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BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated The Girl Before in Books
Mar 17, 2019
What a page-turner! I was gripped from start to finish – if I could have read it in one sitting I would have!
The story alternates between being told by 2 different central female characters, Emma in the past, and Jane currently. Following a burglary, Emma and her boyfriend find an amazing new house, which adapts to how you live – you need a special microchip to be allowed entrance, and the lighting and shower settings adapt to your personal tendencies and preferences. But there’s a catch – to rent it, you have to obey a strict set of rules laid down by the obsessive and intriguing architect.
Switch scene to Jane – following a tragic still birth, Jane finds relief in finding an amazing new house where she can start over again. Things turn tense though when Jane finds out that previous tenant, Emma, looks exactly like Jane and was found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Things become more worrying still when Jane discovers her current beau, the elusive architect of the house, has only been taking on tenants who look like his dead wife.
When I read the synopsis, I thought that what happens with Jane would be identical to what happened with Emma, but each character does in fact have other things going on, and there was more to story than a fantastic house and a bizarre way to live. I won’t give away any more of the story – I wouldn't want to spoil it.
The majority of chapters where only about 2 minutes long, so it was easy to tell myself I had time for just one more chapter! It was like reading a James Patterson novel, but with oodles more intrigue! I enjoyed this author’s debut novel so much, I've already downloaded Delaney’s other book, and have pre-ordered the third! Thoroughly recommended!
The story alternates between being told by 2 different central female characters, Emma in the past, and Jane currently. Following a burglary, Emma and her boyfriend find an amazing new house, which adapts to how you live – you need a special microchip to be allowed entrance, and the lighting and shower settings adapt to your personal tendencies and preferences. But there’s a catch – to rent it, you have to obey a strict set of rules laid down by the obsessive and intriguing architect.
Switch scene to Jane – following a tragic still birth, Jane finds relief in finding an amazing new house where she can start over again. Things turn tense though when Jane finds out that previous tenant, Emma, looks exactly like Jane and was found dead at the bottom of the stairs. Things become more worrying still when Jane discovers her current beau, the elusive architect of the house, has only been taking on tenants who look like his dead wife.
When I read the synopsis, I thought that what happens with Jane would be identical to what happened with Emma, but each character does in fact have other things going on, and there was more to story than a fantastic house and a bizarre way to live. I won’t give away any more of the story – I wouldn't want to spoil it.
The majority of chapters where only about 2 minutes long, so it was easy to tell myself I had time for just one more chapter! It was like reading a James Patterson novel, but with oodles more intrigue! I enjoyed this author’s debut novel so much, I've already downloaded Delaney’s other book, and have pre-ordered the third! Thoroughly recommended!
David McK (3562 KP) rated Mockingjay in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The third and final book in Suzanne Collin's <i>The Hunger Games</i> trilogy, in which the (I found) the whole proved to be greater than the sum of its parts.
Like the previous two entries, this is again told in the first-person immediate sense, and is again a 'true' sequel - don't even bother trying to read this without the first two!
Picking up from the end of <i>Catching Fire</i>, Katniss (and some other victors) has been rescued from the 75th annual Hunger Games by the previously-thought-to-be-a-myth survivors of District 13. Not all have made it out, however, Peeta (and two other victors) have been captured by the Capitol, who are now in the process of torturing them for information as the other Districts (1 through 12) rise up against teh Capitol.
This, then, is pretty much a war story, and doesn't shy away from the realities of such (albeit also somewhat sanitized), with characters dropping left, right and centre in unexpected moments, and with Katniss suffering further mental scarring as a result.
But if the Capitol falls, what will rise to replace it?
As a series over-all, I'll admit I wasn't too sure about it at first, and that it took a while for me to get used to the format in which it was told. The every-chapter-must-end-on-a-cliffhanger approach might have been a bit too much for my tastes, but in the end you just had to go with it (think of it like those old TV episodes that did the same!). Individually, the stories were enjoyable enough but nothing special, but put together as one whole arc (and read back to back) I have to say, it proved to be better than I was expecting.
