Women in Horror Month X!!!

It's the tenth Women in Horror Month! Although I haven't participated every year, this event has truly reshaped how I viewed films and read books. It made me venture out of my comfort zone in many ways and look at horror and stories in general more critically. It also made me pay more attention to female filmmakers because it seems to still be a small percentage of films made by women. Just because a film features a woman as the main character doesn't mean it's automatically a feminist film and just because a film has rape or misogyny in it doesn't make it a misogynistic film. This year, my goal is to publish an article a day and feature most if not all works by directors, writers, and podcasters who are women.

The Women in Horror website and Twitter features and retweets events for this month, so follow them to support other creators. They are also offering a free month of Shudder, an excellent horror movie streaming service that is definitely worth your time, with code: wihmx. Happy Women in Horror Month!!

Book Mini-reviews: Baby Doll and The Vegetarian

Baby Doll

Lily was kidnapped as a high school student and held for eight years in captivity. During this time, her captor "trained" her through torture, used her, impregnated her, and continued to abuse her. He grew careless one day and left the door to their prison unlocked. She took her daughter and escaped, leading to his arrest. How has life changed since she's been gone? Will her captor be able to escape punishment for what he's done?

Baby Doll is obviously an effort to capitalize on the success of Room. I've only seen the movie, but it's a powerful story (very similar to this one) but focuses on the debilitating and harmful effects of the captivity on the child who was born there. This book decides to take a different route and focuses on the mother in the situation and almost completely ignores the child who has never been outside of a cabin basement. In comparison, Baby Doll is the ham-handedly written Lifetime movie version of Room. I felt for Lily and her family, but the situations are so over the top and crazy. I just couldn't really take it seriously. The writing is quite simple and flows well, but the characters are paper thin. I think it would genuinely do well as a TV movie, but as a book, it's underwhelming.

3/5 fishmuffins

The Vegetarian

Yeong-hye is a normal housewife married to a normal businessman until she has a horrific dream one day. Afterwards, she gives up meat, refuses to cook it, and refuses to have it in her house. Her husband and family are scandalized and grow angry after they can't talk sense into her, but Yeong-hye continues to refuse meat and her behavior becomes more and more erratic over time.

The Vegetarian is a memorable book split into three parts. The first part is the best because it's from the point of view of Yeong-hye's dull husband. He wants his needs met, his house clean, and food cooked and that's about it. When Yeong-hye refuses to have meet even in the house, his whole world is thrown into disarray. His once compliant wife now has opinions and won't do everything he says. He resorts to rape, which he describes nonchalantly, and trying to get her family to change her mind. They also resort to abuse, but Yeong-hye doesn't budge. The second part has Yeong-hye's sister's husband obsessing over and exploiting her and the last part has that same sister trying to convince her to eat anything at an institution. The narrative shows how restrictive and horrible society is for a woman and Yeong-hye's only escape from it is embracing her madness. It also shows how every man in the text simply uses women in one way or another and it's completely socially acceptable. The ending is pretty sad and hopeless, but realistic in the view of the world. I loved the first part, but the other parts weren't as strong. It kind of lost its way at the end.

My rating: 3/5 fishmuffins

Upcoming Zombies 1

These are some upcoming zombie projects that I am looking forward to!

1) Warm Bodies sequel by Isaac Marion

Yes! You heard me right. Isaac Marion will be writing a sequel to Warm Bodies that is as yet untitled. This is what he has to say about it:

"I wrote Warm Bodies having only the faintest hope that it would ever see publication. I never dreamed that I'd have the opportunity to continue the story in another book, so I tried to make it self-contained. But in my head, I still went ahead and created a big, complex world full of history and mystery and people and monsters and strange things in-between, all moving toward something only hinted at in Warm Bodies' brisk 256 pages. Those pages end with hope on the horizon, but the world that R, Julie, M, Nora, Rosso, and Perry inhabit is still very dark, very wild, and not even close to "saved."

