Ania AhlbornRecensioni

This was my first taste of Ahlborn, and I'll undoubtedly look out for more of her books. Her nuance when it came to writing the character and their relationships in Seed was brilliant, and made it easy to keep turning pages. The book was fairly predictable, admittedly, but the characters were so vibrant and real that that didn't particularly bother me, particularly given that one might expect a book in this subgenre to follow a fairly predictable path.

The big weakness for me, and what brought it from a 4.5* read down to a 3.5* read, is a particular pet peeve of mine, no pun intended. I can't stand it when writers give their characters pets, but don't do so in a believable fashion. I've read so many books where a dog owner just up and left town for a weekend without any mention of dog care, despite the short notice trip, or where cats or dogs simply didn't behave believably. I love animals, but if an author is going to include them, they have to do the work to include them in a believable manner, acknowledging that dogs have to be walked or go outside to use a bathroom just like all animals need to be fed regularly, cared for, etc. That's not to say I need to see a cat owner cleaning out the litter box, but I need to believe one exists. In the case of Seed, Ahlborn gave her family a dog, but it was only present when convenient to the story. It lived inside, so there was no question of it always being out of the house, but it only showed up when the story required it. Otherwise, it was as if the dog didn't exist, and because of the way she described the characters' relationships with the dog, there was no way to believe it wouldn't have been reacting and underfoot in a lot of plot moments. But, instead, it seems she only wanted it in for two convenient plot moments...and to be honest, that put a huge damper on the book for me. It shot through the believability of the family and the situation, and a scene that she meant to have a huge emotional impact ended up feeling more predicted and annoying, in large part as a result of this oversight.

You might be thinking this shouldn't be such a big problem, but in a book where the larger plot is fairly predictable, engagement with characters and their believability means everything. And so when what's supposedly a big part of a family's home life is a problem that can't be ignored, that ends up being a fairly serious weakness--at least in my opinion.

I'll absolutely read more of Ahlborn's work, but I'll likely avoid any where there's a family pet if I can figure out which books that might be based on CWs and book reviews.½

3.5 stars

Nature vs nurture, but.. In a horror/dark setting... I think is the best way I can describe it.

This would make a fantastic horror movie.

Creepy, scary, little things running round. Great characters and the story moves at a good pace.

DNF.
It's becoming more add more obvious that that dog is going to die and I'm not here for it. I don't care about how many people get killed, but not the dog!

3.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed this, but I felt like the cadence was strange. Parts of it felt really rushed where other parts felt like they dragged on. I loved the premise though and the story itself was really good!

I really liked this! The little side stories were a bit confusing how they just interrupted the main story we were following, but this was SINISTER.

Aaron Holbrook returns to his childhood home where his aunt died mysteriously after twenty years hoping to find some solace in the face of his grief. But something has other plans. I had trouble following who was who in this. I’m not sure why -- maybe I just wasn’t reading closely enough. A nephew is haunted by his childhood enough to try to make amends by coming home.

With it’s brutal horror and terrifyingly gruesome death scenes, I am a little embarrassed to admit that I couldn’t stop the pages from turning in The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn. This book was an adrenaline fueled ride from page one right through to it’s memorable ending as we join in with a group of friends on a snow boarding holiday in the mountains of Colorado. Twins, Ryan and Jane, along with their friends Lauren, Sawyer and April are staying at the posh ski cabin that belongs to their parents. It’s a farewell visit as the ski cabin is for sale and Ryan is in the process of moving to Europe. Jane is recently divorced and has a past history with Sawyer, she believes that he is the love of her life.

Romantic tension is the least of this group’s problems. There is something out in the woods, something that is watching them, coming ever closer and it’s hungry. When a blizzard strikes and they are snowed
in the strain of trying to get along is too much for April and she storms out. Then when a couple of the group go out to find her and bring her back to the warmth of the cabin, they finally come face to face with the strange monster-like creatures that are stalking them.

