Review: The Never List by Koethi Zan

Best friends Jennifer and Sarah keep a "Never List" - they are all-too-aware of the dangers in the world and have implemented restrictions on every aspect of their lives in order to keep themselves safe. Sadly it doesn't stop them from being kidnapped and locked in a basement, along with two other women. They are tortured for years before Sarah and the two other women escape - but not before Jennifer is murdered. Ten years later, Sarah has escaped and is trying to put her life back together, but is rarely able to leave the house. She is very much still a prisoner, only this time it's self-inflicted, a result of her severe PTSD. When the possibility arises of their torturer getting out of prison, Sarah makes it her mission to leave her comfort zone and find out what happened to her best friend once and for all - for her own peace of mind, and also in the hopes that uncovering Jennifer's body will allow murder charges to finally be laid.

The Never List unfolds in the present, as Sarah sets out to find the truth, with flashbacks to what happened to her and the other women in the past. We slowly find out what Sarah went through, how she escaped, and why the other women she was trapped with hate her. Sarah is deeply, understandably, traumatised, and the exploration of her anxiety is confronting but well-handled. I did feel like there were times she was able to get past it a little too easily, putting herself in extremely dangerous situations after years of not even being able to leave her apartment, but at the same time it was great to watch her gaining power back over her life.

Alongside psychological trauma, forgiveness plays a big part of the story. It delves into just how far people will go for freedom - and how much they're willing to forgive, not only of others but of themselves. Many of the revelations about the past are quite horrific, and you get a strong sense of Sarah's internal struggle to come to terms not just with what was done to her but also what she herself did.

I really liked the twists and turns of The Never List for the most part, and there were a few great surprises, although some plot points were a bit unbelievable. There was also a few times it veered into torture porn territory, which made me incredibly uncomfortable. Plus the dialogue was very clunky and distracting in places, and some of the characters were pretty flat. What I liked most was following Sarah's journey and the ups and downs of her inner conflict. The Never List is a disturbing thriller about the horrible things humans do to each other and themselves, and the lengths we go to in order to survive. While it is incredibly bleak at times, it's also bittersweet and ends on a somewhat hopeful note.

Rating: 3/5

Fine Print
Published: 2013, Pamela Dorman Books
Source: Netgalley
Get It: Book Depository

Review: Fear Edited By R.L. Stine

I was drawn to this book by nostalgia.

I loved R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series as a kid, so it was his name that initially caught my attention. Then, when I discovered it was a collection of scary short stories, I got even more excited, coz I used to devour these types of books, too.* Fear, a Middle Grade collection of 13 stories linked by the common theme of fear, was an entertaining read but sadly not all that frightening (maybe because, y'know, I'm an adult now). All the stories were well-written, interesting and totally unique. But much to my chagrin,** none of them really instilled any fear in me. In fact, many were more suspense/action stories than horror (there's even a touch of romance in there, thanks to Meg Cabot and her "Night Hunter"), but although they weren't what I was expecting, they were still a good read.

Of course, like any short story collection, I enjoyed some tales more than others. My favourite was definitely "Tagger" by James Rollins, about a girl whose graffiti tag has powers of protection, until the day a demon comes knocking.*** I was amazed at the strong characters, plot and world that Rollins built in such a small space, and I'd actually love to read a full-length novel set in this world. But the story that creeped me out the most had to be "The Perfects" by Jennifer Allison, about a babysitter whose charges are a bit... off. There are some icky dolls thrown in for good measure.****

Covering everything from aliens and vampires to petty thieves and mass murderers, the stories varied greatly on the topics they covered and the feelings they evoked. Each kept me interested and worked on its own as well as within the flow of Fear. It's a good book to pick up if you enjoy short stories and want a quick, easy read served with a (small) side of thrills.*****

*There was one series in particular that I was addicted to, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was called. I vaguely remember that each book in the series had a number of short stories in it, and they all frightened the bejeezus out of me. There was one in particular, about a creepy doll who, like, set fire to things or something, that really freaked me out (I think it may have had something to do with the porcelain doll collection in my room). Another story was related to a shower or bathroom and it made me afraid to shower for a long time (I still did, but I did it SCARED). That's all the details I can come up with. Anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? Anyone? Anyone?
**Every time I use the word chagrin (which is not very often) I think of Twilight. That's sad, isn't it?
***This reminded me of another story I read when I was young, about magic graffiti that allowed people to travel through to this alternate universe, and people got stuck there or went missing... or something. Again, I'm vague on the details and can't remember the name of it. Anyone got any ideas? Anyone? Anyone?
****Again, with the dolls. How creepy are dolls?! I can't believe I used to collect the suckers. No wonder I have sleep issues.
*****This is just a note to say how much I love footnotes. Can you tell? OK, I may have gone overboard in this review. Ahem...

Rating: 3/5

Fine Print
Published: 2010, Random House
Get It: Fishpond