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Wisteria #1
Something
“I will find true love, and everything will be okay. I will find true love, and everything will be okay…” she chanted.
They say be careful what you read. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong. It can happen to anyone. This is just four teenagers’ story.
Aubrey Golding hates her face, her body, and is devastated after Nathan Silva leaves her. Alone, suicidal, and desperate for love, she discovers a book called Something and unknowingly links others to a dark and terrifying curse that is beginning to consume her.
Nathan is glad to be moving on with someone new and can hardly believe what is happening now. Wild child and amateur porn star, Bella Broadhurst, loves bullying that “emo whore” Aubrey with the other girls, but mostly she loves partying, hookups, and plain ol’ drama when terror arises. And Kendra Coke is just a new teen mother working on a delicate relationship when things start becoming utterly bizarre.
Chilling sleep disturbances and figures hiding in the corners of their rooms are just warnings of what is to come. Be careful what you read, they say. Tread carefully.
"Extremely well-written and almost Gothic in nature, Something (Wisteria #1) is horror at its best. While Lamb borrows heavily from the movie, The Ring, she puts her own spin on it. Reading could kill you? You bet! Horror doesn't get any scarier than books out to murder people." -Bestselling author N.N. Light
"5 out of 5 stars for this excellent, suspenseful horror novel, and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series." -OnlineBookClub.org
"I have never read anything like this book before, and I'm sure I won't read anything similar for a long time." -Fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogspot.com
Editorial Review:
Something (Wisteria 1) is a New Adult fiction novel in the horror, fantasy, and mystery genres. It takes dark humor, good writing, and frightening and controversial subject matter to give a unique twist on its chosen categories. The nail-biting premise of a curse being spread by reading the book will make readers feel a part of the story, and more connected to the diverse and interesting characters, including a young woman diving head-first into the adult industry and a wholesome mamma's boy named Nathan Silva.
I found it to be a very exciting concept that is reminiscent of the 2012 popular American horror film, The Ring. Aubrey Golding, who is at the center of this story, is a self-harmer who fantasizes about suicide. She dabbles in drugs, alcohol, and risky sex. While she manages to inadvertently spread the curse around like an STD, she is hell-bent on winning back her love interest, Nathan, who is shagging her best friend behind her back. I just could not put down this book. -Kathlean Thomas from Grunge Bookz PR
They say be careful what you read. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong. It can happen to anyone. This is just four teenagers’ story.
Aubrey Golding hates her face, her body, and is devastated after Nathan Silva leaves her. Alone, suicidal, and desperate for love, she discovers a book called Something and unknowingly links others to a dark and terrifying curse that is beginning to consume her.
Nathan is glad to be moving on with someone new and can hardly believe what is happening now. Wild child and amateur porn star, Bella Broadhurst, loves bullying that “emo whore” Aubrey with the other girls, but mostly she loves partying, hookups, and plain ol’ drama when terror arises. And Kendra Coke is just a new teen mother working on a delicate relationship when things start becoming utterly bizarre.
Chilling sleep disturbances and figures hiding in the corners of their rooms are just warnings of what is to come. Be careful what you read, they say. Tread carefully.
"Extremely well-written and almost Gothic in nature, Something (Wisteria #1) is horror at its best. While Lamb borrows heavily from the movie, The Ring, she puts her own spin on it. Reading could kill you? You bet! Horror doesn't get any scarier than books out to murder people." -Bestselling author N.N. Light
"5 out of 5 stars for this excellent, suspenseful horror novel, and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series." -OnlineBookClub.org
"I have never read anything like this book before, and I'm sure I won't read anything similar for a long time." -Fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogspot.com
Editorial Review:
Something (Wisteria 1) is a New Adult fiction novel in the horror, fantasy, and mystery genres. It takes dark humor, good writing, and frightening and controversial subject matter to give a unique twist on its chosen categories. The nail-biting premise of a curse being spread by reading the book will make readers feel a part of the story, and more connected to the diverse and interesting characters, including a young woman diving head-first into the adult industry and a wholesome mamma's boy named Nathan Silva.
I found it to be a very exciting concept that is reminiscent of the 2012 popular American horror film, The Ring. Aubrey Golding, who is at the center of this story, is a self-harmer who fantasizes about suicide. She dabbles in drugs, alcohol, and risky sex. While she manages to inadvertently spread the curse around like an STD, she is hell-bent on winning back her love interest, Nathan, who is shagging her best friend behind her back. I just could not put down this book. -Kathlean Thomas from Grunge Bookz PR
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2017
70 people are currently reading
2222 people want to read
About the author
Shelby Lamb
18 books107 followersShelby Lamb (A.K.A Shelby Anonymous) is an author/non-judgemental Hindu-Christian/demon slayer who loves exploring the weird and unsettling. She writes fiction from her own personal life experiences, the depths of her imagination, and the inspiration around her. Something (Wisteria 1) is her debut work. Since struggling with depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder, a bit of her knowledge of these dark emotions and feelings are crafted into each of her stories. She is proud of her writing. They may not be for everyone but she is thoughtful and careful in her narrations, as she grew up on literary fiction and still wants to give her books a flavor of that even if they are in select genres. In a way, she writes for a narrower audience, hoping to heal other sufferers of trauma. She doesn't believe in sugar-coating because real issues are to be delved into even in fiction as to be able to relate is to heal in her humble opinion. Aubrey in particular in Something, book one of the Wisteria series is for her a very intimate character. As Aubrey has borderline personality herself. But as Aubrey grows to heal from her tragic inner turmoil and psychological trauma she hopes it can inspire other suffers from mental illnesses to see the light through the darkness, learn healthy coping skills, and become their best selves. Though a lot of reviewers believe the Wisteria series is triggering and too dark she believes that readers who have dealt with the same issues she and Aubrey did can gain healing from seeing how Aubrey eventually overcomes her "inner" and literal outer demons. Even though she is devoted for the time being into completing the Wisteria series, she wants to later delve into clean suspense Christian fiction. For the time being she works on darker material to hopefully open doors for other victims of trauma into following along her works into seeing that life isn't so hard when you have God and the Universe rooting for you.
She lives in a magical Canadian town. Doesn't own cats right now but wishes to adopt several one day soon! <3
You can find her on instagram @shelbyanonymous and catch up about all the her books on her facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/thewisterias...
She lives in a magical Canadian town. Doesn't own cats right now but wishes to adopt several one day soon! <3
You can find her on instagram @shelbyanonymous and catch up about all the her books on her facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/thewisterias...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
dnf
February 25, 2017
I am tapping out on this one. I REALLY wanted to like this, but it is SO damn wordy with EVERY. LITTLE. THING. described to the nth degree.
"Aubrey yawned, marching up the staircase that led to the second-floor. The scent of sad wine clung to her skin and nightshirt like sweat as “Bring Me to Life” echoed in her brain. With her pastel-pink hair wet and tangled from showering, she entered the creaky, humming laundry room, ignoring the rat scurrying by. She transferred her wet clothes from the industrial-sized washer to one of the four dryers. “Fuck,” she cursed when a pair of her panties fell to the floor.
Grumpy, she shuffled down the hall, stepped shakily up the staircase to the third-floor, and headed to her bedroom: naked blue walls, sheer cream curtains, and a large old bed with a bookshelf fixed into the headboard"
January 10, 2019
Author note: "Honestly I am sorry if any reviewers think Aubrey is too whiney and immature and the book is too dark. But I got to stay true. If you really look into the book you will see that Aubrey is suffering from borderline personality disorder. This is a severe mental illness and Aubrey wasn't created to glamorize mental illness. BPD is a very painful disorder. To be honest Aubrey in a lot of ways is me. And I wrote her for anyone else out there who is just as tortured mentally. Sure it adds another layer to the horror and psychological darkness of this book. But in the end you will see how she gets through and I hope it will help anyone who is suffering the same. Honestly having borderline personality disorder is so hard. In the end, I wasn't writing for everyone. I wrote the book for other girls and boys like me. I tried to find books out there with other girls just like me but to me they all felt cookie cutter and like I couldn't relate. If you get offended by "dramatic" or "sensitive" girls seen as "weak" and not people actually suffering from an emotional disorder and STRONG to still be alive, then I'm sorry this book series (Wisteria) or maybe none of my books is for you."
Love, Shelby
Love, Shelby
October 24, 2016
This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...
Aubrey is what many would consider 'damaged': she's obsessed with her ex-boyfriend, she's depressed, self harms, and deals with a lot of other issues. However, things start to get worse for her when she picks up a book titled 'Something'. As she shares passages from the book with others, strange occurrences take place and those around her start questioning their sanity.
This book explored some of the real-life issues people might face, with some paranormal creepiness thrown in. It was a great combination and it worked very well! While written in third person, the author told the story of the chaos that ensues after reading passages from the mysterious book 'Something' from the perspectives of multiple characters, including the depressed Aubrey, teen mom Kendra, ex-boyfriend Nathan and aspiring porn star Bella.
I wasn't too sure what to expect, considering how unique the idea seemed to me. I have never read anything like this book before, and I'm sure I won't read anything similar for a long time. Including real-life issues alongside paranormal ones is something I really like in a book and this one delivered on this for sure.
