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Laura Doe (1350 KP) rated Inside the Mind of Jeffrey Dahmer: The Cannibal Killer in Books
Mar 12, 2022
Jeffrey Dahmer is one of the serial killers that I didn’t know too much about and this book was definitely a revelation. It takes you through from Dahmer being born right up to his death and a lot of the in between.
I’ve never read this author before but am aware of some of his other books and I think that this book was a good one to start with. I liked that we delved into Dahmer’s childhood and found some possible triggers from there but also that the author reinforced that not every child that suffers a specific trauma in their childhood becomes a serial killer, as I think it is important that the reader is reminded of this each time.
I also liked how there was a chapter for each of the victims and also in the appendix there were the charges in more detail for each victim too. Far too often when reading or watching documentaries about serial killers their victims are glossed over and forgotten while their killer’s name is remembered.
There were a few things that I disliked about this book, the main one being the whole chapter that seemed to be dedicated to slagging off psychiatrists and psychologists. While psychology is not an exact science and different people in the profession can come to different conclusions, I feel that the author spent too many pages trying to prove his point. I also felt that a lot of contempt for the profession was coming through in the writing, which, as somebody who wants to become a psychologist, is not something that I appreciated. I understand that everyone has their opinion on it, but I felt that far too much time was spent trying to get his point across.
There were also a few mistakes that made it hard to make sense of a few things, I understand that it has only just been published and there will be a few mistakes (there was a repeated word in a sentence that wasn’t needed) but when it is an obvious mistake with a date (in the Anthony Hughes chapter it says that he was last seen on 24th September 1991 and then 2 chapters below it says that his family were notified of his death on 5th July 1991) it makes for very confusing reading.
I also found that a lot of the time Christopher Berry-Dee referred to the book written by Brian Masters, I’m unsure if this was only because he hasn’t spoken to Dahmer in person while Masters did but at times I felt like I should have just picked up his book instead. I also found that sometimes the author seemed to boast about which serial killers he had met in real life when he didn’t need to.
Overall, I liked the humour in the book and found the writing style easy to get on with. It wasn’t a pleasant book (what book about a serial killer is?) but it was well written. I would pick up other books by this author in the future. Thank you to The Motherload book club on Facebook for the opportunity to win this book in a giveaway and the publisher Ad Lib for my copy!
I’ve never read this author before but am aware of some of his other books and I think that this book was a good one to start with. I liked that we delved into Dahmer’s childhood and found some possible triggers from there but also that the author reinforced that not every child that suffers a specific trauma in their childhood becomes a serial killer, as I think it is important that the reader is reminded of this each time.
I also liked how there was a chapter for each of the victims and also in the appendix there were the charges in more detail for each victim too. Far too often when reading or watching documentaries about serial killers their victims are glossed over and forgotten while their killer’s name is remembered.
There were a few things that I disliked about this book, the main one being the whole chapter that seemed to be dedicated to slagging off psychiatrists and psychologists. While psychology is not an exact science and different people in the profession can come to different conclusions, I feel that the author spent too many pages trying to prove his point. I also felt that a lot of contempt for the profession was coming through in the writing, which, as somebody who wants to become a psychologist, is not something that I appreciated. I understand that everyone has their opinion on it, but I felt that far too much time was spent trying to get his point across.
There were also a few mistakes that made it hard to make sense of a few things, I understand that it has only just been published and there will be a few mistakes (there was a repeated word in a sentence that wasn’t needed) but when it is an obvious mistake with a date (in the Anthony Hughes chapter it says that he was last seen on 24th September 1991 and then 2 chapters below it says that his family were notified of his death on 5th July 1991) it makes for very confusing reading.
I also found that a lot of the time Christopher Berry-Dee referred to the book written by Brian Masters, I’m unsure if this was only because he hasn’t spoken to Dahmer in person while Masters did but at times I felt like I should have just picked up his book instead. I also found that sometimes the author seemed to boast about which serial killers he had met in real life when he didn’t need to.
Overall, I liked the humour in the book and found the writing style easy to get on with. It wasn’t a pleasant book (what book about a serial killer is?) but it was well written. I would pick up other books by this author in the future. Thank you to The Motherload book club on Facebook for the opportunity to win this book in a giveaway and the publisher Ad Lib for my copy!
Rachel (48 KP) rated The Streets (The Pines Trilogy #3) in Books
May 27, 2017
Stick with it!
