Movie Review: Unfriended: Dark Web - #BEWAREDARKWEB

Unfriended: Dark Web
Directed By: Stephen Susco
Written By: Stephen Susco
Release Date: July 20th, 2018 (Nationwide)
Running Time: 88 minutes
Rating: R
Social Media Channels: Web | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
#UNFRIENDEDDARKWEB #BEWAREDARKWEB

Unfolding in real-time UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB​​ is ​the most terrifying horror yet from the producer of GET OUT, HAPPY DEATH DAY and THE PURGE, and the ​makers of UNFRIENDED. When a 20-something finds a cache of hidden files on his new laptop, he and his friends are unwittingly thrust into the depths of the dark web. They soon discover someone has been watching their every move and will go to unimaginable lengths to protect the dark web.Written and directed by Stephen Susco (THE GRUDGE), UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB is produced by Timur Bekmambetov, Bazelevs Productions and Jason Blum, Blumhouse Productions

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Unfriended: Dark Web, like its predecessor, is a movie takes place entirely on a MacBook screen, switching back and forth of FaceTime, iMessage, Facebook, and Skype, and following a group of teenagers as they get picked off one by one. As they die, their friends watch via webcam, with a lot of crying, yelling, and disbelief.

Programmer Matis (played by Colin Woodell) has recently obtained a laptop from a lost and found, so he can build ASL translation software faster in order to help him communicate with his deaf girlfriend Amaya (played by Stephanie Nogueras). The film begins with him trying to login into a computer. He manages to login, and apps such as Facebook, Skype, Spotify, and several others suddenly open all with the original Owner’s login information saved. Every time he encounters the login screen of Norah C. IV, he erases it, and enters his own information in. Curiosity, however, takes the better of him and he takes a peak into Norah's Facebook account and this is where things begin to get a little weird. Several instant messages begin appearing. however, one user stands out, and the user is demanding to know who is using the computer. The mysterious user becomes increasingly violent and threatening.

We finally get to meet the other characters in this story when Matias logs into a Skype session with his friends for their game night. We meet tech-savvy Brit Damon (played by Andrew Lees); conspiracy theorist AJ (played by Connor Del Rio); Nori (played by Betty Gabriel), Serena (played by Rebecca Rittenhouse) and musician Lexx (played by Savira Windyani). During a game of Cards Against Humanity, Matias subsequently stumbles upon a mysterious Dark Web portal called “The River,” as well as a folder full of made-to-order snuff films. He finds strange chat messages which suggest that someone is paying money for these murder videos. Questions begin to arise on who exactly Matis got his laptop from and who it belongs to.

Things escalate quickly when the owner of the stolen laptop starts threatening Matias in Facebook Messenger. Matais must try and protect his innocent girlfriend Amaya, his friends who are trying to figure out if what they are seeing is real, or if Matais is making it up, and out-whit the secret society of people calling themselves “Norah”.

I have also read there are two endings to the movie! There are reports that you have no way of knowing which ending you will see in the theater. The movie is entertaining and keeps a steady pace of events which keeps you on the hook wondering what will happen next. If you liked the first one, definitely make a trip to the theater and check it out.

Movie Review for #UnfriendedDarkWeb

Unfriended: Dark Web
Director: Stephen Susco
WritersStephen Susco
Starring: Rebecca Rittenhouse, Betty Gabriel, Chelsea Alden
MPAA Rating: R
Official Socials: Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | IMDb
Hashtag: #BewareDarkWeb

A teen comes into possession of a new laptop and soon discovers that the previous owner is not only watching him, but will also do anything to get it back.

I'm not a fan of horror movies, but every now and then I watch one to see if this is the one that's going to change my mind. The reason I don't watch horror movies is because I don't find them entertaining, I think they're incredibly predictable, and it also makes me wonder how dark is the mind of the creator of said movie (remember, I am a mental health therapist during the day). Anyway, I decided to give this movie a chance and see how I felt about horror movies after. Guess what? I still feel the exact same way.

