Book Reviews

SPOILERS

The Dead End (Poison Apple, #1) by Mimi McCoy

 This was a great book, though it isn't my favorite from the series. It's still very good, though.
 I liked the way it started, with the chain email reference, which was a total blast from the past. I liked Casey's emo aesthetic throughout the story, which I kind of wanted them to delve into a little more. It's not often you get a character who presents themselves in such a way while also being pretty anxious about most things. She was a very good protagonist, and she was honestly the best part of the story because she was resourceful and wary. She IS the character who survives the horror movie because she knows when it's time to LEAVE THE OBVIOUSLY HAUNTED HOUSE BEFORE THE GHOSTS KILL YOU.
 Now, let's talk about the things I DIDN'T particularly enjoy.
 First of all, it was way too short. I wanted to know so much more about what would happen to Casey. The other two Poison Apple books I've read thus far all had very satisfactory endings, and they also felt a lot longer, despite all of them being relatively the same length. After the fire, I expected there to be some more conversation between Casey and her parents; just something to resolve the whole narrative.
 And speaking of her parents, they were AWFUL. As in most of these books, I've noticed that despite being initially kind and supportive, the parents in Poison Apple are terrible at listening to their children and trusting them. Poor Emma-Rose was completely brushed off by her mother when she expressed genuine fear over Great-Aunt Margo potentially being a vampire, and Casey's parents were insanely selfish. Her father yelled at her when she was absolutely terrified, saying that the summer house was his and her mother's dream and that she was ruining it. Wow, what a great thing to say to your child when you uprooted her from her home with barely any notice beforehand AT THE START OF SUMMER VACATION and had her live in a run-down shack without any liveable ammenities and no social interaction. Not to mention that emergency services were almost impossible to reach, so if the poor kid got hurt moreso than she already had by the time the book ended, she'd be in danger.
 Let's not forget how Casey was the only one getting injured in that house. How could he say that she was ruining their good time when she was getting injured left and right? And even if she WAS faking it, if a child is hurting themselves because they don't want to be someplace, then that child should be removed from that environment as soon as possible because clearly it isn't good for her mind. Poor kid.
 They didn't even let her stay with them during the night because she was scared. Let me get this straight. So, she's too young to have a say in their summer plans, but too old to sleep with them because she feels unsafe in a strange and honestly dangerous place? Wow, such great parents. Someone! Quick! Get them a medal!
 I'm very upset about this.
 Also her friend Jillian was sooo fake. I understand that she should still enjoy her summer vacation even if Casey wasn't with her, but the fact that she didn't try harder to listen to Casey and acknowledge how terrified she was also makes her a not-so-great best friend. Way to go, Jillian. Friend of the year award for this one, for sure.
 Erik was a much better friend, and that's not saying much, but it still should be said. I get the whole "teasing a girl because you think she's cute" thing, but given Casey's circumstances, I thought it was in very poor taste; especially when he was aware of how badly affected other kids were from sneaking into that place for not even an hour. He should have known better, but like I said, he's still better than most of the other characters she interacts with.
 I think he defnitely becomes a better person as the story progresses, and I think it has something to do with his interactions with Casey. He learns to be more understanding of her very obvious anxiety problem, which no one else in her life seems to comprehend, and he actually gives her a bit of exposure therapy by shoving her into the water and showing her that it wasn't as scary as she felt it was. The only reason why it didn't make me mad was because it made Casey happy that she had faced her fear, so therefore, I'm happy for her.
 Millie's ghost was complicated for me. I had intially thought it was plausible that Millie was psychic somehow, which is why she was able to see Casey in the mirror and be able to sense the marbles and whatnot, but I don't see how that correlates with her becoming a ghost. I don't think that psychics would be any different from other people in those regards, but maybe it did. She must have had some kind of connection with Casey. Does Casey's anxiety have to do with something similar? But other kids who went into the house also felt like it was haunted, so maybe it's just a kid thing? I don't know. I know they say that kids are more aware of the supernatural, so it makes sense, but then what was Millie's story? I have yet to read the other Poison Apple books, so I don't know if psychics come up in the other books, so maybe there's more info about them. I don't think her being one had anything to do with her becoming a ghost.
 I don't see how Millie was being so protective of Casey, especially when it became obvious that hurting her wasn't going to make the parents want to leave. Fixing up the house meant more to them than their child's happiness and safety, so it wasn't the best move. I don't think Millie started the fire, especially since the parents didn't bother to replace the antique electrical wiring in the house and ACTUALLY THOUGHT that plugging in modern appliances wouldn't start a fire (ugh). I'd thought that the house had been haunted by some other spirit prior to Millie moving in, because of all the weird things that happened around the house before she died. Also, her getting locked in that suitcase HAD to have been the other spirit, because trunks don't do that. They close, but you need to use a key to lock it. There had to have been a malevolent spirit in the house that killed Millie and, I think, tried to kill Casey. As a matter of fact, I think the only times Millie was actually in the book was the mirror and the marble (Millie had a connection with both because she had been psychic), the attic with the trunk, and the scene where she saves her from the fire. Everything else had to be the other thing.
 The good news is, the fire probably got rid of everything. Casey felt that Millie had finally moved on, and since she no longer felt the bad presence either, then the fire probably got rid of it, too.
 Oh, and then her parents just uproot them again and say they're leaving Stillness, not even asking Casey if she's okay with that. She's just been through a traumatic experience (no help from them in escaping the fire, by the way), and they're still not respecting her. We hate to see it.
 I did, however, appreciate Casey's newfound sense of bravery, since she is now confident that she can continue having a relationship with Erik and that she would find a solution. Girlboss mentality.
 All in all, a good book. I wish it had wrapped things up a little more, but it was able to make me care, and that's a good thing.

