LIES: Will this be what causes more death in the FAYZ?

Lies by Michael Grant:

Review of Book Three of the Gone series

As the world becomes ever darker in the FAYZ, it becomes easier for everyone to believe someone who offers them an easy way “out.” It becomes increasingly against the odds to stay alive here, as we start to watch the breakdown of several key characters. Orsay, along with a new friend of hers, sees visions and gives the kids very realistic promises of what she sees and she knows things about them and their past that no one else would know. This casts doubt on whether or not what she says is real. She tells them that their parents are waiting for them when they turn 15. This is the time when they “blink out” and two possible things could happen: disappear into probable death or survive if they resist the temptation to take this way out, but then they remain in the deadly FAYZ.

(Book One review click here.  Book Two: Hunger)

At the same time this is going on, the “Human Crew” lead by Zil, who are all against the freaks, is now more dangerous than ever. They plan to kill the freaks and even normals who get in the way. Anyone, in fact, who does not agree to “follow” him. This is part of his ever increasing quest for power in the FAYZ and it has to do with a lot of death. He starts to lust for blood and violence and seems to be able to get away with it by covering his tracks.

While all this is going on, Sam is under ever increasing pressure as the others tell him he needs to step down, but also expect him to fight all of the battles. On their terms of course.  He is not allowed to deal with threats directly; rather the new council must meet and decide a course of action. This could prove to be deadly, as threats are allowed to roam free, unstopped.

Newcomers and New Dangers in the FAYZ

A new group of kids also adds more sparks to the mix, with what could result in a “fire” if the two groups of kids meet. Another “new visitor” also comes to the FAYZ and this could mean death for everyone. In this world where nothing strange seems to phase anyone at all anymore, this could definitely be the factor that does cause shock, as well as the end for many.

Diana starts to show some sense of right and wrong and even seems to care for other people as well, which could be the start of Caine listening to her concerns. Or not. As we know Caine, he does not listen to anyone. But Diana has a solution for this as well. For people who want more of Caine and Diana, they will find them in this book.

Sam and Astrid also start to drift apart because of the tension with her being on the council which dictates what Sam can and cannot do. They also have other issues and they may also be running into a roadblock of sorts just like the other “couple” of the book.

Last but not least, Little Pete also causes more of a stir that will definitely create friction and could be the cause of future danger for him, as people may start to suspect something more about this “harmless” little boy.

This book is definitely a must read, as the third book of the riveting Gone series. When everyone lies to each other, the truth becomes ever hazier and this can put everyone in even more danger. Lies will continue to shock and tug your emotions in every direction as you hope for the characters to survive and you see them on the brink of death and you see many on the edge, about to fall off with no more hope of surviving life in the FAYZ. (To purchase/read a sample on Amazon, click on the picture below.)

(Book One review click here.  Book Two: Hunger)

To find out more about how you can be a part of the FAYZ, click here

Lies is the third book in what will be a six book series. Plague is the next book, which you will definitely want to have at hand after this one! Look for my review on that. I will be also be reviewing the next two books, Fear and Light soon as well. Please sign up for updates at the top right so you can get the latest! I would love to hear your opinions on this series or if you are planning on reading. Always love to hear from you!

Check out my Series Spotlight on this series here!

Book One:

Book Two:

Book Three:

Book Four:

Book Five:

Book Six:

Forbidden Mind: When reading thoughts can get you into more trouble than planned

Review: Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade

This is a very intriguing story and really pulls you in with interesting characters and a unique story world that is portrayed realistically. It makes you think about what could possibly be going on that we do not know about in our own world.

Sam is the main character and she is almost 18, which is important to note as this means she will be free of her “job.” She works for an agency that houses and employs kids with paranormal abilities. She and the other kids there refer to it as “Rent a Kid.” All of the paranormal kids live on campus together, go to school and go on assignments in which they use their powers that are required, usually for spy work. Sam has the ability to read minds, which is very useful for assignments.

