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Louise (64 KP) rated The Girl in the Red Coat in Books
Jul 2, 2018
This book is every parent/guardians worst nightmare! This book made me feel anxious and sick at how realistic this is. For my daughter to be the same age as Carmel is just terrifying to me. This story line will definitely bring out your emotions even if you are not a parent. The premise was what drew me towards reading this book, child abduction is something that we will see on the news occasionally and something that could happen to anyone.
Carmel Wakeford is 8 years old and intelligent for her age, recently Carmel has been “Away with the Fairies” and occasionally wanders off. Beth (Carmel’s mother) is on constant edge when they visit a children’s festival, so much so they Carmel becomes agitated by her mothers clingyness that she decides to remove herself from her mothers grasp just for a while. When Carmel returns to the spot her mother is no where to be seen, a grey haired man appears and introduces himself as Carmel’s grandfather. With never actually meeting her grandfather before and him knowing her parents, she believes him when he tells her that her mother has been in an accident and he is there to look after her. Beth is frantically searching for her daughter realising her worst fear is becoming a reality.
The book is told from two alternating point of views, Beth and Carmel’s. Though this is a crime book, it is not told from the investigation perspective as we are used to, it’s more of the mother/father/family/child’s suffering. Hamer has captured the emotions of the mother really well with feeling guilty and the grieving process and I could feel her despair and knew if I was in the same position I would be feeling exactly the same way. I enjoyed reading from Carmel’s perspective, it’s interesting when the author writes as a child it needs to come across realistically which Hamer managed to pull off.
I found this story to be quite slow even with the alternating POV’s and some parts I was bored but I continued reading as I needed to know what happened to Carmel. The ending all seemed to be a bit rushed and left things unexplained. The writing was really good and packed full of emotion.
This is a great debut novel from Kate Hamer and would be interested in reading her future work.
Overall I rated this 3.5 out of stars
Carmel Wakeford is 8 years old and intelligent for her age, recently Carmel has been “Away with the Fairies” and occasionally wanders off. Beth (Carmel’s mother) is on constant edge when they visit a children’s festival, so much so they Carmel becomes agitated by her mothers clingyness that she decides to remove herself from her mothers grasp just for a while. When Carmel returns to the spot her mother is no where to be seen, a grey haired man appears and introduces himself as Carmel’s grandfather. With never actually meeting her grandfather before and him knowing her parents, she believes him when he tells her that her mother has been in an accident and he is there to look after her. Beth is frantically searching for her daughter realising her worst fear is becoming a reality.
The book is told from two alternating point of views, Beth and Carmel’s. Though this is a crime book, it is not told from the investigation perspective as we are used to, it’s more of the mother/father/family/child’s suffering. Hamer has captured the emotions of the mother really well with feeling guilty and the grieving process and I could feel her despair and knew if I was in the same position I would be feeling exactly the same way. I enjoyed reading from Carmel’s perspective, it’s interesting when the author writes as a child it needs to come across realistically which Hamer managed to pull off.
I found this story to be quite slow even with the alternating POV’s and some parts I was bored but I continued reading as I needed to know what happened to Carmel. The ending all seemed to be a bit rushed and left things unexplained. The writing was really good and packed full of emotion.
This is a great debut novel from Kate Hamer and would be interested in reading her future work.
Overall I rated this 3.5 out of stars
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Last Boat Home in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>The Last Boat Home</i> is the debut novel of Norwegian author Dea Brøvig. Set in a small village on the south coast of Norway, the story follows Else Dybdahl through two different time periods: then (1974-1976) and now (2009). The narrative begins in 1976 where Else, who we currently know nothing about, is in labour. After this the tale switches between then and now (then becoming 1974 and continuing up until the birth of Else’s daughter Marianne).
Else is living in the same area that she grew up in with her daughter and granddaughter, Liv. An ex-boyfriend from her childhood, Lars, has just moved back to the area with his wife and children. In the past Else and Lars snuck around keeping their relationship secret from the God-fearing community, in particularly from the rather strict pastor.
