Carries Book Reviews

Little Killers A to Z: An Alphabet of Horror by Howard Odentz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Little Killers A to Z: An Alphabet of Horror is a collection of short stories all in the horror genre that feature children. The book contains twenty six tales of terror that each start with a different letter in the alphabet for the names of the children from Andy to Zina.

As with any short story collection there were a lot I absolutely loved and a few that I didn’t quite care as much for. But most of this collection was really good so I decided to give the overall book four stars. The stories vary all throughout and I thought the author did a great job giving them a lot of variety so I didn’t feel I was reading the same things over and over.

Each of these contain some certainly creepy kids which gives the book it’s own distinct feel to it. With anything from psychopaths, monsters, and murderers there are sure to be something in here for any fan of horror to love.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shift by Sidney Bristol
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Shift is the second book in the Hot Rides series by Sidney Bristol. The first book in the series, Drive, centered around the couple Aiden and Madison and introduced readers to this group that works out of a classic car garage that is a front for an FBI operation. Shift now picks up the story a couple months after the end of the first book and centers around Tori and Emery so even if you haven’t read the first in the series this one would read find as a standalone novel.

Tori Chazov works as a mechanic in the garage that is a front for this FBI operation and Emery Martin is the tech genius for the group. Tori and Emery have a bit of chemistry between this somewhat mismatched couple but then they end up working together when it’s found out that there is a vicious Russian hit squad is on the way to Miami to take Tori out for good.

I actually did read Drive and rather enjoyed that book. You have a high speed romantic suspense novel that was completely action packed with a rather fun couple. However, with Shift I found that while the action still appeared in the story it got off to a rather slow start for me.

I’d say with this installment of the series I just never fully connected because I really couldn’t get myself attached to the romance between Tori and Emery. I liked Tori well enough with her toughness in the first book and also in this one but Emery just really didn’t appeal to me as much as a character. The start of the story it seemed he was barely one step above a cave man with his one word or even no response at all during times Tori interacted with him. Not much of a turn on in my opinion.

Overall, I’d rate this second book of the series 2.5 stars unfortunately. Not as big of a fan of the romance in this one. Still full of action and hot rides though so I’d probably continue on the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Carver
Jacob Devlin
Published by: Blaze Publishing
Publication date: July 19th 2016
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

THE GIRL IN THE RED HOOD has been looking for her mother for six months, searching from the depths of New York’s subways to the heights of its skyscrapers . . .

THE PRINCE looks like he’s from another time entirely, or maybe he’s just too good at his job at Ye Old Renaissance Faire . . .

THE ACTRESS is lighting up Hollywood Boulevard with her spellbinding and strikingly convincing portrayal of a famous fairy. Her name may be big, but her secrets barely fit in one world . . .

Fifteen-year-old Crescenzo never would have believed his father’s carvings were anything more than “stupid toys.” All he knows is a boring life in an ordinary Virginia suburb, from which his mother and his best friend have been missing for years. When his father disappears next, all Crescenzo has left is his goofy neighbor, Pietro, who believes he’s really Peter Pan and that Crescenzo is the son of Pinocchio. What’s more: Pietro insists that they can find their loved ones by looking to the strange collection of wooden figurines Crescenzo’s father left behind.

With Pietro’s help, Crescenzo sets off on an adventure to unite the real life counterparts to his figurines. It’s enough of a shock that they’re actually real, but the night he meets the Girl in the Red Hood, dark truths burst from the past. Suddenly, Crescenzo is tangled in a nightmare where magic mirrors and evil queens rule, and where everyone he loves is running out of time.

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The #roadtripwithpeterpan has begun! THE CARVER is a young adult fairy tale retelling that takes you on a road trip with an adult Peter Pan as he and the children of some of your favorite characters. Together, they must find out

what happened to their missing family members as secrets of the old world and new are revealed, with only Pinocchio’s carvings to guide the way. You can get your copy of THE CARVER by Jacob Devlin on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

EXCERPT:

“Welcome to Sirenetta’s Diner, gentlemen. You boys ever dined here before?”

Liam cut right to the chase. “Are you Mr. Bellamy?”

The man’s face fell into a tight frown, but Crescenzo assumed by the figurine that the frown was just his natural expression. “I am he. The Lord of the Diner.”