This world reminds me of the television show, Dollhouse, which although short lived, was a great show about young people whose memories were wiped and who were given new identities for assignments in which they were rented out to people. They were given abilities that they would need for the tasks required. Forbidden Minds has that same pull with independent characters that fight back against this world that tries to take advantage of them and their abilities.

Sam sees a boy brought into the clinic that she has never seen before and who calls for help. She hears his plea for help in her mind, that is.  She tries to ignore it, knowing the rules of not getting involved. She is so close to being free of this place that she does not want to start to break the rules now, as she has been waiting so long to be able to have control of her own life. But when she hears him again, she finds out more. This boy, Drake, was kidnapped and is being held there, unable to use his power. He has the ability to convince people to do things based on planting thoughts in their heads, so they think it was their idea.

He also tells her that they are not really the “good guys” that saved them as they claim to be. And that they may not really free her. She is disturbed by
this and determines to find out the truth. She tries to learn the truth by reading the staff’s minds, but finds that they have anticipated this. Then she learns that they have taken Drake somewhere else and everything starts to change for her. With some searching and help from her friends, she learns a whole lot fast. But when she gets sick, her departure for freedom gets delayed. She is taken to another location “to get better” and learns that this is the same place Drake is. This begins the start of finding out what is really going on behind the scenes and what plans they really have for her and Drake.

The whole story is fast paced and I enjoyed reading it. The only part that I did not like as much was the ending, I felt it was not as strong as it could have been. It could have been better if the characters were more realistic with each other at the very end. But overall, it is a great story and is worth the read. I would love to hear more about these characters and I am glad I will be able to find out what happens next in their exciting and dangerous world, as there will be more to come!

Click below to read a sample or purchase on Amazon.

The FAYZ and Hunger: At the end of the world, it’s all that matters

Mini Review: Book Two of Gone Series

Hunger by Michael Grant

As kids start to realize what being in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) really means, the picture starts to look bleaker. Kids are starving and are looking for answers and this means there will be the changing of teams all around, as kids do whatever it takes to survive. Old friendships and loyalities may not matter anymore.

Gripping and powerful, this story that will suck you right into the FAYZ and you will not be able to leave until you read all about this horrifying world. No rules. No order. No single leader.  Except for the looming darkness that starts to take on an ever more terrifying shape.

The ending really plays with your emotions and while some things may be tied up and partly resolved, as much as can be “resolved” in this world anyway, as you know if you have read the first book or review that there is no way out. But just as you feel slight relief that one aspect of life might be okay for the characters, another problem arises. A problem that is seemingly even darker than before. And that will quickly remind you of how terrifying the world of Gone really is.

Last words: Don’t enter the FAYZ as there is no way out.

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You can now actually enter the world of the FAYZ- check out my post about the new interactive Transmedia World of Gone that author Michael Grant has created (or unleashed.) More to come as I explore more of it- but will definitely be cool to interact and be a part of the story!

Gone Series Order:

Book one: Gone

Book Two: Hunger

Book Three:
Lies: A Gone Novel

Book Four:
Plague: A Gone Novel

Book Five:

Fear

Book Six:

Light

See you at the FAYZ!

Gaia Wars: Your world is in danger, how hard do you fight?

Heart-Pounding Pace 

Even if this book does not seem to fit your usual choice of genre, you will not be disappointed if you pick it up. Quite the opposite, in fact. From the beginning, you are hooked into this engrossing world. It starts with a suspenseful, heart pounding pace that doesn’t let up. It will have your breath quickening right along with that of the main character.

It starts out seeming like the everyday (although exciting) life of a young boy, Warren,  who loves adventure. He is playing a seemingly harmless prank on his hated neighbors. It might turn out not to be so harmless after all, as Warren quickly discovers. He is whisked away on an enthralling and risky adventure. It all starts with a skeleton he finds on a trail. Suddenly he is thrown into a new type of world where mind-boggling things happen that he has no answers for.