I love that world. I love those people, and I want to show you what happens to them. So I'm writing another book about them. Another book-and-a-half, actually...but I'll explain that later. For now, just trust that I have a story to tell and a reason to tell it, and I'll try my best not to ruin everything."

You can read the full post on his blog, Burning Building, here. I am excited about a sequel and since the original was so brilliant, I have complete faith that the sequel will be as well.

2) Tom Savini's Death Island

Tom Savinin remade Night of the Living Dead over 20 years ago and wants to make another zombie film. I was not a big fan of that film, but the premise for this one sounds unique and very interesting. Tony Todd is an amazing actor that has a commanding presence in any film (just look at the Final Destination movies), so I would love to see him as the villain here. If you like it, you can help fund it yourself and help make the film a reality here. Watch the pitch!

3) Maggie

Maggie will be a film about a teenage girl slowly succumbing to the zombie virus as her family watches over about 6 weeks. All that has been confirmed is that Arnold Schwarzenegger will play the father and Abigail Breslin, of Zombieland fame, will play Maggie. It will be directed by Henry Hobson, who has not directed any films before. The premise is intriguing and I love Abigail Breslin, but Schwarzenegger is not known for good acting. I guess we'll see what happens. Keep an eye out!

Mailbox Goodies

My Mailbox Goodies for the last 2 weeks! Just a note: I was super busy during Halloween, so I will still be putting up Halloween posts within the next few days. Evil school work. Anyway, the goodies!

* Harbor ARC by John Ajvide Lindqvist from Librarything

* Shatter Me ARC by Tahereh Mafi from Amazon Vine

* The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan from Amazon Vine

* The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor from Book Soup at her signing last week

* Little Star by John Ajvide Lindqvist from Amazon UK

* 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami from Amazon

* The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegan from Amazon Vine

* I Am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley from Amazon Vine

Any awesome reads in your mailbox?

Book Chat: Scary Reads

This is in response to Misty's post on The Book Rat. Please join in the conversation! This weeks subject is Scary Reads. I'm a huge fan of horror, ever since I was little. I still read and watch a lot of horror, but much of it doesn't scare me in the least. Here are some that still managed to chill me:

1) The Devouring by Simon Holt

Based on the cover, I expected this to be a typical teen paranormal kind of romancey type of book. I knew it was something different when a horror movie magazine I like reviewed it and gave it a very high rating. I was extremely pleased to read the most nightmarish and terrifying situations that were tailored to the characters' personal fears. The Vours are the creatures that created them possess people and take control of the person's body, leaving them trapped in their worst nightmare. Reggie called the Vours, thinking they were fiction, but rapidly found out they were real. Her younger brother was possessed by the Vours and turned from his sweet self into a murderous, abusive thing that no longer even resembles her brother. I was thoroughly creeped out and it felt like a weird reaction to a teen book, but I hope more teen books push the envelope in this way. The second book in the series wasn't as good as The Devouring, but I have high hopes for the third book, Fearscape.

2) House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

It's hard to describe what House of Leaves is about: The Navidson Record is a book that irrevocably changes people after they read it and Johnny Truant experiences this as a reads the book with the reader. The Navidson Record and Johnny Truant's story are told at the same time, which is odd. It's a great piece of metafiction that also manages to be very creepy. The house from the Navidson Record is just a little bit bigger on the inside than the outside. First it's by a very small amount, but then they find an impossible closet that leads to a hallways that leads into the depths of the house where it seems endless with spiral staircases and interminable corridors. This is where the Navidson family explores, gets lost, and starts to break down mentally. The thing that is does best is play with time with stretching or contracting the space that the words take up and using bizarre typography, colors, and languages at times.. I've only read this book once, but it's always stayed with me because of it's complexity and unique mode of story telling. House of Leaves just got under my skin in weird ways and it's hard to explain. I'll eventually write a full review whenever I reread it.