Brøvig keeps the reader engaged by leaving us wanting to know, and trying to work out who Marianne’s father is. We learn that Else was only in her teens at the time of her birth. Is Lars the father? Or was a member of the travelling circus that comes to one of the local farms responsible? In which case was it the strong man, or one of the other acts? Or was there someone else?
As well as the religious aspects this book also contains the topic of abuse, which Else and her mother, Dagny, are exposed to by their alcoholic father and husband. However, in my opinion, the strongest theme is secrets. Not only are there secret relationships, the Dybdahls keep themselves isolated to prevent their friends and church society from discovering their true home circumstances. And once Else becomes pregnant? Well that is yet another reason to isolate themselves. In the present day there are still secrets. Else does not want Marianne to know who her real father is and so has lied about the truth not only to her daughter and granddaughter, but also to Lars and everyone else she knows.
Personally I think the story line could have been stronger and possibly more drawn out to create a greater sense of suspense, however Brøvig successfully conjures up images of mountains, fjords and farmlands of a Norwegian community. Overall it was a good book and a fairly quick read too.
<i>The Last Boat Home</i> is the debut novel of Norwegian author Dea Brøvig. Set in a small village on the south coast of Norway, the story follows Else Dybdahl through two different time periods: then (1974-1976) and now (2009). The narrative begins in 1976 where Else, who we currently know nothing about, is in labour. After this the tale switches between then and now (then becoming 1974 and continuing up until the birth of Else’s daughter Marianne).
Else is living in the same area that she grew up in with her daughter and granddaughter, Liv. An ex-boyfriend from her childhood, Lars, has just moved back to the area with his wife and children. In the past Else and Lars snuck around keeping their relationship secret from the God-fearing community, in particularly from the rather strict pastor.
Brøvig keeps the reader engaged by leaving us wanting to know, and trying to work out who Marianne’s father is. We learn that Else was only in her teens at the time of her birth. Is Lars the father? Or was a member of the travelling circus that comes to one of the local farms responsible? In which case was it the strong man, or one of the other acts? Or was there someone else?
As well as the religious aspects this book also contains the topic of abuse, which Else and her mother, Dagny, are exposed to by their alcoholic father and husband. However, in my opinion, the strongest theme is secrets. Not only are there secret relationships, the Dybdahls keep themselves isolated to prevent their friends and church society from discovering their true home circumstances. And once Else becomes pregnant? Well that is yet another reason to isolate themselves. In the present day there are still secrets. Else does not want Marianne to know who her real father is and so has lied about the truth not only to her daughter and granddaughter, but also to Lars and everyone else she knows.
Personally I think the story line could have been stronger and possibly more drawn out to create a greater sense of suspense, however Brøvig successfully conjures up images of mountains, fjords and farmlands of a Norwegian community. Overall it was a good book and a fairly quick read too.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Dec 28, 2018
The first "true" comic book movie
The animated feature, SPIDERMAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, is the first, true "comic-book" film I have ever seen.
"But wait", you say, "How about the Marvel films? Or the DC Universe films? Or the X-Men or DeadPool? Aren't they Comic-Book films?".
I would have to answer - "no". At least not in the same way. All of those properties are films that are BASED on comic-books. Spider-verse, brilliantly, is a comic-book brought to life. It includes scenes that look like pages of a comic book (or graphic novel). It uses thought bubbles,sound effect words and abstract images. The characters are distorted and when other versions of the Spider-Verse are scene (not a spoiler: it's in the title), they are designed in a different graphic style.
Credit for this unique vision/type of film must start with the writers, Phil Lord (The Lego Movie) and Rodney Rothman (22 Jump Street) as well as Directors Bob Persischetti (in his Directing debut) and Rothman (again). These 3 brought to the screen a dazzling visual storytelling vision that is engrossing and interesting and (I am sure) will become richer and richer the more that this film is viewed.
This vision must have been apparent from the "get-go" as these 3 were able to load some top-notch voice talent into this film - Mahershala Ali, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Lily Tomlin(!), Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schrieber, Chris Pine and good ol' Nicholas Cage all bring their "A" game to the voices, presenting (instantly) interesting, distinct characters to this interesting, distinct world.