I liked reading about the different characters and their personal situations. I can't say that I actually liked all of the characters, but their problems were intriguing and sometimes heart-breaking. Aubrey's self-esteem, self harm and related issues were realistic to me, in that they're something that I see a lot in real life as well, and I thought that this made the book more believable. Bella's hopes and dreams to become an adult entertainer seemed to make her determined and despite her mean-girl streak, I found myself cheering her on and hoping that she'd achieve her goals! Kendra appeared to be quite sweet and I think that she tried looking on the bright side of things even though she was dealing with motherhood at such a young age. As for Nathan, I felt some sympathy for him, having to deal with Aubrey's obsessive behavior.
The paranormal aspect was enjoyable and mysterious. I often wondered if maybe the characters were slipping into madness, and that there wasn't really anything other-worldy going on at all. I must admit that at some times I found myself a bit confused because I wasn't really sure what was going on, some situations were a bit unclear to me.
Another issue was the grammar, there were enough changes in word tense and spelling errors that at times it felt a bit disruptive. Because this is an ARC, I'm hoping that the book will be edited again before its actual release to fix these mistakes, however I can't ignore the way that these mistakes disrupted my reading experience, because it affected my enjoyment of the story.
In conclusion, I can say that this book was really, well, something. I want to know what happens next and I will probably read the next book when it comes out. If you like new adult paranormal mysteries, you might enjoy this. Readers who like books that mix real life issues with other-worldy intrigue will like this novel as well.
Aubrey is what many would consider 'damaged': she's obsessed with her ex-boyfriend, she's depressed, self harms, and deals with a lot of other issues. However, things start to get worse for her when she picks up a book titled 'Something'. As she shares passages from the book with others, strange occurrences take place and those around her start questioning their sanity.
This book explored some of the real-life issues people might face, with some paranormal creepiness thrown in. It was a great combination and it worked very well! While written in third person, the author told the story of the chaos that ensues after reading passages from the mysterious book 'Something' from the perspectives of multiple characters, including the depressed Aubrey, teen mom Kendra, ex-boyfriend Nathan and aspiring porn star Bella.
I wasn't too sure what to expect, considering how unique the idea seemed to me. I have never read anything like this book before, and I'm sure I won't read anything similar for a long time. Including real-life issues alongside paranormal ones is something I really like in a book and this one delivered on this for sure.
I liked reading about the different characters and their personal situations. I can't say that I actually liked all of the characters, but their problems were intriguing and sometimes heart-breaking. Aubrey's self-esteem, self harm and related issues were realistic to me, in that they're something that I see a lot in real life as well, and I thought that this made the book more believable. Bella's hopes and dreams to become an adult entertainer seemed to make her determined and despite her mean-girl streak, I found myself cheering her on and hoping that she'd achieve her goals! Kendra appeared to be quite sweet and I think that she tried looking on the bright side of things even though she was dealing with motherhood at such a young age. As for Nathan, I felt some sympathy for him, having to deal with Aubrey's obsessive behavior.
The paranormal aspect was enjoyable and mysterious. I often wondered if maybe the characters were slipping into madness, and that there wasn't really anything other-worldy going on at all. I must admit that at some times I found myself a bit confused because I wasn't really sure what was going on, some situations were a bit unclear to me.
Another issue was the grammar, there were enough changes in word tense and spelling errors that at times it felt a bit disruptive. Because this is an ARC, I'm hoping that the book will be edited again before its actual release to fix these mistakes, however I can't ignore the way that these mistakes disrupted my reading experience, because it affected my enjoyment of the story.
In conclusion, I can say that this book was really, well, something. I want to know what happens next and I will probably read the next book when it comes out. If you like new adult paranormal mysteries, you might enjoy this. Readers who like books that mix real life issues with other-worldy intrigue will like this novel as well.
February 23, 2017
I can honestly say this is the only time I can remember rating a book one star. I actually feel badly that I am doing it, but I've read other reviews and some people loved "Something" so let's just say it wasn't the book for me.
I had a really hard time connecting with this book. I didn't care for any of the characters. Aubrey was an emotional wreck and so distraught that Nathan dumped her that she texts him endlessly, cries, whines, shouts and even beats up his new girlfriend (who did violate the girlfriend code and start dating her best friends ex). She is suicidal and homicidal and has a drinking problem as well as mental health issues (cutting) which are never really addressed except for when her private high school wants to have a prayer ceremony for her to "save her soul." Then you have Kendra and Bella. They both have really big parts in this book but other than Bella hating Aubrey and bullying her a lot when they attended school together in the past, and Kendra meeting Aubrey on-line and developing a friendship, I don't know how they played into the big picture. Finally, I have to mentioned there is TONS of sex in this book. And hey, I don't mind a few scenes here and there and am definitely not a prude, but this sex is just pointless. Bella wants to be a porn star and actually starts her career and we get to read ALL about it.
Now, for the shocker - did I mention this is touted as a horror novel? Yes, there is a mysterious book called "Something" which when the reader reads it, a portal open and other beings begin to creep in and visit and I think they cause some of the havoc we read about but I'm really not sure. Oh, and there is a demon. One who Aubrey falls madly in love with and with whom she immediately has sex even though she is still supposedly madly in love with Nathan.
Basically this whole book confused me. I read through it pretty quick and didn't have a problem at all with Lamb's writing style. It probably is a necessary set up for book two in the series but I will never know because I refuse to continue on. I really can't recommend this to anyone but will say if you are considering reading it because of the horror element, reconsider. There isn't much there.
I had a really hard time connecting with this book. I didn't care for any of the characters. Aubrey was an emotional wreck and so distraught that Nathan dumped her that she texts him endlessly, cries, whines, shouts and even beats up his new girlfriend (who did violate the girlfriend code and start dating her best friends ex). She is suicidal and homicidal and has a drinking problem as well as mental health issues (cutting) which are never really addressed except for when her private high school wants to have a prayer ceremony for her to "save her soul." Then you have Kendra and Bella. They both have really big parts in this book but other than Bella hating Aubrey and bullying her a lot when they attended school together in the past, and Kendra meeting Aubrey on-line and developing a friendship, I don't know how they played into the big picture. Finally, I have to mentioned there is TONS of sex in this book. And hey, I don't mind a few scenes here and there and am definitely not a prude, but this sex is just pointless. Bella wants to be a porn star and actually starts her career and we get to read ALL about it.
Now, for the shocker - did I mention this is touted as a horror novel? Yes, there is a mysterious book called "Something" which when the reader reads it, a portal open and other beings begin to creep in and visit and I think they cause some of the havoc we read about but I'm really not sure. Oh, and there is a demon. One who Aubrey falls madly in love with and with whom she immediately has sex even though she is still supposedly madly in love with Nathan.
Basically this whole book confused me. I read through it pretty quick and didn't have a problem at all with Lamb's writing style. It probably is a necessary set up for book two in the series but I will never know because I refuse to continue on. I really can't recommend this to anyone but will say if you are considering reading it because of the horror element, reconsider. There isn't much there.
May 3, 2017
In my view the book audience should be 18+ due to sexual content and the characters’ rather poor lifestyle choices.
So much drama, so many mental health issues, so much agony, bullying, and freaking demons.
Sex: many times
Self-harm: a number of times
Suicide attempts: 1 direct plus continuous indirect suicidal behavior
Drama: non-stop
Dead people: 4 + demons. Demons are dead, right?
Basically, if you want to read a book about totally messed up 18 year olds, then ding-ding-ding, you have a winner.
What you’ll read in this book is a lot of partying, a lot of boozing, a lot of drama, sex and bullying while the demon aspect is slowly building in the background. Emotionally drained yet? OK, well, there are mentions of rape and a look into the porn industry as well. There! I think I’ve covered everything…
My rating: 4 stars even though I’m a bit on the fence with Book #1. Obviously the intent was to create a book with highly dysfunctional characters and then add another layer of ‘as if this isn’t enough’ to it via the demonolib curse. While I enjoyed the good pace, I was uncomfortable with all self-harm, suicidal bit. It’s such a gentle area which needs to be addressed with caution. ‘Something’ does, however, deliver on the horror, fantasy and mystery areas and the writing is really rather good.
So much drama, so many mental health issues, so much agony, bullying, and freaking demons.
Sex: many times
Self-harm: a number of times
Suicide attempts: 1 direct plus continuous indirect suicidal behavior
Drama: non-stop
Dead people: 4 + demons. Demons are dead, right?
Basically, if you want to read a book about totally messed up 18 year olds, then ding-ding-ding, you have a winner.
What you’ll read in this book is a lot of partying, a lot of boozing, a lot of drama, sex and bullying while the demon aspect is slowly building in the background. Emotionally drained yet? OK, well, there are mentions of rape and a look into the porn industry as well. There! I think I’ve covered everything…
My rating: 4 stars even though I’m a bit on the fence with Book #1. Obviously the intent was to create a book with highly dysfunctional characters and then add another layer of ‘as if this isn’t enough’ to it via the demonolib curse. While I enjoyed the good pace, I was uncomfortable with all self-harm, suicidal bit. It’s such a gentle area which needs to be addressed with caution. ‘Something’ does, however, deliver on the horror, fantasy and mystery areas and the writing is really rather good.
