Soulless (Heartless #2) by Kelly Martin Review

Hey readers! Late Night-Ethan here again with another awesome book review for you folks. Back in January, I had the great honor of reviewing book one in this incredible series. It touched me in ways I hadn't been touched in a long time. It really changed my outlook on life and was a genuine pleasure to read. Could book two live up to those huge expectations? This time on the chopping block? Soulless by Kelly Martin. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and our author:

Sometimes all the wishing in the world doesn't change the fact that in order to save everyone, you have to destroy yourself.
Sometimes good doesn't always win.
Sometimes choices suck.
Sometimes people don't break their promises
Sometimes the thing we hate the most is the one thing that can save us.
Sometimes...
Sometimes love ruins everything.

     

Kelly Martin

Kelly Martin is the bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and YA romance. She has been married for over ten years and has three rowdy, angelic daughters. When Kelly isn't writing, she loves watching horror gamers on YouTube, even though she is a huge wimp, and drinking white chocolate mochas.

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*****

My Thoughts:

"I sound tired. I am tired. It's like I want it to be over, but I know it won't be. My life, as I knew it before, is gone. I thought I has it bad then? I had no idea. If I could go back, even to last week, I'd be happy. I'm not sure how to even go on from here..."

As I mentioned in my feels-filled review for Heartless, it isn't often that I read a novel that completely changes the way I view the industry. A novel the that fills my being and takes over in a way that I become so immersed into the story that I truly leave reality behind in the midst of its' pages. Kelly Martin absolutely astounded me. I had no idea if she could bring me back into the full swing of emotion again. I should've known better.

Soulless is a literary gem. Never before has a sequel caught my attention in such a way as this one. It's almost as though there are no breaks within the story and rather than a new installment, we're merely receiving a continuation of the first novel. That being said, I'm absolutely going to have to say that this novel is a NO READ unless you read book one. I don't usually say that, but I am beyond passionate that no reader will understand the depth of this series without following Gracen's trials from the beginning.

Let's get started.

Soulless picks up near immediately after the closing of Heartless. For obvious reasons, I can't elaborate too much on the plot of this one, but I can tell you that Martin shines. It takes an author of true talent to continue such a heartwrenching stories with such grace and ferocity as Martin did with Soulless. The plot is fast-paced which makes for a quick read. Much like Heartless, this series is about so much more than what we read on the surface. It's not a flashy, action-filled series, but one that will take you on a psychological road trip from which you won't return the same person as when you started. Much like it's predecessor, there are moment of absolute horror in Soulless so again this one is not recommended for the faint of heart.

There were so many moments when reading Soulless that I had to take a moment to compose myself and my thoughts, It's an extremely hard-hitting novel for so many reasons, but such a worthwhile literary adventure. I have highlighted over twenty extremely hard-hitting passages from this read that have hit me in the feels on so many occasions.

Soulless did an incredible job in continuing with Martin's character development and arcs. As the second novel in the trilogy, she didn't have to introduce many new characters which really gave her time to focus on our main duo or Gracen and Hart. I have to say I've never quite seen character development in such as way as I've seen in this series. Redemption is a huge theme in this series and Martin writes it with an elegance we don't see often enough in contemporary literature. Again, for reasons of spoilers I cannot elaborate too much, but I can assure you that I was not disappointed in any capacity.

In terms of setting, Martin again, hit the nail right on the head. In true New Adult fashion, we're situated at college, complete with the allure, excitement, stress, and ambiance of campus life and living. The first apartment, the libraries, Martin really did an incredible job with keeping her story tied to the new adult setting that one comes to look for in a novel of this genre. 