The action of this film moves at a fast-pace, but not so fast that you get lost and the emotions of the film are strong, so the "slow" scenes are just as well paced and don't seem too slow.
I see alot of films, and it is rare when I am struck with how "unusual" a film is. And this one IS unusual - in a very good way. I was thoroughly entertained throughout and I cannot wait to see this film again to catch some of the things I missed the first time through and have a deeper and richer experience for knowing what is to come.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars (yes, it's that good!) and you can take this to the Bank(ofMarquis)
"But wait", you say, "How about the Marvel films? Or the DC Universe films? Or the X-Men or DeadPool? Aren't they Comic-Book films?".
I would have to answer - "no". At least not in the same way. All of those properties are films that are BASED on comic-books. Spider-verse, brilliantly, is a comic-book brought to life. It includes scenes that look like pages of a comic book (or graphic novel). It uses thought bubbles,sound effect words and abstract images. The characters are distorted and when other versions of the Spider-Verse are scene (not a spoiler: it's in the title), they are designed in a different graphic style.
Credit for this unique vision/type of film must start with the writers, Phil Lord (The Lego Movie) and Rodney Rothman (22 Jump Street) as well as Directors Bob Persischetti (in his Directing debut) and Rothman (again). These 3 brought to the screen a dazzling visual storytelling vision that is engrossing and interesting and (I am sure) will become richer and richer the more that this film is viewed.
This vision must have been apparent from the "get-go" as these 3 were able to load some top-notch voice talent into this film - Mahershala Ali, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson, Lily Tomlin(!), Zoe Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schrieber, Chris Pine and good ol' Nicholas Cage all bring their "A" game to the voices, presenting (instantly) interesting, distinct characters to this interesting, distinct world.
The action of this film moves at a fast-pace, but not so fast that you get lost and the emotions of the film are strong, so the "slow" scenes are just as well paced and don't seem too slow.
I see alot of films, and it is rare when I am struck with how "unusual" a film is. And this one IS unusual - in a very good way. I was thoroughly entertained throughout and I cannot wait to see this film again to catch some of the things I missed the first time through and have a deeper and richer experience for knowing what is to come.
Letter Grade: A
9 (out of 10) stars (yes, it's that good!) and you can take this to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-under-the-never-sky-by-veronica-rossi.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
When there's a bit of hoopla and excitement going about a book (even it's the sequel), I always tend to be curious as to why everyone loves the book. I'm literally asking, “What's so great about it? I want to know!”
And then my TBR list grows by a book.
But Under the Never Sky is about a girl named Aria who lives in a futuristic world of Pods and Realms. In that world, she's never seen what's outside the Pods aside from the stories she heard – everything is basically in virtual time. She gets kicked out one day and meets an Outsider named Perry who teaches her the basics to surviving the outside world and needs her help as well.
I like the concept and general idea of the book. Pods? Realms? No one gets hurt in the Realms and you can see your friends without even moving at all with a cool gadget called Smarteyes? Sounds great.
But... I didn't really like it. I was pretty bored from the end of Chapter One and probably would have stopped reading the book from then on out. But there was something there, and I decided to read on to see if my boredom status changed by a magnitude. I was hoping that between the end of Chapter One and the end of the book, my opinions would be a whole lot better.
It didn't change that much, unfortunately. It was just... insipid.
Another thing that I didn't really like? The romance between Aria and Perry. It was too fast.
No, scratch that. Actually, allow me to backtrack by two sentences, before “It was too fast.”
It was perfectly paced for about 80% of the book. But then about 7% or 4 chapters later away from their first kiss, it was just simply too fast for my taste. Much too fast.
Overall, I liked the concept, but Veronica Rossi's debut novel just isn't very right for me and I don't think I'll be continuing on with the next book in the series, Through the Ever Night.
Though I am a bit tempted to.
Convince me well enough to do so and I'll think about it? But the cover is pretty.
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
When there's a bit of hoopla and excitement going about a book (even it's the sequel), I always tend to be curious as to why everyone loves the book. I'm literally asking, “What's so great about it? I want to know!”
And then my TBR list grows by a book.
