Discussion: A Lack of YA Horror?

Last summer, I was at Barnes & Noble perusing the YA section (always head there first!) when I happened to overhear a man asking an employee to help him find a YA horror novel for his teenage daughter's birthday present. After an unsuccessful search, she recommended a H.P. Lovecraft novel. He thanked her, and she left. I personally haven't read anything by H.P. Lovecraft, which I plan to since I believe he had a profound effect on today's horror, but my husband has warned me it isn't easy reading. 

The father looked as though he was unsure about buying the book, and I started talking to him, wanting to help him find something she might like better. I know if I were sixteen, I probably wouldn't be too enthusiastic about H.P. Lovecraft. I told him it isn't easy reading, then cursed myself because I just made it sound like I thought his daughter was an idiot. I quickly said I meant that it reads a lot differently than horror novels we're used to today. I explained it's much more subtle and that even my husband said at times he struggled with the writing holding his attention. 

He said he knew I didn't mean anything by what I had said at first (whew!), and we started looking in YA again. I suggested many different books that were as close to horror as I could find, one of those being ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD. To my horror (haha, pun intended), there was almost nothing at the store that could be considered horror to me. Maybe I'm wrong, but I struggled to find something awesome even though I had suggested a lot of books. Every book I recommended, he shot down, saying his daughter wouldn't like it. Not even ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD!!! O.O

I wasn't offended, just frustrated because I wanted to help sooo much and put my knowledge of YA to good use! So...what got me thinking about all of this? A blitz I'm posting tomorrow for THE APPEAL OF EVIL by Pembroke Sinclair - the author has written honest-to-goodness YA horror novels that are going on my TBR. I didn't really end up helping him unfortunately. I can't remember if he ended up picking out something or not. Maybe he got her a gift card? Always a good idea if you aren't sure what to pick up a bookworm. 

There aren't enough YA horror novels out there in my opinion. While zombies definitely belong in the horror genre, I'd also love to see horror novels without zombies. I want the kind of horror like Stephen King, Peter Straub, in YA form. It'd be so cool to read about haunted houses, ghosts, and other freaky stuff that will scare the pants off of me! LOL 

I miss Christopher Pike books SO much. I'm not sure he's written anything recently, but I've collected most of the books of his I grew up reading. My favorites are Witch, Whisper of Death, Monster, and Road to Nowhere. WITCH makes me cry every time - there's a particular scene that is so sweet and so sad, no matter how many times I've read this book, the tears are brought out immediately. The same for my sister, and sometimes I'm convinced the girl has a heart of stone, lol. 

What do you guys think? Is there a lack of YA horror? Do you have any titles to recommend that I may be missing? 

Cover Reveal ~ The Kingdom by Emily Walker

Title: The Kingdom

Author: Emily Walker

Publisher: Snow Flower Publishing 

Genre: Horror

Cover Reveal organized by: Around the Universe Tours

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~ Synopsis ~ 

What happens when Mother Nature is pushed too far...

She becomes a real bitch. 

For centuries, man has been the predator over the animal kingdom, until today...

What happens when the deer kills the hunter and pets turn on their masters? Is it evolution or something far more sinister?

~ Meet the Author: Emily Walker ~ 

Emily Walker loves creating worlds and stumbling around in them. She writes under her name and the pen name Lyra Mcken. Lyra writes zombies, Emily writes everything! She is constantly losing her chap-stick and has an obsession with the color pink. Currently a resident of the mountains and loving the view, she writes mostly paranormal fiction and horror, although a contemporary romance or two sneaks in every once in a while. Her small family consists of her red bearded other half, a rat terrier named Rebel, and a cat called Mr. Creepy.

~ Social Links ~ 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | 

Amazon | Goodreads | Snow Flowers After Dark

Did somebody say horror? One of my favorite genres - I'm there! On my TBR list - how about yours? :D   

   

Book Blitz ~ Dark Winter by John Hennessy

Title: Dark Winter

Author: John Hennessy 

Publication date: October 9th 2013

Blitz organized by: BB Book Tours

*Cover by PhatPuppy Art (http://phatpuppyart.com/)*

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~ Synopsis ~

Romilly Winter is no ordinary heroine, just a reluctant one. 

She has a gift. She can see the future. But can she see far enough? The world in which she lives is under attack - the dead are rising, and evil follows her at every turn.

Will she be able to save herself - and the world? 

From the Diary of Romilly Winter, October 14th.

"I've had two years to prepare for this. In that time, I have never told a soul. Of course, my Nan knew. She'd bequeathed me the mirror, after all. 

