Search
Search results
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Passage in Books
May 15, 2019
A really enjoyable read
Contains spoilers, click to show
I initially read this book in about 2000, so when I decided to re-read it, I couldn't remember much about it. I'm glad I had left it for so long before I read it again, as I was surprised how good this was.
The writing is very good, it reminded me very much of 'The Stand' by Stephen King, because of the dark writing, the way in which it builds up in suspense and also the plot's subject matter. However, I wouldn't say that this was a copy of 'The Stand', it has it's own identity too.
The characters are very believable and complex. I really liked the fact that the characters weren't simply 'Bad' or 'Good'. All of the characters had different sides to them, which made them all the more believable. One criticism I would make, would be that I did find that the more central characters, were better developed than the secondary ones. Actually, in the second section of the novel, I felt that there were too many characters to keep track of. However, as the novel progressed, it became clear which characters I should be paying more attention to.
I was also happy that the 'vampires' were not your stereotypical blood sucking beings allergic to garlic, that could be killed by stakes and crosses. I was also really glad that they were not the romantic, shiny vampires either. I really liked the fact Justin Cronin hadn't written them as just 'bad' either. There was a sensitivity, which made you as a reader, actually feel sorry for these beings.
The pace of the the novel was generally good. I found the first section of the book to be gripping. In fact, I found it very difficult to put the book down. During the second section of the book however, it kind of ground to a halt and I didn't enjoy reading that part as much as the others. However on reflection, I think that the slow build in tension, to the next exciting bit. was very clever. This was because I don't think I would have been able to cope with a fast paced book of 900 plus pages!
Being 900 pages I thought that by the time I got to the end of this book,I would have been desperate to finish and start something new.. However, I was actually sad when I had finished 'The Passage' . Even though this is a long book, I didn't notice how chunky it was and I was able to really get into the world that Justin Cronin had created.
I really liked this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!
My Rating **** 1/2
The writing is very good, it reminded me very much of 'The Stand' by Stephen King, because of the dark writing, the way in which it builds up in suspense and also the plot's subject matter. However, I wouldn't say that this was a copy of 'The Stand', it has it's own identity too.
The characters are very believable and complex. I really liked the fact that the characters weren't simply 'Bad' or 'Good'. All of the characters had different sides to them, which made them all the more believable. One criticism I would make, would be that I did find that the more central characters, were better developed than the secondary ones. Actually, in the second section of the novel, I felt that there were too many characters to keep track of. However, as the novel progressed, it became clear which characters I should be paying more attention to.
I was also happy that the 'vampires' were not your stereotypical blood sucking beings allergic to garlic, that could be killed by stakes and crosses. I was also really glad that they were not the romantic, shiny vampires either. I really liked the fact Justin Cronin hadn't written them as just 'bad' either. There was a sensitivity, which made you as a reader, actually feel sorry for these beings.
The pace of the the novel was generally good. I found the first section of the book to be gripping. In fact, I found it very difficult to put the book down. During the second section of the book however, it kind of ground to a halt and I didn't enjoy reading that part as much as the others. However on reflection, I think that the slow build in tension, to the next exciting bit. was very clever. This was because I don't think I would have been able to cope with a fast paced book of 900 plus pages!
Being 900 pages I thought that by the time I got to the end of this book,I would have been desperate to finish and start something new.. However, I was actually sad when I had finished 'The Passage' . Even though this is a long book, I didn't notice how chunky it was and I was able to really get into the world that Justin Cronin had created.
I really liked this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!
My Rating **** 1/2
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Killer's Family in Books
Apr 3, 2022
What would you do if on the day of your beloved father's funeral, you find evidence to suggest he was the serial killer known as Gemini? A serial killer who was responsible for the horrendous and vicious deaths of numerous young women spanning a significant period of time.
What would you do?
In The Killer's Family we follow the story of the 3 sisters who discovered the devastating evidence and the impact this has on their lives and their relationships with each other and then everything is turned on its head when Gemini strikes again ... and again ...
Who really is Gemini?