I often have problems reading thrillers as they are so unbelievable, but this book was so over-the-top that this didn’t really factor into things. Yes, the situation is impossible to believe, but with horror I seem better able to accept the impossible. The characters were fairly mundane and I found myself rooting mostly for the dog, but overall, I enjoyed the experience. The Shuddering was intense, creepy and terrifying with the author supplying us with plenty of monster-slasher action.

Super spooky!

Deeply compelling in its use of psychological bait and switch. Loved both Novellas here.

would of loved to just have a book on Harlow and how she came to be.

This book was rec'd by many people saying it was nightmare enducing and would generally mess me up. I; however, was not impressed. Yeah, the story was messed up, and the ending was so bleak, but this was just okay.

Without completely spoiling, this reminded me of episode 15 of Supernatural, "The Benders." There's a bit more to it than that, but if you know, you know.

Non-stop gore and scares. Excellent characters. Moves at a good pace to the bloody end.

In a world with runaway environmental change and collapsed governments, the remaining humans in the United States have two things in common: hunger, and thirst. Satori, an intelligent, living city rooted in the ruins of Old Denver, is the sole source for all food for a starving nation. Her power comes in the form of barcoded seed, bioengineered by one of her Designers to survive the climate extremes. Satori’s seed can be used only once. It cannot be reproduced outside Satori’s control.

The U.S. government—what remains of it—sends Agent Sienna Doss to bring in the seeds’ Designer in order to break Satori’s monopoly in food production and regain some semblance of independence for its starving people. Ex-Army Ranger Doss is up for the challenge, but may have underestimated Satori’s will to survive.

Brood, a juvenile orphan barely scraping by with his younger brother Pollo, is attacked and left for dead. When he awakens, Pollo is gone, taken because the attackers believe he has the Tet, a new disease. A group of migrants can live well for a time on seed paid by Satori for Tet victims. Brood sets out to free Pollo before it’s too late.

As both Doss and Brood converge on Satori’s living dome, all three fight for survival—of themselves, and their kin. If Satori wins, humanity is doomed. Yet without her, there will be no seed. The outcome will determine the future for them all.

Seed is a dystopian story set in a post-apocalyptic world where climate catastrophe and a Monsanto-like mindset have been given center stage. Settings are entirely believable—dry hard-pan plains where little grows and topsoil drifts in a haze that turns the air brown. The search for resources, as well as extremes of heat and cold, keep characters on the move. Few animals remain to hunt. Water is a treasure worth killing for. Migrants band together if they want to survive, and no one welcomes a beggar.

Characters fit the roles set out for them by Author Rob Ziegler, as they would naturally exist given their circumstances. Teenaged Brood, orphaned as a young boy, is every bit as sharp as the pig-sticker he keeps in a sheath at the small of his back, and unwaveringly protective of his younger brother, autistic Pollo. As an ex-Ranger, Doss is no stranger to violence, and faces it with a coldness that felt authentic to her character. The antagonists, the Designers, are as cold and clinical as I would expect for engineered beings who are part of a sentient city. Yet all are doing what they must. Brood has no choice but to survive if he is to save Pollo, and he will do whatever it takes. Doss’s military past sets her path; she’s been given a mission, and she will see it completed, and protect those she sees threatened along the way. The Designers are doing what they feel is right for the Fathers who designed them, and for Satori, who sustains them. Their motivations are clear, but the mindset behind their decision-making process is not so well-defined. They are, after all, not human. Ziegler did a good job of portraying their unique and sometimes contradictory—to a human way of thinking—internal conflicts.

You should know up front that this debut novel is no light read. Instead, it moves from dark to darker. Laced with sex, violence, and a brutal struggle to survive, Seed delivers a visceral gut-punch that I found a bit depressing, especially given the ease with which this kind of catastrophe could become a reality. At times, the narrative was difficult to read. Thankfully, there is a ray of hope at the end, and I was glad to see Ziegler plant the seed of a better future for his characters. Still, the story leaves the reader with the heavy knowledge that a society fallen so far into the pit of desperation will have a hard-scrabble climb back to the light. There are no guarantees of success, and I suppose that’s part of the story’s message.

Seed is good, well worth reading for the quality of Ziegler’s writing, as well as for the cautionary tale it weaves.

I really enjoyed this creepy book. I think it is well-written and very entertaining.

The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn is a horror story that opens with a twelve year old boy, Jude Brighton going missing. He and his cousin are usually together but this day, he didn’t show up. His mother is concerned when he doesn’t come home and calls the police. I settled in to find out if this missing child is a troubled boy who had run away from home, or a dare-devil kid who has gotten himself in trouble in the woods or is there someone or something in the woods that has taken him.

The story is told by his younger cousin, Stevie, we learn that the woods and the fort that the kids have built have become their sanctuary this summer. Jude is having difficulty coming to terms with the death of his father, and Stevie has his own issues. He hates his stepdad Terry Marks and the influence he has over his mother. We also learn that there is another place in the woods, a seemingly abandoned house, that Jude and Stevie are terrified of, could this house have something to do with Jude’s disappearance? When Jude suddenly appears again, it seems like a miracle, but Jude has changed and is no longer the carefree boy that he was just a few days ago. Stevie is more worried than ever and vows to get to the bottom of Jude’s disappearance.

This is one of the most gruesome and creepy stories that I have read. Obviously this author knows how to write horror, but unfortunately it went far beyond my comfort level. The Devil Crept in was a dark, nasty read that will be lingering in my mind for some time. Please note that I would not recommend this book to anyone who has difficulties with reading about cruelty to animals.½

Dark

Really dark and disturbing. Who writes this stuff!?! Like a really gory movie that you just can't stop watching. Didn't see the end coming.

The beginning of this book was quite intense and had me hooked right away. Aaron never knew his parents. He was raised by his aunt until the horrible day he lost her. At that time he was whisked away from his friends, and his childhood girlfriend never to return or contact them again...until another tragedy sends him home to Holbrook house. Aaron is in a terrible state of mind, and the fact that his childhood home is now considered the local haunted house by the towns people doesn't help matters any. He really is not a believer in ghosts or hauntings, but something has been waiting a very long time for Aaron to come home. I enjoyed this book though I can't say it blew me away like the previous work I read by this author "Brother"

The Morrows "don't have much" according to Michael, and when asked what he does he replies that he "catches things." Yes he sure does. He catches things for his momma. Things that cry and beg for their lives but are shown no mercy. Momma Claudine definitely wears the pants in this deranged psychotic family and if you don't want to be on the wrong end of her knife you'll do what she says.
Big brother Reb has his own ideas of who should be the boss. He also has a murderous plan for revenge that he's been plotting for years and it's all starting to come together. Part of me wished it could end differently, and yet I must acknowledge that the ending was truly perfect.

This contains 2 novellas that are available separately on kindle or together in this print version.
The Pretty Ones-
I loved the 1970s setting. The music and descriptions of the bellbottoms and platform shoes was spot on, as was the terror of serial killer David Berkowitz who targeted pretty girls in New York. But this story is not about him. It is in this setting, we meet Nell, a friendless, lonely, over weight office worker who dreams of fitting in with her coworkers and making a friend. Each day she grows more envious of the lives and friendships other women have, and each evening she returns home to her dumpy apartment where she lives with her brother who never speaks.
Flashbacks to Nell's abusive childhood, and her silent brother make it too easy to guess what is really going on, too early in the story for my taste, and that is the only thing I didn't care for. I would have liked a bigger shock value or a twisty surprise instead of such predictability.

I Call Upon Thee-
Maggie returns to her childhood home to stay with her estranged sister while they plan a funeral. The sisters are all that is left of the family now that both parents and the middle sister have passed away.
This is my 4th read by this author and so far nothing has equaled or surpassed her book "Brother" for me.
Unlike the first story, I Call Upon Thee is more of a supernatural horror which are generally my favorite, but where the first story gave away the ending too soon, this one was more vague to the point of dragging it out too long for my taste.

This was a creepy read!

A man and his family survive a terrible car crash, but from there things start getting sinister. The story wraps around one of the daughters becoming possessed by a demon as her family just thinks it is growing pains. The father realizes that he faced the same demon as a child and now he must face it again within his daughter.

The book moved at a fast pace and kept me entertained. Has twists and a gripping creepy factor throughout the whole book.

I would have given it five stars, but I wasn't happy with how the book ended. But all in all it was a really good read! Four stars for this one.

Spooks and Shadows!

A backstory:

Maggie Olsen's world is turned upside down when she gets an urgent message from her sister, Arlene that she needs to come home as tragedy has struck the family and there has been a terrible accident. When Maggie finds out that her sister Brynn has passed away she is devastated so she hurries home for the funeral leaving her boyfriend behind in the middle of a hurricane, but storm or not she needs to get home to be with her family.

Once Maggie steps foot in the old homestead where her sister Arlene now lives things become almost surreal as Maggie remembers things that happened to her there along with Brynn and something that they did long ago when they were young which involves a cemetery, an old doll and a oujia board.

The more that Maggie is in the house the more she "thinks" she sees shadows and she has a feeling that something is watching her. Though Arlene doesn't believe in such things and thinks that Maggie is having mental issues because she is distraught over Brynn passing away. But what Arlene doesn't know is that Maggie has come home and the shadow that lurks in the house is ready to play!

Thoughts:

The story itself was creepy and chilling as the author weaved an atmosphere of spooky dread around the character Maggie. I thought the story was too "wordy" with lots of "play by play" detail of every little thing that happened to Maggie. Also there are time jumps which I am not fond of as the author goes back and forth between the past and the present to tell the story of what happened to Maggie and Brynn when they were young with the cemetery, the doll and the ouija board, then it jumps forward to the present to what happened to Brynn and what Maggie has to deal with in the house with Arlene. Giving this book four Spooky Shadow stars!

THE DEVIL CREPT IN is a creepy story about a young boy who discovers that there is something or someone hiding out in the woods in a rundown house. Or is it really so? Stevie Clark has been plagued with awful visions for years, seeing things that aren't there. Could the thing he saw be just a fragment of his imagination? But when his cousin Jude goes missing, Stevie is convinced that what he saw is real and that perhaps the thing has something to do with Jude's disappearance. Years ago a little boy, Max Larsen, disappeared and never returned, and the pets of the town of Deer Valley seem to disappear as well. Stevie doesn't know what to believe, could there really be a monster in the woods?

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

I hadn't previous read anything by Ania Ahlborn when I started to read this book, but I have been wanting to read something by her and this has been lying and waiting for me to read a while now.

I found the book interesting at first with a writer that moves with his daughter to a house where 30 years before a cult leader persuaded his followers to die and killed a young pregnant woman. Unfortunately, I found myself not really liking the flashback part of the story from the 80s and after a while even the present story couldn't keep me interested.

I throw in the towel at 73%. I just didn't have the heart to go on reading anymore. The characters never connected to me and the story was never scary.

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A few days ago I sought suggestions on female horror writers and the name that was mentioned most frequently (aside from the grand dame of the genre, Shirley Jackson) was Ania Ahlborn. Seeing that she had some books on Kindle Unlimited I jumped right in.
‘Seed’ is one of those books that falls just short of excellence for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s a creepy (really creepy at times) tale of the possession of a young girl, and of events in her father’s life that have led up to this. It reads a lot like an early Steven King story, but not in an overly derivative way, being a mix of the everyday (the family life of the central characters) and the supernatural. The horror elements, both mysterious whisperings and out and out gore are as well handled as the details of the central family’s day to day life, but somehow it didn’t quite come together into a truly satisfying whole for me. I really enjoyed it, and was genuinely scared at times, but couldn’t help feeling that the addition of an undefinable something might have lifted it into the realms of greatness. All that said, it was Ahlborn’s first novel and I will definitely be reading more.