Shannon's Review - Monsterland by Michael Phillip Cash

Title: Monsterland
Series: Not At Moment
Author: Michael Phillip Cash
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Unknown
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Vampire, Werewolves, Zombies
Publisher: Create Space
Received: Free From Publisher For Review
Release Date: January 2015
Pages: 223
Rating:



Author Michael Phillip Cash’s Official Websites:




Website:
http://www.michaelphillipcash.com/

Blog:
None Found

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MichaelPhillipCash

Twitter/X:
None Found

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/michaelphillipcashofficial/

TikTok:
None Found

YouTube:
None Found


Shannon’s Thoughts:

Teenager Wyatt Baldwin, his little brother, and his friends are invited to the opening of a new unusual amusement park. It is similar to Jurassic Park but with vampires, werewolves and zombies. It’s not just one park but many all over the world will open at the same time. What sounds exciting and fun soon turns scary and life-threatening.

This is my first time reading this author, Michael Phillip Cash, and I did enjoy it. It was written well and the characters were memorable. The amusement park was described very much like Disneyworld only much darker which I found funny. I could see this as a PG-13 movie.

I liked it but I did not love it, because it was predictable. I am not sure how it could have gone any other way than it did. It was okay.

It was a quick read and had some fun moments and I could see this book getting a sequel. It is certainly set up for one. I have a pile of books from this author that I will be delving into soon.

Shannon's Review - Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New School Nightmare by Carolyn Nowak

Title: Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New School Nightmare

Series: Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Author: Carolyn Nowak

Genre: Graphic Novel, Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, Fantasy, Juvenile

Publisher: Little, Brown Book For Young Readers

Received: Borrowed

Release Date: September 2018

Pages: 160

Rating:

Author Carolyn Nowaks Official Websites:

(picture was taken from comicvine.gamesspot.com)

Website:

http://carolyncnowak.com

Blog:

http://caseyboots.tumblr.com/

Facebook:

N/A

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/CarolynCNowak

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/caseybeans/

Shannon’s Thoughts:

A good starting point for anyone who has not seen or read the previous Buffy The Vampire Slayer seasons. This would technically be a reboot or alternate history. Buffy Summers is starting a new middle school in Cleveland and finds out she is a vampire slayer. It’s hard to be a teen let alone a slayer but with her new female watcher and two best friends, a witch and a werewolf, she is not alone.

Buffy and the slayer mythology is about the only thing familiar with this graphic novel if you are a fan of the past Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  Now, I do not know if this is going to match the reboot that will be taking place on tv. I think probably not since the book has the blonde haired and white Buffy because it is rumored that the new tv series Buffy will be African American. ]

The art is quaint and there is nothing too racy for young kids. Since there are new characters interacting with Buffy it is all new to me, which did make it hard to put down and fun to read.

The story is cute and action-packed but as a Buffy fan, I did miss Willow, Xander, and Giles from the original group. I think is great that Buffy is coming back in some way, I just wish it a continuation or a new slayer rather than use Buffy again.

As Buffy The Vampire Slayer is a creation of Joss Whedon, I will probably support this version of Buffy and any others. So “Long Live Buffy!”... I guess.

Shannon's Review - City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City Of Bones

Series: The Mortal Instruments #1

Author: Cassndra Clare

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Simon Pluse

Received: Purchased

Release Date: February  2008

Pages: 485

Rating:

Author’s Websites:

Website http://www.cassandraclare.com/

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/Cassandraclare

Twitter https://twitter.com/cassieclare

Shannon’s Thoughts:

Clary and Simon are best friends.  They go to the latest club and coffee houses.  At one club Clary sees something that no one else can see.  She sees people known as Shadowhunters killing demons.  No one else sees the two mystical beings.  One of the Shadowhunters, Jace, finds himself attracted to Clary and wonders how she can see him and his family. Suddenly Clary’s mom goes missing. Then Clary and Simon get caught up in the Shadowhunter’s life.

Usually when I read books with a triangle romances my vote goes to the first love interest,  But this time I landed on the side of the of bad boy.  Of course the end of the book ruined that for me and suppose Clary as well.  Grrr....

A lot of the story is pretty typical for a Fantasy YA read.  Young girl in lead, her best friend is in love with her and she does not know, she sees things others can not, a new love interest introduced ..etc I could go on.  That said it is still a fun read and I am glad I read it before the movie.  I can tell from movie trailer there is already some differences.  Frankly I believe the book will probably be better.

I really did like (almost love) the story and even though some of was expected I feel I am emotionally invested in the series.  I will be continuing to read the rest of the series.

