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BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Girl in the Letter in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This novel is told from multiple perspectives, so there is no single protagonist in this novel. Sam is a journalist who finds a letter from Ivy, written in 1956, and she is trying to find out who Ivy was and is she related to her own family. Even though we learn about Ivy through her letters, the whole story kind of circles around her. I really liked all the characters chosen for this novel, I think they are well well developed and truly intriguing. I liked Sam, and her personality, but my most favourite one was Ivy. Her story is mesmerizing, and the way everything unfolds as you carry on reading left me unsettled.
The narrative of this novel is very creatively written, the plot keeps travelling between the present and the past, unravelling long forgotten secrets and mysteries. There is plenty of great turns and twists in this book, and I was kept on my toes page after page. There is plenty of great topics discussed in this book, such as mother-baby bond, couple relationships, family dramas, cruelty and abuse from church workers, revenge, and many more. I really loved the research done for this novel, I could feel the pain Ivy felt and see how this kind of institutions ruined lives instead of saving them.
The writing style of this book is easy to read but difficult emotionally. The setting of this novel constantly changes between different characters, so it doesn’t leave the reader bored. The chapters are pretty short and flew by really quickly for me. The ending rounded up the novel very nicely and left me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, it is a really powerful book, filled with pain, love, and broken lives. The characters are very well crafted and the narrative just sucked me in from the first pages. If you, like me, like the books about haunting and scary institutions from the past, this book is definitely for you!
The narrative of this novel is very creatively written, the plot keeps travelling between the present and the past, unravelling long forgotten secrets and mysteries. There is plenty of great turns and twists in this book, and I was kept on my toes page after page. There is plenty of great topics discussed in this book, such as mother-baby bond, couple relationships, family dramas, cruelty and abuse from church workers, revenge, and many more. I really loved the research done for this novel, I could feel the pain Ivy felt and see how this kind of institutions ruined lives instead of saving them.
The writing style of this book is easy to read but difficult emotionally. The setting of this novel constantly changes between different characters, so it doesn’t leave the reader bored. The chapters are pretty short and flew by really quickly for me. The ending rounded up the novel very nicely and left me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, it is a really powerful book, filled with pain, love, and broken lives. The characters are very well crafted and the narrative just sucked me in from the first pages. If you, like me, like the books about haunting and scary institutions from the past, this book is definitely for you!
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Love Me to Death in Books
Sep 24, 2020 (Updated Jan 26, 2021)
There are two main characters in this book, and the book is told from their perspectives. Mr Anderson is a loner, living in a house that everyone is calling a “freak house”, all he wants is his own family, and he is ready to kill for it. Jacob is a teenager, that has lost his mother and is bullied by his stepmother. Jacob has only one friend- Maggie, but after her cousin sister is murdered, he is about to lose her as well. The characters in this book were not my favourite ones, and I found it difficult to connect with them. I liked Mr Anderson’s parts in this novel, I found his thoughts very amusing and very disturbed. The man has a very damaged personality, that is pretty dark and scary. Jacob’s parts in this book were very repetitive and dull, and I found myself skimming the text on many occasions.
The narrative of this book didn’t really have to offer anything. Yes, it discusses important topics, such as bullying, mental illness, loneliness, child abuse etc. But the way it was incorporated just didn’t work for me. The plot kind of plodded along, without any interesting twists or turns, and I didn’t feel any suspense whatsoever. I kept reading in hope of something major to happen, but it never did. 😦
The writing style wasn’t to my liking as well, I feel the book was expanded with the repetitive thoughts about Maggie. The setting of the book felt dark and gloomy, as well as the characters. The chapters have a medium length but Jacob’s parts really dragged to me. The book has some gory details regarding murders, and creepy thoughts of a killer as well. I liked the ending of the book, it did leave me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book was not my cup of tea. I loved the killer, his strangeness and his thoughts, but other than that the characters and the plot felt bleak and boring.
