Carrie Readalong: Part 3 and Final Thoughts

We're at the end!  I've had a wonderful time re-reading this book, and I'm really looking forward to our next Stephen King Read-a-long of Salems' Lot (the starting post and sign up will be up tomorrow mid-morning). 

So let's Discuss Part 3 of Carrie: Wreckage

 Here's some questions thought up by me and my co-host, Midnyte Reader:

1. If you've seen the movie, how did the book compare?
2. Carrie: Victim or Villain?
3. If you had TK powers what would you do with them?

4. The Wreckage talks about the demise of the town.  I've noticed the theme of SK's setting as a character in other works.  What are your thoughts on this?

5. Does anybody think they know what line from Bob Dylan was written in Carrie's notebook?

 

and finally, what are your final thoughts/review of Carrie by Stephen King?

Here are my answers:

1. I actually thought the original movie was fairly faithful to the book.  Obviously it's set up differently and the ending has one of those gotcha! moments, but I think it does a really good job of showing how Carrie went from the butt of everyone's joke, to a girl blossoming into a woman, and finally into a vengeful, blood soaked killer.

2. Honestly, she's both.  But I don't think she'd ever have become a murderer if she hadn't been picked on so heinously.  What Carrie endured, both at home and at school, went beyond the typical bullying probably most of us experienced.  It was almost relentless.  She's a villain in the the sense that she killed innocent people, but her status of victim drove her to it.  Maybe she's an anti-hero?  Because, I kind of found myself rooting for her when she confronted her mom, and Billy and Chris.  That just might make me twisted though...

3. House work!  Oh, my God!  I'd be Mary Poppinsing the crap out of my house.  Think of the ease with which you could use your TK powers to rearrange your bookshelves, or carry all those  books around at BEA!  Ah... Seriously though, I'd probably try to keep it quiet, because if there is one lesson I've learned from Stephen King, it's that if you have special powers and the government finds out, they will kill your parents and keep you prisoner.  No thank you!  I'll stick to using my powers to clean the house and shelf my books.

4. I think King is very intrigued with the idea of small towns and their particular ways.  It's often easy to think of evil and murder as being a city problem, but often small towns hide dark secrets of their own (which I've also learned from watching City Confidential on A&E).  It's a way of telling a large scale story on a small stage, whereas a few hundred or thousand people represent society as a whole.  When I think of my favorite King books, almost all of them deal with small towns- even The Stand, in a way, since most of humanity is wiped out and the two opposing forces are drawn to Boulder, CO and Las Vegas, NV.  In It, which I'm re-reading right now, you have the town of Derry, which isn't as small as Castle Rock, but still not a large city.  It's big enough for something monstrous to feed off of, but small enough to keep the horror contained.  You can tell King has a love for small towns, even as he shows their seedy underbellies.  I lived in a small town in Pennsylvania during my teen years, and whenever I read King's small town stories, I can easily relate.  

5. I thought the song was the Just Like a Woman song?  Right? Or was there another one mentioned that I missed? The lyrics are: "Nobody has to guess/That Baby can't be blessed/Till she finally sees that she's like all the rest."  Which I felt showed how isolated Carrie was, and how much she longed to be part of the crowd.  She just wanted to be normal.  Out of everything that happened, I'm glad Carrie got to have a few truly happy moments at Prom, how different things might have been if her school life could have been like that all along!

My Review:

Carrie is a great novel to start your Stephen King experience with (my own personal one was with Fire-Starter), because it's not a horror novel per se, although I don't think many of King's books are horror books, but rather a look at teenage girls. In fact, King started Carrie after someone said that he couldn't write a true female character. In the book both Carrie and Sue, and even Chris, are very real feeling.  I knew girls like them growing up- well minus the TK powers.  The butt of the jokes, the golden girl who was popular simply because she was both nice and pretty, and the mean girl who's popular because people are scared of her.  King gives these girls dimension, and puts you in their shoes.  Even Chris, who is so easy to dislike, was easy to relate to, and even to feel sorry for.  She got in over her head, as one does.  Chris is full of anger that has no particular direction, she's gotten everything far too easily in life and she's bored.  Carrie is the perfect target.  

Carrie's mom is probably the most scary character of all, because isn't she real too?  Don't we all know that one person, just a little bit too far off the rails?  People like Mrs. White are who give religion a bad name, and she's twisted the words of the Bible to fit her own tormented mind.  Most likely Mrs, White is mentally ill, but she's functional.  Having her raise a daughter with Carrie's gift is like having a dictator baby-sit a nuclear bomb- it's only a matter of time before the thing is going to go off.

I loved the way the book was written, with first hand accounts, news articles, passages from books, etch.  Carrie was the very first book I ever read written in that style, although I've since seen it since then (and I may have even attempted to tell a story like that once myself).  I found it a great way to get all the information the reader needs to understand the story, but also a great way to entertain.  Teasing the final ending, but then going back and explaining: This is how we got here.    I think it adds to the story, rather than taking away anything.

Finally, Carrie is a story of what it's like for high school misfits. Maybe for girls like Sue it's rainbow and kittens, but for nerds, geeks, and loners, it can be a form of torture.  Carrie endures far more than the average kid bullied, but the things Carrie goes through happens to teens.  Stephen King was writing about the problems with bullying long before our current anti-bullying movement happened.  

 

Okay, that's it for now!

 

So tell me what you thought!

 

And I'll see you on Twitter tonight around 8pm EST under the hashtag #CarrieEnd!

 

 

 

Sundays In Bed With...Bloggiesta and Bookcases!

Sorry this is so late, but I stayed up late doing Bloggiesta things.  So I wasn't really reading in bed, but rather sleeping. ;)

Sundays In Bed With.. is my meme to share what we're curled up with in bed reading (or rather, what book we'd like to be curled up in bed reading if only our busy lives would allow!).  I actually will be working on Bloggiesta today and also traveling to Northern Virginia and back, so I won't be reading until later.  But I recently celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary so I thought I'd share some of bookish gifts I got:

The Bookcase That Kate Built!

First, the Hubs and I went to IKEA to buy some bedroom furniture, and he got me this nifty bookcase (seriously, peeps, only $25!) that would serve as a bookcase for all the books I got at BEA, plus a bit more.  Then he made me put it together myself!  Previously, he has always put my bookshelves together and I simply handed him the different screws or bolts or thingamajigs and that's the way I liked it.  But since he was putting together our new bed frame, he said now would be a good time to for me  to put together a book case by myself.  I thought he was crazy!

