The Marbury Lens By Andrew Smith

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.

There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.

Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.

Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay.

But it’s not.

Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds.

Why Read: I wasn't really planning to read this book this month. I was actually reading another book in my Kindle but ended up not liking it , then I just felt browsing some titles on my e-reader then remembered I had this. I wasn't expecting I was already reading chapter every chapter of this book. I got this on my Kindle because of the rave from booktubers.

What I Liked: Okay I must say I went into this book blind. Not even reading the synopsis nor remember why booktubers rave this. I was even thinking that there is a "The Sixth Sense" vibe in the story because of the glasses that it could see ghosts or monsters that the naked eyes wont see something like that but it all splattered a different and unique premise in my face. Ahaha I was blown by the premise its very unique and the way it was written was really good it was simple easy to follow with my imagination. I somehow related with the protagonists addiction especially with the glasses its like my addiction to books you cant help going back to the book and knowing what happens next. This feels like a lot of things for me in terms of the story and the adventure. If you like the movie The Matrix except of the slick upgrades of the characters or the TV series the walking dead except for the zombies or the computer game Counter Strike, You will definitely enjoy this plus expect of course weird gruesome parts which added a kick for me. The settings is very mysterious and scary to me that I felt as well the struggles in surviving in a horrendous world with the characters. This wrinkled my brain seriously.

What Disappointed Me: NONE!

Book cover is okay. It somehow gives you an idea how the glasses looks like or even a glimpse inside the book which I like in book covers.



A MUST READ! I must say its somehow my first favorite so far for 2015.
HAPPY HAPPY BOOK READING, CHEERS!

172 Hours On The Moon by Johan Harstad and Tara F. Chase

 

It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.
It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.
In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.  



Why Read: I was looking for a spooky novel because of the occasion of course, Halloween.  And I have been seeing this book being raved by a lot of book tubers so I got intrigued and I too joined the hype as well.

What I Like: I like the eeriness feel that it gave me. This novel is more of a thriller with a bit horror sprinkled to it. There were characters thrown in the novel to create that spooky effect of its plot which really did helped made me want more from it, Which is a good thing. Plus the photos and blueprints where great additional to help you visualize the settings. Once the characters sets foot on the moon everything happens fast! It sucked me in like there's no tomorrow. It even have real facts twisted in the story that really intrigued me. My mind exploded once I got to the last page. Seriously! Its an intense read.

What Disappointed Me: One thing that I didn't enjoy where the back stories of the teenagers. My mind is so wrapped up with the mystery of the moon that it frustrated me that I have to read 150 pages of the their back story, well not all but most of it. After 150 pages is the time they just landed on the moon. Aghhh...

From all the book covers that I've seen from this novel. This book cover is great. It gave me the creeps once I finished it with the eye and all cause it somehow related to the story. 

To Be Read Horror Novels

 

Few more days and it'll be Halloween and for this season I planned to share with you guys my TBR (to be read) books for November. I know some of you will be reading Christmas related book for the coming month but not for me. Cause I still consider November a Halloween month for me instead of October. So yeah lets get on with my top TBR list.

 

Just so you know these are randomly numbered, all five are my much anticipated books to be read. okay? :)

1. Feed

by Mira Grant

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop.

The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected.

The truth will get out, even if it kills them.

2. 172 Hours On The Moon

 by Johan Harstad, Tara F. Chace

It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.
It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.
In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.

3. The Marbury Lens

by Andrew Smith

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.

There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.

Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.

Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay.

But it’s not.

Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds.

4. Blackbirds

by Chuck Wendig

Miriam Black knows when you will die.

She’s foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, and suicides.

But when Miriam hitches a ride with Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be murdered while he calls her name. Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim.

No matter what she does she can’t save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to try.

5. Dorothy Must Die

by Danielle Paige

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, and I've been given a mission:

REMOVE
The Tin Woodman's heart,

STEAL
The Scarecrow's brain,

TAKE
The Lion's courage,

And then—

DOROTHY MUST DIE..

The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki

 

 Published by Random House Books for Young Readers 

 August 25th 2009:Hardcover, 288 pages

 Young Adult, Horror and Mystery

Facebook/Goodreads/Link

 

 What if the monsters from your favorite horror books were real?

Eddie Fennicks has always been a loner, content to lose himself in a mystery novel by his favorite author, Nathaniel Olmstead. That’s why moving to the small town of Gatesweed becomes a dream come true when Eddie discovers that Olmstead lived there before mysteriously disappearing thirteen years ago. Even better, Eddie finds a handwritten, never-before-seen Nathaniel Olmstead book printed in code and befriends Harris, who’s as much an Olmsteady as he is. But then the frightening creatures of Olmstead’s books begin to show up in real life, and Eddie’s dream turns into a nightmare. Eddie, Harris, and their new friend, Maggie, must break Olmstead’s code, banish all gremlins and monster lake-dogs from the town of Gatesweed, and solve the mystery of the missing author, all before Eddie’s mom finishes
writing her own tale of terror and brings to life the scariest creature of all.

 

WHY READ: I first saw this book online and got interested by how the book cover looked. After that I saw this on Goodreads.com and read a lot of great reviews about it and i just gotta have to read it without knowing its synopsis.

WHAT I LIKE: This book brought my childhood scaredy pants back on. I realized I was already cuddling myself like a wuss in bed late at night while reading this. I swear, Every time I hear something, made me so nervous! Its been a while since I've read a ghost story. This isn't just your typical kiddie scary story, This has great twists and the plot was amazingly well written. It was a interesting read for me, I did enjoy this. I love how the protagonists ventured themselves to solving cases after cases and fighting monsters and all. WHEW! I like how the author constructed every obstacle and how the story is linked to parts that you don't expect to be a part of. In short, It was a well written novel. I love how the author entwined Jewish mythology in this novel for I have been a fan of mythological creatures. I find them fascinating with their own stories. I love the book from beginning to end. The ending was shocking and fun and I loved it everything about this book. It was a SPOOKY FUN READ!

WHAT DISAPPOINTED ME: Tell you the truth, I wasn't disappointed! Great book!:)

The book cover is the reason why I got this. I didn't have any clue what was in store for me when I got this. I love the cover, Very creepy and super mysterious that got me curious and read it.

Recommend this for teens out there and even adults for a fun spooky adventure.
I'am sure you'll like this!

I cannot wait to get more from Dan Poblocki's works!