Creepy Review Mash-Up | The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma and Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom.

Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries…

What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?

In prose that sings from line to line, Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and of innocence, and of what happens when one is mistaken for the other. 


This was quite a creepy read. I had no idea what to expect going into this book and I still didn't have any idea what was going on until about halfway into it. Everything about this book was just "pretty good". I didn't connect to the characters at all, really, which took away from my enjoyment of this quite a bit. I was a bit bored at the beginning, not to the point where I had to force myself to keep reading, but I kept reading because I didn't really have anything else to do. I was like "I guess I'll keep reading. Why not."

3/5 stars

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

'It came from the woods. Most strange things do.'

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there...

To start off, I really loved the concept of this story. I had heard about it from Ariel Bissett and seen it at Barnes and Noble a few times, but I'm always hesitant when it comes to buying graphic novel type books because, well, they're expensive. So I was delighted to see that my library had one on hand.

Each story was completely unique except they all contained one similarity, woods. The woods played a part in every story (as far as I remember) which served to add to the creepiness factor. I definitely liked some stories more than others, I think A Lady's Hands are Cold was my favorite, but I enjoyed them all to a certain extent. If you're looking for a quick, yet creepy read, then you should definitely pick this up.

4/5 stars

Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal

Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal

It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm.

Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings... 


This was truly one of the most original stories I have ever read. It's a modern day fairy tale unlike any I have heard before. It is narrated by the ghost of Jacob Grimm of the Brother's Grimm. He has been dead for centuries and in that time he has traveled the world learning languages and everything else there is to learn. He was a briliant narrator.

The town, Never Better, is a magical place that truly feels like it should be somewhere far, far away, but is apparently in the American Midwest. In the town, there is a baker who makes the most delicious cakes that people would probably die to eat. Our main character, Jeremy Johnson Johnson, lives and works in a bookstore that only sells two books: the two volumes of his grandfather's autobiography. The ambiance is wonderful; I could imagine myself in the town surrounded by the townspeople, all of whom  are unique and well developed, even the characters that are only mentioned once or twice.

Everything about this book was new and different and I cannot stop thinking about the story. This is now one of my favorite books and I can see myself returning to it's pages for years to come. It was a complete delight.

The Future

So I know this account has been pretty off and on for it's entire life, and I'm sorry for that. But lately I have been reading a lot and I have been giving a lot of thought to this review blog thing. I've decided that I'm going to start updating it again. I've been reading a lot and I have a lot of reviews and other fun stuff planned. I really want to commit to this project and I am going to try my hardest to maintin this blog and give it the attention it deserves.

Here's to the future!...Again.

Graphic Novel Reviews!

So far in 2015 I have read 6 books out of my goal of 50. That would be impressive, but 4 of those 6 have been graphic novels. That is not bad, I have enjoyed all of the graphic novels, but I hope to read a lot more pages throughout the year. Here I have decided to review those graphic novels, including one from last year: Snowpiercer Vol. 1: The Escape, Miss Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal, Captain Marvel Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More, Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon, and Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits.

Snowpiercer, Vol. 1: The Escape by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette

In a harsh, uncompromisingly cold future where Earth has succumbed to treacherously low temperatures, the last remaining members of humanity travel on a train while the outside world remains encased in ice. 

The surviving community are not without a social hierarchy; those that travel at the front of the train live in relative luxury whilst those unfortunate enough to be at the rear remain clustered like cattle in claustrophobic darkness. Yet, things are about to change aboard the train as passengers become disgruntled... 

First of all, the film was my third favorite of the year (behind Only Lovers Left Alive and Interstellar). I didn't want to compare this to the film but of course I found myself doing just that. In the end, I don't think that affected my rating too much.

I love fast paced books and graphic novels, but I think this was almost too fast. It felt like the author skipped a few scenes and because of that I was wondering how we jumped from one place to another. I also didn't care much for the characters.

The film's ending was much better than the graphic novel in my opinion. They were significantly different and I'm not sure I liked this one very much.

This review feels jumbled and sounds like nonsense and that's because I have such mixed feelings. In summary: I loved the art and the plot, but the execution and the characters I did not like. 

My Rating: 3/5 stars

Miss Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her new-found powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York! 

This is clearly a very unique and groundbreaking graphic novel. A female superhero, no, a Muslim female superhero. Kamala Khan really is an ordinary teenager who idolizes Carol Danvers (more on her in the next review). She gets powers one day and really has no idea what to do.

What I loved about Kamala Khan was that the didn't really use violence in any way, she just tried to help people and solve problems while not really fighting crime or a huge villain. She kept her personality the same but grew stronger as a person. I enjoyed everything about this story and the art, it was fantastic overall.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Captain Marvel Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David Lopez

Hero! Pilot! Avenger! Captain Marvel, Earth's Mightiest Hero with an attitude to match, is back and launching headfirst into an all-new ongoing adventure! As Captain Marvel, a.k.a. Carol Danvers, comes to a crossroads with a new life and new romance, she makes a dramatic decision that will alter the course of her life - and the entire Marvel Universe - in the months to come. But as Carol takes on a mission to return an alien girl to her homeworld, she lands in the middle of an uprising against the Galactic Alliance! Investigating the forced resettlement of Rocket Girl's people, Carol discovers that she has a history with the man behind the plot. But when the bad guy tries to blackmail Carol and turn the Avengers against her, it's payback time! Guest-starring the Guardians of the Galaxy!