Now, maybe tonight, tomorrow, in a few days, the even that I don't want to happen with all my heart, will come to pass. I'm not ready. I know I'm not ready, and yet, it will happen nonetheless.

Nan had this thing in her possession for nearly seventy years. She had told me I simply had to be at Rosewinter, prior to my sixteenth birthday no matter what objections my parents raised. She said I was 'special', and was the only one equipped to deal with what was coming. 

The problem is, I don't feel special, I just feel...different, and in all probability, that isn't going to be good enough. 

In just two days time, I will be sixteen years old, and if anything my Nan said is remotely true, I will be lucky to survive that long..." 

~ Purchase Link ~ 

Amazon

~ About the Author: John Hennessy ~    

My first book was published in 2011. Whilst I am working on a follow up, I've been interested in all sorts of genres, and I will pretty much read anything. 

In 2012, I completed a first draft of an epic fantasy novel and hope to release it in 2013. Closer to release in 2013 is Dark Winter - a paranormal horror aimed at the YA/NA market.

If that's you, and you are planning to / have read the book(s) let me know, I'll always be happy to hear from you. 

~ Social Links ~

 Blog | Goodreads | Twitter

Cover Reveal ~ Dark Winter by John Hennessy

Title: Dark Winter

Author: John Hennessy

Publication date: October 9th 2013

Genre: YA/NA, Paranormal Horror

Cover Reveal organized by: BB Book Tours

*Cover by PhatPuppy Art (http://phatpuppyart.com)*

Add to Goodreads

~ Synopsis ~

Romilly Winter is no ordinary heroine, just a reluctant one.

She has a gift. She can see the future. But can she see far enough? The world in which she lives is under attack - the dead are rising, and evil follows her at every turn. 

Will she be able to save herself - and the world? 

From the diary of Romilly Winter, October 14th.

"I've had two years to prepare for this. In that time, I have never told a soul. Of course, my Nan knew. She's bequeathed me the mirror, after all. Now, maybe tonight, tomorrow, in a few days, the event that I don't want to happen with all my heart, will come to pass. I'm not ready. I know I'm not ready, and yet, it will happen nonetheless. 

Nan had this thing in her possession for nearly seventy years. She had told me I simply had to be at Rosewinter, prior to my sixteenth birthday no matter what objections my parents raised. She said I was 'special', and was the only one equipped to deal with what was coming. 

The problem is, I don't feel special, I just feel...different, and in all probability, that isn't going to be good enough. 

In just two days time, I will be sixteen years old, and if anything my Nan said is remotely true, I will be lucky to survive that long..."

~ Purchase Link ~ 

Amazon

~ About the Author ~ 

My first book was published in 2011. Whilst I am working on a follow up, I've been interested in all sorts of genres, and I will pretty much read anything.

In 2012, I completed a first draft of an epic fantasy novel and hope to release it in 2013. Closer to release in 2013 is 'Dark Winter' - a paranormal horror aimed at the YA/NA market. 

If that's you, and you are planning to/have read the book(s) let me know, I'll always be happy to hear from you.

~ Social Links ~ 

Blog |  Goodreads |  Twitter  

Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway ~ The Ghost Files (The Ghost Files #1) by Apryl Baker

Hi there! Welcome to my stop on The Ghost Files Blog Tour hosted by Limitless Publishing. Please click here to follow along with the blog tour schedule! :) 

Title: The Ghost Files (The Ghost Files #1)

Author: Apryl Baker

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Publication date: August 13th 2013

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Paranormal

Source: Review copy

Blog Tour organized by: Limitless Publishing

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~ Synopsis ~

Cherry blossom lipstick: check

Smokey eyes: check

Skinny jeans: check

Dead kid in the mirror: check

For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She's been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too. 

Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she sees the ghost of her foster sister...Sally. 

Everyone thinks Sally's just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth - she's dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can't do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally's disappearance. 

Only to find out she's dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim... 

Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?

~ My Thoughts ~ 

My Rating: 4 / 5 

As I read The Ghost Files, there were so many possibilities of where the story could go, and I really liked that. This is a fast paced book full of twists and turns that kept me guessing. I really liked the pacing - with this kind of story, any other speed would have slowed things down way too much.

Mattie is a character you can't help but love and connect with right from the start. She's been in foster care almost her entire life because her mother tried to kill her when she was only five years old. The scene Mattie describes is one of the most chilling of the entire book for me and was Carrie-esque. Thinking she had killed Mattie, she then killed herself, while Mattie watched her die. 

