Fast 5 with Amy Lukavics

Fast 5 with Amy Lukavics!

1) Last book you read: The Troop by Nick Cutter...riveting and beautifully gruesome, with an ending that totally gutted me. And now I'm super afraid of worms!

2) Last trip you took: I'm right about to head to Las Vegas with a group of close friends for the weekend, for my best-friend-since-kindergarten's bachelorette party! I anticipate many wild shenanigans.

3) Favorite quote:  “A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.” -Richard Bach

4) Best moment as an author: Being invited to speak on a horror panel at San Diego ComicCon was the most surreal moment I've had so far. It was so, so fun and truly an unforgettable experience.

5) Last thing you treated yourself to: A new (old) writing desk from the Goodwill. It was only twenty bucks and is now my favorite place to write! 

ABOUT THE WOMEN IN THE WALLS:

Lucy Acosta's mother died when she was three. Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, she explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They're inseparable—a family.  

When her aunt Penelope, the only mother she's ever known, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate, Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother's voice whispering from the walls. Emotionally shut out by her father, Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin's sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.

LINKS: Amazon | B&N

ABOUT AMY LUKAVICS:

Ever since she was little, Amy was especially intrigued by horror books and movies. Raised in a small mountain town in Arizona, she sustained herself on a steady diet of Goosebumps, Fear Street, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books before discovering Stephen King in her mother's bookshelf. 

Amy lives with her husband, their two precious squidlings, and an old gentleman cat by the name of Frodo. When she isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing games across many platforms.  

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Tumblr

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

9/5: Adventures of a Book Junkie - Review

9/6: The Forest of Words and Pages - Q&A

9/7: No BS Book Reviews - Review

9/8: Fiction Fare - Guest Post

9/9: Fangirl Confessions - Review

Week 2:

9/12: The Fake Steph - Inspiration Board

9/13: Bookish Lifestyles - Review

9/14: The Irish Banana Review - Fast 5

9/15: In Wonderland - Review

9/16: Lisa Loves Literature - Ghost Stories

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of THE WOMEN IN THE WALLS (US Only)

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Blog Tour: Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Title: Daughters Unto Devils

Author: Amy Lukavics

Publisher:  Harlequin TEEN

Publication Date: 9.29.2015

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Historical

Series: N/A

Source:  ARC from publisher

Amazon

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner's family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly Ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries. 

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn't right on the prairie. She's heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

Review:

I am a horror junkie. I watch horror movies to fall asleep to and as background noise all the time. I watched the scene of Turistas where they were cutting people open to harvest their organs to study for my anatomy midterm. The scarier the better.

Horror books are a little harder sell for me. Because I'm used to creepy and crazy, the book has to balance character development with creepy and throw in some unreal twists. DAUGHTERS UNTO DEVILS does just that.

Amanda, the main character, is a little hard to read in the beginning. She's made some bad choices and believes herself already claimed for hell (remember, back then it was all about morals and religion and straying outside the designated lines was cause for social suicide and families banishing/disowning members). She's accepted this fact with a calm sort of stoicism that gives the reader a chill. But as the story progresses, you see Amanda come to life and start to fight for herself and her family.

The setting is what helps bring the book to life. The isolated prairie life where you're miles from neighbors and civilization is enough to give anyone the willies, but throw in a house that's drenched in blood and a some sadistic campfire tales, and it takes on a whole new level of OMG. 

Like I said before - I love horror and I've watched/read a lot of it. This book gave me an actual nightmare. That never happens. Amy Lukavics gets a major award from me for that fact alone. If you're squeamish and afraid, might be best to let the big kids handle it.

And yeah, that was totally a challenge.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBook | The Book Depository

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Waiting on Wednesday: Horror Edition

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly waiting to get into our hands. Click the images for more info!

I am a huge horror fan, so I am loving the sudden surge in horror books. In honor of that, this week I'm waiting on....

Review: 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Title: 3:59

Author: Gretchen McNeil

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: 9.17.2013

Pages: 368

Genre: Multi-Verse

Series: No

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: A-

Summary (from Goodreads):

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.

Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.

Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo. 

Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.

By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

Review:

I’ve seen so many conflicting reviews of Gretchen McNeil’s 3:59 and I just gotta say: What is wrong with y’all? I freaking love this book! Why aren’t you all reading and loving it, too?

Josie is a bit of an odd character. It took me a little while to warm to her because while I get she had stuff going on, she was just so aloof in the beginning. But once she was trapped in Jo’s world, she came to life and I loved following her.

The paradoxes and similarities that McNeil throws up in both worlds are commendable. It amazed me the precision used to create two totally different but eerily similar worlds in one book. It think I’m in love with her brain. For real.

This book is original and fun and dark and twisted … Yes, there’s a few WTF? moments, but doesn’t every book have that? Just sit back and enjoy the ride, guys, because McNeil throws up a ton of curveballs and creative turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I have to warn you all: The ending nearly did me in. I’m still trying to recover from it. I’m not above begging Gretchen McNeil to write a sequel. Maybe if we all do it together it’ll happen?

Buy: Amazon

Review & Giveaway: The Farm by Emily McKay

Title: The Farm

Author: Emily McKay

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Publication Date: 12.4.12

Pages: 420

Genre: Horror, Dystopian

Series: Yes (The Farm #1)

Source: Finished copy from publisher

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...

Review:

Breathtaking, pulse-pounding, and relentless, The Farm grabs you from page one and doesn’t let up. Emily McKay masterfully redefines the vampire genre in this stunning tale. Instead of keeping vampires hidden in the shadows, they surge to the forefront, toppling society and taking over everything.

There could be a few similarities drawn between The Farm and Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules. Yes, both take place in a dystopian society where vampires have taken over and regularly use humans for food, but what separates them (and I freely admit to loving both) are the characters.

For starters, McKay uses alternates between three points of view. Now this could often confuse and alienate a reader, but let me say that Lily is by far the dominant narrator. Carter and Mel seem like they are there (storytelling-wise) to enhance Lily’s story. They give a fresh, alternate perspective that keeps the reader on their toes.

I truly understood Lily on a level that surprised me. Maybe it’s because we both share a sibling with autism, so I could really put myself in her shoes and wonder how I would react if I were in her situation. I loved her fight and drive and the way she never gave up. Sometimes she was calculating, sometimes she was reckless, but all the time she was enjoyable.

As if this novel wasn’t awesome enough with the dual horror and dystopian genres, McKay threw me for several loops with all the twists and turns. This book is just as much a mystery as it is anything else, and I loved that there was simply so much going on. I never once felt bored or disinterested. McKay did a fantastic job of holding my attention throughout the entirety of the novel. This is a book you definitely need to grab!

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

GIVEAWAY:

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US Residents only
Must be over 13
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email before a new winner is selected

Review: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Title: Ten

Author: Gretchen McNeil

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: 9.18.2012

Pages: 304

Genre: Horror, Contemporary, Mystery

Series: No

Source: ARC from a friend

 

Rating: A+

 

Summary (from Goodreads):

And their doom comes swiftly.
It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

 

Review:

Rarely have I wanted a book to be a movie as bad as I do Ten by Gretchen McNeil. Reading this book was like watching a fantastic horror flick. It has all the elements that I love—suspense, action, mystery, and a healthy dose of romantic angst.

 

Meg is, simply put, kick-ass. This is probably one of the most realistic teenage female characters I’ve read in a really long time. Not only is Meg strong, but she’s also not a total hero. When she’s supposed to be afraid, she is and admits it. One of my biggest pet peeves is taking a strong heroine and making her seemingly invincible. Meg is very human in her flaws, and I loved how easily I was able to connect with her.

 

McNeil does the novel a great service by truly setting up scenes. I felt like I was on the island with the characters. She does such a fantastic job laying out each scene; it was like watching a movie in my head. From the start when we arrived on the island in the midst of a storm, to walking around the island, I felt like I was an extra in the scenes because I was so clearly able to envision what was happening. McNeil walks that fine line between just enough information and too much info to enjoy a novel. While she would aptly illustrate a setting, it wasn’t overdone. It flowed effortlessly.

