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Merissa (12069 KP) rated Air Witch (Witches of Westwood Academy #2) in Books
May 29, 2023
AIR WITCH is the second book in the Witches of Westwood Academy series and, although it follows on from Water Witch, you could read it as a standalone and still understand the story.
Maia is the poor little rich girl (her words, not mine) with issues at home she won't tell anyone about, plus she is getting grief from one of the Assistants. She wants to get perfect grades so she can stay on at school and not become a magical battery for the male half of her family to leech from. Enoch Zell is the assistant who keeps on giving her B's instead of A's, thus lowering her overall grade.
I loved the magical side of it, although I would have liked to have known more about Maia's talents of her own, not just when she is with Enoch. I liked how she was sent to school to become powerful enough so she could be drained, but not too powerful to break free. I also loved the idea of the perfume and how that worked!
The relationship with Enoch was a bit abrupt. We get told time has passed with nothing but snark between them. Along comes Enid and he is there in the dorm room, which Maia vacates. Then... one meeting on a rooftop and it's all on. It just seemed rather quick to me, with nothing much building up to it.
Saying that, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and being back in the Academy. Along with the Meriweathers, I really hope those Professors were looked at too! A great addition to the series and I look forward to Fire Witch. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 21, 2023
Maia is the poor little rich girl (her words, not mine) with issues at home she won't tell anyone about, plus she is getting grief from one of the Assistants. She wants to get perfect grades so she can stay on at school and not become a magical battery for the male half of her family to leech from. Enoch Zell is the assistant who keeps on giving her B's instead of A's, thus lowering her overall grade.
I loved the magical side of it, although I would have liked to have known more about Maia's talents of her own, not just when she is with Enoch. I liked how she was sent to school to become powerful enough so she could be drained, but not too powerful to break free. I also loved the idea of the perfume and how that worked!
The relationship with Enoch was a bit abrupt. We get told time has passed with nothing but snark between them. Along comes Enid and he is there in the dorm room, which Maia vacates. Then... one meeting on a rooftop and it's all on. It just seemed rather quick to me, with nothing much building up to it.
Saying that, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and being back in the Academy. Along with the Meriweathers, I really hope those Professors were looked at too! A great addition to the series and I look forward to Fire Witch. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 21, 2023
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Chroma Crossing Chronicles: Blood Moon in Books
Feb 3, 2020
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2719945256">Blood Moon Part 1</a> - ★★★
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/new-blog-banner-20.png"/>;
<b><i>A beautiful writing, but a confusing adventure, mixed with Out-Of-Earth creatures that don’t really appear until the end of the book, a very disturbing plot, however, a very promising ending as well. I can’t say I enjoyed this book, but it did leave me curious to read the next one.</i></b>
It is hard to put this book in a certain genre, as it’s quite diverse and quite specific in places. If this is the first time you encounter the book, please don’t read the synopsis. It is not accurate, and nothing that is placed there actually happens in this book.
It is important to mention straight ahead, that this book contains sexual abuse, assault, anxiety, panic attacks, various fears and paranoia and explicit contents.
We have Candy Cane, a woman with a weird name, who keeps telling us her name is weird. I found her slightly annoying, to be honest. She is one of those people that want to not be known about certain thing (in this case, she doesn’t want people to notice her name), but at the same time she keeps talking about it, and telling us how much she hates her name. After a couple times, it gets unbearable.
Nevertheless, her father passes away, leaves her an apartment, but he also leaves the house to his young new wife (now widow) and her extremely thick son.
<b>We spend about half of the book reading about their daily ongoings, and only a few things happen worth noticing, but not really quite related to the story. But even still, the writing is beautiful and witty, and kept me going, even though it was slow-paced at times. Even though nothing really happened for a while, I still enjoyed reading it. </b>
While Candy Cane and her step-mother Cherry Ann (I am not kidding, her name is Cherry Ann) don’t quite get along, but don’t argue either, they both go through a phase of grief and self-assessment in their lives. Candy Cane is an aspiring artist, but she has suffered a traumatic experience in the past and tries to cope with this on a daily basis.
On the other hand, we have Cherry Ann, who doesn’t really have a phase of grief. She wants men, and she does meet one, who doesn’t seem to be who she appears to be. He is willing to take her to an unpleasant journey and she is not even aware for it.
The very same man, seems to be out of this world, and keeps trying to find a missing object that belongs to him from a long time ago. He asks Candy Cane to do a portrait for him, while he dates Cherry Ann, but he wants to harm Candy as soon as he gets the chance.
Before we see any really meaningful action happening, the book is about to end. Very confusing and slow paced, with unnecessary characters and points of view – I have to mention that there were a few chapters where the house cat has her own point of view. I still don’t know how I feel about that, but I think I am slowly coping…
<b><i>The ending though, was quite promising and left me wanting to read the next book, which I have on my shelves already. I will be reading it soon, and I really hope it is better than this one. I am a bit sad that I didn’t enjoy this one, but hopeful for the second book.</i></b>
A huge thank you to the publisher, Book Publicity Services, who sent me a paperback copy of Blood Moon Part 1 by S. Yurvati in exchange for an honest review.
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#1 <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2719945256">Blood Moon Part 1</a> - ★★★
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/new-blog-banner-20.png"/>;
<b><i>A beautiful writing, but a confusing adventure, mixed with Out-Of-Earth creatures that don’t really appear until the end of the book, a very disturbing plot, however, a very promising ending as well. I can’t say I enjoyed this book, but it did leave me curious to read the next one.</i></b>
It is hard to put this book in a certain genre, as it’s quite diverse and quite specific in places. If this is the first time you encounter the book, please don’t read the synopsis. It is not accurate, and nothing that is placed there actually happens in this book.
It is important to mention straight ahead, that this book contains sexual abuse, assault, anxiety, panic attacks, various fears and paranoia and explicit contents.
We have Candy Cane, a woman with a weird name, who keeps telling us her name is weird. I found her slightly annoying, to be honest. She is one of those people that want to not be known about certain thing (in this case, she doesn’t want people to notice her name), but at the same time she keeps talking about it, and telling us how much she hates her name. After a couple times, it gets unbearable.
Nevertheless, her father passes away, leaves her an apartment, but he also leaves the house to his young new wife (now widow) and her extremely thick son.
<b>We spend about half of the book reading about their daily ongoings, and only a few things happen worth noticing, but not really quite related to the story. But even still, the writing is beautiful and witty, and kept me going, even though it was slow-paced at times. Even though nothing really happened for a while, I still enjoyed reading it. </b>
While Candy Cane and her step-mother Cherry Ann (I am not kidding, her name is Cherry Ann) don’t quite get along, but don’t argue either, they both go through a phase of grief and self-assessment in their lives. Candy Cane is an aspiring artist, but she has suffered a traumatic experience in the past and tries to cope with this on a daily basis.
On the other hand, we have Cherry Ann, who doesn’t really have a phase of grief. She wants men, and she does meet one, who doesn’t seem to be who she appears to be. He is willing to take her to an unpleasant journey and she is not even aware for it.
The very same man, seems to be out of this world, and keeps trying to find a missing object that belongs to him from a long time ago. He asks Candy Cane to do a portrait for him, while he dates Cherry Ann, but he wants to harm Candy as soon as he gets the chance.
Before we see any really meaningful action happening, the book is about to end. Very confusing and slow paced, with unnecessary characters and points of view – I have to mention that there were a few chapters where the house cat has her own point of view. I still don’t know how I feel about that, but I think I am slowly coping…
<b><i>The ending though, was quite promising and left me wanting to read the next book, which I have on my shelves already. I will be reading it soon, and I really hope it is better than this one. I am a bit sad that I didn’t enjoy this one, but hopeful for the second book.</i></b>
A huge thank you to the publisher, Book Publicity Services, who sent me a paperback copy of Blood Moon Part 1 by S. Yurvati in exchange for an honest review.
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Good Luck of Right Now in Books
May 28, 2017
Inspirational
This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Play Book comes an inspirational tale about a thirty nine year old man who has lived with his mother his whole life. The Good Luck of Right Now is about how Bartholomew Neil copes with life after the death of his mother. Bartholomew is a very awkward man who has no idea how to cope on his own and so is assigned a grief counselor, Wendy, to help him come to terms with his new situation. Due to his mother’s movie obsessions, this story is told through pretend letters written to famous Hollywood actor, Richard Gere, who is also someone Bartholomew admires greatly.
Matthew Quick’s novel entertains the reader through the mishmash of characters from a cat-obsessed man who is convinced aliens exist, to Bartholomew’s obscure friendship with a bipolar priest. As well as being entertaining this novel explores the rhythm of the universe leaving the reader questioning the credibility of fate and wondering about religion and philosophy.
