Don't Stay Up Late - R L Stine

Don’t Stay Up Late – R L Stine

R L Stine is the epitome of my childhood, I grew up reading his books, be it his Goosebumps series, or the Fear Street series. My Saturdays were spent devouring each and every book he released. My love for him grew even more with the TV Series Goosebumps, as the stories he delivered were made into ‘real life’ and I just couldn't get enough of it.

To be allowed the chance by Net Galley to read and give an honest review of R L Stine's, latest YA book Don’t Stay Up Late, was truly an exciting moment for me and I just couldn't wait to get stuck in.

‘Ever since a car accident killed her father and put Lisa and her mother into the hospital, Lisa can't think straight. She's plagued by nightmares and hallucinations that force her to relive the accident over and over again in vivid detail. When Lisa finds out that a neighbour is looking for a babysitter for her young son, she takes the job immediately, eager to keep busy and shake these disturbing images from her head. 
But what promised to be an easy gig turns terrifying when Lisa begins to question exactly who — or what — she is babysitting.’

I have to say it felt very nostalgic reading an R L Stine book. Being of a much older age now reading such a book, I didn’t find it as frightening as I knew I would have at a younger age, that, and I have probably been a bit desensitised from all the horror movies and stories I have now consumed growing up. However, this does not take away from the story. Don’t Stay up Late delivers a creepy and mysterious story, where you are forever second guessing everybody’s actions, right until the final point.

The story follows Lisa, a new girl to town, who is slowly fitting in, with friends in Isaac and Saralynn, and even a boyfriend Nate. That is until the tragic car accident that killed her father, wracked with grief and a severe concussion Lisa’s world is turned completely upside down. The hallucination she keeps having leaves her questioning reality, what is real and what is simply in her head. In a way to get her life back on track, Lisa takes a job babysitting a young boy name Harry on Fear Street, and that’s when things take a turn for the worse. Left with nobody believing her and with the fear of what could be going on in her own mind. Lisa’s story leaves you desperate to find out just what is happening on Fear Street.

R L Stine's writing is exactly how I remember it being, it flows easily off the page, and is essentially a pretty quick read. I feel if anything a bit more about the characters would have been good, but it wasn’t essential for the story to unfold.  

I did have an inkling as to how the story would pan out, I semi guessed what was happening and who was involved. But I really enjoyed the journey it took to get there. I also never expected the twist in the epilogue!

I can’t really say much within this review as I don’t want to give anything away. But if you enjoy Goosebumps and the Fear Street series, then you will obviously love this.

I would give 3.5 out of 5 stars

Winterborne - Augusta Blythe

Winterborne (Universe Unbound: Book One) – Augusta Blythe

Winterborne is an urban fantasy novel by Augusta Blythe, following the story of Loie Bryce and her best friend Mia Winterborne.

‘Mia Winterborne knows she is destined to be special. Her upcoming seventeenth birthday promises more than just a driver’s license. Details are sketchy, though, as her dad disappeared with all the answers when she was five. By Mia’s side is Loie Bryce, her best friend and eternal sidekick extraordinaire. The girls’ intense friendship has never wavered until now, when Andreas arrives in Salcey Ridge. They both fall hard for the hot Brit, who quickly becomes a fixture in their lives. When they discover that Andreas is not who he appears to be, the frightening reality of Mia’s abilities finally hits home. The nearer Mia’s birthday draws, the more the danger escalates and long-buried lies are exposed, putting the girls on a path that they never expected.’

I really enjoyed this novel, it was action packed, filled with humour and the friendship between Mia and Loie was truly heart-warming at times. Granted there were moments where I felt for Loie having to deal with Mia and her confidence and complete domineering attitude in their relationship. But as time went on you really saw the beauty between what they had and how they really would do anything for each other.

The story follows the build up to their joint seventeenth birthday, as not only are they best friends but they share the same day of birth. This birthday however is going to be a big one; this is the one where Mia is due to inherit her powers. Powers that she has limited knowledge of due to her father’s mysterious disappearance, suspiciously around the same time Loie’s parents tragically died. The journey to their birthday is a bumpy one, predominantly due to a shared interest in the new boy Andreas. Both Mia and Loie like him, and both want to be with him. But he can only be with one. I felt the dealing of this topic was brilliantly done. I think it is safe to say every teen has gone through a phase of falling out or being upset as their friend likes the same guy or gets the guy they want. It is all a part of growing up and undoubtedly everyone at some point has experienced something of the sort, and Augusta’s writing of this was amazing. Seeing the hurt and upset and the fall out of it all, felt so real and you truly felt each moment as if it were you it was happening too.

