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Where I found the book: I found this book at my local library. I wasn’t really looking for anything in particular but this book jumped out at me. I read the synopsis on the back cover and it made me smile.
How it’s written: It’s written in first person from the point of view of Ellie. She’s in her last semester of studies at her university in London (to be honest, I still don’t understand the college/university thing in England) and is totally freaking out about being the only virgin she knows. Sanghani accurately depicts the nervousness and oddities women go through when it comes to sex. It’s a pretty quick and easy read with a couple of laugh out loud moments.
Why I like the book: I was one of those late bloomers that didn’t have sex right away in high school and waited later in college. At first, it was more a religious thing, then a personal choice, then my hormones got the best of me and I was very desperate. Then I got over all of that and met the right guy and we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.
This book shares a few of the weird questions that arise when women start to think about sex. What should I do with my pubes? Should I let him go down on me? Should I go down on him? How do I hide my teeth? It’s all strange and new and no one wants to talk about it!
Final Thoughts: Ellie kept a lot to herself, often making the poor choices or finding herself in weird situations by not sharing what she thought or felt. It was interesting to see how things played out and how her mounting attraction to the opposite sex eventually leads to a rewarding revelation.
If you or someone you are close to finds themselves in roughly the same situation as Ellie, I suggest honesty. I was upfront and honest about my virginity with my boyfriend. After all, if you can’t be honest with someone that will be inside of you, who can you be honest with?
If you would like to see more of my reviews, check out ificouldgo.com
How it’s written: It’s written in first person from the point of view of Ellie. She’s in her last semester of studies at her university in London (to be honest, I still don’t understand the college/university thing in England) and is totally freaking out about being the only virgin she knows. Sanghani accurately depicts the nervousness and oddities women go through when it comes to sex. It’s a pretty quick and easy read with a couple of laugh out loud moments.
Why I like the book: I was one of those late bloomers that didn’t have sex right away in high school and waited later in college. At first, it was more a religious thing, then a personal choice, then my hormones got the best of me and I was very desperate. Then I got over all of that and met the right guy and we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.
This book shares a few of the weird questions that arise when women start to think about sex. What should I do with my pubes? Should I let him go down on me? Should I go down on him? How do I hide my teeth? It’s all strange and new and no one wants to talk about it!
Final Thoughts: Ellie kept a lot to herself, often making the poor choices or finding herself in weird situations by not sharing what she thought or felt. It was interesting to see how things played out and how her mounting attraction to the opposite sex eventually leads to a rewarding revelation.
If you or someone you are close to finds themselves in roughly the same situation as Ellie, I suggest honesty. I was upfront and honest about my virginity with my boyfriend. After all, if you can’t be honest with someone that will be inside of you, who can you be honest with?
If you would like to see more of my reviews, check out ificouldgo.com
Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Cherish Me (Banger Triolgy #3) in Books
Jan 10, 2018
get the tissues ready, you'll need them!
I AGAIN stress my point: You NEED all three before you start!! Seriously, DO NOT attempt these books til you have all three (book one is currently free Jan 6th 2018)
Book three picks up right where book two leaves off, with that devastating revelation that leaves both Kathrine and Greyson heartbroken. And me, to tell you the truth!
That bawling your eyes I mentioned before?? Here, in flipping buckets! Make sure you have tissues!
It is emotionally draining, reading about what really happened to Greyson dad, and to Katherine's mum. What happened to push his dad to do what he did. What pushed HER dad to do what he did. It's vague, I know, but I work hard NOT to include spoilers! It's just one big mess!
And there, front and centre are two broken hearts. Two people who cannot deal with all this at the moment, but they HAVE to. Two halves of one whole that NEED to be back together, but still there are walls. Walls around her heart, his heart too, that need to be broken down for them to be really happy!
And while it IS heartbreaking reading, it is also amazing watching them both, deal with what's happened. Having their breakdown, and pulling themselves out of that funk and fighting for what they want. Greyson, especially pulls no punches in going after the one thing, the one PERSON who totally makes him whole.