This is a dark story with a number of twists that I found riveting and would recommend to lovers of this genre.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
What would you do?
In The Killer's Family we follow the story of the 3 sisters who discovered the devastating evidence and the impact this has on their lives and their relationships with each other and then everything is turned on its head when Gemini strikes again ... and again ...
Who really is Gemini?
This is a dark story with a number of twists that I found riveting and would recommend to lovers of this genre.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Merissa (11958 KP) rated The Diplomatic Heir (Etherya's Earth #7) in Books
Jan 3, 2023
Every page was a delight!
THE DIPLOMATIC HEIR is the seventh book in the Etherya's Earth series and continues with the next generation. This time, it's Tor's turn and he has found his mate in Esme, the disinherited Elven hybrid princess who has spent the majority of her life running from her dastardly father!
Tor is wonderful - handsome, caring, protective - everything you would expect from a son of Miranda and Sathan. He is also a virgin but that isn't the main characteristic. Esme is strong but oh so broken. She constantly makes decisions that hurt her but help those she is trying to protect, whether they want it or not!
Not only do we get their amazing action-packed story, but we also get updates on Miranda and Sathan. Latimus, Evie, and Darkrip have cameos, plus other family members. And not only that, but you meet new characters that I now want their stories too. I'm looking at you, Jaxon! There is so much to this book, every page was a delight.
This was a wonderful addition to the series and, honestly, makes me want to re-read all of them again. I can't wait for book 8 but I guess I must. 😂 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me but, please, start from the beginning so you don't miss anything.
** 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!
Tor is wonderful - handsome, caring, protective - everything you would expect from a son of Miranda and Sathan. He is also a virgin but that isn't the main characteristic. Esme is strong but oh so broken. She constantly makes decisions that hurt her but help those she is trying to protect, whether they want it or not!
Not only do we get their amazing action-packed story, but we also get updates on Miranda and Sathan. Latimus, Evie, and Darkrip have cameos, plus other family members. And not only that, but you meet new characters that I now want their stories too. I'm looking at you, Jaxon! There is so much to this book, every page was a delight.
This was a wonderful addition to the series and, honestly, makes me want to re-read all of them again. I can't wait for book 8 but I guess I must. 😂 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me but, please, start from the beginning so you don't miss anything.
** 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!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Keep the Ends Loose in Books
Feb 13, 2018
I wanted to like this book. I really did. It was a quick read, but honestly, I kept reading partly because the ridiculous and far-fetched plot sucked me in and partially because I just wanted it to be over. There were times when I found myself gritting my teeth because of the rather annoying diction and narration. You sort of became lulled into it the more you read, but it really was awful.
The novel follows 15-year-old Miranda (Mandy), who thinks she has a rather boring life and family, until her mother reveals a shocking secret that turns the family upside down. It involves Mandy's aunt, Iris, whom she adores, and encompasses the entire family - her father, Roy; her 17-year-old brother Adam; her best friend, Barley (seriously, Barley); and a whole cast of other characters.
I'll hand it to Campbell - she creates a cast of rich characters and it's a plot worthy of a soap opera. The problem is that everything just seems a little off. Mandy is so adamant about her life previously being so boring and her startling "realizations" that adults, too, have depth and problems, that you feel like you're being hit over the head with it. The author bashes you over and over with Mandy's coming of age thoughts, rather than simply letting them unfold from the plot.
Further, while Mandy is supposed to be a naive 15-year-old, at times she sounds like a kid. Other times, she's drinking beer and ruminating on sex. It's really disconcerting. Her narration is jumbled and I was left wondering if the author actually knew any teens at all. Both Mandy and Adam exhibit a host of age-inappropriate behaviors and diction -- no matter what happens to them!
Finally, the storyline is so inane that I found myself wondering what sort of parents would actually do this to their children? If Mandy's parents were so supposedly boring and placid, the behavior seemed awfully odd. It was all just a little unbelievable and again, left you a tad jarred.
Overall, about 2.5 stars. A lot of promise, really, but just didn't get fulfilled.
