"The Haunting of Tabitha Grey" (a terrifying Lexi review)

Dear Reader,

Do you like watching scary things? Maybe just mildly scary? If so, today's book is for you. It's truly not terrifying, but it does have some (maybe) ghosts in it, as well as some creepy twists and turns! It's The Haunting of Tabitha Grey by Vanessa Curtis.

Summary: "Set in a sprawling Victorian manor, a classic ghost story with a stunning twist

I look up at the dark, unblinking eyes of the house and I get the weirdest feeling . . . It's the feeling of being pulled into something and being unable to stop it happening . . .Tabitha is used to changing schools and moving to different houses. But when her family moves into Weston Manor, something is different. It's as if the house has been waiting for her. There are lavender smells which come from nowhere, the old servants' bells ring in the night, and she can hear crying in empty rooms. Tabitha's always been imaginative. Even her best friend Gemma knows that. But this time, could she actually be telling the truth?" (Gracias, Goodreads!)

Okay, so not only does this novel delve into Tabitha's insecurities, especially about seeing ghosts, but also into a damaged family life. I kept waiting for a ghost to attack or the proof of her being insane solidified or just something happening, but I did have to wait awhile. This novel is truly good, just not as creepy as I expected it to be, nor a huge build-up of action. However, the twist in the end is completely worth it!

In Conclusion: Why not?

Rating:

3.5/5 Victorian women


Till next time!

XOXO,
Lexi

"My Daylight Monsters" (a psychotic Lexi review)

Our loving Readers,

You guys rock. You read our posts and show your love, and guess what? We love you, too!

Today's book is still following the October posts of freaky books. I know that it's November, but I was on a roll, people! Today's review is My Daylight Monsters by Sarah Dalton.

Cue "Monsters Under My Bed" by Eminem...

Summary: "I always thought my demons came out in the day, rather than at night. I’ve never been scared of the dark. I’ve only ever been scared of real things: getting ill, having injections, physical pain… death. Those are my monsters, not ghosts or vampires or whatever else can hide under your bed at night. 

I was wrong.

The dark makes everything worse. 

When Mary’s psychiatrist advises a short stay at a psychiatric unit, her worst nightmares are confirmed. How can she get better in a place that fills her with dread? When she meets the other patients, she begins to gather some hope, until she realises that the death toll in the hospital is rising without explanation. Something sinister stalks the corridors and maybe she is the only one who can stop it… 
Mary has to confront the Things that she sees if they are to stand a chance. But will she survive a confrontation with death itself?" (Thank you yet again, Goodreads!)

This girl sees monsters: huge specters of truly terrifying creatures that would scare anybody. You'd expect them to be at night, of course; maybe two a.m. if you believe in "ghost time." However, Mary sees them during the day, in her every day existence. (Could you imagine being in class seeing these things???) So, of course, she voluntarily ends up in a psych ward, makes friends, and starts to notice some hinky things. So is it all in her head, or are these things real?

The characters are realistic, and truly so is the psych ward. First time I've read one this realistic. (I'm totally into novels that involve psych wards, so that's a big deal here.) It's an amazing novel where you can relate to these characters and feel what they're going through.

In Conclusion: This was a book that confuses you yet makes you laugh, and then you wonder about the sanity of these people. It's actually really good, so go read it!

Rating:

5/5 straight-jackets

"The Ghost of Graylock" (a phantom Lexi review)

Ah, Readers,

Today, Ash, my little brother, and I went to Dallas's Fan Days, which is pretty much ComicCon at a different time of the year. Tomorrow, (we did 3-day passes) is taking pictures with Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in "Harry Potter") and John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood, Arrow, Desperate Housewives, etc.)!!!!! We're both so excited!!!!!

Now, to today's book!!! The ghost story called The Ghost of Graylock by Dan Poblocki!!!

Summary: "Does an abandoned asylum hold the key to a frightful haunting?

Everyone's heard the stories about Graylock Hall.

It was meant to be a place of healing - a hospital where children and teenagers with mental disorders would be cared for and perhaps even cured. But something went wrong. Several young patients died under mysterious circumstances. Eventually, the hospital was shut down, the building abandoned and left to rot deep in the woods.