I'd like to recycle these thoughts from my review of Heartless as they absolutely pertain to my thoughts on the second installment as well:

I'm going to make this a little personal for a moment. I often try to detach myself from the emotions of a novel. Only because I feel that if you relate too closely with the source material when reviewing, it's tends to cause some bias results. I'll be honest, I couldn't help but relate with everything Martin wrote in this incredible story. It's dark, far darker than I ever anticipated from an author with such a bubbly-upbeat personality. It's reflective on so many aspects of my life and I loved every second. It was such a cathartic read for me that I desperately needed. Words are so useful in dispelling the darkness and Martin and this series do an incredible job. I can't say many stories have touched me the way [Soulless] has.
As a member of this book community, I read a whole lot. It's not often I come across a series as special and with as much potential as I have found in Martin's Heartless series. I cannot sing its' praises higher if I tried. It's such a testament to the talent and writing style of Martin to have crafted a such a beautiful work of literary art. I have nothing but praise for Soulless and absolutely cannot imagine what I will discover when the final novel of the series is released this fall.

It should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone that I am granting Soulless by Kelly Martin a near-perfect 5-star review. As I said with Heartless, Soulless is "a truly unique read, Martin ignites a flame with her elegant words, captivating settings, and enough psychological insight to keep even the most hesitant of readers satisfied." Don't miss your chance to add this one to your TBR today. You absolutely will not regret this addition to your shelves!

*****

Check out my 5-star review of book one in the series, Heartless, by clicking the cover below.

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Soulless by Kelly Martin. As you guys can clearly see, this book spoke to me in ways I haven't been spoken to in a very long time. I couldn't recommend this series any more highly if I tried. Do yourself a huge favor and grab your copy today! Huge shout out to Kelly for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Heartless (Heartless Series #1) by Kelly Martin Review

Hey readers, Ethan here again this afternoon with yet another review for you guys. I'm not often one to throw words like this around, but I have to say this is by far one of the best reads I have read in a very, very long time. I am so excited to share these thoughts with you all. What am I raving about today? Heartless, the first novel in an incredible new series from author Kelly Martin. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and our author:

Some things can't be saved.

What would you do if your guardian angel wasn't sent to protect you from the world but to protect the world from you?

For thirteen years, Gracen Sullivan dreamed about a red-eyed demon named Hart Blackwell who tortured her every night. Her mother freaked when she found out about her daughter's "hallucinations" and forced Gracen to go to the doctor, who prescribed some very powerful medication which kept Hart out of her head for five years.

A week ago, Hart came back and brought a friend.

But something has changed, and Gracen is seeing Hart when she's awake too. And the other "friends" in her dreams? They have been found dead.

The police want to talk to her.
Her boyfriend has become distant.
Her dreams are becoming more and more intense.
Hell wants her.
Heaven has to stop her.
When push comes shoving, can Gracen fight the evil eating away inside her or will she be forced to embrace it and destroy the world?

     

Kelly Martin

Kelly Martin is the bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and YA romance. She has been married for over ten years and has three rowdy, angelic daughters. When Kelly isn't writing, she loves watching horror gamers on YouTube, even though she is a huge wimp, and drinking white chocolate mochas.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

*****

My Thoughts:

"People certainly do some terrible things in the name of righteousness. When there's only one righteous person."

I'm going to start this out with a confession. I had this book on my TBR but had absolutely no idea what it was about. Didn't know the genre, didn't know the synopsis, and hadn't ever read anything previously by Martin. When I received the review request in my inbox, I was in the trenches of a novel that really wasn't speaking to me and this sounded like a breath of fresh air. Little did I know that this newfound surprise in my inbox was going to turn out to be one of the most hard-hitting and inspirational stories I've devoured in months. Wow.

When it comes to the plot, I'll be honest, I had no idea where Martin was going for the longest of times. With some incredible plot twists and some truly creative mind-benders, Martin had me guessing up until the very end. A psychological thriller if I've ever seen one. There were a few twists that I have to admit I did see coming, but for the most part, my jaw dropped with each revelation. It was astounding. Heartless is extremely fast-paced and definitely not for the weak of heart. While definitely not a gruesome horror tale, the psychological aspects of the novel were absolutely horrific at times. I definitely had to put the story down more than once to gather my thoughts. That being said, I will say that this novel is definitely best suited for New Adult and older audiences. I'm not sure I'd recommend this read to anyone who wasn't old enough to understand the themes Martin explores in Heartless. 

