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They Stay (They Stay #1)
They Stay (They Stay #1)
Claire Fraise | 2021 | Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, that was a bit of a rollercoaster!!

An emotional read that has plenty of turns that lead you on a fantastic journey. Fear and anxiety are a constant throughout, not only for the characters but it was for me too. The thought of going through what these children/teenagers go through is mind blowing for me, the strength they show is brilliant.

I'm so glad it's part of a series as there's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end!
I would definitely recommend this awesome book, not for children though, as there are a few graphic descriptions that could upset them.
  
The Wastelands - Dark Tower III
The Wastelands - Dark Tower III
Stephen King | 1991 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
8
8.6 (28 Ratings)
Book Rating
Writing, characters, plot (0 more)
Cliffhanger (0 more)
A good entry in the series
Contains spoilers, click to show
I’ll start with an admission - I love these books so much I have a dark tower tattoo. The Wastelands was the first book in the series I read. I found the book in the library at school and took it home with me. Anyway I’m just rereading the series and thought I’d post some thoughts.

So, the book itself. Roland, Susannah & Eddie have started their quest towards the tower in MidWorld but Roland, their dinh (leader) is slowly going insane due to the paradox he created by saving Jake in New York (see book 2 The Drawing of the Three).

Safe to say during the book perils are faced, sanity is restored, Jake joins the quest and there’s a deadly train.

Ok so what I like - the plot moves along nice and swiftly. I never got bored reading this. Stephen King has occasions where I loathe his style (Gerald’s Game as an example) but this moves along quickly and flows really well. I like the characters, they’re all fully formed people and not just plot devices. They take actions because of who they are not just because the plot needs them to. The world King has created is absorbing, interesting and I always wanted to know more.

The bad - that cliffhanger. Blaine is a pain. I read this a few years before Wizard and Glass came out and I was raging about the cliffhanger. There’s zero resolution. It’s not so bad now you can move straight on but at the time I was really annoyed. Also, I’m not a big fan of the illustrations just because they don’t match the pictures in my head. Have to admit I’m never a fan of illustrations though, I think imagination is much more powerful.

Anyway, I do recommend it. I love these books. It’s maybe not the best jumping on point (though it got me when I first found it) but it is an excellent book.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2099 KP) rated Mission Manhattan in Books

Feb 20, 2024 (Updated Feb 20, 2024)  
Mission Manhattan
Mission Manhattan
James Ponti | 2024 | Children
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another Fast Pasted Adventure
As this book opens, the team is in Venice. MI6 has intercepted a threat against a climate change rally that is featuring Beatriz Santos, a teen who has gained quite a following with her outspokenness on the topic. Since she is from Brazil, Rio has been tasked with getting close to her. It’s a good thing they are there, since things don’t go according to plan.

But Venice was just the beginning. As the team looks into what happened there, they realize that the danger isn’t over yet. Can they figure out what is happening in time to stop it?

I was anxious to dive into this book after the cliffhanger from the last book, and it did not disappoint. It did take a while to get back to cliffhanger, and the answers only lead to more questions. While I could have done without the climate change theme, I was happy to see those mini-lectures never lasted too long. Instead, we get plenty of surprises and fun as the City Spies try to figure out exactly what is going on so they can stop it. Meanwhile, I still love these characters and their relationship. Fans of all ages will love their latest adventure and be left wanting to find out what happens next.
  
Beyond a Darkened Shore
Beyond a Darkened Shore
Jessica Leake | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
8.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book....this book is just fantastically written. I had no idea what it was about or hadn't heard anything about it before I picked it up because of the cover. Am I so glad that I did.
Enemies to lovers, mythology, and bloody battles are just some of the amazing things you will find in these pages. The best part? It doesn't leave you with a gigantic cliffhanger. Basically if you enjoy anything I listed above. ^^^ you will love this book. The writing and flow mash with a plot that is so wonderfully written you won't feel bored.
One of the best 2018 books I have read. Highly recommend!
  
The Gods of Mars (Barsoom #2)
The Gods of Mars (Barsoom #2)
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
After 11 years stuck on Earth, John Carter is thrilled to find himself back on Mars. But he will have to fight hostile aliens and superstition to get back to his beloved wife.

I enjoyed this for what it was - an action novel. The characters are rather thin, although I certainly found myself caring for the main characters. And John's amazing ability to fight off waves of enemies gets a little tiring. But it's still a fun book. Watch out for the cliffhanger.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-review-gods-of-mars-by-edgar-rice.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Venom (2018)
Venom (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Tom Hardy being Venom. Storyline. Setting. Inside jokes (0 more)
Rushing the main villain and killing him off quickly. Rating (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Honestly for me I enjoyed this movie. It was entertaining. Tom Hardy did well with both characters. Setting up the story was fairly explained. The rating for PG-13 hit the movie’s to its peak needed to changed to rated R should of be made. No problem with that rating. The villain was rushed. They witch-hunt the useless symbiote and made great for the 45 minutes and they killed with its caretaker so it can stay alive. The end cliffhanger of to Carnage was perfectly setup fine.
  
Reading fiction is a one way to escape today's harsh reality. However, sometimes you can also do that with a non-fiction book as well. From my experience, this is particularly true of travel books, which take us to locations both known and unknown, and see them through the eyes of another. In this travel diary by Roz Morris, we get all of that, and so much more, including large doses of humor. You can read more about what I thought of this book in my review here (which includes a cliffhanger for a future blog post as well). https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/09/16/the-guestbook-spy/
  
Deadly Target (Rocky Mountain Courage #2)
Deadly Target (Rocky Mountain Courage #2)
Elizabeth Goddard | 2021 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gripping

Oh wow!! What I thought was a slow start sure took me by surprise.......and the surprises kept on coming.

Deadly Target is a deep, intriguing read that immerses you in a well written, in-depth and gripping read (with romance and suspense thrown in to add more juicy layers) You won't want to put it down and I couldn't blame you.
    The cogs started turning early on and had me guessing throughout, I wasn't disappointed! I'm also so glad that we weren't left with a crazy cliffhanger.

I adore Erin and Nathan, they connect and work really well together, well, after a little awkwardness, but that's standard with people.
  
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J.K. Rowling | 2016 | Children
8
9.0 (247 Ratings)
Book Rating
Character development (2 more)
Great cliffhanger
Emotional investment
Emotional investment (1 more)
Can be slow paced for younger readers
Much better than I remember it being
I remember that this was the most difficult Harry Potter book for me to get through the first time. I thought it was long and poorly paced. However, I was much younger and lengthwise it was a jump from the first three.

Having read it a few more times since then, I have come to better appreciate Goblet of Fire. It's still not my favorite of the series, but the story is well written, and an older me prefers that Rowling took her time developing the plot for this one.
  
This Fallen Prey (Casey Duncan, #3)
This Fallen Prey (Casey Duncan, #3)
Kelley Armstrong | 2018 | Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
10
9.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kelley Armstrong is a cruel, evil woman.

This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.

What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.

It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!