Book Review: The Voices by F.R. Tallis

The Voices by F.R. Tallis

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Pan Macmillan (May 8, 2014)

Author Information: Website

Mogsy's Rating: 4 of 5 stars 


To some, The Voices is going to be just another haunted house ghost story. To others, it will be one of the most terrifying books you’ll ever read. I’ll admit I came very close to not reading this, simply because the novel’s description made it sound much too scary. As a parent of a toddler, I had a feeling this one might cut to close for comfort and give me nightmares. But true to form, in the end I just couldn’t resist a good horror.

The year is 1976, the hottest summer in the United Kingdom since records began, and Christopher Norton and his wife Laura and baby girl Faye had just moved into their a grand old Victorian era home in the desirable neighborhood of Hampstead. A composer by trade, Christopher spends much of his time in his attic studio recording music, and before long he starts to hear strange voices on his tapes. Around the same time, Laura beings to notice knocking sounds from the baby monitor and baby Faye seemingly to babble at something unseen…

Haunted houses have long been a horror fan favorite, and whether you love it or hate it, they’re here to stay. The reason why certain tropes tend to stick around is because they’re so effective – if you can’t feel safe in your own home, then where can you? – and though I’ve read plenty of books and seen many more movies based around this idea, I don’t seem to be tired of it yet. It’s interesting because the narrative structure of The Voices actually reminds me so much of watching a movie, with regards to the use of familiar themes or the way particular events have a very cinematic quality to them. The book is also intensely atmospheric, heightening the creep factor and delicious sense of dread.

In truth, The Voices is a rather uncomplicated novel. But the author, being a clinical psychologist, knows just what to say to make you squirm. Tallis builds his story around a very believable, very flawed couple, giving them a depth of emotion not often found in characters in this genre. Christopher and Laura might not be parents of the year, but their thoughts and reactions towards the strange happenings in their house are so realistic you just can’t help but feel a connection. There were a couple scenes that really shook me up, because 1) they involved a baby, and 2) I know how awful it feels to worry for your child. There were things here straight out of my worst nightmare.

But the haunting is also just one single aspect of The Voices, a piece of a larger story with a complex web of relationship dynamics. I liked that there was more substance to this novel than just the horror elements, and in fact, my only complaint is that these minor plot threads weren’t more cohesive and connected to the overall picture. There were a lot of other things going on with Christopher and Laura’s lives outside their creepy old house, and while I got the feeling they were all relevant to the story, I just couldn’t figure out how. A little more direction would have probably made for a tidier conclusion, but I was still overall very impressed at the well-roundedness of the novel.

If you’re in the mood for a good ghost story or a classic haunting, The Voices is a very good choice. It’s one of the more memorable and chilling horror novels I’ve read of this type, and a genuinely freaked me out in more than a couple instances.

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Pan Macmillan!

Book Review: Only The Good Die Young by Chris Marie Green

Only The Good Die Young by Chris Marie Green

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Jensen Murphy, Ghost for Hire

Publisher: Roc (February 4, 2014)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy's Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Vampires, werewolves, and even faeries and ghouls populate the urban fantasy genre in abundance, but it's not often that I stumble across a series centered around ghosts. Even rarer still to find a one that's told from the perspective of a ghost, which is why I was initially drawn to this book.

Only the Good Die Young is the first of a brand new series by Chris Marie Green featuring protagonist Jensen Murphy, a twenty-three year old woman who was murdered in Elfin Woods sometime in the 1980s. Her death was so traumatic that not only did she lose all her memories of that night, her spirit was also trapped in a time loop and became an imprint until a psychic medium named Amanda Lee came along and snapped her out of it. Ever since then, Amanda Lee has been helping Jensen get up to speed on all that has happened in the last thirty years (unsurprisingly, our protagonist's mind is totally blown by this whole internet thing).

The psychic has been keeping secrets, however. It turns out that one of the reasons she rescued Jensen was so that she could have access to a ghostly assistant, in the hopes that her spirit abilities could help identify the killer of one of Amanda Lee's dearest friends who was murdered a few years ago. The main suspect was the victim's ex-boyfriend. Convinced that he did it, Amanda Lee now wants Jensen to haunt the guy and scare the bejeezus out of him so badly that he will eventually break down and confess his crime.

Putting it that way, the plot sounds rather goofy, I know. I'm actually still coming down from the surprise of how light this book ended up being, since I was admittedly expecting something a lot darker given the brutal circumstances around Jensen's death (someone in a creepy mask, wielding an axe, alone in the woods, etc.) Not that this book is all sunshine and rainbows either, but it definitely contains a lot less horror and bleakness, and instead a lot more humor and energy than I'd anticipated. For a ghost book, that is.