But Under the Never Sky is about a girl named Aria who lives in a futuristic world of Pods and Realms. In that world, she's never seen what's outside the Pods aside from the stories she heard – everything is basically in virtual time. She gets kicked out one day and meets an Outsider named Perry who teaches her the basics to surviving the outside world and needs her help as well.
I like the concept and general idea of the book. Pods? Realms? No one gets hurt in the Realms and you can see your friends without even moving at all with a cool gadget called Smarteyes? Sounds great.
But... I didn't really like it. I was pretty bored from the end of Chapter One and probably would have stopped reading the book from then on out. But there was something there, and I decided to read on to see if my boredom status changed by a magnitude. I was hoping that between the end of Chapter One and the end of the book, my opinions would be a whole lot better.
It didn't change that much, unfortunately. It was just... insipid.
Another thing that I didn't really like? The romance between Aria and Perry. It was too fast.
No, scratch that. Actually, allow me to backtrack by two sentences, before “It was too fast.”
It was perfectly paced for about 80% of the book. But then about 7% or 4 chapters later away from their first kiss, it was just simply too fast for my taste. Much too fast.
Overall, I liked the concept, but Veronica Rossi's debut novel just isn't very right for me and I don't think I'll be continuing on with the next book in the series, Through the Ever Night.
Though I am a bit tempted to.
Convince me well enough to do so and I'll think about it? But the cover is pretty.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated A Blade So Black in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<h2><strong>When I first heard of <em>A Blade So Black</em>, I got excited.</strong></h2>
And I mean super excited! Here we have a book that features a black protagonist (we need more POC retellings!) who kicks butt like Buffy the vampire slayer and a retelling of <em>Alice in Wonderland</em> (which I should I get to one day but probably won't happen).
<h2><strong>But L.L. McKinney's debut novel turned out to be a big bummer.</strong></h2>
I didn't hate it, but I very much could not get past 40% of the book - in fact, I suffered more than I should because I <em>hoped</em> the book would get a lot better later. But it didn't get any better.
<h3>The writing style didn't suit me.</h3>
I think this is another "it's not you, it's me," but omg the writing made me want to sleep more than continuing the book. I found watching the 2018 reboot of "Meteor Garden" more interesting and probably watched an episode or two for every chapter that bored me to tears.
<h3>The concept is amazing.</h3>
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets in Alice in Wonderland in a modern day setting? Hellooooo, please sign me up. This book spells dark and ominous and I definitely got that vibe while reading what I did.
<h3>But it was just <em>sooo</em> boring.</h3>
I checked out of the book by Chapter Four (but I <em>tried</em> to stay with the rest of the book, I swear!). Wonderland is full of action, but it was the same thing over and over again and got repetitive. Alice is juggling being a Dreamwalker, who can destroy the Nightmares that come from Wonderland, while being an ordinary student with a life, but it was all the same thing over and over again. It never really picked up.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/a-blade-so-black-by-l-l-mckinney-the-disappointment-is-so-real/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<h2><strong>When I first heard of <em>A Blade So Black</em>, I got excited.</strong></h2>
And I mean super excited! Here we have a book that features a black protagonist (we need more POC retellings!) who kicks butt like Buffy the vampire slayer and a retelling of <em>Alice in Wonderland</em> (which I should I get to one day but probably won't happen).
<h2><strong>But L.L. McKinney's debut novel turned out to be a big bummer.</strong></h2>
I didn't hate it, but I very much could not get past 40% of the book - in fact, I suffered more than I should because I <em>hoped</em> the book would get a lot better later. But it didn't get any better.
<h3>The writing style didn't suit me.</h3>
I think this is another "it's not you, it's me," but omg the writing made me want to sleep more than continuing the book. I found watching the 2018 reboot of "Meteor Garden" more interesting and probably watched an episode or two for every chapter that bored me to tears.
<h3>The concept is amazing.</h3>
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets in Alice in Wonderland in a modern day setting? Hellooooo, please sign me up. This book spells dark and ominous and I definitely got that vibe while reading what I did.
