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Deep Scar Vol. 01
Deep Scar Vol. 01
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's been several years since I last read a manga book but the cover art style reminded me of the handful of series' that I really enjoyed, so I thought I'd give this a go.

It starts with Sofia moving into a new apartment as she heads off to University and meeting her room-mate, Veronica, for the first time. They are complete opposites. Then we have Lorenzo, Veronica's close friend who's always in and out of their room.

He is a little tormented by something in this volume and continuously pushes Sofia away while always doing nice things for her. I have a feeling they knew each other in the past considering that little bit of a cliff-hanger ending. You can clearly see that something is going to happen between them in future volumes but I don't think it will be without issues.

I loved the little images used as chapter breaks, and the chapter starts with the individual characters on them were pretty cool, too. As was the bonus content with the profiles of the characters at the end.

Some parts of the storyline seemed a little OTT, like her parents reaction to what her room-mate looked like, but I'm assuming their reaction will be explained in future issues.

I will keep my eye out for future volumes of this.
  
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).

Those who know me know that YA horror is my favourite genre. I was lucky enough to be asked by Jolly Fish Press to review a book that fit that genre. The book was Pitch Green (Dimensions in Death #1) by The Brothers Washburn. I definitely wasn't disappointed with this book.

Camm and Cal have been best friends forever. They've pretty much gone through everything together including the disappearance of Camm's little brother seven years ago. As Camm and Cal dig deeper to solve Cal's little brother's disappearance, they discover that more children have gone missing in their little hometown starting back in 1941. They also discover that some sinister force is behind the disappearance. Will Camm and Cal lose their life in the process of uncovering this mystery or will they lose their sanity?

Okay, I don't really get the title of this book. I understand the whole "green" part of the title which I won't explain due to small spoilers, but I don't understand the "pitch" bit. It's definitely an unusual title, that's for sure. However, I don't like or dislike the title. It just leaves me perplexed.

I'm definitely a fan of this spooky looking cover! I love the spooky green font and the creepy looking grandfather clock with the hanging man pendulum which features quite frequently in the book. I do believe that the cover of this book gives its readers a glimpse into what to expect.

I enjoyed the world building. I could definitely picture the creepy mansion in my mind, and because I live by lots of plants (not the green kind), I could totally relate to the Trona plant mentioned throughout the book.

I enjoyed the pacing of this book although I must admit that there was a chapter or two when I thought that the pacing was going to be slow. However, it quickly picked up, and I was hooked. I finished Pitch Green sooner then I had anticipated...that's how great the pacing was!

The only problem I had with this book was the fact that Camm and Cal seemed a bit younger than 18. They came across, to me, as being about 12 or 13 years old due to their actions, dialogue, and thoughts. Other than that, they were quite enjoyable characters. I loved how much of a wise cracker Camm was.

As I said before, the dialogue didn't match that of two 18 year olds. Don't get me wrong, the dialogue did make me laugh quite a bit, but it was off. The dialogue wasn't that bothersome after I got farther into the book and just imagined Camm and Cal to be two 14 year olds talking to each other. As for language, there is only one swear word.

I will definitely be buying the next book in the series. The ending of this book definitely left me wanting more despite the characters acting younger than their age.

I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone aged 13+ especially those who are fans of the horror genre.

(I was given a copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review).
  
The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1)
The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1)
Roshani Chokshi | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
2
6.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
What I liked best was how all the characters teemed up together with Hypnos to achieve their goals (0 more)
What I liked least was that it felt like more detail in the back story was needed. (0 more)
Review Just Becasue
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Choksi was not as good as I was hoping for at all. Early into the book I found myself being reminded strongly of The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and that gives any book a lot to live up too. There were also multiple inconsistencies such as a pendent being smashed in one chapter only to be perfectly fine a few chapters later amd used again. It ended with a cliffhanger that makes me wonder if its the author's intention is to create a sequel, which may redeem the book a little bit. Even after finishing the book the concept of Forging was still a bit confusing, and with it being such a major part of the book that is not good news.

Séverin was striped of his title as heir to a House in the Order of Babel for an unknown reason after his parents died in a fire. Séverin was approached by Hypnos after stealing an artifact from him. Hypnos blackmails Séverin to agree to steal a diffrent item from House Kore. In order to do this Séverin enlists the help of his friends Zofia, Laila, and Enrique. His adopted brother Tristan also helps out but openly shows his distrust of Hypnos.

After successfully retrieving the item in question from House Kore the friends are shocked to discover that they are not quite done. The Fallen House has risen and is trying to awaken a Babel Fragment. Thd Fallen Housr needs a few things that the firends have in order to achieve their goal, but the friends can not allow the Fallen House to succeed. Now the friends must try to stop this awakening
or civilization as they know it might be changed forever.

What I liked best was how all the characters teemed up together with Hypnos to achieve their goals. At times the Da Vinci Code feeling of the book while the friends solve puzzles was enjoyable. What I liked least was that it felt like more detail in the back story was needed. Forging for example, why can only some people do it? The idea that Babel Fragments somehow allow people to use God's power to manipulate objects was not explained very well. Plus there is the fact that I could not decide on the age range of the main characters. Sometimes they appear to be adults and at othertimes they were more like children, barely even teens.

For the target readers of this book anyone could read it. Middle school students with a high reading level would be able to handle this book with very few problems. The book is even about average size so I don't think that would even be an issue for someone who likes reading. I give this
book a 2 out of 4 with the hope that a second book will be released. If there is no second book in the works than this book only deserves a 1. I would not call it a complete waste of time, but it was close.
Upon finishing the book there were too many concepts important to the background of the story that did not get enough attention. I do not enjoy it or recommend books that still have me questioning aspects that build the foundation of the story by the time it ends.

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The Book of Cold Cases
The Book of Cold Cases
Simone St. James | 2022 | Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I love a thriller that involves a chilling ghost story, so when I heard about The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James, I knew I had to read it. (Plus, I loved her other book The Broken Girls.) I was heavily immersed in this novel from the beginning!

I was sucked into the plot of The Book of Cold Cases right away. St. James gets right down to the nitty-gritty in the very first chapter. This book instantly grabs you and doesn't let go until the very last page. I was instantly transported to this small town in Oregon where I was right with the characters. As with her previous books, Simone St. James tells the story from more than one characters' point of view. We are told the story from Beth's, Shea's, and Lily's viewpoint. There was plenty of action and mystery to keep me intrigued throughout my reading journey. My favorite scenes in the book were the ones that involved the supernatural. I loved reading about how Greer mansion was haunted and about what supernatural activities were happening there. I also enjoyed the semi-big plot twist towards the middle of the book. However, I kept expecting an even bigger plot twist towards the end that never came which left me feeling a bit disappointed. However, this didn't really take away from the overall story that much. Something I could have done without was the romance in the book. It wasn't a major thing, but I just felt like there wasn't really a need for it. Other than that, I truly enjoyed this novel. Everything fit together really well (minus the romance), and the story was all tied together by the very end.

I felt that all the characters in The Book of Cold Cases were fleshed out enough to feel realistic whilst reading. I really liked Shea's interest in true crime since I can relate to that. I admired Shea's thirst for knowledge and how far she'd go to find out the truth of things she wanted to know. (I guess we both need closure!) I did feel like she got over her phobia a little too conveniently and quickly though. Beth was a wildcard for me throughout the book. I couldn't tell if she was guilty like many people believed or if she actually was a guilty party. I did like Beth though, and I loved her attitude she had when accused of murder. Lily was fabulously written, and I enjoyed reading about her too. I won't go into much more detail about her due to spoilers, but her part in The Book of Cold Cases was written well. The only character that kind of bothered me was Michael. I just felt like he was thrown in there as an easy way out. We're introduced to him from the beginning, and I kept waiting for some plot twist to happen involving him, but I was sadly disappointed. I just felt as if the book could have done without him.

Trigger warnings for The Book of Cold Cases include violence, murder, profanity, sexual abuse of a minor (not graphic), and kidnapping.

Overall, The Book of Cold Cases is a thrilling read with a fantastically chilling plot. With a spooky ghost story and an intriguing mystery, St. James has a real winner on her hands. I would definitely recommend The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James to those aged 17+ who love being scared and intrigued at the same time. You won't be disappointed.