However, it turns out, I can do!  Okay, I long suspected that I could.  Lots of awesome women I know, and am proud to call friends, tackle household chores like they got their diplomas from Home Depot.  Truly, I've just been lazy.  But I really kind of liked putting this together.  It was pretty simple, and I used real tools, like 2 different screwdrivers (and yes, I do know the difference between a Phillips and a flat head) and a hammer.

Of course, now that I know I can put together bookcases by myself, the Hubs might be in danger or becoming redundant.  Fortunately, I still need him around to kill bees and spiders (although sometimes I deal with the spiders myself, which means I close my eyes while they scurry away to some place where I can't see them).

Also we went downtown to a local bookstore called Fountain Books where the Hubs bought me a signed, doodled copy of The Raven Boys!  Turns out Maggie Stiefvater is very artistic besides having written one of my favorite books this year!  Here's what I got:

 I also picked up a zombie book, but mostly because I feel compelled to spend money in local bookstores, and not just because I wanted to read it.  And these cute magnets!  (The kitty is already ours)

I know, it's sideways, but I'm too lazy to fix it now!  Still, SHE DREW THAT!  She's just amazing! And although you can't see it, this book is totally on the top shelf of the bookcase that I BUILT.  Happy sigh.

So what books are you longing to spend sometime in bed with today?  Add your post to the linky below, and remember, it's always better with pictures!

Bloggiesta: It's On Like Donkey Kong!

Ole!  It has begun!  Here's what I'm hoping to get to (and have already failed somewhat because I spent most of the day in my car driving to and from places, and other drivers frown upon me blogging on my laptop whilst driving, apparently it's "reckless driving" and there's a fine for it):

~Write 10 reviews (5 of these can be mini-reviews)
~Leave 20 comments per day on other blogs. (Completed for Friday, go me!)
~Make sure that I am replying to and visiting the blogs of all the commentors on my blog.
~Spend time on Twitter daily interacting with other bloggers.
~Create a spreadsheet for all books read in 2012 and links to any reviews written. Done!  I made a spreadsheet!!!  I am so proud!
~Work on new and old features: Up Late With Kate and Sundays In Bed With.. Made the pic for Up Late With Kate on Friday!
~Prepare 2 non book review posts, something to spark conversation!
~Really consider switching back to a 2 column blog. Done!  Thanks, to the awesomeness that is Lori at Imagination Designs (honestly, need a new blog design?  She's the best!).
~Update Blog pages and all Challenges.
~Post 3 reviews on Amazon.
~Participate in mini-challenges. 

This will be my main post that I'll just update daily.

Friday:
~Lori switched me to a 2 column earlier this week, and I'm loving it!  I think my blog just looks cleaner and less cluttered- I was going crazy with the widgets simply because I had the room.  What do you think?
~I love the new spreadsheet too, because then it'll be a lot easier to update my blog 2012 Reads, because all the links will be in one easy location.
~I did make a picture for my Up Late With Kate meme (to be used in the future).  Here's what it looks like:

The designer who came made my blog kit no longer is active, but she had this picture as a freebie on her old blog.  So I tweeked it a bit.  Okay, I added text.  And cropped!

Now I'm going to do a little commenting and tweeting! 

Saturday:
I work today, but I woke up early to reply to blog comments.

I participated in Jen Ryland's Step Out of Your Comfort Zone Bloggiesta challenge- my answer?  I'm going to make my own lip gloss (I got the idea off Pinterest, natch) for Bloggers Dressed In Blood (event starts off Monday, check back!)!  I am both excited and scared to death.  As I pointed out, I'm very creative, but I'm not crafty, so wish me luck!  Have you done her challenge yet?  You should! ;)

I also discovered the awesomeness of Pocket, thanks to The Book Vixen's challenge (honestly, she has one of the best blogger names out there!).   Pocket is a great way to mark links you want to read later, and there's a mobile app too, which is going to be awesome when I'm going through my google reader on my phone.

I also graded my blog (I got an 82, which is okay!) with the help of Smash Attack Reads challenge.  I also found out that I need to bribe ya'll to retweet my links and share them on Facebook, so, um, re-post my links! ;)

And thanks to Jenni Elyse's challenge, I finally figured out the Gravatar thing! 

Okay, it's late, I still have much to do in the morning, so I'll have to try to get a bunch done when I wake up!  Good night, bloggiestas!

Stephen King Carrie Readalong

<center> <a href="http://www.midnightbookgirl.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Midnight Book Girl" src="http://s1146.photobucket.com/albums/o529/petersonks15/?action=view¤t=Carrie.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o529/petersonks15/Carrie.jpg"/></a></center> > I was planning on doing a Carrie read-a-long for awhile, but now that Fall is in the air and Halloween is around the corner, I just can't wait.  The Read-a-long will last until the end of November, and first up is Carrie.  It's a fairly short read, but since this is short notice the first discussion won't be until Sept 12.

The other two books will be:
October- 'Salem's Lot
November- Misery and/or Cycle of the Werewolf (discussion for CotW will be on Midnyte Reader's blog, Misery will be on here)

Carrie Read-a-long Plan:

The book is broken into 3 parts.  1 and 2 are the longest.  Here are the dates for the discussions and twitter chats:

Part One: Blood Sports- Discussion post on 9.12.12, Twitter chat from 9pm EST- 11pm EST #CarrieBS
Discussion post here.

Part Two: Prom Night- Discussion post on 9.23.12, Twitter chat from 6pm EST- 8pm EST #CarrieProm

Part Three: Wreckage- Discussion post on 9.30.12, Twitter chat from 8pm EST- 10pm EST #CarrieEnd

Giveaways/challenges will be announced as we go along.

The original Carrie movie is available on Netflix, so at the end of the month we will try to arrange a Twitter Watch party so that we can tweet while all watching the movie.

Sign up below!



Also check out the Stephen King Project and the IT-along!

Zombies Vs. Unicorns

Zombies Vs. Unicorns
By Holly Black, Justine Labalestier, et al
From Goodreads:

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Midnight Thoughts:


Of course you probably already realize that I'm Team Zombie.  Midnight Book Girls aren't known for frolicking with the horned ones unless they're devils, but because of the awesome writing abilities of all of these writers, I have to say I don't mind unicorns.  In fact, I'd love to a miniature zombie unicorn.  I can honestly say that I enjoyed all of the stories (yes, even the unicorn ones) and it was awesome to read the introductions by Holly Black and Justine Labalestier before each story.  All the stories were imaginative, and often off the wall.  In "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (which I knew would be good because the author had the good taste to name the story after a Joy Division song) you have a male zombie in love with a non-zombie male, and it wasn't the only story to feature main characters that were gay or lesbian, but it never feels forced or made to feel like a big deal.  Meg Cabot made me laugh with "Princess Pretty Pants", and yes, you guessed correctly, it was a Team Unicorn story.  And of course my girl Maureen Johnson had her story "Children of the Revolution" which could totally be showing on Fear Net right now (no surprise that Johnson's Team Zombie).  Overall there were a lot a great stories, and even the ones I didn't love were readable.  Plus, it's hard to find "Z" books for all of you taking the A-Z challenge!