As the new kid in town, Neil Cady wants to see Graylock for himself. Especially since rumor has it that the building is haunted. He's got fresh batteries in his flashlight, a camera to document the adventure, and a new best friend watching his back.

Neil might think he's prepared for what he'll find in the dark and decrepit asylum. But he's certainly not prepared for what follows him home. . . ."

The back story was good, the mystery great, but it was too predictable for me to give a high rating to. It's a good novel, and the characters were okay, but it didn't hit me like the book Project 17 did. These characters weren't really easy for me to relate to, even though I've been in some of the same situations in life. I think that it was a great idea, just not as thoroughly executed like it had the potential to be. I wanted it scarier, more tense, and waaaay creepier for a novel about a haunted (abandoned) asylum.

In Conclusion: Eh, skip it.

Rating:

3/5 ghostly mists

"Severed" (a headless Lexi review)

Hello, Internets People,

This is Alexis, bringing you another great novel to read! Again, because my mind is focused on costumes at the moment, we'll go to this novel: Severed (A Tale of Sleepy Hollow) by Dax Varley!

Summary: "Katrina’s still haunted by her encounter with the Headless Horseman - the night he beckoned to her. Now he has risen again, slashing heads and terrorizing the quiet countryside. 

Her only joy during this dismal darkness comes when Ichabod Crane, a gorgeous young man from Connecticut, moves to Sleepy Hollow and their attraction turns to romance. 

When the Horseman marks Ichabod as his next victim, Katrina, despite dangerous efforts to save him, sees no other choice than for them to flee. 
But the Horseman awaits. Now it’s up to her to sever the horror and alter the Legend of Sleepy Hollow." (Thank you, Goodreads!)

This novel had me hooked. I'm neutral on the usual Sleepy Hollow story, but this one had me absorbing each page as fast as possible. The love story wrapping into the legend (that is much, much creepier in this novel) is wonderful!

I honestly believe that everybody should read this version! The characters and storyline is actually believable, and the mysteries that you try to solve along the way are deeper than you could ever imagine.

In Conclusion: This novel is GREAT!!! READ IT!!!


Rating:

5/5 heads

"Jade Green" (a haunted Lexi review)

Readers,

We're getting closer to October, which means Halloween is coming up! So, in honor of that awesome holiday, this week will consist of freaky books. Today's is Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Summary: "Orphaned fifteen-year-old Judith Sparrow brings two secrets to her uncle's house in South Carolina: one, that her grief-stricken mother died in a madhouse, the other that she has disobeyed the only condition to living in her uncle's home -- nothing green is allowed in the house. 
Judith can't bear to part with the photograph of her mother in its lovely green silk frame. Surely this one small defiance will not jeopardize the happiness she finds in South Carolina -- with a family at last, and new friends, especially Zeke Carey, the miller's son. But Uncle Geoffrey's house holds a secret of its own. And Judith's small picture frame, hidden away at the bottom of her trunk, unleashes a powerful force that seems determined to bring that secret into the open. Or is Judith simply following her mother down the path toward madness?" (Gracias, Goodreads!)

So how would you feel if this disembodied hand started to haunt you? I'm thinking as freaked out as Judith was, but probably even more so. I know I wouldn't be as brave as she is throughout this whole book!

This novel is a nice glimpse into the past, and the creepy parts truly will have you looking over your shoulder!

In Conclusion: It's a good, quick read, so go for it!

Rating:

3.5/5 hands

"Beyond" (a haunted review by Lexi)

Readers,

This creepy novel is awesome. It scares you enough to keep you going on, trying to figure out what the heck is happening. It's called Beyond, and was written by Graham McNamee.

Summary: "Jane is not your typical teen. She and her best friend Lexi call themselves the Creep Sisters. Only Lexi knows why Jane is different from anyone else: Her own shadow seems to pull her into near-fatal accidents. Jane is determined to find out why these terrifying things happen, and to overcome her shadow enemy. Her sleuthing with Lexi connects her own horrors to the secret history of a serial killer." (Oh, Goodreads, what would I do without your wonderfulness?)

This novel was super interesting, and picked up fast. However, there was a drag to it in the middle, and you kinda want it to go faster, to learn more earlier.

In Conclusion: It's a quick read, so why not?

Rating:

3/5 stars