Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil

By Derek Landy

Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are back--just in time to see their whole world turn upside down! While they struggle to protect a known killer from an unstoppable assassin, Valkyrie is on a secret mission of her own. This quest, to prevent her dark and murderous destiny, threatens to take her to the brink of death and beyond. And then the body-snatching Remnants get loose, thousands of twisted souls who possess the living like puppets, and they begin their search for a being powerful enough to lead them. Facing such insurmountable odds, Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Ghastly, and Tanith can trust no one. Not even each other.


Skulduggery Pleasant is by far the darkest book series I’ve ever read. I usually stay clear of horror in all shapes and forms because it tends to get gory and makes me feel nasty inside. Derek Landy though, I just keep coming back to Skulduggery because I love the characters, and the humor. Oh the humor. It’s by far the best part of the series! I laugh out loud at the witty clever and ridiculous things that they say. It’s such a juxtaposed theme: you’ve got horror (legitimate horror mind you) and then you’ve got laugh-so-hard-I cried parts.

This, the 5^th book in the series, was quite a bit darker than I expected, at parts I had to put the book down to just look up and see that the sun was indeed still shining outside. Between Valkyrie trying to figure out how to escape the future that has been foretold for her, figuring out how to capture and stop the Remnants, and just trying to not die this book is action packed to the extreme. The hard thing about reviewing this series is that you don’t want to spoil anything, and the plot is so intertwined it’s almost impossible to talk about it without giving something away! I will say this though: if you like humor and horror, keep on reading Skulduggery. Holy cow is this a great read. Plot. Writing. Characters. Everything is just top notch.

I give it a 4 out of 5

Skulduggery Pleasant 3: The Faceless Ones

By Derek Landy

If you’ve read the previous Skulduggery books then you know what the Faceless Ones are—and if you know what the Faceless Ones are, then you can probably take a wild guess that things in this book are going to get AWFULLY sticky for out skeletal hero and his young sidekick.
If you haven’t read the previous Skulduggery books then what are you doing reading this? Go and read them right now, so that you know what all that stuff in the previous paragraph was about.
Done? Good. So now you’re on tenterhooks too, desperately awaiting the answers to all your questions, and instead you’re going to have to wait to read the book. Sorry about that.

I’ve loved Skulduggery Pleasant since I discovered them a few years ago, and it’s been hard to find copies of the series where I live, so I waited to read this book until I knew I could get the next books. This book had a definite tone dip toward the dark. I was a little discomfited at the major swing toward depressingness that this one made, but thankfully Landy does even it out successfully with his trademark humor. This book isn’t a stand-alone like the other two have been and begins a story arc that you can see going to the dark side of things. It had the same sort of vibe that the show “Supernatural”. In this book Valkyrie and Skulduggery are in the middle of a huge mess. The Faceless ones, gods from another world, are returning to our world. Skulduggery, being Skulduggery, is the only one that sees both sides and tries to stop what is about to happen: the end of the world. It was a great read, and we meet some new people and reunite with some old ones. This book, however, has enough of a cliffhanger that I wouldn’t suggest reading it without having the next book handy. I was dying to know what happened, and I’ll leave it at that. A-maz-ing.

I give it a solid 4 out of 5

Skulduggery Pleasant 4: Dark Days

By Derek Landy

Skulduggery Pleasant is lost on the other side of the portal, with only some evil gods for company. Can he possibly survive? (Yes, all right, he’s already dead. But still.).

I listened to the audiobook of this and I wish I would’ve started out listening to the audiobooks. That narrator, Rupert Degas, is the man. He does all the voices so perfectly, especially Skulduggery. And this one was just…goodness…it was amazing. I loved it so much and Skulduggery is just one of my favorite characters ever. I can’t say much without spoiling the wonderful surprises in this book. Which is probably why I couldn’t find a decent synopsis either (though the one above made me smile as per usual with Landy). Again, this series is taking a definite turn for the darker side of things, but I can’t stop reading it. I love Skulduggery too much to give up, though the next few books will tell whether I finish or not. But this was amazing! Read it!