Zombies Vs. Unicorns gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

What paranormal creatures would you like to see battle it out?  I wouldn't mind reading about Witches Vs. Vampires, or Werewolves vs. Mermaids.

Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) Review

From Goodeads. Gorgeous, no?

Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy)
By Deborah Harkness
From Goodreads:

 "Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown"—the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Discovery of Witches

Deborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.

Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.

Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season.

Midnight Thoughts

~There's a song by Au Revoir Simone that goes:

You make wanna measure stars in the backyard with a calculator and a ruler baby
I found a letter that describes how the moonlight will lead me to the distant place that you will be

Well, Shadow of Night makes me want to study history, whilst reading ancient books by candle light and sipping wine from Matthew's wine cellar. I read for pleasure, not usually to learn, but Deborah Harkness's books always stir the (practically comatose) scholar in my heart.

~First off, you need to read A Discovery of Witches now.  Me and this review will wait while you go do that. 

.Waiting...

.Still waiting.  Yes, I know it's long...

.Almost there, keep reading!

~A Few Days Later:

Yes, you are welcome!  I know, it's a great read!  You've probably already raced to the nearest bookstore to get Shadow of Night, so I'll try to keep my review spoiler free. 

~The book picks up just where A Discovery of Witches leaves off.  Which is great... but not so great too, because it's been awhile since I've read the first book so I wouldn't have minded one of those "Previously on As The Witch Burns..."  Sorry, was that in poor taste?

~There is SO MUCH going on.  And I wanted to punch Christopher Marlowe in the face.  Which makes me sad, because Rupert Everett was such an attractive Kit Marlowe in Shakespeare In Love, and I wouldn't want to mess his pretty face up. 

~Diana discovers more and more of her powers, which are awesome.  And it comes with cool stuff, like a firedrake.  The Hubs would NEVER let me have a firedrake.  But I can't be held responsible if one just pops out of me, right?

~Matthew is a really busy dude, even for a vampire.  And it reminds me of the scene in Mean Girls where they're talking about the one popular girl with big hair, that it's full of secrets.  Matthew's hair has got to be huge!  Because there is nothing he's not into!  Are there any lazy, couch surfing vampires?  Because that would be the type of vamp I would be.  But I'd finally get to my tbr piles!

~So many new characters!  I liked them, but I really missed what was going on back in the present (back to the future?) and obviously a lot was happening there, but we only see tiny glimpses.

~The pace is a bit slow, but it works for me, because this is a book I want to wallow in.  Whatever you want to say about Deborah Harkness, you can't say that she skimps on detail.  If I went back in the past in place of Diana, I would have been burned at the stake in 5 days or less.

~Matthew frustrated me at times because returning to the past also made him withdraw into himself and regress.  I loved that Diana could be so patient with him, because they've had a very intense and fast courtship.  She's able to put up with his Time Traveling PMS.

~Matthew's papa, Phillipe, is hands down one of my favorite "new" characters in the past.  Meeting him explains so much about Matthew and Ysabeau.

~Diana and Matthew get drawn into some major royal drama, which Diana and Matthew handle in their way, but again I would have been burned at the stake, or since it's so popular with the royals, had my head cut off.  Especially since most of what I know about the past I've learned from movies and the occasional PBS miniseries.

~Be forewarned, if your grasp of history is as bad as mine, this novel will no doubt send you on a late night Wikipedia spree.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, just make sure you can sleep in the next day.

~The communities of witches, daemons and vampires is impressive, but seriously I would be pissed if I had to hide from stupid humans.  *grumbles*

~Fortunately going into the past doesn't create quite the Butterfly Effect that I was expecting.  I think it is possible to time travel without messing up too big, assuming you don't make any drastic changes to prominent historical figures.  Kind of like 11/22/63- saving one person from being paralyzed for life does not have the same effect as saving the life of JFK.  So while some little things changed for Diana and Matthew, they didn't come home to apes ruling the earth or anything.  Sorry if that spoils the book for you.

~The only real big complaint I had was the one event that I thought would take place in this book only really began towards the end.  But that's like complaining you really wanted a bottle of wine after you downed 3 Margaritas... It's all alcohol and it's all good.

~You will not like this book if you didn't like Discovery of Witches.  I saw some one star reviews of people who hated Shadow of Night, and yet read the ENTIRE thing.  This is a huge book, ya'll.  I loved it.  But if you don't, that's cool.  But why on earth would you read over 600 pages of a book you would only give one star too?  I don't give up easily on books either, but after 100 pages or so of a book I'm really not enjoying, I'd just quit reading it.  Or put it down with the "intention" of finishing it... someday.  Am I meant to be impressed that you read a book like you were held hostage by the Library Police?  Okay, I am a little impressed.

~I got to meet Deborah Harkness at BEA, and she signed my book.  I also wanted to tell her that I wanted to drink wine with her someday, but I think I just ended up gushing and stretching my mouth into a freakish grin that, had I been wearing more make-up, would have called down Batman to kick my Joker ass. However, Harkness was very nice and didn't hit the panic button that I just know was hidden under the desk.

~Before the next book comes out, I will definitely re-read this book, only I'll listen to it on audio.  I listened to the first book, and although it's long, the narrator for this series is wonderful. I can't recommend it enough!

~I really hope Deborah Harkness is sitting at her computer right now with a large glass of wine and an adult diaper, because I can't wait for the third book!

Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #1) gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

 **Disclaimer: I picked up a copy of this book at BEA.  All thoughts, opinion and snark are my own and were not influenced by anything other than my own warped mind**

Carrie Readalong Discussion of Part Two: The Prom

First off, a huge thank you to my amazing co-host Midnyte Reader for coming up with the discussion questions! 

So here they are:

1. There is a part quoted form "My Name is Susan Snell" when she stated that she is not really sorry that Tommy is dead anymore, because the idea of him was too perfect.  I was kind of shocked by this.  What do you think of this?

2. Miss Desjardin talked to Carrie about her own prom.  And for Carrie, the prom was magical up to a point.  Did you have any glamorized feelings about your own prom?  

3. When Sue was at home on prom night she said that she was still uncomfortable about her own motives and was afraid to examine them too closely in case she discovered selfishness.  Can you elaborate on this?  

