prettylittlewriter

She is a social media influencer who started with a blog then moving to Youtube, where she became one of the most popular youtubers of her time.

She no longer posts on her main youtube channel Zoella, as she has said she fell out of love with it and felt a lot of pressure to post, but she still regularly shares her life with us via her vlog channel, Zoe Sugg. 

This is not Zoe's first time publishing a novel. Published in 2014, Girl Online was a bestseller and Zoe's first time delving into the world of literature.

So being a huge fan when it came out, I purchased the novel thinking I would love it. Unfortunately, I really didn't. Now, it's not because the book was bad, it just felt too 'tween' for me. It just didn't fit with where I felt I was in life at that time (I was 20, feeling like an adult and blanking out my teenage years). So, in the end I only ended up reading a couple of chapters of the first book and never touched it again (I still purchased the next two books in the series, to show my support of course).

Ok, so back to the book at hand.

The Magpie Society.

Welcome to The Magpie Society.'

Firstly, I loved the character of Audrey. She is sassy, funny and gorgeous, exactly how you can imagine your typical All-American girl is on entering a posh British private school. I was drawn to her first, as I felt like Ivy started out as quite a cold character, pushing a lot of the people in her life away, so it took me a while to like her. 

The storyline was incredibly intriguing, I loved the theme around the magpies as we see them all the time here in the UK, and I think everyone knows the 'rules' surrounding them (salute a lone magpie or say good morning) and of course the rhyme, which is mentioned in the novel.

It took till about halfway through the book to properly get quite exciting and interesting, as we were slowly getting to know the characters in the first half and of course, being introduced to the tragedy that had just struck at the school. 

I loved seeing the frenemies dynamic between Audrey and Ivy fall away and blossom into a real solid friendship, that was brilliantly written.

I honestly felt like this novel was 100% what I would expect from Zoe; a thriller (I know she's a huge true crime/horror fan) with a little bit of romance and a budding friendship thrown in. This was also much more up my street as I love a good mystery, trying to work out 'whodunnit' before you actually find out. 

It ended up being a bestseller yet again, and I am thoroughly impressed! 

The cover and the spine of the book are absolutely stunning also, I am just in awe of how much thought has gone into it!

I am excited for the next book, but I'm gutted that Zoe & Amy haven't even started writing it yet so we have to wait!

3.5/5 stars

There are two answers to this. The short answer is yes, yes I do. 

The other answer being that nothing makes me happier than watching a scary movie or TV show, they are honestly my favourite type of entertainment.

I have watched tons of scary movies and TV shows over the years, thanks to my parents who started me off early as they were huge fans too, and for today's blog post, I've put together my favourite horror TV shows that I think you should binge on the lead up to Halloween #spookyseason.

5. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Number 5 is the most tame of them all, suitable for younger audiences that like a spooky vibe. I was so uncertain when they first announced they were remaking Sabrina, as the original Sabrina the Teenage Witch, starring Melissa Joan Hart, was my ABSOLUTE favourite TV show as a kid. I always wanted my own Salem, and a prince like Harvey. 
I think it helps massively that they have made this so incredibly dark and different to the original, it has completely become it's own entity. I love Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina, and Aunt Hilda is brilliantly hilarious like the original. However, two changes to it that I was not expecting to like, is 1. the introduction of cousin Ambrose, taking Salem's place as Sabrina's confident (Salem is still there, but he doesn't talk, he is just a cat). 2. Nicholas Scratch. I was a die-hard Harvey fan in the original, Sabrina had to end up with him. But in the CAOS I am 100% team Nicholas. Not only is he gorgeous, but he's kind, a brilliant warlock, and always has Sabrina's back no matter what.

I highly recommend giving this a watch, it is dark, and has a lot of death, so I wouldn't recommend for anyone under the age of 12!

4. Slasher

Slasher is one of those anthology shows where it's a new story every season.
The first season is about a girl who moves back into her childhood home with her husband, where her mother and father were both brutally murdered. Upon arrival, copycat killings start happening, and she is terrified that she may be next.

The first two seasons of this show were brilliant. Close enough to the Scream movies, but had it's own unique characters enough that it you weren't comparing it to the movies. 

If you're a horror fan and you haven't seen American Horror Story, where have you been?!

Now, this is one of the most incredible horror TV shows I have watched, EVER. Loosely based on a novel by Shirley Jackson, the plot alternates between two timelines, following five siblings whose paranormal experiences at Hill House continue to haunt them in the present day, and flashbacks that depict events leading up to an eventful night in 1992 when the family fled from the mansion. 
The actors are brilliant, with so many clever twists in the plot and intricate details throughout the show that if you blink you could miss.
If you haven't already seen this one, and you love horror movies, PLEASE watch it! 

