Kara's Book Cravings: Darkness on the Edge of Town

 

Continuing my read of the Stranger Things novels, I moved on to Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher. Hopper is my favorite character in the show, so I was thrilled to have a book all about him. I'll admit, I didn't read the back cover description before buying this book, so I wasn't fully prepared for this book. 

Told mostly from Hopper's POV, he's having an evening at home with Eleven, who is now his adopted daughter. She's asking questions about him and his decision to become a cop, specifically when he lived in New York City. He dives into a story about a case he worked and a new partner he was assigned.

I'm a fan of crime thrillers, though I  read them sparingly, so having that story told within this one was really cool. I enjoyed following the clues and trying to figure out what was going on. The case he worked was dark and involved a cult--which is another fascination of mine. 

Both Hopper's and Eleven's voices were spot-on and followed the characterizations built in the show. Their interactions made me smile, and I really love their relationship. Funny enough -- before I started watching the show, I'd catch snippets of it while my daughters watched, and my first impression of Hopper wasn't great. I thought he was a total creep. But now that I'm more immersed in the world, he's my favorite. 

Are you a fan of Stranger Things? 

Who is your favorite character?

Kara's Book Cravings: Suspicious Minds

 

I am a HUGE fan of Stranger Things. I've watched the series multiple times, and I've started a collection of show memorabilia. I've also been reading the books. Knowing that the show came first, and the books came after, I was hesitant as to how they would fit in, and whether they'd be true to the show itself. I've been pleasantly surprised. 

Suspicious Minds by Gwenda Bond is the first official novel set within the Stranger Things world. This is the story that takes place before season one. This is the story of Dr. Martin Brenner and his experiments and how he came to create the children with special powers. Told from alternating points-of-view, we get the entire story of Eleven's mother--Terry Ives. We learn how she became involved, how she tried to fight back, how Eleven came to be and how she came to call Dr. Brenner "Papa." 

This was an extremely interesting story and definitely filled in a lot of holes and questions that weren't addressed in the show. This story was also disturbing! This has stayed with me since I've read it. The things Dr. Brenner did, the way he treated these women... I just can't fathom it. Talk about sadistic. And horrifying. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book and how it added to the world. I plan to do another re-watch of the show once I've read the books. 

Are you a fan of Stranger Things? 

Have you watched the show or read any of the books? 

What did you think?

Kara's Book Cravings: Hawkins Horrors

 

I'm a huge fan of Stranger Things on Netflix. I must have watched it half a dozen times already, and I'll probably rewatch again next month -- I mean, talk about a perfect show for spooky season! So when I found out there were multiple books based on this show, I couldn't pass them up. 

Hawkins Horrors: A Collection of Terrifying Tales by Matthew J. Gilbert is just as the title implies -- a series of short stories. Now, normally I'm not a big fan of collections like this, but what was great about this one is that each story leads into the next. So while they are all individual stories, they were all also interconnected. 

The Hawkins gang is hanging out in the local video store during a power outage, and to pass the time, they decide to tell scary stories. The set up felt so much like telling stories around a campfire, which was fantastic. Anyway, each character takes a turn, and sometimes another character would interrupt or accuse the person of not telling the story correctly. 

The interactions among the group and the characters' voices were so spot on and accurate based on the show. That was certainly refreshing, and I felt like I was right back in that world. I have several more books set within the Stranger Things world, and I'm excited to dive into those. 

Anyone else a fan of this show or the books? 

What's your favorite thing about it?