4 stars

I have to say, I wasn't expecting to be bored in the slightest while reading a EIT book. Ever.

However, I had a bit of a rough start with "Come Alive". It was nothing but sex and Dex being freakishly sentimental for about 25% of the story.

Until New Orleans.

In the other books, I longed for more romance. I craved it over the central mystery.

But in "Come Alive", I wanted nothing more than to be swept away by the horror.

And once it got really interesting, I was glued to the screen. I literally couldn't move. I read non-stop. Those last 30% put a spell on me and wouldn't let go. I only tore my eyes away for brief instants as I glanced around the room, looking for the looming, cold presence I thought I sensed behind my back.

Dex and Perry are (finally) together. And in full-on honeymoon phase. Which got annoying after a while, especially since Dex was acting like a horny bastard and Perry was just too damn insecure and shy.

I needed a distraction. They needed a distraction. And fast.

And that's when Maximus came into the picture. He made for a few good laughs as the inevitable pissing contest took place between him and Dex. But he also came accompanied by an ultimatum: either Dex and Perry accept him as his manager and newest member of the team, or Jimmy will cancel their show.

So, the fantastic threesome heads on to the voodoo city, hoping to film a haunted house damaged by Katrina and leave with some decent footage to present to their boss. The thing is, the city has been under attack from creatures similar to zombies, seemingly created and controlled by evil voodoo priestesses. And, obviously, they can't stay away.

I'll give you a fair warning: if you think that Perry and Dex are completely in sync already and that the angst is gone, you'll be surprised. And I mean mind-blown. As I was. Damn, the feels.

And Maximus. I totally saw that one coming, ginger balls.

I think I have forgiven him at last. He actually turned out to be a decent person during this installment. I wasn't expecting it, but I warmed up to him.

So, if you're ready for the inevitable heebie jeebies and emotion-overload that come with EIT, then by all means, read it!

4,5 stars

I surrender. I give up.

I tried so hard to slow down, to savor this series book by book. But I am so going to devour it.

Two months ago, I read five Experiment in Terror books and three novellas in about a week. Then I stopped. My rebound was a bit hard to go through, but I eventually recovered and the urge to read the entire series in one sitting vanished. Or so I thought.

Returning to EIT felt like a dream come true. Perry, Dex and Ada welcomed me with open arms. Perry shared her inner thoughts with me, Dex revealed a whole lot more than usual, and Ada said her goodbyes for the time being.

The premise sounded just amazing. Perry moves in with Dex? They venture into the confines of British Columbia together to find the legendary Sasquatch? I could smell the tension from miles (pages) away. I couldn't wait to witness their reconnection, the apologies they would share, the heartbreaking moments they would star in.

I braced myself for the angst. But I wasn't prepared for what "Into the Hollow" threw at me. Not by a long-shot. I didn't expect to feel the tears prickling my skin as I read, to hear my uninhibited laughter filling the room, to hurt as much as Perry and Dex did.

By now, I am aware that Karina Halle will keep awakening these feelings in me through her soulful writing, will continue to enthrall me with every word, will make me shut the world out as I drink in her words like water.

I strongly recommend this brand of water. However, keep in mind that it won't quench your thirst, but turn you into a helpless, thirsty addict.

I honestly don't know what I'll do when I finish EIT. Maybe I'll find a new brand of water to distract me from the one I lost. Maybe.

4 stars

This was a great book!

The first half was slow. It was a gradual unraveling of marital secrets, of a carefree past, followed by a lasting period of fighting and general apathy between the main couple. This story is told both from Amy's point of view (through her diary), and Nick's.

Amy Elliott Dunne has suddenly gone missing without a trace on her fifth wedding anniversary, leaving behind clear signs of a struggle. Her husband, Lance Nicholas Dunne, is under the spotlight from the very beginning, his inability to deal with strong emotions being a permanently weakening factor in his image.

Followed everywhere by false friends who won't hesitate to turn on him should the public opinion condemn him completely, and the starving media, Nick struggles to prove his innocence. to the police. Harassed and guilt-ridden, yet claiming to be innocent, Nick is entrapped by a constant surge of new evidence implicating him in Amy's murder. Evidence consisting of credit cards he never utilized, objects he didn't buy, which are however full of his prints on them. But with no body, Nick can't be declared guilty without further proof.

This leads us to part two of this masterful plot. I am sure you believe you know your way around twists. I did too. But I never saw this one coming. It came in like a wrecking ball, to quote inspiring young lady Miley Cyrus (not).

After reading a whole 50% of this novel, I believed I knew the entirety of the facts. Boy, was I wrong. Your huge wall of previously acquired certainties will come crashing down on you. Hard. Your character loyalties will most likely change.

This last part was, for me, what made this book memorable. I admire Gillian Flynn for tricking me into believing every single fact she threw at me (through her characters' point of view). I'd like to think I'll never make that same mistake ever again, yet I probably will. I am gullible when it comes to books. I guess I just don't have my lie-detector on if I'm reading fiction. (What would be the point?) I like being played by authors. It just makes me like them more!

I have absolutely no regrets about reading this. The second half certainly made up for the slightly more boring first part.

Now onto the film! Dazzle me, David Fincher!

A book with little to no Dex in it?

4 stars

I am so emotionally crippled by what Perry went through during this book that I can't seem to process it correctly.

Meet "On Demon Wings" Perry:

Yes, she's slightly possessed. As it turns out, the demons which have chased her during her whole life are back to torment her. And each day she falls a little bit more into the depths of her mind, losing control over her body and handing it to another entity.

The only person who should be able to rescue her from her downfall (Dex, of course) is the one she is trying to forget after he rejected her in the end of "Lying Season".

Perry is surrounded by disbelievers who will not hesitate to deem her insane and abandon her to her demons. I am referring to her crappy parents.

Not you, Ada. Without your support and concern, I don't know what would have happened to your sister.

While reading this book, try not to panic. It is probably the most scary of the series so far, because it depicts a mental sickness so vicious that you fear you will lose beloved Perry for good.

5 stars

First of all. DEX.

What were you thinking, you stupid douchecanoe?

Should I kick your ass, SOB?

Or should I kiss you, hottie?

On the one hand, you love Perry. But on the other hand, you are scared of change and prefer to be around a manipulating bitch that you don't even love (a.k.a. Jenn) instead of taking a chance with the sexiest woman alive (a.k.a. Perry).

I mean, everyone with a pair of eyes can sense the main couple's sizzling attraction in the way they stare at and confort each other. Could Dex be any more swoon-worthy when he compliments Perry or states just how much he cares about her and needs her?

It pains me to see your relationship plagued by lies. You could have had it all, had you not hid your feelings from one another. I just hope you'll have another chance.

Then, Her Bitchy Highness - Jennifer Rodriguez. I am so glad I could direct all my hate towards you during the whole book. I swore. A lot. That is how much I loathe Jenn and her fake attitude.

I loved it when Jenn and Dex argued or she didn't care about his problems. I was smiling like a maniac.

I think I creeped people out. That's the effect this book had on me. My favourite of the series so far.

Last but not least, the horror stuff.

Abby (Dex's old girlfriend who died while driving drunk) is haunting both of them. She gives me the chills. She actually managed to compete with the lepers.

There's also the Riverside Mental Hospital. Slightly disturbing, but Perry and Dex have seen worse.

Honestly, the main focus of this book isn't "Experiment in Terror", but the interactions between Dex, Perry and Jenn, and a further incursion into his past. Which was fine by me!

If you haven't read this series, please do. You won't be disappointed!