Break Notice

 

I'm taking a short break from the blog. So I'll see you all next week!

Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora

Title: Holly Horror

Series: Holly Horror #1
Author: Michelle Jabès Corpora
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Young Adult; Horror; Paranormal
Publisher/Publication Date: Penguin Teen; August 15, 2023

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads...

"Playmate, come and play with me..."

A beloved classic reimagined with a dark twist.

After her parents' painful divorce, Evie Archer hopes that moving to Ravenglass, Massachusetts, is the fresh start that her family needs. But Evie quickly realizes that her new home—known by locals as the Horror House—carries its own dark past after learning about Holly Hobbie, who mysteriously vanished in her bedroom one night. But traces of Holly linger in the Horror House and slowly begin to take over Evie's life. A strange shadow follows her everywhere she goes, and Evie starts to lose sight of what's real and what isn't the more she learns about The Lost Girl. Can Evie find out what happened the night of Holly's disappearance? Or is history doomed to repeat itself in the Horror House?

Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora wasn’t originally one of the 2023 books I was anticipating. However, as soon as I read the synopsis, I knew right away it was something I wanted to read. After all, it appeared to have everything I look for in a paranormal horror novel: spooky house, secrets, more secrets, and an eerie history that was far more present than what the characters would’ve liked to admit. My instincts were spot on, because I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Holly Horror has a somewhat typical beginning with a family moving to a new house under less than ideal circumstances. But “Hobbie House”—nicknamed “Horror House—came with a reputation, and it was one that was entirely earned. Part of my enjoyment of the book was the backstory Corpora wove into the present timeline. There was so much lore to think about as I was reading, and it arrived in well-timed allusions. I often questioned how the nuggets of information about the mystery would come into play later in the story, and it was one of the aspects about Holly Horror that helped gradually build the intensity. On the other side, while I didn’t find anything particularly too scary about the story, the spooky elements invoked a sense of unease, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Evie Archer was going through it in Holly Horror, but, in a general sense, I liked how Corpora built her character. Evie’s backstory really came back to haunt her, in a literal sense—no pun intended. The actions of her mother, the distance between her and her father, and her experiences with not being believed led to more harm than good. It really set her up as a character that would keep secrets, who wouldn’t say when something was wrong, or mention when she was afraid or hurt. She felt that she couldn’t be herself—and it made her susceptible—which was something reflected in the story by the way she handled stressful situations and her personal relationships. So “Hobbie House” wasn’t isolated—the town, Ravenglass, was within walking distance—but the feeling of isolation was something that permeated a large part of the story.

Holly Horror was intense, and that ending was too cruel of a cliffhanger. Luckily, there’s going to be another book in this series, and I’m looking forward to it!

About the author....

I've always wanted to be a writer, probably since the age of six. I spent most of my childhood years writing stories about mermaids in peril, ducks from space, and fan fiction where a girl resembling myself got to meet Agent Fox Mulder of the X-Files. After receiving my Bachelor's Degree in English and Theatre from UMBC, I went on to earn a Master's degree in Children's Literature from Hollins University. After that, I did some weird stuff. I was a wedding singer for a while. I also worked with animals in a vet's office, and at a wildlife rehabilitation center. Eventually, I moved to New York and worked as an assistant editor at Greenwillow Books, and then a concept creator for a well-known book All of these serendipitous events eventually led me to the #authorlife. Looking back, all those detours were exactly what I needed, because to be a writer, it's important to have some weird stuff to write about. Before I wrote books with my name on the cover, I was a ghostwriter for a world-famous middle-grade mystery series. I wrote my first five novels in that series, and enjoyed every minute of it. It was an honor to be a part of a legacy that is cherished by so many. When I'm not writing and editing books, you can usually find me at Crazy 88 MMA, training in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Competing at tournaments and being promoted to blue belt in BJJ were some of the proudest moments of my life. Some people may see videos of me rolling around on the floor and fighting my friends and think that I'm crazy. I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of this statement. I live in Frederick, Maryland with my dear husband, my two wonderful daughters, two guinea pigs named Fireball and Olive, and a very old cat named Callie.

