#ya suspense

[novelnibbles]

Book & Bite: "The Call" by Peadar Ó Guilín + A Hearty Irish Stew

Looking for a book that will chill your spine and make your heart race? The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín is a gripping, brutal, and utterly unique YA fantasy that throws readers into a nightmarish version of Ireland, where survival is a deadly game. And what better way to pair this tense, dark tale than with a warm, comforting bowl of traditional Irish stew?

Book Review: A Dark Take on Irish Mythology

In The Call, Ireland has been cut off from the rest of the world by the malevolent Sídhe—ancient fae creatures who were once banished by humans. Now, as revenge, they "call" teenagers into their twisted realm, the Grey Land. Once called, a teen has only three minutes (in the real world) to fight, flee, or die—though in the Grey Land, those minutes stretch into hours of terror.

Nessa, the novel’s fierce and determined protagonist, refuses to accept her seemingly inevitable fate. Despite being told she’s weak due to a childhood bout with polio, she trains harder than anyone, preparing for her call. What follows is an intense, horror-tinged survival story filled with tension, betrayal, and gruesome twists that’ll keep you glued to the pages.

Ó Guilín's writing is sharp and unflinching, painting a bleak, dangerous world where every choice matters. The blend of Irish folklore with dystopian horror is masterfully done, making The Call stand out in the crowded YA fantasy genre. If you’re a fan of books like The Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, or anything with a dark fae twist, this one’s for you.

Food Pairing: Traditional Irish Stew

If you’re diving into The Call, you’ll need something warm and hearty to anchor you in reality—because trust me, this book will *shake* you. Enter traditional Irish stew, a dish as comforting as The Call is chilling.

Irish stew, typically made with lamb or beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and fresh herbs, is a simple yet deeply satisfying meal. The rich, slow-cooked flavors feel like the opposite of the cruel, cold Grey Land. It's the kind of meal that reminds you of home, of safety—things the characters in The Call are constantly fighting for.

Why it works:

- Contrast: The stew’s warmth and heartiness balance out the book’s tension and horror.

- Irish roots: Both The Call and Irish stew are steeped in Irish tradition—one through myth, the other through food.

- Survival energy: If you were preparing for The Call, this would be the kind of meal you’d want fueling you.

Final Thoughts

The Call is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy, folklore, and high-stakes survival stories. It’s brutal, brilliant, and impossible to put down. Paired with a steaming bowl of Irish stew, you’ll have the perfect mix of fear and comfort—because trust me, after this book, you’ll need something to ground you.

Have you read The Call? What would you pair with it? Let me know in the comments!

Bonus: Easy Irish Stew Recipe

Want to make your own Irish stew? Here’s a simple version:

Ingredients:

- 1.5 lbs lamb or beef, cut into chunks

- 4 large potatoes, peeled and diced

- 3 carrots, sliced

- 1 onion, chopped

- 3 cups beef or vegetable broth

- 2 tsp fresh thyme

- 1 tbsp butter

- Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Brown the meat in butter in a large pot.

2. Add onions and cook until softened.

3. Pour in the broth, add thyme, and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and let simmer for about an hour.

5. Add potatoes and carrots, cook until tender (about 30 minutes).

6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot!

Perfect for a dark, stormy night—especially when paired with The Call.

[bookishlyvintage]

"There were monsters following Devin before she ever got to these woods.

She doesn't need conspiracy theories. She needs to get out of here."

- What the Woods Took, Courtney Gould [x]

[readatrix]

“I stop myself from apologizing-because what would I even be sorry for? Existing too loud?” ~Ace of Spades, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

[official-helpless]

AESHMA

He is chaos. The demon of wrath, rage, fury, and desire. Aeshma is one of the fiercest, most feared demons in Hell. His story originates in Zoroastrianism; an ancient Persian religion founded in the seventh century. Aeshma is the being responsible for horrendous acts of malice and aggression. He is the king of war and genocide. He lives to see the world bleed. In Hell, he is an exceptional warrior. A military commander of an army made up of 770,000 demons. His influence over rage, violence, and war is just the tip of the iceberg. He lures lost humans into disobedience, defiance, drunkenness, desire, and paranoia. His epithet is, “Of The Bloody Mace.” Aeshma can distract any person and lead them away from their faith and good doing. He sends people into a spiral of poor decisions and violence. He’s powerful and spiteful. He is the complete opposite of religious devotion and discipline. He makes a mockery of any faith and finds joy in bringing people to their lowest points.

Origin: Persian/Iranian. Aeshma is 1,400 years old.

“You actually think your existence is that significant? The world would be exactly the same, with or without you. You’re not important.” -Aeshma.

