Ed Undead: The Chronicles of a Teenage Zombie (Edward Kent)

Synopsis:  
An unknown virus has turned most of the world into flesh eating zombies, and one teenager, Ed Kirk, has contracted it, but it is working through him slowly and he doesn’t know why. He finds his girlfriend, Lisa Jane, and together they fight to get out of their small town and seek help, meeting up with some strangers along the way. Will they be friends or foe? At the same time, they are being pursued by a dark force unknown to them. They must try to find help or a cure before Ed completely turns.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
It seems that this will be the year of zombies for me. I don't think I ever particularly cared about them until this year, when I read Zombicorn by John Green and saw REC3 (I recommend it to anyone who would appreciate a cheesy, violent spanish movie about a disease that turns people into flesh eating monsters from Hell).
This was such a fast-paced survival story set in a world where a plague as turn almost everyone into zombies. The main character, Ed, is slowly turning into one and he's fighting, alongside his girlfriend, to find a cure for his condition. In my opinion, he was a really cute character, and it was a pleasure to read from his point of view. But he also felt a bit unrealistic at times, like maybe he was too perfect, too much of a good guy.
I did love his relationship with Lisa, his girlfriend. You could really feel the love they had for each other, and nothing could keep them apart, not even (partial) death. Overall, it was kind of cheesy, but just enough that it didn't make me hate it and gave the story the cute moments and pauses it sometimes needed.The zombies they run into in their journey were people they once knew and the flash backs Ed gets at times really show the realness of the situation and it all felt very personal and emotional. It truly gave this story another side to look into: the side that breaks your heart when you think 'What if I was in this situation?' It was so moving and sad, and it might have been my favourite part about Ed Undead and the one I don't feel there's anything negative to point out. It just shows how a teenager would see this situation and deal with everything he knew gone.
I would have liked to get to know a bit more about some of the side characters, like the mother and daughter they run into. Sometimes I forgot they were there because everything kind of revolved around Ed and Lisa.
Also, Ed's sister and father really got to my nerves, but that is not even a bad thing, it was exactly like I felt you were supposed to feel about them and I think the author did that very well.
Finally, I absolutely loved the ending. I wasn't expecting it at all, but I feel like I should have. It caught me by surprise and left me there wishing I had the next book in my hands.
I will definitely be reading Dead Like Me, because this book raised so many questions that were left unanswered. Overall completely recommend it, especially to a younger public.

The Squidder (Ben Templesmith)

Synopsis:  
This all-new story finds an old soldier from a forgotten war in a post-apocalyptic world that has left him behind.
He was one of the last of the legendary Squidder Legions. Can a discarded relic with a death wish and a rebellious Squid priestess overthrow humanity’s tentacled alien overlords?
Ben Templesmith returns to his roots to finally do the tentacle/Cthulhu-orientated book he's always promised! The Squidder mixes action, horror, science fiction, and fantasy elements with a touch of Squidly destruction.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I had never, in my life, thought I would be reading something like this. Yet, here we are.
This was nothing like I could have ever imagined, but everything I was in the mood for at the time that I read it.
First of all, I can't even begin to fathom the amount of imagination that went into building something like this. I'm not going to lie, this honestly makes me question *someone's* mental health... but in a good way.
The plot was genius, horrific, extremely violent, disturbing and... unnatural, to say the least, although also a little confusing at times (hence the 4 stars instead of 5).The characters were so badass, strong and memorable, and their backstories showed that even a grotesque post-apocalyptic story about squids, such as this one, can make us feel real things, other than dread and repulsion. It ended up being an extremely emotionally driven plot and that really took 'The Squidder' to the next level. Guys, it's not just about the squids!
Finally, the art. I usually talk about this first, but in this case I felt it needed to be here. It needed it's own recommendation. I can't even begin to describe how I felt about the art. Throughout the whole book I was completely engulfed by the drawings and the colors, they genuinely took my breath away. It really caused an impact on me, it was incredibly powerful and complemented the story really well, better than I'd ever seen before. I was wholeheartedly in love with the contrast between the oranges and reds and the greens, blues and blacks.
All of these factors came together to create an incredibly awesome graphic novel and I long for the day when it will be possible for me to read more of Ben Templesmith's works.

