Reviews From A Dreamer

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Review

10/19/16

Title:The Haunting of Sunshine Girl

Author: Paige Mckenzie

Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house . . . there's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mom believes her. Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort . . .

If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?

As things become more frightening and dangerous, and the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

The first in a frighteningly good new series based on the popular YouTube sensation The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network, created by Paige McKenzie.

Sunshine and her mother, Kat, have just moved from their home town in Texas, leaving behind the only home Sunshine has ever known. Her mother got a job offer for her dream job, causing them to move. Her new town is dark and wet and her new house gives her the creeps. Their first night there, Sunshine hears someone playing upstairs and a little girl laughing and talking. Of course, her mother thinks she is imagining it, but Sunshine keeps hearing and seeing things. Things in her room will be moved or scattered when she gets home. Mostly harmless, until the night that her and her mother hear a little girl being murdered in their bathroom. The bathroom door is locked and the little girl is screaming. When they finally get in, nobody is there. But on that night, Sunshine soon learns, her mother was possessed by a demon and the only person that can stop it is her.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. When I read on the cover that it was a book that a youtuber wrote, I was skeptical. It seems like everyone on youtube is writing a book and I thought this was another one of those, or worse, had a ghost writer. But I was wrong. This book was great. I have never read a paranormal/scary book that flowed like this did. Usually I have one or two complaints, but I didn’t have any with this. The story flowed perfectly, it was original, and it kept the reader hooked.

I loved the romance, even though there wasn’t any. Nolan helps Sunshine throughout the book and there are hints of feelings, but nothing overly fluffy like in SO MANY YA books today. It focused on what Sunshine was going through and her journey to save her mother instead of her relationship with Nolan. And I loved that. Not to mention Nolan and Sunshine’s characters. They are so well rounded and not the least bit annoying. A lot of times in YA the main female comes across as annoying a lot of times, but Sunshine is very relatable. I think the only thing I didn’t like about this book was her name and even that had a reason behind it.

I give this book a 5/5 stars. This book is good for anyone looking for a good YA book, but especially if you want a good paranormal halloweenish read.

Find Paige McKenzie online:

Official Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Buy The Haunting Of Sunshine Girl online:

Goodreads | Barnes & Nobel | Amazon

The House Review

10/9/16

Title:The House

Author: Christina Lauren

Gavin tells Delilah he’s hers—completely—but whatever lives inside that house with him disagrees.

After seven years tucked away at an East coast boarding school, Delilah Blue returns to her small Kansas hometown to find that not much has changed. Her parents are still uptight and disinterested, her bedroom is exactly the way she left it, and the outcast Gavin Timothy still looks like he’s crawled out of one of her dark, twisted drawings.

Delilah is instantly smitten.

Gavin has always lived in the strange house: an odd building isolated in a stand of trees where the town gives in to mild wilderness. The house is an irresistible lure for Delilah, but the tall fence surrounding it exists for good reason, and Gavin urges Delilah to be careful. Whatever lives with him there isn’t human, and isn’t afraid of hurting her to keep her away.

When her dad loses his job and isn’t able to pay for her schooling, Delilah ends right back up in her home town after being away at boarding school for the past seven years. Seven years ago she got into a fight defending the weird boy on the playground that she liked and was sent away. Now, for her senior year, she is right back in that school and gets to reconnect with that weird boy from seven years ago. Gavin, though, has a secret and likes to keep people at arms length, though. But Delilah doesn’t play that. She breaks down all his walls and enters his life full force. When he takes her home she learns that his house isn’t a normal house. And soon, she is pretty sure it is out to get her.

I have mixed feelings toward this book. I really want to love it, I really do, but I simply can’t. But before I get to the reasons as to why I can’t, lets talk about what made me like it. The writing, like with any Lauren novel, is beautiful and flows great. It was very easy to read. I also liked the character of Gavin, though I would have preferred the entire book be told from his POV. The story itself was nice, though, and made for a good Halloweenish read.

Now, on to the reasons I just couldn’t love it. I couldn’t bring myself to like Delilah. This character really fell flat for me. She tried to be a badass, but came off as annoying. Also, I couldn’t bring myself to shake the feeling of the Disney movie Smart House. It was so much like that movie, minus the electronics. This really wasn’t a dislike for me, but it wasn’t a like either. I also expected more horror in this. I guess, in the end, I think it was promoted wrong and lacked the horror element.

Overall, I gave this book 3/5 stars. It is a good read for younger adults that are looking for a fast Halloween read.

Find Emery Lord online:

Official Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Buy Open Road Summer online:

Goodreads | Barnes & Nobel | Amazon

The Neverland Wars Review

7/11/16

Title: The Neverland Wars

Author: Audrey Greathouse

Magic can do a lot—give you flight, show you mermaids, help you taste the stars, and… solve the budget crisis? That's what the grown-ups will do with it if they ever make it to Neverland to steal its magic and bring their children home.

However, Gwen doesn't know this. She's just a sixteen-year-old girl with a place on the debate team and a powerful crush on Jay, the soon-to-be homecoming king. She doesn't know her little sister could actually run away with Peter Pan, or that she might have to chase after her to bring her home safe. Gwen will find out though—and when she does, she'll discover she's in the middle of a looming war between Neverland and reality.

She'll be out of place as a teenager in Neverland, but she won't be the only one. Peter Pan's constant treks back to the mainland have slowly aged him into adolescence as well. Soon, Gwen will have to decide whether she's going to join impish, playful Peter in his fight for eternal youth… or if she's going to scramble back to reality in time for the homecoming dance.

When Gwen was young she would have many different adventures from her backyard. But she is now sixteen and her only adventure is getting through high school in one piece. That all changes when her little sister goes missing one night and Gwen gets drug to Neverland to make sure she stays safe. In a world that Gwen always thought was fictional, with a boy that is a little off kilter and strange, she has to find a way to get her sister and her home. That is before she discovers that Neverland might be in trouble and she knows the enemy all too well.

I do love re-tellings and this wasn’t any different. This book was funny all throughout. All the Lost Boys were great, very well rounded characters. My favorite characters had to be the mermaids, though. The story also had nice structure and seemed to flow nicely. It was a great twist to Peter Pan. I liked that it wasn’t exactly a re-telling. It was more like a continuation off of what already happened. Which made it unlike any other re-telling.

Though I did like Peter’s character, I thought it was a little too grown up for someone that should still have an eight-year old mind set. I know that between our world and Neverland he had grown, but his childishness shouldn’t have left him. Also, I found her little sister to fall into the background. I would have liked to see a little more bonding between them.