(Note: I received an advance ebook copy of this novel from Netgally in return for a honest review.)
The novel follows 15-year-old Miranda (Mandy), who thinks she has a rather boring life and family, until her mother reveals a shocking secret that turns the family upside down. It involves Mandy's aunt, Iris, whom she adores, and encompasses the entire family - her father, Roy; her 17-year-old brother Adam; her best friend, Barley (seriously, Barley); and a whole cast of other characters.
I'll hand it to Campbell - she creates a cast of rich characters and it's a plot worthy of a soap opera. The problem is that everything just seems a little off. Mandy is so adamant about her life previously being so boring and her startling "realizations" that adults, too, have depth and problems, that you feel like you're being hit over the head with it. The author bashes you over and over with Mandy's coming of age thoughts, rather than simply letting them unfold from the plot.
Further, while Mandy is supposed to be a naive 15-year-old, at times she sounds like a kid. Other times, she's drinking beer and ruminating on sex. It's really disconcerting. Her narration is jumbled and I was left wondering if the author actually knew any teens at all. Both Mandy and Adam exhibit a host of age-inappropriate behaviors and diction -- no matter what happens to them!
Finally, the storyline is so inane that I found myself wondering what sort of parents would actually do this to their children? If Mandy's parents were so supposedly boring and placid, the behavior seemed awfully odd. It was all just a little unbelievable and again, left you a tad jarred.
Overall, about 2.5 stars. A lot of promise, really, but just didn't get fulfilled.
(Note: I received an advance ebook copy of this novel from Netgally in return for a honest review.)
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Man on the Roof in Books
Jul 1, 2018
Hmmmm ... if I could only use one word to describe this book, it would be ... frustrating! Now don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book, it's just infuriatingly annoying. Let me try and explain.
The story is basically about the murder of a young lad found suspended from a banner in a cul-de-sac of houses where we find the main suspects who, we learn, all have secrets that they don't want to come out. In comes the police to investigate the crime and the various suspects that live in the cul-de-sac. Sounds ok so far however, therein lies the problem. There are so many suspects, none of which are particularly likeable, it was difficult to keep track of who was who and who was married to who and as the secrets were revealed, whose secret was it! In addition, each of the chapters is written in different styles from different people and you don't always know who the people are ... I ended up being very confused. There's lots of description and whilst some of it is good, e.g. people's gestures and behaviour, a lot of it is unnecessary and this makes it a very long book ... well it seemed long to me.
There are some inconsistencies as well which I found annoying. For example, the names of the police officers change ... one minute they were Detective Cady Lambert and Detective Braidey Fitzsimmons and then they were Cady and Braidey and then they were Lambert and Fitzsimmons ... this may seem trivial but when you have so many characters, it's hard to keep track so changing their names throughout causes you to lose the thread of who is who.
Now don't get me wrong, as I said this isn't a bad book, it actually has the bones of being an excellent dark and gritty thriller but there's just too much going on that affects the flow of reading for me and I just think it needs tidying up.
I am grateful to the author for sending me a copy of his book after finding my blog. I really appreciate the time and effort he has made in writing a complex story and putting it out there for people like me, who couldn't write a decent letter, to criticise and pick apart ... that is brave and I salute you Mr Stephenson and encourage you to keep going.
The story is basically about the murder of a young lad found suspended from a banner in a cul-de-sac of houses where we find the main suspects who, we learn, all have secrets that they don't want to come out. In comes the police to investigate the crime and the various suspects that live in the cul-de-sac. Sounds ok so far however, therein lies the problem. There are so many suspects, none of which are particularly likeable, it was difficult to keep track of who was who and who was married to who and as the secrets were revealed, whose secret was it! In addition, each of the chapters is written in different styles from different people and you don't always know who the people are ... I ended up being very confused. There's lots of description and whilst some of it is good, e.g. people's gestures and behaviour, a lot of it is unnecessary and this makes it a very long book ... well it seemed long to me.