February 5, 2017
*I received an E-ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Trigger warning for rape, self harm, suicide and sexual themes
This was definitely an action packed read with an interesting concept. I loved the idea of a book that can kill which is what intrigued me in the first place. The main issue I had with it was the characters. They didn't appeal to me at all and had no common sense. I don't think they were developed enough and the main focus went into the plot.
It was a good, fast paced read though and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of horror. It does contain strong themes of sex and mental health so bare that in mind if you are sensitive to these.
Trigger warning for rape, self harm, suicide and sexual themes
This was definitely an action packed read with an interesting concept. I loved the idea of a book that can kill which is what intrigued me in the first place. The main issue I had with it was the characters. They didn't appeal to me at all and had no common sense. I don't think they were developed enough and the main focus went into the plot.
It was a good, fast paced read though and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of horror. It does contain strong themes of sex and mental health so bare that in mind if you are sensitive to these.
November 10, 2017
This book answered my craving for a horror story. I prefer to read them than be frightened out of my wits by the movies. I never watched the Conjuring or any other recent horror movies. I would rather stay sane and not drive my imagination to overdrive and scaring myself shitless.
Aubrey Golding is a character I am not sure I like, I pity or hate. Or maybe all of the above. She skates the thin line between nice and being mean. She is suicidal and has very low self-esteem. She is bullied and had very few friends. Her best friend is not even loyal and honest with her. But all these changes when she found a mysterious book in a second-hand bookstore.
I can't imagine seeing and experience bizarre things after reading a book. I hope that never happens. I love going to second-hand bookshops and the possibility of opening a book that is sort of a portal to the undesirables and unearthly beings are way beyond terrifying. Being stalked by the devil is not on my bucket list.
Reading this story when the lights are out and at the wee hours of the night added to the mystery and scary factor. There were some parts that the hair on my arms stood on end and I am seeing objects out of the shadows by the window. There's a part of the story where you will be carried away by Audrey's scare. I had to remind myself that I am at home, in a safe place and this house has been blessed twice by the Catholic priests so no unholy elements could penetrate its walls. I believe.
Bullies reading this book will come to know fear. Knowing what happened to the bullies of Audrey in this book, I hope will lead them to a change of heart. Something sinister is lurking and walking in these pages. Whether you are nice to people like Audrey or not is no reason you will be spared, especially if you are mean.
I give this book 4/5 skateboards. This book talked not just about the third eye but something more otherworldly. More horrifying and stupefying. I never heard of this ability before this book. It's an ability no one would want because it is disturbing. You will never ever have a good sleep.
The story is very unique and I never figured out what was really going on until it was explicitly expressed. To my surprise, I have never heard of such thing before and it got me curious. I am looking forward to the next book. For everyone who wants to get into a very different story that has never been heard of, you have to read this book. That is if you don't mind the devil at your door.
Ya fourth eye is your internal spiritual eye dat opens, lettin' you see and be seen. And ya can't shut it back.
- Shelby Lamb, Something -
Thank you again, xpressobooktours for the review copy.
Aubrey Golding is a character I am not sure I like, I pity or hate. Or maybe all of the above. She skates the thin line between nice and being mean. She is suicidal and has very low self-esteem. She is bullied and had very few friends. Her best friend is not even loyal and honest with her. But all these changes when she found a mysterious book in a second-hand bookstore.
I can't imagine seeing and experience bizarre things after reading a book. I hope that never happens. I love going to second-hand bookshops and the possibility of opening a book that is sort of a portal to the undesirables and unearthly beings are way beyond terrifying. Being stalked by the devil is not on my bucket list.
Reading this story when the lights are out and at the wee hours of the night added to the mystery and scary factor. There were some parts that the hair on my arms stood on end and I am seeing objects out of the shadows by the window. There's a part of the story where you will be carried away by Audrey's scare. I had to remind myself that I am at home, in a safe place and this house has been blessed twice by the Catholic priests so no unholy elements could penetrate its walls. I believe.
Bullies reading this book will come to know fear. Knowing what happened to the bullies of Audrey in this book, I hope will lead them to a change of heart. Something sinister is lurking and walking in these pages. Whether you are nice to people like Audrey or not is no reason you will be spared, especially if you are mean.
I give this book 4/5 skateboards. This book talked not just about the third eye but something more otherworldly. More horrifying and stupefying. I never heard of this ability before this book. It's an ability no one would want because it is disturbing. You will never ever have a good sleep.
The story is very unique and I never figured out what was really going on until it was explicitly expressed. To my surprise, I have never heard of such thing before and it got me curious. I am looking forward to the next book. For everyone who wants to get into a very different story that has never been heard of, you have to read this book. That is if you don't mind the devil at your door.
Ya fourth eye is your internal spiritual eye dat opens, lettin' you see and be seen. And ya can't shut it back.
- Shelby Lamb, Something -
Thank you again, xpressobooktours for the review copy.
February 10, 2017
Guys, I've been having bad luck with ARCs lately. This will be my second review of the week, and both of them have been below three stars. I was so fucking excited for this one as well because I love dark, and gothic books. So, what went wrong? Why did I give this book two stars? Well, let us discuss.
In this book we follow Aubrey, Nathan, Bella, and Kendra as some very odd events occur. They're seeing monsters in the corners of their eyes, the dark is no longer safe, and it's all connected to one book. Because for anyone who reads 'Something', bad things come knocking on their door.
Okay, I don't even know why we read about Bella and Kendra. Honestly! It seemed like their POVs were there to fill up the book, because they did nothing to develop the book. Absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Unless they somehow end up in book two??? And I don't see how that could be possible. Aubrey was cool at first, and I liked her well enough. I sympathized for her and her situation, but then I learned that she was a little psychotic. She was also pretty annoying. You can only text someone so many times, and complain about something so many times. Nathan wasn't anything special. I know why we were reading about him and everything, but he wasn't my favorite to read about. Tyler James was all over the place. This was me reading about him throughout the book: "Okay Tyler James, that was kind of cute. Well, now you're just creepy. Seriously? YES TYLER JAMES! YOU'RE THE MAN. Tyler? Is that you? NO TYLER JAMES! STOP IT! BAD CREATURE! BAD!"
The thing that annoyed me about this book was that it could have easily been cut in half, and condensed really easily. And you would use the space that you made to bring in book two. Because this book was basically just a giant set up book. It was the book you would usually see as a book two, and that just doesn't work with the first book in a series because people loose interest, and they won't continue on with the series. That being said, the last 20-25 pages of this book were really good! You just had to get past all if that set up. Will I continue on with the series? Sure. But if that next book isn't wonderful, then I'm probably going to be done. I'm done with the set up, Lamb. Now it's time to wow me. You have a good writing style, and I'm ready to read more about the plot that you set up, but with action, and adventure, and maybe a healthy relationship for Aubrey.
So overall this was an okay book. While the author set up the next book really well, I couldn't get over how boring this book was. With unneeded characters, and an almost nonexistent plot, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are ready to commit to the series.
I received a copy of this book via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.
In this book we follow Aubrey, Nathan, Bella, and Kendra as some very odd events occur. They're seeing monsters in the corners of their eyes, the dark is no longer safe, and it's all connected to one book. Because for anyone who reads 'Something', bad things come knocking on their door.
Okay, I don't even know why we read about Bella and Kendra. Honestly! It seemed like their POVs were there to fill up the book, because they did nothing to develop the book. Absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Unless they somehow end up in book two??? And I don't see how that could be possible. Aubrey was cool at first, and I liked her well enough. I sympathized for her and her situation, but then I learned that she was a little psychotic. She was also pretty annoying. You can only text someone so many times, and complain about something so many times. Nathan wasn't anything special. I know why we were reading about him and everything, but he wasn't my favorite to read about. Tyler James was all over the place. This was me reading about him throughout the book: "Okay Tyler James, that was kind of cute. Well, now you're just creepy. Seriously? YES TYLER JAMES! YOU'RE THE MAN. Tyler? Is that you? NO TYLER JAMES! STOP IT! BAD CREATURE! BAD!"
The thing that annoyed me about this book was that it could have easily been cut in half, and condensed really easily. And you would use the space that you made to bring in book two. Because this book was basically just a giant set up book. It was the book you would usually see as a book two, and that just doesn't work with the first book in a series because people loose interest, and they won't continue on with the series. That being said, the last 20-25 pages of this book were really good! You just had to get past all if that set up. Will I continue on with the series? Sure. But if that next book isn't wonderful, then I'm probably going to be done. I'm done with the set up, Lamb. Now it's time to wow me. You have a good writing style, and I'm ready to read more about the plot that you set up, but with action, and adventure, and maybe a healthy relationship for Aubrey.
So overall this was an okay book. While the author set up the next book really well, I couldn't get over how boring this book was. With unneeded characters, and an almost nonexistent plot, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are ready to commit to the series.
I received a copy of this book via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.
November 18, 2016
I also posted this review on my blog: bibliofagista.wordpress.com
When I read the blurb I knew I had to get my hands on this book. A book that curses people who read it? A suicidal girl? A bimbo who wants to be a porn star? A teen mum? The blurb gave me the impression that the book will be really interesting, and a little bit creepy - a great combination. I wasn't disappointed.
