The Deep by Nick Cutter

Horror novels, yay!

I feel like The Deep is a perfect example of how horror novels play on our actual real life fears. Like, sure there are monsters, but also there are REAL fears. And in this book, I feel like those fears set the stage for the awful things to come.

Because the story starts in a world where people are forgetting. No one knows why, but a disease is spreading that causes everyone to forget. Is this not the worst thing that could happen to us? Our memories form our identity! There seems to be a possible solution, but it's buried at the bottom of the ocean. And that's where our story starts--as a man descends to check on his brilliant scientist brother after it appears things have gone wrong.

But he seems to have the opposite problem as he descends as the problem plaguing the world. He starts to remember things and to retreat into those memories. And his memories are hard memories, deeply painful ones, things he'd rather forget.

When they get to the station at the bottom of the sea, a lot awaits them. Things are unraveling, and it's unclear who is in control--the scientists or the substance they've found? Will they be able to face their demons and save mankind?

This book is...well it's like a lot of horror books in that it builds really effectively. I was completely gripped by the story and turning the pages and feeling the dread and the oppression of the water the dread of being trapped with my worst memories. But...it's also a horror story in that the conclusion just can't quite pay it off.

Having said that, I still liked it so much and recommend it to fans of horror! Warning though: the book did actually make me cry in a small paragraph about euthanizing shelter animals and there is other animal abuse in the book. I think having spent the day in the horrific world of the book, I was perfectly primed to cry but it still surprised me!

Recommended for fans of horror. (some violence, language, and sexual explict scenes, though)

*I received a review copy from the publisher.

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

Back when I watched this movie for the first time and then mentioned on here how much I had liked it, everyone informed me it was a book also!

So when news of the mini-series broke and the teasers started being released, I decided to read it.

I liked it a lot! I think someone mentioned the movie was very close to the book AND OH MY GOSH IS THIS TRUE.

Like seriously, I cannot imagine that people would be unhappy with the book's translation to film, because it seemed almost scene by scene. Like, really the only thing missing from the movie is some of Rosemary's internal thought processes--you might not be aware that she felt really violated by her husband the night she was raped or that she had all these sneaking suspicions about him throughout the book about his self-absorption and ambition, etc. But ultimately, I think the film was pretty successful.

But GREAT BOOK. Even if I knew everything that was coming, it's such a delicious horror story. There's such a great sense of unease permeating the pages and a desperation to somehow yell at Rosemary to get herself as far away from the Bram as possible AND WHY ARE YOU TRUSTING THOSE PEOPLE and yes your husband is every bit as horrible as your darkest thought about him.

Is it not brilliant that he's an actor and his name is Guy, I MEAN REALLY.

I think the mini-series (starting May 11!!!) will change things though? I think they are going to actually show Guy strike his bargain and it will be for money not for his own career...whyyyyyyyyyy. But still Patrick Adams is such perfect casting, I could not be more pleased. And any chance to see Zoe Saldana is A++ after all.

Anyway! I think I'd like to read more of Ira Levin's books. Any recs? Oh I did hear I should never read Son of Rosemary so I read the synopsis and WHAT EVEN. I can't believe Levin would ruin such a great horror story in that way. In my opinion it's like the Buffy comics and not canon, sorry.

So! This book is recommended a lot! I started reading it during the readathon and basically the result of the two books I read during the readathon is that I kind of want to real all the author's backlists!

Review: The Ruins by Scott Smith

I've been having one of those weeks where I must satisfy the cravings of whatever I'm longing to read. I suppose it might be because I've had a really tough week in many ways--the car problems being only the icing on the cake so to speak. Reading is one of my greatest comforts and so the review pile has been neglected in favor of trying to satisfy the demanding reader within. :)

The Ruins has been sitting on the TBR pile for well over a year, but every time I've considered picking it up, the size of it has turned me away. Well not this week. It seemed just the thing for my mood, so I happily tucked it away in my purse yesterday.

Now when I say "it seemed just the thing for my mood" I really had no idea what it was about. I knew it was some kind of horror book that had mixed reactions and had been made into a movie. Based on the title, I actually thought it might be like that horror movie The Descent, or another B horror movie I watched similar to The Descent that I watched. (can't remember the title for the life of me!) Well, it's really not like those, though it has a few small similarities.

I really shouldn't have been put off by the size because trust me, I blew through this book in two days. It's a riveting page turner, full of tension and mystery. I was pleasantly surprised by just how literary it is...meaning it's not your cheap genre horror book, (I apologize for the stereotype!) the characterization is outstanding, the relationships carefully spun and developed, the language satisfying.

The Ruins is about two young American couples who are in Cancun for vacation. There, they meet various new friends from other countries including Mathias a German and three Greeks who call themselves by Spanish names. Mathias's brother left and went to visit an archaeological site with a girl he met, leaving behind nothing but a map. At first Mathias chooses to ignore this, but finally decides he must go after him. The Americans and one of the Greeks decide to go as well.

They set out to this remote location and actually have some difficulty finding it. When they do finally find the location of the map, the nearby villagers surround them and trap them on the hillside.

And so it begins. This is one of those books that tackles the question of survival, and there's something about that kind of story that really fascinates me. (LOST, The Hunger Games, My Hands Came Away Red) But it is a horror novel, so the characters are actively fighting against something that wants to destroy them. To tell you the truth, I was in many ways shocked at how little time actually passed from when they first found themselves trapped on the hill to the end. The tension is thick as they face huge difficulties. And while a lot happens....in some ways it seems like nothing really happens. As I was reading through some reviews, I saw some people thought it could have been a short story. I suppose so, but then you'd never have the characterization and interplay between the characters.

This is another story that consumed my thoughts. These kinds of books make it hard to go to work and read blogs or watch TV or you know, sleep. Even after finishing, I had scenes from the book surfacing in my mind. Not everything gets wrapped up in a nice tidy package...much like life, there are unanswered questions, huge unanswered questions. We never know any more than the characters do.

While I'd like to discuss some themes from the book, I fear spoiling it. I think this book is best entered into knowing little about it. I have considered watching the movie, but I have no doubt it will be gory. Perhaps too gory to enjoy. I'll probably cave and try watching it at some point anyway.

So if you have some time on your hands and are looking for a creepy page turner, I definitely recommend this one. It took me just two days to power through all 500 pages and I'm so glad I did.

Rating: 4.5/5
Things You Might Want to Know: there's some language though not as bad as one might expect in real life, a little bit of sex, and definite gore.

I would love to talk about this book with someone! I'm sure many of you have read it, since it was a best-seller and published three years ago. Feel free to chat away with me in comments!