The narrative of this book didn’t really have to offer anything. Yes, it discusses important topics, such as bullying, mental illness, loneliness, child abuse etc. But the way it was incorporated just didn’t work for me. The plot kind of plodded along, without any interesting twists or turns, and I didn’t feel any suspense whatsoever. I kept reading in hope of something major to happen, but it never did. 😦
The writing style wasn’t to my liking as well, I feel the book was expanded with the repetitive thoughts about Maggie. The setting of the book felt dark and gloomy, as well as the characters. The chapters have a medium length but Jacob’s parts really dragged to me. The book has some gory details regarding murders, and creepy thoughts of a killer as well. I liked the ending of the book, it did leave me satisfied with the outcome.
So, to conclude, this book was not my cup of tea. I loved the killer, his strangeness and his thoughts, but other than that the characters and the plot felt bleak and boring.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Unmaking of Ellie Rook in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist in this novel was Ellie, and the whole story was told from her perspective. Ellie comes back to her hometown after the news, that her mother drowned. But as I was going through the pages, it was clear, that Rook family is a very dysfunctional one, hiding many horrible secrets. I really liked the way the author chose her characters, they all have a story to tell, they all are interesting and play very important parts in this book. I liked the way Ellie opened up and shared her story throughout the pages. She seemed fearless but used to crumble after her father’s words. I think she represents many of those, who grew up with abusive, controlling parent.
The narrative was very fast paced, and every chapter allowed to see a little bit more of Ellie’s past, and what shaped her to be the way she is now. The topics covered in this book were emotional and physical abuse, bullying, teenage romance, controlling behaviour and many more. This book has some very cleverly written surprises and twists and was an easy and pleasant read for me.
The atmosphere of this book is very dark, gloomy and messy, filled with scrap cars, crows, and violence. I liked the writing style of this novel, it was complex and layered. The chapters were short, and the ending of this book left me very satisfied indeed. Even though a single perspective was sufficient for me, I would’ve liked to read Imelda’s thoughts as well. I don’t really know how I feel about all that folk story about Finella, it adds a nice touch to the story, but making it a core of this book wasn’t really necessary.
So, to conclude, it is a really good domestic noir, filled with complex characters and difficult situations. I really enjoyed this book and the topics it discussed, and I recommend it to people who are looking for a quick but important read. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. 🙂
The narrative was very fast paced, and every chapter allowed to see a little bit more of Ellie’s past, and what shaped her to be the way she is now. The topics covered in this book were emotional and physical abuse, bullying, teenage romance, controlling behaviour and many more. This book has some very cleverly written surprises and twists and was an easy and pleasant read for me.
The atmosphere of this book is very dark, gloomy and messy, filled with scrap cars, crows, and violence. I liked the writing style of this novel, it was complex and layered. The chapters were short, and the ending of this book left me very satisfied indeed. Even though a single perspective was sufficient for me, I would’ve liked to read Imelda’s thoughts as well. I don’t really know how I feel about all that folk story about Finella, it adds a nice touch to the story, but making it a core of this book wasn’t really necessary.
So, to conclude, it is a really good domestic noir, filled with complex characters and difficult situations. I really enjoyed this book and the topics it discussed, and I recommend it to people who are looking for a quick but important read. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. 🙂
Darren Fisher (2447 KP) rated Island of Death (1976) in Movies
Jan 11, 2021 (Updated Jan 11, 2021)
70's Exploitation At Its Best
Story has it that Greek director Nico Mastorakis saw the Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the cinema and was impressed that such a violent low budget horror film could make so much money. So with that in mind Nico decided to make an even more depraved feature than Tobe Hooper and therefore make even more money! He succeeded in the latter but as for make more money? Well, we can only guess not. I won't bother going into the plot as I assume most people already know about this depraved and sick little flick. All that I will say is that as far as 70's exploitation flicks go this is one of the best. Depravity has never been in so much abundance as is on show here. This will not be to many viewers taste (and a big "no, no" for the Snowflake Generation) as we are subjected to rape, gay rape, incest, drug abuse, beastiality, torture, urinating on pensioners and even a fart in the face as a downright insult. The list of depravity doesn't stop there but to list them all would take some time and spoil it for those that want to watch it for the first time...