4. Do you think that Tommy could have fallen for Carrie?

5. Tell me what you think of the significance or symbolism of blood.  (Tommy pricked his finger, Mrs. White cut herself, Sue either got her period late or lost a pregnancy.)

6. If that prank had not been played on Carrie at the prom, what kind of life do you think she would have had?

 

7.  What did you think of Billy and Chris's relationship?

 

Bonus question: Did you catch the mistake Stephen King made with regards to Carrie's dad?  Courtney from Abducted by Books did!  See below for the answer.  

 

My Answers:

 

1. There is a part quoted form "My Name is Susan Snell" when she stated that she is not really sorry that Tommy is dead anymore, because the idea of him was too perfect.  I was kind of shocked by this.  What do you think of this? 

I do get it.  I think maybe Sue felt Tommy was too good to be true, that had he lived he would have eventually let her down- like all humans do because we're, well, humans. Instead he gets to remain untainted by age or actions.  Their love is forever frozen in time.  Plus, it may be that's how Sue moves on with her life, because she has to feel guilt over helping to set things in motion.

2. Miss Desjardin talked to Carrie about her own prom.  And for Carrie, the prom was magical up to a point.  Did you have any glamorized feelings about your own prom?  

I didn't go to prom, it really wasn't my thing. So no magical moments for me, but also no goat's blood dumped on me, so that's a plus.  Although, does anyone wonder why that goat blood didn't congeal before prom night?

3. When Sue was at home on prom night she said that she was still uncomfortable about her own motives and was afraid to examine them too closely in case she discovered selfishness.  Can you elaborate on this?  

I do think there was a certain amount of selfishness involved.  If the she hadn't participated in the shower incident than she would never of thought to help Carrie go to prom.  Although it's very mature of her to seek atonement, I think it's pretty hard to separate the fact that Sue was getting something out of it too.  In a way she uses Carrie to distance herself from Chris and the mindless high school machine.  

4. Do you think that Tommy could have fallen for Carrie?

I think his feelings that night were because it was prom and Carrie was a sweet girl.  I think he really loved Sue.  However, in the long run, I could see Tommy settling down with Carrie or someone like her.  Sue had bigger dreams, whereas Tommy seemed to realize that his future was tied up with the town.  He probably would have been okay having his dad's life.

5. Tell me what you think of the significance or symbolism of blood.  (Tommy pricked his finger, Mrs. White cut herself, Sue either got her period late or lost a pregnancy.)

This may be too deep for me, but I'll try.  The book begins with blood, and ends with blood (Carrie's and then Sue's).  While Carrie's, Tommy's and Mrs. White's blood was a sign of things to come, I think Sue's was the opposite, it was a closing of the events.  As if her miscarriage (if that's what it was) was the last sacrifice that had to be made for Carrie's pain and rage. 

6. If that prank had not been played on Carrie at the prom, what kind of life do you think she would have had? 

I don't know.  If prom hadn't of happened, if Carrie had graduated unharmed, she still would have had to face a life with her mom.  I think after re-discovering her powers after she started her period set a countdown in motion.  Adults might be better than teens, but people are still cruel.  Carrie would have been hurt again, and with her powers and years of being bullied, coupled with her bizarre upbringing, I still think she would have snapped.  Would it have been as bad?  Maybe not... but then, maybe so. 

 

7.  What did you think of Billy and Chris's relationship?

I was really fascinated by how toxic it was.  In the movie version, Billy isn't nearly as evil, whereas Chris is portrayed as being a lot more evil.  Without Billy, I don't know that Chris would have gone through with her plan.  Maybe just talking about it, blowing off that steam would have been enough.  For Billy though, he had so much resentment built up.  If he'd had Carrie's powers he probably would have leveled the town a long time ago.  Chris, for all her tough talk, was really in over her head with Billy.  Although in her own way, Chris was a nasty piece.  She probably would have grown up some, but of course she never got the chance.  If she'd had a little of Sue's self-awareness then there wouldn't have been book. ;)

 

Bonus question: Did you catch the mistake Stephen King made with regards to Carrie's dad?

Okay, not only did I not catch this, but this is the fourth or fifth time I've read Carrie.  Here's the mistake: The book clearly states in Part One that Carrie's dad, Ralph, dies BEFORE Carrie was even born.  But in Part Two, Mrs. White thinks of how she should have killed Carrie when she was a baby (about one?) and that Ralph stopped her.  I kind of love that the mistake is fairly large, but I'm really shocked I didn't catch it before.  I'm not always a super sleuth when I'm reading, but it's a pretty big mistake.  Good catch, Courtney!

Can't wait to see your answers, and don't forget to be on Twitter tonight!  I'll be on there to discuss Carrie from 6pm EST until 7pm, although we'll go to 8 if enough people join in.  Just look for #CarrieProm!

 

Sundays In Bed With... Deadly Pies?

Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme where we share what book we're currently curled up in bed reading (or just the book we wish we had time to spend reading in bed!).

Yesterday I went to a author signing at Barnes and Noble.  Both Ellery Adams and Maggie Sefton were there, and Kim and I got to spend quite a bit of time talking to them!  Both writers are known for being cozy mystery authors, although Maggie Sefton's new book is a darker mystery called Deadly Politics- set in Washington, DC!  It's a political thriller, and trust me, I much prefer reading about fictional dirty politics then real life politics any day! Plus I grew up in Northern Virginia, so I love, love, love reading books or watching tv shows set in that area. 

Ellery has a new series out, and I picked up the first (and newest) one, Pies and Prejudice.  Which is awesome, because I like both pies and Pride and Prejudice, so I can't see this not being a great read. I also chatted with Ellery about her elaborate plans to teach her son's class about Egyptian mummies, and I might ask her to do a guest post about it, because it is truly amazing.

So here's what I'm in bed with today:

 Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams and Deadly Politics by Maggie Sefton!

On the left hand side is my Kindle cover- which they signed!!!!  I am so excited about that, and they both have crazy gorgeous signatures... which is probably why I'll never be an author, but if I ever get over my distaste for math and sciences, my signature and hand writing would put me in good stead to be a doctor.  Also, Maggie gave me a bunch of post cards for Deadly Politics, so if you want me to send you one (they make wonderful bookmarks!), just leave your email in the comments below and I'll get your address later- and Steph and Bittner, I'll definitely send you yours- you too Cindy!

Now it's your turn, what are you reading today? Add your link below!

