Book Review: Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel

 As a kid, I had always preferred teddy bears over dolls. Dolls looked creepy. And the cover photo of Just Like Mother reminded me of the serial killer doll, Chuckie.

So why did I pick up this book? Well, although Chuckie the movie freaked me out more than any other horror movie, I had this perverse curiosity to see if the doll in this book would go on a killing rampage.....and the verdict?

No, the dolls in the book were not killers though they were creepy enough on their own. They were life-like, and reacted like real babies. 

That said, the dolls were not the focus of the plot. Instead, the plot revolved around two cousins, Maeve and Andrea, who grew up together in a cult community.

Maeve escaped from the cult one night, and that was the last Maeve saw of Andrea. For twenty years, Maeve worked hard at establishing a life of her own, keeping everyone else at a safe distance.

And then, one day Andrea reappeared in Maeve's life. As the cousins reunited and Maeve spent more time in Andrea's home in a remote area, the childhood memories which she had buried were triggered. She had to confront her childhood terrors if she wanted to stay alive.

The plot wasn't bad, quite well-written. It just wasn't gripping enough. I could put the book down at will, and there were even days when I forgot to continue reading it. As a result, it took me weeks to finish this book instead of a day or two like some books which had even more pages than this.

Book Review: Ask For Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli

 This was a fun read. Ask for Andrea was written from three women's POV: Brecia, Meghan and Skye. Their POVs after they're dead. Murdered.

Yes, they're ghosts, and they're coming after James Carson, the serial killer who ended their lives. They're not your typical menacing, vengeful ghosts though. 

After Brecia was murdered, she haunted James with the intention to prevent him from killing other women. She was sometimes successful, sometimes not.

When she failed to help Meghan, she stopped following James out on his killing sprees. Instead, she stayed home with James' wife, April, and his two young daughters. 

Until one day when Skye, who was haunting her mother, followed the police to James' house and met Brecia. Then, they met Meghan, who had stayed by her remains, desperately wanting someone to find her. And that's when they joined forces to help the police catch James.

Unlike other horror genre, this book didn't attempt to frighten its readers. Instead, it devoted much of its time to fleshing out the three main characters. It had suspense interspersed with some heart-wrenching moments and comical relief.

I read that there is a short sequel to it, titled The River, to be published in January 2024 (should have been published now - it's already 3rd February 2024). If I could find it, I'll give it a read to see if it's as good as its prequel.

Book Review: Tales From The Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The only reason I read the second installment of Before The Coffee Gets Cold is my curiosity about the resident ghost in the cafe.

In the seat that takes you back to the past is a woman in a white dress. She had gone to the past to meet her dead husband and failed to return to the present. If you try to forcefully remove her from the seat, she curses you. You can only occupy the seat when she leaves the seat to use the toilet once a day. Yes, this ghost uses the toilet!!

While I did find out the identity of the ghost, it was just a few short sentences. The author did not explain why she failed to return. The reader is left to assume that she lost track of time and her coffee went cold.

I will not go into detail what the theme of the book is about. You can check out my review of the first book here. 

The second book has the same flaws as the first book, excruciating repetitive details of clothes, appearances and re-introduction of characters, with permanent thought bubbles above their heads. 

The method would have worked better with a play than a novel. The actors could step up to the front of the stage and whisper their thoughts to the audience.

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Book Review: Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Book Review: The It Girl by Ruth Ware

The It Girl is another whodunnit by Ruth Ware. Six Oxford University students became fast friends during their first term, and one of them is dead by the second term. Murdered. The story is told from two timelines, alternating between "before" and "after" the murder.

Unlike many of Ruth Ware's books which grips you from page one, The It Girl was a bit slow to build up. But once the pace picked up, it was hard to put down. I finished the book in two days.

Hannah, the protagonist, was hounded by the media over the murder of her best friend (it was her testament that put a suspect behind bars) but instead of taking a stand and telling them to buzz off, she went into hiding. 

A decade later, a reporter found her at her work place and convinced her to start recalling her memories of what she saw on the night of the murder.

As she dug deeper and deeper into the past, it began to look like one of her friends was the murderer. Or was it someone else? Ruth Ware is really good at the game of casting doubts on every character. :-)

Book Review: Hoax by Robert K. Tanenbaum

If you've never read Robert Tanenbaum's 16th book, HOAX, don't bother. This novel has the dubious honour of being the worst book I've ever read. To call it crap would be too kind to it.

I have heard of Robert Tanenbaum's books, and they are supposed to be really good. So, a few months ago, when I saw Hoax at a book warehouse sale, I grabbed it.

And boy, have I regretted that purchase. Three quarters of Hoax is devoted to rehashing after rehashing of Butch Karp, a New York Assistant District Attorney, and his wife's personal history that has no bearings on the plot, and the retelling of events from the different characters' viewpoint that has no relevance to the story, nor do they move the plot along. It's amateurishly-written, something you might expect a Secondary Three (Grade 9) student to write.

When I finally finished the book, I went on the internet to see if it was just me, or if others felt the same. What I found surprised me.

It appears that Robert Tanenbaum is not the real writer of the previous 15 books. The real writer was his cousin, Michael Gruber, who has since split from the partnership and branched out on his own. The general consensus was that either the real Robert Tanenbaum can't write, or the new writer hired to replace Michael Gruber can't.

No wonder it was such a torturous read. If you want to punish your enemies, make them read Hoax!!