Plot
The novel is a fast paced narrative, written in four different perspectives.
As the blurb says, the book deals with dark and controversial subjects. There is self-harm, promiscuity, suicidal thoughts and attempts, bullying, damaged characters, teen pregnancy, troubled romances.
There is also a supernatural element to this novel. Thanks to a book, Aubrey spreads a curse to several characters. A curse that involves fairy tales and mythology creatures coming to life, such as demons.
The main plot, as well as the sub-plots, are amazing. Very intriguing. The book is dark, creepy, funny and entertaining.
Characters
The novel has four points of view, even though Aubrey Golding is the main character. However, since Nathan Silva, Bella Broadhurst and Kendra Coke are all cursed thanks to Aubrey and her book, we also get to read from their perspective. Also, these three characters affected Aubrey's life the most.
I liked how the author managed to handle the different points of view. The voices were distinct, I was able to differentiate who is who quite easily, the transitions from one point of view to another one were on point and in the right moments.
Now, a little bit about each characters.
Aubrey Golding. The sad, suicidal and self-harming girl. She didn't have the happiest life, which might explain why she's a little bit odd. However, I'll be honest, she is a pain in the ass. Aubrey is the kind of person that needs others to feel good about herself. She is so desperate for approval and love, that she'll give herself right away, sometimes to bad guys, and then she wonders why she gets burnt. You know, the kind of person who confuses sex with love, and she gets attached really fast to people. I mean, she gets dropped by her boyfriend, and she texts him multiple times a day, every day, for 3 months!!! She's quite annoying - but in a good way. How come? Aubrey is an interesting character, she draws you in, despite the fact that she is not very pleasant. In other words, she's like a car wreck you cannot stop looking at. Why will Miss Crazy do next? Will she grow as a person? Will she get some confidence? Will she stop with her obsession with guys, especially with Nathan? What will happen to her next?
Nathan Silva. Aubrey's ex and current obsession. He seems to be a nice and pleasant guy. He loves his family, and he's a hard worker. In my opinion, Nathan could've handle Aubrey better - especially since he starts a new relationship with a certain girl. Although, I kinda of like his nickname for Aubrey.
Bella Broadhurst. She's your typical hot, beautiful mean girl. However, we get to understand her better thanks to the scenes from her perspective. There is a lot of pain hidden beneath her sexy and cool exterior. Like Aubrey, she also had a pretty bad life, but she deals with her problems differently. She's a bit of a bully, especially to Aubrey.
Bella gave me the impression that she thinks her good looks is all she has. Since her ambition on becoming famous by becoming a porn star - she'll have money, male admirers, cool clothes, fans.
Kendra Coke. A nice teenage girl, who is pregnant with twins.She's also Aubrey's best friend, despite the fact that she lives in another town. We get to read her problems with her boyfriend, her thoughts and feelings on her pregnancy.
All these four characters get "cursed" thanks to a book named Sometimes. All their perspectives deal with this as well, but I'm not going to say anything about this. I don't want to spoil the adventure of reading the novel.
These four characters are not the only ones. On the contrary. There are plenty of minor characters, and they're quite interesting. However, sometimes it's a little bit hard to remember who is who. Moreover, some of them have similar names. For example: Carla - Caitlyn - Cassie; Terry-Tyler; Adelaide - Aubrey. Don't get me wrong, they're lovely names, but sometimes I mixed them up - especially Carla, Caitlyn and Cassie.
Romance
This novel has some romance in it. However, it's not the nice, warm, sparkly kind of love you find in romance novels. As I mentioned above, most characters are damaged, thus the romance and sexy times are written more from that angle.
Aubrey falls in love with a guy she just met, which turns out to be a double agent. Annoying, but fits with her character.
This book has a lot of graphic scenes, if you will. I mean, all characters have sex and it's not just implied. Some characters are having sex with a person they met for 5 minutes. However, the scenes are written with taste, and they add to characters' development. My main complain to NA novels is the fact that the sex scenes resemble bad porn - they're just there. This novel does not have this problem, which is good. Therefore, if you don't like the typical NA sex scenes, you will not have a problem reading this novel.
Final Thoughts
I really liked this novel. I will definitely read the next book in the series. Too bad it will be a while until it gets published. I kind of want to read it NOW.
Pros
ツ Fast Read. Once I started reading it, I had to finish it.
ツ Interesting and complex characters. Their flaws, while annoying at times, are making the characters more real.
ツ Nice spin on supernatural creatures. The idea of a book cursing people is quite interesting.
ツ Deals with problems that affect young people all the time.
ツ The different point of views offer more information on the characters. The different voices are clear and distinct.
ツ The series is set in Canada.
ツ The book is quite short and easy to get through.
ツ The graphic scenes (sex, self-harm etc.) were done with taste.
Cons
☹ There are a lot characters, especially minor ones. Sometimes is hard to remember all of them. Also, some of them have similar names, which makes it harder to distinguish between them.
☹ I would've like to know more about Kendra, especially after what happened to her. What happened with her boyfriend? How did he react? Her father? What happened with her babies?
Recommend?
Yes, I do recommend this book and this new series. Shelby Lamb is an amazing author, and she managed to create a wonderful, captivating world and story.
I recommend it to:
ツ People who like dark, controversial subjects, as well as dark humor.
ツ People who like damaged characters.
ツ If you like different points of view.
ツ If fantasy and paranormal is a favorite genre, this series is a must read.
ツ People who like graphic scenes. Likewise, if you don't like typical NA sex scenes, this novel does not have this problem. The graphic scenes are well written.
I don't recommend it to:
☹ People who don't like different points of view.
☹ People who are sensible to self-harm and suicide scenes.
☹ People who prefer likable characters.
☹ If you don't like risky sex scenes, wanna be porn stars, and/or drugs, this book is not for you.
When I read the blurb I knew I had to get my hands on this book. A book that curses people who read it? A suicidal girl? A bimbo who wants to be a porn star? A teen mum? The blurb gave me the impression that the book will be really interesting, and a little bit creepy - a great combination. I wasn't disappointed.
Plot
The novel is a fast paced narrative, written in four different perspectives.
As the blurb says, the book deals with dark and controversial subjects. There is self-harm, promiscuity, suicidal thoughts and attempts, bullying, damaged characters, teen pregnancy, troubled romances.
There is also a supernatural element to this novel. Thanks to a book, Aubrey spreads a curse to several characters. A curse that involves fairy tales and mythology creatures coming to life, such as demons.
The main plot, as well as the sub-plots, are amazing. Very intriguing. The book is dark, creepy, funny and entertaining.
Characters
The novel has four points of view, even though Aubrey Golding is the main character. However, since Nathan Silva, Bella Broadhurst and Kendra Coke are all cursed thanks to Aubrey and her book, we also get to read from their perspective. Also, these three characters affected Aubrey's life the most.
I liked how the author managed to handle the different points of view. The voices were distinct, I was able to differentiate who is who quite easily, the transitions from one point of view to another one were on point and in the right moments.
Now, a little bit about each characters.
Aubrey Golding. The sad, suicidal and self-harming girl. She didn't have the happiest life, which might explain why she's a little bit odd. However, I'll be honest, she is a pain in the ass. Aubrey is the kind of person that needs others to feel good about herself. She is so desperate for approval and love, that she'll give herself right away, sometimes to bad guys, and then she wonders why she gets burnt. You know, the kind of person who confuses sex with love, and she gets attached really fast to people. I mean, she gets dropped by her boyfriend, and she texts him multiple times a day, every day, for 3 months!!! She's quite annoying - but in a good way. How come? Aubrey is an interesting character, she draws you in, despite the fact that she is not very pleasant. In other words, she's like a car wreck you cannot stop looking at. Why will Miss Crazy do next? Will she grow as a person? Will she get some confidence? Will she stop with her obsession with guys, especially with Nathan? What will happen to her next?
Nathan Silva. Aubrey's ex and current obsession. He seems to be a nice and pleasant guy. He loves his family, and he's a hard worker. In my opinion, Nathan could've handle Aubrey better - especially since he starts a new relationship with a certain girl. Although, I kinda of like his nickname for Aubrey.
Bella Broadhurst. She's your typical hot, beautiful mean girl. However, we get to understand her better thanks to the scenes from her perspective. There is a lot of pain hidden beneath her sexy and cool exterior. Like Aubrey, she also had a pretty bad life, but she deals with her problems differently. She's a bit of a bully, especially to Aubrey.
Bella gave me the impression that she thinks her good looks is all she has. Since her ambition on becoming famous by becoming a porn star - she'll have money, male admirers, cool clothes, fans.
Kendra Coke. A nice teenage girl, who is pregnant with twins.She's also Aubrey's best friend, despite the fact that she lives in another town. We get to read her problems with her boyfriend, her thoughts and feelings on her pregnancy.
All these four characters get "cursed" thanks to a book named Sometimes. All their perspectives deal with this as well, but I'm not going to say anything about this. I don't want to spoil the adventure of reading the novel.
These four characters are not the only ones. On the contrary. There are plenty of minor characters, and they're quite interesting. However, sometimes it's a little bit hard to remember who is who. Moreover, some of them have similar names. For example: Carla - Caitlyn - Cassie; Terry-Tyler; Adelaide - Aubrey. Don't get me wrong, they're lovely names, but sometimes I mixed them up - especially Carla, Caitlyn and Cassie.