What are your favourite horror TV shows?

 October is here, and my favourite holiday season has begun! 

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I'd share a little post on my top 10 horror movies that are on Netflix right now.

10. The Babysitter 1 & 2
Am I cheating already with including both of them? I think they come as a pair to be honest, and with the latest one only being released recently, I had to include it! I have literally only just watched these movies today, and I must admit, at first I was skeptical, its a teen horror/comedy that, from the trailer, looked absolutely ridiculous.

But after starting the first one, I was hooked! It's hilarious, with just the right amount of gore and jump scares. I'd put it as a modern combination of Scream & Scary Movie (not quite as ridiculous as SM).
Not to mention you've got the ridiculously attractive Robbie Amell shirtless throughout most of it (I tweeted about him being shirtless, he liked it; life has been made). 

8. The Cabin in the Woods
It's been YEARS since I watched this one, but I remember it being brilliant. It's not your typical horror movie. They're all being manipulated by other humans in a lab type setting, which the five friends are completely unaware of. 
Without spoiling it, the ending was impressive. A must watch.

7. Would You Rather
A psychological thriller, will an impressive cast, this is one of my favourite horror movies that I can repeatedly watch. Brittany Snow as the lead actress, she is invited to a dinner where she is asked to take part in a game of would you rather with some other guests to win money. But the game involves some horrific choices, not for the faint-hearted. 

6. Mercy Black
As teenagers, two friends stabbed another classmate because they believed in a ghost called Mercy Black. Fifteen years later, one of the girls is released from a mental institute and goes to live with her sister. The girl starts to question whether Mercy Black was just a figment of her imagination, but things aren't as they seem.

Another brilliant psychological horror movie, it gave me chills just writing this. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, however, 97% of the movie is brilliant.

5. The Visit
Two kids go to stay with their grandparents, terror ensues. This is meant to be a horror/comedy, but I didn't really find this movie comical in the slightest. The grandma freaked me out so much. There's a scene where she crawls underneath the house that gives me The Grudge vibes; did not appreciate that.
Brilliant concept, and has some great scares.

4. The House at the End of the Street
A girl moves to a new neighborhood with her Mother and starts a relationship with the boy who's sister killed his parents then vanished. 
Without spoiling the movie, it has some incredible twists and turns, and Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant in it. Also LOVE Max Thieriot as the love interest. I would highly recommend this one!

3. Prom Night
This is one I have on repeat every single Halloween without fail. More of a thriller than a horror, Brittany Snow stars again as a teenager who's family were brutally murdered by a teacher who became obsessed with her. This is a remake of Prom Night starring Jamie Lee Curtis, but I honestly prefer this one myself. Whilst at her high school prom, things go wrong as the teacher has escaped from prison. 
I love everything about this movie, the casting (including Idris Elba!), the fashion & ESPECIALLY the music; there are some absolute bangers!

2. Eli
A little boy named Eli is taken to a special facility to try and cure a unique disease where is allergic to the outdoors. He begins to experience supernatural occurrences in the house, and he believes it could be haunted.

Now, this movie is my number 2 for a reason, and without going into any specifics, I just really want you to go away and watch this movie if you haven't already. There are some HUGE twists and turns that you do not expect, and the ending is brilliant. 100% would recommend to anyone!

1. Before I Wake
This one got me emotional. An incredible story, scary, thrilling and heartbreaking, all at the same time.
A young couple take on a foster boy named Cody, after their own son recently died in an accidental drowning. Cody has these incredibly vivid nightmares where he is visited by 'The Canker Man', and whilst he is asleep, the dreams become a reality and the foster parents can see what he is dreaming about. 
I won't go into any more detail, but this is a must watch. I love this movie so much.

This was pretty hard to narrow down to just 10 movies, but having to choose those on Netflix made it slightly easier for me. 

Now, in the words of ghost face, what's your favourite scary movie?

 Today's book review is long overdue.
 I read this novel around 3 months ago, and I've just been so busy that I've not been able to sit down and write a review! 
After finishing Olivia Kiernan's books and writing that review first as it was fresh in my mind, I'm ready to revisit this absolute gem!

I read Gytha's first novel, She Lies In Wait, at the very beginning of this year and loved it. So I was super excited to read the next installment of the Detective Jonah Sheens series. 

Gytha very kindly gifted me Watching From The Dark, and after the first couple of chapters I was hooked!

Aidan Poole is on a video call with his girlfriend when he realises she is not alone in her flat. She enters the bathroom, and a violent struggle ensues. Aidan is desperate to find out if Zoe is okay, so then why doesn't he call the police?
After sending cryptic messages to the police, DCI Sheens picks up the case, and upon discovering Zoe's body, delve into an investigation. With many friends and family members keen to express their love for Zoe, Jonah and his team have their work cut out if they want to figure out who the killer is. 

