REVIEW: Tales of Horror by Edgar Allan Poe

Happy Halloween! Shall we talk about a spoopy read? Let's do it.

Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Alma Classics
Genre: Horror, Short Stories
Release Date: September 22nd 2016
Buy The Book: Book Depository

A murderer is forced to reveal his crime by the sound of a beating heart, a mysterious figure wreaks havoc among a party of noblemen during the time of the plague, a grieving lover awakens to find himself clutching a box of his beloved blood-stained teeth, a man is obsessed with the fear of being buried alive – these are only some of the memorable characters and stories included in this volume, which exemplify Poe’s inventiveness and natural talent as a storyteller.

Immensely popular both during and after his lifetime, and a powerful influence on generations of writers and film-makers to this day, Edgar Allan Poe is still counted among the greatest short-story writers of all time and seen as one of the initiators of the detective, horror and science-fiction genres.

My Thoughts:
I’ve read a few Poe stories before but it’s been quite a few years since I last did, so I was excited to delve into this collection of some of his finest short horror stories, in perfect time for the spooky season. This book includes some of Poe’s most famous stories, twenty-six of them altogether, told with the perfect mixture of disturbance and unease.

For me, the shorter stories such as Morella and The Tell-Tale Heart are more sinister and engaging than some of the longer ones. They manage to draw you in with only a few pages per tale, but still manage to have a lasting creepy effect. I love the level of atmosphere Poe always managed to pack in to such short stories, and the characters are always intriguing. Sometimes you root for them, sometimes you wonder how they could be so twisted.

One of the things that stands out for me most about Poe’s stories is the level of detail he puts into them, no matter how gruesome. Everything is described in a way that allows you to perfectly conjure up an image of the scene in your mind. It allows you to place yourself in that moment, especially with stories such as The Premature Burial. Even for someone who doesn’t have a specific fear of being buried alive, the writing allows you to feel the horror that a person would feel in that situation. It’s probably the story that made my skin crawl the most!

It’s difficult to choose a favourite but one of my top choices is William Wilson because the subject of dopplgangers has always fascinated me and I love the way William’s second self was written in this story. It was the first Poe story that I read and it was great to reread it again in this collection.

This group of tales is a perfect read for this time of year when the nights are darker for longer, so go scare yourself silly. What is you favourite Poe story? Let me know!

Royal Rating:

Read More

REVIEW: Caramel Hearts by E. R. Murray

Pages: 339
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Alma Books
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Release Date: May 22nd 2016
Buy The Book: Amazon

Liv Bloom’s life is even more complicated than that of your average fourteen-year-old: her father walked out on the family when she was young, her mother is in a recovery centre for alcoholics, and her older sister is struggling to step into Mum’s shoes. The only person she can turn to is her best friend Sarah, who gets out of scrapes at school and is a constant source of advice and companionship. One day Liv discovers a book of recipes written in her mum’s handwriting, which sets her off on a journey towards self-discovery and reconciliation – but a theft, a love rivalry and a school bully are just some of the many obstacles on the way.

Structured around real cake recipes, Caramel Hearts is a coming-of-age novel about love, disappointment and hope, and discovering the true value of friends and family, no matter how dysfunctional they are.

My Thoughts:
Warning: this book will make you HUNGRY. Seriously, the recipes in this story sound delicious. I’m no baker, and generally I’m a disaster in any kitchen, but this book made me want to go out, grab some ingredients, and get making some sweet treats. 

Caramel Hearts follows fourteen-year-old Liv as she discovers her mother’s old recipe book filled with recipes from when her mother had aspirations to open a bakery. Enjoying finding a connection to her mother that separated her from her addiction to alcohol, Liv decides to work on some of the recipes and discovers that baking is a hobby she loves.  

Liv is currently being looked after by her older sister, Hatty, who has taken time out of university whilst their mother is treated for her addiction at a recovery centre. This prevents Liv from being taken in to foster care, but also means that Hatty has to try and keep up with her studies whilst single-handedly being Liv’s guardian with only her student loan to financially support them both. This puts a huge strain on Hatty and leads to high tensions between the sisters. 

The sibling relationship was beautifully told in this book, and as someone who has a younger sister myself, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be in Hatty’s incredibly difficult situation. Although they care for each other, they both end up saying things they don’t really mean under the stress of everything. I felt like a lot of the time Liv didn’t fully understand Hatty’s emotions, and jumped to conclusions about her sister’s actions. I loved that the story showed this because it reminds us that Liv is a teenager and she still has so much to learn about the world, whilst also seeing a really tough side of it so far in her life. This is a book that doesn’t present its main characters as perfect, it shows their flaws and their mistakes, which gave it real raw emotion and believability.  

There might be sweet treats dotted throughout this book, but Caramel Hearts doesn’t sugar coat any of the issues within its pages. I adored that this story was told in the realist possible way, with low and gritty moments for the characters. Addiction is an evil demon to do battle with, and these characters are faced with every angle of it. But what’s important is that it’s also a story of hope, and the bonds of family. 

Bullying is also featured in this book, along with a little slice of first romance and heartbreak. It perfectly deals with a lot of issues that teens are faced with, and I think that readers will definitely be able to relate to at least a little of Liv’s story. I also have to mention what a great UKYA novel this is. I’m constantly talking about how much I love YA books that realistically present Britain, and this is one them. 

Caramel Hearts is filled with wonderfully written characters and a plot that ticks all the boxes. It’s also a great coming-of-age novel that can be enjoyed by readers of any age. Once I picked it up, it was very hard to put down again, and I flew through it in a matter of days! I’m so glad that I got to read Liv’s story and although it broke my heart a little at times, it left me with a smile on my face.  

Royal Rating:

 

Read More