Shocking, horrifying, thrilling
340648
Lewis' "The Monk" will satisfy any reader who is longing for a story to chill and horrify, the classic way. The tale of a monk whose lust proves destructive and his tragic downfall is filled with visions, superstition, bandits, uncontrollable passions, and gruesome details of death and base mortality.

The monk Ambrosio is esteemed by the whole of his community in Madrid as the most upright, unblemished and holy man as well as a moving and inspirational speaker. His exterior proves to be only a superficial skin for inward vanity, selfishness and sexual obsession. As the novel progresses, we horrifyingly witness Ambrosio's seduction and first sexual experience with Matilda, a sorceress who later becomes the key encouragement and accomplice in his sexual ambition for the young, innocent and beautiful Antonia.

The novel is in parts heartwrenching as we feel deeply for Antonia, whose goodness and naivete is countered by Ambrosio's ever-increasing desires and corruption. To say that it was written in the 1700s, the novel is shockingly risque in its depictions of full-on sexual lust, so not surprisingly it was received at the time with much critical negativity. The subplots, whose characters are woven into the monk's tale seem to mirror his own, involving a young nun, Agnes, who is punished inhumanely by her superiors for the consequences of a moment of passion with her lover, Raymond.

In a tale so filled with corruption, violence and lust, there is still room for Lewis to dabble in more haunting sides of the gothic genre, such as several main apparitions which visit the main characters throughout, and even lighten the mood at times with some satire and humor. Nevertheless, this is a heavy read and, while it hits all the right spots for the lover of gothic and horror, it perhaps leaves little to be desired for the general reader and the faint-hearted should certainly steer clear.

There is a certain fascination in the horrific, and Lewis allows us to indulge in this with a truly thrilling novel - I have even more respect when I find that he accomplished it in ten weeks at the age of 19.
3105951
When you say ASHLEY BELL, you are talking of suspense, intrigue, a
nail-biting, all-consuming thriller. Dean Knootz has an extraordinary talent for weaving
together a terrifying shocker that absolutely sent goose bumps up and down my spine. As
I read each page, and word for word, the evil worked its way through the novel, and
non-stop supernatural powers willed its way through the threads of time to consume Bibi.
I was spellbound; drawn into the story along with the wonderful characters.
 Such authority and imagination gliding through the authors mind and into the
mind of the reader. A smooth flowing plan, along with amazing figures that seemed to
leap from this wonderful book . Bibi showed such strength as she fought like a soldier
through a rough battle. She had that inner energy that would never give up, no matter
what. One part that stayed with me all the time I was reading was when the author said,
the dreamer waking up, grabbing the chest and gasping for breath. Intensely describing
art. A very frightening thought to picture something, like a big worm, or something
wrapped up like a mummy crawling and wiggling toward you in the dark. To be
frightened or terrorized that much by a nightmare. How many of us have woken up from a
bad dream wondering if it was real or not, and found the heart racing ninety miles a
minute?
 Another scene that kept going through my mind was when Bibi was thinking of
her dog Olaf, and these words, Dogs needed no words to console you. Dogs were the
ultimate practitioner of the therapy of touch. Beautiful words.
 This novel will give the reader one surprise after another. I know it did me. It was
great trying to figure everything out as this sad but intriguing tale began when Bibi was
struck with cancer. That scene especially touched my heart. The author really got into my
head with this novel. After a man in a hoodie walking a golden retriever entered Bibis
room in the hospital, and she was told later, after testing, she showed no sign of cancer.
That part lifted my spirits. Right after a visit from a very strange woman, Bibi was told
she must save a life in exchange for her being cancer free. Who is this other person and
why must Bibi be the one to try and save this person? She didn't know if she could do it,
and once she got the courage, how would she be able to save this other person? Will Bibi
find this person before time runs out? Or will their past, present, and future run out for
both of them? Only time will tell. A truly remarkable read!
3224026
An intense and pulse-pounding thrill ride from page one... a fast-paced story with a multitude of twists and turns. But above all of that, there is amazing character development. Wait, I'm so excited I'm getting ahead of myself.

Matt Tremain is a blogger who stumbled into the story of a lifetime, but it's a story that makes him a target. His life will depend on him trusting the right people and making split-second decisions. His life ends up in the hands of a stuck-up news reporter, a career-focused cameraman, a cop, and a man who reeks... just to name a few. Will those trying to stop a madman survive long enough to tell an unwitting public?

So back to my gushing. There's something for everyone in this read: a little romance, a lot of action, memorable characters, vivid descriptions that create a movie in your head (it would make an excellent movie), and historical relevance for a present-day horror. I often wondered how evil, think Hitler, can get so far before someone stops it. This book gives a captivating inside look at the terrifying way evil slowly builds.

