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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Marsh King's Daughter in Books

Mar 15, 2018  
The Marsh King's Daughter
The Marsh King's Daughter
Karen Dionne | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Marsh King’s Daughter was huge before and around the time of its release. People were raving about the novel for a long time and they still are, so I was really excited to read it. While I did love it, I think all the hype made me expect something different to what I got, hence a 4 star rating, not a 5.

What I loved about this book was that it didn’t hold back on some more contraversial opinions and thoughts that came from Helena. For instance, that she still adored her father even after everything, and that she had trouble caring about her mother at times. I think it was nice Dionne didn’t write things that would please all readers. There were definitely some uncomfortable moments for me.

The writing in this book is stuff of dark fairytales. It’s so dark and disturbing but you can’t stop reading becasue the way in which it’s written is beautiful and flows perfectly. Dionne’s writing takes you away, whether it’s into the marsh or trekking through the forest, you are planted directly into the scene, you lose your real surroundings.

One thing that I found disappointing about this novel was that most of it is set in the past, not in the present. From the way the synopsis writes the story, I was expecting this to be a lot more about a life and death chase between daughter and father. And OK, while it is technically about a life and death chase, it’s far more about Helena’s life growing up in the marsh, all that she was taught and all that she learnt. While this is essential to the way the plot plays out, I think the book could have been marketed differently so I didn’t have such a clear idea on how I expected the story to go.

This novel is a gripping, sometimes shocking, sometimes emotional fast paced action thriller with a lot to offer any reader. If you’re not so much a thriller fan, this one could still be a terrifc read for you, as at times this novels feels more literary fiction than anything else.

Will I read Karen Dionne’s work again? Oh sure, most definitely. I just wish this book was the one I’d imagined in my head.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Alee: an Every Girl novel in Books

Dec 2, 2019  
Alee: an Every Girl novel
Alee: an Every Girl novel
Nicole Loufas | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I love realistic fiction books that are a bit dark. When I first read the synopsis of Alee by Nicole Loufas, I was instantly hooked. I ended up devouring this novel in a short time!

The book starts out with Alee as a 17 year old high school senior. After sleeping with her boyfriend's best friend, she dumps her boyfriend for being too selfish. After being slut shamed at school, Alee finds comfort in her best friend Bryn. However, while at swim practice, Bryn is shot and killed. Around that time, Alee reconnects with her father that left her and her mother when she was 5, but even he isn't really there being as he's a homeless drug addict. With everything going wrong, Alee finds solace in Laine, her now ex-boyfriend's best friend - the one she slept with. The book talks briefly about Alee's life until the age of 21 where it really focuses on what is going on with Alee. When a major life even happens, Alee is thrown into a downward spiral that she may not ever escape.

I thought the plot for Alee was written beautifully. It's a story that most people can relate to in some way. I was sucked into the plot, and I felt like I was a ghost watching Alee's life unfold from the age of 17 to 21. There are a few minor plot twists which are interesting, but there are no cliff hangers. All of my questions were answered by the end of the book. The pacing for Alee is mostly perfect. There are a few, very rare, times where the pacing slows down, but it instantly picks right back up. I was never bored while reading Alee.

The characters in Alee felt very realistic and fleshed out. In fact, I felt like I knew all of these characters at one point in my life. Alee is such a strong character. She has had so much bad happen to her. It's as if she can't catch a break. It was interesting to follow Alee's thoughts on everything that would happen to her. She tried to stay positive even when her world was crashing down. I absolutely loved Alee, and I kept wanting something positive to happen to her. Laine seemed like such a great guy, and it was obvious how much Alee meant to him (and him to Alee). I loved reading about the love between Laine and Alee. I liked how Loufas made them feel like a real couple by giving them problems as well and not some Hollywood romance. I never really liked Benny. He was well written, but I always felt like I couldn't trust him. Throughout the book, I just kept wishing that he'd stay away from Alee!

Alee is a dark read, and it has quite a few strong triggers. These include gun violence, death, murder, suicide, rape, drug use, alcoholism, miscarriage, profanity, mentions of underage sex, and sexual situations (although not too graphic).

All in all, Alee was a very interesting and emotional read. If you are a fan of sunshine and rainbow books, Alee is not for you. However, if you're after a gritty, beautifully written realistic fiction novel that discuses tough issues, then Alee is the book you've been waiting for. I would definitely recommend Alee by Nicole Loufas to those aged 17+. Alee is one of those books that will keep you thinking about everything that happened in it long after you've finished reading it.