A Blackened Heart, A Blackened Soul by John Ward

Evil walks among us. It watches. It waits.

John Tinsley’s life was shattered as a child when he lost his mother in a tragic car accident—but that was only the beginning. From that moment, a dark entity marked him, one intent on destroying everything and everyone he loves. Haunted by visions, hunted by shadows, and carrying the scars of his childhood, John must now confront the darkness as an adult, facing a malevolent force that has followed him into every stage of his life.

A Blackened Heart, A Blackened Soul is a gripping tale of supernatural horror and psychological suspense, chronicling one man’s lifelong battle against a being determined to consume his life, his love, and his very soul. Will John survive, or will the darkness finally claim him?

 

John Tinsley was 8 years old when he was traumatized by the car accident that killed his mother and left his father paralyzed. Struggling with his grief, he is not afraid at first when he is visited by an entity that has taken on the appearance of his mother. It seems comforting to him, until it's too late.

Having enjoyed one of the author's middle-grade horror stories, I was excited to see what he would do with his first adult horror novel, but for me, this was just an OK read. I did not hate it. I did not love it.

The multiple points of view were heavy on narration and I would have preferred a little less. Young Johnny's narration bothered me the most. An 8 year old's mind doesn't use phrases like  "being eager to right the ship"  or "trying to be more upbeat." It just felt so unnatural to me, like he was a much older man instead of a little boy. It left me feeling disconnected from this character the most out of all of them. I only truly cared about the dog.

There were some well written scenes with the demonic activity, and heartbreaking developments with grandma and Johnny's dad, but even part 2 of the book that skips ahead 25 years to an adult Johnny still had more inner dialogue than I care for. Some passages felt unnecessarily long. For example, if a character drives somewhere, I don't need to be told they put the car in park when they arrived. I don't want to nitpick over a long list of reasons why this was not for me, so I will just say that you may enjoy this book more than I did. Lots of people loved it.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing for the e-ARC

The Body by Bethany C. Morrow

 

The Body is a pulse-pounding supernatural horror story from bestselling author Bethany C. Morrow, where one woman must survive a series of bizarre and escalating attacks on her marriage.

Mavis broke from her parents’ congregation years ago, but she still hasn’t recovered. Their impossible expectations and soul-shredding critiques have dug deep into her mind, and she’s taunted by the knowledge that even when she’s done nothing wrong, she’ll never be right.

Now Mavis is afraid she’s about to lose the only thing she has: her husband, Jerrod. The man she’s always known was too good to be true. No one thinks she deserves him—not even after surviving the serial cheater they wanted her to stick by—and soon they’ll all find out they were right.

Mavis is already unraveling when a brush with death shows her what real fear looks like. Soon, she’s under constant attack from all directions. As the assaults turn increasingly vicious and bizarre, Mavis realizes that Hell isn’t reserved for the afterlife.

And sinner or not, no one is coming to save her.

Mavis grew up with parents who made her feel less than. She was taught from an early age that her ultimate goal was marriage. She was also taught that she would be lucky should any man be willing to settle for her. When she eventually marries Jerrod, she is in a constant state of fear that he will abandon her since she has always been made to feel that she is not worthy of love. Her skewed ideas of perfection in her husband cause her to make a choice she regrets, and now it is not her marriage in danger but her life. The reason for these attacks? Well, you will have to read it to find out.

From the description that says Mavis must survive a series of bizarre and escalating attacks on her marriage, I was expecting more of a psychological horror. While there are those aspects of the story considering her mental state and struggles with what she calls the "talons" of her intrusive thoughts, these "attacks" are not on her marriage but actual physical attacks on her life. 

This was unexpectedly brutal and gory at times. If you are in the midst of planning a wedding, this book may make you consider eloping instead.

4 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the gifted hardcover in addition to the e-ARC.

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About the author

The Bloody Bucket by Douglas Ford

 Nat’s dream job comes calling when a college needs someone to take charge of an annual haunt. One year before, Nat’s predecessor went inside the haunt—but he never came out. Soon, Nat finds herself confronting the ghosts of her own past as well as curses bubbling forth from the land itself.

This is such a sneaky little synopsis. It doesn't even hint at the depth and breadth of this novel.

Nat is a complicated character, supporting her equally complicated brother. She is hired as an adjunct professor to teach her favorite subject, horror literature. She will also be advisor to the students as they plan their annual haunted house. Her predecessor has disappeared, supposedly going into last year's haunt, never to be seen again.

What follows is an intricate plot involving ghosts, cursed land, childhood trauma, and so much more, woven together in a spellbinding tale of epic proportions that the author somehow makes seem effortless. 

There is so much going on here that I am amazed at the author's skill to keep so many plates spinning in the air while never dropping one. The group of students is small enough that I did not feel overwhelmed by too many characters, especially considering one in particular plays a bigger role. This was a surprisingly dark tale and is my first 5 star read of the year. 

My thanks to Douglas Ford for the paperback ARC.

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Nightmare on Nightmare Street by R. L. Stine

Twelve-year-old Joe Ferber, his sister Sadie, and their parents have just moved into a house that has all the hallmarks of a horror movie—tombstones in the basement, a creepy doll lying around, strange noises in the wall, and so on. As Joe tries to fall asleep on the first night, his nightlight begins to flash and change colors, and the creepy doll appears in his bed … and then twelve-year-old Shawn Hannigan wakes up from a dream.

Shawn and his little sister, Addie, are seemingly living in the same house with their mother. But when they arrive at their new school for the first day, the teachers are all wearing animal masks, and the principal’s office is pitch black and full of noises. At the end of the day, a stranger claiming to be Shawn’s mom picks him up and tells him he doesn’t have a sister …

As more and more strange things happen to each of them, Shawn and Joe have to figure out what is real, and what is a nightmare.

What could be scarier (and more frustrating!) than being a kid who is the only one who notices there is something wrong with the house your parents call a fixer upper when you know it's just evil!  That is where the story begins, with one boy who is powerless to get his family to see sense.

This was such a fun story. It is an amusing and spooky tale, whether you grab it for your middle-grade readers or for yourself if you are still a kid at heart. 

The author states he got the idea to write a novel that included everyone's favorite fears while eating an everything bagel. He succeeded! There's nothing missing here. Nightmares, a basement graveyard, living dolls, weird teachers, and more, all wrapped up and waiting for anyone who dares to venture onto Nightmare Street, a place you won't find on a map but is all too real for the kids who call it home. 

There are multiple tidbits sprinkled through for adults that may go undetected by kids (I'm still laughing at the Real Housewives of Antarctica). Adults who read Goosebumps when they were kids will notice the nods to that book series. 

If you're looking for a book that's fun for all ages, this is it.

My thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the e-ARC

Available for preorder