Doctor Who: Lights Out - Twelfth Doctor (Holly Black)

Synopsis:  
As the newly-regenerated Twelfth Doctor arrives on our TV screens, Puffin are publishing the twelfth instalment in its sensational series of Doctor Who eShorts! With 11 previous stories by some of the most exciting names in children's fiction, this Twelfth Doctor ebook is written by bestselling US author Holly Black.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
As someone who is only now barely scraping the surface of the Doctor Who fandom, I would say reading short stories and books of this sort are a great thing.
I must admit I am kind of afraid of the idea of Doctor Who, but it's that kind of fear that is born from admiration, respect and fascination. I have always been so intrigued by it since I was very young and I always felt kind of pressured to know everything I possibly could, mostly to understand references. The truth is that Doctor Who has become part of our history and culture and there is no way to deny it.
Also, Holly Black wrote this, so it could only be good. She is one of those authors I hear everything good there is to say about an author and I've been dying to read one of her books.
So, for these reasons, I decided to request this book. This was very short story revolving around the 12th Doctor. In my opinion, as the very unknowledgeable fan I am, I found it the perfect short story. You can read it in an hour, yet it fills you with everything awesome Doctor Who has to offer.
Everytime I see/read a Doctor Who episode/book I can't help but fall in love with the Doctor's quirky personality (to say the least) and this no exception. I always find it mindblowing how short stories like this one can make you feel so passionate about the story that is being told.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that 'Lights Out' is exactly how everything related to Doctor Who should be: weird, fantastical, original and kind of mind*ucking. It really shows you, if you didn't already believe, that you can do anything from the basic premiss 'Doctor Who', if you just use your imagination. Anything you can imagine, no matter how weird it seems, Doctor Who makes it awesome.
Finally, Holly Black's writing was everything I hoped and more. It was so whimsical and elegant but also fits so well with what she is telling us.
Overall, this was such an enjoyable, quick read and I am excited/nervous but mainly excited to dig deeper into the universe that is Doctor Who.

A Darker Shade of Magic preview excerpt (V.E. Schwab)

Release Date: February 24th 2015

Synopsis:  
From V.E. Schwab, the critically acclaimed author of Vicious, comes a new universe of daring adventure, thrilling power, and parallel Londons, beginning with A Darker Shade of Magic.
Kell is one of the last Travelers—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes—as such, he can choose where he lands. There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne—a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London...but no one speaks of that now.Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see—a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations, first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—and that is proving trickier than they hoped.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I have heard nothing but amazing reviews of Victoria Schwab's books and writing, so when I saw this on Netgalley I immediately requested it... without realising it was just a preview excerpt. So I guess you could say I felt mixed things when I found out I had been accepted to review it.
I think that was part of the reason this took me so long to get through. I knew that I wouldn't get to see how it ended for a long time, and that it wouldn't count toward my reading goal (what a great excuse).Still, I don't regret reading it at all. How could I?
Victoria's writing feels so complete and labyrinthine (as in complex and rich - probably not making myself very clear, but that's how it felt to me). The world was so well built, from what I could see, and I can only describe it exactly like the writing: complete and labyrinthine. They complement each other in a way that brings to life what I believe will be an amazing full book, once I get to read it.
I am wholeheartedly in love with every single character, especially Kell. You could fell his story unfold with every chapter and I would love to know more about him, and what he learned after the end of this preview. Lila was a badass and I think she will be an amazing female character. I would love to see how this two character's stories intertwine. For some reason, I really felt a connection with Holland. I love the mystery that surrounds him and I'm intrigued to see where he fits in the end.
In conclusion, I loved what I read and I hope I get to read the full book once it comes out, which should be, like, yesterday. This was so good I had to look up words in a dictionary, and I still couldn't find the right ones. Basically, magic, multiple Londons, blood and did I say magic?

