Posts filed under 'Horror/Mystery/Suspense'
“Skulduggery Pleasant”
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
Stephanie Edgley is brokenhearted over the death of her Uncle Gordon, who, in a surprise move, has left Stephanie his estate. He was a bestselling author of fantasy and magic, and hung out with what his family considered a weird, low-life crowd. One of this crowd comes to the reading of Gordon’s will. He is hidden by his dark glasses, muffler and overcoat. When Stephanie is later staying the night in the house she inherited from Gordon, this strange man saves her life. It quickly becomes apparent that Gordon was murdered and Stephanie, bored with life on the east coast of Ireland, wants to help find the killer.
But the strange Skulduggery Pleasant isn’t a man—at least not a live one—he’s a skeleton, and a powerful one at that, a detective who takes on cases in the world of magic, vampires, sorcerers, ‘cleavers,’ Elders and Hollow Men. Apparently, Gordon’s best selling novels were based on reality. And thus begins Stephanie’s adventures in the world of the supernatural.
Skulduggery and Stephanie (aka Valkyrie Cain) are a smart-mouthed, wise cracking pair as they fight the evil Nefarian Serpine, who hopes to resurrected the Faceless Ones and destroy mankind. They dodge bullets (or are shot), outrun vampires, escape cleavers and more. They survive broken bones, burning and torture. The action never stops—violence, danger nor magic—but through all they are cool. (Skulduggery even drives a 1954 Bentley.)
Skulduggery Pleasant has many great twists and turns that keep you involved in detective books. Though Stephanie is twelve, she acts much older. The violence in the book, while not gratuitous, is also more suited to teens than to kids. So don’t pass this one up if you find a copy shelved with the kids’ books. Oh—and it has that always sought after ‘more than 375 page’ benefit—even though the pages are short and the action so fast that you’ll finish in no time at all. And if you really like it, sequels are here.
Add comment February 23, 2010
“The Graveyard Book”
“There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.”
The first sentence of The Graveyard Book
Though The Graveyard Book has been marketed to younger teens in the U.S., it is sold as an adult book in some places. As soon as you start reading, you’ll see why. The tale opens with a man and a knife and a family being murdered. Though three are killed, the youngest, a baby about a year and a half old, climbs out of his crib and wanders away, ending up in a nearby graveyard—an old graveyard, no longer in use except as a nature sanctuary.
The inhabitants of the graveyard—all ghosts except for Silas, who is neither alive nor dead—argue mightily about the boy’s fate, but in the end, he is kept by the Owens’, who in life never had children. Silas agrees to be the boy’s guardian. Thus Bod—short for Nobody Owens (“so named because he “looks like nobody but himself”)—is raised where he is given ‘the freedom of the graveyard’ and therefore can practice skills like fading and haunting. He grows up exploring chapel mausoleums, ancient burial chambers and the home of the monstrous creatures as well as accidentally entering the ghoul gate and endangering his life. Outside the graveyard danger also awaits as the man Jack, who assassinated Bod’s family, is still looking for him.
The community of the dead includes several teachers and other useful sorts. Bod learns what he needs to know, but longs for the friendship of the living as well as the dead. But when he goes outside the graveyard, he learns of the ancient order responsible for his family’s death.
This is a quick read and a very original book. It’s not all dark—there are lots of puns and much fun to be made of the inhabitants of the graveyard, like the failed poet who recites some (pretty awful) lines for Bod. A plus is the inclusion of illustrations.
Add comment February 16, 2010
“City of Ashes”
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Book Two of The Mortal Instruments)
Here’s another Top Ten Teen Read of 2009—but with smart cover art and an intriguing title.
I read City of Ashes because it got on the top ten teen book list. I probably should have read the first book in the trilogy, City of Bones, but Clare does a good job of grounding the reader. Clary Fray is a Shadowhunter, which is a mortal who polices the ‘Downworld’ of monsters—werewolves, vampires, fairies (Seelies), witches and warlocks. Ordinary mortals are given the pejorative ‘mundanes’ and include Clary’s sometimes boyfriend, Simon.
Though Clary and Simon share an unbreakable bond, it’s really Jace that Clary has the hots for, mostly because Jace has that ‘bad boy who takes crazy chances and is angry at everyone’ thing going. Unfortunately, though the two were raised apart without knowledge of one another, they turn out to be brother and sister. Their father is the evil Valentine whose goal is to overthrow the Clave (Shadowhunter society). His reasons have to do with his hatred for all ‘Downworlder’ beings except Shadowhunters. He sees them as inferior monsters.