Everyday life is now a thing of the past. He sees things that no one would believe could be real. People seem to be interested in him or concerned for him that were not before. He isn’t sure who to trust. Even those closest to him don’t seem to be as trustworthy as they once were.

Reader is pulled into this strange, new world

When he had first found the skeleton in the woods, he had also discovered a medallion which he soon learns can do more than you would think. It is the start of a lesson in strangeness. However, everything builds up and it is presented in a natural way, through an exciting flow of events. The reader is pulled in and truly believes in this world, however crazy sounding it may be. We experience all of the shock and newness of everything with Warren.

Interesting questions are raised as well between the non stop action of this fast paced adventure. Are people evil? How do people react to certain situations? The story leads you to delve into the exploration of evil and what is required for someone to become totally evil or not.

It is funny how you may believe a certain thing about a person, only to have all of your suspicions turned completely around. Even the main character has to wrestle with the question of evil within and what this means.

How far off the edge?

The story ends leaving you wondering what will happen next and also gives you a taste of what is to come in the next book of the series, Battle for Cascadia.

Overall, this is a very gripping story that truly pulls you in and you will not be able to stop reading. The chapters are short and deadly fast paced, full of action. It doesn’t leave you hanging right on the edge of the cliff about to fall off, but it does leave you hanging on pretty close to the edge so that you can hear the next word when the action continues. Definitely recommended for your next read, as I was pulled right in and could not stop reading!

Click below to go to the Amazon page for the paperback, also available on Kindle. I am looking forward to what comes next, so be sure to stay tuned for the next review! Please sign up for email updates at the top right of the page to hear the latest.

Toonopolis: What would the cartoon version of yourself be like?

Review of Toonopolis by Jeremy Rodden

 

It has the fantastical quirkiness of Alice in Wonderland, the uniqueness of Willy Wonka, the magic of Never Never Land, along with a sprinkle of the darkness/gothic wonder from Tim Burton and the other-worldness of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, and then some. But at the same time it is an unparalled universe (or parallel universe) Tooniverse that is all its own.

You want to know what is going on with this character as he wakes up and finds himself in this new alternate reality, feeling quite disoriented and a bit like he fell down the strangest rabbit hole known to man (or cartoon, for this matter).  The main character, who christens himself Gemini, (having to pull a name from the air, the Mad Hatter’s hat,  his scattered and lost memories) really pulls you in as you discover this new world he is thrown into. It is a fantasy type world where everyday is Saturday morning, the popular time for nonstop cartoons. He becomes a cartoon version of himself, so to speak, although he is actually dubbed an Outsider. Lucky for him, this means he has even more power than the toons around him do.

You won’t find Bugs Bunny here or The Famous Mouse (as Gemini sadly discovers), but you will find many loveable characters as you embark with Gemini on this adventure. He at first views it as a fun experiment type virtual world (which is partly true) but then he starts to see the bigger picture. He realizes that they are real, just like him and they do feel courage, fear, pain, love, loss and other emotions.

Science fiction and fantasy fans are not the only ones who will love the world of Toonopolis, as it will pull in anyone who loves an adventure (read:epic) and it works really well to remind you of that childhood joy you found in a really good story. Toonopolis has it all: Great references to some of your favorite cartoons, childhood stories and movies that you loved as well as amusing jokes about the current trends in books and what people like to read about (Bloodthirsty vamps? Anime? Superheroes and annoying sidekicks? It’s all here!)

 *Insert Sidenote: There is even some (hidden) love for fans of a certain video game (which is my all time favorite one now that you mention it) that involves a talking frog, time travel, a silent type as the leading character and a tomboy princess, as well as a couple magical worlds of its own- are you a fan? Please comment by following the link in the parentheses, glad you found me!) END SIDENOTE  (For New Game+ option click here – for real!) *

 Back to the world of Toonoplis, you will find yourself smiling and laughing along with the characters. In the cartoon world, there is a fun mix of tongue in cheek humor, puns, parodies,  and plays on words.