This Totally Bites! (Poison Apple, #2) by Ruth Ames

 This is the second Poison Apple book I've read! I really enjoyed this one, too! Getting some backstory on what happened prior to the events of At First Bite was great. I honestly wish that Emma-Rose and Ashley could have remained friends throughout the rest of the series, but knowing that Ashley found Emma-Rose to be kind of unsettling and weird was pretty funny.
 I bought this book for a funny reason. I found out about the Poison Apple and Rotten Apple series on New Years Day this year, and I decided I wanted to read them all at some point. Well, not too long ago, I posted some artwork on TikTok and someone left an image comment saying that my art looked like the artwork from these books!
 That was one of the more specific compliments my work has received.
 The image they had posted was of this particular book's cover, so I decided to buy a few of them and get to reading.
 This book was a fun read. Emma-Rose not being a vampire at the end was expected, but her having some vampiric traits was somehow better. I didn't really appreciate how Great-Aunt Margo handled the situation, and the way she kind of talked down to Emma-Rose and tried to explain away her traits. I think Emma-Rose's uniqueness should have been given greater heed, because her having the same tastes and physical attributes of a vampire while also not being a vampire should have been investigated further. What if she could play a greater role in vampire society because she actually possesses one specific power and literally every other attribute? Wouldn't that make her an anomaly? Great-Aunt Margo didn't seem to think so, but my personal interpretation is that she would eventually have a greater part to play in their society in the future.
 In short, I liked this one!