Never having read a Martin novel previously, I didn't know what to expect in terms of character development. Thankfully I was not disappointed. Now here is where I'll say my one and only negative thing about Heartless: I really would have appreciated some more adult content. For such an incredibly deep novel, the language was definitely family friendly and barely pushing PG. It did take me out of the story on more than one occasion where some much stronger expletives were most definitely in order. I was okay with the adult situations and themes, but I would have appreciated a bit more language that was more true to the new adult lifestyle. In terms of character development, I believe Martin excelled greatly. Especially with our main character, Gracen. Seeing as some of the biggest reveals in the novel take place within Gracen's psyche, a strong character was absolutely necessary. Not only did Martin have to know her character from the outside, she had to explore every facet, every crevice of Gracen's inner mind to really craft the beautiful character she did. It's a true testament to the talent of an author to write characters such as this. The remaining characters were all written great as well, but to avoid potential spoilers I'll stray away from commenting at this time.  

One thing I really didn't expect out of this novel was the deep religious roots it shared at times. I've red several novels as of late with religious undertones, but this one is probably the one who has done it the best. Martin has delivered an incredible tale full of spirit without drowning her readers in scripture or history. She took her own unique twist on the scriptural tale and crafted a story that readers of all faiths and walks of life can enjoy.

Oh boy. This is probably where I have the most to say but I'll try to condense it here. Martin really touches home with some incredibly hard hitting themes in Heartless. There are so many, and I'll tell you I highlighted over twenty passages in this one novel that I'll carry with me for many books to come. It's an extremely deep read that really resonated with me for some many reasons. If you can read this novel without catching all the feels, you've done something wrong. With reflections on topics such as: faith, family, love, forgiveness, acceptance, fate, destiny, and so many more, Martin opened the floodgates of emotion and really let them roar. It was a beautiful adventure in reading. 

In terms of setting, Martin again, hit the nail right on the head. In true New Adult fashion, we're situated at college, complete with the allure, excitement, stress, and ambiance of campus life and living. The first apartment, the libraries, Martin really did an incredible job with keeping her story tied to the new adult setting that one comes to look for in a novel of this genre. 

I'm going to make this a little personal for a moment. I often try to detach myself from the emotions of a novel. Only because I feel that if you relate too closely with the source material when reviewing, it's tends to cause some bias results. I'll be honest, I couldn't help but relate with everything Martin wrote in this incredible story. It's dark, far darker than I ever anticipated from an author with such a bubbly-upbeat personality. It's reflective on so many aspects of my life and I loved every second. It was such a cathartic read for me that I desperately needed. Words are so useful in dispelling the darkness and Martin and this series do an incredible job. I can't say many stories have touched me the way Heartless has. 

As you guys can clearly see, I have a whole lot of thoughts on this novel. Honestly it is one-of-a-kind and truly a unique novel that will leave your mind blown and begging for more. As previously stated, this is my first read from Martin and I can say with surety that I'll be devouring her entire backlog soon. I can not get enough of this! It should come as absolutely no surprise that I am granting Heartlessby Kelly Martin a near-perfect 5-star review. I seriously couldn't rave any more if I tried. I can absolutely tell you that I'll be closely following this series until the very end.  A truly unique read, Martin ignites a flame with her elegant words, captivating settings, and enough psychological insight to keep even the most hesitant of readers satisfied. Don't miss your chance to add this one to your TBR today. 