And of course, there are a couple of dramas along the way, that were sprung outta nowhere, and throw everything about, but its great watching Katherine overcome those.
And they do, finally, in a most awesome way, get their happy ever after.
I read this one in one sitting, 90 minutes again!
I'm annoyed with myself, you know?? Because I WAS going to buy these books when they were originally published in 7 parts, and I never got round to it, and I could have had all this awesomeness on my kindle way before now.
So, I can only give this third book the same as the rest,
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Book three picks up right where book two leaves off, with that devastating revelation that leaves both Kathrine and Greyson heartbroken. And me, to tell you the truth!
That bawling your eyes I mentioned before?? Here, in flipping buckets! Make sure you have tissues!
It is emotionally draining, reading about what really happened to Greyson dad, and to Katherine's mum. What happened to push his dad to do what he did. What pushed HER dad to do what he did. It's vague, I know, but I work hard NOT to include spoilers! It's just one big mess!
And there, front and centre are two broken hearts. Two people who cannot deal with all this at the moment, but they HAVE to. Two halves of one whole that NEED to be back together, but still there are walls. Walls around her heart, his heart too, that need to be broken down for them to be really happy!
And while it IS heartbreaking reading, it is also amazing watching them both, deal with what's happened. Having their breakdown, and pulling themselves out of that funk and fighting for what they want. Greyson, especially pulls no punches in going after the one thing, the one PERSON who totally makes him whole.
And of course, there are a couple of dramas along the way, that were sprung outta nowhere, and throw everything about, but its great watching Katherine overcome those.
And they do, finally, in a most awesome way, get their happy ever after.
I read this one in one sitting, 90 minutes again!
I'm annoyed with myself, you know?? Because I WAS going to buy these books when they were originally published in 7 parts, and I never got round to it, and I could have had all this awesomeness on my kindle way before now.
So, I can only give this third book the same as the rest,
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Forest of a Thousand Lanterns in Books
Jan 11, 2018
A fun blend of Fairy Tales and Asian mythology.
You know I love my Fairy Tales! Especially re-imagining the villains. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is an Asian take on the evil queen from Snow White. The author is a Vietnamese American, and this is her debut novel. She has quite skillfully woven a new origin story for the wicked stepmother in a fantasy land heavily influenced by East Asian mythology and culture. I don't know enough about the individual countries' mythologies to tell you if the influences come specifically from Vietnam, or more generically from the area. I know that their beliefs can vary pretty wildly by locale.
That said, this is another superb debut novel. I'm eager to read the sequel - it's billed as "A Rise of the Empress novel" so I'm sure there will be one or more. Xifeng is a pretty complex character - she is somewhat single-minded in what she wants, but conflicted in what to do to get it. (It being the position of Empress.) I was intrigued by who was chosen to fill the roles of the traditional tale; Xifeng, of course, would be the wicked stepmother. The Fool is Xifeng's version of Snow White, and Xifeng thought for some time that she knew who The Fool was. The reader, of course, knows the Fool must be Snow White, and so not the people who Xifeng suspected. The one that surprised me was the identity of The Huntsman. I won't spoil anything - but he was unexpected.
There's also more going on than just the Snow White plot. There are gods and goddesses and spirits and an underlying war. I am quite eager to see how those play out.
There is a slow spot in the middle - I set the book down for a couple of days before picking it up again, and that's always a sign I'm not as absorbed in the book as I could be. But I did pick it up again and read straight through to the end, so it's not too bad!
If you like Fairy Tales and Asian mythology, this is definitely a neat blend of the two. I really liked it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
That said, this is another superb debut novel. I'm eager to read the sequel - it's billed as "A Rise of the Empress novel" so I'm sure there will be one or more. Xifeng is a pretty complex character - she is somewhat single-minded in what she wants, but conflicted in what to do to get it. (It being the position of Empress.) I was intrigued by who was chosen to fill the roles of the traditional tale; Xifeng, of course, would be the wicked stepmother. The Fool is Xifeng's version of Snow White, and Xifeng thought for some time that she knew who The Fool was. The reader, of course, knows the Fool must be Snow White, and so not the people who Xifeng suspected. The one that surprised me was the identity of The Huntsman. I won't spoil anything - but he was unexpected.
