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Untold Mayhem (audiobook version)

Blood Of My Blood by Barry Lyga
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You know how sometimes the final book is not always as great as the others in the series? Well, not this one!!! I could not put this book down. It was full of tension, anger, hatred, as well as love, friendship, and humor. Billy Dent has his hooks in Howie, Connie and Jasper and he delights in telling them they will all die horrible deaths. If you like serial killer books, this last book will make you sick, but I couldn't stop reading it---I was mesmerized by what these lunatics did without a care for others. Will Jazz rid himself of his father or will his father claim his son as the Crow King he thinks is his son's just title? Lyga's books will entice you, repel you, and give you lots of gore.


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The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have never read a book by Holly Black that I didn't like- Tana is a character I loved getting to know. She is a teen who likes to rescue people, but she also gets herself into trouble because she won't back down. I liked how the reader knew Tana was scared to death but the people around her never see her fear. She had a strong sense of concern for others and didn't hold a grudge. Waking up after a party she doesn't remember, Tana saves her old boyfriend (who has been bitten), Aiden and a vampire, Gavriel who is chained to Aiden's bed. Gavriel is a monster who has lived for hundreds of years but looks like a teen. It is Tana's saving of Gavriel that sets the tempo for their friendship. Gavriel has been to hell and back; suffered monstrously, been betrayed by everyone and locked up and tortured for over a hundred years. But it is all of this history that makes him a very, very strong and powerful vampire but we don't find this out til much later. But Gavriel will not forget Tana's kindess and Tana is freaked out that she is attracted to him as well (you will love them!!!) The Coldtown she takes them to is for infected Vampires. Many teens who watch the video feeds think Coldtowns are glamorous and run away to these forever horror-filled places. I would love to see this book become a movie (and I would love to see a sequel); Holly Black's writing was very visual and downright scary. But it was also sensual, especially with Tana and Gavriel- you have to read it!!! I could not put this book down; with all the blood and gore, this horror book is a must read!


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Rotters by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Joey Crouch is a straight-A student who lives with his mom in Chicago when she is suddenly and horribly killed by a bus. Child Services locates his father; Joey‘s mom has never told Joey anything about him. Imagine arriving in Bloughton, Iowa; your father is nowhere for 3 days; there is no food in the hovel he lives in and it is filthy and filled with old newspapers. Joey gets himself to school and finds students hate him because his father is a garbage man. Joey’s horror story begins and we follow, unable to turn away when we learn his father is a grave robber, that there is a long line of insurrectionists; and one particularly crazy one, Boggs will stop at nothing to destroy Joey and his dad. Along the way you will learn the history of grave robbers, the methods of burials and lots about rats, maggots, death, and decomposition. Joey is so miserable in school with bullying he begins to join his father and learn his trade. You can’t turn away as you follow along with Joey Crouch and meet many unforgettable characters !


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Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The final book in the Caster Chronicles (#4) definitely did not disappoint. When #3 ended, Ethan has jumped off the water tower to save Gatlin and everyone in it from the chaos that resulted when Lena went through her claiming. But this was never supposed to happen - Ethan dying - so he goes through many horror filled challenges in order to bring Gatlin (and Ethan) back to seasons, peace and harmony (if you could say Gatlin was all of these???) rather than the horrendous heat and lubbers - you will have to read book 3. What I loved about this book was the deep abiding love Ethan and Lena share and his love of his grandmother, Amma and Marian (his mom,s best friend and librarian). I liked Macon so much more in this book and I enjoyed the changes in John Brown (remember how he took Lena away from Ethan?) and his love for Liv and his allegiance to Ethan and Lena. Always interesting is Ridley and she is back taunting Link, who proves to be a very cool Incubus in this final book. This was a very satisfying end to the series and I will be reading the other series, Dangerous Creatures too!


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Fear by Michael Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book #5 in the Gone Series delves into the fear that invades each characters' life in the FAYZ in Perdid Beach; a fear of each other, fear of the parents who wait on the other side of the barrier hoping to find out anything about their children and now there is something happening to the barrier that surround them. It begins to turn black and move upward to the top of the barrier; blocking out light, stopping the fishing, the farming and the daily life activities the kids have been working on to eke out a living. Diana is pregnant and has left Caine and joined Sam and his boys. Lana is still curing everyone and living with Sanjit and his family on top of the hill. Astrid returns as a much different character in the previous books; she is lean, mean and has learned to live off the land and always carries a gun. Ork has become more sensitive but Drake and Brittney are still vying in the same body. Penny is used by Caine to punish Cigar; she tortures him and he almost dies. Once again, Grant does a tremendous job of terrorizing every child in the FAYZ and leaves this book and characters ripe for #6!

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