YA Slasher Pick: There's Someone Inside Your House

There's Someone Inside Your House
by Stephanie Perkins
Dutton
2018
287 pages
ISBN: 9780525426011

There's a slasher loose in Osborne High School  and more than likely probably someone they see every day. As student bodies begin piling up in their small town in Nebraska, the police investigate all the teens who know each other. The murders don't seem to be connected in any way the police can decipher and they are getting more and more brutal.

Makani is new to town, having just moved from Hawaii to escape a past that is bound to intrude on her present. When she first sees goth boy Ollie, she's in love. The relationship between the two characters make this book special. When Makani is targeted, both Ollie and her grandmother step in to save her life. The killer is nearly apprehended but outruns Ollie (btw, naked Ollie!).

The police are incompetent and Makani and Ollie do more to solve the case and save themselves than anyone else. There are moments of great slasher gore and the book picks up, but so many more moments of promises that are dashed before the reader can enjoy the horror. Makani's BIG secret turns out to be not so big and not so terrifying.

This book doesn't fit the romance genre and it's not horror, maybe horrifying romance? Cover art will sell this one from the shelves and Stephanie Perkins' fans will likely buy it. If you are looking for a solid horror book for teens, this one just doesn't deliver.


Grade 9 and up.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

YA Classic Retelling: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook

Guest Review by Oscar Porras, Library Media Specialist, Ysleta Middle School in El Paso, Texas.
Follow Oscar on Twitter @oporras_LMS

Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook
by Christina Henry
Berkley
2017
304 pages
ISBN:  9780399584022 

From the beloved story from childhood, readers have learned that there is a fierce rivalry between Peter Pan and Hook; however, the author never expounded on how this rivalry began. One story is that Hook was once a Lost Boy who  ran away when he realized that he was too old to be a part of the group. Another story goes that Hook was always a pirate and always Peter's nemesis (think Batman vs. The Joker).

Christina Henry's YA novel is a unique twist on the relationship between the two. Jamie, aka future Captain Hook, is the first boy Peter chooses to join him in Neverland for adventures. They will stay young and be irresponsible forever. This new world holds terrible secrets: there are pirates and beasts of many kinds. Through Jamie's eyes, the reader realizes that the title Lost Boy carries a terrible price. Jamie  has had to bury his fellow Lost Boys when they have died or when they've gone to battle with pirates on the island. Jamie's aging has also started to weigh heavily on him. Although he doesn't physically age, the years are catching up to him. Peter Pan, on the other hand, stays young and reckless often sending his Lost Boys on dangerous adventures without regard for their safety and they are lost on the island.

The book's trajectory follows the path of a falling out between the two boys. Hook realizes that Pan is anything but his best friend and the Lost Boys are mere playthings for Peter discarded in the name of fun. The traditional story features Peter as a jovial child playing tricks on friends and flying children to Neverland to have epic adventures. Henry's Peter is much darker. He is a sociopath with no regard for human life and wholly predictable. This line encompasses the book, "This isn't a wonderful place for boys to play and have adventures and stay young for always. It's a killing place, and we're all just soldiers in Peter's war."

Recommended grade 9 and up. Violence and gore.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I (Pamela Thompson) received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review nor did reviewer Oscar Porras.

Horror Pick: Of Monsters and Madness

Of Monsters and Madness
 by Jessica Verday
Egmont
2014
276 pages
ISBN: 9781606844632

Available September 9,  2014

What others are saying:

"Verday offers a haunting portrait of a lonely, intelligent girl, while serving up gore and abundant references to classic Gothic horror stories. A monstrous mashup . . . inventive and engaging."—Kirkus Reviews
"Verday’s novel is a quick read that hooks readers into the mysterious and gothic atmosphere of Annabel’s Philadelphia. The plot is thrilling . . . . Annabel is a strong character."—School Library Journal
"The result is thoroughly dark and ominous, with a secret romance adding delicious tension."—Booklist
"Lots of good characters and an in-depth plot will keep readers engaged. Pairing classic literature and modern paranormal fiction is very appealing. This novel will provide cross-over appeal to both older teens and adults."—VOYA

My Review:

Madness most magnificent! Jessica Verday takes a vulnerable innocent young lady  and ships her halfway around the world from her home in exotic Siam to the bustling city of Philadelphia--a place she's never been.  Annabel is surrounded by a family she has never known, a creepy house that is both ghostly and Gothic, a strange, demented father, a tall, dark and handsome lab assistant whose cousin is a cad and a thug, and a string of grisly murders that grips the city in terror.

Annabel's maid Maddy is her first friend and confidant. Strange goings-on in the middle of the night cause fright, and Annabel is concerned with her father's weird behavior and strange appearance. The cooks warn Annabel to stay away from her father's lab, but Annabel is curious and suspicious. Annabel has no fear of the dark; she continually seeks out danger in the dark of night. Armed with only a candle and her own strong resolve, she wanders the expanse of the mansion searching for answers.

The mysterious murders continue and this has everyone in Philadelphia on edge. Annabel and Allan share a few fleeting moments, and she realizes that she is deeply, hopelessly in love. The house continues to hide its secrets, until one fatal night when Annabel sees too much.  Discovering her father's secret will change everything. Or will it?

Of Monsters and Madness is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde meets Frankenstein meets Gothic horror meets The Island of Dr. Moreau meets Edgar Allan Poe. Verday seamlessly blends the old with the new and teens will love it! Verday assures readers that there will be a sequel. She writes, "Don't worry! I won't leave you hanging."

Highly, highly recommended for any fan of Poe's works and for those who love a Gothic tale. I truly enjoyed this mash-up, and so will you. Great fun!

Grades 7 and up. Some steamy kisses, some gore. No profanity.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)