The back story is also very enthralling to follow, as you get an inside look at this “experiment”- i.e, how  and why Gemini  was thrown into this world and what he does/doesn’t remember. This could be very dangerous for him and adds a serious undertone to his adventures that shows there is more at stake than meets the eye and makes the read even more into one of those books that you just can’t put down.

This is a great place to visit and you will find yourself wanting to return to this world to hear more about the character’s adventures and this very unique creation that is the Tooniverse! Luckily for you too, as there will be more to come in the Toonopolis Files. Stay tuned for updates (sign up for email updates at the top right) and for a fun interview with the creator of the Tooniverse! Click below to read the first chapter or buy the book on Amazon.

Frankenstein in Pink? Or: Stephen King on the Kindle

 

Mini Review of Stephen King’s UR

Definitely a fast paced read that holds your interest throughout. Good for fans of King, especially of the Dark Tower series. It is peppered with references to other books as well, so it is a pleasurable read. A blend of historical/political references are also dispersed that add interest and open new possibilities that tie in to past and current events.

 UR is based on discovering new technology and it makes for a good read with modern references. It is slightly reminiscent of Cell, in this fashion, with a similar message of the dark side or possible dangers of technology, albeit without all the dead bodies (not as many, at least). The new technology type monster-not Frankenstein, but a cold metallic machine.

 All in all, I would say it is worth it for the King fan, definitely something to add to your Kindle…ur…if you so desire. Just make sure you don’t see any pink before you start reading (as the main character did).

 I would not rush to read it, save the midnight oil for another book, as it was not totally what I was expecting.  If you are looking for a fast paced thriller that you cannot let go of, check out his new Mile 81, read the review here.

UR, although an engrossing, quick read with a good pace,  seems to lack something essential of King, at least for me, by the time you reach the end.  Great references to the Dark tower and definitely has some feel good parts as well as some parts that may leave you on edge.

Cell may be more up your alley if you are looking for a great thrilling horror story by King, fully equipped with technological metallic parts that cause tingles down your spine. Definitely for all those who use cell phones as well as those who don’t (along with some of the undead thrown in) but definitely is an enjoyable read for all! And as I said before, Mile 81, (read my review here) needs to be on everyone’s top shelf for their next read. (Read:pronto)

Look for more reviews to come on King. Sign up for email updates in the top right or follow to get the latest! And would love to hear what you think of this if/once you have read it. What do you think of reading e-books in general? Is new technology scary and can it be seen as a Frankenstein type creation? Please comment below!

Grave Robbers,Trains & Ghosts: No falling off until the very end!

Review: Grave Robbers by Samantha Jillian Bayarr

Grave Robbers is a fast paced read that has characters jumping off trains, being thrown into graves and possible visions of people that have died, so the action is non-stop and makes for an exciting read that you will not want to leave behind until you finish. It also has deeper stuff with more marrow: characters make mistakes, shows weaknesses, but also have hopes of transforming. If you love a thrilling pace along with in depth characters who will do anything to go after their goals, this book is for you.

The main character pulls you in from the beginning and makes you want to read more. The story itself is a riveting and tense train ride that grabs you along with fears of falling off and crashing throughout the story- you need to know what happens next even though each lurch of the train makes your heart rate go up and sends your emotions scattering. You hold your breath for the characters as you come to care about them, no matter what they do or have done.

Charlie, a young girl does not come across as your average heroine right away. But she is a character that you will want to keep reading about; she is very much alive (unlike all of those around her) and jumps off the page. Her father is a grave robber. His official job title is grave digger, but he robs them of any valuables before he puts them into the ground. He does this in order to provide for Charlie, as her mother ran off right after she was born.

Charlie is full of spunk and not afraid to rob jewels from a dead lady.  Well, okay, maybe she is a little afraid. But she doesn’t let this or anything stop her. Charlie is a girl who is determined to carve out a path for herself and she lets nothing get in the way of her goals. More than anything, she wants to find her mother. Charlie had no idea of her whereabouts until now. She finds out where her mother may be and even though there is a chance she won’t find her, she comes up with a plan to try.