I didn't know this movie was a second part to another movie when I went to go see it. Yet, I was told, it is very different from the first one. See, the first one deals more with the paranormal whilst this one does not. As you can see from the synopsis above, the movie's plot starts with this "teen" (all the actors look way older than teen and look and behaved more like college students than teens) finds a new laptop and very quickly finds out there's something odd about it, but, more importantly, that the owner wants the laptop back and is willing to go through some incredible lengths to get it back, starting with blackmail.

The one thing that stood out to me about the movie is that humans can be so incredibly predictable that it seriously is stupid. The way things develop in the movie show that you don't have to even plan things too much or too carefully because most humans are just so predictable -as horror movies are to me. Almost everything every character did I saw it 5 steps before. I was not surprised once by anything that happened, and was, honestly, bored most of the movie. The only thing new, at least to me, was how this group of people could create the program that hacks into all their computers, how much control they have over everything, and how incredibly powerful they just seem to be. I just don't buy it. Also, some of the characters were made out to be smart and computer geniuses, yet got dumbed down and couldn’t figure things out or how to shut it down. Give me a break!

I will say, though, that I did like the acting. I've seen acting in other horror movies (the few I've seen) that just look so fake and exaggerated. In this film, each actor really looked like they were in distress and freaked out. I was pleased to see more effort being put into acting in a horror movie, to be honest, because it helped it be more tolerable. Another thing I liked is that the gory parts were short, sweet, and to the point. There was no need for excessive amounts of blood or gore for the heck of gore.

Before I conclude, I found out today through a friend (thanks Ike!) who sent me this link that the movie actually has two different endings and that they're being played in different theaters. We have no clue what the different endings are or which theater is playing which, but, honestly, I am a little curious to know what the alternative ending is.

If you like horror movies with lots of suspense, or just like mindless "entertainment", then go ahead and watch this movie. The gory parts were a little bit different and some (very few) were not predictable. I talked to a few of the people who attended the screening who like horror movies and had also seen the first movie of this series, and they stated they liked it. So, as I said, if this is your type of movie, go watch it. Hope you enjoy it more than I did.

Movie Review: Aviron Pictures' The Strangers: Prey At Night

The Strangers: Prey At Night
CAST: Christina Hendricks, Martin Henderson, Bailee Madison, Lewis Pullman
DIRECTOR: Johannes Roberts
WRITERS: Bryan Bertino and Ben Ketai
PRODUCERS: Wayne Marc Godfrey, James Harris, Robert Jones, Mark Lane
RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2018
RATING: R
RUN TIME: 81 Minutes

A family’s road trip takes a dangerous turn when they arrive at a secluded mobile home park to stay with some relatives and find it mysteriously deserted. Under the cover of darkness, three masked psychopaths pay them a visit to test the family’s every limit as they struggle to survive. Johannes Roberts directs this horror film inspired by the 2008 smash hit THE STRANGERS.

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The Strangers: Prey at Night, directed by Johannes Roberts, brings back with a vengeance the masks ruthless killers we got the know in the popular 2008 cult film. This installment features a family that decides to stay at an abandoned trailer park during their road trip (awesome idea right?). After a woman knocks on their door and discovers they are home, the family is paid a visit by three masked psychopaths and must try to survive. But that is sort of the genius of the film, that they don’t try to complicate it with too many characters or extra flare. If you were not aware there was an older version of this movie, I could see a making a connection between the villains in this movie and the killers in The Purge. However, our masked murders in The Strangers are killing for no other reason that they feel like it.

Although the original film's director is not working on the sequel, he did co-write the script with Ben Ketai. That being said, it has the same gritty feel as the horror flicks from the 90’s and early 2000’s. There is no unnecessary fluff or ridiculous back story to this one. It is straight to the point – you meet the Mr. and Mrs. and their kiddos. One teenager of course has a chip on their shoulder…then the killing quickly commences. I personally was refreshed and enjoyed the simplicity of the film.