Feature and Follow: Northern Plunder

I just celebrated my 3rd Blogoversary and I feel like meeting some new bloggers!  I love participating in Parajunkee and Alison Can Read's meme Feature and Follow because I've discovered a lot of wonderful blogs through it.  This week the spotlight is on Northern Plunder- I would have followed her even if that wasn't part of the meme because she listed The Stand as one of her favorite books... and as you can tell, I have some love for Stephen King. ;)

This week's question is:

Q: What hyped up book was worth all of the fuss?

Answer: Sooo many!  Probably the first that comes to mind is Anna and the French Kiss.  To be honest the cover was just so-so and it was EVERYWHERE.  I'm pretty sure the Pope blogged about it.  All my closest blogger friends loved it, and with that kind of pressure built up I just expected not to love it.  Fortunately it is worth all the hype!  Sometimes the masses aren't just ooohing and ahhhing over a book simply because it's new and shiny, sometimes the book really is just that good.  I have a feeling when I finally read Scorpio Races, I'll have that same WhyTheHellDidIWaitSoLong feeling. And you will feel that way about The Raven Boys.  Which I will be gushing about soon!

If you give me a follow, let me know and I'll be sure to return the favor!

Burning Blue Review

From Goodreads

Burning Blue
by Paul Griffin
Expected Publication: 10.25.12
From Goodreads:

How far would you go for love, beauty, and jealousy?

When Nicole Castro, the most beautiful girl in her wealthy New Jersey high school, is splashed with acid on the left side of her perfect face, the whole world takes notice. But quiet loner Jay Nazarro does more than that--he decides to find out who did it. Jay understands how it feels to be treated like a freak, and he also has a secret: He's a brilliant hacker. But the deeper he digs, the more danger he's in--and the more he falls for Nicole. Too bad everyone is turning into a suspect, including Nicole herself.

Award-winning author Paul Griffin has written a high-stakes, soulful mystery about the meaning--and dangers--of love and beauty.

Midnight Thoughts

~My absolute favorite part of this book was the definition of Puke Trigger (for example, if you kiss a drunk girl right before she pukes, than you were the Puke Trigger).

~Jay is a computer hacker, and I can barely manage to post a review online, so I found everything he did with computers/smart phones/etc to be believable but I don't know if it is. 

~Burning Blue reminds me that we are very much living in a Gossip Girl world where everything you do and say can be recorded at anytime.  This makes being a teenager even suckier.  Can you imagine your most embarrassing high school moment forever streaming on youtube?

~I was very surprised by how into the mystery I got drawn.  Even though I signed up for this blog tour I didn't realize that it would be mainly from Jay's pov.  Griffin does a great job in creating a main character that both male and female readers can relate to.

~Really the only thing I didn't enjoy about the book is the fact that the running joke was that Jay's last name rhymes with Sbarro (a restaurant), everyone mentions it and I found it even more annoying than Jay claimed to. 

~I liked Jay discovering who Nicole really is, she's more than just a beautiful girl who got burned, she's got hidden depth. 

~Nicole was not whiner.  She was kind of kick ass.  I would not have handled being burned by acid half as well as she did, and trust me, I am no model.

~The deeper into the mystery Jay sunk, the more mystery there was.  Everyone was a suspect at one point or another, and I liked all the hidden agendas people had, because real life people are complicated.

~The ending surprised me, because I did not pick up on an earlier clue.  Even though it surprised me, it didn't come out of left field, it all made sense... well, as much as dousing someone with acid in the face can make sense.

~Favorite quote (keep in mind that this is from the ARC and may change):

"Son, you don't get to be fifty-six-looking-sixty-six, twice divorced, forty pounds overweight, and alcoholic by being an idiot." - Jay's "Uncle" Pete

~I would have liked a bit more of the book through Nicole's eyes, especially her visits to the kids in the hospital.  And her moody housekeeper, loved her!

~A big part of why I wanted to read Burning Blue was because of the model who's face got cut by her crazy landlord in the 1980's and made into a TV movie. 

Burning Blue gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

**I received a copy of this arc through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.  All opinion, wit and snark are my own. **

The Archived Review

The Archived
by Victoria Schwab
Expected Publication: 01.22.13
From Goodreads:

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous-it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

Midnight Thoughts

~I really thought this was an incredibly original book!  I am so impressed with Schwab's imagination, and she now has my undying book loyalty.

~Mackenzie moves into an old apartment building that in my mind was creepy, old, and decadent.  She's lost her little brother, Ben, and it's a tough move.  Although she isn't thrilled to be torn away from her best friend, Mac isn't nearly as moody and annoying as I would have been in her place.  Which was a nice change. 

~Immediately creepy things begin to happen in the Narrows and the Archives, and Mac uncovers a mystery- one she's determined to uncover. Which I think is in large part due to how her brother's hit and run killer has never been found.

~As much as I love creepy books, scary movies, Halloween, etc, I don't think I could stay in a bedroom where someone was actually murdered.  My imagination is just too out of control.

~The whole plot line of having Ben (or at least his memories) so close but being unable to connect with him, is heartbreaking for the reader along with Mac.

~This book did not have enough Wesley, but what it did feature of him was awesome:

Picture of Wesley's physical description that Instagramed to Twitter because I knew he was so Steph's type boy! Plus I've been crushing on boys with guyliner since the 80's and The Cure.

~Wesley reading Dante's Inferno out loud to Mac pretty much had me swooning.

~So many great little side characters- but I wanted more of them! More of crazy shut in blind guy, more of Wesley's moody cousin, more of the Librarians!

~This is from the ARC, so they may not be in the final version, but here are some quotes I loved:

One of them is commandeering the kitchen table every Sunday morning with nothing but a pot of coffee and a book.

"You know, the think about this book, is that it's meant to be heard, not read."

"You are crazy," he says. "You are a crazy, amazing girl. And you scare the hell out of me."

There's no sky in the Narrows, but it always feels like night.  Night in a city after rain.

"It's bad for me and I know it and I still do it, and in order for me to do it and enjoy it, I have to not think about it."

People are so beautifully predictable.

~I want to be a Keeper, but mostly because I think be a Librarian would actually be awesome.  Oh, the archives I would read!  First step: Marilyn Monroe.

~Okay, so someone dies, they become archived.  Does this mean that if indeed Jimmy Hoffa is dead (and let's face it, he totally is) that he's in the archive even if he hasn't been found?  Wouldn't this be a good way to somehow discreetly let people know if missing person's were dead or alive?  The possibilities of this world Schwab's created makes me long for sequels, but I don't know if this is that kind of book.

~I'm assuming Da's name is from the Irish form of Dad.  Because otherwise it's a dumb name, so I'm going with it being and endearing Irish nickname.

~There is a bit of a love triangle, although it didn't bother me at first because I was all "Why can't she just have both?".  Although maybe that would push this out of the YA genre and into Adult Paranormal Romance world.

