of pop culture, violence and technology, Red Eye gives horror a frighteningly contemporary makeover that teen readers will love. For fans of all things gruesome and ghastly – prepare to be scared out of your wits…. Dare you read a Red Eye?

 

 

How awesomely creepy is that trailer? I'm also on the blog tour in January, so make sure to check back then, and I'll be reviewing Frozen Charlotte soon!

 

You can contact Stripes Publishing on Tumblr, Website, doYAreadme Twitter  and  Stripes Publishing Twitter

 

 

 

What do you think of the trailer? :)