Romance
This novel has some romance in it. However, it's not the nice, warm, sparkly kind of love you find in romance novels. As I mentioned above, most characters are damaged, thus the romance and sexy times are written more from that angle.
Aubrey falls in love with a guy she just met, which turns out to be a double agent. Annoying, but fits with her character.
This book has a lot of graphic scenes, if you will. I mean, all characters have sex and it's not just implied. Some characters are having sex with a person they met for 5 minutes. However, the scenes are written with taste, and they add to characters' development. My main complain to NA novels is the fact that the sex scenes resemble bad porn - they're just there. This novel does not have this problem, which is good. Therefore, if you don't like the typical NA sex scenes, you will not have a problem reading this novel.
Final Thoughts
I really liked this novel. I will definitely read the next book in the series. Too bad it will be a while until it gets published. I kind of want to read it NOW.
Pros
ツ Fast Read. Once I started reading it, I had to finish it.
ツ Interesting and complex characters. Their flaws, while annoying at times, are making the characters more real.
ツ Nice spin on supernatural creatures. The idea of a book cursing people is quite interesting.
ツ Deals with problems that affect young people all the time.
ツ The different point of views offer more information on the characters. The different voices are clear and distinct.
ツ The series is set in Canada.
ツ The book is quite short and easy to get through.
ツ The graphic scenes (sex, self-harm etc.) were done with taste.
Cons
☹ There are a lot characters, especially minor ones. Sometimes is hard to remember all of them. Also, some of them have similar names, which makes it harder to distinguish between them.
☹ I would've like to know more about Kendra, especially after what happened to her. What happened with her boyfriend? How did he react? Her father? What happened with her babies?
Recommend?
Yes, I do recommend this book and this new series. Shelby Lamb is an amazing author, and she managed to create a wonderful, captivating world and story.
I recommend it to:
ツ People who like dark, controversial subjects, as well as dark humor.
ツ People who like damaged characters.
ツ If you like different points of view.
ツ If fantasy and paranormal is a favorite genre, this series is a must read.
ツ People who like graphic scenes. Likewise, if you don't like typical NA sex scenes, this novel does not have this problem. The graphic scenes are well written.
I don't recommend it to:
☹ People who don't like different points of view.
☹ People who are sensible to self-harm and suicide scenes.
☹ People who prefer likable characters.
☹ If you don't like risky sex scenes, wanna be porn stars, and/or drugs, this book is not for you.
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February 26, 2017
**** 4 Cranky Stars ****
Told in four points of view: Aubrey, Bella, Kendra, and Nathan, Something is about a creeping evil that seeps into their lives through a book in Aubrey's possession.
Each teen has their own problems and are connected in some way. Nathan is Aubrey's ex. Aubrey is Nathan's stalker. Kendra and Aubrey are soul sisters, and Bella, the wild child, is Aubrey's former tormentor.
Through their connection, they're all touched by evil. Sleep disturbances, chilling figures, hallucinations, odd items, and then there are a host of sinister characters who you don't know if they're good or evil.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was weird and engrossing. I'd like to give huge props to the author for her courage. No one in this books is particularly likable and yet, I found myself scared for their futures.
Some of the contents of this book made me curl my toes up in cringe. Yes, exactly, I loved it. I also ended up cheering for probably the least likable character in the book, even when I wanted to shake her.
I didn't give this book five stars for these reasons:
1) With the four points of view, it took a long time to build the narrative in the story. I wanted to know how they were connected earlier.
2) I had to re-read some things twice, early on, because it wasn't made clear.
3) Because there were lots of characters, there was a bit of head hopping, which I don't like. It was unnecessary.
In saying that, I sat down and read this book from start to finish in one sitting. It also surprised me and creeped me out in places, which is quite difficult to do.
I cannot wait to follow on with the series and find out what happens.
If you like your chill with things that go bump in the night, I highly recommend this book.
March 9, 2017
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
If you don't like deeply flawed characters or things that go bump in the night, then Something is not for you. However, if you do, then for you, Something, may just be perfect! It is chalked full of flawed characters making questionable decisions, suspense, and creepiness.
When reading this story, you just have to go along with what the characters are doing. It's sort of like watching a scary movie and the main character goes into a creepy house and doesn't turn on any lights. The whole time you are yelling at the screen going "what are you thinking!" Something is no different. If I hadn't been reading the book in public, then I most likely would have had a running commentary that mostly consisted of the following: Why are you doing this? Are you stupid? Do you just want something bad to happen?
After resigning myself to just go along with the story, I found that I actually kind of liked it. The characters aren't perfect, not even close, however, they aren't supposed to be. I don't really know if you are even supposed to really like the characters. What was happening around them was what I found really intriguing, and it's what kept me reading. I just had to know what was going to happen next, and how everything was going to play out. The details that Miss Lamb included throughout the story were amazing and I think she described things perfectly. Every time she mentioned those delectable truffles, my mouth would water! Seriously the descriptions were that good!!
If you don't like deeply flawed characters or things that go bump in the night, then Something is not for you. However, if you do, then for you, Something, may just be perfect! It is chalked full of flawed characters making questionable decisions, suspense, and creepiness.
When reading this story, you just have to go along with what the characters are doing. It's sort of like watching a scary movie and the main character goes into a creepy house and doesn't turn on any lights. The whole time you are yelling at the screen going "what are you thinking!" Something is no different. If I hadn't been reading the book in public, then I most likely would have had a running commentary that mostly consisted of the following: Why are you doing this? Are you stupid? Do you just want something bad to happen?
After resigning myself to just go along with the story, I found that I actually kind of liked it. The characters aren't perfect, not even close, however, they aren't supposed to be. I don't really know if you are even supposed to really like the characters. What was happening around them was what I found really intriguing, and it's what kept me reading. I just had to know what was going to happen next, and how everything was going to play out. The details that Miss Lamb included throughout the story were amazing and I think she described things perfectly. Every time she mentioned those delectable truffles, my mouth would water! Seriously the descriptions were that good!!
June 14, 2019
Aubrey has a personality disorder. After breaking up with her boyfriend, he’s all she can think about. All she wants is to be loved and finds herself weeping nearly every night, holding a book called Something in her arms. As the story progresses, and Aubrey begins to grow more desperate to find herself, bad things begin to happen to those around her. Something has come to town.
I think my favorite part about this book was how relatable the author was able to make the characters. So many of them had more flaws than they did redeeming traits, and I think that’s what made them feel even realer. Especially Aubrey. I wanted to feel pity for her, I really did, but her personality was so off-putting that it was hard to feel any real sympathy for her throughout the story.
I loved the mystery and suspense throughout the story though, and while it has some rather dark moments, I liked the overall feeling of the book. In a way, it reminded me of a classic slasher film with characters who are unlikable enough for you to both root for as well as to not be sad when bad things begin to happen to them.
Definitely different from my normal read.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
I think my favorite part about this book was how relatable the author was able to make the characters. So many of them had more flaws than they did redeeming traits, and I think that’s what made them feel even realer. Especially Aubrey. I wanted to feel pity for her, I really did, but her personality was so off-putting that it was hard to feel any real sympathy for her throughout the story.
I loved the mystery and suspense throughout the story though, and while it has some rather dark moments, I liked the overall feeling of the book. In a way, it reminded me of a classic slasher film with characters who are unlikable enough for you to both root for as well as to not be sad when bad things begin to happen to them.
Definitely different from my normal read.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
February 12, 2018
This was kind of a strange book. I thought it was supposed to be a thriller. A horror book. I didn't think it was scary at all. It was a bunch of teenagers who I hope are very rare in this world. One obsessed with a boy who breaks up with her and she can't let him go, a 15-year-old pregnant with twins with a boyfriend who has no job and seems like no desire to work and a 17-year-old who wants to be a porn star. It seemed like most of the kids didn't have parents, were living on their own or with a sibling and were having sex like crazy. The paranormal/horror part of the book was so subtle. Did this book grab me and pull me in? Not really. I kept reading because I wanted to see if the paranormal stuff would freak me out. A good horror book makes me look behind me, hurry past a door to a dark room or not want to go out at night. This book was just okay.
March 13, 2017
The summary (and also the cover) of this book were so promising, I just couldn't resist. Sadly, for me this was another reversed case of 'don't judge a book by its cover'... I don't mind books with unlikable characters, and I've read a couple good books where I really couldn't stand the main character. But when it comes to whiny self-obsessed immature girls I'm completely out.
The main character Aubrey, who is constantly wallowing in self-pity, was absolutely unbearable, and more than once I wished she would choke on it already. Her countless sms messages to her ex-boyfriend were just too pathetic and childish to believe. The other characters were equally exaggerated which made it impossible to read this book in earnest but more like a caricature of certain stereotypes.
The citations from the book titled 'Something', which Aubrey finds and starts obsessing about, oozed mysterious, dark, dramatic and foreboding aura - but nevertheless I couldn't make head nor tail of them and forget all of it immediately.
