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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Uninvited in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I saw that Liz Jensen had written a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved her book The Rapture and was hoping The Uninvited would be just as good. However, I was disappointed with this book.
Hesketh is a man who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is sent by his company to investigate cases of whistle blowers and sabotage within companies. When Hesketh goes to investigate his first case in Taiwan, he gets more than he bargained for. The supposed whistle blower seems to be talking non-sense. The next day, the whistle blower commits suicide. Soon, this is happening all over the world. Not only that, but it children all over the world are attacking adults. What's going on? Will Hesketh be able to find the answer before it's too late?
The title of The Uninvited suits the book. Like most of my reviews, I don't want to go into too much detail as to why the title fits because I don't want to give away any spoilers.
I found this particular cover to be a bit plain for my liking. The cover didn't catch my attention. (It was the synopsis that did). This cover doesn't really give too much away about what the story is going to be about. To me, the cover just looks like some spoilt child hiding in her room trying to spy on what's going on which has nothing to do with the actual story of the book!!
The world building is very believable. I could actually imagine everything written in the book happening as the author was writing about it. I had no qualms about the world building. The author brings this dystopian world to life beautifully and scarily so!
Unfortunately, the pacing was horrible in this book. I had to force myself to read it and finish it which is a shame because I really wanted to love The Uninvited. The story just went on too slowly for my liking. A lot of the time, I was contemplating giving up on this book, but I've read a lot of books that get better towards the end. However, this wasn't the case with this book. It never got any better. It was a slow read throughout.
The dialogue, to me, confused me. It featured a lot of science jargon that I didn't understand. I found myself completely lost through most of this book. The ending, especially, left me the most confused. I didn't understand why or how. I just felt it was never fully explained which left me feeling rather annoyed.
The characters just felt too one dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and I didn't care what happened to them. The character of Hesketh just came across really annoying. Yes, I understand he has Asperger's but so does my son, and he's no where as annoying as Hesketh. (And I'm not just saying that because he's my son). Throughout the book, Hesketh repeats things to himself three times, and he's constantly talking about his origami. I realise that he has his little quirks, but I felt as if Hesketh's origami was being shoved down my throat. If I had to pick a favourite character, it was be Professor Whybray. He just had that lovely old man quality and came across feeling grandfatherly.
All in all, I think the idea of this story is a great one, but it was just poorly executed. The pacing was too slow, the characters were too dull, and the dialogue was just too confusing. Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book as Liz Jenson has written some wonderful books before this one.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, but if you'd like to give it a try, I'd say ages 16+ would be the best ages to try to enjoy it.
I'd give The Uninvited by Liz Jensen a 1.5 out of 5.
(A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review).
When I saw that Liz Jensen had written a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I loved her book The Rapture and was hoping The Uninvited would be just as good. However, I was disappointed with this book.
Hesketh is a man who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is sent by his company to investigate cases of whistle blowers and sabotage within companies. When Hesketh goes to investigate his first case in Taiwan, he gets more than he bargained for. The supposed whistle blower seems to be talking non-sense. The next day, the whistle blower commits suicide. Soon, this is happening all over the world. Not only that, but it children all over the world are attacking adults. What's going on? Will Hesketh be able to find the answer before it's too late?
The title of The Uninvited suits the book. Like most of my reviews, I don't want to go into too much detail as to why the title fits because I don't want to give away any spoilers.
I found this particular cover to be a bit plain for my liking. The cover didn't catch my attention. (It was the synopsis that did). This cover doesn't really give too much away about what the story is going to be about. To me, the cover just looks like some spoilt child hiding in her room trying to spy on what's going on which has nothing to do with the actual story of the book!!
The world building is very believable. I could actually imagine everything written in the book happening as the author was writing about it. I had no qualms about the world building. The author brings this dystopian world to life beautifully and scarily so!
Unfortunately, the pacing was horrible in this book. I had to force myself to read it and finish it which is a shame because I really wanted to love The Uninvited. The story just went on too slowly for my liking. A lot of the time, I was contemplating giving up on this book, but I've read a lot of books that get better towards the end. However, this wasn't the case with this book. It never got any better. It was a slow read throughout.
The dialogue, to me, confused me. It featured a lot of science jargon that I didn't understand. I found myself completely lost through most of this book. The ending, especially, left me the most confused. I didn't understand why or how. I just felt it was never fully explained which left me feeling rather annoyed.
The characters just felt too one dimensional. I couldn't relate to any of them, and I didn't care what happened to them. The character of Hesketh just came across really annoying. Yes, I understand he has Asperger's but so does my son, and he's no where as annoying as Hesketh. (And I'm not just saying that because he's my son). Throughout the book, Hesketh repeats things to himself three times, and he's constantly talking about his origami. I realise that he has his little quirks, but I felt as if Hesketh's origami was being shoved down my throat. If I had to pick a favourite character, it was be Professor Whybray. He just had that lovely old man quality and came across feeling grandfatherly.
All in all, I think the idea of this story is a great one, but it was just poorly executed. The pacing was too slow, the characters were too dull, and the dialogue was just too confusing. Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy this book as Liz Jenson has written some wonderful books before this one.
I really wouldn't recommend this book, but if you'd like to give it a try, I'd say ages 16+ would be the best ages to try to enjoy it.
I'd give The Uninvited by Liz Jensen a 1.5 out of 5.
(A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review).
Awix (3310 KP) rated The World's End (2013) in Movies
May 22, 2018
Predictably smart and funny comedy-SF movie from the makers of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz; five old friends come back together on an ill-conceived pub crawl and find that revisiting past mistakes is less important than dealing with the alien forces apparently at work in their old home town.
