Tag Archives: Courtney Alameda

Sisters of Sorrow Volume 1. by Kurt Sutter, Courtney Alameda & Heonjin Kim

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview

Title: Sisters of Sorrow Volume 1
Author: Kurt Sutter, Courtney Alameda & Heonjin Kim
Series: Sisters of Sorrow #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Feminism, Graphic novels
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Graphic novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

Sisters of Sorrow Volume 1 is a seriously dark and twisty graphic novel. I mean, it starts with a domestic violence homicide and then just… spirals from there. And honestly, this is exactly how I seem to like my graphic novels. Dark, twisty and filled with a surprising amount of violence. It also left me thinking. A lot. After I turned the final page. And I think that that too is the mark of a good graphic novel for my shelves.

At its core, Sisters of Sorrow Volume 1 is all about women who are filled with feminist rage. Honestly, there’s a reason why I liked it so much – these are women who are 1000% done with the system and the lack of protection that it offers. It is about a group of women who have been so brutalised that they have zero fucks left to give. And, honestly, I was right there beside them. The feminist rage that screamed and yelled in the pages, I felt that down to my very soul.

Even though I loved how this feminist rage was displayed, it did make me kind of sad to read this. Because I feel like it is such an accurate reflection of the world as we know it at the moment. I wish that this felt like a fantasy. But honestly, the older I get, the more society seems to be moving into a direction that protects the aggressors. And, as much as I enjoyed this, it made me sad to read this story. People senselessly losing their lives because of a system and social injustices that are rife in the world.

To match the incredible darkness of this story, the images and artwork in this graphic novel is gloriously dark. There is a little gore, and everything is done in dark tones. I can’t wait to read more in this story to see how this gorgeous artwork continues to tell this dark tale.

<- More Courtney AlamedaSisters of Sorrow Volume 2 ->

Image source: Head Hunters Holo Suite

Shutter by Courtney Alameda

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

ShutterTitle: Shutter
Author: Courtney Alameda
Series: Shutter #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: I eyed my bedroom door hinges.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

LOCK, STOCK, AND LENS, SHE’S IN FOR ONE HELL OF A WEEK.

As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, Micheline Helsing has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual. The corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She’s aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz who developed the camera’s technology; Jude, who sees death before it occurs; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever. When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly sickness spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn’t exorcise their entities in seven days, she and her friends are dead. Can she track down and destory a nightmare more powerful than anything she’s ever faced before the week is up?

Thoughts

I really liked this story. I loved the incorporation of Van Helsing and Bram Stoker into a modern day horror tale. The fast pace and Micheline’s terrifying past all help to create a slightly terrifying world and a hunt where the stakes are as high as they can possibly be. Actually, this really inspired me to buy and read Dracula, since it features so heavily within the storyline and construction of Micheline’s world.

Although this story is heavily based on the premise of Dracula, I loved the originality and uniqueness of the tale. I’ve read a lot of paranormal and vampire stories, but the creatures in this are far more terrifying. Actually I had to stop myself from reading this before I went to bed… mostly because it gave me some amazingly vivid (and weird) dreams. I love when the descriptions and writing are so realistic that it seeps into my psyche. And, luckily this one did so.

There is always a bit of romantic entanglement in a good story. It helps to heighten the risks and stakes of the battle. Sometimes it’s a little too predictable and boring. Which, honestly, I was half expecting this story to have that kind of love story. It is about two teenagers, one who is effectively royalty, after all. But that certainly wasn’t the case. Although it might come as no surprise to see who ends up with who, but the angst and the journey is far more enjoyable than I thought it would be. And it’s a big part of what has made me hope that there might be another journey on the horizon for these four amazing characters.

 <- Fixer Review Trigger Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Kisses and Curses edited by Lauren Burniac

Book Review, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Overview

Kisses and CursesTitle: Kisses and Curses
Author: Lauren Burniac, Marissa Meyer, Marie Rutkoski, Jennifer Mathieu, Anna Banks, Emmy Laybourne, Courtney Alameda, Jessica Brody, Ann Aguirre, Lish McBride, Lindsay Smith, Katie Finn, Caragh M. O’Brien, Nikki Kelly, Gennifer Albin & Leigh Bardugo
In: Kisses and Curses (Lauren Burniac)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: “And I don’t know any other girls who skate, but it could still be kind of cool.”

