What Lies Beneath by Richard P. Denney

Synopsis:

What would you do if you thought your psycho ex-boyfriend was haunting you from beyond the grave? 

When Blair Lewis is left for dead in a freezing lake, she can't get over the fact that her boyfriend tried to kill her. And when she begins to receive disturbing gifts and letters from her supposed dead boyfriend, she attempts to figure out what is going on before the darkness consumes her. Nothing is as it seems and the startling truth is going to rip Blair right out of this world. 

Is Blair simply losing her mind? Or is something vicious and dark after her sanity and soul?

Rating: ★★★★

Review:

Oh my damn! Don't read this before bed or if you're alone because you will be very paranoid. 

I loved that the plot was held at the perfect pace, not dragging on but also not rushing through. I think this is perfect for everyone's Halloween TBR or if you just want something creepy RIGHT NOW and you should. My only problem was that the closer I got to the end I could kind of see what was going to happen. 

I really liked how all of the characters were used throughout the story. I love when an author puts their characters in specific roles and keeps them playing it for the entirety of the story. Also, I loved that we have a trans character in the story, Max, but I love it even more because Max isn't put on a pedestal just for being trans. We still get to read and not be reminded on every page that he's mention on about his sexual orientation. 

This is one of the creepiest books I've ever read and it ended in true horror movie fashion. 

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Synopsis:

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orleans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orleans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful. But it's not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orleans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision. With the future of Orleans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever. Dhonielle Clayton creates a rich, detailed, decadent world of excess and privilege, where beauty is not only skin-deep, but a complete mirage. Weaving deeper questions about the commodification of women's bodies, gender equality, racial identity, and vanity with high-stakes action and incredible imagery, The Belles is the must-read epic of the season. 

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release Date: Feb. 20, 2018

Rating: ★★★★

Review:

I received this novel from Disney Hyperion and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is officially one of my favorite novels of the year and may go down as one of my all time faves. The Belle world was so beautiful, though it was not ideal, it was still set up as a very colorful and magical world. The attention to detail that the author gave in in this book was so freaking phenomenal I could cry. Sometimes I did feel like the imagery in some areas was a bit in the overkill zone but on the other hand everything was described with such A-1 detail it really makes you wonder how creepy it would be if people really came out looking like the Gris and depended on beings like the belles to make them beautiful. Beauty hurts.

Even though I really appreciated all of the world and character building sadly, I think this made the plot take off a little slow for me. I thought the tale of how "The Belles" came to be in the beginning of the book was really cute and a good way to start the book off. By starting off in a light hearted manner then slow getting more intense throughout the plot really has a way of keeping your attention in the story.

Character wise I'm glad that we kind of glanced over most of the older Belles seeing that it wouldn't have made sense to go into detail about characters that weren't going to make a difference in the plot. Thank you Dhonielle for not wasting our time. Cameilla is definitely a love to hate character as in everyone can relate to her but at the same time everyone will also judge her for the exact same reasons why they relate to her. My favorite character, hands down, had to be Remy. He's 100% fictional husband material and I'm not even sure if my attention was supposed to be drawn to him but I love him 😍😍!!! Also, being in the presence of Princess Sophie was like walking on nail and trying not to breathe too hard because it might piss her off and I'm going to leave it at that.

I really hated reading this and seeing these girls be legit slaves their entire existences to people that act like they're more of objects than human beings.(Que the flashback to slavery times) And I'm using the word hate as in it hurt my feelings to know from the time they were created, they never got to live and do what they truly wanted and never got the chance to learn from their mistakes.

The betrayal was so real, even though I caught a hint of it from the start, with everything going on it slipped my mind and it really hurt to see it play out. I loved the climax at end so much. There was just so much tension and action going on I felt like I couldn't breathe until I read the last word. I think it goes without saying I can't wait for book two and I hope I don't have to wait too much longer.

Unstoppable Octobia May by Sharon G. Flake

Synopsis:

Bestselling and award-winning author Sharon G. Flake delivers a mystery set in the 1950s that eerily blends history, race, culture, and family. Octobia May is a girl filled with questions. Her heart condition makes her special--and, some folks would argue, gives this ten-year-old powers that make her a "wise soul." Thank goodness for Auntie, who convinces Octobia's parents to let her live in her boarding house that is filled with old folks. That's when trouble, and excitement, and wonder begin. Auntie is nontraditional. She's unmarried and has plans to purchase other boarding homes and hotels. At a time when children, and especially girls, are "seen, not heard," Auntie allows Octobia May the freedom and expression of an adult. When Octobia starts to question the folks in her world, an adventure and a mystery unfold that beg some troubling questions: Who is black and who is "passing" for white? What happens when a vibrant African American community must face its own racism?And, perhaps most important: Do vampires really exist? In her most unusual and probing novel yet, Sharon G. Flake takes us on a heart-pumping journey.

Rating:★★★★

Review:

This was my 3rd audio book experience and my faith in audio books has been restored. I haven't read a middle grade novel in a while so I was a little scared I wasn't going to like this but god was I wrong.

Sadly, it did take me about 8 chapters to get into the story but that could have been due to me doing other stuff while I was listening to this and possibly nothing to so with the actual plot. I laughed so hard at Octobia's & Jonah's shenanigans it was ridiculous and I was pretty invested in the neighborhood mystery. (Side note: I don't know about anyone else but I got major "Hey Arnold" vibes.) Also, I did get through this whole audio book in 1 day at 1.5 & 1.75 speed so, it is a pretty quick read and it was just that captivating to me.

One of the things I loved the most was that this book also had it's teaching moments mixed in with the "fun" mystery solving. I recommended this to everyone, even if you're hesitant about middle grade.

WARNING!!!! This book is set back in the day so the N word (negro) is used, not often or over killed, just throughout the dialect of that time period, just in case this may bother some readers.

Electric Arches by Eve L. Ewing

Synopsis:

Electric Arches is an imaginative exploration of black girlhood and womanhood through poetry, visual art, and narrative prose. Blending stark realism with the fantastical, Ewing takes us from the streets of Chicago to an alien arrival in an unspecified future, deftly navigating boundaries of space, time, and reality with delight and flexibility.

Rating:★★★½

Review:

I thought this was beautifully written and I just love the fact that she wrote a poem to the one and only Eryka Badu and one about something as simple as freaking Shea butter!!!

I'm not sure if it's because I read this in Kindle format or not but I found it nearly impossible to clearly see and understand the drawings included and also there were almost clip art like pieces of writing that fonts we were way too small and smashed together to read. Those were pretty frustrating moments for me seeing that I had to skip over whole paragraphs at times, due to them being illegible. This made me feel like I was reading only part of the book and not the whole book. 

I wouldn't recommend reading this in kindle or e book format but I would recommend it in physical form.