I give it a 4.25 out of 5

The Thickety: A Path Begins

J. A. White

Hand in hand, the witch's children walked down the empty road.
When Kara Westfall was six years old, her mother was convicted of the worst of all crimes: witchcraft. Years later, Kara and her little brother, Taff, are still shunned by the people of their village, who believe that nothing is more evil than magic . . . except, perhaps, the mysterious forest that covers nearly the entire island. It has many names, this place. Sometimes it is called the Dark Wood, or Sordyr's Realm. But mostly it's called the Thickety.
The black-leaved trees swayed toward Kara and then away, as though beckoning her.
The villagers live in fear of the Thickety and the terrible creatures that live there. But when an unusual bird lures Kara into the forbidden forest, she discovers a strange book with unspeakable powers. A book that might have belonged to her mother.
And that is just the beginning of the story.

This book was one of those that caught my eye and I knew it was a risk to take a chance on a story about witchcraft. Often these sorts of stories tend to run along black magic, pentagrams, and other things that give me the willies. I greatly dislike black magic and stay far away from it in any form. I was leery as I read, seeing that the story was heading in a dangerous direction. Oddly, the line that the author danced around was okay for me. It was a dark story, one that would have frightened (and probably delighted) me as a child. Kara has a complex path to follow in this first book, finding magic and seeing its dangers and delights. The impressive part of the book is that it isn’t really about magic, it’s about choices and who you are deep inside, about the gifts you have and how you choose to use them. I would be comfortable grouping this book into paranormal and horror genres, but for younger readers, and therefore not as freakishly scary as some others that have given me nightmares as an adult (psychological thrillers are terrifying to me). That being said, this makes it difficult to review this book from a content standpoint, because it definitely won’t be for everyone, and will give some kids nightmares. It was reminiscent of books I’ve read about the Salem Witch Trials, like “The Burning Time”. That book was horrifying to me. The nice thing is, this book is so firmly in the fantasy genre, that it makes it less terrifying because it isn’t based on actual events or people. Still, parents be careful with this one, I’d recommend a child that is more mature; preferably at least 14.

I give it a 3.75 out of 5

The Huntsman

By Katherine Pine

When Rose and Snow White are caught in the middle of a political conspiracy, they are separated for their own protection. Snow White fears for Rose’s safety. Rose, however, begins to fear for herself. Isolated and hunted, Rose must rely on Ambrose’s advice to survive. But as her relationship with the enigmatic man deepens, she learns things about her character and desires that should have stayed hidden.

This is the third installment in Katherine Pine’s dark retelling of Snow White. The detail and plot move much faster in this book than the last, though I read the second and third books back to back, so it wasn’t as slow as others have said it was for me. I was perturbed to find out that this wasn’t a trilogy like I first thought, but ended with a cliffhanger in this book. I’m really liking where this is going, Snow White gains a lot of character in this book, and I was rooting for her and (I hope) her love interest. Rose on the other hand is beginning to show her true colors and I was shocked to find that I think she may in fact become the evil queen of the story. The best part about this series is how it twists “Snow White” into something exciting but also true to the original. This is an amazing story and well worth your time if you enjoy retellings with a darker hue (but not too dark, as I abhor horror).

This gets a 4 out of 5

The Mirror

By Katherine Pine

The only thing more dangerous than poison is yourself.

Snow White vowed to protect the men she saved from the woods. Keeping that vow will be difficult when everyone in the kingdom wants her companions dead. To save them and herself, she will have to trust the terrifying man who shadows Rose. But nothing comes without a price, and neither Rose nor Snow White understand the true cost of the mirror’s services until it’s too late.