Mattie has always thought her mother's attempted murder and suicide was what caused Mattie to gain the ability to see and talk to ghosts; however, this made me wonder if her mother tried to kill her because she was already seeing and talking to ghosts. Kids are more receptive to the supernatural than adults it's been said. This is a great example of the possibilities I saw in The Ghost Files. 

Mattie has a great boyfriend in Jake, but Dan, the policeman who is investigating Mattie's foster sister's disappearance, seems like he'd be a good match for Mattie if she was older. They have a dynamic between them that is filled with humor, and Dan can see past Mattie's snarkiness. Jake is captain of the football team but is the complete opposite of the stereotypical football player. He's insightful and honest and doesn't mind talking about feelings with Mattie.    

The only thing that bugged me was the dialogue at times. I think it could have been stronger, but this is a scary and fun story to read, perfect for this time of year. I loved the mystery and trying to figure out what was going on as much as I did being scared, especially by the ghost from the mirror! The Ghost Files ends with a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to reading the next book to see what happens next.   

~ Purchase Link ~

Amazon 

~ About the Author  ~

So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep. 

Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals. I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama you were seen kissing a particular boy on a particular day just a little too long. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters. 

Now, I live in Huntersville, NC where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol. 

I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

PS: DO NOT GET IN MY WAY IF THERE IS A SALE ON AT TARGET - my home away from home! 

~ Social Links ~ 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Wattpad | 

Chicks Writing Rocking YA blog | LinkedIn | Google+ | Pinterest |

Limitless Publishing Author Page

~ Check Out Apryl's Other Books! ~ 

The Promise (Coven #1)

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Purchase on Amazon

The Awakening (Bloodlines #1) 

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Review ~ Turner by Karl Drinkwater



Cover ~ Kindle version

Turner

by Karl Drinkwater

Published December 2011

196 pages

Genre: Horror

Average Rating: 4.09 / 5.00

My Rating: 3.50 / 5.00

 

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Cover ~ Paperback version

 

~ Synopsis ~



An isolated Welsh island seemed like the perfect escape for a convict on the run, a jilted woman, and a policeman seeking a quiet life. When the surly locals turn to murderous violence the three visitors are forced on the run together, trying to stay one step ahead of their increasingly insane pursuers.

The bad news keeps coming. There are too many to fight. There is no escape from the island. And the worst storm in years has just begun. They can only run and hide as they face a night of horror and madness. If they don't work together then none of them will live to see the light of day.

Phil Rickman, on BBC Radio Wales' Phil The Shelf literary programme, likened it to "The Wicker Man in Wales". The writer Bec Zugor summed it up as: "This will do, for visiting remote islands, what Jaws did for swimming in the sea."

This tense survival horror novel is a homage to decades of nasty villains, scary predicaments, and bloody books and films.

 

 

~ Purchase Links ~

Amazon    Barnes & Noble   Smashwords   

 

 ~ My Thoughts ~

 

As a huge fan of the horror genre, books and movies alike, I liked this book but didn't love it. All different kinds of horror appeals to me from ghosts and zombies to demons and supernatural psycho killers (Jason Vorhees anyone?). Goriness doesn't bother me, and while there are some gory moments, it didn't make me ill or want to stop reading. The killers are, after all, dangerous and unhinged. I can't do the torture porn kind of horror (think of The Human Centipede, which I will never ever see!). Luckily, there isn't that kind of torture, so if you're worried about that, you need not be.

This book had a lot of potential, but it fell a bit short. Not enough to where I didn't enjoy the story - on the contrary, I was quite caught up in the terror and action. The Welsh terms and places were difficult for me to keep up with as I am unfamiliar with all of it. I had a difficult time picturing the scenes where the action was taking place. Though I experienced some difficulty, what was most important to me was how creepy the island was described to be as well as the island's residents.

There wasn't much chance to connect with the characters, although you have to remember that in the horror genre, you usually aren't supposed to connect with the characters - it's accepted and known most of the characters will die. Many times in horror, I even find myself rooting for some of the characters to die, especially if they're particularly annoying or just awful people. What makes this story so scary is not knowing which characters will die or if they even will, and of course their desperate attempts to stay alive by running away, hiding, and fighting off the killers.

I felt like I was in the story, trying to escape from the evil surrounding the island, wondering what I would do if I found myself in this situation, and how successful would I be fighting for my life. That's what made this novel so scary for me - living the fear and terror right along with the characters. I kept thinking to myself why would anyone want to go there? Especially by yourself? Although who would think about crazy things happening to you like this? My questions kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next.