The way in which Bartholomew views the world and his reasons for writing unsent letters to Richard Gere during this difficult period of his life suggest that he his somewhere on the autism scale. Quick explores mental health issues as well as this beginning with the priest with bipolar and again later in the book when Bartholomew becomes friends with a pair of siblings, Max and Elizabeth.
At times humorous and at others thoughtful, The Good Luck of Right Now is a really interesting novel to read. It is easy to understand Bartholomew’s thought processes and he is a very lovable character. One part of the story I personally did not like, however, was the amount of swearing the character Max does. Although this emphasizes Max’s mental state and is not intended to be an insult, it did get a bit tiresome reading a swear word within every sentence he spoke.
Overall this book is definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoyed The Silver Linings Play Book. In fact, The Good Luck of Right Now may even be the better book!
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Play Book comes an inspirational tale about a thirty nine year old man who has lived with his mother his whole life. The Good Luck of Right Now is about how Bartholomew Neil copes with life after the death of his mother. Bartholomew is a very awkward man who has no idea how to cope on his own and so is assigned a grief counselor, Wendy, to help him come to terms with his new situation. Due to his mother’s movie obsessions, this story is told through pretend letters written to famous Hollywood actor, Richard Gere, who is also someone Bartholomew admires greatly.
Matthew Quick’s novel entertains the reader through the mishmash of characters from a cat-obsessed man who is convinced aliens exist, to Bartholomew’s obscure friendship with a bipolar priest. As well as being entertaining this novel explores the rhythm of the universe leaving the reader questioning the credibility of fate and wondering about religion and philosophy.
The way in which Bartholomew views the world and his reasons for writing unsent letters to Richard Gere during this difficult period of his life suggest that he his somewhere on the autism scale. Quick explores mental health issues as well as this beginning with the priest with bipolar and again later in the book when Bartholomew becomes friends with a pair of siblings, Max and Elizabeth.
At times humorous and at others thoughtful, The Good Luck of Right Now is a really interesting novel to read. It is easy to understand Bartholomew’s thought processes and he is a very lovable character. One part of the story I personally did not like, however, was the amount of swearing the character Max does. Although this emphasizes Max’s mental state and is not intended to be an insult, it did get a bit tiresome reading a swear word within every sentence he spoke.
Overall this book is definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoyed The Silver Linings Play Book. In fact, The Good Luck of Right Now may even be the better book!
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated All That Remains: A Life in Death in Books
Apr 7, 2019
Pros:
▪ Descriptive
▪ Very fascinating
▪ Surprisingly life-affirming
Cons:
▪ Could be a possible military/trauma PTSD trigger
What an incredible book. When I first picked this up I was sceptical about reading it right now, I thought this was going to be a dark, depressing read about death. It certainly is about death but surprisingly not in a dark or depressing way.
I've been suffering with a bereavement since November after my best friend was killed in a road accident, hit by a drunk driver. I have been struggling quite a bit with this and there doesn't seem to be any support for people struggling with bereavement, there is one local charity that provides free counselling but I'm currently on a 16+ week waiting list before they can even assess me to see if they can help me.
So you can see why I was hesitant to read this, however, after reading some reviews on it i took the risk and dived in. I'm glad I did.
I found this actually very refreshing and life-affirming, it's made me see life and death in a different way and I feel like it's helped me cope a little better whilst I wait for counselling.
The chapter about the authors personal experience with bereavements was nice to be reminded that everyone deals with grief in their own ways, even if it may seem odd to others.
I really enjoyed reading the scientific parts of this book aswell, as detailed as some of it was it was actually really interesting. It was also nice to learn about all the different options available now days for what happens to our bodies. Donating your body to a medical school is one option I wasn't even aware of.
The epilogue was a tear jerker, I admit I struggled to read through those last pages. It was very personal to Blacks family and very detailed about her wishes when her time comes.
I highly respect Black for making such a personal memoir published.
This was an emotional, uplifting, scientific memoir that I highly recommend.
▪ Descriptive
▪ Very fascinating
▪ Surprisingly life-affirming
Cons:
▪ Could be a possible military/trauma PTSD trigger
What an incredible book. When I first picked this up I was sceptical about reading it right now, I thought this was going to be a dark, depressing read about death. It certainly is about death but surprisingly not in a dark or depressing way.
I've been suffering with a bereavement since November after my best friend was killed in a road accident, hit by a drunk driver. I have been struggling quite a bit with this and there doesn't seem to be any support for people struggling with bereavement, there is one local charity that provides free counselling but I'm currently on a 16+ week waiting list before they can even assess me to see if they can help me.