Shutter, Vol. 1: Wanderlost (Joe Keatinge - writer, Leila del Duca - illustrations, Owen Gieni - colors and Ed Brisson)

Release Date: November 25th 2014

Synopsis:  
INDIANA JONES FOR THE 21st CENTURY!
Marvel Knights: Hulk and Glory writer Joe Keatinge teams up with artist extraordinaire Leila del Duca for her Image Comics debut in an all-new ongoing series combining the urban fantasy of Fables and the globe-spanning adventure of Y: The Last Man.
Kate Kristopher, once the most famous explorer of an Earth far more fantastic than the one we know, is forced to return to the adventurous life she left behind when a family secret threatens to destroy everything she spent her life protecting.
Collects Shutter #1-6.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I don't even really know how to describe this book.
Wanderlost was an immensely original and weird collection of comics.
It was basically a gigantic emotional rollercoaster. It was sad, exciting, fun, adventurous, mysterious and mind blowing, all at the same time.
First of all, the story was incredibly fast paced, powerful and energetic. It kept me on the edge of my seat for two hours and I couldn't put it down until I was sure I had finished it. Although I was a bit confused in the beginning, (almost) everything became clear as the story progressed.
The art was so colorful, dynamic and actually kind of poignant and nostalgic, exactly what the story was trying to portray. I can't see it being any different. It was perfect during the entire book.The main character, Kate, has been though a lot in her life, and as everything she believed to be true shatters into nothingness, she develops in ways we couldn't imagine when we saw her at the age of seven. She was badass and a very strong female character, that just had to accept that everything was changing.
At her side, we meet a diverse and interesting set of characters, all fascinating and important to every part of the story, particularly her sidekick, Alarm Cat, and Chris (spoiler?). They were absolutely adorable and a great source of comic relieve in the intense plot.
I really appreciated the flashbacks that we got through the story that gave the backstories of some of the main characters. They were precisely where they were needed and ended at exactly the right place to give us enough information but keep us hooked to see the aftermath of such memories.
In general, I can say without a doubt that that cliffhanger might have ruined my life, because Gods know when I will be able to read what happens next.
Recommend this to anyone who doesn't mind a few splattered guts every now and then.

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act (Kieron Gillen and Jamie Mckelvie - Illustrations)

Synopsis:  
Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever. Collects THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #1-5.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
This was one of the weirdest and most original graphic novels I have read recently.
First of all, the art was amazing, I could tape it to my walls and I wouldn't get tired of looking at it. The colors were spot-on and you can tell the passion that went into every page.
The characters were all fascinating and unbelievably funny, especially our main character, Laura. The Gods were so sarcastic and rude and I loved every bit.
The plot is completely explosive (literally). It draws you in from page one and you can't help but keep reading until the end. Although the beginning was a bit confusing, the ending still let a lot of questions to be answered and I will definitely read the next volume as soon as it is humanly possible.
One thing I need to point out is that this deals with very unexpected themes, like sexuality (as in subtle homosexuality), mixed-race or non-white characters and even a transgender character.
To add to all this, I always appreciate it when the authors show some cover-art or the process of creating the story itself in the end of the book, so I was extremely pleased with it.
In conclusion, I think this was a perfect example of why I fell in love with graphic novels in the first place and I would recommend this to anyone with a gory sense of humour.

The Room (Jonas Karlsson)

Release Date: January 15th 2015 

Synopsis:  
A quirky and unsettling tale, of dark humour and strange realities, about a bureaucrat, an open plan office and a secret room..
The Authority looks favourably upon meticulousness, efficiency and ambition. Bjorn has all of this in spades, but it's only in the Room that he can really shine. Unfortunately, his colleagues see things differently. In fact, they don't even see the Room at all.
The Room is a short, sharp and fiendish fable in the tradition of Franz Kafka, Samuel Beckett and Charlie Kauffman. If you have ever toiled in an office, felt like the world was against you or questioned the nature of reality then this is the novel for you.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
This is nothing like I usually read and I was positive I wasn't going to enjoy it that much. I was right and so wrong at the same time.
On one side, the characters were all detestable and extremely unreliable narrators, but I absolutely loved every minute of this book.
A little introduction in the beginning of the book compares the style of 'The Room' to that of Kafka, and I totally agree. It has the same gift of being able to mess with your mind, leaving everything out of place, while making you question everything you thought was true and everything you believed in.
It points a finger at the reader directly, making sure we see our own faults in these flawed characters and that makes us uncomfortable, the best kind.It's a psychological journey through a story were nothing is certain and, by the end of the book, we get to take our own conclusions, based on what we got out of it. That's the magic of books of this kind (and books in general, but this one takes it to levels is almost impossible to describe).
Honestly, I read this in a day. It kept me wanting more, I couldn't think about anything else but to know how it ended, even though I knew, deep down, that the ending would only raise even more questions, as it did.This was just an immensely mind blowing, surral and desconcerning story that deserves to be read by everyone.

