Review - The Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Title: The Uninvited (Uninvited #1) Author: Sophie Jordan Teaser: “They say she’s a killer. One day she will be.”...
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Title: TenAuthor: Gretchen McNeilTeaser: “Ten teens. Three days. One killer.”Genre: YA Contemporary Horror/ThrillerNumber of pages: 296Released: September 18th, 2012 by Balzer + BrayDescription:SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.
It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.
But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.
Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?
Positives:-There aren’t too many YA Horror books with this type of Horror story. It’s like a ‘teen scream’ movie, but in book form. Personally, I have a sweet spot for silly movies like those. So I loved that aspect.-YA Horror. I love the genre! And this was YA Horror with a bunch of supernatural elements.-The Who-Done-It reveal at the end actually surprised me!Negatives:-Portrayal of Bipolar bothered me a little bit. I feel like it somewhat fed into certain stereotypes. Not as bad as it could have been, but it still did.-I like the genre, but the book is what it is. There isn’t some hidden plot or need for sequels. It’s a who-done-it horror ‘flick’ of a book. I liked that, but some people wouldn’t.Overview:Well, I guess first of all I will explain what I mean about the portrayal of Bipolar being a bit stereotypical. The main character’s best friend has Bipolar, and goes through the whole book determined to ‘keep her secret’ as if being Bipolar is some big horrible thing. She is constantly expecting her best friend to all of a sudden ‘go off’ and lose her cool. She more than expects it. She waits for it to happen and somewhat treats the girl like a child.Now, I get that things like this –can- happen with people that are Bipolar, but it isn’t like you can’t manage yourself in the face of difficult situations ever. This book made it seem like if something bad happened, the bipolar girl freaked out. It also made the Bipolar girl actually kind of annoying. I didn’t like her. Although I know this happens, I would like to see a less stereotypical betrayal of Bipolar, but instead one where the girl shows that people with Bipolar are NORMAL.One good thing the author included in this is that the main character was reflective on the fact that she was holding her friend back. I was waiting for her to realize that the whole book. Her constant babying was in a lot of ways more for her than her friend, for when her friend didn’t need it the main character got a little upset.Okay. Done with that. As for the plot? It is straight forward and unexpected. I really didn’t know who was going to die next. I actually thought that because it was YA that all the people that were being killed off would suddenly be all alive in the end, like it was some joke. I couldn’t believe that a YA book would kill off people in so many ways. It was great to see, actually. I would love to see more YA Horror books like this. The plot itself goes by quick, so the read is also. Nothing amazing or extravagant, just a good quick read.There is a bit of a romance in the book, which I actually enjoyed. It was realistic and had a history to it that was explained as you read along. And a big plus – it was a biracial relationship. More diversity in YA! JDespite the fact that I loved the genre, love a quick read now and then, and enjoyed the book… I am giving this 3 wands just because I NEED a book that plays those with Bipolar in a better light.Rating:
Recommended to:-Those who enjoy YA Horror or silly horror movies.-Those who need a ‘breath’ between heavy books.Not Recommended to:-Those who hate straightforward books and can’t accept them for what they are.About the Author:
Gretchen McNeil is the author of the standalone YA horror novels POSSESS, TEN (2013 YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, aRomantic Times Top Pick, a Booklist Top Ten Horror Fiction for Youth, a finalist for Washington state’s 2015 Evergreen Young Adult Book Award and Vermont’s 2014-2015 Green Mountain Book Award, and was nominated for “Best Young Adult Contemporary Novel of 2012″ by Romantic Times) and 3:59, as well as GET EVEN and GET DIRTY, part of her mystery/suspense series Don't Get Mad, all with Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins. In 2016, Gretchen will publish two novels: RELIC, a YA horror novel, with HarperCollins/EpicReads Impulse on March 8, 2016, and in the fall, I’M NOT YOUR MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL, her first YA contemporary, with Balzer + Bray. Gretchen also contributed an essay to the Dear Teen Me anthology from Zest Books.
Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4's Code Monkeys and she sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. She is repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd. You can find Gretchen on Twitter,Facebook, and on her blog. -
So, I was cruising around Goodreads looking for other YA Horror novels, and I stumbled upon R. L. Stine. Holy Guacamole. When I was younger I DEVOURED his YA Horror books. I'm not talking about Goosebumps, I'm talking about Fear Street and his other series similar to that. Wow. It was like a blast from the past. I wondered if I would still love them if I read one now. To be realistic, probably not, because they are basically the same story told over and over with different villains and different main characters. But still, back in this day - this is one of the first authors I started reading in the YA genre. Sadly, back then the YA genre section was super small in my library. It just wasn't a big thing. Props to R. L. Stine for paving the way for more.
Here were some of my favorite R. L. Stine books:
It begins as an innocent prank, when Deena Martinson and her best friend Jade Smith make sexy phone calls to the boys from school. But Deena's half-brother Chuck catches them in the act and threatens to tell their parents, unless the girls let him in on the fun. Chuck begins making random calls, threatening anyone who answers. It's dangerous and exciting. They're even enjoying the publicity, and the uproar they've caused. Until Chuck calls a number on Fear Street.
To his horror, Chuck realizes he has called THE WRONG NUMBER. The jokes are over when murder is on the line. The murderer knows who they are and where they live — and they have nowhere to call for help.
Corky Corcoran is sure it's just her imagination when she sees her dead sister rise from the grave. Or is it?
Corky is trying to put the nightmare of Bobbi's death behind her—she's back on the Shadyside cheerleading squad and has become friends with Kimmy and Debra. But everything is not back to normal for Corky—she hears horrible screams in the gym, her friend has become obsessed with the occult, and a strange young man is following her. And then the murders begin again...
Has the evil spirit from the Fear Street cemetery returned to destroy them one by one?
Don't listen to the stories they tell you about Fear Street. Wouldn't you rather explore it yourself...and see if its dark terror and unexplained mysteries are true?
You're not afraid, are you?
Don't open that present!
If only Reva Dalby had listened to that warning.
But beautiful, cold Reva won't listen to anyone. Reva thinks she can have whatever - and whoever - she wants. After all, her daddy owns Dalby Department Stores.
Now, someone has some surprises instore for her. Robbery? Terror? Even murder? Someone wants to treat Reva to a holiday she'll never forget.
Holiday cheer quickly turns to holiday chills for Reva. Someone is stalking her, someone is trying to get to her.
Her money can't help her. No one can.
After all, who can you turn to when murder comes gift-wrapped?
Sure, she promised to be nicer after last year's horrors. But a rich, spoiled girl like Reva Dalby always things she can have anything—or anyone—she wants, and never, never pay.
But now it's payback time. Someone is out to kidnap Reva.
This year, Santa is bringing Reva a little holiday fear. And just around the corner is the biggest, most gruesome Christmas present of all—murder. And it's all hers!
Talia Blanton could scare you to death.
She writes horror stories- stories that often give her friends starring roles.
Everyone loves Talia's terrifying tales- until they start to come true. One by one, Talia's friends become Talia's victims.
Is Talia making her stories come true? Or is someone trying to turn Talia's real life into a horror story?
What else is there to do, with all seven of them stuck in Dara Harker's luxury ski condo? There are three guys and four girls - some of them friends, some nearly strangers — all of them trapped. A blinding blizzard has stilled the lifts, blocked the roads, and killed the phones.
A game, they think, will help them break the ice. Who will tell the truth? Who will take a dare? And how far will each of them go?
But then the game turns deadly. One of them, it seems, would rather kill than tell the truth.
And kill again.
Every night Maggie Travers has the same horrible dream. Every night she is forced to watch the same murder. And every night the girl in her dream cries out for help. Maggie is afraid to go to sleep again. But when the terrifying dream starts to come true and the gruesome accidents begin, staying awake is the real nightmare!
A spring night...soft moonlight...five beautiful Prom Queen candidates...dancing couples at the Shadyside High prom—these should be the ingredients for romance.
But stir in one brutal murder—then another, and another—and the recipe quickly turns to horror.
Lizzie McVay realizes that someone is murdering the five Prom Queen candidates one by one—and that she may be next on the list! Can she stop the murderer before the dance is over—for good?
