Starter horror story

The cover of Doll Bones, and the author, Holly Black, had me anticipating a truly creepy story.  It didn't quite deliver.  While it had some creepy moments, it is really more of a coming-of-age story.

Poppy, Zack, and Alice have played wild, made-up adventures using action figures.  They love the world they have created, in which the Queen rules.  The Queen is an antique bone-china doll that is kept locked in a cabinet.  They are almost getting too old, however, to be playing with "dolls."  Zack's dad forces him to quit in the worst way.  Zack, unable to admit what happened, lies about his reasons, and quits the game.  Suddenly, Poppy declairs she has been having dreams about the doll and a girl from whose bones it is made.  The three decide to make a journey to put those bones to rest.  While on the trip, things get creepy as Zack has dreams of the dead girl as well.  Could the doll be haunted?  Will they put the spirit to rest?

I may have like this book more if I hadn't been expecting a scary story.  It really is more about these three friends navigating the changing world of middle-school friendship, with a touch of creepiness.

Scary, full of action

I started reading Lockwood & Co., The Screaming Staircase by Jonathon Stroud after reading a rather disappointing story targeting the same age group, 3rd through 8th grade that was supposed to be "creepy," but fell short. I was expecting this one to be an adventure.  Well, it is not only an adventure, but also quite scary.  So much so, I might not recommend it for young people under fifth grade, unless they are very brave.  It certainly made up for the disappointing prior read.

The story takes place in London, but a London quite different than today.  While the time is undetermined, it is after The Blitz, allows for cars, cabs, and telephones, but seems somehow old-fashioned.  This London has been besieged with "The Problem" for some years now.  The Problem being rampant ghosts.  So many that there is a government agency tasked with dispatching all of them as well as independent agencies.  The best agents for detecting ghosts, it turns out, are children.  As people age, their ability to sense spectors decreases, however, it doesn't decrease their ability to be killed if they are ghost-touched.  The ghosts of England aren't just scary....they are deadly.  

Enter the agency of Lockwood & Co, the only independent agency with no adult overseeing them.  Anthony Lockwood and Lucy Carlyle, go blind into a haunting, much to the anger of their research specialist, George Cubbins, and end up burning down a house.  The ghost of a murdered actress turns out to be much angrier than they anticipated. To save their agency, they agree to spend the night in a house so haunted, the last 3 agents that tried all died. In facing the terrors of this house, they uncover the mystery behind The Source.  The only way to stop a haunting is to destroy The Source.  Can they make it through the night alive?

There are truly frightening images of ghosts, hangings, blood-filled rooms and slaughtered monks.  This book is not for the faint of heart.  However, it is a page-turner....I read it in one day!  And, as the first of a series, there will be more.

Not really so simple

As Simple as It Seems by Sarah Weeks is not really simple at all.  It is compelling and touching in dealing with the life of Verbena and the problems she faces.  

Verbena is growing up in the mountains out east, the only child of parents who dote on her, especially her mom, who sometimes treats her like a baby.  Verbena is not only embarrassed of the way her mom treats her, but, unfortunately, also about how she looks.  Her mother is very obese and Verbena can't stand that classmates laugh at her.  Add to that her trouble reading and terrible vision.... Verbie's problems are very real.

She is hoping for a fabulous summer until she discovers a terrible family secret, that has her worried.  Are her sudden angry reactions a sign that she is like her Uncle Mike?  He was just plain mean, and she has cause to believe she may have closer ties to him than she thought.

Her summer starts rocky when her best friend heads off to camp for the summer.  Enter Pooch, a "low lander" spending time in the house next door.  They become friends, even though Pooch initially believes her to be a ghost.  They both have to face fears and come to grips with their own realities, as well as with the truth of family.

Well-written, engaging, serious, and funny all at the same time.  It truly isn't so simple....

Deeply.....Odd

I took a break from reading young adult literature to read the newest in the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz, called Deeply Odd.  Now, I should preface this review with the fact that, in general, I am not a fan of Koontz.  The exceptions are this series and the Frankenstein series.  

Odd Thomas is the given name of the main character of the series.  He is a barely 20 young man that is quite satisfied to work as a fry cook, oh, and he can see dead people and other supernatural phenomenon.  his "gift" helps him solve murders and sometimes allows him to sense when terrible things will happen.  The books are usually exciting and funny....Elvis and Frank Sinatra have made appearances as well as a ghost dog named Boo.

Unfortunately, I found this book just way too....well.....deep.  There was way too much time spent discussing the nature of evil, of being blue and smooth (don't ask), and moping over his lost love.  Blech.  If you cut out the moping and the deep conversations, it's an exciting story.  Odd gets one of his premonitions that a flashy trucker is intent on murdering children.  He starts a wild chase to find him before it happens.  On the way he meets a mysterious old woman in a limo, crosses into hell, and runs afoul of a Satanic cult!  

I suggest you not start with this book if you haven't read any other of the Odd Thomas books.  Not only will you be lost, this would not give you the best opinion of the series.