At First Bite (Poison Apple, #8) by Ruth Ames

 This is the first Poison Apple book I've read so far, and I absolutely love this series.
 I really love how style-oriented all of the Poison Apple books are, and from what I've read up until this point, At First Bite definitely has a ton of style. I love how glamorous Ashley's whole life and vibe is, and seeing the vampire aesthetic in a place like Los Angeles really appealed to me, as I've never seen it done this way before. Having a more preppy character like Ashley possess a darker, vampiric side was fascinating, because usually girl characters who get turned into vampires have a pretty standard look, comparatively speaking.
 It wasn't a long read, and I was able to get through it all in one sitting. While I'm always more drawn to zombie stories myself, this book definitely made vampires seem a lot more interesting to me. The idea of managing being a vampire as a modernized lifestyle change was really cool, because it made Ashley being able to find relatability in other people who understood her feel like a relief.
 I've always enjoyed reading about characters who develop a great deal throughout a narrative, and seeing Ashley grow and become a better person was very refreshing, and I was rooting for her throughout the entire thing. Poor girl was going through it, especially with the bullying.
 I loved all the fashion references, and I loved how I was able to catch most of them. I'm a BIG fashion lover, so getting to read about different outfits really gave me some inspiration for new pieces I would want to buy next time I go shopping.  This book was great, would definitely recommend!

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 Where do I even begin with this actual work of art?
 I love this book with every fibre of my being. Aside from the fact that the main character and I share the same name (close enough, anyways), and we both look startlingly similar to one another, it's just so beautiful.
 I read this book before reading The Secret Garden many years ago, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I remember the first time I read it, I was seated on the back porch in the summer. It was a magical experience.
 My plan at the time was to read this book first - which took place in the colder months - and then read The Secret Garden right after, because it takes place in the warmer months.
 It was just so inspirational, I couldn't put it down. It didn't make me cry like the movie adaptation often made me feel like doing (which I also happen to love), but it definitely tugged at my heartstrings. There was so much strength that the main character expressed in all of her words and actions. It inspired me to be better in the face of worser things.
 The conclusion of the story was more than satisfactory. Burnett's stories never fail when it comes to writing the perfect ending. I've always liked to think that Sara's father returns to her and her new guardian sometime after the story's end, similar to how it happened in the movie. I've always appreciated that deviation from the original plotline, and I think it would be nice.
 Either way, it's perfect.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

 I read this book for my horror literature class, and it's the book that, so to speak, brought me back to life.
 I had felt dead for a long time prior to delving into this story, after a long and tiresome year. I had, in the process, lost my love of reading and simply could not bring myself to open up a book and enjoy a good story.
 Mary Shelley managed to change all of that.
 I was immediately enchanted by the Creature, so much so that I had no choice but to include him as a character in my Princess Zombie series. I had been looking for a fairytale character to include in Snow White's story, and he turned out to be the perfect addition to the story. Everything about his journey is absolutely tragic, and along the way, I found myself relating to him in ways I wished I didn't. Isolation is a terrible thing, and the Creature showed just how terrible it can truly be.
 I did not care for Victor very much, but I never hated him, though I did feel very disappointed in him. Hating Victor, or anyone in the story for that matter, goes against the inherent feminist narrative underlining the entire narrative.
 To hate is to be a man.
 The Creature only became violent because of the men in his life. No woman ever hurt him in the story, none whatever. The absence of women in the story only lead to heartache, and the worst absence of them all was Victor's own mother. Her death was the very cause of Victor's descent into depravity, but his madness gave birth to a beautiful work of Creation that should have been shown love, kindness, and care. Instead, because of Victor's own fallen selfhood, his Creation was abandoned.
 Though the version of the story that Percy Shelley edited leaves the Creature's fate, and the entire narrative, quite ambiguous (as is to be expected of a man, regretfully), Mary Shelley's original version had a bit more hope for the Creature's ultimate fate. After all, there is no wood in the North Pole with which to build a funeral pike, and if death cannot take the Creature's pain away, then he will have no choice but to live with it.
 There are only ever happy endings, and if it is not happy, then it is not the end.
 Though we can assume a million different hopeful outcomes for the Creature, I decided to put my own spin on it and include him in the book series I've been conceptualizing.
 The Guillermo del Toro adaptation is one of my favorites thus far, because it captures the Creature's innocent nature PERFECTLY. From a writer's perspective, I can already tell that del Toro understood the narrative with all his heart and soul. It is my belief that Shelley would have loved it as well, as he managed to properly present the emotions of the original version of the story, with its hopeful elements, without falter.
 I love it. I love the Creature, the book, and the story. Definitely a new favorite classic.