Author: Kate Karyus Quinn'
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: HarperTeen (June 11, 2013)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Thriller/Horror
My Rating: 4 Stars!!
Book Description:
The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.
On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.
A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.
Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.
My Thoughts and Review:
The premises of this one drew me right in, with the unique storyline and the slight mysterious feel to it I couldn't help but pick this one up and dive right in.
What I wasn't expecting was the simple fact that this wasn't just a mystery. Oh no, this was a whole heck of a lot more than that. This was down right creepy at times and had me guessing from the very first chapter. I knew after those first few pages that I was going to be in for quite the thrill fest.
The cover on this one is quite deceiving, it is downright innocent really, something this story is not.
The description isn't lying when it says that fans on the master of horror himself, (King), would appreciate this one.
It has been awhile since I have read a good horror and this one eased me right into the story. To say this was dark and twisted would be perfect. In fact I could probably leave you with those three words alone and be done with this review. But where would the fun be in that?
Annaliese's past was a mystery and one I loved discovering along the way. Her memories came to her in horrible visions of her past and the past lives of girls very much like her. I can't really say too much but how it all unfolded was pure genius. It was creepy and edgy and truly had me wanting to know more. I didn't realize how much I missed stories like this one until after starting this read. I missed the strange and dark feel or a good horror. The twisted mind of a mad man and the terrifying feeling of the unknown, lurking just around the next corner ready to strike when you are least expecting it. I loved cringing at certain parts and feeling my stomach roll and then laughing out loud at others. The blending of these two genre (YA and horror) was seamlessly done. This is one heck of a debut novel from a talented author. I will definitely be keeping my eye on her and picking up whatever she happens to write in the future.
*All Opinions are my own and I was in no way compensated for my review*
I am so glad I requested an arc of this. I love that it has something King-esque, it probably means I'll enjoy it very much. I am a huge fan of horror/mystery when it's well done.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting this the second I finish Vortex. I was kidnapped by Rae Carson this weekend, by which I mean that I read all three Fire and Thorn books back to back and totally shut the world out, but now I'm back and ready for a change. I think this will be a good one.
Great review.
This will definitely be a good change for you then Maja, I think you will really like this one!
ReplyDeleteokay I dont think I have read a horror in a looong time. I have to say, I was fooled by the cover! I didn't even realize what the genre was until I started reading this review and then scrolled up to double check ahah.. it sounds..creepy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not big into horror and while YA horror sometimes is fine, I'm always a little afraid to try it since I'm such a chicken. I have to say that this sounds intriguing though!
ReplyDeleteThis seems really interesting. I'm not a fan of horror, but maybe I'll give it a try. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI love when a book is more than what you were expecting. The whole mystery sounds interesting, and the title makes me break out singing Joplin's song!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteEven though this does have that slight horror feel to it, it really is a fun read at the same time. Not too horrific, just that creepy horror side to it without being overly done.
Okay Heidi, that is definitely a sign that your TBr pile is too big when you can't remember if you have it or not. :P
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good. I don't read a lot of horror, but I do occasionally enjoy a horror book, especially when, as you said, it is much more than that. Thanks for the great review.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear this is not just a mystery but a horror too! I have a review copy and now that I've read your review, I'm tempted to move it up my TBR pile so I can be creeped out too! You're right, the unknown is so terrifying! Can't wait to read this, wonderful review!
ReplyDeleteYes! This was really done well. I feel bad for the people I see rating it so low because it was too difficult for them to follow, because they're missing out! My review goes upon Monday.
ReplyDeleteYes! I agree Christy, I really liked this one. So well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for stopping by!
I also didn't think the cover matched. When I first saw it I just assumed simple contemporary not mystery thriller. Glad it is creepy and really kept you on your toes. Plus I just love dark and twisted LOL
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