Firstly - the formatting of the Kindle edition is pretty terrible. Half of sentences are missing, some are cut in half by paragraphs, words are missing and strange gaps appear where they shouldn't be. Hopefully these issues will be rectified soon.
If you are looking for a cheery, easy bed time read then this is definitely not it! The tone of the book is rather dystopian and gritty. It's certainly not suitable for younger readers!
I wasn't aware that this is the last installment of a trilogy. Although prior knowledge of the other books probably adds more layers to the story and characters it can be read as a stand alone. The first two books do not seem to be available yet on the Kindle.
It took me a few chapters to 'get' the style of writing. It starts off with a huge bang and then slows down considerably. The way the author writes creates a pretty tense, claustrophobic atmosphere that doesn't let up at all throughout.
One character is both the centre of the story and absent for the majority of the time. There are various sub plots that all lead to the same ending. The author deals with these well and it's rarely confusing, especially when you get to know the characters a bit so you automatically know which plot line they are in. Unfortunately the formatting issues I brought up at the beginning of the review can cause confusion. That is not the authors fault, though, so my rating is not affected by those issues.
It is rather disturbing at times and deals with an awful lot of taboo and hard hitting subjects. Some people will probably find it too much but I felt that, although sometimes they are hammered home a little too often, the author deals with them on the right way.
Some of the characters are pretty much impossible to identify with but I feel that is kind of the point! I can't really say that any of the characters are completely sympathetic because they all have a darkness around them - sometimes due to their overt actions and others just because of their complicity in certain situations and events. Again, though, this seemed to be the authors intention.
Can I say that I enjoyed this novel? I'm not sure. It is very bleak, extremely uncomfortable at times and I found myself thinking about certain events that happened whilst doing everyday things. So enjoyment isn't the right word but it is very well written, intense and I am planning to try to get copies of the two earlier books. That in itself shows just how much the story got into my head and is proof of the authors skill
If you are looking for a cheery, easy bed time read then this is definitely not it! The tone of the book is rather dystopian and gritty. It's certainly not suitable for younger readers!
I wasn't aware that this is the last installment of a trilogy. Although prior knowledge of the other books probably adds more layers to the story and characters it can be read as a stand alone. The first two books do not seem to be available yet on the Kindle.
It took me a few chapters to 'get' the style of writing. It starts off with a huge bang and then slows down considerably. The way the author writes creates a pretty tense, claustrophobic atmosphere that doesn't let up at all throughout.
One character is both the centre of the story and absent for the majority of the time. There are various sub plots that all lead to the same ending. The author deals with these well and it's rarely confusing, especially when you get to know the characters a bit so you automatically know which plot line they are in. Unfortunately the formatting issues I brought up at the beginning of the review can cause confusion. That is not the authors fault, though, so my rating is not affected by those issues.
It is rather disturbing at times and deals with an awful lot of taboo and hard hitting subjects. Some people will probably find it too much but I felt that, although sometimes they are hammered home a little too often, the author deals with them on the right way.
Some of the characters are pretty much impossible to identify with but I feel that is kind of the point! I can't really say that any of the characters are completely sympathetic because they all have a darkness around them - sometimes due to their overt actions and others just because of their complicity in certain situations and events. Again, though, this seemed to be the authors intention.
Can I say that I enjoyed this novel? I'm not sure. It is very bleak, extremely uncomfortable at times and I found myself thinking about certain events that happened whilst doing everyday things. So enjoyment isn't the right word but it is very well written, intense and I am planning to try to get copies of the two earlier books. That in itself shows just how much the story got into my head and is proof of the authors skill
Ashley Catron (66 KP) rated Suite Francaise in Books
Mar 7, 2018
Suite Francaise by the talented Irene Nemirovsky is divided into two "books," so to speak. The first part, Storm in June, begins with the French fleeing parts of Paris and surrounding areas to avoid the German occupation. The story focuses on two families and one couple primarily: the Michauds, the Pericands, and Gabriel Corte with his mistress, Florence. Throughout the book the characters' stories are intertwined with one another beautifully in vignette style chapters. The first book covers June 1940 through the end of November in 1940. The main story in Storm encompasses the fear and desperation that so many French people experienced at the beginning of the war-fear they would never return home, fear they would be killed in an air raid, fear they would just not survive. In Dolce, the second part, covers how the French are handling things back at home after the Germans have begun occupying various cities and have begun living with the French in their homes. This part in the story covers Easter Sunday 1941 through the end of July 1941, so a much shorter time frame than Storm. This section focuses on a different set of characters, involving the Angelliers, the Sabaries, and the Montmorts. The main come away from this is, how do you put up with someone who may have killed your loved one in the war?
