March/April 2018: The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey, c2015
The Girl With All the Gifts
something’s-gone-wrong world
she’s a special child with bite
unclear loyalties
high-voltage survival trek
suspenseful & surprising
MM
February 2018: Truthers (YA) by Geoffrey Girard, c2017
Truthers (YA)
by Geoffrey Girard
c2017
dad’s unraveling
forces her to verify
muddied, muddled facts
thought-provoking mystery
takes nothing at face value
MM
January 2018: The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz, c2017
The Silent Corner
by Dean Koontz
c2017
staying off the grid
she’s kickass rogue FBI
rooting out evil
compelling, realistic
nanotech terror unleashed
MM
March/April 2017: Jackaby (YA) by William Ritter, c2014
Jackaby
1892
Holmes-style, oddball detective
killer on the loose
paranormal mystery
sure to please the finicky
MM
February 2017: The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle (JF) by Janet Fox, c2016
The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
old castle-turned-school
their classmates are vanishing
ancient evil lives
ghostly, fast-paced adventure
jeweled with creepy nuance
MM
January 2017: Brightwood (JuvFic) by Tania Unsworth, c2016
Brightwood
secluded mansion
she’s all alone to face a
sinister stranger
middle-grade read with intrigue
& a good dose of scary
MM
December 2016: The Last One by Alexandra Oliva, c2016
The Last One
television show
pushed to the limit, alone
a contest gone wrong
gripping survival story
in a blurred reality
MM
October/November 2016: Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica, c2016
Don’t You Cry
a missing best friend
linked by their digging for clues
obsessions collide
psychological thriller
keeps you guessing ’til the end
MM
September 2016: And the Trees Crept In (YA) by Dawn Kurtagich, c2016
And the Trees Crept In
cursed, decayed manor
hiding from the Creeper Man
spiral to madness
a modern gothic horror
terrifyingly eerie
MM
August 2016: The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone, c2016
The Hatching
modern day world-wide
plague of man-eating spiders
multiplied outlooks
fun scariness in need of
a sequel. Could not put down!
MM
July 2016: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, c2005
Poison Study
kingdom divided
choose: quick death or slow poison
Rebels, spies, intrique
richly detailed fantasy
of daring & dirty deeds
MM
June 2016: Abarat (YA) by Clive Barker, c2002
Abarat
epic adventures
archipelago of time
where dark forces stir
splendidly strange fantasy
an all-time marve favorite
MM
May 2016: Watchers by Dean Koontz, c1987
Watchers
genetic research
hybrid dog and vicious beasts
true, pure redemption
thrilling chase that does not stop
edge-of-your-seat powerful
MM
April 2016: Variant (YA) by Robison Wells, c2011
Variant
school with no adults
his future hopes turn into
a fight for his life
quickly paced sci-fi thriller
topped with a crazy-good twist
MM
March 2016: If I Run by Terri Blackstock, c2016
If I Run
bad cops & good cops
she must prove her innocence
against corruption
many mysteries in one
heart-racing, cliff-hanging end
MM
February 2016: The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon, c2014
The Word Exchange
when logophiles wane
gadget dependence ascends
unseaming language
brainy dystopia with
secret clubs & deadly tech
MM
January 2016: Vengeance Road (YA) by Erin Bowman, c2015
Vengeance Road
endless dust and heat
her father murdered for clues
in madness of gold
Spaghetti Western in print
captures the Wild West spirit
MM
December 2015: NEED (YA) by Joelle Charbonneau, c2015
NEED
one small town high school
social media gone bad
no one can stop it
young adult take on Stephen
King's Needful Things. Creepy good!
MM
November 2015: Nightfall (YA) by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski, c2015
Nightfall
distant day island
turns dark . . . three teens left behind
to escape the Night
eerie survival story
with terrifying creatures
MM
October 2015: The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe (YA) by Dan Poblocki, c2013
The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe
dark fantasy game
mutated humanoid beast
evil in the woods
horror story with a shock
set in creepy atmosphere
MM
September 2015: The Night Gardener (JF) by Jonathan Auxier, c2014
The Night Gardener
creepy manor house
two Irish orphans entrapped
evil enchantments
good old-fashioned spooky tale
best read under the covers!
MM
August 2015: The Martian by Andy Weir, c2014
The Martian
left behind on Mars
clever humor, brilliant mind
must fend for himself
expertly read audio-
book not to be missed. Awesome!
MM
July 2015: Uglies (YA) by Scott Westerfeld, c2005
Uglies
extreme surgery:
to conform or to challenge
one's identity
perfect beauty, betrayal,
action, hoverboards, & more!
MM
June 2015: Fallout (YA) by Todd Strasser, c2013
Fallout
alternate 'sixties
too many people in one
crowded bomb shelter
realistic, disturbing
excellent use of flashbacks
MM
May 2015: Bird Box (YA) by Josh Malerman, c2014
Bird Box
eyes must be closed tight
seeing brings insanity
survival horror
brilliantly creepy, taut with
tension, expertly crafted
MM
April 2015: Goodhouse by Peyton Marshall, c2014
Goodhouse
startling, grim future
set of genetic markers
eugenic control
dystopia for adults
based partly on true events
MM
March 2015: The Testing (YA) by Joelle Charbonneau, c2013
The Testing
rising body count
teens pushed to the breaking point
trust no one to pass
harsh, intense exams become
gruesome as threats mount. Gripping.
MM
February 2015: The Paladin Prophecy (YA) by Mark Frost, c2012
The Paladin Prophecy
exclusive prep school
finds superhuman talents
an ancient struggle
fun, intense non-stop action
battling Never-Was monsters
MM
January 2015: This Dark Endeavor (YA) by Kenneth Oppel, c2011
This Dark Endeavor
gothic Swiss chateau
mad genius in the making
pushing boundaries
forbidden, dangerous quest
marvelously intense take
MM
December 2014: In the After (YA) by Demitria Lunetta, c2013
In the After
life destroyed by Them
the target on her back grows
dangerous creatures
fast-paced, thrilling whirlwind of
twists & turns to consume you
MM
November 2014: The Road by Cormac McCarthy, c2006
The Road
decimated land
nameless man & his young son
moving through ashes
frightening novel explores
the best & the worst in us
MM
October 2014: The Circle by Dave Eggers, c2013
The Circle
digital future
ubiquitous company
becoming public
satirical remonstrance
stealthy, sneaky scariness
MM
September 2014: Don't Turn Around (YA) by Michelle Gagnon, c2012
Don't Turn Around
runaways' rough world
woke up with chest cut open
running off the grid
hackers' dangerous mission
must be prepared to read more
MM
August 2014: Maggot Moon (YA) by Sally Gardner, c2012
Maggot Moon
everything's hopeless
people struggling to exist
ruthless regime's plot
told in brutal, brief chapters
dark, haunting, packs a wallop
MM
July 2014: A Matter of Days (YA) by Amber Kizer, c2013
A Matter of Days
Blustar pandemic
survivors or statistics?
trek across country
lawlessness and destruction
humanity on the line
MM
June 2014: Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, c1949
Nineteen Eighty-Four
thought-controlled future
life in a glass paperweight
evil runs amok
pure creepiness since it is
already happening now
MM
May 2014: Outlaw (YA) by Stephen Davies, c2011
Outlaw
Saharan desert
kidnapped brother and sister
who is the bad guy?
fascinating survival
tricks and power plays abound
MM
April 2014: Legend (YA) by Marie Lu, c2011
Legend
vicious government
pitted against each other:
vengeance, survival
action gathers momentum
hard-hitting intensity
MM
March 2014: Cinder (YA) by Marissa Meyer, c2012
Cinder
plague-ridden future
Lunars & Earthlings collide
wickedness unmasked
the evilest evil queen
and a cyborg steal the show
MM
February 2014: Archetype by M.D. Waters, c2014
Archetype
where females are rare
her dream-like memories war
the master of souls
science fiction and romance
rolled into one great novel
MM
January 2014: The 5th Wave (YA) by Rick Yancey, c2013
The Fifth Wave
aliens invade
humanity ripped apart
to run or to face
hold-your-breath adventure with
tightly plotted twists and turns
MM
December 2013: The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, c2006
The Book of Lost Things
where books whisper truths
grieving alone through the grim
his innocence ends
poetic story for all
dark and deep and powerful
MM
November 2013: The Great Wide Sea (YA) by M. H. Herlong, c2008
The Great Wide Sea
year on a sailboat
three young brothers lost at sea
stranded, abandoned
sailing survival story
destined to be a classic
MM
October 2013: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller, c2012
The Dog Stars
wake of disaster
forced symbiosis post-flu
in search of a voice
emotional, sensitive
dystopian for adults
MM
September 2013: Insignia (YA) by S.J. Kincaid, c2012
Insignia
virtual war waged
teen combatants controlled by
neural transmitters
futuristic; funny too
Is this the path we're heading?
MM
August 2013: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, c2011
Ready Player One
virtual space hunt
following fiendish riddles
death, wealth, and power
wildly imaginative
adrenaline-charged . . . Game on!
MM
July 2013: Unwind (YA) by Neal Shusterman, c2007
Unwind
cross-country escape
three teen runaways to be
salvaged body parts
peel away layers to find
a queasy proposition
MM
June 2013: Glass House 51 by John Hampel, c2013
Glass House 51
digital bullies;
merely stored magnetic fields;
privacy extinct.
fascinating ideas;
social control reckoning
MM
May 2013: The Passage by Justin Cronin, c2010
The Passage
future ruled by fear
a one-hundred-year-old child
chilling mutations
well-written epic thriller;
readers will be riveted
MM
April 2013: Revolver (YA) by Marcus Sedgwick, c2009
Revolver
a lonely cabin
a terrifying stranger
an old loaded Colt
compelling, intense, and harsh
as the Alaskan frontier
MM