3) American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

American Psycho is the story of Patrick Bateman, who works on Wall Street and lives in luxury. The most trivial things like business cards are the most important thing in his life. He starts to nonchalantly kill prostitutes, friends, homeless people, even a random child. What's horrific about this novel isn't the detailed accounts of torture and murder (although there are no shortage of those and it's no picnic to read through them), but in the society portrayed. Whether his acts of violence are real or imagined (and this is a definite question by the end of the book), he needs them because of the vast void in his vapid, shallow life that is considered to be the best the 80's society has to offer. This is a polarizing text and many people won't like it because they can't get past the violence, but I think it's a very effective, controversial social commentary.

* posted without pictures for now because Blogger is acting stupid. will try to add them tomorrow.

Women in Horror: Wrap Up

Sadly, this is the last day in Women in Horror Recognition Month, but I wanted to leave you guys with a list of my favorite horror literature by female authors.

1) The Grant County series by Karin Slaughter is one of the most chilling and extreme mystery series I've ever read. I've only read the first two books, but I don't think I could ever rid my brain of the horrific situations detailed in these books. The first book is about Sara Linton, a pediatrician, and her sheriff ex-husband, Jeffrey Tolliver, trying to catch a killer who rapes and kills women, leaving their mutilated bodies crucified. The second book starts with the sheriff having to shoot a girl that threatened to kill a boy in a skating rink. The story that ensues is fast paced and not for the faint of heart. I highly recommend them.

2) The Archie Sheriden series by Chelsea Cain is another that bridges the gap between mystery and horror. In Heartsick, Archie is a veteran cop that worked for 10 years to capture the notorious serial killer known as the Beauty Killer only to find that she was a psychiatrist working with the police named Gretchen Lowell. He only found this out when he was captured by her and horrifically tortured for 10 days. She is in jail, but another serial killer has cropped up, leading Archie to come out of his Vicodin hazed retirement. Gretchen Lowell is one of the most memorable literary monsters in recent history. In Heartsick, she influences almost every event in the novel from her jail cell, yet she is still shrouded in mystery. The reader never gets to see the story from her perspective or know very much about her past. She is a fascinating and unpredictable character. Her relationship with Archie is like the one between Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter, but much more intense because of the long time they spend together while Archie was tortured. He is both drawn to and repulsed by her. The first three books (Heartsick, Sweetheart, and Evil at Heart) in the series center around Archie and Gretchen. The fourth book comes out March 1 and shifts focus away from her while still remaining the engaging and fluid writing style that I've come to love. I just finished reading this one, so keep an eye out for the review!

3) The Portero series by Dia Reeves combines fantasy and horror in a way I've never seen. Don't let the fact that it's a teen series fool you. Portero is town full of surprise, violence, and monsters, both the literal and figurative kind. Bleeding Violet is the first book, which follows bipolar Hanna as she tries to cultivate some sort of relationship with her mother. She also has to overcome the Porterenes' disapproval of her AND watch out for dangerous creatures that may pop up. This fantastical world full of portals blends perfectly with the warped psychology of its inhabitants. This is especially true with the second book, Slice of Cherry, which centers around serial killing sisters Kit and Fancy Cordelle. These characters remain endearing and sympathetic even as they commit acts of violence using the magic world they discovered. I love this series and I consider it one of the most unique in both adult and teen literature.

That's it for this event until next year!

The Silver Kiss

Zoë is a pretty normal teenage girl, except for the fact that her mother is dying of cancer. It has made her grow up very fast, assuming responsibilities not typically expected of others her age. She is also kind of a loner. It's hard to have friends when they don't know how to talk to you or how to act around you because of tragedy. Simon is a tortured, but alluring vampire, driven by revenge for his mother's death. These two lonely souls meet up and join forces against an evil force that is killing unsuspecting young women in a horrific way.

I remember really liking this book as a child. It generated my interest in the vampire genre that has flourished ever since (as you can see from my library). Upon rereading it as an adult, I found that I still liked it, but not nearly as much as my younger self. The plot is pretty predictable and cliché at times. Girl meets and falls in love with vampire. Vampire hates his own existence, mopes, and wants to eat girl. There are so many teen vampire books out there with similar plots. I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the cheesier lines and predictable points in the plot. I also felt that the character development was a little slow, making me connect later with the characters than I would like.

