“Birthday Girl”–Review

Anna may survive the carnage… but who will she be once the ocean of blood clears?

On the night before her 18th birthday, Anna surrenders her virginity, all to just be done with it. It’s okay for her, anyhow, since she intends to leave Miss Codie’s Orphanage once she’s 18. When her best friend, Kate, convinces her to stay up later to celebrate before her departure, they come across a mysterious boardgame, which accidentally frees Magriol, a sadistic exile from Hell, who thrives on practices that disgust even the Devil himself. After the girls witness his gruesome tricks, Magriol lures them into a game, where they must find something special, which he won’t name until they get toward the end. Should the girls succeed, Magriol will spare them. But with every gruesome obstacle they take on, Anna wonders if it’s all a trick.

Past reviews have mentioned how brutal this story is, and they weren’t kidding. It’s filled with gore, mayhem, rape, and dismemberment. You know I enjoy horror stories, yet I didn’t expect this much detail. I was already cringing at certain scenes. But that’s what I need in a story. I started reading this book on my birthday, which was five days ago, and I’m happy to have purchased this copy. For horror fans, this one might be right up your alley. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Ash Crowlin graduated from Bowling Green State University with a BAC in Theatre. He lives in Port Clinton, OH, where he spends his time giving wealthy tourists poor advice. He loves coffee, gin, and art films concerning human centipedes. For more info, click here.

“The War of the Roses”–Review

Hello, bloggers! It’s been awhile since my last review, so here’s one of The War of the Roses, which I finished reading last night.

It’s the story of the ugly aftermath of the Roses’ pending divorce. Barbara wants out. Jonathan is devastated. Jonathan offers to go half on everything, but Barbara refuses the offer. She wants it all: the house and its possessions. But Jonathan worked for it all as much as she. The battle is on, and no divorce lawyer or judge will stop these two from plotting, sabotaging, and pushing each other’s buttons in extreme ways to get the other to step down. Last one standing gets the house and its possessions. Who will win it all?

What a crazy story. Throughout my reading it, I thought, “Really, is this all worth it?” All that fighting, the manipulations, the sabotaging? It drove the Roses toward insanity. For material things! And what an example they were setting for their kids. While messy divorces aren’t uncommon, this one was a combination of dark humor and disturbing content. I’ve never seen the movie adaptation, although I saw only the ending, which is a little different from the book’s ending. Perhaps I’ll watch it. I’ve heard good things.

Looking for some domestic suspense? Pick up this book. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!