 

The plot kept me guessing to the end and the twist at the end was delicious. I highly recommend checking this book out, and if you can read it on a dark and stormy night at home alone, then definitely do it. It will totally get you in the mood.

 

 

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Review: Frail by Joan Frances Turner

Title: Frail

Author: Joan Frances Turner

Publisher:  Ace

Publication Date: 10.4.2011

Pages: 384

Genre: Horror

Series: Yes (Resurgam Trilogy #2)

Source: Finished copy provided by publisher

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Now that the Feeding Plague has swept through human and zombie societies, it seems like everyone is an "ex" these days. Ex-human. Ex- zombie. Except for Amy, that is. She's the only human survivor from her town-a frail. And if the feral dogs, the flesh-eating exes, and the elements don't get her, she just may discover how this all began. Because in this America, life is what you make it...

Review:

I really just didn’t think anything could shock me more than Dust (Book 1 in the trilogy), but I was clearly wrong. While Dust was told from a zombie’s point of view, Frail ups the ante on the horror by showing how humans have fared in Joan Frances Turner’s post zombie-apocalyptic world.

The story follows Amy, a frail (or regular human) as she tries to survive after an illness created a new breed of super humans/zombies that seem almost immortal. She bonds with Lisa, an ex who is struggling to hold onto her humanity.  Their friendship is anything but simple and easy, and it was fascinating to see them working together.

My biggest issue with this book was that I just didn’t connect with Amy, the narrator, the way I did with Jessie (narrator of Dust). Kind of odd since Jessie was a zombie, but I digress. I think the reason I connected more in book 1 is because the idea of a novel told entirely from the POV of a zombie was just so fresh and radical, I couldn’t help but love it. The perspective of a human seemed somewhat dull in comparison.

This series is unique and fresh, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I recommend you check it out if you love horror, can stomach some unpleasant imagery (‘cause there’s a whole lot of that!), and are looking for a break in the storybook romances the YA genre is drowning in. This book is about fight and survival, and I cannot wait to see what Turner brings in book 3!

Buy: Amazon

Review: Dust by Joan Frances Turner

Title: Dust

Author: Joan Frances Turner

Publisher:  Ace

Publication Date: 9.7.2010

Pages: 384

Genre: Horror

Series: Yes (Dust #1)

Source: Finished copy from publisher

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Nine years ago, Jessie had a family. Now, she has a gang.

Nine years ago, Jessie was a vegetarian. Now, she eats very fresh meat.

Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash and died. Nine years ago, Jessie was human.

Now, she’s not.

After she was buried, Jessie awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Jessie’s gang is the Fly-by-Nights. She loves the ancient, skeletal Florian and his memories of time gone by. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-infested corpse. They fight, hunt, dance together as one—something humans can never understand. There are dark places humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into the zombie gangs.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights have seen new creatures in the woods—things not human and not zombie. A strange new illness has flamed up out of nowhere, causing the undeads to become more alive and the living to exist on the brink of death. As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness—and hanging onto everything she has come to know as life…

Review:

Maggots, rotting flesh and zombies? Sounds like a truly grotesque combination, but not so much in this originally crafted novel by Joan Frances Turner. While there are some truly gross moments (there’s maggots, OK?), I love this completely unique approach. Turner actually humanized zombies, something I never, ever considered.

Jessie fascinated me. I loved reading about the world through her eyes, and how her life changed since becoming undead. I enjoyed reading about the community that her gang had created, and all the people, uh, zombies in it. The book lagged a bit in places, but I still enjoyed reading this nonetheless. I love reading anything than can give me a fresh take on an idea I had long-since stereotyped.

This book is NOT for the squeamish. Some of the details are quite gory and disturbing, but I only thought that enhanced the overall novel. It gave a sense of realism to the book. I mean … it’s zombies. It’s not like they sit at the dinner table eating hamburgers; they eat raw meat. They kill and are constantly surrounded by death. It probably sounds a little crazy, but I loved that. I felt like it took a serious amount of commitment on Turner’s part to not water this down and gloss over the less pretty aspects of being undead.