Still, I feel that this book is special, despite its flaws. I really like that there is a fantastical plot line alongside a very realistic plot line. The juxtaposition of the two grounds it a little more in reality and makes the characters more believable. The Silver Kiss is more gory and horrific than most other books in the teen vampire genre, which makes my inner horror fan happy. Plus, the ending is beautiful and still brings tears to my eyes.

This book has gore, horror, romance, and action. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of other teen vampire novels.

4/5

Catching Fire

Catching Fire starts where The Hunger Games leaves off. Katniss and Peeta have to go on tour and act deliriously in love with each other. They have to convince the Capitol and President Snow that the outcome of the Hunger Games was an act of love, not a subversive act of rebellion. However it was meant, the effect reverberates throughout the districts, whether they view the couple as star-crossed lovers or rebel icons. Is Katniss’s façade convincing enough and how long will she have to keep it up? Also, what other horrors is the next Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell, going to bring?

When I read The Hunger Games, I liked it, but considered it a watered down version of Battle Royale. Catching Fire, however, elevates the series for me and leaves Battle Royale in the dust. This novel shows what happens after the Hunger Games are over. If you think the victors are safe and the trouble is over, you are very, very wrong.

The tour that takes Peeta and Katniss to the other districts illuminates the drastic difference between the rich and poor districts. The setting for the novel is in the future, so these people have many more luxuries and technology than we have. The Capitol is the height of luxury. Its inhabitants have shallow, materialistic worries and have more food than they know what to do with. At parties, it’s typical to see people induce vomiting multiple times to stuff themselves with more of the extravagant food. They have no idea about the hardships the other districts deal with every day. These districts are the polar opposite of the Capitol. If I hadn’t known the setting for the novel, I would have thought that the poorer districts were stuck back in time, being deprived of the luxuries of our own time. It’s shocking to me that despite all their amenities and technological advances that people are still left to starve or die from very curable afflictions.

This book is much more brutal than the last. Because of Peeta and Katniss’s gesture, the police are overpowering the more rebellious districts with beatings, torture, and even killings. I was on the edge of tears for most of the novel, but I was pleased to see a young adult novel push the envelope far beyond what I thought possible. President Snow is one of the cruelest characters I have ever encountered in literature. I was so surprised by the twists and turns of the plot and eventually just gave up trying to predict what was going to happen. The shocks just keep coming, right up to the very last page. I highly recommend this novel and I can’t wait for the next one!

5/5

The Zen of Zombie

Are you unsatisfied with your life? Have you read ever self help book out there an still haven't achieved the success of their beautiful, smiling authors? Well, you're in luck. Achieve a state of zen and all the success you want by emulating zombies. Scott Kenemore, in his revolutionary self-help book The Zen of Zombie, lists all the attributes and characteristics of zombies that can help you with the reasoning behind it. Then, in the second half of the book, guides you through a 12 week process in which to take on these characteristics so that you can become the person you want to be.

Don’t listen to all the slander of the media, saying that zombies are mindless creatures who must be destroyed. Zombies are to be envied. Their extreme focus and drive is often mistaken for mindlessness. Don’t you wish you could go after something as intently as a zombie going after brains? Zombies have it worse than any other group. What other group gets attacked, verbally and physically, instantly without any repercussions? Zombies don’t let this get them down.

Scott Kenemore is hilarious. Every page is funny and stays to the point. I learned about how I can apply his theory to many situations in my life: in my job, my love life, and my life in general. I have never read a book where being a zombie or zombie-like was a positive. He covered all types of zombies: slow moving, higher functioning, fast moving, etc. My favorite part of the book is when he reasoned that Jesus is a zombie. I know many people might be offended by this, but it’s really funny. Have a sense of humor about your faith once in a while. Plus he has a point.

The Zen of Zombie is a great addition to anyone’s zombie library. I would recommend this to anyone with a sense of humor.