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

EVERY PAGE MORE FIERCE THAN THE LAST.

Enjoy a good monster love story? Or a dark, Russian-style folktale? How about a flashback to the secrets of a cyborg’s past, a post-apocalyptic romance, or a conversation between a boy and Death’s dead assistant, while both sit in a diner and eat waffles?

Whether you’re already a Fierce Reads fan or you’re a fan-to-be, this short story collection will satisfy your every bookish craving! Featuring multi-genre tales from some of the hottest YA authors around, including Ann Aguirre, Courtney Alameda, Gennifer Albin, Anna Banks, Leigh Bardugo, Jessica Brody, Katie Finn, Nikki Kelly, Emmy Laybourne, Jennifer Mathieu, Lish McBride, Marissa Meyer, Caragh M. O’Brien, Marie Rutkoski, and Lindsay Smith.

By turns uplifting and sad, light-hearted and powerful, startling and laugh-out-loud, these bite-sized gems have one thing in common: You won’t be able to put them down!

Thoughts

I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved this collection. It is everything that a short story collection should be – a common thread throughout the tales, but such a diverse array of tales that constantly draw you in. I had no idea about any of the authors in this collection, except for Marissa Meyer, and now I have a new set of 12 authors to dive into.

The fact that each of these tales is part of a greater series worked beautifully. Although, there were a few spoilers throughout. Which was a little disappointing. And makes me not only want to read all of these series, but also gives a hint as to what is going to happen in each of them. The wide array of styles and tales throughout made me thoroughly entrapped.

If you like fantasy tales, this is definitely a collection worth reading. It is also a great way to find new authors if you need to add to your library… maybe make sure you have a little bit of surplus cash before you crack the spine of this though.

 <- The Too-Clever Fox Review Glitches Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Fixer by Courtney Alameda

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Kisses and CursesTitle: Fixer
Author: Courtney Alameda
Series: Shutter #0.6
In: Kisses and Curses (Lauren Burniae)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: I stop, wondering when Micheline became my girl.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Ryder has recently rescued the girl he loves from a horrific monster – but that doesn’t mean that the battle is won. Both Micheline and Ryder are left with scars that they are trying to overcome.

Thoughts

This book has made me incredibly curious about the larger Shutter world in general. The idea of one of the descendants of Van Helsing is fun, although I’m still a little bit hazy as to what the team is hunting in the first place. It feels like a dark, demonic hybrid of a vampire, but I’m going to buy the novel to actually find out.

I found this a really interesting story – it flicked between the present day (and the aftermath of THAT NIGHT) to well, That Night. It’s a great way to see the harm that is inflicted upon Ryder in his attempt to save Micheline. The team’s risk and the ways in which this all interrelates is really fun and interesting. And something that I can’t wait to read more about.

The other thing that I really enjoyed about this story was how the name connected to the last scene. It seemed very random and non-descriptive when I first started reading this, but once the story actually unfolded, I finally understood it. And loved it. Which is why I immediately jumped online to actually buy my copy of Shutter.

 <- Trigger Review Shutter Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Trigger by Courtney Alameda

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

TriggerTitle: Trigger
Author: Courtney Alameda
Series: Shutter #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Tor Books
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: The Bay Bridge stretched from San Francisco to Oakland, covering about eight miles of open water.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat – a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. Now she’s facing one of her most challenging ghost hunts ever. Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a ride.

Thoughts

This is a really interesting novella. I read the short story Fixer before I read this, and the tragedy in Michelline’s future hasn’t quite yet occurred. So it’s nice to see how she is stuck between two worlds – that of her father and mother and two legacies. Yet, Michelline’s gumption somehow saves the day. Albeit in a very destructive manner.

I’m really enjoying the single word names for Alameda’s Shutter series. Somehow they manage to explain exactly the topic and trend of the story. I love how one simple word might seem a little bizarre as a title at the beginning of the tale, but by the end I have this beautiful light bulb moment where everything makes sense and it seems so glaringly obvious.

Now I just have to wait for Shutter to appear in the mail…

 <- Shutter Review Fixer Review ->
Image source: Goodreads