Christine Hendricks portrays the Mother of Kinsey and Luke (the teenage children). Baliee Madison and Lewis Pullman (the son of known actor Bill Pullman) do a pretty great job with their roles as the teenagers and you find yourself either wanting to yell at them to run or cheering them on try and get the upper hand on one of the killers. In particular, Luke gets you emotionally involved in the film. At some points are frustrated with him as his character is a little whishy-washy; then all of the sudden he finds weapon of choice and gets in the game. I was a little disappointed with the performance of Martin Henderson as Mike the Father. I struggled to really care about his character as I didn’t feel like he was as engaging as the others.

Something that quickly stood out to me about the film was the clever use of music. There is something fun about the contrast of listening to “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany or “Total Eclipse of The Heart” by Bonnie Tyler while you are watching someone get chased down and murdered by a madman in a gunnysack mask that adds to the flavor of the movie.

It was a great throwback feeling in the theater and you felt as if it was 2008 all over again with the cinematography and style of the movie. The was fully interacting with the film; yelling at times, screaming and jumping out of the seat at other times, and cheering where deserved. We even had a few movie-goers show up in masks from the original 2008 movie. I have to say YES YES and YES to this movie! I know it won’t be for everyone, but if you enjoy a good ol’ fashion slasher movie, The Strangers: They Prey at Night is a good time!

Movie Review: 20th Century Fox's Alien: Covenant - #AlienCovenant

ALIEN: COVENANT

Sci Fi-Thriller

Release: May 19, 2017

Director: Ridley Scott

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby

ALIEN: COVENANT Official Channels: SITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

 #AlienCovenant

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.

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Ridley Scott is back at it, another alien movie.  How many has he done? A lot.  But this isn’t just an “alien” movie, it’s an Alien movie. Capital A. Opening Friday, Scott has added a new chapter to his Alien franchise in Alien : Covenant.  This chapter takes place before the early series of films, but after Prometheus (2012). It operates as a Prometheus sequel, and this chapter picks-up ten years after the events of Prometheus, but still before the events of Alien (1979).  It is a film for fans of Scott and fans of the Alien series of films. 

The film begins with a great Stanley Kubrik-esque, all white, scene, and I knew Scott was on top of his game.  Covenantis one of my favorites of the series.  It has all of the nostalgia I was looking for in an Alien movie, with the added dimensions of Michael Fassbender in dual roles.   

The film is called Alien : Covenant, but Fassbender (as David and Walter) makes the film the multi-dimensional, griping saga that it is.  Where Prometheus sets up the notion of some “creator,” or a “race of creators” out to make and destroy human-kind, Fassbender steps into the creator role and singlehandedly portrays an all-encompassing force of good and evil.  Fassbender plays the role twisted and funny.  He’s a hero.  He’s a villain.  He’s homoerotic.  Fassbender was very captivating.  There is a great cast along with Fassbender (Katherine Waterston as Daniels also has a very strong performace), but this is Fassbender’s show.

That isn’t to say that Covenant lacks any of the elements that Alien fans are looking for.  The film definitely has that horror sci-fi feel to it. It started creepy and slowly descended into sheer terror.  It’s fair to say that I watched most of the ending of the film through my hands over my eyes. Now, the shock of seeing the alien has somewhat passed.  We’ve seen enough of these that the sight of the xenomorph (alien) doesn’t make us jump out of our seats.  But the plot makes up for that by maintaining shock value in other ways.  The movie is quite bloody and gory.

My only complaint is that the characters are all still making the same mistakes of every sci-fi movies everywhere, and getting the same results.  It is a formula.  Still Covenant has a formula that works.  It is still entertaining. The action is still fun.

It’s an all-around good time.  The two-hour run time worked perfectly.  Seeing the xenomorph on the big screen definitely added to the creep-out factor.  Watch the aliens for yourself, Alien : Covenant is now playing everywhere. 