<h3>But it was just <em>sooo</em> boring.</h3>
I checked out of the book by Chapter Four (but I <em>tried</em> to stay with the rest of the book, I swear!). Wonderland is full of action, but it was the same thing over and over again and got repetitive. Alice is juggling being a Dreamwalker, who can destroy the Nightmares that come from Wonderland, while being an ordinary student with a life, but it was all the same thing over and over again. It never really picked up.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/a-blade-so-black-by-l-l-mckinney-the-disappointment-is-so-real/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Angel of Oblivion
Book
Haderlap is an accomplished poet, and that lyricism leaves clear traces on this ravishing debut,...
Where is My Mask of an Honest Man?
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Where is my Mask of an Honest Man? is a powerful collection of short stories set in and around...
ClareR (5916 KP) rated The Prophets in Books
Jan 5, 2021
I’ve agonised over writing something about this. How can whatever I write possibly do this book any justice? It’s beautiful, it’s haunting and it’s terrible. I don’t mean that it’s bad-terrible. I mean that it’s a book that I wish never had to be written. What is terrible, is mans inhumanity to man.
The story centres around the slaves on the Elizabeth Plantation (also known as ‘Empty’ to the slaves), and in particular, Samuel and Isaiah. They are betrayed by the other slaves, as if by revealing their love, it will make their lives safer. Of course this is not the case, as we see when we read the chapters centred around some of the other slaves. We learn about the inhumane treatment of the slaves by their immoral white owners (or toubabs, as they are called by their black slaves). I felt that the white people in this book had a mad, mentally unhinged quality about them: after all, how else could you reconcile treating human beings worse than animals?
I found the chapters written from the African people’s perspective, as they were free then captured and imprisoned, so interesting. It made them even more real to me. These were real people (as opposed to the animals that they were seen as by the slavers) with families, traditions, lives, loves and beliefs. The scenes on board the slave ships were harrowing.
It has taken me over a week to tackle this review. This book really affected me deeply, and there were many times that I had to put the book down and walk away. Then, I would feel guilty that I had the luxury of doing just that, unlike the slaves who lived every moment of their lives as some white mans possession to do with as he saw fit.
I can’t believe that this is a debut novel. The writing is beautiful, even in the most horrific moments. The magical elements add a suggestion of hope and the indomitable spirit of these people. And the ending is just perfection. I’m sure that this book will win awards - it SHOULD win - and I’m glad that I’ve had the opportunity to read it.
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me access to this book via NetGalley. It has been a privilege to read it.
The story centres around the slaves on the Elizabeth Plantation (also known as ‘Empty’ to the slaves), and in particular, Samuel and Isaiah. They are betrayed by the other slaves, as if by revealing their love, it will make their lives safer. Of course this is not the case, as we see when we read the chapters centred around some of the other slaves. We learn about the inhumane treatment of the slaves by their immoral white owners (or toubabs, as they are called by their black slaves). I felt that the white people in this book had a mad, mentally unhinged quality about them: after all, how else could you reconcile treating human beings worse than animals?
I found the chapters written from the African people’s perspective, as they were free then captured and imprisoned, so interesting. It made them even more real to me. These were real people (as opposed to the animals that they were seen as by the slavers) with families, traditions, lives, loves and beliefs. The scenes on board the slave ships were harrowing.
It has taken me over a week to tackle this review. This book really affected me deeply, and there were many times that I had to put the book down and walk away. Then, I would feel guilty that I had the luxury of doing just that, unlike the slaves who lived every moment of their lives as some white mans possession to do with as he saw fit.
I can’t believe that this is a debut novel. The writing is beautiful, even in the most horrific moments. The magical elements add a suggestion of hope and the indomitable spirit of these people. And the ending is just perfection. I’m sure that this book will win awards - it SHOULD win - and I’m glad that I’ve had the opportunity to read it.
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me access to this book via NetGalley. It has been a privilege to read it.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Black Bird of the Gallows in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.</i></b>
"I'm going to sleep!” says reviewer, as she furiously types on the keyboard. The next time she looks up, an hour has passed, leaving her with one less hour of sleep and an 8 am class looming closer.
Obviously, I am a complete night owl because all of my decent reviews (aka my usual self and not some half hearted attempt of I THINK THIS IS A REVIEW BUT MY BRAIN IS CRYING SO I GIVE UP *presses schedule*) are all written after all the other souls in the house are sleeping soundly.