*****

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Heartless by Kelly Martin. As you guys can clearly see, this book spoke to me in ways I haven't been spoken to in a very long time. I couldn't recommend this book any more highly if I tried. Do yourself a huge favor and grab your copy today! Huge shout out to Kelly for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Chasing Midnight (Dark of Night #2) by Ranae Glass Review

Hey readers! Happy Sunday (and Mothers Day) to you all! I've got an awesome post for you guys in the form of a review for an incredible novel I read last week. What am I raving about tonight? Chasing Midnight, the second novel in the Dark of Night series by Ranae Glass! Before I get to the raving, let's learn a bit about the novel and our author:

Title:  Chasing Midnight 

Series:  Dark of Night, Book 2

Author:  Ranae Glass

Published:   April 21st, 2015

Publisher:  Crimson Tree Publishing

Genre:  NA Paranormal Romance

Content Warning:  Violence and adult language

Recommended Age:  18+

Synopsis:  Isabel Stone’s life is far from normal. She’s a girl with problems—vampire problems to be specific and, now, she also has one ticked-off specter on her hands. Approached by a childhood friend and medium, Isabel agrees to look into the murder of a local girl, only to wind up inhabited by the solitary witness—a centuries-old ghost who is all too happy to piggyback along in Isabel’s body, and she’s not leaving until the culprit is behind bars.

With the help of her partner, Shane, and her crazy family, Isabel struggles to get to the truth, unmask a killer, and deal with her growing feelings for not one, but two, of the sexy, undead men vying for her heart. Just when things are finally falling into place, a huge revelation takes her out of the frying pan… and straight into the fire.

     

About the Author:

Ranae Glass writes New Adult Paranormal Romance. A Southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out West where she spins tales of vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. You won’t find any ‘vegetarian’ monsters here, her books are best served bloody and are not for the faint of heart. Ranae is the author of the Dark of Night novels from Crimson Tree Publishing.

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*****

My Thoughts:

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you all my thoughts on Chasing Daybreak, the first novel in this series. I said in my review that while I enjoyed the novel immensely, there were numerous things I would have liked to have seen done differently. I had, in my mind, a few things that I wanted to see out of the next installment in this series, but didn't really know what to think. I never expected to fall in love with this series as much as I did through this second installment.

If I was concerned about the future of this series, I can definitely say with 100% certainty that I am not anymore! Chasing Midnight was everything I was looking for and so much more!

Chasing Midnight takes the reader on a second journey into the life is Isabel Stone's crazy, thrilling life as a PI. With her former, now-vampire, lover as her second in command, Isabel must crack her toughest case yet!

The paranormal aspect of this novel was spot-on. In addition to the 'out of the coffin' vampires and werewolves we saw in book one, this book introduces us to psychics, a bit of magic, and ghosts. The afterlife and possession are huge factors that tie into the plot of Chasing Midnight and I don't think I've ever seen an author execute them as well as Glass! Oftentimes ghosts are the joke of the supernatural community, they are seldom taken seriously. It seems that ghosts are among the hardest entities to write because they are just... well... a little boring. Glass took that into consideration and wrote an awesome spin on the trope. By humanizing our ghostly characters, Glass was able to weave a fulfilling storyline that should leave all paranormal fans proud!

The character development in CM was probably my favorite part. Anyone who read my review of book one will remember that Shane was my favorite character. I was so excited to see that he had a much larger role in book two. We learn a whole lot about his backstory and really get into his mind on multiple occasions as this novel is told in dual POV from his perspective as well. I really enjoyed that! When it came to Isabel, I was really impressed with how Glass enhanced her character. While I took issues with Isabel's character in book one, all of my negative thoughts were erased after reading this one! Glass really knocked it out of the park. Move over Sookie Stackhouse, you've got company, Isabel Stone is here to stay! 

The plot of this novel is non-stopped awesome that really left me hooked until the very last page! While this novel doesn't have as much of a mystery, the reader is constantly left with 'how will our characters solve this new dilemma' feelings, which are great! I'm not huge on the suspense so it was fun to know the endgame, but not how it would happen, that was a fun twist on the genre for me. This novel also really does a great job of setting up the story for the second half of the series. Glass has confirmed at least four novels in this series, here's to hoping for a few more after that! Am I right?