The director claims this is SF in the British tradition of John Wyndham; to me it looks much more like an update (not quite a spoof) of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, set somewhere in the Home Counties. Terrific cast, some very good jokes; also some rather impressive action sequences. Not quite in the same vein as Shaun of the Dead, as this movie has some quite dark emotional threads running through it, with themes of regret and guilt and coming to terms with getting older.
I have to say that while I loved this film, I am of the same generation as the main characters and can fully sympathise with their various situations; younger people of my acquaintance couldn't quite see the point of the film. Almost certainly an age thing - whether your response to the track listing of the soundtrack is 'Wow, non-stop classics!' or 'Eww, dad rock' (or even 'Never heard of any of this') will probably be a good indicator as to whether you'll like the actual movie or not.
The director claims this is SF in the British tradition of John Wyndham; to me it looks much more like an update (not quite a spoof) of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, set somewhere in the Home Counties. Terrific cast, some very good jokes; also some rather impressive action sequences. Not quite in the same vein as Shaun of the Dead, as this movie has some quite dark emotional threads running through it, with themes of regret and guilt and coming to terms with getting older.
I have to say that while I loved this film, I am of the same generation as the main characters and can fully sympathise with their various situations; younger people of my acquaintance couldn't quite see the point of the film. Almost certainly an age thing - whether your response to the track listing of the soundtrack is 'Wow, non-stop classics!' or 'Eww, dad rock' (or even 'Never heard of any of this') will probably be a good indicator as to whether you'll like the actual movie or not.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Bingo Love Volume 1: Jackpot Edition in Books
Jul 1, 2019
Bingo Love tells the story of Hazel and Mari, two girls who met at a bingo game in the 60s, fell in love, and were forced apart by their families. I don't tend to review graphic novels on this blog; but for this one, and for Pride Month, I'll make an exception.
I SOBBED at the end of this beautiful little book. Mari and Hazel love each other SO. MUCH. And what they go through is heartbreaking. When they meet in the 60s, loving the same gender is not very accepted, so when they're caught kissing, they're separated and forced to marry men. Hazel's marriage, at least, is an amiable one. The book doesn't get into details on Mari's marriage, only that she divorced him.
The book is also very intersectional! Both black women, one bisexual, both girls at the beginning and grandmothers at the end, with large families. Hazel is gorgeously curvy with naturally kinky hair, Mari willowy and tall.
I think the problem with reviewing graphic novels is that they're so short it's hard to say much without giving away plot! But if you're looking for a very easy read for Pride, this graphic novel is definitely a good place to start. Bring tissues.You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
I SOBBED at the end of this beautiful little book. Mari and Hazel love each other SO. MUCH. And what they go through is heartbreaking. When they meet in the 60s, loving the same gender is not very accepted, so when they're caught kissing, they're separated and forced to marry men. Hazel's marriage, at least, is an amiable one. The book doesn't get into details on Mari's marriage, only that she divorced him.
The book is also very intersectional! Both black women, one bisexual, both girls at the beginning and grandmothers at the end, with large families. Hazel is gorgeously curvy with naturally kinky hair, Mari willowy and tall.
I think the problem with reviewing graphic novels is that they're so short it's hard to say much without giving away plot! But if you're looking for a very easy read for Pride, this graphic novel is definitely a good place to start. Bring tissues.You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Fishbowl Racer
Games
App
Note! ANNOYINGLY HARD, don't proceed if you have a bad temper! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *...
Flying Lotus recommended Tetsuo: The Ironman (1989) in Movies (curated)
Greg Mottola recommended 8 1/2 (1963) in Movies (curated)
Frank Black recommended New Values by Iggy Pop in Music (curated)
Danny Boyle recommended Apocalypse Now (1979) in Movies (curated)
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2611 KP) rated The Ghostway in Books
Oct 30, 2025
A Hunt That Takes Chee to Los Angeles
It all starts with a confrontation in the parking lot of a laundromat. By the time it is over, one of the men is dead, and the other flees further into the reservation injured. While Chee is tasked with helping find the injured man, he isn’t the lead on the case. The FBI is handling it since they say it ties into a case back in Los Angeles. But then a teenager goes missing, and Chee follows a lead to L.A. hoping to find her. Can he figure out what is happening?
This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory, but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for Jim Chee.
This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory, but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for Jim Chee.
Merissa (14100 KP) rated Delirium (Reveler #6) in Books
May 8, 2021 (Updated Apr 12, 2023)
This series just keeps on getting better and better. It is intricate, involved, unique from my perspective and absolutely gripping. The concept behind these books is a fantasy, some might say, but Erin Kellison has made it a reality within her stories. They are all incredibly well-written with a smooth story and no plot holes.
Delirium is mainly about Harlen's new job in the Darkside Division which will mean absolutely nothing to you unless you've read the previous books in this series. You NEED to read these in order for it to make sense and to gain the most enjoyment out of them. There is major intrigue in this as no one is who they appear to be and you can't trust anyone.
This is gripping stuff and it does come complete with a cliffhanger ending so fair warning. If you want a short read that is paranormal but not full of vampires or shifters, then I can highly recommend this to you. Start at book 1 and gain the maximum enjoyment out of this magnificent series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 13, 2015
Delirium is mainly about Harlen's new job in the Darkside Division which will mean absolutely nothing to you unless you've read the previous books in this series. You NEED to read these in order for it to make sense and to gain the most enjoyment out of them. There is major intrigue in this as no one is who they appear to be and you can't trust anyone.
This is gripping stuff and it does come complete with a cliffhanger ending so fair warning. If you want a short read that is paranormal but not full of vampires or shifters, then I can highly recommend this to you. Start at book 1 and gain the maximum enjoyment out of this magnificent series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 13, 2015








