The Exorcism of Sara May by Joe Hart

Ugh. I almost don't want to review this book because the cover image is so creepy. Christian me is clutching my holy pearls at the obviously satanic image on my blog and wondering if it will somehow infiltrate my life through my Chromebook.

But I already read the book so I guess any potential damage has been done. But STILL. Her eyes...blech!

I decided to give this one a go, despite the obvious danger to my soul, because I had read (and liked) another Hart novella, "And the Sea Called her Name."

Much like the last book, Hart creates a creepy setting, but this time it's in the 1930's in Rath, Minnesota. We've got a small dusty town, where all the kids attend school in a single schoolhouse, and farming is the livelihood of many. We hear the story as a retelling from a man who was in love with Sara May, seventy years ago. As a teen boy, Lane's simplest pleasure was getting a Coke at the local store. Things started to get more exciting for him when the father of his crush hired him and a friend to clear some land for planting. But Lane's life was complicated by sinister events that, at first, he wondered if he was just imagining. But when people around him also started experiencing strange things, it was only a matter of time before Lane found himself participating in an exorcism.

What I like about this book is the mood Hart is able to create, and so quickly. I can richly imagine the setting, and there is an undertone to his writing that is just a little bit unsettling. Because this book is so short, the events that occur aren't too spread apart and it packs enough excitement and suspense to keep me reading, and wanting more.

And I'm confident my soul stayed intact after it all was over. Pretty sure at least...

And the Sea Called Her Name by Joe Hart

This is a great novella from Joe Hart about two people who start starry eyed, like any other couple, but slowly grow apart. Set on the blustery Maine coast, Hart describes Jason and Delphi in a quaint home on the seashore, with the cold, dark ocean just beyond their doorstep. We see events through Jason's eyes. A reluctant fisherman following in the steps of his father, Jason wants nothing more than to provide for his wife, Delphi, and build a family. But as Delphi becomes despondent and her behavior stranger and more unexplainable, Jason is hard pressed for any answer that makes sense.

After reading it, I thought, "Okaaaay?" As the ending was a bit fantastic for my taste. But then I read a blurb at the end that Hart wrote about what inspired the story. And that made me appreciate it a lot more. And my heart actually ached a little bit more, not just for Jason and Delphi, but for anyone who has experienced similar devastation, or alienation from a loved one, or complete loss. The symbolism Hart uses to show Jason and Delphi's unraveling is so out there, it shows the extreme ruin people go through emotionally.

So I guess I missed the point until Hart told me what it was. But a little reminder every now and then to look deeper than the surface is ok. And what better place to delve into the depths than the cold, black, sea.

The Shining by Stephen King

I've found many readers can be put into two categories: those who love Stephen King, and those who don't, but are afraid to admit it. Okay, maybe I'm projecting. But the internet LOOOOOVES Stephen King. At least the circles in which I find myself. So much so that I know there's something wrong with me for not loving his books. It's been my dirty little literary secret.

I started with IT. I remember bits and pieces of the miniseries that aired in 1990. Did I actually see the whole thing? Regardless, I picked up the book and gave it a go. I'm pretty sure I didn't get through that, so I'm gonna go ahead and say I saw the TV version in it's entirety. I had to, because I remember that I hated the ending.

Then came the Tommyknockers. 1993. I remember clearly that I didn't get through that book. I was too bored by the minute details that went on for pages and pages about what'shisname...Garrett? Gardner! (thanks wikipedia). Again, wasn't crazy about the ending.

If you're beginning to wonder why I decided to read these books knowing already I didn't like the ending of the movies, I too, wonder.

But it's Stephen King! And he's a master! And I already had the books at home. And I think I liked the movies enough to give the books a go.

Maybe the problem was my age? I was in junior high and high school in the 90's. Maybe I wasn't mature enough for King.

So skip ahead about 17 years and we are at Bag of Bones. Now THIS one? Wasn't too bad. Although I read it before I started blogging, so I don't really remember much about it. But it's probably what gave me the confidence to tackle The Gunslinger.

THAT? A big fat nope. Just a lot of dust and wandering and a guy and a kid and I don't even know what else.

So I'm batting about .250. Not too shabby if you have a leather glove instead of a Stephen King book in hand. So why, WHY did I think The Shining would be a good idea? I honestly don't remember. Except that I was on vacation and in the mood for something scary.

And thank baby Jesus I thought it was great! I didn't just finish it ( a crowning achievement in itself) I actually, truly, liked it! I'm not going to go into details about the plot except to say that the movie isn't a good representation of the book. So if you really want to know what Stephen King's The Shining is about, read the book. And you'll get a great dose of a grand, empty hotel with haunted rooms and characters you'll care about. I loved the setting, the backstories, the isolation, and yes, even the ending.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

This is a YA novella that debuted with much acclaim and has won many awards. So of course, I didn't like it.

It was the premise that reeled me in. It's about students at a boarding school for kids who have entered and then returned from fantasy worlds. They are obsessed with returning, but have to wait for the doorway to their world to reappear. When and where it appears is different for everyone.