So you can see why I was hesitant to read this, however, after reading some reviews on it i took the risk and dived in. I'm glad I did.
I found this actually very refreshing and life-affirming, it's made me see life and death in a different way and I feel like it's helped me cope a little better whilst I wait for counselling.
The chapter about the authors personal experience with bereavements was nice to be reminded that everyone deals with grief in their own ways, even if it may seem odd to others.
I really enjoyed reading the scientific parts of this book aswell, as detailed as some of it was it was actually really interesting. It was also nice to learn about all the different options available now days for what happens to our bodies. Donating your body to a medical school is one option I wasn't even aware of.
The epilogue was a tear jerker, I admit I struggled to read through those last pages. It was very personal to Blacks family and very detailed about her wishes when her time comes.
I highly respect Black for making such a personal memoir published.
This was an emotional, uplifting, scientific memoir that I highly recommend.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Opposite of Maybe in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Rosie and Jonathan have been together for 15 years. They never married or had kids even though everyone around them were. They were content with their lives the way they were, or at least that is what Rosie thought. One morning, when birth control goes out the window all because of a strange name on the caller ID, Rosie is about to find out exactly who and what it is she wants in life.
This story was really very interesting. Jonathan doesn't seem like the kind of guy that any woman would want to date. He is all about himself and doesn't really seem to notice or care what is going on around him. He used to be an artist until he wasn't anymore and then he started to collect teacups. When he gets the opportunity to be a part of a museum for the precious teacups, he jumps at the chance. Rosie isn't quite as eager as he is and he promises marriage as a way to get her on board.
Rosie has a lot going on in her life, but then Jonathan shows his true colors just days before the wedding and it makes quite an impact. Finally, Rosie decides to do something that is going to be best for herself instead of going along with what Jonathan wants. In making this decision to stay and take care of her grandmother and settle things, she discovers something amazing about her life.
Too many women in this world put their lives on hold to do what is best for the family. Following their military spouse all around the world, giving up a career for children, leaving behind family to pursue a dream. If we don't we are labeled as unsupportive and when we do we are also given grief about leaving our own wishes and desires to support someone else. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Rosie learns a lot about her life through this book and is a testament to others about doing what is best for yourself.
This story was really very interesting. Jonathan doesn't seem like the kind of guy that any woman would want to date. He is all about himself and doesn't really seem to notice or care what is going on around him. He used to be an artist until he wasn't anymore and then he started to collect teacups. When he gets the opportunity to be a part of a museum for the precious teacups, he jumps at the chance. Rosie isn't quite as eager as he is and he promises marriage as a way to get her on board.
Rosie has a lot going on in her life, but then Jonathan shows his true colors just days before the wedding and it makes quite an impact. Finally, Rosie decides to do something that is going to be best for herself instead of going along with what Jonathan wants. In making this decision to stay and take care of her grandmother and settle things, she discovers something amazing about her life.
Too many women in this world put their lives on hold to do what is best for the family. Following their military spouse all around the world, giving up a career for children, leaving behind family to pursue a dream. If we don't we are labeled as unsupportive and when we do we are also given grief about leaving our own wishes and desires to support someone else. You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Rosie learns a lot about her life through this book and is a testament to others about doing what is best for yourself.
Nicholas Redmond (11 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
May 16, 2019
Fantastic ending (2 more)
Great fan service
Character exploration best from any marvel film
Too much fan service at times (1 more)
Plot allows for problems in future
Excellent end with a couple of annoyances
Contains spoilers, click to show
I'm sure there have been many reviews of this film so I will do one myself. This film is the ultimate in fan service. 11 years, 22 films and a host of stick out moments are brought to this moment right here. It felt amazing watching this, midnight showing with infinity war double bill, knowing I was one of the first to watch it, in the UK anyway. Now the dust has settled it may not have been as fantastical as the first 3 days after but its still great.
The final act is non stop, as many people thought it would be, and I think that's how many people wanted it, including me. It made time for most of the big names, apart from maybe groot, and even has an A-Force moment, which is not to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed it. It concluded well, i think i was the only person in my screen not to cry, and was paced very well and was equally sublime, ridiculous and brutal, giving and ending suitable for the 3 main characters ending story arcs.
The first act, possibly my favourite part of the film, is a character driven piece, based around the aftermath, if you ignore the introduction/ending of infinity war in the first 20 or so minutes, of the snap. Chris Evan's, RDJ and Scarlet Johannson are excellent and it is probably the best acting seen in the entire series. The contrast in tones throughout this opening third is fantastic and could almost be compared with Logan in terms of melancholy, grief and hope.
