#0025A Level 26: Dark Origins - Anthony E. Zuiker

This is my first horror book of the year. Well, this is the first horror book that I actually got through the whole way. Right away you can tell that it wasn't scary. It's hard for me to start about this book because I am really torn.

This is the first "digi-novel" Every couple of chapters there is a 3 minute film that is suppose to enhance the novel more. I really like the idea of the films. The only downside is you cannot read this book anywhere. You have to have a computer and internet connection ready.

There are 25 levels of serial killers; meet level 26. This criminal has been killing for over 20 years and has killed over 50 people. The perfect person to help solve this case is Steve Dark. He is the only person who has come close to catching "Sqweegle", what the police call him. But after Sqweegel sees how close Dark gets he kills his entire foster family.

Zuiker is the writer of the television show CSI so I was expecting something well written and I was expecting the films to be good as well. I was wrong. It felt like the novel was going for the shock factor. The films maybe added some disturbing images, but then you could have read the entire book and not even looked at the films. Some of the films had nothing to do with the book. On the upside, it did keep my attention and it kept me trying to figure out all of the questions I had. Then, the ending just made the book rotten. It was a huge set up for the second book. It should have ended. If you do read it and want an ending, don't read the epilogue. The Epilogue felt dumb. It was out of no where and I don't really see how it could even happen. Bah! 2.5 stars

#0024A Coraline - Neil Gaiman

I saw the movie about a month ago and decided to read it. I'm all for reading books before the movie, but I didn't know about the book until afterwords, sadly. I absolutely loved the illustrations so big props to Dave McKean.

Coraline is a quick read about a little girl who is not happy with how her life is. Her parents always seem to be busy and there is nothing to do around the house. One day she comes across a small door in one room of the house. She opens it and behind the door is just a brick wall. Later, she decides to open the door again when her family isn't around. The door leads to another house which is the same as her house, with an other mother and an other father who says they have been waiting for her for a long time and wants her to live with them forever. Everything seems almost completely the same except that her other parents have shiny, black buttons for eyes. Of course you can see where this is going. Her other mother is evil and won't let Coraline go back home, but she has a few ideas that might help her.

I hate to compare things with the movie. Usually if I see the movie first I like the movie better and vice versa. The movie shows more color than my imagination could have taken me, plus there is another character that the movie had which the book didn't. I really liked both sides of the story and I completely recommend it. Very cute. 4 stars