I have to say this one took its time to grow on me. I was so unimpressed by the main characters at the beginning, turned off by Jensen's yielding nature and especially by Amanda Lee's judgmental and cynical ways. Because someone designed a violent video game, he must be guilty of murder? People only adopt children from third world countries because doing it is a symbol of status? Oh my, get as far away as you can from this woman, Jensen, and do it as soon as you can. The fact that she just kept hanging around this Amanda Lee person made it difficult for me to continue reading.

But then, something happened. As Jensen also noted about herself, she grew a backbone. She stuck up for herself, found some new friends to hang out with. And how fun these new friends are! I loved the "ghost budders" Randy, Twyla, Scott and Louis, who teach Jensen what it is to be a ghost and what she can do. Ghosts in this series have some pretty cool powers, actually. They can induce hallucinations, imitate sounds and throw their voices around. They can enter dreams and sift through your memories. These abilities take a lot out of a ghost though, because they are made up of pure energy. To recharge, they have to draw from a source of electricity in order to juice up again. Some really neat ideas in here, and the imagery of Jensen and her fellow ghosts sitting on a power line is pretty funny!

Amanda Lee also didn't turn out to be so bad after all. Of all the characters, she was probably the most invested in the outcome of the mystery, even more so than Jensen. As her character became more and more defined, it grew easier to see where she's coming from even if I didn't agree with her methods. At the end of this, the identity of her friend's murderer comes to light, and the answer may shock you! I certainly didn't see it coming.

So yes, I liked this book a lot more once it got going; certainly my feelings about it were more positive by the end, and I'm glad the plot ultimately sorted itself out. Still, there's a bigger murder mystery to be solved here, that of Jensen's, of course. Somehow, I have a feeling her story is going to be a part of a much bigger arc. Now that I'm fully on board, I'm looking forward to finding out.

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Roc Books!

YA Weekend: Silence by Michelle Sagara

Silence by Michelle Sagara (DAW)

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Series: Book 1 of Queen of the Dead

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Author Information: Website

Mogsy's Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

 

This is going to be a tough review for me to write, mainly because Silence is one of those books I just couldn't get into, but when the time comes to describe the reasons why, I am at a loss. I mean, it's not like there were a bunch of faults I could point to, or even any single factor in the book which I vehemently disliked. At the same time, nothing about it stood out for me either. As a whole, it just left me feeling cold.

The story? I thought it was okay. The book follows Emma, a grief-stricken teen who has taken to visiting the graveyard at nights ever since her boyfriend died in a car accident. One evening during one of these routine walks, she runs into Eric, the new boy at school. There is a mysterious old woman with him, and when Emma experiences the old crone's touch, it awakens a power in her. After the events of that night, Emma realizes that she can see, touch, and speak with the dead. 

It turns out that Emma is a Necromancer. And that means Eric now must kill her. As to why he has to do that, it wasn't really explained beyond the fact he belongs to a group of Necromancer hunters, so clearly Emma has to die. Like I said, it's not a terribly deep story; there are lots of moments like this where I just had to tell myself to roll with it. In any case, Eric is obviously very conflicted about having to kill Emma, and as such is hoping that current circumstances will take care of that business for him. For you see, Emma has discovered the trapped ghost of a four-year-old boy and is determined to help save him, but in doing so she will be putting her own life on the line.

Anyway, the characters in this novel? Also just okay. Emma is a person who is completely ruled by her emotions, leaping into situations without ever thinking things through. I came to understand her friends' exasperation with her. And with the exception of Michael, who is a good portrayal of a teen with a neurodevelopmental disability, everyone else feels like a variation of the usual archetypes you'll find in a young adult novel. You have the best friend with a heart of gold, the queen bee whose parents are loaded and throws all the wildest parties, or the smart-alecky guy with the smug and edgy attitude (Chase royally grated on my nerves. He's like that kid you knew in high school, the one who would swear because he thinks it makes him look cool, and whom everyone just wanted to throttle).

The writing? It was okay as well. The storytelling? Maybe a little on the slow side, but otherwise okay too. Like I said, there wasn't anything I really disliked about Silence. I grant you I might not be giving this book the fairest shake here, but I think I've reached the point where "just okay" doesn't quite cut it with me anymore, especially when it comes to a young adult novel. Sometimes, it's the bunch of little minor things that can compound and sour me on the overall experience. Similarly, I think this book is one of those cases where too many "so-so's" managed to build up and wear me down.

You'll definitely see me picking up Ms. Sagara's books again in the future, but they probably won't be from this series. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I won't deny I've become a lot pickier with my YA lately, and overall Silence simply lacked the "oomph" I was looking for.