~The Archived is, at it's heart, a great mystery.  It became a page-turner, although I wasn't positive after the opening of the book.  I was afraid that I wasn't going to connect, but by the end of Chapter 2 I was hooked.

The Archived gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

**Disclaimer: I briefly received a copy of this book through Around the World ARC tours in exchange for my honest review.  Any opinion, snark or wit is my own.**

Bloggiesta: All In!

There's a Book and It's All About Books are hosting the Fall Bloggiesta.  Last time... I failed miserably.  This time?  I shall prevail!  Sept. 28th- Sept. 30th are the days to get my blog in shape!

Here's what I hope to accomplish:

~Write 10 reviews (5 of these can be mini-reviews)
~Leave 20 comments per day on other blogs. 
~Make sure that I am replying to and visiting the blogs of all the commentors on my blog.
~Spend time on Twitter daily interacting with other bloggers.
~Work on new and old features: Up Late With Kate and Sundays In Bed With..
~Prepare 2 non book review posts, something to spark conversation!
~Really consider switching back to a 2 column blog.
~Update Blog pages and all Challenges.
~Post 3 reviews on Amazon.

So, are you going to join me?  I think you should!

Sunday In Bed With... The Eyre Affair (and final chance for The Raven Boys giveaway!)

Welcome to my Sundays in Bed With... Meme where I share what book I'm currently curled up with (or, as the case is today, what book I wish I had time to spend reading in bed this morning).

Today is my 3rd Blogoversary!  A huge thanks to all my friends and followers who have kept me reading and posting!!!

Now through Sunday September 16th (today!) each time you participate in my meme you'll be entered to win an ARC of Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys!  This contest is open internationally.  Simply share what you're reading today, and each Sunday thru 9/16, and earn an entry.  Link up to your post each Sunday to the Mister Linky area at the bottom.  You will get an extra entry if you take a picture of the book you're reading (or wish you had the time to read) in your actual bed or wherever you are holed up this morning.  I finished The Raven Boys several weeks ago, and it is easily one of my favorite books of 2012!  Here's the pic I posted three weeks ago (don't worry though, the copy I will send to the winner will not have been sat upon by Riley cat):

Here's what I'm curled up reading:

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Ffjorde.  I'm reading it for book club, but it's a re-read for me.  I'm enjoying it more the second time around, because while I enjoyed it the first time, I was a bit confused.  It's giving me an idea for a Readathon challenge...

So let my know what you're curled up with this morning (or wish you were!), just add your link below!

**Winner for The Ravens Boy arc will be announced by on Friday the 21st and book will be mailed to the winner at that time**

Let the Devil Sleep Review

From Goodreads

Let the Devil Sleep
by John Verdon
From Goodreads:

In this latest novel from bestselling author John Verdon, ingenious puzzle solver Dave Gurney puts under the magnifying glass a notorious serial murder  – one whose motives have been enshrined as law-enforcement dogma - and discovers that everyone has it wrong.
 
The most decorated homicide detective in NYPD history, Dave Gurney is still trying to adjust to his life of quasi-retirement in upstate New York when a young woman who is producing a documentary on a notorious murder spree seeks his counsel.  Soon after, Gurney begins feeling threatened: a razor-sharp hunting arrow lands in his yard, and he narrowly escapes serious injury in a booby-trapped basement.  As things grow more bizarre, he finds himself reexamining the case of The Good Shepherd, which ten years before involved a series of roadside shootings and a rage-against-the-rich manifesto.  The killings ceased, and a cult of analysis grew up around the case with a consensus opinion that no one would dream of challenging  -- no one, that is, but Dave Gurney. 

Mocked even by some who’d been his supporters in previous investigations, Dave realizes that the killer is too clever to ever be found.  The only gambit that may make sense is also the most dangerous – to make himself a target and get the killer to come to him.

To survive, Gurney must rely on three allies: his beloved wife Madeleine, impressively intuitive and a beacon of light in the gathering darkness; his de-facto investigative “partner” Jack Hardwick, always ready to spit in authority’s face but wily when it counts; and his son Kyle, who has come back into Gurney’s life with surprising force, love and loyalty.

Displaying all the hallmarks for which the Dave Gurney series is lauded -- well-etched characters, deft black humor, and ingenious deduction that ends in a climactic showdown – Let the Devil Sleep is something more: a reminder of the power of self-belief in a world that contains too little of it.

Midnight Thoughts 

~Every time I read a thriller like this one, I ask myself, why do I read any other type of genre? 

~Although this is the third novel in the series, it was my first.  Before I started this blog reading a series out of order would not have happened on purpose.  I've since discovered that when the author is good, and knows what s/he is doing, it doesn't hurt the reading experience.

~ John Verdon managed to catch me up and make me as invested in the main character as I would have been if I'd already read the first two books.

~Main character, retired NYPD Dave Gourney, is a little bit older than most thriller's mcs (that I read), but he's also a little bit wiser, a little bit more warped by all the things he's been through in his long years.  And you know I like my characters with a little damage.

~Gourney is still dealing with injuries he received from the previous novel.  He didn't magically heal both physically and mentally, and it's made him a little grumpy.  Not quite to the level of Hugh Laurie in House, but Gourney is definitely not a Positive Polly right now.

~The supporting characters help this book, and Gourney, so much.  His wife, Madeline, is a saint and they actually have a good relationship, even if it's a bit strained right now.  So many books with cops, retired cops, detectives, etc, feature fractured, damaged relationships.  Although...

~Gourney's son joins in the mystery, and there is a some distance between him and his father.  But they both love each other so much, and its so obvious. 

~The entire time I was reading this book, I couldn't help but picture it as a tv series or movie.  If I can connect actors to book characters then it means I'm thinking a lot about the book.  This is always a good thing. 

~Gourney's friend Hardwick is easily my favorite character, mostly because I pictured him as Adam Baldwin (from Chuck and Firefly).   I want a friend on the force like Hardwick for the next time someone in traffic makes me mad. 

~I also pictured Gourney as Stellan Skarsgård, thus allowing me to picture his son as Alexander Skarsgård .  This is always a winning combination.  Plus there is a lot more potential in the father/son dynamic in this series, so I'm sticking with it.

~Kim was annoying.  I didn't really like her, and I found her character hard to understand.  She's like the chick in a horror movie that refuses to move out of a house even though she hears noises in the attic.  Eventually I was kind of rooting for the bad guy to get her. 

~However, I did think her idea to interview the family's of the victims of the Good Shepard to be a good idea. Too often tv and news reports on murders and focuses on the killer.  The victims often get lost, and their families definitely are largely ignored by the media. 

