Category Archives: Paranormal

Review: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Book Review and Content, Historical, Paranormal, , , , , ,

In the Shadow of Blackbirds
Cat Winters
Amulet Books
Published April 2, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After Mary Shelley’s father’s arrest as a traitor, Mary Shelley flees to her aunt’s home in southern California. There she hopes to find safety from the ugliness of war and the Spanish Influenza epidemic. When Mary Shelley arrives, she learns the flu epidemic is as alive and dangerous as it was in her Oregon hometown. She also discovers her childhood sweetheart, now a US soldier, apparently missing.

With so many families grieving loved ones lost to war or disease, many people turn to Spiritualism, seeking help from famed photographer who claims to capture spirits of dearly departed in his portraits of the living. Mary Shelley’s aunt presses her into sitting for a portrait. The foggy image of Stephen, her love and missing soldier appears with her in the photograph, shocking Mary Shelley. Soon after, Stephen’s ghost visits her, clearly frightened and disturbed. Refusing to accept the public story of his death, Mary Shelley vows to uncover the truth about Stephen’s death and find some way to help him rest in peace.

While the story brings to life an important period in American history, capturing the desperation of World War I and the fear of the flu epidemic, some of the other elements seems almost at war with themselves. Mary Shelley feels devoted to science and scientific understanding. She staunchly believes that the spiritualism craze is bogus and full of dishonest vendors taking advantage of families of war and flu victims.

She decries both the séance and the photographs of her with spirits, yet firmly believes in the encounters she has with Stephen’s ghost, and never really explores why she believes one and not the others, or whether other people may be able to contact spirits. Some of the scenes in which Stephen’s ghost visits Mary Shelley leave her longing for him and yet I found them creepy. I found it difficult to understand her fascination and longing for him, though her desire to see him at peace seemed noble.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild and infrequent.

Sexual Content
Mary Shelley experiences a visit from her lost love at night. The two grieve that they never had the opportunity to consummate their affection for one another, and begin to make out. No clothes are removed, but it’s a pretty intense scene.

Spiritual Content
During the early 1900s, many people were fascinated with contacting spirits of the dead. Mary Shelley participates in a séance, which she believes a hoax, until the ghost of her former lover contacts her. She sits for a photographer who claims to reveal spirits in his photographs. She does not believe in the authenticity of his practice. Still, she remains convinced that the ghost of Stephen will not be at rest until she understands how he died.

Violence
Brief references to a young man beating his brother. Many references to flu victims and their symptoms. Mary Shelley visits a veterans’ hospital and speaks with soldiers there. Various injuries are briefly described.

Drug Content
Mary Shelley hears rumors that Stephen’s brother is an opium addict.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Save

Save

Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Book Review and Content, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)
Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published March 25, 2008

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Clary just needs a little normal. Her days are filled with hospital visits to her mother, who is still trapped in a self-induced coma and with avoiding Jace, since their romance is now doomed by the fact that he is actually her brother. Jace wrestles with not only Clary’s addition to his family, but also in the identity of his father, Valentine, who seeks to destroy the only world Jace knows. But Jace may be expelled from the Shadowhunter world even before Valentine has a chance to make his move when a powerful leader questions Jace’s loyalty and isolates him from his adopted family. As Valentine gathers evil forces to him in an attempt to build an army that will destroy Shadowhunters and mythical creatures alike, Clary, Jace, and their friends frantically search for the key to his plan in time to unravel the whole thing.

Filled with the same snappy dialogue and wittiness as the series opener, City of Bones, this novel is wildly entertaining. Though a few of the plot turns are a little too conveniently accepted by the characters, overall City of Ashes is packed with the unexpected twists and unforgettable characters fans of Cassandra Clare have come to expect from her work.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate but infrequent.

Sexual Content
Clary and Simon explore their new identity as boyfriend and girlfriend. They discuss sex and go to bed together, but very few details are given. Clary and Jace still experience intense attraction toward one another despite Valentine’s claim that both are his children and therefore brother and sister. They smooch a few times, and realize that their relationship can’t be understood by anyone else because it would be considered incest. Is it too convenient that they never really doubt Valentine’s claims?  Also, Jace’s close friend Alec becomes romantically involved with an older man/wizard, Magnus Bane. Nothing much happens between the two on camera beyond some longing looks and a wordless argument.

