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Help A Reader Out: Tunnels Under A Slaughterhouse

Gentle readers–

Can anyone identify this book?

Shane wrote:

I’ve been SEARCHING to no avail  for this book I read and I know nothing about it other than it probably came out in 2000-2002. It was a “scary” book. And the only details I have was it was about a boy and his friend who go to or maybe investigate a slaughterhouse and they end up getting lost in the tunnels underneath it? And they hear the cows, something or other, and in the end the boy makes it out and his friend he claimed to have lost in the tunnels never existed (when he told family and police). If you know ANYTHING could you please please help me?

 
I’ll make you a deal. Identify the book correctly and I’ll send you candy. It’s getting to be that trick-or-treating time of year, anyway. 🙂
 

Posted on September 9, 2014 by , 3 comments

Book Review: Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Viking Penguin, 2013

ISBN-13: 978-0670786206

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

I don’t read a lot of YA fiction, as I tend to enjoy a harder, darker horror in general, but I have enjoyed it from time to time, and the concept of Man Made Boy intrigued me.

It is indeed an interesting book filled with fun ideas. Man Made Boy is the story of Boy, the son of the Frankenstein monster and his Bride. Boy and his parents live in a New York City refuge for monsters; hidden in plain sight from the public as a part of a freak show, the monsters live in a labyrinth behind and underneath a theater in the city. I LOVED this concept. The set-up is beautifully done and creates a wonderful environment that is both gothic and surreal.

Boy is a teenager and this for sure is a road trip coming-of-age novel. Boy decides he wants to leave the show and live in the outside world, which is not the easiest thing to do when you are made up of re-animated body parts, but he gets out there and gets a job. As he travels, he meets other monsters, falls in love and has adventures. Where the story gets muddied is in a secondary plot about Boy’s love for hacking; he creates a villain named Vi, a sentient computer virus, in effect making Boy like Doctor Frankenstein.

The theme is not subtle, it is about responsibility. I thought the novel was fun overall and would be perfect for young teens. There is some strong language and suggestion of sexuality, entirely off camera. The book is targeted to ages 12 and up, and I think that is fair n terms of age-appropriateness. YA collections should have this book– kids looking for a light-hearted fantasy will enjoy it. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by David Agranoff

Posted on September 9, 2014 by , Reply

Book Review: Absalom’s Wake, Part Four by Nancy A. Collins

 

Note: Absalom’s Wake is a six-part ebook serial. Check out these reviews of earlier parts of the story!

Absalom’s Wake, Part One: A Serial Adventure of Terror on the High Seas

Absalom’s Wake, Part Two: Terror on the Beach

Absalom’s Wake, Part Three: The Whale Rider

 

Absalom’s Wake Part Four:  Terror Comes Aboard  by Nancy A. Collins

Biting Dog Publications, 2013

ASIN:  B00DAHLBG2

Available:  ebook edition (Kindle, Nook)

Part Four of Absalom’s Wake continues the adventure with our hero, Jonah Padgett, being rescued by the island native, Koro, from the sea’s embrace.  At dinner, the captain learns that  King Jim, the most treacherous of all whales, was sighted three hundred miles southwest of Rapa Nui.  The captain sets course, and two days later the ship is in the area, and the hunt is on!  Two of the crew go missing with no explanation.  The mystery is short-lived, as the ship is attacked by Shark-men!  The savage Shark-men, of the Mako Kanaka tribe, take the crew to task.  Many of the crew members are killed, including Captain Solomon.  The crew retaliates by gunning down the vicious savages.  The final blow is dealt by Koro, who harpoons their fleeing leader, One Eye.  With Captain Solomon dead, what will happen to the hunt?

Ms. Collins’ tale continues to be just as strong as in the previous parts.  The tone is consistent, with the characters’ lives falling into a familiar routine.  Their voices are strong and remain distinctive.  The descriptions were vivid and the action sequences were gripping!  The mystery continues, and I was left wanting more, more, more! Recommended for adult audiences.

Reviewed by:  Aaron Fletcher

Posted on August 29, 2014 by , Reply
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