The chapters and scenes often changed too abruptly, missing the smooth transition that also is a sign for good writing. While the writing itself was not bad, the style and especially its unique 'voice' was not for me - maybe I'm just too old for this stuff, and YA readers might disagree (though I desperately hope not).
The one highlight of the book was its ending, which gave some sense to the previous strange episodes and, despite my low rating, rouses some curiosity for the sequel.
(Thanks to librarything, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)
The main character Aubrey, who is constantly wallowing in self-pity, was absolutely unbearable, and more than once I wished she would choke on it already. Her countless sms messages to her ex-boyfriend were just too pathetic and childish to believe. The other characters were equally exaggerated which made it impossible to read this book in earnest but more like a caricature of certain stereotypes.
The citations from the book titled 'Something', which Aubrey finds and starts obsessing about, oozed mysterious, dark, dramatic and foreboding aura - but nevertheless I couldn't make head nor tail of them and forget all of it immediately.
The chapters and scenes often changed too abruptly, missing the smooth transition that also is a sign for good writing. While the writing itself was not bad, the style and especially its unique 'voice' was not for me - maybe I'm just too old for this stuff, and YA readers might disagree (though I desperately hope not).
The one highlight of the book was its ending, which gave some sense to the previous strange episodes and, despite my low rating, rouses some curiosity for the sequel.
(Thanks to librarything, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)
April 15, 2017
Fantastic pull you in Read
I read this book and can't wait to get the next book. Just enuff fantasy and supernatural to pull you in, quirky plot and very interesting characters.
I read this book and can't wait to get the next book. Just enuff fantasy and supernatural to pull you in, quirky plot and very interesting characters.
December 3, 2020
For the full revised review go to:
http://itsawordvomitworld.blogspot.co...
***
Okay, I’m a sucker. I fell for the creepy yet intriguing picture on the cover. Even with the title being a bit off (“Something”, really? Just doesn’t have the same ring to it as “IT”, huh?) I thought, “Oh, but look at that cover. There’s gotta be something great within that binding.” I was miserably wrong, even with all of the stellar reviews this book has gotten so far.
The sad part to me is that the writing style is there. It has a descriptive, creepy, oftentimes beautiful tone to it. It’s languid, intelligent, but easily read. I really did buzz quickly through this book. The issue is with the story itself. There’s just no real plot to be had here until around page 60, and even then it’s thin at best.
Around page 50 I started to get tired of the great writing style being the only thing holding this book together (The only reason it garnered two instead of one stars). I started to wonder, “Ok…and is there a point to this story?”
At least the first quarter of the book is dedicated solely to character building, and the characters aren’t even ones anyone could possibly like. They all sound the same: whiny little girls brimming with teenage angst. The only halfway likeable character is Aubrey’s ex, Nathan. (I’m right there with ya, bub, you needed to leave her. You shouldn’t have ever hooked up with that depressing little girl to begin with.) Aside from him you’ve got Aubrey, who’s a depressed little emo. You’ve got Bella, the stereotypical slut looking for attention and lashing out at the world in all out cattiness. Lastly you’ve got Kendra, and just the little I saw of the way she treated her boyfriend who knocked her up, showed me why he might not want to stick around.
Now, I can handle unlikeable characters, as long as they contribute to the story in some way, but all of these guys just detracted from it. I could have handled one, but not all. They were all stereotypical, and they all sounded the same in their mind. I don’t know, maybe I missed something and that was the point. Still…it got old.
I think part of the issue is that this story is going for too old of an audience. I’m okay with adult stories that have young characters, but when they’re all so immature it makes it hard to enjoy. If there were less sex and other adult situations, I would suggest this book to a YA audience, and it probably would have done a lot better there. The characters probably would have appealed to a younger audience, I’m sure.
Trickling into the subject of characters, the dialogue could use some work. At times it didn’t feel natural, a bit choppy, and overdramatic. Everyone was VERY dramatic in this story.
Yes, I’m dwelling on the characters a lot, but there wasn’t much else to this story. I think it was meant to be character-driven, but for that, you NEED stronger characters.
Finally, the horror. The main reason I wanted to read this book was because it was marketed as a horror novel. Eh, there’s potential here. It might have been a good one. Everything is just so overshadowed by all of the unneeded obnoxious characters, that I couldn’t even bring myself to be the slightest bit creeped out.
Through all of this there is the slight, sliiiiight, possibility that I would give this author another chance a few years down the road. The writing is there, she’s just got to come up with a good story to tell, about interesting characters (I said interesting, not likeable. I’ll settle for interesting.)
**I received this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review**
http://itsawordvomitworld.blogspot.co...
***
Okay, I’m a sucker. I fell for the creepy yet intriguing picture on the cover. Even with the title being a bit off (“Something”, really? Just doesn’t have the same ring to it as “IT”, huh?) I thought, “Oh, but look at that cover. There’s gotta be something great within that binding.” I was miserably wrong, even with all of the stellar reviews this book has gotten so far.
The sad part to me is that the writing style is there. It has a descriptive, creepy, oftentimes beautiful tone to it. It’s languid, intelligent, but easily read. I really did buzz quickly through this book. The issue is with the story itself. There’s just no real plot to be had here until around page 60, and even then it’s thin at best.
Around page 50 I started to get tired of the great writing style being the only thing holding this book together (The only reason it garnered two instead of one stars). I started to wonder, “Ok…and is there a point to this story?”
At least the first quarter of the book is dedicated solely to character building, and the characters aren’t even ones anyone could possibly like. They all sound the same: whiny little girls brimming with teenage angst. The only halfway likeable character is Aubrey’s ex, Nathan. (I’m right there with ya, bub, you needed to leave her. You shouldn’t have ever hooked up with that depressing little girl to begin with.) Aside from him you’ve got Aubrey, who’s a depressed little emo. You’ve got Bella, the stereotypical slut looking for attention and lashing out at the world in all out cattiness. Lastly you’ve got Kendra, and just the little I saw of the way she treated her boyfriend who knocked her up, showed me why he might not want to stick around.
Now, I can handle unlikeable characters, as long as they contribute to the story in some way, but all of these guys just detracted from it. I could have handled one, but not all. They were all stereotypical, and they all sounded the same in their mind. I don’t know, maybe I missed something and that was the point. Still…it got old.
I think part of the issue is that this story is going for too old of an audience. I’m okay with adult stories that have young characters, but when they’re all so immature it makes it hard to enjoy. If there were less sex and other adult situations, I would suggest this book to a YA audience, and it probably would have done a lot better there. The characters probably would have appealed to a younger audience, I’m sure.
Trickling into the subject of characters, the dialogue could use some work. At times it didn’t feel natural, a bit choppy, and overdramatic. Everyone was VERY dramatic in this story.
Yes, I’m dwelling on the characters a lot, but there wasn’t much else to this story. I think it was meant to be character-driven, but for that, you NEED stronger characters.
Finally, the horror. The main reason I wanted to read this book was because it was marketed as a horror novel. Eh, there’s potential here. It might have been a good one. Everything is just so overshadowed by all of the unneeded obnoxious characters, that I couldn’t even bring myself to be the slightest bit creeped out.
Through all of this there is the slight, sliiiiight, possibility that I would give this author another chance a few years down the road. The writing is there, she’s just got to come up with a good story to tell, about interesting characters (I said interesting, not likeable. I’ll settle for interesting.)
**I received this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review**
February 26, 2017
Something (Wisteria 1) by Shelby Lamb is a supernatural horror book. This book would appeal mostly to young adults who enjoy supernatural horror. Something follows four teenagers as they become linked by a dark curse. Aubrey Golding is a teenager who has faced her own hatred, bullies, losing her boyfriend, and her own suicidal thoughts. Aubrey’s life is forever altered when she finds a book titled Something. This one book turns her life upside down and forces her to question her own sanity as she is not always sure if she is wake or in a dream.
Something (Wisteria 1) by Shelby Lamb was one of those book that I just knew would end up giving me nightmares and yet not even that thought was enough to make me stop reading. Shelby Lamb crafts quite the intriguing web of bullies, suicidal thoughts, dark curses, and hidden figures as well as well-developed characters with realistic personalities and feelings. I felt like I could really sympathize with Aubrey Golding as I also know what it is like to be the outsider and to want people to be your friends and hang out with you. As the book got darker and darker I found myself coming to like more and more of the characters as I learned more about them, however Aubrey Golding was by far my favorite character. The ending was a plot twist that I did not see coming, but I found that it was the perfect way to end the book. I only hope that there is a Wisteria 2.
Something (Wisteria 1) by Shelby Lamb was one of those book that I just knew would end up giving me nightmares and yet not even that thought was enough to make me stop reading. Shelby Lamb crafts quite the intriguing web of bullies, suicidal thoughts, dark curses, and hidden figures as well as well-developed characters with realistic personalities and feelings. I felt like I could really sympathize with Aubrey Golding as I also know what it is like to be the outsider and to want people to be your friends and hang out with you. As the book got darker and darker I found myself coming to like more and more of the characters as I learned more about them, however Aubrey Golding was by far my favorite character. The ending was a plot twist that I did not see coming, but I found that it was the perfect way to end the book. I only hope that there is a Wisteria 2.
April 3, 2017
Never really thought I would like a book about emo girls and trashy bimbos. But this was written with passion and I have to say I am intrigued about what will come next. Greatness at a unique level.