5/5

Never Slow Dance with a Zombie

Margot Jean Johnson and her best friend Sybil Mulcahy are nobodies. Amanda Culpepper and the Twigettes (her mindless followers) are the bane of their existence. All Margot wants is everything on her high school manifesto to come true: be more popular than Amanda Culpepper, have a boyfriend, be invited to parties, and just eight more things she hasn't attained yet. This all changes after the school carnival when all of her classmates have turned into zombies, except Sybil. Principial Taft convinces them to pretend that eveything is ok and coexist peacefully with the zombies. Who is behind the outbreak? Should Margot try to figure out what's going on or bask in her newfound popularity?

This book is a fun, light read. It's like a mixture of Mean Girls and Night of the Living Dead. E. Van Lowe captures the voice of a teenage girl very well. Not many males really know how girls interact with each other, so this is an impressive feat. Like in Mean Girls, girls are really not nice to each other. He shows how girls can tear each other down with just words. He also shows the weird dynamic between friends, both when they get along and when they don't. The popular crowd is full of false relationships and Margot, because she idolizes those "in" people, used this model in her relationship with Sybil. At first, she is kind of petty and jealous towards Sybil (who is nice to a fault). I think it takes talent to create a likeable character who does unlikeable things. The zombie situation makes her grow as a person.

The book was filled with funny moments. I laughed out loud when one of the defenses against the undead was to rap them on the nose with a rolled up newspaper. Also, the fact that they could get used to going to a school filled with zombies is just hilarious to me. The dynamic between Margot and her zombie boyfriend Dirk is creepy and funny. Even the fact that the principal practically begs Margot and Sybil to go along with his plan and they go along with it is pretty amusing.

Although on the surface, the story is funny and light, but there is a serious and important undertone. The girls are forced to blend in and not call attention to themselves to survive in the midst of zombies. To save the day, they have to break out of the cliques and do what's right. The message of the book is to do what's right for you and ignore what's cool or in. I think we need more teen books like this.

4/5

More Zombie Mayhem!

This is my review of Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry.

Joe Ledger was just a cop, protecting his country. Afterwards, he is approached by the DMS (Department of Military Science) and has to kill the same man twice. His entire world view goes out of control after that. He joins the DMS and finds out about an insane terrorist plot to release a zombie virus on United States soil. Joe has to head a team of talented military men that he barely knows to foil the terrorist plan that could end the world.

This book was a great mixture of military fiction and a zombie novel. Most zombie novels are from a civilian's perspective, so it was interesting to see inside an all-powerful secret government agency in their quest to stop the zombie apocalypse. There is definitely no shortage of zombie carnage. This was one of the bloodiest books I have ever read and I'm no slouch; I've read lots of horror novels

The characters are fleshed out and realistic. Joe is a smart ass, but a dedicated cop with an interesting psychological profile. Grace Courtland was at a first a hard-ass, humorless bitch, but upon further inspection was found to be an emotional person with a tragic past. One of my favorite characters is Rudy, Joe's psychiatrist and best friend. He provides comic relief and a voice of reason for Joe, who is trying to deal with his world turned upside down. The book is in multiple narrations from various characters, including Gault, the greedy supplier of money for the terrorists, and Amirah, his insane scientist lover. The plot from both sides of this war made the book enjoyable to read. It also had me guessing how the two groups would intersect.

This book was very engrossing and attention-grabbing. If you like action, zombies, and the military, I would recommend that you read this book.

4.5/5

Pontypool Changes Everything

Pontypool Changes Everything is an extremely weird novel. It starts off following Les Reardon, a high school drama teacher, as a zombie virus is spreading through Canada. Beyond this, I really can't tell you much about the plot of the novel. Just when I'm getting comfortable with one set of characters, they die and I wonder what's next. This happens three or four times. I was kind of stunned each time a set of characters I cared were gone.

The storytelling is convoluted and hard to follow at times. It's unclear whether the events happening are a fictional story within a story or actual events. It kind of reads as four or five short stories instead of one overarching story. The parts that were fairly linear were great vignettes into this unique world. I enjoyed this book as long as I let the story flow, instead of trying to figure out what was happening all the time.