She convinces herself that she needs the lady’s jewels more than the dead lady does, as she will be six feet under and takes them herself, before her dad can touch them. Her moral dilemma is described very realistically and you understand where she is coming from and her reasoning for her actions, as well as her doubts and fears. She thinks she sees things that may not be there and might be a result of her fear and guilt (or are they?).  All this and she still doesn’t know if she will meet her goal. But she clings to the belief that this is the most important goal and she will not look back, even if her life is on the line.  And her life is indeed on a very thin line while she tries to go through with her plan. This plan is not as safe as she thought, as there are even more dangers lurking around from where she may not have expected. This is one train ride that you need to stay on until the very end.

Charlie is one of those characters that you would not mind jumping off a train with to hear more about, if you can survive the crash landing.

Click on the picture below to get the book on Amazon.

Choose your own adventure (Remember those books?): This is your Life!

Your life is better than any choose your own adventure book: you are not limited by what is on the pages and can choose anything you want. What is on Page 1 for you today?

Welcome to the first Weekend Writer’s Castle!

This post will be the start of what I will call my Weekend Writing Castle series: basically I will start a topic of discussion and anyone can feel free to join in. It will focus on writing but may also be about other things or life in general. (After all, what do we write about?) I want this to be a conversation, so please feel free to tell me things you would like to discuss! Check out the Writer’s Castle page- (tab at the top) for more information and for my other writerly posts.  I will try to post on Saturday or Sunday every week, so be sure to check back and sign up for updates to stay posted! (Email updates are on the right hand side of the page at the top.)

I am in a new country, teaching English in South Korea as you may or may not know and everyday I remind myself that it is a new day. Every weekend I can explore a new country. Sure, sometimes I want to stay home and cuddle up with a good or rather, a good e-book, lately since I can’t just order books to be shipped to me anymore or go to the local bookstore- (cannot read hangul yet).

But I want to make the most of time here, so I grab that book and get out there! I can always read on the way to wherever I am going! It is pretty exciting to be able to explore, go to new places, meet new people (even though I cannot really speak with them, but I manage, most of the time- and it reminds me I need to really learn the language! More about the language barrier in another post!)

You can do the same- go somewhere new. It doesn’t have to be far away. It can even be down the street from you. Just make it somewhere new- that new shop, the one you always pass by but never go in? Or make it new by talking to someone you have seen there but never really spoke to, more than in passing anyway.

You make the rules. You can take the bus, subway, train, car, time machine or whatever mode of transportation it is that you have and go somewhere new. Get off at a stop you have never been to before. Go to a new place. Make it a new start, a new day, a new phase of your life. It doesn’t matter that it isn’t January 1^st. You can start now. Every day really can be made anew for you.

Recently, I decided to go do some exploring (which I definitely will be doing more of while I am here!) and went to a Jewel museum. I got off the bus along with a few other people and met two guys my age who were also going to the museum, so we walked in together and were talking, as much as we could anyway, as they did not know much English and sadly I do not know more than five words in Korean.

But I learned they were from Seoul and were doing some traveling. When we left the museum, we all waited for the next bus together at the bus stop (and kept waiting…and waiting…) and I told them about my plans to go to Seoul hopefully soon and visit the museums there, particularly the Korean War museum for an idea for a novel I have- (more about that to be announced as well!)

We finally got on the bus back to the main part of the city and they made sure I knew how to get back to the right bus for my town (Korean people are very friendly and helpful and will always go out of their way for you-they are great friends to have!)  We made plans to get together in Seoul and go to the museum.

Experiment time!

