Wasp Factory

Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, 184 pages

This book was hailed as both disturbing and a must read by some reviews I came across. Since my tastes trend towards the disturbing and weird I thought I would give this one a try.

Frank is a disturbed sixteen year old with some interesting habits. His father is an eccentric who is just as prone to lying as telling the truth. And lastly his brother Eric has just escaped from a mental institution.

Sadly I only found this book average at best. There are plenty of disturbing scenes and imagery that try to set up the horror theme it is trying so hard to reach, but it falls short of the mark. The wasp factory (the factory in the book, not the title) is interesting however, and seems to be an interesting way to live your life. The most exciting part of the book was the shocking ending. I can honestly say I did not see that coming, but looking back maybe I should have.

I am not sure what kind of people would actually enjoy reading this book but I guess if you are a fan of some of the more sick and twisted writers out there, you should give this one a try.

Mr. Mercedes

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
437 pages

Stephen King is the known master of horror but this new book is more of a suspense thriller than horror.  It is still a good read and some people will welcome the lack of supernatural horror. 

The book opens with people waiting in line at a job fair in the early morning.  Don't get too attached to anyone yet because they are about to be run over by a Mercedes. 

We then cut to Bill Hodges, a retired detective who worked on the Mercedes killings.  Retirement is not all it promised, just a lot of day time TV and bad food. Hodges is thinking about packing it all in when he receives a letter from the Mercedes Killer, bragging about how he got away with the crime.  Bill's interest is caught and soon he is investigating the letter and crime with the help of his young friend Jerome.  It soon becomes apparent that the killer is planning something big which will result in mass casualties of Hodges and his crew don't stop it.

What We Lost In The Dark

What We Lost In The Dark by Jacquelyn Mitchard
262 pages

Allie, a teen with XP – a fatal allergy to sunlight, is still reeling from the death of her best friend, Juliet.  She knows that Garrett Tabor murdered her, but she can’t prove it.  Yet.  She is determined to find proof that he is a murderer before he harms her or someone else she loves, because she is sure that he is coming after her next.  However, Garrett is part of the Tabor family, who founded the XP clinic, which is renowned around the world and especially in their hometown, so everyone reveres Garrett and his family and no one believes Allie’s accusations, not even her boyfriend, Rob, at least not completely, because he’s been with her when she witnessed some of the things, like bodies in his apartment and underwater and either didn’t see or doesn’t remember them.  This is the sequel to What We Saw At Night and while the books aren’t bad, they don’t feel like teen books to me.  The characters have a few typical teen characteristics but often say things that seem too adult to me.  Their illness may account for some of that, since these kids have had to grow up a little more than their peers but it definitely gives the books a little more adult flavor.  However, teens might still like the books, if they like adventure or thriller type stories.

Omens

Omens by Kelley Armstrong  487 Pages

This is the first book in a new series by this author.  Olivia Taylor-Jones appears to have it made.  The daughter of a wealthy family, fiancée to an up-and-coming CEO, volunteer and philanthropist, the only glitch seems to be that she’s unsure about her career aspirations.  Suddenly, everything falls apart.  She finds out that she’s adopted and that her birth parents are notorious serial killers.  Olivia, shaken by the news and concerned about the negative publicity to her family and fiancée, leaves her home and resettles in a small town in the Chicago area, finding her own apartment and a paying job.  She also connects with her birth mother, Pamela Larsen, who is currently in jail, through Gabriel Walsh, Pamela’s former lawyer.  Pamela wants Olivia’s help in passing on information to a group that may be willing to help with another appeal, as the Larsen’s claim they are innocent.  Olivia feels drawn to help but wants to find out first if there may be any truth to their claims.  So, she and Gabriel begin to investigate the information themselves but they may find more than they bargain for.  A compelling story with just a hint of supernatural running through, this will be a big hit with fans of investigative mystery, adventure, supernatural type of stories and with Armstrong fans.