Book Review | The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

The Girl with All the Gifts is a horror novel from M.R. Carey.

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

I went into this book knowing only that it was being categorized as horror and that it had great reviews. My ignorance to the plot greatly enhanced my enjoyment of The Girl with All the Gifts. It makes writing a review all the more difficult, though. I enjoyed it so, so much, but I can't bring myself to go into detail as to why for fear of spoiling that enjoyment for others. There really is no statute of limitations on spoilers as far as I'm concerned.

What I will tell you is I loved the hell out of this book. The writing, the characters, the tension, the questions, the science, the horror, that thrill you get when you are loving what you are reading. I  have no doubts The Girl with All the Gifts will be high on my list of favorites for the year.

I realize this review is pretty useless as far as recommendations go, but I'm comfortable with asking you to take a chance.

9/10: Highly Recommended

March 16 | Currently Reading

Spring is in the air! After such a gorgeous weekend, I'm not looking forward to a day in the office. Adult responsibilities - who needs them?

Last week was a fantastic reading week. I'd recommend all three of these books.

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

It's Only Death by Lee Thompson

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Astrotwins -- Project Blastoff by Mark Kelly, Martha Freeman

I have no idea what I'm going to read next. I'm still reeling from The Girl with All the Gifts. I'm definitely going to be in a nothing-sounds-good book funk.

What about you? What are you reading this week? Be sure to let me know in the comments or leave me a link!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Journey's It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Book Review | Revival by Stephen King

Revival is the latest horror novel from Stephen King.

A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs -- including Jamie's mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family's horrific loss. In his mid-thirties -- addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate -- Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It's a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Revival was book molasses for me. It took me forever to get through it. It was a good read, but mostly because it was written by Stephen King. There is something about his writing that just feels so darn right. It's a place I love to be.

Unfortunately, my expectations stemmed entirely from this blurb:

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written.

I spent the entire book longing for the end which is never a good sign no matter how you look at it.

But like I said, it was a good read overall. There were some great moments, and I did enjoy the ending once I finally got there. Revival was a better read than Mr. Mercedes, too, so there's that if you were wondering.

If you are behind on your Stephen King catalog, this probably isn't one you need to pick up right away, but I think any Stephen King fan will read this for the obvious reason.

6/10: Good Read

What are your thoughts on Revival? Have you read it? Are you a Stephen King or a horror fan? I think I would have been better off not having read the blurb on this one.

On My Wishlist {7}

My wishlist may start exploding while I catch up around here. As for now, only a few books have really caught my eye recently.

Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn

From indie horror author and bestselling sensation Ania Ahlborn, this brand-new supernatural thriller questions: how far would you go for success, and what would you be capable of if the promise of forever was real?

With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed up crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback. So when he’s promised exclusive access to notorious cult leader and death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the opportunity is too good to pass up. Lucas leaves New York for the scene of the crime—a split-level farmhouse on the gray-sanded beach of Washington State—a house whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb’s diviners; runaways who, thirty years prior, were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. Lucas wants to tell the real story of Halcomb’s faithful departed, but when Halcomb goes back on his promise of granting Lucas exclusive information on the case, he’s left to put the story together on his own. Except he is not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life…and within these walls, they’re far from dead.

After reading and loving Seed [my review], I really need to catch up on Ania Ahlborn's works. I can't believe I haven't read another of her books. It's shameful really.

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Katie by Michael McDowell

When Philo Drax receives a letter from her wealthy grandfather saying he fears for his life at the hands of the vicious Slape family, she rushes to the rescue. But too late! Katie Slape, a monstrous girl with psychic powers and a penchant for smashing skulls with her hammer, has already finished him off and gotten hold of his cash.

Determined to track down the murderers, Philo hunts Katie and her family through the streets of 1860s New York, where the Slapes’ coffers are filling up with money as their cellar fills up with corpses. But going after the Slapes might be the worst decision of Philo’s life, for no one escapes the bashing of Katie’s hammer!

A bloody, action-packed romp, Katie (1982) is a throwback to the exciting and violent “penny dreadfuls” of the Victorian era and features the same brilliant writing as Michael McDowell’s classic horror novels The Elementals and Blackwater.

My God, the reviews for this thing. If I love myself at all, I will read this book.

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With Fury In Hand by Lee Thompson

Over the next seventeen hours, on the unforgiving streets of Flint, Michigan, five people with troubled pasts and uncertain futures will collide in a devastating chain of intertwining events.

Through the eyes of a homeless orphan, a banking executive with disturbing fantasies, an adulterous wife, a young prostitute with a stash of money, and a man trying to leave his criminal days behind, you will witness their pain and feel their loss.

Redemption requires forgiveness, but fury serves no master.

This one probably needs no explanation. (Hint: Lee Thompson.)

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Have you read or are you planning to read any of these? Tell me: what books have recently made it onto your wishlist?

March 2 | Currently Reading

I managed to finish zero books last week. My family got hit with a stomach virus, and I was pretty darn useless most of the week. I did, however, manage to watch copious amounts of the Gilmore Girls.

I know some of you may be thinking Harry Potter.... again? Yes. But this is the first time I'm reading it to my kids so it's a whole new awesome experience.

If I manage to get caught up this week, I may finally start reading The Girl with All the Gifts. We'll see!

What are you reading this week? Have you read anything really fantastic lately? Let me know in the comments or leave me a link!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Journey's It's Monday! What Are You Reading?