We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a true story (Josh Sundquist)

Synopsis:   
Josh Sundquist only ever had one girlfriend. For twenty-three hours. In eighth grade.
Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong?
The results of Josh's semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot, to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love--or at least a girlfriend--in all the wrong places.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
My first impression when I started reading this was An Abundance of Katherines meets The Fault in our Stars meets What's your number?
Overall this was immensely quirky and adorkable and funny and, most of all, inspirational to levels it's almost impossible to describe.
I could honestly feel every word, every emotion Josh Sundquist wrote, and the fact that this is non-fiction makes makes my heart skip a beat, although it can almost be read as a young-adult contemporary fiction novel. It was brilliant.
I completely fell in love with the story and the author's voice, his way to look at things, how he looked at his disability, the way he interpreted his girlfriend-less years, the conclusion he got to in the end and, most of all, his heartwarming ending that makes you believe that, in the end, if it's meant to be, it will happen, one way or another.
Honestly, through most of this book, I just wanted to hug him and tell him we could totally hand out sometime. I was so invested in all of this I watched almost all of Josh's videos on Youtube. I wanted more.
In conclusion, this was probably one of the cutest books I will read this year. It was perfection of a memoir, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to feel happy. I have no doubt that We Should Hang Out Sometime is going to make every day better and make you feel warm and complete inside.

Kinski (Gabriel Hardman)

Synopsis:  
A salesman's self-styled mission to save a puppy from its neglectful owners escalates into a righteous crusade in this quirky crime thriller written and drawn by GABRIEL HARDMAN (Hulk, Heathentown, Planet of the Apes). Collects KINSKI #1-6

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
Honestly, I didn't know exactly what I was going to find in this graphic novel. They are always an adventure. I knew this one was about a dog, and that was as much convincing as I needed.
I must say I read this in 15 minutes. It was just fast-paced, full-on classic graphic-novel goodness. I had a really nice rhythm and flow, and you could totally just look at this as one small story that completely stays with you.
That being said, it was a very bizarre and interesting story, to say the least. It revolves around a cute black puppy, but it's so much more than that in so many ways. It's more of a character study and a fascinating journey through the subconscious of this man and his love for Kinski.
I think this is an extremely metaphorical book and the art portrays that in a way that is almost impossible to describe.
Finally, although I did find the plot to be a bit confusing at times, the full picture is so much more important and I can only say that not everyone is going to enjoy it: we have to see the deeper meaning of Kinski as a whole and I found that a beautiful part of the reading experience.

Floating Boy and the Girl Who Couldn't Fly (Stephen Graham Jones and Paul Tremblay)

Synopsis:  
Things Mary doesn't want to fall into: the river, high school, her mother's life.
Things Mary does kind of want to fall into: love, the sky.
This is the story of a girl who sees a boy float away one fine day. This is the story of the girl
who reaches up for that boy with her hand and with her heart. This is the story of a girl who
takes on the army to save a town, who goes toe-to-toe with a mad scientist, who has to fight a plague to save her family. This is the story of a girl who would give anything to get to babysit her baby brother one more time. If she could just find him.
It's all up in the air for now, though, and falling fast. . . .
Fun, breathlessly exciting, and full of heart, Floating Boy and the Girl Who Couldn't Fly is an unforgettable ride.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
This was nothing like I expected it was going to be, but maybe it was even better.
The book in general was very strange, and you could sense it growing into something a whole lot stranger, and I loved it. It was exactly the kind of thing that I loved to read at the time that I did.
The plot was so fast-paced: there was never a boring moment because something was always happening.
From the very beginning I felt such a connection with Mary, the main character: she was extremely relatable and funny and I think I marked like 10 pages, just with her jokes. I mean, she calls her religious family members 'muggles'...
I really loved 'Floating Boy' and his story. He was adorable and that made this story adorable and I was either laughing at Mary's jokes or aww-ing at 'Floating Boy'. Same goes for Mary's little brother and his newly-found appreciation for the whole floating thing.I also thoroughly enjoyed the religious characters, the Claremonts, and Mary's idea of them. It was an unexpected addition to the story and it was one of the main sources for the humour in this book.
And although, like I mentioned before, this is a very funny book, it was also serious. Through jokes and anxiety attacks we got to see just how far the floating virus had gone.
With all of that, I would say this was quite predictable, but it wrapped up really nicely and I believe younger reader would find this extraordinarily entertaining.