Spiritual Content
Shadowhunters are supposed to be the descendants of angels and are charged with keeping peace on earth and killing demons. No real mention of God or spirituality much beyond the lore about angels.

Violence
Valentine gathers a demon army to himself and destroys anyone who stands against him. Battle scenes are scattered throughout the story and though often brief do contain a few harsh descriptions.

Drug Content
No recreational drug content.

Save

Save

Review: Primetime Charity Anthology by Curiosity Quills Authors

Book Review and Content, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, New Adult 18up, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Primetime
Curiosity Quills
Published October 7, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A crow with a taste for blood, a computer playing a deadly game, a terrifying Mothman, and a killer refrigerator, among many other bizarre and frightening villains feature in these dark, suspenseful short stories. An unlikely team of heroes includes a zombie and son of a witch. On a devastated planet, a young princess fights for her life, seeking hope for her people. A man whose bodily functions elicit a broad range of powerful emotions begs for death before his anger-inciting burps cause the world to destroy itself. A struggling “ghost-relocation expert” makes a deal with a murder victim only to discover he’s made a deal with something else entirely.

Some of the stories are simple suspenseful fun, while others flirt with a deeper darkness, exploring the minds of murderers and sexual predators. A few feature characters from full-length novels, no doubt hoping to pique the reader’s interest. Most compelling in this vein is the story of the Beggar Princess and her desperate resistance against powerful enemies who would destroy her people and home by titled “The Last Carnivale” by Vicki Keire. “Trevor,” the story of a bored spaceship computer who wreaks havoc on its crew was another highly enjoyable tale, though a little dark.

It should also be noted that 10% of the proceeds from this collection and its sister collection titled After Dark, will be donated to selected No-Kill shelters across the USA.

Language Content
Severe; moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
In one story a man briefly confesses to abuse committed on him by his mother. He makes love to a woman he has just met. The scene is brief and includes some sensual descriptions. A woman discusses falling in love with and sharing an intimate relationship with another young woman. In another story, a terminally ill prostitute recounts his life, beginning with abuse at the hands of a church leader. Details are brief. Other stories reference sex or characters off-scene who are having sex, but do not describe the events in detail.

Spiritual Content
In one story a group of unlikely heroes must recover a stolen religious symbol which contains power of both Heaven and Hell before forces of either side can get their hands on it. A demon and angel emerge as characters but without the context of much Christian doctrine, and neither side is seen as good. Another story features characters who sense ghosts and ghostly presences. In still another story the protagonist finds himself surrounded by friends and acquaintances who’ve departed before him. He wonders, as the crowd contains those who’ve helped and who’ve hurt him, whether he is in Heaven or Hell.

Violence
Several stories feature fierce attacks against protagonists, though most are brief with regard to details and only some are deadly. One story features a computer as its mass killer. Two stories reveal the identities of serial killers and describes the death of the latest victims. In one story, the victims are mutilated (details are brief, and bodies are discovered by police, so there is no little description of what happened to the victims at the hands of the killer.) Two stories feature characters who commit suicide.

Drug Content
At least one story delves into cocaine addiction, and a character overdoses on illegal drugs in a suicide attempt.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Save

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)
Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published March 27, 2007

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When fifteen-year-old Clary witnesses a murder, she is determined to find out what’s happening. Unfortunately, she’s the only person who can see the perpetrators and the victim literally disappeared post-mortem. As she tries to reconcile herself to the strange happenings, she encounters one of the vicious youths again, only to discover that he belongs to an elite and mysterious group called Shadowhunters who protect ordinary mortals (which they call mundies, or mundanes) from demons. What they still aren’t sure about is why Clary can see them.

Before they can figure it out, however, Clary’s mother is kidnapped, and Clary is wounded by a poisonous demon. Jace, Clary’s newfound demon-hunting friend rescues her and brings her back to the Institute. There Clary learns about the history of Shadowhunters and about the ruthless former Shadowhunter who will torture her mother until she reveals the location of the Mortal Cup. The only way to stop him is to find the Cup first, but the location is buried in memories Clary has been forced to forget. Jace and Clary set out in a race to unlock her memories and find the Cup before it’s too late.

