Freakin Friday!
Freakin Fridays is a meme brought to you by fuonlyknew. We will be posting about books, movies, and all things scary.
Feel free to join in and do your own Freakin Fridays posts!
Tune in Friday and get your scare on!
Let’s have some fun!
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Still Life by Michael Montoure
Nikki Velvet was bereft after the suicide of Gabe.
She could not get past it. It haunted her and pissed her off.
Nothing glamorous about it. “You just looked like a fucking idiot.”
“I found a way out, a way to beat the game.” – Nikki said to herself.
She had no idea the price to be paid for her decision.
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The cover captured me immediately. Nice work, Michael. The blurb did not prepare me for the story. Michael did an excellent job of writing from a woman’s perspective. The story contained between the pages is not your run of the mill bite and run vampire party. It is a psychological journey of Nikki Velvet’s descent into hell, that had my skin crawling.
If you want to know why someone may want to become a vampire and the process they go through to make it happen, meet Nikki Velvet.
The description of her change from human to vampire was graphic and detailed. Her attempts to grab a breath of air, not realizing breathing was no longer necessary, had me holding my breath. Her mind was foggy, her limbs unwilling to move to her commands, she was unable to speak. Finally she stops struggling, letting go and drifting away.
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when she looks at the toilet and realizes she would never need that again. And books – no limitations. She has forever to read.
“I gave you what you wanted. It might not be everything you hoped it would be, but its just what you asked for all the same.”
The physical, emotional and psychological torments Nikki goes through had me shivering with the creepiness, as I TRIED to walk in her shoes. She had never anticipated the toll that turning into a vampire would take on her and the torture Sylvan (a human) would put her through. Creepy Paul was always lingering around the edges of her life.
Michael describes Nikki’s experience after she jumps off the bridge and I wanted to be there – floating in the water, drifting, letting it take me wherever the current flowed, no need to breathe. Is that what it is like to be a mermaid? Is it like flying?
Michael Montoure’s Still Life is all about Nikki – being free of life, being maimed and tortured, used and abused. As she navigates the way through her madness to a new life, I cringe and cower, while I question how it will end.
This was hard for me to rate. I can’t pinpoint what was missing, but Still Life didn’t get me to the level of WOW. But, I had not read anything quite like this,.Kudos to Michael for giving me a fresh and unique insight into human and vampire interaction. His characters are well defined, making me hate most of them. And Nikki – what can I say about someone so lost that they would die to become immortal?
4 Stars – Would Highly Recommend To Others
I received this book from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review. I enjoyed the journey and I look forward to reading more of his work.
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To get your copy of Still Life, or learn more about Michael Montoure, click on the cover below.
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Friday 56 #5 – Be careful what you wish for -Still Life by Michael Montoure
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Excellent review Sherry! I remember you mentioning this. It’s going on my TBR. I don’t think I’ve read anything like it. Well, I have, but it was more comedic than psychological. Looking forward to it.
You had me holding my breath just reading your review, Sherry. Even though it’s not a WOW, the story stills sounds intriguing. :0)
Nikki’s transition sounds painful. Very different to the usual vampire transformations we usually see on TV and in books.
For sure. I was trying to get that across without giving everything away, but there is so much more. This is definitely not a pretty vampire story.
Sounds like a fascinating read, Sherry. Your descriptive review left me shivering at the thought of what the main character chooses to do.
It was very different from your usual vampire story and I always love finding something different from what I ususally read.
Oh yeah, you got me interested. That cover is great. And I love when a male author can write a woman’s perspective so well.
LOL Hi Jennifer. I love the cover. Every time I see it I look a little longer, trying to find more details behind the hand. Michael did an excellent job of writing from the woman’s perspective. You would never know a man wrote the book. I found that interesting in itself. ^_^
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