Zoë Markham

There are moments when I firmly believe that Alexander Gordon Smith should be sent to Furnace for his criminal use of immense cliffhangers. As with the first book, I had to download the next in the series the very minute I'd finished reading this one, which, joking aside, clearly shows the genius of his writing. Not only am I having a fantastic time with Alex, Zee, Simon and co. but I'm also learning a huge amount about 'How To Win At Writing a YA Series'.

I didn't think this could be any better than the first book, but it was, it goes deeper and darker than Lockdown, and is even more brutal and compelling.

The ending was one of the most haunting scenes I've ever read, and whilst part of me can't wait to find out what happens next, another part of me is almost too scared to look.

Win! This is the perfect series for young horror fans, and it's a great example of fiction that could lure reluctant teen readers who love a brutal video game or film but are unsure about picking up a book. It has a huge amount to offer.

Oh but this was GOOD! So good.

Anyone who thinks that YA is purely for girls who like shiny vamps, dopey romances and daftly happy endings NEEDS to have a read of this. It's brutal, and it's well-written, and there's not a single ounce of romance in it.

It's also, genius. So much so that I sat up 'til half past midnight reading it, and got the second book on Kindle as soon as I'd finished (bear in mind I have to be up at 5am) because I can't wait for the paperback to get here.

Huge thumbs up, along with a warning that this one isn't for the faint of heart. I can't wait to see how the series progresses!

Thomas Brown's Lynnwood is a beautifully poetic, slow-moving, haunting read. He does an outstanding job of painting a picture of a rural idyll and then slowly, gently, peeling away the layers to reveal the horror that lies beneath.

The effortless slow-burn to his writing is to die for. The menace and suspense that are on a gradual build throughout the novel will have your nerves in absolute tatters towards the end. This is horror as it should be done - Brown doesn't resort to meaningless violence and gore to try and disgust you into terror, instead he quietly gets crawls inside your head and messes with it, like the true giants of the genre.

It's a short novel, and I don't want to spoil any surprises for you. I will say, though, that there's a Pennywise moment in an old, disused railway tunnel that King fans will feel right at home with. And for me, the most haunting moment of all occurs in Freya's kitchen, when she's caught raiding the fridge for a certain unwise snack by her children. When you read it, you'll know.

Lynnwood is a beautifully written, deliciously dark tale. It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. Thomas Brown is definitely a talent to watch.

Thanks to the gorgeous souls at Hodder, I was able to read Doctor Sleep over the summer, and I could not have loved it more. 

http://www.zmarkham.com/2013/09/doctor-sleep-stephen-king.html