~I really liked the killer in the book.  It was creepy, how smart, how invasive he was. 

~I didn't like that The Good Shepard went after people in luxury cars.  I myself would like to own one someday and not get shot while driving it.

~The whole theory that The Good Shepard is murdering rich people in order to bring attention to his political beliefs was a bit unsettling considering the current political climate.  That aspect alone would make this a good book to discuss in book clubs, a rarity among thrillers.  Way to bring the social issues elements, John Verdon!

~I didn't figure the killer out until near the very end, and even then I wasn't sure until the reveal.  This book truly kept me in suspense. 

Let the Devil Sleep gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

**Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this book by Wunderkind PR in exchange for my honest review.  All opinion, snark and wit are my own, and in this case, shaped by the thousands of hours of Criminal Minds, Deadly Women and Law & Order: SVU I have watched over the years, and am probably watching right now as you're reading this**

Announcing Bloggers Dressed In Blood!

So, I love October.  So much.  And this upcoming October I get to co-host a new month-long event full of all the things I love, creepy books, scary stories, and challenges!  Join Steph, Kim, Danielle and me for Bloggers Dressed in Blood! Each week one of us will host the event, giving you a creepy challenge and providie you with chances to enter an awesome giveaway.

Won't you join us for a month full of chills and thrills?   October 1 - Kim from On the Wings of Books is going to start things off with bang...or a stab! October 8 - Me, Kate, aka Midnight Book Girl will have a bloodbath for you. October 15 - Steph of The Fake Steph Dot Com will be screaming bloody murder... or making out with vampires. October 22 - Danielle from My Mercurial Musings will be the surprise killer in the end.   We'll also have a month long giveaway that will have one winner winning lots of scary books, candy, and probably some vampire teeth, because let's be honest... they are totally my favorite part of Halloween.  Start queuing all your scary reviews, because if you review them as part of Bloggers Dressed In Blood, you'll get entries into the monthlong giveaway!  For now, feel free to grab a button and share the scare!  When the shock clock strikes twelve on October first, be ready to scream along with us!   *A special thanks to Steph for coming up with the idea, Kim for taking the time to design our awesome event graphic, and to Danielle, for agreeing to join our Freaky Foursome! <center> <a href="http://www.midnightbookgirl.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Midnight Book Girl" src="http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o529/petersonks15/BloggersDressedinBlood4.jpg"width="200" height="200"/></a></center> <br>

Carrie Readalong, Part One: Blood Sports Discussion

<center> <a href="http://www.midnightbookgirl.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Midnight Book Girl" src="http://s1146.photobucket.com/albums/o529/petersonks15/?action=view¤t=Carrie.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o529/petersonks15/Carrie.jpg"/></a></center> >

Carrie Read-a-Long Discussion Post: Part One: Blood Sports 

Congratulations, you are now almost half way through Carrie!  According to my Kindle we are about 47% through. Tonight I'll host a Twitter discussion (starting at 9pm EST, under the hashtag #CarrieBS). I thought this would be a good place to pause and discuss what we've read so far.  Stop and see what my co-host Midnyte Reader is thinking so far. Here's some questions to consider:

1. Is this your first Stephen King book?

2. What do you think of the style Carrie is written in?

3.  Do you think the bullying/attack on Carrie that occurs in the late 1970's in the book could happen today? 

4.  What are your thoughts on Carrie's mother?

5.  Young Carrie brings the rain of rocks down on her house at the tender age of three, but then there are no major events for years. Why do you think her powers remained fairly quiet until now?  What role does her mother play in Carrie's use of her power?

6. Do you believe that telekinesis exists?

7. What is your favorite moment so far?

8. What do you think of Sue's plan to have Tommy take Carrie to the prom?

9. Any predictions (um, only if you haven't read this before or seen the movie! ;)

10.  Just how crazy is Mrs. White?!

Please leave the link to your answers in the comment or you can just answer in the comments area, whichever works for you.  Stop by Midnyte Reader for her take on Carrie so far!

Here are my answers:

1. No, this is not my first Stephen King novel, and it's not even my first time (or second) that I'm reading Carrie.  It's not the first book I ever read of King, that'd be Fire-starter, and it actually took me a long while to get to.  I think because I'd seen the movie so many times when I was a kid I just has assumed I'd read Carrie before, but the first time I was about 22.  Ugh, so long ago!

2. I love the style it's written in, but I can tell it's an earlier King novel.  But I like the  jump in between characters, and the excerpts from official books, reports and newspapers.  I think that King could do an even better job now... but then Carrie would be 1100 pages long. ;)  I could do without the word Popular being capitalized though...

3. I think the constant bullying of Carrie definitely could still take place.  I don't know that the shower attack would still happen, I'd like to believe that there would be enough kids aware of how cruel it was, but I think it could take place on a smaller scale.  Bullying has been around as soon as there was more than three kids on the face of the planet.  What happened to Carrie in the showers was extreme, but I think when you add someone like Chris, who is popular and mean, to the mix, some people would follow her lead simply because she's the one doing the bullying. 

4. Mrs. White is straight up CRAZY!!  Seriously, I would love to know more of this woman's past to have shaped her into such a crazy mess.  The book talks about the TK gene, but even if it's passive in Mrs. White, I'd be willing to bet she's got some dominant mental illness genes at work- definitely more than one.  But... I think she truly believes in her own version of God, and that makes her dangerous.  I really think Carrie's powers are the one thing that has prevented her mother from killing her.  If Carrie had just been a normal, powerless kid, then no doubt she wouldn't have the strength to fight off an attack from her religiously skewed mama.

5. I think maybe the rock incident was so traumatic that Carrie buried the incident deep in her mind.  So while other things occur during times of deep emotional stress, she doesn't necessarily make the connection until the day of the shower attack.  In a way, Carrie has begun to unravel.  Years of torment at the hands of her classmates has worn her down, and has allowed her tap into her powers again.  Couple that with her mom's violent religious beliefs, and you have Carrie suddenly wide awake to her powers.  If Carrie's upbringing had been more stable and loving, her powers might have never really been an issue.  Strange things might have happened still, during early childhood and puberty, but I really doubt that it'd be something she'd be so aware of.

6. Hmm, yes, I guess I believe that it's possible.  To the extent of Carrie's powers?  Probably not.  But I do think there is so much about our brains and abilities that we don't know.  But, I'm skeptical.  I would definitely have to see it to believe it.