<b>There's only one other soul 99% of the time.</b>
Also, I read this weeks ago and completely forgot about the release date being last week, so I started writing other reviews and reading other books and poor Meg Kassel’s debut just sat there crying at me silently, “Are you going to review me?”
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>Five Things about Black Bird of the Gallows</b></h3>
At the same time, I had high expectations for Kassel’s debut novel, I also didn't, for some weird and odd reason my brain won't conjure up (the brain is strange, very strange). Here are some things to be aware of before/when picking up the book:
<b>Death is a theme, but used differently </b>- the few novels I've read with a death theme always have something in common: there's probably a grim reaper, and the grim reaper collects souls. Kassel uses a similar theme, but <b>it's not the exact same theme</b>. Honestly, I'm curious if this has mythology ties - is it okay if I kind of regret dropping myth and folklore senior year? I sacrificed it for college credit in speech instead (that's okay, right?).
<b>I am in love with gorgeous lines, and Kassel delivers</b> - I mean, they're not enough that I want to <i>draw </i>them (this is a rare thing to happen), but there are lovely lines and descriptions! And there's humor. I think I enjoyed the humor more often.
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Suddenly, I notice the light steam coming off his skin—the same coming from my mouth when I speak. It feels like I’m sitting next to an attractive, boy-shaped wood stove.</blockquote>
<b>There's a music aspect</b> - As a once upon a violin player, music is important! Okay, maybe not important in my life as much as books are, but music books are cute. Music plays a major role in <i>Black Bird of the Gallows</i> when it comes to character development. When we first meet Angie, she's not as confident with her music as she eventually becomes later in the book.
<b>
</b> <b>Birds! (Okay, Crows)</b> - It's probably a bad idea for me to read another book involving birds after <i>Shatter Me</i>, but I'm fine with birds in this one. The crows are also one of my favorite parts of the book - the crows aren't directly involved with death, but they play a role as well.
<b>It gets dark </b>- <i>Black Bird of the Gallows </i>might be less dark at the beginning, but it gets dark, VERY dark near the end. (Secretly my evil little heart likes this. I'm worried.)
Overall: <i>Black Bird of the Gallows</i> is perfect for those who enjoy books about death but are looking for something different than what we usually see.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/black-bird-of-gallows-by-meg-kassel-arc-review/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
"I'm going to sleep!” says reviewer, as she furiously types on the keyboard. The next time she looks up, an hour has passed, leaving her with one less hour of sleep and an 8 am class looming closer.
Obviously, I am a complete night owl because all of my decent reviews (aka my usual self and not some half hearted attempt of I THINK THIS IS A REVIEW BUT MY BRAIN IS CRYING SO I GIVE UP *presses schedule*) are all written after all the other souls in the house are sleeping soundly.
<b>There's only one other soul 99% of the time.</b>
Also, I read this weeks ago and completely forgot about the release date being last week, so I started writing other reviews and reading other books and poor Meg Kassel’s debut just sat there crying at me silently, “Are you going to review me?”
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>Five Things about Black Bird of the Gallows</b></h3>
At the same time, I had high expectations for Kassel’s debut novel, I also didn't, for some weird and odd reason my brain won't conjure up (the brain is strange, very strange). Here are some things to be aware of before/when picking up the book:
<b>Death is a theme, but used differently </b>- the few novels I've read with a death theme always have something in common: there's probably a grim reaper, and the grim reaper collects souls. Kassel uses a similar theme, but <b>it's not the exact same theme</b>. Honestly, I'm curious if this has mythology ties - is it okay if I kind of regret dropping myth and folklore senior year? I sacrificed it for college credit in speech instead (that's okay, right?).
<b>I am in love with gorgeous lines, and Kassel delivers</b> - I mean, they're not enough that I want to <i>draw </i>them (this is a rare thing to happen), but there are lovely lines and descriptions! And there's humor. I think I enjoyed the humor more often.
<blockquote class="tr_bq">Suddenly, I notice the light steam coming off his skin—the same coming from my mouth when I speak. It feels like I’m sitting next to an attractive, boy-shaped wood stove.</blockquote>
<b>There's a music aspect</b> - As a once upon a violin player, music is important! Okay, maybe not important in my life as much as books are, but music books are cute. Music plays a major role in <i>Black Bird of the Gallows</i> when it comes to character development. When we first meet Angie, she's not as confident with her music as she eventually becomes later in the book.
<b>
</b> <b>Birds! (Okay, Crows)</b> - It's probably a bad idea for me to read another book involving birds after <i>Shatter Me</i>, but I'm fine with birds in this one. The crows are also one of my favorite parts of the book - the crows aren't directly involved with death, but they play a role as well.
<b>It gets dark </b>- <i>Black Bird of the Gallows </i>might be less dark at the beginning, but it gets dark, VERY dark near the end. (Secretly my evil little heart likes this. I'm worried.)
Overall: <i>Black Bird of the Gallows</i> is perfect for those who enjoy books about death but are looking for something different than what we usually see.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/black-bird-of-gallows-by-meg-kassel-arc-review/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Bring Me Their Hearts (Bring Me Their Hearts, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<i><b>Bring Me Their Hearts</b></i><b> has plenty of sass, snark and </b><b>humor laced throughout</b>, which is no surprise considering one of the biggest reasons why I loved Sara Wolf's debut novel is the sass and humor (I can now officially count on Wolf to make me laugh). This book literally starts with Zera comparing the king's worth to a <i>potato</i>.
<h2>Potatoes aside, let's talk about Sara Wolf's dive from contemporary into fantasy, aka <b>how did </b><b><i>Bring Me Their Hearts</i></b><b> do???</b></h2>
Because that is the most important question: is the book good? Is it as bloodeh as the title? Let me give you the 411.
<h3><b>If you're looking for a good dose of sass, snark and humor, count on it.</b></h3>
Zera has a comeback for <i>everything</i>. Of course, she says she can't help herself because it's how she deals with it since she became Heartless, which is essentially a witch's pet monster. If you can't deal with her comebacks, then suck it up an drop off a cliff is what she'll likely tell you. But the amount of sass is 👌👌👌 and #100percentapproved.
<h3><b>But let's be a little honest here: sometimes Isis Blake appears too much in Zera.</b></h3>
Isis Blake is <a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-love-me-never-by-sara-wolf-arc-review-and-giveaway/">the main character of Wolf's <i>Lovely Vicious</i> series</a> and sometimes she appears way too much in Zera. Think two people stuck in one body = identity crisis much?
Maybe I am complaining too much here because regardless of how Isis seems to appear occasionally in Zera, <b>I still enjoyed Zera's voice.</b> And I still approve of snarkcisms used. So I'll just sit in a corner and hush up.
<h3><b>Let's take a moment to appreciate a side character (really, we should appreciate most side characters).</b></h3>
Meet Malachite, who is officially one of my favorite characters of <i>Bring Me Their Hearts</i> simply because he was wonderful and had no filter for being a royal bodyguard. 11/10 would adopt.
But we all know, Ms. Wolf, that you're going to kill Malachite later on, right? And kill my feels along with it?
<h3><b>There is this weird issue of the beginning being kind of out of place but used as a lovely hook.</b></h3>
<i>Bring Me Their Hearts</i> starts us in a court before backtracking a few weeks and then continuing. <i>Please note I am a very forgetful person</i> but we're in Zera's world of Heartless and witches and then Training101 for 30% of the book. I completely forgot everything by that point aside from a potato being involved.
But it's used as a lovely hook, so I'm not exactly complaining too much (someone fix my memory please and thank you).
<h3><b>Common Fantasy Plot #2927: Got 'em!</b></h3>
Eventually, you get to the point where you see the most common plotlines aka royalty is secretly venturing out in the world of plebians to be a badass and accidentally meets potential love interest aka the main character.
<h3><b>I was expecting this to be more bloody? I did not get more bloody.</b></h3>
I got a lot of court intrigue, sass, humor, but I was expecting more blood for some reason. I got more near the end though, because Heartless are monsters after all.
<h3><b>Hold up, this is the first novel?</b></h3>
I was expecting this to be a standalone but hahaha no nice try, Sophia. Come back in the future to satiate your curiosities in book two.
<i>Bring Me Their Hearts</i> wasn't horrible if you enjoy a snarky little monster who really just wants everything to be all good and dandy (but hahaha, life isn't going to be that nice) and a nice little note tacked on the end that says, "come back soon for more!"
While I wanted a little more blood because I'm smol and evil thoughts run through my brain sometimes, this was fun to read, and I have hopes for the second novel.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-bring-me-their-hearts-by-sara-wolf-arc-review/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<i><b>Bring Me Their Hearts</b></i><b> has plenty of sass, snark and </b><b>humor laced throughout</b>, which is no surprise considering one of the biggest reasons why I loved Sara Wolf's debut novel is the sass and humor (I can now officially count on Wolf to make me laugh). This book literally starts with Zera comparing the king's worth to a <i>potato</i>.
<h2>Potatoes aside, let's talk about Sara Wolf's dive from contemporary into fantasy, aka <b>how did </b><b><i>Bring Me Their Hearts</i></b><b> do???</b></h2>
Because that is the most important question: is the book good? Is it as bloodeh as the title? Let me give you the 411.
<h3><b>If you're looking for a good dose of sass, snark and humor, count on it.</b></h3>
Zera has a comeback for <i>everything</i>. Of course, she says she can't help herself because it's how she deals with it since she became Heartless, which is essentially a witch's pet monster. If you can't deal with her comebacks, then suck it up an drop off a cliff is what she'll likely tell you. But the amount of sass is 👌👌👌 and #100percentapproved.
<h3><b>But let's be a little honest here: sometimes Isis Blake appears too much in Zera.</b></h3>
Isis Blake is <a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-love-me-never-by-sara-wolf-arc-review-and-giveaway/">the main character of Wolf's <i>Lovely Vicious</i> series</a> and sometimes she appears way too much in Zera. Think two people stuck in one body = identity crisis much?
Maybe I am complaining too much here because regardless of how Isis seems to appear occasionally in Zera, <b>I still enjoyed Zera's voice.</b> And I still approve of snarkcisms used. So I'll just sit in a corner and hush up.
<h3><b>Let's take a moment to appreciate a side character (really, we should appreciate most side characters).</b></h3>
Meet Malachite, who is officially one of my favorite characters of <i>Bring Me Their Hearts</i> simply because he was wonderful and had no filter for being a royal bodyguard. 11/10 would adopt.
But we all know, Ms. Wolf, that you're going to kill Malachite later on, right? And kill my feels along with it?
<h3><b>There is this weird issue of the beginning being kind of out of place but used as a lovely hook.</b></h3>
<i>Bring Me Their Hearts</i> starts us in a court before backtracking a few weeks and then continuing. <i>Please note I am a very forgetful person</i> but we're in Zera's world of Heartless and witches and then Training101 for 30% of the book. I completely forgot everything by that point aside from a potato being involved.
But it's used as a lovely hook, so I'm not exactly complaining too much (someone fix my memory please and thank you).
<h3><b>Common Fantasy Plot #2927: Got 'em!</b></h3>
Eventually, you get to the point where you see the most common plotlines aka royalty is secretly venturing out in the world of plebians to be a badass and accidentally meets potential love interest aka the main character.
<h3><b>I was expecting this to be more bloody? I did not get more bloody.</b></h3>
I got a lot of court intrigue, sass, humor, but I was expecting more blood for some reason. I got more near the end though, because Heartless are monsters after all.
<h3><b>Hold up, this is the first novel?</b></h3>
I was expecting this to be a standalone but hahaha no nice try, Sophia. Come back in the future to satiate your curiosities in book two.
<i>Bring Me Their Hearts</i> wasn't horrible if you enjoy a snarky little monster who really just wants everything to be all good and dandy (but hahaha, life isn't going to be that nice) and a nice little note tacked on the end that says, "come back soon for more!"
While I wanted a little more blood because I'm smol and evil thoughts run through my brain sometimes, this was fun to read, and I have hopes for the second novel.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-bring-me-their-hearts-by-sara-wolf-arc-review/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>