Overall, this book was incredible. I don't typically go for this type of book (war-themed), but I was intrigued and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Irene Nemirovsky was a French-Russian who was writing these books while all of this was happening around her in France. While the characters in the stories are fictional, the emotions they feel and the thoughts they have are very real and very comparable to what others were feeling during this time. In the beginning, yoiu will find your heart racing as everyone flees their possessions, their livelihoods, their families, just to escape the Germans and the certain death they bring. Your breath will catch at the description of the sirens and the air raids, and you will be angry at these Germans for what they have done. However, in the second part, you will find yourself sympathizing with the Germans, even after the brutalities explained in the first part. You will find yourself thinking about the French and how torn they were seeing how kind and generous the Germans were, how the children loved them so, not understanding what horrors they had committed against others. Irene paints such a beautifully descriptive landscape that you will feel like you are experiencing all these accounts first hand. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in war-era books, and even those who have never read it before.
Overall, this book was incredible. I don't typically go for this type of book (war-themed), but I was intrigued and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Irene Nemirovsky was a French-Russian who was writing these books while all of this was happening around her in France. While the characters in the stories are fictional, the emotions they feel and the thoughts they have are very real and very comparable to what others were feeling during this time. In the beginning, yoiu will find your heart racing as everyone flees their possessions, their livelihoods, their families, just to escape the Germans and the certain death they bring. Your breath will catch at the description of the sirens and the air raids, and you will be angry at these Germans for what they have done. However, in the second part, you will find yourself sympathizing with the Germans, even after the brutalities explained in the first part. You will find yourself thinking about the French and how torn they were seeing how kind and generous the Germans were, how the children loved them so, not understanding what horrors they had committed against others. Irene paints such a beautifully descriptive landscape that you will feel like you are experiencing all these accounts first hand. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in war-era books, and even those who have never read it before.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Quarry's Climax (Quarry #14) in Books
Aug 21, 2018
My full review can be found on this link as well: https://www.diaryofdifference.com/2018/05/15/quarrys-climax-max-allan-collins-book-review/
Quarry’s Climax is the 14th book of the Quarry series, and even though I only had the chance to read this one, the rest of the books are certainly something that I have put on my TBR list!
<img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498930963i/34014841._UY630_SR1200,630_.jpg"/>;
The plot is simple – until, of course, it gets complicated:
Quarry is a Hitman – he kills people for pleasure, I mean, money! He works for this guy ‘’the Broker’’ and his new mission is to protect a chairman of an underrated Porn magazine and strip club – The Climax. When this task might seem easy, suddenly everyone hides something and everyone has secrets. And then our man Quarry – who usually goes on the spot and just kills whoever he needs to, now has to play the role of a detective, find out what the hell is going on in this rat hole, and eliminate any danger.
Now - first things first - I am not usually a person that reads these types of books - Pulp fiction, hardboiled fiction, entangled harsh noir stories, but this book pleasantly surprised me with its light reading experience and admirable description of the characters.
Quarry – now that’s one interesting character! Quarry is what happens when you mix a Cowboy personality, with a bit of witty humour, no respect for ladies and egotistical appearance. I happened to actually kind of like this guy!
Though the part I didn’t like it how he treats women and talks about them as they are a piece of meat with no brain whatsoever. I am not a feminist, but I mean – you couldn’t have tried harder, I guess. He would just go to a scene, let us know how irrelevant and thick this lady is, he would sleep with her, never call her again, and then continue with his life as nothing happened. Wonderful, isn’t it?
This is one of a kind book for me, and even though I wouldn’t put it on my favourites pile, it has a special place in my heart. I greatly enjoyed it, and it made me smirk at times. I will definitely explore this genre in the future, and I am sure that Quarry’s Climax was a great beginning for me on that.
I received this book by winning a Goodreads Giveaway from Max Allan Collins and Hard Case Crime.
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Quarry’s Climax is the 14th book of the Quarry series, and even though I only had the chance to read this one, the rest of the books are certainly something that I have put on my TBR list!
<img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498930963i/34014841._UY630_SR1200,630_.jpg"/>;
The plot is simple – until, of course, it gets complicated:
Quarry is a Hitman – he kills people for pleasure, I mean, money! He works for this guy ‘’the Broker’’ and his new mission is to protect a chairman of an underrated Porn magazine and strip club – The Climax. When this task might seem easy, suddenly everyone hides something and everyone has secrets. And then our man Quarry – who usually goes on the spot and just kills whoever he needs to, now has to play the role of a detective, find out what the hell is going on in this rat hole, and eliminate any danger.
Now - first things first - I am not usually a person that reads these types of books - Pulp fiction, hardboiled fiction, entangled harsh noir stories, but this book pleasantly surprised me with its light reading experience and admirable description of the characters.
Quarry – now that’s one interesting character! Quarry is what happens when you mix a Cowboy personality, with a bit of witty humour, no respect for ladies and egotistical appearance. I happened to actually kind of like this guy!
Though the part I didn’t like it how he treats women and talks about them as they are a piece of meat with no brain whatsoever. I am not a feminist, but I mean – you couldn’t have tried harder, I guess. He would just go to a scene, let us know how irrelevant and thick this lady is, he would sleep with her, never call her again, and then continue with his life as nothing happened. Wonderful, isn’t it?
This is one of a kind book for me, and even though I wouldn’t put it on my favourites pile, it has a special place in my heart. I greatly enjoyed it, and it made me smirk at times. I will definitely explore this genre in the future, and I am sure that Quarry’s Climax was a great beginning for me on that.
I received this book by winning a Goodreads Giveaway from Max Allan Collins and Hard Case Crime.
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="http://innahcrazy.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>; |
Kelly (279 KP) rated The Passage in Books
Dec 4, 2018
In depth, well thought out characters (2 more)
Intelligent plot
A nobody is safe story line!
A ‘could not put it down’ read.
The passage is the first of three books which span centuries, covering before, during and after a vampire apocalypse.
I have to say, I was hooked on this novel from the start. Originally picking it up, without even reading the synopsis or reviews, I was surprised to find out that this is actually a novel about vampires (which I did not expect from the title). The build up to the vampire apocalypse is well thought out, flawless planned and written, demonstrating expert skill by Justin Cronin.
The characters are complex, and demonstrate both strengths and flaws, nobody is perfect in this novel not even Amy or Peter, who are the main characters the story centres around. We grow to love these characters, just as much as we grow to strongly dislike characters such as Babcock and Grey. I believe that the emotional connection that I was able to apply to these characters, is what drew me further into the novel. Equally all characters face hardships during the novel, some worse than others, but I found myself wishing that those characters I deemed to be good, would face better times, and those who I felt were bad individuals would soon face their comeuppance. Good or bad however, Cronins’ concentration on the back grounds of the characters does allow us to emphasise and understand why the primary characters within the novel act the way they did, even if this was in conflict with our own values and morals.
As the story unravels, Cronin does jump between different time periods (pre, during and post apocalypse). Although Cronin does give each period a fair amount of time within the book, I did find it difficult to leave the characters from one period behind, in order to move onto another, partially due to the attachment that I had created with the characters. Although the time jumps were carried out at deliberate timings and are not too frequent, I did find them a little distracting.
The story itself makes sense as a stand alone novel, but makes even more sense when read with the rest of the series. When read with the other two novels, The Passage is merely a scene setting novel, for the books that are to come, and as such, has a lot less of a biblical undertone than the series as an entirety (there are a lot of references to the Old Testament in the books that follow). Despite this, the book is a highly enjoyable read, and is not your usual vampire/ apocalyptic novel.
I have to say, I was hooked on this novel from the start. Originally picking it up, without even reading the synopsis or reviews, I was surprised to find out that this is actually a novel about vampires (which I did not expect from the title). The build up to the vampire apocalypse is well thought out, flawless planned and written, demonstrating expert skill by Justin Cronin.
The characters are complex, and demonstrate both strengths and flaws, nobody is perfect in this novel not even Amy or Peter, who are the main characters the story centres around. We grow to love these characters, just as much as we grow to strongly dislike characters such as Babcock and Grey. I believe that the emotional connection that I was able to apply to these characters, is what drew me further into the novel. Equally all characters face hardships during the novel, some worse than others, but I found myself wishing that those characters I deemed to be good, would face better times, and those who I felt were bad individuals would soon face their comeuppance. Good or bad however, Cronins’ concentration on the back grounds of the characters does allow us to emphasise and understand why the primary characters within the novel act the way they did, even if this was in conflict with our own values and morals.
As the story unravels, Cronin does jump between different time periods (pre, during and post apocalypse). Although Cronin does give each period a fair amount of time within the book, I did find it difficult to leave the characters from one period behind, in order to move onto another, partially due to the attachment that I had created with the characters. Although the time jumps were carried out at deliberate timings and are not too frequent, I did find them a little distracting.
The story itself makes sense as a stand alone novel, but makes even more sense when read with the rest of the series. When read with the other two novels, The Passage is merely a scene setting novel, for the books that are to come, and as such, has a lot less of a biblical undertone than the series as an entirety (there are a lot of references to the Old Testament in the books that follow). Despite this, the book is a highly enjoyable read, and is not your usual vampire/ apocalyptic novel.
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
Podcast
“A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts,”...
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Half Bound (Helheim Wolf Pack Tale #5) in Books
Apr 13, 2021
Thank you, Ms Dawes, for writing these books, I've thoroughly enjoyed delving into this world.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 5 in the Helheim Wolf Pack series, the last book and you do NEED to have read the other books before this one. This one pulls everything together but not everything important is recapped.
I found this one a much darker read than the others. The others are graphic and explicit but I thought this one was so much MORE. The violence Vivian expends to get what she wants is described in great detail, what she does and what she has others do. This is the only reason I gave it. . .oh . . no. . .wait, there is ANOTHER reason. Let me try that again! This is ONE of the reasons I gave it 4 stars. Oh but she does get her comeuppance, she really does!
Saxon is captured and Casey allows herself to be taken, on the condition Saxon is freed. Yeah, right, we did not see that one being double-crossed by Vivian! Vivian breaks Casey, she really does, physically and emotionally. It's painful reading, not just the physical stuff, but when Casey comes to terms with what Vivian does to her, what it means for her future, what it means she can never be. And then. . .not yet. . .I'll say soon.
Across the other side of the story, Brax, who left Rhett a while ago because he was addicted to Indi's bite, has to fetch a new pack member who affects him, and his wolf, deeply. But Andrea is damaged, both inside and out, and she doesn't think anyone will want her now her abusive ex has marked her as he did. Besides, all men are gonna hurt her, so she steers clear. When said ex gets too close, Brax and Drae bond, and when they do? Oh it's so beautiful, their bonding, it really is. Said ex also gets his comeuppance, but not quite how I thought he would!
Back to what Vivian does to break Casey emotionally. This is the other reason I gave it 4 stars. Casey loves Saxon and he loves her. But they never really got to tell each other that. After Casey gets free, I'm not surprised she has the thoughts she does. And then there was that "Besides. . . ." when Vivian was gloating! So now my mind is racing and I want answers! At least I know the questions this time!
A very fitting end, and one that spawns another series about Casey and her brothers. I hope to get my hands on them too.
Thank you, Ms Dawes, for writing these books, I've thoroughly enjoyed delving into this world.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 5 in the Helheim Wolf Pack series, the last book and you do NEED to have read the other books before this one. This one pulls everything together but not everything important is recapped.
I found this one a much darker read than the others. The others are graphic and explicit but I thought this one was so much MORE. The violence Vivian expends to get what she wants is described in great detail, what she does and what she has others do. This is the only reason I gave it. . .oh . . no. . .wait, there is ANOTHER reason. Let me try that again! This is ONE of the reasons I gave it 4 stars. Oh but she does get her comeuppance, she really does!
Saxon is captured and Casey allows herself to be taken, on the condition Saxon is freed. Yeah, right, we did not see that one being double-crossed by Vivian! Vivian breaks Casey, she really does, physically and emotionally. It's painful reading, not just the physical stuff, but when Casey comes to terms with what Vivian does to her, what it means for her future, what it means she can never be. And then. . .not yet. . .I'll say soon.
Across the other side of the story, Brax, who left Rhett a while ago because he was addicted to Indi's bite, has to fetch a new pack member who affects him, and his wolf, deeply. But Andrea is damaged, both inside and out, and she doesn't think anyone will want her now her abusive ex has marked her as he did. Besides, all men are gonna hurt her, so she steers clear. When said ex gets too close, Brax and Drae bond, and when they do? Oh it's so beautiful, their bonding, it really is. Said ex also gets his comeuppance, but not quite how I thought he would!
Back to what Vivian does to break Casey emotionally. This is the other reason I gave it 4 stars. Casey loves Saxon and he loves her. But they never really got to tell each other that. After Casey gets free, I'm not surprised she has the thoughts she does. And then there was that "Besides. . . ." when Vivian was gloating! So now my mind is racing and I want answers! At least I know the questions this time!
A very fitting end, and one that spawns another series about Casey and her brothers. I hope to get my hands on them too.
Thank you, Ms Dawes, for writing these books, I've thoroughly enjoyed delving into this world.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Aaru in Books
Sep 24, 2020
For more reviews please visit https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
I do like to read YA books, so when I was offered this book by the author, I didn’t need time to think about it. This book is FREE, for Kindle Unlimited members, so grab it while you can !!!
The blurb above is quite accurate, Rose is dying, and after scan of her brain, followed by her death, she wakes up in this wonderful place, called Aaru. It is a system, which allows the essence of people to carry on living. After seeing Aaru for herself, Rose’s sister Koren, agrees to represent Elysian Industries as their spokes person. All this ground breaking discovery makes Koren an overnight celebrity and attracts a crazy stalker, who starts messing up Koren’s life and Aaru.
I really liked the characters chosen for this book. I think they were very interesting, complex, believable and really entertaining. The whole book was told from Rose’s, Koren’s and Magic Man’s perspectives, and it helped to understand the characters really well. It was very interesting for me, to read the parts, where Rose was describing Aaru, it was so magical. However, Koren was my favourite in this book. I loved her intelligence, strength, and strong sisterly love and bonding.
I liked the plot of this book, I think that different perspectives keeps the reader interested and turns in the narrative created more intrigue. However I was missing the power in this book. There was plenty of things happening in real and Aaru’s worlds, but I needed more heroism, challenge and suspense. I really enjoyed the topics, which David Meredith was discussing in this book: death and afterlife; how death influence different people; fame and it’s dangers; strange and disturbed people on the Internet.
The writing style of this book was creative and pleasant to read. However, I received a file of the book, where one paragraph was stretched out into one page by large gaps between the sentences, that made my reading experience really difficult. For this reason I can not comment on the length of the chapters as for me it dragged sometimes, and I truly hope it won't happen in the next books. The ending of the book rounded up the first part really nicely and left me intrigued and curious, of what author will bring in part 2. So to conclude, this book is a really interesting and amusing read if you are interested in YA books and computers. It has great variety of diverse, riveting characters and great plot, and I hope you will give this book a go and will enjoy this wonderful system called Aaru.
Was given this book by author for honest review.
I do like to read YA books, so when I was offered this book by the author, I didn’t need time to think about it. This book is FREE, for Kindle Unlimited members, so grab it while you can !!!
The blurb above is quite accurate, Rose is dying, and after scan of her brain, followed by her death, she wakes up in this wonderful place, called Aaru. It is a system, which allows the essence of people to carry on living. After seeing Aaru for herself, Rose’s sister Koren, agrees to represent Elysian Industries as their spokes person. All this ground breaking discovery makes Koren an overnight celebrity and attracts a crazy stalker, who starts messing up Koren’s life and Aaru.
I really liked the characters chosen for this book. I think they were very interesting, complex, believable and really entertaining. The whole book was told from Rose’s, Koren’s and Magic Man’s perspectives, and it helped to understand the characters really well. It was very interesting for me, to read the parts, where Rose was describing Aaru, it was so magical. However, Koren was my favourite in this book. I loved her intelligence, strength, and strong sisterly love and bonding.
I liked the plot of this book, I think that different perspectives keeps the reader interested and turns in the narrative created more intrigue. However I was missing the power in this book. There was plenty of things happening in real and Aaru’s worlds, but I needed more heroism, challenge and suspense. I really enjoyed the topics, which David Meredith was discussing in this book: death and afterlife; how death influence different people; fame and it’s dangers; strange and disturbed people on the Internet.
The writing style of this book was creative and pleasant to read. However, I received a file of the book, where one paragraph was stretched out into one page by large gaps between the sentences, that made my reading experience really difficult. For this reason I can not comment on the length of the chapters as for me it dragged sometimes, and I truly hope it won't happen in the next books. The ending of the book rounded up the first part really nicely and left me intrigued and curious, of what author will bring in part 2. So to conclude, this book is a really interesting and amusing read if you are interested in YA books and computers. It has great variety of diverse, riveting characters and great plot, and I hope you will give this book a go and will enjoy this wonderful system called Aaru.
Was given this book by author for honest review.
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Silas's Sweetheart (Divergent Omegaverse #4) in Books
Aug 2, 2025
I liked that Ziggy was a perfect match for Silas' desires.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 4 in the Divergent Omegaverse series, and I recommend that you read books 1-3 first. Not strictly necessary, but you will get more of this group of men and the world they live in.
Silas didn't want to return home, but his parents called 8 Starling brothers to them and dropped a bombshell: They were retiring and the company was to be run by the brothers. So, he goes to his happy place to forget for a while. Meeting the snake shifter rocked his world, but finding the same shifter in his office as his new PA? Silas isn't sure he can manage to keep his hands to himself. Ziggy offers an alternative, since he is equally smitten with Silas. Then the emotional past comes back to Silas and he hurts Ziggy, badly. Can he get Ziggy to give him a second chance?
I loved Silas and Ziggy, I really did but not so much their story and *insert wailing* I don't know why!
So, here's what I did like.
I liked that both Silas and Ziggy found themselves rocked by the encounter at Hidden Desires. I liked that they both found themselves wanting to repeat that. I liked that Ziggy was a perfect match for Silas' desires.
I did not like what happened to Sials when he was a child. I liked that it bought Booker into the family though. But Silas is still suffering the effects of that attack and it's this that makes him mess up, big time, with Ziggy.
I liked that Ziggy, while hurt and trying to move on, really cannot. I do love that Ziggy was able to let Silas explain his actions and the reasons why he acted the way he did. Once Ziggy gets the full picture, he is willing to let Silas back in, IF he remembers to use his words next time!
I loved that we visited the Darling Ranch and met Cass (Unbar The Barred) for the first time, along with a few other characters who piqued my interest. So much so, I saw pairings that were not there and I'm not sure if I'm disappointed with myself, or excited about those correct pairings!
There is some overlap with books 2 and 3, and some fall out from that visit to the factory. I hope those omegas get their HEA, cos they really need it!
Can't quite figure out what's different to the other books, but that;s Ms Sayle for you! She properly messes with my book brain!
4 very good stars (sorry!)
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 4 in the Divergent Omegaverse series, and I recommend that you read books 1-3 first. Not strictly necessary, but you will get more of this group of men and the world they live in.
Silas didn't want to return home, but his parents called 8 Starling brothers to them and dropped a bombshell: They were retiring and the company was to be run by the brothers. So, he goes to his happy place to forget for a while. Meeting the snake shifter rocked his world, but finding the same shifter in his office as his new PA? Silas isn't sure he can manage to keep his hands to himself. Ziggy offers an alternative, since he is equally smitten with Silas. Then the emotional past comes back to Silas and he hurts Ziggy, badly. Can he get Ziggy to give him a second chance?
I loved Silas and Ziggy, I really did but not so much their story and *insert wailing* I don't know why!
So, here's what I did like.
I liked that both Silas and Ziggy found themselves rocked by the encounter at Hidden Desires. I liked that they both found themselves wanting to repeat that. I liked that Ziggy was a perfect match for Silas' desires.
I did not like what happened to Sials when he was a child. I liked that it bought Booker into the family though. But Silas is still suffering the effects of that attack and it's this that makes him mess up, big time, with Ziggy.
I liked that Ziggy, while hurt and trying to move on, really cannot. I do love that Ziggy was able to let Silas explain his actions and the reasons why he acted the way he did. Once Ziggy gets the full picture, he is willing to let Silas back in, IF he remembers to use his words next time!
I loved that we visited the Darling Ranch and met Cass (Unbar The Barred) for the first time, along with a few other characters who piqued my interest. So much so, I saw pairings that were not there and I'm not sure if I'm disappointed with myself, or excited about those correct pairings!
There is some overlap with books 2 and 3, and some fall out from that visit to the factory. I hope those omegas get their HEA, cos they really need it!
Can't quite figure out what's different to the other books, but that;s Ms Sayle for you! She properly messes with my book brain!
4 very good stars (sorry!)
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
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