The arrogant Valentine engages a lot of powerful demons that mundanes can’t see. It is soon clear that he cares nothing for his own children if they disobey him, and could easily destroy them along with others in the Clave. So the battle is on. And it is fierce. Action is swift, bloody and described in detail. Demons are imaginatively described. As the plot twists, you’ll be hanging on for the ride. And here’s an added bonus: there’s lots of good writing—you can talk to your English teacher about the great metaphors and imagines. There’s a bit of lousy writing as well—when your English teacher lectures about how annoying a plethora of adverbs can be, bring this book in and get extra credit. (Clare can reconstruct any sentence to throw in pointless adverbs, making meaning stupefyingly [get it?] redundant.)
But so what—you’re going to be engaged—from cover to cover. And then want to go back and read Book One—City of Bones–and get on the waiting list here for Book Three—City of Glass.
Add comment January 20, 2010
Here’s a review written by COHS student Jade:
“Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters” by Gail Giles gets five stars from me! If you’re in the mood for confusing but riveting mystery, this is a good book for you!
Sunny Reynolds’ older sister Jazz dies in a fire. Her mom is devastated–can’t eat or sleep, and has to be put on sleeping pills. Her father goes back to being a drunk. Sunny comes home one day to find a letter on the counter, and it said “from Jasmine.” It said she wasn’t dead, and she’ll be coming home on Sunday. Sunny tells her parents, and when Sunday arrives, jazz walks in the door. But this girl….didn’t look like Jazz, and Sunny knows it’s not her sister… But if it’s not Jazz, then who is it?
Read it to find out!
Add comment December 14, 2009
“Dracula”
Dracula by Bram Stoker
As vampire tales are so popular lately, I decided this summer that I would read one of the original vampire novels—Dracula. The author, Bram Stoker, created the character of Dracula by pulling together lots of myths and legends. Though Vlad the Impaler, a real man who lived in the 1400’s in Romania, was one of the inspirations for Dracula’s personality, there were others. In turn, Dracula as a vampire set the criteria for many years of vampire lore—can’t behold daylight, sleeps in a coffin, turns into a bat, has no reflection in a mirror, and preys on beautiful young women. Of course, he also has lots of sex appeal—and, very recently, this is the only vampire quality that survived in teen vampire literature. So—would you like to read a book about a vampire like Dracula? About potential victims who would prefer to die than be transformed into vampires? (So unlike that whining Bella of Twilight, who finally gets her wish. Think of it—now she can whine and throw temper-tantrums through eternity!)
My sense is that you might enjoy this read although there are things about the writing and the sometimes sentimental view of perfect Victorian angel girls that won’t appeal to you—you’ll probably speed through parts.
The greater measure of the book is written as journal and diary entries as well as letters. It begins with Jonathan Harker, an up and coming attorney, making a trip from London to Transylvania to meet Count Dracula and discuss Dracula’s purchase of some real estate in London. Several days into the trip, Harker knows that something is very wrong in the castle (seeing Dracula climbing the outer walls is a big hint), and that he is a prisoner. There are female vampires in the castle who attack Harker. This is pretty horrific stuff—the details aren’t as gory as those in current novels, but Dracula does give the women a baby to eat, and then when the mother of the child stands outside the castle demanding the return of the child, Dracula has a pack of wolves eat her. Harker manages to escape.
Once home, Harker will enlist others to help him rid the world of Dracula (who moves to London—remember the real estate deal?). The plot will involve Harker’s fiance Mina and her friend Lucy who is engaged and has had two other suitors. All three are good men and risk their lives for the women, as does Harker. Poor Lucy has a pretty rough time with Dracula and needs several blood transfusions, direct form the bodies of her friends (never mind the science of blood type. . .). Professor Van Helsing, a vampire hunter, is there to conduct all this business. He knows medicine and he know vampire lore. Should all their efforts fail, the men take an oath that they will not allow Lucy to suffer the fate of being a vampire—they vow to do anything—cut off her head, drive a stake through her heart—to ensure her the peace of death. They take these vows out of love for Lucy. (How different from Twilight!) Mina, being female, is also under threat.
There is a lot of exciting action throughout the book. However, the roles of the women are a bit off-putting—as I said, they are Victorian angels, and can’t get a whole lot done by themselves, although Mina is very, very smart. Being bitten by Dracula has the same sense of sleeping around—not fair. Another thing that bothered me over the long run (and this is a long book) was Van Helsing’s too frequent and very long speeches. You wouldn’t find this kind of pontificating in a modern novel. Still for vampires that are true to legend, and for suspense, this is a good book to read. I know that Bram Stoker is on the ‘author list’ for the senior project here at COHS. He’d be a good choice.
By the way—if you need to read a biography and are looking for someone whose insanity and cruelty is riveting, you could try Vlad the Impaler, one of the models for Count Dracula.
2 comments December 11, 2009
“The Turn of the Screw” Student Reviews 2009
The following reviews by COHS students are on “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James.
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 94-219 (depending on edition)
Reviewer: Jessica F.
