Jessica’s Thoughts on Wilder Girls
Wilder Girls
Author: Rory Power
Published: July 9, 2019
Audiobook
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: February 10-23, 2020
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty’s life out from under her.
It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don’t dare wander outside the school’s fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.
But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there’s more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.
Jessica’s Review:
This is one that Kim read last year and I was curious because of her review, and my library finally received it on audiobook. The premise intrigued me, but the book did not really deliver for me. Instead of being pulled into a situation that is going on 18 months, I would have liked the story from the beginning. I really enjoy books with chaos and I am sure that’s how the beginning of the Tox went.
I just was not attached to any of the girls and really did not care what happened to them. But some of what happens is frightening and definitely not for everyone. Towards the very end I became interested in the story, but that was too far gone.
This was not a bad novel, just not for me.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Liberation By Sian B. Claven
Liberation
Author: Sian B. Claven
Published: April 15, 2019
51 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Evelyn was everything that Karen and Aubrey could ask for in an adopted daughter until she starts having the darkest of dreams, or perhaps they are the memories of her previous life that she seems to have forgotten.
Who was Evelyn in her past life? And why does it feel so bad?
Kim’s Review:
Claven does it again! This story is creepy and bloody and perfect for a short, engaging read! I will admit that at certain places, it did get a bit predictable, but other than that, I really enjoyed this story. Claven is perfect for a good horror book and she keeps proving it book after book. And the cover! I easily recommend this book for horror lovers!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn
Within These Walls
Author: Ania Ahlborn
Published: April 21, 2015
447Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
From indie horror author and bestselling sensation Ania Ahlborn, this brand-new supernatural thriller questions: how far would you go for success, and what would you be capable of if the promise of forever was real?
With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed up crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback. So when he’s promised exclusive access to notorious cult leader and death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the opportunity is too good to pass up. Lucas leaves New York for the scene of the crime—a split-level farmhouse on the gray-sanded beach of Washington State—a house whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb’s diviners; runaways who, thirty years prior, were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. Lucas wants to tell the real story of Halcomb’s faithful departed, but when Halcomb goes back on his promise of granting Lucas exclusive information on the case, he’s left to put the story together on his own. Except he is not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life…and within these walls, they’re far from dead.
Kim’s Review:
I was all set to love this book. Y’all know that I find Charlie Manson incredibly intriguing and you throw in cults and paranormal, then I’m all over that. Unfortunately, Within These Walls missed the mark. Most of the book was taken up with angsty drama coming not just from the emo teen daughter, but from the adult true crime author as well! Audra, the original victim of Jeffrey Halcomb, got a little too whiny, though I will admit that she was the more realistic, portraying just how damaging anxiety can be. But what really got me, was the fact that when I sat down to write this review, I couldn’t remember what the book was about. I had to read the synopsis on the back just to remember anything about it!
While I was reading it, I was mostly enjoying it; I just felt that by the end, all the anticipation wasn’t warranted or fulfilled. The paranormal element was the only truly unique thing about the story; the tiniest little twist at the end managed to salvage some bit of the story. Then, the nail in the coffin: Ahlborn referenced Michael Myers, wait for it, searching for Camp Crystal Lake. That’s it, you’ve lost all respect as a horror writer. Please return your membership card at the door as you vacate the premises. Listen lady, you’re lucky I kept reading after that point! Overall, this was a really disappointing read and I can’t really recommend it to anyone. There is a saving grace, that cover is amazing! But that’s about the only amazing thing.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK