Monday, July 09, 2012

Review: Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

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Long Lankin
Lindsey Barraclough
Release date: July 10th 2012
by Candlewick Press

 

When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Byers Guerdon, they receive a less-than-warm welcome. Auntie Ida is eccentric and rigid, and the girls are desperate to go back to London. But what they don’t know is that their aunt’s life was devastated the last time two young sisters were at Guerdon Hall, and she is determined to protect her nieces from an evil that has lain hidden for years. Along with Roger and Peter, two village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries – before it’s too late for little Mimi. Riveting and intensely atmospheric, this stunning debut will hold readers in its spell long after the last page is turned.

*A copy was provided by Random House of Canada for review purposes*

Long Lankin is a tale that is quite slow paced, but in such a way that makes you fall addicted to the story. Its depictions of the creepy atmosphere, blood-curling ghostly creatures, and fascinating history leave you absolutely glued to its pages, not to mention chilled to the bone!

Set in the 1950’s, Long Lankin brings us to a time where WW2 was just over and poverty was very much a reality. Electricity was scarce, so were methods of communication. With this setting, we’ve got just a dash of dialect that makes the dialogue incredibly compelling; it gives the voices a genuinely convincing feel along with aiding the atmospheric countryside vibe to come to life. Our two main characters, Cora and Roger, both have legitimate teenage personalities. Their narrations are realistic, animating this story from both of their perspectives. The regular POV switches are very well managed throughout the book; the story move swiftly regardless of its slow-ish pace, in addition to keeping our curiosity and eagerness alive. Aunt Ida’s perspective also makes sporadic appearances, bringing us into the mind of this cold, angry old woman who has incredible depth to her character. No matter how awful she seems, you will be taken by her, I guarantee it!

Then, among the tombstones, out of the air, small figures appear. They are all the size of little children, but their colourless faces are old and rotten, like the faces of the dead, their eyes nothing more than black holes, their hair grizzled and sparse.
-Quoted from finished copy of Long Lankin

Aside from the character voices, the descriptions in the book are a work of art. The gloominess of the town, the forsaken church, Auntie Ida’s decaying, creaky old home, and best of all: the apparitions (ghosts/horrific children freak me OUT!); it’s all so brilliantly enticing: vivid and ominous. It’s more than enough to induce chills. Once you get close to the ending, especially, I would even consider terrifying.

We get this mystery solved in tiny bits and pieces, mostly from old research and townsfolk. I constantly wanted to know more, yet too caught up in the book to make up my own theories. This caused the actual story to remain a mystery until the very end. It’s not the type of plot you can really guess, even if you try, however. It’s unique, encompassing witchcraft, dark legends, engrossing history, and folklore. In fact, as seen along with the book trailer, — I wasn’t familiar with the Long Lankin song before — it’s “inspired by a haunting folk song about murder, witchcraft and revenge.” This all comes to a close a bit too narrow for my taste. Not that I didn’t like the ending; it’s shuddersome with plenty of suspense and a good completion. BUT, I will admit that I was secretly hoping for a shocking revelation or disturbing twist that left me breathless, so the neat ending is a little underwhelming in that sense. I do blame this on my masochistic horror loving taste.

Haunting and tension-filled, Long Lankin is a gripping read that you absolutely must read if you love Gothic horror novels. Expect a slow, but terrific story that brings together excellent writing, amazingly lively characters and a spine-chilling tale.

4 Hot Espressos

Fresh Batch (July 8th – 14th)

Posted by on 07/08/2012 • 23 Comments

Exclusively titled for Xpresso Reads, Fresh Batch features the hottest releases of this upcoming week. *note: After trying it out, I decided to revert to my good ol’ posting dates for Fresh Batch and Stacking the shelves. As of next week, Fresh Batch will be back on Saturdays, and my Stacking the Shelves on Sundays*

Flavor of the week:

Never EnoughDenise JadenRelease date: July 10th 2012by Simon Pulse

 

From the author of Losing Faith, a novel about two sisters and the eating disorder that threatens to destroy their family.

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special… even if that means betraying her sister.

Cover Reveal x 6

Posted by on 07/07/2012 • 21 Comments

Pretty Girl-13 Liz Coley Release date:March 19th 2013  by Katherine Tegen Books  

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scout camping trip.

Now she’s returned home…only to find that it’s three years later and she’s sixteen—or at least that’s what everyone tells her.

What happened to the last three years of her life?

Angie herself doesn’t know.

But there are people who do—people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren’t locked inside her mind.

With a tremendous amount of courage and support from unexpected friends, Angie embarks on a journey into the darkest corners of her mind. As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret…

Xpresso Weekly: Stacking the Shelves (11)

Posted by on 07/07/2012 • 67 Comments

Xpresso Weekly is my edition of Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga’s Reviews featuring the books I got this week, and I also mention blog news/happenings of the past week.

This week at Xpresso Reads

July is here already!! Such crazy nonsense! I want summer to last forever I’m having a fabulous one so far! I hope you are too! This week on the blog I have a few things to mention. First, I’ve got crazy giveaway madness going on at the moment and a whole bunch were posted this week. There is the Cover Madness giveaway hosted along with my friend Jenni at Alluring Reads. You can also enter to win The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse. I spotlighted White Lines by Jennifer Banash that included the cover…

Review: Intangible by J. Meyers

Posted by on 07/06/2012 • 0 Comments

IntangibleJ. MeyersRelease date: January 31st 2012

 

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

 *A copy was provided by J. Meyers for review purposes*

Review: The Little Woods

Posted by on 07/06/2012 • 27 Comments

The Little WoodsMcCormick Templeman Release date: July 10th 2012by Random House Children’s Books

 

Are the woods behind St. Bede’s Academy really haunted, or does bad stuff just happen there? When Calista Wood, a new student, arrives midway through her junior year, St. Bede’s feels like a normal school . . . until she discovers that a girl had disappeared a couple of months earlier. Some kids think she ran away, others think she was murdered, but it’s only when Cally starts digging around that she finds the startling truth.Watch as Cally enters a world of privilege, weekend-long parties, high school romances, and . . . well-kept secrets. This page-turner will appeal to teens looking for a fast-paced thriller. Written in a voice at once gripping and crystal clear, debut…

Giveaway: The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

Posted by on 07/05/2012 • 47 Comments

“Lost meets The Hunger Games”

The ForsakenLisa M. StassePaperback (UK) Release date: August 2nd 2012by Orchard Books

 

Alenna Shawcross is a sixteen-year-old orphan growing up in a police state formed from the ashes of Canada, the US and Mexico after a global economic meltdown.

But when she unexpectedly fails ‘the test’ – a government initiative which supposedly identifies teens destined to be criminals – she wakes up alone on a remote island reserved for the criminally insane.

Terrified and confused, she soon encounters a group of other teen survivors battling to stay alive, including Luis, a boy who will become her love… and her lifeline.

Soon Alenna makes the terrifying discovery that there’s more to the island (and her past) than she…

Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Posted by on 07/05/2012 • 40 Comments

The Night CircusErin MorgensternRelease date: July 3, 2012 (Paperback)by Anchor Canada

 

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst…