There's something about the swamp in Sticks, Louisiana. Something different, something haunting . . . something alive. Everyone knows this, and everyone avoids going near it. And even the Mardi Gras-bead-decorated fence that surrounds it keeps people away. Until one morning when Sterling Saucier's older brother, Phineas, runs into the swamp . . . And doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out in his place, and all of a sudden, no one in Sticks remembers Phin at all. They treat Lenora May as if she's been Sterling's sister forever. Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance-but first she's got to find someone who believes her. Heath Durham might be that someone. A loner shrouded behind rumors of drug addiction, Heath has had his own strange experience with the swamp. He and Sterling will have to piece together enough bits of memory and ancient swamp lore to get to the truth. But as the wild swamp encroaches on their town, Sterling and Heath may find a lot more than they expected . . . and Phin may be lost to them forever.
Book Review:
Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker was surprisingly fantastic, especially considering it's her first novel. Parker puts together love, humour, friendship, loyalty and action into this book, who's title reveals its true nature. Beware the Wild takes place in a small town in Louisiana named Sticks. Like most towns near this part of the U.S., Sticks holds its own myths and secrets, regarding the swamp that everyone is deadly afraid of. The swamp is said to hold unimaginable terrors, such as monsters, witches, and the like. One day, Sterling Saucier's brother, Phin, goes missing, and she becomes involved with the swamp in the worst way possible. Her brother is replaced by a girl from the swamp named Lenora May. Everyone but Sterling forgets about Phin, as if he never existed. Lenora May takes over his life and no one seems to notice she shouldn't be there. Then, Sterling meets a boy named Heath, who not only believes her story, but has one of his own. Sterling and Heath must struggle to face the swamp's mysteries in order to get their loved ones back. In an action packed, nail biting, edge of your seat tale, Parker teaches her readers that taking risks can lead to so much more than a good outcome, as long as you're willing to go all in. I strongly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy fantasy, a bit of thrill and mild humor. You will not regret reading it. Parker's novel will open your eyes, and show you not to take things for advantage because you never know when they might disappear. I give this book a nine out of ten for Parker's intriguing way of exploring this type of genre, and the messages it leaves behind. "Secrets are never so dangerous as when they've been forgotten"- Sterling Enjoy, Tamara (Teen Book Reviewer)
In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process. Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose
Book Review:
Daughter of Deep
Silence is an intriguing, breathtaking and rather
mysterious read. For those who applaud the Horror and Suspense genre, this book
is calling your name and demands to be read! I find it incredibly hard to
compare this book to any other I have ever read. Its originality has rendered
me speechless, which is saying a lot. Sure, there are many books featuring
shipwrecks and all that is left in its wake, but this book strays from the
others with its powerful story that kept me on edge. Carrie Ryan strayed from
the standard Horror and Suspense novels and left me thoroughly satisfied with
my new choice in genre.
When Frances and her
best friend Libby are the only living beings left in the wake of the “deadly
devastation” of the Persephone,
it’s a climb for life on
the slope of death. Though this book may be hard to relate to on a literal
sense, we can see ourselves faced with many of the same problems that Frances
is faced with and are empathetic of her situation.
We never know what
lengths Frances will go to, to avenge the deaths of her loved ones and everyone
else aboard the Persephone,
including her best
friend Libby. I cannot stress the extent of this book’s suspense; the best way
to understand would be to indulge in the novel, which is exactly what I would
recommend.
Author Neil Gaiman created an awesome tradition for Halloween called, All Hallow's Read. People are encouraged to give or lend a scary book to a friend for Halloween. Below is the creative video he put together that tells you more about the event. I have included my top ten list of awesome scary books that we have at the library in the hopes that you will come and borrow some in celebration of All Hallow's Read 2013! What are your favorite books that keep you up all night?
Anna Dressed In Blood by: Kendare Blake * Set in Thunderbay Ontario
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead - keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life. Anna Dressed in Bloodis a 2011 KirkusBest Teen Books of the Year title. One of NPR's Top 5 Young Adult Novels of 2011.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The
Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you
must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects
the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are
failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood
and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated
and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown
into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one
she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the
Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so
much death?
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working
as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the
scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her
father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive
and continuing
his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the
accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an
enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to
the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has
experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And
worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's
inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must
end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's
too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her
father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The
Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the
secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to
protect.
This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one.
The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.
The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.
Victor knows he must not fail. Yet his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and love—and how much he is willing to sacrifice.
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnston
The day that Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new
life at boarding school is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out
over the city, killings mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper spree of more
than a century ago. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the
police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the
man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw
him--the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target. In
this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will
learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own
shocking abilities.
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.
For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.
Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling post-apocalyptic novel about a world that could become ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.
Zom-B by Darren Shan
A fresh and fiendish new fiction series from the master of horror.
At first no one believes the images on YouTube are real: zombies devastating Ireland, leaving villages in ruins and mutilated corpses in their wake. Teenager "B Smith" is far more concerned with surviving high school and a volatile home life than an invasion of hungry zombies. But as the carnage spreads across the U.K., B must face a horrifying prospect. While a lucky few may outrun the zombies, many will fall... and some will be forced to join the army of the undead.
Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror
Don't turn out the lights. Don't go out alone. And whatever you do, don't let down your guard. Because your neighbors might seem normal, but why do they collect knives and eat their steaks so bloody? And when the boy of your dreams finally asks you out, why is there something so . . . lupine . . . about him? And if your brother's fear of the dark is so childish, how do you explain those shadows creeping out of your closet?
In thirteen blood-chilling stories from true masters of suspense, including five New York Times bestselling authors and four Edgar Award nominees, nothing is what it seems, and no one is safe. . . .
Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan
Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers-- Mr. Crepsley-- is a vampire!
Stever remains after the show finishes to confront the vampire-- but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his forrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires.
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
High school junior Violet uses her uncanny ability to sense murderers and their victims to try to stop a serial killer who is terrorizing her town, and although her best friend and would-be boyfriend Jay promises to keep her safe, she becomes a target.