Why, you might ask, did I give it a 4.5 with all this gushing? There were a few more grammatical errors than I like to see. In a story with this kind of action and intensity, you don't want to be brought out of it because you had to re-read a sentence. But there were only a few, and I'm a bit picky on this subject.

Overall, it's an excellent piece of storyline, and I love how the author incorporated such present-day pieces to the puzzle like smart phones and blogging. I highly recommend it, especially for those who love a breathless and fast read.

Rating: 4.5 stars, but worthy of rounding up

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the views expressed are my own.
842512
This novel is most certainly a page turner of a thriller. It is also concise, no purposeless conversation. Every word adds to the suspense and tension. Black and white, it certainly is, with real heroes and villains. No decent reader could possibly read this book without being infuriated, outraged even. I won't explain here just what is so enraging, because I don't wish to give away any spoilers. Read the book and you will see for yourself.
2747702
Whats hot: JUMP made me laugh, cry and want to hide under the bed. Its beautiful and brutal  a thing of steel wings with killer pinions. It offers more twist and turns than a torturers rack, all held in place by some seriously good writing.
The imagery was stunning, while the apocalyptic setting was brilliantly inventive. (Id love to know what The Book of Blood would sound like if I read from it!) This gut-wrenching story accelerates relentlessly, until it throws you right through the windscreen. This is a seriously bad book. It leaves you impaled on shards of withering philosophy and insightful barbs. A hell of a ride.

Whats not: Did I mention this is a deeply disturbing book? Read it at your own risk. Seriously. If you don't like cussing, or fiction that turns the Word of God on its head then steer clear. This story isn't for you.

Summary: I just wanted to wallow in this book like a hog in alphabet soup. It was a rush in every way. Its not perfect  but epic? Oh yeah.
1511666
I loved this book! The author is superb at pacing the novel, leaving you completely enticed the whole time as she drops little breadcrumbs as the story unfolds. The whole thing comes together perfectly in the absolutely shocking ending, the kind that makes you need to immediately read the whole thing again with the new knowledge. Highly recommended if you like psychological suspense or thrillers.
2122813
This book was surprising. It sounded fine but was recommended to me so I was unsure how I would like it. It turned out to be better than I was expecting. The characters were so lifelike and compelling. You could really put yourself in their shoes, be in the story with them. The writing was beautiful and thrilling. The book is a thriller and it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. I have to say even the stories premise was interesting. It was unique. I do not know if others have read anything like this before but I most certainly have not. I am not even a thriller fan but I actually enjoyed this. The moral issues basically hit you in the face making you face your own versions of good and evil and right versus wrong. A real page-turner, thriller lovers will find this a read they cannot put down.
1771187
I have never read a book as extreme as this! "The Bedeviled" by Thomas Cullinan gives one heck of a punch, certainly blowing any Stephen King novel way out of the water! This electrifying story of utter terror is the single most frightening book I have ever read! It has a great introduction, and all the characters are easily, and properly defined. Cullinan was a real storyteller in his day, and it proves so. This genuine work of literature is composed of familiar elements from "The Stepford Wives", "Rosemary's Baby", and "The Exorcist". It takes these elements and intwines them to provide us with an excrutiating novel of unthinkable terror.

  The story is about Maggie, a woman who watches her life, and family fall apart after she is moved from the home she loves in New York, to the eerie house in Ohio, one in her husbands family. Once there, bizare times plague her life: Her sons screams in the night, her daughter's strange behavior, her awkward neihbors down the road, and the demonic horse chasing her in the night. She fears the worst, as she believes the terror is coming from her husbands great, great grandfather, and if she's right, it's far worse than she could ever imagine...

  The entire story has a great twist at the end, one I sure couldn't expect, and I'm pretty good at that. Furthermore, the story has great narration, as it paints pictures of the incidents in your mind. The entire story is scary, shocking, and fascinating. This one's got some touchy subject matter, making it strictly for adults, and strictly for scares!
1532528
This book is so scary that I recommend reading it in broad daylight, with all the lights on. Maybe it's because I read more police procedurals than thrillers, but this is one scary book, and by the end of it, my heart was thumping away. At first, you think it's a typical serial killer story, of which there are far too many on the market. But the twists to it are really blood-curdling. There is, at first glance, the usual partnered cops hot on the trail and the likely suspect. But pay attention - no one is exactly what you thought, and the ending...well, I'd stay out of basements, if I were you. I'm not giving any other details because this book is a visceral thrill. It's a short novel, which can be read in one sitting. But keep those lights on!
2440873
WHEN I WAKE UP by Jessica Jarlvi sounded like a fascinating psychological thriller and I hoped that it would be worth a read but nothing prepared me for this shocking story that was completely unexpected, clever, and sharp.