February 18, 2017
I don't know what I just read. Is it porn? Is it horror? Is it horror porn? Part of me wants to say this book is for younger readers as the main characters are in their late teens, though it would not be appropriate for anyone under 18, with it's vast amounts of sex and partying.
Aubrey is suicidal over her break up with Nathan, who unbeknownst to her has hooked up with her best friend. At one of many parties (all these kids do is drink get high and switch sex partners) someone tells a creepy story of sleep paralysis and a stick woman who moves things around and leaves twigs behind. After this, everyone starts seeing strange visions, and shadowy demonic figures, and waking up with weird marks or pustules on their bodies. It's a complicated and convoluted tale.
I received an advance copy for review.
Aubrey is suicidal over her break up with Nathan, who unbeknownst to her has hooked up with her best friend. At one of many parties (all these kids do is drink get high and switch sex partners) someone tells a creepy story of sleep paralysis and a stick woman who moves things around and leaves twigs behind. After this, everyone starts seeing strange visions, and shadowy demonic figures, and waking up with weird marks or pustules on their bodies. It's a complicated and convoluted tale.
I received an advance copy for review.
February 3, 2017
Just finished Something and it was a wild ride of a story! Filled with drama and aspects of horror, it does have a slower build up of events but I found that it worked well. A story about a cursed book with drama and dark themes. This book will not be for everyone due to these themes but I did enjoy it. What dark themes do you ask? Well, things like broken hearts, porn, self harm and more that I do not want to give away. The characters I would describe as dysfunctional but a eclectic mix with their point of views. All of these aspects created a story that has lead me to wanting to know what happens next!
May 24, 2017
Note: I received a free copy of Something from its author Shelby Lamb in exchange for an honest review.
Something, book I in the Wisteria series, by Shelby Lamb is a dark, adult, horror and paranormal novel. And when I say dark, I mean pitch black dark.
Even though most of the characters are aged 16, I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone under 18. The novel is meant for mature audiences and is high in adult content. There is also lots of profanity, so if you don't like it, read at your own caution.
"Bella gasped, delighted, glancing at the red Happy Birthday Bitch written around two fondant boobs and a fondant ass with the exact butterfly tattoo she had on her butt."
Something by Shelby Lamb juggles four main characters, but the main main character is Aubrey Golding, an obsessive emo with suicidal intentions. Aubrey is constantly over-obsessing about her ex-boyfriend, Nathan, who ditched her three months prior. It is interesting to see the obsessiveness and how she struggles with and how Nathan suffers from it. Still I felt it was a little overdone at times.
Other main characters include Bella, a narcissistic 16-year-old looking to make her name in the porn industry, and 15-year-old Kendra who is pregnant with twins.
What do all the character have in common? They all talked to or mingled with Aubrey, who has recently picked up a book called Something from the local library. As the book progresses, Aubrey shares bits and pieces with the other three main characters.
"Vines bordered the edged of the first page, vines that wiggled and swayed as if they were alive."
I liked how Lamb kept giving the reader bits of information that the characters themselves were unaware of, like creatures hiding in the darkness, pages moving, horns appearing and more.
"She hobbled toward the bathroom…not noticing the long, outstretched arm that slid back under her bed. Pale as a sheet, except for the dark veins, it had barely missed her ankle."
A few things about the narration bugged me a bit, sometimes I felt that the author's personal views of her characters entered the narrative, disrupting the flow, and sometimes I felt certain parts could be skipped, particularly with several dialogues and some day-to-day descriptions. Similarly, some of the scary parts could have had shorter sentences instead of "then" and other linking words. There were also a few slightly gross, albeit needed, scenes.
There were also some character discrepancies in Aubrey. Sometimes she was a bit mature or seemed grown up, at others she was like a 10-year-old.
On the other hand, among the things I liked about Something was Shelby's use of thought-provoking similes and imagery throughout.
While I'm usually not a fan of love triangles, Lamb's triangle is well-crafted, maintaining suspense.
I liked how the author made me like and dislike Aubrey at the same. Just like Aubrey's conflicting world, the reader is made to feel conflicting emotions about her. While I often pitied her, there were times when she irritated me. In her fit of rage, I was totally rooting for her though.
"She closed the door, not noticing the strange, horned creature sitting by Aubrey's sleeping body, hunching over her like a dark, ominous cloud.
That night, while everyone slept, a pale, smooth and slender hand placed a gift box down on the doorstep. He had found Aubrey once again.
He always would."
Normally, Something is not a book I would have picked up, but I'm glad I got out of my reading genres and read this.
Something is a quick-paced, scary novel with short chapters and several lives intermingled, making the book interesting at all times. Highly recommended.
"I can smell the Demonolib curse on you."
Overall rating: 4.75 stars
Something, book I in the Wisteria series, by Shelby Lamb is a dark, adult, horror and paranormal novel. And when I say dark, I mean pitch black dark.
Even though most of the characters are aged 16, I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone under 18. The novel is meant for mature audiences and is high in adult content. There is also lots of profanity, so if you don't like it, read at your own caution.
"Bella gasped, delighted, glancing at the red Happy Birthday Bitch written around two fondant boobs and a fondant ass with the exact butterfly tattoo she had on her butt."
Something by Shelby Lamb juggles four main characters, but the main main character is Aubrey Golding, an obsessive emo with suicidal intentions. Aubrey is constantly over-obsessing about her ex-boyfriend, Nathan, who ditched her three months prior. It is interesting to see the obsessiveness and how she struggles with and how Nathan suffers from it. Still I felt it was a little overdone at times.
Other main characters include Bella, a narcissistic 16-year-old looking to make her name in the porn industry, and 15-year-old Kendra who is pregnant with twins.
What do all the character have in common? They all talked to or mingled with Aubrey, who has recently picked up a book called Something from the local library. As the book progresses, Aubrey shares bits and pieces with the other three main characters.
"Vines bordered the edged of the first page, vines that wiggled and swayed as if they were alive."
I liked how Lamb kept giving the reader bits of information that the characters themselves were unaware of, like creatures hiding in the darkness, pages moving, horns appearing and more.
"She hobbled toward the bathroom…not noticing the long, outstretched arm that slid back under her bed. Pale as a sheet, except for the dark veins, it had barely missed her ankle."
A few things about the narration bugged me a bit, sometimes I felt that the author's personal views of her characters entered the narrative, disrupting the flow, and sometimes I felt certain parts could be skipped, particularly with several dialogues and some day-to-day descriptions. Similarly, some of the scary parts could have had shorter sentences instead of "then" and other linking words. There were also a few slightly gross, albeit needed, scenes.
There were also some character discrepancies in Aubrey. Sometimes she was a bit mature or seemed grown up, at others she was like a 10-year-old.
On the other hand, among the things I liked about Something was Shelby's use of thought-provoking similes and imagery throughout.
While I'm usually not a fan of love triangles, Lamb's triangle is well-crafted, maintaining suspense.
I liked how the author made me like and dislike Aubrey at the same. Just like Aubrey's conflicting world, the reader is made to feel conflicting emotions about her. While I often pitied her, there were times when she irritated me. In her fit of rage, I was totally rooting for her though.
"She closed the door, not noticing the strange, horned creature sitting by Aubrey's sleeping body, hunching over her like a dark, ominous cloud.
That night, while everyone slept, a pale, smooth and slender hand placed a gift box down on the doorstep. He had found Aubrey once again.
He always would."
Normally, Something is not a book I would have picked up, but I'm glad I got out of my reading genres and read this.
Something is a quick-paced, scary novel with short chapters and several lives intermingled, making the book interesting at all times. Highly recommended.
"I can smell the Demonolib curse on you."
Overall rating: 4.75 stars
July 9, 2017
'Reaching out, she snatched the book of interest off the shelf to read the title: ‘Something.’
Canadian author Shelby Lamb makes her literary debut with SOMETHIN (WISTERIA, #1) and shares in her biographical information that she loves exploring the weird and unsettling, writing fiction from her own personal life experiences and from the depths of her imagination and the inspiration around her. Her genre (at this point) is horror/dark fantasy/mystery. This is book 1 in a series of five.
Shelby’s choice of cover art sets the tone for her horror story. And as we open her book she tells us that in this book ‘Aubrey finds a book that propels her and her peers into horror and madness.’ And indeed the first words of her novel introduce that feeling well – ‘It was a gloomy September evening in Ontario, and under the periwinkle sky, Aubrey glided down the sidewalk in a black tent dress and ballerina slippers. School over, she wandered around downtown Brampton, her usual wheat-blond hair dyed a pastel pink. The Canadian breeze rippled it like fine silk, whipping it around her sapphire eyes. Set in a moon-shaped face, that blue gaze of hers was heavily penciled with the darkest liner she could find. As commuters brushed past, she gazed down, self-consciously, on occasion. Why can’t I just be perfect? Scratching the negligible mole on her neck, she also wondered about the angry red pimples dotting her forehead. As a guy here or there glanced her way, she hoped her face was somehow charming, if not remarkable. She hoped her legs were… well… sinuous. Evanescence— that was all she could hear.’
