REVIEW: Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz

What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.

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MY THOUGHTS

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book as I picked it up without rereading the synopsis, but I did end up liking this book and found myself intrigued by the thriller elements.

When Ivy was twelve a man murdered her parents and now she has nightmares about the man coming for her. So when she receives an email from The Nightmare Elf, a horror movie franchise, promising to get rid of nightmares, Ivy is intrigued. All she has to do is write an essay about her nightmare and enter it into the contest. Winners get treated to a trip in a Nightmare Elf cabin and meet the famous director, but Ivy does not care about that. When she wins she is surprised, but she, along with six other teens, come together and find that there is more to the contest than meets the eye.

This book follows multiple POVs. I do think following all the different perspectives worked in this book because it allowed up to see their fears from their perspectives and follow them into their fears. I struggled with the characters at first because many of them seemed stereotyped, but as the book progressed we start to see who they really are and what they struggle. There were some characters that I still didn't fully connect to, such as Parker (who is supposed to be Ivy's love interest). While there are many perspectives, Ivy is supposed to be the focus of the book. I didn't quite understand why Ivy entered the contest. The email says that they will take away your fears, but why did Ivy think that would work? She seemed smart, and she absolutely hates horror movies, why would she enter a contest from a spam email from a franchise she doesn't care for? It just seemed odd to me.

Despite my disbelief in why Ivy would enter the contest, the concept of the contest is very interesting. I was intrigued by the horror elements and once the characters just to the house, I did not want to put the book down. The settings are perfectly creepy. We have the classic horror house, which is based on the film the contest is for. This was interesting because most of the winners (with the exception of Ivy) love horror movies and see the house as pretend. It takes them a while to realize that something more might be going on. The other main setting is the theme park which was an absolutely fantastic setting! I have an odd interest in theme parks and theme park history (even though I don't like actually traveling to theme parks), so I found how the theme park was incorporated into the book really interesting. The park is so well-themed and I just kept thinking how much work must have been put into this park and how insane the person behind this has to be to do this much work to [highlight to view spoiler]maybe murder seven people? I guess I'll learn more about the motives in book two! [end of spoiler]. The park is absolutely terrifying, but the idea behind maybe rides based on the fears of others is really interesting. Sure, some thriller aspects of the book were predictable, but I still found myself invested in this story!

Now, as for romance, I just didn't care for it. To be honest, I am very picky about romance in books because it is very difficult to get right and most of the time I think a book could do without romance. This book did not need romance. The romance happens too quickly for me to believe it and Parker is such a flat character. He's an aspiring filmmaker and that's really all we know about him [highlight to view spoiler]besides that he lied on his contest entry, making up his nightmare in hopes that he could meet Justin Blake [end of spoiler].

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, while this book has some cliche moments, I still found the thriller elements riveting. I couldn't help but keep reading! The book ends kind of in the middle of things, which was strange, and I was left with a lot of unanswered questions. I do own the next book so I will be continuing the series.

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it

REVIEW: Body & Soul by Stacey Kade

The final book in The Ghost and the Goth Trilogy!

The Ghost
I’ve been trapped in the body of Lily “Ally” Turner for a month now. Talk about a fashion crisis on an epic scale. What worries me more, though, is sometimes I catch Will looking at me like he thinks I’m Lily...or that he wishes I were. Without the good looks of my former self, I don’t know who I am, or if who that is is good enough. I need out of this mess. Now.

Will and I have been looking for a solution, one that would separate me from Lily without killing her. But it’s not going well. Then, when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, we run into Misty, my former best friend and boyfriend-stealer extraordinaire, who claims she’s being haunted...by me. Seriously?

I’m determined to get to the bottom of who’s pretending to be the spirit of Alona Dare (while I’m pretending to be someone else) and then get the heck out of this body. Or die trying...

The Goth
I’ll admit it. It’s really weird to look at Alona but see Lily. I do know the difference, though, contrary to what Alona might be saying. And Alona is more than a pretty face to me, not that she would believe that.

Our one lead for some help in this messed up situation might be a page torn from the yellow pages-—the “Psychics” section-—I found in my dad’s stuff. One of the “fakes” seems a bit more real-—and odd-—than the others. Before I can investigate further, though, Alona is off and chasing a ghost that’s probably nothing more than a figment of Misty’s guilty imagination. Now Lily’s family is freaking out because she didn’t come home, my mom is ordering me to stay out of it, and something is definitely wrong with the person formerly known as Lily “Ally” Turner...

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Note: This is the third book in a series and will include spoilers for previous books. To see my review for book one look here. To see my review for book two look here.

