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Posts tagged ‘Horror’

Phantom of the Auditorium

9780545298360By: R.L.Stine

Part of the Goosebumps series

Brooke and Zeke love all things horror and are thrilled to have been cast in the school play The Phantom. Zeke is really getting into character, dressing up and scaring other members of the cast. Then really scary things start to happen, things that could really hurt others. The story behind the play brings another dimension of terror. Is someone trying to make sure the play never gets seen? Or is it possible there really is a phantom.

A short creepy story with likeable characters. Both Zeke and Brooke have a charm and cheekiness that pitches them perfectly in their place. They seem just like any other school kid, though more interested in horror than many. The story is engaging and the tension holds well right until the end. It is easy to see why these books have become such a long lived series and warranted a repackaging.

Publisher: Scholastic US

Published: 01 September 2011

Format: Paperback 126 pages

Categories: Horror, Ghost Stories

ISBN 13: 9780545298360

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Tiddles

I received this copy from the publisher.9780143307372By: S.Carey

Part of the Eerie series

Ben and Cathy are left with their creepy aunt Pam whilst their parents go looking for a new house. They don’t want to be there, their aunt is strange and has gotten worse since her husband and cat died. They aren’t their long when it becomes clear that Pam is insane. Ben and Cathy were sure her cat was dead, so why does Pam leave food out for it still?

This is a gruesome, gory and dark story. It is horror simply told. The tension is there and it is kind of gross, zombie cats included. Don’t however give this series to your kids if they are easily scared or prone to nightmares. Best for 8-9 years.

Publisher: Puffin

Published: 27 February 2013

Format: Paperback 72 pages

Categories: Horror

ISBN 13: 9780143307372

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 4-9

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Killer App

I received my copy from the publisher9780143307365By: S. Carey

Part of the Eerie series

Roma’s friend Michael is part of a gaming group and has gotten his hands on a brand new app. They and three of their friends are going to test it out. It sounds fun, who wouldn’t want an app that caters to your dreams. It doesn’t take long for the dreams to turn to nightmares. How are they going to get out of this game?

One of the Eerie series. The tone of these books is dark, descriptors are gruesome and the tension is tight. Don’t let the large print format fool you, the covers say it all – these are horror books for young readers. The scary content makes these for slightly older readers but the format keeps them in the younger age range I’d have to say they are probably best for 8-9 years.

Publisher: Puffin

Published: 27 February 2013

Format: Paperback 72 pages

Categories: Horror

ISBN 13: 9780143307365

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 4-9

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The Hunting Ground – Book Trailer

So here is a little teaser of The Hunting Ground.

That isn’t the only horror novel for teens written by McNish, here is a short introduction about Breathe by the author himself.

Category:

Book Trailers, Writers

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The Hunting Ground

By: Cliff McNish

Elliot and his brother Ben move into Glebe house with their father who is commissioned to renovate it for sale. The old mansion is more than it seems though, it is home to ghosts and it’s past is full of terrible tragedy. It seems beyond spooky and when they start to read pages of a diary they realise it is more than just ghosts. Real evil inhabits part of the estate called the East Wing. This place holds the darkest secrets in its labyrinthian corridors. It is a building devised by an evil and twisted mind. The old owner, Cullayn, is assisted by Eve, the ghost of a young girl and the boys are drawn into the darkness through trickery and dark manipulation. Will they escape teh horrible fate Cullayn has planned for them. Will they be able to vanquish the evil once and for all? Or will they be trapped for ever like those who came before. them?

A truly creepy story. Tension and darkness are woven through every page, with only the briefest glimpses of light to offer hope. It is everything you want in a ghost story; cruel, creepy, sinister and tense. It is hard to put down and there are times you may even forget to breathe. McNish has woven a darkly compelling and chilling tale. If you likes to be creeped out then you’ll love this. Warning! This book says on the back cover that it isn’t suitable for younger readers, pay attention to this warning. I’d have to say probably 15+ for this.