The story is amazingly terrifying, and I found myself in for a big surprise once I began to realize what was going on. There's more to this story than what you think there is as you begin reading - I ended up shocked and pleased with the way the author incorporated more than just crazy, isolated island inhabitants. There are other evils lurking, and just wait until you find out what those evils turn out to be! So while I wasn't completely satisfied with this novel, I did like it enough to keep turning the pages to find out how it would end, and the ending was definitely phenomenally done

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

~ About the Author ~

Sometimes Karl's writing spends time in the sunlit patches of literary fiction, where it likes to picnic beneath an old oak tree, accompanied by a bottle of wine, some cake, and a good book. At other times his words slope off into the dark shadows of horror fiction, and if you follow them you might hear chains rattling behind locked doors and the paranoid screams of the lost echoing in the distance. There is no obligation to enjoy both of those avenues. His aim is to tell a good story, regardless of genre.

Karl loves exercise, computer games, the natural environment, animals, social justice and zombies. (from Goodreads profile)

~ Find the Author ~

Website   Twitter   Goodreads   Facebook  

review ~ black valentines: a love story by barrymore tebbs

Title: Black Valentines: A Love Story
Author: Barrymore Tebbs
# of Pages: 66
Published: March 5, 2012
Genre: Gothic, Romance, Horror
My Copy: Kindle edition purchased by me
Average Rating: 4.00 / 5.00
My Rating: 5.00 / 5.00

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Synopsis from Goodreads

A chance meeting with an old friend brings wounded war veteran Clive Dahl face to face with the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Laura Balfour is kind and she is gentle, and most of all she judges him by his character, not his appearance. Laura is blind.

She also has a sister, and once he meets Lydia, nothing in Dahl’s life will ever be the same.

From a posh London drawing room to a dockside opium den to a fog enshrouded country estate, this shocking tale of obsessive love and depraved desires takes the reader on a mesmerizing journey into the very heart of darkness.

Black Valentines, a 20,000 word novella, is recommended for adults only. It is not for the faint of heart.

My Thoughts

This novella was written so well in the style from the 1800s that I felt like I was reading the work of an author who lived during that time period. I loved the heavy gothic atmosphere in which the story takes place. I didn't know what was going to happen with the characters, what they were going to do, where the story was going--and I couldn't stop until I found out. You'll never guess how this story ends--I'm still in shock. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this author!

Purchase the novella:  Amazon 

About the Author (from Goodreads)

I am a writer of Gothic fiction, combining elements of horror, romance, and the psychological thriller.

My style draws as much from the films of Hammer Studios, Roger Corman's Poe Cycle, and the classic Universal Monster movies, as it does from modern Gothic writers from Shirley Jackson to the late, great Michael McDowell.

I am also a photographer and PhotoShop artist - I make my own book covers.

If you like stories set in old dark houses , with plenty of inclement weather and peopled with characters with deeply fractured psyches, you might enjoy one of my Gothic thrillers!

Find the Author:  Website  Facebook

review ~ contemplations of dinner

 

Title: Contemplations of Dinner

Author: Gabriel Beyers

Published: December 22, 2011

Pages: 135

Genre: Horror, Short Stories

My copy: Kindle edition from Smashwords

Average Rating: 3.60 / 5.00 

My Rating: 4 / 5

Synopsis from Goodreads :

When death has you for dinner, oh the tales that you will hear.

A secret hidden in a freezer. A lonely woman takes solace in an ancient cat. A boy is trapped in a barn with a gang of killers. An open grave awaits an occupant. A man is encouraged to kill by a long lost love. And more.

Here lie ten short stories from the mind of author Gabriel Beyers.

My Review:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review from Review Seekers on Facebook.

Contemplations of Dinner is a collection of short stories that will scare the living bejeezus out of you! I've watched what seems like hundreds of horror movies so I'm pretty well desensitized. It takes a lot to scare me, and it's rare when a book gives me the kind of scares that a really really well done horror flick can do. This is one of those rare books.

Some of the scenes in certain stories were ones I had to read twice because I couldn't believe what I had just read! It would be something so deliciously evil that I needed to take a moment and soak it in. Then I began thinking maybe I'm not as desensitized to scares as I thought I was.

I wondered why this book was titled Contemplations of Dinner, and you'll be shocked once you read it and find out why for yourself. This is a perfect book to pick up and read this time of year when Halloween is quickly approaching, and I highly recommend this collection to any and every horror fan.

 

 

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