Finally the middle third. For me this is were the film loses it's way a little. Time travel explanation is interesting but breaks it's own rules, the nudges and winks are a little much at times and humour for humours sake make this a bit of a trudge but still some excellent fan service at times.
All in all great film, kept from excellence by niggles and too much self awareness. Fitting end to a great saga.
The final act is non stop, as many people thought it would be, and I think that's how many people wanted it, including me. It made time for most of the big names, apart from maybe groot, and even has an A-Force moment, which is not to everyone's taste, but I enjoyed it. It concluded well, i think i was the only person in my screen not to cry, and was paced very well and was equally sublime, ridiculous and brutal, giving and ending suitable for the 3 main characters ending story arcs.
The first act, possibly my favourite part of the film, is a character driven piece, based around the aftermath, if you ignore the introduction/ending of infinity war in the first 20 or so minutes, of the snap. Chris Evan's, RDJ and Scarlet Johannson are excellent and it is probably the best acting seen in the entire series. The contrast in tones throughout this opening third is fantastic and could almost be compared with Logan in terms of melancholy, grief and hope.
Finally the middle third. For me this is were the film loses it's way a little. Time travel explanation is interesting but breaks it's own rules, the nudges and winks are a little much at times and humour for humours sake make this a bit of a trudge but still some excellent fan service at times.
All in all great film, kept from excellence by niggles and too much self awareness. Fitting end to a great saga.
Dana (24 KP) rated Batman the Killing Joke in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this comic.
We get the Joker's origin story. He was in a robbery gone wrong and fell into acid because his wife and unborn child died in an electrical fire accident right before the robbery. He was poor, down on his luck, trying to get a job as a comic, and needed some money fast to keep them from losing their apartment. He started off by trying to do an honorable thing and it haunts him for the rest of his life. It is one of the reasons he has gone a bit loony, he cannot face the fact that he is alone in his grief.
We get the reason for Barbara Gordon's paralysis and her origin into becoming the Oracle. (Thanks Joker)
Detective Gordon is attacked by the Joker who is trying to show him how painful it is to lose something he loves. Joker wants to turn Gordon crazy, but doesn't.
Batman does not want his fight with the Joker to end in death, but it will if it has to.
Overall, I really enjoyed this comic and recommend it to anyone who likes the Joker and wants to know more about him.
I love the Joker's last joke, so I'm going to write it out.
Two guys are living in a lunatic asylum and one night they decide they do not like living in an any night they don't like living in an asylum anymore. They decide they're going to escape. So they get up onto the roof and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the roofs of the town, stretching away in the moonlight, stretching away to freedom. The first jumps across with no trouble. The second pauses, he is afraid of falling. The first calls back and says, "I'll turn on this flashlight I've got and you can walk across the beam." The second replies "What do you think I am, crazy? You'll turn the light off once I'm half way across."
I love that joke and the fact that both Batman and the Joker crack up after it.
We get the Joker's origin story. He was in a robbery gone wrong and fell into acid because his wife and unborn child died in an electrical fire accident right before the robbery. He was poor, down on his luck, trying to get a job as a comic, and needed some money fast to keep them from losing their apartment. He started off by trying to do an honorable thing and it haunts him for the rest of his life. It is one of the reasons he has gone a bit loony, he cannot face the fact that he is alone in his grief.
We get the reason for Barbara Gordon's paralysis and her origin into becoming the Oracle. (Thanks Joker)
Detective Gordon is attacked by the Joker who is trying to show him how painful it is to lose something he loves. Joker wants to turn Gordon crazy, but doesn't.
Batman does not want his fight with the Joker to end in death, but it will if it has to.
Overall, I really enjoyed this comic and recommend it to anyone who likes the Joker and wants to know more about him.
I love the Joker's last joke, so I'm going to write it out.
Two guys are living in a lunatic asylum and one night they decide they do not like living in an any night they don't like living in an asylum anymore. They decide they're going to escape. So they get up onto the roof and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the roofs of the town, stretching away in the moonlight, stretching away to freedom. The first jumps across with no trouble. The second pauses, he is afraid of falling. The first calls back and says, "I'll turn on this flashlight I've got and you can walk across the beam." The second replies "What do you think I am, crazy? You'll turn the light off once I'm half way across."