Publisher: Indigo (imprint of Orion Children’s)

Published: 05 January 2012

Format: Paperback 288 pages

Categories: Horror, Ghost

ISBN 13: 9781780620169

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on side of page

 

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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2011 Aurealis Awards Finalists Announced

The finalists for the 2011 Aurealis Awards  have just been announced by SpecFaction NSW. Congratulations to all the nominees! The categories more applicable to TheKylieVerse are:

YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

Shift by Em Bailey (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Secrets of Carrick: Tantony by Ananda Braxton-Smith (black dog books)

The Shattering by Karen Healey (Allen & Unwin)

Black Glass by Meg Mundell (Scribe Publications)

Only Ever Always by Penni Russon (Allen & Unwin)

YOUNG ADULT SHORT STORY

“Nation of the Night” by Sue Isle (Nightsiders, Twelfth Planet Press)

“Finishing School” by Kathleen Jennings (Steampunk! An anthology of fantastically rich and strange stories, Candlewick Press)

“Seventy-Two Derwents” by Cate Kennedy (The Wicked Wood – Tales from the Tower Volume 2, Allen and Unwin)

“One Window” by Martine Murray (The Wilful Eye: Tales from the Tower Volume 1, Allen and Unwin)

“The Patrician” by Tansy Rayner Roberts (Love and Romanpunk, Twelfth Planet Press)

CHILDREN’S FICTION (told primarily through words)

The Outcasts by John Flanagan (Random House Australia)

The Paradise Trap by Catherine Jinks (Allen & Unwin)

“It Began with a Tingle” by Thalia Kalkapsakis (Headspinners, Allen & Unwin)

The Coming of the Whirlpool by Andrew McGahan (Allen & Unwin)

City of Lies by Lian Tanner (Allen & Unwin)

CHILDREN’S FICTION (told primarily through pictures)

The Ghost of Annabel Spoon by Aaron Blabey (author and illustrator) (Penguin/ Viking Books)

Sounds Spooky by Christopher Cheng (author) and Sarah Davis (illustrator) (Random House Australia)

The Last Viking by Norman Jorgensen (author) and James Foley (illustrator) (Fremantle Press)

The Deep: Here be Dragons by Tom Taylor (author) and James Brouwer (illustrator) (Gestault Publishing)

Vampyre by Margaret Wild (author) and Andrew Yeo (illustrator) (Walker Books)

 A complete list of nominees can be found here.

Category:

News

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Birth of A Killer

By: Darren Shan

Larten Crepsley Saga bk 1

Larten Crepsley is one child of many forced to work in the silk factory to earn a small amount of money but at least he gets to work with Var. That is until their foreman kills Var as a warning to the other kids. This devastating turn of events and its immediate consequences, causes Larten to flee his home. On the run he meets Seba Nile, who tells him of vampires and offers Larten the opportunity to become his assistant. If Larten agrees it means turning his back on humanity forever, but what does he have to lose when it feels as though humanity has already turned its back on him?

This is a prequel to the popular Cirque Du Freak books. The world Shan has created is dark. As Larten struggles to embrace his choices you are compelled to continue on the journey with him down this dark path. The story covers a lot of years for such a slim volume but this ensures the key points are what is touched on and that the pace remains brisk so you don’t lose interest. The different sections have their own intriguing plots points. I found Larten’s introduction to the Cirque Du Freaks darkly fascinating.

I picked this book up with the understanding that I should at least try a Darren Shan novel so I knew what I was talking about and found myself swept into a tale I rather surprisingly enjoyed. I can certainly see the appeal in Shan’s storytelling. Worth a look if you want something that will skirt you along the darker places. It’s language and style puts this in the upper end of middle grade fiction, horror in basic genre but so far as I have read not too graphic to make it inappropriate.

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Published: 01 April 2011

Format: Paperback 256 pages

Categories: Horror, Vampire

ISBN 13: 9780732291105

Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on side of page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Traitor’s Revenge

I received a copy of this from the publisher

By: Andrew Hammond

CRYPT bk 2

Strange things are happening but when you are a CRYPT agent that’s not so unusual, in fact it’s what keeps you employed. Senior agent Jud gets pulled away from movie night to go and investigate something odd is happening in the tunnels underneath the Houses of Parliament. What he doesn’t expect is to get arrested for the ghost’s actions. It soon becomes clear that someone is determined to cover up what is really going on, but why and who has that kind of power?

London isn’t the only place the ghosts are stirring and Bex is sent to York to check out a couple of strange sightings. There Bex experiences a sensing event like she never has before, something whispered about by agents called hypersensing. Other agents are soon bought into the case in London while Jud is sent to York to assist Bex. THings in both locations heat up and it seems certain that an event a long time in the planning is finally coming to fruition. Can the CRYPT agents figure out what is causing such a disturbance before many more lives are lost.