Book Review: Blood Divine by Greg Howard

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Blood Divine
Author: Greg Howard
Reading Level: Adult Fiction
Genres: Paranormal | Horror | LGBTQIA
Released: September 17th 2016
Review Source: NetGalley | Wilde City Press

Cooper Causey spent a lifetime eluding the demons of his youth and suppressing the destructive power inside him. But a disconcerting voicemail lures Cooper back home to the coast of South Carolina and to Warfield—the deserted plantation where his darkness first awakened.

While searching for his missing grandmother, Cooper uncovers the truth about his peculiar ancestry and becomes a pawn in an ancient war between two supernatural races. In order to protect the only man he’s ever loved, Cooper must embrace the dark power threatening to consume him and choose sides in a deadly war between the righteous and the fallen.

Blood Divine is a good paranormal read. It entertained me enough to want to finish the book. Was I blown away? No, but that's OK. Sometimes you don't always need that effect, to enjoy something. Paranormal fans, will like reading it. If you look online, you'll see the book has gotten great feedback. 

Basically you are getting a whole lot of supernatural beings and some romance here and there. The story is based in South Carolina, so you have a nice background scenery to go along with the story.  Story is based around Cooper and how he ends back in his hometown after an alarming call from his grandmother. Once he arrives, he gets a lot of supernatural stuff dumped on him and he needs to figure it out asap. This begins a series of situations and even an old crush comes back into the picture. 

Will Cooper find his grandmother? Will he deal with his new fate? And what he truly is? You'll have to read to find out what happens. 

Movie Review: Screen Gems' Don't Breathe - #DontBreathe

Don't Breathe
Release date: 8/26
MPAA Rating: R
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Written by: Fede Alvarez & Rodo Sayagues
Starring: Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto and Stephen Lang

Official Sites: Web | Facebook | Twitter

A trio of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.

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I don’t know what to say about this week’s horror flick, Don’t Breathe.  It was scary, and not “spooky ghosts aren’t real” kind of scary.  It was the home invasion, “this could actually happen and it could actually happen to you” kind of scary.  I was petrified for most of the movie.

My heart almost leaped out of my mouth five minutes into the story, and I am not sure I ever recovered.  The cast could have been anyone.  This film isn’t about the cast.  It’s about the story.  The story is simple enough. Three hoodlums target a blind man’s home for a burglary heist and most everything goes awry pretty quickly.  The movie plays with traditional notions of heroes and villains.  I could not tell which was which, and just when I thought I knew, it all flipped on me. 

I was a great story.  A very entertaining cat and mouse adventure.  I appreciated that the plot gave up just enough information to get the audience to the next complication.  It was a horror onion of sorts that I didn’t want to peel, but in order to get to the end, I had to keep peeling, and there were new levels of horror at every peeling of the onion.  The film is not overly bloody, but it is graphic. I watched most of the movie through my fingers because I was covering my eyes.  If that wasn’t enough, just when I thought that the story was over, it was not.  

I love a horror film with a good soundtrack.  The music complemented the on-screen horror well. Creepy music galore. I appreciated the entire theater experience for this one because I was forced to look at the screen.  The music sounded great in surround sound. There is no escape when one is sitting in a darkened theater, added to the horror. 

Don’t Breathe scared the bejeezus out of me and I was spent by the time it was over.  It was a great time.  Don’t Breathe opens at a theater near you on Friday, August 26^th.  See it if you dare.

Book Review: Dead to The World by Charlaine Harris

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Dead to The World
Sookie Stackhouse #4 - True Blood

Author: Charlaine Harris
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy Mystery
Released: May 3rd, 2005
Review Source: Ace Books

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. She has only a few close friends, because not everyone appreciates Sookie’s gift: she can read minds.

That’s not exactly every man’s idea of date bait – unless they’re undead; vampires and the like can be tough to read. And that’s just the kind of guy Sookie’s been looking for. Maybe that’s why, when she comes across a naked vampire, she doesn’t just drive on by.

He hasn’t got a clue who he is, but Sookie has: Eric looks just as scary and sexy – and dead – as ever. But now he has amnesia, he’s sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie’s help – because whoever took his memory now wants his life.