There's also more going on than just the Snow White plot. There are gods and goddesses and spirits and an underlying war. I am quite eager to see how those play out.
There is a slow spot in the middle - I set the book down for a couple of days before picking it up again, and that's always a sign I'm not as absorbed in the book as I could be. But I did pick it up again and read straight through to the end, so it's not too bad!
If you like Fairy Tales and Asian mythology, this is definitely a neat blend of the two. I really liked it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Darkness, Darkness (Charles Resnick, #12) in Books
Jan 12, 2018
What a great book!
The storyline took me back to my early teenage years and I recall watching the news about the miners strike with my parents but, not coming from a mining community and being quite young, I never fully appreciated what was really happening. I have since seen a couple of things that have touched on the subject but I felt this book brought me new perspectives to this difficult time in British history particularly from the point of view of the striking miners, the "scabs" and the families caught on both sides. Although this is a work of fiction, I found it very believable with a feel of authenticity and I particularly enjoyed the way the author switched from the present to the past throughout which, for me, worked very well.
The book was full of interesting and colourful characters many of whom have their own demons to deal with not least Resnick himself who I felt came across as a sad and melancholic man who appears disillusioned with not only his work but also his life. Many of the characters had issues outside of the main focus of the book and I felt these were seamlessly woven throughout which added further dimensions to this engrossing story. This is all written at great pace which kept me engaged throughout and, to cap it all, it kept me guessing who the killer was right until the end.
Where have I been? I must have had my head in the sand for many years not to have come across John Harvey and Charlie Resnick before! This is Resnick's last case and my first foray into the world of this very interesting character ... it won't be my last and I will go back to the start of the series in order to find out how it all began.
I am grateful to the publisher, Randomhouse UK Cornerstone and www.netgalley.com for sending me a copy in return for an honest review and for introducing me to another new author to add to my ever-growing list of great writers.
http://haziegaze.blogspot.co.uk/
The storyline took me back to my early teenage years and I recall watching the news about the miners strike with my parents but, not coming from a mining community and being quite young, I never fully appreciated what was really happening. I have since seen a couple of things that have touched on the subject but I felt this book brought me new perspectives to this difficult time in British history particularly from the point of view of the striking miners, the "scabs" and the families caught on both sides. Although this is a work of fiction, I found it very believable with a feel of authenticity and I particularly enjoyed the way the author switched from the present to the past throughout which, for me, worked very well.
The book was full of interesting and colourful characters many of whom have their own demons to deal with not least Resnick himself who I felt came across as a sad and melancholic man who appears disillusioned with not only his work but also his life. Many of the characters had issues outside of the main focus of the book and I felt these were seamlessly woven throughout which added further dimensions to this engrossing story. This is all written at great pace which kept me engaged throughout and, to cap it all, it kept me guessing who the killer was right until the end.
Where have I been? I must have had my head in the sand for many years not to have come across John Harvey and Charlie Resnick before! This is Resnick's last case and my first foray into the world of this very interesting character ... it won't be my last and I will go back to the start of the series in order to find out how it all began.
I am grateful to the publisher, Randomhouse UK Cornerstone and www.netgalley.com for sending me a copy in return for an honest review and for introducing me to another new author to add to my ever-growing list of great writers.
http://haziegaze.blogspot.co.uk/
Lee (2222 KP) rated Train to Busan (2016) in Movies
Jul 27, 2017
Zombies on a train!
Taking the very simple concept of ‘zombies on a train’, this isn’t just one of the best zombie movies I’ve ever seen, it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen in recent years – period!
This South Korean movie doesn’t waste much time in setting the scene – a banker agrees to take his daughter by train to visit her mother in Busan. But as the train pulls out of the station, a zombie epidemic breaks out. And the last person to rush through the closing train doors appears to be a little bit unwell…
The epidemic quickly spreads throughout the train and those who are left must act quickly to seal off the carriages and try to work out how to make it to their loved ones who they’ve become separated from in other carriages. Like 28 days later, or World War Z, our zombies move quickly and aren’t afraid to climb all over each other in their ravenous pursuit of the living, piling themselves up against glass walls and doors in order to break through, then continuing to chase with broken, contorted limbs. In an interesting twist though, these zombies work on their sense of sight a lot more than smell or hearing, something which works to the advantage of the living as the train rockets through dark tunnels for minutes at a time.
As the living quickly start dwindling in numbers, we’re left with a pretty good and varied selection of characters. Among them – our hero and his young daughter, a man and his pregnant wife, a bunch of high school kids, a couple of elderly sisters and a selfish businessman who’s out for himself. After a brief stop at a supposedly safe station turns out to be overrun by hordes of zombies, the survivors barely make it back onto the train and continue on their way to Busan, rumoured to be a safe haven.
Aside from the highly enjoyable zombie action, there’s plenty of human emotion and sadness, along with some great performances from all involved. This is a highly innovative and serious enjoyable thrill ride and I cannot recommend it enough.
This South Korean movie doesn’t waste much time in setting the scene – a banker agrees to take his daughter by train to visit her mother in Busan. But as the train pulls out of the station, a zombie epidemic breaks out. And the last person to rush through the closing train doors appears to be a little bit unwell…
The epidemic quickly spreads throughout the train and those who are left must act quickly to seal off the carriages and try to work out how to make it to their loved ones who they’ve become separated from in other carriages. Like 28 days later, or World War Z, our zombies move quickly and aren’t afraid to climb all over each other in their ravenous pursuit of the living, piling themselves up against glass walls and doors in order to break through, then continuing to chase with broken, contorted limbs. In an interesting twist though, these zombies work on their sense of sight a lot more than smell or hearing, something which works to the advantage of the living as the train rockets through dark tunnels for minutes at a time.
As the living quickly start dwindling in numbers, we’re left with a pretty good and varied selection of characters. Among them – our hero and his young daughter, a man and his pregnant wife, a bunch of high school kids, a couple of elderly sisters and a selfish businessman who’s out for himself. After a brief stop at a supposedly safe station turns out to be overrun by hordes of zombies, the survivors barely make it back onto the train and continue on their way to Busan, rumoured to be a safe haven.
Aside from the highly enjoyable zombie action, there’s plenty of human emotion and sadness, along with some great performances from all involved. This is a highly innovative and serious enjoyable thrill ride and I cannot recommend it enough.
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated The Princess Diarist in Books
Aug 2, 2017
This is Carrie Fisher's memoir of her time during the filming of Star Wars Episode IV, including entries from the diaries she kept during that time that she recently discovered. I think this was the first time that Fisher really talked about her relationship with Leia, and what Leia has offered to her over the years. She also talks about her fans, and how much they mean to her and everything about the ending of the book was so much more heartbreaking given the circumstances. I was genuinely surprised by how touching her closing chapters were, in regards to her relationship with Leia and the Star Wars community as a whole.
It was a little surreal reading this so soon after both her death and her mother's, as she talks frequently about her mother in the book, as well as mentioning a couple of times, in an offhand manner, how she would like to be remembered for certain events. Perhaps it was too soon for me after her death. Not that I was ever necessarily a huge Carrie Fisher fan, but I've certainly been a Star Wars fan my whole life (I saw the original Star Wars when it was released - I was 3), so while there was never necessarily a Carrie Fisher in a my life, there has always been a Princess Leia, and it seemed to hit home a little for me. It also made me unreasonably angry that Carrie Fisher died; in a year of so many celebrity deaths, it seemed like just another death to some, but it made me angry because she overcame so much, and still had so much to do and offer to the world. So, yeah - maybe I should have put a little time in between her death and reading this book, knowing it was her last, but it seemed like the thing to do at the time. It is typically funny in that Carrie Fisher way, but equally sad given the circumstances. I fairly certain, however, that again, in that typically funny Carrie Fisher way, she would have found some way to turn her death into an appropriate epilogue to this book.
It was a little surreal reading this so soon after both her death and her mother's, as she talks frequently about her mother in the book, as well as mentioning a couple of times, in an offhand manner, how she would like to be remembered for certain events. Perhaps it was too soon for me after her death. Not that I was ever necessarily a huge Carrie Fisher fan, but I've certainly been a Star Wars fan my whole life (I saw the original Star Wars when it was released - I was 3), so while there was never necessarily a Carrie Fisher in a my life, there has always been a Princess Leia, and it seemed to hit home a little for me. It also made me unreasonably angry that Carrie Fisher died; in a year of so many celebrity deaths, it seemed like just another death to some, but it made me angry because she overcame so much, and still had so much to do and offer to the world. So, yeah - maybe I should have put a little time in between her death and reading this book, knowing it was her last, but it seemed like the thing to do at the time. It is typically funny in that Carrie Fisher way, but equally sad given the circumstances. I fairly certain, however, that again, in that typically funny Carrie Fisher way, she would have found some way to turn her death into an appropriate epilogue to this book.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Ginny Moon in Books
May 10, 2018
Ginny Moon is 14 years old and she has autism. She has finally found her Forever Family with Brian and Maura after being taken from her Birth Mom, Gloria when she was 9 years old. She was malnourished and badly bruised at that time. Now she has been through several foster homes and is happy to finally be in a permanent spot. But there is still one thing missing that Ginny hasn't seen since she was 9 and the police took her away, her Baby Doll. Ginny took very good care of her Baby Doll and she is afraid that now there is no one to take care of it. How will she find her way back to the Baby Doll she loved so much and took such good care of?
This book hit me from the very firs page. As a mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum, I could really resonate with Ginny's character and her little quirks. Benjamin Ludwig did a great job of capturing this character.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I have read a couple of other books about children with autism but this one fit well with me. Ginny is determined to get her way, no matter the cost. She tries hard to explain to everyone about her Baby Doll. Her therapist, her foster parents, her Forever Parents, but no one seems to understand. No one that is except for Gloria, Ginny's Birth mother. When Ginny is finally able to get in contact with her, she is happy to find out that Gloria still has her Baby Doll and is taking care of it. And her cousin Crystal with C is helping out as well. Even though everyone tries to buy Ginny a new doll, nothing will be able to replace the Baby Doll she took care of for a whole year in the apartment with Gloria.
I'm afraid if I say too much more, I will give away too much of the story. Please read this book, it will touch your heart.
This book hit me from the very firs page. As a mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum, I could really resonate with Ginny's character and her little quirks. Benjamin Ludwig did a great job of capturing this character.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I have read a couple of other books about children with autism but this one fit well with me. Ginny is determined to get her way, no matter the cost. She tries hard to explain to everyone about her Baby Doll. Her therapist, her foster parents, her Forever Parents, but no one seems to understand. No one that is except for Gloria, Ginny's Birth mother. When Ginny is finally able to get in contact with her, she is happy to find out that Gloria still has her Baby Doll and is taking care of it. And her cousin Crystal with C is helping out as well. Even though everyone tries to buy Ginny a new doll, nothing will be able to replace the Baby Doll she took care of for a whole year in the apartment with Gloria.
I'm afraid if I say too much more, I will give away too much of the story. Please read this book, it will touch your heart.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Crazy Rich Asians in Books
May 10, 2018
Nick Young and Rachel Chu are both professors at NYU and have been dating for a couple of years. With the summer off, Nick invites Rachel home with him to Singapore to attend his best friend's wedding and spend the summer exploring the place he grew up. Nick hasn't told Rachel much about his family and she has only met his cousin, Astrid, but she is ready to take this next step in their relationship. What Rachel doesn't know is that Nick's family is among some of the wealthiest in Singapore and when Rachel steps off that plane, her life will never be the same.
I feel as though I cheated myself a bit when I read this book because, I had already read the sequel [bc:China Rich Girlfriend|22674105|China Rich Girlfriend (Crazy Rich Asians #2)|Kevin Kwan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419179404s/22674105.jpg|42179165] so I knew what was going to happen. Although it was very interesting at this point to get the back story. I'm not quite sure what I would do if I were in Rachel's shoes. Nick didn't tell her about the status of his wealth, because he was sure she would be able to handle it. But after being constantly asked about her family and where she comes from and finding fish guts in her hotel room, Rachel decides that she might not be cut out for this kind of life. She loves Nick a lot, but having to deal with his family is a whole other ballgame.
I really like the characters Kevin Kwan has created in this series. The book made me laugh out loud and cry to myself. It make me want to travel to Singapore or China and see this first hand. Although, with my financial status, I would never be able to come close. I hear there are talks of a movie for this http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bookmark/crazy-rich-asians-author-kevin-804381 and I would definitely go to see it. Not sure if there are more books to come for this series, but I'm looking forward to reading more by Kevin Kwan.
I feel as though I cheated myself a bit when I read this book because, I had already read the sequel [bc:China Rich Girlfriend|22674105|China Rich Girlfriend (Crazy Rich Asians #2)|Kevin Kwan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419179404s/22674105.jpg|42179165] so I knew what was going to happen. Although it was very interesting at this point to get the back story. I'm not quite sure what I would do if I were in Rachel's shoes. Nick didn't tell her about the status of his wealth, because he was sure she would be able to handle it. But after being constantly asked about her family and where she comes from and finding fish guts in her hotel room, Rachel decides that she might not be cut out for this kind of life. She loves Nick a lot, but having to deal with his family is a whole other ballgame.
I really like the characters Kevin Kwan has created in this series. The book made me laugh out loud and cry to myself. It make me want to travel to Singapore or China and see this first hand. Although, with my financial status, I would never be able to come close. I hear there are talks of a movie for this http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bookmark/crazy-rich-asians-author-kevin-804381 and I would definitely go to see it. Not sure if there are more books to come for this series, but I'm looking forward to reading more by Kevin Kwan.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Sing, Unburied, Sing in Books
May 14, 2018
I know, I'm late to the party. This book made a big splash back in September - everyone was talking about it, and it won the National Book Award. My library, however, did not have enough copies to go around, and I was late putting a hold on it, so the hold I put on it in January finally came around to my turn!
In Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward returns to the same neighborhood in Mississippi that Salvage the Bones was written about. (Two of the siblings from Salvage the Bones show up in a scene in Sing.) The story is told from three different viewpoints: Jojo, a thirteen-year-old boy and the main character of the novel, Leonie, his drug-addicted mother, and Richie, the ghost of a boy Jojo's grandfather met in prison.
This book covers so much that it's difficult to categorize - between discrimination and outright bigotry, bi-racial romance and children, drug addiction, poverty, prison life - deep south gothic, I suppose, would be the best description. Sing really only takes place over a couple of days, but it feels much longer, because Jojo's grandfather tells stories of his time in prison decades prior, Leonie reminisces about high school, and there's just this sense of timelessness over the entire novel.
It's not an easy book. These are hard issues to grapple with, and too many people have to live with these issues. Poverty, bigotry, addiction - these things disproportionately affect the black community, and white people are to blame for the imbalance.
I'm not sure how I feel about the ghost aspect of the book; on one hand I feel like people will see the ghost and decide the book is fantasy - that they don't really need to care about the problems the family faces. On the other hand, the ghost allows us to see even more bigotry and inhumanity targeted at black people. So it serves a purpose.
I'm not sure I like this book. But I'm glad I read it. And that's pretty much going to be my recommendation; it's not a fun read, but it's an important one.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
In Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward returns to the same neighborhood in Mississippi that Salvage the Bones was written about. (Two of the siblings from Salvage the Bones show up in a scene in Sing.) The story is told from three different viewpoints: Jojo, a thirteen-year-old boy and the main character of the novel, Leonie, his drug-addicted mother, and Richie, the ghost of a boy Jojo's grandfather met in prison.