The gore is kept to a mimimum and the acting is pretty bad, but as the film progresses this is not really an issue (there are some great bits of crazy dialogue throughout). The majority of death scenes are very imaginative, including deaths involving a plane flight, bulldozer and a pot of paint.
Also there is a cracking soundtrack provided by the legendery Nikos Lavranos (Destination Understanding being the obvious favourite of the 'cult elite').
I cannot recommend this film enough, it is superb, but if you are easily offended I would suggest giving this one a very wide berth. Maybe I need psychiatric help... A MUST SEE.
The gore is kept to a mimimum and the acting is pretty bad, but as the film progresses this is not really an issue (there are some great bits of crazy dialogue throughout). The majority of death scenes are very imaginative, including deaths involving a plane flight, bulldozer and a pot of paint.
Also there is a cracking soundtrack provided by the legendery Nikos Lavranos (Destination Understanding being the obvious favourite of the 'cult elite').
I cannot recommend this film enough, it is superb, but if you are easily offended I would suggest giving this one a very wide berth. Maybe I need psychiatric help... A MUST SEE.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated 337 in Books
Dec 13, 2020
Slow life story
The protagonist in this story is Samuel, a man who lives quite a sad life, in my opinion. He is divorced, lives alone in his parent’s house, and doesn’t have many things going on, to be honest. He had quite a difficult life though. His mother left, the father was rigid and abusive, and his brother left as soon as that was possible. Samuel reflects a lot in this novel. He tells his life story, including the life of his grandmother, who is about to die. I didn’t really like Sam, he seems quite miserable and pretty dull. 😦
The narrative is told from a single, Samuel’s, perspective. There are quite a lot of thoughts and personal experiences shared in this novel. I kept waiting for that investigation and surprises, but they didn’t really come. There were attempts to it, but the time spent in a care home with grandmother took most of the narrative. The topics discussed in this novel were mental and physical abuse, children’s mental health issues, loneliness, drugs and alcohol use, controlling fathers and many more.
The atmosphere of this book is quite depressing, it is divided between sad memories and a dying grandmother. 😦 The writing style is quite thought-provoking and detail-oriented, and I did like the story that Sam shared with the readers. I also really liked the short and snappy chapters, that made the reading experience more enjoyable. I liked the ending of this book as well, it was very satisfying to have some sort of closure, and I do hope that Sam finally can have something positive in his life. 🙂
So, to conclude, it was an interesting experience to read a book focused on a man’s mental health issues and his relationships to his quite estranged family members. Even though this novel felt dark and sad, I think that Samuel’s life has thought-provoking experiences. Do give this book a go, and I hope you will like it. It is quite different…
The narrative is told from a single, Samuel’s, perspective. There are quite a lot of thoughts and personal experiences shared in this novel. I kept waiting for that investigation and surprises, but they didn’t really come. There were attempts to it, but the time spent in a care home with grandmother took most of the narrative. The topics discussed in this novel were mental and physical abuse, children’s mental health issues, loneliness, drugs and alcohol use, controlling fathers and many more.
The atmosphere of this book is quite depressing, it is divided between sad memories and a dying grandmother. 😦 The writing style is quite thought-provoking and detail-oriented, and I did like the story that Sam shared with the readers. I also really liked the short and snappy chapters, that made the reading experience more enjoyable. I liked the ending of this book as well, it was very satisfying to have some sort of closure, and I do hope that Sam finally can have something positive in his life. 🙂
So, to conclude, it was an interesting experience to read a book focused on a man’s mental health issues and his relationships to his quite estranged family members. Even though this novel felt dark and sad, I think that Samuel’s life has thought-provoking experiences. Do give this book a go, and I hope you will like it. It is quite different…
Becs (244 KP) rated Words That Kill in Books
Oct 2, 2019
I’ve always had a thing for poetry and have loved every single poetry collection that I have gotten my hands on. My husband got me Words That Kill by Vivid Vega for this past Christmas. When I started to read it, I couldn’t put it down, it was just so good and so emotional. But I eventually had to take a break because it was starting to mess with me. There are not many poetry collections that touch on the mental health subject and I’m glad that there is now one available to the public.
