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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Chalk Man in Books

May 16, 2018  
The Chalk Man
The Chalk Man
C.J. Tudor | 2018 | Thriller
8
7.7 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
It’s hard to believe that The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor is a debut; it’s even harder to believe that it’s not considered horror. Though the book focuses primarily on a whodunnit sort of plot, it borrows heavily from my favorite genre. Certain elements of The Chalk Man are downright grisly, which is a welcoming change from many of the mystery books I tend to read. Then again, I love gore and that’s no secret.

The Chalk Man bounces flawlessly between past and present as the story of an unfortunate girl’s murder unravels. Normally, I find back and forth plots confusing. Tudor approaches this not by labeling each shift as a new chapter, but by naming the chapters with the year they take place. This weaving of the plot creates a sense of urgency, with each chapter ending on the cusp of a new discovery. When all the cards are on the table, nothing is as it seems. The popular, snarky definition of the word “assume” definitely plays a heavy-handed role in this book and Tudor pulls it off well.

Creating complex characters appears to be another forte of Tudor’s. By complex, I mean that his cast, much like the plot, has as several layers to it. In some cases, this can make a story difficult to comprehend, but Tudor exercises some caution in giving any of his characters too many traits.

The Chalk Man is a quick, entertaining read which is always a plus. The constant action kept the book from becoming a chore and thus I was able to devour it in a few days. I’d like to thank Penguin’s First to Read program for providing me with a free copy of this book. This review reflects my own opinion.
  
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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Angels Watching Over Me (Shenandoah Sisters, #1) in Books

Jan 2, 2019  
AW
Angels Watching Over Me (Shenandoah Sisters, #1)
Michael R. Phillips | 2003
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Set during the Civil War, Angels Watching Over Me, is a story about two young women overcoming their differences and working together to survive.

Mayme is a slave girl and Katie is the daughter of a plantation owner. When they are faced with tragedy, they must rely on each other to make it through each day.

I was very excited to read this book, unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. The story line is good. However, there are a lot of inconsistencies and it jumps around more than I would like. The story is narrated by a much older Mayme. She goes back and forth between her story and Katie's. In the beginning of chapter 11 she even says "I know how it is when you’re trying to keep track of what’s going on, and the storyteller jumps about till you get so confused you can’t tell what happened when." I feel that the book could have started at chapter 11 and it would have worked just fine. There is also quite a bit of dialogue and thoughts being repeated.

*Spoilers*

I did not particularly enjoy the portrayal of Katie's character. We are led to believe that she is not very intelligent. On more than one occasion she is put down for not being able to think for herself. But then she magically delivers a baby for a colored girl without any thought or question. And we are given no explanation.

 

Again, I will say that the main idea of the book is good and I did enjoy the storyline overall. But this is not the style of book that I prefer. I will not be reading the rest of the series.