The Store DNF@25% w/ Extreme Prejudice

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Store
Series: -----
Author: Bentley Little
Rating: 0.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Horror
Pages: 436
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

The Store is coming to smallville, Arizona. Bad things have happened at other Store's across the country. Bad things have happened during the construction of the Store. Very Bad Things happen during the interview and initiation process to work at the Store.

And that is where I had to stop.

My Thoughts:

This book typifies Horror for me and why I don't read it as a genre. I don't have anything to say about the writing, or the story as a whole or anything else.

The 3 following happenings made me feel sick to my stomach and forced me to stop.

1) A sleazy young man is being interviewed to work at the Store. He's taken to the video surveillance room and is shown the women's dressing room, where he proceeds to watch the sister of the girl he's sleeping with, try on new jeans. The manager tells him that sometimes the women aren't wearing panties.

2) The aforementioned young woman applies to the Store. During her interview she is told that she'll have to take a polygraph test, with only the manager in the room. He tells her to take her blouse and bra off so he can affix the electrodes to her body. She does. And the manager leers at her the whole time. Then she has to give a urine sample. In the office, in front of the manager. She does.

3) The young woman is hired. She comes early on her first shift and is taken down to the basement. She is told to strip down to her bra and panties and forced to run a gauntlet between other employees [most of whom she knows] who inflict physical and verbal damage on her. At the end, they all say they love her and she responds in kind.


Now, I don't care if those instances are presented as wrong and bad, which they were. I don't want to read about the degradation, humiliation, torture and complete helplessness of a young woman. I don't want to invite the evil of that manager into my thoughts, and hence, into my house. That type of thing is sick and to use it for entertainment is sick as well.

I Don't Want to Kill You (John Cleaver #3)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: I Don't Want to Kill You
Series: John Cleaver
Author: Dan Wells
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 322
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:  SPOILERS

John Cleaver is doing A-OK. He's getting semi-along with his mom, he's going out with the hottest girl in school and the Demon Nobody is on her way to town. What more could a young psycho ask for?
Unfortunately for John, he's not quite as smart as he thinks and when another serial killer shows up in town, he doesn't know who is Nobody and who is just the "regular" killer. Can he afford to kill and maybe get it wrong or are the stakes too high? In the end, John's selfish obsession, brain smarts and experience just aren't enough and it takes his mom sacrificing herself to kill this new demon. And John and Brooke hook up as a new Demon Hunter Duo right at the end of the book.

My Thoughts:

Yeaaaahhhhh [said real slow and drawn out, not excitedly].

This book showcases the fact that John is still a teenager and as such thinks the world revolves around him and that only HE can do anything about anything. That thinking leads directly to his mother's death. I hope it haunts him for the rest of his fictional life.

Beyond that, I don't have much to say about the book. If you liked the previous 2 books, you'll like this. If you didn't like them, this certainly won't change your mind.

I won't be reading any more by Wells though. His sick fascination with serial killers might have a place in non-fiction, but to essentially "make it palatable" and present that interest to teens and young adults in that light is irresponsible. I ranted about Wells in my review of the previous book, so I all I have to say now is "Goodbye, you sick, sick man".
`

Mr Monster (John Cleaver #2)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot. wordpress.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Mr Monster
Series: John Cleaver
Author: Dan Wells
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 320
Format: Kindle digital edition

Synopsis:

John Cleaver can't get over the fact that he killed. He's not horrified, he's fascinated and he wants MORE. He knows this though and is doing everything in his power to stop Mr Monster [his mental disconnect that is his inner psychopath] who wants to bathe in the blood of everyone he knows.
But when another serial killer shows up, following in the footsteps of the demon from the first book, John knows another demon has shown up. So it's ok to unleash Mr Monster. But can John reconcile the fact that other people see him as a hero when he knows he's unleashing Mr Monster?

My Thoughts:

This was just as disturbing as the first book. Wells has done his research and seems to revel in showing the struggle that John is going through in trying to control his killer instincts. I guess what bothers me the most is that John is shown as not having any choice, so far, in the matter. He fights against wanting to kill but it is presented as if it is a futile fight. I'm hoping the next book changes that.

Everyone has Choice. Not necessarily easy choices, or even one time choices, but they have Free Will.

The mind of a psychopath is a sick mind. Those interested in such minds are either trying to help heal those minds, or like this author in writing for profit about it, sick bastards themselves. As you can tell, I'm not a big fan of Dan Wells.

There were just enough touches of humor to keep this from being completely dark and horrible. I've got the 3rd book on my tbr list and I'll read it, but after that, I'll be avoiding anything, no matter the subject, by Wells. I don't want to my mind contaminated by a mind like his.

I am Not a Serial Killer (John Cleaver #1)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot. wordpress.leafmarks.com & Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road Facebook Group by Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: I am Not a Serial Killer
Series: John Cleaver
Author: Dan Wells
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 272
Format: Kindle Digital Edition

Synopsis:

John Cleaver is a 15 year old boy with an obsession about serial killers. He is intelligent and convinced that because he shares X number of traits with the profile of a serial killer that he'll become one.
Then a serial killer visits his town and begins a spree. John is fascinated while at the same time desiring to find, and stop, this killer. Can John be Dexter Jr and turn his weakness into strength?

My Thoughts:

This was disturbing, don't think otherwise. While John might not have killed, he's already convinced that he will and we get a first rate journey into his thought processes. His mind is a very unpleasant place.

Add in the fact that the serial killer turns out to be some kind of demon and this book was just a big bowl of disturbing covered in disturbing. Add in the fact that this is marketed and targeted to young adults and the disturbing level goes even higher.