I like the idea that everyone has a magical door, an opportunity at some point in their lives to shed their "real" existence. For some, the door is large and obvious. For others, it's small and inconspicuous. No one knows when it will appear, or for how long. Some people never see their door. Others, like these kids, do and go through them. The world that awaits them could be one of their deepest desires, or worst nightmares. It might be a world of war or chaos. And depending on the child, that could be the best, or worst thing for them.

Some kids return from their worlds and want to forget about their experience altogether. And there are special schools for them. But others want nothing more than to return. And these are the kids at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.

Do you want to know more? Me too! Do you want to know what each child's fantasy world is like? So do I! And that's the main problem I have with this book. We only catch snippets of each child's world. The entirety of the story takes place in the "real" world. And any flashbacks or descriptions McGuire gives us of someone's fantasy realm is seriously lacking.

The main mystery is that students are ending up dead at the school. So we are trying to figure out who the killer is. But I wasn't really interested in that. I guess I too, was obsessed like the kids. I just felt McGuire could have focused more on the fantasy, rather than the reality. THAT'S what I signed up for. Silly me.

I think this is one that is better in theory than execution. But plenty of people disagree with me about that. So maybe check it out? It's short at least. And it's a series. Maybe it gets better?

Come Closer by Sara Gran

This is a sinister story that you can read in just a few hours. It's about Amanda, who is happily married with a great job as an architect. As strange things begin happening to her, she can't quite figure out if it's her, or something else. Like the tapping she constantly hears at home (it's the pipes), or the strange incident at work (must have been a practical joke).

But as things get more sinister, Amanda finds herself consulting a book on demon possession she's sure was sent to her by mistake. And each time she consults the checklist of symptoms, her score creeps higher and higher.

I wouldn't describe this book as scary, so much as eerie. Sara Gran pulls you in right away in this short, densely packed read.

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

Although one's looks may not be completely obvious over the nets that inter, you may be surprised to hear that I am in fact, a white girl...with blue eyes, medium-length brown hair, and a build that's not too fat or too thin. I get the feeling when people meet me and see me later, they think, "Have I met her before?" That's because they can't quite place me, as they've seen me in every other blue-eyed, brown-haired, medium-built white girl. I just don't have anything particular about my appearance that stands out. No flaming red hair, no obvious birthmarks or peculiarities, just a very generic white girl look.

I like to think my genericism is only skin deep, of course. But I suppose internally I'm still just as generic as everyone else, if we can all agree everyone has their own unique story to tell.

And it's Starr's story we are focusing on today. Sixteen-year old Starr struggles with her identity. On the outside, she is black. On the inside, in some ways she might wish she were more generic. Unfortunately, she is dealing with a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common across the United States - the death of young black men at the hands of police. And this time, it's her friend, and she is a witness to the event. (Don't hate if you think that's a spoiler - I haven't revealed more than the movie previews have).

If that's not enough, Starr has a duality in her personality that is becoming too exhausting for her to keep up, especially in the wake of recent events.  She has her home life, with her family and friends from her neighborhood, which she would describe as a ghetto. And then there's her school life, which is in a mostly white, suburban setting.

As you may guess, I identify more with Starr's school life. So when she's at home and says things like she gave dab to her brother, or did the nae-nae, I have to consult Dr. Google for enlightenment. It was interesting to understand her non-school life and identity. I had questions, like, would Starr act the same way around a white person in her neighborhood? Or what about a black person at her school? How much of her personality and identity is tied to her environment (living in her neighborhood versus being black)?

And this latter point is something that the author addresses really nicely. She gives Starr a strong voice and makes her family just as interesting (if not more so in the case of her father) than Starr. It's from them we learn the meaning behind Starr and her siblings' names, and what THUG life really means. And it is this whole angle upon which the book title is based - an eye-opening insight that had me googling Tupac Shakur and learning more about his life and music. I've said it before and I'll say it again, any book that has me seeking out new information beyond its pages is a winner to me.

So it's a thumbs up for this relevant and culturally necessary novel.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I wasn't sure what this book was about, just that it was good. So I took a chance and was thrust into the interrogation of a Scottish World War II war prisoner for the Germans. The subject of the interrogation? Not your usual WWII prisoner, as it's a female. And she seems especially...perky?...for being interrogated. Okay, maybe perky isn't the best choice of words, but she's definitely not short on wits, snark, or even a sense of humor. And who can resist someone who says things like, "buckets of blood" as an expletive? It is this voice that kept me intrigued as I progressed through the first part of the book.

I wasn't sure the story was interesting by that point. And it wasn't clear where things were headed, but I damn well knew I liked this chick and wanted to hear what she had to say.

We eventually get the gist that there are two women serving in the military, one as a pilot, and another a radio operator, or something...They develop a friendship that is forged by the vagaries of war. Their unique positions in the British war effort offer a refreshing take on the genre as well.

One of the best things about this book is how each detail is carefully researched by the author. She tried to make things historically accurate, and where she took liberties, she tried to at least make things plausible, asking some literary forgiveness in that respect. In doing so, she provides an amazing war story whose unfolding is a slow-burn, but well-worth the wait.