Henni (Miss Lasko-Gross)

Release Date: January 20th 2015 

Synopsis:  
In a fantastical world where old traditions and religion dominate every aspect of life, lives a girl named Henni.
Unlike most in her village, Henni questions and wonders what the world is like as she comes of age.
Striking out on her own, Henni goes out in search of truth, adventure, and more!
Written and drawn my Miss Lasko Gross (A Mess of Everything and Escape From Special), Henni is a commentary on, religion, coming of age, and being yourself.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
The first thing that needs to be mentioned about Henni is the art, the illustrations, the color-scheme. Everything was so fascinating and completely set the tone for the entire story.
This was certainly a very engaging read, and to me it felt very personal. I connected with the main character, Henni, immmediately... she starts questioning everything, if what she is taught to believe is really all there is, and then leaves on a journey to find out the truth about the world and herself.
All through the story we get valuable life lessons. We can't help but wonder what we truly believe in, what is the right thing, and if it is our right to impose it on everyone else.
This touches very real and present themes that still exist all around us, in our so called 'modern society', in a very philosophical yet simple and understandable way.
I found this to be a genuinely inspirational journey about staying true to your beliefs and fighting for what you think is fair and right.
I definitely recommend this, especially for younger readers, particularly young girls starting to question their place in society.

The Boy Who Drew Monsters (Keith Donohue)

Synopsis:  
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Child comes a hypnotic literary horror novel about a young boy trapped inside his own world, whose drawings blur the lines between fantasy and reality.
Ever since he nearly drowned in the ocean three years earlier, ten-year-old Jack Peter Keenan has been deathly afraid to venture outdoors. Refusing to leave his home in a small coastal town in Maine, Jack Peter spends his time drawing monsters. When those drawings take on a life of their own, no one is safe from the terror they inspire. His mother, Holly, begins to hear strange sounds in the night coming from the ocean, and she seeks answers from the local Catholic priest and his Japanese housekeeper, who fill her head with stories of shipwrecks and ghosts. His father, Tim, wanders the beach, frantically searching for a strange apparition running wild in the dunes. And the boy’s only friend, Nick, becomes helplessly entangled in the eerie power of the drawings. While those around Jack Peter are haunted by what they think they see, only he knows the truth behind the frightful occurrences as the outside world encroaches upon them all.
In the tradition of The Turn of the Screw, Keith Donohue’s The Boy Who Drew Monsters is a mesmerizing tale of psychological terror and imagination run wild, a perfectly creepy read for a dark night.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
The Boy Who Drew Monsters is not a horror book and yet, at the same time, it is.
The biggest assets of this book were the atmosphere that surrounded it and the incredibly developed characters.
As for the fist, I found it to be just perfect for a story like this: mysterious and dark and impersonal. You were seeing it all happen inside your head and it messes up with your mind. You could sense the story slowly building up and becoming more and more like we expect it to be. The climax was so gory and surreal and grim I never saw it coming, at least not like it did.As for the characters, they were such an important part of this story in particular. We get to see this through the perspective of the parents, Tim and Holly, and the boys, Jack and Nick, and that made it possible to present the backstories of these characters, bit by bit, which completely enhanced the reading experience.
This was honestly a very emotional read: Jack Peter's disorder, the thoughts going through his parents minds and Nick's own struggles, they really got to me in a way I didn't expect.
The monster/fantastical part was spot-on. It was introduced gradually and obscurely enough that it completely got under my skin and kept me on the edge of my seat.
The side stories (the shipwreck, the priest, the Japanese housekeeper) they all came together so well with the main plot, and they turned this into a truly horrifying and creepy read.The only 'negative' thing I need to point out is not even negative: the pace was very slow, so it took me a while to read it, but, like I mentioned before, that really contributed to the atmosphere and general feel of the book.
And then came that ending! Never saw it coming and it hit my heart like a wall of stones. It was a beautiful conclusion to this incredible book.
I would definitely recommend this to read at night, under the covers with your lights out, but I would also mention that this is a bit more suitable for older readers, as it contains a bit of violence and gore.