The fourth book in the series is exactly what I've been hungering for! it's Eric and more Eric, now that bad boy Bill has been uninvited from Sookie's home, and her bed.

This is probably the best in the series so far. Witches have over run Bon Temps, and they are looking for more than just go away money. They have their eye on Fangtasia, and the leader of the coven has been eyeing Eric. When negotiations go south, Eric winds up running in the dark without a thought in his beautiful brain. The witches have cast a nasty spell on Eric, put a bounty on his beautiful body to capture him. What for? Sookie has no idea but she's just turned into his care taker, thanks to Jason.

Everyone's looking for Eric, but no one realizes they can find him hiding at Sookie's place. The witches are not keeping a low enough profile. It's getting dangerious as bodies turn up, wiccans are scared into helping this Coven out of fear. Sookie's had to call in the Were's, things start heating up. Something strange is going on, Vampires are working with Werewolves against the Witches, and Sookie's still caught in the middle.

Book Blast: Because I Love You by Tori Rigby

 

Hello readers!

Are you looking for your next read?

Well, let us help make things easier for you!

Welcome to the Book Blast for

Because I Love You by Tori Rigby

presented by Blaze Publishing!

Check out the teaser below, and be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

As a special treat, we’ve got another book that may tickle your fancy… What is it? Read on, dear reader, read on!

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Because I Love You
Author: Tori Rigby
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: May 17th 2016
Publisher: Blaze Publishing

  

Eight weeks after sixteen-year-old Andie Hamilton gives her virginity to her best friend, “the stick” says she’s pregnant. 

Her friends treat her like she’s carrying the plague, her classmates torture and ridicule her, and the boy she thought loved her doesn’t even care. Afraid to experience the next seven months alone, she turns to her ex-boyfriend, Neil Donaghue, a dark-haired, blue-eyed player. With him, she finds comfort and the support she desperately needs to make the hardest decision of her life: whether or not to keep the baby.

Then a tragic accident leads Andie to discover Neil’s keeping a secret that could dramatically alter their lives, and she's forced to make a choice. But after hearing her son’s heartbeat for the first time, she doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able to let go.

What Readers Are Saying:

 

“emotional and heartfelt read” – Laura H (The Voluptuous Book Diva)

 

“one of the most amazing books I have ever read and a great contemporary read” – KittyKat (Goodreads Reviewer)

 

“It's one of those books where everything worked really well together. The story.The characters.The relationships.And the writing. It was just so beautiful.” – Nicole (Bookish Thoughts)

 

Want a peek at the book? Here's an excerpt to get you ready!

“I’ll ask Jill to come pick me up.”

“No,” he replied, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat. “Don’t put yourself out. I’ll stay with Owen.”

“It’s okay. I like being there.”

Neil nodded then shook his head. “No, this is ridiculous.” He moved so fast, I had no idea what was happening until my face was in his hands, and his lips were on mine.

A tingle ran down my spine. His kiss was powerful, urgent, and so full of passion; my head spun. But this was wrong. I couldn’t let myself give in.

I pushed off him with a squeal and stepped out of his reach. “Neil—”

He growled and dug his hands into his hair. “When I tell you I love you, do you think it’s because I believe you want to hear the words, or because I’m trying to start a conversation? God.” He flung his arms out to his sides.“I say it to remind you that you are the best damn thing that has ever happened to me. And I will spend every last breath fighting for you.”

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Adopted at three-days-old by a construction worker and a stay at home mom, Tori Rigby grew up with her nose in a book and her fingers on piano keys, always awaiting the day she’d take her own adventure. Now, she goes on multiple journeys through her contemporary and historical romances. She longs to live in the Scottish Highlands, and her favorite place in history is Medieval England—she’d even give up her Internet and running water to go back in time! Tori also writes high-concept genre fiction as Vicki Leigh, and when she isn’t writing, she’s kicking butt in kravmaga or attending classes to learn how to catch bad guys.