When Anna is savagely beaten and left in a coma, this small community in Sweden is shocked that something like this could happen to such a lovely woman. A brilliant teacher, Anna takes her job seriously and really wants to make a difference in her student's lives and in her personal life she is married to Erik and a dedicated mother to her two adorable little boys. But as her husband and the police begin their investigation, confusing secrets begin to turn up and as the list of suspects starts to grow, will Anna wake up in time to name her attacker?

WHEN I WAKE UP by Jessica Jarlvi is told from different points of view and at different times ranging from a few months before the attack to after it has happened, and this really worked in holding my attention. There are plenty of characters, most of which are unlikeable and highly suspicious, which had me questioning the attacker's identity numerous times. There are a lot of sexual scenes throughout this book which may seem unusual for this genre but like everything this author writes, there are reasons for this too. WHEN I WAKE UP by Jessica Jarlvi is absorbing, dark, and refreshingly different and I highly recommend it.

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
1964693
Eli Constant has done it again, and this time she teamed up with author B.V. Barr to co-write this instant hit.

This awesome woman never fails to surprise me, taking one of my favourite horror genres and twisting it into something even more brutal and chilling than I thought possible.

Children. Z-Children to be more precise. What could be more horrifying than watching your own children turn into flesh eating monsters? Not much, and neither author held back on the gore and guts in this gut-wrenching horror story. (see what I did there? wink!)

The story takes on an interesting layout, of several stories that cross paths at the beginning of the outbreak? Apocalypse? End of mankind? So many ways to describe these scenes... The stories show different angles, and different versions of events from several characters that I very quickly grew to like and dislike, but regardless, the end was always inevitable for them.

The Z-children came.

The Z-children fed.

And the only way to stop these once beautiful little darlings is to kill them.

It's both equal parts disturbing as it is awesome!

I simply CAN NOT FREAKING wait for book 2!!
911361
This book should come with a warning label for those who are easily shocked or are frail of stomach to think carefully before turning to the first page. Alternatively, for those with stronger constitutions, the warning should be more along the lines of ensuring that you've got some time up your sleeve because this one's going to hook you and hold on tight. Mo Hayder has produced a stunningly grisly chiller that is as gripping as it is stomach churning.
D.I. Jack Caffery is the new recruit to the Area Major Investigation Pool (AMIP) team, which is the Met's crack murder investigation unit. He's thrown in at the deep end when five mutilated bodies are discovered, buried at a work site. It's only during the autopsy that Caffery finds out just how grim the case is likely to become after a rather shocking discovery.
Although he's young, Caffery is a driven and at times desperate detective who manages to remain unphased no matter what is thrown at him. He is also haunted by his own demons in his past, continually blaming himself for his own perceived shortcomings. He is a strong protagonist who is made all the more likable for his faults, both real and imagined. It's his driven nature that controls the frantic pace that the investigation maintains and compelled me to keep the pages turning as quickly as I could.
A short word on the shocking nature of the book to which I alluded in the opening paragraph. This refers to the detailed descriptions of the mutilated bodies, and the actions and feelings of the psychopath responsible. While not enough to give you nightmares, they were still sufficient to turn my stomach ever so slightly squeamish. In an era of some really bad bad-guys, Hayder has produced one who's right up there near the top of the sicko list.
I found this to be a wonderfully compelling story. Just when I felt that I had a pretty good handle on where it was headed, it suddenly threw me for a loop with a clever change of direction. It contains a well-constructed plot that clicked seamlessly into place and a strong protagonist to hold it all together.
2571037
This book blew me away. It includes so many aspects in life- family, secrecy, love, hatred, betrayal... It is written so precisely that you feel like you are the character speaking in the chapter, thinking their floods of thoughts and feeling their intense emotions. Every eerie and mysterious chapter left me wanting to know what came next, so I couldn't put it down. Then the ending- It chills me to the bone. I will be reading this again!
3840224
This exciting thriller took me completely by surprise. Hayder hooked me from the very first page. But when she offered part of the story from the killer's point-of-view, my spirits sunk - I hoped for more of a mystery... I kept reading, and to my delight, not only did the book become even more exciting, but the question of point-of-view did not detract from the mystery at all! The surprises and shocks continued on through to the riveting climax. Hayder's talent impressed me to no end - she maintained the level of suspense, and mystery throughout, and also made the different perspective - including the serial killer - work very well. After finishing the book, I knew that this is one that will stay with me for a long time. There were some very shocking scenes, and plenty of violence, which may bother some, but I know I at least am looking forward to reading the sequel,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Treatment/dp/0802146139/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Treatment</a>!
208521
"Messenger of Fear" the shocking and chilling new novel by Michael Grant begins with Mara Todd, a teenager who has lost her memory and is caught in a nightmare that seems all too real with a young man wearing a black coat with silver skull buttons who calls himself the "Messenger of Fear". Terrified she soon learns that all is not what it seems. For some mysterious reason she has been chosen to be the Messenger's apprentice and to act as judge, jury and executioner when the young persist in doing evil without conscience or remorse.