Okay this series is rather hard to review because I don’t want to give anything away. I’ve been enthralled with this darker retelling of snow white and (I think) Rose Red. It’s pretty amazing the twist that Katherine Pine introduces with a Snow White who is born poisoned and that is why her skin is white and her lips are red and her hair is black. This second installation delves deeper into Rose’s story and of course the relationship between her and Snow White. The Mirror is a freaking creepy dude. I have no idea what his deal is and I’m a little afraid to find out more about him. Needless to say, if you enjoy fairy tale retellings and don’t mind if they’re a little on the horror side this is the story for you. And if you don’t like horror, no worries, I’m a pansy when it comes to horror, but this is just on the line for me for what I can handle, so if I can you can too! The only problem is each installment of this series ends rather abruptly, kind of like a weekly television series with 2 parts, except I don't know how many parts this is meant to have. I though it was just the three, but the third was a cliffhanger as well and to my knowledge another has not yet been written, so if that bothers you you may want to wait for it to be finished. The first story is called Poisoned. 

This gets a 3.75 out of 5

Frankenstein

By Mary Shelly

At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature’s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

An instant bestseller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos; What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with nature?

This is now one of my all-time favorite books. And just as a preface: this book is nothing like any film adaptation of reincarnation you know. None of them come close to the awesomeness of this book. I took a film adaptation class last spring and we delved into not only the adaptations of the film from Whale’s iconic black-and-white adaptation with Boris Karloff to the newest film “I Frankenstein”, but also comic book versions and the original by Mary Shelly.  I think the lead-up to reading the original is part of why I love this book so much. I was totally Frankenstein immersed when I got to the book. This book is about morality as much as it is about monstrosity. I loved the monster’s point of view in the book, and it really points out how kindness and a lack of it can change the course of many lives for better or worse. Also, I think everyone should read a description of what the monster really looks like. It’s much freakier than the green-skinnned square headed Boris Karloff with bolts in his neck. It’s so much more frightening because Victor Frankenstein actually created this creature, he didn’t grave rob body parts, he created it. Part of the horror of it is the fact that Shelly never explained how Victor did it, she just said he did and described the terrible outcome. Wow. Just read this once in your life please! It’s amazing. And while you’re at it, you should at the very least go watch James Whale’s Frankenstein for the beautiful cinematography (even though it’s way different than the book)

This gets a 4.75 out of 5

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch

By Joseph Delaney


For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried—some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive.
Only Thomas Ward is left. He’s the last hope; the last apprentice.
Can Thomas succeed? Will he learn the difference between a benign witch and a malevolent one? Does the Spook’s warning against girls with pointy shoes include Alice? And what will happen if Thomas accidentally frees Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the county?


Soooo...this book was creepy. I guess that's what you get when you pick up a book about spooks huh? Stupid me, but I thought it would be a little more cheerful than that. Basically my gripe is that it had this really gothic undertone (which isn't bad) and seemed to have a theme of self-sacrifice for the greater good. It seemed that while Thomas was learning from the Spook that all the dude was really trying to warn him about was how he would be alone all the time, that people wouldn't like him, but that he was the only one for the job. "Yup, you have to get used to being haunted by gory figures and witches, and wierd supernatural creatures for the rest of your life!" There wasn't a lot of hope in this story, and possessions and what not have always given me the willies. I just have to say the whole pig thing at the end with the butcher was just gross. I'll leave it at that.
There are tons of fans of this 9 (I think) book series, so if anyone out there wants to contradict me please do! I'd like to know someone else's view of the other books. It was a little too much creepy for me. But then again, the scariest I like to get is the movie The Sixth Sense.
2 1/2 out of 5 (for the creepy factor, so add another star and a half for those who like that stuff).

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

By Robert Louis Stevenson

This masterpiece of the duality of good and evil in man’s nature sprang from the darkest recesses of his own unconscious—during a nightmare from which his wife awakened him, alerted by his screams. More than a hundred years later, this tale of the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll and the drug that unleashes his evil, inner persona—the loathsome, twisted Mr. Hyde—has lost none of its ability to shock. Its realistic police-style narrative chillingly relates Jekyll’s desperation as Hyde gains control—and gives voice to our own fears of the violence and evil within us.