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YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO CHECK OUT…

Asleep
Author: Krystal Wade
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Released: February 16th 2016
Publisher: Blaze Publishing

  

Seventeen-year-old Rose suffers from terrifying, painful nightmares that leave her bruised, exhausted, and questioning her sanity. Desperate to hold on, she makes a choice: Trust her doctor who claims he can cure her, or listen to another patient who swears the asylum will kill them.

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

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Movie Review: Radius-TWC's Goodnight Mommy

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Goodnight Mommy

Writer/Director: Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala
Producer: Ulrich Seidl
Cast: Susanne Wuest, Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz
Run Time: 99 minutes

In the heat of the summer lays a lonesome house in the countryside where nine year old twin brothers await their mother’s return. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before and the children start to doubt whether this woman is actually who she says she is. What ensues is a terrifying observational struggle with fatal consequences on par with THE SHINING and DEAD RINGERS.

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Horror movies scare me, and not in the fun roller-coaster kind of way. Think big baby. I genuinely get nervous a day before thinking about it. Given the option, I’m a rom-com kind of movie goer. But, every so often, a horror movie peaks my interest and I summon the courage. This week’s courage brought me to Goodnight Mommy. It’s an Austrian film. There are English subtitles.

The premise of the film centers on a small, affluent family, post something bad. The audience can’t immediately tell what bad thing has happened. The opening looks picturesque, eerie and insane. Twin boys (Elias Schwartz and Lukas Schwartz) are playing in a field adjacent to their beautiful house. The creepy insanity comes through immediately. It’s too quiet, too beautiful, too weird, and, then, mom (Susanne Wuest) comes home and her face is completely bandaged-up. Something is off. Something is about to happen. Who can I trust?

Goodnight Mommy takes the audience on a super creepy detective hunt. I usually watch horror movies from between my fingers, but I found myself unable to look away. I felt pretty certain early on that I knew what was causing the insanity. I spent the rest of the movie watching it take its toll, and looking for clues that my guesses about the film were correct.

I think fans of horror will thoroughly enjoy Goodnight Mommy. Above everything, I appreciated the originality. It isn’t overly suspenseful. Nothing is jumping out from behind curtains. It’s methodical and quiet. The film does without the scary musical score. I got the impression that the audience needs time to focus, free of distraction. Let the horror sink in. It’s inescapable.

Don’t let the foreign language keep you from seeing this in theaters. I don’t know how much I read the subtitles. I certainly wasn’t conscious of them. Even without sound, I could have been able to discern what was happening. I think the Schwartz boys will have a big cinematic future. They made Goodnight Mommy one of the finest horror films I have seen in recent memory. Even with my limited horror movie experience, I know it was good because I still shudder when I think about the film.

I hope that a lot of you will make it out to have the bejeezus scared out of you. It’s great for the Halloween season. But this film isn’t for the faint of heart. Some of the imagery is genuinely disturbing. There are a couple scenes I wish I could un-see. Don’t take my word for it. Get creeped-out for yourself when Goodnight Mommy opens in theaters on October 9.

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Book Review: The House by Christina Lauren

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The House
Author: Christina Lauren
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Released: October 6th 2015
Review Source: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers | Edelweiss

Gavin tells Delilah he’s hers—completely—but whatever lives inside that house with him disagrees.

After seven years tucked away at an East coast boarding school, Delilah Blue returns to her small Kansas hometown to find that not much has changed. Her parents are still uptight and disinterested, her bedroom is exactly the way she left it, and the outcast Gavin Timothy still looks like he’s crawled out of one of her dark, twisted drawings.

Delilah is instantly smitten.

Gavin has always lived in the strange house: an odd building isolated in a stand of trees where the town gives in to mild wilderness. The house is an irresistible lure for Delilah, but the tall fence surrounding it exists for good reason, and Gavin urges Delilah to be careful. Whatever lives with him there isn’t human, and isn’t afraid of hurting her to keep her away.