When it comes to the setting, Glass really went above and beyond for this one. South Carolina makes for the best book settings. Look at the Beautiful Creatures series, right!? Amazing. So much darkness and mystery, and the southern vibes are incredible. I couldn't be more thrilled with that setting if I tried! I cannot wait to see how Glass expands on that in the future.

The last thing I want to touch on is how emotional this novel was. I was really blown away by Glass' ability to write such an emotionally gripping story in terms of romance, heartbreak, family ties, and friendship while still adhering to a strictly paranormal novel-esque feel. It was incredible. Huge praises to Glass for that.

For all you paranormal readers looking for the next big thing, don't miss this series, you won't regret it! Go ahead and clear off that spot on your bookshelf, you're going to want this series for yourself!

As you can see, I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this second installment in the Dark of Night series. It should come as no surprise that I am granting Chasing Midnight a well-deserved 5-star review! I wouldn't have changed a thing! Ranae Glass has quickly become one of my top names in the NA Paranormal genre and I cannot wait to see what she has up her sleeve next! 

*****

Check out my review of Chasing Daybreak by clicking the cover below!

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Chasing Midnight by Ranae Glass! As you can see, I loved this novel and am already begging for more! If you are a fan of this series, I highly recommend you check out my tour stop for this novel and see my exclusive interview with Ranae Glass! It was great! Huge thanks to the team at Crimson Tree Publishing for supplying me with a copy in exchange for my honest review. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Mortom by Erik Therme Review

Hey guys! Happy Sunday and welcome to another fun filled review by me! You guys all know it's been an absolutely crazy past couple of months for me, it has taken me quite a while to get to this read. The author sent it to me right before all the craziness hit and I just now was able to get to it. I've been in a bit of a reading slump the past week or so and I'm here to tell you, Mortom pulled me right out of it! It was well worth the wait! Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about Mortom and our author, Erik Therme:

Mortom: population 986.

On the outskirts of town, 33-year-old Craig Moore is found drowned in the lake. A loner and town eccentric, few attend the funeral.

One week later Andy Crowl arrives in Mortom, still stunned by his cousin’s death and equally confused why everything was left to him. The two hadn’t spoken in years and shared little outside of fierce childhood competition.

But Craig hardly did him a favor. The estate amounts to little more than a drained bank account and a dilapidated property overridden with junk. When Andy finds a dead rat under the refrigerator with a key in its mouth, he thinks it’s some sort of sick joke. Then he finds the letter left by Craig, written two days before his death … detailing the rules of “the game.”

Erik Therme

Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, (inadvertently) harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. None of these have come close to the thrill of releasing his debut novel, Mortom.

When he's not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his oldest daughter's volleyball team, or chilling on the PS3 with his 11-year-old. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa--one of only 7 places in the world the UNESCO has certified as a "City of Literature."

Find Erik Therme

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS 

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My Thoughts

A few months ago, Erik Therme approached me about reviewing his debut novel. After reading the synopsis I was a little leery. I wasn't sure what genre this fell into. Was it horror? Was is mystery/suspense? Either way I took the dive in. After finishing, I still have no idea what genre to place this read in, but that's okay, because I was hooked! As you folks know I work with a lot of debut authors, and not all of them produce fantastic works on their first journey into the literary world. Not all of them are Erik Therme though!

Before I start raving, I would like to get a few of the negative aspects I found out of the way. When if comes to reviewing a novel, I very seldom read other reviews before I post mine. I don't want anyone else's thoughts to change the way I felt about a novel. In this instance I wanted to read a few reviews before I posted my thoughts just to see if I was wrong on a couple of things. After checking out some others, my few negatives seem to be across the board.