 I will go somewhere new, talk to someone new, and I won’t plan more than necessary and will write about my adventure in a future post. If I plan too much, sometimes it discourages me from getting out there. Or just gives me a nice excuse to stay in 😉

But you can do the same and make everything new for you! It doesn’t have to be a whole remodeling of your life, but you can change certain things. This can awaken your outlook on life. And for the writers reading this (this is Writer’s Castle, but anyone is welcome!) it will also breathe new life into your writing.

I don’t profess to have all the answers, but I think that everyone can do small things to improve their life and it has to start somewhere. And the best thing is you can always start again every day.

I would like to start a support system, so to speak. For writers. For readers. For dealing with life. Everyone gets discouraged at times, everyone could use a friend or someone to support them and listen to them. If you don’t think you need this, look around. Someone does. Try to be that person for them.

Okay, back to our experiment: First, decide what you want to change. It can be any area of your life: this is your experiement. Why do you want to change this? You need to have a clear purpose, a goal in mind about what you want to do and why. It has to matter to you, so make sure you know your motivation.

Change things around you. You can make choices that affect how your day goes, how your week goes and in turn how your life goes. Smaller choices lead to bigger choices. What you think is trivial or unimportant can in fact have a bigger impact than you expected. Smiling at someone as you walk by can start a new friendship. Yes, we know this, but how many times do we ignore the advice (myself included) because we are too busy, too tired, not in the mood? Deciding to talk to someone can reveal something in common with them and you can both end up being a huge source of help and support to each other (or even a small source of support).  It is the small things, how we live our life everyday that can have the surprisingly biggest impact.

Another way to change things is to go a different route than you normally do. Walk the long way or go down a different block- change your perspective. Wake up earlier and get some more sunlight before you start the day. Take a few minutes to think about what you want your day to be like and then do what you can to make it that way.

Set goals for yourself, go ahead, and make a short list right now. Jot down a few things. Not motivated enough? How about at least one thing?! What do you want? And then focus on accomplishing that. What are some ways for you to do that? Make sure you set a time to do them, so they actually get done and keep the task connected in your mind to your goal, so you remember its importance.

Once you have started this new way of doing things, write about it or  work on some of your writing (or to go with the theme- write something new!) free-write if you like, about whatever comes to mind.

See if it inspires you. When you go back to your current writing project (or new one) – see if it inspires a character, a scene, a place, an idea, a conversation.  Even if you don’t think it has inspired something concretely or anything right away, it’s still good to switch it up. This allows you to be more flexible and this will help in your writing. Everyone can always can use a breath of fresh air and the same goes for your words.

Start your own experiment with me- change it up everyday and write about the experience and how you think it affected your writing.

Set your goals. Join the experiment. Write! Remember, the world is your own adventure book! Start with a new page today.

Report back.  Looking forward to hearing about it! Post in the comments below about what you plan to experiment with and change and how you will do this. Then come back and tell us about your experiment! Please follow or sign up for email updates at the top right, thank you!

Mile 81: A stretch of highway full of Pure Terror that you will Love

Your last rest stop: Will you survive Mile 81?

Review: Mile 81 By Stephen King

Blurb from my Stephen King page (written as I was reading Mile 81) Read below italics for the Mile 81 review if you dare!

 My first King book I read was Carrie, quickly followed by Firestarter and I loved both of them. But the one that really grabbed me and made me fall in love with Stephen King and horror was The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon. The main character was a normal girl like me (who lived by the woods, no less) who got thrown into the scariest situation that I didn’t know if she could get out of.

I was hooked.

 The character, Rachel, in Mile 81, reminds me of this Girl. She seems to be made of the same stuff that the Girl was. That stuff that fights in order to survive and is forced to let go of her little girl status in a heartbeat. And Mile 81 will also leave you wondering if anyone will get out of this alive.

 If you have not been to Mile 81, you need to go now

Right after you read this, of course. (Don’t worry, no spoilers!)

Yes, it is arguably the scariest stop you will ever make on the highway, but you do not want to pass by this rest area. And be sure to know, you will get no rest until you have experienced the full Mile.

