I’ve been trying to write my review of this novel for a few days now. Trying, and failing. So, I’ve decided to take an approach that I don’t normally follow. Instead of launching into a detailed description of plot and character, I’m going to post the blurb as shown on the back of the novel (so you at least get a little insight into what it’s all about), and then I want to discuss a few key literary devices that I thought worked well. This isn’t something I normally do, but I don’t think I can say what I want any other way. So here goes…

A lonely gay teen bides his time with trips to strangers’ funerals and Ouija board sessions, desperately searching for someone to love–and a reason to live following a suicide attempt.

Walking an empty stretch of New Jersey highway on an autumn night, he meets a strange and beautiful boy who looks like he stepped out of a dream. But the vision becomes into a nightmare when the boy turns out to be the local urban legend, the ghost of a star athlete killed in 1957–a ghost with a deadly secret and a dangerous obsession.

Vintage: A Ghost Story is an intense thriller that looks at the dark side of gay urban fantasy, where the dead can never rest and trapped spirits never find peace.

Although this novel is narrated in first person, the narrator has no name. Actually, that might not be entirely true, but if he does have a name, readers never find out what it is. The first time I read Vintage through, I felt that by not giving him a name, the author robbed the narrator of authority. Because he was nameless (and also gay), I felt like the author was trying to tell me that his identity didn’t matter, that being gay meant that he wasn’t worthy of a title like a name. I found myself getting all ticked off about the kinds of impressions that would leave on potential queer teens. However, I was so intrigued by this concept of a nameless narrator that as soon as I finished reading Vintage, I went back to the beginning and started again. I very quickly changed my mind over how I felt about this character. I realised that by not giving him a name, the author was actually empowering the character and inviting you, the reader, to assume his identity and really place yourself in the story. This, then, made the story more powerful and a whole lot more engaging than the first time I read it. This gave me the opportunity to step into his shoes, to not be myself for a few hours and really immerse myself in his world. I now saw that this gave the narrator loads of authority, unlike my previous assumptions.

I also enjoyed the fact that, while not necessarily ‘out’, and although the narrator had certainly encountered adversity because of his sexuality in the past, he seemed more than comfortable as a queer teen. He was not struggling to comes to terms with his sexuality, which was very refreshing. I thought that Vintage highlighted a really clear distinction between comfortably keeping one’s sexuality to himself, and fearfully doing so. Coming out should be the choice of the individual, and just because you’re comfortable with your sexuality doesn’t automatically mean that you have to come out. I really enjoyed this aspect of this novel.

Vintage is a quirky queer teen read that I’m almost certain would be enjoyed by readers both gay and straight. There’s something about a good old ghost story that has a real universal appeal. Watch out for the supernatural sexual encounter!
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Bit of a thrill junkie? Then you’re going to love this one. I suggest you hold on to your seats, folks, because you’re in for one hell of a ride. Skeleton Creek is an anomaly. And a very, very good one at that! Patrick Carman calls it “cross platform storytelling” because it incorporates both the traditional use of text, as well as video footage to tell the story.

A terrible accident occurs one night when Ryan and Sarah are messing around at the local closed down dredge. In the darkness, Ryan falls over – or maybe someone pushes him *gasp* you’ll have to read it yourself to find out – and he tumbles through the support barrier, knocking him unconscious and shattering his leg. He winds up in the hospital, and both Ryan and Sarah’s parents forbid them from seeing each other anymore.

On the night of the accident, Sarah had her video camera and caught the whole thing on tape. When she watches it back, something shows up on the tape that has her bones rattling inside her body. She secretly sends the video to Ryan, who is equally freaked by the image on the tape, and the two start an investigation behind their parents’ backs.

You wont believe what they uncover …

Ryan’s part of the story is delivered via his journal. While he’s cooped up in bed recovering from his fall, writing absolutely everything down is the only thing that stops him from going insane. Sarah’s part is delivered entirely through video. She blogs messages to Ryan, and she also uses her camera to document her investigative findings.

The video sections make Skeleton Creek. It would still be a great story without them, but they add a new level of interaction with the characters that you just don’t get from ordinary books. Although most of the information is delivered through Ryan’s journal, several key pieces come from Sarah’s footage. I found myself reading as fast as I could in order to get to the next password quicker (videos are posted on a website and the passwords given in the text are required to access them). The pieces of the footage taken at the dredge are actually really creepy, and they give the story authenticity. The whole thing has a real Blair Witch feel about it, but in its own unique (and supremely good) way. The last scene (delivered by video) had me sitting on the edge of my seat, and as the picture on screen faded into blackness I clapped both of my hands over my mouth to muffle my scream. There was no part of me – not even a tiny subconscious part – that saw that one coming. It’s definitely a strong contender for the Best Cliffhanger of 2009 award.