Shannon's Review - Wolf Pact IV by Melissa De La Cruz

Title: Wolf Pact IV
Series: Wolf Pact
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Werewolves
Publisher: Hyperion
Received: Purchased
Release Date: November 2012
Pages: ?
Rating:


My Thoughts:

The escaped wolf pack and Bliss jump through time to stop the Hellhounds from changing the past.
Fast Paced well written and leaves opening for more to be added to the stories.  This also spoils some of the Blue Bloods story line if you haven’t read it.  Still these groups of story lines are fun to read and I can not wait to see what Melissa De La Cruz does to add them all together.

Website:

Melissa De La Cruz Official Site
http://www.melissa-delacruz.com/

Shannon Review - The Wolf Pact Part 3 by Melissa De La Cruz

Title: The Wolf Pact Part III
Series: The Wolf Pact
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide
Received: Purchased
Release Date: November 2012
Pages: 42
Rating:


What is it About?
A group of werewolves search for their missing pack member and on the way gain a former vampire.


My Thoughts:

There is so much that I like about the world Melissa De La Cruz has created here.  Vampires are fallen angels, and werewolves are in legion with Lucifer.  Then there are witches in between.   This one focus on the introduction of the werewolves that escaped the underground and are on the run from Lucifer’s right hand man.  There just so many little touches that I appreciate that come from the history of these creatures in other books....  Hellhounds have silver poison in there nails.  The old language that Bliss speaks.  The fact that there names all have something to do with wolves.

I can’t wait to read the last installment.  I don’t want to say much more because I will spoil it. If you have read the first two installments and loved it you will really like this as well.


Website:

Official Website of Melissa De La Cruz
http://www.melissa-delacruz.com/

Shannon's Review - Wolf Pact 2 of 4 by Melissa Da La Cruz

Title: Wolf Pact : 2 of 4
Series: Wolf Pact
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy,
Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide
Received: Purchased
Release Date: October 2012
Pages: 44
Rating:


What is it About?

Continuation of a group of brother werewolves and one female who were about be turned into Hell hounds escape Hell. The female Tala get captured as they are still on the run.  The brothers try to find her and instead find a former vampire.

My Thoughts:

Melissa Da La Cruz has done it again.  She created this spin off from Blue Bloods.   She changes the mythology of vampires, werewolves and witches into stories I never thought about.  They are entertaining and addicting.  Wolf Pact has so much mystery I can’t see how she is going to answer all the question in just four books.  I love introduction of Bliss.  She is a unusual character.  She use to be a vampire,  and was once possessed by Lucifer who she considers her father.  I am totally in love with the series even though I have yet to read the Blue Blood series ( I will soon though) I fall deep into the world of the series through Wolf Pact series and Beauchamp series.

Website:

Official Site of Melissa Da La Cruz
http://www.melissa-delacruz.com/

Review - Wolf Pact #1 by Melissa De La Cruz

Title: Wolf Pact
Series: Wolf Pact #1
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Hachette Digtal
Received: From publicist
Release Date: September 2012
Pages: 57
Rating:


What is it About?

A young pack of teenagers who are about to transition into monsters they don’t want to be.  So they escape.

My Thoughts:

This second spin off from Melissa De La Cruz’s Blue Blood series is action packed and is an original take on good versus evil  or angels versus hellbeings.

I haven’t read Blue Bloods but I have read the spinoffs. Witches of East End and this start to another great series Wolf Pact.  I love the use of lore and magic. Something about the writing just grabs me and takes me to there  mythological  world, wishing  it were real. The characters are so vivid in my mind.   

On the down side I feel there is a little bit of the Blue Blood story that I have missed out on because I haven’t read but that doesn’t make this unlikable or hard to understand.  Just makes me want to read more.

Website:

Melissa De La Cruz Official Site
http://www.melissa-delacruz.com/

Review - Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Title: Breaking Dawn

Series:: Twilight Series

Author(s):: Stephenie Meyer

Genre:: Teen Book, Series

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Release Date: August 2nd 2008

Finished: June 2009

Pages: 754 pages

Challenges: None

Rating:

My Thoughts: First let me say, I can't believe how much this book is hated. I was completely unspoiled before I read this, but I had heard people hated and wanted to return the book. I absolutly loved it. There were so many things I didn't see coming. I don't like spoiling anything so I will try to make this spoilerless.

The story takes place as Edward and Bella are getting ready to marry. They go on there honeymoon and comeback to Forks with something extra. Something that is going to kill Bella.
I love the new character, Renessme. I kinda hope Meyer writes a book about her someday. I can't pinpoint what I really loved about this book, but the more I think about it, the more I think the writing was good and the mystery within the story better. I wish there was more of the series to read.

About the Author: Stephenie Meyer is the author of 4 Teen Books and 1 Sci Fi book (all of which we have reviewed here). Visit her at http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/index.html