Genre: Mental Health, Young Adult
Audience: Young Adult but also mature audiences as well
Reading level: Middle to High School
Interests: Depression, Mental Health, Anxiety, Suicide, Abuse, Hope, and Love.
Style: Light to hard – depending on the person.
Point of view: First person
Difficulty reading: Very easy to read but be warned, it does make you very emotional.
Promise: Words That Kill promises a poetry collection that talks about mental health and it delivers.
Quality: I believe everybody should read this even if they haven’t dealt with mental health.
Insights: Not taking the grammatical and spelling errors, the poems were a lot lighter to read compared to Rupi Kuar or even Shakespeare.
Ah-Ha Moment: There wasn’t really a moment where I went ‘Ah yea, that’s the turning point’. This is only because it wasn’t really a story, more of a poem that brings memories of the past back to life.
Favorite quote: “There is no need to hide in the shade, the light will come and your pain will fade.” – This is a great representation of how depression works. You have your good and your bad moments.
Aesthetics: The thing that drew me to the book in the first place, minus the topic of mental health of course, was the fact that the entire book is white words on an entirely black background. I’ve never seen a book have that aesthetically pleasing style and I love it!
“Like a flower, I will bloom again – depression.”
Genre: Mental Health, Young Adult
Audience: Young Adult but also mature audiences as well
Reading level: Middle to High School
Interests: Depression, Mental Health, Anxiety, Suicide, Abuse, Hope, and Love.
Style: Light to hard – depending on the person.
Point of view: First person
Difficulty reading: Very easy to read but be warned, it does make you very emotional.
Promise: Words That Kill promises a poetry collection that talks about mental health and it delivers.
Quality: I believe everybody should read this even if they haven’t dealt with mental health.
Insights: Not taking the grammatical and spelling errors, the poems were a lot lighter to read compared to Rupi Kuar or even Shakespeare.
Ah-Ha Moment: There wasn’t really a moment where I went ‘Ah yea, that’s the turning point’. This is only because it wasn’t really a story, more of a poem that brings memories of the past back to life.
Favorite quote: “There is no need to hide in the shade, the light will come and your pain will fade.” – This is a great representation of how depression works. You have your good and your bad moments.
Aesthetics: The thing that drew me to the book in the first place, minus the topic of mental health of course, was the fact that the entire book is white words on an entirely black background. I’ve never seen a book have that aesthetically pleasing style and I love it!
“Like a flower, I will bloom again – depression.”
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna in Books
Aug 26, 2019
This is the family saga of the Fortuna’s, and follows their lives from poverty in Calabria to the USA. It follows Stella from the birth and death of her older sister (also called Mariastella), her siblings, parents and her life in Connecticut - covering 100 years. I still can’t quite believe that the author managed to fit so much into 460+ pages without it feeling rushed or shoe-horned in, it she did it!
As you can probably guess from the title, Stella’s 7 or 8 deaths feature quite prominently in this, as does her close relationships with her mother and sister. Her father as good as abandons them for the first part of her life, and then demands that his wife and children sell everything and join him in the US where he has been working. Stella hates her controlling, abusive father, but is very much restricted by tradition and religion. So, she lives under his despotic rule. There is quite a bit of abuse - both physical and mental - in this, but what is most admirable is Stella’s unbroken spirit. And she has spirit in spades.
I loved the style in which this was told: a family member researching and telling the story of her relatives, and trying to work out why Stella in her last 30 years refuses to have anything to do with the sister that she loved so much. I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact fiction. There was a great balance of modern thinking (from the narrator) and the traditions of the older members of the family, complete with curses and spells to avoid the evil eye.