Goodreads     Website     Instagram

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Penguin Teen) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin

Title: Totally Psychic

Series: n/a
Author: Brigid Martin
Source/Format: Bookish Firs; Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Inkyard Press; August 15, 2023

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads...

This debut middle grade series stars a Cuban-American tween medium navigating friends, family and ghosts!

Paloma Ferrer is psychic. In fact, everyone in her family line has “the gift.” Now that Paloma has come into her powers, she dreams of a famous medium to celebrities, being just like her beloved grandma. When Paloma’s parents move them from Miami to Los Angeles, she hatches a plan to get her career as a medium up and running: Host seances at her new school and stream on social media Build her profile and make a name for herself Avoid detection from her tattletale of a little sister
But when a reading gone awry leaves Paloma in a sticky situation with a new friend, she’ll need more than a crystal ball to find her way out of this mess.

I read an early excerpt of Brigid Martin’s Totally Psychic through Bookish First and was very intrigued as well as charmed by the main character’s enthusiasm for her abilities. The rest of the story lived up to my earlier positive feelings about it.

Totally Psychic was delightful with plenty of supernatural hijinks alongside such themes as change and making new friends amid growing up and into one’s own. Set against a backdrop of a significant move from Miami to Rancho Cucamonga, California, as well as ongoing tension between Paloma Ferrer and her parents.

I liked Paloma as a character. The story spent enough time in Miami with her family and friends that I got a sense of how they interacted with one another—and the ground rules about how mediums used their abilities in the story— which helped with understanding Paloma’s sadness about the move. After all, she wanted to be just like her abuela, a famous medium that was a big deal both in and outside of her family. But her love of her powers and desire to follow in her abuela’s footsteps was an area of consternation with her mother. And that particular relationship reminded me of another book I read in July called Holly Horror. It was a very different story of course, since it was a young adult novel with a darker tone. However, in that review—you can find that HERE—I mentioned how Evie Archer’s backstory made her susceptible to supernatural trouble. That same sort of situation was here as well, with Paloma keeping secrets and trying to solve everything on her own when the situation went wrong, rather than reaching out more to the adults in her life for help. But a big part of the story was Paloma’s character growth, and her journey involved learning the cost of being irresponsible with her powers as well as realizing that she needed better communication with those in her life.

So Totally Psychic had a good balance between the supernatural aspects and the personal conflicts within the lives of the characters. It was, all around, an enjoyable read.

About the author....

Brigid Martin is a New York based writer and publishing professional, fulfilling her goal of working in an industry that promotes educational and diverse content for children. With several years of sales experience at companies such as Scholastic, Perseus Books Group and Disney Publishing Worldwide, she's had the privilege of reading and promoting the works of many talented authors throughout her career. She holds a B.A. in English Literature and Music from Stony Brook University as well as a M.S. in Strategic Marketing Communications From Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.

Website

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Inkyard Press) via Bookish First in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (252): Tkay Maidza, DeBarge

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: My pick this week is one of my favorite songs from Tkay Maidza's Last Year Was Weird Vol.3. It's called Eden.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (239) & Book Beginnings: Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

This debut middle grade series stars a Cuban-American tween medium navigating friends, family and ghosts!

Paloma Ferrer is psychic. In fact, everyone in her family line has “the gift.” Now that Paloma has come into her powers, she dreams of a famous medium to celebrities, being just like her beloved grandma. When Paloma’s parents move them from Miami to Los Angeles, she hatches a plan to get her career as a medium up and running: Host seances at her new school and stream on social media Build her profile and make a name for herself Avoid detection from her tattletale of a little sister
But when a reading gone awry leaves Paloma in a sticky situation with a new friend, she’ll need more than a crystal ball to find her way out of this mess.

Beginning: "My abuela, Gloria, had a gift."

56: "The next morning I trudged down the stairs, yawning as I went."

Comments: I had the chance to review this book (thanks to Bookish First & the publisher). It's a delightful middle grade novel with plenty of psychic hijinks. It releases on the 15th, and my review for it will be posted next week. What are you reading this weekend?