When it came to the characters in Mortom, I was both impressed and disappointed. There is little to no character development throughout the novel. Andy, our MC, starts out as a paranoid, negative, rude guy and actually ends the novel the same way... except maybe a little more paranoid, but with good reason. Kate is insecure, unnecessarily rude, and emotional beyond belief (though the reason why may have been answered in the end). While I liked their characters as people, I just didn't understand or relate to them in any capacity.

I know that this novel is a work of fiction so this may be particular critique may just need to be thrown out the window, but there were a lot of things that just didn't add up in Mortom. I won't go into much because of spoilers, but just some of the 'whats' and 'whys' did not fit the story. For instance, why wouldn't an aunt and uncle go to their nephews funeral? Better question, why didn't Kate? Mary was an interesting character who very clearly had a lot going on, but until the end she didn't see all that upset for a woman who just lost her only son. Per the game? I just don't know that all of those clues are feasible. And even if they were to have been, I think we really need to discuss how messed up in the head Craig must have been. Seriously. Who does some of those things? And for what? In the end was it worth it? No.

My last, but probably biggest negative aspect of the novel was the lack of technology. Now I totally understand that maybe Therme was wanting to go for a timeless quality here that could have taken place at any time, except he made one mistake: listing Craig's age and birth year. With the dates we are given we see this this story takes place within the last decade. A decade full of internet, cell phones, DVDs, digital cameras, etc. Why is it that neither Andy nor Kate have a cell phone? And doesn't anyone in the city of Mortom have access to Google? I feel like a good chunk of Andy's plight could have been made a  bit easier with a simple internet connection. Maybe Mortom was like my hometown and there was no internet available? Who knows, I just know that the entire town seemed to be living like it was still 1945. It was a little discouraging at times. 

Okay we're out of the negatives now. Let me rave on some positives, because at this point you are probably thinking I hated the novel. Well, I will very happily tell you that I did not hate this novel in any capacity. In fact, I had a horrible time with trying to put it down. I couldn't stop reading until I unraveled the mystery for myself! 

One thing I loved about Mortom was the intricate clues to the game. While some of them were a little more "duh" than others, I thought they were fun. I will admit that I had a number of them figured out before Andy, but it was still really fun to see Andy go through the obstacles of solving the puzzle. In that same sense, Mortom kept me guessing. While I had a general idea of how the novel would end, I kept rethinking myself because of all the confusing clues! This just goes to show you to never doubt your first instinct! 

I also loved the secondary characters in Mortom a lot. From Nate, the gas station attendant, to Debbie, the little girl across the street with some big secrets, they really made the novel for me. Debbie in particular. Debbie's character was probably the most influential part of the entire Mortom puzzle and I really did not see that coming. There were some awkward and especially cringe-worthy moments that had me flabbergasted, but in the end it all played out for the better! I was a little put off by Debbie's grandfather, Ricky Simms. Ricky really had his own set of issues, but he appeared to make life a whole lot harder for himself. In the end he really made a couple of rash decisions that forever changed the lives of about 6 people. Seriously, he is one character to keep your eyes on. 

In true mystery fashion, the villain of this novel turns out to be an obscure character you only meet for a second. While I kind of had an idea of who it was, I really could not be positive due to all the interesting characters we get to meet in the city of Mortom. Like I mentioned before, this one really kept me guessing, which was really an enjoyable experience. But I will say that villain was definitely villainous, in fact, I really wanted him to die. He was awful and creepy as all get out. Kudos to Therme for making is entire existence one that definitely gave me chills! 

In the end, was playing the game worth it? Were the secrets Kate and Andy risked it all to solve worth the risk? To that I really don't know. It seems that the only people who gained anything from the game were the two of them. In fact, well.... only one of them. Neither Andy nor Kate really receive any absolution from the novels climax. If anything it only adds to their troubles. 

Per the ending itself. I really liked how it pretty much wrapped up the story for us. There were no cliffhangers or glaring plot holes, but it definitely left me wanting a bit more from at least one character (Andy). I feel like Andy really got a rough deal in this novel and would love to read more about what happens to him after the last page. We leave Andy in a rough place that definitely looks like he is headed down a road nobody wants to be on! 

