Review: Zero Day by Ezekiel Boone

Zero Day (The Hatching #3) by Ezekiel Boone
Publication date: February 27th 2018
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
My rating: 4 Stars
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In the finale of Ezekiel Boone’s Hatching series, the United States goes to war against the queen spiders that threaten to overtake the human race forever.

The world is on the brink of apocalypse. Zero Day has come.

The only thing more terrifying than millions of spiders is the realization that those spiders work as one. But among the government, there is dissent: do we try to kill all of the spiders, or do we gamble on Professor Guyer’s theory that we need to kill only the queens?

For President Stephanie Pilgrim, it’s an easy answer. She’s gone as far as she can—more than two dozen American cities hit with tactical nukes, the country torn asunder—and the only answer is to believe in Professor Guyer. Unfortunately, Ben Broussard and the military men who follow him don’t agree, and Pilgrim, Guyer, and the loyal members of the government have to flee, leaving the question: what’s more dangerous, the spiders or ourselves?

My Thoughts:

I’ll try and make this as non-spoilery as possible given that this is the third installment in The Hatching series.   

The human species is under threat by spiders overrunning most of the earth on a grand scale. Our survival tenuous at best, and dependent on outsmarting the spiders who are fast, coordinated, and deadly.  They run on instinct and seem to keep evolving! Just normal everyday spiders scare the hell out of me, so these spiders would give me a heart attack on the spot!

I was on the edge of my seat through most of these books, and rooting for several of the characters introduced through the series!  Zero Day was thrilling, fast paced with lots of action, and we get to see the impact of this global attack through the eyes of several characters located all around the world.  I loved the overall story arc through the series, and there was even a wee bit of romance! Two I was really hoping would pan out eventually, and I got my wish on both accounts!

I love stories where the survival of the human race is at risk, and the characters involved must fight with everything they have to survive!  Zero Day was a superb ending to a thrilling series, and everything I hoped for! 

 

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Review: Skitter by Ezekiel Boone

Skitter (The Hatching #2) by Ezekiel Boone
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication date: May 2nd 2017
My rating: 4 stars 
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Tens of millions of people around the world are dead. Half of China is a nuclear wasteland. Mysterious flesh-eating spiders are marching through Los Angeles, Oslo, Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, and countless other cities. According to scientist Melanie Gruyer, however, the spider situation seems to be looking up. Yet in Japan, a giant, truck-sized, glowing egg sack gives a shocking preview of what is to come, even as survivors in Los Angeles panic and break the quarantine zone. Out in the desert, survivalists Gordo and Shotgun are trying to invent a spider super weapon, but it’s not clear if it’s too late, because President Stephanie Pilgrim has been forced to enact the plan of last resort: The Spanish Protocol. America, you are on your own.

My Thoughts:

Skitter picks up pretty much right where The Hatching left off.  Spiders have come, overwhelmed and taken out large portions of the population on the globe.  Did I mention that spiders scare the HELL out of me? Oh, my goodness, yes!! And let me tell you, the last book was terrifying for anyone with a spider phobia, but the events and plight of some in this installment made my skin crawl in horror!  The world is up in arms wondering if the worst is over, but with new egg sacks, hot and pulsing to the touch, that scenario would be too good to be true.  Now the world has to wait and see what is coming next, and let me tell you, it is BAD!

While on one hand I thought the story would’ve benefited from eliminating some of the many POV’s, I get it was a way to give a window, a vivid picture into what was happening in different locations around the world.  Still, IMO I think if the story was more focused on just the POV’s I’ve come to know and care about, it would’ve had more impact.  I’d rather have more page count spent on them.  I wasn’t thrilled with the addition of POV’s that were just few short scenes and then killed off.  I want to be invested in my characters, worried about their survival, because I’ve already been acquainted with them. I was disappointed Melanie and Mike Rich’s connection from the last book wasn’t built upon, because there’s certainly enough room for a little bit of romance if you edit out all the POV’s that came to an abrupt end, ones I wasn’t invested in at all.  I still have hope for them in the next book.  There are a couple of other relationships I’d like expounded on, furthered, as well: Manny and the US President, Stephanie Pilgrim, and Julie and Pierre.  I guess we’ll see how it all shakes out.

Even with all of that, I found the story completely engrossing. At times I was filled with dread and wanted to yell: RUN!!  End of the world scenarios, be it from earthquakes, tsunamis, aliens, zombies, or in this case spiders, have always fascinated me.  I put myself in the situation, wonder what I would do; would I be smart enough, lucky enough to survive while so many perish around me? 

Everything is coming to a head, more desperate and frightening.  The choices made by the President where extreme, necessary, and terrifying! I hope all my favorite characters survive. I hope Gordo and Shotgun come up with an effective “Spinal Tap”, that Melanie figures out these spiders, I hope Mike and his group are able to wait it out in safety.  I wouldn’t say this ended in a cliffhanger, but everything is left up in the air.  I need the next book ASAP!

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Review: The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone

The Hatching ( The Hatching #1) by Ezekiel Boone
Publisher: Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books
Publication date: July 5th 2016
My rating: 4 stars 
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Deep in the jungle of Peru, where so much remains unknown, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. Something wants out.

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. An ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake. 