MY THOUGHTS
Well, here I am at the last book in The Ghost and the Goth series! I'm now done with my reread of this series! While my feelings towards this series aren't as huge as the first go-round, this is still a pretty fantastic series.

In Queen of the Dead Alona got into some trouble. As in, she kind of possessed the body of Lily. She's been trying to get used to being Lily, or Ally as she prefers to be called, but it's hard when Lily's family expects her to be Lily. Even Will seems to be bothered by Alona being in Lily's body. Together, Will and Alona are trying to find a way to get Alona out of Lily's body without killing Lily. This takes them to a bunch of fake physics, but at one of them they run into Misty, Alona's best friend (when she was alive). Misty claims Alona is haunting her, but of course Alona knows that isn't true. Add in a crazy ghost trying to claim Will so she can be his new spirit guide, they have a couple of things they need to deal with. 

I'm glad that I can finally talk about the whole Alona/Lily thing as I had to avoid that in my last review because of spoilers. Anyway, increase that by tenfold. Even though I read this book before, I completely forget about most of the events of this book. I knew that Alona would "possess" Lily at one point and I knew that the series ends on a happy note, but that was about it. Hey, it's been seven years, okay? It was pleasant to know that throughout all the chaos there would be a happy ending (I did not know that for sure the first time), but that did not take away from some of the suspense of this book. Ack! I want to go into more detail on the events of this book but, again, I run into spoilers! Let's say that even though I knew how the book was going to end, there were times where I legitimately questioned my memory and where I really wondered how this book would get to that point.

I loved both these characters and I loved seeing how they interacted. With each book I understood more about them and they knew more about each other. Like the last book, Alona and Will had their fair share of disagreements in this book, mostly because of misunderstandings or different perspectives. In this one it was, again, Alona being in Lily. Will thought that Alona was mistreating/judging Lily, but Alona just wanted to be herself. Even when they fought, though, Will and Alona still had their banter and their interactions were just great. They were just trying to figure out what to do about this situation. This book series is just a great example of dual POV and it gave us a chance to hear both sides of the misunderstandings (which made me want to yell at them to just talk to each other!) To be honest, I actually liked Alona's perspectives a little more than Will's. Don't get me wrong, I love Will's perspectives and he is a fantastic human being, but Alona's character is so complicated and I really liked getting the chance to get to know her better. This was surprising to me at first because she's not exactly the most likable character at the beginning of the series, but I quickly warmed up to her.

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, this is a great conclusion to a great series! It brought me heartache, fuzzy feelings, stress, and nostalgia all rolled together! I'm glad I took the time to reread this series and it made me want to revisit some more old favorites.

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: I really liked this book!

REVIEW: Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

The Ghost

Okay, I admit it. I'm not perfect, no matter what you've heard. First off, I'm dead. Second, I got sent back from the Great Beyond. I mean, seriously, who is running things up there? Now I have to spend the summer after my senior year working - and on behalf of a bunch of whiny spirits, no less. But a girl's got to what a girl's got to do.

It's a good thing Will Killian is still around. Even though he drives me crazy, and he could seriously do with a tan - Hello! It's summer! - I'm glad he's here to help me. Now he's all distracted by this frizzy-haired girl who can - big deal - communicate with the dead, too. Whatever. I don't need Will. But there are some things - like saving my parents from a couple of horrible mistakes - that would be easier with his assistance. Still, I will get what I want... with or without him.

The Goth
I'm still totally amazed that Alona Dare is my spirit guide and that it works. Yes, I've had a crush on her since sixth grade, but I also kind of hated her. And sure, she had to die before she'd talk to me - but I don't know, I kind of like having her around.

Things get confusing when I meet Mina, who's the first ghost-talker I've ever encountered (other than my dad). I always thought Alona and I were doing the right thing helping those other ghosts, but Mina has me thinking otherwise. Plus, she might know stuff about my dad that even my mum doesn't. But if there's one thing I should have learned by now, it's not to ignore Alona. That's never a good idea.

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Note: This is the second book in a series. To see my review for book one look here.

MY THOUGHTS
I'm continuing my reread of this series with this book. Like the last book, I still did not quite love it as much as the first time I read it, but I still found it to be a fantastic book!

Alona has gotten rejected from the light so she's still on Earth as Will's spirit guide. When Alona and Will attempt to help a disgruntled spirit, a strange girl, Mira, comes in trying to fight off the ghost. Turns out there is a whole organization of ghost talkers and Mira is one of them. They are strangely interested in Will's powers and Will is willing to talk with them for answers, but they see ghosts as objects they have to trap to protect the living. At the same time, Alona doesn't like that Will is spending time with Mira and the other ghost talkers. She feels like she's being replaced and it doesn't help that her parents are moving on with their lives, forgetting about her.

