Tag: cults

Posted in Book Review

Review of A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

Travis Wren is hired to use his peculiar talent for finding people to locate missing children’s book author Maggie St. James. In the process of searching for her, he finds a place many believed to be merely a legend.

My Impressions:

This has to be the most unique take on cults that I’ve seen, and the overall effect is enthralling and chilling. The way the separate timelines tie together, the carefully plotted out twists and lush storytelling all come together to make this book impossible to put down.

If you’re looking for a deeply atmospheric book that will pull you under and refuse to let you go long after you’ve stopped reading, this is it. I particularly enjoyed the complicated feelings all the characters have toward each other, their surroundings, and even their own sense of self. Each character felt vividly real, fully fleshed out on the page.

I highly recommend this captivating read for anyone looking to escape the hustle and bustle of real life this spring- just don’t be surprised if you lose several hours without noticing, too sucked in to even look up from the page. For an even more immersive reading experience, check out the audiobook, which is phenomenally voice acted.

If you’ve already read this one, feel free to leave a comment about your favorite things about the book.

Happy reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review: The Family Upstairs, by Lisa Jewell

Posted on by writingkat95

The hook:

On Libby’s twenty-fifth birthday she inherits a mysterious abandoned mansion and a mystery. Something terrible happened in this house twenty-five years ago, and Libby isn’t the only one looking for the truth.

My impressions:

This excellently told gothic mystery quickly became one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. Told from multiple perspectives across both the past and the present, this book explores the reasons behind the tragedy that left the mysterious house abandoned and the truth of the day Libby was found there as a baby, alone.

Fans of gothic stories and books like Flowers in the Attic are likely to enjoy this twisted tale of family and manipulation. What really happened twenty five years ago? Who were Libby’s parents? And why was she the only one left alive in that house after the tragedy that took place there just before she was found by the authorities, alone and abandoned but mysteriously well cared for?

You’ll have to read to find out, and I promise the journey is well worth it.

-Happy Reading

Posted in Book Review

Review: The Project, by Courtney Summers

Posted on by writingkat95

The hook:

Lo’s big sister Bea has been swept up in a cult called The Unity Project ever since their parents died in the tragic car accident that left Lo fighting for her life. Now, journalistic minded Lo is determined to find the truth behind The Project and get her sister back.

My impressions:

If you’ve read anything by Courtney Summers, you know not to expect to come away feeling good. This, like her other works, is about as far from a feel good book as you can get, but it’s enthralling all the same. And I promise you, no matter how prepared you are for things to get dark, you’re still going to find yourself hoping you’re wrong, believing, on some level, in a happy resolution that isn’t coming.

I highly recommend this book if you’re in the mood for something dark and twisted, something that will make your stomach turn even as you silently plead with the characters to save themselves. If you enjoy Summers’s other works or if you’re a fan of authors like Gillian Flynn, you will almost certainly enjoy this book. If you want to feel safe and secure after you put the book down, maybe read something else. You’ll be leaving the lights on after this one.

Happy reading may not be the best sign off here! XD