The Center of Everything

 

The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty

Pages: 252

4 out of 5 stars

Set in small town, Kerrville, Kansas, this novel is told by Evelyn Bucknow. Evelyn is a young girl, when we met her, her mom, Grandma and the neighbors in their ran-down apartment building. You share Evelyn's life and thoughts as she grows up - up to the point where she is ready to leave home for college. The people of Kerrville are in the center of the United States, but to Evelyn it might as well be the middle of nowhere. Evelyn's voice is authentic as a young girl and later teen, growing up in rural America in the 1980s during the Reagan years. 

The Lost Boy

 The Lost Boy
by Greg Ruth
Pages: 190
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This graphic novel is a spooky tale about Nate who discovers a tape recorder in his new bedroom in his new home. He becomes friends with a neighbor, Tabitha and together they embark on an adventure to find out what happened to the boy who used to live in Nate's bedroom over 30 years ago.

There is an ending but there is also room for another adventure with Nate and Tabitha. I hope that there is a follow-up to this story.

A Small Charred Face by Kazuki Sakuraba

Summary: A boy name Kyo is saved from the precipice of death by Bamboo, a vampire born of the tall grasses. They start an enjoyable, yet strange shared life together, Kyo and the gentle Bamboo. But for Bamboo, communication with a human being is the greatest sin.

Kyo's story is uniquely beautiful and touching.  I found myself continually wishing I were able to read this in the original Japanese as it was occasionally obvious that something was left behind in the translation.  And while there are two additional stories in the novel, Kyo's is the best by far.   

Overall, this novel is a fresh take on 'horror' - one that is thoughtful, hopeful, and sad all at the same time.  It isn't the best book I've ever read, it's not even in the top third, but I am thankful to have read it.

3.5/5

288 pages

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

This is book two in The Diviners trilogy by popular teen fiction author, Libba Bray. This series combines all my favorite fiction genres: historical fiction, mysteries, Gothic and paranormal. Character driven with enough detail to recreate 1927 New York City and weaves in consequences of real historical events.

You do not have to read the first book in the series: The Diviners, but it would give you background information on the main characters that could be helpful in understanding their group dynamic and who knows whose secrets. The conclusion of the first novel is  also alluded to throughout this story.

 Set in 1927 New York City the story begins with the readers meeting, Ling Chan, a dream walker. She can enter other peoples dreams and she can speak to the dead when she is dreaming and deliver messages to the living from them IF they want to be found. Ling meets Henry, a hopeful Broadway musician, who is also a dream walker and he can influence people's dreams and change them from sad to happy. Ling agrees to help him try to find an old friend of his in the dream world. Little do the two of them know, that a mysterious force has been released in New York City and people are going to sleep and not waking up. The sleeping sickness slowly destroys the body while the person sleeps.

Meanwhile, fresh from her adventure in Diviners, Evie O'Neil publicly announces that she is a diviner and has become the newest media darling with her own radio show doing psychic readings on objects that belong to the audiences dearly departed. But she has alienated her uncle and most of her friends with her new high-flying, partying life-style. But Henry and Ling will need Evie and all of her and Henry's friends to help them figure out what is causing the sleeping sickness and poisoning the dream world.

Pages: 624 but it is sooooo worth the journey with these characters!