Let's be honest, I knew nothing about Carol Danvers until I read this. I heard Marvel will be releasing a film with her in 2018 and I figured I should learn a few things about her. I thought this might be a good place to start because this is the newest collection of Captain Marvel, but I think I might have been wrong. 

After reading this, I still don't know much about her other than she lives in the Statue of Liberty, she loves Star Wars, and she loves cats. That's really not enough for me to judge her as a character. I want to know how she got her powers (I do know a little bit about this after doing some research) and I want to know how long she has had them. I will be reading Kelly Sue DeConnick's other Captain Marvel graphic novels as soon as I can get my hands on them.

But let's talk about what was said in this novel. Near the beginning, she teams up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to go on a pretty cool mission. After the Guardians make their exit, I really didn't care about the story anymore. Sure, Carol is a pretty cool person, but I shouldn't be waiting for side characters to come back to make the story better. I hope the next volumes I pick up will be better. 

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon & Vol. 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction and David Aja 

The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster Avengers film, Clint Barton - aka the self-made hero Hawkeye - fights for justice! With ex-Young Avenger Kate Bishop by his side, he's out to prove himself as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes! SHIELD recruits Clint to intercept a packet of incriminating evidence - before he becomes the most wanted man in the world. You won't believe what is on The Tape! What is the Vagabond Code? Matt Fraction pens a Hawkeye thriller that spans the globe...and the darkest parts of Hawkeye's mind. Barton and Bishop mean double the Hawkeye and double the trouble...and stealing from the rich never looked so good.

Wow. Out of all of the graphic novels in this batch, these two were definitely my favorites. I didn't know much about Hawkeye because he has pretty much no screen time in any of the Marvel movies. He is a great character. He has a very funny attitude and an interesting story outside of the Avengers. I would not be opposed to a Hawkeye movie. 

In these graphic novels, you get to see what Clint Barton does in his "free time", which is really just when he is away from the Avengers. He doesn't have free time, he is always finding some way to get himself in trouble whether it be with the gang that owns his apartment building or a super-villain trying to buy a secret video tape. 

Overall, Clint is a very interesting character with great wit and a big, if sometimes questionable, heart. I wasn't sure if I would like the art when I first flipped through, but I ended up loving it. I will be buying the rest of the novels in this series. I can't wait to read about Hawkeye's next adventure.

My Rating for both: 5/5 stars

New Year, New Reading Goals

Hello all and welcome to 2015!

2014 was a fantastic year to me but it seems like most other people hated it, so we will move on quickly.

2015 Goodreads Goal
Read 50 books. As of writing this list, I have read 4 (of course, three have been graphic novels). My goal last year was 52, which got lowered to 35 and then bumped back up to 40. I ended the year having read 42.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2015
This is a challenge I found while Googling reading challenges in December. It is a list of 50 challenges to complete this year. I have put each challenge in a jar and I pick one out whenever I don't know what to read. I won't be very upset if I don't complete this, but I hope to complete about 30. Also, I will allow myself to use one book for more than one challenge.

Click HERE if you want to see the list (links to PopSugar).

TBR Pile Reduction
I have seen a #0by16 thing on YouTube and Twitter and the goal is to have zero books on your TBR pile by January, 2016. Seeing as I had 111 books on my TBR at the beginning of the year, this is pretty much impossible. The goal I have decided on for myself is to reduce that pile by half. (This number does not include Kindle ebooks.) So by January 1, 2016 I will (hopefully) have only 55-56 unread books. This will mean carefully limiting the amount of books I buy and managing my time more wisely to read more. I would love to have less than this number but I'll just start with this.

Big Books
I have challenges myself to read 10 books over 400 pages this year. This challenge is monitored by a Goodreads group you can see HERE.

I think that's about all of them. As always, you can keep track of how I'm doing in the Challenges tab.

Have a great year!!

Blogging is Hard

Hello. I'm Sydney. You might remember that from a few months or years ago.

What can I say? I'm sorry, I really am. I REALLY do want to maintain this blog and I am going to try again. I'm not going to make any promises in this one. I will be posting some reviews soon.

If you're still here after this long, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I hope you will stick around a little longer.

See ya,

Sydney

Hello All!

Remember when I used to post reviews on this blog? What, no? We, me neither. My point is, it's been a long time. Too long. I just wanted to say that I will be writing a few reviews soon and posting them. They will include:
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Panic by Lauren Oliver
Half Bad by Sally Green
Pretenders by Lisi Harrison
The Beginning of Everything by Robin Schneider
and
Obsidian and Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Just a small update: My reading goal fort his year is 52 books. So far I have read 18, putting me 2 books ahead. I think it is safe to say that I have enjoyed most of them overall.

Also, this blog is under maintenance. I need to update quite a few things. Please stand by.