The zombies in this novel are unlike any other I have seen or read about before. The virus manifests first in people as an inability to use language. They end up being very confused cannibals. It's unclear how the virus is transmitted, which was something I was really interested in. There aren't any walking, rotting corpses, but the book is still chock full of zombie violence. It was interesting that in a zombie novel, the most disturbing scene had nothing to do with zombies: Siblings Julie and Jimmy live in a shack together (after their parents are killed) as husband and wife, while killing zombies and unsuspecting people alike for food. They are also children.

This is a very strange novel, but it's also undeniably unique. I would be reluctant to recommend this to my friends for fear they would think I was crazy and forever doubt any future recommendations from me. However, this book was a crazy narrative into an insane world. I enjoyed the ride, but I don't know if I would take it again.

3/5

Zombie Romance?

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament is a zombie romantic comedy. Yes, you read that right. There are zombies. They have been around since the Great Depression. No, not the flesh-eating, mindless, Night of the Living Dead type of zombies; they are just like everyone else, except they decompose. Humans do not like the living dead. Just ask Andy. He can't talk, he's decomposing, and he killed his wife and himself falling asleep at the wheel. All he wants is for zombies to be treated like humans, but it's hard to rally when you have absolutely no rights. Zombies are ridiculed, looked down upon, and a burden on their families. There are routine dismemberments of zombies by stupid frat boys just for fun. Zombies can seek solace in Undead Anonymous, a zombie support group. After Andy and his friends meet Ray (and his delicious venison), they start to be much more pro-active and assertive. I wonder why.

I loved this novel. It is a zany comedy, but it takes on some serious social satire. There are people in our own society whose rights are in question and who aren't treated with the respect they deserve. The novel shows our flaws wrapped in zany zombie humor, hopefully it will be more palatable to those who instigate these wrongs. Fans of Daniel Waters' Generation Dead would see a lot of parallels between the two books. Another thing I liked about this book was the romantic aspects. Before reading this, I had never, ever read a zombie romance. It toes the line between sweet and disgusting very well, making you alternately say “eww” and “aww” (sometimes in the same scene).

Breathers is an extremely unique zombie novel that I couldn't put down. I can't wait to see what Scott Browne will do next.

5/5

My first post + ZOMBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never posted on this blog before, but prompted by zombie goodies on vvb32's blog led me to start. I've been writing reviews for a while, so I guess it's time to share them here. I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies about 2 months ago. It's a new spin on an old classic...

The basic plot of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies needs no summary because it is a well-known and -loved/-hated classic story. However, the awkward courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is now peppered with cool ninja moves and bloody zombie violence. Because of the zombie uprising, everyone now has to defend themselves and their family by being educated in the deadly arts. Not only do the inhabitants of this society have to worry about social niceties and avoiding faux pas, but also zombie attacks and keeping their skills honed.

This book was really funny. I love the illustrations (that are of course mostly of scenes with zombies). I love that the people still cling to inane things like parties and manners in the face of the zombie apocalypse. Despite the liberties that are taken with some scenes, the essence of the characters are preserved. This is the aspect that I love the most about this novel. I really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice when I read it in high school. This novel is more of an homage or an addition to the story, not a mockery. As a fan of both zombie books and classic literature, I think this book can please both camps, despite their differences. I hope this version of the story makes it more accessible to those who would not normally read classic literature.

As a horror fan, I have read a lot of zombie books. This one is unique in that it takes place in the past, where there are no cars, machine guns, cell phones, and all the other amenities we depend on every day. In comparison to Jane Austen's world, our modern world is a picnic during a zombie apocalypse. The zombie threat is much more present and dangerous in this novel, where they have to get around in carriages and can't instantly contact a friend miles and miles away.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies succeeds in being a new spin on an old classic. Seth Grahame-Smith really blends his writing style with Jane Austen's in a seamless fashion. This novel is for zombie and Austen lovers alike.