If you enjoyed Christine, you will definitely love Mile 81, as you will see that Mile 81 could be one of the places that Christine would have called home. But I will focus on the pure rush of adrenaline and terror that you will feel from the Mile.

Once the horror of the Mile pulls you in, you will not be able to leave this stretch of highway until the ride is over. The characters are fully sketched out and are very believable and you are made to care about them and hence to fear for their lives in typical King fashion (in which nothing is typical).

Hang on tight and hold your breath: no safety bar on this ride

But you fear that no one will be able to make it out alive on this ride and you hold your breath for the characters who you hope just might make it and you are not able to let go. You hold onto that bar that is supposed to keep you safe on the ride and it seems dangerously loose.

Completely taken in and horrified for the characters, the tension was past the tipping point.  I definitely felt my emotions building up for these characters. The “safety” bar will keep slipping open, leaving you flirting with death. You definitely are kept on a hairline edge between life and death and just when you think you are home free, the safety bar will be wildly torn completely off.

It is as if it is your life on the line or your best friends’, your loved ones,  or your children’s lives. The ones you hold most dear. These characters will stay with you.

Some of it is told in that way I love (and fear) when you know something is way off and something is going to happen that will terrify you, have no doubts about it. That adds more layers to the tension as you don’t know if anyone will come out alive and you hope against hope that they will. And that at least some of the characters will come through for each other.

There is amusing humor dispersed throughout but you will still feel the complete rush of the spine-tingling chills and nail-biting panic (make that the-complete-ripping-off-of-the-entire-nail-and sticking needles-in-your-cuticles-type of panic).

There is no way to fully describe the deliciously dreadful state of mind you will be in- (and may have gotten a taste of if you were following me on Twitter as I read and posted my live reaction) so all I can say is get off the highway now, don’t wait any longer and don’t let the fear deter you! I can only say that I hope you survive it. This is not for the weak of heart and even people used to King’s rides of terror will still have their breath taken away on this one.

I didn’t know if I could keep holding on as it really whips you around and I was holding on so tight that I was numb from the apprehension. (If being numb from horror is possible?  Would like to hear your take on this.) But of course I had to keep going and find out what was ahead for the characters.

The only part I didn’t like was that, like the scariest and faster roller coasters, it was over very fast and I wanted more. But there is no shortage of King and I would definitely go to this Mile again (and other stretches of his haunts and highways). I can only hope there will be more of the monstrosity that was Mile 81.

After reading, I was still too much in a state of shocked horror and the adrenaline had not worn off yet, (it still totally hasn’t!) that I could not make sense of writing the review yet (add to that the fact that I had to go to work in a small number of hours and so needed to sleep).

I am glad that I documented my reaction as I read  Mile 81 and so I will leave you with that to give you just a taste and hopefully you are not pushed too far over the edge of the divider. I wouldn’t want you getting stuck at Mile 81, now would I?

(Note:  The following quotes are my live reaction from reading Mile 81, but may be slightly changed from the original twitter version posted, so that you can get the full idea.)

“White knuckles, tense, holding my breath.”

“Heart racing, chills down my spine, have to read on, but I’m so scared for them, I don’t know if I can face the horror and what is going to happen.”

“Eyes scrunched tight, want to hide under the table, but won’t be safe there either!”

Quote from Stephen King’s Mile 81: “Had to fight every instinct in my brain and my body to keep from running.” My version- “HAD TO FIGHT every instinct to keep from dropping the book and running away in terror, but could not STOP reading!”

Have you read it? Please share with me your reaction from reading!

What other King novels do you love? What was the one that you first read or that made you fall in love with King and the horror genre?

And if you have an answer to my question above, please answer in the comments: Is being numb from horror possible?

(And would love to hear your live reaction as well if you are/will be reading it-  talk to me about Mile 81 and all things King on twitter @Bookwormcastle)

To hear more and to join the Mile 81/Stephen King discussion on my blog, please visit my Stephen King page