Read more about Aeshma in Book two: Retaliation. Expected early April, 2021

[booklantis]

Review: 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough

Having quite the yearning to read a teen novel, I picked up “13 Minutes” by Sarah Pinborough for a second time. Marketed under the genres of mystery, thriller, suspense and psychological fiction, this novel is set in England and entails a story of sixteen-year-old Natasha Howland, who was found in the local river, dead for “13 Minutes” before being resuscitated. This proceeds to haunt Natasha and she employs the help of an old friend, Rebecca Crisp (whom Natasha discarded at the height of her popularity as a “Barbie”), to aid in her search for the culprit, no longer trusting her two “forever friends” Haley and Jenny. The novel is constructed with segments from Rebecca’s point of view; snippets of Natasha’s diary; sessions of counselling with Dr Harvey and texts between Jenny and Haley, all offering an inside perspective to each of the main characters as the secrets begin to unravel.

However, just like the first time, I strongly disliked every character I came across. What with a significant period of time passing between each reading, I neglected the memory of these characters — but their overly explicit language and derogatory nature towards each other makes each distinctly unlikeable. Those who are painted as “friends” definitely don’t reflect that in mind, though this may be intentional to show Pinborough’s perceived nature of teenagers as a whole. But it is this explicit and derogatory outlook that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to sympathise with these characters. As a teenager myself, I know that my own mind does not work in this manner, which makes these characters appear all the more terrible as people and atypical of the teenage experience. For those reasons, no character that I encountered took to my liking.

As aforementioned, the characters are rather explicit — as is, by nature, the novel itself. Not only is the language intense in this regard, but there is strong sexual imagery and drug use throughout. The presence of drugs is so significant, in fact, that it leads you to believe you are the ultimate drug lord! (I’m kidding) But all jokes aside, the drug use can be quite excessive, so if that is something you dislike, perhaps this book wouldn’t be for you.

In regards to the sexual content, this is also in abundance. We see one highly graphic sex scene between Becca Crisp and her boyfriend Aiden, a couple who’s sex life is marvelled at and written about in Natasha’s diary, in which she berates overtly sexual individuals. She even ridicules her so-called best friend Jenny for “[doing] that for ‘love’”, Jenny being a particularly sexual character, which happens to play heavily into the plot.

This combination of heavy sex and drug use has the novel marketed at “not suitable for younger readers” as shown in a banner on the back cover that I failed to notice the first time as a younger reader. This, however, means my mistake can be avoided.

Throughout the novel, a sense of telling rather than showing is apparent. From the beginning, it’s highly likely you will know who the culprit is — at least, I did, and not because I had read it before. The culprit is very clearly guilty. It’s the proving that has to be done. One prime example of this telling rather than showing is when the “mystery” is solved — a series of newspaper articles reveal the motive of the culprit which had not been clearly hinted at before, if at all, and is a key plot point that could have been developed further. This was dissatisfying as a significant conflict was set up, played out and resolved in a matter of pages. However, I do think this plot point is relevant to the story and fits the characters as we have been led to perceive them, also making their prior actions all the more shocking in relation to the magnitude of their motive. Therefore, this aspect of the novel is rather impressive (although the matter itself is quite disturbing)

Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of this novel was the recurring imagery of the number thirteen — Natasha, dead for thirteen minutes, begins to count thirteens everywhere. Although this motif is neglected at times, I find it particularly powerful in demonstrating the sheer psychological affect of Natasha’s “death”. It shows a weakness within a character that otherwise maintains a facade of perfection. This is, therefore, a crucial aspect to the plot, as Natasha has no memory of the accident but that she was under for thirteen minutes, so this is what she clings to. Overall, Natasha appears to have an unhealthy relationship with the idea of death, having come so close, and obsesses over the circumstances of her own short one. Thus, by incorporating this powerful motif, Pinborough is able to explore the aftermath of such a traumatic event on an otherwise ordinary girl.

Despite all of the above (constructive) criticism, I did read this book for a second time. Regardless of the time between each reading causing me to forget most of the plot, I was drawn to it once again. This acts as testament to the story — perhaps it was the relatability of the setting that drew me back in, or the want to read a mystery, which is not my typical genre. Therefore, I cannot discredit it entirely. Aside from the characters, the book is rather enjoyable, and I don’t doubt I’ll probably read it again in the future.

[books-on-a-wire-blog]

Books for Thoughts BPC: Jan 30 - Omigod Omigod You Guys! One of my top favorites from this month, definitely earned the “why didn’t I read this sooner?” award. I had all sorts of theories, but not that one!

[bjonesquotesandbooks]

The Rexwood Murders is a YA thriller/suspense about a group of teenagers—Brandon Jones, Denise and Selena Calloway, Courtney Brown, and Joshua Boroughs— who spend the night in an abandoned mansion with their neighborhood friends. But almost as soon as they get comfortable, their friends turn up missing. When they stumble on a dark secret between the old occupants and their parents, they are roped into a cat and mouse game with a psychopath and must find a way to escape the mansion alive. And even if they escape, how will they cope with the events that go down in the mansion?

https://www.amazon.com/Rexwood-Murders-1-Barron-Jones/dp/1512239631

[byjillianmaria]

It’s been awhile since I shared a quote! So have this one :)