As someone who gets spooked from hearing bumps and creaks in the night, Little One started out exactly as I anticipated from a ghost story. Haunted hoAs someone who gets spooked from hearing bumps and creaks in the night, Little One started out exactly as I anticipated from a ghost story. Haunted houses, forgotten backstories, little girls who kill people… what more could you possibly want?
The plot wasn't the most original - I've definitely heard the idea of a little girl haunting a house a few times before - but I didn't really care since this book had me hooked from beginning to end. I flew through the pages. And something about the characters and setting in the snowy, cold woods, in a creaky old house where the electricity kept going out, was eerie and refreshing.
Kelsea Stone never knew her birth parents since she was given up for adoption at a young age. Now an adult, she inherits her deceased parents' house in the back woods of West Virginia. What Kelsea doesn't understand are the rumors she keeps hearing in town about the house. And she can't help feeling that something - or someone - is inside the house.
I did have a few problems with Little One, mainly that the dialogue wasn't always convincing. The story switched POVs quite a lot and even went into the mind of the ghost girl. And I'm sorry, but when a wrathful ghost says things like this, I find it more laughable than scary:
“Good riddance! Her tallness, her womanliness, her pretty long blond hair and green eyes and fancy leather purse and long eyelashes and full lips—she makes me sick; doesn’t she make you sick? People like her, they always whine about life’s unfairness. Look at them! Death—that’s what’s unfair.”
This really isn't a horror book, and I don't even think readers who barely read horror would get scared. There's only a few shiver-inducing moments, and even those were tame. What this is is an atmospheric paranormal mystery, and I must say the author did a fantastic job at describing the atmosphere - at really making me feel the cold inside the house and frightened along with Kelsea.
Another problem I had was with the mini romance. When Kelsea arrived in West Virginia, she was greeted by her lawyer who helped her get settled in, and the minute Kelsea laid eyes on James she was awestruck by his good looks. It also just didn't seem very professional that the two entered into a relationship when he was her lawyer and she was his client.
“He stuck out a hand, and she shook it. His grip was firm and cool. She was embarrassed to find herself caught in his soft blue eyes for a few seconds longer than was polite. She looked away and blushed.”
I mean, this is a full grown woman and she's blushing just from shaking his hand? *shakes head*
I really liked the twists at the end that caught me by surprise and how crazy things got after the final reveal. If not a bit cheesy at times, Little One was still a quick, creepy, and satisfying read. I would recommend it to people who are in the mood for some early shivery autumnal vibes....more
This manga series couldn't have been brought to a better end. What a wild, exciting, and captivating ride! This is easily the best graphic novel serieThis manga series couldn't have been brought to a better end. What a wild, exciting, and captivating ride! This is easily the best graphic novel series I've ever read - full of lovable characters like Matsudo, the greatest detective ever, L, and even the annoyingly adorable Misa. The protagonist was magnificent; Light walked the line between good and evil. He was a "morally gray" character to the core.
This series is seriously a work of art, with one of the best plots I've ever read, both inside the graphic novel genre and out. Well done, Tsugumi Ohba....more
Oh my goodness. That synopsis actually made my heart pound.
All the women in Iris and Malina's family are born with a gleam—a unique way of manipulatinOh my goodness. That synopsis actually made my heart pound.
All the women in Iris and Malina's family are born with a gleam—a unique way of manipulating beauty through magic.
I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover but I'm judging so hard right now. "A bewitching duology about the power of love, death, magic, and the many faces of beauty"? Um, give it to me now, please.
To save each other, they must untangle a thousand years of lies and reveal their own hurtful secrets.
While the positive reviews for And the Trees Crept In have been rolling in for the past few months, I'm left wondering, What did I miss? What a totallWhile the positive reviews for And the Trees Crept In have been rolling in for the past few months, I'm left wondering, What did I miss? What a totally random, poorly written book.
The cover is unbelievably stunning and the premise sounds so intriguing: It follows Silla and Nori, two sisters who move into their aunt Cath's spooky old manor. But Silla can't help feeling like the woods outside the house are creeping closer—and then there's the story about the Creeper Man in the woods.
The beginning actually wasn't that bad, but after a few chapters I started to realize what a bunch of nonsense this book consisted of. I think the author was going for an artsy writing style, but it seriously made me feel dizzy to read.
It was full of bold text, diary entries, • the main character • loved to make • random lists ALL CAPS CAME OUT OF NOWHERE,
sudden font changes,
and random words were in italics for no apparent reason.
^If you got a headache trying to read that sentence, then imagine a whole book written like that. I know the artsy style appeals to a lot of people, but it felt like a painful, rambling mess to me. It seems like authors who want to appear "different" these days will just change their book's format, when it doesn't actually do anything to enhance the story. Oh, I'll just add some bold text there—voilà! Instant originality!
The plot was confusing and unintelligible. One minute Silla was worried about her sister, the next a random boy showed up in the garden, her aunt Cath was nowhere to be found, and Silla couldn't seem to eat food. Plus, it seems kind of logical that if you're living in a haunted house near some cursed woods, you should just, like, leave the house. Instead, there was a whole lot of drama when the characters could have taken the easy way out.
And then there's the romance. Ugh, it was so cringy and cliché between two starry eyed teens. I felt nothing between them. After barely knowing each other Gowan was telling Silla "I love you." I just couldn't bring myself to care about their instalove relationship.
The summary sells this book as "achingly beautiful" with "chilling language that delivers haunting scenes." I disagree. I thought the writing was nonsensical, inexperienced, and unenjoyable. The "suspense" was laughable. This was a weak mystery at best; not a horror novel....more
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