I love that joke and the fact that both Batman and the Joker crack up after it.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Little Women (2019) in Movies
Jan 18, 2020 (Updated Jan 18, 2020)
Coffee and Compliments
Little Women feels like a breath of fresh air in a time chock full of superhero movies and action sequels. Simply overflowing with such kindness, warmth and an enormous sense of love and heart little women is pure escapism into a tale so beautify simple yet so sophisticated and intricate that its simply a pure delight to behold for any age to enjoy. Being unfamiliar with the source material myself I was concerned that I wouldnt enjoy this movie but as the film began I found myself so absorbed by its beauty and overwhelmed with its ability to transport me back and embed me into a period in time like it was but a memory of my own. Production design is staggering and constantly breathtaking from clothing, set design, lighting and props everything just screams quality and class making homes feel lived in/cosy, parties feel exciting/grand and the outdoor scenes to feel magical and fable esque. Whats truly stunning here however is how the feeling of belonging has been masterfully created and as we spend time with this family the bond and love depicted here is so flawless, real and full of love its hard to remember these are actresses we are watching and not real people going about thier lives. Perfomances are splendind but its Florence Pugh that really shows she deserves her nomene for this for sure with a performance so believable full of innocence, emotion and energy that its trully entrancing to watch. With accurate depictions of love, courtship, acceptance, passion, drive, perseverance, innocence, maturity, family life, bonding and grief we almost see these girls fight thier own personal battles along side the real war going on as they struggle to make something of themselves and live freely in a world where men are considered to have all the dominance and rights. Although taking place in the past it all just feels so very current and timeless not affraid to tackle a variety of important and complex themes/issues while exploring the very characteristics and traits that make us human. A wonderful delight and a simply magnifict and heart warming piece of film making history. Such a joyous experiance for anyone and everyone alike.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Familiar Dark in Books
Apr 9, 2020
This book was powerful and utterly absorbing. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it after reading Amy Engel's previous novel, The Roanoke Girls, which is one of my favorite of books. It's one that I recommend to everyone. The Familiar Dark has much of the grittiness of The Roanoke Girls and, man, Engel is an amazing writer who excels at creating these worlds that just suck you in and, in some ways, spit you right back out.
"It had happened now, finally. The disaster I'd been anticipating from the second Junie was born. And I had never even seen it coming."
The title of the book simply doesn't cover it. This is a dark story. Engel captures the small town of Barren Springs perfectly. Our story is told completely from Eve's perspective, which I loved, and things unwind and unfurl as she figures things out. As mentioned, this is a dark tale, as Junie and Izzy's deaths are terrible. Eve's grief just pours off the pages. She is quickly pulled back to the horrors of her childhood and all that she endured. We see immediately that she's going to seek vengenance for what happened to Junie--no matter what. In any fashion, in any way.
I felt as if I almost became one with Eve as I read this book. She is riveting. As a mom, this book broke my heart, and the novel was a testament to a mother's love. It's oddly tender despite its horrifying and sad moments, and I defy you not to love Eve, despite her flaws. The book shows how her childhood formed her, and her brother Cal, whom is really the only person Eve has left after Junie's death.
I could rave on and on, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything. This book isn't for the faint of heart and it's not exactly an uplifting read, but as mentioned, it still resonates as a read about the power of family and love, despite its tense, uncomfortable moments. I am wowed by Engel's writing and can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
"It had happened now, finally. The disaster I'd been anticipating from the second Junie was born. And I had never even seen it coming."
The title of the book simply doesn't cover it. This is a dark story. Engel captures the small town of Barren Springs perfectly. Our story is told completely from Eve's perspective, which I loved, and things unwind and unfurl as she figures things out. As mentioned, this is a dark tale, as Junie and Izzy's deaths are terrible. Eve's grief just pours off the pages. She is quickly pulled back to the horrors of her childhood and all that she endured. We see immediately that she's going to seek vengenance for what happened to Junie--no matter what. In any fashion, in any way.
I felt as if I almost became one with Eve as I read this book. She is riveting. As a mom, this book broke my heart, and the novel was a testament to a mother's love. It's oddly tender despite its horrifying and sad moments, and I defy you not to love Eve, despite her flaws. The book shows how her childhood formed her, and her brother Cal, whom is really the only person Eve has left after Junie's death.
I could rave on and on, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything. This book isn't for the faint of heart and it's not exactly an uplifting read, but as mentioned, it still resonates as a read about the power of family and love, despite its tense, uncomfortable moments. I am wowed by Engel's writing and can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
My (Underground) American Dream: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive
Book
What does an undocumented immigrant look like? What kind of family must she come from? How could she...