“Violet sent us,” Crescenzo said.

“Mm. You mean Heather, yes?”

“Sure?” Crescenzo was still trying to figure out the rule on what he should be calling the Old World people. He supposed Pietro would forever be Pietro to him and he understood why he needed the new name, but he didn’t feel that somebody like Violet, who wasn’t a part of any story Crescenzo had heard before, needed an alias.

Mr. Bellamy plopped two brunch menus in front of Liam and Crescenzo and poured them each a cup of coffee, to Crescenzo’s dismay. Then the old man leaned over the counter and furrowed his eyebrows. In a tense whisper, he said, “Your presence brings ruin to my happy New World life! Where you go, trouble will surely follow. Now, what can I serve you this morning?”

Author Bio:

When Jacob Devlin was four years old, he would lounge around in Batman pajamas and make semi-autobiographical picture books about an adventurous python named Jake the Snake. Eventually, he traded his favorite blue crayon for a black pen, and he never put it down. When not reading or writing, Jacob loves practicing his Italian, watching stand-up comedy, going deaf at rock concerts, and geeking out at comic book conventions. He does most of these things in southern Arizona.

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About the Publisher:

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Get ready to give up your time to THE SURRENDERED by Case Maynard–a young adult dystopian sure to suck you in further to with every page! Want to be a part of this new release? You can sign up for the Facebook parties, blog tours, or to review. The #taxonkids is coming!

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Lost in Wonderland by Nicky Peacock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kayla now goes by the name of Mouse and has found herself a home in Wonderland. But this isn’t the Wonderland that we know, it’s the name of a group of highly trained vigilantes who hunt serial killers, run by ex-government agents and funded by an eccentric Silicon Valley billionaire. Mouse works alongside her fellow Wonderlanders, Rabbit and Cheshire, baiting dangerous murderers.

As dangerous as Mouse’s life is she’s completely unprepared to face her own brother when he shows up. Shilo has spent most of his life in an insane asylum convinced his mother was abducted by a monster and now that monster is after his family again. Mouse is used to human killers that are monster but is a bit hesitant to believe Shilo that there are real monsters out there.

Lost in Wonderland is a retelling but one that is the type that I personally enjoy when it borrows a few things from the original to make you remember but goes off on it’s own path. This definitely went way off the path bringing serial killers into the mix and turning this into a rather dark Wonderland but I quite enjoyed the originality.

The feel of the book stays true to the original story of Wonderland. The characters had their rather eccentric feel and the book could go into a bit of weirdness here and there but it just felt right and kept the feel you’d expect even with a whole new story line.

Overall, great job coming up with a whole new twisted version of a classic story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Destiny’s Chance by Cara Bristol
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Destiny Grable wakes in the hospital to find that she has been in an accident and that her friend that had been with her didn’t make it. Destiny can’t figure out though why Chase is there with her in the hospital since he was her friends ex-boyfriend and roommate and just where is her family if she’s all banged up and hurt?

As soon as Destiny gets to a mirror she is in for a major shock. The face looking back at her is not her own but that of her friend. To avoid ending up being locked in the psyche ward of the hospital Destiny takes on the identity of her friend and leaves the hospital with Chase. Finding herself living with Chase as she figures out what to do Destiny still harbors a secret crush on Chase that she never followed up on since he had gone out with her friend.

Destiny’s Chance is one of those reads that I was a bit back and forth on while I was reading it. The synopsis for this one was a bit vague and I found some things I ended up not particularly caring for while I also found some that I really liked.

First, I did enjoy the writing in this one and the overall plot. The idea of waking up and finding yourself in another body isn’t a totally new one but it was still interesting to read about though. Also, Destiny’s sister has some psychic abilities which was also a nice add to the story.

However, while the idea that Destiny wakes up and finds herself living with Chase that she’s had a crush on and them starting this steamy relationship sounds somewhat appealing it was kind of also a turn off to think that this is her friend’s guy that she’s beginning a relationship with while being in her friend’s body. Girl Code seemed to apply before the accident but flew out the window afterwards. I think maybe I would have just preferred a set up where it wasn’t her good friend’s ex.

Overall, I decided to give this one 3.5 stars. Good writing just not a personal preference to the prior relationship dynamic.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.