U is for Unthinkable

Author: Shirley Duke
Release: October 2010
Genre: Fiction, YA, Horror, Thriller
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5

Descrption: Omar Phillips is Bridgewater High's favorite local teen author. His Facebook fans can't wait for his next horror story. But lately Omar's imagination has turned against him. Horrifying visions of death and destruction come over him with wide-screen intensity. The only way to stop the visions is to write them down. Until they start coming true... Enter Sophie Minax, the mysterious Goth girl who's been following Omar at school. "I'm one of you," Sophie says. She tells Omar how to end the visionsbut the only thing worse than Sophie's cure may be what happens if he ignores it.

Review: Omar dreams of becoming a published horror writer. Until that day comes, he's satisfied with using his Facebook page to share his writings. What his fans don't know is, Omar's stories come from his dreams. As soon as he has them, he's compelled to write it down. But when his stories become reality, police zero in on Omar is a possible suspect. Realizing what's happening, Omar tries to find ways to fight the urge to write his dreams down. All seems lost until he meets Sophie, a Goth girl who claims to be just like him. The problem is, Sophie may not be who she says she is...

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• The story was too short. The book is just under 100 pages and it felt rushed.

• Because the book was short, the characters were not developed properly. Had Ms. Duke made the book longer, the characters would've had more depth.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• Despite the fact that it felt rushed, it was a fast read. There wasn't a moment of boredom while I read it and I finished it in one reading. It caught my attention from the beginning and held it til the end.

• It had an awesome creepy feeling to it...had horror without being gory

If you're into good horror stories, Ms. Duke's, Unthinkable, is the story for you.

C is for The Cellar

Author: A.J. Whitten
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Horror
Release: May, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5

Description: Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something in the cellar that makes her believe that Adrien might be more than just a creep—he may be an actual monster.

But her sister, Heather, doesn’t share Meredith’s repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, to Heather, it feels like fate. To Meredith, it feels like a bad omen. But if she tries to tear the couple apart, she could end up in the last place she’d ever want to be: the cellar. Can Meredith convince her sister that she’s dating the living dead before it’s too late for both of them?

Review: Heather, Meredith, and their mother are mourning the loss of their father, who died in a car accident. Things are no longer the same. Heather, who was in the car that fateful night, has become depressed and no longer interacts with others, including the family. Mom is always away, while Meredith has become the only one who holds it all together. When Adrien and his mother buys the house next door, things seem to look up for Heather. Out of all the girls in the school, Adrien chose her. Meredith is automatically suspicious of him, but doesn't know how to tell Heather. Her suspicions are confirmed one day after she and a friend sneaks next door and looks into the window Adrien's cellar. Adrien and his mother are actually zombies and need Heather to continue living (or as close to living as possible, since they're zombies).

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• The description calls it "Romeo and Juliet meet the living dead." There was a lot of "living dead" but very little "Romeo and Juliet."
• It switched points of views often (one chapter would be in third person and the next chapter would be in 1st person - Meredith's voice).

WHAT I LIKED:

• I liked the character of Meredith...her voice. She was very realistic. I loved how, despite the fact that Heather distanced herself away after the accident, Meredith was still protective of her sister. She suspected something was wrong with Adrien and she made up her mind to do something about it. As someone who has a sister, I appreciate that. Very "no one messes with my sister!"

• The blossoming relationship between Meredith and Sam, who happens to be her friend and sister's ex-boyfriend. I personally wouldn't go for any of my sister's ex, but here, it works.

• It was gory at times...often times, maybe too gory...but it held my attenion. I wanted to keep reading to see if Meredith would succeed.

• The ending was a very surprising twist. That's all I'll say about that.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Like I said, at times, it was a bit too descriptive when it came to the zombies and what they did.