A Taste for Monsters
Author: Matthew J. Kirby
Published: September 27, 2016
343 pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Fear the living more than the dead.
It’s London 1888, and Jack the Ripper is terrorizing the people of the city. Evelyn, a young woman disfigured by her dangerous work in a matchstick factory, who has nowhere to go, does not know what to make of her new position as a maid to the Elephant Man in the London Hospital. Evelyn wants to be locked away from the world, like he is, shut in from the filth and dangers of the streets. But in Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, she finds a gentle kindred who does not recoil from her and who understands her pain.
When the murders begin, however, Joseph and Evelyn are haunted nightly by the ghosts of the Ripper’s dead, setting Evelyn on a path to facing her fears and uncovering humanity’s worst nightmares.
Kim’s Review:
I enjoyed reading this book. It’s a simple and unique story. The story was easy to follow, but a little slow in some places. I liked how I hadn’t read anything like it before, but I found myself disappointed with some situations. Kirby did a great job of building the tension with the spirits of the murdered women coming every night and requiring their unfinished business to be resolved before they can rest in peace. Jack the Ripper is one of history’s most fascinating characters and adding The Elephant Man to the mix was a great idea. However, the ending was a little anticlimactic to me. I was so excited to see how the story would come together and who the murderer was . . . and it was just a letdown.
But the setting was amazing! I loved the London Hospital and Victorian London filled with street bazaars and theaters. I fell in love with Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man, very quickly. He was a gentleman and someone who just wanted everyone to look past his deformity. He was just so sweet!! Evelyn was a believable and likeable character. This book is classified as YA and Evelyn is only 17, but her maturity level is high. She’s not afraid to work and ends up pushing herself out of her comfort zone when it’s required. She gets a little whiny, but considering her circumstances, it wasn’t bad. Overall, this was a good read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a different and historical read.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Kim’s March Reads
Kim is back with another video summary of her March reads. And guess what?!?!? Today is her birthday!!! It’s a big one for her! Have some cake with her for today! And guess where her hubby Ivan is taking her to celebrate???? Watch and find out!!
What did you read in March? What did you like or not like? What suggestions do you have for Kim to read next?
April is a big month for birthday’s at Jessica’s Reading Room! Jessica’s is the 29th and follower Suleika had her birthday on the 6th. Do we have anymore April birthdays????
Happy Birthday Kim!
The Hazel Wood
Author: Melissa Albert
Published: January 30, 2018
368 pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.” Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland super fan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.
Kim’s Review:
The buzz surrounding this book has been so loud . . . like a big beehive! I have been seeing it everywhere; I’ve seen it on Facebook, booktube, EpicReads, Amazon . . . everywhere! I read the description and took one look at the cover, and I wanted it. I found it for super cheap at Sam’s Club (along with some pizza but we’re not gonna talk about that, because I don’t have a problem! 😉)
This is a dark piece of fantasy. I was all set for a haunted house with a creepy old grandmother, but instead you have dark fairy tale characters walking around hurting people in the real world and blood doors opening up to a dead world. I hope Albert publishes a collection of all the fairy tales mentioned in this book. I appreciate a good, scary tale! Interestingly enough, the first half of the book is more build up and background info than actual story. It wasn’t boring at all, but I was just surprised at how much was stuffed into this book without being squished. Alice is an ok character; I don’t think she was meant to be super likeable. She’s a prickly teenager who hasn’t had a normal life. I liked Finch much better! He’s a cool “fanboy” who has a romantic hidden inside. Overall, this was a great read! There were some areas where I felt like I had missed something and there was a lot of swearing for a teen book. But I liked it a lot and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