The House is odd, scary to most with its dark tall gates, patchwork style, and looming trees; but Delilah Blue wasn’t scared she was intrigued, curious about the house that seemed to thrive. She was also curious about the boy that lived inside, Gavin Timothy, who incidentally was part of the reason she was away at boarding school for seven years. Delilah Blue was sent away after punching some kids that were picking on Gavin, she had a crush on him then and it still seemed to be ever present to this day. But Gavin isn’t like most teenagers his age, he keeps to himself, he wears dark clothes, he’s the boy you bring home to scare your parents, and his home life is definitely not like anyone else’s.

“What do you want from me, Delilah?” “I want to be the only girl you look at.”

Gavin warns Delilah that his house isn’t the same as others, his life being brought up is different than most, and she should tread lightly, but that only intrigues her more, she doesn’t mind the oddness, she embraces it. Delilah loves scary movies, gore, and anything down right bloody, so when she meets House, she thrives, she’s excited, until she says the wrong thing.

“She was like a firecracker standing too close to a match: all potential energy, still wrapped up so neatly. He wanted to watch her explode. Hell, he was the match. He wanted to make her explode.” 

The House blends together the horror, suspense, and romance perfectly. I feared the entire time I was reading this how everything was going to play out and I didn’t have hope for much or at least a HEA. I was certainly freaking out a lot myself while reading a couple of chapters, but I feel like they exploited one of my fears. While I thought it was a slow build (or I was just exhausted from working overnights) I did get sucked into the story telling, and I found myself more and more intrigued with the house and how it originated more than the characters (I love you Gavin and Delilah, but you can’t compete with House).

“Delilah was his sun, and he’d smiled more because of her in the last few months than he had in his entire life.”

SO if you’re looking for the perfect spooky October read this book is your go to book. I mean seriously, the cover is spooky enough, just imagine the story behind the cover. Christina Lauren never disappoint with their adult series and have yet to do that with their YA books either, The House is not one you want to miss out on.

Book Review: The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

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The Dead House
Author: Dawn Kurtagich
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Horror - Mystery
Released: September 15th 2015
Review Source:  Little, Brown Young Readers

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich is dead on in this terrifying psychological thriller! 

Over two decades have passed since the fire at Elmbridge High, an inferno that took the lives of five teenagers. Not much was known about the events leading up to the tragedy - only that one student, Carly Johnson, vanished without a trace... ...until a diary is found hidden in the ruins. But the diary, badly scorched, does not belong to Carly Johnson. It belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, a girl who shouldn't exist Who was Kaitlyn? Why did she come out only at night? What is her connection to Carly? The case has been reopened. Police records are being reexamined: psychiatric reports, video footage, text messages, e-mails. And the diary. The diary that paints a much more sinister version of events than was ever made publicly known.

I honestly can't rave talk about The Dead House enough. Not only does it grab your attention from page one (when you see it you'll know what I mean), but it also keeps your attention until the very last page. Also I'm all types of obsessed with the cover for this book. It gives me chills every time I look at it. The Dead House is a page turner that does not disappoint.

 Kaitlyn and Carly Johnson are sisters. It takes the term "twin sister" to a whole new level. Carly gets the mornings and Kaitlyn is the child of darkness the night. No, their condition wasn’t caused by a traumatic event and yes, it’s always been that way. Secrets are revealed, but more questions arise from it as well. Can you get to the end to put the puzzles together or will The Dead House suck you in and never let you go?

 I started The Dead House at 11PM next thing I knew it was 2AM. I couldn't get enough of it! Kaitlyn was such a powerful main character her voice was riveting! She took you down these mysteries paths, made a few twist and turns, yet I wouldn’t let go of her hand because I needed wanted to find out what was coming next. I'm keeping quiet with what actually goes on in the story for many reasons. One being that I legit can't tell you anything without officially spoiling the story for you. You have to go into this book completely blind and expect the unexpected. Believe me, it'll be worth it. Just know that you will be enjoying one heck of a story.

 The Dead House is a thrilling equally addictive captivating debut with a stunning and unique format. Once you get lost in The Dead House, it won’t easily let you lose. I can't recommended it enough.