Alison Ames

To Break a Covenant blends gorgeous writing with found footage, a dangerously haunted town, wonderful atmosphere, creepy underground mine scenes, and an all-girl friend group of teenagers that reminds me of the friend group from It in the best ways possible. From the first few chapters, I was already hooked, but as I got further into the book, Ames' writing sucked me in such a way that I couldn't look away from the book. This is the first read I've had in ages which truly creeped me out, to show more the point that I couldn't go to bed after reading from the middle sections especially.

I want to note that I would not classify this as YA horror. There are element's of the full novel's structure which, to me, defy those genre expectations too much to be ignored--in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if that's part of the reason that this book's average rating is lower than I'd expect. The protagonists are teenagers, yes, but they're adult-feeling, mature teenagers, which defies the traditional YA voice. And, of course, it IS possible for adult horror to have child or teen protagonists--just take King's books as example, not to mention Saul and other giants in the genre. So, I expect that while some marketing and readers might have seen this as YA, that's a disservice to the novel in many ways.

But truly, I could care less what you call it. If you're a horror-lover, just read it. From here on out, I'll be reading anything Ames puts out there. show less

Exciting and horrifying plot along the lines of John Carpenter’s The Thing and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None with very likable YA characters

It Looks Like Us was an exciting and fun horror story, with the vibes of the movie by John Carpenter, The Thing, and hints of the great Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I loved the whole setting of a remote science facility in Antarctica and the part the wealthy Anton Rusk plays in putting the teen characters there. These show more young adult characters represent a variety of personalities, backgrounds, races, and even sexual identities. But no matter their backstory, each one was engaging in their own way and easy to like.

The story fell within both the mystery and horror genres, and both were well developed. The action was non-stop, and there were shocking twists and turns throughout that kept me glued to the pages. The author inserted bits of factual information about Antarctica that I found interesting. However, it is the horror elements that take centerstage. They were imaginative and frightening, and I wish I hadn’t started the book right before bedtime. For those that need to know, as the action and tension ramps up, so does the use of expletives, including some heavy-duty choices.

With its exciting, non-stop action and engaging young adult heroines and heroes, I recommend IT LOOKS LIKE US to readers who enjoy young adult fiction, mystery, and horror stories or are intrigued by a story set in Antarctica.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through NetGalley and TBR and Beyond Book Tours. show less

Magical, thrilling, and fresh!

The Devourer is a new young adult fantasy by veteran author Alison Ames, and it is a thrilling, high-seas adventure with magic, monsters, and revenge. After her half-brother, Cameron, attacks their father, stealing a precious treasure map in the process, 17-year-old Adrasteia “Adra” Dantes takes possession of her father’s ship, Worldeater, and vows revenge.

In Adra’s world, magic is available to those special few attuned to its presence and it can be show more unpredictable and dangerous, as she well knows. As she and her crew of young women and one young man pursue their quarry, the veil between the non-magical and the mystical realms is somehow breached, and a creature known to the merfolk as The Devourer has been loosed under the seas to wreak destruction on all who travel above.

This novel is an exciting story with a surprising mix of diverse characters, interesting storylines, and relationships. Adra, the young captain of the Worldeater, is morally complex; she enjoys inflicting pain and killing but is secretly kind to her crew, those she loves, who are less fortunate or are in trouble. She is single-minded in her pursuit of her half-brother, and the adventure is filled with incidents of her bravery in protecting the crew while achieving her goals. Her relationship with Quinn, the young woman Cameron coerced into impersonating him and acting as a decoy, is a slow-burn romance that ignites an internal conflict in Adra as well as one more overt with her crew.

An interesting side story involves the creature Diana, a sentient and talking osprey who was once a human sailor, much like those on the Worldeater. While hunting Cameron, Adra and Diana search for the island fortress of the spellcaster who changed Diana’s former crew into animals and compel her to reverse her curse.

While the ship’s accidental sojourn in the Doldrums may have been tedious for the fictional crew, the tension in the story builds as the main characters’ backstories come to light and they await the arrival of an ancient being from the deep summoned by a magic-using crew member to help them move to a more favorable latitude. As the creature gets closer and closer, the details of its physical appearance, including its vast size, alarm the stranded sailors. However, the horror of their rescuer pales against what is to come in the form of The Devourer.

I found the story compelling, full of thrilling scenes and constant suspense. Adra was somewhat difficult for me to really like because of her mercurial nature and her joy in inflicting pain, but that aspect of her character is mentioned only once, and for the rest of the story, her decision to punish was more conflicted and thoughtful. I felt like I was dumped a little prematurely into the action, without enough build-up of the world and the existence of magic, so I didn’t have the grounding to engage with the story immediately. I think a reluctant reader would probably set this one aside in favor of a story they didn’t have to work as much to enjoy. However, perseverance proved fruitful in this case.

I recommend THE DEVOURER to young adult fantasy readers, especially those who enjoy slow-burn sapphic romances and adventures on the high seas.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours. show less

2.5 stars (3.5 stars for the first two thirds of the book, 1.5 stars for the last third). I loved the four main characters and the focus on their friendships (as well as the LGBTQ+ rep!), and I thought the horror parts of the book were very creative and spooky, but the second half really fell apart for me as far as unresolved plot points, illogical character choices and motivations were concerned. I also had difficulty visualizing where we were at any given time, and tracking characters’ show more movements through the story. It became what felt like a jumbled, confusing mess at a certain point.

While I didn’t personally love this, I would recommend To Break a Covenant to YA readers who are fans of horror, but tend to like books that prioritize dialogue and characters over plot and atmosphere, and who don’t need every plot point to add up at the end/don’t mind ambiguous endings in books. show less