So I decided I needed to read a spooky book for Halloween, and I just happened to have this on my shelf with the intent to read it at one point, so I thought what the heck. It was pretty fun to read a book that is so well known without really being well known. All the movies and portrayals of Hyde are wrongo-bongo. I was surprised by this narrative, which is weird because I've grown up knowing about it. It's really creepy in the way it lays bare the part of human nature that just wants to let go and do whatever crosses the mind. It shows what goes wrong when we allow ourselves to tap into those deepest darkest temptations and curiosities. Psycho thriller-esque. Old school style. Good quick read for a scary night.

Wait till Helen Comes

By Mary Downing Hahn


Heather is such a whiny little brat. Always getting Michael and me into trouble. But since our mother married her father, we’re stuck with her…our “poor stepsister” who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire.
But now something terrible has happened. Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home—a girl named Helen who died with her family in a mysterious fire over a hundred years ago. Now her ghost returns to lure children into the pond…to drown! I don’t want to believe in ghosts, but I’ve followed Heather into the graveyard and watched her talk to Helen. And I’m terrified. Not for myself, but for Heather…


Mary Downing Hahn was my favorite author as a kid. I was sort of a ghost story junkie and her books had just the right amount of creepy and weren't ever gory. This book was my favorite and I used to read it at least once a year. I decided to re-read it out of nostalgia, and I found that it is a bit of a low-level book for adults, but I still heartily recomend it for kids in elementary. Especially around this time of year when they might want a good ghost story that will leave them satisfied and a little shivery (but not completely freaked out!) They are great books for not giving nightmares, but delivering satisfaction for your little ghost lovers!

The Vampire's Assistant (#2)

By Darren Shan

Darren Shan was just an ordinary schoolboy - until his visit to the Cirque Du Freak. Now, as he struggles with his new life as a Vampire's Assistant, he tries desperately to resist the one temptation that sickens him, the one thing that can keep him alive. Blood. But destiny is calling... the Wolf Man is waiting.

Okay, so, this book clinched it for me. Read Cirque du Freak? NO! Holy gross, horrific and simply wrong. At the risk of a little spoiler: a kid gets his guts eaten while he is still alive. I was sickened. It was described fully and grotesquely. I guess I asked for it by deciding to read these books. Lots of people like them, but that was just way too much gore and I don’t think that is healthy for kids to be reading. It was just sick pure and simple. It didn’t scare me, it just made me wrinkle my nose is abject disgust. I wouldn’t let a kid within a hundred miles of this book just because it is so violent and nasty. Sheesh, what is the world coming to people?

Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare

By Darren Shan

Darren's best friend, Steve, finds a flier for an illegal freak show, which they sneak out one night to attend. Among acts such as a wolf-man (who bites off the hand of a woman in the audience) and a snake-boy, they see the vampire Mr. Crepsley and his trained poisonous spider. Darren is smitten with the spider and returns to steal her. When Steve is bitten by her, only Mr. Crepsley has an antidote to her poison. But there's a price, and Darren becomes a half vampire, learning the vampire ways, sometimes following the Cirque, and other times joining Mr. Crepsley on secret errands.

I had heard of this series in high school, but was never inclined to read a book about circus freaks. It sounded rather sinister to me. I picked up this book for one reason only, that being, I saw the movie that was released a while back called The Vampire’s Assistant and loved it. It was so fun and interesting, so I thought, why not? I read this first book with the thought of, how strange that this author is writing to a younger audience but seeking to creep-out, gross-out and pretty much scare them to death. I’ve never gotten why people seek ways to scare themselves. I always thought it was rather self-destructive. I hate scary movies. The most scary movie I’ve seen is The Sixth Sense. Well, this first books follows Darren Shan as he goes to a freak show with his best friend, only to steal a poisonous spider from an infamous vampire. The spider ends up biting his friend and the only way the vampire will save him is if Darren becomes his assistant. It was interesting, but a little weird. It ended on a strange shifting ledge. You pretty much have to read the second one if you read the first. But…as I continue to review the second one, you will see why I don’t recommend these books to just anyone.