7. My favorite moment, BY FAR, was when Chris's dad and the Principal face off.  Sadly, his "my precious daughter" routine is all to familiar in this day and age when kids can do no wrong, and his sue-happy threats were nicely smacked down by Principal Grayle.  I was literally cheering!  I hope in the new Carrie re-make that that scene makes it in the movie.  I don't think until this re-read that I caught that Principal Grayle was not the same Assistant Principal that Desjardin takes Carrie to see after the shower incident.

8. I actually get why some people questioned Sue's motives after the fact, but I am surprised that so many people just assumed that it was nasty on her part.  But I think that Sue and Tommy were a bit more evolved than some of their classmates, and that Sue was really trying to atone.  Tommy loved Sue enough to want to help her, and I think he genuinely didn't mind taking Carrie.  Tommy is that rare person that people love and like not just because he's Popular (with a capital P!) but because he's got that magnetism that draws people to him.  Because of it, he's able to just be himself.  Unlike Sue, who is tormented by who she wants to be compared to who she is, Tommy is completely at home in his own skin.  He's not perfect, but he's also not so freaking concerned about what everyone is going to think of him.  Ugh, how I wish I'd been like that as a teen!  I'd settle for being like that now, but I'm much more of a Sue.  I'm a people-pleaser in the extreme, and I always over analyze things.  But I think Sue had good intentions, even if I think it was more for herself than for Carrie.  She should have known that Carrie going to the prom, especially after Chris is denied her tickets, would be a bad thing.

9. None here, because I already know!

10. She is so crazy!!!  Seriously, there are few characters in books that I have disliked as much as I dislike Mrs. White.  She's the type of person who would drown a sack full of black kittens because she believes them to be evil.  And she's such a hypocrite!  How much better for Carrie if her bikini clad neighbor had taken her away that day!  Or if one of those rocks had killed Mrs. White.  Sadly, that didn't happen, and whatever chance kids have in the beginning of life to have a normal kid experience was ruined when Mrs. White squeezed Carrie out.  I mean, I get that she's all super religious, but her belief system is so messed up that it bares little resemblance to any actual biblical teachings. I'm just going to say it, Mrs. White is one crazy bitch.  There.  I said it.


So, don't forget to read Part Two: Prom Night by the 23rd!  And I'll see ya'll on Twitter tonight!

Witch World Review

Witch World 
by Christopher Pike
Expected Publication:
From Goodreads:

Witches are real—and each of us may be one—in this all-new paranormal suspense novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Pike.Heading off for a weekend in Las Vegas with her friends, Jessie Ralle has only one worry—how to make it through the road trip in the same car with her Ex, Jimmy Kelter. The guy who broke her heart five months ago when he dumped her for no reason. The guy who’s finally ready to tell her why he did it, because he wants her back.



But what Jessie doesn’t realize is that Jimmy is the least of her problems.

In Las Vegas she meets Russ, a mesmerizing stranger who shows her how to gamble, and who never seems to lose. Curious, Jessie wants to know his secret, and in response, alone in his hotel room, he teaches her a game that opens a door to another reality.

To Witch World.

Suddenly Jessie discovers that she’s stumbled into a world where some people can do the impossible, and others may not even be human. For a time she fears she’s lost her mind. Are there really witches? Is she one of them?

#1 Bestselling author Christopher Pike offers up another classic edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that keeps you guessing right until the last page.

Midnight Thoughts

"What if they torture me? You know, I just graduated high school, I'm not psychologically prepared to have my fingernails slowly ripped from my hands"
     ~Jessie, ARC edition.

~A new Christopher Pike book always feels like a birthday present!  Thank you, Mr. Pike. 

~I've mentioned this a few million times, but I really love Christopher Pike.  So much.  In a way that probably would be a problem for him if he wasn't such a recluse.

~Witch World starts like old school Pike, the main character has a semi-hopeless crush on her ex-boyfriend, her friends are funny and witty.  There's a road trip.  Then come the witches!

From Goodreads

~The witches aren't typical incense burning, spell muttering witches, and they aren't even that close to the witch in Christopher Pike's earlier book Witch.  Witch is just a name those with powers adopted.

~Pike is not afraid to bring up deep issues or complicated science in YA books- part of the reason I respect him so much.  However, because science was my absolute worst subject in school, I don't know if those who actually have science-y knowledge would have a problem with Pike's theories.  But it sounds sufficiently complicated to me. ;)

~Jessie is our main girl, ex-boyfriend Jimmie is the love interest.  Her best friends are Alex, Debbie and Ted.  Debbie and Ted get a bit lost in the book, which took some of the potential fun away.  I really thought Ted was going to have a larger role.  Maybe in the next book!

~Witch world is a parallel world to ours (or vice versa?) and the rules are intriguing, even if they're a bit confusing.  Except: Jessie is Jessica in Witch world, Russ is Russell, Jimmy is James, and so on.  Can you still exist in both worlds if you don't have a nickname? With all the changes P. Diddy has gone through, exactly how many freaking alternate worlds does he exist in?

~This book has some mature themes.  It explores the question of sacrificing the few to benefit the many.  Julius Caesar and President Eisenhower- are they heroes for the lives they saved, or barbarians for the lives they took?  And there's sex and teen pregnancy.  Obviously if you have lots of witch genes you don't just take your sex partner's word for it that they've got the birth control covered. 

~The book is a fast paced read, but there's a lot going on, so you are going to need your thinking cap.  Mine is purple with green paisleys on it.  What does yours look like?

~Favorite characters- Kendor and Al.  I would have no problem with the CW picking this series up and hiring a bunch of hotties to play them.  Although, this could probably fit in with HBO or Showtime, just amp up the sex and curse words.  {side note: does it sometimes feel like everyone on cable series are suffering from some form of Tourettes or is it just me?}

~I hate the names of the opposing forces in Witch world- Tar and Lapras.  Tar is the worst though.  I'm not admitting to being shallow enough to pick sides based on name alone, but Team Lapras does have nicer ring to it then Team Tar.  And the Tar are the good guys... I think...

~While I like the cover, the girls look like they have blonde hair.  Which bothers me, because Jessie has reddish hair. Yes, I realize that the cover is all red and black, but still, it just looks to much like Sita from the Last Vampire books.  Still, I dig the redness. 

~Kendor has some of the best quotes, but here is my favorite:

"You want heroes who only perform noble acts.  But the greatest heroes often make the most bitter decisions."

~If you enjoy The Last Vampire series then no doubt Jessie and gang with satisfy your Pike needs.  Although I will always prefer Pike's earlier books (Weekend, Chainletter, the Final Friends series), he still entertains the hell out of me. 

Witch World gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Around the World ARC tours in exchange for my honest review.  All opinion, snark and wit are my own.  The book was, sadly, only mine for a week  before I passed it on to the next blogger.**