This book covers so much that it's difficult to categorize - between discrimination and outright bigotry, bi-racial romance and children, drug addiction, poverty, prison life - deep south gothic, I suppose, would be the best description. Sing really only takes place over a couple of days, but it feels much longer, because Jojo's grandfather tells stories of his time in prison decades prior, Leonie reminisces about high school, and there's just this sense of timelessness over the entire novel.
It's not an easy book. These are hard issues to grapple with, and too many people have to live with these issues. Poverty, bigotry, addiction - these things disproportionately affect the black community, and white people are to blame for the imbalance.
I'm not sure how I feel about the ghost aspect of the book; on one hand I feel like people will see the ghost and decide the book is fantasy - that they don't really need to care about the problems the family faces. On the other hand, the ghost allows us to see even more bigotry and inhumanity targeted at black people. So it serves a purpose.
I'm not sure I like this book. But I'm glad I read it. And that's pretty much going to be my recommendation; it's not a fun read, but it's an important one.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Fifth Petal in Books
May 16, 2018
I finally finished reading The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry. It wasn’t quite my thing, though. Despite being labeled as a fantasy mystery, The Fifth Petal hovers a little too heavily on romance for me to find it enjoyable. There’s also a ridiculous amount of repetition which, if you read my thoughts on List of 10, you’ll know I abhor it when writers think their readers are going to forget something major within the plot after a few pages.
Many times throughout my reading of The Fifth Petal, I felt things were dragging. In fact, very little of the book focuses on the murders mentioned in its blurb. More of it focuses on an abstract idea of new age healing, with only the overly obvious blooming romance breaking up the monotony. As a reader, when I pick up a book that’s labeled fantasy or mystery, that’s what I expect. Couple that with an unrealistic, “out of the wild blue yonder” twist at the end, and it seriously just falls flat.
Characterwise, there’s a distinct feeling of “woe is me! I am the victim” throughout this book, alongside several of your stereotypical wealthy snobs. Because of this, I found it hard to become attached to any of the characters – but this is my opinion. For other readers, namely those that favor the flavor of romance, this is perfect.
To be honest, I’d like to rate this book a two for the sheer fact that, like The Cutaway, its genre is based more on the plot’s outline than its actual content. The thing is, the writing isn’t horrible – nor is the romance. There’s not really any detailed sexual encounters either, which is a plus for some. In fact, it’s a pretty safe read all around. I do admire Barry’s ideology behind some of her witches, i.e., lace readers. Because I can see others enjoying this and it’s not downright horrid, I’ve decided to go with a median rating. Besides, the cover is fantastic.
I would like to thank Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Many times throughout my reading of The Fifth Petal, I felt things were dragging. In fact, very little of the book focuses on the murders mentioned in its blurb. More of it focuses on an abstract idea of new age healing, with only the overly obvious blooming romance breaking up the monotony. As a reader, when I pick up a book that’s labeled fantasy or mystery, that’s what I expect. Couple that with an unrealistic, “out of the wild blue yonder” twist at the end, and it seriously just falls flat.
Characterwise, there’s a distinct feeling of “woe is me! I am the victim” throughout this book, alongside several of your stereotypical wealthy snobs. Because of this, I found it hard to become attached to any of the characters – but this is my opinion. For other readers, namely those that favor the flavor of romance, this is perfect.
To be honest, I’d like to rate this book a two for the sheer fact that, like The Cutaway, its genre is based more on the plot’s outline than its actual content. The thing is, the writing isn’t horrible – nor is the romance. There’s not really any detailed sexual encounters either, which is a plus for some. In fact, it’s a pretty safe read all around. I do admire Barry’s ideology behind some of her witches, i.e., lace readers. Because I can see others enjoying this and it’s not downright horrid, I’ve decided to go with a median rating. Besides, the cover is fantastic.
I would like to thank Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.