In a series opener that’s tough to put down, Clare introduces a hidden world within the familiar landscape of New York City. The story rockets off to a quick start, leaving readers scrambling to turn pages. Snappy dialogue and imaginative creatures spring from nearly every scene. There were a few moments in which characters’ behavior was a little incongruous with the rest of Clare’s descriptions of them, but overall, this is a high-action story of drama and heart worth the time it takes to cross from cover to cover.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate/infrequent.

Sexual Content
Clary battles a strong attraction to the mysterious Jace, and the two share a couple of intense lip-locked moments, but nothing beyond that physically.

Spiritual Content
Clary and Jace briefly discuss whether Jace believes in God. After all, the existence of Shadowhunters is based on a story involving an angel, and they have been tasked with killing demons. Jace doesn’t think this adds up to the existence of real angels, demons, or God.

Violence
One expects a bit of violence in a book about hunting demons, and Clare doesn’t disappoint. Clary and her newfound allies face no shortage of monsters, and a few are not so pretty, but over-all fairly brief in description of their dispatch.

Drug Content
For her birthday, Clary visits a Goth club known for access to drugs and alcohol. She and her best friend Simon do not participate in these activities. At a party filled with supernatural guests, Simon ingests a strange drink with rather catastrophic results.

Save

Save

Save

Review: Haunters by Thomas Taylor

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Haunters
Thomas Taylor
Chicken House Publishers
Published May 28, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

After his father’s death, David began to dream of strange things. He visits a boy in 1940s London, and though David knows they are just dreams, his friendship with Eddie feels as real as his waking life. When a forceful team attempt to abduct David from school, he learns there’s more to his dreams than simple sleep. David is one of the gifted Dreamwalkers who can travel to other times and locations during sleep. He appears to others as a ghost, and in fact, that’s how his mysterious dream friend has come to identify him. David teams up with other Dreamwalkers to stop a vicious group called Haunters who use the dreamwalking ability to control and manipulate history. The group’s current target is Eddie, David’s dream friend. With his new allies, David must stop the Haunters from destroying Eddie and ending the Dreamwalker project altogether, but in order to succeed, they will have to defeat the most powerful dreamwalker the team has ever known.

Haunters is peppered with interesting characters and early teen awkwardness as scenes flip back and forth between modern day and World War II ravaged London. Tension mounts as David’s quest becomes more urgent, making this a difficult novel to put down, once one reaches its midpoint. Fans of sci-fi or super-hero stories will enjoy this time-traveling, super-human story, though the title leaves one pondering why the novel is named for its villains rather than its heroes.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
A London girl mistakes the presence of the computer simulation called Misty for an angel.

Violence
Characters from opposing sides clash and attempt to destroy one another’s ability to dreamwalk using a powerful mind attack. One of the Haunters uses a hired hit man to attempt to murder a teenage boy. The boy is wounded, but survives, though his attacker is slain. Very few graphic details.

Drug Content
David takes a pill to allow him to dreamwalk without being disturbed.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Save

Review: The Amazing Adventures of Toby the Trilby

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, ,

The Amazing Adventures of Toby the Trilby
Angela Castillo
CreateSpace Independent
Published October 17, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When an unknown Voice beckons to Toby to leave his home in the caves and seek others on the earth’s surface, Toby can’t help but obey. His caretakers, scientists who’ve created him from a melding of human and cat DNA, pack supplies for Toby and allow him to leave their care. Though the scientists have had no word from earth’s surface for a long time, they prepare him as best they can and respect his desire to choose his own path in life.

On his journey Toby meets many human survivors, many of whom are cruel or mentally damaged in some way. While at the outset of the story, it seems the Voice leads him on some kind of evangelistic mission, Toby’s real quest is to discover somehow whether being born in a test tube means he has a soul or not. In a sort of burning-bush type of meeting with the Voice, he learns the truth of this question.

This is a short, fairly simple story which may appeal to preteens struggling with issues of self-worth and spirituality. The plot develops loosely, leaving some threads unfinished, but Toby’s innocence and compassion are admirable and endearing traits that draw readers into the story and open dialogue about injustice and personal value.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Toby begins a journey outside the caves in which he has lived his life at the request of a Voice he continues to hear throughout the story. He realizes the speaker is God and makes a commitment to follow Him.

Violence
Renegade children surround Toby and threaten to cut off his cat tail. He escapes before they can harm him.

Drug Content
After Toby is injured, he wishes for quick-healing medicine his caretakers provided for him when he lived in the cave.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Save