This is the second of the CRYPT series and it is just as gruesome and engaging as the first. Jud still struggles with the issues from his past, some of which are ripped to the surface in this book. He also still struggles to control his anger but he continues to be a top agent because of his ability to sense and figure out what is really going on, and he instinct to act. I like that he is a flawed hero, prone to stuffing up, it makes him more real.

Bex is a tough character in her own right, she is resilient, smart and willing to step up when she needs to.

The ghost story at the heart  of this plot is an historical event many should at least be vaguely familiar with, though perhaps not the story behind it. I like the way Hammond has blended the modern with a good old fashioned ghost story. I also like the historical detail in this case. The resolution is something the team has to work to, they have to research and fit it all together like a proper investigation it doesn’t just all fall in their laps and there are costs to the agents along the way. The result of this is an entertaining if gruesome story that doesn’t insult it’s readers by thinking they need the characters to be immune to all the stuff they deal with.  I think this is a solid series and well worth a look if you like things on the scary side. It’s better than you might think just by looking at it.

Publisher: Headline Book Publishing

Published: 01 March 2012

Format: Paperback 352 pages

Categories: Adventure, Action, Horror, Ghost

ISBN 13: 9780755378227

Purchase: here or use link on side of page to Booktopia

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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The Gallows Curse

By: Andrew Hammond

CRYPT series Bk 1

CRYPT stands for Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team. This team is affiliated with MI5 and are the people called in when a crime is committed and  police are at a loss. It is their job to figure out if something paranormal is going on and if so what it is and how to stop it.

Jud Lester is CRYPT’s star agent, also one of their liabilities, for Jud has a secret past. This new case is a big one, a 17th century highwayman wreaks havoc on the underground, the police have no idea what to make of it. Then people go missing and yet others are viciously attacked. The thing these attacks all have in common is that all the culprits appear to be from the 17 century.

Jud is unwillingly paired with new recruit Bex and together they have to work out what has caused these dangerous spirits to return to London’s streets. More to the point can they find out how to prevent the violence escalating, or stop it all together.

After a very brief history of the CRYPT organisation this book throws you right into the gruesome action and I do mean gruesome, some of the descriptions are quite graphic. The story itself is tight and entertaining, with just enough layers to provide a good number of twists.

Jud is a troubled young man with plenty of issues, this is what makes him something of a liability but also makes him interesting. Bex is a solid counterpart to him, tough enough to stand on her own two feet and stubborn enough to go out on her own if she feels it’s the right thing to do.

This is a fun ghost-busting read. The story behind the ghosts mixed in with a modern corruption keeps you interested. This is full of action, moves at a brisk pace and will be enjoyed by readers of other action fueled young adult series.

Publisher: Headline Book Publishing

Published: 01 September 2011

Format: Paperback 352 pages

Categories: Horror Action Ghosts

ISBN 13: 9780755378210

Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on side of the page

 

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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Play Dead

By: Ryan Brown

The Jackrabbits are Killington High’s football team and they are one win away from playing in the district championship, where they will face off against their most vicious rivals, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. In Killington Texas football is a religion and the rivalry gets bloody before the players even take the field. Jackrabbits quarterback Cole Logon is brutally attacked by three masked assailants but instead of backing down he sets out to get payback where he believes it will hurt most, on the field. Then a second prank goes terribly wrong, threatening the lives of the team. The help Cole, and a reluctant Savannah, seek is unorthodox and plunges them into a desperate race to control the team and their newfound craving for flesh. Cole must lead them to gridiron victory in a game where the stakes aren’t just bragging rights but a matter of salvation or damnation.

Cole is an arrogant loner with a dodgy family life and a dodgy reputation. For him football is the way out and he won’t let the Badgers ruin that for him. He reluctantly teams up with the coach’s daughter, Savannah who has her own secrets. Cole isn’t the sort of character that grabs me but neither did he repulses me, I think he was interestingly developed and played well off Savannah who isn’t as tightly cliched as she may first appear.

I have to say I am not a sporty type of person and wasn’t sure what to think when this came into my hands. Somewhat to my surprise I really enjoyed it. Brown starts in a place you think you know then gives it a little twist sideways. He has done a good job of balancing the sport, supernatural and humour aspects of this story. It is a tight, fast paced, darkly funny and entertaining read. If you like zombies, football or even something just a little different give this a shot, it might surprise you.

Publisher: Gallery

Published: 09 June 2011

Format: Paperback 344 pages

Categories: Thrillers Horror

ISBN 13: 9781439171578

Purchase: here or click on logo to go to Booktopia site

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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