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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Delta in Books

Apr 4, 2019  
Delta
Delta
Jordan Elizabeth Mierek | 2019 | History & Politics, Mystery, Paranormal
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Suitable for anyone who wants to enjoy a short story, Delta is the latest novella by the versatile Jordan Elizabeth. Based on an historical event but with purely fictional characters, the author weaves real life and paranormal/fantasy together to create a gripping tale.

Set in the years leading up to the time a small village was flooded to create Lake Delta in 1917, the short story focuses on the Madison family who believe the plans will never come to fruition. As the years pass, neighbours begin receiving eviction letters but the family remain steadfast in their belief that their land won't be affected.

Meanwhile, the protagonist Lottie is given the task to deliver daily baskets of food to her Aunt Flora, a lady housebound in a cottage in the woods, however, Lottie is forbidden to ever enter the house.

As Lottie grows up with the threat of the flood becoming more of a reality, she begins to question why her parents are so convinced that all will be okay. In the months leading to her 17th birthday, she overhears her parents speaking of magic, but surely magic isn't real? She is soon to discover the painful truth and learn that she is not who she thinks she is.

Delta was quick to read and the ten year storyline sped by. The fast pace makes readers eager to reach the conclusion, a conclusion that is in no way predictable.

Whilst short, Delta is definitely worth reading. It is perfect for those moments when you need something to do but can't commit to reading a longer novel.
  
The Boy Next Door (2015)
The Boy Next Door (2015)
2015 | Mystery
2
4.8 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The theme of the dangerous person living next door as well as forbidden attraction and desires are no stranger to Hollywood as they are themes that have powered some of the most intense and erotic dramas in recent memory.

The latest offering from Hollywood has Jennifer Lopez as Claire, a woman who is newly divorced and falls for her new neighbor played by Ryan Guzman.

At first the relationship is exciting for Claire but things take a turn for the worse and Claire soon learns that her new neighbor is not what he first appeared to be and is a very dangerous and manipulative individual.

You would think with a premise such as this and a decent cast that this would at least be a passable thriller but instead it is about as lifeless and formulaic a film as they come.

The film was completely predictable aside form one brief moment at the end of the film that was mildly unexpected, but other than that I found myself whispering to my husband throughout the movie what was going to happen next, and it did.

Supporting actors John Corbett, playing Lopez’ (estranged) husband, and Ian Nelson as their teenage son, did a passable job given the material they were working with but deserved much better.

Ryan Guzman who plays 19-year-old neighbor Noah, manages to play the creepy psycho part pretty well, but the material was as I said previously; so very predictable.

 

I wish I could offer more than 1 star out of 5, but I can’t for the film which is a shame as the audience and the cast deserved so much more with this premise.
  
The Source of Magic (Academy of Falling Kingdoms #1)
The Source of Magic (Academy of Falling Kingdoms #1)
Marissa Mills, Drake Mason | 2019 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
32 of 250
Kindle
The Source of Magic ( Academy of Falling Kingdoms book1)
By Drake Mason and Marisa Mills

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

I can speak to demons. The punishment is death.

The mission: put on a dress, pretend to be a lady, and infiltrate the academy of mages to steal a journal from the forbidden archives.

The problem: I’m no mage and I’ve never worn a dress in my life.

But it’s not like I have a choice. My bastard of an uncle basically sold me to a dangerously pretty nobleman, and they can’t pull off this heist without me. Unfortunately, once I fake my way through the entrance exam with a piece of hacked mage tech, and reach the floating kingdom of Reverie, my problems are only just beginning.

Keeping my secret identity is hard enough without a suspicious prince following me around, and the jealous rich girl who wants to marry him threatening me at every turn. But I know I’m in real trouble when my magic sword starts to talk to me. If I can survive the demon attacks, the backstabbing nobles, and the piles of homework long enough, I may discover the source of magic… and if the truth gets out, it will shatter everything.


This showed so much potential but for me book 1 didn’t deliver in some areas! I got a little bored but ploughed on as I don’t like giving up! It was a 2.5 until the end which gave me a bit of a boost to try book 2!
  
The Heatwave
The Heatwave
Katerina Diamond | 2020 | Mystery, Thriller
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonists in this book were Jasmine and Felicity, and the story was told from their perspectives. Felicity is telling the story at the present day, she has to go back to her home-town where she grew up, to find a girl that has been kidnapped. Because “only she knows how to find her”. Felicity is a very troubled character, she has a drinking problem, and suffers from quite a few mental health problems. Jasmine and Felicity were best friends at school, and Jasmine is a person who tells the story from the past. I really liked Jasmine’s story, it is more intriguing and gripping compared to Felicity’s.

The narrative was very well balanced, in my opinion. Felicity keeps kindling the suspense with “her big secret” and “what have I done?” moments, making me restless to find out what this huge secret is. And Jasmine is telling a really absorbing story, leading very cleverly to all these huge discoveries. The topics discussed in this book were alcoholism, teenagers and their behaviour, mental health issues, forbidden romance and many more.

I really enjoyed the author’s clever writing style. The book feels quite calm and smooth, there is no police involved and it is only alone, an ordinary woman trying to uncover what actually happened. But at the same time, this book is carrying a shroud of mystery, that my curious side could not wait to unravel. The chapters felt quite short, and the dual perspective made this book very entertaining. The culmination of this novel did not disappoint me, I was not expecting the “Big Secret” to be this awesome.