Like the previous two entries, this is again told in the first-person immediate sense, and is again a 'true' sequel - don't even bother trying to read this without the first two!
Picking up from the end of <i>Catching Fire</i>, Katniss (and some other victors) has been rescued from the 75th annual Hunger Games by the previously-thought-to-be-a-myth survivors of District 13. Not all have made it out, however, Peeta (and two other victors) have been captured by the Capitol, who are now in the process of torturing them for information as the other Districts (1 through 12) rise up against teh Capitol.
This, then, is pretty much a war story, and doesn't shy away from the realities of such (albeit also somewhat sanitized), with characters dropping left, right and centre in unexpected moments, and with Katniss suffering further mental scarring as a result.
But if the Capitol falls, what will rise to replace it?
As a series over-all, I'll admit I wasn't too sure about it at first, and that it took a while for me to get used to the format in which it was told. The every-chapter-must-end-on-a-cliffhanger approach might have been a bit too much for my tastes, but in the end you just had to go with it (think of it like those old TV episodes that did the same!). Individually, the stories were enjoyable enough but nothing special, but put together as one whole arc (and read back to back) I have to say, it proved to be better than I was expecting.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Staked (The Iron Druid Chronicles, #8) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
8th - yes, 8th! - entry in [autho: Kevin Hearne]'s 'Iron Druid' series, this actually picks up a short while after the novella 'A Prelude to War' (in the compilation [b: Three Slices|28506035|Swallow (Three Slices)|Chuck Wendig|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|48659925], rather than straight after [b: Shattered|32438|Shattered|K.R. Dwyer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412818666s/32438.jpg|3047286].
And yes, I didn't know that until I read the prelude/authors note, which resulted in me putting this one on hold until I read that particular entry.
When the series started, Atticus was on his own, hiding out in Arizona, until he makes the fateful decision to stand up to rather than run from the Celtic God who believes that Atticus has stolen a magical sword from him.
Since then, events have snowballed out of control, with Atticus now joined by his apprentice Granuaille as well as his own Arch-Druid, who was frozen on a time-island for millenia. This, of necessity, means that the story is no longer told from one point of view: rather, we now have three seperate plot threads (usually told chapter about) that combine into one at the very end of this, when Atticus and co. finally coming face-to-fang with the vampire Theophilus, who was responsible for inciting the Romans to virtually wipe out the Druids in the first place, and who now wants to finish the job.
As always, comiv relief is provided in the form of Atticus faithful hound Oberon, with Granuaille's wolf-hound Orlaith providing the same in her sections of the story while Owen struggles to get to grips with modern living in his.
And yes, I didn't know that until I read the prelude/authors note, which resulted in me putting this one on hold until I read that particular entry.
When the series started, Atticus was on his own, hiding out in Arizona, until he makes the fateful decision to stand up to rather than run from the Celtic God who believes that Atticus has stolen a magical sword from him.
Since then, events have snowballed out of control, with Atticus now joined by his apprentice Granuaille as well as his own Arch-Druid, who was frozen on a time-island for millenia. This, of necessity, means that the story is no longer told from one point of view: rather, we now have three seperate plot threads (usually told chapter about) that combine into one at the very end of this, when Atticus and co. finally coming face-to-fang with the vampire Theophilus, who was responsible for inciting the Romans to virtually wipe out the Druids in the first place, and who now wants to finish the job.
As always, comiv relief is provided in the form of Atticus faithful hound Oberon, with Granuaille's wolf-hound Orlaith providing the same in her sections of the story while Owen struggles to get to grips with modern living in his.
Rob P (30 KP) rated Best Served Cold in Books
Jan 22, 2019
Morally taxing (2 more)
Satisfying story line
Exploration of side characters from the Abercrombie "First Law" universe
Brutal in places (although I'm fine with that) (1 more)
Not for the fainthearted
Best Served Cold
If you couldn't tell from the title, this is all about the revenge motif. If you've read Abercrombie, the savagery of the opening chapter (and plenty of others) should not bother you by this point, but having said that there were moments in this even I winced at.