There are some inconsistencies as well which I found annoying. For example, the names of the police officers change ... one minute they were Detective Cady Lambert and Detective Braidey Fitzsimmons and then they were Cady and Braidey and then they were Lambert and Fitzsimmons ... this may seem trivial but when you have so many characters, it's hard to keep track so changing their names throughout causes you to lose the thread of who is who.
Now don't get me wrong, as I said this isn't a bad book, it actually has the bones of being an excellent dark and gritty thriller but there's just too much going on that affects the flow of reading for me and I just think it needs tidying up.
I am grateful to the author for sending me a copy of his book after finding my blog. I really appreciate the time and effort he has made in writing a complex story and putting it out there for people like me, who couldn't write a decent letter, to criticise and pick apart ... that is brave and I salute you Mr Stephenson and encourage you to keep going.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Before They are Hanged: The First Law: Book Two in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Second book in [a: Joe Abercrombie|276660|Joe Abercrombie|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1421267339p2/276660.jpg]'s 'The First Law' series (so after [b: The Blade Itself|68616|The Blade Itself|Marcus Sakey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437443720s/68616.jpg|1002512], this - again - weighs in on the heavier end of the spectrum: it's not a light read by any means, either in size or scope!
This is also a true sequel to the previous, in that if you hadn't read the earlier you wouldn't have a clue what was going on/who was who. As before, this pretty much jumps between characters chapter by chapter, while the novel is also split into two distinct sections, with the split coming roughly at around the halfway mark with the fall of Dagoska after the torturer Superior Glotka is recalled.
Of them all, I have to say, I found 'his' chapters to be the most interesting, in particular his continued snarkiness to any and all around him.
I also found this to be very much a bridge novel - after being introduced to the characters in [b: The Blade Itself|68616|The Blade Itself|Marcus Sakey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437443720s/68616.jpg|1002512], a lot of this seemed to be setting the scene for what-I-imagine-will-be the events in [b: The Last Argument of Kings|944076|Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)|Joe Abercrombie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302062699s/944076.jpg|929012].
However, I need a break from all the darkness now for a while!
This is also a true sequel to the previous, in that if you hadn't read the earlier you wouldn't have a clue what was going on/who was who. As before, this pretty much jumps between characters chapter by chapter, while the novel is also split into two distinct sections, with the split coming roughly at around the halfway mark with the fall of Dagoska after the torturer Superior Glotka is recalled.
Of them all, I have to say, I found 'his' chapters to be the most interesting, in particular his continued snarkiness to any and all around him.
I also found this to be very much a bridge novel - after being introduced to the characters in [b: The Blade Itself|68616|The Blade Itself|Marcus Sakey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437443720s/68616.jpg|1002512], a lot of this seemed to be setting the scene for what-I-imagine-will-be the events in [b: The Last Argument of Kings|944076|Last Argument of Kings (The First Law, #3)|Joe Abercrombie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302062699s/944076.jpg|929012].
However, I need a break from all the darkness now for a while!
Cadenza: Tuner + Metronome
Music and Education
7.0
Rate It
App
We're happy to announce that, as of November 2016, more than 450,000 musicians¹ throughout the...
TacoDave (3610 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Nov 14, 2019
Story (3 more)
Acting
Humor
Unexpected twists
This Parasite gets under your skin...
I will try not to spoil anything, because I really enjoyed watching this movie unfold. It's the kind of film where you can't really guess where it is going, because where it is going is so strange...
Based on the director, I expected sci-fi or horror. This movie isn't either of those genres: it is basically a human-level character study, but in a universe with slightly-cartoonish logic.
I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you watch the movie you might agree.
The main family is broke. They have no money for food and their neighbor recently put a password on their wifi, so they don't even have phones that work. When the son gets the chance to become a tutor to a rich girl, even though he isn't qualified, he jumps at the chance. And, slowly but surely, he and his family plan ways to get all four of them hired on at the rich owners' house.