In a game of win or lose where justice is served, and freedom or punishment of three individuals is determined, Mara's ideas of fairness will be shattered. In desperation she searches for the truth behind not only this harsh justice, but why she has been chosen to help exact it.

Like all of Michael Grant's novels the plot is compelling and thought provoking. As Mara struggles with the suicide of Samantha Early, a teen with a obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) who's bullied and can't stand up for herself, the storyline twists and turns giving voice to her own worst traits. Deep down she knows that only those who consistently make decisions that are wicked and cruel are judged and punished, yet cannot understand why she's been chosen as the apprentice-in-training. Only as her memory returns does Mara understand the implications.

With vivid description the author brings the horror and violence of the dark, shadowy world of the Messenger to life. The reality of the nightmare becomes totally undeniable with every violent episode,sending chills down your spine. In an explosive climax the truth is revealed but the fear for Mara has only just begun. Although I do prefer Michael Grant's science fiction novels this one will be loved by all those that like a dark fantasy.

The characters add to the drama, and energy of this story although I found little complexity in Daniel and Oriax's personalities. Mara Todd is perceptive and curious, her fear and anxiety driven by the unreality of what seems like an ongoing horrific dream. The Messenger of Fear is a cold, strange and taciturn boy who's soft-spoken and overly composed. When he summons the Game Master and especially in the case of Liam and Emma he shows a slice of humanity which Mara gravitates to. Samantha Early a victim of bullying is smart, painfully sad and defensive while her nemesis Kayla McKenna (K-Mack) is confident, conceited, and remorseless in her cruelty.

I enjoyed "Messenger of Fear" and wonder where Michael Grant will take this story in his next novel.
157455
Amazing new author for me!  This is a tremendous story and I cannot wait to read book 2.  It is so good I recommended it to my son who is very particular about what he reads.  Visceral, poignant, and shocking.  It has everything!
706871
I've read a lot of horror novels, but this is, by far, the most frightening and disturbing one. And it is not only because we have to witness a horrible crime, based on the cruel murder of Sylvia Likens. Of course, the story of the book is a horrifying one: Back in the 1950's, we meet David and his friends and family, living a rather normal life. Yes, there are some ugly secrets behind the surface, but everyone has chosen not to notice. All of the boys likes the neighbor Ruth, a single mother that treats them like adults, not like annoying little children. This woman seems to be the perfect stepmother for Meg and her sister Sarah, who have just lost their parents. But the beautiful and strong Meg brings out something horrible in Ruth. It starts with arguments, with punishments - it ends with physical and mental abuse of an almost unbearable cruelty, and with Meg being locked up and tortured in a bomb shelter in Ruth's cellar...

It is really hard to read through all the incredibly horrible things that are done to Meg, and it certainly doesn't help that many of the most disturbing cruelties are done by children. All the kids in the neighborhood are taking part in the torture - everyone knows, but no one helps, and none of their parents seems to care enough to notice what is going on the cellar next door. But the most frightening thing about the book is, in my opinion, that the reader is forced to go through the main character's feeling, and starts to feel the same thing. The story is absolutely shocking, but I felt such a strange and horrible fascination, that I couldn't stop reading anymore and actually finished it in one day. It is the same mixture of pure disgust and overwhelming captivation David goes through, and this was what makes the reader realize that everyone can be drawn into a horrible event like this - and that it can (and of course, does) happen again, anywhere, anytime.

This book is one of the best examples that no monster, no paranormal activity, no evil spirit can be more frightening than the human mind - and that bad things are not only done by bad people. David is a good boy and he feels true sympathy for Meg, but he can't resist until it is too late. And no one can truly say that he would have acted differently if he were in his shoes, because... you never know unless you have been there.

The Girl next Door is one of the most horrible and impressive books I've ever read. It is a book you will never ever forget about - even if you wish you could. And it shows a very important truth about human society, that Meg's history can repeat in everyone's house next door, and that we have to do everything to prevent this.