This standalone novel takes place in Abercrombie's universe established in the "First Law" trilogy, and much like other offerings (The Heroes, Red Country) it's charms for me lie in the characters that play only a fleeting part in the previous books. Seeing where they are from and how they operate is so satisfying to me as a reader.
The very next facet of this read that made it so excellent for me, is theme of moral bankruptcy. At the start, Murcatto is a leader, betrayed and left so horribly injured that it sets a moral precedent. She sets out to kill the seven men who carried this out (one of which is a despot who looks to name himself King of Styria), and as they fall, one by one, more and more of the moral right she has is chipped away and spent, having to turn her hand to more and more depraved acts, associate with lower and lower people, and be part of more and more hideous scenarios in order to exact her justice.
If you've had the pleasure of reading the First Law trilogy, this is the book to start with next, it then leads brilliantly into the Heroes, and most recently Red Country.
Overall, a savage, visceral, compelling read.
- Rob
This standalone novel takes place in Abercrombie's universe established in the "First Law" trilogy, and much like other offerings (The Heroes, Red Country) it's charms for me lie in the characters that play only a fleeting part in the previous books. Seeing where they are from and how they operate is so satisfying to me as a reader.
The very next facet of this read that made it so excellent for me, is theme of moral bankruptcy. At the start, Murcatto is a leader, betrayed and left so horribly injured that it sets a moral precedent. She sets out to kill the seven men who carried this out (one of which is a despot who looks to name himself King of Styria), and as they fall, one by one, more and more of the moral right she has is chipped away and spent, having to turn her hand to more and more depraved acts, associate with lower and lower people, and be part of more and more hideous scenarios in order to exact her justice.
If you've had the pleasure of reading the First Law trilogy, this is the book to start with next, it then leads brilliantly into the Heroes, and most recently Red Country.
Overall, a savage, visceral, compelling read.
- Rob
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Darker (Fifty Shades as Told by Christian, #2) in Books
Jan 12, 2020
I far more enjoyed this novel than it's counterpart. Along the lines of my original review of its predecessor, I think that Christian is a far more interesting character than Ana. Ana's major character traits are that she's a virgin and kind of has mommy issues. I find his point of view, his thoughts, and his dreams, or nightmares rather, much more compelling than anything Ana really has to say. I think that he is a much stronger character and much more realistic than she is.
I originally rated this novel a 5/5 because I do truly love the story, I like the mystery, the thrill, the sex, I think it's great. I revised it, though, because as soon as I get into a good rhythm, reading 20 pages and feeling like it's been 5 minutes, I get pulled out of the story by something so small and seemingly irrelevant like a phrase or wording or the way they do something. It pulls me out of the story and forces me to remember that the writing isn't all that good. I've said previously about the dialogue and that always gets me - again, they sound English and they're not!!!! I'm not sure if E.L. James had an English editor either, but it seems like she could've because I think an American one would've caught those things.
Overall, I think that this is the best book of the 4 thus far - Fifty Shades of Grey, Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Darker. While I have enjoyed them all, somewhat of a guilty pleasure, I'm eager to read the final chapter of the trilogy and rage about how there isn't a Christian perspective. Stay tuned.
I originally rated this novel a 5/5 because I do truly love the story, I like the mystery, the thrill, the sex, I think it's great. I revised it, though, because as soon as I get into a good rhythm, reading 20 pages and feeling like it's been 5 minutes, I get pulled out of the story by something so small and seemingly irrelevant like a phrase or wording or the way they do something. It pulls me out of the story and forces me to remember that the writing isn't all that good. I've said previously about the dialogue and that always gets me - again, they sound English and they're not!!!! I'm not sure if E.L. James had an English editor either, but it seems like she could've because I think an American one would've caught those things.
Overall, I think that this is the best book of the 4 thus far - Fifty Shades of Grey, Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Darker. While I have enjoyed them all, somewhat of a guilty pleasure, I'm eager to read the final chapter of the trilogy and rage about how there isn't a Christian perspective. Stay tuned.
MC
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