The Turn of the Screw is about a governess that believes that she is seeing ghosts. In the beginning of the story when she sees the ghost for a second time, she believes that it was after Miles. After this incident, the governess keeps a close eye on both kids that he has to watch over. The governess sees a second ghost, and believes it to be going after the second child that she is watching, Flora. When the governess is out with Flora, she again sees the second ghost. She asks Flora if she sees it, and Flora denies it. Flora then says that she hates the governess. The day after the incident, Flora is struck sick. She is taken to her uncle’s house, and the governess stays behind with Miles. Miles sees the first ghost and drops dead into the governess’s arms.
The Turn of the Screw was a very interesting book. In my opinion, the author wrote the book very well. He used very good imagery words to make me feel that I was actually there and witnessing the story. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a good ghost story.
1. The author’s purpose in writing this book is to inform the reader that corruption of child innocence is always going to be around.
2. The theme of this book is child corruption.
3. The author supports the thesis by writing that Miles can be bad if he wants to. James also writes that Miles was kicked out of school, for reasons that are unknown.
4. The main issue that this book raises is that innocent children are being unfairly corrupted. It takes a passive stance in addressing and solving the issue.
Reviewer: Natalie J.
In The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James, a woman goes to care for two children on the estate of Bly. Soon after she arrives all of her worries are erased by the fact that the children are beautiful and very pure. However, soon after she sees a man known as Peter Quint, appears to her even though she is dead. She confides this to Mrs. Grose, her new friend who expresses skepticism yet eventually identifies the man based on the governess’ description. Shortly afterwards the previous governess, Mrs. Jessel, appears to her, but she too is dead. After these events happen a few more times, she becomes convinced that Peter Quint and the previous governess are trying to take control over the children’s souls. The as the climax draws nearer, Mrs. Jessel appears again, but this time the current governess points her out to one of the children, Flora, and Mrs. Grose, yet they say they do not see her, which makes one question the governess’ sanity. Suddenly Flora falls ill and she and Mrs. Grose set out to see the girl’s uncle and ask for his help. The ones who remain are the governess and Flora’s brother Miles. Then as nighttime approaches she goes to Miles room and what she sees and the consequences following it are horrific to both her and the boy.
In my opinion, Henry James did an excellent job in writing it, mostly because it can be interpreted in two ways: the governess is losing her insanity by seeing things that aren’t there or her theory is correct and the children know it yet don’t admit they are seeing their deceased friends. I believe the author does a great job in making us think twice, a principle we can use in everyday life.
1. Henry James purpose in writing this book is to entertain his audience with the governess’ conclusions and actions as a result of those conclusions
2. The theme of this book is don’t panic and don’t jump to conclusions because the consequences can be disastrous. Another possibility is that do not wait until the last minute to seek answers or help.
3. The theme of don’t wait until the last minute to seek answers is developed very slowly and becomes more evident towards the end of the novella. At the beginning, the governess refuses to tell her boss about the strange happenings at Bly, however at the end she is forced to when Flora, the little girl she is caring for, falls ill, and according to the governess the apparition of the previous governess brought this about.
4. Henry James makes the reader doubt whether or not the governess really sees the apparitions. He does this by having her see the apparitions and then when she informs Mrs. Grose, her new friend at the estate, she is skeptical. Also, when the governess points out one of the apparitions to Mrs. Rose and one of the children they say they do not see a thing. However the stance the author takes on these issues is unclear is there is evidence pointing to the fact the apparitions are real and to the fact the governess is slowly losing her insanity.
Add comment June 2, 2009
“The Picture of Dorian Gray” Student Reviews 2009
The following are reviews by COHS students of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde.
Genre: Faustian theme, horror gothic fiction
Pages: 235
Reviewer: Charmaine M.
Dorian Gray was this man of whom everyone liked so much for his beauty, although rather careless but for himself. He introduces homosexuality, as well as hendonism, when lord Henry shows him this new world at which is a philosophy of ultimate pleasure of humanity. Dorian thought this was his beauty. His friend Basil, whom ought to think that it was the greatest art he has ever made, painted Dorian his own portrait. As Dorian hopes to look beautiful all his life, he decides he wanted to just live long life and let the painting age instead. This then happens, and his portrait reveals how evil he is and how old he is. Dorian then gets desparate and blackmails a friend, kills his friend, and at last, his own portrait. After stabbing the portrait, he ends up destroyed instead.
I think this book opened me up to a lot of things, especially philosophy. I think it’s a great book, but I suggest that if given this to another person, it is highly recommended that they are mature enough. It is an amazing mystery and truth behind everything.
1. The author’s purpose in writing this book is introducing a very controversial topic: hendonism, horror-gothic, and fautism. These basically state a person’s philosophy.
