Month: January 2020

Book Review; Beast- Matt Wesolowski

Six Stories. Which one is true?

Page Count 320

 Publication date  December 2019/ Publisher Orenda

GoodReads link

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Synopsis

Elusive online journalist Scott King examines the chilling case of a young vlogger found frozen to death in the legendary local ‘vampire tower’, in another explosive episode of Six Stories…

In the wake of the ‘Beast from the East’ cold snap that ravaged the UK in 2018, a grisly discovery was made in a ruin on the Northumbrian coast. Twenty-four-year-old vlogger, Elizabeth Barton, had been barricaded inside what locals refer to as ‘The Vampire Tower’, where she was later found frozen to death.

Three young men, part of an alleged ‘cult’, were convicted of this terrible crime, which they described as a ‘prank gone wrong’. However, in the small town of Ergarth, questions have been raised about the nature of Elizabeth Barton’s death and whether the three convicted youths were even responsible.

Elusive online journalist Scott King speaks to six witnesses – people who knew both the victim and the three killers – to peer beneath the surface of the case. Continue reading “Book Review; Beast- Matt Wesolowski”

Book Review; Wilder Girls – Rory Power

The island takes everything..

Page Count 368

 Publication date 2019/ Publisher Macmillan

GoodReads link

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Synopsis

It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty’s life out from under her.

It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don’t dare wander outside the school’s fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there’s more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true. 

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Review

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so on-the-fence about a book. Wilder Girls had been sitting on my wishlist for months before I suddenly got approved for a Netgalley ARC- 6 months after publication?

Needless to say I was thrilled and began reading immediately. It’s taken me one afternoon to finish it, so clearly the book did grip me no matter my overall opinion.

Positives? Rory Power can write some damn good body horror! There are some truly repulsive scenes in Wilder Girls, they gave the story an edge it definitely needed.
The atmosphere is beautifully done, I adored the bleak setting and the writing style during Byatt’s manic moments whilst unconventional was really effective.

 I loved the premise but the book was a little slow moving to start. There isn’t an explanation of the origin of the Tox; there are plenty of half assed ideas but to be honest I’d rather there were none if Power never intended on a reveal.

I can’t explain without spoilers but I found several gaping plot holes in this book, in the manner of problems/conflicts that could be easily solved with common sense. Including a massive flaw in the ending of the book that rendered the whole story pretty pointless.

However, I enjoyed the survivalist theme, the feral behaviour of the girls in such hopeless circumstances and the relationships built between the three main characters.

So as you see. Solidly on the fence.
Have to say though, very pleased to find another LGBTQ YA horror novel. If you read and enjoyed this may I highly recommend The Girl In Red by Christina Henry next?

Roxanne’s Reactions:

 

How To Write a Successful CV

Advice from a trained recruitment manager

During my previous job I spent a lot of time recruiting. On average for our company we would have at least 120 applicants each time we advertised a position, this after they had passed an online test to submit their CV. As you can imagine we had neither the time not the man power to interview every applicant and THIS is why your Curriculum Vitae is the most important part of your arsenal.

I’ve put together a very basic guide on what to/not to include. *Please note, some points may be UK specific. Continue reading “How To Write a Successful CV”

Book Review; Midnight In The Grave Yard Anthology

Love, loss, betrayal and the undead.

 Publication date Oct 2019/ Publisher Silver Shamrock

GoodReads link

 

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Synopsis

Midnight. Some call it the witching hour. Others call it the devil’s hour. Here in the graveyard, midnight is a very special time. It is a time when ghostly spirits are at their strongest, when the veil between our world and theirs is at its thinnest. Legend has it, that while most of the world is asleep, the lack of prayers allow the spirits to communicate under the cover of darkness, among the headstones, their whispers rustling in the leaves of the old oak trees. But if you’re here in the graveyard, you can tell yourself it’s just the wind, that the moonlight is playing tricks on your eyes, that it’s only the swirling mist you see. But when you hear the graveyard gate clang shut, the dead have something to say. Here are their stories… Continue reading “Book Review; Midnight In The Grave Yard Anthology”

My 2019 DNF List

Tell me, was I right to put these books down?

For any who are unsure DNF stands for Did Not Finish. Not in the sense that I didn’t have time or just haven’t gotten around to picking it back up yet. DNF is a conscious decision to put that sucker down and walk away forever!

This is my third annual DNF list. The intention is not to spread negativity, many of these books I’m sure are loved by other readers. I’m going to tell you a little bit about why I stopped reading each, bearing in mind the furthest I got was 32% into any of these titles so my opinions were formed early.

If you think I’ve missed out by putting any of these down please tell me! If you think you might convince me to pick any of them back up please do! Continue reading “My 2019 DNF List”

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