 I found this one so incredibly interesting! Did Aidan arrange for Zoe's murder and video chatted with her for an alibi? Are her friends hiding dark secrets that Zoe discovered which led one of them to murder her?

Gytha's writing excelled in this second installment. The twists and turns within it, alongside the brilliant character development and mystery surrounding Aidan's real relationship with Zoe create a clever and thrilling crime novel.

I was incredibly impressed with the amount of twists and turns that took place, I was kept on my toes the whole time and I was proven wrong whenever I thought I'd cracked the case myself! 

Overall, I was very impressed with this for a second novel. Thank you so much Gytha for gifting me the book, I enjoyed it thoroughly and cannot wait for book 3!

4/5 stars

Today I wanted to share a review on not one, not two, but THREE brilliant books by the lovely Olivia Kiernan!

I was lucky enough to have been gifted the third and most recent DCS Frankie Sheehan novel, If Looks Could Kill by Olivia, and rather than starting with the third novel (which can be done, you do not have to read in succession to enjoy the books!) I chose to purchase the first two and read them in order.

Too Close To Breathe - Frankie Sheehan #1
Scientist Eleanor Costello is found hanged, presumably having committed suicide. Detective Frankie Sheehan is handed the case, and almost immediately spots foul play. As she builds up an image of the killer, she starts to believe there could be a larger scheme at hand.

Throughout the novel, we get snippets of Frankie's past; a previous case that had caused her some personal trauma, and it builds up until we finally discover what had happened. This trauma impacts the way Frankie deals with the new case of Professor Costello's death, being her first assignment back in action.

I liked the way Olivia went into detail with Frankie's past, and the issues she had which impacted her investigation, as I felt more connected to her and it gave the character a lot of depth. I also really enjoyed the incorporation of the Dark Web, which leads you down a rabbit hole of possibility with who the killer could be.

The book feels very true to life and honest. It seems Olivia has taken time to really research the life of a Detective and the procedures surrounding a murder investigation, to ensure the novel is as accurate as it can be.

 I was trying to guess the killer all the way through, and thought I had it at one point, but I was proven wrong at the last moment! Yet another thing I loved about the book; I was kept on my toes all the way.

A brilliant debut crime novel that kept me hooked until the very end!

7/10

 The Killer In Me - Frankie Sheehan #2

Years ago, Sean Hennessey was convicted of the brutal murder of his parents and the attempted murder of his sister, but he always maintained his innocence. In the present, he has been released from prison, and making a TV documentary about the 'wrongful conviction'. But his freedom coincides with the discovery of two bodies, leading DCS Frankie Sheehan to wonder if he was involved. 

I REALLY got into this one. I think it only took me around a week to read, I was desperate to find out who the killer was. The character of Sean Hennessey was brilliant, at times you felt like he was a cold-blooded killer, the way Olivia describes the way he looks at people, or his body language. Then other times you start to think maybe he is completely innocent, especially during his documentary segments, as he sheds tears and seems completely distraught. Throughout the whole thing I just could not figure out if he was guilty of killing his parents or not.
Then with the introduction of the new murders and numerous key suspects that all could have had their own motive, you wonder, how could he be involved again?

Again, Olivia writes in so much detail, giving us an insight into how Frankie is feeling, her innermost thoughts surrounding the case. We also get to see the very sweet friendship Frankie has with her partner, Baz, and how much of a support system they have between them. 

As with her first novel, I did not guess the ending, I was on the edge of my seat till the end!

8/10

If Looks Could Kill - Frankie Sheehan #3

After being summoned to the Wiklow mountains by the disappearance of Debbie Nugent, Frankie discovers a crime scene fit for a murder. With no body, to prove it, Detective Sheehan has to delve deep into Debbie's past and current life, including her two daughters, Margot and Kristen, to uncover what has really happened to her. 

This third novel, I finished in 4 days! Absolutely brilliant. With it being Olivia's third book in the series, I think she has completely found her footing, and after reading the first two and knowing the characters, I just fell into this one.

Again, she goes into great detail about each character, gives them all their own interesting and slightly murky personalities, and with it seeming to go one way with who the killer is, there is then a huge twist. With a little bit of romance thrown in, and the continuation of the ever so lovely relationship Frankie has with Baz, this has to be my favourite so far!

I could not have guessed where the novel ended up, being so certain on one suspect as it all fit nicely with the evidence they had, to throw a spanner in the works with something completely different was impressive.

It's a brilliant gritty crime novel, with plenty of twists and turns, and definitely Olivia Kiernan's best novel to date!

So thank you Olivia, for gifting me this novel, and introducing me to the wonderfully chaotic world of Frankie Sheehan!

4/5 stars