The invitation arrived in a black-bordered envelope. Inside, the card showed a coffin with the inscription "Reserved For You". It was perfectly fitting for an all-night Halloween party on Fear Street. But Terry and his girlfriend Niki wondered why they had been invited. They barely knew Justine Cameron, the beautiful and mysterious transfer student who was throwing the party.
The party was well under way when the lights went out. That's to be expected at a spooky Halloween party. But when the lights come back on, there was that boy on the floor with the knife in his back. Just a Halloween prank? Maybe. Maybe not.
For Terry and Niki the trick-or-treating has turned to terror. To their horror, they realize that someone at the costume party is dressed to kill!
The perfect suntan. Soaking up the rays. Fun on the beach. That's what Claudia Walker had in mind when she accepted her friend Marla's invitation to spend the weekend at her cliffside beach house. Little did she know that horrible accidents—fatal accidents— would occur on the beach and in the house.
But Claudia knows they're not "accidents". She's sure somebody is out to get them...out to kill them. The week of "fun in the sun" has turned dark and deadly!
Natalie Erickson and her friends share a terrible secret. They were all in the car that foggy night — the night someone died at the dead end.
Now someone knows too much, and there's danger ahead. Natalie just wants out of this nightmare. But that's the problem with dead ends — there's no way out!
They say something horrible happened that day. But Martha can't remember any of it--not the smallest detail. They say it will come back to her in time. But someone wants her to remember now. She draws his face, over and over--the face of a dead boy. She can't control her hand. And she can't remember how he died. But she's going to find the answer.
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I am so very pleased to have my first author interview be with such an amazing author and woman. Learning more about whom authors really are gives me hope. It gives a glimpse into their lives and you realize that it is just like mine. Then my hope builds that maybe, just maybe I’ll one day succeed in my dream of being an author too.Find Rin on her website HERE, on Twitter HERE, on Goodreads HERE, on Pinterest HERE, and sign up for her newsletter HERE!
After you read this interview, I’m sure you will love her too! If you haven’t read her book The Girl from the Well… Get it now! See my review HERE!
1. What genre of books do you read the most?
“It's a tossup between horror and mystery. I've always been fascinated with ghost stories growing up, and I collect them as a hobby. Peter Straub, Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Pike - these were my heroes. But I'm also a crime junkie, and love reading detective stories. Growing up, I was always reading books about the mafia, serial killers, forensic crime procedures - not the kind of literature most would recommend for kids, admittedly. But whodunits and crime analyses were like mind puzzle candy to me, and I also love figuring out / breaking down cases this way. Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot is my favorite detective of all time, with Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin a very close second.”
(I love that you are a crime junkie! I so love the genre too, but for some reason I can’t get into Adult crime thrillers. I am excited to see that more thrillers are coming out in the YA Genre.)
2. What brought you to want to write YA Fiction?
“I've loved young adult fiction long before it was known as young adult fiction. Despite the category, it appeals to all ages. I think we were at our most dangerous as teenagers, because we felt things the most strongly then. Reading YA takes you back to those times; we remember the good things and the bad, and you can't help but cheer teen protagonists on as they stumble and make mistakes and learn - just like we did and are still doing.”
(I totally agree. I feel like it’s sort of a fantasy. To have a fresh start again where anything can happen.)
3. Did you face a lot of challenges or setbacks when trying to find success as a writer?
“Living as a writer in the Philippines is a lot different from living as a writer in most first world countries, which is hard enough as it is. Writing fiction here is like making street graffiti – you don’t do it for the money, because there isn’t any, but you do it for everything else that matters. Most writers in Manila were either literary fiction novelists who had hefty contracts with schools to use their books in literature classes, or those who wrote Harlequin-esque romances in the local language. I didn’t want to do either of those.
If I had a peso for every time a well-meaning friend or family had tried to dissuade me from taking up writing for a profession, I’d probably have enough to buy one of those nice bookcases with glass panels. They thought writing for an international market would be even harder to break into. About the only person who believed me from the start was my boyfriend-now-husband, but when others saw that I was serious about writing / that it was beginning to pay off, they became a lot more supportive.”
