Slime Night!

Slime Night! by William Pauley III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This sounded like a pretty cheesy short story, but decided to give it a shot when it was available to download for free on Kindle. And am I ever glad I did!

You know you're in for a wild ride when a story opens with the words, "Crystal Bangor is a w****". This sets the tone for the entire story. Basically, two high-school boys are both lusting over the same girl - you know the one, the girl that gets around. The girl who all the other boys have already been with, leaving these two with something to prove. You might be thinking at this point, "this doesn't sound like something a self-respecting adult would read". You'd be SO wrong! It's actually really well written and the adult language, although vulgar, is totally appropriate for the story's tone. I do question how this Crystal girl gets away with wearing what she does to school.

The only other thing I question in this book? Why the author felt the need to explain the game of pinball so thoroughly. It is told to the reader that knowing the rules is necessary to understand the pinball portion of the story - however, I found this untrue. I'm pretty sure most people out there have at least a basic understanding of pinball - enough to enjoy the story without needing a lesson on the rules.

Then you have the good ol' female best friend. I really liked her. And I also really liked the chemistry between her and Sebastian. It didn't seem forced or awkward - it was really believable as being two high-school kids just hanging out. Nick though - not so sure about that kid. He seems a little unhinged. I'm still confused as to how good of a friend he is. Don't want to spoil anything (since this is a pretty short story), so I will just say that he seems to have a very crazy side to him.

When I finished this story, my first thought was about how I wished it was longer! I'm glad to see that the author has other stories available and I look forward to reading them! Oh, almost forgot - LOVE the NES/cartridge blowing reference.

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OPEN: A Short Horror Tale

OPEN: A Short Horror Tale by Michael Archambault
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As soon as I started this book, I found myself overwhelmed by all the short sentences and cheesy metaphors. I mean it. There was rain. A couple driving. There is a diner. The diner is a fortress. Reader rapidly wonders what is happening. Story is a rabbit jumping around.

This effect is only amplified by the constant spelling and grammatical errors present in the book. While the premise behind this story is actually pretty good, and the ending has a surprising twist, I just couldn't help but wish the story had undergone some better editing prior to publication. The writing felt awkward. It didn't help that the main character (whose point of view the story is told from) seems completely devoid of any... well, character. I'll admit that I felt a moment of empathy for the main character near the end, but the story ended a little too abruptly for my satisfaction.




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The Obligatory "Intro" Post

Welcome to my book review blog!!

I know what you're thinking... not ANOTHER book review blog! There's tons of 'em out there, plus a plethora of web sites featuring book reviews.  So why should you waste your precious time here? Simple. You shouldn't!

Now before you start thinking I've lost my mind, I am not trying to send readers away. I simply hope that your time is not wasted here. I personally think my reading tastes are a little eccentric and a collection of my reviews might be of interest to someone out there in the world wide web. Although I will read pretty much anything, my tastes definitely lean towards the weird, wonderful and unexpected. And I want to share my books with you.

Books have always been a big part of my life, even as a child. I was always getting in trouble for staying up too late reading and the local library was easily my most visited location. As I entered my teen years, my reading slowed a little - but I'm back in full swing! I've amassed quite the collection of books in my time, yet can never resist the chance to get more. I love books, plain and simple. All kinds!

My main goal of this blog is to not just review books. I hope that you as a reader also take something away from this blog. Whether you are looking for a review on a book I've read or just looking for new books to read for yourself, I want this to be a blog with lots of input from you. Don't be shy - say hello!! Offer feedback!! Tell me what you think!!!

To kick things off, I'm going to post a couple review on books I've recently read. After I get the ball rolling with a few old reviews, you can expect a fresh and new review every time I finish reading a book. Curious about what I've got on the go at the moment?? Check out my handy-dandy Goodreads widget to the right. Follow my progress there - and of course feel free to add me as a friend if you are also on Goodreads.

Let's get to it, shall we?