The first time I read this series I remembered loving the books more and more as the series went on. I wasn't so sure about that when I first started this book. This book introduces a lot more problems to the main characters and seemed to be trying to tear them apart. I was a bit wary of Mira from the get-go and throughout this book the characters made decisions I did not agree with. Yet, this book does get very interesting. We are introduced to the other ghost talkers and a major plot twist that impacts the rest of the series happens in this book (I mean, I saw the twist coming, but I read this book before). Things really do get interesting in this book, even if it frustrated me at times how much Alona and Will fought.

It's important to note that while things happen in this book, a lot of it is character based. Will doesn't interact a whole lot with the ghost talkers and mainly does so to learn more about his ability and his father. Alona thinks her mother is forgetting her and her father is trying to replace her. With this, she has anxiety that Will wants to get rid of her (especially since the light rejected her). These characters have certainly changed since book one but a lot of times it really feels like we're slowing understanding more and more about these characters. At the same time, Will and Alona are trying to grow closer, but not only is the situation odd (one dead, one not), but they still have trouble understanding each other's perspectives. I'm going to be vague because of spoilers, but in one situation Alona makes a mistake and Will gets upset at her. This was frustrating because I really wanted Alona to explain, but it wasn't exactly clear what happened. I'm not even sure if Alona knew why she did what she did.

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, I did really like this book. This is a great continuation of The Ghost and the Goth and I was both surprised at times and just nostalgic for the moments I remembered. I look forward to rereading the final book!

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: I really liked this book!

REVIEW: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star… and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot body, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation?

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MY THOUGHTS
Lately, I've been reading books added to my TBR in 2012 and had found that my reading tastes have changed in the past seven years. I was starting to worry about my old favorites, whether I would not like them as much if I read them again. So, I decided to reread this book. I did not like this one quite as much as the first time I read it, but I can still say that this is a great book.

Alona is blonde, popular, and dead. She comes back to school grounds as a ghost to find that her best friend and boyfriend are now together, just days after Alona's death. She screams at them and starts sinking into the ground. As school outcast, Will, walks past, Alona notices him laughing at her. But no one has noticed her until then. Well, Will has always been able to see ghosts and while he tries his best to hide it, he's prone to reacting to things that "aren't there" and is labeled as a freak. He usually gets by, listening to music and ignoring the ghosts, but now some of them are starting to notice him and a malicious cloud of energy seems to be out to kill him.

This book is from dual POV, switching between Alona and Will. Both characters are stand-out characters and they each have distinct voices. Alona is known as the popular girl, Will is known as the freak, but what's great about this book is that the writing does not show them as stereotypes and instead shows them as dynamic characters. This is definitely explored with both characters, but I felt that Alona defied her stereotypes a lot more in this book. Not only was she more than a stereotype is real-life (she has family issues and while her classmates seem to think of her as the typical popular girl, a lot of this is just her image. No one really knows her), but she also grows as a person in this book. She has leadership skills and she is really intelligent. She figured out what was going on long before Will and tried to do something to stop it, despite the risk to herself. Will is also a fantastic character, I'm not meaning to ignore him here, but he doesn't undergo as much change as Alona. That being said, I love these two together. Will wants nothing to do with Alona. Not only is she a ghost and he tries his best to ignore ghosts, but she ignored him in life so why should he help her? But Alona is so strong-willed that they end up forging somewhat of a partnership. I honestly just loved seeing them interact with each other. 

As obvious from the title and synopsis, this book involves ghosts, but one of the things I like about this book is that it does not go the scary route. Nor does it go the depressing route. This book has a somewhat fun take on ghosts. It mostly has to do with the interactions between Alona and Will, but this is an entertaining read rather than a frightening. I really loved that this book does not go that direction and it was one of the reasons I picked this book series for a reread. This doesn't mean that this book doesn't go dark directions, it does at points, but the overwhelming good-feeling from Will and Alona just beat that. 

IN CONCLUSION

So, why is my rating a little lower than my first read? I'm not really sure, but the plot did not wow me as much as the first go-round. I've just read a lot of books since. Though it's still a great book and I don't regret rereading it. I'm glad to say that I still enjoyed this book and I felt nostalgia while reading this book. I remember liking the series more and more with every book so I look forward to rereading the rest of the trilogy!

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: I really liked this book!