Quick Reviews, Just In Time For Halloween

How To Survive a Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith (2019)

 

How to Survive a Horror Movie is a fun, tongue-in-cheek examination of scary movies: how to know if you're in one and if so, how to ensure you make it to the end credits.  The author explores different types of horror films - slashers; haunted houses and other evil objects; vampires, zombies, aliens, and other monsters; and even movies that deal with the Devil himself.  This was a quick read that mostly relies on lists to give the reader advice.  It does kind of make fun of horror movies a little and point out all the cliches and stereotypes you often find in these movies.  Fun illustrations and a list of "additional study materials" (horror movies) round out the book.  My only quibble is that the formatting is a little wonky; the author throws in these short articles in the middle of a chapter, sometimes cutting off a paragraph that's going onto the next page.  It just took me out of what I was reading for a moment.  4 stars

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall (2019)

 

Sara's sister Becca disappeared a year ago, and Sara believes it has something to do with a local legend and ghost story.  When a mysterious road appears in the woods, Sara and her friends take it, in hopes of finding Becca.  I loved the format of this book - it's set up kind of like a documentary, with different evidentiary sources.  It incorporates interviews, statements, text messages, and transcripts of cell phone footage to reveal some crazy twists.  The pacing of the story was really great.  The world-building was also pretty incredible; the road the teens travel is filled with monsters and I never quite knew what was real and what was not.  It's creepy, eerie, atmospheric, and filled with tension.  I feel confused by the ending and I don't know if it's just me not understanding it, but I wish there was a little more clarity.  4 stars

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller (2019)

Alva Webster, a widow, purchases a grand home in hopes of restoring and decorating it, but there's a problem - the locals insist the place is haunted.  She brings in professor Sam Moore to look into the possibility of ghosts and finds herself falling for the scientist.  This was a great read that had a little bit of everything - a Gothic feel, romance, some mystery and spookiness.  I loved Sam - he's so intelligent, but also a little goofy and innocent, and his adoration of Alva leapt off the page.  He's also surrounded by an incredible family.  Having been in a terrible marriage, Alva is understandably wary of any new commitments, but I just wanted her to forget about her problems and take a chance on Sam.  The ghost element of the story was interesting and not the usual haunting.  I wish there had been even more focus on the spooky elements; I think there was a bit too much about Alva's past.  Overall, though, this was a great fall read for readers who like a little romance with their ghost stories.  4 stars