All-in-all, I am granting Mortom by Erik Therme a well-deserved 4-star review. While I did take issue with a handful of elements from the novel, the mystery/horror aspect of it kept me going. Once I got into it I could NOT put it down. Mortom took me on an awesome journey that I am glad I got to experience. Original, unique, and thought-provoking, Mortom is great for any reader who enjoys getting their mind blown. Perfect for fans of suspense, thrillers, mystery, and horror, Mortom is sure to please! I know that I will be keeping a close eye on the career of Erik Therme in the future, this man has talent! Be careful not to muss anything when you are reading, you never know what may happen when you take the ride into Mortom!

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Alright readers, that is all I have for you on the topic of Mortom by Erik Therme, an awesome read that is sure to blow your minds the way it blew mine! It's a relatively short read, clocking in at just over 200 pages on my Nook, so you have no reason to not check it out! Does Mortom sound like the read for you? If so, head over to the Goodreads and purchase links above to learn more! Already read Mortom? Let me know what you think in the comments below! Special thanks to Erik Therme for supplying me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. I sincerely apologize that it has taken me so long to get it finished! Things are finally getting back on track for me here so everyone be on the look out for many more reviews to come, I've got lots to catch up on! Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan 

Horns by Joe Hill Review

Hey readers! Hope you are all having a great weekend! I am spending my time trying to knock out some books on my summer TBR! I have been in the grind lately turning out book review after book review, but none of them have been books I had personally sought out for myself. I wanted to take sometime to knock out a book that has been sitting on my TBR for years, but I've never had the time to devote to it. This time on the chopping block I have something totally new for you guys and unlike anything I've reviewed before. A true horror story with elements of fantasy and mystery. Up for review? Horns by Joe Hill! With the movie coming soon I couldn't think of a better time to check out this novel, though now I am super confused about how this film will play out. ANYWAY. Before we get to my thoughts, here's the cover, synopsis, author info, and the trailer for the upcoming film staring Daniel Radcliffe!

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a thunderous hangover, a raging headache . . . and a pair of horns growing from his temples.

At first Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.

Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic.

But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside. . . .

Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge. . . . It's time the devil had his due. . . .

Joe Hill

Joe Hill is the author of three novels, Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, and NOS4A2, as well as a prize-winning collection of stories, 20th Century Ghosts. He also wrote a pair of comics: Locke & Key and Wraith (which ties into the world of NOS4A2). Some nice people gave him an Eisner Award for his work in funny books, which is a great honor, even if “funny” probably doesn’t do a good job of describing the kinds of things that happen in the comics. Come to think of it, his comics aren’t very comic either

Find Joe Hill

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Here's the trailer for Horns that was released a few weeks ago at Comicon! This film has been a LONG time coming, I am just so glad to see it finally almost here. The film releases on Halloween, October 31, 2014! It was filmed nearly 2 years ago and it's been a long journey to release day from what I have read!

 

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My Thoughts:

I remember the day I first heard about Horns. It was when it had been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction my senior year of high school. I looked into it and thought it'd be a good read. Flash forward two years later to when I learned that Horns was being made into a motion picture. Intrigued, yet again, I looked into the book more seriously. I even went to the local library and check it out for myself. After doing some research on Joe Hill (and discovering his famous literary lineage), I thought this would probably be an awesome book, book look way too much for me to handle at the time so I didn't read it. All this time Horns has been on my back burner just waiting to be read. Now with my Summer Read-a-Thon in full swing, I no long had an excuse to not read it. Especially with the awesome trailer that was just released. I put life on hold for a couple of days and sat down to tackle this monster.

Calling it a monster is not too far off. Even for me, an avid reader, this was not an easy read. Clocking in at over 400 pages meant it was going to take me a little while to read anyways, Hill's writing style meant it was going to take me much, much longer to read through it. It was a slow pace and took all my energy and concentration, but I eventually pulled through. Thankfully!