I’ll be honest, I thought I’d made a mistake by choosing this book. I really didn’t think I’d like it. I’m so relieved that I took a chance on this though, because I loved it, and I’d say that it’s well worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
As you can probably guess from the title, Stella’s 7 or 8 deaths feature quite prominently in this, as does her close relationships with her mother and sister. Her father as good as abandons them for the first part of her life, and then demands that his wife and children sell everything and join him in the US where he has been working. Stella hates her controlling, abusive father, but is very much restricted by tradition and religion. So, she lives under his despotic rule. There is quite a bit of abuse - both physical and mental - in this, but what is most admirable is Stella’s unbroken spirit. And she has spirit in spades.
I loved the style in which this was told: a family member researching and telling the story of her relatives, and trying to work out why Stella in her last 30 years refuses to have anything to do with the sister that she loved so much. I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact fiction. There was a great balance of modern thinking (from the narrator) and the traditions of the older members of the family, complete with curses and spells to avoid the evil eye.
I’ll be honest, I thought I’d made a mistake by choosing this book. I really didn’t think I’d like it. I’m so relieved that I took a chance on this though, because I loved it, and I’d say that it’s well worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Born for Leaving (New England State of Mind #1) in Books
Aug 31, 2020
Born For Leaving is the story of two men, both loners by choice and circumstance, getting together as roommates by sheer coincidence. What follows is an angsty, heartbreaking story that will tear your heart out!
Oliver is the one with the house he is desperate to keep. So desperate, in fact, he keeps on working at a place where, although he gets on well enough with his co-workers, is dangerous for his physical, mental, and emotional well-being. His boss is his ex which is always fun but Oliver also has to deal with volatile drunkards too. Along comes Bodie. He is the one constantly on the move, sleeping on the ground next to his bike is not uncommon for him. Oliver and Bodie spark from the beginning but both of them have pasts that need to be worked past before they can move forward.
I thought this was exceedingly well-written, with characters I didn't like to start with who grew on me (Oliver's mum), those I disliked from the get-go (Jack), and those I loved (Bodie and Oliver). Now, let me just say this. Although I loved Oliver, he also really annoyed me. I just can't get my head around WHY he would stay in such a toxic workplace for so long, even if his dream job hadn't happened. Anyway, it all happened as was meant to be, so they say, so I guess I just have to deal!
This book does deal with hard subjects like attempted rape and child abuse. If these are triggers for you, be warned.
I found this book to be highly emotional and a brilliant read. I can't wait to see what comes next in the New England State of Mind series. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oliver is the one with the house he is desperate to keep. So desperate, in fact, he keeps on working at a place where, although he gets on well enough with his co-workers, is dangerous for his physical, mental, and emotional well-being. His boss is his ex which is always fun but Oliver also has to deal with volatile drunkards too. Along comes Bodie. He is the one constantly on the move, sleeping on the ground next to his bike is not uncommon for him. Oliver and Bodie spark from the beginning but both of them have pasts that need to be worked past before they can move forward.
I thought this was exceedingly well-written, with characters I didn't like to start with who grew on me (Oliver's mum), those I disliked from the get-go (Jack), and those I loved (Bodie and Oliver). Now, let me just say this. Although I loved Oliver, he also really annoyed me. I just can't get my head around WHY he would stay in such a toxic workplace for so long, even if his dream job hadn't happened. Anyway, it all happened as was meant to be, so they say, so I guess I just have to deal!
This book does deal with hard subjects like attempted rape and child abuse. If these are triggers for you, be warned.
I found this book to be highly emotional and a brilliant read. I can't wait to see what comes next in the New England State of Mind series. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Another Stupid Spell
10.0
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Book
Another Stupid Spell is a first person high fantasy novel, the likes of which hasn't been seen in 60...
fantasy
Fear: A Novel
Book
“Fear shifts our moral codes. It makes us accessories to murder. A great achievement.” —Herman...
Thriller