The synopsis covers the plot line well – ‘"I will find true love and everything will be okay. I will find true love and everything will be okay..." she chanted. They say be careful what you read. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong. It can happen to anyone. This is just four teenagers' story. Aubrey Golding hates her face, her body, and is devastated after Nathan Silva leaves her. Alone, suicidal, and desperate for love, she discovers a book called SOMETHING and unknowingly links others to a dark and terrifying curse that is beginning to consume her. Nathan is glad to be moving on with someone new and can hardly believe what is happening now. Wild child and amateur porn star, Bella Broadhurst, loves bullying that "emo whore" Aubrey with the other girls, but mostly she loves partying, hookups, and plain ol' drama when terror arises. And Kendra Coke is just a new teen mother working on a delicate relationship when things start becoming utterly bizarre. Chilling sleep disturbances and figures hiding in the corners of their rooms are just warnings of what is to come. Be careful what you read, they say. Tread carefully...’
A bit rough around the edges and perhaps not a story for everyone, Shelby shows a unique bent on horror and seeing how she develops this story will be interesting.
Canadian author Shelby Lamb makes her literary debut with SOMETHIN (WISTERIA, #1) and shares in her biographical information that she loves exploring the weird and unsettling, writing fiction from her own personal life experiences and from the depths of her imagination and the inspiration around her. Her genre (at this point) is horror/dark fantasy/mystery. This is book 1 in a series of five.
Shelby’s choice of cover art sets the tone for her horror story. And as we open her book she tells us that in this book ‘Aubrey finds a book that propels her and her peers into horror and madness.’ And indeed the first words of her novel introduce that feeling well – ‘It was a gloomy September evening in Ontario, and under the periwinkle sky, Aubrey glided down the sidewalk in a black tent dress and ballerina slippers. School over, she wandered around downtown Brampton, her usual wheat-blond hair dyed a pastel pink. The Canadian breeze rippled it like fine silk, whipping it around her sapphire eyes. Set in a moon-shaped face, that blue gaze of hers was heavily penciled with the darkest liner she could find. As commuters brushed past, she gazed down, self-consciously, on occasion. Why can’t I just be perfect? Scratching the negligible mole on her neck, she also wondered about the angry red pimples dotting her forehead. As a guy here or there glanced her way, she hoped her face was somehow charming, if not remarkable. She hoped her legs were… well… sinuous. Evanescence— that was all she could hear.’
The synopsis covers the plot line well – ‘"I will find true love and everything will be okay. I will find true love and everything will be okay..." she chanted. They say be careful what you read. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong. It can happen to anyone. This is just four teenagers' story. Aubrey Golding hates her face, her body, and is devastated after Nathan Silva leaves her. Alone, suicidal, and desperate for love, she discovers a book called SOMETHING and unknowingly links others to a dark and terrifying curse that is beginning to consume her. Nathan is glad to be moving on with someone new and can hardly believe what is happening now. Wild child and amateur porn star, Bella Broadhurst, loves bullying that "emo whore" Aubrey with the other girls, but mostly she loves partying, hookups, and plain ol' drama when terror arises. And Kendra Coke is just a new teen mother working on a delicate relationship when things start becoming utterly bizarre. Chilling sleep disturbances and figures hiding in the corners of their rooms are just warnings of what is to come. Be careful what you read, they say. Tread carefully...’
A bit rough around the edges and perhaps not a story for everyone, Shelby shows a unique bent on horror and seeing how she develops this story will be interesting.
July 27, 2017
I found this book to be an inside look into the mind of an interesting girl that finds alternative ways to deal with life's challenges. Eventually. After she has a completely teen reactions to her boy leaving her. It is good read for anyone that likes a little bit of “messed up” with their drama. There are scenes that leave me thinking, “Did I really just read that?!”
I always love when an author writes by her own rules and you can almost hear her reading the story to you in her own unique voice. She writes beautifully and brings this fantasy world to life. Almost like the fairy tales you would read about as a child, before Disney got their hands on them.
Is this YA? Because it seems a bit intense for YA. Whenever I pick up a book in this genre I expect the “drama” to be a bit tamed. But it did seem to have “rated R” scenes at points. Not that this is to deter anyone from the story but good to know going in or if you are buying the book for anyone. I would suggest this book for older teen / younger twenty something audience.
I always love when an author writes by her own rules and you can almost hear her reading the story to you in her own unique voice. She writes beautifully and brings this fantasy world to life. Almost like the fairy tales you would read about as a child, before Disney got their hands on them.
Is this YA? Because it seems a bit intense for YA. Whenever I pick up a book in this genre I expect the “drama” to be a bit tamed. But it did seem to have “rated R” scenes at points. Not that this is to deter anyone from the story but good to know going in or if you are buying the book for anyone. I would suggest this book for older teen / younger twenty something audience.
July 26, 2017
Wow
Strange and mysterious things are happening to a group of teenagers. Things that are starting to turn deadly. Only the old drunk next door seems to have any answers. So looking forward to the next book in this series.
Strange and mysterious things are happening to a group of teenagers. Things that are starting to turn deadly. Only the old drunk next door seems to have any answers. So looking forward to the next book in this series.
January 16, 2019
Obsessed
I read this book in 4 days. Which is very fast for me considering i have 3 toddlers & work a full time evening job. I am starting Into The Darkness now & cannot wait to see what happens next. I relate to Aubrey so much it hurts. Very good book. Well done Shelby Lamb.
I read this book in 4 days. Which is very fast for me considering i have 3 toddlers & work a full time evening job. I am starting Into The Darkness now & cannot wait to see what happens next. I relate to Aubrey so much it hurts. Very good book. Well done Shelby Lamb.
February 7, 2017
This was a quick, creepy read.
April 16, 2017
5/5 stars
Something (Wisteria 1) is amazing and I can't wait to find out what happens next. The story pulled me in immediately and I couldn't put it down. Something is a horror story full of creepy half-seen things, the stuff of nightmares, and gruesome curl-your-toes scenes. All of the characters are completely messed up in one way or another, full of self-loathing and destructive impulses,and yet likeable despite their flaws. I felt bad for the terrible things happening to them. This story isn't for everyone, but if you love graphic, creepy horror, then Something might be for you.
Summary: Highly recommended for lovers of twisted horror stories.
Disclaimer: I received this book through a LibraryThing giveaway. Reviews posted on GoodReads, LibraryThing and Amazon.
Something (Wisteria 1) is amazing and I can't wait to find out what happens next. The story pulled me in immediately and I couldn't put it down. Something is a horror story full of creepy half-seen things, the stuff of nightmares, and gruesome curl-your-toes scenes. All of the characters are completely messed up in one way or another, full of self-loathing and destructive impulses,and yet likeable despite their flaws. I felt bad for the terrible things happening to them. This story isn't for everyone, but if you love graphic, creepy horror, then Something might be for you.
Summary: Highly recommended for lovers of twisted horror stories.
Disclaimer: I received this book through a LibraryThing giveaway. Reviews posted on GoodReads, LibraryThing and Amazon.
April 7, 2017
Something is a mix between a horror story and a character drama. I enjoyed it, but only because it appealed to me so strongly, but I'm not sure for who the book was written for since it's too adult to be for teens and too teen for adults. My full review can be read here.
July 17, 2017
Great book
Great book. Super scary. Well written characters. Something is really different but draws you in closer and closer to its horror.
Great book. Super scary. Well written characters. Something is really different but draws you in closer and closer to its horror.
June 14, 2017
I received a copy of this book directly from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
DNF. I wanted to like this book--the premise certainly sounded interesting, but unfortunately, the execution fell drastically short. I have to be honest: I didn't like this book. At all.
The story started with a huge section describing the character down to her moles. She was a predictable emo-hipster complete with pastel pink hair and piercings, constantly listening to dated Evanescence songs while she whined about her absent boyfriend, friends, and well... just about everything. Frankly, I didn't like her. She was depressing to listen to, and the way she was set up made it painfully obvious that she was just like every other dramatically written emo teen; painfully special in her sad, cliche way.
The narrative voice was filled with poetic description about things that weren't relevant to the story, and after just 4% of the book—I was bored.
I know there are people out there that love this book--I have seen the 4 and 5-star reviews--and I applaud them for their dedication in reading through this entire book. Really, I do. It just wasn't for me, and honestly, I can't recommend it. I don't think it was well written. I am incredibly disappointed.
DNF. I wanted to like this book--the premise certainly sounded interesting, but unfortunately, the execution fell drastically short. I have to be honest: I didn't like this book. At all.
The story started with a huge section describing the character down to her moles. She was a predictable emo-hipster complete with pastel pink hair and piercings, constantly listening to dated Evanescence songs while she whined about her absent boyfriend, friends, and well... just about everything. Frankly, I didn't like her. She was depressing to listen to, and the way she was set up made it painfully obvious that she was just like every other dramatically written emo teen; painfully special in her sad, cliche way.
The narrative voice was filled with poetic description about things that weren't relevant to the story, and after just 4% of the book—I was bored.
I know there are people out there that love this book--I have seen the 4 and 5-star reviews--and I applaud them for their dedication in reading through this entire book. Really, I do. It just wasn't for me, and honestly, I can't recommend it. I don't think it was well written. I am incredibly disappointed.
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