(This inspired me so much. I never knew that trying to be a writer in the Philippines was that difficult. Really puts things in perspective as well as just increases my respect for you and your writing. Your family should be proud that you beat the graffiti odds!)
4. Where did you first hear the ghost story that The Girl from the Well is based off of?
“I had a Japanese friend who majored in history and folklore. When I first watched the Ring (the Japanese version, not the American one), it was she who first told me about the Bancho Sarayashiki and how it inspired the movie. I bought all the Japanese folklore and mythology books I could find (Ghostly Japan, and everything else written by Lafcadio Hearn is a must-read for aficionados), and they opened my eyes to Japanese culture beyond the anime and J-dramas most people are accustomed to nowadays.”
5. How many books are you planning for The Girl from the Well series?
“It’s going to be a duology. The Girl from the Well is from Okiku’s point of view, but it’s a book about Tark. Likewise, The Suffering is from Tark’s point of view, but it’s a book about Okiku. I like to think of them as companion novels that compliment each other, rather than just sequels. There aren’t any plans beyond this yet.”
(OMG, I can’t wait.)
6. The blurb on Goodreads compares your book to “Dexter”. Is that a television series you watched?
“Yup, but I knew Dexter long before it was a TV show. It’s an awesome book series by Jeff Lindsay that I recommend to everyone. It’s about a serial killer with a (kind of) conscience, as he only kills other serial killers. You might notice the similarities from that description alone.”
(FYI, hearing you liked the show led me to give it a chance. I always thought it would be a bit too freaky, but I love the exploration of what a conscience is.)
7. What is your favorite scene from The Girl from the Well?
“The first and last chapters. The first because I started the book without any objective or real plot in mind, just a vague impression of the kind of protagonist I wanted to write about. And then I started writing, and at the end I was surprised to realize I got her right almost immediately. I knew what her purpose was, and the rest of the story just flowed after that. The last chapter began the same way - I didn't know how I should end it, and so let my words wander along until an idea hit me a page or two away from what eventually became its conclusion. It felt very appropriate and fitting - it's an odd way to describe an ending, but it really was.”
(I second this.)
8. There aren’t words to describe how excited I am for the second book ‘The Suffering’. Can you give us any tidbits on what to look forward to?
“There will be roughly three times more wandering ghosts in the second book. There will be dark forests and strange villages. There will be more complicated rituals and dolls and wriggling trees and cocoons. You’ll see that Tark and Okiku’s relationship isn’t always as smooth as you would think, but that they also flourish well as a team. And Tark’s a bit more kickass in this one, a lot more proactive. He’s learned a thing or two since his last haunting. If anything, he’s even snarkier.”
(Sounds deliciously creepy as well as moving!)
9. Will you write more YA Horror in the future? (I secretly hope so, as you do it right!)
“I’ve got a few more ideas percolating that I’d love to write down, though I’m also exploring fantasy at the moment. I don’t stray too far from some horror-like elements though, even if what I write isn’t strictly from that genre – I like writing about monsters and anti-heroes, and a couple of my next projects still revolve around them.”
10. On your blog, it lists ‘game writer’ as one of your previous jobs. Any games that you worked on that we would know? It also lists you as a graphic artist previously. Is there anywhere we can see your art?
“Oh! I reviewed games for a local newspaper for awhile, so I didn't work on the games themselves, though I wish I did. I wrote games in-house for a part-time job I once had, but it was an indie text-based company that folded long before mobile apps became the norm, and so they only saw local release. (Looking back, I wished I'd saved some of those games!) But as a gamer, I highly recommend the Assassin's Creed series - I love it so much, I named my son after one of its protagonists. And the Fatal Frame and Silent Hill series have influenced my writings the most.
Most of my graphics are the usual company work portfolio - logos, web designs, other boring stuff. I DID design my own website, though, which is the latest thing I've done using this particular skill set!”
11. I can’t help but laugh a little at the ‘jobs you wanted’ list. As for listing ‘mutant’ as one of them, what type of mutant did you want to be?