Horns is unlike any novel I have ever read. I have read some of the works of Stephen King (my father is King's self-proclaimed biggest fan) and was a little leery about starting a book by his son. King's novels take a lot out of you. They are descriptive, scary, and oftentimes leave you with more questions than they answer. Hill and his father have a lot in common.

Many, many reviews have written that by the time they were 10 pages into Horns, they were hooked. Those same readers also say that once they got about 100 pages in, it took everything they had to finish the novel. It changes so much. I totally agree. The book starts out more on a campy, satirical note and then takes a nosedive. I usually don't use the book progress monitor on Goodreads, but for this book I did. All at once it seems like Horns turned into a true horror story. At times I was really creeped out and almost didn't know if I want to finish the book! Now that I have finished the book I realize that was probably Hill's intention. He executed it very well, in my opinion. Writing a horror story cannot be easy. Also there were snakes, lots of snakes... I don't do snakes!

The themes in Horns are numerous. Good vs Evil. God vs Devil. Family. The Loss of Innocence. Ignorance of Youth. Aging. All of these themes are prevalent and explained thoroughly in this book. While the book title may suggest a story about a man who grows Horns, what I got instead was a story of a man who essentially turned into Satan himself. A much different story than I was expecting. The biggest catch, however, was Hill's portrayal of "evil". Unlike most stories, the Devil isn't written to be entirely evil. More of an anti-hero. Talk about a twist.

The books characters were all very interesting and their development throughout the story was truly a work of art. Ig, our MC is deeply troubled and depressed after the rape and murder of his longtime girlfriend, Merrin. Accused of a crime he did not commit, Horns follows  Ig's journey to discover Merrin's true killer. Terry, Ig's older brother, and Lee, Ig's "best friend" are our two other MC's and play huge roles in the story. I wont say too much more to avoid spoilers, but trust me, these characters are awesome.

When it comes to the plot I have lots to say. This story is very long. And I don't just mean page length. It is very drawn out. There are long periods of time where absolutely nothing happens and then a bunch happens at once. The book does have quite a bit go action, you just have to read through man, many pages of memories and background to get to it. With that being said, this book is NOT something for the faint of heart and definitely not a novel that YA's need to be reading. This is an adult novel through and through: rape, sex, drugs, murder, violence, and some very disturbing thoughts fill nearly every page of this book. It definitely has a dark sinister feel about it nearly the entire time. In true horror story fashion, the ending is rather confusing and hard to grasp. I actually had to get online and read what other people wrote before I truly understood it. Just be prepared, this novel takes all your brain power and them some.

Hill is a remarkable author and really weaves a fantastic story. I am so glad I read Horns, I just don't think I was prepared for how heavy of a read it was going to be on both my emotions and mentality. I will say that I am very glad to have read it and will recommend it to any fans of the horror genre! I am giving Horns a 4-Star review overall! It was very slow and very confusing at times, but in the end it all panned out and was worth the wait. I am very excited for the film, but an very confused at how they are bringing some of the things from the book to the screen. If the movie is anything like the book, I highly suggest keeping the kids at home! Just saying! I may have to come back and add more to this review as my mind continues to process what I just read, but for anyone looking for a good, different read, check this one out!
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Where can you get yours?

Graphic courtesy of Goodreads

 

I wont lie to you guys, this book was great, but as far as ebooks go, it was NOT cheap. I generally wont pay more than $5 for an ebook, but I made the exception with Horns since I have a few gift cards to spend. If you are interesting in checking out the pricing and picking up a copy for yourself, check out the above links!

Alright reader, that's all I have for you guys on the subject of Horns by Joe Hill! It was a great novel all around, but definitely different that what I was expecting. It was dark, full of mystery, and definitely was not an easy read. If you stuck it out for the whole story, I don't think you would be disappointed. As it stands, I am very happy to have finally ready it! Until next time, happy reading!

-Ethan