Buy: Amazon

Review: Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Title: Dark Eden

Author: Patrick Carman

Publisher:  HarperCollins Children’s Books

Publication Date: 11.1.11

Pages: 336

Genre: Horror

Series: No

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: B+

Summary (from Amazon):

Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?

Review:

This book could not have been read (for me) at a more opportune time. With Halloween right around the corner, this book is filled with terror, thrills, and chills. I am a horror-fan, so this book was right up my alley. Patrick Carman did a fantastic job. The way he wrote this novel pulled me in from the very beginning.

The story follows Will Besting, who has been seeing a therapist for a while to deal with his incessant fears, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. In a radical (but clearly calculated) maneuver, the therapist suggests he go away, with six other teens, to help Will get better by confronting their worst fears. What happens next is equal parts thrilling, horrifying, and incredible. I hate to say much more for fear of divulging too much. And while it started a little slow for my tastes, it quickly took off and I became engrossed in the story and finding out what would happen to Will.

What I will say is that this is an excellent cast. I love ensemble novels, and while the novel is told from Will’s perspective, you get a great sense of the six other teens. With a cast this diverse, the reader can easily find someone to identify with. There are hints of romance, but nothing solid. If you’re looking for a romance, this isn’t your book. If you’re looking to be scared and freak every time you hear a creak in the house? This is your book.

When I was first approached about reviewing this book, I was initially intrigued by the bonus content as opposed to the actual story (but I came to enjoy the story itself quite a lot). This book is so much more than just a story; there’s an entire website, smart phone app, and so much more that plays along to enhance the story. It made reading the novel an experience that I could actually, physically, get into. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun that was.

Buy: Amazon

Review & Giveaway: Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff

Title: Isle of Night

Author: Veronica Wolff

Publisher: NAL Trade

Publication Date: 9.6.2011

Pages: 320

Genre: Paranormal, Horror

Series: Yes (Watchers #1)

Copy: Advanced reader copy sent by publisher for review

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.

Review:

Whatever I expected when I started reading Isle of Night, it wasn’t this. I guess I expected Veronica Wolff’s novel to be more romance and seduction and what I got was hard-core action and horror. Not that that is a bad thing! Far from it. I think I got used to the sweet, girl-meets-hot-guy-and-they-fall-in-love storyline that most YA vampire-centric novels throw at me. While there is a romantic element to this book, it was most definitely not the front running story.

Annelise is a girl who has been kicked around all her life. She’s crazy-smart, but has never had a chance to escape her nightmare of a life until now. Only it turns out her great escape turns into a huge joke and she’s left in an even worse situation than she was before. Enter Ronan, the guy with all the answers.

Truthfully? I found the beginning to be somewhat ludicrous. I mean, what person gets into a plane with a guy she just met? Hot or not, Annelise just seemed too smart for that. Luckily that is explained later, but I was left wondering what was going on for quite a little while. It actually annoyed me to an extent, and I felt like this could be a deterrent to some readers. Stick with it, and I swear it will make perfect sense.

Once I got a few chapters in, though, I was well and truly hooked. I loved learning about Annelise’s training as a Watcher, as well as the trials she was put through. Some of them literally had me gaping open-mouthed at the pages. It wasn’t long before I genuinely cared for Annelise, and was rooting hard for her to prevail. She’s a strong, smart character that I couldn’t help but like.

One thing I must advise is that I don’t recommend this book for younger teens. It was, at times, quite graphic in the violence. Other than that, it’s a darkly written tale of survival of the fittest. I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of this series and find out what happens to Annelise.

Buy: Amazon

GIVEAWAY!

One lucky person will win their own copy of Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff, generously donated by NAL Trade. Sorry, but this contest is for US residents only.

To win, simply reply to this review (make sure you include your email address!). I'll select the winner via random.org on September 30, 2011.