That's all I will say, because discovery is important for this movie to work. There is a lot of drama and real-life class struggle, but the movie is often punctuated by humor that takes a second to register. It might be a physical sight gag; it might be a turn of phrase; it might be a facial expression; but I found myself laughing out loud, even as uncomfortable things were happening.
If you don't mind subtitles, I strongly recommend Parasite. It is as good as the reviews say.
Based on the director, I expected sci-fi or horror. This movie isn't either of those genres: it is basically a human-level character study, but in a universe with slightly-cartoonish logic.
I know that doesn't make much sense, but if you watch the movie you might agree.
The main family is broke. They have no money for food and their neighbor recently put a password on their wifi, so they don't even have phones that work. When the son gets the chance to become a tutor to a rich girl, even though he isn't qualified, he jumps at the chance. And, slowly but surely, he and his family plan ways to get all four of them hired on at the rich owners' house.
That's all I will say, because discovery is important for this movie to work. There is a lot of drama and real-life class struggle, but the movie is often punctuated by humor that takes a second to register. It might be a physical sight gag; it might be a turn of phrase; it might be a facial expression; but I found myself laughing out loud, even as uncomfortable things were happening.
If you don't mind subtitles, I strongly recommend Parasite. It is as good as the reviews say.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Turned at Dark (Shadow Falls, #0.5) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
As you may know from reading <i>Born at Midnight</i>, the first book of the <i>Shadow Falls</i> series, Della Tsang is Kylie Galen's Vampire friend. Here, we learn how Della was turned into a vampire and how she came about Shadow Falls. We also go into a bit more depth of Della's life before <i>Shadow Falls</i> and a brief history about Supernaturals. Warning though: like <i>Forgotten Lyrics</i> by Amanda Hocking (which I'm currently reading), it's a quick read. Actually, even more quick since it's only 32 pages long.
To be frank, I don't think I was expecting Vampirism to be a virus. I was expecting Della to get bitten by an actual vampire when I first met her in <i>Born at Midnight</i>. And was I so very very wrong at that assumption. The fact that Della had a Vampire virus in her blood was an unexpected twist in the series.
If I were Della's shoes, I probably would've reacted the same way as she did if I found out that *insert spoiler* wasn't actually dead and I was carrying a virus that could turn me into a vampire (It might even be cool). And that the fact blood will taste yummy. o_o
As for Della's issues in real life, I can totally compare my own life to her life. High expectations? yep. Sometimes too high? yep! Super harsh? Harsh, yes, but not like Della's parents in a way. Therefore, Della is now one of my favorite characters from Shadow Falls. Don't worry, there's plenty of room for the rest of them as well. Della just has that "twin-like" quality. :)
Overall, I love the humor that Hunter has woven into this story and find that Turned at Dark is a great prequel to Born at Midnight. It's not necessary to read Born at Midnight first, but if you want to, feel free to do so. I actually enjoyed the series and the shortstory. :)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-turned-at-dark-by-c-c-hunter/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
To be frank, I don't think I was expecting Vampirism to be a virus. I was expecting Della to get bitten by an actual vampire when I first met her in <i>Born at Midnight</i>. And was I so very very wrong at that assumption. The fact that Della had a Vampire virus in her blood was an unexpected twist in the series.
If I were Della's shoes, I probably would've reacted the same way as she did if I found out that *insert spoiler* wasn't actually dead and I was carrying a virus that could turn me into a vampire (It might even be cool). And that the fact blood will taste yummy. o_o
As for Della's issues in real life, I can totally compare my own life to her life. High expectations? yep. Sometimes too high? yep! Super harsh? Harsh, yes, but not like Della's parents in a way. Therefore, Della is now one of my favorite characters from Shadow Falls. Don't worry, there's plenty of room for the rest of them as well. Della just has that "twin-like" quality. :)
Overall, I love the humor that Hunter has woven into this story and find that Turned at Dark is a great prequel to Born at Midnight. It's not necessary to read Born at Midnight first, but if you want to, feel free to do so. I actually enjoyed the series and the shortstory. :)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-turned-at-dark-by-c-c-hunter/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>