More to this, many strange occurrences arise, leaving many questions being asked, and people’s lives being put on the line.

Throughout this book I really rooted for Loie, forever overshadowed by Mia, and completely downtrodden. An angry and resentful grandmother, upset at being burdened with her dead daughters child. Both parents passing away at such a young age, and then having a best friend, who is completely beautiful and soon to be incredibly powerful. I really felt for Loie. How could someone have so much pain in their life and yet still remain as supportive as ever to her best friend. It was upsetting to see how little she viewed herself as. Which seemed to greatly increase as the book went on. Safe to say Loie really is the underdog throughout this story, but I find it is her I most root for, and at times I even dislike Mia for how she acts and what she says to Loie i.e. the test they both take and both receiving the same answers.

I have to say I wasn’t sure what to expect from this novel, I thought it would be a typical YA love triangle and that would be it, however the magical world, creatures and all other manner of topics covered in this book really proved me wrong and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did see the twist coming, but I feel that is because of where my alliances where. But I feel as if the author possibly did this to keep us one step ahead of the game and so we can enjoy that kick ass moment even more. 

This book is brilliant, full of action, heartbreaks and fantasy and safe to say I am going to be reading the second book in the Universe Unbound series, and if it is anything like the first, I am certainly expecting great things from it.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Skeletal - Katherine Hayton

Skeletal – Katherine Hayton

I received a digital copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the blurb for this book, I knew I had to read it. It looked set to provide me with a YA thriller of a book, filled with mystery, suspense and dealing with issues that some may never even dream of happening to them. Instantly, I knew this book would be a good one, and Katherine Hayton did not disappoint.

First of, let’s look at the blurb:

Three months before she died Daina Harrow faced a bully at school.
Six weeks before she died Daina Harrow suffered an assault in the park.
One week before she died Daina Harrow stole a secret people had killed to hide.

That was ten years ago. Ten long years.

Now, her bones have been found on a building site. A coroner's inquest has been reopened. A parade of witnesses is about to start.
And Daina's here. Watching every day as her mother cries in the courtroom. Watching every day as her friends, and her enemies, and her killers lie about her on the stand.
Watching, and making sure that no matter what the coroner hears, you know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

So help you God.

Skeletal is told from the perspective of Daina Harrow, but not Daina Harrow as you expect. Daina is dead and this story is told from her flash backs, as well as statement accounts from her own coroners court ten years after her death, as at last, she has been found.

Skeletal is certainly not a book for the weak hearted, this book is incredibly deep and incredibly dark. Many YA books tiptoe carefully around life events, however Skeletal is hard hitting and a complete eye opener. Covering such sensitive topics, that are so cleverly and beautifully written, that you feel each and every heart wrenching moment, and are truly at Daina’s side throughout the entire story. It really becomes one emotional rollercoaster and even though you are reading from Daina’s POV from the other side, you still cling to some hope that she may make it through. It is a complete page turner and you really struggle to put it down.

The plot for this novel is truly fascinating, we meet Daina who has had to move to a new school and yet another town, her mother is an alcoholic and a drug abuser, her dad has left and started a new family, and we see Daina really is neglected and alone. Her start at her new school doesn’t go well either; she makes a few friends, but also makes instant enemies. This results in some really hard hitting bullying and physical attacks, which are truly shocking to read and witness. Throughout the book we see the flaws of the school system, loss of evidence at the coroner’s court and just the negligence of parenting from Daina’s mother’s side, and just how this was able to go on undetected and unreported.

You are constantly left questioning throughout this book, trying to piece together information, constantly looking out for who her killer could be, was it an accident, was it merely from malnourishment, just what happened for Daina to be dead and her body found in the foundations of an abandoned house, and just who is that man in Grey? All questions which ultimately are answered and tied together into one big intricate ball of exposure which really makes you realise just the extent of how the events in Daina’s life have panned out.

Usually I give a quick rundown of the characters in the book, their traits and personalities, but I really cannot do that in this review, as I fear it will spoil a great deal of the story for others. However this book truly is incredibly, and with each twist and turn this book takes you really don’t expect it to be as big as it really is. You never know who to trust and just who is being real and who is being fake.

This novel is a great testament to Katherine Hayton’s writing and ability to unravel a story and keep you guessing throughout each turning page and I truly cannot wait to see what else she produces.

I highly recommend this book if you love a good thriller and mystery. But don’t go into this book thinking it will be a light hearted YA book, as it really and truly isn’t. It is completely heart breaking and yet brilliant at the same time.

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.