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100 Scope Notes
by Travis Jonker
May 14, 2014 by Angela Carstensen
We begin with Above by Isla Morley. When I first heard about this book in a publisher pitch, it was described as very like Room by Emma Donoghue. A girl is abducted by a survivalist, held underground for years (supposedly for her own protection from the coming apocalypse), during which time she has a child. […]
January 8, 2014 by Angela Carstensen
We do run the gamut here at AB4T. Quite a variety to introduce today, but all three fall under the broad category of speculative fiction. Let’s begin with our starred review, a blood-filled serial killer/government experiment-gone-wrong thriller, with an interesting twist. It was released alongside a companion YA novel — Project Cain — which is […]
January 2, 2014 by Angela Carstensen
I thought we’d kick off the New Year with two of the biggest books of 2013. Both couple length with accessible, engaging prose that seduces the reader all the way to the end. Donna Tartt made her name with The Secret History over 20 years ago, and it has since gained cult status. The Goldfinch, […]
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September 16, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
I am writing this on the Sunday evening of a weekend during which the movie “Insidious: Chapter 2” made $41 million dollars at the box office. Tomorrow evening “Sleepy Hollow” premieres on Fox and CBS airs the finale of the first season of “Under the Dome”. “The Walking Dead” is on the cover of this […]
July 30, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
Benjamin Percy’s Red Moon is a political thriller as much as werewolf horror novel, in the same way that World War Z is about military strategy. Red Moon reflects the current state of our world, in particular terrorism, persecuted minorities, and the importance of energy sources in today’s political decision-making. In fact, Justin Cronin (author of The […]
May 1, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
Two magical books topped off our April reading, both earning starred reviews. The Golem and the Jinni is a mash-up of Jewish and Arab folklore, historical fiction and fantasy, new and old world sensibilities. Helene Wecker’s debut seems destined to be among the best of the year. The publisher has certainly gone all-out. The physical package is richly […]
March 27, 2013 by Angela Carstensen
I’ve been thinking about horror fiction lately. What are the secrets of its appeal? Why are teens so drawn to it? How can we know which adult horror novels will appeal to teens and which won’t? One of the reasons I’ve been thinking about this lately is because I enjoyed The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper […]
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