Oh why must you torture us so, Patrick? WHY, WHY, WHY?

The good news is, though, that the sequel is out in the summer of 2009 (the American summer, that is), so interested parties wont have to wait too long.

Skeleton Creek is not suitable for those with heart conditions as reading/viewing may cause hot flushes, and excess pounding of the myocardium. Other side effects include interrupted breathing patterns, sweaty palms, and nervous behaviours such as excessive foot tapping, nail biting and grinding of the teeth. If symptoms persist upon completion of reading, you can email Patrick at fanmail@patrickcarman.com as I’m sure he’d love to hear all about it!

A fly by the seat of your pants read that will captivate both male and female audiences.

Available February 10, 2009

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I’ve always been into the supernatural, and I love the urban fantasy stuff that has been circulating lately. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts – you name it, I’ll read it. But give me something about zombies and I’m more likely to make fun of it . For some reason, zombies and I don’t mesh. They’re the one fictional construct that I just can’t digest. I know it’s irrational (I mean, come on, I like vampires) and honestly, I can’t pinpoint exactly why I feel like this, but its always been this way and I never thought I’d change.

Until now.

Christopher Golden’s Soulless was so much better than I thought it was going to be. Admittedly, when I picked it up I didn’t really know it was a novel about zombies, so I probably didn’t approach it with the same prejudice that I would if I’d had that information. Silly me didn’t read the blurb properly before I bought it, and I walked out of the store thinking it was a novel about ghosts. I’m happy to report, however, that I’m not sorry I made that mistake.

Written in third person, Soulless is one of those novels that follows a whole bunch of different characters through their experiences until they all meet up and cross paths at the end. It starts with Phoenix, the daughter of a renowned Medium who is appearing on the local breakfast news show for a major séance with other known Mediums. No one, not in their wildest dreams, expected that they’d wake the dead for real. Chaos falls upon New York City and quickly spreads to neighbouring communities. Suddenly, America is locked in the biggest stand off of all time: the dead versus the living.

What I liked most about this novel was not the zombie, supernatural elements, but the way the characters changed and adjusted to the circumstances around them. What would you do to survive? If it came down to killing just a few innocent people to save several dozen more, could you do it? What exactly would it take to turn you into a murderer? The majority of the novel follows everyone as they run away from trouble, but when they decide to turn around and face trouble head on, these were the questions I found myself thinking. Not surprisingly, some of the characters deliberately put themselves in situations that offered me some answers. And I can’t say I was happy about all of them, either.

Fast-paced and action-packed, I could see this making a really great movie. Golden does a superb job of creating a very clear picture of the chaos. And while it was closed off nice and clean, I have to ponder whether there will be a sequel.

Soulless wasn’t one of those jaw-dropping, life changing reads, but its definitely worth a go. As long as you’re not too put off by the violence, I reckon everyone will get a little kick out of this one!

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As far as covers go, The Devouring is pretty spectacular. In fact, it’s so good that I picked it up off the shelf in the store and decided I was going to buy it even before I looked at the blurb. Apart from being visually stimulating, it manages to capture the real essence of the story without giving too much away.

The blurb is pretty enticing as well. Check this out:

Vours:
Evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice.

This isn’t how the horror ended for us –
This is how it began.

When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it’s clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman’s imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life. To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares. Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

The Devouring is an engrossing tale of terror that will have you wondering: what if your worst fears became your living nightmare?

Sounds awesome, right? Well, I thought so anyway. Unfortunately, now that I’ve finished reading it, I’m not quite sure what to think. Firstly, let me just say that I didn’t think it was bad. Not at all. But there is just something about it that isn’t sitting right with me.

The characters are all likable enough, yet they don’t seem individual enough, there is not a whole lot that separate them from each other in my mind. For me to consider a book astonishing, the characters really need to jump off the page and present themselves as independent, unique individuals. That doesn’t really happen for me with The Devouring. However, I’m not prepared to say that I don’t like the characters, because I do. Or maybe it’s just that there isn’t anything exceptionally unlikable about them, I can’t quite tell. Either way, they didn’t leave a huge impression.

Everything happens pretty fast, too. There isn’t a whole lot of build up, which for some, might be a good thing. I, however, am a big fan of the build up. I love anticipation and surprise. Although it’s not predictable, per se, The Devouring didn’t have me sitting on the edge of my seat. Yet, at the same time, I didn’t want to put it down.

Can you see what I’m saying here? It wasn’t bad, not by a long shot, but it wasn’t outstanding either, you know? I do think that it would make a really awesome film, however. Visually, I think it would be a real creeper. But as words, well, it falls a little short of creepy.

Give it a go. I’m interested in your thoughts!

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