My Thoughts:

The Hatching was everything I love about disaster/end-of-the-world stories!  That rush of adrenaline you get when worrying over whether the human race will make it.  Asking myself: what would I do? Would I be among the few that would be lucky smart enough to survive? I’m that girl who loves the idea of beating zombies, tsunamis, earthquakes, deadly viruses, asteroids; pretty much anything in which the earth will be doomed unless a small group prevails, and figures out how to save the human race.  In this case we’re talking SPIDERS!!!! Swarming spiders! Fast, creepy, crawly, and terrifying! I shiver just thinking about them!

The Hatching is told from multiple POV’s, demonstrating just how widespread the problem is.  It begins with isolated instances, the players piecing together events as the situation becomes more dangerous, escalating into a global threat.  Most of the time with an action filled plot there is little page time devoted to character development, especially when there are a lot of POV’s, but I have to say with the little page time some of the characters were given, my favorites were fleshed out enough that I cared about them, and hope all will be well!  Professor Melanie Guyer, in Washington DC, and Agent Mike Rich in Minneapolis, Minnesota, are each experiencing life outside of these disasters, but becoming connected through them.  There is a romance hinted at with these two, and I'm crossing my fingers it turns out! The survivalists in Desperation, California, the couple at the castle on an island in Scotland, and the Marine Corps out of Twin Palms, California are all facing their own trials, and I’m invested in each and every one of their stories!

I got a copy of this story some time ago and let it languish on my shelf and I’m now kicking myself I didn’t pick up it up sooner! The Hatching hooked me from the beginning, and with each chapter had my pulse ticking higher and higher as the stakes notched up!  Will the human race prevail in the face of such a fast acting threat? And if they do, will all my beloved characters make it?

I guess I’ll find out in Skitter, which thankfully comes out very soon!

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Review: Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper

Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication date: June 24th 2014
My rating:  3.5 stars 
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Author of the beloved Half Moon Hollow series of vampire romances (Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs), Molly Harper has created a standalone paranormal romance in which a dilapidated haunted house could bring star-crossed lovers together—if it doesn’t kill them first!

When Nina Linden is hired to landscape a private island off the New England coast, she sees it as her chance to rebuild her failing business after being cheated by her unscrupulous ex. She never expects that her new client, software mogul Deacon Whitney, would see more in her than just a talented gardener. Deacon has paid top dollar to the crews he’s hired to renovate the desolate Whitney estate—he had to, because the bumps, thumps, and unexplained sightings of ghostly figures in nineteenth-century dress are driving workers away faster than he can say “Boo.”

But Nina shows no signs of being scared away, even as she experiences some unnerving apparitions herself. And as the two of them work closely together to restore the mansion’s faded glory, Deacon realizes that he’s found someone who doesn’t seem to like his fortune more than himself—while Nina may have finally found the one man she can trust with her bruised and battered heart.

But something on the island doesn’t believe in true love…and if Nina and Deacon can’t figure out how to put these angry spirits to rest, their own love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

My Thoughts:

I’ve always been drawn to scary stories, even when I was much younger. I’m not sure why because I’d usually end up scared out of my wits and unable to turn the lights out at bedtime. These were times I was very grateful to have shared a room with my sister!  As a grownup I still love a good thriller, so the thought of vengeful ghosts, and spine chilling encounters, had me giddy to pick up Better Homes and Hauntings.  Add in a big, beautiful, spooky mansion as the setting, and some romance and I was happy girl!

Landscape artist Nina Linden is on her own after getting shafted by her business partner, Rick.  She’s thrilled to have landed the lucrative Whitney Mansion renovation knowing the results can make or break her. With the stakes so high, Nina doesn’t let the house’s haunted reputation deter her. She doesn’t plan on being distracted by romance, but Declan the good looking, wealthy and sweet owner is too hard to resist.  But bigger things are at play and the house seems intent on using both Declan and Nina to reenact past tragic events, and bring to light the identity of a murderer.  Can they solve the past mysteries before the sinister spirits do actual harm?  You’ll have to read it and find out!

The Crane’s Nest on Whitney Island was isolated and a ferry ride away from civilization making it a perfectly spooky setting! It was also packed with Molly Harper’s signature humor and one-liners that make you giggle, but surprisingly there were a lot of scary scenes that may make you think twice about shutting off the lights at night after reading.

Declan and Nina’s romance was sweet and at times very passionate.  Even though Declan was a multi-millionaire, he was unassuming, nerdy, and adorable.  He’s taken with Nina right away, especially because his wealth doesn’t seem to faze her.  Being too trusting, Nina had gone through some rough times.  And so I was pleased she finally had someone like Declan who cared and wanted to protect her, especially with Rick still lurking about. This girl needed some happiness.

I enjoyed Better Homes and Hauntings, but I had some issues with the many POVs.  The description makes it seem that this a story focused on Nina and Declan, but that is not the case.  We also have Jake, Declan’s best friend and architect, Cindy, owner of the cleanup crew, and Declan’s cousin Dotty, a novelist.  They all have pretty substantial story threads. Add in the past characters and mystery, and there’s a lot going on.  I feel like it was a little too much and the story would’ve benefited by focusing primarily on Nina, Declan and the haunting past.  Still, I enjoyed this story.  I was laughing one minute and getting goose bumps the next. 

I’m picturing the Whitney Mansion to resemble one of these two houses (below) after the renovation.  If I were Nina, I wouldn’t mind living here with my rich, hot geek, minus the ghosts, of course!

Photo courtesy of Flickr click for link

Photo courtesy of Flickr click for link

 

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