Jessica's Reading Room

Tag: 4.5 stars

Short Story Sunday: Dalma Does Not Die at the End

Posted on February 12, 2023 inReview, Sunday Meme

Dalma Does Not Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Published: October 4, 2022
40 pages

Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Read:  January 22, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 4.5 stars

Jessica’s Review:

Dalma Does Not Die at the End is a short story taking place directly after The First to Die at the End. If you have read They Both Die then you know that Dalma created The Last Friend app where Rufus and Mateo met. Dalma is a main character in First and we see the up and down journey that she goes on to create The Last Friend app over a several years’ time period. 

This short story just did not have as much magic as the two full length novels, I think maybe because no one was going to die? But I enjoyed it to see the app come to creation knowing what she wants to become and actually seeing it in full bloom in First.

This short story comes in the Barnes and Noble exclusive edition of The First to Die at the End.  I wanted this version for the short story, and I just love the cover! Anything Silvera writes in this world I plan on reading!

Purchase Link:
Barnes and Noble Exclusive Edition

Happy Halloween!! And a Review From Kim

Posted on October 31, 2022 inReview

Happy Halloween! It is a Monday, so it’s a work day for Jessica, but we celebrated over the weekend watching scary movies! I love this time of year!!!! And we all know how much Kim loves it and seemingly celebrates year round with her collection of scary dolls!…..

In the spirit of the day, we bring you a review from Kim, this one a classic:
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury!

Something Wicked This Way Comes
Series: Green Town #2
Author: Ray Bradbury
Published: September 17, 1962
293 Pages

Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4.5 stars

Book Description:

For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes…and the stuff of nightmares.

Few novels have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury’s unparalleled literary masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes. Scary and suspenseful, it is a timeless classic in the American canon.

Kim’s Review:

I just love Bradbury. He’s the true definition of a diverse author. So far we’ve seen sci-fi, political dystopia, and now soft horror.

While I admit that I didn’t get all the metaphors in this book, the plot and characters alone carry this book. They’re real and relatable and by the time you’re done, you want to live in Green Town every year at Halloween. Jim and Will are boys as boys should be. Their curiosity and courageous fear drive them through this story with reckless and responsible abandon. I know that sounds paradoxical, but isn’t that what little boys are?? And Mr. Halloway might be the most relatable character in literature. He works his way through reconciling his age with his position in life. And in the end, he is content. I really loved watching his journey and I love and respect him! I’ll admit that the carnival is where I get a little lost, but even without any complicated metaphors, the carousel is a terrifying prospect!!

Overall, this is a great Halloween read and I absolutely recommend it!!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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Short Story Review: Gretel by Annalee Adams

Posted on July 22, 2022 inReview

Gretel
Author: Annalee Adams
Published: October 31, 2018
78 Pages

Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4.5 stars

Book Description:

Trapped in a cage, fighting for her life, will she survive the night?

Gretel is a blood-curdling serial killer thriller, that tells the story of seventeen-year-old Lucy, taken against her will five years ago. Caged up with no-one left to protect her she must survive the night or become the killer’s latest victim.

After he killed her, she wept. Body bags and chainsaws stripped the night clean. Her mind a mess of revulsion, as the silence took over and the girls pleaded for their lives. Had it been five years already? Trapped down in the darkness, away from reality. Now Jess was gone, brutally murdered; she was like a lamb to the slaughter… and tonight was the feast.

Halloween had arrived and that meant only one thing, candy bars, and corruption as he took her screaming soul from the cage and introduced her to her former best friend. This short story is a novelette of nightmares, forgotten victims and surreal realities.

Kim’s Review:

I’m not sure what I expected from this little book, but it’s nuts! It’s the perfect short story for those Criminal Minds fans. The cover is amazing, the story is simple and effective, the characters are interesting and easy to sympathize with. My only real criticism is that I’d like more overall info; I also acknowledge that it’s just a short story. Gretel just left me shaking my head. It was terrifying and nasty and engaging and I have to say that the twist was pretty crazy! A very good book!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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