“In high school, a few friends called me WolveRine for a reason. Mostly a play on my name, but also because I was short and grumpy and kinda mouthy. I was an active kid and got a lot of bumps and bruises, and so always thought it would be cool to have a healing factor. As it was, the only superpower I had then was sarcasm, and that got me in more trouble than my mother thought it should.”
(I would totally be Mystique. You could fool so many people!)
12. What scary story did you scare your class with in third grade? (Can you tell I’ve look at your website!)
“It's a very hazy memory - it was my classmates' reaction to the story I remember more clearly than the actual story itself. It was about a boy insisting that something was hiding underneath his bed, and his parents pooh-poohing his fears - until they realized it wasn't the boy who was speaking, but something underneath their own bed, talking like their son. They asked for a second one some time later, so I told them a story about a group of boys finding a girl sitting in the woods with a rope tied around her neck. She begged them to 'free' her, and they did. She smiled and thanked them, right before her head fell off. I was making it up on the spot, but they seemed to like it.
I also recall the teacher in charge of that class approaching my mother shortly afterward and asking her something along the lines of "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR DAUGHTER" (I studied in a Catholic school).”
(Laughing right now. You seem like quite the funny lady! In a good way, of course.)
13. Which one of your ‘pets’ get on your nerves the most and why?
“The husband. He’s a cross between Andy Dwyer from Parks and Recreation and a hyperactive hihuahua, but with Leslie Knope’s neatness and Ron Swanson’s suspicious mind. It’s an odd mix. Fortunately I am a cross between April Ludgate and Grumpy cat, but with Ben Wyatt’s geekiness and Ron Swanson’s mustache, so we compliment each other well enough.
(Yes, I’m a Parks and Recs fan.)”
(Love the comparisons!)
14. What is something, other than writing, that you are very passionate about?
“I love all manners of crafts. I crochet, sculpt, draw, paint, make papercrafts, make clay things, embroider, and make my own cross-stitch designs. I don't think you've had a complete education until you've learned how to make things with your own hands, and make them well.”
15. When you need to ‘get away’ from the stress of life and such things, what do you usually do?
“As odd as it sounds, I take long walks. The longer, the better. It's my 'alone' time, and it's when ideas come easier for me - sometimes I'm too caught up in my own thoughts that I can walk for a couple of hours on end without stopping. (I don't usually get to walk that long anymore, but I walk about thirty minutes on average when I can).”
16. Now for some ‘favorites’ – crayon color? Food? Bands? Vacation spots?
“Cornflower blue, sushi and crab (and this Filipino delicacy called kare-kare - vegetables, beef tripe, and oxtail drenched in peanut-y stew), Train and Kings of Leon, beaches with powder sand and amusement parks!”
17. Now for some ‘least favorites’ – food? Season? Annoying habit?
“Bittergourd is about the only thing I would never eat. We only get hot/dry and rainy seasons in the Philippines as a rule, but I hate both when they run to extremes. Hot / dry days go as high as 102 or 103 degrees (and still climbing, as temp's at an all-time high this year), and even small amounts of rain can cause bad floods here, mostly due to congested sewers and bad urban planning. And my slightly OCD husband would say being disorganized is my most annoying habit. I hate neat rooms - my creative juices can't flow unless things are out of place and I'm up to my neck in paper and books.”
18. If you could jump into any book and the world within it, which would it be?
“Discworld. I would go and bug Granny Weatherwax to teach me headology and Burrowing, then find Death and bug him till he takes me on as an apprentice. I would also probably gatecrash the Unseen University on occasion, because I hear the food is good.”
19. Tell us one surprising thing about yourself!
“I can fold the palms of my hands length-wise (a freak accident diving off the shallow end of a pool as a kid).”
(Honestly, I sort of would like to see a picture of this.)
20. If you like, leave us with a final comment for any aspiring authors out there:
“Write. That's it. Just start writing. Ideas aren't books. Characters aren't characters until they're down on paper. Good plots aren't novels until you've written that last chapter. You can't be a writer until you've written down the evidence.”
Thank you SO MUCH Rin! You are on my Top Ten list of favorite authors!!!
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