2. The theme and Thesis kind of state homosexuality, and double life.
3. The author supports its thesis and theme by using Dorian, the main character, as the big issue. Everyone liked him so much, that even his good friend, Basil, thinks he is so beautiful. Lord Henry also supports the thesis and introduces hendonism to him. The double life is supported by Dorian wanting the portrait to age rather than himself, for his beauty is so important to him, soon taking a double life.
Ex. Of quotes:
“But beauty, real beauty, ends where an intellectual expression begins. Intellect is in itself a mode of exaggeration, and destroys the harmony of any face.”
- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray Ch. 1
“Some day you will look at your friend, and he will seem to you to be a little out of drawing, or you won’t like his tone of colour, or something.”
- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray Ch. 1
4. The main issue of this book is a person taking double life, because the main character is “hendonistic”, and he believes his beauty us way important than anything else. When he got sick of looking at his real ugly self, he decided to stab his painting and he ends up dying himself, as the portrait ascends back to its original form.
Add comment June 2, 2009
“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” Student Reviews 2009
The following are reviews by COHS students of “The Strange Tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Genre: Gothic Horror
Pages: 224
Reviewer: Gavin G.
The book follows a lawyer named Mr. Utterson, as he tries to figure out the mystery that surrounds one of his best friends Dr. Jekyll. Dr. Jekyll is a troubled scientist that hates the fact that he has to hide secrets from his most beloved friends and family. He eventually concocts a potion and is then turned into the embodiment of what he most hates about himself, a man named Mr. Hyde. As Mr. Utterson begins to discover the strange similarities between the two seemingly individual people, Dr. Jekyll begins to increase the rate at which he takes the potion, and eventually Dr. Jekyll is able to induce his Mr. Hyde state without taking the potion. The book ends with Mr. Utterson having knowledge of Dr. Jekyll’s condition and Mr. Hyde still being on the loose.
I really enjoyed this book, even though the dated language that was used made it hard to follow. I enjoyed the dual personalities of Dr. Jekyll, because it always managed to turn the book upside down and gave you a new perspective on the things that occurred in it. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde was very enticing.
1. Stevenson’s purpose for writing this book was to show that all humans no matter who they are have the capability to be either good or evil.
2. The theme of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde is that every person has two sides that make up their own individual personality.
3. The theme and thesis are developed by the split personality that Dr. Jekyll has. By using two characters in one, Stevenson chose to develop the characters in any way that was beneficial to where the story was heading.
4. The book shows that good and evil truly lies in all of us, even though we don’t realize it. raise and what stance does it take in addressing and solving the issue?
1 comment June 2, 2009
“The Silver Kiss”
“The Silver Kiss” by Annette C. Klause
It’s been a while since I read “The Silver Kiss,” but I want to recommend it to fans of the “Twilight” series.
Zoe, coming home from a hospital visit with her mother, who is dying of cancer, stays out past midnight–sad, lonely, and brimming with memories. While sitting in a playground that she loved as a child, she sees a tall, thin boy with pale skin and silvery hair. She is very afraid, remembering recent news headlines about a woman who was killed and drained of blood.
When Zoe later meets Simon, the two are attracted to one another. That Simon is a vampire causes Zoe to think desperate things—could he keep her mother from dying? Is he the murderer mentioned in the news? The two need each other to understand death, to keep from being caught in grief, and to stop the cycle of murder in town.
“The Silver Kiss” is by the same author who wrote “Blood and Chocolate,” a book several of you liked. This one is less overtly sensual, perhaps a bit more thoughtful. I highly recommend it to fans of vampire romances.
2 comments May 19, 2009
“Blood and Chocolate”
“Blood and Chocolate” by Annette Curtis Klause
264 pp.
Though “Blood and Chocolate” is a young adult book (that is, it’s meant for a teen audience), it is a very sensuous, even sexual book. Vivian, the she-werewolf, thinks a lot about having Aiden, a human, as a lover. She introduced herself to him after reading a poem he wrote about becoming a wolf. There are many scenes of the two almost having sex. In the end, Vivian decides to show Aiden that she is a werewolf. His reaction and subsequent behavior alienate Vivian from others at her school.
In the meantime, a werewolf is killing people in town. Vivian can’t remember doing the killing, but she keeps finding evidence that she is the culprit.
Throughout the book, Vivian has a conflict about her place in the wolf pack . At one point, a renegade she-werewolf attacks Vivian’s mother. When Vivian defends her mother, she becomes the lead female wolf, but rejects the pack leader Gabriel.
“Having fallen for a human boy, Vivian must battle both her pack mates and the fear of the townspeople to decide where she belongs and with whom.” (book jacket) The beautiful human Aiden or the werewolf Gabriel—with dual wolf and human natures?
If you are looking for a book with supernatural characters and are finished reading the “Twilight” series and “Vampire Academy”, I think you’ll like this one.
Add comment May 15, 2009
